Hootieleece Posted June 22, 2023 Author Share Posted June 22, 2023 September 2028: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts Jester came into the month of September wanting to play better and establish our midtable credentials now before the schedule got tougher. He would have been really happy if we could have gotten 8 points out of the possible 12. Instead, he had to content with 7. The state of play wasn't the best offensively, but our defense bailed us out and the offense did just enough to keep us unbeaten this month. There are glimmers of hope it seems like most of our offensive woes are because of luck.... we hit the woodwork an average of two times a match. If we can get our offense firing while still playing good defense, we have a good chance of making mid-table a reality no matter what the pundits say on Sky Sports! Schedule Highlights The month of September started with an international break and several members of the First Team were involved. Jester was happy to see his players doing well on International Duty. The rest of the team worked on Set-Pieces and conditioning while their teammates were away. Finally after what felt like an eternity it was time to play another Premier League Match. The next match was against Brentford in London. It was a back and forth affair between to evenly match teams and we were lucky to get a draw but neither side could break the stalemate afterwards. Dante was Player of the week with a breathtaking Freekick goal and the assist on the other goal against Brentford. We got penetration on the Flanks that set up our goals but had difficulty in the middle of the pitch. The next match would see Middlesborough arrive at Deepdale Stadium. Jester was hoping for a win.....and it was predicted. It was an ugly match we were bossed off the ball and were attacked "Rugby" style when we had it. The next match would take place in Wolverhampton. The wolves were favored and PNE wasn't playing particularly well. This was another ugly stalemate that was broken by an 80th minute own goal by Fagan-Walcott giving Wolves the lead. Jester went to all out attack and was rewarded with a game tying goal by Mikey O'Neill. Even though we aren't playing particularly well we are unbeaten in 5 matches so far! That is good news when you are Relegation Battle participants. The next match would be against Table-Propping Leicester City. They used an unusual formation a lot like our 5-2-2-1 but with 4 at the back. PNE was favored in the contest, but would need to do a professional job. PNE played the best they had in a month, and we were led by Dorrington. Dominance indeed! Look at the stats and it could have been more! Cassanova's Freekick came in third place..... League Table Player of the Month Monthly Analysts Report Our defense is bailing out our offense. It is led by Bazunu and Dorrington. Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 Good start to the season save that horrid penalty shoot out. I like that all your transfers are also very realistic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 3 hours ago, karanhsingh said: Good start to the season save that horrid penalty shoot out. I like that all your transfers are also very realistic. It is not a bad start except in my mind. I generally don't make any not realistic transfers. I generally prefer transfers to loans, and I don't usually play teams with a lot of pulling power. So, I have to go the Free Agent route most of the time. I don't mind loaning out my kids to free up payroll for the first team, but loans for most of the better young players to play for us are outrageous costs for teams like Preston. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 (edited) October 2028: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The month of October was another short month due to an International Break. After looking at the schedule Jester was hoping for 4-5 points but had to settle for 3 because his team is unequal to breaking the press. Both Arsenal and Everton pressed us high up the field and totally disrupted our possession gameplan. The opposite happened with Norwich we almost had too much of the ball and couldn't breakdown their Low block defense. At least we finally scored on a Finley Roberts header to give us 3 points for the month. The team is playing well except for when we play high quality teams that press us hard. Jester has no real answer for the problem, but it is one he will need to fix if the team is to take the next step. This season is all about a NON-RELEGATION threatened campaign and so far, so good. Schedule Highlights The month started out with another International Break which meant lots of time on the training ground working on Set Pieces. The first match for the month would be against the Arsenal who are League Leaders. A powerful lineup with no holes in it. With the extra time Jester decided to use one of his "Other" Formations against Arsenal. Our Midfield General is excited to play his former employers. The Gunners are prohibitive favorites..... Jester won't get fancy again and just stick with what is working going forward. We were pressed hard and didn't look comfortable at all.....it was ugly. The 6 match undefeated run augurs well for the season. Hopefully we can start another with another tough match coming Everton and Sean Dyche's Direct 4-4-2. We just had a takeover this is getting ridiculous! We headed to Liverpool and changed back to our regular 5-2-2-1 formation but also decided to play the backups because of player complaints. The Backups proved why they are backups but, there is something wrong with our tactics when we play aggressive pressing teams and Jester is at a loss as how to fix it. He is afraid of pressing hard up the Pitch himself and being beaten over the top and he doesn't have the fastest team..... Stats don't lie! We were pressed hard an unable to get any deep penetration of their half. This is a problem. The final match of the month was Norwich coming to Preston. The Pundits expected us with our new found credibility? with home advantage to win the match. It was a tough match, Norwich were extremely hard to breakdown because they played deep and forced us to attack them rather than scoring on the counter. This is analagous to our problems with the Press as well. But on this day we got the goal! We dominated possession but had a hard time connecting on crosses. Wagner was salty before and after the match because a VAR ruling went against his team..... The pass map shows much more penetration by advanced players compared to Everton map. League Table Monthly Analysis Report Dante Cassanova is providing the assists like TAA! Player of the Month The match against Everton featured the Backups so Bazunu still had a good month. Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: Edited June 23, 2023 by Hootieleece added images , and wrote words 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 24, 2023 Author Share Posted June 24, 2023 November 2028: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team played well in November led by our new #9 Finley Roberts. Going into the month Jester was looking for 7 points out of 12 and that was exactly what the team got. The only thing that is concerning is our response to pressing especially during away matches. This is shown by our terrible loss to West Ham at the end of the month in London. As December and January come it will be tough due to match congestion to keep playing the starters every match, so Jester expects to fall down the table a bit, but we should be able to stay well clear of the relegation battle. Schedule Highlights The month of November was another short month for Premier League teams because of an International Break. The Four Fixtures included some against Relegation battle rivals and none of the Top 6. The first was against Brighton. The Brighton Boss began the run up to the match with mind games. Jester ignored the rumors and continued his preparations for the Brighton match. The trip down to Brighton turned into a stalemate as neither team could really get control of the match and it ended 1-1 Draw. all in all Jester was pleased with the draw on opposition ground. The biggest differences were in Fouls and chances both of which Brighton had more of. Out of no where AGAIN! Lazio offer an Interview. Jester said no. Jester said no because of his love of Democracy and Lancashire! Newly promoted Luton Town were headed to the Deepdale Stadium next. Jester and everyone else in the world expected a Lilywhite Victory. and it proved to be. Biggest difference was that both our CCC's went in the net! Our new man is leading the line! Plenty of penetration on the wings. Just before we play Tottenham this happened..... After the firing of the Tottenham manager and Lazio's offer, The Board decided it was time to tie down Jester. Jester negotiated an incentive laden contract with an eye to the future. Since Jester has no intention of leaving this is a great deal for him. Preston still had to take on a talented Tottenham team even though Preston was favored. Moving up in the world....Jester doesn't think we can keep it up, but it will make the second half of our campaign easier. It was a close match that Jester was happy to get the win from. The fans are loving the fact we are now in the top 6! Cassanova and Roberts have a connection...... The last match of the month would see us take on Brendan Rodgers West Ham United. The trip to London would be a tough one like all of them.....we are a team that loves home cooking. Finally some closure to another Takeover! Another high-quality team pressed us hard and didn't let us play out of the back. The Stats prove it. Jester thinks his team is intimidated on the road since there is such a difference between our Home and Away forms. Our passing was terrible and never found our forward players. League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Management Report We are playing so well that the board freed up some more money for wages! Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 24, 2023 Author Share Posted June 24, 2023 December 2028: Regular Season "Reality Bites" Manager's Thoughts The team came into December on a high note and was just outside the European Places. Jester was sure we were overachieving and our play during December reflected that we had benefited from teams underestimating us and our Home form. Preston is in good shape but needs more and better players to compete. Teams are able to press us hard and take us out of our game on the road. At home we play much better but if we play a top 6 team the gulf in class usually means we get less than we deserve. Defensively overall we are solid it is just that we are not reliable on the attack. O'Reilly was the third leading scorer in the Premier League last season, this season nowhere to be found. The new CF-S Finley Roberts is starting well but can't carry the load himself. He is not Haaland! He is the new Gareth Bale being Welsh and all..... The Team enters January in 11th place. Schedule Highlights The month of December would start off with a visit to Preston from Man United FC. Man United FC was the definite favorite even if they were in indifferent form and PNE was the Home team. Louis Enrique was buttering us up with mind games..... PNE battled hard and with a little luck got a draw that by stats should have been a victory! By stats we should have one it was just the Soccer gods laughing at us..... The next match was a trip to London to face Chelsea. Chelsea were definite favorites..... They proved they were better and our main man got a consolation goal late..... The stats show it was closer than the neutral would have thought but mostly it was just a gulf in class that proved PNE's undoing. After the match against Chelsea Jester received bad news about the Academy class..... The Youth program doesn't look good this year, but It has worked in the past, O'Neill and Cross-Adair contribute at the Premier League level. The team then had to leave the friendly confines of Lancashire and travel to Leeds for a match against Leeds United. Leeds played a pressing 4-4-2 so Jester was prepared for a loss..... We went down early and their press never let our possession game to get going..... The stats are almost as ugly as the match itself! After the loss at Leeds the team returned chastened to Deepdale Stadium to prepare for the Wolves. Preston was favored due to being the home side..... In other news Ollie takes charge of Hull in the Championship..... The wolves match was hard fought between to equal teams. We scored first on a penalty but had a hard time getting a second. They scored late to draw level, but former Wolves man Hector Bueno won it for us in Stoppage time! It was an even match but we did a better job with our chances on goal! After the victory against the Wolves the team had to prepare for a Boxing Day trip to Middlesborough. Middlesborough was favored even though they were propping up the table..... Jester rotated the squad for this one..... We escaped with a draw..... It was an even match, and the stats show it. The final match of the month would bring Arsenal to Deepdale Stadium. Jester would play for a draw with his rested Starters. again sheer quality like the Chelsea match beat us....in a close match. We also didn't play particularly well.... It was an even match and if we had played better we might have the match or gotten a draw. We got penetration on their Left Flank but didn't exploit it. We kept going to their right flank and getting stopped. Monthly Analysis Report Our Defending is good it just needs a little more complementary football from our attack. Player of the Month Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 Bit of a rough month, but you're still doing really well! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 Sore month, put a dent in your quest to take Preston into Europe but I still think you have a shot if you bounce back quickly next month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 25, 2023 Author Share Posted June 25, 2023 6 hours ago, karanhsingh said: Bit of a rough month, but you're still doing really well! Doing well when you consider we were picked 19th in the preseason. 5 hours ago, SixPointer said: Sore month, put a dent in your quest to take Preston into Europe but I still think you have a shot if you bounce back quickly next month. I really don't think that we can really make a claim for Europe, but an uptick in form to remain outside of the relegation battle would be nice. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 25, 2023 Author Share Posted June 25, 2023 January 2029: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts We are just not getting wins we are playing well especially defensively but our attack is almost exclusively Finley Roberts. None of our attacking midfielders are really making a go of things in front of the goal. This is distressing to Jester because we had 3 double digit goal scorers' last season. Jester wants to change things up tactically but wants to wait until the offseason or we are safe from relegation. Winter in Lancashire is taking a toll on the team and the supporters. The immediate future doesn't look much better. So Jester will put everything into the FA Cup Run hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. Schedule Highlights The First day of the month sent us to table propping Leicester City FC. Leicester was the favorite due to Home advantage and our form. It was a tough match between two teams that both didn't want to lose.....they scored on a penalty, but we answered, and our Star midfielder got himself an early shower late on with a straight red. The next match of the month saw us host Brentford in the Third Round of the FA Cup. We escaped with a win in which they took more shots but ours were better..... As a result of that match we would now play our Ancient Rivals in the 4rth Round A trip to Turf Moor is always tough. After the FA Cup match the team welcomed Leeds United to Deepdale stadium hoping for a better result this time around. We played well but were surprised by a goal in extra time off a Set Piece! The next match would see Erling Haaland and Man City visit Preston. We played well but couldn't stop the relentless Man City possession and shots.... We are stuck in a rut, but we are also so close to getting results.... Jester trying to keep up with the Brave face in spite of the losses. We then set off for another tough match this time in Newcastle upon Tyne. We played well just denied by a late goal...... After the disappointment in Newcastle, Chelsea visited the Deepdale Stadium for a match. Chelsea is favored of course. Again we played well but just didn't have the quality to get a result. It was ugly stat wise..... We just need a win.....badly! The fans are questioning tactics that have much success this season.....and Jester doesn't want to change anything radically until the summer..... The end of the month saw the end of the Winter Transfer Window Jester only tried to sell Dorrington but no one would buy waiting for him to become a Free Agent this summer. These were the moves made by PNE during the window. The Hamilton and Muller loans should lead to them leaving the club permanently. Jonck went on Loan to his home Country to get regular playing time so he can continue to represent his country Internationally. He would be training with the first team but playing with the U-21's. He is 3rd keeper. And now we are the lowest spending team in the Premier League some people would say our problems are because we aren't spending enough! League Table Monthly Analysis Report Our good defense is because of Dorrington that wants to leave.... Player of the Month Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 I see that Finlay Roberts is developing quite nicely, he was a good find! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 26, 2023 Author Share Posted June 26, 2023 3 hours ago, karanhsingh said: I see that Finlay Roberts is developing quite nicely, he was a good find! I bought the regen from Swansea for $12.5M. He will probably move on and I should be able to make a decent profit. Alfie Dorrington (CB) from Tottenham U-21's was probably my best "find". I bought him for $1M. Sadly, he is leaving on free after this season because he wants to join a bigger club and is going over his "options." Dante Cassanova (Tottenham) and Nico O'Reilly (Man City) are also decent options as well. Nico in real life will probably have a progression at Man City similar to Phil Foden. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 26, 2023 Author Share Posted June 26, 2023 February 2029: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team is still not playing badly, the team just can't get a win in the Premier League. Jester even tried changing it up versus West Ham and the Open game that resulted made him sick to his stomach because of defensive breakdowns. In the FA Cup the team is doing much better and even beat Arsenal! Hopefully the team can continue its march to a possible FA Cup! Schedule Highlights The month of February started out with a match against our Ancient Enemy and Tactical Doppelganger: Burnley. This is the scouting report for Burnley. Does that formation look Familiar? It is an adaptation of our tactic. Trips to Turf Moor are always tough..... Burnley was favored being the home team, but according to the odds we had a chance..... Alfie Dorrington was promised to be sold.....no one wanted to buy and Now he needs to get to work being the best CB on the team. The Team won the match against an almost equal side..... Stats show we took less shots but better ones.... Mikey O'Neill was the straw that stirred the drink for us during this match. Like many matches we got alot of advantage on the opponents Right Flank due to their Attacking Wing back. As a reward for beating Burnley we get: Another tough matchup....at least we are at home! After the Victory over Burnley the team had to travel to Manchester to the "Theater of Dreams". This is how Man UFC was expected to lineup. Man UFC was favored heavily..... and played like it. We need to find our form soon.....we've gone 2 months without a win in the Premier League....it is a miracle we are still midtable! The next match was a visit from West Ham United. In an attempt to shake things up Jester went with the 5-2-1-2 Nesselquist Variant. This sound bite was for the team to hear..... A terrible injury that will leave us without our LWB for the rest of the season! The 5-2-1-2 WB "Nesselquist" led to a wide-open match that at least we came away with a draw! This was also a half-rotated team as well. Other than it was more open in attack and defense Jester didn't see an advantage with going forward with the system but might try it again later this season. We really need to get off the Snide...... We still have matches remaining we can win! After the match against West Ham United, Preston and Deepdale were readied for the FA Cup! Even with the Home advantage we were underdogs.....never underestimate the Home Underdog! Jester played some mind games of his own hoping to give Arsenal overconfidence..... and we get the win by FM'ing them! Every stat says we should have lost.....maybe that virgin we sacrificed to the Football gods before the match had something to do with it! Again we got good work on the Right Flank of an opposing formation. and as a reward we will now play Local Rivals Blackburn in the FA Cup! All in the hat for a trip to Wembley! League Table Somehow even with our terrible streak we are still 13 points above relegation! Monthly Analysis Report Alfie Dorrington is a player others should look into if the need a BPD-C in the middle of a back 3. Player of the Month Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead Jester hopes to beat Brighton and Everton in the Premier League and Blackburn in the FA Cup. If PNE gets those two victories in the League, we should be safe. to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 Could be another trip to Wembley coming up soon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 26, 2023 Author Share Posted June 26, 2023 18 minutes ago, karanhsingh said: Could be another trip to Wembley coming up soon! It has become my focus since our League form is terrible......I will play the Quarterfinal later today. As long as we don't get relegated it will be a cherry on top for this save and possibly a stopping point for it as well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 March 2029: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team continued battling and playing on the whole well after the shock victory against the Arsenal. As the FA Cup against Blackburn came up we were seen as underdogs so that inspired Jester to revisit the 5-2-1-2WB "Nesselquist" Variant and it worked superbly. We now have a trip to Wembley for the FA Cup Semi-Final, our opponent Chelsea. After the FA Cup, Jester continued the the tactical experiment and the team finally got a win against Sean Dyche and Everton at the end of the month. The future looks bright for Preston now that we have a Cup Semi-Final and Safety assured. Schedule Highlights The month began with a visit from Brighton after our Incredible Victory over the Arsenal. Both teams come in on uneven form, but Brighton is thought to have more about them. The match turned into a stalemate after the teams exchanged goals..... All in all Jester was happy with the Draw because he was worried about a let down after the Arsenal Victory. Also the team wasn't truly safe from relegation yet! The stats show that Preston deserved more, but rotten luck in front of the goal continues. Thus an unwanted record continues..... The next match would take us on another trip to London this time to New Hart Lane. In other News and Information, Manchester City won the Carabao Cup The team continued to play with their newfound confidence, but victory in the League still eluded them! Again, Jester was philosophical about it a point is a point! We were forced into a defensive match yet again and FM'd another team! But this streak seems to be an anchor around our necks. After the Draw in London the team had to ready themselves for the FA Cup draw versus our rivals Blackburn. The Disrespect was palpable to Jester and the Team, being a Premier League squad and considered underdogs. Jester used it as fuel and even decided to do a tactical switch up by using the "Nesselquist" Variant of the 5-2-1-2WB in the match. @SixPointer It led to another cup victory! Blackburn wasn't expecting it and Jester at the suggestion of the Assman Lucketti also ticked the Early Crosses TI. The Stats show how dominant and unexpected our gameplan was.... The change in formation and roles confused Blackburn and led us to control possession and be victorious! As a reward for this FA Cup victory we would face Chelsea in the Semi-Final at Wembley! In a one-off match anything can happen that is the romance of the FA Cup! After returning home from Blackburn, Jester was given a report on this year Youth Graduates. No real world beaters here but maybe a backup for a future team.... Lewis Miller Simon Bingham Craig Baker These were the players that joined the U-18's After dealing with the Academy, it was back to business for Jester with Sean Dyche and Everton coming to town. Preston was favored as the home team and would play the Nesselquist Variant again for the Everton match. Victory at last....but it was Pyrrhic! We will miss our main man in the middle of the back three. Even if he has made noises about options and moving to a bigger club. 5-2-1-2WB broke down the right Flank of Dyche's 4-4-2 and also controlled the center of the pitch and allowed us to control possession. and this email came and that means we are safe and Jester can now continue his tactical tinkering! League Table Monthly Analysis Report Dorrington and Mbete have been the ring bearers of the defense all season like Frodo and Samwise Gamgee. Dorrington went down now it is Mbete's turn to carry us forward to our goal of an FA Cup Final! Player of the Month Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Comfortable in the league and with a good chance of making the FA Cup Final, best of luck. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 3 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said: Comfortable in the league and with a good chance of making the FA Cup Final, best of luck. We need it for the FA Cup! That is now the goal! The League will be tweaking the tactics or trying other formations in preparation for next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 April 2029: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts After a good month of March the team came into April on a high note and continued that level of play. With Safety assured Jester tried playing a less defensive gameplan and tried using the "Nesselquist" Variant of the 5-2-1-2 WB to great effect. For the FA Cup Semi-Final he reverted to the 5-2-2-1 WB but with some tactical twists that gave PNE victory over an overconfident Chelsea team. This means that PNE will be playing for its first trophy since 1964. The last time it made the FA Cup Final. The last time they won was 91 years ago in 1938! Jester has made an impression on the fans and board and is in the midst of awakening a titan of old. It will probably take a few more years before we are regularly competing for European honors mostly because of budget. We have the smallest payroll in the Premier League and most times when we play top teams it is a fore gone conclusion. The Liverpool match at the end of the month is case in point. Schedule Highlights After the win against Everton Jester took the boys on a road trip to East Anglia and Norwich. The match would be played at Carrow Road. Preston was favored and Jester decided to continue the 5-2-1-2WB experiment. It didn't work quite as well against relegation threatened Norwich. But of more importance was the Injury to our star man Roberts that would keep him out of the FA Cup Semi-Final vs. Chelsea! The 5-2-1-2WB distributed the ball equally to each flank against Norwich. Jester decided to stop in London and rest there in preparation for the Semi-Final at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea would play a 4-2-3-1Wide and had World-Class players all over the pitch. Jester decided to switch things up tactically a bit. Going back to 5-2-2-1WB but with a Balanced Mentality. The surprise worked a treat and Chelsea didn't know how to deal with our pragmatic defense and searching crosses. The Benefit of the crosses was Mikey O'Neill subbing for Roberts at CF. He scored two goals. The other goal was a beautiful freekick by Cassanova the poor man's TAA! The Analysis after the match was all over the place..... but mostly we just played better especially on the wings. Jester thinks that Chelsea suffered from Overconfidence and the 2-0 lead shook them even if it was long coming..... Stats show we had our share of luck but it was just our day! Dorrington had a change of heart about leaving for a bigger club..... We will try to resign him closer to the end of his contract. As a reward we will play AFC Bournemouth in the FA Cup Final By a quirk of scheduling, we will play them twice in a week. This will be the first time that PNE will play for a major trophy since 1964! And the last time they won the FA Cup was 1938! This is the 1938 FA Cup Champions! The team is profiting from playing in the Premier League with approximately $20.5M. Now that the trip to Wembley is Booked for May it was time to hit the road again this time to take on Luton Town. Preston was favored and Jester expected to use the 5-2-1-2WB. Luton Town proved a tougher opponent than Chelsea and the team headed back to Preston with a draw for their efforts. The Next match would see Fulham visit the Deepdale Stadium. PNE was in good form and Fulham not so much.... The return of Finley Roberts lead to a goal scoring bonanza......we could have scored even more. So Jester was happy to disregard the defensive mistakes that led to their goals. But he would keep them in mind when setting up the team in the future. The Fulham manager didn't fall for the Media's trap of using the officials as an excuse for their poor play. Our Goalie had a bad day..... The stats show how we dominated scoring and possession. Player of the Week performance! Highlights of our Goalscoring were all over Sky Sports! The Last match of the month would see a jubilant PNE travel to Anfield to take on League leading Liverpool. Another team with few holes and big step up from relegated Fulham! Liverpool were big favorites. Platitudes and mind games from Klopp The scoreline flatters to deceive...... Nesselquist couldn't stand up to the Godfather of the Gengen Press! Stats show that we defended as if our lives depended on it but couldn't get out of our end at all the press was terribly efficient against us. The Highlights of the wrong kind were all over Sky Sports this time. In other news from the Club the U-21's are doing well..... and the following players joined the U-21's League Table Player of the Month Management Report Financial Report Looking ahead to be continued: 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheriff7 Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Amazing campaign for the FA Cup! Good luck in final, huge game for club's history and an European ticket could change your level. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Survival safely secured. Good luck in the final Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 27, 2023 Author Share Posted June 27, 2023 1 hour ago, Sheriff7 said: Amazing campaign for the FA Cup! Good luck in final, huge game for club's history and an European ticket could change your level. 3 minutes ago, warlock said: Survival safely secured. Good luck in the final Thanks Guys! We're going to need it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 FA cup final here we come!! Incredible win against Chelsea, well done Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 The FA Cup would be the icing on the cake on another fabulous season. Great result against Chelsea Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 28, 2023 Author Share Posted June 28, 2023 8 hours ago, karanhsingh said: FA cup final here we come!! Incredible win against Chelsea, well done It surprised me even if I hoped to win with the changes. 50 minutes ago, SixPointer said: The FA Cup would be the icing on the cake on another fabulous season. Great result against Chelsea An FA Cup win would almost make a crowning achievement for this save. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 28, 2023 Author Share Posted June 28, 2023 May 19, 2029: The FA Cup Final Highlights Wembley would be full for this fascinating match between two "underdog" sides Jester was confident before the match He would use the same 5-2-2-1 WB Balanced with Early Crosses that worked against Chelsea for the Final! With a little help from the Referee we won a Historic victory! Europa League here we come! Player of the Match "Big Game" Nico O'Reilly! Jester fears this will interfere with our Premier League Campaign unless we seriously strengthen the squad. Jester foresees a lot of rotation players. to be continued: 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 Wowza! Congratulations - that's absolutely epic!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punch Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 Congrats! Thats awesome! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 28, 2023 Author Share Posted June 28, 2023 1 hour ago, Punch said: Congrats! Thats awesome! Thanks. 3 hours ago, karanhsingh said: Wowza! Congratulations - that's absolutely epic!!! I don't know how I can top it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 28, 2023 Author Share Posted June 28, 2023 May 2029: The Offseason Manager's Thoughts It was a wonderful up and down season for PNE. Our fast start in the league led ultimately safety and a midtable finish. What everyone will remember is a Cup Run for the Ages. Where a young team of upstarts won the FA Cup winning PNE's first major trophy in 91 years. It couldn't have been done without key signings Charlie Patino and Finley Roberts, but don't over look our defense that blocked more shots and made more clearances per match than any other. It will have to be another offseason of careful signings that make the team better to make sure we keep our place in the Premier League with all the added matches that European Football brings. Schedule League Table Season Analysis Report Team Stats Player of the Year Charlie Patino is the Player of the Year because it was him pulling all the strings in Midfield and Jester thinks Strikers get too much credit! Also, he was a Free Transfer from Arsenal! Offseason Highlights Jester is not happy that the core fanbase is getting smaller, but is happy that the overall number of supporters is getting larger. We also have more supporters on the waiting list than season ticket holders. Maybe we should expand the stadium. If we stay up next season that is on Jester's to-do list! The Board has a responsible vision for the future. Including a wage budget that isn't much bigger than this season's. Yes there is Transfer Money but Jester is going to have to be careful with ALL of the finances. Jester decided to go to the USA instead of Singapore. West Ham wins a trophy with Brendan Rodgers at the helm. The starting Goalkeeper was given a raise and Jester made the Release Clauses twice as big! Barcelona won the Champions League! Management Report Financial Report to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheriff7 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Amazing work mate! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 29, 2023 Author Share Posted June 29, 2023 1 hour ago, Sheriff7 said: Amazing work mate! Thanks! but it was my sacrifices to the FM Football Gods that got us through the final. If I didn't have Europe next season, I might have called it a save. Now I have a new problem navigate a relegation battle while being competitive in Europe! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 29, 2023 Author Share Posted June 29, 2023 June 2029: The Offseason Manager's Thoughts Although Jester and PNE had finished a remarkable season and were for them flush with cash. Jester wasn't going to splash the cash Willy Nilly. He wanted to upgrade the backup players where he could and find a new DM-D to replace Club Vice-Captain Ben Whiteman who was let go at the end of the season through mutual termination and possibly make Ali McCann a backup. He went looking in his usual places and also some others looking for young talent. Unfortunately, the key players ended up going elsewhere but Jester would continue to improve the roster. Also, Jester was able to invest in youth long-term which will eventually help out at the First team level especially if we are involved in Europe and are in need of players homegrown at the Club. Highlights Jester had his eyes on a midfield upgrade to pair with Patino. Yes, he was going to continue to look mostly for English and Scottish Talent. This player ticked all the boxes that Jester was looking for and Jester quickly agreed to all demands since they were reasonable. These are his attributes. Almost perfect for the DM-D role in the Nesselquist Variant that Jester was moving to. He also made an offer for this player as a backup and competition for Bueno at LWB. A significant upgrade over the old backups on the left side of the formation and will be needed since we also play in Europe. This offer was made more for the future.... The Club also resigned and or extended players already here that Jester thought were good enough for the Premier League. Dorrington's broken leg and the fact that the team is now in Europe convinced him to stay as well as sizeable pay increase. Kian Kelly was signed Jester's old way from Man City's U-21's he will provide depth and start life in the U-21's. He has the makings of a decent CB and hopefully he will learn some ball skills in the U-21's! McCallum signed so the LWB position is secured and upgraded. Kaiden Wilson was another that Jester got the cheap old way, but he would be the 7th CB on the depth chart with the First team. An upgrade in the speed department will make decent CB in the Cover role in the middle of the backline. Maia went to Brentford......he was more for the future any way. So Jester and the scouts dug deep and found someone to add to the U-18's While all this transfer activity was going on Teams want Jester to join them..... Jester told them no...... We will get to play our ancient Rivals yet again! Since the team was now flush with Cash, Jester went to the board and asked for improvements in Youth Coaching and Facilities. The Upgrades should help our already decent youth teams produce more players that can make it in the first team. Which will be important if we are to play in Europe often. Jester was rebuffed on upgrading the First team Facilities. So that will wait until next year..... This CB was brought in by the General Manager. Castledine was a player that had his eye on that Chelsea didn't want, He would slot into the First team in the AMC-SS-A slot in 5-2-1-2WB. He's an upgrade over O'Neill who will now be the Backup CF-S to Roberts. The player we sold near the beginning of our run wants to come back.....but he doesn't really fit a Premier League Profile. The '28-'29 season was reviewed and Preston with no surprise was the biggest overachievers. Hopefully we can repeat our performance. Charlie Patino was left out the media must have a bias against Free transfers! As FA Cup winners we start our Season with Liverpool! Even after all the spending and pay raises we are still under budget which makes the Board Happy! None of their expectations are outlandish. This is what allows Preston to operate.....it pays almost ALL the bills! The Schedule was released, and the early schedule looks like a chance to build momentum before the European Fixtures kick in and cause match congestion. Preston was previewed on Sky Sports......we are expected to get Relegated! Some Notable names on the list, but Jester isn't interested. He has a young team and an old former superstar might ruin the Chemistry of the locker room. Transfers Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead to Preseason to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 29, 2023 Author Share Posted June 29, 2023 July 2029: The Preseason Manager's Thoughts Jester was relatively happy with the team he assembled as he headed into preseason training and friendlies. He still had a position or two that he would try to upgrade during the the Preseason. The schedule of Preseason took us to the USA and we still had time for Friendlies against European opponents as well. Yes most of them we against weaker opponents, but the Athletic Bilbao and Juventus Friendlies let Jester know that he had a team. That is because he had been carefully creating a determined and professional team at Preston by carefully selecting mentoring groups and Team Leaders after the Player Mutiny the first Season. So as Preseason ended Jester knew that the team was ready for the season playing the 5-2-1-2 WB Nesselquist Variant that he used to stave off relegation from the Championship way back in 2023! Schedule Highlights The Preseason began with Jester letting Vice-Captain Ben Whiteman go. His pace had slowed from 10 to 8 thus would be hopelessly outclassed on a Premier League Pitch. Our Third Keeper, who is South Africa's #1. Will be pushing for the Backup role this season. After the annual match versus the U-21's the team headed to the United States for Training Camp in sunny California, but stopped and played a Friendly in Spain on the way. Since it was early in the preseason and against a tough possible European opponent the team put in a good performance using the Nesselquist Variant. Rumors were going around that Athletico Madrid was looking at Jester as their New Manager.....Jester quickly quashed that notion. Maybe Jester will be in charge a little while longer..... Jester was still looking to improve the Squad and his notions had moved to the Strikers.....He was looking for a pacy man to get early crosses and ball over the top to keep our attack fresh. He's older than most but still has 15 pace and can sub in either Striker Position in the 5-2-1-2 WB formation and was willing to be a backup. and he becomes our record Transfer! After our return from the USA the team played a Friendly against Juventus. This friendly would tell Jester if the team he had assembled was over its head in Europe. The Team played well and was lucky to draw, but we played our "normal" game, and it was only Juventus's players superior quality that made the real difference. Actually stats show we should have won.... The rest of the Preseason was training practice against smaller teams getting ready for the Community Shield Versus Liverpool. Such as our affiliate Chorley that mimicked our formation. Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: with a Season Preview. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 Lui Chak Wai interesting name for a Northern Irishman 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 August 2029: Season Preview Manager's Thoughts Jester made upgrades to the roster but the team is still much the same as last season and thinks that the team can repeat last seasons success of reaching midtable. The team is good enough to beat most relegation threatened teams and lower midtable teams. Jester knows that there is a gulf between the top 6-7 teams and us. He is hoping for draws against them at home and not to bad losses away. He is not planning on playing defensively this season. Sometimes he will have no choice but most of the time he will try to keep possession and attack. He thinks the team can do decently in Europe and that is the Wild Card for the season. Will it cause too much match congestion that the team ends up in the Relegation battle. The Bookies and media think so.... The Transfers The team didn't bring that many players in but McCallum, Castledine, Moffi, and maybe Simons being upgrades for the players they replace. McCallum comes in and Upgrades the LWB position as the Backup but can also play on the right in a pinch. His $8.75M transfer fee was a little high but that is business. Castledine was a player that Chelsea was looking to unload. His $5M transfer fee was a bargain for a player that slots into the First Team as the Starting AMC-SS-A. Xavier Simons was a bit of a flyer. I have seen him perform miracles in other saves and he was available on Free Transfer from League One Lincoln. He is brought in to be the backup DM-D but his versatility he will play in other areas of the pitch from time to time (After languishing in League one for Years he is rated 2 stars). Terem Moffi has been brought in as a Backup Striker he can play either position up front but he was primarily brought in for his pace. Hopefully he will be a change of pace Striker we need to unlock presses with balls over the top. His $13.5M Transfer Fee is a little on the high side, but Jester is happy that he is willing to be a backup player. The Team Goalies Bazunu is the Starter with Jonck getting Cup Duty. Center Backs Fagan Walcott, Dorrington, and Mbete are the Starting Back 3. Wingbacks Bueno and Cassanova are the Starters with McCallum and Silko as backups. Woodhouse is actually a CenterBack. Xavier Simons is a DM. Defensive Midfielders Patino and McCann are the Starters with Dele-Bashiru and Simons as backups. Stoychev and Mubarak are Youth players that will get some Premier League Experience as well as European nights. Helm is actually the backup AMC-SS-A and Silko Thomas is the Backup RWB. Attackers Castledine is the AMC-SS-A , Roberts is the starting CF-S and O-Reilly is the starting Trequarista upfront. Tactical Preview Jester is going to use the 5-2-1-2 WB Nessequist Variant as his main tactic this season. @SixPointer Season Preview Preston is picked for the Relegation fight yet again. Jester has upgraded but since no big names or really large transfer fees involved I think we are being underestimated. The Usual Suspects for the awards except the Young player award that are regens. The Community Shield Liverpool is always a tough opponent for us especially now that they have defensive mastermind at the Helm. Allegri replaces Klopp who goes to Real Madrid in his Twilight Years! The match it self was a bore we held possession but couldn't do anything with it against their stifling defense ours wasn't bad but the gulf in quality between the teams lead to a 2-0 win for Liverpool. We couldn't stop Liverpool Captain TAA! even when marking him! He made Nunez look good. Not a fan of Allegri.... The board gently reminded Jester of their Expectations. Looking Ahead to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 Moffi should be a solid signing 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 August 2029: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team had a decent to good month going unbeaten except for the Community Shield against Liverpool. The new Attacking formation is taking advantage of our Heading in the box and creativity upfront. The team is still good defensively. The only problem is that we didn't really play a tough team and dropped points to Relegation battle rivals. September is a different story with 5 matches in 14 days and Astana in the Europa League is the weakest opponent. Schedule Highlights After the Community Shield the team had to prepare for the proper start of the season. The season would start with a trip to Wolverhampton. Wolverhampton was favored due to Home Advantage and Preseason Rankings. The match was an interesting one in that Wolverhampton tried to press and use the 4-4-2 against us. The team took it in stride and played keep away and it led to early goals by Roberts and O'Reilly because our 5-2-1-2 WB seemed to take them by surprise. After that the match settled down, but our good defensive organization stifled any attempts by Wolverhampton to score. Roberts and O'Reilly scored but it was new signing Castledine that covered himself in Glory setting up the two goals. Quite a Debut for the new signing. The next match on the schedule would see the team return to Deepdale stadium to take on our Rivals Burnley. PNE was favored over the newly promoted team. Jester is always excited to play Burnley! Our main man in the middle is drawing interest.....Jester will have to go back to the agent and negotiate again! Due to the extra match because of the Community Shield, Jester fielded a rotated Squad. It should have been good enough to get the win, but it was not to be. Stats show we should have won.... Another Debut. Their 5-2-2-1 WB gave us some of our own back at us. The team then had to head to the south coast and take on newly promoted Southampton. Southhampton was favored as home team. Jester is going to ignore the Relegation battle publicly for as long as possible. This was a tough battle between evenly matched teams, and it was a last-minute goal from "Big Game Nico" that got the Draw. Jester was less than happy with the play of his starters in this match..... The Analysts couldn't believe we didn't win! Big Game Nico! Jester thinks its the pressure of the Athletic Madrid rumors that got him off his game. Passing was good and we got penetration just no finishing! Now that the Patino transfer Saga is over. Jester expects him to be a player he can count on as the centerpiece of the team. The Team then took on Sean Dyche's Everton in the final match of the month. Preston's Carabao Cup run is going to be short this year. Dyche is a nice guy for a ginger. The Europa League Fixtures Came out just before the match. No really big names and if we play our Starters or a half-rotated side in these matches, we should make the next round. Feyenoord and Rennes are our biggest threats. The match came and our new fangled tactic befuddled them even though they scored first on a patented ball over the top. The Stats and pass map show that our win was deserved. Firt win against the "Ginger Mourinho" League Table Player of the Month Hugo's Crosses set up many goals this month! Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted July 1, 2023 Author Share Posted July 1, 2023 September 2029: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts If last month was a good month, September was about as bad as they could get. Match Congestion with 5 matches in 14 days for a small squad that has real difference in quality between Starters and backups. The Schedule wasn't favorable either with the easiest team being Astana in the Europa League that we barely beat, The other four matches were against Big Six teams in the Premier League and the gulf in class was apparent. Schedule Highlights/Lowlights The month of September began with Transfer Deadline day and an International Break which meant no matches for TWO Weeks! These are all players Preston can't afford to acquire..... No Deadline Day Deals meant we stayed with what we already had..... Media Review of Transfer Window! After all our Transfer Dealings and Pay raises we are right back where we started in 19th place in payroll. The Commercial Income and TV money combined, give the team about $120M plus ticket sales. Unless the team makes some deals, Payroll will always be near the bottom. After the International Break the players came back and started training for the Chelsea Match and the Four others over the next Two weeks! One of our Premier Assist men with Crosses goes down just before the big Matches this month..... The Trip to London would be tough and the team would be traveling to Kazakhstan afterwards. Jester used the 5-2-1-2 WB but made a "Match Plan" to help with adjustments. Let's just say nothing went to plan! After the Humiliation at Stamford Bridge the team departed Heathrow for Central Asia and a trip to Astana. Astana played a 4-4-2 and were big and fast so gave us trouble especially since Jester was playing a Half-Rotated Side because of the Match Congestion. The team returned to Preston after their Central Asian adventure and prepared to take on another big team: Newcastle United. The team was overmatched and lost the match 1-3. The team had a short turnaround with Liverpool arriving for the Carabao Cup. Form wise it looked like we might have a chance. But it wasn't meant to be...PNE defend well but eventually Liverpool broke us down and we were unable to make a dent in their defense in many ways it was a repeat of the Community Shield. The Fixture list wasn't kind the last match of the month saw the team travel to Manchester and Old Trafford. Jester tried to instill some confidence in the team..... Alas it didn't work and much like the other matches against the Top 6 teams this month we were overmatched and lost 2-0! League Table Player of the Month Monthly Analysis Report Our defense has been terrible and it was skewed by the disaster at Chelsea. Management Report Financial Report Looking ahead to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted July 1, 2023 Author Share Posted July 1, 2023 October 2029: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts This team is a real Jeckyll and Hyde team. If September was Mr. Hyde Terrible, October was the return of Doctor Jeckyll. The team really didn't play any differently in October than September except for the Chelsea match. It was the gulf in class between PNE and it opponents that made the difference in September, because in August we played teams that were closer to us in stature and the results came. The team is still having difficulties with 4-4-2's and big and fast players but this month we got the wins! Schedule Highlights The month would start with PNE hosting Lech Poznan in Europa League Fixture. The team also had a team meeting before the Lech Poznan match because Jester could see the morale dropping precipitously because of the results of the past month. He told them not to get their heads down and that they have the ability to change this if they work at it and believe in themselves. Preston was favored going into the Lech match. Jester played a rotated team and it didn't disappoint dominating the proceedings. The next match would be at home in the League versus Bournemouth a rival in the struggle for survival. Jester was able to field a rested First Team and hoped this would be the difference between Victory and defeat. and it was the the starters dominated Bournemouth like the Top 6 dominate us! Good performances all around and the stats don't lie..... After that performance the team started training for the next match and go on the International Break. During training during the International Break this occurred. Our Backup left back is out for 3 months. This means a Youth player will be called up and get time as well as some of my "utility" players will see time at LWB in the coming weeks. After the International Break the team headed down to Brighton for a match. Brighton was favored but Jester thought we had a real chance. The match was a stalemate as two equal teams fought it out and a draw was probably the right outcome. The stats tell a different story and PNE was lucky! The team then travelled to Northern Ireland to take on Larne. Larne was another team that played a 4-4-2 and had big, fast and strong players. We were favored but Jester was going to play a rotated team.... The team won! but it wasn't as convincing as the scoreline indicates! Stats are even but we had real trouble with their size and speed. It took a superhuman effort from Xavier Simons playing a RCB to get the win! Near the top of the Europa Rankings somehow.... After the match the team returned to Preston and Jester found out that the Youth Development and Facilities were improved. We now have Superb Facilities for everyone! The Team then prepared for the last match of the month versus West Ham United. Brendan Rodgers playing Mind Games..... It didn't matter the Starters were ready for them and played a complete match! Stats are even but we were clinical in finishing! But the POM was our Goalie with 3 great saves to preserve the Clean Sheet! Jester Gloated a bit after the match.... The team also had a balanced pass map. and at the beginning of the next month Jester was told the team would begin better youth recruiting practices League Table Player of the Month A rotation option but he came through with some critical goals when on the Pitch. Monthly Analysis Report New signing Castledine has made the AMC-SS-A role his own. Management Report Financial Report Looking ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted July 2, 2023 Author Share Posted July 2, 2023 November 2029: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team continued to play well for a small team without a lot of depth. We still have our problems with the top 6 but Jester thinks he has found a remedy to keep the matches from turning into disasters. The Squad rotates for Europa League and the "Backups" are playing well overall and the team seems to be on the way to a playoff spot and maybe a bye. The team also still has problems with teams that play a direct 4-4-2 and have big and fast players. Overall, though Jester is happy with where his team's Situation. Schedule Highlights The month starts with a visit to the Deepdale Stadium by Liverpool. This is how they are expected to set up with Allegri as manager. Both teams come into the match in good form, maybe this time PNE will breakthrough against Liverpool! Not This time either, Jester had played the more conservative version of the 5-2-2-1WB and it ALMOST worked. That will probably be his go to formation against the Big 6. Roberts and Mbete didn't play well but overall Jester was pleased with what he saw....even though we lost. Stats back up Jester's Assessment. The pass map isn't bad, but we didn't get to the magic number of 500 passes. The next match was against Feyenoord in the Europa League. Jester was planning on rotating the squad even though this match was for First place in the League! Preston is favored due to home pitch advantage. @Jogo Bonito The match turned out to be a draw. PNE's Rotated side had troble with Feyenoord's 4-4-2 and pressing. Jester thinks if he had played his starters, we could have gotten the win but 3 matches in a WEEK is just too much to ask any player. The Stats are relatively even but most likely we should have won. After the midweek match against the Dutch the team then had to travel to Leicester to take on a relegation threatened team. Leicester has bigger names in their squad which is the only reason they are favored! The match came out to be a stalemate between two determined teams! As one can see the defense kept us from losing points to Leicester. The stats show we just about edged it but couldn't make it count in front of the net. The Pass map shows that O'Reilly got plenty of Penetration. As the International Break ended and just before our match with them Tottenham got a new Manager. Our next opponent was Leeds United. The were visiting Preston and The boys hoped to give them a hard time. It was convincing 3-0 Victory that had Social Media Buzzing! The match form was very good and almost everyone played well. The stats show that the match was closer than the scoreline shows. But the victory was pyrrhic because the team lost another Wingback. Castledine showing his quality after his move from Chelsea! Player of the Week! The final match was against Bodo/Glimt and they were yet another team that played a pressing 4-4-2! Jester planned on playing a rotated squad since it seems to work in Europe. And the Backups took care of business. The Pass map was good and the team took advantage of deficiencies on their Left Flank. The team will start of December with a trip to London and New Hart Lane. Their new manager has them playing in a 4-3-3! League Table Monthly Analysis Report Our defending isn't horrible, but we are giving up more goals than expected. Mostly skewed by the disasters against Chelsea and Man City. Player of the Month Xavier has been the star of our Europa League Run and He is playing Right Center Back instead of Defensive Midfielder. Management Report Financial Report Looking Ahead Busy month ahead with 8 matches in 27 days! to be continued: 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted July 2, 2023 Share Posted July 2, 2023 A draw with Feyenoord keeps us both happy, I guess. You're lucky they don't play 5-3-2 Steady season so far, keep up the good work! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 I see you finally changed the thread title! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted July 3, 2023 Author Share Posted July 3, 2023 6 hours ago, karanhsingh said: I see you finally changed the thread title! I wanted to be sure I could stay up in the Premier League before I did anything rash like change the title! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted July 5, 2023 Author Share Posted July 5, 2023 December 2029 Manager's Thoughts The busy month December began with two terrible road losses days apart to Tottenham and Man City. It remains that the team cannot play on equal footing with a Top 6 team. Jester learned his lesson and decided to play more conservatively against them in the future. The team would still play more open at home and in the Cups. The surprise is that the team is doing well in the EuropaLeague with the Second stringers. This is mostly due to new backup Trequarista Terem Moffi has found his scoring boots as well as the continued excellence of Xavier Simons. The Team won the matches that matter in the Relegation battle and remain well into midtable. The surprise result was the 2-0 Home win against Arsenal using the more pragmatic 5-2-2-1WB tactic Jester will use in Top 6 matchups in the future. Schedule League Table Player of the Month Looking Ahead to be continued: PS. Please tell me if you like this more streamlined update. I will still sometimes do a full update in the future. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted July 6, 2023 Author Share Posted July 6, 2023 January 2030 Manager's Thoughts The team is playing well overall grabbing points in the Premier League since Jester has decided to use the more conservative approach against top teams. It is still attacking Football just a little more pragmatic. The team overall is good defensively and the only problems that really glare out of recent results is the problems versus 4-4-2's. Even though in this case it was more of a probalem of using the backups than quality in the squad as those were cup matches. Yes, the one against Rennes was in Europa League but we had already gotten a spot in the final sixteen by qualifying for a top 8 spot in the League. So, Jester decided to continue his playing the backups in Cups. When the knockout rounds start, he will probably play his first team in those matches and half rotate for the Premier League. Schedule League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted July 6, 2023 Author Share Posted July 6, 2023 February 2030: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team kept up its form for most of the month of February. As an overachieving midtable team Jester was happy to take home 5 of the possible twelve points even though the team should have done better versus Brentford. That being said Jester is happy with any points that don't drop his team any closer to the Relegation zone and the team has a healthy 15-point cushion and has already secured 40 points in the league. This will allow Jester to play for the win in March against Club Brugge in the Europa League. Since there is only a small chance of the team being relegated at this stage of the season if we keep up our form. Most of this has been the work of our "Midfield Marshal" Charlie Patino especially pleasing was the performances against his boyhood club Arsenal. Schedule Other News League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted July 7, 2023 Share Posted July 7, 2023 Patino is looking amazing now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted July 7, 2023 Author Share Posted July 7, 2023 2 hours ago, karanhsingh said: Patino is looking amazing now! That is what two seasons of playing regularly in the Premier League has done. He came as a Free Transfer and is now again getting interest from big teams. (Inter and Tottenham) He has an $80M Fee for clubs in UCL. I will try and renegotiate this summer. He is the player I am trying to build around. IRL: If he turns out half as well, Arsenal will have midfield depth for years to come. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted July 7, 2023 Share Posted July 7, 2023 Good to see that European money piling up. Especially as you don't appear to be spending it Some winnable games to come in the PL, hopefully you can find a way past the Belgians. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now