Since there are a few football supporters around here I figured it could be good to have a dedicated thread to discuss the ups and downs of our favourite teams (or just football news in general). Hopefully Freezey will be ok with this.
So, on the subject of football, I've just returned from Elland Road where I watched Leeds' first game of the season against Exeter. We grabbed a 2-1 win and I was very happy with our performance - with a couple of minor exceptions. The keeper we were playing (I forget his name, it wasn't Casper) seemed to flounder at the ball whenever it came into the area, made some of the crosses look much more dangerous than they needed to be. Becchio didn't have an amazing game, good thing we had Beckford to put the ball in the net. My big concern is whether or not he'll be with us for the rest of the season. If not then we'll need to spend some of the Delph money on bringing in another striker because Enoch Showunmi is a very poor substitute...
Thread Recap (last 10 posts from newest to oldest)
Jun 27, 10 at 1:10pm
U_Turn
I was bored so I decided to post up my line-up, 4 seasons in. It's a very young squad. If I'm ever to challenge for the title then I'm going to need to buy talent whilst they're in experienced and still young. We're doing alright though, we're 8th after 9 games and have already played Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.
No idea. I don't bother with my youth team, they're all shit. Have been getting better coaching staff though so hopefully things will get a bit better now.
Jun 21, 10 at 2:20am
U_Turn
Ah, I never tell them I'll achieve anything more than the bare minimum. For the sake of £7m, I'd rather tell the board I'll finish mid-table than to win the Premier League. My plan is a longer goal. I have just signed a few amazing English young players, plus with the string of young players from my previous 2 seasons, I've got a pretty impressive young squad. I'm looking at spending like £10m on an Italian 18 year old striker and I'm hoping that's me sorted this season.
Do you know how to get talented youngsters coming through the youth ranks? I see loads coming through teams like Everton, even the likes of Ipswich and Swindon even. Mine are just so terrible. =/ I've brought in 2 top class youth coaches in the hope that they have some influence. I didn't have any youth coaches before, I just had all regular coaches.
Jun 20, 10 at 5:44pm
Neras
I finished the season and won by a lot of points. Just started in the championship (yet to play a game) and have brought in a new midfielder, a new striker and a very young keeper who I'm hoping will turn out to be very good.
Told them I'd win the championship. That may have been a mistake...
Jun 20, 10 at 11:40am
U_Turn
My chairman won't give me anymore money, I'm in January and apparently he's getting sick of seeing me in his office. Arsehole! I hope he dies. I don't have Ken Bates, some other *bleep* on the board took over. I can't believe it, I get them 2 promotions in 3 seasons and this is how they show their appreciation. I'm 10th in the table with 21 games played and I'm playing with half a squad due to severe injuries.
Jun 17, 10 at 12:29pm
Neras
I wanted to get rid of Doyle to begin with but had to keep him as cover. If Kenny gives me some more funds in January (I'm at the end of December now) then I'll be getting a new midfielder and sending Doyle back. Also need a RB. Other than that I'm very happy with the team. Want to give Beckford a new contract but I need to play around with the wage budget before I can afford to do that. January again then.
Jun 17, 10 at 11:50am
U_Turn
Doyle shouldn't be your player anyway =/. Send him back to Coventry, that''s what I did, he never got a game anyway. I got Plessis on loan from Liverpool, big and strong which made him ideal for the holding midfield role but it doesn't look like I need to give you advice, you're doing better than I was at that point. I actually finished the first half of the season 1 point worse off than the real Leeds, but then I made up for it in the second half. I had a slow start, drawing the first 3 of my away games. I won 22 of my 23 home games and the other game was a 3-3 draw with Millwall... we'd been 3-0 up as well! The 3rd goal was ridiculous, Shane Higgs was beat at his near post from like 40 yards and the strike wasn't even that great.
At the moment I'm trying to build for the future, much of my squad is under the registration limit so I've got all these English players that don't even count as home grown, I actually had 2 buy 2 English players just so I could start the season. I've got several players from African countries currently loaned out to Hasselt, a Belgiun team so they can gain a European passport. Then I've got several south Americans and other bits and bats coming in over the next 3 years when they're old enough to leave.
Jun 17, 10 at 9:40am
Neras
It depends when you ask. I find that if you ask for more cash after the season ticket sales have come in, they're much more likely to say yes. Likewise for when the January window opens, I'll be asking again then. Also be selling a couple of players too though. Definitely need to get rid of Doyle as he gives away too many free kicks and gets too many cards. I'll take a look at that Drincic once I can free up some funds.
Grella and Beckford do great for me too but I wanted some cover and some players who could improve over the next few years. Cristaldo is still very young and already he's brilliant - scores a fair few goals and does amazingly as a supporting striker.
I've played 16 games, won 15 and drawn 1. Scored 36 goals and conceded 5. I'm happy with that.
Jun 17, 10 at 2:19am
U_Turn
I can't believe he gave you more money! They never give me more money! You really didn't need to buy a striker, Grella and Beckford are amazing in that league. I'm in the Premiership and Beckford is still my first choice striker. Although I really needed to strengthen because defensively and in goal I was so weak. So now I've got a Ghanaian 18 year old at left-back (regen), a Peruvian centre-back who's 19 (regen also), Jonathan Bottinelli from San Lorenzo, and at right-back I've bought Mikael Lustig. I needed my full-backs to be fast and good in the air, because I was always either getting beat for pace or crosses into the far post and getting beaten in the air. In goal I bought Oscar Ustari, I *bleep*ing love that guy, hence why I have an account named after him.
Look no further than Nikola Drincic for CM, he's a beast, he costs like £700k but is already good for the Premiership. He had a slow first season in league one for me but in the Championship he really came to life. I think in our promotion season he got an average rating of 7.6. In my premiership season he's injured for 4 months and my main midfield man, a wonderkid called Emilio Sancho (regen) has been getting minor injuries a lot recently, and Matic is out for 3 weeks
Good signing on getting Smithies in. I got rid of Doyle due to his wage costs, I never had Gradel and McSheffrey, even though my game is up to date. I don't know when I originally started this game though.
I turned to Rangers for John Fleck, he's been on a season long loan with me for the last 4 seasons, it's pointless buying him
Jun 16, 10 at 10:34pm
Neras
Got Marlon Harewood on loan and bought a DL called Steven Smith from Rangers, a DC called Marc Muniesa from Barcelona and an AM called Jacob Mellis from Chelsea. Then once all the season ticket sales had been done I asked Uncle Kenny for more money and bought a striker called Jonathan Cristaldo and another DC called Eli Sabia.
I rotate Sabia, Muniesa and Kisnorbo in defence, Smith and White at LB and Hughes and Crowe at RB (couldn't afford a better RB, I'll look at that during January transfer window). Using a DM called Hemdani (got him on a free) with Howson and Johnson/Doyle at MC (again want to find another MC to pair up with Howson). AM is Mellis and up front I have Cristaldo and Beckford. Rotating with Grella and Harewood. Got rid of McSheffrey because his wages were costing too much and I sold Becchio and a few others in the team.
Also managed to get a new GK called Alex Smithies who looks like he'll be really good in a few years. I'm paying for him over 48 months.
I may sell Gradel during the January window, don't really need AML/R now since my formation doesn't use them, the full backs push up the wings instead. I'm training Snoddy to be an AMC - he provides pretty good cover for Mellis so hopefully he'll be even better as he gets used to the position.
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