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Philip Cornwall for Football365

What we have witnessed at Zeal Monachorum this season is something unheard of in modern football in so many respects: First, that a club who were adrift at the bottom of the league until a week before the winter break should somehow gain promotion; secondly that they will become the youngest and smallest club to ever compete in the top tier of the English game when they play their first match in the Premiership in August; and thirdly that this is their fourth promotion in four years. They have gone from Blue Square South to the Premiership in four seasons.

All credit for this mind-blowing achievement must go to the manager, Zeek Jackson, who has been with the club from the word go, and chairman James Dyson who saw the potential of the club when he purchased them during their triumphant league one campaign last year.

Its true that the turnaround of players at Zeal has been quite remarkable, but needs must: If you get promoted four times in a row, the chances of the players you used to get out of the Conferences being good enough for the Championship are pretty slim.

Zeal have won promotion to the Premiership by playing exciting, attacking football. They have the worst defence in the division, but the best attack by some distance - and I think this policy could serve them surprisingly well in the top division next year. Its true that they are going to leak goals (though to be fair to the team, they showed some real resilience to eek out some vital 1-0 victories towards the end of the season), but being able to score plenty of goals is something most newly promoted clubs are unable to do.

Zeal's form in the Championship since christmas would have been enough to win them the league comfortably had they not had such an awful first half of the season, but getting from 19th to 3rd is still incredible.

The race for that third promotion slot has been extremely tight all season, with 3rd to 12th separated by just a few points. I thought the wheels might be coming off Zeal's charge after they were beaten soundly by champions West Brom, but they recovered and pushed on.

That 4-1 reverse at Sheffield Wednesday in the penultimate week of the season to secure promotion will live long in the memory of the Cornish supporters, and the players.

The Zeal players lap up the applause of their fans as they secure an incredible promotion

One of the keys to Zeal doing so well this season has been Zeek Jackson's shrewd dealing in the transfer market this winter. He offloaded two of his strikers who had been scoring, Hamsun and Castolo, and this looked like it could be a mistake - but what it did was raise funds to bring in quality elsewhere in the squad.

Jackson put his faith in his brilliant young striker, Juan Carlos Gutierrez, and the Spaniard didn't disappoint. He's finished the season as top scorer and the fan's player of the season, as well as getting plenty of assists from his role as a slightly withdrawn striker.

Credit must also go to his striker partner Ali Zitouni, who has hit a more than respectable 9 goals in half a season, and the lad Zarate who has chipped in with some really important strikes this year.

Arguably Jackson's best signing of the winter window however, was Sattar Zare. Spending over a million on a player nobody in football had heard of was a real risk, but it was money well-spent. Zare has more often than not been the difference between Zeal and their rivals and his winning strike in the League Cup final is testament to his knack of upping his game for the important fixtures. He's garnering interest from all around Europe now, but Jackson will be desperate to hold onto him.

Sattar Zare's form has attracted interest from a host of top clubs

To top off a classic season for Zeal Monachorum, the club triumphed in the League Cup. True, they had to play 19th placed club Ipswich in the semi finals and the appalling Bristol City (who are propping up the table) in the final at Wembley, but that takes nothing away from a fantastic achievement.

The cup was Zeal Monachorum's first piece of 'meaningful' silverware (besides winning League One last season), and their players will be so proud to have been part of a side that made history.

Zeal claimed a superb win in the League Cup

I think Zeal Monachorum will be fine in the Premierleague next season - providing they can hold onto their top performers from this year and perhaps bring in some more new faces to give them greater strength in depth. Their approach to the game is really refreshing, and I expect a few teams in the Premiership next season not really knowing how to deal with them.

The likenesses to Villarreal in Spain run deeper than the fact that they both play in an all yellow strip, and Zeek Jackson will be hoping he can bring the sort of success to Zeal that Villarreal have enjoyed of late.

They will be a popular teams with the neutrals too, not least because they play such entertaining football but also because they are the perennial underdogs - the minnows, fighting it out against titans of world football. I for one wish Zeal Monachorum SAFC the best of luck next season.

Juan Carlos Gutierrez was the Championship's top goalscorer, 2007-2008

Relegated from English Premier Division: Birmingham City, Reading, Derby County

Promoted from the English Championship: West Bromwich Albion, Watford, Zeal Monachorum

1. Pascal Zuberbühler: A solid signing, made some great saves to keep our season on course. 7/10.
2. Olof Stremer: Looked solid enough when called upon - a useful member of the squad. 6/10.
3. Dimitri Jaric: Has played well at CB, LB and DMF this season. Needs to improve his fitness levels though. 6/10.
4. Claude Valeny: Has made a few errors in recent games, but an outstanding display against Sheffield Wednesday to help us secure promotion may save him from a cull this summer. 5/10
5. Boris Iouga: Has played more than I originally anticipated, making around as many starts as Dodo and Stein in the second half of the season. Looked very solid when played. 6/10.
6. Gianni Dodo: Had a good start to the season, but hasn't kept that form going since then. May have to be moved on in the summer. 5/10
7. Francisco Ximelez: Had a couple of decent games, but more often than not looked like a weak link. Never really threatened defences unduly. 4/10.
8. Ezequiel Zárate: Scored some vital goals in the games he played, eventually taking his seasons tally up to a more than respectable 5. Looks like an outstanding prospect. 7/10.
9. Ali Zitouni: Has scored plenty, but in patches. He will score a brace and then go four games with nothing. Still an effective striker though, and a firm favourite with the fans after his hattrick against Sheffield Wednesday to secure promotion. 7/10.
10. Sattar Zare: Has often made the difference between winning and losing games with some touches of skill and class. His form has been a little patchy though, so will need to work on his consistency next year. 7/10.
11. Pablo Ordaz: An awful season with just one goal (and that was a tap-in). If Ordaz can't be offloaded in the summer, he should probably be released from his contract. Arguably our worst player. 2/10.
12. Cyril Ceciu: Had some solid performances this season when he played, but his positioning was occasionally haphazard. Still a good season though. 6/10.
13. Uli Libermann: Solid as a rock, and has chipped in with a couple of goals - our best defender by some distance this year. 7/10.
14. Yuri Zhirkov: Made a flying start to his career with Zeal with some exceptional displays, but then suffered a dip in form. However, he rediscovered his best form just at the business end of the season, and was a pivotal player in our promotion. 7/10.
15. Pietro Giersen: Unspectacular, and more often than not error-prone. Our weakest fullback. 4/10.
16. Jackie Stein: Had a superb first half of the season, but didn't seem to relish being made captain after christmas. Some lacklustre performances have shown me that he might not cut it in the Premiership after all. 4/10.
17. Desmond Macco: Awful first half of the season, but improved after the winter break. Put in a couple of decent displays. 5/10.
18. Stéphane Zubar: Really shored up the backline after his arrival, and its clear that he can become a top player. Needs to improve his fitness though, as he frequently had to be rested. 6/10.
19. Harrisson Burchet: Looked dangerous in all the games he played with his direct running at defenders. However, the final ball was often lacking, and that will need to be addressed. 6/10.
20. Zheng Zhi: The unsung hero of the promotion campaign, Zheng has played in almost every midfield position as well as as a support striker. Worked exceptionally hard, and was one of our best players in every game. 8/10.
21. Roy Huylens: A poor season, scored once but never looked like adding to that tally at any time. The veteran will not be offered a new deal this summer. 3/10.
22. Gianni Zuiverloon: Our best right back, and has also done well filling in at DMF. However, at centreback he looked awful, and that will have to be remembered for next season. A decent season from the youngster though. 6/10.
23. Zebbedey Zamenhof: Seems comfortable being the number 2 goalkeeper at the club, and played well when called upon. His poor form in the first half of the season can't be forgotten though. 3/10.
24.
25. Mustapha El Moubarki: Has improved with time, but first team opportunities have been slightly limited. All round, an adequet season though. 5/10.
26.
27. Franckie Ettori: A superb year from the young midfielder - he played exceptionally right when he needed to, scoring and assisting in the big games. Often turned games on their head as he did in the Cup final with a brilliant assist. 7/10.
28. Juan Carlos Gutierrez: An awesome second half of the season to finish as top scorer in the cup and league. Seemed to relish playing with our new signings, and my decision to keep faith with him paid dividends. Our player of the seaosn. 9/10.

Zheng Zhi had an excellent second half of the season for Zeal

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Transfer values divided by two from the game to make them seem more realistic to real transfer amounts a newly promoted EPL team would pay

Week 1: Sky Sport's Transfer Centre

OUT
Captain Jackie Stein, veteran stoppers Olof Stremer and Claude Valeny, young defender Mustapha El Moubarki and ancient striker Roy Huylens have all left Zeal Monachorum after the club opted not to renew their contracts. The departures of Stein, Stremer and El Moubarki in particular will come as a surprise to fans at the Zurich Stadium as those players were thought to have had a fairly solid season for the club.

Zeal Monachorum's freescoring striker, Juan Carlos Gutierrez, is being linked with a big-money move to one of his club's Premier League rivals. Portsmouth, Fulham and Blackburn are all reported to be very keen on last season's Championship Golden Boot winner.

Another Zeal player being heavily linked with a move away from the club is midfield playmaker Sattar Zare. The mercurial Iranian is said to have attracted interest from all around the continent with his excellent form in the Championship last term, and a price as high as £5m is being touted for the 26-year-old.
IN
Veteran Zeal Monachorum goalkeepers Pascal Zuberbühler and Zebbidey Zamenhof have both signed new deals at the club to keep them at the Zurich until summer 2009. Veteran Swiss Zuberbühler's new contract is worth a reported £15,000 per week, while club stalwart Zamenhof is on a more modest £6,000 for each week of work.

Marseille's contract rebel centreback Ronald Zubar has thrown his future at the club into doubt by rejecting a new bumper deal at the Stade Velodrome. The 22-year-old has just one year remaining on his current contract, and L'OM could be forced to sell to ensure they recoup some money on the France Under 21 international. Newly promoted Zeal Monachorum are reportedly keen to bring Zubar to the club and reunite him with his younger brother Stéphane who has been playing for the club since a January move from Caen.

Zeal Monachorum have splashed the cash on Angolan international midfielder Zé Augusto. The youngster, who competed at the 2006 world cup for his country, joins for a fee thought to be in the region of £1.5m from Angolan side Primeiro de Agosto.

Zeal Monachorum are lining up a big money move for relegated Birmingham City's Argentine international striker, Mauro Zárate. Zeal manager Zeek Jackson is keen to bring the mercurial forward to the club to link up with his younger brother, Ezequiel, but it is expected that it will take a bid in the region of £6m to prise the tricky striker from St Andrews.

Unknown Angolan midfielder Zé Augusto has joined Zeal Monachorum for £1.5m

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Week 2: Sky Sport's Transfer Centre

OUT
Athletic Club Bilbao have reportedly had a £2.7m bid for midfielder Zheng Zhi rejected by his club, Zeal Monachorum. The dynamic Chinese played superbly to help his team gain an unlikely promotion to the Premiership last term, and it is unlikely Zeek Jackson will entertain offers for one of his top performers.

Zeal Monachorum have rejected a cheeky £3m offer for Sattar Zare from Championship outfit Coventry City. It is highly unlikely that the gifted Iranian midfielder would be willing to move to the Rico though, as he has already stated his intention to light up the Premier League this season for his current team.

Juan Carlos Gutierrez has thrown his future at Zeal Monachorum into doubt by issuing a statement through his agent that he feels he might have to leave the club to further his career, and that to win his first full international cap for Spain he will need to be in a club fighting for Europe rather than one fighting for survival.
IN
Ronald Zubar has made a £3.8m move from Marseille to link up with his younger brother Stéphane at Zeal Monachorum. Zubar passed a medical at the Zurich this morning, and is expected to be unveiled in a press conference at the club in the next few days.

Dinamo Bucureşti have rejected a £1.6m move from Zeal Monachorum for their Romanian international midfielder, Ianis Zicu. Zeal's move for the 25-year-old will further reports that Sattar Zare is on the brink of a move away from the club, as the two play a very similar role for their respective clubs.

West Ham striker Bobby Zamora has emerged as a transfer target for newly promoted Premier League side, Zeal Monachorum sources close to the player claim. Zeal have supposedly already had a £4.5m part exchange offer rejected by the Hammers, but are desperate to land a proven Premiership goalscorer before the transfer window's close, particularly with Juan Carlos Gutierrez seemingly on his way out of the club.

Zeal Monachorum have thrashed out a deal for Argentine forward Mauro Zárate from Birmingham. The striker joins his younger brother Ezequiel at the club for a fee estimated to be around £3.5m. Also on the move as part of the deal is Zeal's flop striker Pablo Ordaz, who moves to St Andrews as a makeweight in the transfer.

Zeal keep it in the family by bringing in Ezequiel Zarate's more renowned brother, Mauro, from Birmingham

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Week 3: Sky Sport's Transfer Centre

OUT
Russian outfit Spartak Moscow have had a £3.7m bid for Sattar Zare accepted by the Iranian's current employers, Premiership new-boys Zeal Monachorum. The 26-year-old, who lit up the Championship last term as he helped his club to an unlikely promotion and a cup triumph, has flown with his representative to the Russian capital to discuss terms with the club.

Birmingham City's new striker, Pablo Ordaz, has hit out at his previous manager Zeek Jackson. Ordaz was quoted as saying that the tactics the Zeal Monachorum boss utilised didn't play to his strengths, and that it is no wonder he had such a poor season.
IN
Zeal Monachorum have completed the surprise signing of veteran Dutch fullback, Sieme Zijm, from Excelsior Rotterdam for a fee of £2m. The 30-year-old defender enjoyed an excellent season for his club last year, earning a call-up to the Holland squad, and now a lucrative move to the Premiership.

Slovenian international midfielder Luka Zinko's move from NK Domzale to Zeal Monachorum has been delayed after the player wanted to wait on a possible bid from Everton for his services. Everton boss David Moyes is likely to have incurred the wrath of Zeek Jackson when he declared his interest in signing the player just as Zeal looked to have tied up the highly rated player's signature.

Reports from Spain claim that Zeal Monachorum boss Zeek Jackson will turn his attention to Recreativo de Huelva's Spanish midfielder, José Ignacio Zahinos, should Everton derail the Premiership new boys' bid for Luka Zinko.

Dutch fullback Sieme Zijm joins Zeal from Excelsior Rotterdam

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Week 4: Sky Sport's Transfer Centre

OUT
Sattar Zare has completed his £3.6m move from Zeal Monachorum to Spartak Moscow this morning. The 26-year-old's departure has been met with disdain by Zeal supporters, with whom the Iranian was a firm favourite. However, Zare's leaving may pave the way for Romanian playmaker Ianis Zicu.

Zeal Monachorum have rejected a £2.9m move by Norwegian outfit Rosenborg BK for their midfield dynamo Zheng Zhi. Zeek Jackson has already outlined his intention to keep the Chinese at the squad, and that while every player has his price, it will take a larger bid than that to make him sell.
IN
Zeal Monachorum have been left fuming after Luka Zinko rejected a move to the Zurich in favour of a switch to Everton. Zeal looked to have tied up the player's signature last week until David Moyes launched an eleventh hour bid to steal Zinko from under the noses of the Premiership promotees.

Romanian international midfielder Ianis Zicu has completed a £2m move from Dinamo Bucharest to Zeal Monachorum this morning, reports from the club have emerged. Fans at the Zurich Stadium will be delighted a suitable replacement for the recently departed Sattar Zare has been brought in.

Zeal have replaced the departed Zare with Romanian playmaker Ianis Zicu

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Week 5: Sky Sport's Transfer Centre

OUT
In one of the biggest shocks of this summers transfer window, French titans Lyon have purchased Zeal Monachorum's veteran Spain winger Francisco Ximelez for a fee of £1.6m. The ageing midfielder wasn't a first team regular at the Zurich last season, and a move to one of European football's superpowers comes as a real shock to all involved with the game.

Zeal Monachorum's wantaway striker, Juan Carlos Gutierrez, is reportedly furious with the club after they rejected a multitude of offers for him. £4m bids from Athletic Bilbao, Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers were all turned down by Zeal last week. It is believed the Cornish side are holding out for £4.5m to secure the services of their prized asset.
IN
Following Francisco Ximelez's departure for France, Zeek Jackson is reported to be in the market for a new left footed midfielder. One player to emerge as a prime target for the club from Newquay is ex-Liverpool and Middlesbrough player Bolo Zenden, though it is thought that Marseille will want a deal in excess of £3m for the veteran Dutchman.

Spanish holding midfielder José Ignacio Zahinos has completed a transfer from Recreativo de Huelva to Zeal Monachorum this morning. The 30-year-old former Atletico Madrid player has been purchased following Zeal's bid for Slovenian dynamo Luka Zinko falling through. Zahinos joins for a part exchange deal consisting of £2.5m plus ageing Romanian midfielder Boris Iouga.

Zeal have moved to bring in experienced Spanish midfielder Jose Zahinos

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Week 6: Sky Sport's Transfer Centre

OUT
Juan Carlos Gutierrez has finally completed a move away from Zeal Monachorum this week. Bolton Wanderers met the Cornish club's £4.5m asking price, and the freescoring Spaniard joined the club on a lucrative 5 year deal. Zeek Jackson is said to be disappointed Gutierrez didn't want to remain at the club he fired into the Premiership with his goals, but respects the wishes of a player who has been a fantastic servant to the team in his short stint there and wished him all the best for the future.

Zeal Monachorum fans will be left reeling this week after another of their team's star players left the club. Rosenborg upped their offer for Zheng Zhi to to over £3.2m, and the bid was accepted. The dynamic Chinese utility man completed a medical in Norway this morning and is said to be relishing the prospect of Champions League football.
IN
With the departure of Zheng Zhi this week, Zeal Monachorum's predicament in midfield is becoming increasingly desperate. Bolo Zenden has emerged as the club's primary transfer target, but Marseille have not accepted an offer in the region of £2m plus gifted French youngster Franckie Ettori for the experienced Dutch international. Zenden is, however, said to be keen on a move back to the Premiership and may force his current employers to see reason and allow him to leave.

Zeek Jackson has gone a long way to dissuading the misgivings of his club's fans following the sale of star player Juan Carlos Gutierrez by bringing in Napoli's Uruguayan hitman Marcelo Zalayeta. The former Juventus striker has a wealth of experience in Italy, and Zeal fans will be hoping he can hit the heights in the Premiership. Zeal's Australian speed merchant, Harrisson Burchet, was used as a makeweight in the £3.1m club deal for Zalayeta.

Juan Carlos Gutierrez's replacement at the Zurich Stadium will be Napoli's Marcelo Zalayeta

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Week 7: Sky Sport's Transfer Centre

OUT
Bolton's new signing, Juan Carlos Gutierrez, has thanked former manager Zeek Jackson for giving him the chance to shine in English football last season with Zeal Monachorum, and keeping faith in him despite some patchy form early in the season.
IN
With the transfer window on the brink of shutting, Zeal Monachorum have launched a desperate bid to bring in Angolan winger Ze Kalanga. However, any move for the player is likely to be subject to the player obtaining a work permit, which is highly unlikely in the current political climate in Britain.

With minutes to go before the transfer window slams shut, Zeal Monachorum have finally thrashed out a deal for Marseille's Bolo Zenden. The transfer fee is reported to be around £2m, with Welsh winger Desmond Macco moving to L'OM as part of the deal.

Boudwijn Zenden's arrival will provide Zeal with some extra cover in midfield that was sorely needed

OUT

Sattar Zare       AMF     Spartak Moscow  £3.6m
Francisco Ximelez SMF     Lyon            £1.6m
Juan Gutierrez    CF      Bolton          £4.5m
Zheng Zhi         AMF     Rosenborg       £3.2m
Pablo Ordaz       CF      Birmingham      Part Ex.
Boris Iouga       DMF     Recreativo      Part Ex.
Harrisson Burchet WF      Napoli          Part Ex.
Desmond Macco     SMF     Marseille       Part Ex.
Jackie Stein      DMF     Released        -
Olof Stremer      CB      Released        -
Claude Valeny     CB      Released        -
M. El Moubarki    SB      Released        -
Roy Huylens       CF      Released        -

IN

Ze Augusto        DMF     Primeiro Agosto £1.5m
Mauro Zárate      CF      Birmingham      £3.5m plus Ordaz
Ronald Zubar      CB      Marseille       £3.8m
Sieme Zijm        SB      Excelsior       £2m
Ianis Zicu        AMF     D. Bucharest    £2m
Jose Zahinos      DMF     Recreativo      £2.5m plus Iouga
Marcelo Zalayeta  CF      Napoli          £3.1m plus Burchet
Boudwijn Zenden   SMF     Marseille       £2m plus Macco

Two sets of brothers will play for Zeal this term - Record signing Ronald Zubar (above) and Stephane Zubar, as well as Mauro and Ezequiel Zarate.

Money IN: £12.9m (£18.1m)
Money OUT: £20.4m (£27.65m)

Total Net Spending: £7.5m (£9.55m)

1. Pascal Zuberbühler (c)
2. Gianni Zuiverloon
3. Dimitri Jaric
4. Ronald Zubar
5. Jose Zahinos
6. Gianni Dodo
7. Marcelo Zalayeta
8. Ezequiel Zárate
9. Ali Zitouni
10. Mauro Zárate
11. Ianis Zicu
12. Cyril Ceciu
13. Uli Libermann
14. Yuri Zhirkov
15. Pietro Giersen
16. Ze Augusto
17. Bolo Zenden
18. Stéphane Zubar
19. Sieme Zijm
20. Franckie Ettori
21.
22.
23. Zebbedey Zamenhof

A summer of change at the Zurich Stadium should give Zeal Monachorum a decent chance of survival in the Premiership, according to Ladbrokes, who have priced the Cornish minnows at 5/2 to avoid the drop.

Manchester United are favourites for the title at 3/1, but a good bet might be Newcastle qualifying for the Champions League at 10/1.

quote Pansonic

Nooooo I liked Zeng Zhi and Zare but did you use a face import for Zalayeta it looks likea proper preset and LOL at Zijm's face import.