Tamworth: Back To The Future - Page 5

Chief Rum · 08-17-2004, 06:04 PM

2008-09 EPL Season Review

Arsenal

League Record: 20-6-12, 66 pts
League Finish: 4th
GF (Rk): 66 (4th)
GA (Rk): 47 (5th)
GD (Rk): +19 (4th)

Europe Record: 3-1-2
Cup Record: 5-2-1

Manager: Mark Bowen
Top Goal Scorers: ST Thierry Henry (27), ST Hernán Crespo (26), ST Jérémie Aliadière (9)
Top Passers: Crespo (13), Henry (10), WG Owen Hargreaves (9)
Top Rating: Henry (7.80), Crespo (7.35), MF Edu (7.15)
Top Defender: FB Daniele Bonera (6.96)

Overall: This season was a complete mess for the talented Gunners. They had three different managers, including an interim one. They didn’t get out of qualifying in the Champions League, nor did they get far in the UEFA. They failed to get any silverware in cup competition, although they did reach the FA Cup semis. They finished the season on a frighteningly mediocre trend. And despite all that, they still finished fourth in the league, and only missed out on third by tiebreakers. Expectations are always high at Ashburton Grove, though—new manager Mark Bowen is going to be feeling the pressure if the squad that shows up in August is anything like it was in the last two months of the season, dropping six of its last ten league matches. Despite a wealth of talent, Bowen managed the team to just a 7-2-7 record after taking over on January 30. Bowen is a risky move for club chairman Peter Hill-Wood, as Bowen did little to impress in a short stint with Middlesbrough last year. Bowen’s hire became a necessity when Bert van Marwijk inexplicably left the squad for Blackburn in December. The best “manager” was actually van Marwijk’s assistant, Rafi Ali, who went undefeated in seven matches between his former boss’s departure and Bowen’s hire. After not being considered for the top spot, Ali left the club in February to take over First Division Charlton Athletic.

Offense: Henry and Crespo remain the top scoring tandem in the Premiership, scoring an amazing 53 goals between them in all club competitions. Argentinian superstar Crespo is a frontrunner for the Premiership Player of the Year, as the August transfer from Chelsea led the league in both goals and assists. Henry has nothing to be ashamed of in making way for Crespo. The longtime French star had the fourth best rating in the league, and only Crespo had more league goals. Still, Arsenal finished behind three other squads in league goals, primarily because of little scoring help from the midfield. Edu was the top scorer from the center, with 6 G. Hargreaves (9 A) and fullback Ashley Cole (8 A) joined Edu (6 A) to provide many of the feeds to the powerful front duo. The offense was hurt when Ali sent midfielder Gennaro Ivan Gattuso in a big transfer deal to AC Milan in January. He was replaced by American centreman Claudio Reyna, but the midfielder, at 35, is well past his best playing days.

Defense: The defense was solid, if not at the normally spectacular level it usually is. The fullbacks, Cole and top defender Daniele Bonera, were terrific all year. The problems were in the middle, where the Gunners got an aged performance from Sol Campbell. Like Reyna, Campbell’s age (34) is beginning to seriously erode his skills. Considering Reyna and Campbell both played primary roles in Arsenal’s defense up the middle, it’s not surprising this was an area that suffered a bit. The problems in the centre defense limited young star netminder Tony McDermott. The goalkeeper still ranked among the better players wearing the #1 in the league this year, but he is used to being at the top.

Aston Villa

League Record: 18-6-14, 60 pts
League Finish: 7th
GF (Rk): 67 (3rd)
GA (Rk): 56 (15th tied)
GD (Rk): +11 (7th)

Europe Record: 11-5-5
Cup Record: 2-1-2

Manager: Tord Grip
Top Goal Scorers: ST Darius Vassell (24), ST David Villa (19), ST Peter Crouch (11 G)
Top Passers: Vassell (16), WG Fredy William Thompson (13), WG Steed Malbranque (11)
Top Rating: Vassell (7.24), Thompson (7.23), MF Stilian Petrov (7.19)
Top Defender: FB Gareth Barry (7.15)

Overall: In most ways, the folks at Villa Park have to consider this season very much a success. But the naysayers will point out the Villans still ended up about where they were expected, and that they failed to capitalize on opportunities when it came to them. Manager Tord Grip has at the very least met expectations after being hired midway through the 2007-08 season. Grip, a former Villan assistant manager who returned to Villa Park from a solid two-year stint with First Division Leeds, has done everything that has been asked of him and put the club on the brink of more. At one point around Christmas, Aston Villa was third in the league, ahead of stalwarts like Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. And they went on an incredible run in Europe, qualifying for the UEFA tournament via the Inter-Toto Cup, and earning a visit to the UEFA Final with leaguemate Newcastle. Indeed, winning the UEFA would be the crowning achievement for just about any team in Europe, and that goal is still well within reach. And at one point in the season, they ran off seven straight league victories. The problem, though, is an iffy defense lent them a lot of inconsistency. From the point they were third in the league, they lost four of their next five matches, and finished the season 7-3-10 after starting it 11-3-4.

Offense: The goal-scoring unit for Aston Villa was better than every club in the league besides traditional superpower Manchester United and league champ Tamworth. As usual, that offense begins with superstar Vassell, who led the team in goals, assists and rating. Vassell finished fifth in the league in goals. He was partnered with Villa, who himself had an underappreciated season, with 9 assists as well, in support of the English star. Aston Villa was amazingly diversified in its scoring sources. While Vassell, Villa and Crouch form one of the top trios of strikers in the league, the Villans also get terrific creative playmaking from the midfield (20 G, 34 A from the four starters) and the best scoring backline in the league (13 G, 11 A). That doesn’t even mention fourth striker John Hartson (7 G, 7 A) and fullbacks Rincón (3 G, 5 A), Seth Johnson (4 G, 5 A) and Christoffer Andersson (1 G, 7 A). Only goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson and centreback Olaf Mellberg weren’t threats to score on this squad.

Defense: The Villans created much of their offense with an aggressive attack that, as can be seen, provided a lot of offense from numerous different sources. The problem is that that left Sorenson alone a bit too often, as backliners went forward far too much. The longtime netminder had an inconsistent year, fending off odd-man rushes, and put up one of the lower starting keeper ratings in the league. It didn’t help that the one defensive standout, Mellberg, didn’t have his best season either (although it was at least average by league terms--just not his). Still, this is one of the top collections of fullbacks ever put together. If they put as much effort into defense next year as they do offense, this will be a scary squad to face.

Birmingham City

League Record: 17-8-13, 59 pts
League Finish: 8th
GF (Rk): 47 (13th tied)
GA (Rk): 42 (3rd)
GD (Rk): +5 (8th)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 5-0-3

Manager: Neil Cameron
Top Goal Scorers: ST Milan Baros (21), ST Jason Roberts (11), ST Kanu (8 G)
Top Passers: WG Ryan Giggs (11), Kanu (5), WG Damien Johnson (5), Roberts (5)
Top Rating: Giggs (7.30), FB Martin Taylor (7.30), FB Matthew Upson (7.20)
Top Defender: Taylor

Overall: The Blues had two seasons, and one of them could have cost Neil Cameron his job. Three months and change into the season, Cameron was looking at a 5-3-7 record and was in the midst of a horrible five-match stretch in November that saw Birmingham lose all five contests by multiple-goal tallies. It was a pivotal point of the season. Whatever Cameron told the squad in early December, though, it worked. The club ran off a four-match win streak in January and finished 12-5-6 after the horrible start. They have even put themselves in line for a spot in Europe, which hardly looked like a possibility nigh of Christmas. Basically, Birmingham did it with defense, behind the impressive showing of veteran goalkeeper Carlo Nash. Nash easily had the best season of his career, and the Blues were stingier to opponents than everyone except Manchester United and Tamworth.

Offense: Sure, the defense was great. The offense was less so. What problems the Blues had resided in putting the ball in the net, although no one is going to take Czech star Baros to task for it. His job is to score goals, and he did. He didn’t get much help, though. Giggs is showing he isn’t done yet, as he was probably the most dynamic player on the team. He keyed the offense from the left wing and showed that his 35-year-old legs still have some life in them. The offense was hurt when midfield playmaker Darren Carter went down with a groin injury for two months, but was otherwise largely healthy—just lacking in real offensive talent.

Defense: Not only was Nash incredible this past season, he may have been the best goalkeeper in the league. Bristol City’s Mark Brown could have an argument about that, and guys like Fabien Barthez and Jon Masalin have some gaudier stats, but Nash had a much lower goals-per-match average than Brown, and a lesser quality backline than either United or Tamworth. Not that the corners of that backline were bad--Taylor and Upson formed one of the best defensive fullback duos in the league. It would have been even better, had Taylor not missed four months with repeated groin injuries. The central defense has issues, though, as young Belgian Vincent Kompany had a horrible year in front of Nash. The defense somewhat sheltered the struggling defender, though, with solid players elsewhere, including strong defensive midfielder Aliou Cissé.

Blackburn

League Record: 10-11-17, 41 pts
League Finish: 17th
GF (Rk): 50 (12th)
GA (Rk): 69 (19th)
GD (Rk): -19 (19th)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 5-0-2

Manager: Bert van Marwijk
Top Goal Scorers: ST Peter Lovenkrands (16), Matt Jansen (15), WG Brett Emerton (8)
Top Passers: Lovenkrands (13), Jansen (5), Emerton (5)
Top Rating: FB Lucas Neill (7.29), Emerton (7.12), Lovenkrands (7.02)
Top Defender: Neill

Overall: This once proud club has hit upon hard times this season. Just tossing out the numbers can’t even begin to spell out the problems the Rovers had this season. They had just 10 points with 15 matches on the season, leading to the sacking of popular England coach Sam Allardyce. They finished just outside of relegation—as in, literally, the lowest you could place without earning the drop. Their goal differential was worse than every squad except for Colchester—perhaps the worst team in Premiership history—and that includes a lower mark than the other two relegatees, Bristol City and Blackpool. Only a last day loss by the latter squad kept the Rovers from the First Division, which would have been an ignoble result for a club that once considered itself a threat to break into the league’s upper echelon squads. For all of that, the Rovers end the season with a bit of hope after all. New manager Bert van Marwijk, who surprisingly left Ashburton Grove to help Blackburn stave off relegation, made an immediate impact. Van Marwijk was hired two weeks after Allardyce was fired, and led the Rovers to wins in five of their next nine matches. The squad seemed to be playing much more consistent under van Marwijk and, other than a poor early spring stretch, the squad was very competitive the rest of the way, finishing with a 9-7-8 mark under the new manager. The key to the turnaround was in the net. Van Marwijk preferred the young Neil Miles to longtime vet Brad Freidel, and the switch turned out to be a resounding success. Freidel was awful in the early going, while Miles showed good ability as he learned on the job in the latter months of the season.

Offense: Although no one is going to say the offense was very good (it wasn’t), this wasn’t the real problem area for the Rovers. Lovenkrands and Jansen form a competent, if less than enthralling, duo up front. Emerton remains a terrific playmaker at the right wing, and was Blackburn’s offensive star and true creative threat. Much like the forwards, Steven Reid and Lee Bowyer were a solid, but not spectacular, midfield duo. This is one of those squads that could benefit from the addition of a couple true stars, but the groundwork is otherwise in place for a solid offensive squad. The left wing was an issue all year, and was only partially settled by the arrival of Banfield transfer Francesco Tognon in January.

Defense: To say the defense was atrocious doesn’t even begin to spell it out. Under Allardyce, the defense might as well have been taking a bath off-pitch for all the stopping ability they had. Freidel, at 38, was clearly showing his age, allowing 33 goals in 15 matches. He didn’t get much help from the backline, which featured one top notch player in Neill, and one decent centreback in Nils-Eric Johansson. The left back spot was a turnstile until the Rovers loaned in Birmingham’s Matthew Sadler for the last half of the season. The second centreback spot was the true sore point, with Irish 19-year-old barely-older-than-a-schoolboy Chris McConnell splitting time with slow-footed American Franklin Scimek. Both displayed bad form all season, exposing both Freidel and later Miles to a number of on-goal chances for the opposition. Miles himself had a steady first season. It wasn’t great, but it was an effort for the 20-year-old to build on as a growing talent in net for Blackburn.

Blackpool

League Record: 11-6-21, 39 pts
League Finish: 18th (relegated)
GF (Rk): 47 (13th tied)
GA (Rk): 63 (18th)
GD (Rk): -16 (15th tied)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 2-0-2

Manager: Steve McMahon
Top Goal Scorers: ST Brett Ormerod (18), WG Ricky Waddell (6), ST Ian Armstrong (5), MF Imants Bleidelis (5)
Top Passers: ST John Murphy (9), Bleidelis (7), Waddell (6)
Top Rating: Waddell (7.10), DC Nicky Hunt (7.05), MF Omar Daley (7.00)
Top Defender: Hunt

Overall: The Seasiders’ supporters have to be upset with how this season turned out, because there couldn’t have been a worse turn of luck for one club. From the very beginning, the club was besieged with injuries. They lost two of their top three strikers for extended periods, both starting midfielders missed at least a month (with Daley suffering a season-ending broken leg in February), and the defense was crippled by injuries to the fullbacks and to the club’s goalkeeper, Lee Camp. The squad was maddeningly inconsistent, going an at least above relegation-worthy 5-3-7 in the first three months, but following it up with nine losses in 11 matches (and punctuated by the Daley injury, which hit right in the middle of it). Then, like some higher power playing a joke with them, Blackpool rode a strong March by Ormerod to four straight wins and won clear of relegation—only to fall apart completely in April, losing six of their last eight matches, and allowing Blackburn to catch up with them by the last day of the season. For all their troubles and injuries, Blackpool still ended up with a better goal differential than Blackburn, Fulham and Nottingham Forest, all of whom will return to the Premiership next season. It’s never easy for new promotees to make a splash, but it seems like this season was one long, cruel joke for Pool. They now return to the First Division to try to win their way back.

Offense: The offense, limited by both injuries and questionable talent, had at best a subpar year. Ormerod was the Premiership’s best player in March, but that’s also when he scored seven of his 18 goals, leaving precious few for the other nine months of the season. The inconsistent Ormerod also did little but score, unwilling or perhaps incapable of helping out on defense, and passing it in to him was like aiming into a blackhole—he only had three assists. Troubling the issue was that his partners were Murphy and the oft-injured Armstrong. Armstrong was a star in the First Division, but was shelved four separate times for injuries during this term. And even when he was playing, it showed he wasn’t acclimated to the speed of the Premiership game. Murphy is another guy who did well in the First Division, and when he wasn’t hurt, he played solid football. He was the team’s best passer and the highest rated striker. The problem is he only scored twice, and his rating was a good half-a-drop point from his First Division showing in 2007-08. Strikers who can’t score (even if they do other things) aren’t going to break a team out of the doldrums too often. At least the Seasiders can take with them the knowledge that the midfield seemed up to the task of playing at a higher level, albeit none of them as stars. Winger Ricky Waddell established his credentials as a top playmaker on the wing. Daley didn’t score as he had in the past, but he showed the ball control and poise that has been a trademark of his performances with Blackpool for years. Bleidelis turned in a fine creative show when Daley’s injury forced him to be more involved with the offense. And right winger Tony Dunne didn’t embarrass himself either. Health and better quality up front would have made a huge difference at Bloomfield Road this season.

Defense: Often enough, recent promotees do poorly on defense, as former First Division backliners and keepers get used to the premier talents that play at this level. This was very much in evidence for the Seasiders this year, as they tried to overcome, yet again, injuries and a poor transitional period from goalkeeper Lee Camp. The netminder was very inconsistent, putting up 10 clean sheets in 36 starts, but he also was one of the worst in the league at allowing goals per match (1.56). Considering that outside of a troublesome right back spot, the backline did fairly well, Camp has to take a significant amount of blame for heading one of the worst defenses in the Premiership. Former Bolton Premiership defender Nicky Hunt showed he can be one of the better defenders in any league in England, and he and Lee Canoville formed a tough, no-nonsense centre defense in front of Camp. Young Richard Swift, just 17, is a huge rising talent at left back who did not embarrass himself at all. The right back, which was constantly being changed for injury or poor performance, is a huge sore spot for an otherwise strong backline.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-18-2004, 04:34 AM

Bristol City

League Record: 9-9-20, 36 pts
League Finish: 19th (relegated)
GF (Rk): 37 (19th)
GA (Rk): 53 (9th)
GD (Rk): -16 (15th tied)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 1-0-2

Manager: Danny Wilson
Top Goal Scorers: ST Lee Miller (11), ST Leroy Lita (10), ST Alex Holmes (3), MF Lee Bell (3)
Top Passers: Miller (8), Lita (5), WG David Vaughan (4)
Top Rating: GK Mark Brown (7.24), FB Kevin Amankwaah (7.19), DC Paul Warner (7.06)
Top Defender: Amankwaah

Overall: The Robins showed the Premiership they weren’t going to go quietly when faced up with the superior talent in the League, but that doesn’t mean they made any headway. This squad developed a persona of tough defense, headlined by the surprisingly strong Brown, who led all league netminders in average rating this past season. The problem is, you have to score to actually get a win, and this squad averaged less than a goal per league match. No matter what sort of defense you put up, that’s not going to get you a lot of wins. Bristol City started off fairly well for a recent promotee, going 2-2-1 in their first five matches. Starting in late September, though, the Robins went into a complete spiral, and by the time they pulled out of it in late January, they had just one win in 23 league matches (they also drew five times). They had three separate streaks of at least five losses, and it took a last day win for them to get within three points of 18thplace Blackpool—which was also relegated.

Offense: You know a team has problems scoring when the only players on the team with a hint of a chance to score or create scoring chances are the strikers—and they were average at best. Miller and Lita were average for a low-end league team, and well below average for Premiership strikers, despite both ending up with double digits in goals scored. They were also the squad’s best passers, meaning they had to play a lot of back and forth to generate anything. Both Tommy Doherty and Bell played strong defensive;y in the middle, but the Robins need one of those guys to step it up as a creative force, rather than having two defenders in the midfield. Vaughan was the best playmaking midfielder, but he would have looked better if the forwards were better able to convert his plays. Across the board, this was a very pedestrian offensive crew.

Defense: Not only was Brown the highest rated keeper in the league, he did it in front of perhaps the worst central defense in the league. At one spot, Louis Carey had an awful season, and missed almost three months to a knee injury. At the other, no one players ever seemed to settle in as the starter, although the squad did get a good performance from Warner in limited appearances (18 app). The fullbacks were solid, particularly Amankwaah, but considering the club’s offensive problems, they really could have been much stronger in generating offensive chances. If this team can find an offense, it might have a shot at getting back to the Premiership next season. Of course, first, it will have to fight off the clubs that will no doubt make bids on Brown.

Chelsea

League Record: 18-6-14, 60 pts
League Finish: 6th
GF (Rk): 62 (7th)
GA (Rk): 48 (6th tied)
GD (Rk): 14 (5th)

Europe Record: 1-0-3
Cup Record: 4-2-1

Manager: Erland Johnson
Top Goal Scorers: ST Adrian Mutu (20), ST Michael Chopra (12), ST Arjen Robben (9)
Top Passers: Robben (11), WG Damien Duff (9), Mutu (7), Chopra (7)
Top Rating: Mutu (7.89), DC John Terry (7.32), Chopra (7.25)
Top Defender: Terry

Overall: Most squads would kill to be where the Blues are. They aren’t rich and powerful Chelsea, though. This is a squad that has thrust itself into the elite of the Premiership, but the fan base is beginning to get a little frustrated at the squad’s inability to escalate to the top with teams like Manchester United and Tamworth. Making it even more galling is some of the decisions by management that may have stripped this club of any real chance to contend for the league title this season. In the beginning of the year, somehow, Hernán Crespo becomes surplus to requirements and is shipped off to Arsenal—exactly where you don’t want him. He, of course, has the best season of his career. Then, just when it is looking like Mutu and Chopra can combine to make supporters begin to forget about Crespo’s absence, the club moves Chopra to Italy. So while Crespo is a league player of the year candidate across town and Chopra is toiling in Italy, Mutu is struggling to provide enough offense for an otherwise top notch squad that falters to the lowest among the Premiership’s “elite” teams. Mutu, Crespo and Chopra might have been the best trio of forwards in the history of the game, and the Blues would probably be celebrating a championship right about now.

Offense: His partners may have changed addresses, but Mutu himself looks to be the top contender for league player of the year. He finished fourth in the league in goals, and was the highest rated player in England. He had three more men of the match than the next player and was the only player selected as Player of the Month more than once. He was dominating in the middle of Chelsea’s 4-3-3 frontline. It shows how critical Chopra was to the team, considering he finished as the obvious second best player on the squad, even after leaving the club halfway through the season. That does take away from Robben, though, who was a perfect fit as a creative forward in this tactic. He ranked among league leaders in assists. Still, he was inconsistent and didn’t score enough, and neither Mido nor January transfer Jermain Defoe ever come anywhere close to filling Chopra’s shoes, much less Crespo’s. Manager Erland Johnson also made the odd decision to leave supreme playmaking midfielder Damien Duff as a primary sub off of the bench. If Akiaksandr Hleb, Scott Parker and Joe Cole translated that into a superior defense, then that might be one thing, but Chelsea was at best a solid defensive team, instead of the superior play you expect from a team with this talent. This is all relative, of course—the top five midfielders (including Christian Poulsen) would have fit into the top XI’s of just about every other team in the league.

Defense: You can’t say the defense was bad. It certainly wasn’t, tied for a very respectable sixth in the league. But you just get the feeling it could have and should have been better. Terry and Robert Huth form one of the top centreback duos in the world, and Terry once again established himself on a level that few other defenders in the Premiership can reach. The fullback corps was solid and deep, although the squad could have used more playmaking from them, outside of Glen johnson’s five assists. The defense was solid enough that, despite not always having his best stuff, Petr Cech still had an amazing 20 clean sheets and a very respectable 1.25 goals per match average.

Colchester United

League Record: 4-8-26, 20 pts
League Finish: 20th (relegated)
GF (Rk): 33 (20th)
GA (Rk): 93 (20th)
GD (Rk): -60 (20th)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 2-0-2

Manager: Phil Parkinson
Top Goal Scorers: ST Joshua Kennedy (10), ST Trevor Benjamin (5), MF José Alexander Amaya (3), WG Karl Duguid (3)
Top Passers: Amaya (5), Kennedy (4), Duguid (3)
Top Rating: Duguid (6.94), DC Sergei Baltacha (6.86), Kennedy (6.71)
Top Defender: Baltacha

Overall: Where does one begin to describe the misery that was this season for the U’s? Colchester entered the league with hope, just like the other promotees from last year, but they just never got unhitched. The talent on this team is simply on a completely lower level from the rest of the league, and isn’t even a fair comparison to fellow relegatees Bristol City and Blackpool. It has been put up this might be the worst team in Premiership history. They had the worst offense, the worst defense (both by far), and their goal differential is of an epic record-level. Colchester won just four matches all year. They lost 26 of their 38 league matches, most badly. They didn’t earn their first win until December (Tottenham was the luckless victim). They were relegated before March was up. It’s a shocker that manager Phil Parkinson even still has a job, regardless of the fact he has managed the dquad for years now and led them to this level in the first place.

Offense: The one good move Colchester did was bringing in 1.FC Köln’s Aussie striker Kennedy. His solid debut in the Premiership helped ease over the fact that once vaunted Colchester striker Benjamin clearly was having about as poor a term for form as one can have. Benjamin’s horrible season was punctuated in the final month when he broke his ankle, which will affect him into next season’s First Division campaign. Colchester made a big move to get 2007-08 Premiership star midfielder Amaya from Tamworth, but the Salvadoran player didn’t start playing very strongly until the end of the season. That left the creative end of things mostly to Duguid, who has proven in the past to be a solid talent on the wing for the U’s. In fact, Duguid nearly breaking 7.00 on the average rating scale is very impressive—but that doesn’t make Colchester any better of an offensive squad.

Defense: Compared to the defense, the offense looks scintillating. The backline and goalkeeper Ian Walker took turns trying to out-bad each other. Walker probably deserves better credit, though, considering the shots he had to face off. For a team this low on the table, his 6.68 rating is actually decent, although you might doing hima favor to call him an average Premiership netminder at this point. The best defender was easily Baltacha—and he only played part time. Veteran Dominic Matteo is clearly past his prime, as he practically greased the way to the goal with his play. He and young Adam Eckersley played more often than Baltacha, and Eckersley didn’t even match Matteo’s numbers. Paul Payne was another youth at fullback that had a very poor season. Outside of Baltacha, all of the backups had sub-6.00 ratings. That is how bad this defense was this season.

Everton

League Record: 12-12-14, 48 pts
League Finish: 11th
GF (Rk): 41 (17th)
GA (Rk): 48 (6th)
GD (Rk): -7 (11th tied)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 2-0-2

Manager: Claudio Ranieri
Top Goal Scorers: ST Elvis Hammond (10), ST David Cooper (8), ST Wayne Rooney (6)
Top Passers: Hammond (6), MF Li Tie (6), WG Jesper Gronkjær (6)
Top Rating: DC Joseph Yobo (7.21), Cooper (7.15), WG James McFadden (7.11)
Top Defender: Yobo

Overall: If the Toffees were to play to their talent level on offense, they might be playing in Europe next year. As it is, they still finished a respectable mid-table 11th, courtesy of a strong defensive performance. And that included a midseason manager switch. The man at the helm made little difference on this season, though—no squad in the Premiership was as consistently average as the Toffees. In no two-month period did they ever earn more than 12 or less than eight points. Only once did they have more than one-match difference between wins and losses (when they went 2-2-4 in February and March). Gianluca Vialli left the squad in early November for First Division Bradford City, after compiling a 4-2-4 record with the Toffees. Assistant manager Alan Irvine guided Everton to a 1-2-1 record during a brief three-week tenure, and then former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri finished off the season with a 7-8-9 record. The numbers on this team don’t look all that impressive, but the talent is here to make a run into the top ten. It might have been as simple as health for star striker Rooney, although he has proven to be anything but a sure thing.

Offense: If Rooney appeared in a full term of matches, he might have sent in 15-20 goals. Rooney was hit hard by chronic groin injuries and missed more than half of the season. He played well enough when he was in, but you’re not doing your club much good in the training room. Rooney has long been the great hope of Everton, but injuries and inconsistency and youth have all gotten in the way of that happening. If he breaks into the top ten in scoring, this club would finally put to good use the solid creative skills of a playmaking midfield and significantly reduce the club’s reliance on the steady, but mediocre Hammond. One thing Rooney’s injury problems did do was give more time to Cooper, who proved he could be an able partner with Rooney when given the chance. He was one of the highest rated players on the squad. McFadden and Gronkjær’s opportunities to impress were limited by a lack of finishing on the part of the frontline, but don’t mistake that for a lack of talent—they can both create some action in the opponent’s end. Tie and Daniel Cruz are also solid in the middle, and play both ends of the pitch well. This is an offense waiting for a true star to step up and take in their feeds. Will Rooney ever be the guy who fills that role? Until he or someone does, this club will remain near the bottom of the league scoring charts.

Defense: When one thinks of sharp centreback-goalkeeper combos, one thinks of Ferdinand-Barthez and Terry-Cech. The fact is, longtime Toffees Yobo and Richard Wright have both been underrated for years. Yobo is the strength of the backline and is one of the top five or six centrebacks in the league. On the few occasions he fails, Wright has shown himself to be able to put up a strong wall, a role he replayed last season with aplomb. 13 clean sheets, seven men of the match, 1.29 gpm average and a 6.88 rating were all top numbers in the Premiership netminder rankings. Yobo was ably if not spectacularly supported in the middle by the combination of Peter Clarke and Declan Power. Matt Hill put in a solid performance at left back as well, giving Everton strength at three backline spots. Alas, the right back spot was miserable all season, as Tony Hibbert was awful

Fulham

League Record: 11-10-17, 43 pts
League Finish: 15th
GF (Rk): 43 (15th)
GA (Rk): 61 (17th)
GD (Rk): -18 (18th)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 2-1-2

Manager: Micky Adams
Top Goal Scorers: ST Collins John (15), ST Alan Smith (10), WG Sean Doherty (5)
Top Passers: Smith (7), WG Demetrius Williams (7), John (4), MF David Dunn (4)
Top Rating: DC Steve Wilkinson (7.23), DC Zatyiah Knight (7.11), FB Carlos Bocanegra (7.04)
Top Defender: Wilkinson

Overall: The Cottagers were another of the longtime Premiership squads that had to scramble to stay away from relegation this past season.. They finished in the bottom rankings of both offense and defense, and there is little reason to think the talent on the roster didn’t deserve exactly that. Surprisingly, Ruud Gullit played an average season into a new job with Rangers in late March. New manager Micky Adams, formerly of Leicester and Derby, fared little better. In fact, his squad did a little worse, although he did successfully avoid relegation. There are still some big names on this team, but the fact is, they are either too old or too inconsistent to be a threat to break into the top ten, at least short of an amazing upturn in the quality of their play.

Offense: John and Smith have done some damage in their careers, and both remain threats. Still, neither is quite at the level they were once thought to be, particularly Smith. They are exactly the kind of players you would hope could achieve better, but since they didn’t, this squad’s offense went right into the dumps. The problem was exasperated by an inconsistent midfield. The best midfielders were the oft-injured Sylvain Legwinksi and Michael Essien in the middle—who specializes in defense. Fellow middleman Dunn is too inconsistent, and Williams gave away as many runs on his side of the pitch as he did create them, putting up a ridiculously bad 5.76 rating.

Defense: The defense had some of the club’s stronger players, including the a tough trio of Wilkinson, Knight and Bocanegra. The problem was in the net, where longtime netminder Edwin van der Sar was awful. At 38, van der Sar is long past his best days in this league. It wasn’t helped when inconsistency on the wings and at fullback allowed opponents to just bypass the stronger defensive areas of the Cottagers to take potshots right at van der Sar. Former standout fullback Phil Neville never seemed to stop enough players on his side, and Giuseppe Ruggeri was awful on the left side (the same side as Williams, making for atrocious defense along that touch). At least Neville created some offense (2 G, 4 A).

CR

Chief Rum · 08-20-2004, 05:15 AM

Leicester City

League Record: 15-8-15, 53 pts
League Finish: 10th
GF (Rk): 51 (9th)
GA (Rk): 60 (16th)
GD (Rk): -9 (13th)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 5-4-1

Manager: John McDermott
Top Goal Scorers: ST Tommy Wright (18), ST James Graham (15), WG Dean Marney (9)
Top Passers: MF Muzzy Isset (14), Stefano Mauri (8), Graham (8)
Top Rating: Graham (7.91), Wright (7.36), DC Sam Jones (7.32)
Top Defender: Jones

Overall: Few teams will ever have a season like the Foxes, in which they sunk to the depths of despair, and yet somehow clawed back not only to mid-table, but to a European place as well. Leicester was about as dead in the water as they come around Christmas time, but now they have the look of a hot and rising team of the future. It’s amazing what a new manager and a little health can do. Former manager Ronald Koeman grew tired of trying to get the most out of the Foxes, so he took a job with the Bundesliga’s Gladbach club in January. He left Leicester with a relegation-worthy 4-7-11 record. In desperation, the club shopped around for a manager to try and save the season—and they hit the jackpot. At the end of January, they lured McDermott, a well-regarded manager on the rise who was at the time leading powerful Scottish club Celtic. McDermott’s approach was well-received by the squad. After a transitional loss to tough Tamworth in McDermott’s first league match, the Foxes ripped off seven straight league matches. They shot up the table and played in the FA Cup as well. By the end of the season, the squad had improbably earned a spot in the FA Cup Final and went 11-1-4 under McDermott in league.

Offense: The numbers on offense don’t look so good across the term, as the club finished in the middle of the league in goals scored. That’s not entirely fair, though, considering young superstar Graham missed four months to troublesome groin tears. Not coincidentally, Graham got healthy just before this squad really heated up. He was the third-highest rated player in the Premiership and a full slate of matches would have made him a threat to score 25 goals. Graham’s injury did have one benefit—his partner Wright had to emerge from the shadows to take over some of the scoring load, and emerge he certainly did. Graham and Wright, at 21 and 24 years old, are the most exciting young duo to develop in the league in years. With that kind of talent up front, it can be a little difficult to assess the true skill of the midfield. The numbers look good, though. The wings, Marney and Mauri, were the pair of scoring wingers in the league, and also played key creative roles. Marney had the better alla round year, while Mauri was a dynamic passer. Izzet had a terrific season passing the ball up front, finishing among league midfield leaders in assists. If there is an issue in the offense, it is here in the middle, where the top three players are all 32 and older. Additionally, Ricardo Scimeca was just passable at the spot next to Izzet, and this group is better in the opponent’s end than in its own.

Defense: It’s easy to overlook the defense with this team’s multi-faceted offense, but even in the lower end of the league rankings, there is good reason to be optimistic. Take out 11 goals scored in two dreadful losses to powerful Tamworth, and you have a squad that allowed just 49 goals in the other 36 league matches. That optimism starts in the central defense, where the 17-year-old Jones showed that Graham wasn’t the only young rising star on the team. Despite his youth, Jones finished the season not just rated best among young defenders, but also in vaunted territory with legendary names like Ferdinand and Terry. That’s how good he was, finishing fourth in rating among league defenders, and contributing to both sides of the pitch. Jones isn’t the only young hopeful on the backline. Lee Atkinson and Birmingham transfer Mark Reilly, both 21 and under, turned in solid performances at fullback. Atkinson was hurt for much of the season, and Reilly was limited by the presence of veteran wingback Cosmin Contra, a January transfer from Spain who did not have a solid stint with the Foxes. Contra’s problems, along with those of Jones’ central defense partner Matt Heath and inconsistency in the net, were the primary sources of Leicester’s defensive problems. Joe Murphy and Shaun Allaway split the net duties and performed similarly, but Murphy was rated much higher and might be the longterm answer there.

Liverpool

League Record: 19-9-10, 66 pts
League Finish: 3rd
GF (Rk): 65 (5th)
GA (Rk): 44 (4th)
GD (Rk): +21 (3rd)

Europe Record: 4-1-3
Cup Record: 4-1-2

Manager: Alex McLeish
Top Goal Scorers: ST El-Hadji Diouf (20), ST Michael Owen (18), ST Anthony Le Tallec (9)
Top Passers: Diouf (15), Le Tallec (10), ST Emile Heskey (9)
Top Rating: WG Mark Bresciano (7.30), Diouf (7.19), WG Rafael van der Vaart (7.19), Heskey (7.19)
Top Defender: FB John Arne Riise (7.10)

Overall: Tamworth and Manchester United were well ahead of the pack at the end of the season, but were it not for a mediocre showing down the stretch of the season, the Reds might have been right there with the Red Devils at least. Pool finished a not altogether awe-inspiring 5-6-4 from February on, after starting off 14-3-6. Even so, they still held on to third place, winning out over Arsenal by tie breakers. It’s not usually easy to pin down a turning point of the season for a team, but in this case, it could very well be a late transfer and a series of meetings with champ Tamworth in January. Manager Alex McLeish shipped off longtime star winger Harry Kewell to AC Milan for a boatload of cash in the midseason window, and then Liverpool showed poor form and unsporting style in going 0-1-2 against Tamworth in a two week stretch near the end of the month. The Reds lost a league match in which Djimi Traoré was sent off prematurely, and then both Diouf and midfielder Steven Gerrard were sent off early in the clubs’ next meeting, the first leg of the English League Cup semifinal. Liverpool lost both matches. The Reds would draw with Tamworth with a full squad in the second leg of the semifinal in early September, but the damage was done. That stretch of bitter losses may have been the primary reason the club dropped in form a bit the rest of the season.

Offense: Diouf is still listed as one of the most highly-regarded and valuable players in the world, but he hadn’t ever really had the sort of season to justify that reputation. That said, Diouf did appear to take his game to a higher level this season, leading the squad in both goals and assists, and finishing the season as the highest rated striker at Anfield. His season could have looked even better, but Diouf generally played a side forward position in McLeish’s 4-3-3, which puts more emphasis on Diouf’s creative abilities and downplays finishing skills in comparison to a more traditional 4-4-2. The point man, of course, was the Reds’ longtime prolific scorer Owen, who didn’t rate as strongly as he should, but scored effectively. The front crew was strong and deep, with Le Tallec a versatile forward on the other side, and with a backup forward group of Heskey, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Louay Chanko that put up a collective 17 goals, 10 assists and a 6.91 average rating. No one is going to question the skills of the middle three on a normal club, but Liverpool may have gotten a touch less than they are used to. Longtime midfield anchor Gerrard wasn’t as consistent this year as he usually is, and his offensive numbers were a little down. The left spot was also a little in flux with Kewell’s departure. The Aussie star was turning in a strong season, marred only by a two-month stretch on the sideline, courtesy of a broken foot, before being moved to Italy. Gis replacement, van der Vaart, looked terrific at times in his stead, and could be a star on the rise, but he was less rated than Kewell and finished with lower goals and assists than the latter was on pace to reach over the course of a full season. The right spot is in steady hands with the creative Bresciano. One could argue he was the Reds’ best player this season.

Defense: The backline was fairly inconsistent this past season, so it goes to show just how good Jerzy Dudek was in the net to place Liverpool as high as they did in the Premiership’s defensive rankings (above and beyond the fact that a 4-3-3 naturally sacrifices a bit of defense for offense). Dudek placed among league leaders in all of the major categories, including rating, and it’s clear he hasn’t lost much at the age of 36. Speaking of age, a key issue with the quality of play of the backline was the decline of former star defender Sami Hyypïa. The Finn centreback was the lowest-rated starter, and it might be the time for the 35-year-old vet to graciously step back into a reserve role. If he does, the Reds will be much better served by his likely replacement in Traoré, who was very strong as the top backline reserve, out-rating everyone except for Riise. Hyypïa’s partner J’Lloyd Samuel is a solid player, but could be better. On the ends, Riise remains a premier attacking fullback, and Jamie Carragher is solid on the right. Both could be better defensively. Not helping matters is the lack of quality depth. Outside of Traoré and Hyypïa perhaps switching, Liverpool has the competent but aging Steve Finnan at wingback, the inconsistent Igor Biscan in the middle, and the younger Carl Medjani, who had a very poor season in limited appearances.

Manchester City

League Record: 11-14-13. 47 pts
League Finish: 12th
GF (Rk): 51 (9th tied)
GA (Rk): 55 (11th tied)
GD (Rk): -4 (9th tied)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 2-1-2

Manager: Pär Zetterberg
Top Goal Scorers: ST Aruna (15), ST Stéphane N’Guéma (9), FB Wayne Bridge (6)
Top Passers: WG Jesús Arellano (6), FB Anthony Réveillère (6), ST Bruce Webber (5)
Top Rating: MF Dickson Agyeman (7.11), DC Sun Jihai (7.08), DC Richard Dunne (7.00)
Top Defender: Jihai

Overall: City has been a solid Premiership club for a decade now, but no one would ever confuse it with the elite. And usually, only the elite squads can get away with sacking their managers at midseason and avoid the drop. Manchester City proved otherwise, though, perhaps sensing Simon Smith’s mediocrity early enough to make a change for the better. Smith was shown the door in late October after the squad garnered just one victory in its first nine league matches. To show how awful that is, consider that Smith’s assistant manager Phil Green led the club to two wins and a draw with tough Tamworth in the brief three-match interim between Smith’s sacking and the hiring of new manager Pär Zetterberg. Zetterberg took over in mid-November and proceeded to lead the squad to a level more commensurate with its level of talent—midtable and an even record the rest of the way. That’s a return on the season the supporters are more used to. And credit club chairman John Wardle for recognizing the need for change and early enough to avoid relegation.

Offense: One of Smith’s few good moves last season was bringing in striker Aruna. The Ivorian forward isn’t a world beater, but where someone had to step up to score goals, he was the one who did. Aruna is not a great passer and was rated fairly low—he’s usually best used as a complementary piece. It seemed like he was the only guy capable of providing a spark up frontm though. The other striker spot was troubled by injury, age and ineffectiveness. Key reserve and potential starter Jon Macken hurt his knee and missed all but seven matches. Mark Viduka, 33, showed his age last season. Lewis Guy showed his age, too—at 23, he apparently isn’t quite ready. In the end, the other spot was mostly held by N’Guéma, who provided the best finishing but rated very poorly, until Webber was brought in from Middlesbrough in late January. Webber was the first partner Aruna had that seemed capable of providing serious help to the offense. Despite playing in juts over a third of the club’s matches, Webber finished one short of the team lead in assists, and fourth in goals. The frontline didn’t get much help from the midfield, which was either too young, too old or too defensive. Veteran winger Arellano tied for the club lead in assist and showed enough to prove he still hasn’t lost it at 36. But he’s obviously not a longterm solution. On the other side, young Michael Parensen still has some learning to do, and did not have a terrific year. Another youth who has done well is midfielder Agyeman, who may indeed have been the club’s best player. His offensive numbers from the middle will only improve when and if the club gets some legitimate talent up front. Jurica Vranjes was average at both ends at the other spot.

Defense: The backline was fairly solid, so if you’re going to look for the source of the club’s defensive mediocrity, you’ll have to take a hard look at Nicky Weaver. The goalkeeper has long been thought to have good talent and occasionally flashes it around some, but he can also be very inconsistent. Three of the four backline spots were solid in City’s own end. Jihai remains a tough centreback leader in the middle, and Dunne turned in a very capable season as his partner. Both need to stay on the pitch more (neither started as many as 30 matches), because depth is not strong. Is it more of an indictment of the offense that a fullback finishes third on the team in goals, or is Bridge that good? It’s a little of both, as Bridge is a proven player in both ends. The other wingback spot was ably handled by Réveillère, who provided a nice creative spark. He wasn’t strong defensively, though, and was Man City’s noted weakness on defense.

Manchester United

League Record: 23-8-7, 77 pts
League Finish: 2nd
GF (Rk): 72 (2nd)
GA (Rk): 41 (2nd)
GD (Rk): +31 (2nd)

Europe Record: 2-0-4
Cup Record: 7-0-2

Manager: Joop Hiele
Top Goal Scorers: ST Nicolas Anelka (29), ST Miroslav Klose (21), WG Cristiano Ronaldo (10)
Top Passers: Klose (16), MF Gaetano D’Agostino (14), WG Sidney Govou (11)
Top Rating: Klose (7.88), Anelka (7.49), DC Rio Ferdinand (7.38)
Top Defender: Ferdinand

Overall: If this weren’t Manchester United, no one would bat an eye at the season they had. At Old Trafford, though, anything short of the league championship and a a strong run in Europe is a miserable failure. So one of the better Red Devils squads in recent years may forever instead be remembered for failing to topple the suddenly monstrous Tamworth. The reality is that this club was second in everything. They could score, they could defend, they could dominate, and did. New manager Joop Hiele showed no signs of having to acclimate himself to the Premiership, earning two Manager of the Month awards, including in November when Manchester United was just wrapping up an eight-straight match winning streak. The boys at Old Trafford also went to the League Cup final before falling to a familiar foe—yes, Tamworth, which is becoming quite the nemesis for them. About the only thing that could fairly be called a disappointment was Manchester United’s stunning falter in the Champions League group stage. They went in to the competition considered among the best entered, but didn’t even earn a third place spot and the automatic UEFA spot that goes with it in the group stage.

Offense: Newcastle and Arsenal have better striker duos, but no one in Manchester is going to complain too much about the quality up front of this squad. Since coming over from Germany in a big money transfer, Klose has established himself as a true superstar. He once again led the offense with his amazing ability to generate offense, both on his own and to others. He led the squad in assists, and finished second on the squad in goals. He ended the year rated behind only Chelsea’s Adrian Mutu in premiership action. Only next to a guy like Klose could a tremendous talent like French superstar Anelka be overshadowed. He finished the season among league leaders in goals scored and almost scored 30 in all competitions for the Red Devils. He was also among the highest rated players in the Premiership. There was little drop off when Ronaldo or Govou would be moved up front. Although they mostly spent their time on the wing, they also served as primary backups for the strikers. On their own, they would be veritable superstars. Ronaldo is the better striker, while Govou is more suited to play wide. Keiran Richardson handles the other side, where he is solid, although by Man Utd’s standards he is probably upgradeable. Italian star Gaetano D’Agostino is one of the best passing midfielders in the world, and put up a team-high 14 assists this year. Erik Djemba-Djemba is a solid two-way midfielder who allows D’Agostino to move forward and create offense.

Defense: You would think that at 37, Fabien Barthez would be slowing down. The French international is giving no signs that is happening, though, as he turned another one of his top notch seasons. He was in the top two or three spots in just about every major goalkeeping stat. As if he needs the help, he also has perhaps history’s finest backline working in front of him. Legendary centreback Ferdinand had another one of him typically dominating seasons, finishing as the second highest rated defender in the Premiership, behind only Tamworth’s Mike Duff. John O’Shea was also terrific, giving the Red Devils the best centreback duo in the league. Emiliano Moretti was a defensive force on the left side. The only spotty position was on the right, where Kasper Bogelund might have been the worst starter on the top XI (although there’s a lot of room underneath this level of talent). In fact, if there’s an issue with the defense, it is that the reserves need to step up and provide better support, so the club doesn’t need to rely on Bogelund. Patrice Evra played well in his spots, but he spent much of the season shelved by injuries. Gary Neville is past his prime, and centreback Phillip Bardsley and fullback Bernd Korzynietz were inconsistent.

Newcastle United

League Record: 17-10-11, 61 pts
League Finish: 5th
GF (Rk): 64 (6th)
GA (Rk): 51 (8th)
GD (Rk): +13 (6th)

Europe Record: 12-1-0
Cup Record: 2-1-2

Manager: Michael van Praag
Top Goal Scorers: ST Shola Ameobi (33), ST Mateja Kezman (25), MF Jermaine Jenas (8), MF Barry Ferguson (8)
Top Passers: Kezman (16), Ameobi (15), WG Hugo Viana (10)
Top Rating: Ameobi (7.88), FB Aaron Hughes (7.22), Jenas (7.18)
Top Defender: Hughes

Overall: Among the traditional powers of the Premiership, it has been the folks at St. James Park that often seems about to drop behind an upstart or two to the lower end of the top ten. They never quite do it, though, constantly remaining on the fringe of being one of England’s superpowers. This year, they did one better, moving ahead of Chelsea into fifth, although that still gets them the same thing they got last year—a spot in the UEFA. Of course, given their success in that competition, that might suit the Magpies and their supporters just fine. In just a few days, they will play Aston Villa for the prestigious UEFA Cup, in what may be a season’s worth of retribution for their seeming inability to make a break for the top in league. Newcastle’s run to the UEFA Cup final is all the more amazing in that they have won all but one of their 12 international matches (and drew the only other time). That’s quite a feat at any level This is still a very dangerous club with some of the best players in the world on its roster. England isn’t always the easiest place to win a league, though.

Offense: Who is the Premiership’s best striker? Mutu? Crespo? Klose? Anelka? Henry? In all honesty, you have to give this one to Shola Ameobi, who made it five straight 30-goal seasons this year. The striker is simply dominating, even on a team that generally dominates from front to back. He alone moves them to an elite level. Kezman is the perfect foil next to Ameobi. He has the excellent passing skills to set up Ameobi, and is a world class finisher himself. He could be rated higher, though. The midfield hasn’t seen turnover in years, and why should it, with top talents Jenas and Ferguson remaining in place and at top form. The two centremen can both score and set up the offense, and neither are they slouches on defense. No true midfield in the league put up the numbers they did this season (16 G, 13 A). If there is a weakness for Newcastle, it is on the wings. Viana is a terrific passer and, with the midfielders, gives the club incredibly versatile flow up to the super duo up front. He needs to be stronger defensively, though, which has resulted in less than impressive ratings. At least he has the assists—his cross-pitch partner Darren Ambrose isn’t as effective a ball mover, but he’s just as inconsistent in his own end. Their issues stand out even more because the backline fullbacks don’t provide much offensive support, meaning both ends of the pitch are feeling the pressure to contribute to their touchline partners.

Defense: The team may be a touch to aggressive on offense, because they have both a strong-looking line, and a good goalkeeper, and yet still ended up with disappointing defensive numbers, at least for them. Hughes is one of the better fullbacks in the league now, but his partner Aimo Stefano Diana needs to step it up at both ends. Jonathon Woodgate is still one of the best defenders in the league, and he leads the backline from the middle. His partner Andy O’Brien is also very good, and the centreback duo is effectively supported by Titus Bramble—who deserves to start somewhere. Netminder Shay Given entered the season as the highest-valued keeper in the league, and he did little to take away from that reputation. He was rated highly, finished well among the goalkeeping totals, and led the league with 23 clean sheets.

CR

daedalus · 08-21-2004, 01:00 AM

Cool writeup.

Chief Rum · 08-21-2004, 04:36 AM

Thanks.

I'm just glad it's done. It was fun getting to know the teams, but my attention to detail can be a real downer sometimes.

I will be doing offseason plans for all teams in a little bit, too, but I don't expect that to be nearly as long.

The next post will be the final five squads.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-21-2004, 04:37 AM

Nottingham Forest

League Record: 12-10-16, 46 pts
League Finish: 13th
GF (Rk): 39 (18th)
GA (Rk): 56 (12th tied)
GD (Rk): -17 (17th)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 4-1-2

Manager: Walter Smith
Top Goal Scorers: ST Darren Huckerby (20), FB Darren Ryan (5), ST David Johnson (4), MF Bruno Pedretti (4)
Top Passers: Johnson (8), WG Diego Martinez (5), MF Brynjar Gunnarsson (4), FB Robbie Stockdale (4), ST Marian Pahars (4)
Top Rating: GK Antti Niemi (7.09), Huckerby (6.95), DC Michael Dawson (6.89)
Top Defender: Dawson

Overall: The Reds started the season well and were solidly mid-table through the first few months with a 6-5-4 record. They even looked like they had an outside chance to make a break on a European place. Eventually, though, the club’s inability to score goals caught up with them. The offense was never a strong point, and the defense finally faltered a bit, which led to Forest putting up just a 6-5-12 record the rest of the season. With age in its best players becoming an issue, Nottingham Forest might be reaching a critical moment in its history, and it will take a lot of manager Walter Smith’s skills to keep them from the drop if they continue to play as they did at the end of the season.

Offense: Only two league squads scored less goals than Forest, and they were both relegated. Oddly enough, though, the Reds have a top notch goal scorer in Huckerby. Few times have high-level clubs avoided the drop by relying so much on one individual striker as Nottingham Forest has. Huckerby isn’t just the focus of the offense, he is the offense. It’s more of a team-wide recognition of this that has led to the confluelce of goals at Huckerby’s feet and assists to his partners. Huckerby had just two assists to his 20 goals, because he knows he’s the only who can score. His primary opposite, Johnson, led the team in assists, more or less by setting up Huckerby. Key reserve striker Pahars had four assists doing the same. Smith did attempt to rectify the situation by loaning in HSV’s Benjamin Lauth in January. The German striker was a proven scorer in the Bundesliga, but he was simply awful in the Premiership. He scored just one goal in 13 matches and rated an unbelievably miserable 5.43. He didn’t even get off an assist to Huckerby. The midfield is in solid hands with Gunnarsson at one spot, although he’s on the downside of his career. The other spot was a constant source of problems. Former Manchester United defensive midfielder Roy Keane is still passable, but he’s injury prone and 37 years old. Gareth Williams is largely ineffective. The best longterm option may be rising talent Bruno Pedretti, who was an offensive spark on the pitch. Pedretti, though, is more of an offensive midfielder and the heir apparent to Gunnarsson—pairing the two may not be the best defensive move. The wings were also troubled. Martinez contributed well to the offensive flow, but he is a poor defensive winger and very lowly-rated. Andy Reid was solid on the other side, but he missed more than two months to injuries. The offense is poor enough that fullback Ryan ranked among team leaders in goals, and the other starting fullback Stockdale was among the better passers.

Defense: The Reds were a mediocre defensive squad—and that was with one of the better goalkeepers in the league. Niemi was fantastic at times, finishing among the top end of league goalkeepers in rating, and earning his share of nods for the league teams of the week. The fullbacks was just decent defensively, and earned most of their plaudits trying to make up for the lackluster offense. Stockdale was rated pretty poorly, although Ryan was closer to the upper end of league fullbacks. Centreback Michael Dawson was solid in the middle defensively, and contributed surprisingly often on offense, too. His partner Chris Doig was decent, but not good enough to raise the play of the backline above its current level.

Sheffield Wednesday

League Record: 11-11-16, 44 pts
League Finish: 14th
GF (Rk): 42 (16th)
GA (Rk): 55 (10th tied)
GD (Rk): -13 (14th)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 1-0-2

Manager: Chris Turner
Top Goal Scorers: ST Kim Olsen (17), ST Francis Jeffers (10), WG Matthew Hamshaw (3), WG Alan Quinn (3)
Top Passers: Hamshaw (12), Olsen (5), MF Dickson Etuhu (4)
Top Rating: Olsen (7.49), ST David Fox (7.10), Etuhu (6.97)
Top Defender: DC Richard Wood (6.92)

Overall: Outside of a strong stretch in the middle of the year, this was mostly a down season for the Owls. Indeed, were it not for them going 7-3-6 from October to January, they might have been relegated. Outside of that decent showing, they put up a 4-8-10 record. In many ways, Sheffield Wednesday is similar to Nottingham Forest. They are a very poor offensive squad, and at best an average defensive team. They rely on getting much of their scoring from one player, dangerous striker Kim Olsen. They aren’t nearly as locked into Olsen as the Reds are to Huckerby, though, and they also have the advantage of being significantly younger as well. No less than seven key players (counting Chelsea loan-in keeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay) are 23 and under. So given that, rather than being a sign of the end as it might be for Forest, it is instead a season to build on for the future.

Offense: Olsen was a very strong offensive player this season, easily leading the squad in goals, finishing among the team leaders in assists, and ending up among Premiership leaders in rating. He is a lethal scorer that needs to be accounted for. He had to counterbalance the questionable performances of longtime striker Jeffers, though. Although the presence of the proven Jeffers makes Sheffield Wednesday much less of a single-shooter squad, he played very poorly otherwise, rating lower than 6.00. No one else on the squad scored more than three goals, and two of the three key reserve strikers rated even worse than Jeffers (while producing much less in the way of goals). The midfield has its problems, which contribute to the difficulties in producing goals, but they do have a handful of solid players in place. Hamshaw was brilliant as a creator on the right side, and Quinn was a strong defensive presence on the other side (although his lack of offensive ability is a key reason for the offensive doldrums). In the middle, Dickson Etuhu is a solid two-way midfielder, and he is backed up by Fox, who should be on the pitch more. One of the reasons Fox didn’t play so much, though, was the January acquisition of Hamit Altintop from Leverkusen. Unfortunately, Altintop did not handle the transition well and was very inconsistent after coming over.

Defense: The key player on defense is Wood, who at 19 is already a strong presence in the middle of the defense. He contributes on both ends and is a solid leader on the pitch. He isn’t the problem—it’s the other spots. His partner, Leigh Bromby, was the poorest starting defender who often undid through his own ineffectiveness much of the defensive work of Wood. The fullbacks, Derek Geary and Lee Webb, were neither particularly strong offensively or very effective in their own end. Faced with those backline issues, it’s no surprise starting goalkeeper Allan McGregor turned in an inconsistent season. For what he was given, he had some fairly strong performances. It should be noted, though, that Kalambay came in from Chelsea in the latter half of the season and outplayed McGregor behind that same backline.

Southampton

League Record: 15-8-15, 53 pts
League Finish: 9th
GF (Rk): 51 (9th tied)
GA (Rk): 58 (15th)
GD (Rk): -7 (11th tied)

Europe Record: 4-2-2
Cup Record: 2-0-2

Manager: Steve McLaren
Top Goal Scorers: ST Ivica Olic (23), ST James Beattie (18), MF Shaun Neville (4), DC Darren Kenton (4)
Top Passers: Beattie (14), Olic (13), Neville (10)
Top Rating: Beattie (7.40), Kenton (7.30), FB Peter Canero (7.10)
Top Defender: Kenton

Overall: The Saints are a squad in flux. There a lot of things to like about this club. They, with Aston Villa and Birmingham, fairly consistently contend for European places and nip at the heels of the big boys. They have some top talent on their team. They won through the Inter-Toto tournament last season to get to the UEFA Cup competition. They have some terrific young talent, like midfielder Neville and goalkeeper Fon Williams, among others. But they always seem to fall just short of breaking into the top five or playing into a serious role in Europe. Despite their success, they lost their manager this season to Celtic. They make odd hiring decisions, such as the surprising hire of Steve McLaren, whom has done nothing to prove he deserves more chances to manage after failed stints at Middlesbrough and Derby. Despite their obvious talent, they still went the full term with a negative goal differential—and it wasn’t even close to being positive. This club is the annual enigma in this league, and you never know what you’re going to get. Really, this year was no different than any other. McLaren didn’t wow with a 2-2-4 record in his short stint to the end of the season, but eight matches is hardly long enough to get a read on someone. Before replacing Leicester City’s John McDermott at Celtic, former manager Pat Rice went 11-4-10, which is solid, but not necessarily awe-inspiring either.

Offense: Everyone knows about the top striker duos with the big clubs. That of the Saints tends to fly under the radar, but they aren’t much worse. Olic turned in a terrific year, leading the squad in goals and flashing some terrific passing abilities. He should have rated higher, though, which is a concern. His partner has no such difficulties—Beattie has been the center of Southampton’s offense for several seasons now. Not only is he a top scorer, he is also the squad’s best passer. Outside of a troublesome left wing spot, the midfield complements the front line well with strong creative and playmaking skills. Neville is a star on the rise. Despite being just 21, he finished among league leaders in assists by midfielders and also came forward to occasionally chip in a goal. His defense work still needs to round into better form, but he is already one of the better overall players at his position in the league. Next to him, defensive midfielder Matthew Oakley turned in a solid, blue-collar performance. On the right wing, Nolberto Solano has better talent than his rating would show, but he’s 34 and on his way down. The left wing never had a consistent starting presence, and few who took a crack at it really established themselves. These guys can score, but they aren’t so good defensively, and that puts a lot more pressure on the backline.

Defense: Kenton and Danny Higginbotham form one of the more underrated central defense duos in the league. Kenton rated among the best defenders in the Premiership last year, and chipped in four goals as well. Higginbotham was no slouch as the true defensive presence beside Kenton. Left back is ably held down by Canero, who is a strong creative presence and a solid defensive player. Right back is as problematic as left wing, with Maurice Ross earning the club a search for a proper replacement, given his poor performance defensively this past season (6.53). The squad brought in Manchester United’s Paul Tierney to help out for the last few months, although he’s going back to Old Trafford now. There is some solid looking help on the bench for the position, with Stephen Crainey and Nyron Nosworthy possibilities to remove Ross. In net, Fon Williams is a player with great upside, but he was somewhat inconsistent this season. He’s good, but he hasn’t yet taken it to the next level. This season, the 22-year-old netminder was about middle of the pack.

Tamworth

League Record: 29-4-5. 91 pts
League Finish: 1st
GF (Rk): 116 (1st)
GA (Rk): 40 (1st)
GD (Rk): +76 (1st)

Europe Record: 12-0-2
Cup Record: 9-2-1

Manager: Matthew Kieta
Top Goal Scorers: MF Johnnier Montaño (24), ST Yakubu (21), MF David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro (19)
Top Passers: MF Michael Stewart (15), ST Orri Freyr Oskarsson (13), Montaño (13)
Top Rating: Montaño (7.97), Pizarro (7.88), Oskarsson (7.80)
Top Defender: FB Kevin Gorman (7.62)

Overall: The Tamworth phenomenon has rolled on through Year Two. One season after shocking Europe by winning the domestic double and the UEFA Cup, the Lambs have firmly established themselves as a superpower, with the League Cup and the Premiership locked up and silverware from the FA Cup—which they now have a chance to win three straight times—and from the vaunted Champions League still a distinct possibility. It’s not just that they have done so well—it’s that they have dominated. Their ridiculous offense was off the charts this season, and they have scored triple digits in goals four straight seasons. Their defense was always a little bit suspect, so it was somewhat of a surprise when Manchester United allowed a couple goals in the final match of the season and allowed the Lambs to slip ahead of them to the top of the league’s defensive rankings. Many observers view Tamworth as a fluke built around a tactic that has been difficult for opposing managers to pin down, but manager Matthew Kieta has already given indications the club will run a more conventional tactic next season (perhaps Chelsea’s 4-3-3, which Tamworth run a little toward the end of this season). Not all was rosy in the engine room, though. The club’s incredible quality depth is one of the primary reasons they have done well this past season, but the competition and the spread of playing time led to a lot of complaints from notable players, including Montaño, Yakubu, wingers Lionel Morgan and Richie Partridge, and fullback Trond Erik Bertelsen.

Offense: Where does one start to describe an offense that put up an amazing 116 goals? Tamworth won’t rank too high on totals lists because of their use of two starting squads this season, but despite that, they had a number of players put up spectacular individual efforts. The key to the offense is at the attacking midfield position, which was manned by Montaño and Pizarro. Both players were terrific this season, as was their backup Giovanny Hernández. Up front, there were no less than five players to score at least 11 goals, including Yakubu, Louis Saha (18), Oskarsson (18), Andrei Pereplyotkin (15) and Adam Wilde (11). They also have Emmanuel Olisadebe (7 G) around from a January transfer, and Pereplyotkin was on the verge of a monster season when he went down with a broken leg. He could be on the verge of superstardom once completely healed. The three midfield spots around the key spot were also deeply manned. On the right, Partridge was one of the highest rated players on the squad (7.88), and he wasn’t too far ahead of the other right wing starter Jim Corbett (7.63). The left wing was a little more troubled. Carl Motteram was one of the few regulars to have a lower than 7.00 rating (6.67), and he only had two goals and one assist in an offense for which racking up stats in these categories is almost too easy. He was paired with Andy Williams, who missed half the season while recovering from a major knee injury from last year’s FA Cup final. Williams didn’t display anywhere near the terrific playmaking skills he did a year ago, although he rated very strongly. Morgan could be the answer here. There should be no complaints about the defensive midfield position, where Stewart and Denny Landzaat were both uniformly excellent and finsiehd among the team and league leaders in assists.

Defense: The two starting squads also each had their own goalkeeper. Jon Masalin, who started part time last season, held down one spot and put up some superb stats. But he was also very poorly rated and made some embarrassing gaffes, including leaving his net enough for Man Utd’s Bresciano to score an amazing half-pitch shot in a September match. Thomas Heaton’s stats were just as strong as Masalin’s, except he didn’t make any embarrassing mistakes, and if he had enough starts, his ratring would qualify among some of the best in the league. Heaton seems likely to be the future here. Longtime Lambs leon Cort and David Raven were both very solid in central defense, although they were both outplayed by backup centreback James McEveley, who will probably start on the first squad this season. Mike Duff finished the season as the highest qualified defender in the league and also contributed on offense—and was overshadowed by his backup Kevin Gorman, who finished the season as the highest-rated defender on the squad. Big ticket January transfer Bertelsen had injury and attitude problems and was somewhat inconsistent at left back.

Tottenham Hotspur

League Record: 10-12-16. 42 pts
League Finish: 16th
GF (Rk): 52 (7th)
GA (Rk): 56 (12th tied)
GD (Rk): -4 (9th tied)

Europe Record: DNP
Cup Record: 0-1-2

Manager: Eddie Gray
Top Goal Scorers: ST Hélder Postiga (18), ST Paul Gallagher (11), ST Jack Howells (7)
Top Passers: WG Christian Tiffert (11), Gallagher (7), Postiga (6), Howells (6)
Top Rating: Postiga (7.41), FB Mbulelo Mabizela (7.29), DC Anthony Gardner (7.22)
Top Defender: Mabizela

Overall: The Spurs needed a huge win over Tamworth of all clubs to ensure they would not be relegated on the last day of the season. Fortunately for the Spurs, the Lambs sent out a reserve squad in what was, for them, a match of no value except for the possibility of injuries to their stars in the days leading up to the FA and Champions cup finals. And it ended up being moot anyway, as Blackpool, with whom Tottenham was tied, also lost, and had a far worse goal differential. Still, to come so close to the drop is a frightening prospect for this longtime Premiership squad. They had the ignominy of failing to win as many matches as they lost during any two-month period last season, and were basically a consistent loser all term. Despite that, they had a goal differential of just -4, demonstrating that perhaps there was more than a little simple bad luck in the Spurs coming so close to relegation. They really seem to be a much better squad than their record would indicate (although by that I mean midtable perhaps).

Offense: Postiga is still a premier scorer, so the Spurs still have a class source of offense up front. He also rated very highly. His partner was usually Paul Gallagher, himself a double-digit goal scorer, and a decent passer, too, which is always a positive when you share the frontline with a high quality scorer. That said, Gallagher rated very poorly, and it seems likely he will be replaced by the young and talented Howells, who won a Young Player of the Month and had some moments of brilliance last year. Projected out to a full season, Howells numbers might have even rivaled Postiga, which would have given Tottenham as strong a front duo as all but the top squads. The midfield was pretty inconsistent and could use an upgrade. Fabian Ernst was decent enough, but just barely, and Mathieu Bodmer had a poor season. Neither were particularly strong in the defensive end, and both did very little to facilitate the offense, which usually needed to go around them via the wings. Speaking of which, the Spurs got a terrific playmaking performance from Tiffert, who led the squad in assists. Rohan Ricketts on the other side was defensively solid, but didn’t do much more passing than the midfield. He was often replaced by young superstar on the rise Claudio Ercoli in the late season, and might be replaced this year. Ercoli is much more inclined to produce offense. It shows the quality of the strikers that with three-fourths of the midfield and both of the fullbacks rather than limited in creative ability, the club’s scoring ability was still fairly strong for its spot in the table.

Defense: The issue here was obvious—Nick Robinson had a poor season. He is just 21, so he still has a way to go, but he should have gotten more than four clean sheets behind the Spurs’ very solid backline. His faltering in the net may be to the benefit of fellow youth competitor Ian Naylor. Naylor was across the board better than Robinson in limited appearances, rated much higher, and had one more clean sheet—in eight less appearances. Three spots on the backline are in excellent hands. Mabizela finished the season as one of the Premiership’s top defensive wingbacks. Gardner leads the defense from the middle with a strong presence. He is partnered with Ledley King, who is now slouch himself. The only spot where mediocrity creeps in is at left back, where Kling was just passable on defense and did very little to generate any offense. The Spurs don’t really have an able replacement in line to take over, though (veteran Stephen Carr had a very poor season, and is not a serious option at this point).

CR

MIJB#19 · 08-21-2004, 01:30 PM

A little bit offtopic, but what the heck, this team by team review is inspiring for my Merchantmen IHOF dynasty...

Chief Rum · 08-21-2004, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

A little bit offtopic, but what the heck, this team by team review is inspiring for my Merchantmen IHOF dynasty...

Are you doing a team-by-team review of the IHOF? That would be a cool read.

Glad you're taking something from this.

CR

MIJB#19 · 08-21-2004, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Are you doing a team-by-team review of the IHOF? That would be a cool read.

Glad you're taking something from this.

CR

Not quite sure what I'll do, preview or review, but review would be neat, by division so I can do the last two as the Bowl game is played.
Not 100% I'll do it, 32 teams is a lot of work and I dunno if I am inspired enough to write 32 reviews, nor do I know what kind of format I'm looking for.

If it's written, it'll pop-up in the Merchantmen dynasty.

BTW, I sent you a PM recently on the Euro FFL, CR.

Chief Rum · 08-21-2004, 03:20 PM

Oh yeah, I forgot to respond to that. I have been checking in regularly there, so it hasn't mattered whether I get official notice. Delays are usually because of work or because I am sleeping while many of you guys are awake.

I think I will actually stay off the list because I would probably still keep getting messages even after the owner of the Dwarves comes back, and I wouldn't want that.

BTW, is the Dwarves' owner an FOFC member? I don't even know who I am drafting for.

CR

Alf · 08-21-2004, 03:42 PM

CR, the Dwarves is owned by Pim (a french friend of mine), he even signed up here at FOFC and has amde a few posts.

MIJB#19 · 08-21-2004, 04:16 PM

Enough ot stuff for now, back to Tamworth talk.

Chief Rum · 08-23-2004, 03:37 AM

I agree, back to Tamworth.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-23-2004, 08:03 AM

Tuesday, May 19 To Monday, May 25

The Premiership season may be over, but there's still a lot of football left around the world, including for our own Lambs.

On Saturday this week, we meet up with the Foxes of Leicester at Wembley Stadium, where we will attempt to do the threepeat for the FA Cup.

UEFA Cup Final

A year ago, we beat Parma in this competition for the second most prestigious club title in Europe. Our reign as the UEFA Cup champion is about to come to an end. On Wednesday, Newcastle and Aston Villa do battle at the Olimpico in Rome to capture the 2008-09 UEFA Cup.

It will be nice to see the trophy remain in English hands, no matter how the match turns out. It is also redemption for two league squads that didn't fare as well as they might have hoped in the Premiership. Both are fine stories in this one.

Aston Villa have not only gotten to the league final, they did it the hard way--winning through the Inter Toto competition. Basically, they had a whole other tournament to win before they even got into this one, sorta like an NCAA collegiate basketball squad that didn't have the season to get an at-large bid, but won through via the conference tournament--and then proceeded to win their way all the way to the Final. Sure, Aston Villa isn't quite as relatively bad to the competition as such an NCAA team would be, but it's still quite an accomplishment.

Newcastle, meanwhile, may not have gotten here the hard way, but they went on quite a run in their own right. In this competition, with home-and-home legs in each round, it's possible to draw and even lose matches and still move on. For Newcastle to win 11 of its 12 UEFA matches, with only a draw to mar the record, that is also a very impressive achievement and makes them the favorite in this one (as well as them slightly bettering the Villans in league).

The Magpies had essentially their starting lineup ready for this one. Unfortunately, the Villans come into this one limping a bit, missing star striker Darius Vassell and playmaking midfielder Stilian Petrov to injury. They are also starting reserve fullback Rincón over Luke Young at right back, but that appears to be a managerial choice. John Hartson is starting in place of Vassell, and Igor Demo gets the call at Petrov's spot.

Newcastle got off to a quick start. In just the 2nd minute, they forced a corner from the left spot. Left winger Anders Svensson sent a high corner kick floating down to the far end of the goal. Superstar striker Shola Ameobi beat out his marker and got his head to the ball, firing it at the right corner of the net. Villa netminder Thomas Sorenson was positioned closer to the left post and couldn't get over in time. The ball slammed into the corner of the net for the first score.

Aston Villa dodged a bullet in the 13th minute. Midfielder Barry Ferguson found striker Mateja Kezman behind the defense in the box, and he headed it down to Ameobi. The striker's shot got past the charging Sorenson, but he was off a touch, and the ball hit the right post and bounded away and harmlessly across the nearby goal line.

The match took on a new dynamic in the 20th minute, though. Apparently frustrated at a physical exchange with Andy O'Brien, Villan winger Fredy William Thompson aimed a vicous kick at the defender--and the ref caught a look at it. Thompson was sent off with the professional foul, putting Aston Villa at both a man and goal disadvantage.

The Magpies took immediate advantage. Ameoba collected the ball on a throw-in shortly after the foul was called and sent a long ball to Kezman on the run toward the box at the other end of the pitch. Kezman was closely marked by centreback Olaf Mellberg, so he moved to the right end of the pitch as he approached the area. Sorenson charged out to meet him, and Mellberg was ready for a move back to center, so Kezman launched a high chip shot from beyond the edge of the area, over Sorenson's head. The beautiful shot dropped softly into the left corner of the net for Newcastle's second goal of the match.

With that disadvantage and short a man, it's not surprising that Aston Villa didn't put up much of a fight the rest of the way. Their best shot came in the 37th minute--and it led to another Newcastle tally. Shay Given turned away a point blank shot by David Villa, and Newcastle took back control from the clear out. They proceeded to go on a run to the other end, where Svensson and Ameobi hooked up again. The midfielder sent a sharp back-cross into the box from the right goal line, and Ameobi volleyed it into the left corner for his secodn goal of the match, and the 3-0 lead.

At the end of the match, Newcastle outshot Aston Villa, 11-3 (and 7-3 on goal) and breezed through to the UEFA Cup. Newcastle 3, Aston Villa 0

Goalkeeper Search

We got some responses from our enquiries about goalkeepers early this week. Unfortunately, it seems that our targets' clubs are very interested in keeping them all in the fold.

River turned down our request for a price on Franco Costanzo. They insist he is staying in place. If I want to bring him in, it looks like I will have to wait until I get my new transfer budget and try blowing them away with an offer.

My enquiries into the availability of Caen's Benoît Benvegnu and young Marco Serena of Piacenza were turned down. I have long thought Benvegnu would be a good goalkeeper to get, based on his production, but it's always hard to tell when he's mostly facing National and La Ligue 2 competition. Caen is also about to rise up to La Ligue 1, so I suppose they would want to keep around one of the primary reasons they finally succeeded in doing so.

Serena is a nice looking Italian U-21 goalkeeper who looks like he is a rising young player. I wasn't too surprised they turned down my interest, although, like Costanzo, I may try to force the issue with cold, hard cash.

The one enquiry I did get a return offer for was Leicester's Shaun Allaway, and I was iffy on him int he ifrst place. That if turned into a big 'no' when I saw the Foxes were seeking around $4 M for the guy. He just isn't that good.

Bertelsen Unhappy

Well, all season I have gotten indications that my pricey acquisition Trond Erik Bertelsen is a bit of a headcase. Here's the latest:

In the hours leading up to the FA Cup final, Bertelsen told me he was dismayed at not being a part of the first team. Well, he meant as a regular--I certainly didn't remove him to the reserve squad.

Once again, it is partly a result of my lineup decisions/two starting elevens, and partly the fact he's a needy nutjob like Richie Partridge, Johnnier Montaño and Yakubu. He hasn't played in the last two matches. He didn't play against Arsenal, because it was a second eleven match, and he didn't play in our final league match against Tottenham because I started an all-backup squad (the whole first eleven pretty much got the day off).

Reason being, of course, I was saving them for today's match. All very frustrating.

In any case, now Bertelsen wants to leave the club. Considering I plan on whittling down my lineups next season and am not interested in caving to a bitchy player, Bertelsen isn't going anywhere, and, in fact, will be in today's lineup against Leicester.

FA Cup Final, Leicester City

Team turmoil aside, this is a big day for us. We have the opportunity to win our third straight FA Cup title, a feat that has been performed just twice in the League's history, with both times coming in the 1800s. Blackburn last completed this feat from 1884-86. Wow.

We don't draw an easy opponent in Leicester. They have been one of the hottest clubs in the league over the past few months, and I figure we will be severely tested.

The Foxes' offense is better than their current league rank would suggest, now that they have James Graham back. He and Tommy Wright form a powerful striker duo. Muzzy Izzet is a fine creative midfielder, and Dean Marney and Stefano Mauri both bring it from the sides.

Their defense is less strong, although Sam Jones is terrific, and goalkeeper Joe Murphy is better than Allaway has been.

As I suggested previously, we are going with the first eleven in this match. There are no surprises in this lineup other than one error of my own doing. I accidentally stuck in Denny Landzaat at defensive midfielder instead of Michael Stewart. Oh well, Stewart will just start in the Champions League final with the second eleven.

The Foxes put a scare in us from the very beginning. In the 1st minute of play, shortly after the kickoff to start the match, Graham beat Mike Duff on a header in the left of the area, setting up Mauri on a run through the middle of the area. He blasted it to the right end of the goal, but Jon Masalin sidestepped at the right moment and deflected the shot off to the right. It was cleared by Bertelsen.

Then in the 5th minute, Izzet took the ball in the center of the offensive pitch and placed a perfect pass on the foot of Wright as headed into the goal center from the right. Wright had a slight step on David Raven, but he whizzed his shot over the goal.

We nearly struck back a few minutes later. In the 9th minute, a left touchline pass from Bertelsen to Yakubu drew a lot of defensive attention, and allowed Montaño to take off on a free runt oward the box. Yakubu moved the ball up to him from out of the crowd, allowing the Colombian to go it on goal alone. Murphy charged out at Montaño, so the striker fired it early. He aimed too far left, though, and the ball hit the side netting for the goalkick.

We got the first tally in the 15th minute. Leon Cort got to a half-pitch clear out by Murphy, and headed it right back at the goal. Jones tried to get his head to it, but he missed, and that allowed Yakubu to slip right by him and onto the ball as it went toward the goal. Murphy started to come off of his line, but it would have been hard for him to stop. Yakubu got to the ball just inside the area and blasted a low, hard shot right by the goalkeeper for the first goal of the match.

Our lead was shortlived. In the 19th minute, Riccardo Scimeca moved the ball from the centre-circle up to Izzet, who went on a run up the middle of the pitch. Cort rather oddly committed to getting in front of Izzet, even as Raven was already positioned to do so. All this did was allow the dangerous Graham to get a step on the defense. Izzet has been perfect passing the ball all season,a nd he was on the mark here, too. Masalin ran out of the box and almost reached Graham before the striker fired it. Too late, though, as Graham's shot simply blew by the rushing Masalin and into the net to draw Leicester level.

Leicester would soon display more of the skill that has made them so lethal of late. In the 24th minute, they earned a corner from the right spot. Izzet sent a slightly out-swinging corner onto the near end of the box. Graham beat Andy Williams and Montaño for the ball and headed a shot at the far corner of the net. The shot sailed over Masalin and into the net for the score. Leicester had charged back to a 2-1 lead before I could even pronounce their name correctly.

Maddeningly enough, their defense proved to be solid enough to keep us off of dominating the shots. We wouldn't score the rest of the first half, and they outshot us 5-4 (and 4-2 on goal).

We started off the second half more spirited. In the 47th minute, Montaño poked the ball away from Scimeca near the centre-circle, initiating a good run by Jim Corbett. Corbett set up Orri Freyr Oskarsson to the right of goal. Despite being tightly marked by centreback Lee Atkinson, Oskarsson got a good look at the near post and fired a shot. Murphy stepped over and made a fine save to block the shot down the goal line, where it was then cleared.

We got another terrific chance in the 51st minute. Landzaat removed the ball from Izzet in their end of the pitch and moved a pass up toward the box in anticipation of Montaño running onto it. The forward was closely followed by Jones, but would have been well within his rights to blast a shot at goal. Instead, he made the even better shot to chip pass it down to Oskarsson in the center of the goal area. Oskarsson's shot went just to Murphy's left, though, and once again, the netminder was able to move over and knock it away. Atkinson cleared it from danger.

In the 61st minute, I thought for sure we would get a score. Oskarsson headed a long touch-length pass from Corbett up to Montaño at the edge of the area. Montaño took the ball ona short roundabout run toward the right end the area before unleashing a hard shot on goal. Murphy deflected it back out to the right--where Oskarsson had stepped in to fill the void. He blasted a hard shot right back at Murphy, but the goalkeeper made a great save, clutching the hard shot to end the chance. I'm beginning to think our number is up in this one.

Not only are they keeping us out of goal, they very nearly put it out of reach in the 79th minute. Graham fell under a Mauri pass along the right touch and then took off on a run to challenge his marker, Cort. He beat Cort to the edge as they ran into the left end of the area, and skipped past the centreback up the line toward the goal. At that moment, it was just him and Masalin. He fired a shot point blank, but Masalin was right there and sent the hard shot right back out at Graham (in fact, past him). Cort got to it first and sent it clear.

Now that we're in the last ten minutes of the match, of course, I don't have much help. Still, we keep plugging away.

In the 83rd minute, we forced a corner from the right spot. Sub Giovanny Hernández sent a high corner toward the far post, almost straight up the line and over the goal mouth. Landzaat beat Marsh in the air and headed it back across the goal mouth, although anything that close is very dangerous. Murphy tipped it away before it could accidentally cross the line. He should have tried better to collect it, though. Montaño jumped out from the colelction of players in front of the goal and tapped the loose ball into the net for the late equaliser! I breathed a huge sigh of relief and prepared for likely extra time.

Extra time looked far away in the 86th minute. Montaño and Oskarsson played a bit of a give-and-go from just outside of the area. The forward moved the ball down to the striker in the right end of the area. Oskarsson took it on goal, closely marked by Atkinson. He seemed likely to take the shot, but he found Montaño creating space in the middle. He moved it up to Montaño, who volleyed a shot at the right corner of the net. Murphy just got his fingertips to it, and then the ball delfected up and off the right post. Oskarsson leaped on the reobund, which came right onto him, but Atkinson stepped in and made the critical challenge, putting the ball across the line for the corner (which came to naught).

We got down to the nitty gritty, and I was anticipating another 30 minutes of football tacked onto this one. We got another great chance, though, in the 90th minute (the real one, not in injury time). Hernández got to a clear out in our own end along the right touch and sent a long pass almost the length of the pitch to Oskarsson, who was trying to create space away from Atkinson and fullback Mike Clarke. Oskarsson won free for the ball, but didn't have an open lane to the goal. So he took it to the right goal line before sending a sharp back cross toward the front of the goal mouth center. Yakubu hit the pass with a glancing header, despite fullback Mark Reilly being between him and the net. He hit the header toward the right end of the goal. Murphy was on it and leaped up for the high shot. It struck off his hand, though, bounced up to edge the crossbar and fell back into the net for the go ahead goal! Holy Crap, we did it again! We came back to take the lead!

We didn't give them another serious chance at it, and we won an exhilarating match to take our third consecutive FA Cup. Tamworth 3, Leicester 2

Two goals in the last ten minutes to pull off the stunning comeback. Terrific fun to watch, of course, although it was a serious nailbiter, too.

This is the same competition that saw us score three goals in the last 13 minutes of a semifinal match with Newcastle two years ago, on our way to our first FA Cup (and when we were just a lowly First Division squad). We have certainly had our scares in this one.

Hats off to Leicester. I really think they could be on their way to breaking the Big Six (us, Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool) next year with this kind of talent.

FA Cup Aftermath

I have to let this sink in. We just won the FA Cup for an amazing third time in a row, and the first time such a threepeat has been done in this competition in 123 years!

In winning, we also wrapped up the treble, one of the greatest accomplishments a club can pull off in England. We won both the FA and League cups, and we took the Premiership. The last team to do it was Manchester United in 2003-04.

We received $3.2 M from the English Football Association, which just gave us a check for $16 M for our league championship a few days ago. I like that money pipeline there.

The in-game news reports suggested we were "seldom put under any real pressure" and refered to our effort as our "second gear", amking it out like it was an easy match. I don't know what match they were watching, but it wasn't the one my squad just played.

I also got lots of love from the board of directors and from the supporters, of course. Long live Kieta!

Storbæk Returns To Health, Dodds Hurt

Our depth got a little better when fullback, defender, midfielder and winger Jarl Ander Storbæk returned to full training on Sunday from his fractured ribs injury.

Storbæk had been out since late April, when he hurt himself in training.

His return matters little, though--Storbæk is not on our international roster and, so, is ineligible for the Champions League final.

A day after Storbæk got the clearance to return to the pitch, reserve defender Ian Dodds broke his ribs in training. The injury is less severe than Storbæk's was, though, and Dodds will only be down two weeks.

Dodds only played with the reserves this year, and I don't regard the 25-year-old with any serious help he will be able to help us at this level. So this injury means little (not to mention we don't play any matches at the reserve level, and just the CL Final for the first team).

Kolo Abib Touré

Remember this guy? I know daedalus does.

It came over the news that attacking defender Kolo Abib Touré of Arsenal has been the target of a transfer offer from Fulham. Touré is just 28 and, value-wise, still seems to be well-regarded (value about $12 M). With his speed, mental abilities and offense (winger like skills), he seems a very solid addition for me to consider. Only his lackluster defensive abilities (they are just decent, instead of great) would give me pause at all about him.

In any case, I still have $4 M burning a hole in my transfer pocket, money that, if not spent by mid-June, when the new budget is announced, will probably go into some shareholders' pocket. I have been trying to use it on a goalkeeper, but given the problems I have had in that area, it makes sense I might be able to instead use it to secure Touré's services. Despite his high value, Arsenal had drawn little interest in him and had dropped their transfer request to about $3.8 M.

I felt Touré would allow me to freely let Cort and Duff go, my two leading defenders that are just a month and change away from free transfers. So I went to make a bid for him.

Alas, I was thwarted by the game! Touré was loaned out by Fulham months ago, and as part of the loan deal, they negotiated a loan fee with Arsenal, whereby they would get a shot at signing him. Well, the game would not give me a choice to make an offer to Arsenal for him and with a year left on his contract, Touré wasn't eligible for a Bosman transfer to circumvent that.

I think the game actually has it (in a bug) that loaned players can't be offered transfer deals. At least that's how it was in a couple cases here at the end of this season.

So Fulham had Touré on the squad, had already negotiated a transfer deal (the $5 M they had agreed to with the Gunners previously when they loaned him), and were already offering the Ivorian defender a contract. And I couldn't offer a transfer deal. Ugh.

My only hope, if I am serious in obtaining him (and I am), is to hope he reaches the end of his loan period without accepting the offer from Fulham. If that happens, he goes back to Arsenal, where he will still consider Fulham's offer, but would then be able to be offered for a transfer by others--such as Tamworth. That loan period was scheduled to end on June 3, just 10 days away.

I had just one thing I could do in the hopes of delaying the move-- I announced my interest in acquiring Touré to the media.

Touré Interest Aftermath

Basically, the shit hit the fan a little.

First of all, the Lamb supporters continued to show me love, because they were absolutely thrilled with the notion of Kolo coming to the Lamb Ground. They saw him as a perfect addition to the squad and lauded my good vision for focusing on acquiring him. Good to see the fans know their footy.

That was about the only good thing to happen, at least immediately. While the fans lit up the boards with support for the move, my backup centreback Jon Otsemobor was less than enthusiastic with the move. He sees the acquisition of Touré as a threat to his spot and role with the team.

Otsemobor seems oblivious to the fact that Cort and Duff are nearing the end of their contracts, and that Touré is more accurately a replacement for one of them. In a sense, though, he is right. Were I to let Duff go, Otsemobor would be among the primary candidates to help fill the right back spot. Sure, Kevin Gorman would almost certainly be the anointed starter, but I would liekly need a solid defensive fullback, too, and Otsemobor would fit the bill there.

Oh yeah, and Otsemobor found out the news from the Daily Star. That's gotta hurt.

When approached, I played Otsemobor's concerns off like a grandparent, saying I understood him and symnpathized with him. That seemed to help a little, although he is still unhappy. My assistant manager Terry Gennoe wanted me to tell him to shove it, more or less, so I took quite an enlightened position on his complaints, I think. I have always beena bit of a player's coach, though (see how I don't have the heart to out and out cut anyone?).

That was the outward aftermath, but Cort himself was also less than thrilled by the announced interest. He was already on the edge of unhappiness because of his soon to expire contract, and the Touré rumours dropped him to full unhappiness and worry about being replaced. Unlike Otsemobor, his concerns are more valid and likely to come to pass. Fortunately, he doesn't complain publically, so I don't have to deal with that right now.

On Monday, Arsenal manager Mark Bowen said he is ready to listen to offers for Touré. How about that for a 'DUH' moment? You only been listing him since you were hired, and dropped your asking price by more than 50%, bro.

Not that that matters-- the week ends with Touré still on Fulham, and unable to take on transfer offers from anyone else. Stay tuned.

Makabu Ma Kalambay Receives Bid

Chelsea reserve goalkeeper and member of the All-Name squad Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay (Belgian, in case you're wondering) received a bid from his loaning team on Sunday as well. Sheffield Wednesday have agreed to Chelsea's $1.7 M transfer fee, as worked out in the original loan agreement, and have offered a contract to the young goalkeeper.

MMK is a young netminder I was keeping my eye on after noting that he had done well behind a substandard Sheff Wed backline, and that he seemed to be a product of Chelsea's youth system--which I assume is as good as most youth academies for rich and powerful clubs like them. I don't think of him as a first team contender right now--he's just 20, but I thought of him as a nice insurance pickup and a future backup goalkeeper at the very least.

So when Sheffield Wednesday made the offer, I was on top of this one as well. As with Touré, I did not have the option to offer this player. I still don't know if it's really a bug in the game, or if this is a requirement of the loan fee that was arranged between Sheff Wed and Chelsea.

There was one difference here-- MMK was about a month away from the end of his contract and eligible to be the offer of a Bosman transfer.

The problem with Bosman transfers in situations like this is that you have to pay the former employees fees for developing young players, and the tag on MMK was $1.7 M. I didn't especially want to pay $1.7 M, not for a backup backup potential goalkeeper. But I had to keep him out of Sheff Wed's hands, and if I waited for the end of his loan period (also June 3), then I would risk the same fate that might take place in Touré (he could sign with the club without ever leaving the squad).

Also, Chelsea had had MMK listed for a while and was seeking just $35,000 for a direct transfer now. That's a far cry from $1.7 M.

So I made a Bosman transfer offer to basically "distract" MMK from his Sheff Wed offer. If he accepts my offer, thus locking me into the $1.7 M payment, I will simply delay the transaction a week until his loan period runs out, then work out a much cheaper direct transfer with Chelsea. This all assumes an offer from me can dissuade him from signing with Sheffield Wednesday, and that there is no bad blood from the transfer pull out that will have to necessarily be a part of my less than up front plan. Pretty devious, eh?

League News

The transfer window is nearing with each passing day (June 3), so the news is starting to come hot and heavy of announced interests and what not. The Touré and MMK situations were just a part of that. Here's a sample of some other bits and pieces from the Premiership this week.

--Birmingham is interested in bringing in PSV striker Johan Vonlanthen. The 23-year-old Colombian is currently out of favour at the Dutch power. He is currently unsettled and angry that manager Guus Hiddink doesn't see him as a first team regular. The striker was once a rising up-and-comer for PSV Eindhoven in 2005-06, when he scored eight goals in 31 appearances (only nine starts). Since then, though, he has only subbed in five matches for the club, all in the 2007-08 season. That means he played two of the last three seasons entirely with the PSV reserves (six goals in 23 apps this season), and is watching his playing days go by without actual playing time.

Hiddink wasn't too keen to move him, though. On the same day, he announced that Vonlanthen was not available and warned clubs to stay away from him. That's rather odd, considering the lack of pitch time for the young striker. Of course, IMO, Vonlanthen probably can't qualify for a work permit anyway--he's only been capped for Colombia at the U21 level.

--Chelsea centreback Marc Parker announced his desire to get a new contract from Chelsea. Parker is a 19-year-old England Under-21 player who seems to have a bright future ahead of him. Despite his youth, he appeared in 13 matches for the Blues this season (five starts). He held up pretty well with one assist and a 6.85 rating, although his numbers in seven league appearances were less impressive.

Parker is apparently concerned he may have to leave Stamford Bridge to get regular first team football. I have assigned a scout to catch a look at him to see if he might be worth a visit to the Lamb Ground.

--On Sunday, Nottingham Forest officially followed through on rumors that had been running around for a bit, and made a huge offer for HSV striker Benjamin Lauth, whom has been on loan with the Reds since January.

I was rather surprised at the price they offered: $11.25 M. Forest is actually listed as a rich club, but it seemed exorbitant, even for a proven Bundesliga scorer. I think what made it a little silly was Lauth's own performance since he came over to the Reds. I mean, one goal and a 5.43 rating in 14 appearances. Uuuuugly! I guess they are hoping he gets better as he gets used to the League. The German striker is 27, and has three caps with once mighty Germany.

--Fulham isn't just after Touré, as they are flashing some money around, too. On Sunday, Soccernet.com reported that they are chasing a highly regarded Italian midfielder named Guido Giglio. Giglio is currently a top 20-year-old player on Swiss Super League club Delémont.

The Soccernet.com article says Delémont would settle for nothing less than $8.5 M for Giglio, and that's assuming they would move him at all, I am guessing. Giglio, surprisingly for someone subjected to this sort of transfer rumor, has not been capped with Italy at the Under-21 level, but he did put up a solid two goals, six assists and 7.22 rating in 28 appearances with Delémont this season. He was even better last season, with five goals, eight assists and a 7.60 rating. I don't have him scouted, so I don't have a clue how good this kid really is.

--Premiership relegatee Blackpool is looking at Southampton fullback Jason Fox. The 20-year-old defender, who is currently loan listed by the Saints, only played with the reserves this season, although he played pretty solid at that level (one goal, seven assists, 6.90 rating in 21 apps).

Fox is an Irishman, and valued at $1.7 M, but, once again, I don't have him scouted. Too little, too late for Blackpool, though.

--In world news, Dortmund pulled off the domestic double on the same day we took the impressive English treble.

Dortmund beat FC Schalke 04, 2-0, in the German Cup Final at the Olympiastadion in Belrin (which hosted the 2006 World Cup final) to wrap a season in which it also ran away with the Bundesliga championship.

On Sunday, Vallodolid was relegated from the Primera Liga One, and Levante won Spain's second division championship to secure promotion to the top flight.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-24-2004, 03:50 AM

English League Playoffs

Silly me, I forgot to update you guys on the goings-on in the English league promotion playoffs at the various levels. A few matches of importance have been played already, although no new promotion shave been offered yet.

Here is what has gone down. I'll start from the lowly Conference and move up.

Nationwide Conference

(2) Southend vs (5) Morecambe
(3) Scarborough vs (4) Wrexham

The Conference features a two-leg semifinal, followed by a one-match final for the spot. Conference champion Carlisle has already been promoted to the Third Division. Southend looks like a much more solid squad than Morecambe. Scarborough had the second best goal differential in the league (behind Carlisle) and should beat out Wrexham.

May 16 Results

Wrexham 3, Scarborough 0

--Shows what I know. This happened at Scarborough.

Southend 1, Morecambe 0

--This shouldn't have been this close, especially at Southend.

May 20 Results

Wrexham 4, Scarborough 1

--Scarborough should be ashamed of themselves for their effort in this. Wrexham looks much better than anticipated.

Southend 1, Morecambe 1

--Well, they didn't win easy, but Southend did take this one on aggregate.

Wrexham 7, Scarborough 1
Southend 2, Morecambe 1

Wrexham will meet Southend on May 29 in Wembley Stadium.

Third Division

(4) Rochdale vs (7) Brentford
(5) Bristol Rovers vs (6) Reading

Like the Conference, the Third Division runs a semifinal with two legs before ending with a one-match final. Unlike the Conference, there is more club exchange between the Third and Second divisions, with the top three squads already promoted. They are, in order of finish, Torquay, Burton Albion and Chester.

Rochdale looks like the better overall team in the first matchup, but Brentford seems very capable of both scoring and allowing goals. That kind of potency can lead to wild matches. Like Scarborough in the Conference, Bristol has the look of a top squad, with the third best goal differential in the league (tied). Hopefully for the Rovers' sake, they won't follow the Boro's example. Reading looks like the worst of the four playoff entrants, but they are also a former First Division club, so who knows?

May 16 Results

Rochdale 1, Brentford 0

--Rochdale got off to a solid start on the road, edging out Brentford.

Reading 4, Bristol 0

--Ouch, just like Scarborough. At least this one was on the road, but a four-goal deficit will be awfully hard to make up.

May 20 Results

Brentford 4, Rochdale 0

--Who wants home cooking anyway? Wow, Brentford came back in style, and put a hurting on Rochdale on the road.

Reading 2, Bristol 1

--Reading wasn't as dominant in this one, but they didn't have to be. It looks like neither home pitch advantage nor final league placement matters much here.

Brentford 4, Rochdale 1
Reading 6, Bristol 1

Brentford will meet Reading at Wembley on June 2. This will be the final match of the English league season.

Second Division

(3) Chesterfield vs (6) Barnsley
(4) West Ham vs (5) Wycombe

Now we're getting into the nitty gritty. The winner of this tourney goes up to the First Division, which is starting to mean something on a national scale.

The Second Division sends its top two squads automatically, in this case, former Conference squads Barnet and Farnborough. Nice to see some other small clubs make runs to the top.

Chesterfield is another former small club. Their matchup with Barnsley looks like a terrific showdown between two very even squads. In the other one, West Ham is interesting. They are a former Premiership and First Division squad, but they not only have the worst goal differential of the playoff squads, they are actually negative (-1). Wycombe was tied for the second highest goal differential, so that should also be a very intriguing matchup.

May 16 Results

Barnsley 3, Chesterfield 1

--Barnsley may be the sixth-place squad in this one, but they ended up tied with Wycombe for the second highest goal differential in the Second Division. They start off well by holding serve on their own ground.

West Ham 3, Wycombe 0

--Apparently, the Hammers still have some of that top level talent around. I wonder where they were during the season?

May 20 Results

Chesterfield 1, Barnsley 0

--Chesterfield got a point back, but it's too little, too late. They needed a bigger win to overcome Barnsley's lead.

Wycombe 0, West Ham 0

--Wycombe played better at their own place, but it wasn't enough. Despite the low goal differential, West ham will get a shot to return to the First Division.

Barnsley 3, Chesterfield 2
West Ham 3, Wycombe 0

Barnsley will meet up with West Ham at Wembley on May 30.

First Division

(3) Ipswich vs (6) Norwich
(4) Coventry vs (5) Wolves

Now we're talking. This is the tournament with something truly special on the line--a berth in the Premiership.

The First Division has already sent on the champion West Bromich Albion and Leeds United. Both are former Premiership squads returning to top flight football.

Ipswich looks like a very strong team, with the best goal differential in the league (including the top two promotees). They have been a First Division contender from the get-go. Norwich is a former smaller squad trying to make it big.

Coventry is another longstanding First Division club that hasn't quite gotten to the top, while the Wolves are the only former Premiership squad involved. This looks like it's going to be a tight fight.

May 16 Results

Norwich 2, Ipswich 0

--Ouch, Ipswich drops the ball to open it up, not that Norwich is a slouych (and playing at home, to boot). Ipswich will have to make a good run at home to advance.

Wolves 1, Coventry 0

--As expected, this one was very close. Wolves edge out Coventry at home, and I am expecting much the same at the other end of this matchup.

May 20 Results

Ipswich 3, Norwich 0

--Ipswich needed a three-goal win to avoid tiebreakers, and in true strong fashion, they got it. They punch their ticket to the final.

Coventry 1, Wolves 1

--Well, I certainly called this one. The small one-goal difference in the first match proves to be the pivotal point here.

Ipswich 3. Norwich 2
Wolves 2, Coventry 1

Couldn't ask for two closer semifinals (well, maybe if they had been decided by penalty kicks...). Ipswich and Wolves will play at Wembley on May 31.

Promotion Finals Recap

Conference: Wrexham vs Southend (May 29)
Third Division: Brentford vs Reading (June 2)
Second Division: Barnsley vs West Ham (May 30)
First Division: Ipswich vs Wolves (May 31)

CR

Chief Rum · 08-24-2004, 05:02 AM

2009 EPL Offseason Primer

Here's a look at what the 17 remaining Premiership squads will likely be looking to improve upon in the offseason. I will take a look at the new Premiership squads when we discover which club will nab that third promotion spot. Well, actually, I will also take a close look at Tamworth and possible offseason moves later on in its own post (and after I post the week witht he Champions League final).

Arsenal

Manager: Mark Bowen
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 4th

Key Players Leaving: None

Frontline: Thierry Henry and Hernán Crespo are on the wrong side of 30, but quality younger backups like José Antonio Reyes and Jérémie Aliadière are already in place. Scoring goals was not a problem for the Gunners, so unless Bowen goes for the "rich club buyeth all" approach, there shouldn't be any big buys here.

Midfield: No one seems to like Edu all that much, but he had a very solid season in the middle. Owen Hargreaves and Denîlson are also solid on the sides. The only issue is aged defensive midfielder Claudio Reyna. This could be a target for improvement.

Backline: Although the Gunners' defense wasn't bad, this was the primary cause of their lackluster finish. None of the back four particularly impressed, although they were all solid. Daniele Bonera is the best defender, and he will probably be in the middle next year with rising talent Michael Jakobsen. Sol Campbell is on his last legs and likely to be dropped to a reserve role--which will probably call for a replacement.

Goal: No problems with Tony McDermott, who is both young and great. Kevin O'Sullivan is unhappy as the backup, so he might be moved and reserve Michal Postulka elevated.

Aston Villa

Manager: Tord Grip
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 7th

Key Players Leaving: MF Igor Demo

Frontline: The top three strikers, Darius Vassell, David Villa and Peter Crouch are all in their prime. Scoring was not a problem for the Villans this season.

Midfield: Like the forwards, the midfield is primarily manned by players in their prime. Stilian Petrov is very good at one spot in the middle, and the wings are very strong with Fredy William Thompson and Steed Malbranque. The only questionable spot is the second midfield spot. Michael Carrick could elevate to fulltime starter with Demo's departure, but he didn't play very well. This might be a primary area for the Villa to improve its poor defense.

Backline: There is some quality here, considering how the team did on defense. It is more offensively oriented, though. The only consistent defensive player is Olof Mellberg, and he is 31. Also, the backline, outside of Mellberg and star fullback Gareth Barry, is very young (although talented). This might be a situation the Villans simply wait on, as the young talent grows, or maybe they make a move here.

Goal: Thomas Sorenson is just 32, which is decently young for a goalkeeper. He wasn't always very consistent, though, and was a big reasont he defense did poorer than expected. backup Robert Olejnik is young, but he may not be the goalkeeper of the future.

Birmingham City

Manager: Neil Cameron
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 8th

Key Players Leaving: DC Chris Griffiths

Frontline: The offense was rather lackluster last season, so this area might be a target for improvement. Milan Baros is 27, but the other top three strikers are all 31 and older. Also, Baros scored a lot of goals, but rated low. He might need a different partner than Kanu to draw the best from him.

Midfield: Darren Carter provided some offense from one mid spot, but he could improve. Aliou Cissé is purely a defensive option, and he is 33. Key backup Andy Ferrell has youth (25), but doesn't look top flight. On top of that, the wings are 30-somethings, with Ryan Giggs bound to be falling off soon, and there is absolutely no quality wing depth. Forward help might have to make way for help here first.

Backline: Griffiths is leaving for Benfica, and he was the only key youth on the backline. Top fullback Martin Taylor may slide over to the middle. Griffiths' partner Vincent Kompany had an awful year and might be upgraded. Regardless, at least one spot here could use better personnel and maybe even two.

Goal: Carlo Nash is coming off of his best season, but things could fall apart if he regresses to previous form. Also, he's 36. So the Blues may be looking for a reliable goalkeeper who can be ready to step in if needed. That's assuming backup Colin Doyle isn't the answer (he actually looks like he could be fairly solid).

Blackburn

Manager: Bert van Marwijk
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 17th

Key Players Leaving: None

Frontline: Peter Lovenkrands and Matt Jansen were both solid players and largely responsible for what few offensive fireworks the Rovers put up. They could use some depth, but are probably themselves good enough to keep in place. A super sub scorer would be very useful.

Midfield: Brett Emerton remains a top wing, even at 32, and Francisco Tognon is a talented youth on the left that should only improve (and he better--he was the worst midfield starter). Lee Bowyer, like Emerton, is 32, so depth in the midfield might be something Blackburn is looking for.

Backline: Problems in the central defense were key to the Rovers' awful play in its own end. Young Chris McConnel was learning on the job, and showed he has a long way to go. Nils-Eric Johansson is no great stuff either. Although star fullback Lucas Neill is 31, and Tottenham's Stephen Carr is already signed to come in and take over the other spot. A couple strong acquisitions in the middle would go a long way to helping the Rovers' defense.

Goal: Blackburn would be looking for a new goalkeeper if young Neil Miles faltered. Fortunately, he didn't and looks to build ona solid first season. The Rovers might be looking for a backup after the venerable Brad Freidel turned in an awful season and is 38.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-24-2004, 05:55 AM

Chelsea

Manager: Erland Johnsen
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 6th

Key Players Leaving: GK Petr Cech

Frontline: In the Blues' three-man front, they have some strong playrs by normal standards. Adrian Mutu is in his prime and the best player on the squad. Arjen Robben is still pretty young and also very good. Still, Jermaine Defoe is relatively unproven, and Mido is proven mediocre. Plus, there is little depth after that. So expect Chelsea to pursue more scoring, which kinda like letting a bunch of kids loose in a candy store.

Midfield: This part of the squad seems to be in order. Joe Cole, Aliaksandr Hleb and Scott Parker are all in their mid-to-late 20's and coming off fine seasons. They are also ably backed up by Damien Duff and Christian Poulsen, neither of whom are older than 30.

Backline: In Chelsea's world, they may think the fullbacks need upgrading, although the reality is that Glen Johnson and Diego Placente are both solid wingbacks. January transfer Aleksandre Amisulashvili is ready to step in for Placente, 32, when he calls it quits, and Johnson is just 24. John Terry is one of the Premiership's best centrebacks and in his prime, while another rising star, partner Robert Huth, is just 24. What problems there are on defense, it doesn't seem to be coming from the backline.

Goal: This might be the spot that led to Chelsea's lower than top end defensive finish (although 6th in the league isn't bad). That is further backed that the club has yet to re-up starting goalkeepr Cech. If Cech is on his way out, the club will have to go searching, because they don't have any replacement ready to step in.

Everton

Manager: Claudio Ranieri
Finances: Secure
2008-09 Finish: 11th

Key Players Leaving: None

Frontline: Everton finished the year as one of the worst offensive squads in the Premiership, but they may not have to go out and get help. They just need Wayne Rooney to stay healthy, and for David Cooper, who played well in limited time, to supplant Elvis Hammond. That would give the Toffees a solid look up front. They could use better quality depth, though, especially given Rooney's injury history.

Midfield: There is reason to be optimistic here, as better quality up front would make this position look much stronger (and it already looks pretty solid). James McFadden is in his prime on one wing, and Daniel Cruz looks like a strong midfielder in his prime. The problem is Jesper Gronkjær on one wing and Li Tie at the other mid spot are in their early 30s, and the backups are mid-30's vets (Robbie Savage, Thomas Gravesen). This might be the offseason to secure both heir apparents at those spots and young depth (which, fortunately, can double up in the same players).

Backline: Joseph Yobo is in his prime as the leader of the defense. His partner Peter Clarke is also passable, and left back Matt Hill is solid. Still, both of those latter spots can be improved upon, and right back Tony Hibbert was just awful and is screaming to be replaced.

Goal: Richard Wright is in his prime, and Stuart Taylor is a quality backup. This is the primary reason (with Yobo) that Everton did well defensively, despite having some backline issues. There should be no need to get help here.

Fulham

Manager: Micky Adams
Finances: Okay
2008-09 Finish: 11th

Key Players Leaving: FB Carlos Bocanregra, WG Sylvain Legwinski

Frontline: Fulham finished midtable, but they were really a very poor squad and fortunate to finish where they did. With a limited transfer budget, underacheiving talent issues and departing vets, this squad coul dbe looking at the drop next season. It starts up front, where Collins John needs to realize his star potential, and Alan Smith be more consistent. They can get by with these guys as their strikers, but they need to play better and there is pretty much no quality depth at all.

Midfield: The wings could be a huge issue. Playmaking wing Legwinksi and top touchline reserve Sean Doherty are headed out the door, and the other starting wing, Demetrius Williams, finished with a sub-6.00 rating. Michael Essien is solid at one middle spot, but otherwise, the midfield is a mess, with a similar lack of quality depth as the wing and up front.

Backline: Bocanegra didn't end the season as a starter, but he should have. He was the team's best wide defender, and now he's leaving. Charlton transfer Gary Naysmith will help a little (although he's not nearly as good as Bocanegra). On the other side, Phil Neville isn't getting any younger. The central defense, manned by defensive leader Zatyiah Knight and young rising star Steve Wilkinson, is the one part of the team that doesn't need upgrading.

Goal: Edwin van der Sar is coming off of one of his worst seasons of his career and he's 38. You can read the writing on the wall here. It's uncertain whether backup David Hudson is ready to take over, so this is yet another area that could use some help.

Leicester City

Manager: John McDermott
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 10th

Key Players Leaving: None

Frontline: The Foxes feature the best young striker duo in the league in James Graham and Tommy Wright. As long as they stay healthy, things should be looking up. That's a big if for the fragile Graham, though, and the depth is manned by mid-30-somethings Juan Pablo Angel and James Scowcraft. Some younger depth would be nice.

Midfield: The wings looks solid. Stefan Mauri and Dean Marney are both in their 20s and coming off of solid seasons. The midfield also looks overall solid on the ptich, but this is an area that may need some dressing up. Muzzy Izzet is still playing terrific ball, but he's 34. His partner Riccardo Scimeca is 33, and he's not playing such great ball. So a lot of help in the middle could be needed in the near future.

Backline: The two best backliners--centreback Sam Jones and fullback Lee Atkinson--are also the best defenders on the squad. That gives the Foxes something to build on here. The other spots have issues, though. Matt Heath is in his prime at the other centreback spot, but that doesn't mean he's any good. And not only is Cosmin Contra 33 years old, he also played very poorly after coming over from Spain in January. So two of the four backline spots--and some depth--are serious needs this offseason.

Goal: Joe Murphy showed enough to get a legit shot at the solo starting job, although former starter Shaun Allaway is still thought to have some good talent. Allaway isn't producing like Murphy is, though, and if he continues to underachieve, might even need replacing as the backup. Overall, both goalkeepers could probably play a little better than they did last year (and an improved backline would help a lot here, too).

CR

Chief Rum · 08-24-2004, 07:58 PM

Liverpool

Manager: Alex McLeish
Finances: Secure
2008-09 Finish: 3rd

Key Players Leaving: None

Frontline: The Reds may not have a player quite as good as Chelsea's Adiran Mutu, but they are otherwise better situated to run the three-man frontline, including better depth. The three starters, El-Hadji Diouf, Michael Owen and Anthony Le Tallec are in their 20s playing well. Emile heskey is the best reserve, and he's just 31. There is young talent, too, particularly in Florent Sinama-Pongolle. This is not an area Liverpool seriously needs to address at this point.

Midfield: The starting threesome remain very strong and in their prime. Mark Bresciano might be the best winger in the Premiership (although he plays a side-leaning midfielder in this tactic). Steven Gerrard is coming off his worst season (still good by most standards), and should bounce back next season. Rafael van der Vaart was terrific at times in replacing Harry Kewll. There are depth issues-- moving Kewell and midfielder Benoît Pedretti have left the cupboard a little bare behind the stars.

Backline: The club's defensive numbers were very strong, but it seems likely that had as much or more to do with a fantastic season from goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek as it did with the backline. The fact is that all of the primary defenders, including key backups are 28 and older, and most are actually above 31. Former centreback star Sami Hyypïa has clearly lost a step. Neither J'Lloyd Samuel nor Jamie Carragher are especially exciting players. John Arne Riise remains the star back here, but often for his offensive exploits. So this might be a position the club could make some moves to improve.

Goal: The only issue here is Dudek's age. He was fantastic last season, but he's 36 and isn't getting any younger. Netminders often stay in the game until their late 30s, so he may not be walking out the door soon, but now is the time for the club to prepare. It doesn't help that young backup Paul Walter looks, at best, as a longterm reserve Premiership goalkeeper.

Manchester City

Manager: Pär Zetterberg
Finances: Secure
2008-09 Finish: 12th

Key Players Leaving: None

Frontline: The problem here isn't depth, or even talent, but quality of play. Some of these guys just need to play better. Aruna was a solid goal scorer, but he can be much better. Stéphane N'Guéma and Bruce Webber are relatively unproven talents who also can step it up. There are another three or four strikers on this squad that could make an impact, although none excite. So the issue is getting them to play to their talent, not really bringing in new players. One of the few 30-somethings, Jon Macken would help matters considerably if he returns to his fine early season form before a knee injury put him down for the year.

Midfield: Dickson Agyeman is a rising star at one mid spot, but the other one is troublesome. Jurica Vranjes could play better, and his reserves aren't locks to over take him either. Jesús Arellano is a fine winger--except he's 36. And Michael Parensen might be the longterm answer at the other wing, but he's just 22 and still cutting his teeth. Former City star Shaun-Wright Phillips has collapsed into a bad form shadow of his former self and, depsite being just 29, doesn't look like a serious solutionm either. So while the club seems content to let Parensen learn ont he job, and Agyeman is just 23, there is reason to believe that changes (or at least better quality depth) could be coming at the other two spots.

Backline: The backline has solid talent across the board and decent depth. Defensive issues this past season were leargely a result of goalkeeper Nicky Weaver's inconsistency. Wayne Bridge and Anthony Réveillère were an integral part of the offense and very solid on defense. Richard Dunne and Sun Jihai both turned in 7.00-plus ratings in central defense. Jihai is 31, while the other three are all 29. Not exactly spring chickens, but a good long way from decaying either.

Goal: After a brilliant three-year stretch from 2003-2006, Weaver has been rather pedestrian in net. Last year was his worst, and he is just 30. It will be interesting to see if the club continues to stick by their one time star in the net, or if they finally have reached the conclusion he needs to be replaced. It should be noted that he still has the skills of a top notch goalkeeper. Regardless, City will be looking for a goalkeeper-- backups Kasper Schmeichel and Arni Gautur Arason appear to be headed out the door.

Manchester United

Manager: Joop Hiele
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 2nd

Key Players Leaving: GK Luke Steele

Frontline: Such is the wealth of depth at power Manchester United that a solid scorer like Guiseppe Sculli, and a rising talent like Hussaine are looking to leave. With the January purchase of Eidur Gudjohnsen, the Red Devils have three 30-year-old scorers at the top of their games in Gudjohnsen, Nicolas Anelka and Miroslva Klose. Sidney Govou and Cristiano Ronaldo switch back forth from the wing to the front to provide even more depth. This shouldn't be an area Hiele addresses, but with as much money as Man Utd has lying around, it wouldn't surprise if they brought some superstar in anyway.

Midfield: Ronaldo and Keiran Richardson are both 24 and already excellent wings. Gaetano D'Agostino might be the best midfielder in the league, and he's just 26. The solid Eric Djemba0Djemba is the starting unit's "elder" statesman at 28. Govou and Gilberto Silva provide quality depth, among others. This isn't an area that needs addressing either.

Backline: I have said before that this unit might be the best backline in the world, and I still believe that, even though the right back was less than consistent this year. It has a star (Rio Ferdinand). It has a powerful defensive presence (John O'Shea). It has young rising talent (centreback Phillip Bardsley) and veteran depth (Gary Neville and Vincent Candela). There is no reason for the Red Devils to go outside of the organization to get more help here, even to buffer Kasper Bogelund's poor season at right back. But that doesn't mean they won't.

Goal: Like Dudek with Liverpool, Fabien Barthez is an aging goalkeeper who still seems to be at the top of his game. That, however, is a dangerous thing to count on. Barthez is 37 and had a very strong season in net, but he may be even closer to the end. And backup Luke Steele is finally fed up with Barthez's lognevitiy and is due to depart Old Trafford, so the Devils might be looking high and low for not only a backup netminder, but an heir apparent to Barthez.

Newcastle United

Manager: Michael van Praag
Finances: Secure
2008-09 Finish: 5th

Key Players Leaving:

Frontline: There are few striker duos better than Shola Ameobi and Mateja Kezman. If they stay healthy, the scoring should still be coming. Even so, the depth is either proven to be short of stardom (Craig Bellamy) or unproven (Sylvain Perrin) or over the hill vets (Sylvain Wiltord) or out-and-out youth reservists (not proven enough to even be named at this point). So the Magpies might be searching for a supersub type of addition.

Midfield: There is depth here, and quality talent as well. the question is whether the players in the fold have what it takes to elevate this club to the level of Manchester United and beyond. No one questions Jermaine Jenas, one of the finer young midfielders in the game. The other mid spot, though, is manned by Barry Ferguson, a fine player but 31, and backed up by the even older Anders Svensson. Neither is likely to be a true longterm answer. Age isn't an issue on the wing--performance is. Hugo Viana was a dynamic playmaker, but he was rated very low for a winger with that much offensive skill on a squad this good. And Darren Ambrose on the other side copies the rating, but doesn't generate nearly the offense. Is this a unit that needs to be upgraded or is it a waiting game where the Magpies will hope their young stars turn the corner and "get it" one day? Only van Praag knows right now.

Backline: Andy O'Brien and longtime centreback star Jonathon Woodgate are both playing well and just 29. Aaron Hughes on one side was Newcastle's best defender last year and also is 29. Key centreback reserve Titus Bramble is a top quality player and just 27. Fullback Olivier Bernard is an offensive creator at fullback. There are few issues here. The only one seems to be right back Aimo Stefano Diana. At 31 and the least rated by far of Newcastle's starting back four, he would seem to be a logical target for an upgrade.

Goal: Shay Given had another typically fine season last year and, at 33, is in his prime as a goalkeeper. There are no issues with starters here. Young Steve Howell, who serves as the backup, might not be the answer, though, if Given goes down for any serious length of time. He is unproven at just 19.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-25-2004, 01:07 AM

Nottingham Forest

Manager: Walter Smith
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 13th

Key Players Leaving: ST Marian Pahars

Frontline: Darren Huckerby is a solid offensive player and one of the better goal scorers in the league. It pretty much goes sharply downhill from there. The Reds put up the worst offensive numbers in league of any squad that is returning to the Premiership next year. They scored just 39 goals, a bunch of them by Huckerby. Huckerby's partner was David Johnson, who wasn't scoring or rating well. It gets worse--Huckerby is 33, and Johnson 32. The top reserve striker Pahars is retiring (and didn't do well anyway), and loanee Banjamin Lauth turned from a solid Bundesliga scorer into an absolute zero at the City Ground. So this is definitely a huge area for Forest to address.

Midfield: The midfield, for all the club's offensive problems, has at least some decent talent. Diego Martinez on one wing had a poor rating, but he has talent and is creative. Andy Reid is a nice young wing who needs to stay healthy to contribute more. And veteran Brynjar Gunnarsson was the club's best player in this unit, although he's 33. The second mid spot is a sore spot. No one player ever really held the spot. Gareth Williams and Gerald Forschelot didn't play well. Longtime vet Roy Keane is 37 and a shell of his former self. The best young player, Bruno Pedretti, is currently in line to leave the club at the end of June, and the Reds haven't made a move to resign the youngster yet. So with age and inconsistency throughout this unit, it would not be a surprise to see Nottingham Forest make a run at some quality midfielders or wingers. They do have Wolves' defensive midfielder Patrick Ochs signed up on a Bosman, and he played well this season int he First Division, but who knows how his 7.00 rating there will translate in top-flight footy?

Backline: The defense wasn't spectatcular, but it wasn't anywhere near as awful as the offense. The backline was mostly responsible for what inconsistency there was in the Reds' own end, at least that which can't be attributed to the offense's utter lack of ability to keep the ball off opponents' feet. The left back spot has exciting young talent Darren Ryan, who was one of the best offensive players on the team (not that that is hard to do), rated pretty well and is just 18. He outplayed Robbie Stockdale on the other side, 11 years his senior, and Stockdale was the worst rated of the four starters. Michael Dawson was the best player on the backline, and at 25, has a bright future. His partner Chris Doig is in his prime, but that just means he doesn't embarrass himself. The depth is of questionable quality as well, so this unit could use an import or two.

Goal: Antti Niemi came over from Southampton last season and had a solid season. He is the primary reason for whatever defensive plaudits Forest got this season, which also means he is the key to them avoiding the drop this past season. He is 36, though, so you have to be wary of his longevity at this point. His backup is tested, but hardly any younger-- Darren Ward in 35. Unless 19-year-old Danny Clarke is the answer for the future, the Reds may be looking for an heir apparent to Niemi.

Sheffield Wednesday

Manager: Chris Turner
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 14th

Key Players Leaving: None

Frontline: The similarities between Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest is palpable. Like the Reds, the Owls rely primarily on one player to fuel their offense, which, also like Forest, was one of the worst in the Premiership. Kim Olsen is even better than Huckerby, coming off of a terrific season. He's also younger, still in his prime at 30, if not exactly a spring chicken. After that the frontline was a mess--just like a certain squad in Nottingham. Francis Jeffers, Louis Dodds and David Johnson (yes, Sheffield Wednesday has one, too) all rated lower than 6.00, which is abominable, although the latter two at least have the excuse of youth (they are both 21). This is an obvious unit in need of new blood.

Midfield: When and if the problems up front get fixed, the midfield looks prepared to feed in the ammo. Right now, their quality passes are falling limply at the feet of substandard strikers (outside of Olsen). Matthew Hamshaw is an underrated playmaker in his prime on one wing, and steady vet Alan Quinn is strong defensively on the other side. Dickson Etuhu is a quality midfielder whose numbers will only get better with better talent in front of him. Hamit Altintop was the lone trouble spot, as he made a poor transition to the Premiership after coming to Hillsborough. He will need to imporve his play, and the Wols might look to have someone ready in case he doesn't. For the most part, this is a solid midfield in its prime, with Etuhu and Hamshaw possibly stars with a little better talent around them.

Backline: Only one player--centreback Richard Wood--played above average Premiership football on the backline or in the net for Sheffield Wednesday, so it's a bit of a mystery how they ended up in the midtable defensive rankings. Wood is just 23, and looks like he has a bright future. He needed to make up for the poor play of his partner, though, in Leigh Bromby. Bromby is a candidate to be replaced. The fullbacks were passable, but that's about it. Derek Geary is a vet 28-year-old with solid talent, but not eye-popping stats. Lee Webb is a much more enticing player, as he outplayed everyone but Wood, despite his tender age of 19. There is little depth here, so help will have to come from outside.

Goal: One reason the Owls may have ended up better defensively was because they rented Chelsea's young reserve goalkeeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay for the last few months of the season. He played much better in net than regular starter Allan Mcgregor, a well-regarded but inconsistent netminder. They may make a run at bringing him in permanently. McGregor is still around in either case, but he may have proven this season he isn't the longterm answer anymore. There is a deep cadre of young reserve goalkeepers, too, so McGregor's job may not be safe, even if Sheffield Wednesday fails to bring in MMK.

Southampton

Manager: Steve McLaren
Finances: Rich
2008-09 Finish: 9th

Key Players Leaving: None

Frontline: The top two strikers aren't a problem. Ivica Olic could have been rated better, but he had a team-leading 23 goals and 13 assists. James Beattie remains a dangerous playmaker and scorer. At 29 and 31, they are still young enough to be considered to be in their prime. There is almost no depth on the squad, though. Ole Gunnar Solskjær is 36 and has virtually none of his old top ability left. January transfer David McConnell could be a rising star, as he has dominated the First Division the past three seasons and played well in four limited appearances late in the season for the Saints--but that's a lot to ask of a 19-year-old player at this point.

Midfield: MClaren prefers to use a 3-5-2, and utilized it with Southampton after taking over in March. At the moment, it's unclear whether McLaren will use fullbacks at the two defensive wing spots, or traditional wings, or if he will move last year's regular wingers inside to share duties in the three-man central midfield. What is set is that the midfield has some depth to it. There seems to be a sharp delineation between the new and old guards among the midfielders. Veterans Nolberto Solano, on the wing, and Matthew Oakley, as defensive central midfielder, were the top players for the Saints' middle last season. Solano, 34, is a playmaker. and Oakley, 31, was a defensive stalwart as the highest rated midfielder. Key midfield reserve Rory Delap, 32, also played well. They lend experience and solidity to the middle, but they also don't have longterm futures at St. Mary's Stadium, which might affect their use in the future. The young guard is led by Shaun Neville, who at 21 is already a terrific passer and solid all-around player. He and Oakley are locks for two of starting midfield spots. The third one could go to Solano, or other members of the young end of the club, including inconsistent but just 21-year-old winger Stefano De Luca, and well-regarded Bristol City future transfer winger David Vaughan, who will arrive in July. If Delap or another vet like Lee Hendrie takes the third spot, Vaughan, De Luca and Solano could end up at the defensive wing positions, where they will contend with the squad's fullbacks for time. You see why this is confusing?

Backline: The fullback position is ridiculously deep, and as mentioned, that could impact the defensive wing spots are the left and right central defense starters, either of which could take on fullback-styled players. The top foursome last season are all 27 or 28 and in their prime. The top player is Peter Canero, who has been a solid all around wingback for years now. He is a lock to start somewhere, and if I had to guess, I would put him at one of the defensive wing spots to take better advantage of his offensive skills. Maurice Ross, who started at the other fullback spot last year, Stephen Crainey and Nyron Nosworthy round out this group, but I think they are more likely to provide depth at both spots, and in the central defense. Speaking of the central defense, two spots are locked down for sure, with proven vets Darren Kenton and Danny Higginbotham in their prime. Kenton is one of the best centrebacks in the league and almost certainly will man the central spot in the backline. With Higginbotham on one side, Crainey is probably the favorite to grab the other. Point being after all this? Southampton doesn't really need to add more midfield or defensive help--they have too many players here as it is.

Goal: Owain Fon Williams went from being a top young goalkeeper two years ago to a very inconsistent 22-year-old this past season, and that may open up competition a little bit. He still has tremendous upside, but with another young proven player in Jason Ryan--just 17, but a past winner of a Premiership Player of the Month award with Tottenham--sitting behind him, the Saints aren't likely to wait and see how Fon Williams pans out if he starts off poorly. It's unlikely the Saints will bring in anyone at this position.

Tottenham Hotspur

Manager: Eddie Gray
Finances: Okay
2008-09 Finish: 16th

Key Players Leaving: FB Stephen Carr

Frontline: Despite finishing just outside of relegation, Tottenham was a very solid team last year, with just a -4 goal differential. They just had some bad breaks and faltered ins ome matches they probably should have won. If they maintain that level of play, the breaks might go their way next year and the Spurs would probably shoot up the table. Hélder Postiga was a top target up front and, at 26, may be on the cusp of superstardom. Paul Gallagher wasn't as solid beside Postiga, though, and longtime Spur Robbie Keane hasn't ever proven to be strong enough to be a difference maker at this level. That could open the door for 19-year-old Jack Howells, who looked brilliant in limited time and won a Premiership Young Player of the Month this year. Gallagher and Keane are good enough to be solid reserves, so if Howells moves to the start, there might not be a need for a move here.

Midfield: There is some talent here, but there is also garing holes and questions at spots. No problems on the right wing--Christian Tiffert was a dynamic playmaker there and is just 27. Fellow German Fabien Ernst is a solid defensive midfielder in his prime at 29. Now come the question marks. French midfielder Mathieu Bodmer not only didn't play well at the offensive midfielder position this season, he is actually a defensive midfielder. The best midfield backup, Tobias Linderoth, is also a defendive midfielder. The actual top option might be 20-year-old Paul Scott, but he is unproven. On the right wing, the Spurs loaned in Rohan Ricketts from HSV, but Ricketts is going back to Germany, leaving a hole over there. This would be an easy decision with wonderkid (it actually says this on his player card) Claudio Ercoli ready to take over and coming off of a solid season, except that the club has yet to resign him--and his contract ends in June. So this could be a unit where nothing happens--or everything does.

Backline: The backline formed the core of a solid defense last season. Right back Mbulelo Mabizela was one of the best defensive fullbacks in the league last year. His partner Stephan Kling--another German-- was the worst, but he was still fairly decent at the left back spot. His primary competition, Stephen Carr, is leaving for Blackburn in July. The central defense features Ledley King and Anthony Gardner, both of whom rated over 7.00 last year. Mabizela, King and Gardner are all 28 and playing the best football of their careers. Other than seeking out some depth, it's doubtful the Spurs will need to add anything here.

Goal: Like Southampton, the net at White Hart Lane features a battle between two well-regarded young talents. Nick Robinson, 21, got most of the starts this season, but he was outplayed by Ian Naylor, 20. Naylor had the better season this year, and was rated solidly as the starter last year, but he also allowed as high a goals-per-match average last year as Robinson did this year. It seems we still don't know which one, if either, is the real deal at this point, although Naylor's stronger performance may get him in the net to start the season. Regardless, the Spurs are fine in net here.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-26-2004, 06:38 AM

Tuesday, May 26 To Monday, June 1

Here is the final week involving match play for the Tamworth Lambs. And it's a big one.

On Wednesday, we travel to the south of France to play Bodo/Glimt in the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille for the ultra-prestigious Champions Cup. I'm frothing at the mouth already.

We will also officially embark on the offseason here, as this week takes us right up to the opening of the close transfer window.

Player Called Up For International Play

Usually when just one player is called up, it's Yakubu being called up to Nigeria to particpate in Africa's oddball international schedule. And that's what it was again on Wednesday, when the striker got the patriotic call to play against Uganda.

Nigeria will meet Uganda in an African Cup of Nations qualifying match on June 3. This, of course, is well beyond our last match (which is the same day as we got this notice), so I don't have to worry about it butting up into club fixtures.

Champions League Final, Bodo/Glimt

The time has come. What we have strived for all year. And I wouldn't in a million years have predicted who my opponent would be today. Bodo/Glimt is so out of nowhere, it's amazing. They are truly a Cinderella story.

It's kinda strange to face them, because unlike the usual clubs that get this far, they are actually in the middle of their season. In fact, since the beginning of the Champions League for them--which started in the third round of qualifying last August--they have finished a regular season, gone through an offseason, and started a new season. And their candidacy in this competition came from being the champs of the Norwegian Premier Division two years ago--in 2007.

Bodo/Glimt runs the same 4-3-3 that Chelsea and Liverpool run, and that I have been dabbling with, although I will be using the diablo tactic in this one. The top player in the three-man front is Anders Askheim. He has seven goals and eight assists to go along with an 8.00 rating in 200 appearances this year, and had a dominating 25 G, 17 A, and 8.17 rating last year. He starts at the left forward spot. Kristian Ystaas, who is 27 like Askheim, is another returning starter from last year. The right side forward scored 13 goals and dished off nine assists last year, but is off to a poor start this season (2 G, 1 A in 18 appearances). The targetr man in the middle is a new addition to the starting eleven, although he was with the squad last year. Eirik Markegàrd, 24, scored two goals in 17 appearances, mostly as a sub, last season, but has scored five goals this season in 15 appearances, with 12 starts.

The three-man midfield is headed by defensive midfielder Even Knutsen. Knutsen is a rising young talent at 19 whom has been playing regularly with the Bodo/Glimt first eleven since last year. He has five goals, three assists and a 7.40 rating in 20 matches this year, while he scored nine goals last year. Trond Olsen and Christian Berg appear to be solid wings at the edges of the midfield. Olsen has five goals, four assists, and a 7.00 rating in 15 appearances, while the older Berg has played a more defensive role, with a goal, four assists and a 7.11 rating in 19 matches.

Kjetil Eriksen is a passable centreback for Bodo/Glimt and, despite his young age of 22, has already been starting on the club's backline for years now. He has put up a 6.71 rating. His new partner is Morten Strand, a 19-year-old transfer from Norway's Second Division Traff who is still just settling in (just two matches so far). The fullbacks were both reserves last year hwom have taken bigger roles this season. Rune Eira, another 19-year-old, provides an offensive spark at left back, scoring three goals and posting a 7.00 rating in 12 appearances. Jahn Ove Wiik starts on the right, and hasn't played particularly well (6.67 rating).

Veteran goalkeeper Tor Egil Horn, 33, has the look of a dominating presence in the Norwegian Premier Division, although your guess is as good as mine as to how effective he can be against top league players (which I guess is silly to see, considering we're preparing for the Champions League final). Horn has been in net for Bodo/Glimt since 1996. He has conceded 20 goals in 16 matches this season.

This is a second eleven match, and that is mostly the squad that is out there. Michael Stewart is starting in place of Denny Landzaat at the defensive midfield spot to rectify for my error in starting the Dutchman in the FA Cup final against Leicester City. Adam Wilde is starting for Emmanuel Olisadebe because the Polish striker is still cup tied to Hertha BSC. I also am using some better subs for several reasons, including the importance of the match, the fact that it is the last match of the season and because the international roster limits my choices as it is.

The stadium was packed with some 57,000 fans for this one, although that's nothing compared to some of the crowds I have seen in Wembley.

We started pressing from the very begiining. In the very first minute, Carl Motteram sent a pass toward Adam Wilde near the left end of the penalty area. Wilde moved the ball on on a header to David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro, on a run into the center of the goal area. Pizarro volleyed the pass into a chip attempt, but it sailed over Horn and the goal for a goalkick.

That actually was the only significant shot in the first while, as both clubs settled into a defensive match. The next close shot came in the 19th minute, when Pizarro blazed a swerving freekick just wide of the left post. Bodo/Glimt made a nice run in the 21st minute. Ystraas stepped in between James McEveley and Hermann Hreidarsson to intercept a defensive pitch pass from the former, and went on a run on goal, with Hreidasrsson and Tieme Klompe trailing. Klompe was closing in, and Thomas Heaton charged out, so Ystaas lifted up a chip shot of his own from beyond the area. Liek Pizarro, though, he kicked it too hard and it sailed out of bounds.

Bodo/Glimt got another good chance in the 24th minute. Eira had the ball at the left centreline. He sent a pass forward to Markegård, who went on a run into the left end of the penalty area. Markegard put it on goal, but Heaton deflected it. He wasn't able to gather it cleanly, though, as it went back out into a busy box. Richie Partridge eventually own control of the ball and cleared it.

In the 27th minute, Partridge found WIlde on a run up the middle of the pitch and sent him forward a pass that sailed over Strand and onto the striker on the run. Horn charged out to stop Wilde, and the approach was tight, so Wilde kicked a beautiful, slightly swerving shot--just enough to get around Horn--that sailed back in line and inside the left goal post for the first score of the match! We have the 1-0 lead!

It didn't take Wilde long to strike again. Pizarro ended up with the ball following a freekick in the right wing near the goal line. He sent a high crossing pass into the zone that fell to Wilde, up against Strand and Eriksen. Wilde beat the two defenders in the air and deflected the shot perfectly intot he net, just inside the right post. We took the 2-0 lead with two strikes just three minutes apart.

We entered halftime with the two-goal lead and a 7-3 shot advantage (5-2 on goal).

Bodo/Glimt began trying to chip away at our lead in the 48th minute. Strand tooka backpass in the defensive zone and sent a cross-pitch pass to a streaking Askheim, trying to split through the defense between McEveley and Kevin Gorman. Aksheim beat McEveley in the air for the ball, and headed it on into the goal area. He charged onto it as Heaton tried to close. The Norwegain striker fired a hard shot that looked good enoguh to make it in, but it sailed over the crossbar for the goalkick.

Wilde almost finished off the hat trick in the 53rd minute, kicking a shot at the right post from beyond the area. It got past Horn, but sailed wide of the post. Bodo/Glimt responded almost immediately a minute later. Strand sent a high freekick from the centre-circle directly in front of the net. Knutsen beat McEveley int he air and headed a shot right on goal. Heaton parried it back out and Stewart cleared it.

Askheim skied another shot just over the crossbar in the 61st minute, as the Norwegian club continued to desperately try to get back into this one.

In the 65th minute, Stewart moved a pass up to the edge of the area in front of the goal. Louis Saha fought off a defender for the ball and chipped it forward to Pizarro, just a step into the box. Pizarro blasted a shot on goal, but Horn, charging out, got in the way and sent it back. Unfortunately, it went right to Pizarro, who pounced on the ball and rocketed it into the left side of the net for the insurmountable 3-0 goal.

That's pretty much where it went from there. We outshot Bodo/Glimt 14-6, with a 10-3 on-goal advantage, and took the Champions Cup! Tamworth 3, Bodo/Glimt 0

Wow, I can't believe it. I actually won the most prestigious club tournament in the world.

The news media said we ran out to an easy victory, courtesy to dominating possession.

Champions League Cup Final Aftermath

The UEFA gave us a cool $7.25 M for our win in the Champions Cup final.

What came next shocked me, though, as I only expected reward money. We were given $21.5 M for Champions League television revenue! Holy crap!

Now I see why this thing is such a cash cow. Wow. The club coffers are now approaching an amazing $100 M, far more than we have ever had before.

The Champions Cup win will also earn us a ticket into our second straight Super Cup, and also into the Inter-Continental Cup in December, in which we will play the South American Champions League winner.

With that, our playing season and fixture is officially complete, and we have had perhaps the greatest season in club history. Now we get to see if I can do it again without the uber-tactic (my guess is...no...but it will be fun trying).

Kolo Speaks

A day after we wont he Champions Cup, one of our priamry transfer targets spoke to Football365.com about our interest in him.

Arsenal defender Kolo Abib Touré told the sporting Web site that he needs to consider his options in light of media speculation linking him to us.

Kolo wants the matter wrapped up as fast as possible. I would be obliged to do so myself, but that choice is out of my hands--Touré still has another week left on his contract with Fulham, and I still don't even have the right to negotiate a transfer offer for him.

Meanwhile, he is already looking at an offer from Fulham. I'm not sure we can pull this one out unless he sits on the offer for a bit--and a week is a long time to do that.

Makabu Ma Kalambay Agrees To Deal

The first shoe dropped in our other transfer dealing.

On Thursday, Chelsea's young reserve goalkeeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay has agreed to our offer, which was what he asked for (a three-year contract in the five-hundred-thousands or so). He took our offer over a similar one from Sheffield Wednesday.

And with that taken care of, we officially dropped the other show and asked to delay the transfer for a week. I am hoping the goalkeeper will be off of his loan deal with Sheffield Wednesday by then (he should be), which will allow me to make a proper transfer offer for him that does not include the $1.7 M fee I would be required to pay to Chelsea if I allowed the deal to go through as it is now.

Raven Agrees To Extension

Months ago, I told 24-year-old centreback David Raven that I would negotiate a contract extension with him at the end of the season. His original deal was due to expire next June.

After the Bodo/Glimt win, I offered a contract to Raven, a three-year deal for $850,000 per season. It was somewhat less than the close to $1 M he was seeking, but I felt what I was offering was sensible enough.

Apparently Raven thought so, too. On Thursday, he agreed to the deal and is now signed up with us through 2012.

Raven had five assists in 32 matches, with 31 starts. He posted a 7.06 average rating.

Touré's Agent Offers To Broker Deal

Well, this is new.

On Friday, Touré's agent approached us at The Lamb Ground to induce us to make an offer on the defender. We have been mentioned by the defender as being on a list of teams he would be interested in joining, and the agent encourgaed us to make an offer.

Better yet, the news item came with a window to actually make an offer! Yes, we have a chance to circumvent the loan process! We made our $3.8 M offer to Arsenal, which was what they had Touré listed as ebing available for.

Now we sit and wait. If Arsenal is fast, we might be able to get our contract offer in before Touré decides. I like our chances then, as most players will choose the league contender over the also-ran.

Four Players Called Up For International Play

With the regular season ending, another serious round of international play is about to start up. On Friday, we got the call up for some of the U-21 squads.

Fullback Kevin Gorman was called up to the Republic of Ireland U-21s, and defender Andrey Gorbunov, on our U-19 squad, was brought up to Solvakia's U-21 squad. Both have represtented their countries before.

I got a kick out of the two new additions to the list, though. Recently acquired centreback Péter Kiss was also called up, along with Gorbunov, to Slovakia's U-21 squad.

And, then, much to my happiness, promising winger Chris Booth was called up to England's U-21 team. I was really ecstatic to get a player on one of the best youth squads in the world.

All four players will be playing in matches in early June, in tandem with the top teams carrying out World Cup qualifying.

Bigné Loan Finishes

I almost forgot about Yoann Bigné. On Friday, the French winger's full season loan with La Ligue One squad Nîmes ended, and he returned to the Lamb Ground.

I picked up Bigné from Bordeaux prior to my first season in the Premiership, but then he became somewhat surplus to requirements when I also landed Partridge and Motteram. He also ended up on loan with Nîmes last season (they were in La Ligue Two at the time).

In any case, he is now 31 and while a solid enough player, he has really been outpaced by our progression, and I no longer see him as someone I need to keep around. I will probably list him in the offseason.

He didn't play much with Nîmies, which makes you wonder why they loaned him out in the first place. In eight matches (five of them starts), he scored two goals and posted a 6.00 rating.

In his only time with us last season, Bigné played decently well as a wing reserve, with an assist and 6.87 rating in 15 appearances.

Touré Accepts Fulham Offer

Sorry daedalus. I tried.

Later on Friday, on the very day his agent called us to make an offer, Touré accepted the contract offer from Fulham, completing the $5 M transfer deal between the Cottagers and Arsenal.

Hey, power to them. They certainly needed the help. I was disappointed to see my "tactics" fail in this instance, but there was little I could do at this point. I hadn't counted on (or known) that the loan fee situation would shut me out of the bidding process.

I still think if we had gotten to the contract offer stage, we could have brought Touré aboard.

Conference Promotion Final

Second place Southend met fourth place Wrexham at Wembley Stadium on Friday for the right to advance to the League and the Third Division.

The Wales-based Wrexham squad won out in a tight 1-0 contest in front of a crowd of 11,921.

Striker Mark Pritchard provided the only score in the match, putting through a shot in the 73rd minute that proved to be the difference. Wrexham outshot Southend 10-6 (6-4 on goal).

Wrexham joins Conference champion Carlisle in the Third Division.

Fourteen Lambs Called Up To National Teams

I believe this is a record for most players called up at once, and this doesn't include ANdrei Pereplyotkin, who is close to full health, but apparently not enough for the Ukraine coach. On Saturday, we got a lot of calls at the Lamb Ground.

Here they are. Most of them are familiar, I am sure.

Chile: midfielder David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro
Colombia: midfielder Giovanny Hernández and forward Johnnier Montaño
Scotland: midfielder Michael Stewart
Norway: fullback Trond Erik Bertelsen
Republic of Ireland: winger Richie Partridge and striker Mark Hicks
Wales: winger Andy Williams
France: striker Louis Saha
Poland: striker Emmanuel Olisadebe
Northern Ireland: fullback Mike Duff
Iceland: fullback Hermann Hreidarsson and forward Orri Freyr Oskarsson
Holland: midfielder Denny Landzaat

No one on this list is a first timer to international play, although Hicks is probably still getting used to being called up to Ireland's team (the March round of internationals were his first call up to the big Irish squad).

Obviously, both South America and Europe will be holding World Cup qualifiers in early June.

Second Division Promotion Final

On Saturday, sixth place Barnsley took on fourth place West Ham, at one time a Premiership squad, in the final match for a coveted spot in the First Division. Wembley Stadium was packed to the full with almost 87,000 fans.

Young fullback Andy Stannard put his Hammers in a bad spot by arguing his way into a ticket off the pitch in the 12th minute. Forward James Hayter put Barnsley up in the 21st minute, and then fellow forward Kevin Betsy added another in the 56th minute. Still, West Ham moved within one when winger Stephen Doherty scored in the 70th minute, and they actually played even with Barnsley for most of the match. Still they couldn't break through and fell to Barnsley, 2-1.

I have a feeling Stannard isn't very popular with the supporters at Upton Park in London.

Barnsley, which barely snuck into the playoff tournament in the first place, won through to the First Division, joining league champion Barnet and Farnborough.

Boldyrev Called Up To Under-21 Squad

Apparently an injury or some other calamity has opene dup another spot on the Slovakia U-21 squad, and they came calling for our troubled U-19 striker Roman Boldyrev.

Boldyrev will go join the Slovakia U-21's and his teammates Kiss and Gorbunov in international competition next week.

All told, this puts us at an amazing 20 players in international play at some level,a nd that doesn't include the injured Pereplyotkin. Way to go, guys. Stay healthy.

One Month Left For Several Contracts

We got notice Sunday of the impending termination of several contracts for Tamworth players. I am still uncertain on some of them, but most of these players are not going to be brought back.

The most significant are first team defenders Leon Cort and Duff. Key midfield reserve Darren Birchall and emergency reserve goalkeeper Casper Nelis, a former starter, are also headed out as of right now.

They join first teamers fullback Justin Skinner and centreback Mark Warren, as well as Tamworth Reserve players centreback Reinder Hendriks, fullback Jamie Fullarton, winger Luke Rowlett, midfielder Brett Darby and striker Stephen McGowan. Rowlett and Darby were both with the Lambs when I was hired in 2003, and are the last remaining members of the original squad (although Hicks was a member of that squad, brought in near the end of the close window in 2003).

Coaches Jorge Humberto Rodriguez and John Connolly are also nearing the end of their contracts.

Sheffield Wednesday Make Bid On Montaño

Having noticed that Sheffield Wednesday was interested in troubled forward Montaño, I made a current value offer of the player to them earlier on the week. On Sunday, the Owls made a counter offer.

They offered fullback Derek Geary, who is currently on my shortlist, and a 20% cut of Montaño's future transfer fee take for the Colombian forward.

This one actually gave me pause, although I can't say it impressed me at first. Geary is a player I shortlisted because he is a smart player with winger level skills. Unfortunately, Geary is also slower than I like (although on the whole of it, he's not slow at all), and his defensive skills are also below what I want from the position. Plus, Montaño is 26-year-old forward coming off of a 24 goal season and has a value of $11.75 M, while Geary is 28, had a poor season (6.61 rating, just two assists in 38 matches), and is valued at just $3.7 M. I can't even begin to get a handle on what the 20% value is worth.

So this wasn't an offer I was going to take. I didn't want to let a chance to unload Montaño go, though, so I made a counter offer. I tried to adjust the offer to exclude Geary, but it seems that wasn't something I had as an option. So I counteroffered without the 20%, and put in the Owls' young centreback leader Richard Wood. Wood is a strong and smart defensive player, although his speed is about the same as Geary's. He was their best defender last year (6.92 rating in 38 starts) and is just 23. His value, $8.25 M, is also closer to Montaño's listed value.

Hopefully they will like the offer, but I am not too hopeful, given that I had to keep Geary in. A Wood deal alone (my preferred deal) might have been acceptable, while asking for Geary and Wood is almost certainly too much.

Wood would go a long way to easing the pain of losing Touré to Fulham, and it would also make my decision on the future of Cort much simpler.

First Division Promotion Final

This one is for all the marbles--that final spot in the Premiership.

Past Premiership squad Wolverhampton will took on Ipswich on Sunday. Ipswich hasn't been to the top level recently, but they had a much stronger season than the Wolves, finishing in third place and a First Division-best +36 goal differential. The Wolves finished in fifth place.

Almost a fullhouse, around 90,000, packed Wembley for the high profile match.

Neither team was making much headway in this match. It took a near freebie to get the scoring going. In the 23rd minute, Ipswich centreback Darren Purse, a former Birmingham City defender, was called for a push on fullback Isaac Okoronkwo on a corner kick, and the ref pointed to the spot. Midfielder Kevin Bennett fired it home to give the Wolves 1-0 lead.

After that, the Wolves' defenders took care of business, keeping Ipswich away from even shooting on goal. By the end of the match, Ipswich had just two total shots, only one of which went on goal. Striker David Taylor clinched the win for Wolverhampton in the 87th minute, putting the finishing touches on a 2-0 victory.

The Wolves are returning to the Premiership, joining two other former Premiership squads in First Division champion West Bromich Albion and second place Leeds United.

Board Confidence Update

Guess. Go ahead. I dare ya.

Transfer News

It's time to give this part of the news its own little section. Here are the rumors, transfers and what not from the Premiership this past week. It's getting really busy out there with the next transfer window opening on June 3.

Giglio Update

Last week, Delémont midfielder Guido Giglio was the subject of rumors that Fulham was attemtping to bring the exciting Italian player to Craven Cottage.

On Tuesday, two days after a Soccernet.com report broke news of Fulham's interest, Delémont manager Michel Renquin said Giglio wasn't going anywhere, and warned other clubs to stay away.

The Soccernet report indicated a general consensus that if Giglio were to be brought over to England, it would require at least an $8.5 M transfer offer to the Swiss Super League squad.

Giglio has put up solid numbers in Switzerland, but it's tough to tell how that will translate to the Premiership, were he coming.

Renquin's announcement notwithstanding, the midfielder told Soccernet.com on Friday that a move to the Cottagers would be too good to turn down. He also said, though, that it would be tough to leave Delémont because of his strength of feeling for the club and its supporters.

Vitesse Rules Out Vink Move

On Wednesday, Blackburn received a similarly worded message in regards to 17-year-old Dutch striker Fred Vink.

Eridivisie club Vitesse, Vink's current employers, told the Rovers and all other clubs to back off from the striker on Wednesday, stating he wasn't going anywhere.

Vink would appear to be a youth club target for Blackburn, as he hasn't played very many matches for Vitesse, nor particularly impressed when he did. He also has yet to appear internationally for Holland. He is considered a promising striker.

Nonetheless, Vitesse manager Co Adriaanse said the club had big plans for the reserve striker.

A day later, Vink himself said he was extremely flattered at the interest from the Premiership club. He told a Dutch national newspaper that he would consider any offer they made him. It doesn't look like Adriaanse is going to let that happen, though.

Ward Not Going Anywhere

First Switzerland. Then the Netherlands. And now Ireland.

On Thursday, Irish Premier Division squad Limerick and its boss Michael Kerley said "hands off" central defender David Ward, whom has recently attracted the attentions of powerful Liverpool.

The 21-year-old reserve centreback is apparently thought to have a lot of upside by the Reds. He has three appearances with Ireland's U-21 squad (and shares backline duties with Tamworth's own Gorman). Ward has been dominant force for Limerick since he was 16, never raring lower than 7.41. He has been a regular backline starter for the past six seasons, the first of which Limerick played in Ireland's First Division.

The squad was promoted to the IPD this past offseason, and Ward is playing even better, posting an 8.00 rating in nine matches so far (Ireland's season runs from April to November).

Sounds like I should scout this guy at least.

McLaren Says Fox Isn't Available

On Thursday, Southampton manager Steve McLaren said Irish 20-year-old defender Jason Fox is not available. His comments were in response to rumors that relegated Premiership squad Blackpool is taking a look at the 20-year-old player.

Fox played with the Saints' reserves this past season, and it is unclear whether he will play a role with the first team this season. My eye says he's not quite ready yet. He put up seven assists and a 6.90 rating in 21 appearances with the Southampton reserve team.

McLaren isn't the only one not interested in moving Fox. The defender himself told Football365.com on Sunday that he was not interested in moving to the Seasiders. In fact, he said that if he were ever to leave St. Mary's Stadium, it would not be to Blackpool that he would head.

I figure that probably puts the kibosh on that.

Parker Expects To Be First Team

A few days after expressing his desire for a new contract, Chelsea's young defender Marc Parker told The Guardian he was unsatisfied with manager Erland Johnsen's decision to leave him off of the first team.

The 19-year-old England U-21 central defender was solid in limited appearances with the Blues, but that's never an easy lienup to break into.

In the interview, reported on Thursday, Parker suggested Johnsen was inexperienced and didn't know a good player when he saw one.

I have to laugh at that first part. Not experienced? Johnson has been Chelsea's manager since the 2006-07 season, and before that managed powerful Scottish Premier League squad Celtic.

Ah, the impetuousness of youth.

Benfica Sign Birmingham's Griffiths

Portuguese Superleague power Benfica officially signed away Birmingham City defender Chris Griffiths.

The Bosman transfer was agreed to months ago and only made official on Friday.

Griffiths' departure, while known for a while now, is bad news for the Blues, who lack quality in their central defense. Griffiths, 20, put up a strong 6.97 rating in 40 appearances with Birmingham, including 23 starts. He also produced more offense than centrebacks usually do, with two goals and three assists.

He is also a nine-time capped member of Ireland's U-21 squad (so, I guess he's another significant member of Ireland's backline youth squad, with Limerick's Ward and Tamworth's Gorman).

Griffiths departure leaves the underwhelming Vincent Kompany as the only returning central defender for the Blues.

Birmingham Interested In Everton's Foster

With Griffiths off to Portugal, the Blues maybe seeking backline help from Everton.

The same day Griffiths' transfer became official, Everton manager Claudio Ranieri said he would listen to offers for his 19-year-old central defender Alan Foster. Birmingham reportedly has some interest in Foster, a member of the Toffees' reserve squad.

Ranieri's interest in moving him is not surprising, as Foster has apparently been found lacking. He is currently transfer listed and Everton has actually dropped the price to a pittance at $16,000.

Hopefully Birmingham is just looking for youth depth, because this kid doesn't look ready to play any sort of role with the Blues' first team, much less replace a quality young player like Griffiths. Foster put up just a 6.19 rating in 21 appearances with the Toffee Reserves, although he did score three goals. Foster, a product of Everton's youth academy, has never appeared in an official match for the first team.

Blackpool Targets Everton's Moogan

Ranieri wasn't just fielding inquiries on Foster.

Relegated club Blackpool is reputedly looking to add 25-year-old Everton midfielder Alan Moogan.

Moogan played decently well as a backup with Everton from 2006-08, but he was determined to be surplus to requirements last season, barely seeing the pitch and landing on the club's transfer list. The midfielder, valued at $3 M, has had his price dropped to some $1.5 M for lack of interest.

Moogan himself is unsettled at Goodison Park, which seems understandable, considering his falling status with the club. He appeared in just two matches with the first team this past season, scoring a goal and posting a 6.00 rating.

As with Foster, Ranieri was anxious to move the little-used midfielder, saying he would certainly take offers for Moogan on Sunday.

Oddly enough, Moogan himself seems to love playing with the Liverpool-based Toffees, even as a member of their reserve team. Moogan has never played professional football outside of Everton, and wants the supporters to know he would resist a move away from Goodison Park because of his loyalty to them and love for the club.

Moogan said he feels he is being dogged by the Blackpool rumors, in the report on Sunday.

Blackpool just can't win apparently.

Leicester's McDermott Looking To Schmeichel

Leicester manager John McDermott admitted he was looking at possibly bringing in Manchester City's reserve goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel on Saturday. McDermott believes Schmeichel would vastly improve his squad.

Schmeichel, 22, is a Danish U-21 player whom has apparently fallen out of favor at the City of Manchester Stadium. He subbed into just one match for the first team, and didn't play too well once there, conceding two goals and posting a 6.00 rating. It was the second straight season for City that he made just one substitute appearance on the season, but two seasons ago, he held up well in 12 appearances with Man City, conceding nine goals, but putting up seven clean sheets during that stretch.

Schmeichel, a product of City's youth academy, is out of a contract at the end of June and is eligible to be signed via a Bosman transfer, although it will cost bidding teams $1.1 M to do so (youth development fee to Man City).

For what it's worth, Schmeichel dominated in the reserve league, posting a 7.47 rating and conceding just 9 goals in 17 matches, 11 of them starts. He put up 10 clean sheets for the Citizen Reserves.

The growing list of suitors is actually growing. Beyond Leicester, there is also Fulham, Bundesliga power Leverkusen, Spanish clubs Córdoba, Racing Santander and Levante, and...Tamworth.

More on that later, as I entered as a possible bidder after one of my scouts gave Schmeichel a favorable rating. This media report about McDermott triggered the interest on my own part.

Man City added fuel to the fire on Monday when manager Pär Zetterberg said the goalkeeper could leave the club if he wants to. The City boss said he would willingly move the netminder for the right price.

Lauth Signs With Forest

Well, you just had to know HSV wasn't going to turn down $11.25 M. One week after the Reds offered that amount to the Bundesliga club for the German striker, Benjamin Lauth agreed to terms with Forest on Saturday.

Lauth loaned with Nottingham Forest for the last four months of the season, although he did not impress (one goal, a horrible 5.43 rating in 13 appearances). Lauth is a proven scorer in Germany, though, so Nottingham Forest is clearly hoping he will acclimate himself to top flight football here in England and help them out with their woeful offensive problems.

The transfer will officially go through next week on June 2.

League News

There was no significant Premiership news outside of the transfer signings and speculation.

Genoa won the Italian Cup, Italy's version of the FA Cup, on Saturday, beating Torino, 2-1 in aggregate.

On Sunday, Zaragoza and Las Palmas switched places in the Primera Liga. Las Palmas dropped to La Liga 2, while Zaragoza, a former top squad, promoted to La Liga 1.

CR

MIJB#19 · 08-26-2004, 07:03 AM

Matt,

Please clarify something to me about three of the managers stated above in the season review:

Quote:

Blackburn - Bert van Marwijk
Man United - Joop Hiele
Newcastle - Michael van Praag

Bert van Marwijk at Blackburn I can see, but how on earth did those other two men land that job?

Hiele has been a keepers trainer for the last 5 to 10 years if I recall correctly, while Van Praag has been the Ajax chairman and nothing close to a coaching job.

Chief Rum · 08-26-2004, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Matt,

Please clarify something to me about three of the managers stated above in the season review:

Bert van Marwijk at Blackburn I can see, but how on earth did those other two men land that job?

Hiele has been a keepers trainer for the last 5 to 10 years if I recall correctly, while Van Praag has been the Ajax chairman and nothing close to a coaching job.

You can see Marwijk at Blackburn, but can you see him at Arsenal?

That was his previous posting--and he left Ashburton Grove for Ewood Park.

Marwijk was signed by Olympiakos to serve as assistant manager in Januray, 2004, before being hired to manage Hibs in the Scottish Premier League in 2006. He didn't win league championships at Hibs, but was the league's third-placed manager of the year in 2007, and also led the squad to a runner up in the Scottish Cup. That apparently got him the tryout with the Gunners when Wenger was sacked last year (I know, I know, like that last would actually happen).

Marwijk has never been fired actually. He was hired away from Hibs, and then from Arsenal by Blackburn and has won far more matches than he has lost. The Rovers also improved under his tutelage int he second half of the season.

But then, he wasn't really the guy who surprised you.

One of the problems with CM's opening histories is they don't tell you where these guys were before their first hirings in the dynasty. Hiele doesn't have a listed occupation prior to January, 2005, but I assume he was in whatever role you know him as. He was listed as being brought in to Aston Villa from free transfer. I couldn't tell you how he ended up in Man Utd. He was hired by the Villans as assistant manager, and six months later, Sir Alex called it quits. Man Utd's worldwide search apparently ended up with Hiele.

He was brought on in July, 2005, and obviously, the club hasn't looked back, as he is now in control of the squad for four years. You know how quickly CM Sours on guys, so with expectations as they are at Old Trafford, he must be doing well. As you would guess for a guy whom has only run man Utd in his career, he has a sominating win loss record, two cup wins and a league victory.

Incidentally, he is rated a '20' in coaching goalkeepers.

Van Praag may be the real life chairman of Ajax, but he didn't start that way in this CM dynasty roster set. John Jaakke has been the chairman of Ajax for the entire dynasty. Van Praag began the dynasty as an out of work manager/asst manager. He was hired almost immediately (in June, 2003, just a week or two into the game) as assistant manager of Tottenham.

A year later, apparently he was deemed an appropriate replacement for Sir Bobby Robson. He has been in control of the Magpies ever since. He has a strong record as well, and two cup wins (including the UEFA this year).

The week he was hired by Newcastle, in July, 2004, was one heck of a week for him. Six days after taking on the task at St. James Park, he was also hired to coach his homeland Dutch national squad. He apparently replaced the guy who, in real life, was just removed from Holland's team. In both real life and the dynasty, they were sacked for poor results in Euro 2004.

He led Holland to a second round showing in Germany 2006 and was leading them through qualification for Euro 2008 when he was hired away by Australia in July, 2007. He is still the manager of Australia now (why he would leave his home country's team for Australia is a puzzle for CM programmers to consider).

CR

Chief Rum · 08-26-2004, 11:21 PM

Since I have reached the end of the club's fixture, I will now take a look at our squad and post some stats and other stuff.

Then I'll get going with the offseason.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-26-2004, 11:53 PM

Final Tamworth Season Stats, 2008-09

Code:


Keepers             Age   Wage    Value   Apps     Con   AvgR

Jon Masalin          23   $35 K   $1.6 M   32       34   6.44
Thomas Heaton        23  $100 K   $2.7 M   31  (1)  31   7.13
Casper Nelis         32   $35 K   $230 K    2        2   6.00

Defenders           Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Leon Cort            29  $110 K   $4.1 M   31  (1)  3   4   1    7.09
David Raven          24   $75 K   $4.3 M   31  (1)  0   5   0    7.06
Mike Duff            31  $575 K   $2.5 M   31       0   6   0    7.42
Hermann Hreidarsson  34  $825 K   $375 K   30  (1)  0   0   0    7.19
Kevin Gorman         21  $160 K   $3.0 M   30       0   5   0    7.63
James McEveley       24  $1.0 M  $6.25 M   30       1   0   1    7.37
Tieme Klompe         33  $625 K   $575 K   30       1   1   0    6.93
Gaël Clichy          23  $160 K   $3.8 M   16  (7)  0   6   1    7.39
Trond Erik Bertelsen 25  $1.3 M $11.25 M   11  (3)  0   1   0    7.39
Jon Otsemobor        26   $65 K   $3.2 M    5 (11)  0   0   0    6.75
Jarl Andre Storbæk   30   $85 K   $1.9 M    4 (11)  2   0   0    7.13
Mark Phillips        27  $300 K   $3.8 M    4  (8)  0   0   0    6.83
Peter Castle         22  $100 K   $2.6 M    3 (11)  1   0   0    6.93
Justin Skinner       36   $40 K    $35 K    3  (1)  0   0   0    6.75
Mark Warren          34   $75 K    $35 K    2  (3)  0   1   0    6.75

Midfielders         Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Michael Stewart      28  $230 K  $12.5 M   32       3  15   2    7.47
Johnnier Montaño     26  $775 K  $12.0 M   30  (2) 24  13   7    7.97
Denny Landzaat       33  $850 K   $2.4 M   29  (2)  3  12   2    7.58
Richie Partridge     28  $400 K  $6.75 M   28  (5)  4  12   1    7.82
Jim Corbett          28   $80 K   $4.5 M   27       0   7   3    7.63
Carl Motteram        23  $900 K   $8.0 M   25       2   1   0    6.72
David Pizarro        30  $500 K $12.75 M   24  (3) 20   6   9    7.93
Lionel Morgan        26  $825 K   $7.5 M   19  (9)  3   8   5    7.39
Andy Williams        31  $500 K   $1.0 M   14       4   1   0    7.57
Darren Birchall      30   $85 K   $950 K   12 (11)  7   5   1    7.26
Chris Booth          19   $60 K   $625 K   10  (7)  2   7   1    7.41
Giovanny Hernández   32  $725 K   $2.4 M    6 (18) 12   3   1    7.46
Danny Prutton        27  $1.1 M   $6.5 M    3 (17)  0   0   0    7.00

Forwards            Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Louis Saha           30  $625 K   $4.4 M   29      18   8   6    7.55
Orri Freyr Oskarsson 28  $950 K   $2.4 M   26  (5) 18  13   5    7.77
Yakubu               26  $1.2 M  $17.0 M   25  (6) 21  11   4    7.39
Andre Pereplytokin   23  $475 K  $11.0 M   18  (1) 15   5   1    7.32
Emmanuel Olisadebe   30  $850 K   $4.7 M   14  (1)  7  10   1    7.27
Adam Wilde           30  $400 K   $1.7 M   13 (15) 13   7   0    7.25
Mark Hicks           27  $450 K   $9.5 M    5 (25)  7   5   1    7.13

CR

Chief Rum · 08-27-2004, 12:47 AM

All-Tamworth Squads

This is my own little invention. These are my picks for the best performers in the various competitions we were in this season. This is particularly doable this season, because of how deep the squad is, and how varied my rotations were.

League Play

FC: Yakubu (13 G, 7 A, 7.75)
FC: Orri Freyr Oskarsson (12 G, 9 A, 7.67)
AMC: David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro (10 G, 4 A, 8.15)
DMC: Michael Stewart (2 G, 9 A, 7.33)
MR: Richie Partridge (2 G, 7 A, 7.94)
ML: Lionel Morgan (2 G, 4 A, 7.47)
DC: James McEveley (1 G, 7.50)
DC: David Raven (5 A, 7.30)
DR: Kevin Gorman (3 A, 7.56)
DL: Gaël Clichy (4 A, 7.13)
GK: Jon Masalin (18 GC in 20 apps, 9 CL, 6.45)

Tamworth League POY: Yakubu

Cup Play

FC: Louis Saha (2 G, 2 A, 7.38)
FC: Emmanuel Olisadebe (4 G, 4 A, 7.67)
AMC: David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro (8 G, 1 A, 8.38)
DMC: Denny Landzaat (6 A, 7.80)
MR: Richie Partridge (1 G, 3 A, 7.43)
ML: Lionel Morgan (1 G, 2 A, 7.67)
DC: James McEveley (7.38)
DC: Leon Cort (1 A, 7.00)
DR: Kevin Gorman (1 A, 7.78)
DL: Gaël Clichy (2 A, 8.00)
GK: Thomas Heaton (6 GC in 9 apps, 5 CL, 7.00)

Tamworth Cup POY: Pizarro

European Play

FC: Yakubu (5 G, 3 A, 7.00)
FC: Orri Freyr Oskarsson (3 G, 2 A, 7.75)
AMC: Johnnier Montaño (9 G, 5 A, 9.00)
DMC: Michael Stewart (1 G, 4 A, 7.88)
MR: Richie Partridge (1 G, 2 A, 7.89)
ML: Andy Williams (1 G, 1 A, 7.75)
DC: Leon Cort (1 G, 2 A, 6.89)
DC: James McEveley (7.00)
DR: Kevin Gorman (1 A, 7.60)
DL: Hermann Hreidarsson (1 G, 7.25)
GK: Thomas Heaton (5 GC in 6 apps, 2 CL, 7.67)

Tamworth European POY: Montaño

Overall

FC: Yakubu (21 G, 11 A, 7.39)
FC: Orri Freyr Oskarsson (18 G, 13 A, 7.77)
AMC: Johnnier Montaño (24 G, 13 A, 7.97)
DMC: Denny Landzaat (3 G, 12 A, 7.58)
MR: Richie Partridge (4 G, 12 A, 7.82)
ML: Lionel Morgan (3 G, 8 A, 7.39)
DC: James McEveley (1 G, 7.37)
DC: Leon Cort (3 G, 4 A, 7.09)
DR: Kevin Gorman (5 A, 7.63)
DL: Gaël Clichy (6 A, 7.39)
GK: Thomas Heaton (31 GC in 32 apps, 12 CL, 7.13)

Manager's Choice Tamworth POY: Montaño

CR

daedalus · 08-27-2004, 03:07 AM

Damn it, Kolo! Good try, though, Matt.

Funny that Montaño ended up the team PoY, given how grumpy he started and how badly we wanted to get rid of him.

Good season!

Chief Rum · 08-27-2004, 03:17 AM

Tamworth Reserves & Under 19 Squads

I feel I should also talk a little bit about the reserve and Under-19 squads. For the most part, these players will never get to Tamworth's first team (or won't again, if they have already been there). But you never know when someone is going to work out after all.

Reserves

Generally, the Reserve squad consisted of past discarded former Lamb first teamers at lower levels and youths who had simply grown beyond the eligible age to play with our Under-19 squad. This team also regularly imported several players from the Under-19 squad and stuck them into the lineup.

The Reserves finished fourth in their 13-squad division, with a 12-4-8 record. They scored 34 goals and allowed 21, for a +13 goal differential and 40 points. Newcastle's reserves dominated on the way to an eight-point lead and a league-high +32 goal differential.

The Lambs had the best defense in the reserve league by a good stretch. They were coached by assistant manager Terry Gennoe. Despite the fact several Under-19 players were regularly used on the reserves, I will only speak of those players 21 and older in the Reserves section.

Strikers

The best players up front were 23-year-old Belgian striker Ged Kimmins (15 G, 4 A, 7.08 in 26 apps) and 24-year-old Scotsman Stephen McGowan (9 G, 7 A, 6.57 in 28 apps).

Despite their relatively youthful age and fairly strong performances, I don't see either player as a potential first teamer. Both were signed prior to our First Division campaign three seasons ago, but determined to not be as strong as players on the roster.

Che Stadhart, 32, used to play a major role with the Lambs in the lower divisions, scoring 29 goals in the Second and Third Divisions years ago. He ran into the same talent wall that kept McGowan and Kimmins from contributing in the First Division and beyond. Stadhart's play fell off sharply this season (4 G, 1 A, 6.48 in 21 apps) and he announced his intention to retire at the end of the season.

David McDonald, a 21-year-old former Under-19 Lamb, never really developed into the player I thought he could when he first came out of our youth academy in the Third Division season. That's a shame, too, because he was really something on the U-19 level. This season he was solid (7 G, 6 A, 7.21 in 24 apps) and I haven't entirely given up hope that he can develop into something. But not enough to keep him around--his contract ends in June.

Midfielders

This was an area that saw a lot of imports from the Under-19 squad, as depth was very thin here.

The two season-long holdovers were original Lambs midfielder Brett Darby and winger Luke Rowlett, both of whom have appeared with the club's first team at the lower levels. The 25-year-old Darby (1 A, 6.80 in 15 apps) played in three Tamworth matches as a young hopeful in the English Conference, but sicne then he has been outpaced by the club's league progression and his own slow development. I only kept him in the hopes he might turn the corner some day. Luke Rowlett (6.67 in 3 apps) actually started for the Lambs at the Conference level, and the 26-year-old also played a significant substitute role at the Third Division. He was always a bit of an overachiever and that was way back in the lower levels. He and Darby at the end of contracts they signed three seasons ago purely to serve as emergency depth.

Yoann Bigné is the only other midfielder on the reserve squad, and he spent the whole year playing a backup role with La Ligue One squad Nîmes. He never appeared in a match with the reserves, but is probably the best player at the position on the team. The 31-year-old French winger is emergency depth for the first team.

Defenders

The backline was well-stocked with former lower level Lambs.

Reinder Hendriks, 36, is probably the most respected of the reserve players as a once significant backline player for a good First Division Tamworth squad. The Dutchman (2 A, 6.28 in 29 apps) saw regular team with the 2006-07 FA Cup winning squad. Since then, he has been an emergency backup. He has announced his retirement at the end of the season.

Jamie Fullarton, a 34-year-old Scottish fullback, was also brought to the lamb ground prior to the First Division seaon. Fullarton (1 G, 3 A, 7.00 in 26 apps) started along side Hendriks that year, and he also played a backup role on our first Premiership squad. Like Hendriks, he is retiring at the end of the year.

Graham Porter, 34, has been with the Lambs since he was brought to the squad to improve the central defense prior to our Third Division campaign. Porter (1 G, 2 A, 6.87 in 23 apps) was a key part of our lower level defenses, starting on our Third and Second Division squads. He is retiring after the season.

Swedish defender Patrik Schultz and centreback Ian Dodds were younger players brought in with an eye to developing them into first team players, only to see them fall short of the club's fast-rising standards. Schultz (1 A, 6.63 in 24 apps) is 24 years old and was brought in prior to the Second Division season. He has never cracked the first team. Dodds, 25 (6.52 in 21 apps) has been with Tamworth since being a late season acquisition in the Conference year, so he has been with the club for a long time. He saw major time with the club in the Second Division, but that's it.

Goalkeepers

Former first team starter Casper Nelis and insurance policy Kees Kostwinder split net duties for the reserve squad.

Nelis (17 GC in 15 apps, 6 CL, 6.33), a 32-year-old Dutchman, came to the club as a challenger to lower league netminder Juan José Gomez. Nelis outplayed Gomez for the First Division squad, forcing the Salvadoran player to the reserve squad. Then in our first Premiership season, Nelis was himself outplayed by Jon Masalin, and forced to a reserve role this year. Nelis is the only reserve player to see time with the first team this season.

Kostwinder (13 GC in 18 apps, 9 CL, 6.72), another Dutchman, was signed as additional competition going into the First Division and lost out to both Nelis and Gomez. He has since toiled with the reserves squad. At 27, he is still a decent player with a future somewhere, but certainly no longer here at the Lamb Ground.

Under 19 Squad

What young talent we have is here. The Under-19 squad did very well in their 12-team division, finishing in second place with 49 points, seven behind, again, Newcastle, which seems to have quite the reserve and youth system.

The young Lambs once again had easily the best defense, allowing just 11 goals in 22 matches, while posting a 14-7-1 record. That's right--they onbly lost once. Newcastle didn't lose at all. The Lambs scored 39 goals and posted a second-best +28 goal differential.

Former Salvadoran international Jorge Humberto Rodriguez, who joined the coaching staff after retiring as a player following our Second Division season, is excellent with younger players and coached this squad.

As I noted before, many of these players saw significant time with the Reserves.

Strikers

The best striker was 18-year-old Ian Collins (4 G, 8 A, 7.30 in 30 apps), a pacey player who already has the skills to contribute to a Premiership squad at a backup spot at least. Collins also has the skills to become a top winger, and it's uncertain where his future lies. Collins was brought in as a young talent from Third Division Nuneaton Borough two years ago.

The best overall talent on the team is Mark Hooper (4 G, 1 A, 6.36 in 11 apps), although the 18-year-old has been somewhat inconsistent this year. Hooper isn't as physically talented as Collins, but he is a much smarter, steadier player and his technical skills are well-advanced. He might enter the forward picture for Tamworth next season. Hooper went on two loan stints with First Division Leeds United (recently promoted), and he put up four goals, three assists and a 6.40 rating in 20 matches with the Whites.

Striker Phil Smart (7 G, 6.75 in 24 apps), a 20-year-old of medium talent, was the highest scoring forward on the squad, but it doesn't appear he has the skills to ever break into Tamworth's first team. Smart came out of the first Tamworth youth class prior to the Third Division campaign, a class that included current first teamer and England Under-21 player Chris Booth.

Troubled Slovakian striker Roman Boldyrev (5 G, 2 A, 6.39 in 23 apps) has had difficulty settling into England since being brought over from Slovakia early this season. The 19-year-old also still has a long way to go in his development as a football player, although he was just invited to join the Slovakia Under-21 team.

Midfielders

Alan Elliott (22 G, 9 A, 7.52 in 46 apps) dominated play at both the Under 19 and Reserve levels this season, serving in the same offensive role as Johnnier Montaño and David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro for the first team. As such, his dominant stats may be more the result of the uber tactic, also used at the lower levels, and not an indication of his talent. Elliott, 20, has some decent skills, but doesn't seem to be developing much and my staff is telling em he's aboiut as good as he's going to get--which isn't good enough. That's too bad for a kid that has always been a superior player for the reserve squads, going back to his arrival from the youth academy prior to the First Division season.

Kris Jenkins (2 G, 7 A, 6.88 in 32 apps) is a subpar-talent 17-year-old player who has a long way to go before he's going to make a break from this level. He is still young, so there is certainly a chance he will get a lot better, but I'm nto holding out much hope. My coaches have never thought much of him, and historically, they are usually right.

Stephen O'Brien (2 G, 2 A, 7.40 in 10 apps) is the notable transfer I brought to the Lamb Ground in March. The Irish 19-year-old midfielder came over to us from Belgian First Division AA Gent on a free transfer. As you can see, O'Brien was very solid, although he didn't play as creative a role in the offense as I would have liked. He also isn't nearly as fast as I like, but he is a smart player with very strong mental skills in the areas of playmaking. His technical skills are far along, behind perhaps only Hooper on the team, and he could be on the first team in another year or two.

Defenders

There are three standout players here.

Two of them are members of the Slovakia Under-21 squad, a nation we brought over a lot of young talent from earlier this season. The first of that signings was Andrey Gorbunov, and Péter Kiss came over in May.

Gorbunov (2 A, 7.07 in 45 apps) was the Under-19's best defender. The 20-year-old didn't have nearly the problems his countryman Boldyrev coming over earlier this season, and seems to have a future. He has eight Under-21 caps with Slovakia, and seems like a smart player with solid physical skills. He still has some development in the technical areas, which will hold him back for at least another season.

The 19-year-old Kiss (2 A, 7.33 in 3 apps) seems to be even more well-regarded, although he is a good deal behind Gorbunov at this point in their careers. Kiss is a top notch physical talent, but isn't nearly as mentally adept on the pitch as Gorbunov is, and his technical skills are far behind. He has four Under-21 caps with Slovakia.

The third notable defender is right back Pat Davenport (6.67 in 9 apps), who had a shot at regular first team play at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately for the 19-year-old Englishman, he suffered a string of groin injuries that eventually required surgery and rehabilitation in November. Recovery put him out until April and his chance to play with the first team was gone. In reality, he's not ready anyway, although he's not far off. Davenport does have first team experience--he was a regular on the First Division champion three seasons ago. Davenport is a heady player with slightly better physical skills than Gorbunov, and much better technical skills than Kiss. The overall combination makes it likely he will beat either of the other players to the Lamb Ground first team pitch.

A pair of 17-year-olds, centreback Tony Foley and left back Wayne Otto, are younger players with decent, but not spectacular talent. It's unclear yet if either one will develop into a quality player. Otto and Foley joined Davenport and Elliott in the First Division youth academy class. Otto (3 A, 7.03 in 29 apps) is a smart player with decent physical skills and poor technical abilities, while Foley (1 G, 1 A, 7.03 in 30 apps) has solid physical skills, but is well behind the grade curve in his mental and technical understandings of the game.

Goalkeepers

There were no top players in net for the Under-19 squad, as they were forced to rely on little-used local netminders to man the defense. None of these lesser keepers are good enough to have a future in football.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-27-2004, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daedalus

Damn it, Kolo! Good try, though, Matt.

Funny that Montaño ended up the team PoY, given how grumpy he started and how badly we wanted to get rid of him.

Good season!

Thanks.

Montaño's choice, you understand, was my own and not the game's. I haven't seen the Supporter's POY yet (haven't gotten to that point).

I considered not giving it to Montaño because of his continuous attitude problems, but it can't be denied he had the best statistical season on the team. He was absolutely dominant in continental play, and that's earned this club a lot of money and prestige.

My decision to name him as such hasn't lessened my desire to usher him out of the Lamb Ground permanently, especially if I can get something good for him.

CR

Alf · 08-27-2004, 04:31 AM

CR : I now understand bette why your players get disgruntled at time, you carry 38 players on your squad, that's over 3 full teams....

Chief Rum · 08-27-2004, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alf

CR : I now understand bette why your players get disgruntled at time, you carry 38 players on your squad, that's over 3 full teams....

Yup...it's a number I plan to cut down quite a bit this offseason. Although I haven't exactly figured out the best way to go about it just yet.

I would like to go somewhere between 25-30 players at most.

CR

MIJB#19 · 08-27-2004, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

You can see Marwijk at Blackburn, but can you see him at Arsenal?

That was his previous posting--and he left Ashburton Grove for Ewood Park.

Marwijk was signed by Olympiakos to serve as assistant manager in Januray, 2004, before being hired to manage Hibs in the Scottish Premier League in 2006. He didn't win league championships at Hibs, but was the league's third-placed manager of the year in 2007, and also led the squad to a runner up in the Scottish Cup. That apparently got him the tryout with the Gunners when Wenger was sacked last year (I know, I know, like that last would actually happen).

Marwijk has never been fired actually. He was hired away from Hibs, and then from Arsenal by Blackburn and has won far more matches than he has lost. The Rovers also improved under his tutelage int he second half of the season.

But then, he wasn't really the guy who surprised you.

One of the problems with CM's opening histories is they don't tell you where these guys were before their first hirings in the dynasty. Hiele doesn't have a listed occupation prior to January, 2005, but I assume he was in whatever role you know him as. He was listed as being brought in to Aston Villa from free transfer. I couldn't tell you how he ended up in Man Utd. He was hired by the Villans as assistant manager, and six months later, Sir Alex called it quits. Man Utd's worldwide search apparently ended up with Hiele.

He was brought on in July, 2005, and obviously, the club hasn't looked back, as he is now in control of the squad for four years. You know how quickly CM Sours on guys, so with expectations as they are at Old Trafford, he must be doing well. As you would guess for a guy whom has only run man Utd in his career, he has a sominating win loss record, two cup wins and a league victory.

Incidentally, he is rated a '20' in coaching goalkeepers.

Van Praag may be the real life chairman of Ajax, but he didn't start that way in this CM dynasty roster set. John Jaakke has been the chairman of Ajax for the entire dynasty. Van Praag began the dynasty as an out of work manager/asst manager. He was hired almost immediately (in June, 2003, just a week or two into the game) as assistant manager of Tottenham.

A year later, apparently he was deemed an appropriate replacement for Sir Bobby Robson. He has been in control of the Magpies ever since. He has a strong record as well, and two cup wins (including the UEFA this year).

The week he was hired by Newcastle, in July, 2004, was one heck of a week for him. Six days after taking on the task at St. James Park, he was also hired to coach his homeland Dutch national squad. He apparently replaced the guy who, in real life, was just removed from Holland's team. In both real life and the dynasty, they were sacked for poor results in Euro 2004.

He led Holland to a second round showing in Germany 2006 and was leading them through qualification for Euro 2008 when he was hired away by Australia in July, 2007. He is still the manager of Australia now (why he would leave his home country's team for Australia is a puzzle for CM programmers to consider).

CR

Wow, thanks, that was really interesting and fun to read!

The Van Marwijk story sounded like it could happen in real life.

The Hiele story did too, as you said he was an assistent manager first. At least it makes sense that a former Oranje goalkeeper was brought in somewhere as assistent and replaced the manager at some point.

The Van Praag story, well, it's probably one of the most interesting CM stories I heard/read, really. The real life Van Praag stepped down as Ajax chairman not so long ago and got replaced by John Jaakke, which explains him being out of job as the start of the dynasty. I doubt that he will ever be a manager for a football team, let alone coaching a national team, but it's a good story, even if you don't put the real life aspects into it. (Australia hiring away the Oranje coach, and then still staying wioth Newcastle.

).

Anyway, carry on with the career.

Chief Rum · 08-29-2004, 02:41 AM

Tamworth Positional Review

Left Forward

Code:


Left Forwards       Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Louis Saha           30  $625 K   $4.4 M   29      18   8   6    7.55
Yakubu               26  $1.2 M  $17.0 M   25  (6) 21  11   4    7.39
Adam Wilde           30  $400 K   $1.7 M   13 (15) 13   7   0    7.25

Season Review: When Saha and Andrei Pereplyotkin played together, they formed our most consistent and powerful striker duo. Saha was simply an underrated pickup, and I remain I was able to sign him, seemingly unwanted, on a free. Yakubu was brilliant at times. Few players on the squad took over matches like he did on occasion. And he's just 26. The problem is that he is a bit of a primadonna with an egotistical attitude. He complained more than anyone else on the team, including Johnnier Montaño. Wilde is just a proven veteran commodity. He doesn't have anywhere near the talent of Saha and Yakubu, but all he does is show up and play well.

Offseason Outlook: Going to a three-man front will somewhat counter the playing time problems that I expect to arise from switching down to just one regular starting lineup. Rationally, Saha would be a good player to move, since he is older and coming off of a strong sdeason that could inflate his value. But I just can't see moving such a consistent and attitude-free player. Yakubu, my most valuable player, is the guy I want to move, but I know that it isn't smart to get rid of 26-year-old 20-goal scorers, no matter how bitchy they are. Plus, he is popular with the fans and might end up the Supporters' Player of the Year. Among dependable backups, Wilde is more likely to be moved than Mark Hicks, his similar right-sided partner, because he is 30, and Hicks is 27. That said, Wilde's iffy all around talent in some areas makes him less likely to draw interest and, considering his quiet dependability and versatility to play in the midfield as well. It might not be smart for me to move him. Basically, it's likely that all three of these players will return.

Right Forward

Code:


Right Forwards      Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Orri Freyr Oskarsson 28  $950 K   $2.4 M   26  (5) 18  13   5    7.77
Andre Pereplytokin   23  $475 K  $11.0 M   18  (1) 15   5   1    7.32
Emmanuel Olisadebe   30  $850 K   $4.7 M   14  (1)  7  10   1    7.27
Mark Hicks           27  $450 K   $9.5 M    5 (25)  7   5   1    7.13

Season Review: At the time of his injury, Pereplyotkin looked like he was on the cusp of superstardom, as the target man in his partnership with Saha. The Ukrainian striker was the squad's leading goalscorer when he went down. I am hopeful he is fully recovered from his broken leg and can be the young star on our frontline. All Oskarsson does is produce. He can both score and pass, and he tore it up in this tactic the past three seasons. He is in his prime at 28. Olisadebe is a veteran player with a good goal-scoring pedigree over the course of his career. He was very inconsistent with us, though, at least in putting balls in the net. He did show off some fine passing skills. Hicks has been with us since the Conference, and, like Wilde, he is a steady reserve. Still, he hasn't ever shown he can start at the Premiership level, and he was the lowest rated of our first team forwards.

Offseason Outlook: Pereplyotkin obviously isn't going anywhere. He isn't a terrific passer, but his speed and finishing skills make him an ideal target man in the middle of a three-man front. That isn't so sure a thing with the other three. I have no beef with Oskarsson except that I feel his presence is sorta like a game "cheat", a player of iffy talent in some respects who produces perhaps because of tactical loopholes. I think he's great, but I may want to move him to give my regular tactic run next year more legitimacy. Olisadebe's passing expertise could make him well-suited to the right forward spot, but his inconsistency and age makes me wonder if I should instead just move him. Hicks may be a smarter reserve to keep over Wilde because of his age, but he is also much more valuable and would likely draw a more valuable return. Don't be surprised if two of the three end up leaving the club this year.

Attacking Midfielder

Code:


Attack Midfielders  Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Johnnier Montaño     26  $775 K  $12.0 M   30  (2) 24  13   7    7.97
David Pizarro        30  $500 K $12.75 M   24  (3) 20   6   9    7.93
Darren Birchall      30   $85 K   $950 K   12 (11)  7   5   1    7.26
Giovanny Hernández   32  $725 K   $2.4 M    6 (18) 12   3   1    7.46

Season Review: Our tactic pretty much focuses around this key position, and can turn good players here into stars. That is basically what we have here, so it comes as no surprise that the position on review looks particularly strong. Montaño may have had the best season of anyone on the squad, and, in fact, I even picked him as our player of the year based on his stats. Montaño was inconsistent and troubled by personal problems early on, but he really went on a role in the second half of the season. He was also just dynamite in European competition. Montaño’s issues weren’t talent or performance-related, but a result of his attitude. I still have no idea what his “personal problems” early in the season were, but they seemed to just be par for the course for the temperamental forward. He constantly complained about the two-starting-eleven system and his role, and he also made stupid decisions of anger on the pitch, often arguing with refs. Compared to Montaño, Pizarro was a gold mine. The Chilean midfielder was consistent and great all year. Our offense never clicked better than when he was playing just behind Saha and Pereplyotkin on the second eleven. He isn’t a pure score—much more of a midfield type—but he filled the active role I had for him very well. He is over 30, but he’s still in his prime. Hernández was a veteran player I brought in from Man Utd to serve as a primary attacking midfield backup, and he filled it admirably. He showed he can handle the position and was a strong member of our backup squad. His detractions are the fact he is 32, and that it seems like half the time has a problem with his attitude, that it could provoke disharmony, although Hernández himself never gave me any issues. Birchall has played a key role for us since the Second Division, but he has never proven he can really make it work as a start at this level. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I haven’t renewed his contract. I figure I would miss his versatility were it not for the fact my squad is already so ridiculously deep.

Offseason Outlook: This is a very key focus of the offseason. First off, the position itself may not exist anymore, and where these players fit into the new tactic is as yet undetermined. They are midfielders with forward skills, and where they lean on that scale may determine if they are candidates for one of the three forward positions, dropped back to the central midfield spots, or dumped from the squad altogether. Montaño is, no doubt about it, a target man. He has the kind of attitude to be the focus of a team from the middle of the three-man front anyway. The problem is he has pretty much earned his ticket out of Tamworth, despite his age and relative youth. I am already fielding offers for him. Pizarro is next in line here, but he is not a target man type. Could he handle it? Probably, but I am more inclined to give the middle front man role to a pure striker, which is why guys like Pereplyotkin and Yakubu are terrific fits there. Pizarro has the creative skills to handle pretty much any of the other midfield and frontline spots, and he could end up anywhere. His consistency and the lack of such from some others at these spots pretty much assures he will return in some role to the team, and probably start. Hernández is a nice insurance policy to have, as he has proven his ability on the pitch, but given his attitude issues with other players, his age and my need to cut down the roster, I think hr won’t be in Tamworth in August. I currently have no plans to bring back Birchall.

Defensive Midfielder

Code:


Holding Midfielders Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Michael Stewart      28  $230 K  $12.5 M   32       3  15   2    7.47
Denny Landzaat       33  $850 K   $2.4 M   29  (2)  3  12   2    7.58
Danny Prutton        27  $1.1 M   $6.5 M    3 (17)  0   0   0    7.00

Season Review: While the forward midfield spot seems to be a spot fraught with turmoil, I couldn’t ask for a more consistent pair of defensive midfielders than Stewart and Landzaat. Stewart has quietly become my best all around player, when you consider the whole package (youth, skills, talent, attitude). The game seems to realize this, too—he is my second-highest valued player, behind only Yakubu. Landzaat makes some flashy, eye-opening passes, but it’s Stewart that leads the squad in assist. He is great in both ends, and has been ever since I brought him aboard two years ago. Landzaat was almost as perfect a signing for this spot as Pizarro was for the forward spot. Landzaat is the steady vet with fine playmaking skills. He is a touch behind Stewart in most respects, and he is 33, so he won’t be around forever. But considering he plays without an attitude and is so consistent, I certainly can’t complain about him. Prutton is older than I like a “young and up-and-coming” player to be, but he continues to be another very consistent player who doesn’t complain about his lack of playing time. He is a step below the starters, but then, that’s why he is a backup.

Offseason Outlook: Stewart isn’t going anywhere. He is perfect for the middle defensive spot in the new tactic. I don’t plan on moving Landzaat either, because I don’t think he will complain about a backup role, and he’s a great insurance option. Prutton’s time is almost certain to drop sharply, especially if I move Pizarro back to this position as well (as he is better suited to this spot than he is the target man spot). Given that, I may need to move Prutton, because I don’t know how he will take that. Also, at 27, I am less certain he has more than a future as a backup for us, and with a need to drop the roster size, why should I keep a player like that?

Right Winger

Code:


Right Wingers       Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Richie Partridge     28  $400 K  $6.75 M   28  (5)  4  12   1    7.82
Jim Corbett          28   $80 K   $4.5 M   27       0   7   3    7.63
Chris Booth          19   $60 K   $625 K   10  (7)  2   7   1    7.41

Season Review: Right wing was an interesting position to watch this season. Partridge never seemed to dominate from his position or do particularly better than other players there, but at the end of the season, he was our highest-rated non forward, was among our assist leaders and had much better overall numbers than anyone else on the right wing. Partridge, of course, was a member of the all-Whine team, but it was always about playing time. Since I plan to play him as a starter next year, that hopefully won’t be a problem. Corbett has been one of my most consistent players for years now, but he was always of only decent overall talent. He created opportunities with his speed and ability to cross the ball. Since he’s just 28, he’s still in his prime, although I think it’s clear from the numbers that Partridge is the better player. It was nice to have both of them as options on the right. Booth turns this position into a real winner, as he is finally starting to realize his potential. He was one of our top backups last year. He isn’t as good as Partridge and Corbett right now, but he might be some day soon.

Offseason Outlook: Like the attacking midfield spot, this position is changed significantly, if not removed outright, in the new tactic. With the four man midfield moving to a three-man central midfield, there are now no players out wide in the middle. This means that for these players to translate well to the right central midfield spot, they will have to be a little bit better defensively and as passers and dribblers, and a little less dependent on crossing and creating opportunities from the outside. This shouldn’t be a problem for Partridge, who has tremendous skills and has occasionally served as an emergency attacking midfielder. For that reason, he should fit in at the right spot quite well. Corbett’s similar age to Parridge and the presence of Booth makes him a much more likely candidate to be moved, although his lack of attiude and long loyalty to the squad suggests he could be a perfect backup, and like Landzaat, an excellent option in case Partridge falters or gets hurt. Still, the problem with Corbett and to an extent Booth as well is that they are both ideal wingers, but don’t translate so well to a central midfield spot. At this point, I’m not sure I see them as longterm solutions here. Booth at 19 is pretty much safe, but I might end up having to move Corbett.

Left Winger

Code:


Left Wingers        Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Carl Motteram        23  $900 K   $8.0 M   25       2   1   0    6.72
Lionel Morgan        26  $825 K   $7.5 M   19  (9)  3   8   5    7.39
Andy Williams        31  $500 K   $1.0 M   14       4   1   0    7.57

Season Review: The left wing wasn’t nearly as solid and steady as the right wing. Motteram simply didn’t get the job done here when he started, and he started more than anyone else here. He was very inconsistent, didn’t create anywhere near enough offense, and doesn’t seem to have been very strong on defense wither. Motteram is an attacking midfielder and forward, so that would suggest he might be better suited on the frontline, but I have tried him at those spots before, and he has never done well there either. I would say he was one of my biggest disappointments this season. Considering Motteram’s difficulties, my long unfulfilled desire to bring in an old favorite from my Middlesbrough dynasty in Morgan turned out to be a stroke of genius. Still young himself, while not as young as Motteram, Morgan provided the top notch offense I expected from Motteram, and he was also very consistent. Williams was dominating for us a year ago, but that knee injury at the end of it ruined his season this year. It kept him out of the lineup until January, and although he scored a lot of goals as our primary penalty scorer, he was no where near as solid a playmaker as he was last year. Williams has been with us a long while, though, and has earned the benefit of the doubt. One good point was his rating—Williams may not have put up the assist numbers I like, but he was our highest-rated left winger.

Offseason Outlook: Like the right wing, this position is in flux, essentially moved inside to the left central midfield position. Like Partridge, Morgan should have no problems moving in. He also has had some time at the attacking midfield spot and has the skills to be a fine central midfielder. Williams could be a concern, though, as he, like Corbett, is an ideal winger who lacks some of the skills I might need for more central midfielders. Given he’s also 31, he has to be considered a candidate to be moved. Besides his good rating and longtime loyalty and performance, though, Williams has one other thing going for him—Motteram does me more good in the transfer market, I think, than he does here. He has been targeted by some big clubs in the past, and I have seen enough that I think I could move him without feeling I am missing out on a star. If I move Motteram, obviously, I would need to keep Williams around as an insurance policy behind Morgan. Of course, even that is not certain—I could easily use the fit-everywhere Pizarro, the incoming transfer Emilio Mora, Partridge switching over to the left (which he can do) or attacking fullback Trond Erik Bertelsen here.

Right Centreback

Code:


Right Centrebacks   Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Leon Cort            29  $110 K   $4.1 M   31  (1)  3   4   1    7.09
James McEveley       24  $1.0 M  $6.25 M   30       1   0   1    7.37
Jon Otsemobor        26   $65 K   $3.2 M    5 (11)  0   0   0    6.75
Mark Warren          34   $75 K    $35 K    2  (3)  0   1   0    6.75

Season Review: Three years ago, when I brought in Cort, he wasn’t getting a lot of respect, although he seemed to be a tremendously skilled physical centreback. He was rated too low mentally to start, I thought. That is, until he played his way into a starting role on my First Division champion. He has been with us, starting on the first eleven ever since. He was solid again this year, and provided a fair amount of offense, as well, which is difficult to do form central defense. Still, he remains just competent at this level, and I sometimes I think I give up a little bit here with him in, as he occasionally will make a mistake that players at this level can take advantage of. Of course, he also has the physical and technical skills to make up for those gaffes with amazing recoveries. McEveley was our best defender last year. He didn’t produce Cort’s offense, but he is rated highly there (he is actually as much of a left back as a centreback). He’s not as physical as Cort, but he’s good there, too, and he’s a much more consistent and intelligent defender. He’s also just 24. Jon Otsemobor was a do-everything reserve defender last year. He has great physical skills, much like Cort, but he lacks in the technical areas. His inconsistency shows in his rating. Warren is staving off retirement for the year, something he announced he would do at the end of this season.

Offseason Outlook: At this position, I aim to bring in the quicker defenders, the guys who will man-mark the fastest strikers and be the closing, harassing “force” in the defense. Cort is the kind of physical defender who does that. The fact is, though, that I have a ready replacement for him (McEveley) who is better and younger now than Cort is, I have a need to reduce the roster size, and Cort’s contract is about up, meaning I don’t have to do a thing to move him. What gives me pause is the fact there is just very little behind McEveley. Otsemobor is useful enough, but he really has shown he isn’t the answer, perhaps even as a backup, and he’s already 26. Warren is about to leave the game. So I may end up resigning Cort anyway, if another suitable backup can’t be found. The best news for Cort was the failure of the Kolo Abib Touré deal and the unsatisfactory Derek Geary dela from Sheffield Wednesday. If the Owls like my Richard Wood offer, though, Cort will have to be looking for employment elsewhere. I would figure this will be a position I will look to add to, although I might get help from the defensive centrbacks at the other spot.

Left Centreback

Code:


Left Centrebacks    Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

David Raven          24   $75 K   $4.3 M   31  (1)  0   5   0    7.06
Tieme Klompe         33  $625 K   $575 K   30       1   1   0    6.93
Peter Castle         22  $100 K   $2.6 M    3 (11)  1   0   0    6.93
Mark Phillips        27  $300 K   $3.8 M    4  (8)  0   0   0    6.83

Season Review: David Raven is a steady consistent player who plays like a veteran, despite his young age. I always have a bias against slower players, and Raven is one of my slower defenders (note this is relative—he is still above average in speed for an English leaguie defender), but he is technically proficient and gets the job done. He also has pretty solid offensive ability, as shown by his central defense-leading assists. I promised him a new contract at the end of the season, and I just gave him one. Klompe was unfortunately not as solid as I had hoped. Like Landzaat and Pizarro in the midfield, he looked like a nice addition all around on the backline. Once on the pitch, though, he was inconsistent and largely the one responsible when someone got free on our goal. Given his age, Klompe has to be looking over his shoulder with his performance. Castle is at a crossroads, because he didn’t show that he is necessarily ready to elevate to the next level. He rated the same as Klompe and I never saw he had anymore ability than most back there. That is disappointing, considering I really thought he could move up and challenge for a starting spot at this time last year. Phillips is a decent little reserve to keep around, but he has proven himself to be at best a mediocre Premiership player.

Offseason Outlook: This spot is the defensive sweeper position, the guy who is supposed to hang back while his defensive partner takes on the ball mover. He is the last line of defense in front of the goal. As such, speed and physicality aren’t needed so much as defensive smarts, positioning and consistency at this position. Raven looks to be perfect in that respect, and is obviously returning. He isn’t necessarily locked into a starting spot, though—if Cort is brought back, I might just start McEveley at this spot and have Cort and McEveley as the starters, with Raven as a primary backup. Castle is young enough to get another chance, and even an increased role next year, but he will bear watching. Klompe and Phillips aren’t so safe. With age and performance and a full roster all at issue, Klompe has to be one of the top guys I think of moving. Phillips is simply not worth keeping around if he can’t help me too much here, or is, at best, a pedestrian backup. Once again, this might be a position I look to add some help.

Right Fullback

Code:


Right Fullbacks     Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Mike Duff            31  $575 K   $2.5 M   31       0   6   0    7.42
Kevin Gorman         21  $160 K   $3.0 M   30       0   5   0    7.63
Jarl Andre Storbæk   30   $85 K   $1.9 M    4 (11)  2   0   0    7.13

Season Review: It doesn’t seem fair to have not one, but two great wingbacks at one position. But that’s what I had this year. Duff has been one of my most consistent and productive defenders for some years now. He has started at centreback and defensive midfielder as well, and has the skills to excel at all of them. He was creative and solid at the right wingback spot and, among qualified league defenders, he had the highest league rating in the Premiership. The only reason Gorman wasn’t rated higher than Duff in the league ranks is because he fell a match or two short of qualifying. He actually outplayed Duff from the second team, and was very effective on offense. He doesn’t look to have the same level of skills in some areas as Duff, particularly mentally, but he is terrific offensively, and what can you say, he puts up. At 21, he is one of the brightest young talents on the team. Depth was never nailed down to one person, as Storbæk and Otsemobor and Phillips were all used as reserves here. Storbæk was a nice fit here, as he worked himself into numerous positions on the pitch with his versatility. He isn’t as skilled as the top guys and is no threat for the first eleven, but he is useful enough to keep around.

Offseason Outlook: What happens in the offseason here hinges on Duff’s contract resolution. The starting spot shouldn’t, though—I have already decided I will give Gorman the chance to start here, no matter what happens to Duff. That’s a shame for Duff, though, as he has done nothing to earn a demotion. Gorman has simply played too good. I am torn on Duff, whose contract is almost up. I would like to allow him to leave, not only because of my roster issues, but because I feel he should be starting somewhere. But I have no real trust in the backups at this point. Were I to have taken on Geary or signed Touré, once again, Duff would likely not be coming back. Since I didn’t though, and I don’t expect Sheffield Wednesday to accept my Montaño for Geary and Wood deal, Duff is much more likely to return, as I would rather bring back the guy I know than force myself to scramble for a replacement. Duff would be my top reserve defender then, and likely see plenty of playing time all over the pitch. If Duff returns, Storbæk may not. Much of the versatile role that Duff would fill is currently handled by Storbæk. I like the guy enough, but why keep a 30-year-old backup around who will hardly play?

Left Fullback

Code:


Left Fullbacks      Age   Wage    Value    Apps     G   A  MoM   AvgR

Hermann Hreidarsson  34  $825 K   $375 K   30  (1)  0   0   0    7.19
Gaël Clichy          23  $160 K   $3.8 M   16  (7)  0   6   1    7.39
Trond Erik Bertelsen 25  $1.3 M $11.25 M   11  (3)  0   1   0    7.39
Justin Skinner       36   $40 K    $35 K    3  (1)  0   0   0    6.75

Season Review: This position always struck me as needing upgrading and, yet, looking back, I was really quite solid here. The notable name, of course, is Bertelsen. It’s not a stretch to say I am pretty disappointed in what I have gotten from the very talented fullback and winger. He came in hurt and missed another month and change before I got him back and healthy. And then once there, he wasn’t nearly as consistent offensively as I liked. He did rate very well, and I didn’t notice bad defensive errors, so obviously he held his own defensively quite well. Despite that, his lack of offensive performance at the end of the year (even including me moving him up to wing on occasion) and his complaint about playing time has me more than a little worried. Hreidarsson started the season as my first eleven left back and was one of my most consistent defensive backliners. He was steady as they come, even if he didn’t do much offensively. He didn’t make mistakes and played well. He didn’t earn a demotion down to the second eleven squad at all. That move was mostly unfair, though, to Clichy, who really finished our year as our best left back—even as the primary reserve there. He was one of our big surprises. He created a lot of opportunities offensively, tying for the backline lead in assists in limited appearances, and he rated as high as Bertelsen. Skinner, like Warren, is an aging veteran playing out the string until he retires.

Offseason Outlook: I might not need to bring anyone in here, but I will certainly be watching this position. Bertelsen has earned himself a close watching. If I sense he isn’t going to perform, I may move quickly to put Clichy in the lineup, and damn anything Bertelsen says about it. That, of course, would mean the end of Bertelsen’s short career at the Lamb Ground, as I get the sense he would quickly become a source of distraction a la Montaño. Before I brought him in from Mallorca, I perceived he was not the greatest with his limited time there either, so his attitude here is not a shock. Hreidarsson is solid, but he is 34. Right now, he’s a nice insurance policy for if Bertelsen implodes and I need a backup to Clichy. Skinner is supposed to be retiring, so he won’t be around to help out if I need him to. But that was rare anyway. McEveley can also bounce outside here, and Bertelsen may see some time at the left central midfield spot, although his offensive skills are more wing-related (like Williams and Corbett) than central midfielder quality.

Goalkeeper

Code:


Keepers             Age   Wage    Value   Apps    Con   AvgR

Jon Masalin          23   $35 K   $1.6 M   32      34   6.44
Thomas Heaton        23  $100 K   $2.7 M   31  (1) 31   7.13
Casper Nelis         32   $35 K   $230 K    2       2   6.00

Season Review: It seems odd to think I am and have been concerned about this position, even though both of my regular starters turned in statistically stellar years. I just feel like I should have a real stud back here, and I’m not sure I do. Masalin had some of the best numbers in the league, but the poor rating and his embarrassing defensive lapses make me wonder if he really has a future as a top flight goalkeeper. Heaton is the guy I like, as he is steadier, stops just as many shots and he rates as highly as some of the best goalkeepers in the Premiership. He also doesn’t make mistakes like Masalin did, rarely getting caught out of position. I have already decided he will be the main starter, although I am unhappy at what that likely means for Masalin, who maybe makes dumb errors, but he seems like a good guy and is enthusiastic about his future with us. I don’t mind moving the idiots or bad attitudes—it’s harder when a guy has not onl done little to displease you, but he even rates among the better young players at his position. Nelis was just an emergency netminder, and his contract is about to run out. I don’t plan to bring him back and have already made noises about his possible replacements.

Offseason Outlook: I am still looking for a stud here. Costanzo, Kirkland, Howard, Casillas, who knows? Cech? His contract is running out and Chelsea doesn’t seem interested in bringing him back for whatever reason. Going after a guy like that is a luxury, though, because I think Heaton is ready. He has been unhappy for a year now about his limited role, and I am hoping a regular starting spot will brighten the guy up some. That continuing unhappiness and his slightly lesser goalkeeper ratings compared to Masalin are the only reasons I would consider replacing him. Masalin is in danger. I want to bring in a big name goalkeeper, and it doesn’t make sense to keep this many first team guys. Masalin’s move just makes sense in that respect. Obviously, considering my interest in Kasper Schmeichel and Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay, I am already looking for replacements for Nelis and possible competition with Heaton, should I not land a star here.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-29-2004, 06:49 PM

Overall Offseason Plan

I spoke of each position above what I plan to do, but I figure it would be a good idea to encapsulate things abit in a new post concentrated just for future reference.

First, I have to consider finances. Right now, I am $5 M under my wage budget and still have about $4 M left in the transfer fee account. The club has made a ton of money the past couple seasons, and is up to over $90 M--and that's before we get our television payment for next season, which is generally about $20 M.

With less than half that in the bank last year, we got a $24 M transfer fund account, so I am thinking I should get a gargantuan one this time around.

My guess is $35-40 M, maybe even more.

So I could go for some real stars, but I won't be able to get a look at my actual transfer account for next year for another couple weeks or so.

Transfer listing players is often a bad idea, given the emotional reactions that often can occur from that, so I will likely instead look to simply offer players to other teams and see if they bite. Prominent players likely to have this happen to them are Johnnier Montaño (already drawing offers), Giovánny Hernandez, Carl Motteram, Hermann Hreidarsson, Jon Otsemobor, Tieme Klompe, and Jon Masalin.

I will also likely look to see what interest I can drum up in long time loyal Lambs like Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Adam Wilde, Mark Hicks, Andy Williams and Jim Corbett.

I won't do this until the turn of the offseason, and the new transfer fund is announced, though, as it makes little sense to draw attention for these players now, when most teams don't have the money to buy them.

Obviously, my offseason, both how much I can spend and the targets (their level and their position) are both very dependent on who I move. Some guys I move will not need a replacement, but some others might call for one.

Here is a list of areas I expect to bring in players for:

1. Passing midfielder to serve as Pizarro's primary backup.
2. Attacking centreback (I need more depth at the shutdown defender spot, and would like to bring in a legit centreback star if I can find one).
3. Right back, preferably defensive (I need depth here, regardless, but I am hoping to get a defensive counterbalance to Gorman/Duff, who are more offensive-minded).
4. Reserve goalkeeping and maybe a top starter, too (I will look for a top notch goalkeeper, but I won't overpay for him).
5. Youth for the reserve teams (my reserves are largely older leftovers from the lower divisions and slow-developing former Tamworth FC Youth Academy products).

I have more or less decided to offer to bring back Cort and Duff, although I will be trying to bring them on "discounts" from their requested packages (both want close to $1 M per year).

I am already bringing in Mexican forward Emilio Mora from the Bundesliga. He figures to play a prominent reserve role in the central midfield and at the left forward position. I am currently pursuing young goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay, and am working on a Montaño deal which would bring back Derek Geary and Richard Wood.

And that's where things stand.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-30-2004, 03:49 AM

Tuesday, June 2 To Monday, June 8

The offseason has begun, even if the actual season change hasn't occurred yet. And that means transfer speculation and international play. Should be fun.

I will deal with the international play in its own post after this week. Europe returns to World Cup qualifying this weekend, and then play another round on June 10.

Start of the Transfer Window

We got official notice early on Tuesday that the 2009 close window has begun. English clubs will now be able to buy players until around about the end of August.

Motteram Hurt In Training

Hmmm...I thought this was a rest time for my players...

Winger Carl Motteram got tackled hard in an overloading exercise on Tuesday and fell hard to the ground. Unforutnately, his shoulder took the brunt of the damage. He suffered a fracture in his shoulder and will be sidelined from training for the next three weeks.

He might even be on another club by the time he heals.

Sheffiedl Wednesday Withdraw Bid On Montaño

I am guessing my offer was too high for them. They rejected the offer of Johnnier Montaño for fullback Derek Geary and centreback Richard Wood, much as I expected.

They also didn't wish to continue negotiations. I may make a money offer anyway--I was limited in what I could do with that exchange response offer, and it wasn't entirely what I wanted to do.

Third Division Promotion Final

On Tuesday, the final English league match of the 2008-09 season was played, once again at Wembley.

The Third Division is the only division in English football that has yet to determine its final promotion candidate.

Former First Division squad Reading took on seventh place Brentford, one spot behind them in the league table, in front of almost 60,000 supporters. Reading and Brentford scored 172 goals in 92 league matches, and were both among the top offensive squads in the Third Division.

Reading was just a year off of being relegated from the Second Division and still even had some of their old First Division talent. They struck first, with an 8th minute score by Mark Quigley. Veteran Canadian winger Jason Bent contributed another in the 32nd minute, lending new pressure on Brentford. They were unable to get shots past goalkeeper Ben Homer. Midfielder Paul Hammond finished off a dominating first half of Reading, with a stoppage time score just before halftime.

That first half would carry Reading through to the win, 3-0, even though they actually lost the shot battle (8-7). They just made good on their opportunities.

Reading returns to the Second Division, joining past promotees league champ Torquay, Burton Albion and Chester.

Boro Offer To Loan Hooper

On Wednesday I got an offer from First Division Middlesbrough to loan out burgeoning talent Mark Hooper for three months. I have never understood a club's willingness to loan a player at this point of time, when they will simply be training with the squad for two of the three months, before competitive matches actually begin in mid-August.

Still, unless I had a compelling reason, I would usually let little used or reserve players go on such loans, as I had no use for them myself, figured they could get better experience with those squads, and would also have their wages covered by those clubs during that time.

For Hooper, though, I have a compelling reason to keep him. It is my suspicion he will fit into a key backup role for my rightside forward on the first team this season. I want to keep him around not only for that, but to also work within our new tactic and with other first teamers.

So I turned the Boro down, despite my allegiance to them in real life.

Tamworth Sign Novotny

On Wednesday, our Bosman transfer of Inter Bratislava's promising winger Petr Novotny went through.

Novotny could quickly rise to the top of our U-19 squad and will not likely be long behind Hooper on the road up to the first team.

The 19-year-old Slovakian has high quality if not explosive speed, and is an all around physically powerful player. He is a smart player as well, and has the best ratings in areas I like for my entire team to be high, such as Teamwork and Work Rate. Most of his tehcnical skills are also in the double digits, but this is the area he needs to work on with the lower teams.

Also, as a nominal winger, Novotny doesn't fit directly into the current tactic, so I will have to say if he can handle a central midfield role. My intuition says yes--his all around talent is too good to stop him here.

Novotny appeared in 18 matches for Inter Bratislava, a top Slovak First Division club, posting one goal, three assists and a 6.67 rating in that time.

Derby Want Booth On Loan

Just hours after I turned down Boro's loan offer for Hooper, I got a similar offer from Derby in regards to winger Chris Booth.

Obviously, Booth is already an established first teamer, and one I expect to see play a key reserve role for us. So I turned down the loan offer.

I regularly get three or four loan offers for Booth every year.

Piacenza Bid On Montaño

At the same time I was negotiating an offer from Sheffield Wednesday for Montaño, I noticed that Serie A squad Piacenza was also interested. Obviously, moving the talented forward out of the Premiership would appeal to me, plus the Serie A is a rich league that is likely capable of buying Montaño outright, something I suspect a few of the Premiership squads would balk at. So days ago, I submitted a full value offer ($11.75 M) in return for Montaño.

On Thursday, I got a negotiation offer from the Italian team. They offered me a full $12 M for the forward. Much of it was deferred, though, with a $3 M up front payment, followed by $9 M doled out in 24 monthly payments across the next two years. They also offered a 20% return on Montaño's future transfer fees, which I also liked (the way these players move among rich clubs in Italy and Spain, I could get a very tidy return on that).

So despite the deferred nature of much of the deal, I agree to it and allow the Italian club to begin contract negotiations with the Colombian forward. It would be nice if all of my transfer moves this offseason are so simple (and crossing my fingers saying so doesn't jinx it).

Makabu Ma Kalambay Deal Falls Apart

On Thursday, our transfer offer for Chelsea's young goalkeeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay fell apart--as I planned.

It came up for finalization again on Thursday, after the agreed upon delay of a week had passed that I had requested. I again asked for a delay, and as expected, Chelsea grew furstrated with this and cancelled the transfer altogether.

All this was, though, was a ploy to secure the goalkeeper's signature for much cheaper. Makabu Ma Kalambay was on loan at Sheffield Wednesday until Wednesday (ugh, sorry for the double, it's the truth, though) and I was only able to negotiate directly with the player, currently available on a Bosman transfer, as his contract ends at the end of this month.

My offer was merely to keep the goalkeeper available through the end of his loan period, for once it ends, I can make a direct transfer offer to Chelsea for much less. Chelsea was only seeking about $20,000 for him, a drop in the bucket, but if I had bought Makabu Ma Kalambay, I would have owed Chelsea a full $1.7 M youth development fee.

After Chelsea pulled out of the Bosman transfer of the player, I submitted a new direct transfer offer to the Blues--for $20,000.

Sheffield Wednesday Say No To Montaño

Days after rejecting my exchange offer involving Montaño, the Owls more or less officially turned their back on an offer for the forward on Friday, turning down my straight money offer of $9 M in return for him.

It didn't surprise me that they did this--they showed they're not really prepared to commit to money for him (although I suspect that could change when the new transfer budgets are announced).

Fortunately, the Piacenza offer, which I have already accepted, gives me little reason to care at the moment that my demands may have outpriced the Owls.

Three Players Called Up For Confederations Cup

Even now, my international players are with their national squads, preparing for a fresh round of international play on Saturday.

So they probably found out from their national team managers before I did at the Lamb Ground, when three of them were officially requested to be present later in the month for the Confederations Cup.

The cup competition is an all around international tournament that brings in the various cup winners of the major continental tournaments in a sorta pseudo-world championship every two years (always in odd years so as not to run into those very same major tournaments or the World Cup).

As the defending World Cup champion, France gets an entry, as does Tamworth's Louis Saha with them. And Colombia is the host, meaning that Montaño and Giovanny Hernández will also be at the tournament. Montaño's last actions as a Tamworth Lamb will almost certainly be in service to his country at the Confederations Cup.

Pereplyotkin Resumes Full Training

At last!

Almost a full five months after breaking his leg, star Ukrainian striker Andrei Pereplyotkin is finally at full health, resuming regular training on Saturday.

His return to health is, unfortunately, too late to allow him to play with his native Ukraine's national team, although I am certain he will be back with them at the next round in September.

Pereplyotkin figures to be a key player on our frontlione, and might man the critical central target man spot in the middle of that front line. He was our leading goalscorer when he went down and, at 23, is a rising star.

Montaño Draws Offer From Reggina

The Montaño sweepstakes just got a bit juicier when Piacenza's league-mate Reggina weighed in on Saturday with a similar $12 M offer of their own for the services of the 26-year-old Colombian forward.

It was exactly the same as Piacenza's offer, so I accepted it and allowed the Serie A club access to Montaño to begin negotiations on a new deal.

I don't see any problems with leaving this one up to Montaño. Either one gets him off of the squad and out of England, and they provide insurance on one another that a deal will get done.

I am now certain Montaño will be leaving the club within a month.

Skinner Announces Retirement

On Monday, left back Justin Skinner announced his retirement again at the end of the season. This is actually something he has done before.

Skinner has done us good service in his time at the Lamb Ground, but I hope this isn't a case where he is essentially extending his stay for another year.

He is no longer a useful member of the squad, and just clogs the roster. So I hope his announcement is in reference to the end of this season--in the very near future.

Well, I suppose it matters little, though--his contract runs out at the end of June.

Schmeichel Accepts Offer, Rejects Man City

On Monday, we got big news when Man City's young reserve goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel accepted our offer over a contract extension from Manchester City.

The Danish goalkeeper said he was lookinmg forward to working with me, ehich is always nice to read.

The Bosman transfer, which will go through on July 1, will cost us $1.1 M in developmental fees for the goalkeeper.

Schmeichel, 22, has played very little on the Manchester City first team the past couple years, but in the 2006-07 season, he went on a terrific run as a fill in, allowing just nine goals in 12 matches, and putting up seven clean sheets. He has been capped with Denmark's Under-21 team, but has yet to be invited to the big squad.

Schmeichel has some excellent ratings in several key goalkeeping area. Physically, he is near elite, with 19 Agility, and is all around a top physical player. He can't get any better with One-on-Ones (20), and he is both commanding (18) and a good communicator (18) with his backline. He also has just a 2 for Eccentricity, which is nice--this isn't a position I necessarily like a player to take risks.

He has just two skills under 15 in the goalkeeping technical skills, with a 14 Aerial Ability and 12 in Tendency To Punch.

Schmeichel speaks five languages (if you care, I thought it was sorta neat). He was also drawing interest from Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, and Córdoba, Racing Santander and Levante in the Primera Liga, in addition to ourselves and his original employers Man City.

Schmeichel was a product of Manchester City's youth system, first playing professional football in 2002-03.

At this point in time, I expect Schmeichel to be Thomas Heaton's primary reserve, with Jon Masalin being shipped out. If I get a big name goalkeeper, there is a chance Schmeichel will drop to the reserve team, although I don't think he will be happy about that. Shhhh...don't tell him.

Montaño Saga Ends

The week came to a big end on Monday when Montaño finally decided his future post-Tamworth.

The midfielder-forward came to an agreement with Piacenza, turning down a contract offer from Reggina. The $12 M transfer will officially go through on July 1, with, I assume, $3 M plus the first $375,000 monthly payment, which will continue for two years.

The 26-year-old Colombian international will now leave for the Serie A. I wish him well, but I am not unhappy to see him gone. I also think I negotiated a pretty good deal for him, although I would have preferred to get more upfront money.

League News

There was, of course, a round of transfer signings and speculation this week from various clubs in the Premiership.

Touré, Lauth Deals Officially Go Through

With Tuesday's opening of the transfer window, Arsenal defender Kolo Abib Touré and HSV striker Benjamin Lauth officially changed addresses.

Touré went from the Gunners to Fulham for $5 M, while Lauth drew an amazing $11.25 M from Nottingham Forest.

Touré, of course, was a target we went after ourselves, but we got in too late, thanks to the loan fee the Cottagers negotiated with Arsenal on Touré's stint with them this year.

The 28-year-old Ivorian defender appeared in 17 matches with Premiership squads last year, with 13 of them coming with Fulham in the last few months of the season. He put up a 6.76 rating in those appearances.

Lauth, 27, should help the offensively-starved Reds on the frontline, although he's going to have to do better than he did on his atrocious loan period with the club (1 G, 5.43 rat in 14 apps). They must have seen something they liekd in his play, or believe he will acclimate himself to the English game, considering they dropped a ton of cash on him, and then signed him to a deal ($2.1 M per annum) that outpaces every player on my roster (not that that is really all that hard to do).

Lauth may not have done well for the Reds in his half-season loan, but he did score 31 goals with HSV in the previous one-and-a-half seasons.

Wolves Sign Stewart

Wolverhampton is looking to the holdover squads to raise up its wing group to Premiership standards. On Thursday, the club successfully negotiated a Bosman transfer for Leicester winger Jordan Stewart.

The longtime Fox was a key component of the club's First Division squad in 2006-07, helping them climb right back into the Premiership after one year on the drop. The 27-year-old winger had seven goals and 10 assists in that First Division championship season, but he has seen his role drop sharply since the club returned to the top flight.

In the Foxes' first year back, Stewart appeared in just over one-third of the matches he was a part of the year before, although he posted a respectable 7.05 rating. This past season, though, he was confined to the reserve squad and never appeared with the first team.

Stewart was frustrated as a reserve, and will likely look to get first team football with the Wolves.

The deal will go through on July 1, a day after Stewart's current contract with Leicester runs out.

Tottenham Looking To Move Slabber

In response to interest from Leicester, Tottenham boss Eddie Gray told reporters he is ready to sell 24-year-old striker Jamie Slabber.

Slabber is not a high profile move at this point, although he has valued decently high ($4.6 M). I don't have him scouted, so I don't know how good he rates.

He hasn't exactly lit the world on fire in limited appearances with the Spurs. Last season, Slabber scored one goal in ten appearances, only one of which was a start. He put up a 6.70 rating. He did do a bit better the previous year, with two goals in three appearances in 2007-08.

Liverpool Make Offer On Ward

Despite the warning of Limerick manager Michael Kerley, the Reds submitted a free transfer offer for the club's star defender David Ward on Saturday.

It's likely the offer included a percentage return on future transfer fees, since I can't see Limerick being interested in a straight free, especially from a club with Liverpool's resources.

As I noted when Kerley issued his hands off warning last week, Ward had been a very strong player for the Irish Premier Division club. The 21-year-old Ireland Under-21 youth international has been a dominating force for Limerick since he was 16, starting 26 matches in 2004. He hasn't ever had less than a 7.41 rating for Limerick,a nd in their first year at Ireland's top level, he is putting up a career-high 8.00 rating in 10 matches.

In fact, it's good enough that, even without scouting, I am interested myself. I submitted a full value offer of $65,000 shortly after hearing of Liverpool's offer.

The matter was still unresolved by the end of the week.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 04:10 AM

Non-World Cup Qualifying International Play

With China 2010 just a calendar year away, most continental associations are deep into qualifying, with Asia, Europe and South America all conducting qualifying matches in and around June 6-10.

That said, there are international competitions going on this summer. The ongoing African Cup of Nations qualifying resumes this week, with a round of matches on June 3. The Confederations Cup featuring the major cup winners of the past couple years will be conducted in Colombia from June 17-28. And the CONCACAF Gold Cup will be held from July 10-25.

Here is a rundown or table aetting for these competitions.

African Cup Of Nations Qualifying

This is a competition we have already talked some about. The June 3 matches are a resumption of the fixture that has been delayed since late January. Africa is the only continent which schedules a major cup competition in the same year as the World Cup, and holds its qualifying for both at the same time.

This is the fourth round of the qualifying fixture. Every three or four team group plays home-and-homes with its respective two or three fellow group members, and the group champion moves on to the actual cup competition. There are 13 groups.

Here is what happened in the June 3 matches, by group.

Group A

Table going into matches: Angola 9, Congo 3, Niger 3, Djibouti 3

Niger 3, Djibouti 1
Angola 3, Congo 1

New table: Angola 12, Niger 6, Congo 3, Djibouti 3

Angola is the 34th-ranked national squad by FIFA, so their sweep of their first four matches is no surprise here. They can clinch a spot in the next round with a draw or point in either of the two remaining matches.

Group B

Table going into matches: Togo 9, Algeria 6, Sudan 3, Equatorial Guinea 0

Equatorial Guinea 0, Sudan 0
Togo 1, Algeria 1

New table: Togo 10, Algeria 7, Sudan 4, Equatorial Guinea 1

Togo and Algeria are the two big names here, and their match was a pivotal one for this group. Both nations are ranked by FIFA in the 40s, with Algeria at 40 and Togo at 42. They didn't decide much here, though, drawing to maintain the group status quo.

Group C

Table going into matches: Mali 9, Zambia 6, Malawai 3, Chad 0

Mali 4, Malawi 0
Zambia 3, Chad 2

New table: Mali 12, Zambia 9, Malawi 3, Chad 0

Not surprisingly, 58th-ranked Mali is dominating on its way to the top of this group. Zambia is now slouch, though, at 96th, and putting on the heat. They nearly dropped the ball, though, before escaping from lowly Chad with a close win.

Group D

Table going into matches: Zimbabwe 9, Egypt 6, Guinea-Bissau 3, Lesotho 0

Guniea-Bissau 4, Lesotho 1
Zimbabwe 2, Egypt 0

New table: Zimbabwe 12, Egypt 6, Guinea-Bissau 6, Lesotho 0

Egypt, the highest-ranked squad at 50, squandered a chance to catch 61st-ranked Zimbabwe this round, losing on the road. The key win puts Zimbabwe on the edge of qualifying for the next round with a point in any of the next two matches.

Group E

Table going into matches: Ghana 9, Burkina Faso 6, Tanzania 3, Central African Republic 0

Ghana 4, Central African Republic 0
Burkina Faso 2, Tanzania 1

New table: Ghana 12, Burkina Faso 9, Tanzania 3, Central African Republic 0

Ghana is one of the top squads in Africa, at 17th overall in the world, but they are having trouble putting away 51st-ranked Burkina Faso. Both squads won to keep the race for the group's top spot tight.

Group F

Table going into matches: Cameroon 6, Namibia 6, Republic of Congo 6, Somalia 0

Namibia 2, Somalia 0
Republic of Congo 0, Cameroon 0

New table: Namibia 9, Cameroon 7, Republic of Congo 7, Somalia 0

Cameroon is one of two African nations in the world's top ten, at 10th overall. So drawing with the Repiublic of Congo (a respectable 67th itself) and falling into a tie for second behind unexpected group leader Namibia was not result they were looking for. This group should be an intriguing one to watch down the stretch.

Group G

Table going into matches: Tunisia 9, Mozambique 6, Libya 3, Eritrea 0

Tunisia 3, Mozambique 0
Libya 4, Eritrea 0

New table: Tunisia 12, Mozambique 6, Libya 6, Eritrea 0

Libya and Mozambique are both in the world's top 100 (89 and 92, respectively), but Mozambique's loss to Tunisia might remove both from moving around. That said, it's not much of a surprise, given that Tunisia itself is one of the better non-top 100 national squads on the continent.

Group H

Table going into matches: South Africa 9, Rwanda 6, Gabon 3, Burundi 0

Rwanda 3, Gabon 1
South Africa 4, Burundi 0

New table: South Africa 12, Rwanda 9, Gabon 3, Burundi 0

The South Africans are one of the better squads in Africa, at 26th overall, and their pasting of lowly Burundi at home was no shocker. 91st-ranked Rwanda, though, kept the pressure up by beating Gabon. They remain within shot of the South Africans for the group title.

Group I

Table going into matches: Nigeria 7, Sierra Leone 6, Uganda 4, Swaziland 0

Sierra Leone 3, Swaziland 1
Nigeria 3, Uganda 0

New table: Nigeria 10, Sierra Leone 9, Uganda 4, Swaziland 0

Nigeria comes into this competition as the best squad in Africa, 6th overall in the world, but they are getting a test from 45th-ranked Sierra Leone. The latter national squad beat Swaziland on the road to stay with Nigeria, which beat a Uganda squad that itself was in range of second in the group.

Tamworth's Yakubu starred, scoring two very late goals and capturing the Man of the Match to lead his compatriots to victory. Yakubu is the only African international player currently playing for the Lambs.

Group J

Table going into matches: Ivory Coast 7, Guinea 7, Gambia 3, Botswana 0

Guinea 2, Gambia 0
Ivory Coast 5, Botswana 0

New table: Ivory Coast 10, Guinea 10, Gambia 3, Botswana 0

A tight battle between the top-100 ranked squads continues. Ivory Coast, at 22nd overall, came in as the favorite and dealt the expected thrashing to Botswana. Guinea, at 65th, continued to match the Ivorians step-for-step, though, in beating Gambia.

Group K

Table going into matches: Liberia 6, Ethiopia 3, Mauritius 0

Liberia 4, Mauritius 0

New table: Liberia 9, Ethiopia 3, Mauritius 0

Liberia, as the only ranked squad in the group, has jumped out to a big lead with its defeat of lowly Mauritius. Ethiopia has a wall to climb to catch the 47th-best squad in the world, but they have also played one less match than the Liberians.

Group L

Table going into matches: Cape Verde 4, Benin 3, Mauritania 1

Cape Verde 2, Mauritania 0

New table: Cape Verde 7, Benin 3, Mauritania 1

Cape Verde took a strong lead in the group, and likely dashed the hopes of Mauritania by winning this one. Benin, like Ethiopia in Group K, still has a strong shot at it, though, as they have played one less match than the group leader.

Group M

Table going into matches: Kenya 6, Madagascar 3, Seychelles 0

Seychelles 1, Madagascar 1

New table: Kenya 6, Madagascar 4, Seychelles 1

Madagascar faced a tough test in trying to keep up with 52nd-ranked Kenya, and it did itself no favors by drawing with Seychelles in this round. They needed this win to stay with Kenya, and now the top ranked squad has both the group lead and a game advantage on its competition.

Confederations Cup

The eight-team Confederations Cup brings together the six continental cup winners, the previous Confederations Cup champion, and the host of the event every two years. Starting on June 17, two four-squad groups will begin three-match fixtures, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the competition semfinals. The final will be held on June 28.

The first group has 5th-ranked Gold Cup winner United States, 7th-ranked Copa America champ Argentina, 16th-ranked Asian Cup holder China and host Colombia--the third-ranked squad in the world (and, stunningly, the only one without any international silverware in the last couple years).

The second group has 2nd-ranked Confederations and World cups holder France, 9th-ranked OFC Nations Cup winner Australia, 12th-ranked African Cup of Nations champion Senegal and surprising Euro 2008 champion Croatia, currently ranked 21st in the world.

CONCACAF Gold Cup

One month after its previous champion participates in the Confederations Cup, the Confederation of North and Central American Football will host its Gold Cup in the United States.

The tournament adds top-ranked Brazil and 11th-ranked South Korea to round out a field that includes ten North and Central American, and Carribean nations. Among other notable squads will be 5th-ranked United States, 8th-ranked Mexico, and 49th-ranked Canada. The most notable absence is that of 22nd-ranked Trinidan & Tobaggo, one of the surprise darlings of Germany 2006.

Two squads will come out of each of four three-nation groups and entered into a quarterfinal, with matches starting on July 10. The final will be played on July 25.

The world's most powerful squad, Brazil, headlines Group One, which includes 87th-ranked Costa Rica and the British Virgin Islands.

The other extra-regional entry, South Korea, is the favorite from Group Two. Their big test will come from 74th-ranked Honduras, with the Bahamas rounding out the group.

The 5th-ranked Gold Cup holders and hosts Americans lead Group Three. They should win through easily here, as neither of their opponents, El Salvador and Anguilla, are in the world Top 100 (although the Salvadorans are just outside, at 110th).

Group Four may have the best matchup, with the powerful Mexican squad likely coming head-to-head with the 49th-ranked Canada. Central Amrican squad Belize could get caught in the middle of this battle.

CR

Alf · 08-31-2004, 04:29 AM

CR in the Confederation Cup you have Senegal as champion of both Africa (correct) and Asia (wrong)

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 05:19 AM

World Cup Qualifying, Africa

There were no matches in Africa's qualifying for China 2010 in the past week, but there have been two more rounds played since the last update of international play.

Five groups of five squads are currently in the midst of an eight-match, round-robin fixture. The top squad in each group will earn a spot at China 2010.

Matches were played on April 18 and May 2, giving most squads their fifth and sixth matches of the fixture.

Group One

Table two rounds ago: Senegal 10, Cameroon 9, Egypt 6, Sierra Leone 2, Guinea 1

April 18

Senegal 2, Sierra Leone 0
Cameroon 3, Guinea 1

May 2

Sierra Leone 2, Guinea 2
Egypt 3, Senegal 0

Table now: Senegal 13, Cameroon 12, Egypt 9, Sierra Leone 3, Guinea 2

Senegal and Cameroon are easily the top two squads in this group, with Egypt a respectable third as a past traditional power. Things kept to form in the first round, with both Senegal and Cameroon proceeding to easy victories. The second round, though, featured what could be a group-changing match. Egypt shocked Senegal on the road, 3-0. Not only does thrust the Egyptians back into the picture, but it allowed idle Cameroon to remain just a point behind Senegal with match in hand. Since Egypt also has a match in hand on the group leader, this should be a tight group to the end.

Group Two

Table two rounds ago: South Africa 12, Zimbabwe 7, Angola 5, Algeria 3, Kenya 1

April 18

South Africa 6, Zimbabwe 0
Algeria 2, Kenya 1

May 2

Zimbabwe 4, Kenya 0
Angola 1, South Africa 1

Table now: South Africa 16, Zimbabwe 10, Algeria 6, Angola 6, Kenya 1

South Africa very nearly have clinched a spot at China 2010 by crushing its closest competitor in surprising Zimbabwe. Algeria and Angola actually entered the tournament as South Africa's closest likely challengers, but they have underachieved their way to distant third ro fourth place spots. Even with a match each in had on South Africa and Zimbabwe, only a miracle would get them back in this one.

Group Three

Table two rounds ago: Ivory Coast 10, Nigeria 8, Liberia 4, Guinea-Bissau 3, Togo 2

April 18

Nigeria 2, Togo 0
Guinea-Bissau 1, Liberia 1

May 2

Ivory Coast 2, Guinea-Bissau 1
Nigeria 3, Liberia 1

Table now: Nigeria 14, Ivory Coast 13, Liberia 5, Guinea-Bissau 4, Togo 2

Nigeria's two strong wins have propelled the top squad in Africa to the top of this group. They still have a long way to go, though, with just a single point lead over another strong team in Ivory Coast. The Ivorians also have a match in hadn on Nigeria. Togo came in as the third-highest ranked squad in the group, but they continue to be a big disappointment. This one is definitely down to a two-squad race.

Tamworth's Yakubu started up front for Nigeria in both of their matches and was a key contributor to their victories. He scored a goal in each match, and his 9 rating in the Liberia match earned him the Man of the Match. Yakubu is the only Lamb playing in African international play.

Group Four

Table two rounds ago: Tunisia 12, Ghana 9, Libya 6, Rwanda 3, Gambia 0

April 18

Tunisia 3, Rwanda 1
Libya 2, Gambia 0

May 2

Tunisia 3, Libya 0
Ghana 4, Rwanda 1

Table now: Tunisia 18, Ghana 12, Libya 9, Rwanda 3, Gambia 0

Tunisia entered recent international competition as a lower end squad, but their performance in both the African Cup of Nations and World Cup Qualifying is beginning to turn some heads. They beat two top 100 world squads in Rwanda and Libya to extend their lead here. It's not over by a far cry, though--17th-ranked Ghana is still within reach and has played one less match than the Tunisians. They have a mountain to climb, though.

Group Five

Table two rounds ago:

April 18

Morocco 6, Namibia 0
Malawi 2, Cape Verde 1

May 2

Namibia 2, Malawi 2
Morocco 3, Equatorial Guinea 0

Table now: Morocco 18, Cape Verde 7, Malawi 6, Namibia 5, Equatorial Guinea 3

Morocco, one of the best squads in Africa at 14th-ranked in the world, was handed one of the easiest qualifying groups in history, with not one other top 100 team in their group. Not surprisingly, Morocco swept through the first six matches of their fixture, and the others beat up on each other, allowing the North African nation to become the first country to claim a spot in China 2010. China, as host, is the only other nation currently assured of entry to football's greatest international tournament.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alf

CR in the Confederation Cup you have Senegal as champion of both Africa (correct) and Asia (wrong)

What? You mean Senegal, a West African nation, doesn't compete in Asia?!?

Sorry about that. When I originally typed it out, I accidentally stuck Senegal in the wrong group and went back and fixed the reference. Unfortunately, I musta had a brainfart and forgot to change the actual name of the nation that won the Asian Cup.

I edited it to correctly reflect China as the Asian Cup holder and entry to that group.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 06:32 AM

World Cup Qualifying, Asia

Asia was the last continent to kick off its qualifying for the World Cup. Amazingly, the Asia's federation fits in two rounds of group fixtures, followed by two rounds of playoffs in just seven months to determine its entrants to China 2010. China itself, of course, as the host, is not participating, but 39 other Asian nations are, stretching from North Korea to Guam to Lebanon.

The first round, with ten groups of mostly four teams each, began their group fixtures on May 3 and run through June 21. The top nation in each group advances to the next round, which commences in September.

Here is a look at those Asian countries currently ranked in the FIFA's World Top 100:

11. South Korea
16. China PR
23. Saudi Arabia
25. Iran
38. Iraq
57. Qatar
62. India
63. Uzbekistan
66. Japan
80. Kuwait
86. Jordan
88. Indonesia
90. Thailand

In the space of a month, all ten groups have already played four sets of matches, and are deep into the first round. On June 7, they play their fifth set. Here's a look at how it has played out so far.

Group One

Table going into June 7: Saudi Arabia 12, Lebanon 9, Nepal 3, Laos 0

June 7 Results

Lebanon 4, Laos 0
Saudi Arabia 5, Nepal 0

Table now: Saudi Arabia 15, Lebanon 12, Nepal 3, Laos 0

From the very beginning, you knew this one would come down to powerful Saudi Arabia and upstart Lebanon, whihc resides just outside of the World Top 100. Saudi Arabia edged out Lebanon at home, 2-1, on May 24. This one will likely come down to those two squads meeting in Lebanon on June 21.

Group Two

Table going into June 7: Hong Kong 12, Bahrain 9, Indonesia 3, Bangladesh 0

June 7 Results

Bahrain 3, Bangladesh 0
Hong Kong 2, Indonesia 2

Table now: Hong Kong 13, Bahrain 12, Indonesia 4, Bangladesh 0

Perhaps eyeing the chance to compete for the World Cup in Hong Kong's sovereign China, the little Chinese island is making a run at the next round. By drawing with the highest-ranked squad in Indonesia, the Hong Kong team has maintained its lead over Bahrain, a tough squad that is just outside the World Top 100. In fact, Hong Kong's draw was the first match they have lost in this round so far. Indonesia has been a big disappointment.

Group Three

Table going into June 7: Thaliand 10, Japan 8, Maldives 4, Chinese Taipei 0

June 7 Results

Chinese Taipei 1, Maldives 0
Japan 5, Thailand 1

Table now: Japan 11, Thailand 10, Maldives 4, Chinese Taipei 3

Japan entered as one of the continent's better squads, but they were looking up at another solid squad in Thailand before dominating them at home in the most recent round of matches. This is clearly going to come down the wire between these two squads, but Thailand is going to have to hope one of the other squads can beat or draw Japan, because they have already exhausted their two shots at the 66th-ranked squad.

Group Four

Table going into June 7: India 12, South Korea 6, North Korea 4, Macau 1

June 7 Results

India 4, Macau 0
North Korea 2, South Korea 0

Table now: India 15, North Korea 7, South Korea 6, Macau 1

Which glutton for punishmentr put this group together? Hey, let's lump to the sides of a divided country together, and throw them into a group with 62nd-ranked India. All they needed to do was replace Macau with Pakistan, and this one would have been fought with nukes. What it really is, though, as the scene of powerful South Korea's exit from contention for a spot in China 2010. Not only is Asia's top squad failing to stay with undefeated India, they aren't even beating their rival countrymen to the north, including a 2-0 loss in the latest round. India has clinched a spot in the next round of qualifying.

Group Five

Table going into June 7: Kuwait 8, Qatar 7, Singapore 6, Mongolia 1

June 7 Results

Qatar 2, Kuwait 1
Singapore 3, Mongolia 1

Table now: Qatar 10, Singapore 9, Kuwait 8, Mongolia 1

This might be the group of little countries (and Mongolia), but they play big on the pitch (and strangely enough, Mongolia plays small). Qatar is one of the better squads in Asia, at 57th-ranked in the world, and their close 2-1 win over 80th-ranked Kuwait gives them the edge now. Still, Kuwait is right there with eight points, and so is a solid squad in Singapore, in between Qatar and Kuwait. This should go down to the wire.

Group Six

Table going into June 7: United Arab Emirates 12, Jordan 6, Malaysia 4, Cambodia 1

June 7 Results

Jordan 5, Cambodia 1
United Arab Emirates 1, Malaysia 0

Table now: United Arab Emirates 15, Jordan 9, Malaysia 4, Cambodia 1

Jordan came in as the highest-regarded team in this group, but United Arab Emirates has proven to be too tough. They have won all five of their matches, including two 3-0 wins over Jordan, to clinch a spot in the next round.

Group Seven

Table going into June 7: Tajikstan 10, Uzbekistan 10, Kyrgyzstan 3, Myanmar 0

June 7 Results

Myanmar 4, Kyrgyzstan 0
Tajikstan 3, Uzbekistan 2

Table now: Tajikstan 13, Uzbekistan 10, Myanmar 3, Kyrgyzstan 3

Myanmar? Turkmenistan needs to be in the 'Stan group. Uzbekistan is the top 100 squad here, but Tajikstan was just outside of it, and won the showdown in this past round to take the group lead. The two clubs drew, 2-2, in Tajikstan, so the Tajiks' one-goal win over the Uzbeks on the road this round could be the difference here.

Group Eight

Table going into June 7: Iran 10, Oman 10, Vietnam 1, Phillipines 1

June 7 Results

Iran 4, Oman 0
Vietnam 2, Phillipines 1

Table now: Iran 13, Oman 10, Vietnam 4, Phillipines 1

Iran is one of the top squads in the world, and not just Asia. Nevertheless, they found themselves in a tight fight with Oman. In this past round, the Iranians finally put an exclamation on their claim to the group lead, soundly beating Oman at home.

Group Nine

Table going into June 7: Iraq 12, Syria 5, Yemen 3, Bhutan 1

June 7 Results

Iraq 2, Syria 0
Yemen 2, Bhutan 2

Table now: Iraq 15, Syria 5, Yemen 4, Bhutan 2

Iraq was clearly the best squad in this group, with only Syria seeming likely to challenge them. The Iraq squad put an end to that in the last fixture, beating Syria 2-0 to clinch a spot in the next round.

Group Ten

Table going into June 7: Palestine 9, Turkmenistan 3, Guam 0

June 7 Results

Turkmenistan 3, Guam 1

Table now: Palestine 9, Turkmenistan 6, Guam 0

While Turkmenistan has only gotten points from wins over weak little Guam, this one is going to come down to a tough one at the end. Palestine just edged out Turkmenistan at home, 1-0, and now has to go to Turkmenistan and beat them there to ensure advancing to the next round.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 06:49 AM

World Cup Qualifying, CONCACAF & Oceania

Both CONCACAF and the Oceania region are in their regional finals, each with six squads entered. CONCACAF will send the top four in their field to China 2010, while the weaker Oceania will send just one.

CONCACAF

The North and Central American, and Carribean footballing nations complete their qualifying with a ten-match round-robin fixture, and they are currently four rounds into it.

Only one round has been played since the last update in late March.

April 19 Results

Jamaica 4, Honduras 1
United States 2, Guatemala 1
Haiti 0, Mexico 0

This was a round of surprises. Jamaica not only beat Honduras on the road, they dominated them. The United States had unusual trouble with Guatemala before putting them away on the road. And then little Haiti shocked powerful Mexico by drawing them at home.

Table now: United States 10, Mexico 8, Jamaica 6, Guatemala 4, Honduras 4, Haiti 1

As expected, the United States and Mexico are leading the group, and are generally expected to easily sweep to spots art China 2010. If so, that leaves two other tightly-contested spots for everyone else, with the probable exception of little Haiti (short of a continuing miracle run).

Oceania

Like CONCACAF, the Oceania region has six nations competing for a spot in CHina 2010, but this time only one country will get in.

Prior to this week, the region had not played an international round since May 28. Two rounds of their ten-match fixture were played on June 6 and June 10, bringing them up to six matches played each. Here is what happened:

Table going into matches:

June 6 Results

New Zealand 2, Tahiti 0
Tonga 0, Solomon Islands 0
Cook Islands 3, Australia 2

June 10 Results

New Zealand 2, Cook Islands 2
Tonga 1, Tahiti 0
Australia 3, Solomon Islands 1

Table now: Australia 15, New Zealand 10, Cook Islands 10, Tonga 8, Solomon Islands 7, Tahiti 1

Let's face it, the story of the last week has been not-so-dimunitve Cook Islands. They stunned Australia at hoem, 3-2, and then drew New Zealand on the road. That allowed them to catch New Zealdn and keep Australia from running away with it. That said, the strong Aussies still have a commanding lead at this point.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 07:50 AM

World Cup Qualifying, South America

While Asia has the shortest qualifying, South America has the longest. With ten nations entered into their federation, South America plays a full round-robin fixture between all of the countries, an 18-match schedule played out over almost three years.

After their last round, on April 1, South America's World Cup Qualifying had played 13 of their 18 matches. They met again on June 6 and June 10, bringing them within sight of the end of their fixtures.

Setting The Table

After the April 1 matches, there were four clear leaders in the table, with the fifth spot being a tightly contested one with several contenders.

Colombia and Argentina, both top ten world squads, lead the continent with 29 points. Powerful Brazil and upstart Peru are right behind them with 26 points apiece. All four squads are virtually assured of spots in China 2010 at this point.

Uruguay currently has a hold on that pivotal fifth spot, with 17 points. But they have some company. Ecuador is right behind them with 16 points. Paraguay is in range of a win of catching Ecuador, with 13 points, and Chile and Venezuela are just behind them with 12 points. Only 5-point Bolivia is pretty much out of it.

Tamworth is represented by three players here, all midfielders. Johnnier Montaño and Giovanny Hernández play (and usually start) for Colombia, while David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro plays a key role with Chile.

June 6

The top two remaining contenders for that last spot don't get breaks today. Fifth-place Uruguay goes to Argentina, while Ecuador plays Brazil on the road. Chile will have to overcome Peru to continue their attempt to stay within sight of the bottom spot, while Vanezuela and Paraguay play a winner stays in, loser likely falls out match. Colombia rounds it out with a likely easy round match against cellar-dwelling Bolivia.

Argentina proved to be too much for Uruguay, 2-1. Boca forward Carlos Tevez scored both goals for Argentina, including a tie-breaker in the 71st minute. Uruguay was handcapped in its comeback attempts by the 82nd minute send off of Peñarol defender José Oscar Herrera.

That gave Ecuador a chance to move past the Uruguayans if they could beat Brazil on the road. As unlikely as that might have seemed, the Ecuadorans brought their A game to this one. Geel striker César Tenorio scored early on, and then Emelec's netminder Daniel Viteri made it stand up, shutting out the potent Brazilians to prove the one-goal victory.

So Ecuador moves up to 19 points, two ahead of Uruguay, and into fifth.

Chile didn't get the win it needed, but it did get a morale boost from drawing with Peru on the road, 2-2. It proved to be an agonizing draw, though, with how close they came to victory. Santiago Wanderers veteran goalkeeper Alex Varas misplayed a pickup and accidentally sent the ball into his own net for the equalising own goal in the 82nd minute. Pizarro started and put up a 7 rating.

Venezuela went into Paraguay and came out a 2-1 winner in a key match of two squads on the fringe. Venezuela got two goals in four minutes from Atlante's striker Daniel Rivero in the second half, including a 68th minute go ahead penalty. The tallies wrapped around a 65th minute goal by Paraguay's famous FC Bayern striker Roque Santa Cruz, who quickly brought his nation even after Rivero's first strike.

As expected, Colombia manhandled Bolivia, 3-0. Tamworth's Montaño scored a late goal to cap the scoring, and had an 8 rating, and an assist as well. Hernández started on the wing and put up a 7 rating.

The wins by Argentina and Colombia, combined with Uruguay's loss, clinched two spots for the South American powers in China 2010. The two nations become the third and fourth countries to earn entry to the competition, after host China and Africa's Morocco.

Both Colombia and Argentina have 32 points. Peru is third with 27 points, followed by Brazil, underachieving a little with 26 points. Ecuador is fifth with 19 points, two up on Uruguay. Venezuela leaped up to seventh with 15 points, while Chile drew level with Paraguay in eighth with 13 points. Bolivia still has five points.

June 10

Ecuador gets to defend its newfound fifth-place spot with a home match against Colombia, while Uruguay tries to keep up in a tough road match against Peru. Venezuela, on the fringe, gets a good shot at climbing back into it if both of the midtable squads lose, as the Venezuelans visit weak Bolivia. Argentina will try to warm up for China 2010 with a match at home against desperate Paraguay, while Brazil tries to finally clinch its spot by holding up at home against Chile.

It couldn't have played out better for Venezuela. As expected, they pounded Bolivia, 3-0. Both Ecuador and Uruguay lost their tough matches.

Ecuador has to be kicking themselves. They had a one goal lead going into the final 15 minutes, but they allowed an equaliser to Lens forward Oscar Eduardo Villareal. Then, after Alavés forward Luis Moreira was sent off in the 81st minute, they allowed Villareal to score again at the death. It was an agonizing loss for Ecuador, which could have taken a commanding lead for the fifth playoff spot. Montaño had a poor match, with a 6 rating, for Colombia, while Hernández rated another 7 from the wing.

Uruguay had the chance, then, to regain their fifth place spot. They ran into a tough Peru squad at home, though. FC Bayern's Claudio Pizarro scored almost right off of the kickoff, and then added another in the 25th minute to lead the Peruvians to both a 3-0 victory, and to a clinched spot in China.

Venezuela's win vaulted them past Uruguay and into sxith with 18 points, just one behind Ecuador. Uruguay is just behind Venezuela with 17 points.

Brazil's strange offensive problems continue, as they draw at home with Chile, 0-0, and fail again to clinch that fourth spot to China. Tamworth's David Pizarro had a 7 rating for Chile in the match.

Argentina and Paraguay played to a 1-1 draw, meaning little to Argentina and hurting Paraguay's chances at playing their way back into it.

Table After 15 Matches

Here is the table with three matches left for each squad, and three spots in China already locked up. The clinched spots are bolded, while the top two contenders for the last spots are asterisked.

Colombia 35 (+24 GD)
Argentina 33 (+12 GD)
Peru 30 (+15 GD)
*Brazil 27 (+15 GD)
* Ecuador 19 (-4 GD)
Venezuela 18 (-10 GD)
Uruguay 17 (-12 GD)
Chile 14 (-2 GD)
Paraguay 14 (-2 GD)
Bolivia 5 (-25 GD)

The remaining South American fixtures will be played on September 5, October 10 and October 14.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 07:39 PM

World Cup Qualifying, Europe

Along with qualifying and international competition all around the world, of course, Europe was also involved in their qualifying for China 2010. They played two rounds during this stretch, on June 6 and June 10. Going into this action most squads have completed half of their ten-match fixtures (the few that haven't are in smaller groups with eight-match fixtures).

We had several players involved.

Setting The Table

Here's a quick look at the tables of the nine groups.

Group One

Table: Scotland 11, Ukraine 10, Hungary 9, Spain 7, Cyprus 4, Malta 0

Spain is the power here, but they also have a rich history of underachievement. That would seem to continue to be the case here. This is a very tight group still, and any of the top four squads could still take it.

The big match on June 6 is Spain hosting the Ukraine with a chance to leap back up into contention. Then all four top squads meet in a showdown on June 10, with Spain travelling to group leader Scotland, and the Ukraine hosting Hungary.

Group Two

Table: Croatia 13, Greece 9, Albania 8, Luxembourg 6, Czech Republic 5, Kazakhstan 1

Euro 2008 champion Croatia is showing that wasn't a fluke win with their strong showing here so far. Right now, Greece and Albania finish off a Balkans region-heavy battle for the second spot. Dangerous Czech Republic still lurks in the shadows.

The big June 6 match will come between Croatia and Albania. Croatia can virtually put away at least a playoff spot, if not an outright CHina 2010 bid, with a win in this one. The Czech Republic may get just one more chance to sneak back into contention when they go to Greece on June 10.

Group Three

Table: Ireland 13, Portugal 9, Norway 8, Faroe Islands 7, Wales 4, Latvia 1

I'm not sure what the bigger sotry is, Ireland's surprsiing rush out ahead in this group, or Faroe Islands stunning rise to within reach of a second place spot. Norway came in as a favorite, but have underachieved a bit. Ireland looks likely to get in now, but the fight for the second place spot could be bitter.

The first round of matches on June 6 could be big, with Ireland facing off with their kinsmen Welsh, whom have underachieved to a very low run in this group so far, and Portugal can become a legit threat with a win on the road over the Faroe Islands--or vice versa. Depending on what happens in that first round, Ireland travelling to the Faroe Islands could be big, as could Wales travelling to Norway.

Group Four

Table: Italy 13, Bulgaria 12, FYR of Macedonia 9, Moldova 6, Liechtenstein 3, Sweden 1

Italy leading this one, with Bulgaria contending, is about what one might expect. Sweden in dead last, behind even little Liechtenstein, is not. Macedonia is going to need to keep up the pressure to ensure this isn't a run away for the Italians and Bulgarians.

They will get their first big chance on June 6, when they host Bulgaria. There are few other key matchups, although Italy and Sweden on June 10 should be interesting, if not pivotal at this point.

Group Five

Table: France 13, Romania 9, Poland 9, Northern Ireland 8, Georgia 4, Andorra 0

Powerful France doesn't get automatic entry into China 2010 anymore, as past World Cup holders had, but they don't seem to be sweating it. They lead a tough group. Gemrnay 2006 third-place finisher Romania is in a tight fit with Poland and the upstart Northern Irish for at the very least that second-place spot.

Poland will host Romania on June 6 in a big showdown that could go a long way to determining who will be coming out of this one with France. Then on June 10, Northern Ireland will travel to France to see if their dream is alive, or if they are just being foolish.

Group Six

Table: Denmark 12, Slovakia 10, Germany 9, Austria 7, Bosnia & Herzegovina 5, San Marino 0

Denmark was expected to contend, but it was thought their primary contender would be the once-powerful Germany. The German squad continues to underachieve since its World Cup hosting job in 2006, and one wonders at this point if they would have been able to qualify even then, had they been required to. This remains one of the tighter groups in qualifying.

Denmark hosts Bosnia on June 6, in the latter squad's last chance to thrust itself back into the middle of the action. Germany hosts Austria on the same day, in a Deutschland battle that should provide Slovakia with their primary competition for the runner up spot. The top two squads meet on June 10 in the big match there, while Germany hosts Bosnia.

Group Seven

Table: Slovenia 12, England 12, Belgium 10, Iceland 6, Estonia 4, Azerbaijan 0

Belgium and England came in as the favorites, but a solid Slovenia squad has engineered a run to the top, where they are tied with the English. It's tough to say at this point if England is actually underachieving because they aren't running awya with this, or if they are doing well, because they are still tied for the group lead.

England travels to Belgium in a criticxal match for both squads on June 6, while Iceland will try to get back into things wit a win over Slovenia on their Atlantic island. The June 10 Belgium and Slovenia could be a matchup of the top two clubs in the group if results fall a certain way four days prior.

Group Eight

Table: Serbia & Montenegro 12, Israel 7, Finland 6, Turkey 4, Armenia 0

This was supposed to be a group that would be tightly-contested between traditional power Turkey and recent rising power Serbia. Alas, the Turks have yet to really show up for this, and the Serbs are beginning to run away with it. The battle for the second spot is shaping up to be a doozie right now.

Turkey will get one last shot at redemption on June 6, when they travel to Serbia & Montenegro. They also get to play second place Israel at home on June 10, so this is pretty muc Turkey's last chance to climb back into range.

Group Nine

Table: Lithuania 7, Russia 7, Holland 6, Switzerland 5, Belarus 2

This group has gone topsy-turvy so far. Holland was the clear favorite, and they are struggling for a spot. Belarus was the next best squad, but they are pulling a "Sweden". Still, the range of point difference means every squad in the group is still alive and kicking.

Holland's visit to Belarus on June 6 was a showdown match before Belarus crapped on their play. So the highlight match here is more liekly to be the Swiss travelling to group leader Russia. Holland and Russia then get together in the Netherlands for a big match on June 10. Surprising group co-leader Lithuania will take its turn on Belarus on the same day.

June 6

Group One

Hungary 3, Malta 1
Spain 5, Ukraine 2
Cyprus 1, Scotland 1

This group just got a lot more interesting. Scotland's surprising draw with Cyprus allowed Hungary to draw level witht hem for the group lead at 12 points. Spain's thrashing of the Ukrainians has put them back in range with 10 points, tied with those very same Ukrainians. With the top four all facing off with each other on June 10, this next round could be the most critical in this group's fixture.

Tamworth's Michael Stewart started and put up a 7 rating in Scotland's draw with the Cypriots.

Group Two

Croatia 3, Albania 0
Greece 2, Luxembourg 0
Czech Republic 4, Kazakhstan 0

Albania's loss to Greece, combined with Greece's expected win over little Luxembourg, has widened out this group considerably. Croatia now has an eight point lead on third place with four matches to go, while Greece itself has a four-point lead on third. The Czech Republic's strong win is looking like too little, too late. Still, it sets up a big match at Greece on June 10.

Group Three

Norway 3, Latvia 0
Wales 1, Ireland 0
Portugal 4, Faroe Islands 0

The June 6 fixture may go down as the most critical one in the group. Ireland's surprising home loss to Wales have allowed the pack to close in, and now this one has the look of a free-for-all. Portugal put a dagger in Faroe Island's Cinderella dreams with a demolition on their own turf. This looks like a tight three-squad race now. June 10 may not clear it up any--none of the top three teams play each other.

Tamworth's Trond Erik Bertelsen started at keftback for Norway and garnered an assist and a 7 rating in the Norwegian's win. Richie Partridge started on the wing for Ireland and posted a 7 rating as well. Neither Ireland's Mark Hicks nor Wales' Andy Williams were selected for the team today.

Group Four

Italy 3, Liechtenstein 0
Sweden 2, Moldova 0
Bulgaria 2, FYR of Macedonia 0

The wins by Italy and Bulgaria, especially the latter, have only served to widen the gulf between the top two squads and everyone else, and ensure that Itlay and Bulgaria will be coming out of this one. Bulgaria, as the second place squad, now has a six point lead on thrid place Macedonia. The fight for the coveted top spot is still one, though--Italy has just a one point lead.

Group Five

France 5, Georgia 0
Poland 0, Romania 0
Northern Ireland 1, Andorra 0

France's expected victory combined with the draw between closest contenders Poland and Romania ahve given the defending World Cup champs a solid lead in the group. The Northern Irish continue to impress, jumping into second place with their win, but they have to be concerned they barely got by little Andorra. A big match at France on June 10 looms.

Polish Lamb Emmanuel Olisadebe started up front for his homeland and put up a respectable 7 rating, even if he didn't score what would have been a difference-making goal. Mike Duff started at centreback for Northern Ireland, but did not particularly impress (6 rating). As usual, Louis Saha was not selected for France's easy win over Georgia.

Group Six

Denmark 2, Bosnia 2
Slovakia 2, San Marino 0
Germany 2, Austria 1

The Danes' surprising draw with Bosnia has allowed Slovakia and Germany to jump right back into it with wins in their respective matches. Just one point separates the two from Denmark now. Slovakia and Denmark will now have a showdown on June 10, while Germany looks to take advantage by hosting Bosnia.

Group Seven

England 2, Belgium 0
Slovenia 1, Iceland 0
Estonia 1, Azerbaijan 0

England got the big win it needed over Belgium to give it a needed edge over the pack. Slovenia remained as the co-group leader, though, by beating Iceland on the road. With a five-point lead on third palce, the two squads have a strong lead going down the stretch. Belgium could get back into it with a road win over Slovenia on June 10.

Both Orri Freye Oskarsson and Hermann Hreidarsson started for the Icelanders. Oskarsson started up front, while Hreidarsson manned the leftback spot. Both Tamworth players put up 7 ratings.

Group Eight

Serbia & Montenegro 3, Turkey 0
Israel 4, Armenia 2

The Serbs pretty much dashed the Turks' remaining hopes here, and also gave themselves a commanding five-point group lead. Israel itslef also took a good lead in its win, with four points on Finaldn. One caveat--Finland has a match in hand on the Israelis.

Group Nine

Russia 2, Switzerland 0
Holland 3, Belarus 1

Lithuania's idle schedule has allowed Russia to take the group lead alone with their win, while Holland leaped past the Lithuanians into second palce with their big win. Lithuania has a match in hadn on both of the top squads, though. Holland and Russia now meet in a key match on June 10.

Tamworth midfielder Denny Landzaat was not selected to the team for today's match with Belarus.

June 10

Group One

Cyprus 4, Malta 0
Scotland 3, Spain 1
Ukraine 0, Hungary 0

Table now: Scotland 15, Hungary 13, Ukraine 11, Spain 10, Cyprus 8, Malta 0

Scotland regained its lead in one of the toughest of ways, beating talented Spain. With Hungary and the Ukraine playing to a draw, that allowed the Scots to take back the lead. Spain itself pretty much undoes everything which came with its strong defeat over the Ukraine on June 6. Neither spot is anywhere near clinched with three matches left.

Tamworth's Michael Stewart scored his first international goal ever (in his 11th cap) in the 34th minute, and it turned out to be the game winner. He also put up an impressive 8 rating.

Group Two

Croatia 2, Kazakhstan 0
Greece 0, Czech Repbulic 0
Albania 1, Luxembourg 0

Table now: Croatia 19, Greece 13, Albania 11, Czech Republic 9, Luxembourg 6, Kazakhstan 1

The combination of Croatia's win with Greece's draw with the Czechs have almost certainly handed the Euro 2008 champs a spot in China 2010. Anything win in their last three matches, or three draws, or virtually anything short of two wins in three matches by Greece will clinch it for the Croatians. Albania's expected win have moved them back within range of Greece for the second place spot.

Group Three

Norway 0, Wales 0
Ireland 4, Faroe Islands 1
Latvia 5, Portugal 4

Table now: Ireland 16, Norway 12, Portugal 12, Wales 8, Faroe Islands 7, Latvia 4

Norway's draw with Wales, and Portugal's stunning yet thrilling loss to Latvia ina high-scoring affair have allowed Ireland to take a bit of a lead here. The Irish pretty much wrapped any remaining Faore Islands upset hopes in this group with their strong win. Dropping a match to the group's bottom team will not endear Portugal to its homeland supporters, but they are still in a tight battle for second with Norway, and not even eliminated for the top spot.

Both Bertelsen and Williams started out of position for their respective squads. Bertelsen put up a 7 rating from the centreback position for Norway, while Williams, a left winger, rated a 7 from Wales' rightback spot.

Partridge capped Ireland's scoring in the 82nd minute, nabbing his second ever international goal from his wing position. He was very strong in Ireland's win, getting an 8 rating and the Man of the Match. Lamb and national teammate Hicks was again not selected to the team.

Group Four

Bulgaria 4, Liechtenstein 0
Moldova 2, FYR of Macedonia 2
Italy 2, Sweden 0

Table now: Italy 19, Bulgaria 18, FYR of Macedonia 10, Moldova 7, Sweden 4, Liechtenstein 3

Italy and Bulgaria were easy picks to win their matches against the worst squads in the group table, and had Macedonia fallen to Moldova, Italy would have at least a second-place spot clinched. As it is, the wins of the top two squads put both of them on the verge of clinching at least playoff spots, and puts them right up against each other for the group's automatic spot to China.

Group Five

Romania 2, Georgia 0
Poland 3, Andorra 0
France 2, Northern Ireland 0

Table now: France 19, Romania 13, Poland 13, Northern Ireland 11, Georgia 4, Andorra 0

The top two group leaders met in France today, and the result changed the face of the group. France's win not only pushed them to the brink of clinching their spot in China, it allowed both Romania and Poland to overtake Northern Ireland for second place. This one stil has a long way to go.

Olisadebe didn't score, but he did start and assisted on one of Poland's goals. He also garnered a strong 8 rating. Duff had a very poor match at centreback for Northern Ireland, with a 5 rating. Saha was actually selected this time by France, but he was not used.

Group Six

Slovakia 3, Denmark 3
Austria 3, San Marino 0
Bosnia 4, Germany 1

Table now: Denmark 14, Slovakia 14, Germany 12, Austria 10, Bosnia & Herzegovina 9, San Marino 0

Welcome to Group Crazy. The draw between the two group co-leaders doesn't do anything to move them too far ahead of the pack. But Germany inexplciably dropped the ball at home, losing badly to Bosnia to stay in third. That allows both Austria and Bosnia to sneak up behind, and now just five points separates five squads.

Group Seven

England 2, Azerbaijan 0
Iceland 2, Estonia 1
Belgium 1, Slovenia 0

Table now: England 18, Slovenia 15, Belgium 13, Iceland 9, Estonia 7, Azerbaijan 0

This played out just the way England needed it to. They won both of their matches in this stretch, and Belgium held back Slovenia to allow them to get the group lead. Belgium's key win on the road also moved them back within range of Slovenia for that second place spot. Iceland's win moves them up to a respectable nine points, but it likely won't be enough.

Strangely enough, Oskarsson was dropped all the way back to centreback for this one, and he held up well, with a 7 rating. Hreidarsson also put up a 7 rating from the leftback spot.

Group Eight

Finland 2, Armenia 0
Turkey 2, Israel 0

Table now: Serbia & Montenegro 15, Israel 10, Finland 9, Turkey 7, Armenia 0

The Serbs didn't even play, but they may have just been handed a spot in China. Israel was closest, but the Turks finally showed up just in time to derail Israel's hopes of catching Serbia & Montenegro. Now the Serbs have a five-point lead and a match in hadn on second-place Israel. The Israelis have to be far more concerned for their second-place spot now, with Finland now just a point behind them and having played one less match than them. Don't look now, but Turkey has snuck back within a win's range as well.

Group Nine

Lithuania 1, Belarus 1
Holland 2, Russia 1

Table now: Holland 12, Russia 10, Lithuania 8, Switzerland 5, Belarus 3

Holland edged out Russia in the showdown between the group's top squads. The Dutch, who came into this qualifying as easy favorites, finally have the lead. Lithuania blew a big chance by drawing with Belarus, and now they remain behind both Holland and Russia. This one seems liekly to go down to the wire.

Landzaat was again not selected for today's match.

All ten groups play two of their last three matches on September 5 and September 9, before wrapping the group fixtures altogether on October 10.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 08:52 PM

Tuesday, June 9 To Monday, June 15

We are now nearing the official in-game end of the season. This will be the last full week of the season, although there are a few days after this week before the official changeover is done.

Chelsea Negotiates Over Makabu Ma Kalambay

Chelsea has goalkeeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay listed as available for $20,000, which is what I offered for him last week.

The Blues decided to play hardball with us on Tuesday, requesting $24,000.

After five separate meetings with the club chairman, three credit checks and a visit to the phone booth in front of the Lamb Ground to feel around for change, we agreed to the increased offer.

Ward Bid Rejected

Also on Tuesday, Irish Premier Devision club Limerick rejected our $65,000 offer for David Ward. That was the bad news.

The good news is they apparently also rejected Liverpool's offer for the young centreback, and the Reds are no longer listed as being interested in acquiring him. That's terrific, because that now means I can scout this guy out some more and determine how big of an offer I want to make, if any at all.

Chelsea Accepts Makabu Ma Kalambay Offer

On Thursday, the Blues officially accepted our $24,000 bid for Makabu Ma Kalambay.

We are now free to negotiate with the goalkeeper, and we make a multi-year contract offer to the 23-year-old Belgian player.

Makabu Ma Kalambay is already certainly slated for the reserve team as our emergency goalkeeper, and as a long term possibility in net for us. I will likely try and work him into a few Premiership matches on occasion to appease him for this role.

That's assuming we can come to an agreement on with him, which I don't doubt we will.

Duff, Cort Sign New Deals With Tamworth

On Thursday and Friday, our two high-profile backliners heading for free agency have agreed instead to contract extensions.

Leon Cort agreed to our offer on Thursday, a $925,000 per year deal that will keep him in Tamworth through June, 2012. Cort was one of our better centrebacks and also provided a surprising level of offense for us from the position.

On Friday, veteran right back Mike Duff, freshly returned from international action, agreed to a $750,000 two-year deal, which will tie him to Tamworth through June 2011.

Both players figure to play key roles for the squad next year, although Kevin Gorman will liekly start at right back, and the team is actively seeking another centreback who might start with James McEveley in the middle. Until that player materializes, Cort is the likely starter there.

Williams Announces His Retirement

Saturday was a sad day today at the Lamb Ground.

Former star winger Andy Williams, whom has just returned from international play with Wales, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2009-10 season.

The announcement is a bit of a shock, as Williams is just 31 and still seems to be a very strong player with a 7.57 rating last year. Williams did, however, miss most of last year with a knee injury, and he wasn't nearly as strong of a playmaker as he was previously.

I had been considering transfer-listing him to make room, but now I see no reason to move him. I will keep around as depth and hope we can send him out a winner. Sometime down the road, I may ask him to reconsider his retirement, but I haven't decided that for sure yet.

Connolly, Rodriguez Accept Offers

On Saturday, 41-year-old scouting coach John Connolly agreed to return to the Lamb Ground. Connolly has been our primary talent and skills guy on the coaching staff, providing me with valuable input on the progress of my players in their skills development and talent evaluation.

He was originally hired in June, 2006. His new contract, for $300,000 per year, will carry him through to June 2012.

One day after Connolly inked his extension, we came to an agreement on an extension with Jorge Humberto Rodríguez, our Under-19 coach. Rodriguez, 38, is excellent with youngsters and led our young squad to a second-place finish in our Under-19 division.

Rodriguez is a former Salvadoran international defensive midfielder that first came to us in August 2005, along with fellow Salvadorans forward José Alexander Amaya and Juan José Gómez. While Amaya and Gómez went on to play key roles for us, Rodriguez got trapped in a work permit snafu and never appeared on the pitch as a player for the Lambs. He retired the following June and agreed to sign on as a coach.

His new deal will pay him $325,000 per year and keep him at Tamworth until June 2012.

Makabu Ma Kalambay Rejects Offer

I kinda thought I might be offering him too low.

Makabu Ma Kalambay was not enamored of our offer to him. He was seeking over $400,00 per year and a prominent role on the squad. I offered $325,000 per year and a backup role.

Makabu Ma Kalambay feels he is more deserving of a better basic salary, and wants a stronger indication of playing time from me. I upped up his salary to $350,000 per year through June 2013, and gave him a rotation role. Since he wont' really be getting that, I hope he's not too upset if he's on the reserve team.

Of course, I don't even know if this is acceptable to him. Hoepfulyl it will be. I make another offer and await a response.

Warren Announces Retirement...Again

Like Justin Skinner last week, veteran centreback Mark Warren also announced his retirement at the end of the season. Considering he announced this last year, I can only hope, again, that this is referring to the end of this season and not the next one.

Like Skinner, though, the 34-year-old defender's contract runs out at the end of June, so it matters little to the club whether he retires now or a year from now.

League News

There was very little in the way of league news this week, at least that didn't involve us.

On Thursday, Manchester United's veteran fullback Vincent Candela announced that he will retire at the end of the season.

The well-travelled 35-year-old French international has played with a who's who string of top superpowers, including Roma, Barcelona and Real Madrid, before moving to Old Trafford last year. He appeared in just four matches for the Red Devils, posting a 6.75 rating.

Candela appeared in 62 international matches with France and played on both the 1998 and 2006 World Cup champions. He scored three goals for France.

Candela first played porfessional football with Toulouse in 1991-92. He also played with Guingamp before embarking on his big club career with Roma in 1996-97.

The only other bit of news came on Sunday, when Primera Liga squad Espanyol was officially relegated to the La Liga 2.

CR

Chief Rum · 08-31-2004, 09:53 PM

Tuesday, June 16 To Friday, June 19

This is the short week which will wrap up the official season before the game switches over.

Makabu Ma Kalambay Accepts Offer

After nearly a month of the ongoing Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay saga, we have finally completed the signing of the young goalkeeper on Tuesday.

Makabu Ma Kalambay has agreed to our latest contract offer, a four-year deal worth $350,000 per year. Because it is an immediate transfer deal, he will move over to the Lamb Ground immediately.

Makabu Ma Kalambay comes to us from Chelsea, where it didn't seem he was going to ever end up in their plans. The 23-yerar-old goalkeeper played strongly in an eight-match stint with Sheffield Wednesday while on loan. He conced eight goals, had two clean sheets and put up a 6.88 rating--all much better than the Owls' incumbent netminder Allan McGregor behind the same backline. Using a devious Bosman transfer deal, we managed to get around the Owls' loan fee agreement with Chelsea to get a shot at the Belgian goalkeeper. He eventually signed with us over Sheffield Wednesday.

Makabu Ma Kalambay also appeared in two matches with Chelsea, one of them as a sub. He allowed two goals, put up a clean sheet and posted a 6.50 rating.

The Belgian player, formerly capped with Belgium's U-21 squad, has appeared in a handful of matches with the Blues going back since he was just 19. He has eight clean sheets in 33 career appearances, only 16 of which were starts. He has conceded 29 goals, less than a goal per appearance, and has a career 6.67 rating.

The young goalkeeper said he is looking forward to working under me, which is always nice to hear.

It may have been a small amount, but the $24,000 transfer fee for Makabu Ma Kalambay adds to our already record transfers spent this year. We are now at $24.5 M for the year.

Rayo Offers Merino

On Wednesday, La Liga 2 squad Rayo offered us defender and midfielder Carlos Merina for $625,000. Merino was a player brought to our attention more than two years ago by one of our scouts, and he has been on our shorltist ever since.

Unfortunately, we have moved beyond our need to take ona player at this level now, so I turn down the Rayo offer.

Merino is also coming off of a less than spectacular year (5 assists, 6.59 in 39 matches) and is slower than I like my defenders to be now, even though his ratings seem to be pretty solid.

League News

A small handful of information tidbits came through during this small period.

Southampton Signs Italian Under-21 Player Izzo

On Thursday, the Saints agreed to a Bosman transfer for Italian Under-21 winger Alessio Izzo of the Primera Liga's Lleida.

The 19-year-old left winger will officially move over to St. Mary's Stadium on June 30.

Izzo saw limtied time with Lleida last season, but from 2006-08, he was a starter for Lleida, despite his young age. He had eight assists in 68 matches during that stretch, but didn't get an assist in 13 appearances last season, only one of which was a start. He posted a 6.62 rating.

Man City's Arellano Announces Retirement

Manchester City's 36-year-old forward Jesús Arellano announced on Friday that he was retiring at the end of the season.

Arellano, 36, started on the right wing for City this year, although he has bounced between there and the frontline in his career.

This past season, Arellano collected 6 assists in 25 appearances, with 14 starts. and posting a 6.84 rating.

This was his second season with City. In 2007-08, he put up four goals, six assists and a 6.88 rating in 34 appearances.

Arellano also had stints with Liverpool and with Monterrey and Chivas of the Mexican First Division in a career that began in 1993-94.

Arellano has long been a key contributor to Mexico's national team, starting on the Germany 2006 finalist. He scored nine international goals in 106 international appearances.

Fulham's Legwinski Calls It Quits

On the same day Arellano announced his retirement, Fulham's longtime midfielder Sylvain Legwinksi also announced his retirement at the end of the season.

The French 35-year-old defensive midfielder and winger has been with the Cottagers since 2001-02.

Legwinksi appeared in 36 matches this past season, but saw his offensive production drop sharply. He scored just two goals and collected one assist, posting a still respectable 6.94 rating.

Prior to this season, Legwinksi put up 14 goals and 13 assists and a 7.00-plus rating in the two previous campaigns with Fulham. He has been one of the better offensive wingers and midfielders in the league for years now.

Legwinksi started his career in 1992-93 with Monaco of the Championnat. After a brief stretch with Bordeaux from 1990-2001, he moved over to Fulham, where he blossomed into one of the club's top offensive performers.

Legwinski was never called up to France's powerful World Cup teams.

CR

Chief Rum · 09-01-2004, 01:42 AM

2008/09 Season Around The World

Major League Results

English Premier League: Tamworth, Man Utd, Liverpool
Primera Liga (Spain): Alavés, Betis, Córdoba
Serie A (Italy): Juventus, Milan, Parma
Bundesliga (Germany): Dortmund, FC Bayern, Leverkusen
Le Championnat (France): Nîmes, Montpelier, Lens
Casino Eridivisie (Holland): PSV, Ajax, NEC
Superliga (Portugal): Gil Vicente, U. Lamas, Porto
Superligaen (Denmark): FC Kobenhavn, Herfolge, Koge
National A Division (Greece): Iraklis, PAOK, Olympiakos
Belgian First Division: Anderlecht, Genk, Cercle Brugge
Scottish Premier League: Aberdeen, Rangers, Hibs
Turkush Premier Division: Galatasaray, D. Bakirspor, Denizlispor
High League (Ukraine): Shakhtar, Dinamo Kiev, Arsenal Kiev

Other European Champions: Austria Vienna (Austria), Varteks (Croatia), Sparta Prague (Czech Republic), HJK* (Finland), Hungary (Pécs), Bohemians* (Ireland), Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel), Glenavon (Northern Ireland), Bodo/Glimt* (Norway), Amica (Poland), CSKA Moscow* (Russia), Sartid (Serbia & Montenegro), Inter Bratislava (Slovakia), Husqvarna* (Sweden), Young Boys (Switzerland), Cefn Druids (Wales)

*-- season runs from winter to fall, instead of summer to spring; champion is from last complete campaign

National Cups

English FA Cup: Tamworth over Leicester City
English League Cup: Tamworth over Man Utd

Spanish Cup: Celta over Mallorca
Italian Cup: Genoa over Torino
German Cup: Dortmund over Schalke 04
French Cup: Montpelier over Paris-SG
Dutch Cup: Ajax over Go Ahead
Portuguese Cup: Sporting Lisbon over O. Moscavide

European Club Competitions

Champions League: Tamworth over Bodo/Glimt
UEFA: Newcastle United over Aston Villa

Top Transfers Of The 2008-09 Season

SC Fernando Cavenaghi (ARG) from River to Inter for $32.5 M on August 28, 2008
SC Kapo (FRA) from Auxerre to Barcelona for $32 M on August 12, 2008
LW Harry Kewell (ENG) from Liverpool to Milan for $28.5 M on January 29, 2009
MF Gennaro Ivan Gattuso (ITA( from Arsenal to Milan for $26 M on January 29, 2009
DC William Gallas (FRA) from Chelsea to Roma for $24 M on July 20, 2008
FB Gianluca Zambrotta (ITA) from Juventus to Milan for $24 M on July 30, 2008
LW Denílson (BRA) from Roma to Arsenal for $24 M on August 31, 2008
MF Barry Ferguson (SCO) from Blackburn to Newcastle for $23.5 M on August 28, 2008
DC Mikaël Silvestre (FRA) from Man Utd to Milan for $21 M on July 26, 2008
SC Ronaldhino (BRA) from Roma to Dortmund for $20.5 M on July 12, 2008
FB Diego Placente (ARG) from Deportivo to Chelsea for $19.25 M on July 18, 2008
SC César Delgado (ARG) from Cruz Azul to Parma for $18.75 M on August 7, 2008
MF Johann Vogel (SWI) from PSV to Juventus for $18.5 M on August 25, 2008
SC Tristán Diego (SPA) from Deportivo to Barceolna for $17.75 M on August 22, 2008
SC Eric Veld (SWI) from Cottbus to Atalante for $17.5 M on January 3, 2009
SC Hernán Crespo (ARG) from Chelsea to Arsenal for $17.25 M on August 26, 2008
SC [b]Wilson (BRA)[/b[ from Vasco to Roma for $17.25 M on January 30, 2009
FB Willy Sagnol (FRA) from FC Bayern to Dortmund for $17 M on August 3, 2008
MF Gérson (BRA) from Bahia to PSV for $16.5 M on August 15, 2008
SC Bobo (BRA) from Grêmio to Juventude for $16.25 M on August 30, 2008
DC Sylvain Distin (FRA) from Milan to Roma for $15 M on July 27, 2008
FB Juan Pablo Sorin (ARG) from Deportivo to Juventus for $15 M on August 25, 2008
SC Jermain Defoe (ENG) from Roma to Chelsea for $14.75 M on January 16, 2009
MF Richard Blonk (NED) from Feyenoord to Ajax for $14 M on August 29, 2008
RW Mario Alberto Santana (ARG) from Chievo to FC Bayern for $14 M on August 31, 2008
LW Dámian Luna (ARG) from San Lorenzo to Boca for $14 M on December 29, 2008
FB Maxwell (BRA) from Rostock to FC Bayern for $14 M on January 18, 2009
FB Wayne Bridge (ENG) from Chelsea to Man City for $13.75 M on June 30, 2008
SC Sylvain Perrin (FRA) from Auxerre to Newcastle for $13.5 M on August 17, 2008
SC Eidur Gudjohnsen (ICE) from Dortmund to Man Utd for $13 M on January 31, 2009
MF Kieron Dyer (ENG) from Chelsea to Roma for $12.5 M on July 1, 2008
MF Riccardo Montolivo (ITA) from VfB Stuttgart to FC Bayern for $12.5 M on August 12, 2008
RW Javier León (SPA) from Athletic Bilbao to Benfica for $12.25 M on July 15, 2008
SC Michael Chopra (ENG) from Chelsea to Napoli for $12.25 M on January 17, 2009
SC Martín Silva (ARG) from Aguascalientes to River for $12.25 M on February 11, 2009
MF Benoît Pedretti (FRA) from Liverpool to Genoa for $12 M on January 23, 2009
MF Leonardo Ponzio (ARG) from Zaragoza to Chelsea for $12 M on January 27, 2009
SC Aruna (IVO) from Anderlecht to Man City for $11.75 M on August 30, 2008
RW Simao (POR) from Benfica to Deportivo for $11.25 M on August 25, 2008
SC Ronaldo (BRA) from HSV to Real Madrid for $11 M on August 24, 2008
SC Jaime Alfonzo Ruíz (COL) from Cortuluá to Basel for $10.75 M on June 30, 2008
SC Bae Sang–Joon (SKR) from Chonbuk to Daejeon for $10.5 M on January 3, 2009
MF Christoph Preub (GER) from Valencia to VfB Stuttgart for $10 M on July 31, 2008
MF Cristiano Zanetti (ITA) from Liverpool to Liverpool for $10 M on August 30, 2008
RW Roberto Bordignon (ITA) from Cottbus to Braunschweig for $10 M on January 22, 2009
SC Klaus Salmutter (AUT) from Sturm Graz to Wolfsburg for $10 M on January 29, 2009

CR

daedalus · 09-01-2004, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

90. Thailand

Represent!

Not terribly well against Japan. But representin' nonetheless.

daedalus · 09-01-2004, 02:36 AM

As an aside, I know I neglect to say it at times but excellent writeup as usual. This thread is one of my daily "must-reads".

Thanks.

Chief Rum · 09-01-2004, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daedalus

Represent!

Not terribly well against Japan. But representin' nonetheless.

Are you of Thai descent, daedalus?

I sometimes find myself rooting for the Polish and Irish because of my mixed descent (in addition to England and the U.S.).

Thailand honestly should be playing better, but Japan is a solid team itself. There's no shame in losing to them.

It just sucks when you only have one shot at this every four years, you know?

Quote:

Originally Posted by daedalus

As an aside, I know I neglect to say it at times but excellent writeup as usual. This thread is one of my daily "must-reads".

Thanks.

I always like to hear that, I must admit.

That said, don't worry about it if you're not constantly saying it. I know you and the other regular readers here are enjoying it. I am, too, and am just as interested as a "reader" as you guys are (since I don't have much better of a clue what is going on then you guys

).

Glad you're enjoying it. We're entering a very intriguing time for me, as I am a tinkerer at heart--I like to shuffle my roster a lot. And the idea of trying to tackle a season without the uber tactic is a big challenge for me, too. I'm really looking forward to this.

CR

Chief Rum · 09-01-2004, 09:05 PM

English Premier Division Select

Hey all, CM03/04 is a wonderful game. Obviosuly, considering how much fun I am getting out of it. Now that that's out of the way, time to bitch.

For three versions now, the awards in this game have been mucked up. They were in CM02/03, they were in CM4, and they are here. For whatever reason, the game doesn't select an English Premier Division Select squad (or any level, to my knowledge). It's very annoying, but there is little I can do.

So I am naming my own teams and award winners.

Individual Awards

Player of the Year: ST Hernán Crespo (Arsenal)

I have to give it up to the guy who leads the league in both goals and assists. That's quite an accomplishment.

Most Valuable Player: ST Adrian Mutu (Chelsea)

Forgive the "American" award. Chelsea would have been dust without Mutu. He was dominant for long stretches of this season and was literally carrying them. Were he not hurt for half the season, Leicester's James Graham would also be a strong candidate for this award.

Striker of the Year: Hernán Crespo (Arsenal)

Self-explanatory.

Midfielder of the Year: Michael Stewart (Tamworth)

He didn't play as many matches because of my two-team system, but I don't think Stewart should be ignored here because of it. He was the top rated midfielder in the Premiership, was a terrific passer and headlined the midfield defense of the stingiest club in the league.

Defender of the Year: Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)

I could make an argument for Chelsea's John Terry or my own Mike Duff, but Ferdinand was truly worldclass this season. He was the best defender on the best backline and rated as the second best defender.

Goalkeeper of the Year: Mark Brown (Bristol City)

Fabien Barthez put up the best numbers, but played behind the best backline. Jon Masalin put up great goal numbers, but rated low and started only half of the matches. Brown did it all, playing behind a leaky backline, nabbing four Player of the Week goalkeeper spots, finishing atop goalkeeper ratings, and generally being one of the more consistent players in the league last year.

English Premier Division Select

Team One

SC Hernán Crespo (Arsenal)
SC Adrian Mutu (Chelsea)
MF Michael Stewart (Tamworth)
MF Mark Bresciano (Liverpool)
MF Stilian Petrov (Aston Villa)
MF Matthew Hamshaw (Sheffield Wednesday)
DF Mike Duff (Tamworth)
DF Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
DF John Terry (Leicester)
DF Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)
GK Fabien Barthez (Manchester United)

Team Two

SC Miroslav Klose (Manchester United)
SC Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United)
MF Rafael van der Vaart (Liverpool)
MF Ryan Giggs (Birmingham City)
MF Gaetano D'Agostino (Manchester United)
MF Orri Freyr Oskarsson (Tamworth)
DF Sam Jones (Leicester)
DF John O'Shea (Manchester United)
DF Luke Young (Aston Villa)
DF Aaron Hughes (Newcastle United)
GK Mark Brown (Bristol City)

Team Three

SC Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
SC James Graham (Leicester City)
MF Christian Tiffert (Tottenham)
MF Dickson Agyeman (Manchester City)
MF Joe Cole (Chelsea)
MF Edu (Arsenal)
DF Martin Taylor (Birmingham City)
DF Mbulelo Mabizela (Tottenham)
DF David Raven (Tamworth)
DF Darren Kenton (Southampton)
GK Antti Niemi (Nottingham Forest)

CR

Chief Rum · 09-01-2004, 11:22 PM

Season Changeover

Official Beginning Of The 2009-10 Season

Here are the details of the changeover from the 2008-09 season to the 2009-10 season. The official switch happened on June 20, and herein will be detailed anythign that was announced with that switch.

Tamworth Fans' Player of the Yyear

The supporters have spoken. The Tamworth Supporters Player of the Year is...Johnnier Montaño.

Montaño led the squad with 24 goals and a 7.97 average rating. He also ranked among team leaders with 13 assists and seven Men of the Match, all coming in a total of 32 matches (30 starts).

I'm not too terribly surprised. The supporters always love the stats over the personalities, so when a player has provided them with joy and success, he will be popular. My guess is he won it over Yakubu (the other gaudy number guy), Michael Stewart (has been popular for a while now), Orri Freyr Oskarsson (two-time SPOY) and maybe Mark Hicks (three-time SPOY).

I hope they won't filet me too bad on July 1--when Montaño leaves for Piacenza. I don't rightly know just how the game reacts when a squad's SPOY is shipped out just a couple weeks after he is so named.

That said, I won't miss him, and I don't even have a good fit for a spot for him in my tactic anymore anyway.

Tamworth Given EPL TV Money For 2009-10

You have to love making it to this level. They just pay gobs and gobs of cash for the television rights to this league.

Today, the league handed chairman Bob Andrews a check for $19.25 M, the same as last season. We are already very healthy financially, but adding that sort of moulah can't hurt.

Community Shield Draw, Fixture Announced

Our entire league fixture, plus the 2009 Community Shield, has been announced.

We will have a rematch with Manchester United for the "Poison Chalice" at Wembley Stadium on August 9.

The Red Devils beat us 5-3 last year, starting a new streak for the Not-So-Silverware Cup. The previous year we beat Chelsea in the traditional opener and then went on to win the Premiership, so obviously that particular curse occasionally takes a day off.

We open our season on August 15 at playing the Spurs at Tottenham's White Hart Lane. Our home opener at the Lamb Ground comes a few days later on August 19, when we tale on Fulham.

Here are other key matches in our fixture:

Aug. 22: @Leicester City (up-and-coming squad)
Sep. 26: @Birmingham City (derby matchup)
Oct. 3: Liverpool (3rd place last season)
Oct. 17: @Manchester United (always tough trip)
Nov. 11: @Arsenal (any visit to the Grove is big)
Dec. 12: @Aston Villa (our other road derby matchup)
Feb. 3: Birmingham (second half of derby)
Feb. 6: @Liverpool (Anfield in winter)
Feb. 20: Manchester United (this is our "league" rival)
Mar. 13: Arsenal (could be a key match)
Mar. 20: @Chelsea (stamford Bridge another tough place to visit)
Apr. 3: @Newcastle (St. James Park visit finishes toughest stretch of season)
Apr. 24: Aston Villa (second end of our other derby, we will rule Birmingham again!)
May 16: @West Bromich Albion (last match of the season)

Board To Expand Stadium

This caught me out of left field. I have manually manipulated the numbers at and around the Lamb Ground to reflect the level I had ascended to. Then the piddling little expansion the board gave me a couple years ago finalyl came through. That put me up to about 32,000 seats, with undersoil heating (and a top youth academy to boot).

So I wasn't expecting an expansion this year. But that's what I got.

The board announced an expansion of 14,605 seats, bringing us to 46,653 total capacity. That's still well short of hallowed grounds like Old Trafford and Ashburton Grove, but it will be in the upper end of Premiership grounds as far as capacity. We can't do much about the lack of tradition, but we're working on that.

It's not all positive, though. The south stand of the ground will be closed during the expansion, and reduce our capacity to 29,161 in the meantime. The expansion is scheduled to be completed on December 6, about six months, so we will have to go about half of our season, including probably the entire Champions League group phase, with smaller crowds.

Also, judging by the ground maintenance section of our costs sheet, it appears this expansion will cost us a cool $21 M. While we certainly have the money, that takes quite a big chunk out of the bank.

Shareholders Dividend

It didn't used to be that we gace out shareholder dividends. We did last year, though, and we did again this yer, so I guess we must have incorporated.

Shareholder dividends totalled $6.25 M, taking another big bite of the ole corporate account.

I expected this, though, so it's not a surprise.

2009-10 Transfer Budget Announced

"After your extravagant spending last season the Tamworth board have chosen to limit this season's transfer funds to $20M."

Huh? Extravagant spending?

Now I am annoyed. This is maybe half of what I expected, and this club made a ton of money last year. The year before, we had around $42 M or so in the pokey, and they gave me a $24 M transfer kitty. This year, we have about $86 M-- even after ground expansion fees and shareholders' dividends are taken out--and I get $20 M? What a crock.

This harkens back to the early days of this board. More on that later.

Anyway, I also have the use of the vast majority of the monies I generate through transfer fees, so hopefully I can bring in soem money that way. Clearly, though, any extravagant plans I had are out the window.

It should be noted that, while last year's amount was indeed a club record spent on transfers, I also didn't spend all that they had alotted me, with still about $4 M left when the season ended.

Board Appraisal

They bitch and moan about the cost, but that doesn't mean they aren't happy with the results (and rich, too).

The board said they were delighted with my performance as manager this season.

They raised their expectations, though. Last year, I was to challenge for the league title. This year, nothing less than bringing in the silverware will satisfy them.

The supporters thought I should win the Premiership last season, so it's no shocker they still expect that this year.

Tamworth Attendance Record

Perhaps fueling the board's desire to expand, we set a new club record with our average attendance of 27,969, about 87% capacity.

That should be no surprise, though, given our ground this year was about eight times as big as it has ever been. Even with the reduced ground for half of the season, we should break that record this year as well.

Rumblings In The Manager's Office

In front of the cameras, I put on a good face. In fact, I have risen up to a 20 in Media Handling. I can put on a good show when I need to. And this latest pill may take a good acting job.

This seasonal transition has frustrated me. The ground expansion makes little sense, especially sicne we only came close to selling out the place a handful of times all season. The comments on the transfer budget also blew, especially considering I didn't even use all that they had given me to use. And for years now, they have constantly limited what I could offer per year to players, limiting who I could approach that would otherwise be able to join the Lambs.

Stars in this league and around the world are paid millions of dollars per year, at least two million and often enough close to five million or more per annum. The board, though, is very picky about what contracts they will give out. I rarely see the max exceed $2 M per year. That's not even competitive for the top players in the world, and I believe we have reached the level where we should expect we can draw those sorts of players to the Lamb Ground--except that they won't come here for chump change. I can't tell you how often I see the "doesn't believe Tamworth has the resources to meet his demands" message.

Moving all of this into the sublime is that I have been far lower than my wage budget each of the last two years.

It's not the board's fault, but I also wonder why we didn't get a crop of kids from the youth academy this year. I was counting on that, since we haven't had anyone come up from the youth academy since before our First Division campaign. I got one set prior to the Third Division, and one before the First Division. I should have had one at the end of the last campaign (the first Premiership season), but it didn't come. So I felt for sure I would get it this time--nope, again. So by the time next year rolls around, it will have been four full years since I last got anything from my "top youth academy".

Powerful clubs like Manchster United and Arsenal turn out young, developing studs from these places, and I don't even get ghosts. Very frustrating.

So the slights by the board, the ridiculous frugality with contracts, and even simple boredom have contrived to make me consider the end of my Tamworth career for the first time.

At this moment, I am staying at the Lamb Ground. I don't have any big offers right now anyway. But I have been offered by the likes of Arsenal and Milan. I wouldn't be without a job for long. And I might like to go to a club where there aren't these ridiculous restrictions on a big club, which we are now. I am sick of getting outbid for players by more than my entire transfer budget.

But this I am keeping to myself, keeping it in the office, while smniling before the cameras and when I talk to the club chairman. Hopefully they will pull their heads out before I am pushed to choosing to do so.

Now that that melancholy is over with, back to the season...

CR

08-17-2004, 06:04 PM	#201
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	2008-09 EPL Season Review Arsenal League Record: 20-6-12, 66 pts League Finish: 4th GF (Rk): 66 (4th) GA (Rk): 47 (5th) GD (Rk): +19 (4th) Europe Record: 3-1-2 Cup Record: 5-2-1 Manager: Mark Bowen Top Goal Scorers: ST Thierry Henry (27), ST Hernán Crespo (26), ST Jérémie Aliadière (9) Top Passers: Crespo (13), Henry (10), WG Owen Hargreaves (9) Top Rating: Henry (7.80), Crespo (7.35), MF Edu (7.15) Top Defender: FB Daniele Bonera (6.96) Overall: This season was a complete mess for the talented Gunners. They had three different managers, including an interim one. They didn’t get out of qualifying in the Champions League, nor did they get far in the UEFA. They failed to get any silverware in cup competition, although they did reach the FA Cup semis. They finished the season on a frighteningly mediocre trend. And despite all that, they still finished fourth in the league, and only missed out on third by tiebreakers. Expectations are always high at Ashburton Grove, though—new manager Mark Bowen is going to be feeling the pressure if the squad that shows up in August is anything like it was in the last two months of the season, dropping six of its last ten league matches. Despite a wealth of talent, Bowen managed the team to just a 7-2-7 record after taking over on January 30. Bowen is a risky move for club chairman Peter Hill-Wood, as Bowen did little to impress in a short stint with Middlesbrough last year. Bowen’s hire became a necessity when Bert van Marwijk inexplicably left the squad for Blackburn in December. The best “manager” was actually van Marwijk’s assistant, Rafi Ali, who went undefeated in seven matches between his former boss’s departure and Bowen’s hire. After not being considered for the top spot, Ali left the club in February to take over First Division Charlton Athletic. Offense: Henry and Crespo remain the top scoring tandem in the Premiership, scoring an amazing 53 goals between them in all club competitions. Argentinian superstar Crespo is a frontrunner for the Premiership Player of the Year, as the August transfer from Chelsea led the league in both goals and assists. Henry has nothing to be ashamed of in making way for Crespo. The longtime French star had the fourth best rating in the league, and only Crespo had more league goals. Still, Arsenal finished behind three other squads in league goals, primarily because of little scoring help from the midfield. Edu was the top scorer from the center, with 6 G. Hargreaves (9 A) and fullback Ashley Cole (8 A) joined Edu (6 A) to provide many of the feeds to the powerful front duo. The offense was hurt when Ali sent midfielder Gennaro Ivan Gattuso in a big transfer deal to AC Milan in January. He was replaced by American centreman Claudio Reyna, but the midfielder, at 35, is well past his best playing days. Defense: The defense was solid, if not at the normally spectacular level it usually is. The fullbacks, Cole and top defender Daniele Bonera, were terrific all year. The problems were in the middle, where the Gunners got an aged performance from Sol Campbell. Like Reyna, Campbell’s age (34) is beginning to seriously erode his skills. Considering Reyna and Campbell both played primary roles in Arsenal’s defense up the middle, it’s not surprising this was an area that suffered a bit. The problems in the centre defense limited young star netminder Tony McDermott. The goalkeeper still ranked among the better players wearing the #1 in the league this year, but he is used to being at the top. Aston Villa League Record: 18-6-14, 60 pts League Finish: 7th GF (Rk): 67 (3rd) GA (Rk): 56 (15th tied) GD (Rk): +11 (7th) Europe Record: 11-5-5 Cup Record: 2-1-2 Manager: Tord Grip Top Goal Scorers: ST Darius Vassell (24), ST David Villa (19), ST Peter Crouch (11 G) Top Passers: Vassell (16), WG Fredy William Thompson (13), WG Steed Malbranque (11) Top Rating: Vassell (7.24), Thompson (7.23), MF Stilian Petrov (7.19) Top Defender: FB Gareth Barry (7.15) Overall: In most ways, the folks at Villa Park have to consider this season very much a success. But the naysayers will point out the Villans still ended up about where they were expected, and that they failed to capitalize on opportunities when it came to them. Manager Tord Grip has at the very least met expectations after being hired midway through the 2007-08 season. Grip, a former Villan assistant manager who returned to Villa Park from a solid two-year stint with First Division Leeds, has done everything that has been asked of him and put the club on the brink of more. At one point around Christmas, Aston Villa was third in the league, ahead of stalwarts like Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. And they went on an incredible run in Europe, qualifying for the UEFA tournament via the Inter-Toto Cup, and earning a visit to the UEFA Final with leaguemate Newcastle. Indeed, winning the UEFA would be the crowning achievement for just about any team in Europe, and that goal is still well within reach. And at one point in the season, they ran off seven straight league victories. The problem, though, is an iffy defense lent them a lot of inconsistency. From the point they were third in the league, they lost four of their next five matches, and finished the season 7-3-10 after starting it 11-3-4. Offense: The goal-scoring unit for Aston Villa was better than every club in the league besides traditional superpower Manchester United and league champ Tamworth. As usual, that offense begins with superstar Vassell, who led the team in goals, assists and rating. Vassell finished fifth in the league in goals. He was partnered with Villa, who himself had an underappreciated season, with 9 assists as well, in support of the English star. Aston Villa was amazingly diversified in its scoring sources. While Vassell, Villa and Crouch form one of the top trios of strikers in the league, the Villans also get terrific creative playmaking from the midfield (20 G, 34 A from the four starters) and the best scoring backline in the league (13 G, 11 A). That doesn’t even mention fourth striker John Hartson (7 G, 7 A) and fullbacks Rincón (3 G, 5 A), Seth Johnson (4 G, 5 A) and Christoffer Andersson (1 G, 7 A). Only goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson and centreback Olaf Mellberg weren’t threats to score on this squad. Defense: The Villans created much of their offense with an aggressive attack that, as can be seen, provided a lot of offense from numerous different sources. The problem is that that left Sorenson alone a bit too often, as backliners went forward far too much. The longtime netminder had an inconsistent year, fending off odd-man rushes, and put up one of the lower starting keeper ratings in the league. It didn’t help that the one defensive standout, Mellberg, didn’t have his best season either (although it was at least average by league terms--just not his). Still, this is one of the top collections of fullbacks ever put together. If they put as much effort into defense next year as they do offense, this will be a scary squad to face. Birmingham City League Record: 17-8-13, 59 pts League Finish: 8th GF (Rk): 47 (13th tied) GA (Rk): 42 (3rd) GD (Rk): +5 (8th) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 5-0-3 Manager: Neil Cameron Top Goal Scorers: ST Milan Baros (21), ST Jason Roberts (11), ST Kanu (8 G) Top Passers: WG Ryan Giggs (11), Kanu (5), WG Damien Johnson (5), Roberts (5) Top Rating: Giggs (7.30), FB Martin Taylor (7.30), FB Matthew Upson (7.20) Top Defender: Taylor Overall: The Blues had two seasons, and one of them could have cost Neil Cameron his job. Three months and change into the season, Cameron was looking at a 5-3-7 record and was in the midst of a horrible five-match stretch in November that saw Birmingham lose all five contests by multiple-goal tallies. It was a pivotal point of the season. Whatever Cameron told the squad in early December, though, it worked. The club ran off a four-match win streak in January and finished 12-5-6 after the horrible start. They have even put themselves in line for a spot in Europe, which hardly looked like a possibility nigh of Christmas. Basically, Birmingham did it with defense, behind the impressive showing of veteran goalkeeper Carlo Nash. Nash easily had the best season of his career, and the Blues were stingier to opponents than everyone except Manchester United and Tamworth. Offense: Sure, the defense was great. The offense was less so. What problems the Blues had resided in putting the ball in the net, although no one is going to take Czech star Baros to task for it. His job is to score goals, and he did. He didn’t get much help, though. Giggs is showing he isn’t done yet, as he was probably the most dynamic player on the team. He keyed the offense from the left wing and showed that his 35-year-old legs still have some life in them. The offense was hurt when midfield playmaker Darren Carter went down with a groin injury for two months, but was otherwise largely healthy—just lacking in real offensive talent. Defense: Not only was Nash incredible this past season, he may have been the best goalkeeper in the league. Bristol City’s Mark Brown could have an argument about that, and guys like Fabien Barthez and Jon Masalin have some gaudier stats, but Nash had a much lower goals-per-match average than Brown, and a lesser quality backline than either United or Tamworth. Not that the corners of that backline were bad--Taylor and Upson formed one of the best defensive fullback duos in the league. It would have been even better, had Taylor not missed four months with repeated groin injuries. The central defense has issues, though, as young Belgian Vincent Kompany had a horrible year in front of Nash. The defense somewhat sheltered the struggling defender, though, with solid players elsewhere, including strong defensive midfielder Aliou Cissé. Blackburn League Record: 10-11-17, 41 pts League Finish: 17th GF (Rk): 50 (12th) GA (Rk): 69 (19th) GD (Rk): -19 (19th) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 5-0-2 Manager: Bert van Marwijk Top Goal Scorers: ST Peter Lovenkrands (16), Matt Jansen (15), WG Brett Emerton (8) Top Passers: Lovenkrands (13), Jansen (5), Emerton (5) Top Rating: FB Lucas Neill (7.29), Emerton (7.12), Lovenkrands (7.02) Top Defender: Neill Overall: This once proud club has hit upon hard times this season. Just tossing out the numbers can’t even begin to spell out the problems the Rovers had this season. They had just 10 points with 15 matches on the season, leading to the sacking of popular England coach Sam Allardyce. They finished just outside of relegation—as in, literally, the lowest you could place without earning the drop. Their goal differential was worse than every squad except for Colchester—perhaps the worst team in Premiership history—and that includes a lower mark than the other two relegatees, Bristol City and Blackpool. Only a last day loss by the latter squad kept the Rovers from the First Division, which would have been an ignoble result for a club that once considered itself a threat to break into the league’s upper echelon squads. For all of that, the Rovers end the season with a bit of hope after all. New manager Bert van Marwijk, who surprisingly left Ashburton Grove to help Blackburn stave off relegation, made an immediate impact. Van Marwijk was hired two weeks after Allardyce was fired, and led the Rovers to wins in five of their next nine matches. The squad seemed to be playing much more consistent under van Marwijk and, other than a poor early spring stretch, the squad was very competitive the rest of the way, finishing with a 9-7-8 mark under the new manager. The key to the turnaround was in the net. Van Marwijk preferred the young Neil Miles to longtime vet Brad Freidel, and the switch turned out to be a resounding success. Freidel was awful in the early going, while Miles showed good ability as he learned on the job in the latter months of the season. Offense: Although no one is going to say the offense was very good (it wasn’t), this wasn’t the real problem area for the Rovers. Lovenkrands and Jansen form a competent, if less than enthralling, duo up front. Emerton remains a terrific playmaker at the right wing, and was Blackburn’s offensive star and true creative threat. Much like the forwards, Steven Reid and Lee Bowyer were a solid, but not spectacular, midfield duo. This is one of those squads that could benefit from the addition of a couple true stars, but the groundwork is otherwise in place for a solid offensive squad. The left wing was an issue all year, and was only partially settled by the arrival of Banfield transfer Francesco Tognon in January. Defense: To say the defense was atrocious doesn’t even begin to spell it out. Under Allardyce, the defense might as well have been taking a bath off-pitch for all the stopping ability they had. Freidel, at 38, was clearly showing his age, allowing 33 goals in 15 matches. He didn’t get much help from the backline, which featured one top notch player in Neill, and one decent centreback in Nils-Eric Johansson. The left back spot was a turnstile until the Rovers loaned in Birmingham’s Matthew Sadler for the last half of the season. The second centreback spot was the true sore point, with Irish 19-year-old barely-older-than-a-schoolboy Chris McConnell splitting time with slow-footed American Franklin Scimek. Both displayed bad form all season, exposing both Freidel and later Miles to a number of on-goal chances for the opposition. Miles himself had a steady first season. It wasn’t great, but it was an effort for the 20-year-old to build on as a growing talent in net for Blackburn. Blackpool League Record: 11-6-21, 39 pts League Finish: 18th (relegated) GF (Rk): 47 (13th tied) GA (Rk): 63 (18th) GD (Rk): -16 (15th tied) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 2-0-2 Manager: Steve McMahon Top Goal Scorers: ST Brett Ormerod (18), WG Ricky Waddell (6), ST Ian Armstrong (5), MF Imants Bleidelis (5) Top Passers: ST John Murphy (9), Bleidelis (7), Waddell (6) Top Rating: Waddell (7.10), DC Nicky Hunt (7.05), MF Omar Daley (7.00) Top Defender: Hunt Overall: The Seasiders’ supporters have to be upset with how this season turned out, because there couldn’t have been a worse turn of luck for one club. From the very beginning, the club was besieged with injuries. They lost two of their top three strikers for extended periods, both starting midfielders missed at least a month (with Daley suffering a season-ending broken leg in February), and the defense was crippled by injuries to the fullbacks and to the club’s goalkeeper, Lee Camp. The squad was maddeningly inconsistent, going an at least above relegation-worthy 5-3-7 in the first three months, but following it up with nine losses in 11 matches (and punctuated by the Daley injury, which hit right in the middle of it). Then, like some higher power playing a joke with them, Blackpool rode a strong March by Ormerod to four straight wins and won clear of relegation—only to fall apart completely in April, losing six of their last eight matches, and allowing Blackburn to catch up with them by the last day of the season. For all their troubles and injuries, Blackpool still ended up with a better goal differential than Blackburn, Fulham and Nottingham Forest, all of whom will return to the Premiership next season. It’s never easy for new promotees to make a splash, but it seems like this season was one long, cruel joke for Pool. They now return to the First Division to try to win their way back. Offense: The offense, limited by both injuries and questionable talent, had at best a subpar year. Ormerod was the Premiership’s best player in March, but that’s also when he scored seven of his 18 goals, leaving precious few for the other nine months of the season. The inconsistent Ormerod also did little but score, unwilling or perhaps incapable of helping out on defense, and passing it in to him was like aiming into a blackhole—he only had three assists. Troubling the issue was that his partners were Murphy and the oft-injured Armstrong. Armstrong was a star in the First Division, but was shelved four separate times for injuries during this term. And even when he was playing, it showed he wasn’t acclimated to the speed of the Premiership game. Murphy is another guy who did well in the First Division, and when he wasn’t hurt, he played solid football. He was the team’s best passer and the highest rated striker. The problem is he only scored twice, and his rating was a good half-a-drop point from his First Division showing in 2007-08. Strikers who can’t score (even if they do other things) aren’t going to break a team out of the doldrums too often. At least the Seasiders can take with them the knowledge that the midfield seemed up to the task of playing at a higher level, albeit none of them as stars. Winger Ricky Waddell established his credentials as a top playmaker on the wing. Daley didn’t score as he had in the past, but he showed the ball control and poise that has been a trademark of his performances with Blackpool for years. Bleidelis turned in a fine creative show when Daley’s injury forced him to be more involved with the offense. And right winger Tony Dunne didn’t embarrass himself either. Health and better quality up front would have made a huge difference at Bloomfield Road this season. Defense: Often enough, recent promotees do poorly on defense, as former First Division backliners and keepers get used to the premier talents that play at this level. This was very much in evidence for the Seasiders this year, as they tried to overcome, yet again, injuries and a poor transitional period from goalkeeper Lee Camp. The netminder was very inconsistent, putting up 10 clean sheets in 36 starts, but he also was one of the worst in the league at allowing goals per match (1.56). Considering that outside of a troublesome right back spot, the backline did fairly well, Camp has to take a significant amount of blame for heading one of the worst defenses in the Premiership. Former Bolton Premiership defender Nicky Hunt showed he can be one of the better defenders in any league in England, and he and Lee Canoville formed a tough, no-nonsense centre defense in front of Camp. Young Richard Swift, just 17, is a huge rising talent at left back who did not embarrass himself at all. The right back, which was constantly being changed for injury or poor performance, is a huge sore spot for an otherwise strong backline. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-17-2004 at 06:35 PM.

08-18-2004, 04:34 AM	#202
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Bristol City League Record: 9-9-20, 36 pts League Finish: 19th (relegated) GF (Rk): 37 (19th) GA (Rk): 53 (9th) GD (Rk): -16 (15th tied) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 1-0-2 Manager: Danny Wilson Top Goal Scorers: ST Lee Miller (11), ST Leroy Lita (10), ST Alex Holmes (3), MF Lee Bell (3) Top Passers: Miller (8), Lita (5), WG David Vaughan (4) Top Rating: GK Mark Brown (7.24), FB Kevin Amankwaah (7.19), DC Paul Warner (7.06) Top Defender: Amankwaah Overall: The Robins showed the Premiership they weren’t going to go quietly when faced up with the superior talent in the League, but that doesn’t mean they made any headway. This squad developed a persona of tough defense, headlined by the surprisingly strong Brown, who led all league netminders in average rating this past season. The problem is, you have to score to actually get a win, and this squad averaged less than a goal per league match. No matter what sort of defense you put up, that’s not going to get you a lot of wins. Bristol City started off fairly well for a recent promotee, going 2-2-1 in their first five matches. Starting in late September, though, the Robins went into a complete spiral, and by the time they pulled out of it in late January, they had just one win in 23 league matches (they also drew five times). They had three separate streaks of at least five losses, and it took a last day win for them to get within three points of 18thplace Blackpool—which was also relegated. Offense: You know a team has problems scoring when the only players on the team with a hint of a chance to score or create scoring chances are the strikers—and they were average at best. Miller and Lita were average for a low-end league team, and well below average for Premiership strikers, despite both ending up with double digits in goals scored. They were also the squad’s best passers, meaning they had to play a lot of back and forth to generate anything. Both Tommy Doherty and Bell played strong defensive;y in the middle, but the Robins need one of those guys to step it up as a creative force, rather than having two defenders in the midfield. Vaughan was the best playmaking midfielder, but he would have looked better if the forwards were better able to convert his plays. Across the board, this was a very pedestrian offensive crew. Defense: Not only was Brown the highest rated keeper in the league, he did it in front of perhaps the worst central defense in the league. At one spot, Louis Carey had an awful season, and missed almost three months to a knee injury. At the other, no one players ever seemed to settle in as the starter, although the squad did get a good performance from Warner in limited appearances (18 app). The fullbacks were solid, particularly Amankwaah, but considering the club’s offensive problems, they really could have been much stronger in generating offensive chances. If this team can find an offense, it might have a shot at getting back to the Premiership next season. Of course, first, it will have to fight off the clubs that will no doubt make bids on Brown. Chelsea League Record: 18-6-14, 60 pts League Finish: 6th GF (Rk): 62 (7th) GA (Rk): 48 (6th tied) GD (Rk): 14 (5th) Europe Record: 1-0-3 Cup Record: 4-2-1 Manager: Erland Johnson Top Goal Scorers: ST Adrian Mutu (20), ST Michael Chopra (12), ST Arjen Robben (9) Top Passers: Robben (11), WG Damien Duff (9), Mutu (7), Chopra (7) Top Rating: Mutu (7.89), DC John Terry (7.32), Chopra (7.25) Top Defender: Terry Overall: Most squads would kill to be where the Blues are. They aren’t rich and powerful Chelsea, though. This is a squad that has thrust itself into the elite of the Premiership, but the fan base is beginning to get a little frustrated at the squad’s inability to escalate to the top with teams like Manchester United and Tamworth. Making it even more galling is some of the decisions by management that may have stripped this club of any real chance to contend for the league title this season. In the beginning of the year, somehow, Hernán Crespo becomes surplus to requirements and is shipped off to Arsenal—exactly where you don’t want him. He, of course, has the best season of his career. Then, just when it is looking like Mutu and Chopra can combine to make supporters begin to forget about Crespo’s absence, the club moves Chopra to Italy. So while Crespo is a league player of the year candidate across town and Chopra is toiling in Italy, Mutu is struggling to provide enough offense for an otherwise top notch squad that falters to the lowest among the Premiership’s “elite” teams. Mutu, Crespo and Chopra might have been the best trio of forwards in the history of the game, and the Blues would probably be celebrating a championship right about now. Offense: His partners may have changed addresses, but Mutu himself looks to be the top contender for league player of the year. He finished fourth in the league in goals, and was the highest rated player in England. He had three more men of the match than the next player and was the only player selected as Player of the Month more than once. He was dominating in the middle of Chelsea’s 4-3-3 frontline. It shows how critical Chopra was to the team, considering he finished as the obvious second best player on the squad, even after leaving the club halfway through the season. That does take away from Robben, though, who was a perfect fit as a creative forward in this tactic. He ranked among league leaders in assists. Still, he was inconsistent and didn’t score enough, and neither Mido nor January transfer Jermain Defoe ever come anywhere close to filling Chopra’s shoes, much less Crespo’s. Manager Erland Johnson also made the odd decision to leave supreme playmaking midfielder Damien Duff as a primary sub off of the bench. If Akiaksandr Hleb, Scott Parker and Joe Cole translated that into a superior defense, then that might be one thing, but Chelsea was at best a solid defensive team, instead of the superior play you expect from a team with this talent. This is all relative, of course—the top five midfielders (including Christian Poulsen) would have fit into the top XI’s of just about every other team in the league. Defense: You can’t say the defense was bad. It certainly wasn’t, tied for a very respectable sixth in the league. But you just get the feeling it could have and should have been better. Terry and Robert Huth form one of the top centreback duos in the world, and Terry once again established himself on a level that few other defenders in the Premiership can reach. The fullback corps was solid and deep, although the squad could have used more playmaking from them, outside of Glen johnson’s five assists. The defense was solid enough that, despite not always having his best stuff, Petr Cech still had an amazing 20 clean sheets and a very respectable 1.25 goals per match average. Colchester United League Record: 4-8-26, 20 pts League Finish: 20th (relegated) GF (Rk): 33 (20th) GA (Rk): 93 (20th) GD (Rk): -60 (20th) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 2-0-2 Manager: Phil Parkinson Top Goal Scorers: ST Joshua Kennedy (10), ST Trevor Benjamin (5), MF José Alexander Amaya (3), WG Karl Duguid (3) Top Passers: Amaya (5), Kennedy (4), Duguid (3) Top Rating: Duguid (6.94), DC Sergei Baltacha (6.86), Kennedy (6.71) Top Defender: Baltacha Overall: Where does one begin to describe the misery that was this season for the U’s? Colchester entered the league with hope, just like the other promotees from last year, but they just never got unhitched. The talent on this team is simply on a completely lower level from the rest of the league, and isn’t even a fair comparison to fellow relegatees Bristol City and Blackpool. It has been put up this might be the worst team in Premiership history. They had the worst offense, the worst defense (both by far), and their goal differential is of an epic record-level. Colchester won just four matches all year. They lost 26 of their 38 league matches, most badly. They didn’t earn their first win until December (Tottenham was the luckless victim). They were relegated before March was up. It’s a shocker that manager Phil Parkinson even still has a job, regardless of the fact he has managed the dquad for years now and led them to this level in the first place. Offense: The one good move Colchester did was bringing in 1.FC Köln’s Aussie striker Kennedy. His solid debut in the Premiership helped ease over the fact that once vaunted Colchester striker Benjamin clearly was having about as poor a term for form as one can have. Benjamin’s horrible season was punctuated in the final month when he broke his ankle, which will affect him into next season’s First Division campaign. Colchester made a big move to get 2007-08 Premiership star midfielder Amaya from Tamworth, but the Salvadoran player didn’t start playing very strongly until the end of the season. That left the creative end of things mostly to Duguid, who has proven in the past to be a solid talent on the wing for the U’s. In fact, Duguid nearly breaking 7.00 on the average rating scale is very impressive—but that doesn’t make Colchester any better of an offensive squad. Defense: Compared to the defense, the offense looks scintillating. The backline and goalkeeper Ian Walker took turns trying to out-bad each other. Walker probably deserves better credit, though, considering the shots he had to face off. For a team this low on the table, his 6.68 rating is actually decent, although you might doing hima favor to call him an average Premiership netminder at this point. The best defender was easily Baltacha—and he only played part time. Veteran Dominic Matteo is clearly past his prime, as he practically greased the way to the goal with his play. He and young Adam Eckersley played more often than Baltacha, and Eckersley didn’t even match Matteo’s numbers. Paul Payne was another youth at fullback that had a very poor season. Outside of Baltacha, all of the backups had sub-6.00 ratings. That is how bad this defense was this season. Everton League Record: 12-12-14, 48 pts League Finish: 11th GF (Rk): 41 (17th) GA (Rk): 48 (6th) GD (Rk): -7 (11th tied) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 2-0-2 Manager: Claudio Ranieri Top Goal Scorers: ST Elvis Hammond (10), ST David Cooper (8), ST Wayne Rooney (6) Top Passers: Hammond (6), MF Li Tie (6), WG Jesper Gronkjær (6) Top Rating: DC Joseph Yobo (7.21), Cooper (7.15), WG James McFadden (7.11) Top Defender: Yobo Overall: If the Toffees were to play to their talent level on offense, they might be playing in Europe next year. As it is, they still finished a respectable mid-table 11th, courtesy of a strong defensive performance. And that included a midseason manager switch. The man at the helm made little difference on this season, though—no squad in the Premiership was as consistently average as the Toffees. In no two-month period did they ever earn more than 12 or less than eight points. Only once did they have more than one-match difference between wins and losses (when they went 2-2-4 in February and March). Gianluca Vialli left the squad in early November for First Division Bradford City, after compiling a 4-2-4 record with the Toffees. Assistant manager Alan Irvine guided Everton to a 1-2-1 record during a brief three-week tenure, and then former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri finished off the season with a 7-8-9 record. The numbers on this team don’t look all that impressive, but the talent is here to make a run into the top ten. It might have been as simple as health for star striker Rooney, although he has proven to be anything but a sure thing. Offense: If Rooney appeared in a full term of matches, he might have sent in 15-20 goals. Rooney was hit hard by chronic groin injuries and missed more than half of the season. He played well enough when he was in, but you’re not doing your club much good in the training room. Rooney has long been the great hope of Everton, but injuries and inconsistency and youth have all gotten in the way of that happening. If he breaks into the top ten in scoring, this club would finally put to good use the solid creative skills of a playmaking midfield and significantly reduce the club’s reliance on the steady, but mediocre Hammond. One thing Rooney’s injury problems did do was give more time to Cooper, who proved he could be an able partner with Rooney when given the chance. He was one of the highest rated players on the squad. McFadden and Gronkjær’s opportunities to impress were limited by a lack of finishing on the part of the frontline, but don’t mistake that for a lack of talent—they can both create some action in the opponent’s end. Tie and Daniel Cruz are also solid in the middle, and play both ends of the pitch well. This is an offense waiting for a true star to step up and take in their feeds. Will Rooney ever be the guy who fills that role? Until he or someone does, this club will remain near the bottom of the league scoring charts. Defense: When one thinks of sharp centreback-goalkeeper combos, one thinks of Ferdinand-Barthez and Terry-Cech. The fact is, longtime Toffees Yobo and Richard Wright have both been underrated for years. Yobo is the strength of the backline and is one of the top five or six centrebacks in the league. On the few occasions he fails, Wright has shown himself to be able to put up a strong wall, a role he replayed last season with aplomb. 13 clean sheets, seven men of the match, 1.29 gpm average and a 6.88 rating were all top numbers in the Premiership netminder rankings. Yobo was ably if not spectacularly supported in the middle by the combination of Peter Clarke and Declan Power. Matt Hill put in a solid performance at left back as well, giving Everton strength at three backline spots. Alas, the right back spot was miserable all season, as Tony Hibbert was awful Fulham League Record: 11-10-17, 43 pts League Finish: 15th GF (Rk): 43 (15th) GA (Rk): 61 (17th) GD (Rk): -18 (18th) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 2-1-2 Manager: Micky Adams Top Goal Scorers: ST Collins John (15), ST Alan Smith (10), WG Sean Doherty (5) Top Passers: Smith (7), WG Demetrius Williams (7), John (4), MF David Dunn (4) Top Rating: DC Steve Wilkinson (7.23), DC Zatyiah Knight (7.11), FB Carlos Bocanegra (7.04) Top Defender: Wilkinson Overall: The Cottagers were another of the longtime Premiership squads that had to scramble to stay away from relegation this past season.. They finished in the bottom rankings of both offense and defense, and there is little reason to think the talent on the roster didn’t deserve exactly that. Surprisingly, Ruud Gullit played an average season into a new job with Rangers in late March. New manager Micky Adams, formerly of Leicester and Derby, fared little better. In fact, his squad did a little worse, although he did successfully avoid relegation. There are still some big names on this team, but the fact is, they are either too old or too inconsistent to be a threat to break into the top ten, at least short of an amazing upturn in the quality of their play. Offense: John and Smith have done some damage in their careers, and both remain threats. Still, neither is quite at the level they were once thought to be, particularly Smith. They are exactly the kind of players you would hope could achieve better, but since they didn’t, this squad’s offense went right into the dumps. The problem was exasperated by an inconsistent midfield. The best midfielders were the oft-injured Sylvain Legwinksi and Michael Essien in the middle—who specializes in defense. Fellow middleman Dunn is too inconsistent, and Williams gave away as many runs on his side of the pitch as he did create them, putting up a ridiculously bad 5.76 rating. Defense: The defense had some of the club’s stronger players, including the a tough trio of Wilkinson, Knight and Bocanegra. The problem was in the net, where longtime netminder Edwin van der Sar was awful. At 38, van der Sar is long past his best days in this league. It wasn’t helped when inconsistency on the wings and at fullback allowed opponents to just bypass the stronger defensive areas of the Cottagers to take potshots right at van der Sar. Former standout fullback Phil Neville never seemed to stop enough players on his side, and Giuseppe Ruggeri was awful on the left side (the same side as Williams, making for atrocious defense along that touch). At least Neville created some offense (2 G, 4 A). CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-18-2004 at 04:35 AM.

08-20-2004, 05:15 AM	#203
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Leicester City League Record: 15-8-15, 53 pts League Finish: 10th GF (Rk): 51 (9th) GA (Rk): 60 (16th) GD (Rk): -9 (13th) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 5-4-1 Manager: John McDermott Top Goal Scorers: ST Tommy Wright (18), ST James Graham (15), WG Dean Marney (9) Top Passers: MF Muzzy Isset (14), Stefano Mauri (8), Graham (8) Top Rating: Graham (7.91), Wright (7.36), DC Sam Jones (7.32) Top Defender: Jones Overall: Few teams will ever have a season like the Foxes, in which they sunk to the depths of despair, and yet somehow clawed back not only to mid-table, but to a European place as well. Leicester was about as dead in the water as they come around Christmas time, but now they have the look of a hot and rising team of the future. It’s amazing what a new manager and a little health can do. Former manager Ronald Koeman grew tired of trying to get the most out of the Foxes, so he took a job with the Bundesliga’s Gladbach club in January. He left Leicester with a relegation-worthy 4-7-11 record. In desperation, the club shopped around for a manager to try and save the season—and they hit the jackpot. At the end of January, they lured McDermott, a well-regarded manager on the rise who was at the time leading powerful Scottish club Celtic. McDermott’s approach was well-received by the squad. After a transitional loss to tough Tamworth in McDermott’s first league match, the Foxes ripped off seven straight league matches. They shot up the table and played in the FA Cup as well. By the end of the season, the squad had improbably earned a spot in the FA Cup Final and went 11-1-4 under McDermott in league. Offense: The numbers on offense don’t look so good across the term, as the club finished in the middle of the league in goals scored. That’s not entirely fair, though, considering young superstar Graham missed four months to troublesome groin tears. Not coincidentally, Graham got healthy just before this squad really heated up. He was the third-highest rated player in the Premiership and a full slate of matches would have made him a threat to score 25 goals. Graham’s injury did have one benefit—his partner Wright had to emerge from the shadows to take over some of the scoring load, and emerge he certainly did. Graham and Wright, at 21 and 24 years old, are the most exciting young duo to develop in the league in years. With that kind of talent up front, it can be a little difficult to assess the true skill of the midfield. The numbers look good, though. The wings, Marney and Mauri, were the pair of scoring wingers in the league, and also played key creative roles. Marney had the better alla round year, while Mauri was a dynamic passer. Izzet had a terrific season passing the ball up front, finishing among league midfield leaders in assists. If there is an issue in the offense, it is here in the middle, where the top three players are all 32 and older. Additionally, Ricardo Scimeca was just passable at the spot next to Izzet, and this group is better in the opponent’s end than in its own. Defense: It’s easy to overlook the defense with this team’s multi-faceted offense, but even in the lower end of the league rankings, there is good reason to be optimistic. Take out 11 goals scored in two dreadful losses to powerful Tamworth, and you have a squad that allowed just 49 goals in the other 36 league matches. That optimism starts in the central defense, where the 17-year-old Jones showed that Graham wasn’t the only young rising star on the team. Despite his youth, Jones finished the season not just rated best among young defenders, but also in vaunted territory with legendary names like Ferdinand and Terry. That’s how good he was, finishing fourth in rating among league defenders, and contributing to both sides of the pitch. Jones isn’t the only young hopeful on the backline. Lee Atkinson and Birmingham transfer Mark Reilly, both 21 and under, turned in solid performances at fullback. Atkinson was hurt for much of the season, and Reilly was limited by the presence of veteran wingback Cosmin Contra, a January transfer from Spain who did not have a solid stint with the Foxes. Contra’s problems, along with those of Jones’ central defense partner Matt Heath and inconsistency in the net, were the primary sources of Leicester’s defensive problems. Joe Murphy and Shaun Allaway split the net duties and performed similarly, but Murphy was rated much higher and might be the longterm answer there. Liverpool League Record: 19-9-10, 66 pts League Finish: 3rd GF (Rk): 65 (5th) GA (Rk): 44 (4th) GD (Rk): +21 (3rd) Europe Record: 4-1-3 Cup Record: 4-1-2 Manager: Alex McLeish Top Goal Scorers: ST El-Hadji Diouf (20), ST Michael Owen (18), ST Anthony Le Tallec (9) Top Passers: Diouf (15), Le Tallec (10), ST Emile Heskey (9) Top Rating: WG Mark Bresciano (7.30), Diouf (7.19), WG Rafael van der Vaart (7.19), Heskey (7.19) Top Defender: FB John Arne Riise (7.10) Overall: Tamworth and Manchester United were well ahead of the pack at the end of the season, but were it not for a mediocre showing down the stretch of the season, the Reds might have been right there with the Red Devils at least. Pool finished a not altogether awe-inspiring 5-6-4 from February on, after starting off 14-3-6. Even so, they still held on to third place, winning out over Arsenal by tie breakers. It’s not usually easy to pin down a turning point of the season for a team, but in this case, it could very well be a late transfer and a series of meetings with champ Tamworth in January. Manager Alex McLeish shipped off longtime star winger Harry Kewell to AC Milan for a boatload of cash in the midseason window, and then Liverpool showed poor form and unsporting style in going 0-1-2 against Tamworth in a two week stretch near the end of the month. The Reds lost a league match in which Djimi Traoré was sent off prematurely, and then both Diouf and midfielder Steven Gerrard were sent off early in the clubs’ next meeting, the first leg of the English League Cup semifinal. Liverpool lost both matches. The Reds would draw with Tamworth with a full squad in the second leg of the semifinal in early September, but the damage was done. That stretch of bitter losses may have been the primary reason the club dropped in form a bit the rest of the season. Offense: Diouf is still listed as one of the most highly-regarded and valuable players in the world, but he hadn’t ever really had the sort of season to justify that reputation. That said, Diouf did appear to take his game to a higher level this season, leading the squad in both goals and assists, and finishing the season as the highest rated striker at Anfield. His season could have looked even better, but Diouf generally played a side forward position in McLeish’s 4-3-3, which puts more emphasis on Diouf’s creative abilities and downplays finishing skills in comparison to a more traditional 4-4-2. The point man, of course, was the Reds’ longtime prolific scorer Owen, who didn’t rate as strongly as he should, but scored effectively. The front crew was strong and deep, with Le Tallec a versatile forward on the other side, and with a backup forward group of Heskey, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Louay Chanko that put up a collective 17 goals, 10 assists and a 6.91 average rating. No one is going to question the skills of the middle three on a normal club, but Liverpool may have gotten a touch less than they are used to. Longtime midfield anchor Gerrard wasn’t as consistent this year as he usually is, and his offensive numbers were a little down. The left spot was also a little in flux with Kewell’s departure. The Aussie star was turning in a strong season, marred only by a two-month stretch on the sideline, courtesy of a broken foot, before being moved to Italy. Gis replacement, van der Vaart, looked terrific at times in his stead, and could be a star on the rise, but he was less rated than Kewell and finished with lower goals and assists than the latter was on pace to reach over the course of a full season. The right spot is in steady hands with the creative Bresciano. One could argue he was the Reds’ best player this season. Defense: The backline was fairly inconsistent this past season, so it goes to show just how good Jerzy Dudek was in the net to place Liverpool as high as they did in the Premiership’s defensive rankings (above and beyond the fact that a 4-3-3 naturally sacrifices a bit of defense for offense). Dudek placed among league leaders in all of the major categories, including rating, and it’s clear he hasn’t lost much at the age of 36. Speaking of age, a key issue with the quality of play of the backline was the decline of former star defender Sami Hyypïa. The Finn centreback was the lowest-rated starter, and it might be the time for the 35-year-old vet to graciously step back into a reserve role. If he does, the Reds will be much better served by his likely replacement in Traoré, who was very strong as the top backline reserve, out-rating everyone except for Riise. Hyypïa’s partner J’Lloyd Samuel is a solid player, but could be better. On the ends, Riise remains a premier attacking fullback, and Jamie Carragher is solid on the right. Both could be better defensively. Not helping matters is the lack of quality depth. Outside of Traoré and Hyypïa perhaps switching, Liverpool has the competent but aging Steve Finnan at wingback, the inconsistent Igor Biscan in the middle, and the younger Carl Medjani, who had a very poor season in limited appearances. Manchester City League Record: 11-14-13. 47 pts League Finish: 12th GF (Rk): 51 (9th tied) GA (Rk): 55 (11th tied) GD (Rk): -4 (9th tied) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 2-1-2 Manager: Pär Zetterberg Top Goal Scorers: ST Aruna (15), ST Stéphane N’Guéma (9), FB Wayne Bridge (6) Top Passers: WG Jesús Arellano (6), FB Anthony Réveillère (6), ST Bruce Webber (5) Top Rating: MF Dickson Agyeman (7.11), DC Sun Jihai (7.08), DC Richard Dunne (7.00) Top Defender: Jihai Overall: City has been a solid Premiership club for a decade now, but no one would ever confuse it with the elite. And usually, only the elite squads can get away with sacking their managers at midseason and avoid the drop. Manchester City proved otherwise, though, perhaps sensing Simon Smith’s mediocrity early enough to make a change for the better. Smith was shown the door in late October after the squad garnered just one victory in its first nine league matches. To show how awful that is, consider that Smith’s assistant manager Phil Green led the club to two wins and a draw with tough Tamworth in the brief three-match interim between Smith’s sacking and the hiring of new manager Pär Zetterberg. Zetterberg took over in mid-November and proceeded to lead the squad to a level more commensurate with its level of talent—midtable and an even record the rest of the way. That’s a return on the season the supporters are more used to. And credit club chairman John Wardle for recognizing the need for change and early enough to avoid relegation. Offense: One of Smith’s few good moves last season was bringing in striker Aruna. The Ivorian forward isn’t a world beater, but where someone had to step up to score goals, he was the one who did. Aruna is not a great passer and was rated fairly low—he’s usually best used as a complementary piece. It seemed like he was the only guy capable of providing a spark up frontm though. The other striker spot was troubled by injury, age and ineffectiveness. Key reserve and potential starter Jon Macken hurt his knee and missed all but seven matches. Mark Viduka, 33, showed his age last season. Lewis Guy showed his age, too—at 23, he apparently isn’t quite ready. In the end, the other spot was mostly held by N’Guéma, who provided the best finishing but rated very poorly, until Webber was brought in from Middlesbrough in late January. Webber was the first partner Aruna had that seemed capable of providing serious help to the offense. Despite playing in juts over a third of the club’s matches, Webber finished one short of the team lead in assists, and fourth in goals. The frontline didn’t get much help from the midfield, which was either too young, too old or too defensive. Veteran winger Arellano tied for the club lead in assist and showed enough to prove he still hasn’t lost it at 36. But he’s obviously not a longterm solution. On the other side, young Michael Parensen still has some learning to do, and did not have a terrific year. Another youth who has done well is midfielder Agyeman, who may indeed have been the club’s best player. His offensive numbers from the middle will only improve when and if the club gets some legitimate talent up front. Jurica Vranjes was average at both ends at the other spot. Defense: The backline was fairly solid, so if you’re going to look for the source of the club’s defensive mediocrity, you’ll have to take a hard look at Nicky Weaver. The goalkeeper has long been thought to have good talent and occasionally flashes it around some, but he can also be very inconsistent. Three of the four backline spots were solid in City’s own end. Jihai remains a tough centreback leader in the middle, and Dunne turned in a very capable season as his partner. Both need to stay on the pitch more (neither started as many as 30 matches), because depth is not strong. Is it more of an indictment of the offense that a fullback finishes third on the team in goals, or is Bridge that good? It’s a little of both, as Bridge is a proven player in both ends. The other wingback spot was ably handled by Réveillère, who provided a nice creative spark. He wasn’t strong defensively, though, and was Man City’s noted weakness on defense. Manchester United League Record: 23-8-7, 77 pts League Finish: 2nd GF (Rk): 72 (2nd) GA (Rk): 41 (2nd) GD (Rk): +31 (2nd) Europe Record: 2-0-4 Cup Record: 7-0-2 Manager: Joop Hiele Top Goal Scorers: ST Nicolas Anelka (29), ST Miroslav Klose (21), WG Cristiano Ronaldo (10) Top Passers: Klose (16), MF Gaetano D’Agostino (14), WG Sidney Govou (11) Top Rating: Klose (7.88), Anelka (7.49), DC Rio Ferdinand (7.38) Top Defender: Ferdinand Overall: If this weren’t Manchester United, no one would bat an eye at the season they had. At Old Trafford, though, anything short of the league championship and a a strong run in Europe is a miserable failure. So one of the better Red Devils squads in recent years may forever instead be remembered for failing to topple the suddenly monstrous Tamworth. The reality is that this club was second in everything. They could score, they could defend, they could dominate, and did. New manager Joop Hiele showed no signs of having to acclimate himself to the Premiership, earning two Manager of the Month awards, including in November when Manchester United was just wrapping up an eight-straight match winning streak. The boys at Old Trafford also went to the League Cup final before falling to a familiar foe—yes, Tamworth, which is becoming quite the nemesis for them. About the only thing that could fairly be called a disappointment was Manchester United’s stunning falter in the Champions League group stage. They went in to the competition considered among the best entered, but didn’t even earn a third place spot and the automatic UEFA spot that goes with it in the group stage. Offense: Newcastle and Arsenal have better striker duos, but no one in Manchester is going to complain too much about the quality up front of this squad. Since coming over from Germany in a big money transfer, Klose has established himself as a true superstar. He once again led the offense with his amazing ability to generate offense, both on his own and to others. He led the squad in assists, and finished second on the squad in goals. He ended the year rated behind only Chelsea’s Adrian Mutu in premiership action. Only next to a guy like Klose could a tremendous talent like French superstar Anelka be overshadowed. He finished the season among league leaders in goals scored and almost scored 30 in all competitions for the Red Devils. He was also among the highest rated players in the Premiership. There was little drop off when Ronaldo or Govou would be moved up front. Although they mostly spent their time on the wing, they also served as primary backups for the strikers. On their own, they would be veritable superstars. Ronaldo is the better striker, while Govou is more suited to play wide. Keiran Richardson handles the other side, where he is solid, although by Man Utd’s standards he is probably upgradeable. Italian star Gaetano D’Agostino is one of the best passing midfielders in the world, and put up a team-high 14 assists this year. Erik Djemba-Djemba is a solid two-way midfielder who allows D’Agostino to move forward and create offense. Defense: You would think that at 37, Fabien Barthez would be slowing down. The French international is giving no signs that is happening, though, as he turned another one of his top notch seasons. He was in the top two or three spots in just about every major goalkeeping stat. As if he needs the help, he also has perhaps history’s finest backline working in front of him. Legendary centreback Ferdinand had another one of him typically dominating seasons, finishing as the second highest rated defender in the Premiership, behind only Tamworth’s Mike Duff. John O’Shea was also terrific, giving the Red Devils the best centreback duo in the league. Emiliano Moretti was a defensive force on the left side. The only spotty position was on the right, where Kasper Bogelund might have been the worst starter on the top XI (although there’s a lot of room underneath this level of talent). In fact, if there’s an issue with the defense, it is that the reserves need to step up and provide better support, so the club doesn’t need to rely on Bogelund. Patrice Evra played well in his spots, but he spent much of the season shelved by injuries. Gary Neville is past his prime, and centreback Phillip Bardsley and fullback Bernd Korzynietz were inconsistent. Newcastle United League Record: 17-10-11, 61 pts League Finish: 5th GF (Rk): 64 (6th) GA (Rk): 51 (8th) GD (Rk): +13 (6th) Europe Record: 12-1-0 Cup Record: 2-1-2 Manager: Michael van Praag Top Goal Scorers: ST Shola Ameobi (33), ST Mateja Kezman (25), MF Jermaine Jenas (8), MF Barry Ferguson (8) Top Passers: Kezman (16), Ameobi (15), WG Hugo Viana (10) Top Rating: Ameobi (7.88), FB Aaron Hughes (7.22), Jenas (7.18) Top Defender: Hughes Overall: Among the traditional powers of the Premiership, it has been the folks at St. James Park that often seems about to drop behind an upstart or two to the lower end of the top ten. They never quite do it, though, constantly remaining on the fringe of being one of England’s superpowers. This year, they did one better, moving ahead of Chelsea into fifth, although that still gets them the same thing they got last year—a spot in the UEFA. Of course, given their success in that competition, that might suit the Magpies and their supporters just fine. In just a few days, they will play Aston Villa for the prestigious UEFA Cup, in what may be a season’s worth of retribution for their seeming inability to make a break for the top in league. Newcastle’s run to the UEFA Cup final is all the more amazing in that they have won all but one of their 12 international matches (and drew the only other time). That’s quite a feat at any level This is still a very dangerous club with some of the best players in the world on its roster. England isn’t always the easiest place to win a league, though. Offense: Who is the Premiership’s best striker? Mutu? Crespo? Klose? Anelka? Henry? In all honesty, you have to give this one to Shola Ameobi, who made it five straight 30-goal seasons this year. The striker is simply dominating, even on a team that generally dominates from front to back. He alone moves them to an elite level. Kezman is the perfect foil next to Ameobi. He has the excellent passing skills to set up Ameobi, and is a world class finisher himself. He could be rated higher, though. The midfield hasn’t seen turnover in years, and why should it, with top talents Jenas and Ferguson remaining in place and at top form. The two centremen can both score and set up the offense, and neither are they slouches on defense. No true midfield in the league put up the numbers they did this season (16 G, 13 A). If there is a weakness for Newcastle, it is on the wings. Viana is a terrific passer and, with the midfielders, gives the club incredibly versatile flow up to the super duo up front. He needs to be stronger defensively, though, which has resulted in less than impressive ratings. At least he has the assists—his cross-pitch partner Darren Ambrose isn’t as effective a ball mover, but he’s just as inconsistent in his own end. Their issues stand out even more because the backline fullbacks don’t provide much offensive support, meaning both ends of the pitch are feeling the pressure to contribute to their touchline partners. Defense: The team may be a touch to aggressive on offense, because they have both a strong-looking line, and a good goalkeeper, and yet still ended up with disappointing defensive numbers, at least for them. Hughes is one of the better fullbacks in the league now, but his partner Aimo Stefano Diana needs to step it up at both ends. Jonathon Woodgate is still one of the best defenders in the league, and he leads the backline from the middle. His partner Andy O’Brien is also very good, and the centreback duo is effectively supported by Titus Bramble—who deserves to start somewhere. Netminder Shay Given entered the season as the highest-valued keeper in the league, and he did little to take away from that reputation. He was rated highly, finished well among the goalkeeping totals, and led the league with 23 clean sheets. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-21-2004, 04:36 AM	#205
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Thanks. I'm just glad it's done. It was fun getting to know the teams, but my attention to detail can be a real downer sometimes. I will be doing offseason plans for all teams in a little bit, too, but I don't expect that to be nearly as long. The next post will be the final five squads. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-21-2004, 04:37 AM	#206
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Nottingham Forest League Record: 12-10-16, 46 pts League Finish: 13th GF (Rk): 39 (18th) GA (Rk): 56 (12th tied) GD (Rk): -17 (17th) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 4-1-2 Manager: Walter Smith Top Goal Scorers: ST Darren Huckerby (20), FB Darren Ryan (5), ST David Johnson (4), MF Bruno Pedretti (4) Top Passers: Johnson (8), WG Diego Martinez (5), MF Brynjar Gunnarsson (4), FB Robbie Stockdale (4), ST Marian Pahars (4) Top Rating: GK Antti Niemi (7.09), Huckerby (6.95), DC Michael Dawson (6.89) Top Defender: Dawson Overall: The Reds started the season well and were solidly mid-table through the first few months with a 6-5-4 record. They even looked like they had an outside chance to make a break on a European place. Eventually, though, the club’s inability to score goals caught up with them. The offense was never a strong point, and the defense finally faltered a bit, which led to Forest putting up just a 6-5-12 record the rest of the season. With age in its best players becoming an issue, Nottingham Forest might be reaching a critical moment in its history, and it will take a lot of manager Walter Smith’s skills to keep them from the drop if they continue to play as they did at the end of the season. Offense: Only two league squads scored less goals than Forest, and they were both relegated. Oddly enough, though, the Reds have a top notch goal scorer in Huckerby. Few times have high-level clubs avoided the drop by relying so much on one individual striker as Nottingham Forest has. Huckerby isn’t just the focus of the offense, he is the offense. It’s more of a team-wide recognition of this that has led to the confluelce of goals at Huckerby’s feet and assists to his partners. Huckerby had just two assists to his 20 goals, because he knows he’s the only who can score. His primary opposite, Johnson, led the team in assists, more or less by setting up Huckerby. Key reserve striker Pahars had four assists doing the same. Smith did attempt to rectify the situation by loaning in HSV’s Benjamin Lauth in January. The German striker was a proven scorer in the Bundesliga, but he was simply awful in the Premiership. He scored just one goal in 13 matches and rated an unbelievably miserable 5.43. He didn’t even get off an assist to Huckerby. The midfield is in solid hands with Gunnarsson at one spot, although he’s on the downside of his career. The other spot was a constant source of problems. Former Manchester United defensive midfielder Roy Keane is still passable, but he’s injury prone and 37 years old. Gareth Williams is largely ineffective. The best longterm option may be rising talent Bruno Pedretti, who was an offensive spark on the pitch. Pedretti, though, is more of an offensive midfielder and the heir apparent to Gunnarsson—pairing the two may not be the best defensive move. The wings were also troubled. Martinez contributed well to the offensive flow, but he is a poor defensive winger and very lowly-rated. Andy Reid was solid on the other side, but he missed more than two months to injuries. The offense is poor enough that fullback Ryan ranked among team leaders in goals, and the other starting fullback Stockdale was among the better passers. Defense: The Reds were a mediocre defensive squad—and that was with one of the better goalkeepers in the league. Niemi was fantastic at times, finishing among the top end of league goalkeepers in rating, and earning his share of nods for the league teams of the week. The fullbacks was just decent defensively, and earned most of their plaudits trying to make up for the lackluster offense. Stockdale was rated pretty poorly, although Ryan was closer to the upper end of league fullbacks. Centreback Michael Dawson was solid in the middle defensively, and contributed surprisingly often on offense, too. His partner Chris Doig was decent, but not good enough to raise the play of the backline above its current level. Sheffield Wednesday League Record: 11-11-16, 44 pts League Finish: 14th GF (Rk): 42 (16th) GA (Rk): 55 (10th tied) GD (Rk): -13 (14th) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 1-0-2 Manager: Chris Turner Top Goal Scorers: ST Kim Olsen (17), ST Francis Jeffers (10), WG Matthew Hamshaw (3), WG Alan Quinn (3) Top Passers: Hamshaw (12), Olsen (5), MF Dickson Etuhu (4) Top Rating: Olsen (7.49), ST David Fox (7.10), Etuhu (6.97) Top Defender: DC Richard Wood (6.92) Overall: Outside of a strong stretch in the middle of the year, this was mostly a down season for the Owls. Indeed, were it not for them going 7-3-6 from October to January, they might have been relegated. Outside of that decent showing, they put up a 4-8-10 record. In many ways, Sheffield Wednesday is similar to Nottingham Forest. They are a very poor offensive squad, and at best an average defensive team. They rely on getting much of their scoring from one player, dangerous striker Kim Olsen. They aren’t nearly as locked into Olsen as the Reds are to Huckerby, though, and they also have the advantage of being significantly younger as well. No less than seven key players (counting Chelsea loan-in keeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay) are 23 and under. So given that, rather than being a sign of the end as it might be for Forest, it is instead a season to build on for the future. Offense: Olsen was a very strong offensive player this season, easily leading the squad in goals, finishing among the team leaders in assists, and ending up among Premiership leaders in rating. He is a lethal scorer that needs to be accounted for. He had to counterbalance the questionable performances of longtime striker Jeffers, though. Although the presence of the proven Jeffers makes Sheffield Wednesday much less of a single-shooter squad, he played very poorly otherwise, rating lower than 6.00. No one else on the squad scored more than three goals, and two of the three key reserve strikers rated even worse than Jeffers (while producing much less in the way of goals). The midfield has its problems, which contribute to the difficulties in producing goals, but they do have a handful of solid players in place. Hamshaw was brilliant as a creator on the right side, and Quinn was a strong defensive presence on the other side (although his lack of offensive ability is a key reason for the offensive doldrums). In the middle, Dickson Etuhu is a solid two-way midfielder, and he is backed up by Fox, who should be on the pitch more. One of the reasons Fox didn’t play so much, though, was the January acquisition of Hamit Altintop from Leverkusen. Unfortunately, Altintop did not handle the transition well and was very inconsistent after coming over. Defense: The key player on defense is Wood, who at 19 is already a strong presence in the middle of the defense. He contributes on both ends and is a solid leader on the pitch. He isn’t the problem—it’s the other spots. His partner, Leigh Bromby, was the poorest starting defender who often undid through his own ineffectiveness much of the defensive work of Wood. The fullbacks, Derek Geary and Lee Webb, were neither particularly strong offensively or very effective in their own end. Faced with those backline issues, it’s no surprise starting goalkeeper Allan McGregor turned in an inconsistent season. For what he was given, he had some fairly strong performances. It should be noted, though, that Kalambay came in from Chelsea in the latter half of the season and outplayed McGregor behind that same backline. Southampton League Record: 15-8-15, 53 pts League Finish: 9th GF (Rk): 51 (9th tied) GA (Rk): 58 (15th) GD (Rk): -7 (11th tied) Europe Record: 4-2-2 Cup Record: 2-0-2 Manager: Steve McLaren Top Goal Scorers: ST Ivica Olic (23), ST James Beattie (18), MF Shaun Neville (4), DC Darren Kenton (4) Top Passers: Beattie (14), Olic (13), Neville (10) Top Rating: Beattie (7.40), Kenton (7.30), FB Peter Canero (7.10) Top Defender: Kenton Overall: The Saints are a squad in flux. There a lot of things to like about this club. They, with Aston Villa and Birmingham, fairly consistently contend for European places and nip at the heels of the big boys. They have some top talent on their team. They won through the Inter-Toto tournament last season to get to the UEFA Cup competition. They have some terrific young talent, like midfielder Neville and goalkeeper Fon Williams, among others. But they always seem to fall just short of breaking into the top five or playing into a serious role in Europe. Despite their success, they lost their manager this season to Celtic. They make odd hiring decisions, such as the surprising hire of Steve McLaren, whom has done nothing to prove he deserves more chances to manage after failed stints at Middlesbrough and Derby. Despite their obvious talent, they still went the full term with a negative goal differential—and it wasn’t even close to being positive. This club is the annual enigma in this league, and you never know what you’re going to get. Really, this year was no different than any other. McLaren didn’t wow with a 2-2-4 record in his short stint to the end of the season, but eight matches is hardly long enough to get a read on someone. Before replacing Leicester City’s John McDermott at Celtic, former manager Pat Rice went 11-4-10, which is solid, but not necessarily awe-inspiring either. Offense: Everyone knows about the top striker duos with the big clubs. That of the Saints tends to fly under the radar, but they aren’t much worse. Olic turned in a terrific year, leading the squad in goals and flashing some terrific passing abilities. He should have rated higher, though, which is a concern. His partner has no such difficulties—Beattie has been the center of Southampton’s offense for several seasons now. Not only is he a top scorer, he is also the squad’s best passer. Outside of a troublesome left wing spot, the midfield complements the front line well with strong creative and playmaking skills. Neville is a star on the rise. Despite being just 21, he finished among league leaders in assists by midfielders and also came forward to occasionally chip in a goal. His defense work still needs to round into better form, but he is already one of the better overall players at his position in the league. Next to him, defensive midfielder Matthew Oakley turned in a solid, blue-collar performance. On the right wing, Nolberto Solano has better talent than his rating would show, but he’s 34 and on his way down. The left wing never had a consistent starting presence, and few who took a crack at it really established themselves. These guys can score, but they aren’t so good defensively, and that puts a lot more pressure on the backline. Defense: Kenton and Danny Higginbotham form one of the more underrated central defense duos in the league. Kenton rated among the best defenders in the Premiership last year, and chipped in four goals as well. Higginbotham was no slouch as the true defensive presence beside Kenton. Left back is ably held down by Canero, who is a strong creative presence and a solid defensive player. Right back is as problematic as left wing, with Maurice Ross earning the club a search for a proper replacement, given his poor performance defensively this past season (6.53). The squad brought in Manchester United’s Paul Tierney to help out for the last few months, although he’s going back to Old Trafford now. There is some solid looking help on the bench for the position, with Stephen Crainey and Nyron Nosworthy possibilities to remove Ross. In net, Fon Williams is a player with great upside, but he was somewhat inconsistent this season. He’s good, but he hasn’t yet taken it to the next level. This season, the 22-year-old netminder was about middle of the pack. Tamworth League Record: 29-4-5. 91 pts League Finish: 1st GF (Rk): 116 (1st) GA (Rk): 40 (1st) GD (Rk): +76 (1st) Europe Record: 12-0-2 Cup Record: 9-2-1 Manager: Matthew Kieta Top Goal Scorers: MF Johnnier Montaño (24), ST Yakubu (21), MF David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro (19) Top Passers: MF Michael Stewart (15), ST Orri Freyr Oskarsson (13), Montaño (13) Top Rating: Montaño (7.97), Pizarro (7.88), Oskarsson (7.80) Top Defender: FB Kevin Gorman (7.62) Overall: The Tamworth phenomenon has rolled on through Year Two. One season after shocking Europe by winning the domestic double and the UEFA Cup, the Lambs have firmly established themselves as a superpower, with the League Cup and the Premiership locked up and silverware from the FA Cup—which they now have a chance to win three straight times—and from the vaunted Champions League still a distinct possibility. It’s not just that they have done so well—it’s that they have dominated. Their ridiculous offense was off the charts this season, and they have scored triple digits in goals four straight seasons. Their defense was always a little bit suspect, so it was somewhat of a surprise when Manchester United allowed a couple goals in the final match of the season and allowed the Lambs to slip ahead of them to the top of the league’s defensive rankings. Many observers view Tamworth as a fluke built around a tactic that has been difficult for opposing managers to pin down, but manager Matthew Kieta has already given indications the club will run a more conventional tactic next season (perhaps Chelsea’s 4-3-3, which Tamworth run a little toward the end of this season). Not all was rosy in the engine room, though. The club’s incredible quality depth is one of the primary reasons they have done well this past season, but the competition and the spread of playing time led to a lot of complaints from notable players, including Montaño, Yakubu, wingers Lionel Morgan and Richie Partridge, and fullback Trond Erik Bertelsen. Offense: Where does one start to describe an offense that put up an amazing 116 goals? Tamworth won’t rank too high on totals lists because of their use of two starting squads this season, but despite that, they had a number of players put up spectacular individual efforts. The key to the offense is at the attacking midfield position, which was manned by Montaño and Pizarro. Both players were terrific this season, as was their backup Giovanny Hernández. Up front, there were no less than five players to score at least 11 goals, including Yakubu, Louis Saha (18), Oskarsson (18), Andrei Pereplyotkin (15) and Adam Wilde (11). They also have Emmanuel Olisadebe (7 G) around from a January transfer, and Pereplyotkin was on the verge of a monster season when he went down with a broken leg. He could be on the verge of superstardom once completely healed. The three midfield spots around the key spot were also deeply manned. On the right, Partridge was one of the highest rated players on the squad (7.88), and he wasn’t too far ahead of the other right wing starter Jim Corbett (7.63). The left wing was a little more troubled. Carl Motteram was one of the few regulars to have a lower than 7.00 rating (6.67), and he only had two goals and one assist in an offense for which racking up stats in these categories is almost too easy. He was paired with Andy Williams, who missed half the season while recovering from a major knee injury from last year’s FA Cup final. Williams didn’t display anywhere near the terrific playmaking skills he did a year ago, although he rated very strongly. Morgan could be the answer here. There should be no complaints about the defensive midfield position, where Stewart and Denny Landzaat were both uniformly excellent and finsiehd among the team and league leaders in assists. Defense: The two starting squads also each had their own goalkeeper. Jon Masalin, who started part time last season, held down one spot and put up some superb stats. But he was also very poorly rated and made some embarrassing gaffes, including leaving his net enough for Man Utd’s Bresciano to score an amazing half-pitch shot in a September match. Thomas Heaton’s stats were just as strong as Masalin’s, except he didn’t make any embarrassing mistakes, and if he had enough starts, his ratring would qualify among some of the best in the league. Heaton seems likely to be the future here. Longtime Lambs leon Cort and David Raven were both very solid in central defense, although they were both outplayed by backup centreback James McEveley, who will probably start on the first squad this season. Mike Duff finished the season as the highest qualified defender in the league and also contributed on offense—and was overshadowed by his backup Kevin Gorman, who finished the season as the highest-rated defender on the squad. Big ticket January transfer Bertelsen had injury and attitude problems and was somewhat inconsistent at left back. Tottenham Hotspur League Record: 10-12-16. 42 pts League Finish: 16th GF (Rk): 52 (7th) GA (Rk): 56 (12th tied) GD (Rk): -4 (9th tied) Europe Record: DNP Cup Record: 0-1-2 Manager: Eddie Gray Top Goal Scorers: ST Hélder Postiga (18), ST Paul Gallagher (11), ST Jack Howells (7) Top Passers: WG Christian Tiffert (11), Gallagher (7), Postiga (6), Howells (6) Top Rating: Postiga (7.41), FB Mbulelo Mabizela (7.29), DC Anthony Gardner (7.22) Top Defender: Mabizela Overall: The Spurs needed a huge win over Tamworth of all clubs to ensure they would not be relegated on the last day of the season. Fortunately for the Spurs, the Lambs sent out a reserve squad in what was, for them, a match of no value except for the possibility of injuries to their stars in the days leading up to the FA and Champions cup finals. And it ended up being moot anyway, as Blackpool, with whom Tottenham was tied, also lost, and had a far worse goal differential. Still, to come so close to the drop is a frightening prospect for this longtime Premiership squad. They had the ignominy of failing to win as many matches as they lost during any two-month period last season, and were basically a consistent loser all term. Despite that, they had a goal differential of just -4, demonstrating that perhaps there was more than a little simple bad luck in the Spurs coming so close to relegation. They really seem to be a much better squad than their record would indicate (although by that I mean midtable perhaps). Offense: Postiga is still a premier scorer, so the Spurs still have a class source of offense up front. He also rated very highly. His partner was usually Paul Gallagher, himself a double-digit goal scorer, and a decent passer, too, which is always a positive when you share the frontline with a high quality scorer. That said, Gallagher rated very poorly, and it seems likely he will be replaced by the young and talented Howells, who won a Young Player of the Month and had some moments of brilliance last year. Projected out to a full season, Howells numbers might have even rivaled Postiga, which would have given Tottenham as strong a front duo as all but the top squads. The midfield was pretty inconsistent and could use an upgrade. Fabian Ernst was decent enough, but just barely, and Mathieu Bodmer had a poor season. Neither were particularly strong in the defensive end, and both did very little to facilitate the offense, which usually needed to go around them via the wings. Speaking of which, the Spurs got a terrific playmaking performance from Tiffert, who led the squad in assists. Rohan Ricketts on the other side was defensively solid, but didn’t do much more passing than the midfield. He was often replaced by young superstar on the rise Claudio Ercoli in the late season, and might be replaced this year. Ercoli is much more inclined to produce offense. It shows the quality of the strikers that with three-fourths of the midfield and both of the fullbacks rather than limited in creative ability, the club’s scoring ability was still fairly strong for its spot in the table. Defense: The issue here was obvious—Nick Robinson had a poor season. He is just 21, so he still has a way to go, but he should have gotten more than four clean sheets behind the Spurs’ very solid backline. His faltering in the net may be to the benefit of fellow youth competitor Ian Naylor. Naylor was across the board better than Robinson in limited appearances, rated much higher, and had one more clean sheet—in eight less appearances. Three spots on the backline are in excellent hands. Mabizela finished the season as one of the Premiership’s top defensive wingbacks. Gardner leads the defense from the middle with a strong presence. He is partnered with Ledley King, who is now slouch himself. The only spot where mediocrity creeps in is at left back, where Kling was just passable on defense and did very little to generate any offense. The Spurs don’t really have an able replacement in line to take over, though (veteran Stephen Carr had a very poor season, and is not a serious option at this point). CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-21-2004 at 04:40 AM.

08-21-2004, 01:00 AM	#204
daedalus Pro Rookie Join Date: Oct 2000	Cool writeup.

08-21-2004, 01:30 PM	#207
MIJB#19 Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands	A little bit offtopic, but what the heck, this team by team review is inspiring for my Merchantmen IHOF dynasty... __________________ * 2005 Golden Scribe winner for best FOF Dynasty about IHOF's Maassluis Merchantmen * Former GM of GEFL's Houston Oilers and WOOF's Curacao Cocktail

08-21-2004, 03:20 PM	#210
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Oh yeah, I forgot to respond to that. I have been checking in regularly there, so it hasn't mattered whether I get official notice. Delays are usually because of work or because I am sleeping while many of you guys are awake. I think I will actually stay off the list because I would probably still keep getting messages even after the owner of the Dwarves comes back, and I wouldn't want that. BTW, is the Dwarves' owner an FOFC member? I don't even know who I am drafting for. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-21-2004, 03:42 PM	#211
Alf Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Rennes, France	CR, the Dwarves is owned by Pim (a french friend of mine), he even signed up here at FOFC and has amde a few posts. __________________ FOFL - GML - IHOF - FranceStats

08-21-2004, 04:16 PM	#212
MIJB#19 Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Maassluis, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands	Enough ot stuff for now, back to Tamworth talk. __________________ * 2005 Golden Scribe winner for best FOF Dynasty about IHOF's Maassluis Merchantmen * Former GM of GEFL's Houston Oilers and WOOF's Curacao Cocktail

08-23-2004, 03:37 AM	#213
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	I agree, back to Tamworth. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-24-2004, 03:50 AM	#215
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	English League Playoffs Silly me, I forgot to update you guys on the goings-on in the English league promotion playoffs at the various levels. A few matches of importance have been played already, although no new promotion shave been offered yet. Here is what has gone down. I'll start from the lowly Conference and move up. Nationwide Conference (2) Southend vs (5) Morecambe (3) Scarborough vs (4) Wrexham The Conference features a two-leg semifinal, followed by a one-match final for the spot. Conference champion Carlisle has already been promoted to the Third Division. Southend looks like a much more solid squad than Morecambe. Scarborough had the second best goal differential in the league (behind Carlisle) and should beat out Wrexham. May 16 Results Wrexham 3, Scarborough 0 --Shows what I know. This happened at Scarborough. Southend 1, Morecambe 0 --This shouldn't have been this close, especially at Southend. May 20 Results Wrexham 4, Scarborough 1 --Scarborough should be ashamed of themselves for their effort in this. Wrexham looks much better than anticipated. Southend 1, Morecambe 1 --Well, they didn't win easy, but Southend did take this one on aggregate. Wrexham 7, Scarborough 1 Southend 2, Morecambe 1 Wrexham will meet Southend on May 29 in Wembley Stadium. Third Division (4) Rochdale vs (7) Brentford (5) Bristol Rovers vs (6) Reading Like the Conference, the Third Division runs a semifinal with two legs before ending with a one-match final. Unlike the Conference, there is more club exchange between the Third and Second divisions, with the top three squads already promoted. They are, in order of finish, Torquay, Burton Albion and Chester. Rochdale looks like the better overall team in the first matchup, but Brentford seems very capable of both scoring and allowing goals. That kind of potency can lead to wild matches. Like Scarborough in the Conference, Bristol has the look of a top squad, with the third best goal differential in the league (tied). Hopefully for the Rovers' sake, they won't follow the Boro's example. Reading looks like the worst of the four playoff entrants, but they are also a former First Division club, so who knows? May 16 Results Rochdale 1, Brentford 0 --Rochdale got off to a solid start on the road, edging out Brentford. Reading 4, Bristol 0 --Ouch, just like Scarborough. At least this one was on the road, but a four-goal deficit will be awfully hard to make up. May 20 Results Brentford 4, Rochdale 0 --Who wants home cooking anyway? Wow, Brentford came back in style, and put a hurting on Rochdale on the road. Reading 2, Bristol 1 --Reading wasn't as dominant in this one, but they didn't have to be. It looks like neither home pitch advantage nor final league placement matters much here. Brentford 4, Rochdale 1 Reading 6, Bristol 1 Brentford will meet Reading at Wembley on June 2. This will be the final match of the English league season. Second Division (3) Chesterfield vs (6) Barnsley (4) West Ham vs (5) Wycombe Now we're getting into the nitty gritty. The winner of this tourney goes up to the First Division, which is starting to mean something on a national scale. The Second Division sends its top two squads automatically, in this case, former Conference squads Barnet and Farnborough. Nice to see some other small clubs make runs to the top. Chesterfield is another former small club. Their matchup with Barnsley looks like a terrific showdown between two very even squads. In the other one, West Ham is interesting. They are a former Premiership and First Division squad, but they not only have the worst goal differential of the playoff squads, they are actually negative (-1). Wycombe was tied for the second highest goal differential, so that should also be a very intriguing matchup. May 16 Results Barnsley 3, Chesterfield 1 --Barnsley may be the sixth-place squad in this one, but they ended up tied with Wycombe for the second highest goal differential in the Second Division. They start off well by holding serve on their own ground. West Ham 3, Wycombe 0 --Apparently, the Hammers still have some of that top level talent around. I wonder where they were during the season? May 20 Results Chesterfield 1, Barnsley 0 --Chesterfield got a point back, but it's too little, too late. They needed a bigger win to overcome Barnsley's lead. Wycombe 0, West Ham 0 --Wycombe played better at their own place, but it wasn't enough. Despite the low goal differential, West ham will get a shot to return to the First Division. Barnsley 3, Chesterfield 2 West Ham 3, Wycombe 0 Barnsley will meet up with West Ham at Wembley on May 30. First Division (3) Ipswich vs (6) Norwich (4) Coventry vs (5) Wolves Now we're talking. This is the tournament with something truly special on the line--a berth in the Premiership. The First Division has already sent on the champion West Bromich Albion and Leeds United. Both are former Premiership squads returning to top flight football. Ipswich looks like a very strong team, with the best goal differential in the league (including the top two promotees). They have been a First Division contender from the get-go. Norwich is a former smaller squad trying to make it big. Coventry is another longstanding First Division club that hasn't quite gotten to the top, while the Wolves are the only former Premiership squad involved. This looks like it's going to be a tight fight. May 16 Results Norwich 2, Ipswich 0 --Ouch, Ipswich drops the ball to open it up, not that Norwich is a slouych (and playing at home, to boot). Ipswich will have to make a good run at home to advance. Wolves 1, Coventry 0 --As expected, this one was very close. Wolves edge out Coventry at home, and I am expecting much the same at the other end of this matchup. May 20 Results Ipswich 3, Norwich 0 --Ipswich needed a three-goal win to avoid tiebreakers, and in true strong fashion, they got it. They punch their ticket to the final. Coventry 1, Wolves 1 --Well, I certainly called this one. The small one-goal difference in the first match proves to be the pivotal point here. Ipswich 3. Norwich 2 Wolves 2, Coventry 1 Couldn't ask for two closer semifinals (well, maybe if they had been decided by penalty kicks...). Ipswich and Wolves will play at Wembley on May 31. Promotion Finals Recap Conference: Wrexham vs Southend (May 29) Third Division: Brentford vs Reading (June 2) Second Division: Barnsley vs West Ham (May 30) First Division: Ipswich vs Wolves (May 31) CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-24-2004, 05:02 AM	#216
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	2009 EPL Offseason Primer Here's a look at what the 17 remaining Premiership squads will likely be looking to improve upon in the offseason. I will take a look at the new Premiership squads when we discover which club will nab that third promotion spot. Well, actually, I will also take a close look at Tamworth and possible offseason moves later on in its own post (and after I post the week witht he Champions League final). Arsenal Manager: Mark Bowen Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 4th Key Players Leaving: None Frontline: Thierry Henry and Hernán Crespo are on the wrong side of 30, but quality younger backups like José Antonio Reyes and Jérémie Aliadière are already in place. Scoring goals was not a problem for the Gunners, so unless Bowen goes for the "rich club buyeth all" approach, there shouldn't be any big buys here. Midfield: No one seems to like Edu all that much, but he had a very solid season in the middle. Owen Hargreaves and Denîlson are also solid on the sides. The only issue is aged defensive midfielder Claudio Reyna. This could be a target for improvement. Backline: Although the Gunners' defense wasn't bad, this was the primary cause of their lackluster finish. None of the back four particularly impressed, although they were all solid. Daniele Bonera is the best defender, and he will probably be in the middle next year with rising talent Michael Jakobsen. Sol Campbell is on his last legs and likely to be dropped to a reserve role--which will probably call for a replacement. Goal: No problems with Tony McDermott, who is both young and great. Kevin O'Sullivan is unhappy as the backup, so he might be moved and reserve Michal Postulka elevated. Aston Villa Manager: Tord Grip Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 7th Key Players Leaving: MF Igor Demo Frontline: The top three strikers, Darius Vassell, David Villa and Peter Crouch are all in their prime. Scoring was not a problem for the Villans this season. Midfield: Like the forwards, the midfield is primarily manned by players in their prime. Stilian Petrov is very good at one spot in the middle, and the wings are very strong with Fredy William Thompson and Steed Malbranque. The only questionable spot is the second midfield spot. Michael Carrick could elevate to fulltime starter with Demo's departure, but he didn't play very well. This might be a primary area for the Villa to improve its poor defense. Backline: There is some quality here, considering how the team did on defense. It is more offensively oriented, though. The only consistent defensive player is Olof Mellberg, and he is 31. Also, the backline, outside of Mellberg and star fullback Gareth Barry, is very young (although talented). This might be a situation the Villans simply wait on, as the young talent grows, or maybe they make a move here. Goal: Thomas Sorenson is just 32, which is decently young for a goalkeeper. He wasn't always very consistent, though, and was a big reasont he defense did poorer than expected. backup Robert Olejnik is young, but he may not be the goalkeeper of the future. Birmingham City Manager: Neil Cameron Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 8th Key Players Leaving: DC Chris Griffiths Frontline: The offense was rather lackluster last season, so this area might be a target for improvement. Milan Baros is 27, but the other top three strikers are all 31 and older. Also, Baros scored a lot of goals, but rated low. He might need a different partner than Kanu to draw the best from him. Midfield: Darren Carter provided some offense from one mid spot, but he could improve. Aliou Cissé is purely a defensive option, and he is 33. Key backup Andy Ferrell has youth (25), but doesn't look top flight. On top of that, the wings are 30-somethings, with Ryan Giggs bound to be falling off soon, and there is absolutely no quality wing depth. Forward help might have to make way for help here first. Backline: Griffiths is leaving for Benfica, and he was the only key youth on the backline. Top fullback Martin Taylor may slide over to the middle. Griffiths' partner Vincent Kompany had an awful year and might be upgraded. Regardless, at least one spot here could use better personnel and maybe even two. Goal: Carlo Nash is coming off of his best season, but things could fall apart if he regresses to previous form. Also, he's 36. So the Blues may be looking for a reliable goalkeeper who can be ready to step in if needed. That's assuming backup Colin Doyle isn't the answer (he actually looks like he could be fairly solid). Blackburn Manager: Bert van Marwijk Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 17th Key Players Leaving: None Frontline: Peter Lovenkrands and Matt Jansen were both solid players and largely responsible for what few offensive fireworks the Rovers put up. They could use some depth, but are probably themselves good enough to keep in place. A super sub scorer would be very useful. Midfield: Brett Emerton remains a top wing, even at 32, and Francisco Tognon is a talented youth on the left that should only improve (and he better--he was the worst midfield starter). Lee Bowyer, like Emerton, is 32, so depth in the midfield might be something Blackburn is looking for. Backline: Problems in the central defense were key to the Rovers' awful play in its own end. Young Chris McConnel was learning on the job, and showed he has a long way to go. Nils-Eric Johansson is no great stuff either. Although star fullback Lucas Neill is 31, and Tottenham's Stephen Carr is already signed to come in and take over the other spot. A couple strong acquisitions in the middle would go a long way to helping the Rovers' defense. Goal: Blackburn would be looking for a new goalkeeper if young Neil Miles faltered. Fortunately, he didn't and looks to build ona solid first season. The Rovers might be looking for a backup after the venerable Brad Freidel turned in an awful season and is 38. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-24-2004 at 05:09 AM.

08-24-2004, 05:55 AM	#217
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Chelsea Manager: Erland Johnsen Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 6th Key Players Leaving: GK Petr Cech Frontline: In the Blues' three-man front, they have some strong playrs by normal standards. Adrian Mutu is in his prime and the best player on the squad. Arjen Robben is still pretty young and also very good. Still, Jermaine Defoe is relatively unproven, and Mido is proven mediocre. Plus, there is little depth after that. So expect Chelsea to pursue more scoring, which kinda like letting a bunch of kids loose in a candy store. Midfield: This part of the squad seems to be in order. Joe Cole, Aliaksandr Hleb and Scott Parker are all in their mid-to-late 20's and coming off fine seasons. They are also ably backed up by Damien Duff and Christian Poulsen, neither of whom are older than 30. Backline: In Chelsea's world, they may think the fullbacks need upgrading, although the reality is that Glen Johnson and Diego Placente are both solid wingbacks. January transfer Aleksandre Amisulashvili is ready to step in for Placente, 32, when he calls it quits, and Johnson is just 24. John Terry is one of the Premiership's best centrebacks and in his prime, while another rising star, partner Robert Huth, is just 24. What problems there are on defense, it doesn't seem to be coming from the backline. Goal: This might be the spot that led to Chelsea's lower than top end defensive finish (although 6th in the league isn't bad). That is further backed that the club has yet to re-up starting goalkeepr Cech. If Cech is on his way out, the club will have to go searching, because they don't have any replacement ready to step in. Everton Manager: Claudio Ranieri Finances: Secure 2008-09 Finish: 11th Key Players Leaving: None Frontline: Everton finished the year as one of the worst offensive squads in the Premiership, but they may not have to go out and get help. They just need Wayne Rooney to stay healthy, and for David Cooper, who played well in limited time, to supplant Elvis Hammond. That would give the Toffees a solid look up front. They could use better quality depth, though, especially given Rooney's injury history. Midfield: There is reason to be optimistic here, as better quality up front would make this position look much stronger (and it already looks pretty solid). James McFadden is in his prime on one wing, and Daniel Cruz looks like a strong midfielder in his prime. The problem is Jesper Gronkjær on one wing and Li Tie at the other mid spot are in their early 30s, and the backups are mid-30's vets (Robbie Savage, Thomas Gravesen). This might be the offseason to secure both heir apparents at those spots and young depth (which, fortunately, can double up in the same players). Backline: Joseph Yobo is in his prime as the leader of the defense. His partner Peter Clarke is also passable, and left back Matt Hill is solid. Still, both of those latter spots can be improved upon, and right back Tony Hibbert was just awful and is screaming to be replaced. Goal: Richard Wright is in his prime, and Stuart Taylor is a quality backup. This is the primary reason (with Yobo) that Everton did well defensively, despite having some backline issues. There should be no need to get help here. Fulham Manager: Micky Adams Finances: Okay 2008-09 Finish: 11th Key Players Leaving: FB Carlos Bocanregra, WG Sylvain Legwinski Frontline: Fulham finished midtable, but they were really a very poor squad and fortunate to finish where they did. With a limited transfer budget, underacheiving talent issues and departing vets, this squad coul dbe looking at the drop next season. It starts up front, where Collins John needs to realize his star potential, and Alan Smith be more consistent. They can get by with these guys as their strikers, but they need to play better and there is pretty much no quality depth at all. Midfield: The wings could be a huge issue. Playmaking wing Legwinksi and top touchline reserve Sean Doherty are headed out the door, and the other starting wing, Demetrius Williams, finished with a sub-6.00 rating. Michael Essien is solid at one middle spot, but otherwise, the midfield is a mess, with a similar lack of quality depth as the wing and up front. Backline: Bocanegra didn't end the season as a starter, but he should have. He was the team's best wide defender, and now he's leaving. Charlton transfer Gary Naysmith will help a little (although he's not nearly as good as Bocanegra). On the other side, Phil Neville isn't getting any younger. The central defense, manned by defensive leader Zatyiah Knight and young rising star Steve Wilkinson, is the one part of the team that doesn't need upgrading. Goal: Edwin van der Sar is coming off of one of his worst seasons of his career and he's 38. You can read the writing on the wall here. It's uncertain whether backup David Hudson is ready to take over, so this is yet another area that could use some help. Leicester City Manager: John McDermott Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 10th Key Players Leaving: None Frontline: The Foxes feature the best young striker duo in the league in James Graham and Tommy Wright. As long as they stay healthy, things should be looking up. That's a big if for the fragile Graham, though, and the depth is manned by mid-30-somethings Juan Pablo Angel and James Scowcraft. Some younger depth would be nice. Midfield: The wings looks solid. Stefan Mauri and Dean Marney are both in their 20s and coming off of solid seasons. The midfield also looks overall solid on the ptich, but this is an area that may need some dressing up. Muzzy Izzet is still playing terrific ball, but he's 34. His partner Riccardo Scimeca is 33, and he's not playing such great ball. So a lot of help in the middle could be needed in the near future. Backline: The two best backliners--centreback Sam Jones and fullback Lee Atkinson--are also the best defenders on the squad. That gives the Foxes something to build on here. The other spots have issues, though. Matt Heath is in his prime at the other centreback spot, but that doesn't mean he's any good. And not only is Cosmin Contra 33 years old, he also played very poorly after coming over from Spain in January. So two of the four backline spots--and some depth--are serious needs this offseason. Goal: Joe Murphy showed enough to get a legit shot at the solo starting job, although former starter Shaun Allaway is still thought to have some good talent. Allaway isn't producing like Murphy is, though, and if he continues to underachieve, might even need replacing as the backup. Overall, both goalkeepers could probably play a little better than they did last year (and an improved backline would help a lot here, too). CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-24-2004 at 05:57 AM.

08-24-2004, 07:58 PM	#218
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Liverpool Manager: Alex McLeish Finances: Secure 2008-09 Finish: 3rd Key Players Leaving: None Frontline: The Reds may not have a player quite as good as Chelsea's Adiran Mutu, but they are otherwise better situated to run the three-man frontline, including better depth. The three starters, El-Hadji Diouf, Michael Owen and Anthony Le Tallec are in their 20s playing well. Emile heskey is the best reserve, and he's just 31. There is young talent, too, particularly in Florent Sinama-Pongolle. This is not an area Liverpool seriously needs to address at this point. Midfield: The starting threesome remain very strong and in their prime. Mark Bresciano might be the best winger in the Premiership (although he plays a side-leaning midfielder in this tactic). Steven Gerrard is coming off his worst season (still good by most standards), and should bounce back next season. Rafael van der Vaart was terrific at times in replacing Harry Kewll. There are depth issues-- moving Kewell and midfielder Benoît Pedretti have left the cupboard a little bare behind the stars. Backline: The club's defensive numbers were very strong, but it seems likely that had as much or more to do with a fantastic season from goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek as it did with the backline. The fact is that all of the primary defenders, including key backups are 28 and older, and most are actually above 31. Former centreback star Sami Hyypïa has clearly lost a step. Neither J'Lloyd Samuel nor Jamie Carragher are especially exciting players. John Arne Riise remains the star back here, but often for his offensive exploits. So this might be a position the club could make some moves to improve. Goal: The only issue here is Dudek's age. He was fantastic last season, but he's 36 and isn't getting any younger. Netminders often stay in the game until their late 30s, so he may not be walking out the door soon, but now is the time for the club to prepare. It doesn't help that young backup Paul Walter looks, at best, as a longterm reserve Premiership goalkeeper. Manchester City Manager: Pär Zetterberg Finances: Secure 2008-09 Finish: 12th Key Players Leaving: None Frontline: The problem here isn't depth, or even talent, but quality of play. Some of these guys just need to play better. Aruna was a solid goal scorer, but he can be much better. Stéphane N'Guéma and Bruce Webber are relatively unproven talents who also can step it up. There are another three or four strikers on this squad that could make an impact, although none excite. So the issue is getting them to play to their talent, not really bringing in new players. One of the few 30-somethings, Jon Macken would help matters considerably if he returns to his fine early season form before a knee injury put him down for the year. Midfield: Dickson Agyeman is a rising star at one mid spot, but the other one is troublesome. Jurica Vranjes could play better, and his reserves aren't locks to over take him either. Jesús Arellano is a fine winger--except he's 36. And Michael Parensen might be the longterm answer at the other wing, but he's just 22 and still cutting his teeth. Former City star Shaun-Wright Phillips has collapsed into a bad form shadow of his former self and, depsite being just 29, doesn't look like a serious solutionm either. So while the club seems content to let Parensen learn ont he job, and Agyeman is just 23, there is reason to believe that changes (or at least better quality depth) could be coming at the other two spots. Backline: The backline has solid talent across the board and decent depth. Defensive issues this past season were leargely a result of goalkeeper Nicky Weaver's inconsistency. Wayne Bridge and Anthony Réveillère were an integral part of the offense and very solid on defense. Richard Dunne and Sun Jihai both turned in 7.00-plus ratings in central defense. Jihai is 31, while the other three are all 29. Not exactly spring chickens, but a good long way from decaying either. Goal: After a brilliant three-year stretch from 2003-2006, Weaver has been rather pedestrian in net. Last year was his worst, and he is just 30. It will be interesting to see if the club continues to stick by their one time star in the net, or if they finally have reached the conclusion he needs to be replaced. It should be noted that he still has the skills of a top notch goalkeeper. Regardless, City will be looking for a goalkeeper-- backups Kasper Schmeichel and Arni Gautur Arason appear to be headed out the door. Manchester United Manager: Joop Hiele Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 2nd Key Players Leaving: GK Luke Steele Frontline: Such is the wealth of depth at power Manchester United that a solid scorer like Guiseppe Sculli, and a rising talent like Hussaine are looking to leave. With the January purchase of Eidur Gudjohnsen, the Red Devils have three 30-year-old scorers at the top of their games in Gudjohnsen, Nicolas Anelka and Miroslva Klose. Sidney Govou and Cristiano Ronaldo switch back forth from the wing to the front to provide even more depth. This shouldn't be an area Hiele addresses, but with as much money as Man Utd has lying around, it wouldn't surprise if they brought some superstar in anyway. Midfield: Ronaldo and Keiran Richardson are both 24 and already excellent wings. Gaetano D'Agostino might be the best midfielder in the league, and he's just 26. The solid Eric Djemba0Djemba is the starting unit's "elder" statesman at 28. Govou and Gilberto Silva provide quality depth, among others. This isn't an area that needs addressing either. Backline: I have said before that this unit might be the best backline in the world, and I still believe that, even though the right back was less than consistent this year. It has a star (Rio Ferdinand). It has a powerful defensive presence (John O'Shea). It has young rising talent (centreback Phillip Bardsley) and veteran depth (Gary Neville and Vincent Candela). There is no reason for the Red Devils to go outside of the organization to get more help here, even to buffer Kasper Bogelund's poor season at right back. But that doesn't mean they won't. Goal: Like Dudek with Liverpool, Fabien Barthez is an aging goalkeeper who still seems to be at the top of his game. That, however, is a dangerous thing to count on. Barthez is 37 and had a very strong season in net, but he may be even closer to the end. And backup Luke Steele is finally fed up with Barthez's lognevitiy and is due to depart Old Trafford, so the Devils might be looking high and low for not only a backup netminder, but an heir apparent to Barthez. Newcastle United Manager: Michael van Praag Finances: Secure 2008-09 Finish: 5th Key Players Leaving: Frontline: There are few striker duos better than Shola Ameobi and Mateja Kezman. If they stay healthy, the scoring should still be coming. Even so, the depth is either proven to be short of stardom (Craig Bellamy) or unproven (Sylvain Perrin) or over the hill vets (Sylvain Wiltord) or out-and-out youth reservists (not proven enough to even be named at this point). So the Magpies might be searching for a supersub type of addition. Midfield: There is depth here, and quality talent as well. the question is whether the players in the fold have what it takes to elevate this club to the level of Manchester United and beyond. No one questions Jermaine Jenas, one of the finer young midfielders in the game. The other mid spot, though, is manned by Barry Ferguson, a fine player but 31, and backed up by the even older Anders Svensson. Neither is likely to be a true longterm answer. Age isn't an issue on the wing--performance is. Hugo Viana was a dynamic playmaker, but he was rated very low for a winger with that much offensive skill on a squad this good. And Darren Ambrose on the other side copies the rating, but doesn't generate nearly the offense. Is this a unit that needs to be upgraded or is it a waiting game where the Magpies will hope their young stars turn the corner and "get it" one day? Only van Praag knows right now. Backline: Andy O'Brien and longtime centreback star Jonathon Woodgate are both playing well and just 29. Aaron Hughes on one side was Newcastle's best defender last year and also is 29. Key centreback reserve Titus Bramble is a top quality player and just 27. Fullback Olivier Bernard is an offensive creator at fullback. There are few issues here. The only one seems to be right back Aimo Stefano Diana. At 31 and the least rated by far of Newcastle's starting back four, he would seem to be a logical target for an upgrade. Goal: Shay Given had another typically fine season last year and, at 33, is in his prime as a goalkeeper. There are no issues with starters here. Young Steve Howell, who serves as the backup, might not be the answer, though, if Given goes down for any serious length of time. He is unproven at just 19. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-25-2004, 01:07 AM	#219
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Nottingham Forest Manager: Walter Smith Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 13th Key Players Leaving: ST Marian Pahars Frontline: Darren Huckerby is a solid offensive player and one of the better goal scorers in the league. It pretty much goes sharply downhill from there. The Reds put up the worst offensive numbers in league of any squad that is returning to the Premiership next year. They scored just 39 goals, a bunch of them by Huckerby. Huckerby's partner was David Johnson, who wasn't scoring or rating well. It gets worse--Huckerby is 33, and Johnson 32. The top reserve striker Pahars is retiring (and didn't do well anyway), and loanee Banjamin Lauth turned from a solid Bundesliga scorer into an absolute zero at the City Ground. So this is definitely a huge area for Forest to address. Midfield: The midfield, for all the club's offensive problems, has at least some decent talent. Diego Martinez on one wing had a poor rating, but he has talent and is creative. Andy Reid is a nice young wing who needs to stay healthy to contribute more. And veteran Brynjar Gunnarsson was the club's best player in this unit, although he's 33. The second mid spot is a sore spot. No one player ever really held the spot. Gareth Williams and Gerald Forschelot didn't play well. Longtime vet Roy Keane is 37 and a shell of his former self. The best young player, Bruno Pedretti, is currently in line to leave the club at the end of June, and the Reds haven't made a move to resign the youngster yet. So with age and inconsistency throughout this unit, it would not be a surprise to see Nottingham Forest make a run at some quality midfielders or wingers. They do have Wolves' defensive midfielder Patrick Ochs signed up on a Bosman, and he played well this season int he First Division, but who knows how his 7.00 rating there will translate in top-flight footy? Backline: The defense wasn't spectatcular, but it wasn't anywhere near as awful as the offense. The backline was mostly responsible for what inconsistency there was in the Reds' own end, at least that which can't be attributed to the offense's utter lack of ability to keep the ball off opponents' feet. The left back spot has exciting young talent Darren Ryan, who was one of the best offensive players on the team (not that that is hard to do), rated pretty well and is just 18. He outplayed Robbie Stockdale on the other side, 11 years his senior, and Stockdale was the worst rated of the four starters. Michael Dawson was the best player on the backline, and at 25, has a bright future. His partner Chris Doig is in his prime, but that just means he doesn't embarrass himself. The depth is of questionable quality as well, so this unit could use an import or two. Goal: Antti Niemi came over from Southampton last season and had a solid season. He is the primary reason for whatever defensive plaudits Forest got this season, which also means he is the key to them avoiding the drop this past season. He is 36, though, so you have to be wary of his longevity at this point. His backup is tested, but hardly any younger-- Darren Ward in 35. Unless 19-year-old Danny Clarke is the answer for the future, the Reds may be looking for an heir apparent to Niemi. Sheffield Wednesday Manager: Chris Turner Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 14th Key Players Leaving: None Frontline: The similarities between Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest is palpable. Like the Reds, the Owls rely primarily on one player to fuel their offense, which, also like Forest, was one of the worst in the Premiership. Kim Olsen is even better than Huckerby, coming off of a terrific season. He's also younger, still in his prime at 30, if not exactly a spring chicken. After that the frontline was a mess--just like a certain squad in Nottingham. Francis Jeffers, Louis Dodds and David Johnson (yes, Sheffield Wednesday has one, too) all rated lower than 6.00, which is abominable, although the latter two at least have the excuse of youth (they are both 21). This is an obvious unit in need of new blood. Midfield: When and if the problems up front get fixed, the midfield looks prepared to feed in the ammo. Right now, their quality passes are falling limply at the feet of substandard strikers (outside of Olsen). Matthew Hamshaw is an underrated playmaker in his prime on one wing, and steady vet Alan Quinn is strong defensively on the other side. Dickson Etuhu is a quality midfielder whose numbers will only get better with better talent in front of him. Hamit Altintop was the lone trouble spot, as he made a poor transition to the Premiership after coming to Hillsborough. He will need to imporve his play, and the Wols might look to have someone ready in case he doesn't. For the most part, this is a solid midfield in its prime, with Etuhu and Hamshaw possibly stars with a little better talent around them. Backline: Only one player--centreback Richard Wood--played above average Premiership football on the backline or in the net for Sheffield Wednesday, so it's a bit of a mystery how they ended up in the midtable defensive rankings. Wood is just 23, and looks like he has a bright future. He needed to make up for the poor play of his partner, though, in Leigh Bromby. Bromby is a candidate to be replaced. The fullbacks were passable, but that's about it. Derek Geary is a vet 28-year-old with solid talent, but not eye-popping stats. Lee Webb is a much more enticing player, as he outplayed everyone but Wood, despite his tender age of 19. There is little depth here, so help will have to come from outside. Goal: One reason the Owls may have ended up better defensively was because they rented Chelsea's young reserve goalkeeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay for the last few months of the season. He played much better in net than regular starter Allan Mcgregor, a well-regarded but inconsistent netminder. They may make a run at bringing him in permanently. McGregor is still around in either case, but he may have proven this season he isn't the longterm answer anymore. There is a deep cadre of young reserve goalkeepers, too, so McGregor's job may not be safe, even if Sheffield Wednesday fails to bring in MMK. Southampton Manager: Steve McLaren Finances: Rich 2008-09 Finish: 9th Key Players Leaving: None Frontline: The top two strikers aren't a problem. Ivica Olic could have been rated better, but he had a team-leading 23 goals and 13 assists. James Beattie remains a dangerous playmaker and scorer. At 29 and 31, they are still young enough to be considered to be in their prime. There is almost no depth on the squad, though. Ole Gunnar Solskjær is 36 and has virtually none of his old top ability left. January transfer David McConnell could be a rising star, as he has dominated the First Division the past three seasons and played well in four limited appearances late in the season for the Saints--but that's a lot to ask of a 19-year-old player at this point. Midfield: MClaren prefers to use a 3-5-2, and utilized it with Southampton after taking over in March. At the moment, it's unclear whether McLaren will use fullbacks at the two defensive wing spots, or traditional wings, or if he will move last year's regular wingers inside to share duties in the three-man central midfield. What is set is that the midfield has some depth to it. There seems to be a sharp delineation between the new and old guards among the midfielders. Veterans Nolberto Solano, on the wing, and Matthew Oakley, as defensive central midfielder, were the top players for the Saints' middle last season. Solano, 34, is a playmaker. and Oakley, 31, was a defensive stalwart as the highest rated midfielder. Key midfield reserve Rory Delap, 32, also played well. They lend experience and solidity to the middle, but they also don't have longterm futures at St. Mary's Stadium, which might affect their use in the future. The young guard is led by Shaun Neville, who at 21 is already a terrific passer and solid all-around player. He and Oakley are locks for two of starting midfield spots. The third one could go to Solano, or other members of the young end of the club, including inconsistent but just 21-year-old winger Stefano De Luca, and well-regarded Bristol City future transfer winger David Vaughan, who will arrive in July. If Delap or another vet like Lee Hendrie takes the third spot, Vaughan, De Luca and Solano could end up at the defensive wing positions, where they will contend with the squad's fullbacks for time. You see why this is confusing? Backline: The fullback position is ridiculously deep, and as mentioned, that could impact the defensive wing spots are the left and right central defense starters, either of which could take on fullback-styled players. The top foursome last season are all 27 or 28 and in their prime. The top player is Peter Canero, who has been a solid all around wingback for years now. He is a lock to start somewhere, and if I had to guess, I would put him at one of the defensive wing spots to take better advantage of his offensive skills. Maurice Ross, who started at the other fullback spot last year, Stephen Crainey and Nyron Nosworthy round out this group, but I think they are more likely to provide depth at both spots, and in the central defense. Speaking of the central defense, two spots are locked down for sure, with proven vets Darren Kenton and Danny Higginbotham in their prime. Kenton is one of the best centrebacks in the league and almost certainly will man the central spot in the backline. With Higginbotham on one side, Crainey is probably the favorite to grab the other. Point being after all this? Southampton doesn't really need to add more midfield or defensive help--they have too many players here as it is. Goal: Owain Fon Williams went from being a top young goalkeeper two years ago to a very inconsistent 22-year-old this past season, and that may open up competition a little bit. He still has tremendous upside, but with another young proven player in Jason Ryan--just 17, but a past winner of a Premiership Player of the Month award with Tottenham--sitting behind him, the Saints aren't likely to wait and see how Fon Williams pans out if he starts off poorly. It's unlikely the Saints will bring in anyone at this position. Tottenham Hotspur Manager: Eddie Gray Finances: Okay 2008-09 Finish: 16th Key Players Leaving: FB Stephen Carr Frontline: Despite finishing just outside of relegation, Tottenham was a very solid team last year, with just a -4 goal differential. They just had some bad breaks and faltered ins ome matches they probably should have won. If they maintain that level of play, the breaks might go their way next year and the Spurs would probably shoot up the table. Hélder Postiga was a top target up front and, at 26, may be on the cusp of superstardom. Paul Gallagher wasn't as solid beside Postiga, though, and longtime Spur Robbie Keane hasn't ever proven to be strong enough to be a difference maker at this level. That could open the door for 19-year-old Jack Howells, who looked brilliant in limited time and won a Premiership Young Player of the Month this year. Gallagher and Keane are good enough to be solid reserves, so if Howells moves to the start, there might not be a need for a move here. Midfield: There is some talent here, but there is also garing holes and questions at spots. No problems on the right wing--Christian Tiffert was a dynamic playmaker there and is just 27. Fellow German Fabien Ernst is a solid defensive midfielder in his prime at 29. Now come the question marks. French midfielder Mathieu Bodmer not only didn't play well at the offensive midfielder position this season, he is actually a defensive midfielder. The best midfield backup, Tobias Linderoth, is also a defendive midfielder. The actual top option might be 20-year-old Paul Scott, but he is unproven. On the right wing, the Spurs loaned in Rohan Ricketts from HSV, but Ricketts is going back to Germany, leaving a hole over there. This would be an easy decision with wonderkid (it actually says this on his player card) Claudio Ercoli ready to take over and coming off of a solid season, except that the club has yet to resign him--and his contract ends in June. So this could be a unit where nothing happens--or everything does. Backline: The backline formed the core of a solid defense last season. Right back Mbulelo Mabizela was one of the best defensive fullbacks in the league last year. His partner Stephan Kling--another German-- was the worst, but he was still fairly decent at the left back spot. His primary competition, Stephen Carr, is leaving for Blackburn in July. The central defense features Ledley King and Anthony Gardner, both of whom rated over 7.00 last year. Mabizela, King and Gardner are all 28 and playing the best football of their careers. Other than seeking out some depth, it's doubtful the Spurs will need to add anything here. Goal: Like Southampton, the net at White Hart Lane features a battle between two well-regarded young talents. Nick Robinson, 21, got most of the starts this season, but he was outplayed by Ian Naylor, 20. Naylor had the better season this year, and was rated solidly as the starter last year, but he also allowed as high a goals-per-match average last year as Robinson did this year. It seems we still don't know which one, if either, is the real deal at this point, although Naylor's stronger performance may get him in the net to start the season. Regardless, the Spurs are fine in net here. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-26-2004, 11:21 PM	#223
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Since I have reached the end of the club's fixture, I will now take a look at our squad and post some stats and other stuff. Then I'll get going with the offseason. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-27-2004, 12:47 AM	#225
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	All-Tamworth Squads This is my own little invention. These are my picks for the best performers in the various competitions we were in this season. This is particularly doable this season, because of how deep the squad is, and how varied my rotations were. League Play FC: Yakubu (13 G, 7 A, 7.75) FC: Orri Freyr Oskarsson (12 G, 9 A, 7.67) AMC: David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro (10 G, 4 A, 8.15) DMC: Michael Stewart (2 G, 9 A, 7.33) MR: Richie Partridge (2 G, 7 A, 7.94) ML: Lionel Morgan (2 G, 4 A, 7.47) DC: James McEveley (1 G, 7.50) DC: David Raven (5 A, 7.30) DR: Kevin Gorman (3 A, 7.56) DL: Gaël Clichy (4 A, 7.13) GK: Jon Masalin (18 GC in 20 apps, 9 CL, 6.45) Tamworth League POY: Yakubu Cup Play FC: Louis Saha (2 G, 2 A, 7.38) FC: Emmanuel Olisadebe (4 G, 4 A, 7.67) AMC: David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro (8 G, 1 A, 8.38) DMC: Denny Landzaat (6 A, 7.80) MR: Richie Partridge (1 G, 3 A, 7.43) ML: Lionel Morgan (1 G, 2 A, 7.67) DC: James McEveley (7.38) DC: Leon Cort (1 A, 7.00) DR: Kevin Gorman (1 A, 7.78) DL: Gaël Clichy (2 A, 8.00) GK: Thomas Heaton (6 GC in 9 apps, 5 CL, 7.00) Tamworth Cup POY: Pizarro European Play FC: Yakubu (5 G, 3 A, 7.00) FC: Orri Freyr Oskarsson (3 G, 2 A, 7.75) AMC: Johnnier Montaño (9 G, 5 A, 9.00) DMC: Michael Stewart (1 G, 4 A, 7.88) MR: Richie Partridge (1 G, 2 A, 7.89) ML: Andy Williams (1 G, 1 A, 7.75) DC: Leon Cort (1 G, 2 A, 6.89) DC: James McEveley (7.00) DR: Kevin Gorman (1 A, 7.60) DL: Hermann Hreidarsson (1 G, 7.25) GK: Thomas Heaton (5 GC in 6 apps, 2 CL, 7.67) Tamworth European POY: Montaño Overall FC: Yakubu (21 G, 11 A, 7.39) FC: Orri Freyr Oskarsson (18 G, 13 A, 7.77) AMC: Johnnier Montaño (24 G, 13 A, 7.97) DMC: Denny Landzaat (3 G, 12 A, 7.58) MR: Richie Partridge (4 G, 12 A, 7.82) ML: Lionel Morgan (3 G, 8 A, 7.39) DC: James McEveley (1 G, 7.37) DC: Leon Cort (3 G, 4 A, 7.09) DR: Kevin Gorman (5 A, 7.63) DL: Gaël Clichy (6 A, 7.39) GK: Thomas Heaton (31 GC in 32 apps, 12 CL, 7.13) Manager's Choice Tamworth POY: Montaño CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-27-2004 at 12:49 AM.

08-27-2004, 03:07 AM	#226
daedalus Pro Rookie Join Date: Oct 2000	Damn it, Kolo! Good try, though, Matt. Funny that Montaño ended up the team PoY, given how grumpy he started and how badly we wanted to get rid of him. Good season!

08-27-2004, 03:17 AM	#227
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Tamworth Reserves & Under 19 Squads I feel I should also talk a little bit about the reserve and Under-19 squads. For the most part, these players will never get to Tamworth's first team (or won't again, if they have already been there). But you never know when someone is going to work out after all. Reserves Generally, the Reserve squad consisted of past discarded former Lamb first teamers at lower levels and youths who had simply grown beyond the eligible age to play with our Under-19 squad. This team also regularly imported several players from the Under-19 squad and stuck them into the lineup. The Reserves finished fourth in their 13-squad division, with a 12-4-8 record. They scored 34 goals and allowed 21, for a +13 goal differential and 40 points. Newcastle's reserves dominated on the way to an eight-point lead and a league-high +32 goal differential. The Lambs had the best defense in the reserve league by a good stretch. They were coached by assistant manager Terry Gennoe. Despite the fact several Under-19 players were regularly used on the reserves, I will only speak of those players 21 and older in the Reserves section. Strikers The best players up front were 23-year-old Belgian striker Ged Kimmins (15 G, 4 A, 7.08 in 26 apps) and 24-year-old Scotsman Stephen McGowan (9 G, 7 A, 6.57 in 28 apps). Despite their relatively youthful age and fairly strong performances, I don't see either player as a potential first teamer. Both were signed prior to our First Division campaign three seasons ago, but determined to not be as strong as players on the roster. Che Stadhart, 32, used to play a major role with the Lambs in the lower divisions, scoring 29 goals in the Second and Third Divisions years ago. He ran into the same talent wall that kept McGowan and Kimmins from contributing in the First Division and beyond. Stadhart's play fell off sharply this season (4 G, 1 A, 6.48 in 21 apps) and he announced his intention to retire at the end of the season. David McDonald, a 21-year-old former Under-19 Lamb, never really developed into the player I thought he could when he first came out of our youth academy in the Third Division season. That's a shame, too, because he was really something on the U-19 level. This season he was solid (7 G, 6 A, 7.21 in 24 apps) and I haven't entirely given up hope that he can develop into something. But not enough to keep him around--his contract ends in June. Midfielders This was an area that saw a lot of imports from the Under-19 squad, as depth was very thin here. The two season-long holdovers were original Lambs midfielder Brett Darby and winger Luke Rowlett, both of whom have appeared with the club's first team at the lower levels. The 25-year-old Darby (1 A, 6.80 in 15 apps) played in three Tamworth matches as a young hopeful in the English Conference, but sicne then he has been outpaced by the club's league progression and his own slow development. I only kept him in the hopes he might turn the corner some day. Luke Rowlett (6.67 in 3 apps) actually started for the Lambs at the Conference level, and the 26-year-old also played a significant substitute role at the Third Division. He was always a bit of an overachiever and that was way back in the lower levels. He and Darby at the end of contracts they signed three seasons ago purely to serve as emergency depth. Yoann Bigné is the only other midfielder on the reserve squad, and he spent the whole year playing a backup role with La Ligue One squad Nîmes. He never appeared in a match with the reserves, but is probably the best player at the position on the team. The 31-year-old French winger is emergency depth for the first team. Defenders The backline was well-stocked with former lower level Lambs. Reinder Hendriks, 36, is probably the most respected of the reserve players as a once significant backline player for a good First Division Tamworth squad. The Dutchman (2 A, 6.28 in 29 apps) saw regular team with the 2006-07 FA Cup winning squad. Since then, he has been an emergency backup. He has announced his retirement at the end of the season. Jamie Fullarton, a 34-year-old Scottish fullback, was also brought to the lamb ground prior to the First Division seaon. Fullarton (1 G, 3 A, 7.00 in 26 apps) started along side Hendriks that year, and he also played a backup role on our first Premiership squad. Like Hendriks, he is retiring at the end of the year. Graham Porter, 34, has been with the Lambs since he was brought to the squad to improve the central defense prior to our Third Division campaign. Porter (1 G, 2 A, 6.87 in 23 apps) was a key part of our lower level defenses, starting on our Third and Second Division squads. He is retiring after the season. Swedish defender Patrik Schultz and centreback Ian Dodds were younger players brought in with an eye to developing them into first team players, only to see them fall short of the club's fast-rising standards. Schultz (1 A, 6.63 in 24 apps) is 24 years old and was brought in prior to the Second Division season. He has never cracked the first team. Dodds, 25 (6.52 in 21 apps) has been with Tamworth since being a late season acquisition in the Conference year, so he has been with the club for a long time. He saw major time with the club in the Second Division, but that's it. Goalkeepers Former first team starter Casper Nelis and insurance policy Kees Kostwinder split net duties for the reserve squad. Nelis (17 GC in 15 apps, 6 CL, 6.33), a 32-year-old Dutchman, came to the club as a challenger to lower league netminder Juan José Gomez. Nelis outplayed Gomez for the First Division squad, forcing the Salvadoran player to the reserve squad. Then in our first Premiership season, Nelis was himself outplayed by Jon Masalin, and forced to a reserve role this year. Nelis is the only reserve player to see time with the first team this season. Kostwinder (13 GC in 18 apps, 9 CL, 6.72), another Dutchman, was signed as additional competition going into the First Division and lost out to both Nelis and Gomez. He has since toiled with the reserves squad. At 27, he is still a decent player with a future somewhere, but certainly no longer here at the Lamb Ground. Under 19 Squad What young talent we have is here. The Under-19 squad did very well in their 12-team division, finishing in second place with 49 points, seven behind, again, Newcastle, which seems to have quite the reserve and youth system. The young Lambs once again had easily the best defense, allowing just 11 goals in 22 matches, while posting a 14-7-1 record. That's right--they onbly lost once. Newcastle didn't lose at all. The Lambs scored 39 goals and posted a second-best +28 goal differential. Former Salvadoran international Jorge Humberto Rodriguez, who joined the coaching staff after retiring as a player following our Second Division season, is excellent with younger players and coached this squad. As I noted before, many of these players saw significant time with the Reserves. Strikers The best striker was 18-year-old Ian Collins (4 G, 8 A, 7.30 in 30 apps), a pacey player who already has the skills to contribute to a Premiership squad at a backup spot at least. Collins also has the skills to become a top winger, and it's uncertain where his future lies. Collins was brought in as a young talent from Third Division Nuneaton Borough two years ago. The best overall talent on the team is Mark Hooper (4 G, 1 A, 6.36 in 11 apps), although the 18-year-old has been somewhat inconsistent this year. Hooper isn't as physically talented as Collins, but he is a much smarter, steadier player and his technical skills are well-advanced. He might enter the forward picture for Tamworth next season. Hooper went on two loan stints with First Division Leeds United (recently promoted), and he put up four goals, three assists and a 6.40 rating in 20 matches with the Whites. Striker Phil Smart (7 G, 6.75 in 24 apps), a 20-year-old of medium talent, was the highest scoring forward on the squad, but it doesn't appear he has the skills to ever break into Tamworth's first team. Smart came out of the first Tamworth youth class prior to the Third Division campaign, a class that included current first teamer and England Under-21 player Chris Booth. Troubled Slovakian striker Roman Boldyrev (5 G, 2 A, 6.39 in 23 apps) has had difficulty settling into England since being brought over from Slovakia early this season. The 19-year-old also still has a long way to go in his development as a football player, although he was just invited to join the Slovakia Under-21 team. Midfielders Alan Elliott (22 G, 9 A, 7.52 in 46 apps) dominated play at both the Under 19 and Reserve levels this season, serving in the same offensive role as Johnnier Montaño and David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro for the first team. As such, his dominant stats may be more the result of the uber tactic, also used at the lower levels, and not an indication of his talent. Elliott, 20, has some decent skills, but doesn't seem to be developing much and my staff is telling em he's aboiut as good as he's going to get--which isn't good enough. That's too bad for a kid that has always been a superior player for the reserve squads, going back to his arrival from the youth academy prior to the First Division season. Kris Jenkins (2 G, 7 A, 6.88 in 32 apps) is a subpar-talent 17-year-old player who has a long way to go before he's going to make a break from this level. He is still young, so there is certainly a chance he will get a lot better, but I'm nto holding out much hope. My coaches have never thought much of him, and historically, they are usually right. Stephen O'Brien (2 G, 2 A, 7.40 in 10 apps) is the notable transfer I brought to the Lamb Ground in March. The Irish 19-year-old midfielder came over to us from Belgian First Division AA Gent on a free transfer. As you can see, O'Brien was very solid, although he didn't play as creative a role in the offense as I would have liked. He also isn't nearly as fast as I like, but he is a smart player with very strong mental skills in the areas of playmaking. His technical skills are far along, behind perhaps only Hooper on the team, and he could be on the first team in another year or two. Defenders There are three standout players here. Two of them are members of the Slovakia Under-21 squad, a nation we brought over a lot of young talent from earlier this season. The first of that signings was Andrey Gorbunov, and Péter Kiss came over in May. Gorbunov (2 A, 7.07 in 45 apps) was the Under-19's best defender. The 20-year-old didn't have nearly the problems his countryman Boldyrev coming over earlier this season, and seems to have a future. He has eight Under-21 caps with Slovakia, and seems like a smart player with solid physical skills. He still has some development in the technical areas, which will hold him back for at least another season. The 19-year-old Kiss (2 A, 7.33 in 3 apps) seems to be even more well-regarded, although he is a good deal behind Gorbunov at this point in their careers. Kiss is a top notch physical talent, but isn't nearly as mentally adept on the pitch as Gorbunov is, and his technical skills are far behind. He has four Under-21 caps with Slovakia. The third notable defender is right back Pat Davenport (6.67 in 9 apps), who had a shot at regular first team play at the beginning of the season. Unfortunately for the 19-year-old Englishman, he suffered a string of groin injuries that eventually required surgery and rehabilitation in November. Recovery put him out until April and his chance to play with the first team was gone. In reality, he's not ready anyway, although he's not far off. Davenport does have first team experience--he was a regular on the First Division champion three seasons ago. Davenport is a heady player with slightly better physical skills than Gorbunov, and much better technical skills than Kiss. The overall combination makes it likely he will beat either of the other players to the Lamb Ground first team pitch. A pair of 17-year-olds, centreback Tony Foley and left back Wayne Otto, are younger players with decent, but not spectacular talent. It's unclear yet if either one will develop into a quality player. Otto and Foley joined Davenport and Elliott in the First Division youth academy class. Otto (3 A, 7.03 in 29 apps) is a smart player with decent physical skills and poor technical abilities, while Foley (1 G, 1 A, 7.03 in 30 apps) has solid physical skills, but is well behind the grade curve in his mental and technical understandings of the game. Goalkeepers There were no top players in net for the Under-19 squad, as they were forced to rely on little-used local netminders to man the defense. None of these lesser keepers are good enough to have a future in football. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-27-2004 at 03:19 AM.

08-27-2004, 04:31 AM	#229
Alf Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Rennes, France	CR : I now understand bette why your players get disgruntled at time, you carry 38 players on your squad, that's over 3 full teams.... __________________ FOFL - GML - IHOF - FranceStats

08-29-2004, 06:49 PM	#233
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Overall Offseason Plan I spoke of each position above what I plan to do, but I figure it would be a good idea to encapsulate things abit in a new post concentrated just for future reference. First, I have to consider finances. Right now, I am $5 M under my wage budget and still have about $4 M left in the transfer fee account. The club has made a ton of money the past couple seasons, and is up to over $90 M--and that's before we get our television payment for next season, which is generally about $20 M. With less than half that in the bank last year, we got a $24 M transfer fund account, so I am thinking I should get a gargantuan one this time around. My guess is $35-40 M, maybe even more. So I could go for some real stars, but I won't be able to get a look at my actual transfer account for next year for another couple weeks or so. Transfer listing players is often a bad idea, given the emotional reactions that often can occur from that, so I will likely instead look to simply offer players to other teams and see if they bite. Prominent players likely to have this happen to them are Johnnier Montaño (already drawing offers), Giovánny Hernandez, Carl Motteram, Hermann Hreidarsson, Jon Otsemobor, Tieme Klompe, and Jon Masalin. I will also likely look to see what interest I can drum up in long time loyal Lambs like Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Adam Wilde, Mark Hicks, Andy Williams and Jim Corbett. I won't do this until the turn of the offseason, and the new transfer fund is announced, though, as it makes little sense to draw attention for these players now, when most teams don't have the money to buy them. Obviously, my offseason, both how much I can spend and the targets (their level and their position) are both very dependent on who I move. Some guys I move will not need a replacement, but some others might call for one. Here is a list of areas I expect to bring in players for: 1. Passing midfielder to serve as Pizarro's primary backup. 2. Attacking centreback (I need more depth at the shutdown defender spot, and would like to bring in a legit centreback star if I can find one). 3. Right back, preferably defensive (I need depth here, regardless, but I am hoping to get a defensive counterbalance to Gorman/Duff, who are more offensive-minded). 4. Reserve goalkeeping and maybe a top starter, too (I will look for a top notch goalkeeper, but I won't overpay for him). 5. Youth for the reserve teams (my reserves are largely older leftovers from the lower divisions and slow-developing former Tamworth FC Youth Academy products). I have more or less decided to offer to bring back Cort and Duff, although I will be trying to bring them on "discounts" from their requested packages (both want close to $1 M per year). I am already bringing in Mexican forward Emilio Mora from the Bundesliga. He figures to play a prominent reserve role in the central midfield and at the left forward position. I am currently pursuing young goalkeepers Kasper Schmeichel and Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay, and am working on a Montaño deal which would bring back Derek Geary and Richard Wood. And that's where things stand. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-30-2004, 03:49 AM	#234
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Tuesday, June 2 To Monday, June 8 The offseason has begun, even if the actual season change hasn't occurred yet. And that means transfer speculation and international play. Should be fun. I will deal with the international play in its own post after this week. Europe returns to World Cup qualifying this weekend, and then play another round on June 10. Start of the Transfer Window We got official notice early on Tuesday that the 2009 close window has begun. English clubs will now be able to buy players until around about the end of August. Motteram Hurt In Training Hmmm...I thought this was a rest time for my players... Winger Carl Motteram got tackled hard in an overloading exercise on Tuesday and fell hard to the ground. Unforutnately, his shoulder took the brunt of the damage. He suffered a fracture in his shoulder and will be sidelined from training for the next three weeks. He might even be on another club by the time he heals. Sheffiedl Wednesday Withdraw Bid On Montaño I am guessing my offer was too high for them. They rejected the offer of Johnnier Montaño for fullback Derek Geary and centreback Richard Wood, much as I expected. They also didn't wish to continue negotiations. I may make a money offer anyway--I was limited in what I could do with that exchange response offer, and it wasn't entirely what I wanted to do. Third Division Promotion Final On Tuesday, the final English league match of the 2008-09 season was played, once again at Wembley. The Third Division is the only division in English football that has yet to determine its final promotion candidate. Former First Division squad Reading took on seventh place Brentford, one spot behind them in the league table, in front of almost 60,000 supporters. Reading and Brentford scored 172 goals in 92 league matches, and were both among the top offensive squads in the Third Division. Reading was just a year off of being relegated from the Second Division and still even had some of their old First Division talent. They struck first, with an 8th minute score by Mark Quigley. Veteran Canadian winger Jason Bent contributed another in the 32nd minute, lending new pressure on Brentford. They were unable to get shots past goalkeeper Ben Homer. Midfielder Paul Hammond finished off a dominating first half of Reading, with a stoppage time score just before halftime. That first half would carry Reading through to the win, 3-0, even though they actually lost the shot battle (8-7). They just made good on their opportunities. Reading returns to the Second Division, joining past promotees league champ Torquay, Burton Albion and Chester. Boro Offer To Loan Hooper On Wednesday I got an offer from First Division Middlesbrough to loan out burgeoning talent Mark Hooper for three months. I have never understood a club's willingness to loan a player at this point of time, when they will simply be training with the squad for two of the three months, before competitive matches actually begin in mid-August. Still, unless I had a compelling reason, I would usually let little used or reserve players go on such loans, as I had no use for them myself, figured they could get better experience with those squads, and would also have their wages covered by those clubs during that time. For Hooper, though, I have a compelling reason to keep him. It is my suspicion he will fit into a key backup role for my rightside forward on the first team this season. I want to keep him around not only for that, but to also work within our new tactic and with other first teamers. So I turned the Boro down, despite my allegiance to them in real life. Tamworth Sign Novotny On Wednesday, our Bosman transfer of Inter Bratislava's promising winger Petr Novotny went through. Novotny could quickly rise to the top of our U-19 squad and will not likely be long behind Hooper on the road up to the first team. The 19-year-old Slovakian has high quality if not explosive speed, and is an all around physically powerful player. He is a smart player as well, and has the best ratings in areas I like for my entire team to be high, such as Teamwork and Work Rate. Most of his tehcnical skills are also in the double digits, but this is the area he needs to work on with the lower teams. Also, as a nominal winger, Novotny doesn't fit directly into the current tactic, so I will have to say if he can handle a central midfield role. My intuition says yes--his all around talent is too good to stop him here. Novotny appeared in 18 matches for Inter Bratislava, a top Slovak First Division club, posting one goal, three assists and a 6.67 rating in that time. Derby Want Booth On Loan Just hours after I turned down Boro's loan offer for Hooper, I got a similar offer from Derby in regards to winger Chris Booth. Obviously, Booth is already an established first teamer, and one I expect to see play a key reserve role for us. So I turned down the loan offer. I regularly get three or four loan offers for Booth every year. Piacenza Bid On Montaño At the same time I was negotiating an offer from Sheffield Wednesday for Montaño, I noticed that Serie A squad Piacenza was also interested. Obviously, moving the talented forward out of the Premiership would appeal to me, plus the Serie A is a rich league that is likely capable of buying Montaño outright, something I suspect a few of the Premiership squads would balk at. So days ago, I submitted a full value offer ($11.75 M) in return for Montaño. On Thursday, I got a negotiation offer from the Italian team. They offered me a full $12 M for the forward. Much of it was deferred, though, with a $3 M up front payment, followed by $9 M doled out in 24 monthly payments across the next two years. They also offered a 20% return on Montaño's future transfer fees, which I also liked (the way these players move among rich clubs in Italy and Spain, I could get a very tidy return on that). So despite the deferred nature of much of the deal, I agree to it and allow the Italian club to begin contract negotiations with the Colombian forward. It would be nice if all of my transfer moves this offseason are so simple (and crossing my fingers saying so doesn't jinx it). Makabu Ma Kalambay Deal Falls Apart On Thursday, our transfer offer for Chelsea's young goalkeeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay fell apart--as I planned. It came up for finalization again on Thursday, after the agreed upon delay of a week had passed that I had requested. I again asked for a delay, and as expected, Chelsea grew furstrated with this and cancelled the transfer altogether. All this was, though, was a ploy to secure the goalkeeper's signature for much cheaper. Makabu Ma Kalambay was on loan at Sheffield Wednesday until Wednesday (ugh, sorry for the double, it's the truth, though) and I was only able to negotiate directly with the player, currently available on a Bosman transfer, as his contract ends at the end of this month. My offer was merely to keep the goalkeeper available through the end of his loan period, for once it ends, I can make a direct transfer offer to Chelsea for much less. Chelsea was only seeking about $20,000 for him, a drop in the bucket, but if I had bought Makabu Ma Kalambay, I would have owed Chelsea a full $1.7 M youth development fee. After Chelsea pulled out of the Bosman transfer of the player, I submitted a new direct transfer offer to the Blues--for $20,000. Sheffield Wednesday Say No To Montaño Days after rejecting my exchange offer involving Montaño, the Owls more or less officially turned their back on an offer for the forward on Friday, turning down my straight money offer of $9 M in return for him. It didn't surprise me that they did this--they showed they're not really prepared to commit to money for him (although I suspect that could change when the new transfer budgets are announced). Fortunately, the Piacenza offer, which I have already accepted, gives me little reason to care at the moment that my demands may have outpriced the Owls. Three Players Called Up For Confederations Cup Even now, my international players are with their national squads, preparing for a fresh round of international play on Saturday. So they probably found out from their national team managers before I did at the Lamb Ground, when three of them were officially requested to be present later in the month for the Confederations Cup. The cup competition is an all around international tournament that brings in the various cup winners of the major continental tournaments in a sorta pseudo-world championship every two years (always in odd years so as not to run into those very same major tournaments or the World Cup). As the defending World Cup champion, France gets an entry, as does Tamworth's Louis Saha with them. And Colombia is the host, meaning that Montaño and Giovanny Hernández will also be at the tournament. Montaño's last actions as a Tamworth Lamb will almost certainly be in service to his country at the Confederations Cup. Pereplyotkin Resumes Full Training At last! Almost a full five months after breaking his leg, star Ukrainian striker Andrei Pereplyotkin is finally at full health, resuming regular training on Saturday. His return to health is, unfortunately, too late to allow him to play with his native Ukraine's national team, although I am certain he will be back with them at the next round in September. Pereplyotkin figures to be a key player on our frontlione, and might man the critical central target man spot in the middle of that front line. He was our leading goalscorer when he went down and, at 23, is a rising star. Montaño Draws Offer From Reggina The Montaño sweepstakes just got a bit juicier when Piacenza's league-mate Reggina weighed in on Saturday with a similar $12 M offer of their own for the services of the 26-year-old Colombian forward. It was exactly the same as Piacenza's offer, so I accepted it and allowed the Serie A club access to Montaño to begin negotiations on a new deal. I don't see any problems with leaving this one up to Montaño. Either one gets him off of the squad and out of England, and they provide insurance on one another that a deal will get done. I am now certain Montaño will be leaving the club within a month. Skinner Announces Retirement On Monday, left back Justin Skinner announced his retirement again at the end of the season. This is actually something he has done before. Skinner has done us good service in his time at the Lamb Ground, but I hope this isn't a case where he is essentially extending his stay for another year. He is no longer a useful member of the squad, and just clogs the roster. So I hope his announcement is in reference to the end of this season--in the very near future. Well, I suppose it matters little, though--his contract runs out at the end of June. Schmeichel Accepts Offer, Rejects Man City On Monday, we got big news when Man City's young reserve goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel accepted our offer over a contract extension from Manchester City. The Danish goalkeeper said he was lookinmg forward to working with me, ehich is always nice to read. The Bosman transfer, which will go through on July 1, will cost us $1.1 M in developmental fees for the goalkeeper. Schmeichel, 22, has played very little on the Manchester City first team the past couple years, but in the 2006-07 season, he went on a terrific run as a fill in, allowing just nine goals in 12 matches, and putting up seven clean sheets. He has been capped with Denmark's Under-21 team, but has yet to be invited to the big squad. Schmeichel has some excellent ratings in several key goalkeeping area. Physically, he is near elite, with 19 Agility, and is all around a top physical player. He can't get any better with One-on-Ones (20), and he is both commanding (18) and a good communicator (18) with his backline. He also has just a 2 for Eccentricity, which is nice--this isn't a position I necessarily like a player to take risks. He has just two skills under 15 in the goalkeeping technical skills, with a 14 Aerial Ability and 12 in Tendency To Punch. Schmeichel speaks five languages (if you care, I thought it was sorta neat). He was also drawing interest from Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, and Córdoba, Racing Santander and Levante in the Primera Liga, in addition to ourselves and his original employers Man City. Schmeichel was a product of Manchester City's youth system, first playing professional football in 2002-03. At this point in time, I expect Schmeichel to be Thomas Heaton's primary reserve, with Jon Masalin being shipped out. If I get a big name goalkeeper, there is a chance Schmeichel will drop to the reserve team, although I don't think he will be happy about that. Shhhh...don't tell him. Montaño Saga Ends The week came to a big end on Monday when Montaño finally decided his future post-Tamworth. The midfielder-forward came to an agreement with Piacenza, turning down a contract offer from Reggina. The $12 M transfer will officially go through on July 1, with, I assume, $3 M plus the first $375,000 monthly payment, which will continue for two years. The 26-year-old Colombian international will now leave for the Serie A. I wish him well, but I am not unhappy to see him gone. I also think I negotiated a pretty good deal for him, although I would have preferred to get more upfront money. League News There was, of course, a round of transfer signings and speculation this week from various clubs in the Premiership. Touré, Lauth Deals Officially Go Through With Tuesday's opening of the transfer window, Arsenal defender Kolo Abib Touré and HSV striker Benjamin Lauth officially changed addresses. Touré went from the Gunners to Fulham for $5 M, while Lauth drew an amazing $11.25 M from Nottingham Forest. Touré, of course, was a target we went after ourselves, but we got in too late, thanks to the loan fee the Cottagers negotiated with Arsenal on Touré's stint with them this year. The 28-year-old Ivorian defender appeared in 17 matches with Premiership squads last year, with 13 of them coming with Fulham in the last few months of the season. He put up a 6.76 rating in those appearances. Lauth, 27, should help the offensively-starved Reds on the frontline, although he's going to have to do better than he did on his atrocious loan period with the club (1 G, 5.43 rat in 14 apps). They must have seen something they liekd in his play, or believe he will acclimate himself to the English game, considering they dropped a ton of cash on him, and then signed him to a deal ($2.1 M per annum) that outpaces every player on my roster (not that that is really all that hard to do). Lauth may not have done well for the Reds in his half-season loan, but he did score 31 goals with HSV in the previous one-and-a-half seasons. Wolves Sign Stewart Wolverhampton is looking to the holdover squads to raise up its wing group to Premiership standards. On Thursday, the club successfully negotiated a Bosman transfer for Leicester winger Jordan Stewart. The longtime Fox was a key component of the club's First Division squad in 2006-07, helping them climb right back into the Premiership after one year on the drop. The 27-year-old winger had seven goals and 10 assists in that First Division championship season, but he has seen his role drop sharply since the club returned to the top flight. In the Foxes' first year back, Stewart appeared in just over one-third of the matches he was a part of the year before, although he posted a respectable 7.05 rating. This past season, though, he was confined to the reserve squad and never appeared with the first team. Stewart was frustrated as a reserve, and will likely look to get first team football with the Wolves. The deal will go through on July 1, a day after Stewart's current contract with Leicester runs out. Tottenham Looking To Move Slabber In response to interest from Leicester, Tottenham boss Eddie Gray told reporters he is ready to sell 24-year-old striker Jamie Slabber. Slabber is not a high profile move at this point, although he has valued decently high ($4.6 M). I don't have him scouted, so I don't know how good he rates. He hasn't exactly lit the world on fire in limited appearances with the Spurs. Last season, Slabber scored one goal in ten appearances, only one of which was a start. He put up a 6.70 rating. He did do a bit better the previous year, with two goals in three appearances in 2007-08. Liverpool Make Offer On Ward Despite the warning of Limerick manager Michael Kerley, the Reds submitted a free transfer offer for the club's star defender David Ward on Saturday. It's likely the offer included a percentage return on future transfer fees, since I can't see Limerick being interested in a straight free, especially from a club with Liverpool's resources. As I noted when Kerley issued his hands off warning last week, Ward had been a very strong player for the Irish Premier Division club. The 21-year-old Ireland Under-21 youth international has been a dominating force for Limerick since he was 16, starting 26 matches in 2004. He hasn't ever had less than a 7.41 rating for Limerick,a nd in their first year at Ireland's top level, he is putting up a career-high 8.00 rating in 10 matches. In fact, it's good enough that, even without scouting, I am interested myself. I submitted a full value offer of $65,000 shortly after hearing of Liverpool's offer. The matter was still unresolved by the end of the week. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-31-2004, 04:10 AM	#235
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Non-World Cup Qualifying International Play With China 2010 just a calendar year away, most continental associations are deep into qualifying, with Asia, Europe and South America all conducting qualifying matches in and around June 6-10. That said, there are international competitions going on this summer. The ongoing African Cup of Nations qualifying resumes this week, with a round of matches on June 3. The Confederations Cup featuring the major cup winners of the past couple years will be conducted in Colombia from June 17-28. And the CONCACAF Gold Cup will be held from July 10-25. Here is a rundown or table aetting for these competitions. African Cup Of Nations Qualifying This is a competition we have already talked some about. The June 3 matches are a resumption of the fixture that has been delayed since late January. Africa is the only continent which schedules a major cup competition in the same year as the World Cup, and holds its qualifying for both at the same time. This is the fourth round of the qualifying fixture. Every three or four team group plays home-and-homes with its respective two or three fellow group members, and the group champion moves on to the actual cup competition. There are 13 groups. Here is what happened in the June 3 matches, by group. Group A Table going into matches: Angola 9, Congo 3, Niger 3, Djibouti 3 Niger 3, Djibouti 1 Angola 3, Congo 1 New table: Angola 12, Niger 6, Congo 3, Djibouti 3 Angola is the 34th-ranked national squad by FIFA, so their sweep of their first four matches is no surprise here. They can clinch a spot in the next round with a draw or point in either of the two remaining matches. Group B Table going into matches: Togo 9, Algeria 6, Sudan 3, Equatorial Guinea 0 Equatorial Guinea 0, Sudan 0 Togo 1, Algeria 1 New table: Togo 10, Algeria 7, Sudan 4, Equatorial Guinea 1 Togo and Algeria are the two big names here, and their match was a pivotal one for this group. Both nations are ranked by FIFA in the 40s, with Algeria at 40 and Togo at 42. They didn't decide much here, though, drawing to maintain the group status quo. Group C Table going into matches: Mali 9, Zambia 6, Malawai 3, Chad 0 Mali 4, Malawi 0 Zambia 3, Chad 2 New table: Mali 12, Zambia 9, Malawi 3, Chad 0 Not surprisingly, 58th-ranked Mali is dominating on its way to the top of this group. Zambia is now slouch, though, at 96th, and putting on the heat. They nearly dropped the ball, though, before escaping from lowly Chad with a close win. Group D Table going into matches: Zimbabwe 9, Egypt 6, Guinea-Bissau 3, Lesotho 0 Guniea-Bissau 4, Lesotho 1 Zimbabwe 2, Egypt 0 New table: Zimbabwe 12, Egypt 6, Guinea-Bissau 6, Lesotho 0 Egypt, the highest-ranked squad at 50, squandered a chance to catch 61st-ranked Zimbabwe this round, losing on the road. The key win puts Zimbabwe on the edge of qualifying for the next round with a point in any of the next two matches. Group E Table going into matches: Ghana 9, Burkina Faso 6, Tanzania 3, Central African Republic 0 Ghana 4, Central African Republic 0 Burkina Faso 2, Tanzania 1 New table: Ghana 12, Burkina Faso 9, Tanzania 3, Central African Republic 0 Ghana is one of the top squads in Africa, at 17th overall in the world, but they are having trouble putting away 51st-ranked Burkina Faso. Both squads won to keep the race for the group's top spot tight. Group F Table going into matches: Cameroon 6, Namibia 6, Republic of Congo 6, Somalia 0 Namibia 2, Somalia 0 Republic of Congo 0, Cameroon 0 New table: Namibia 9, Cameroon 7, Republic of Congo 7, Somalia 0 Cameroon is one of two African nations in the world's top ten, at 10th overall. So drawing with the Repiublic of Congo (a respectable 67th itself) and falling into a tie for second behind unexpected group leader Namibia was not result they were looking for. This group should be an intriguing one to watch down the stretch. Group G Table going into matches: Tunisia 9, Mozambique 6, Libya 3, Eritrea 0 Tunisia 3, Mozambique 0 Libya 4, Eritrea 0 New table: Tunisia 12, Mozambique 6, Libya 6, Eritrea 0 Libya and Mozambique are both in the world's top 100 (89 and 92, respectively), but Mozambique's loss to Tunisia might remove both from moving around. That said, it's not much of a surprise, given that Tunisia itself is one of the better non-top 100 national squads on the continent. Group H Table going into matches: South Africa 9, Rwanda 6, Gabon 3, Burundi 0 Rwanda 3, Gabon 1 South Africa 4, Burundi 0 New table: South Africa 12, Rwanda 9, Gabon 3, Burundi 0 The South Africans are one of the better squads in Africa, at 26th overall, and their pasting of lowly Burundi at home was no shocker. 91st-ranked Rwanda, though, kept the pressure up by beating Gabon. They remain within shot of the South Africans for the group title. Group I Table going into matches: Nigeria 7, Sierra Leone 6, Uganda 4, Swaziland 0 Sierra Leone 3, Swaziland 1 Nigeria 3, Uganda 0 New table: Nigeria 10, Sierra Leone 9, Uganda 4, Swaziland 0 Nigeria comes into this competition as the best squad in Africa, 6th overall in the world, but they are getting a test from 45th-ranked Sierra Leone. The latter national squad beat Swaziland on the road to stay with Nigeria, which beat a Uganda squad that itself was in range of second in the group. Tamworth's Yakubu starred, scoring two very late goals and capturing the Man of the Match to lead his compatriots to victory. Yakubu is the only African international player currently playing for the Lambs. Group J Table going into matches: Ivory Coast 7, Guinea 7, Gambia 3, Botswana 0 Guinea 2, Gambia 0 Ivory Coast 5, Botswana 0 New table: Ivory Coast 10, Guinea 10, Gambia 3, Botswana 0 A tight battle between the top-100 ranked squads continues. Ivory Coast, at 22nd overall, came in as the favorite and dealt the expected thrashing to Botswana. Guinea, at 65th, continued to match the Ivorians step-for-step, though, in beating Gambia. Group K Table going into matches: Liberia 6, Ethiopia 3, Mauritius 0 Liberia 4, Mauritius 0 New table: Liberia 9, Ethiopia 3, Mauritius 0 Liberia, as the only ranked squad in the group, has jumped out to a big lead with its defeat of lowly Mauritius. Ethiopia has a wall to climb to catch the 47th-best squad in the world, but they have also played one less match than the Liberians. Group L Table going into matches: Cape Verde 4, Benin 3, Mauritania 1 Cape Verde 2, Mauritania 0 New table: Cape Verde 7, Benin 3, Mauritania 1 Cape Verde took a strong lead in the group, and likely dashed the hopes of Mauritania by winning this one. Benin, like Ethiopia in Group K, still has a strong shot at it, though, as they have played one less match than the group leader. Group M Table going into matches: Kenya 6, Madagascar 3, Seychelles 0 Seychelles 1, Madagascar 1 New table: Kenya 6, Madagascar 4, Seychelles 1 Madagascar faced a tough test in trying to keep up with 52nd-ranked Kenya, and it did itself no favors by drawing with Seychelles in this round. They needed this win to stay with Kenya, and now the top ranked squad has both the group lead and a game advantage on its competition. Confederations Cup The eight-team Confederations Cup brings together the six continental cup winners, the previous Confederations Cup champion, and the host of the event every two years. Starting on June 17, two four-squad groups will begin three-match fixtures, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the competition semfinals. The final will be held on June 28. The first group has 5th-ranked Gold Cup winner United States, 7th-ranked Copa America champ Argentina, 16th-ranked Asian Cup holder China and host Colombia--the third-ranked squad in the world (and, stunningly, the only one without any international silverware in the last couple years). The second group has 2nd-ranked Confederations and World cups holder France, 9th-ranked OFC Nations Cup winner Australia, 12th-ranked African Cup of Nations champion Senegal and surprising Euro 2008 champion Croatia, currently ranked 21st in the world. CONCACAF Gold Cup One month after its previous champion participates in the Confederations Cup, the Confederation of North and Central American Football will host its Gold Cup in the United States. The tournament adds top-ranked Brazil and 11th-ranked South Korea to round out a field that includes ten North and Central American, and Carribean nations. Among other notable squads will be 5th-ranked United States, 8th-ranked Mexico, and 49th-ranked Canada. The most notable absence is that of 22nd-ranked Trinidan & Tobaggo, one of the surprise darlings of Germany 2006. Two squads will come out of each of four three-nation groups and entered into a quarterfinal, with matches starting on July 10. The final will be played on July 25. The world's most powerful squad, Brazil, headlines Group One, which includes 87th-ranked Costa Rica and the British Virgin Islands. The other extra-regional entry, South Korea, is the favorite from Group Two. Their big test will come from 74th-ranked Honduras, with the Bahamas rounding out the group. The 5th-ranked Gold Cup holders and hosts Americans lead Group Three. They should win through easily here, as neither of their opponents, El Salvador and Anguilla, are in the world Top 100 (although the Salvadorans are just outside, at 110th). Group Four may have the best matchup, with the powerful Mexican squad likely coming head-to-head with the 49th-ranked Canada. Central Amrican squad Belize could get caught in the middle of this battle. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-31-2004 at 05:20 AM.

08-31-2004, 04:29 AM	#236
Alf Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Rennes, France	CR in the Confederation Cup you have Senegal as champion of both Africa (correct) and Asia (wrong) __________________ FOFL - GML - IHOF - FranceStats

08-31-2004, 05:19 AM	#237
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	World Cup Qualifying, Africa There were no matches in Africa's qualifying for China 2010 in the past week, but there have been two more rounds played since the last update of international play. Five groups of five squads are currently in the midst of an eight-match, round-robin fixture. The top squad in each group will earn a spot at China 2010. Matches were played on April 18 and May 2, giving most squads their fifth and sixth matches of the fixture. Group One Table two rounds ago: Senegal 10, Cameroon 9, Egypt 6, Sierra Leone 2, Guinea 1 April 18 Senegal 2, Sierra Leone 0 Cameroon 3, Guinea 1 May 2 Sierra Leone 2, Guinea 2 Egypt 3, Senegal 0 Table now: Senegal 13, Cameroon 12, Egypt 9, Sierra Leone 3, Guinea 2 Senegal and Cameroon are easily the top two squads in this group, with Egypt a respectable third as a past traditional power. Things kept to form in the first round, with both Senegal and Cameroon proceeding to easy victories. The second round, though, featured what could be a group-changing match. Egypt shocked Senegal on the road, 3-0. Not only does thrust the Egyptians back into the picture, but it allowed idle Cameroon to remain just a point behind Senegal with match in hand. Since Egypt also has a match in hand on the group leader, this should be a tight group to the end. Group Two Table two rounds ago: South Africa 12, Zimbabwe 7, Angola 5, Algeria 3, Kenya 1 April 18 South Africa 6, Zimbabwe 0 Algeria 2, Kenya 1 May 2 Zimbabwe 4, Kenya 0 Angola 1, South Africa 1 Table now: South Africa 16, Zimbabwe 10, Algeria 6, Angola 6, Kenya 1 South Africa very nearly have clinched a spot at China 2010 by crushing its closest competitor in surprising Zimbabwe. Algeria and Angola actually entered the tournament as South Africa's closest likely challengers, but they have underachieved their way to distant third ro fourth place spots. Even with a match each in had on South Africa and Zimbabwe, only a miracle would get them back in this one. Group Three Table two rounds ago: Ivory Coast 10, Nigeria 8, Liberia 4, Guinea-Bissau 3, Togo 2 April 18 Nigeria 2, Togo 0 Guinea-Bissau 1, Liberia 1 May 2 Ivory Coast 2, Guinea-Bissau 1 Nigeria 3, Liberia 1 Table now: Nigeria 14, Ivory Coast 13, Liberia 5, Guinea-Bissau 4, Togo 2 Nigeria's two strong wins have propelled the top squad in Africa to the top of this group. They still have a long way to go, though, with just a single point lead over another strong team in Ivory Coast. The Ivorians also have a match in hadn on Nigeria. Togo came in as the third-highest ranked squad in the group, but they continue to be a big disappointment. This one is definitely down to a two-squad race. Tamworth's Yakubu started up front for Nigeria in both of their matches and was a key contributor to their victories. He scored a goal in each match, and his 9 rating in the Liberia match earned him the Man of the Match. Yakubu is the only Lamb playing in African international play. Group Four Table two rounds ago: Tunisia 12, Ghana 9, Libya 6, Rwanda 3, Gambia 0 April 18 Tunisia 3, Rwanda 1 Libya 2, Gambia 0 May 2 Tunisia 3, Libya 0 Ghana 4, Rwanda 1 Table now: Tunisia 18, Ghana 12, Libya 9, Rwanda 3, Gambia 0 Tunisia entered recent international competition as a lower end squad, but their performance in both the African Cup of Nations and World Cup Qualifying is beginning to turn some heads. They beat two top 100 world squads in Rwanda and Libya to extend their lead here. It's not over by a far cry, though--17th-ranked Ghana is still within reach and has played one less match than the Tunisians. They have a mountain to climb, though. Group Five Table two rounds ago: April 18 Morocco 6, Namibia 0 Malawi 2, Cape Verde 1 May 2 Namibia 2, Malawi 2 Morocco 3, Equatorial Guinea 0 Table now: Morocco 18, Cape Verde 7, Malawi 6, Namibia 5, Equatorial Guinea 3 Morocco, one of the best squads in Africa at 14th-ranked in the world, was handed one of the easiest qualifying groups in history, with not one other top 100 team in their group. Not surprisingly, Morocco swept through the first six matches of their fixture, and the others beat up on each other, allowing the North African nation to become the first country to claim a spot in China 2010. China, as host, is the only other nation currently assured of entry to football's greatest international tournament. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-31-2004, 06:32 AM	#239
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	World Cup Qualifying, Asia Asia was the last continent to kick off its qualifying for the World Cup. Amazingly, the Asia's federation fits in two rounds of group fixtures, followed by two rounds of playoffs in just seven months to determine its entrants to China 2010. China itself, of course, as the host, is not participating, but 39 other Asian nations are, stretching from North Korea to Guam to Lebanon. The first round, with ten groups of mostly four teams each, began their group fixtures on May 3 and run through June 21. The top nation in each group advances to the next round, which commences in September. Here is a look at those Asian countries currently ranked in the FIFA's World Top 100: 11. South Korea 16. China PR 23. Saudi Arabia 25. Iran 38. Iraq 57. Qatar 62. India 63. Uzbekistan 66. Japan 80. Kuwait 86. Jordan 88. Indonesia 90. Thailand In the space of a month, all ten groups have already played four sets of matches, and are deep into the first round. On June 7, they play their fifth set. Here's a look at how it has played out so far. Group One Table going into June 7: Saudi Arabia 12, Lebanon 9, Nepal 3, Laos 0 June 7 Results Lebanon 4, Laos 0 Saudi Arabia 5, Nepal 0 Table now: Saudi Arabia 15, Lebanon 12, Nepal 3, Laos 0 From the very beginning, you knew this one would come down to powerful Saudi Arabia and upstart Lebanon, whihc resides just outside of the World Top 100. Saudi Arabia edged out Lebanon at home, 2-1, on May 24. This one will likely come down to those two squads meeting in Lebanon on June 21. Group Two Table going into June 7: Hong Kong 12, Bahrain 9, Indonesia 3, Bangladesh 0 June 7 Results Bahrain 3, Bangladesh 0 Hong Kong 2, Indonesia 2 Table now: Hong Kong 13, Bahrain 12, Indonesia 4, Bangladesh 0 Perhaps eyeing the chance to compete for the World Cup in Hong Kong's sovereign China, the little Chinese island is making a run at the next round. By drawing with the highest-ranked squad in Indonesia, the Hong Kong team has maintained its lead over Bahrain, a tough squad that is just outside the World Top 100. In fact, Hong Kong's draw was the first match they have lost in this round so far. Indonesia has been a big disappointment. Group Three Table going into June 7: Thaliand 10, Japan 8, Maldives 4, Chinese Taipei 0 June 7 Results Chinese Taipei 1, Maldives 0 Japan 5, Thailand 1 Table now: Japan 11, Thailand 10, Maldives 4, Chinese Taipei 3 Japan entered as one of the continent's better squads, but they were looking up at another solid squad in Thailand before dominating them at home in the most recent round of matches. This is clearly going to come down the wire between these two squads, but Thailand is going to have to hope one of the other squads can beat or draw Japan, because they have already exhausted their two shots at the 66th-ranked squad. Group Four Table going into June 7: India 12, South Korea 6, North Korea 4, Macau 1 June 7 Results India 4, Macau 0 North Korea 2, South Korea 0 Table now: India 15, North Korea 7, South Korea 6, Macau 1 Which glutton for punishmentr put this group together? Hey, let's lump to the sides of a divided country together, and throw them into a group with 62nd-ranked India. All they needed to do was replace Macau with Pakistan, and this one would have been fought with nukes. What it really is, though, as the scene of powerful South Korea's exit from contention for a spot in China 2010. Not only is Asia's top squad failing to stay with undefeated India, they aren't even beating their rival countrymen to the north, including a 2-0 loss in the latest round. India has clinched a spot in the next round of qualifying. Group Five Table going into June 7: Kuwait 8, Qatar 7, Singapore 6, Mongolia 1 June 7 Results Qatar 2, Kuwait 1 Singapore 3, Mongolia 1 Table now: Qatar 10, Singapore 9, Kuwait 8, Mongolia 1 This might be the group of little countries (and Mongolia), but they play big on the pitch (and strangely enough, Mongolia plays small). Qatar is one of the better squads in Asia, at 57th-ranked in the world, and their close 2-1 win over 80th-ranked Kuwait gives them the edge now. Still, Kuwait is right there with eight points, and so is a solid squad in Singapore, in between Qatar and Kuwait. This should go down to the wire. Group Six Table going into June 7: United Arab Emirates 12, Jordan 6, Malaysia 4, Cambodia 1 June 7 Results Jordan 5, Cambodia 1 United Arab Emirates 1, Malaysia 0 Table now: United Arab Emirates 15, Jordan 9, Malaysia 4, Cambodia 1 Jordan came in as the highest-regarded team in this group, but United Arab Emirates has proven to be too tough. They have won all five of their matches, including two 3-0 wins over Jordan, to clinch a spot in the next round. Group Seven Table going into June 7: Tajikstan 10, Uzbekistan 10, Kyrgyzstan 3, Myanmar 0 June 7 Results Myanmar 4, Kyrgyzstan 0 Tajikstan 3, Uzbekistan 2 Table now: Tajikstan 13, Uzbekistan 10, Myanmar 3, Kyrgyzstan 3 Myanmar? Turkmenistan needs to be in the 'Stan group. Uzbekistan is the top 100 squad here, but Tajikstan was just outside of it, and won the showdown in this past round to take the group lead. The two clubs drew, 2-2, in Tajikstan, so the Tajiks' one-goal win over the Uzbeks on the road this round could be the difference here. Group Eight Table going into June 7: Iran 10, Oman 10, Vietnam 1, Phillipines 1 June 7 Results Iran 4, Oman 0 Vietnam 2, Phillipines 1 Table now: Iran 13, Oman 10, Vietnam 4, Phillipines 1 Iran is one of the top squads in the world, and not just Asia. Nevertheless, they found themselves in a tight fight with Oman. In this past round, the Iranians finally put an exclamation on their claim to the group lead, soundly beating Oman at home. Group Nine Table going into June 7: Iraq 12, Syria 5, Yemen 3, Bhutan 1 June 7 Results Iraq 2, Syria 0 Yemen 2, Bhutan 2 Table now: Iraq 15, Syria 5, Yemen 4, Bhutan 2 Iraq was clearly the best squad in this group, with only Syria seeming likely to challenge them. The Iraq squad put an end to that in the last fixture, beating Syria 2-0 to clinch a spot in the next round. Group Ten Table going into June 7: Palestine 9, Turkmenistan 3, Guam 0 June 7 Results Turkmenistan 3, Guam 1 Table now: Palestine 9, Turkmenistan 6, Guam 0 While Turkmenistan has only gotten points from wins over weak little Guam, this one is going to come down to a tough one at the end. Palestine just edged out Turkmenistan at home, 1-0, and now has to go to Turkmenistan and beat them there to ensure advancing to the next round. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-31-2004, 06:49 AM	#240
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	World Cup Qualifying, CONCACAF & Oceania Both CONCACAF and the Oceania region are in their regional finals, each with six squads entered. CONCACAF will send the top four in their field to China 2010, while the weaker Oceania will send just one. CONCACAF The North and Central American, and Carribean footballing nations complete their qualifying with a ten-match round-robin fixture, and they are currently four rounds into it. Only one round has been played since the last update in late March. April 19 Results Jamaica 4, Honduras 1 United States 2, Guatemala 1 Haiti 0, Mexico 0 This was a round of surprises. Jamaica not only beat Honduras on the road, they dominated them. The United States had unusual trouble with Guatemala before putting them away on the road. And then little Haiti shocked powerful Mexico by drawing them at home. Table now: United States 10, Mexico 8, Jamaica 6, Guatemala 4, Honduras 4, Haiti 1 As expected, the United States and Mexico are leading the group, and are generally expected to easily sweep to spots art China 2010. If so, that leaves two other tightly-contested spots for everyone else, with the probable exception of little Haiti (short of a continuing miracle run). Oceania Like CONCACAF, the Oceania region has six nations competing for a spot in CHina 2010, but this time only one country will get in. Prior to this week, the region had not played an international round since May 28. Two rounds of their ten-match fixture were played on June 6 and June 10, bringing them up to six matches played each. Here is what happened: Table going into matches: June 6 Results New Zealand 2, Tahiti 0 Tonga 0, Solomon Islands 0 Cook Islands 3, Australia 2 June 10 Results New Zealand 2, Cook Islands 2 Tonga 1, Tahiti 0 Australia 3, Solomon Islands 1 Table now: Australia 15, New Zealand 10, Cook Islands 10, Tonga 8, Solomon Islands 7, Tahiti 1 Let's face it, the story of the last week has been not-so-dimunitve Cook Islands. They stunned Australia at hoem, 3-2, and then drew New Zealand on the road. That allowed them to catch New Zealdn and keep Australia from running away with it. That said, the strong Aussies still have a commanding lead at this point. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-31-2004 at 06:50 AM.

08-31-2004, 07:50 AM	#241
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	World Cup Qualifying, South America While Asia has the shortest qualifying, South America has the longest. With ten nations entered into their federation, South America plays a full round-robin fixture between all of the countries, an 18-match schedule played out over almost three years. After their last round, on April 1, South America's World Cup Qualifying had played 13 of their 18 matches. They met again on June 6 and June 10, bringing them within sight of the end of their fixtures. Setting The Table After the April 1 matches, there were four clear leaders in the table, with the fifth spot being a tightly contested one with several contenders. Colombia and Argentina, both top ten world squads, lead the continent with 29 points. Powerful Brazil and upstart Peru are right behind them with 26 points apiece. All four squads are virtually assured of spots in China 2010 at this point. Uruguay currently has a hold on that pivotal fifth spot, with 17 points. But they have some company. Ecuador is right behind them with 16 points. Paraguay is in range of a win of catching Ecuador, with 13 points, and Chile and Venezuela are just behind them with 12 points. Only 5-point Bolivia is pretty much out of it. Tamworth is represented by three players here, all midfielders. Johnnier Montaño and Giovanny Hernández play (and usually start) for Colombia, while David Marcelo Cortez Pizarro plays a key role with Chile. June 6 The top two remaining contenders for that last spot don't get breaks today. Fifth-place Uruguay goes to Argentina, while Ecuador plays Brazil on the road. Chile will have to overcome Peru to continue their attempt to stay within sight of the bottom spot, while Vanezuela and Paraguay play a winner stays in, loser likely falls out match. Colombia rounds it out with a likely easy round match against cellar-dwelling Bolivia. Argentina proved to be too much for Uruguay, 2-1. Boca forward Carlos Tevez scored both goals for Argentina, including a tie-breaker in the 71st minute. Uruguay was handcapped in its comeback attempts by the 82nd minute send off of Peñarol defender José Oscar Herrera. That gave Ecuador a chance to move past the Uruguayans if they could beat Brazil on the road. As unlikely as that might have seemed, the Ecuadorans brought their A game to this one. Geel striker César Tenorio scored early on, and then Emelec's netminder Daniel Viteri made it stand up, shutting out the potent Brazilians to prove the one-goal victory. So Ecuador moves up to 19 points, two ahead of Uruguay, and into fifth. Chile didn't get the win it needed, but it did get a morale boost from drawing with Peru on the road, 2-2. It proved to be an agonizing draw, though, with how close they came to victory. Santiago Wanderers veteran goalkeeper Alex Varas misplayed a pickup and accidentally sent the ball into his own net for the equalising own goal in the 82nd minute. Pizarro started and put up a 7 rating. Venezuela went into Paraguay and came out a 2-1 winner in a key match of two squads on the fringe. Venezuela got two goals in four minutes from Atlante's striker Daniel Rivero in the second half, including a 68th minute go ahead penalty. The tallies wrapped around a 65th minute goal by Paraguay's famous FC Bayern striker Roque Santa Cruz, who quickly brought his nation even after Rivero's first strike. As expected, Colombia manhandled Bolivia, 3-0. Tamworth's Montaño scored a late goal to cap the scoring, and had an 8 rating, and an assist as well. Hernández started on the wing and put up a 7 rating. The wins by Argentina and Colombia, combined with Uruguay's loss, clinched two spots for the South American powers in China 2010. The two nations become the third and fourth countries to earn entry to the competition, after host China and Africa's Morocco. Both Colombia and Argentina have 32 points. Peru is third with 27 points, followed by Brazil, underachieving a little with 26 points. Ecuador is fifth with 19 points, two up on Uruguay. Venezuela leaped up to seventh with 15 points, while Chile drew level with Paraguay in eighth with 13 points. Bolivia still has five points. June 10 Ecuador gets to defend its newfound fifth-place spot with a home match against Colombia, while Uruguay tries to keep up in a tough road match against Peru. Venezuela, on the fringe, gets a good shot at climbing back into it if both of the midtable squads lose, as the Venezuelans visit weak Bolivia. Argentina will try to warm up for China 2010 with a match at home against desperate Paraguay, while Brazil tries to finally clinch its spot by holding up at home against Chile. It couldn't have played out better for Venezuela. As expected, they pounded Bolivia, 3-0. Both Ecuador and Uruguay lost their tough matches. Ecuador has to be kicking themselves. They had a one goal lead going into the final 15 minutes, but they allowed an equaliser to Lens forward Oscar Eduardo Villareal. Then, after Alavés forward Luis Moreira was sent off in the 81st minute, they allowed Villareal to score again at the death. It was an agonizing loss for Ecuador, which could have taken a commanding lead for the fifth playoff spot. Montaño had a poor match, with a 6 rating, for Colombia, while Hernández rated another 7 from the wing. Uruguay had the chance, then, to regain their fifth place spot. They ran into a tough Peru squad at home, though. FC Bayern's Claudio Pizarro scored almost right off of the kickoff, and then added another in the 25th minute to lead the Peruvians to both a 3-0 victory, and to a clinched spot in China. Venezuela's win vaulted them past Uruguay and into sxith with 18 points, just one behind Ecuador. Uruguay is just behind Venezuela with 17 points. Brazil's strange offensive problems continue, as they draw at home with Chile, 0-0, and fail again to clinch that fourth spot to China. Tamworth's David Pizarro had a 7 rating for Chile in the match. Argentina and Paraguay played to a 1-1 draw, meaning little to Argentina and hurting Paraguay's chances at playing their way back into it. Table After 15 Matches Here is the table with three matches left for each squad, and three spots in China already locked up. The clinched spots are bolded, while the top two contenders for the last spots are asterisked. Colombia 35 (+24 GD) Argentina 33 (+12 GD) Peru 30 (+15 GD) Brazil 27 (+15 GD) Ecuador 19 (-4 GD) Venezuela 18 (-10 GD) Uruguay 17 (-12 GD) Chile 14 (-2 GD) Paraguay 14 (-2 GD) Bolivia 5 (-25 GD) The remaining South American fixtures will be played on September 5, October 10 and October 14. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-31-2004, 07:39 PM	#242
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	World Cup Qualifying, Europe Along with qualifying and international competition all around the world, of course, Europe was also involved in their qualifying for China 2010. They played two rounds during this stretch, on June 6 and June 10. Going into this action most squads have completed half of their ten-match fixtures (the few that haven't are in smaller groups with eight-match fixtures). We had several players involved. Setting The Table Here's a quick look at the tables of the nine groups. Group One Table: Scotland 11, Ukraine 10, Hungary 9, Spain 7, Cyprus 4, Malta 0 Spain is the power here, but they also have a rich history of underachievement. That would seem to continue to be the case here. This is a very tight group still, and any of the top four squads could still take it. The big match on June 6 is Spain hosting the Ukraine with a chance to leap back up into contention. Then all four top squads meet in a showdown on June 10, with Spain travelling to group leader Scotland, and the Ukraine hosting Hungary. Group Two Table: Croatia 13, Greece 9, Albania 8, Luxembourg 6, Czech Republic 5, Kazakhstan 1 Euro 2008 champion Croatia is showing that wasn't a fluke win with their strong showing here so far. Right now, Greece and Albania finish off a Balkans region-heavy battle for the second spot. Dangerous Czech Republic still lurks in the shadows. The big June 6 match will come between Croatia and Albania. Croatia can virtually put away at least a playoff spot, if not an outright CHina 2010 bid, with a win in this one. The Czech Republic may get just one more chance to sneak back into contention when they go to Greece on June 10. Group Three Table: Ireland 13, Portugal 9, Norway 8, Faroe Islands 7, Wales 4, Latvia 1 I'm not sure what the bigger sotry is, Ireland's surprsiing rush out ahead in this group, or Faroe Islands stunning rise to within reach of a second place spot. Norway came in as a favorite, but have underachieved a bit. Ireland looks likely to get in now, but the fight for the second place spot could be bitter. The first round of matches on June 6 could be big, with Ireland facing off with their kinsmen Welsh, whom have underachieved to a very low run in this group so far, and Portugal can become a legit threat with a win on the road over the Faroe Islands--or vice versa. Depending on what happens in that first round, Ireland travelling to the Faroe Islands could be big, as could Wales travelling to Norway. Group Four Table: Italy 13, Bulgaria 12, FYR of Macedonia 9, Moldova 6, Liechtenstein 3, Sweden 1 Italy leading this one, with Bulgaria contending, is about what one might expect. Sweden in dead last, behind even little Liechtenstein, is not. Macedonia is going to need to keep up the pressure to ensure this isn't a run away for the Italians and Bulgarians. They will get their first big chance on June 6, when they host Bulgaria. There are few other key matchups, although Italy and Sweden on June 10 should be interesting, if not pivotal at this point. Group Five Table: France 13, Romania 9, Poland 9, Northern Ireland 8, Georgia 4, Andorra 0 Powerful France doesn't get automatic entry into China 2010 anymore, as past World Cup holders had, but they don't seem to be sweating it. They lead a tough group. Gemrnay 2006 third-place finisher Romania is in a tight fit with Poland and the upstart Northern Irish for at the very least that second-place spot. Poland will host Romania on June 6 in a big showdown that could go a long way to determining who will be coming out of this one with France. Then on June 10, Northern Ireland will travel to France to see if their dream is alive, or if they are just being foolish. Group Six Table: Denmark 12, Slovakia 10, Germany 9, Austria 7, Bosnia & Herzegovina 5, San Marino 0 Denmark was expected to contend, but it was thought their primary contender would be the once-powerful Germany. The German squad continues to underachieve since its World Cup hosting job in 2006, and one wonders at this point if they would have been able to qualify even then, had they been required to. This remains one of the tighter groups in qualifying. Denmark hosts Bosnia on June 6, in the latter squad's last chance to thrust itself back into the middle of the action. Germany hosts Austria on the same day, in a Deutschland battle that should provide Slovakia with their primary competition for the runner up spot. The top two squads meet on June 10 in the big match there, while Germany hosts Bosnia. Group Seven Table: Slovenia 12, England 12, Belgium 10, Iceland 6, Estonia 4, Azerbaijan 0 Belgium and England came in as the favorites, but a solid Slovenia squad has engineered a run to the top, where they are tied with the English. It's tough to say at this point if England is actually underachieving because they aren't running awya with this, or if they are doing well, because they are still tied for the group lead. England travels to Belgium in a criticxal match for both squads on June 6, while Iceland will try to get back into things wit a win over Slovenia on their Atlantic island. The June 10 Belgium and Slovenia could be a matchup of the top two clubs in the group if results fall a certain way four days prior. Group Eight Table: Serbia & Montenegro 12, Israel 7, Finland 6, Turkey 4, Armenia 0 This was supposed to be a group that would be tightly-contested between traditional power Turkey and recent rising power Serbia. Alas, the Turks have yet to really show up for this, and the Serbs are beginning to run away with it. The battle for the second spot is shaping up to be a doozie right now. Turkey will get one last shot at redemption on June 6, when they travel to Serbia & Montenegro. They also get to play second place Israel at home on June 10, so this is pretty muc Turkey's last chance to climb back into range. Group Nine Table: Lithuania 7, Russia 7, Holland 6, Switzerland 5, Belarus 2 This group has gone topsy-turvy so far. Holland was the clear favorite, and they are struggling for a spot. Belarus was the next best squad, but they are pulling a "Sweden". Still, the range of point difference means every squad in the group is still alive and kicking. Holland's visit to Belarus on June 6 was a showdown match before Belarus crapped on their play. So the highlight match here is more liekly to be the Swiss travelling to group leader Russia. Holland and Russia then get together in the Netherlands for a big match on June 10. Surprising group co-leader Lithuania will take its turn on Belarus on the same day. June 6 Group One Hungary 3, Malta 1 Spain 5, Ukraine 2 Cyprus 1, Scotland 1 This group just got a lot more interesting. Scotland's surprising draw with Cyprus allowed Hungary to draw level witht hem for the group lead at 12 points. Spain's thrashing of the Ukrainians has put them back in range with 10 points, tied with those very same Ukrainians. With the top four all facing off with each other on June 10, this next round could be the most critical in this group's fixture. Tamworth's Michael Stewart started and put up a 7 rating in Scotland's draw with the Cypriots. Group Two Croatia 3, Albania 0 Greece 2, Luxembourg 0 Czech Republic 4, Kazakhstan 0 Albania's loss to Greece, combined with Greece's expected win over little Luxembourg, has widened out this group considerably. Croatia now has an eight point lead on third place with four matches to go, while Greece itself has a four-point lead on third. The Czech Republic's strong win is looking like too little, too late. Still, it sets up a big match at Greece on June 10. Group Three Norway 3, Latvia 0 Wales 1, Ireland 0 Portugal 4, Faroe Islands 0 The June 6 fixture may go down as the most critical one in the group. Ireland's surprising home loss to Wales have allowed the pack to close in, and now this one has the look of a free-for-all. Portugal put a dagger in Faroe Island's Cinderella dreams with a demolition on their own turf. This looks like a tight three-squad race now. June 10 may not clear it up any--none of the top three teams play each other. Tamworth's Trond Erik Bertelsen started at keftback for Norway and garnered an assist and a 7 rating in the Norwegian's win. Richie Partridge started on the wing for Ireland and posted a 7 rating as well. Neither Ireland's Mark Hicks nor Wales' Andy Williams were selected for the team today. Group Four Italy 3, Liechtenstein 0 Sweden 2, Moldova 0 Bulgaria 2, FYR of Macedonia 0 The wins by Italy and Bulgaria, especially the latter, have only served to widen the gulf between the top two squads and everyone else, and ensure that Itlay and Bulgaria will be coming out of this one. Bulgaria, as the second place squad, now has a six point lead on thrid place Macedonia. The fight for the coveted top spot is still one, though--Italy has just a one point lead. Group Five France 5, Georgia 0 Poland 0, Romania 0 Northern Ireland 1, Andorra 0 France's expected victory combined with the draw between closest contenders Poland and Romania ahve given the defending World Cup champs a solid lead in the group. The Northern Irish continue to impress, jumping into second place with their win, but they have to be concerned they barely got by little Andorra. A big match at France on June 10 looms. Polish Lamb Emmanuel Olisadebe started up front for his homeland and put up a respectable 7 rating, even if he didn't score what would have been a difference-making goal. Mike Duff started at centreback for Northern Ireland, but did not particularly impress (6 rating). As usual, Louis Saha was not selected for France's easy win over Georgia. Group Six Denmark 2, Bosnia 2 Slovakia 2, San Marino 0 Germany 2, Austria 1 The Danes' surprising draw with Bosnia has allowed Slovakia and Germany to jump right back into it with wins in their respective matches. Just one point separates the two from Denmark now. Slovakia and Denmark will now have a showdown on June 10, while Germany looks to take advantage by hosting Bosnia. Group Seven England 2, Belgium 0 Slovenia 1, Iceland 0 Estonia 1, Azerbaijan 0 England got the big win it needed over Belgium to give it a needed edge over the pack. Slovenia remained as the co-group leader, though, by beating Iceland on the road. With a five-point lead on third palce, the two squads have a strong lead going down the stretch. Belgium could get back into it with a road win over Slovenia on June 10. Both Orri Freye Oskarsson and Hermann Hreidarsson started for the Icelanders. Oskarsson started up front, while Hreidarsson manned the leftback spot. Both Tamworth players put up 7 ratings. Group Eight Serbia & Montenegro 3, Turkey 0 Israel 4, Armenia 2 The Serbs pretty much dashed the Turks' remaining hopes here, and also gave themselves a commanding five-point group lead. Israel itslef also took a good lead in its win, with four points on Finaldn. One caveat--Finland has a match in hand on the Israelis. Group Nine Russia 2, Switzerland 0 Holland 3, Belarus 1 Lithuania's idle schedule has allowed Russia to take the group lead alone with their win, while Holland leaped past the Lithuanians into second palce with their big win. Lithuania has a match in hadn on both of the top squads, though. Holland and Russia now meet in a key match on June 10. Tamworth midfielder Denny Landzaat was not selected to the team for today's match with Belarus. June 10 Group One Cyprus 4, Malta 0 Scotland 3, Spain 1 Ukraine 0, Hungary 0 Table now: Scotland 15, Hungary 13, Ukraine 11, Spain 10, Cyprus 8, Malta 0 Scotland regained its lead in one of the toughest of ways, beating talented Spain. With Hungary and the Ukraine playing to a draw, that allowed the Scots to take back the lead. Spain itself pretty much undoes everything which came with its strong defeat over the Ukraine on June 6. Neither spot is anywhere near clinched with three matches left. Tamworth's Michael Stewart scored his first international goal ever (in his 11th cap) in the 34th minute, and it turned out to be the game winner. He also put up an impressive 8 rating. Group Two Croatia 2, Kazakhstan 0 Greece 0, Czech Repbulic 0 Albania 1, Luxembourg 0 Table now: Croatia 19, Greece 13, Albania 11, Czech Republic 9, Luxembourg 6, Kazakhstan 1 The combination of Croatia's win with Greece's draw with the Czechs have almost certainly handed the Euro 2008 champs a spot in China 2010. Anything win in their last three matches, or three draws, or virtually anything short of two wins in three matches by Greece will clinch it for the Croatians. Albania's expected win have moved them back within range of Greece for the second place spot. Group Three Norway 0, Wales 0 Ireland 4, Faroe Islands 1 Latvia 5, Portugal 4 Table now: Ireland 16, Norway 12, Portugal 12, Wales 8, Faroe Islands 7, Latvia 4 Norway's draw with Wales, and Portugal's stunning yet thrilling loss to Latvia ina high-scoring affair have allowed Ireland to take a bit of a lead here. The Irish pretty much wrapped any remaining Faore Islands upset hopes in this group with their strong win. Dropping a match to the group's bottom team will not endear Portugal to its homeland supporters, but they are still in a tight battle for second with Norway, and not even eliminated for the top spot. Both Bertelsen and Williams started out of position for their respective squads. Bertelsen put up a 7 rating from the centreback position for Norway, while Williams, a left winger, rated a 7 from Wales' rightback spot. Partridge capped Ireland's scoring in the 82nd minute, nabbing his second ever international goal from his wing position. He was very strong in Ireland's win, getting an 8 rating and the Man of the Match. Lamb and national teammate Hicks was again not selected to the team. Group Four Bulgaria 4, Liechtenstein 0 Moldova 2, FYR of Macedonia 2 Italy 2, Sweden 0 Table now: Italy 19, Bulgaria 18, FYR of Macedonia 10, Moldova 7, Sweden 4, Liechtenstein 3 Italy and Bulgaria were easy picks to win their matches against the worst squads in the group table, and had Macedonia fallen to Moldova, Italy would have at least a second-place spot clinched. As it is, the wins of the top two squads put both of them on the verge of clinching at least playoff spots, and puts them right up against each other for the group's automatic spot to China. Group Five Romania 2, Georgia 0 Poland 3, Andorra 0 France 2, Northern Ireland 0 Table now: France 19, Romania 13, Poland 13, Northern Ireland 11, Georgia 4, Andorra 0 The top two group leaders met in France today, and the result changed the face of the group. France's win not only pushed them to the brink of clinching their spot in China, it allowed both Romania and Poland to overtake Northern Ireland for second place. This one stil has a long way to go. Olisadebe didn't score, but he did start and assisted on one of Poland's goals. He also garnered a strong 8 rating. Duff had a very poor match at centreback for Northern Ireland, with a 5 rating. Saha was actually selected this time by France, but he was not used. Group Six Slovakia 3, Denmark 3 Austria 3, San Marino 0 Bosnia 4, Germany 1 Table now: Denmark 14, Slovakia 14, Germany 12, Austria 10, Bosnia & Herzegovina 9, San Marino 0 Welcome to Group Crazy. The draw between the two group co-leaders doesn't do anything to move them too far ahead of the pack. But Germany inexplciably dropped the ball at home, losing badly to Bosnia to stay in third. That allows both Austria and Bosnia to sneak up behind, and now just five points separates five squads. Group Seven England 2, Azerbaijan 0 Iceland 2, Estonia 1 Belgium 1, Slovenia 0 Table now: England 18, Slovenia 15, Belgium 13, Iceland 9, Estonia 7, Azerbaijan 0 This played out just the way England needed it to. They won both of their matches in this stretch, and Belgium held back Slovenia to allow them to get the group lead. Belgium's key win on the road also moved them back within range of Slovenia for that second place spot. Iceland's win moves them up to a respectable nine points, but it likely won't be enough. Strangely enough, Oskarsson was dropped all the way back to centreback for this one, and he held up well, with a 7 rating. Hreidarsson also put up a 7 rating from the leftback spot. Group Eight Finland 2, Armenia 0 Turkey 2, Israel 0 Table now: Serbia & Montenegro 15, Israel 10, Finland 9, Turkey 7, Armenia 0 The Serbs didn't even play, but they may have just been handed a spot in China. Israel was closest, but the Turks finally showed up just in time to derail Israel's hopes of catching Serbia & Montenegro. Now the Serbs have a five-point lead and a match in hadn on second-place Israel. The Israelis have to be far more concerned for their second-place spot now, with Finland now just a point behind them and having played one less match than them. Don't look now, but Turkey has snuck back within a win's range as well. Group Nine Lithuania 1, Belarus 1 Holland 2, Russia 1 Table now: Holland 12, Russia 10, Lithuania 8, Switzerland 5, Belarus 3 Holland edged out Russia in the showdown between the group's top squads. The Dutch, who came into this qualifying as easy favorites, finally have the lead. Lithuania blew a big chance by drawing with Belarus, and now they remain behind both Holland and Russia. This one seems liekly to go down to the wire. Landzaat was again not selected for today's match. All ten groups play two of their last three matches on September 5 and September 9, before wrapping the group fixtures altogether on October 10. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

08-31-2004, 08:52 PM	#243
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Tuesday, June 9 To Monday, June 15 We are now nearing the official in-game end of the season. This will be the last full week of the season, although there are a few days after this week before the official changeover is done. Chelsea Negotiates Over Makabu Ma Kalambay Chelsea has goalkeeper Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay listed as available for $20,000, which is what I offered for him last week. The Blues decided to play hardball with us on Tuesday, requesting $24,000. After five separate meetings with the club chairman, three credit checks and a visit to the phone booth in front of the Lamb Ground to feel around for change, we agreed to the increased offer. Ward Bid Rejected Also on Tuesday, Irish Premier Devision club Limerick rejected our $65,000 offer for David Ward. That was the bad news. The good news is they apparently also rejected Liverpool's offer for the young centreback, and the Reds are no longer listed as being interested in acquiring him. That's terrific, because that now means I can scout this guy out some more and determine how big of an offer I want to make, if any at all. Chelsea Accepts Makabu Ma Kalambay Offer On Thursday, the Blues officially accepted our $24,000 bid for Makabu Ma Kalambay. We are now free to negotiate with the goalkeeper, and we make a multi-year contract offer to the 23-year-old Belgian player. Makabu Ma Kalambay is already certainly slated for the reserve team as our emergency goalkeeper, and as a long term possibility in net for us. I will likely try and work him into a few Premiership matches on occasion to appease him for this role. That's assuming we can come to an agreement on with him, which I don't doubt we will. Duff, Cort Sign New Deals With Tamworth On Thursday and Friday, our two high-profile backliners heading for free agency have agreed instead to contract extensions. Leon Cort agreed to our offer on Thursday, a $925,000 per year deal that will keep him in Tamworth through June, 2012. Cort was one of our better centrebacks and also provided a surprising level of offense for us from the position. On Friday, veteran right back Mike Duff, freshly returned from international action, agreed to a $750,000 two-year deal, which will tie him to Tamworth through June 2011. Both players figure to play key roles for the squad next year, although Kevin Gorman will liekly start at right back, and the team is actively seeking another centreback who might start with James McEveley in the middle. Until that player materializes, Cort is the likely starter there. Williams Announces His Retirement Saturday was a sad day today at the Lamb Ground. Former star winger Andy Williams, whom has just returned from international play with Wales, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2009-10 season. The announcement is a bit of a shock, as Williams is just 31 and still seems to be a very strong player with a 7.57 rating last year. Williams did, however, miss most of last year with a knee injury, and he wasn't nearly as strong of a playmaker as he was previously. I had been considering transfer-listing him to make room, but now I see no reason to move him. I will keep around as depth and hope we can send him out a winner. Sometime down the road, I may ask him to reconsider his retirement, but I haven't decided that for sure yet. Connolly, Rodriguez Accept Offers On Saturday, 41-year-old scouting coach John Connolly agreed to return to the Lamb Ground. Connolly has been our primary talent and skills guy on the coaching staff, providing me with valuable input on the progress of my players in their skills development and talent evaluation. He was originally hired in June, 2006. His new contract, for $300,000 per year, will carry him through to June 2012. One day after Connolly inked his extension, we came to an agreement on an extension with Jorge Humberto Rodríguez, our Under-19 coach. Rodriguez, 38, is excellent with youngsters and led our young squad to a second-place finish in our Under-19 division. Rodriguez is a former Salvadoran international defensive midfielder that first came to us in August 2005, along with fellow Salvadorans forward José Alexander Amaya and Juan José Gómez. While Amaya and Gómez went on to play key roles for us, Rodriguez got trapped in a work permit snafu and never appeared on the pitch as a player for the Lambs. He retired the following June and agreed to sign on as a coach. His new deal will pay him $325,000 per year and keep him at Tamworth until June 2012. Makabu Ma Kalambay Rejects Offer I kinda thought I might be offering him too low. Makabu Ma Kalambay was not enamored of our offer to him. He was seeking over $400,00 per year and a prominent role on the squad. I offered $325,000 per year and a backup role. Makabu Ma Kalambay feels he is more deserving of a better basic salary, and wants a stronger indication of playing time from me. I upped up his salary to $350,000 per year through June 2013, and gave him a rotation role. Since he wont' really be getting that, I hope he's not too upset if he's on the reserve team. Of course, I don't even know if this is acceptable to him. Hoepfulyl it will be. I make another offer and await a response. Warren Announces Retirement...Again Like Justin Skinner last week, veteran centreback Mark Warren also announced his retirement at the end of the season. Considering he announced this last year, I can only hope, again, that this is referring to the end of this season and not the next one. Like Skinner, though, the 34-year-old defender's contract runs out at the end of June, so it matters little to the club whether he retires now or a year from now. League News There was very little in the way of league news this week, at least that didn't involve us. On Thursday, Manchester United's veteran fullback Vincent Candela announced that he will retire at the end of the season. The well-travelled 35-year-old French international has played with a who's who string of top superpowers, including Roma, Barcelona and Real Madrid, before moving to Old Trafford last year. He appeared in just four matches for the Red Devils, posting a 6.75 rating. Candela appeared in 62 international matches with France and played on both the 1998 and 2006 World Cup champions. He scored three goals for France. Candela first played porfessional football with Toulouse in 1991-92. He also played with Guingamp before embarking on his big club career with Roma in 1996-97. The only other bit of news came on Sunday, when Primera Liga squad Espanyol was officially relegated to the La Liga 2. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 08-31-2004 at 08:53 PM.

08-31-2004, 09:53 PM	#244
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	Tuesday, June 16 To Friday, June 19 This is the short week which will wrap up the official season before the game switches over. Makabu Ma Kalambay Accepts Offer After nearly a month of the ongoing Yves Makabu Ma Kalambay saga, we have finally completed the signing of the young goalkeeper on Tuesday. Makabu Ma Kalambay has agreed to our latest contract offer, a four-year deal worth $350,000 per year. Because it is an immediate transfer deal, he will move over to the Lamb Ground immediately. Makabu Ma Kalambay comes to us from Chelsea, where it didn't seem he was going to ever end up in their plans. The 23-yerar-old goalkeeper played strongly in an eight-match stint with Sheffield Wednesday while on loan. He conced eight goals, had two clean sheets and put up a 6.88 rating--all much better than the Owls' incumbent netminder Allan McGregor behind the same backline. Using a devious Bosman transfer deal, we managed to get around the Owls' loan fee agreement with Chelsea to get a shot at the Belgian goalkeeper. He eventually signed with us over Sheffield Wednesday. Makabu Ma Kalambay also appeared in two matches with Chelsea, one of them as a sub. He allowed two goals, put up a clean sheet and posted a 6.50 rating. The Belgian player, formerly capped with Belgium's U-21 squad, has appeared in a handful of matches with the Blues going back since he was just 19. He has eight clean sheets in 33 career appearances, only 16 of which were starts. He has conceded 29 goals, less than a goal per appearance, and has a career 6.67 rating. The young goalkeeper said he is looking forward to working under me, which is always nice to hear. It may have been a small amount, but the $24,000 transfer fee for Makabu Ma Kalambay adds to our already record transfers spent this year. We are now at $24.5 M for the year. Rayo Offers Merino On Wednesday, La Liga 2 squad Rayo offered us defender and midfielder Carlos Merina for $625,000. Merino was a player brought to our attention more than two years ago by one of our scouts, and he has been on our shorltist ever since. Unfortunately, we have moved beyond our need to take ona player at this level now, so I turn down the Rayo offer. Merino is also coming off of a less than spectacular year (5 assists, 6.59 in 39 matches) and is slower than I like my defenders to be now, even though his ratings seem to be pretty solid. League News A small handful of information tidbits came through during this small period. Southampton Signs Italian Under-21 Player Izzo On Thursday, the Saints agreed to a Bosman transfer for Italian Under-21 winger Alessio Izzo of the Primera Liga's Lleida. The 19-year-old left winger will officially move over to St. Mary's Stadium on June 30. Izzo saw limtied time with Lleida last season, but from 2006-08, he was a starter for Lleida, despite his young age. He had eight assists in 68 matches during that stretch, but didn't get an assist in 13 appearances last season, only one of which was a start. He posted a 6.62 rating. Man City's Arellano Announces Retirement Manchester City's 36-year-old forward Jesús Arellano announced on Friday that he was retiring at the end of the season. Arellano, 36, started on the right wing for City this year, although he has bounced between there and the frontline in his career. This past season, Arellano collected 6 assists in 25 appearances, with 14 starts. and posting a 6.84 rating. This was his second season with City. In 2007-08, he put up four goals, six assists and a 6.88 rating in 34 appearances. Arellano also had stints with Liverpool and with Monterrey and Chivas of the Mexican First Division in a career that began in 1993-94. Arellano has long been a key contributor to Mexico's national team, starting on the Germany 2006 finalist. He scored nine international goals in 106 international appearances. Fulham's Legwinski Calls It Quits On the same day Arellano announced his retirement, Fulham's longtime midfielder Sylvain Legwinksi also announced his retirement at the end of the season. The French 35-year-old defensive midfielder and winger has been with the Cottagers since 2001-02. Legwinksi appeared in 36 matches this past season, but saw his offensive production drop sharply. He scored just two goals and collected one assist, posting a still respectable 6.94 rating. Prior to this season, Legwinksi put up 14 goals and 13 assists and a 7.00-plus rating in the two previous campaigns with Fulham. He has been one of the better offensive wingers and midfielders in the league for years now. Legwinksi started his career in 1992-93 with Monaco of the Championnat. After a brief stretch with Bordeaux from 1990-2001, he moved over to Fulham, where he blossomed into one of the club's top offensive performers. Legwinski was never called up to France's powerful World Cup teams. CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.

09-01-2004, 01:42 AM	#245
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	2008/09 Season Around The World Major League Results English Premier League: Tamworth, Man Utd, Liverpool Primera Liga (Spain): Alavés, Betis, Córdoba Serie A (Italy): Juventus, Milan, Parma Bundesliga (Germany): Dortmund, FC Bayern, Leverkusen Le Championnat (France): Nîmes, Montpelier, Lens Casino Eridivisie (Holland): PSV, Ajax, NEC Superliga (Portugal): Gil Vicente, U. Lamas, Porto Superligaen (Denmark): FC Kobenhavn, Herfolge, Koge National A Division (Greece): Iraklis, PAOK, Olympiakos Belgian First Division: Anderlecht, Genk, Cercle Brugge Scottish Premier League: Aberdeen, Rangers, Hibs Turkush Premier Division: Galatasaray, D. Bakirspor, Denizlispor High League (Ukraine): Shakhtar, Dinamo Kiev, Arsenal Kiev Other European Champions: Austria Vienna (Austria), Varteks (Croatia), Sparta Prague (Czech Republic), HJK* (Finland), Hungary (Pécs), Bohemians* (Ireland), Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israel), Glenavon (Northern Ireland), Bodo/Glimt* (Norway), Amica (Poland), CSKA Moscow* (Russia), Sartid (Serbia & Montenegro), Inter Bratislava (Slovakia), Husqvarna* (Sweden), Young Boys (Switzerland), Cefn Druids (Wales) -- season runs from winter to fall, instead of summer to spring; champion is from last complete campaign National Cups* English FA Cup: Tamworth over Leicester City English League Cup: Tamworth over Man Utd Spanish Cup: Celta over Mallorca Italian Cup: Genoa over Torino German Cup: Dortmund over Schalke 04 French Cup: Montpelier over Paris-SG Dutch Cup: Ajax over Go Ahead Portuguese Cup: Sporting Lisbon over O. Moscavide European Club Competitions Champions League: Tamworth over Bodo/Glimt UEFA: Newcastle United over Aston Villa Top Transfers Of The 2008-09 Season SC Fernando Cavenaghi (ARG) from River to Inter for $32.5 M on August 28, 2008 SC Kapo (FRA) from Auxerre to Barcelona for $32 M on August 12, 2008 LW Harry Kewell (ENG) from Liverpool to Milan for $28.5 M on January 29, 2009 MF Gennaro Ivan Gattuso (ITA( from Arsenal to Milan for $26 M on January 29, 2009 DC William Gallas (FRA) from Chelsea to Roma for $24 M on July 20, 2008 FB Gianluca Zambrotta (ITA) from Juventus to Milan for $24 M on July 30, 2008 LW Denílson (BRA) from Roma to Arsenal for $24 M on August 31, 2008 MF Barry Ferguson (SCO) from Blackburn to Newcastle for $23.5 M on August 28, 2008 DC Mikaël Silvestre (FRA) from Man Utd to Milan for $21 M on July 26, 2008 SC Ronaldhino (BRA) from Roma to Dortmund for $20.5 M on July 12, 2008 FB Diego Placente (ARG) from Deportivo to Chelsea for $19.25 M on July 18, 2008 SC César Delgado (ARG) from Cruz Azul to Parma for $18.75 M on August 7, 2008 MF Johann Vogel (SWI) from PSV to Juventus for $18.5 M on August 25, 2008 SC Tristán Diego (SPA) from Deportivo to Barceolna for $17.75 M on August 22, 2008 SC Eric Veld (SWI) from Cottbus to Atalante for $17.5 M on January 3, 2009 SC Hernán Crespo (ARG) from Chelsea to Arsenal for $17.25 M on August 26, 2008 SC [b]Wilson (BRA)[/b[ from Vasco to Roma for $17.25 M on January 30, 2009 FB Willy Sagnol (FRA) from FC Bayern to Dortmund for $17 M on August 3, 2008 MF Gérson (BRA) from Bahia to PSV for $16.5 M on August 15, 2008 SC Bobo (BRA) from Grêmio to Juventude for $16.25 M on August 30, 2008 DC Sylvain Distin (FRA) from Milan to Roma for $15 M on July 27, 2008 FB Juan Pablo Sorin (ARG) from Deportivo to Juventus for $15 M on August 25, 2008 SC Jermain Defoe (ENG) from Roma to Chelsea for $14.75 M on January 16, 2009 MF Richard Blonk (NED) from Feyenoord to Ajax for $14 M on August 29, 2008 RW Mario Alberto Santana (ARG) from Chievo to FC Bayern for $14 M on August 31, 2008 LW Dámian Luna (ARG) from San Lorenzo to Boca for $14 M on December 29, 2008 FB Maxwell (BRA) from Rostock to FC Bayern for $14 M on January 18, 2009 FB Wayne Bridge (ENG) from Chelsea to Man City for $13.75 M on June 30, 2008 SC Sylvain Perrin (FRA) from Auxerre to Newcastle for $13.5 M on August 17, 2008 SC Eidur Gudjohnsen (ICE) from Dortmund to Man Utd for $13 M on January 31, 2009 MF Kieron Dyer (ENG) from Chelsea to Roma for $12.5 M on July 1, 2008 MF Riccardo Montolivo (ITA) from VfB Stuttgart to FC Bayern for $12.5 M on August 12, 2008 RW Javier León (SPA) from Athletic Bilbao to Benfica for $12.25 M on July 15, 2008 SC Michael Chopra (ENG) from Chelsea to Napoli for $12.25 M on January 17, 2009 SC Martín Silva (ARG) from Aguascalientes to River for $12.25 M on February 11, 2009 MF Benoît Pedretti (FRA) from Liverpool to Genoa for $12 M on January 23, 2009 MF Leonardo Ponzio (ARG) from Zaragoza to Chelsea for $12 M on January 27, 2009 SC Aruna (IVO) from Anderlecht to Man City for $11.75 M on August 30, 2008 RW Simao (POR) from Benfica to Deportivo for $11.25 M on August 25, 2008 SC Ronaldo (BRA) from HSV to Real Madrid for $11 M on August 24, 2008 SC Jaime Alfonzo Ruíz (COL) from Cortuluá to Basel for $10.75 M on June 30, 2008 SC Bae Sang–Joon (SKR) from Chonbuk to Daejeon for $10.5 M on January 3, 2009 MF Christoph Preub (GER) from Valencia to VfB Stuttgart for $10 M on July 31, 2008 MF Cristiano Zanetti (ITA) from Liverpool to Liverpool for $10 M on August 30, 2008 RW Roberto Bordignon (ITA) from Cottbus to Braunschweig for $10 M on January 22, 2009 SC Klaus Salmutter (AUT) from Sturm Graz to Wolfsburg for $10 M on January 29, 2009 CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready. Last edited by Chief Rum : 09-01-2004 at 01:45 AM.

09-01-2004, 02:36 AM	#247
daedalus Pro Rookie Join Date: Oct 2000	As an aside, I know I neglect to say it at times but excellent writeup as usual. This thread is one of my daily "must-reads". Thanks.

09-01-2004, 09:05 PM	#249
Chief Rum Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Where Hip Hop lives	English Premier Division Select Hey all, CM03/04 is a wonderful game. Obviosuly, considering how much fun I am getting out of it. Now that that's out of the way, time to bitch. For three versions now, the awards in this game have been mucked up. They were in CM02/03, they were in CM4, and they are here. For whatever reason, the game doesn't select an English Premier Division Select squad (or any level, to my knowledge). It's very annoying, but there is little I can do. So I am naming my own teams and award winners. Individual Awards Player of the Year: ST Hernán Crespo (Arsenal) I have to give it up to the guy who leads the league in both goals and assists. That's quite an accomplishment. Most Valuable Player: ST Adrian Mutu (Chelsea) Forgive the "American" award. Chelsea would have been dust without Mutu. He was dominant for long stretches of this season and was literally carrying them. Were he not hurt for half the season, Leicester's James Graham would also be a strong candidate for this award. Striker of the Year: Hernán Crespo (Arsenal) Self-explanatory. Midfielder of the Year: Michael Stewart (Tamworth) He didn't play as many matches because of my two-team system, but I don't think Stewart should be ignored here because of it. He was the top rated midfielder in the Premiership, was a terrific passer and headlined the midfield defense of the stingiest club in the league. Defender of the Year: Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) I could make an argument for Chelsea's John Terry or my own Mike Duff, but Ferdinand was truly worldclass this season. He was the best defender on the best backline and rated as the second best defender. Goalkeeper of the Year: Mark Brown (Bristol City) Fabien Barthez put up the best numbers, but played behind the best backline. Jon Masalin put up great goal numbers, but rated low and started only half of the matches. Brown did it all, playing behind a leaky backline, nabbing four Player of the Week goalkeeper spots, finishing atop goalkeeper ratings, and generally being one of the more consistent players in the league last year. English Premier Division Select Team One SC Hernán Crespo (Arsenal) SC Adrian Mutu (Chelsea) MF Michael Stewart (Tamworth) MF Mark Bresciano (Liverpool) MF Stilian Petrov (Aston Villa) MF Matthew Hamshaw (Sheffield Wednesday) DF Mike Duff (Tamworth) DF Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) DF John Terry (Leicester) DF Gareth Barry (Aston Villa) GK Fabien Barthez (Manchester United) Team Two SC Miroslav Klose (Manchester United) SC Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United) MF Rafael van der Vaart (Liverpool) MF Ryan Giggs (Birmingham City) MF Gaetano D'Agostino (Manchester United) MF Orri Freyr Oskarsson (Tamworth) DF Sam Jones (Leicester) DF John O'Shea (Manchester United) DF Luke Young (Aston Villa) DF Aaron Hughes (Newcastle United) GK Mark Brown (Bristol City) Team Three SC Thierry Henry (Arsenal) SC James Graham (Leicester City) MF Christian Tiffert (Tottenham) MF Dickson Agyeman (Manchester City) MF Joe Cole (Chelsea) MF Edu (Arsenal) DF Martin Taylor (Birmingham City) DF Mbulelo Mabizela (Tottenham) DF David Raven (Tamworth) DF Darren Kenton (Southampton) GK Antti Niemi (Nottingham Forest) CR __________________ . . I would rather be wrong...Than live in the shadows of your song...My mind is open wide...And now I'm ready to start...You're not sure...You open the door...And step out into the dark...Now I'm ready.