Widge Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Right so I said I wouldn't and to be perfectly honest I'm not sure how long or how often I'll be updating it, probably every 6 months or so, simply because I'm a. lazy and b. busy. Now in the past I've tried all sorts of challenges, travelling the globe, winning Champions Leagues, not this year, I'm going back to basics and I'll be starting of at my beloved saints, God knows why I'll just sell players I don't like and probably take it personally if I get sacked or lose. Still I'm beginning here and I'll see where it goes. I'll make this one promise, I'm here to sign youngsters and bring back club legends. So yeah there we go, that's the schpeel at the start, so I guess we'll get down to the nitty gritty part, like I said I'll be doing it in one big block of results, sack explaining and critiquing each individual match. If you want to see anything or know anything (In RandomGuys case, how to win with saints), then just ask away. So before I'd identified any targets I was already upon the Europa League qualifiers, a trip to Azerbaijan awaited us and we gave a great account of ourselves away from home, but almost blew it big time in the home leg, we were winning 3-0 for goodness sake and nearly ballsed it up. Alas we got through to face a tough team in Rio. Ave, we did the business at home, although the lose of 2 away goals was eventually our down fall. Apparently we were the favourites, aye ok then, they had players on 10/15k a week. Still I was proud of the team, we gave it a go and for all of 20 minutes, we were winning the tie in Portugal. So after that it afforded me a bit of a budget to bring in some players, as well as let some go out on loan. It was going to simply be youngsters in and out as far as I was concerned, since I was wanting to keep the squad together as far as possible, so in came Mitchell and Forrest as players with plenty of promise and hopefully they can get some game time and progress. The same goes for all the players who went out on loan, Brown, Easton, Kitchen and indeed Mitchell are all being watched very closely along with Chris Kane and Zander Clark, with a report coming in after each game. Now the other two players brought in were Peter "Peaso" MacDonald and Liam MacLeod. Now Peaso was released by Dundee and I suddenly faced a real life problem with saints, no fit strikers to play against Dundee United. He's also 4th choice and is cheap, so it's all good, since McFadden is the most stupidly unfit player to ever grace this game. He may have only played a few times, but he scored the winner in the Tayside derby, which was rather nice of him. Now for my major signing, I think everyone in Scotland will be going for him, he's a quality young player, plus he comes from right under the noses of Them!! It says 400k, it wasn't anywhere near that, it was only about 150k up front. Still he's a step up from my other midfielders and he's got the potential to be the best player in the league really. Plus his ability from outside the box has come in real handy as he's grabbed a few goals. So a dodgy start and a fair amount of injuries befell us, but we've fought back and went on cracking wee run, which has come from having a settles team and avoiding injuries. That said I've grown annoyed with McFadden, who was moaning about not playing, even though he starts every game when fit, which is basically never. Plus Lee Croft fell to Dundee's hacking, who incidentally injured 3 of my players in the one match. So he's out for 5 months, still it gives Lappin and O'Halloran a chance to prove their worth to me. So here's how it stands after the first round of games... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Good luck! No doubt youll do better than me, but lets see if you win a league title, a scottish cup and get a big move to england in the time i have.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Good luck! No doubt youll do better than me, but lets see if you win a league title, a scottish cup and get a big move to england in the time i have.... Aye ok, I'll just get relegated or sacked take over a team that couldn't lose the league!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Right so I've actually fired through a whole season, so I'll update you to just before the split takes place. Then dedicate a separate few posts to that. Now before I go any further I have to say, I'm really enjoying this game, the stupid high scores were definitely one offs and with this saints squad there is so much depth and quality. I'm also liking how stats don't tell the whole story in this game and that players with lower star ratings can potentially be better than they suggest, Simon Lappin being one of those I've got in mind, not the greatest stats, poor pace, etc and only rated 2.5 stars, but he's brilliant on the left hand side, so much so he's become first choice and I've not even gone looking to sign anyone in January. Actually the only thing that did happen in January, was that Chris Kane and Gavin Mitchell came back from their loans, Kane went into the first team and Mitchell also got a few games off the bench. So here's how the season is going... Some fantastic results in there, including a few life like runs of winning games. We're resolute, hard to beat and we can score goals from just about anywhere. There was a period whereby we drew 3 or 4 games on the spin after being 2 or 3, nil up and conceding last minute goals, see the Dundee 4-4 for example, 3-0 at half time and cruising, back to 3-3, we score, but bugger it up in the last minute. That said I cannot moan nor can I complain. The main positives in my mind are the form of Chris Kane and Wotherspoon. Kane came back from his loan and I gave him a chance, which he's seized, MacLean got injured (AGAIN!!!!) and Graham isn't mines, so I didn't feel obliged to play him before Kane, who has developed nicely. I'm even starting to question whether or not I need another senior striker next year. Then there's Spoony. He scores, he creates, he's a machine once more, he was always my best player last season. I'll also say I've extended all of the major contracts, plus side the likes of McFadden (I swithered) and Mannus took pay cuts, which was quite nice!! After all of that, here's how the table looks... Ohh yah bugger, clear in second. It's well beyond what I was hoping for, that said the board were clearly wanting it. It's a really close league, everyone can beat anyone and to be honest, I', not resting on my laurels for the games after the split, since I've no doubt we'll play poorly in some. ICT are our bogey team, haven't beaten them all season, same as Celtic. Plus Aberdeen are always hard away from home. Still we're there at the moment, let's hope it stays like that. Now there was also the small matter of a Scottish Cup semi final at Hampden to play. Our opponents, Hamilton Academical. Who much like saints the season before were searching for a first national trophy.... By no means a classic, that's for sure. In fact I'd probably say we were second best for quite a lot of the game. It was separated by a superb Lappin strike. He was fed the ball on the left and thumped it straight into the far top corner. It was probably the only decent piece of play in the whole game. Mannus bailed us out at times and they hit the bar in the last 10 minutes, but we held on and I don't think I ever thought we wouldn't. Now the only thing standing between back to back cup wins....... CELTIC!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I hate you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 I hate you. What formation did you use? I go 4-4-1-1, high tempo, close down, stop keeper passing it out, short passing, keep possession and play it out of defence. So long as I keep Frazer Wright away from the team that tactic works! Well that and when McFadden plays as an Engache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthsaint1977 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Pretty impressive stuff !!! Out of interest. Is there anything obvious I have missed with saints ?? Obviously january will see me needing to review everything. Any help would be appreciated. Players too highly rated ? Some needing reduced ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Pretty impressive stuff !!! Out of interest. Is there anything obvious I have missed with saints ?? Obviously january will see me needing to review everything. Any help would be appreciated. Players too highly rated ? Some needing reduced ?Not off the top of my head, other than the odd stat I'd change, but then that's always opinion. Plus you know about the Brown picture. I don't think any of saints players are to highly rated at all, if anything under-rated, but that hasn't exactly affected me.That said I though Thomas Reilly scoring 25 goals in the league was a bit much?? He had 12 in 5 to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthsaint1977 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Cheers for that.nearer time in January I will maybe get you to have scan over some stat adjustments based on season too date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Binos123sam Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Your just as good as me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Post-Split & Scottish Cup Final Right so the end of the season was on me, 5 post split games and then the big one the cup final. It wall about claiming second quickly enough as to enable me to rest my key players before the final. So we'd need to play well against the better teams and hopefully pick up points early on.... Ahhh that didn't exactly go according to plan. 3 away games and we conceded 11 without scoring ourselves. I'll admit to tinkering with the team at times, as to keep players fresh and avoid injury. Well that didn't actually work, so I'm claiming the defeats as my fault. Still did it matter in the end??? Nope, even after finishing the season with an horrific run of form, we still held on to second, since ICT went on a similarly crap run. It did mean that the teams all bunched up though and probably gives them extra encouragement for next season. That said so do I, Celtic aren't invincible, if I can start to beat them at home, then we may stand a chance, however I guess that depends on whether or not I make the groups in Europe, which is my new aim. Still a very satisfying season in the league, plenty of goals, need to tighten up a bit, but when all the teams are so closely matched, it does make it more difficult I guess. I'll show you the squad below and highlight my best players... So there the final stats are, ranked in order of ratings. Spoony tops the pile, but I'll come back to him. Of the players at my disposal, I'll give special mention to my centre-back pairing of Anderson and Scobbie. I even managed to put my personal differences aside and play Tam, who I'll admit played well next to Ando. Flanked by my ever reliable fullbacks. Macleod made a real difference in the middle, his debut season for us and his value has already rocketed, as are his already impressive stats. He formed a good partnership with Millar in the middle. If only he added a few more goals, but then again I can't complain as they're both really good bll players, which is what I needed. Then upfront Maclean and McFadden both chipped in and scored, as did Chris Kane when he came back, I'm expecting big things from him next season, although I've decided to go for another striker to help out as I've no doubt I'll hit injuries as usual. Now for Spoony, he was inspirational. Not only scroring goals, but he was my most creative player, impressive when he is in the same team as Faddy. I can go on about him highly enough, I've given him a new contract until 2018, but if he keeps at this he'll be getting Scotland caps and almost certainly start being courted by the better teams in England, indeed his form was so good he was given this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthsaint1977 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I have started two games with saints in two days and been sacked in both by end of September. Frustrating to the max !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itzdrk Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Stole Forrest and don't even use him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Don't think I forgot about the cup final did you. So here we go, here's how the teams lined up... Alas injuries had hit and I'd be missing my best midfielder in Macleod, which was a huge blow. Plus O'Halloran and McFadden only just passed their fitness tests, both were at a paltry 70% fitness. That said I was happy with the line up, what was the worst that could happen, we could only give it our best shot. Ahh well wasn't to be, beaten by the better team. And on that note, it's goodnight from me and goodnight from him, I'm away to get legless!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Your just as good as me Don't flatter yourself. I have started two games with saints in two days and been sacked in both by end of September. Frustrating to the max !!!!! Stick at it, I've always played the same basic formation and tactics, most seasons it works, this season it really works!!! I will say sign Macleod, use clauses and whatever you do don't play MacDonald. Plus use Faddy sparingly in games where it matters. If you want to see my tactic, feel free to ask. Stole Forrest and don't even use him I paid fair money for him, 15k was a fair price. Plus he's up against my best player for a place in my team, he's young, but beasting the under 20s, so chances are if he keeps improving he'll make my squad next season. He's still rated at 4.5 stars, which is surprise, here's hoping he comes good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Binos123sam Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Wow don't flatter myself I took a recently relegated team who had lost several key players had only two centre backs no back up keepers no left backs and the majority of the squad disapointed about me being the manager then when I did make signings they were shit bar one(who is injured) a defence who have only 3 clean sheets in november and are top of the league by 8 points Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Wow don't flatter myself I took a recently relegated team who had lost several key players had only two centre backs no back up keepers no left backs and the majority of the squad disapointed about me being the manager then when I did make signings they were shit bar one(who is injured) a defence who have only 3 clean sheets in november and are top of the league by 8 points And just how many times did you save it? That was waaaaaaaay too easy!! Who knew someone would think I was serious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Grass Is Greener. Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Wow don't flatter myself I took a recently relegated team who had lost several key players had only two centre backs no back up keepers no left backs and the majority of the squad disapointed about me being the manager then when I did make signings they were shit bar one(who is injured) a defence who have only 3 clean sheets in november and are top of the league by 8 points I cant believe how good you are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1875 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Wow don't flatter myself I took a recently relegated team who had lost several key players had only two centre backs no back up keepers no left backs and the majority of the squad disapointed about me being the manager then when I did make signings they were shit bar one(who is injured) a defence who have only 3 clean sheets in november and are top of the league by 8 points ^^^^ FM Master Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YassinMoutaouakil Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Wow don't flatter myself I took a recently relegated team who had lost several key players had only two centre backs no back up keepers no left backs and the majority of the squad disapointed about me being the manager then when I did make signings they were shit bar one(who is injured) a defence who have only 3 clean sheets in november and are top of the league by 8 pointsYou sound well shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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