Welcome back to year twelve of the Alabama Slammers Franchise Report! Here are the links to the previous versions if you want to catch up (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031). Go ahead and grab some popcorn, this is a long one.
We had another great season last year, followed by another disappointing playoff exit. I like where the franchise is at though. We have great fan interest/loyalty, talent at every level of the organization, and no bad contracts. We’re probably going to have to part with a few key contributors this offseason, but that’s bound to happen when you have as much talent as we do. With a few smart moves, we should push closer to a title this year.
As with the previous versions, I’ll list the moves I made, the rationale behind those moves, the season results, and the future outlook.
Here are the salaries heading into the offseason.
\Unless stated otherwise, all players were re-signed to their one-year arbitration estimate*
Departures (non-trades):
Edwin Aguirre
Aguirre spent some time in the majors last year when Romo was injured but wasn’t needed this season. He’s entering minor league free agency, and I don’t think he’s worth keeping on the 40-man, so he probably won’t be back.
Josh Berkner
Berkner got three shots in the majors and didn’t do much with his opportunities, so I decided to give someone else a chance. He spent the year in AAA.
Tim Mehler
Mehler is great defensively but just can’t cut it at the plate. He was out of options, so I let him leave as a free agent. He signed a minor league deal with the Rockies.
Move #1:
Signed Ali Sanchez to a 2/$3m extension. The second year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
This move isn’t very exciting, but don’t worry, things will heat up below.
Move #2:
Slammers Receive: Luis Godoy, $6.4m Cash
Brewers Receive: Robby Teeter, Sean Whiteman
This move kills three birds with one stone. I cashed out on Teeter while his value was still high, cleared some of the starting pitcher logjam, and added an elite power hitter. Also, the departure of Teeter allows us the ability to build a more versatile roster, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.
The Brewers are winning this trade from a straight value perspective, but I’m no longer in the business of trying to win trades. I’m trying to win championships. You can collect all the assets and value contracts in the world, but at the end of the day, you need top end talent to win at the highest level – and Godoy provides that. He has questionable character, but I should have enough leadership to counter his selfish ways.
Move #3:
Slammers Receive: Edgar Sanchez, Bryn Hill, Caleb Gunther, Omar Taborda, Tim Brackman
Athletics Receive: Chris West
West might have more potential than any pitcher in the league, but I felt the opportunity to acquire Sanchez was too great to pass up. He’s an elite defender, above average offensively, has durable injury proneness, and has great character. He could anchor the middle of my infield for the next ten years. West might win the next five Cy Youngs, but I’m betting against that considering his low work ethic and the general injury proneness of pitchers.
Then to make the deal even better, the Athletics threw in an assortment of high character minor leaguers. There might not be a single player in the bunch that makes the majors, but they’ll at least help provide a better environment for other guys.
Move #4:
Slammers Receive: Bob Banks, $3m Cash
Angels Receive: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Why am I getting rid of Tatis for a low-level minor leaguer with a 5% chance of making the majors? You’ll find out when you get to move number six.
The Angels signed Tatis to a 5/$237.5m extension about a week after the trade. I don’t see any way that deal ends well for them.
Move #5:
Slammers Receive: Alan McCarter
Rays Receive: Josh Epps, $1.1m Cash
At surface level, this trade doesn’t make much sense either, but I needed to clear Epps $10m arbitration estimate for next season. I think Epps is what he is at this point and I’m really not that worried about losing him. MacCarter is a good reliever and replaces Epps as the team prankster.
Move #6:
Signed free agent Willie Vega to a 7/$190m deal. The last year is a team option with a $2m buyout.
This is the driving force behind moves five and six. I fully intended to move on from Vega at the start of the offseason, but after looking at my roster at the start of free agency, I decided he was irreplaceable. He provides gold glove defense, above average offense, and hits from the left side of the plate, which makes balancing lineups much easier. I could’ve had him for much cheaper if I decided to commit last year but this is the price of my indecision.
His deal is heavily front loaded and should be movable if things don’t go well later in the contract.
Move #7 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3):
Slammers Receive: $13.7m Cash
Slammers Lose: Joe Stadler, Randy Macke, Nesty Luna
Nothing much to see here, just your annual “prospects for cash” trades. Macke is a solid player but was rule 5 eligible and I didn’t want to waste a 40-man roster spot on him.
Move #8:
Slammers Receive: $1m Cash
Dodgers Receive: Cooper Benson, Sam Lauderdale, Kade Grundy
This is just a salary dump. I have enough depth now there’s really no point in keeping Benson and Lauderdale around. I threw in Grundy to get some extra cash.
Final Financial Situation:
We have about $27m in budget room to start the year, so should be able to finish the season in the green, but I’ll probably trade a few more prospects to get closer to completing the owner goal of finishing with a balance of $20m. I’m also boosting ticket prices from $35 to $40, so that should help as well.
Here are the salaries heading into the season.
Season Outlook:
I’m very interested to see how this season turns out. We’ve been cruising along the past 2-3 years with the same core roster but really shook things up this offseason. I think these moves put us in a better position to win now and in the future, but there’s always the concern I’m just making moves out of boredom. Here are the five things I’m most curious about heading into the season:
1.) Can Vega provide close to what he’s provided the past few years? I didn’t give him that contract in anticipation of him becoming the next Barry Bonds, I just want him to keep doing what he’s doing. If he can do that for another three years, I’ll be happy.
2.) Is MacDonald really a top of the line starting pitcher? He was the best reliever in the league last year and his trade value is sky high. Every team I traded with this offseason valued him as my second-best asset after Chris West. His overall rating is really good, but I’m concerned about his lack of stuff and questionable stamina/hold runners combo.
3.) How does the offense perform after losing our 3-4 hitters from last season? I know I replaced one of them with Godoy, but players tend to struggle when first joining a new team, and we don’t have a second premier middle of the order bat. We’ll mostly be doing an offense by committee approach.
4.) Can Hines handle a full-time starting role? With the departure of Tatis, I’m moving Bernal to third base and starting Hines at first. He’s not a traditional first baseman but he played well last year and has an efficient ratings profile. I’ll be happy if he provides league average offense.
5.) How will the Hopper/Muntner DH platoon fare? Hopper should be an elite leadoff man vs. RHP and Muntner should be solid vs. LHP. I’m hoping Hopper can play a full season if he doesn’t have to play in the field.
If things go well, we should win another 100+ games and make a strong push at a title.
Batters:
Primary Lineup vs. RHP and vs. LHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues, lineup vs. RHP listed below)*
DH – Jeff Hopper
Other than a day-to-day injury to end the year, Hopper stayed healthy the entire season and played really well. He had an OBP of .370 and provided exactly what I wanted from the leadoff spot. He should be back in the same role next year.
3B – Ernesto Bernal
I forgot to mention above, but Bernal signed a 5/$110m in the offseason. He’s an all-star, has high character, durable injury proneness, and is in the prime of his career, so it made a lot of sense to bring him back at this price. He’s been with the organization for ten years and it would be really cool to have him around for ten more.
He moved from first to third base this season and made his third all-star team.
RF – Luis Godoy
Godoy didn’t have the type of year I expected but was still really good. He was an all-star starter and put up 5.1 WAR in just 128 games. I expect him to be much better next season after having a full year to adjust to his new team.
He missed the last month of the year with a sprained thumb, but he should be fine going forward.
LF – Marcus Flakes
Flakes isn’t the second middle of the order bat I dreamed about as a kid, but he did well in the role, hitting 41 home runs and driving in 101 runs. He still has one more year on a minimum scale deal, so he’ll definitely return.
SS – Willie Vega
Willie Vega: The Fifty Million Dollar Man – That doesn’t really sound appropriate for a guy with 4.6 WAR, but I’m actually very happy with what he did. Him and Sanchez formed an unreal middle infield defensive combo, which resulted in this (major spoilers for the pitcher section).
We’re not out of the woods yet with his contract but I think we’ll be good if he performs well again next year. At the end of next season, he’ll only have 4/$87m guaranteed remaining, which should be moveable if need be.
2B – Edgar Sanchez
I didn’t realize how much Epps was holding us back defensively until Sanchez came to town. He won his third gold glove and was a huge part of the reason we had a team ERA under 3. His offense was average, but I could see that getting much better the next few seasons.
1B – Jonathan Hines
I was hoping Hines would be a league average hitter, and he fell just short of that. I’ll upgrade in the offseason if the right player is available but I’m not going to break the bank. Not every player has to be an all-star.
CF – Joey Hudson
Hudson had a great year and is really starting to establish himself as one of the better center fielders in the league. He probably deserves to bat higher in the order next season, but I might wait for his baserunning to improve just a bit more.
C – Drew Romo
It’s been a long time coming, but Romo finally won his first gold glove. He’s been the best defensive catcher in the game for a while, but I don’t play my guys enough to easily rack up awards. I’d rather have them available for the playoffs.
He’s an upcoming free agent and his offense is falling off a cliff, but I’m probably going to bring him back. If things go poorly, I’ll replace him midseason.
Bench
C – Ali Sanchez
I don’t expect much from my backup catcher, and Sanchez doesn’t provide much, so I guess everyone was happy with the way his season turned out. I think I’m going to decline his team option and go with the guy that replaced him while he was injured.
IF – Manny Monzon
Monzon keeps the middle infield defense elite while the starters rest but doesn’t do much on offense. I might give someone else a shot next year.
OF – Josh Muntner
Muntner served as the primary DH vs. LHP and backed up left and right field against RHPs. He started in 99 games and really didn’t do much with his opportunity, so I guess I was one for two with my DH platoon experiment.
Replacements
C – Danny Wells
Wells filled in for six weeks when Sanchez was injured and didn’t do much worse than the vet. I’m probably going to let him have the backup catcher role next season.
OF – Mike Startzel
Startzel played well last year but I decided to replace him with a right-handed bat. He was called up when Godoy was injured and started the last month of the year in right field.
Pitchers:
Pitching Staff when Healthy
SP – Pat Dibartolo
Dibartolo had another great year, making his third all-star team and finishing fourth in the Cy Young voting. I would love to keep him around until he retires but his ratings have started to slip slightly, and I don’t think he’ll last too long into his thirties. I’ll bring him back for his last arbitration season, then let him walk as a free agent.
SP – Gilles Palacios
Palacios has come a long way since I traded for him in 2028. He was the all-star game starter and won his first Cy Young. I’ll look to sign him long-term in the offseason.
SP – Corey MacDonald
I wasn’t sure if MacDonald was good enough to be a top-of-the-line starter, but there’s no doubt about it now – he’s one of the top pitchers in baseball. He made his second all-star game, threw two complete game shutouts, won the pitcher of the month award in June, won the gold glove award, and finished third in the Cy Young voting. With his high character and durability, he should be a good player for a long time.
SP – Josh Sheppard
Sheppard was the fourth member of our golden pitcher quartet. He made the all-star game and finished second in the Cy Young voting.
SP – Jonathan Kelsey
Kelsey was decent but I had to demote him in June to make room for my number one prospect. He was called back up when rosters expanded and we went to a six-man rotation.
RP – Chris Ryan
I mentioned a few years ago that pitchers with Ryan’s profile never seem to reach their potential and it seems like Ryan has followed suit. He’s a solid player but nowhere near as good as his 70 potential suggested a few years back.
RP – Steve Bacon
Bacon really didn’t pitch enough to properly evaluate. We’ll probably go to an eight-man bullpen next season, and if Bacon is a member of it, we can properly evaluate him then.
RP – Alan McCarter
McCarter was really good and looks like he has the potential to be even better. Hopefully, his control rounds out next season.
RP – Danny Ibarra
Ibarra finally gave up his dream of being a starter and accepted his role in the bullpen. He posted almost identical stats as last year and I hope he does the same next season.
RP – Justus Evans
I wasn’t a big fan of Evans ratings profile but decided to give him a shot since he dominated in AAA last year. He was pretty underwhelming in limited appearances, and probably deserves another look, but he’ll be changing positions next season. Somehow, I didn’t notice he has great batting ratings, especially against lefties, so he’ll be the other half of the DH platoon I’ve been looking for. It’s too bad I disabled two-way players because it’d be nice to have him available as a pitcher in emergencies.
RP – Mike Ruhs
Ruhs is nothing special but he’s cheap and healthy, so he’ll be back next year.
RP – Joe McKinney
McKinney is my favorite kind of reliever. He has all the ratings of an elite starting pitcher, minus the stamina. He dominated for the second straight season and will be back again next year.
RP – Tommy Noonan
Noonan had an FIP of 1.98 and made his first all-star team, but somehow received zero reliever of the year votes. I really don’t see how this is possible since he’s probably the most feared pitcher in all of baseball. He strikes out half the batters he faces, and 60% of those that put the ball in play are hitting it on the ground to the Vega/Sanchez death wall. The voters need to show him some more respect next year.
RP – Glen Alcorn
I took a flier on Alcorn despite his history of back injuries and he’s paid off in a big way. He had an FIP of 1.86 and won the reliever of the year award. He wants to be a starter but there’s no way he’d survive a full season with his health issues.
Replacements
SP – Andy Schaffer
Schaffer was whitewashing AA early in the year, so I had no choice but to call him up. He pitched great in his 21 starts in the majors and might’ve given me a clean top five in the Cy Young voting if he pitched a full season.
Season Results:
We continued to put a stranglehold on the division, building a 20-game lead by the halfway point, then cruising the rest of the way. We locked up first place with 22 games remaining, making that our seventh division crown in nine years.
This year wasn’t about the regular season though. We’ve had multiple disappointing early round playoff exits the last few years and I’m hoping to break through and win our second title. We doubled down on pitching and defense and made sure to keep everyone as fresh as possible during the regular season.
Our injury prevention plan went great for the most part. We had zero pitchers and only two batters spend time on the IL, and one of those batters was a 34-year-old. Unfortunately, one of the batters to miss extended time was the one guy I could least afford to lose. Luis Godoy sprained his thumb in early September and was out through the first round of the playoffs. What luck.
Startzel started at RF in place of Godoy to start the playoffs, and Hudson moved up to the number three spot in the lineup. I’m not crazy about either of these options, but it’s the best we’ve got. We went with a playoff rotation of MacDonald, Palacios, Dibartolo, and Schaffer, and moved Sheppard and Kelsey to the bullpen. Justus and Bacon were left off the playoff roster.
Our first-round matchup was against the 90-72 Rockies. Their only real player of note was Steve Delaney, but he looks like the kind of guy that can swing a series. Then their offense was balanced and deep, with most players having 55+ home run power. We have more talent, but anything can happen at Coors..
Divisional Series Game 1, Slammers Win 4-2 – We started off strong in game one, getting a combined 15 Ks over nine innings from MacDonald, Noonan, and Alcorn. Then Flakes led the way on offense with 3 RBIs. The game was tied most of the way until his go ahead single in the bottom of the eighth.
Divisional Series Game 2, Slammers Win 9-2 – The pitching staff put together another great outing in game two, with Palacios, Alcorn, and Sheppard combining for 15 Ks over nine innings. Flakes led the way on offense with another 3 RBIs.
Divisional Series Game 3, Slammers Win 5-2 – I was worried their offense would come to life at Coors but we were able to keep them at bay and win our third straight game. This time it was Dibartolo, Noonan, and McKinney combining for a dominant pitching performance, with 13 Ks over nine innings. Everyone chipped in on offense to produce five runs.
Divisional Series Game 4, Rockies Win 8-7 (12) – I knew it was bound to happen at some point and it finally did – the Rockies offense came to life. Alcorn and McKinney both blew save opportunities and Ibarra gave up a walk-off homer in the bottom of the twelfth. Flakes continued his hot series with another 4 RBIs.
Divisional Series Game 5, Rockies Win 5-1 – The Rockies continued their offensive surge, taking MacDonald deep three times in four innings. Then Delaney gave them six innings of one run ball. The Rockies have momentum but we’re heading back home with the Cy Young winner scheduled to start game six. I think we’ll be fine.
Divisional Series Game 6, Slammers Win 8-2 – Palacios gave up a two-run shot in the first, then him, Ryan, and Kelsey combined for 13 Ks and 0 ER the rest of the way. Flakes was hot again, launching two three-run homers.
I was worried our offense would stall out without Godoy, but Flakes put the team on his back, winning series MVP behind his 5 home runs and 17 RBIs. We held serve at home and stole one on the road, with our pitching dominating in each of the wins. Godoy is set to return for game one of the NLCS, so I like our odds the rest of the way.
Our next opponent is the 100-62 Nationals. They have the second-best record in baseball and a very talented team. Their offense is led by MVP Doug Bridges and future hall of famer Juan Soto, and the pitching staff features stud starters Clay McAuley and Fabricio Tertlio. This looks like the de facto title series.
NLCS Game 1, Slammers Win 7-3 – Godoy made up for lost time in game one, going 3-5 with two homers and 4 RBIs. Then the pitching was solid with great performances from the usual suspects. Dibartolo, Noonan, and Alcorn combined for 11 Ks and 3 ERs over nine innings.
NLCS Game 2, Slammers Win 3-1 – Schaffer pitched a gem, giving us seven innings and only allowing one run. Then McKinney came in and closed it down with a two inning save. Godoy hit another homer, while Romo and Hines both had run scoring singles.
NLCS Game 3, Slammers Win 3-2 (14) – Whew, what a game. MacDonald and McAuley both went 6.1 innings and gave up two runs, with the last of those coming in the bottom of the seventh. Then no one scored again until the top of the fourteenth when Sanchez hit a go-ahead solo homer. Noonan, Alcorn, McKinney, and Ibarra combined for 7.2 scoreless innings in relief and Godoy hit another two-run homer.
NLCS Game 4, Slammers Win 7-2 – This one was over early. We knocked out their starter in the first and cruised the rest of the way. Palacios and Sheppard combined for 9 innings and 2 ERs, and everyone chipped in on offense.
We made a huge statement with this series. The Nationals thought they were on the same level as us, but we eviscerated them. Godoy won series MVP with his four home runs and eight RBIs.
Up next is the 93-69 Red Sox, led by veteran starting pitcher Nate Pearson. They have a deep and balanced team, but nothing that should give us too many issues. We made a key trade with them last year that netted us Alcorn and Ibarra, while sending out Chang-Hyeok Kim. I bet they wish they could undo that one.
World Series Game 1, Slammers Win 3-2 – Game one was a pitching duel between Pearson and Dibartolo, with Dibartolo coming out on top. Dibartolo, Noonan, and Alcorn combined for 14 Ks and 2 ERs over nine innings. Hopper hit a two-run home run and Godoy continued his hot streak with another solo shot.
World Series Game 2, Slammers Win 6-2 – The pitching came through again with Schaffer, McKinney, and Ruhs combing for 10 Ks and 2 ERs in nine innings. Things are looking good after two games.
World Series Game 3, Red Sox Win 10-8 – Some people say a series doesn’t start until the road team wins a game, so maybe we’re still waiting for this one to kick off. The Red Sox roughed up our pitchers and we lost a shootout late.
World Series Game 4, Slammers Win 7-2 – The pitching got back on track in game four with Palacios and Ryan teaming up to allow 2 ERs over nine innings. Flakes had four hits and Bernal drove in three runs.
World Series Game 5, Red Sox Win 7-5 – Godoy had a huge game, going 3-3 with 2 home runs, a triple, 2 walks, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, but it wasn’t enough for the victory. The Red Sox got to Dibartolo early and we could never climb back. We’re heading back home and looking to close out the series in game six.
World Series Game 6, Slammers Win 11-4 – We scored early and often and took game six in convincing fashion. Godoy provided another 3 RBIs and Schaffer did enough to win. Noonan and Kelsey closed out the last three innings.
After five long years we’re World Series champs once again! Godoy had another huge series and won World Series MVP, capping off an amazing postseason run (seriously, check this out).
This wasn’t as action packed as our 2027 title run, but I enjoyed it just as much. It was very satisfying watching our pitching and defense squeeze the life out of teams. We had a team ERA of 3.32 over 16 games, which is pretty impressive considering we were playing the best teams in the league. The starters were all excellent and the bullpen was lights out. I bet other teams got tired of seeing “Slammers SP – 6.2 IP, 2 ER; Slammers RP 1 – 1.1 IP, 0 ER, Slammers RP 2 – 1 IP 0 ER.” It was like clockwork.
Noonan, Alcorn, and McKinney were particularly impressive. Noonan had an FIP of 0.62 in seven appearances and struck out 23 of the 43 batters he faced. McKinney had an FIP of 0.95 in 9.2 innings and only allowed 6 baserunners. Then Alcorn allowed zero runs in five of his seven appearances. I don’t think I would swap these guys for any other relievers in the league.
From everything I’ve written above, it’s pretty obvious that we won this championship with pitching and defense, so I think it’s worth mentioning Vega’s contract again. $50m for 4.6 WAR is terrible value but it’s not always about that. It’s about getting the right players for your team, regardless of how valuable their contracts are. It’s really easy to get caught up in trying to win the $/WAR game, but they don’t give out championships for that – they only give out World Series titles.
Here are the rest of the playoff results and MLB standings.
Also, I usually don’t mention minor league records since I don’t think they’re overly important, but we had all of our minor league teams finish with a winning record this season. Good job everyone!
Top Prospects:
We’ve turned in to a starting pitching factory. I can’t get guys to free agency quick enough to make room for the new guys coming up. This is a good problem to have, but I wish I could do as well with developing batters. It just seems so much harder to identify top position players outside of the top ten in the draft, and I can’t develop them as well either. Either way though, the farm is in great shape and should continue to be for years to come.
1.) Eddie Copping
Copping might not have the highest upside on the list but he’s the safest bet to make the majors. He had a great year in AA, winning pitcher of the year, and his ratings are pretty much major league ready. He’ll probably start next year at AAA since I have a logjam of starting pitchers.
2.) Chris Dearborn
Dearborn has great character, durability, and ratings across the board. He had a good year in A- and will contend for Cy Young awards one day if he reaches his full potential.
3.) Alex Rivera
Rivera’s offensive potential has regressed since last year, but his defensive ratings improved. He struggled in A, so will repeat the level next year. Hopefully, I didn’t cause any permanent damage to his development by promoting him too early.
4.) Jose Gutierrez
Gutierrez had a monster year in rookie ball and saw his ratings progress nicely since last season. If his catcher ability can make it to 65-70, he’ll be my starting catcher one day.
5.) Chris Brown
Brown was my first-round selection in this year’s draft. He has below average stamina and hold runners, but all of his other potential ratings are elite. He performed well in rookie ball, but I might give him another year there to improve his control.
6.) Chris Larkin
Larkin continued his steady ascent through the system, posting a good year in A+ and seeing his ratings improve since last season. He’ll start next year in AA and should be ready for the majors sooner than later.
7.) Edwin Mireles
Mireles had a solid year in A+ but missed a lot of time to injury. He’ll start next season in AA, but I won’t hesitate to trade him if the right deal comes along.
Here are his ratings from last season.
8.) Bobby Butler
I still don’t trust Butler and his normal injury proneness, but his talent is undeniable. His ratings have improved across the board since last season and he looks ready for promotion to AA. Like Mireles, I’ll trade him if the right deal comes along.
9.) Luis Arguello
If you’ve been paying close attention, you might’ve noticed Arguello is the fourth starting pitcher in the top nine from the 2030 draft. He doesn’t have the same upside as the other guys but he’s a pretty safe bet to be a back of the rotation starter, and if his movement improves, he could be elite. He’ll start next season at A+.
10.) Josh McBride
McBride’s skills have rounded out since last year and he looks ready for the majors. I doubt he’ll ever be a star, but there’s definitely value in a guy that can competently play eight positions.
Honorable mentions:
Joe Poffenberger
Poffenberger looks like the real deal but I’m always skeptical of guys with normal injury proneness and no positive character attributes. He’ll start next season at A, and we’ll find out more about him there.
Omar Taborda
I would’ve been foaming at the mouth to get Taborda in the starting lineup a few years ago but Vega and Sanchez have the middle infield on lock for the next several seasons. He might replace Monzon as the utility infielder next year, but it probably makes more sense to trade him while his value is highest.
Steve Flores
Flores made the list two years ago due to a lack of better options, but I think he’s a legitimate prospect now. He might not ever bat his weight, but he could be one of the greatest defensive shortstops of all time. I’m hoping his high character allows his offensive skills to improve the next few years.
Ray Zaragoza
I had every intention of trading Zaragoza after his season ending injury last year but there really wasn’t much interest in him. Unfortunately, he suffered another season ending injury in his first game back this year, so I doubt there will be any more interest in him now. I think I’m going to force start him as a reliever so he has a chance to make the majors in some capacity.
Promoted to MLB:
Andy Schaffer
Dropped from list:
Josh Boston
So, a low character guy is fizzling out, guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Here are his ratings from last year.
Future Outlook:
We’re in amazing position going forward. We just won the World Series, have the top four Cy Young award vote getters, have the ability to bring back everyone, and could probably even bring in another MVP caliber player. Then for good measure, we also have a great farm system. The rest of division is looking up in awe.
So, where do we go from here? It’s really fun racking up championships but it can get kind of boring after a while. I know I don’t have enough titles to be complaining about boredom yet, but we look like we’re trending in that direction. I’m thinking about making some league wide adjustments to shake things up. Here are the changes I’m considering this offseason:
1.) Re-align the Divisions
I loved the rivalry with the Braves when I first started the franchise, but we’ve kind of got our foot on their necks at the moment, and I don’t see them getting back up anytime soon. We’ve established such a strong position in the division it’s almost impossible for them to make the playoffs, and with every passing year their fan interest/loyalty gets worse and the gap between us and them only grows larger. The Cardinals are in a similar situation, and the Marlins might as well be a minor league team.
I’m thinking about re-aligning the divisions based on winning percentages from the last twelve years, putting the top four teams in one division, the next four teams in another, and so on. This would give teams like the Marlins a chance to make the playoffs and make it where teams like ours can’t put a long-term strangle hold on a division. I could re-align every ten years or so to make sure no one gets too strong of a position.
2.) Expand the Playoffs
This is the simplest change I could make but the one I like least. We currently have 32 teams in the league and eight of them make the playoffs, so it really feels like an accomplishment to make it and the playoff bracket sets up perfectly. If we added two wildcards to each division, we’d need to give two teams in each conference a bye, which isn’t somethings I’m crazy about doing. Then if we added four wildcards, or let the top two from each division qualify, it would really diminish the regular season. I seriously doubt I go this route.
3.) Eliminate Divisions
This is an appealing option, but I’ve had issues with it in the past. Basically, it becomes too easy to make the playoffs because you don’t have to worry about a juggernaut appearing in your division. If there’s a 110-win team in the league, who cares, you’ll still make the playoffs with 100 wins, so you can really let off the gas during the regular season. I might give it another try though.
4.) Expand the League
This is mostly a temporary solution, but it could make things more difficult in the short term. I have way too many players to protect in an expansion draft, so would definitely lose some depth. I might do this along with re-alignment, but it’s not a permanent balancing solution.
5.) Add Promotion and Relegation
I think this is the best route to giving everyone a chance at winning but it would require some pretty radical changes to the league. Here are some of the things I would have to figure out: Who starts out in the lower league? Do I introduce expansion teams at the same time? How many teams make the playoffs? How many teams are promoted/relegated each year? How do I do the financials? Then there are probably another thirty things I haven’t thought of yet. This is probably what I should do, but I don’t know if I’m ready to make that leap yet.
Here is the budget and salaries heading into the offseason.

02/11/20 - Premier League - Leeds United vs Leicester City - Pre-Match Thread

What if... One-club men lived forever

The year is 2017. Top scientists have finally cracked the ability to stop ageing, and the world rejoices. The discovery prompts an immediate FIFA investigation into exactly what this means for world football from now on. How will the careers come and go when every team can just preserve their best stars? How will the next Messi break through? The Qatar FA suggest restricting it to only Qatari players, a motion that's only narrowly defeated. In unrelated news, a bunch of mysterious Qatari bank accounts are seized the day before the vote. Eventually, a compromise is decided upon between. Only those players who’ve proven themselves to be in it for the sport, and their team, can use it. The players who have stuck with their team through thick and thin, who’ve turned down bigger money offers to stay where they are. One-Club Men. However, should their loyalty ever waiver, and they choose to leave, those players will lose their right to an everlasting career, and have to face the advance years once again. Who will remain loyal the longest? Who will ride out the lowest of lows to stay at their lifelong club?
Unfortunately for those of you hoping I’ve found a secret miracle, that’s just the best nonsense I could come up with to frame this scenario. In less dramatic terms, using FM 2017, I'm going to select 50 one-club men from the top 5 leagues and de-age them to around 22. Every 5 years I'll de-age them down to 22 again, unless they abandon their loyalty. I'll also be adjusting everyone's contract to expire in 2020 to make it equal, and undoing international retirements where necessary. Nothing overly complicated, but I’m expecting this one to run a long long time if I’m going to have everyone leave, so I’m good with it not being too complicated.
^Reddit ^side ^note! ^It's ^me ^again. ^Some ^may ^remember ^my ^experiments ^from ^ages ^ago. ^I'm ^back ^and ^writing ^again, ^but ^as ^you ^can ^probably ^tell, ^with ^a ^new ^name ^and ^website. ^If ^you ^want ^to ^see ^this ^post ^with ^much ^better ^formatting, ^all ^the ^images, ^and ^everyone's ^profile ^at ^the ^end, ^go ^here ^to ^read ^it ⁱⁿ ^full: ^link ^You ^can ^stay ^here ^if ^you ^prefer ^though!
So who actually qualifies for this? I've restricted it to players from the Top 5 leagues of England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France, and only included those that have been at their clubs the longest. As well as the genuine candidates like Messi and Totti, loaned out players like Lahm qualify, as do those like Iniesta who haven't left in FM 2017, and even those that have left in-game, but are known for their careers at one club. Buffon is a good example of the latter. I've included a link to an image with all 5 players here: link
With all this loyalty around, I wanted to mix it up a bit by adding in one final player. Someone completely opposite to everyone picked so far, the anti-one-club man, the journeyman of all journeymen. And after some research, I came up with the perfect candidate. Sebastián Abreu, a man who in his career has played at an impressive 29 different teams in 11 different countries, setting a Guinness world record along the way. Abreu will receive the same treatment as the loyal players, except it won’t stop when he moves team. I want him to move around more, spread his wings, see how many teams he can collect over an illustrious career.
That’s enough explaining for now. Should be pretty clear what’s going on, just a bunch of footballers never getting old. Time to get things rolling and see who eliminates themselves. Who can stick it out the longest, who will become THE one-club man?

2016/17

With our younger one club men unleashed on the world, many of them attract instant attention from new clubs. For a while it stays quiet and looks like the first transfer window may pass without incident. Only a few loans crop up... until Javi López because the first man to fall. With Espanyol not meeting his standards, he makes a £2.4M trip down the coast to join Valencia. He proves to be the only summer casualty by the time the window slams shut.
January brings the winter window, and the Premier League clubs start to sniff around, ready to throw bags of cash at unsuspecting players. It doesn’t take long before the next two players are reeled in by money and lose their eternal youth. First Marcel Schmelzer in a £20.5M move to Liverpool, followed by Bruno joining moneybags Man City. By the end of the window, Nacho also heads to the north of England, joining rivals Man United. I’m not sure if any of them have realised how damn cold it is up there. That window swiftly ends, settling the bottom 4 finishers in the competition.
Returning to the world of actual football results briefly, and there aren’t many shocks to be seen. Man City finish 6th, Everton get relegated and Borussia Mönchengladbach reach the Champions League Semi-Finals. A few players see their team relegated, as Werder Bremen, Caen and Freiburg go down, so there could be a few casualties once that disappointment has set in. But all in all, the footballing world has coped just fine.
Loyal Players Remaining: 46
Abreu Club Count: 23 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: None

2017/18

With everyone’s transfer budgets warmed up, it doesn’t take long for the action to get back underway. The previous season has barely finished before Chris Solly trades in his morals for a Premier League move to Norwich. Sergio Álvarez joins him in England, making the slightly odd move to Bournemouth before a big £52M move sees Koke trade loyalty for a big move to Man City. That’s the most surprising move so far, as I expected many of the players at top clubs to stick around. The final two transfers of the window take us to sunny Spain, where both Xabi Prieto and Mario become massive glory hunters, trading in their life long clubs for Atletico Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Javi López, having left Espanyol to join Valencia last year, immediately realises his mistake and rejoins Espanyol. It’s too little too late though, his status as a one-club man is already ruined.
The winter window comes and goes without even a hint of action, so things may already be starting to quieten down. Over in Brazil, Sebastián Abreu has his contract with Bangu come to an end after a good season but fails to attract any new suitors before the European season ends.
Around the world, things keep ticking on relatively normally. Watford take a surprising FA Cup win despite finishing rock bottom of the league, meaning they’ll have European nights alongside their Championship campaign. The loyalty of Seube, Höfler and Bargfrede is rewarded, as Caen, Bremen and Freiburg are immediately promoted back to the top tier. Las Palmas head in the opposite direction, which causes David García to hand in an immediate transfer request. The Spaniard could very well be the next player to go.
Loyal Players Remaining: 41
Abreu Club Count: 23 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Watford (FA Cup)

2018/19

My suggestion that things may be quietening down is immediately disproved by the biggest move so far. Bayern Munich legend Philipp Lahm makes a huge £82M transfer to Manchester City, throwing away all he’d built up at Bayern so far. But it doesn't end there, as 2 more huge transfers are finalised right after. First Claudio Marchisio drops Juventus, clearly not happy with them losing the title to AC Milan, and moves to Real Madrid. Then Daniele De Rossi trades in Roma for Barcelona. Whilst both have moved in real life, I didn’t expect either to fall so early in this, being icons at such huge clubs. A little later, David García makes his predicted move away from relegated Las Palmas, opting to stay in Spain with Osasuna. And then on the final day of the window, one last move. David Zurutuza decides the Premier League is more to his taste and joins Noble at West Ham. Javi López continues his tour of Spain, realising rejoining Espanyol doesn’t earn him back everlasting youth, and so heads to Sevilla instead. Currently, he’s moved around more than the specific journeyman player I chose to actually move around. Talking of, Abreu does find a new contract, heading back to Uruguay to join River Plate Montevideo.
The winter transfer window is again mostly quiet, with very little potential action. There are still some transfers though, as Robin Knoche becomes the 15th person out, heading to Borussia Dortmund. Then a legend moves on, as Iker Casillas decides that barely getting any game time behind Keylor Navas isn’t worth it, and so joins Monaco for a mere £11M. I guess you can't escape the real world after all.
The summer of 2018 means a World Cup, a tournament which regularly creates bizarre results in Football Manager. This year is no exception, as the likes of Italy, Belgium and Argentina fall in the group stages, before South Korea beat both Germany and France in the knockouts. The final between Brazil and Croatia proves 100% less heartbreaking than the real 2018 final for the Croatians, as they become champions of the world. In domestic football, Man United take all the English trophies on offer in a Quadruple, whilst Freiburg find themselves relegated yet again, as do Montpellier.
Loyal Players Remaining: 34
Abreu Club Count: 24 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Croatia (World Cup)

2019/20

Another season, another transfer window, another set of swirling rumours around our one-club men. Borussia Dortmund manage to steal away another of our competitors from a German rival, taking Timo Horn early in the window. Having been relegated yet again last season, Nicolas Höfler decides enough is enough and leaves Freiburg for Hertha Berlin. Over in Italy, and Chievo Legend Sergio Pellissier finally caves, leaving his relegation-threatened lifelong team for European battlers Fiorentina. But that's all the entertainment I can offer, no big signings this time around I’m afraid. Let's go see what Javi López is up to instead. His merry-go-round of clubs continues yet again, moving over to Deportivo de La Coruña in the latest of his ever-decreasing value of transfers.
January retains its typical bleak and dull atmosphere, with no sign of action whatsoever until the final day of the window. Hugo Mallo decides to try and add to his trophy cabinet and heads to Man United. Not the worst career move to throw away eternal life for considering their dominance right now. And with his departure, the total number of players that we've lost hits a nice round 20.
In the Premier League, Man United claim their 4th title in a row, exerting total dominance over everyone. But where one dominance rises, another falls, with Dortmund claiming the Bundesliga to knock Bayern off their perch. The shock of the season comes in the Coupe de France, where 3rd tier LB Châteauroux knock out Lyon, Auxerre and PSG before falling to Caen in the semi-finals. With Monaco having fallen to 4th tier SA Spinalien, Caen beat an easier opposition of RC Lens in the final, leading to Seube lifting the teams first-ever Coupe de France. Not bad for a player I expected to never lift a trophy. On a less joyous note, Höfler having left relegated Freiburg, sees his new team Hertha relegated immediately too. It seems there is no escaping the 2. Bundesliga!
On the record front, Gianluigi Buffon sets a huge benchmark, breaking the 200 cap mark for Italy. With no-one else close to him, he’ll stay the leader for a long time. Messi also breaks a boundary, climbing through 400 league goals during his career at Barcelona. Like Buffon, he’s way clear of any competitor, and unless a miracle happens that sees him abandon Barcelona, I can’t see anyone catching him soon.
Loyal Players Remaining: 30
Abreu Club Count: 24 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Caen (Coupe de France)

2020/21

2020 arrives, and with it, two important points arrive too. Firstly, everyone gets de-aged for the first time in this experiment. The 20 that have left get to watch from a distance thinking about what could have been. Second, the initial contracts are set to expire, so anyone that hasn’t re-signed will out the door. Which is exactly what happens to Víctor Valdés. Having barely appeared for Barcelona since his return, he leaves the club on a free and heads to the southern French coast to join Marseille. A day later and someone else leaves France, as Romain Danzé who decides one de-ageing is enough and moves to Schalke. Tony Hibbert also struggled for games at Everton despite his new youthful look, and so he walks out the door. He opts for Aston Villa, who to my great surprise have sunk to a mid-table League 1 team. Feeling left out, Spain joins in, with Oier Sanjurjo departing Osasuna and moving to Villarreal. The window is then capped by a bizarre final free transfer. Despite appearing regularly, Xavi isn’t offered a new contract by Barcelona. Man City can’t quite believe their luck and snap up the Spanish wizard a few days before the window shuts.
Winter brings with it just one transfer in its usual action-heavy way. Roberto Torres leaves Osasuna, making a £35.5M switch to Atletico. I’m not sure whether Atletico thought they were getting a different de-aged Torres because that can only be described as an overpayment. Either way, that means we've now lost over half the competitors.
Euro 2020 passes, and Croatia prove their World Cup victory was no fluke, becoming both champions of the World, and champions of Europe. On the Continental front, things have been fairly predictable so far, at least until this years Europa League. Hoffenheim escape a tough group and go all the way to win the entire thing. Not bad for a team that barely qualified in the first place. Oh, and Messi wins a little thing called the Ballon d’Or for the 10th time. I think he’s only just getting started.
Loyal Players Remaining: 24
Abreu Club Count: 24 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Hoffenheim (Europa League)

2021/22

The 21/22 season begins with two transfers on the first day. Loïc Perrin makes his way to the Premier League to join Leicester. But that's a minor splash compared to the other move, as after 768 appearances and 302 goals, Francesco Totti leaves Roma. It seems wrong to see it, but he’ll now be wearing a Man United kit. Dortmund continue their run of stealing loyalty, this time bringing Tony Jantschke into the fold. Another contract is run to the end, forcing Álex Bergantiños out of Deportivo without much choice, before being picked up by Cagliari. Mikel González opts to end his time at Real Sociedad, joining Pellissier over at Fiorentina. And as August comes to a close, it looks like Totti may be the only big departure. That is until Gianluigi Buffon decides to call time on his Juventus career. It’s an odd move, with the legend going sorta sideways from a regular starting Juventus spot to Bayern Munich. But there’s no going back now, as his 636 league appearance career with the Italians comes to a close. Two legends down in one window.
No season is complete without a single winter signing to warrant an entire separate paragraph, and this season is no different. Sergi Roberto moves away from Barcelona, in a £24M move to French giants PSG. A good way to guarantee yourself plenty of titles I guess. Abreu also makes a winter move, adding Guarani in the Brasilian second tier to his collection.
Roberto’s decision proves to be a good one, as PSG go on to claim their 10th one in a row. Not many surprises elsewhere, although Real Oviedo get close to pulling off a shock in the Copa del Rey. The second tier team beat Osasuna, Barcelona and Sevilla on the way to the final, but ultimately Real Madrid prove a step too far. Elsewhere everything is won by a team you’d probably expect. Exciting stuff.
Loyal Players Remaining: 17
Abreu Club Count: 25 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: None

2022/23

With the pool of players rapidly decreasing, very few of the crew are even wanted by other clubs anymore. Perhaps deterred by their steadfast loyalty? A few moves do still happen though, so we’re not dead yet. Firstly Anthony Lopes gets fed up of PSG dominating his league and moves to AC Milan for a better shot at a trophy. It’s not long before that story is forgotten, as the biggest transfer fee in the competition so far is dropped. Andrés Iniesta is stolen away from Barcelona, in a huge £86M move to Man United. The midfield maestro fell 2 appearances short of 600 league games for Barcelona, but with his new £300K per-week contract it’s not hard to guess why. That proves to be all the action for the summer window, with no-one willing to top that huge move.
After half a season of hearing their noisy neighbours gloating about their star signing, Man City snap. And if there’s one thing City are good at, it’s splashing the cash. In probably the easiest negotiation over fee Barcelona has ever had, Sergio Busquets makes a £95M move to the sky blues. Yeh, that’ll show United. Once again no-one wants to get in the middle of the awkward Manchester squabble, and the winter transfer closes with a whimper.
The second World Cup of this experiment comes and goes. This time all the giants make it safely through the Group Stages, but it’s Africa that really excels. Morocco make the knockouts, Egypt battle through to the Quarter Finals, but Nigeria come out best. They beat South Korea and Argentina before falling valiantly to France in the Semi-Finals. A 1-0 victory of Italy does see them finish in an impressive 3rd place, becoming the first African team to finish in the top 3 of the World Cup. France win the title on penalties after a deceivingly action-filled 0-0 draw with Spain. The domestic scene follows that with a similar lack of real shocks. In the Carabao Cup, Bournemouth beat Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United on the way to lifting the trophy. But it’s the lesser Cup, so outside of Bournemouth no-one really cares. PSG finally have their grip on the Ligue 1 broken, as Casillas leads Monaco to a fantastic title. Otherwise, all the league titles and cups fall to teams you’d expect them too. Another thrilling year.
Loyal Players Remaining: 14
Abreu Club Count: 25 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Bournemouth (Carabao Cup)

2023/24

Literally nothing happens. Thomas Kessler decides that no team can ignore his existence for 20 seasons in a row and get away with it, leaving Köln to join Trabzonspor. So as I said, literally nothing happens. Even Javi López moving to yet another club would be more interesting than that.
The same applies to the footballing season. Asides from Casillas captaining Monaco to a Champions League title, or Atletico winning the title again, exactly 10 years after their last win, everything is frustratingly normal. And even those two events are hardly shocks.
Before I start to lose hope, there are a few interesting moves over the last few years from the losing group that are worth highlighting. First season mover Bruno didn’t make the impact he hoped and found himself moving to the lovely Stoke. Robin Knoche barely received any playtime at Dortmund and found himself cast out to Dinamo Zagreb. Even in League 1, Tony Hibbert could barely get any game time at Villa and so moved on the Scunthorpe in League 2. But the winner of the oddest move has to be Zurutuza, who somehow manage to pull off a move to Liverpool after West Ham found themselves relegated, only make a few disappointing performances, before being released on a free to join Al-Arabi in Qatar. Not quite the career he was anticipating when joining the Premier League I bet.
Loyal Players Remaining: 13
Abreu Club Count: 25 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: None

2024/25

The summer transfer window arrives for another season, and with it finally comes a huge deal! Javi López has found yet another club! Hooray! As for actual competitors, absolutely no movement whatsoever. Even from Abreu, who’s been at Guarani for 2.5 years now. Manceau, Lewington and Seube complain to their managers about playing time or relegation, but none of them actually make a move anywhere. So our final 13 will add another 5 years onto their career length.
There are some fun statistics from our 51 worth mentioning at this point. Buffon leads the way with both total league appearances (935) and international caps (259). His caps are at a point where they’re too high for the game to display, as the value is stored as an unsigned 8-bit integer, and so has rolled over to just show 3. Most appearances for a single club goes to Dean Lewington however, who thanks to being a regular sits at 857 league appearances for the MK Dons (or 889 if you include Wimbledon). In the goals department, the winner is obvious. With almost 500 league goals, 100 international goals and 14 Ballon d’Or awards, Messi sits on top of everyone. On the international scene, he’s run close by Müller and the fast-approaching Kane, but for league goals, it’s not even close.
2024 brings with it a Euro tournament, which doesn’t provide much in the way of surprises, but brings with it some exciting high scoring matches. All ending in a 4-3 victory for a Thomas Müller led Germany over neighbours Netherlands. Which I’m sure went down very well. The domestic scene decides to spring a few shocks though. In Serie A, Roma claim an impressive title thanks to main striker Iheanacho, their first since 2001. The German and French cups provide surprise winners, in the form of Hertha Berlin and Dijon. Both cap an impressive run by beating their respective league winners, Bayern and Monaco. Even the continental tournaments turn up too. First Monaco cement their place as a top power in football by winning their second Champions League in a row. That coming a week after the best win there could possibly be. Tottenham win the Europa League! Screw the other stuff, that last part is all I need!
Loyal Players Remaining: 13
Abreu Club Count: 25 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Dijon (Coupe de France), Hertha Berlin (DFB Pokal)

At this point though it’s fair to say that the competition results are more interesting than the movements of the players. Which is the perfect signal that things need to speed up a little bit. So from now on, updates will be every 5 years, which lines up perfectly with player age resets, letting us see who has made it to the next checkpoint.

2025-2030

Another round of de-ageing hits, and you’d think that would incite some interest in our final 13. Instead, it’s a ghost town. We do have an immediate dropout though, as Nicolas Seube finally gets fed up with his lack of playtime at Caen and heads for Panionios in Greece. A year later the situation is repeated. I’m not entirely sure what his unhappiness was about, but Iker Muniain decides he’s had enough of Athletic Club and moves to Hamburger SV. At least he left on exactly 100 goals for Athletic though, a nice round number. With 11 left, a standoff to reach the top 10 ensues. For 3 years no-one budges in their show of loyalty, until in 2029… Dean Lewington leaves for Derby County on a free. It’s a huge move, with Lewington becoming the first man to break through 1000 league appearances for a single club before leaving. But he’s moved on now, and it won’t be long before that record is broken. That move means we’re left with our final 10 contestants. Terry, Iraola, Messi, Susaeta, Noble, Jourdren, Müller, Kane, Manceau and Bargfrede have secured a top 10 spot, and now all that’s left to do is fight it out for number 1.
Over in Brazil, our anti-one-club man continues his journey, although it remains in Brazil for the moment. Only 2 clubs are added to his count, with a long stay at Atletico Goianiense followed by a £2M move to top tier Coritiba. I’m kind of hoping he starts to make enough waves in the Brazilian league to move to Europe and add some new countries to his history.
Those that fell before the first de-ageing are retiring, finishing off their magnificent, or in some cases very un-magnificent, careers (as losers). Javi López finishes his fine anti-loyalty tour around Spain with 7 transfers to his name. Schmelzer, Nacho, Solly, Álvarez, Koke, Mario, Prieto, Marchisio, De Rossi, David García, Zurutuza, Knoche, Höfler, Pellissier, Mallo, Horn and Hibbert end their careers. Many, such as Nacho, Horn and De Rossi stay just as committed to their new clubs as they did their old, finishing out their careers after just a single transfer. Of the pensioners, Sergio Pellissier manages to rack up the most career league appearances and goals, at 894 and 246, although that’s largely thanks to a huge head start. De Rossi dominates on the international scene, earning a whopping 197 caps over his 30-year career. Naturally, all those records will be blown out the water once the next group start retiring, but it’s nice to have some benchmarks.
Around the world, plenty has gone on worth hearing about. The Netherlands claim their first-ever World Cup win, beating Brazil in the final, whilst in the Euro’s Germany win their second tournament in a row. The Gold Cup throws up a few interesting results too, as first, the Mexico B team win it, with their A team tied up in the Confederations Cup. Then 4 years later Canada take the title, only the second time in their history. Over in Italy, Lazio find themselves relegated as the league starts to shake itself up a bit. But other than that, domestic football remains relatively unspectacular. Oh except… TOTTENHAM WINNING THE LEAGUE. Didn’t even have to reset it and we won it before Arsenal did. North London is very much Lilywhite now, suck it Gooners!
Loyal Players Remaining: 10
Abreu Club Count: 27 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Tottenham (Premier League)

2030-2035

Another 5 years pass and to start with it looks like the top 10 are going to hold firm. Eventually though, the temptation of money proves too much for one man. That man is Geoffrey Jourdren who trades in his starting slot at Montpellier for a cosy backup contract at PSG. Then comes… dead silence. Not even a rumour, or an unhappy player. No-one even hints at leaving for the next 4 years, which means we end the period with nine players on the books. The real waiting game has begun. Even our journeyman Abreu is moving in a very slow way, as a five year Coritiba stint finishes with a free transfer to Red Bull Brasil. I think my hopes for a European move have died.
At least there are a lot of retirements to run through. Bruno, Lahm, Casillas, Valdés, Danzé, Oier, Xavi, Torres, Perrin, Jantschke, Bergantiños, González, Roberto, Iniesta and Busquets hang up their playing boots. That does leave us without some noted legends, with Lahm, Casillas, Iniesta and Busquets reaching 200 caps for their country. You’d think Spain would have won more with that golden generation. Casillas and Xavi also both hit 1000 league appearances thanks to a strong head start before the experiment. But it’s Andrés Iniesta who is the most loyal of the bunch, racking up nearly 600 appearances for his original club before departing.
Five years leaves plenty of time for interesting results once again. England take a World Cup win, which is always a sign of the apocalypse, only made more bizarre by Scotland making the semi-finals in the same competition. Portugal take the other title in that period, whilst the Euros also see a surprise winner in Switzerland. France provides the biggest shock at club level, as Lille come from nowhere to win Ligue 1, and then immediately revert back to mid-table once again. Otherwise, the time belongs to Manchester City. The oil bar… sky blues take 4 out of 5 titles in both the Premier League and Champions League, with all that cash flinging finally paying off.
Loyal Players Remaining: 9
Abreu Club Count: 28 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: England (World Cup), Lille (Ligue 1)

2035-40

With just nine players left, once again we get a transfer fairly early on in the period. Early as in the first transfer window, which makes me wonder why they waited so long. Anyway, Mark Noble has had his patience tested by West Ham’s yoyoing between the Premier League and Championship a bit too much and finally caves. He makes a £20M move to Burnley, who… are doing the exact same thing. Not sure that was the brightest idea. Like the previous 5 years though, one transfer is all we get. None of the others move, despite some pretty heavy unhappiness from Bargfrede and Manceau. Abreu keeps up his trail, running out his contract with Red Bull Brasil and opting for Chapecoense to reach 29 clubs in his career.
With very few moving recently, that also means less and less are retiring, as just 7 ex-competitors leave the game. Totti, Buffon, Lopes, Kessler, Seube, Muniain and Lewington call time on their football life. The fact they all stuck with it for so long means there’s so impressive stats between them. Totti racked up 1154 league appearances, with 768 at Roma. Dean Lewington, after leaving MK Dons with 1003 appearances finished with a total of 1287. Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon finished with a whopping 1307 league appearances, but perhaps more impressively, 334 international caps. But the single most surprising statistic goes to Thomas Kessler. Despite barely playing in Germany he manages to notch a grand total of 7 goals after his move to Turkey. Maybe if he’d been a striker he’d have actually played at Koln. Oh and Seube ends his career Greek. Because why not.
As per every time, a quick look around the world’s results is needed. Spain win back the World Cup titles, whilst Italy take a Euro win. Argentina, Mexico and Australia claim all their continents international trophies in the window, so no massive surprises there. The domestic world isn’t exactly littered with shocks either. Brescia win a Coppa Italia, and Nîmes Olympique grab 4 top 5 finishes in a row in France, but there’s not really much to shout about. I think it’s best to just get on with the next de-ageing.
Loyal Players Remaining: 8
Abreu Club Count: 29 clubs in 10 countries
Odd Winners: Brescia (Coppa Italia)

2040-45

Down to 8 now, so it’s getting tougher. And a lot slower, so slow in fact that not a single transfer in our group happens in five years. For a moment I was excited to see Manceau at Recreativo de Huelva, but that was just a loan. So I was back to being crushed. On the plus side, Abreu makes some huge steps. He adds not just 1, but 2 new countries to his history! The first is Portugal, in a huge step up to join Braga. As usual, it’s just until his contract ends, before he moves on to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. He’s hardly setting Europe alight but I don’t care, he’s actually moving!
There’s only one retiree to talk about too, as pretty much everyone has already gone. Geoffrey Jourdren finishes up with 925 total league appearances. It probably could have been a bit more, if he’d not spent 10 years of his career being a backup at PSG and Bayern. On a far more interesting note, Terry breaks through 1500 career league appearances. Kane also hits 256 international goals, which results in the number resetting to 0 just like caps. So the game has him on 96 caps with 11 goals, when the actual numbers are a stunning 352 caps with 267 goals.
Having seen my disappointment last time around, the world decides to liven things up. Denmark become both Champions of the World and Champions of Europe in 2042 and 2040, although they lose the European title to Germany 4 years later. At the continental level, the Champions League stays on track, but the Europa League brings some bizarre winners into the mix. Nîmes Olympique, Real Sociedad, Leicester and Bristol City all win a trophy. It seems Mark Noble finally made a right move transferring to Bristol City, as the club is now a strong top 6 Premier League side. Manceau wins a Coupe de France at Angers, but it’s still Nîmes making waves, forming a big three with PSG and Monaco. It may not be long before either Nîmes or Bristol City win their league, which is not something I expected to be saying.
Loyal Players Remaining: 8
Abreu Club Count: 31 clubs in 12 countries
Odd Winners: Nîmes Olympique/Bristol City (Europa League), Angers (Coupe de France)

2045-50

2045 kicks off and once again Manceau deceives me. This time it’s a loan spell in Denmark with Brøndby that had me thinking he was gone. Well you know what they say, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice… I’m probably gonna fall for it. It looks like there’s going to be no moves whatsoever once again, until June 2047 arrives and I notice a contract is set to expire. Imagine my shock when Lionel Messi is not offered a contract by Barcelona and is let go. It’s made doubly worse by the fact that of all teams to pick him up, it's Atletico Madrid. Apparently, 37 Ballon d’Or awards aren’t good enough for Barcelona anymore. I don’t even care that nothing else happens. That’s enough to stun me.
Over in the retirement home, Mark Noble moves into a room. After an up and down career, the Englishman did manage some silverware with Bristol City and ended his career with 1317 league appearances. He even earned not just 1, but 90 England caps across his 44-year career.
Around the world, interesting results are still cropping up. England grab their third World Cup win beating Colombia, whilst Honduras win their first-ever Gold Cup. Much to my bitter disappointment, Arsenal win 4 of the 5 Champions Leagues on offer, as well as 3 Premier League titles. Chelsea have a period of bottom 10 finishes which deeply upsets Terry, whilst over in France, Chamois Niortais begin to try and join the top 3. Don’t worry I’ve never heard of them either.
Loyal Players Remaining: 7
Abreu Club Count: 32 clubs in 12 countries
Odd Winners: Honduras (Gold Cup)

2050-55

With the world still reeling at the fact the Messi has moved from Barcelona, everyone kinda forgets to make any moves. In fact, Messi is the first person to move yet again, leaving Atletico in a very cheap 34.5M move to Man City. Which is more in line with where I originally expected him to go. Abreu finishes one contract, at Hapoel Be’er Sheva, and moves onto the next, but it’s with Monterrey so doesn’t count. Sebastian, it has to be new clubs. John Terry is starting to get frustrated with a Chelsea team that has really fallen from grace. The Londoners barely survive relegation in 2052/53, so Terry may be the next to go. Or maybe I know nothing and it’s completely random.
No-one retires this year, so let’s take a brief look at some statistics of our remaining 7 + Messi. All our players have now reached 1000 appearances, with Bargfrede in last at 1173. Messi has crossed 1000 league goals, now a full 300 clear of the chasing pack of Abreu and Kane. On the international level, Thomas Müller becomes the first player to need a rollover of caps twice, moving on to a massive 524 international caps. But it’s Kane who still leads the international goal stat, nearly breaking 350, a full 50 ahead of the German.
Müller does, however, grab a World Cup win for Germany so I’m sure he won’t be too upset. At least until they’re deposed by Holland 4 years later. On the continental level, Bristol City win another Europa League title beating previous champions Espanyol. Middlesbrough also nearly earn a trophy, having joined Bristol as a top 6 team. But the winner of the biggest shock, although I did say this might happen, goes to Chamois Niortais, who topple the dominance of PSG and Monaco to capture a miraculous Ligue 1 title in the last season of the period.
Loyal Players Remaining: 7
Abreu Club Count: 32 clubs in 12 countries
Odd Winners: Chamois Niortais (Ligue 1), Bristol City/Espanyol (Europa League)

2055-60

The summer window of 2055 opens and as I warned may happen, there’s an almost immediate transfer. Fed up with Chelsea’s mediocre finishes, John Terry decides to move on. Unfortunately for Chelsea fans, Arsenal is his next club, which I’m sure will cause a few shudders. A year later and another move comes around, once again due to unhappiness over the club’s performance. Surprisingly it's Thomas Müller,who's annoyed by the fact that Bayern haven’t won a Bundesliga title since 2048, and so runs down his contract. Leverkusen almost earn his signature, but eventually its the glory of PSG that proves too much to resist. But we’re not done there! Another player runs down their contract, opting to move to Vitoria de Setubal in Portugal. Vincent Manceau finally makes a real move rather than constantly faking me out. So with another 3 players down, we’re left with our final 4. The race for the top 3 is hotting up now!
We do have a retirement this time thanks to the transfer window livening up. The world's best-ever player, Lionel Messi, retires from football. He ends up on a total of 1858 league appearances, scoring a massive 1068 goals in this time. 1430 appearances and 895 goals of those belonging to his 45-year career at Barcelona. On the international scene, he earned an impressive 505 caps and 276 goals. But it’s the awards where he shines. 279 individual awards, 82 team titles, 22 league titles, 6 Champions League titles, 45 Ballon d’Or awards. What makes it even crazier is 41 of those Ballon d’Or awards were in a row, as he earned every single one from 2015 to 2056. I don’t think I’ll see another player like that crop up in any save, truly the world’s best player.
Looking out on the world, I can say that it’s a Chamois Niortais player that breaks Messi’s streak, as the French team claim another two Ligue 1 titles. It’s hard to say they’re a “surprise winner” at this point. Bristol City finally make the full step up to join the big guns, winning 3 Carabao Cups, 1 FA Cup, 2 Premier League titles and even a Champions League trophy. If any Bristol City fans want this save to give themselves hope over the future, I can send it over. Internationally it's the era of Portugal, as they claim both the Euro and World Cup trophies.
Loyal Players Remaining: 4
Abreu Club Count: 32 clubs in 12 countries
Odd Winners: Bristol City (Premier League/Champions League), Lyon (Relegation)

With so few players left, now is probably a good time to speed it up once again. The final four will be tough to budge, so how about we move to 10-year intervals to try and cut down on dead years. And I'll be moving to the comments, because I've hit reddits character limit.

16/07/20 - Premier League - Leicester City vs Sheffield United - Pre-Match Thread

ChazSpearmint's Top 53 Big Board

Hey guys. I posted my three-round mock a couple days back and it went pretty well. In doing so, I came with a big board and explanations for each player and I thought I would share to supplement it. It's a Top 53 big board; that number has nothing to do with NFL rosters or anything, it's just that's the point that I had to cut it off. I wanted to stop at an organic point that made sense. I'll also add comps to current NFL players for the most part.

Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State: What is there to say? He's the most dominant edge rusher I've seen in some time and has elite pass-rushing traits to pair with elite level production on the biggest stage in college. I guess he's a little one-dimensional at times but if I could just casually jog around opposing OTs, I wouldn't worry about my number of moves either. I'm not overthinking this. Pro Comp: Danielle Hunter
Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson: In the modern NFL, off-ball linebackers really aren't at a premium position and don't tend to be terribly difficult to replace in terms of production. That is not the case with Isaiah Simmons. A nightmare to block, create separation from, break a tackle from, or just generally gameplan against, I've never seen a defensive player at his size do what he can do athletically. I think he's a once-in-a-generation type of player and we should appreciate him while we have him. Pro Comp: I'm not even going to try
Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State: Jeff is one of the most pro-ready CBs I've seen come out in a while. Some have gotten on about his 40 time but I think that's wildly overblown. He excels in man coverage and is silky smooth and fluid. He plays high level, mistake-free football and cancels out anyone he's covering. He has the length and positional understanding to play zone as well making him very valuable to DCs running mix coverages. He has All-Pro potential. Pro Comp: Marshon Lattimore
Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn: If you're a stat whore, you are going to completely miss the appeal of Derrick Brown. For anyone who watched Auburn's defense last year, you know instantly the type of impact Derrick Brown has. He was able to blow up the run against constant double and sometimes triple teams often using nothing more than his brute force and sheer athleticism. He's never going to be a 6 sack per year guy, but that's not why he's on the field. He's one of those guys who "magically" makes everyone else's job easier. He sets 'em up, they knock him down. He won't go as high as #4, but there's no way he gets out of the top 10. Pro Comp: Linval Joseph
Joe Burrow, QB, LSU: I was one of the most skeptical Joe Burrow Stans at the beginning of the year. I refused to believe that same QB I watched in 2018 was any better than the year before, the new offense just made it easier to put up numbers. I watched every game from Florida onward and as much as I tried, it's been hard to pick him apart. He's really fucking good. He may not wow with any single trait except pinpoint accuracy and elite pocket presence, but he does everything at a very high level. Teammate quality be damned, Joe's the real deal. Pro Comp: Tony Romo
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma: CeeDee is one of those players that grows on you the more you watch him. He doesn't have elite speed, let's get that out of the way. But everything else he does at an elite level. He's a silky smooth route runner with a good catch radius and hangs on to nearly everything. I think a large part of Baker, Kyler, and Jalen's success has had some part to do because of how easy Lamb made it for them. His numbers don't pop out necessarily, but that's due to how Oklahoma plays. Make no mistake, he'll be a #1 for a long time. Pro Comp: Deandre Hopkins
Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa: I'll be honest, I really didn't get the Wirfs hype to start the season. The first game I watched was the Michigan game live and all I noticed was Nate Stanley getting the ball and then proceeding to run for his life every down. As I've watched more, I've noticed he was largely the only good thing about that OL. Hyper athletic, silky smooth in pass pro, and a nasty player in the run game, he's the entire package. I don't really care that he allowed 2 sacks last year or that he's only played RT; when you have the traits Wirfs does, you jump on it right away. Pro Comp: Lane Johnson
AJ Epenesa, DL, Iowa: Epenesa is one of the most misunderstood players in this draft. Any team that drafts him as a 3-4 edge rusher is going to be sorely disappointed when he becomes a (consistent) 7-8 sack per season kind of guy. Epenesa's best work comes on stunts and breaking down double teams on the inside to work his way to the QB. Players with his kind of power, speed, and length combination are rare. Play him on the edge at your own risk; play him inside at the 3 or 5T and you may have an All-Pro. Pro Comp: DeForest Buckner
Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama: After Wirfs, I think Wills has the highest ceiling out of all the tackles in this draft. I've actually followed Wills since he was tearing up the Lexington high school scene in Kentucky and his progression has been insAane. He continues to get leaps and bounds better every season. Always a very physical player in the run game, he's been very good in the pass game on his way to allowing just one sack last year. He didn't always face the opposition's best rusher, but it doesn't matter. Projecting to LT shouldn't be a problem. Pro Comp: Taylor Lewan
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama: Jeudy is arguably the most established collegiate receiver in this draft. The 2018 Biletnikoff winner has had a ton of hype around him even before Tua won the starting job at Alabama. An unreal route runner with a sneaky gear change in his acceleration, he's certainly a threat to take it to the house on every play. I have questions about his play strength and his ability to win outside against the NFL's best, but we'll let his unbelievable production against the SEC's best CBs speak for itself. Pro Comp: Amari Cooper
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama: Tua has to be the most famous player in the draft, right? There's good reason for it: he's put together arguably the greatest statistical two-year run of any college QB since what? Tim Tebow? Ever? He's small in stature but makes up for it with a quick release, good footwork, insane deep ball accuracy, and fantastic timing. There are obviously concerns about his injury history but people bring up valid complaints against his composure playing from behind and his ability to compete without elite supporting members. I won't dismiss them, but they're certainly not enough to knock him any lower. Pro Comp: Drew Brees
Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina: There may not be a more imposing physical specimen outside the Top 5 than Javon Kinlaw. Standing 6'5" and 325 (the same size as Derrick Brown) but moving like a defensive end, Kinlaw is a matchup nightmare for anyone on the interior OL. He is tenacious in getting into the backfield and has been productive as a pass rusher. I question his effort and consistency in production at times but not to the point that it's a major problem. If he can keep that motor on even 15% more often, he's going to be hard to pass up. Pro Comp: Chris Jones
Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia: AT has to be one of the safest picks in this entire draft. A multi-year starter at LT for the Dawgs, he's been consistent in pass protection and very physical in the run game throughout his time. I think he lacks the foot speed to excel against the absolute fastest speed rushers but he has very good technique and does little poorly. He may never been a top 5 OT but he'll be a left tackle you won't have to worry about replacing for 10 years. Pro Comp: Mitchell Schwartz
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin: Taylor has been a workhorse at Wisconsin the last 3 years as they continue to churn out yet another elite RB. Superficial scouts may see a 4.39 and think he's just a speed runner but he's much more. Very physical, hard to tackle, fantastic balance and vision, and developed nicely in 2019 in the pass game, he's become a do it all back. I'm personally not worried about the workload and I think you take the best back first. That shouldn't be controversial. They don't make many like JT and we may look back and wonder why we didn't put him in the conversation with Zeke, Saquon, and Fournette. Pro Comp: Adrian Peterson
Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma: In another draft where you didn't have some superhuman lab creature ahead of him, Murray would be getting a lot of attention for his play at linebacker. Far more than just a mike/sam who can play downhill, Murray is a very effective pass rusher and has all the twitch you need to be successful covering RBs and TEs to boot. Having been the pulse of an improved Oklahoma defense over the past season, a lot of that starts with Murray. Pro Comp: Demario Davis
Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State: One of the currently most slept on edge rushers in the class in my opinion. Many will cite YGM's lack of discipline in the run game but I think it's well overblown. He sets a very good edge when he's patient and has arguably the best size/speed/power combo outside of Chase Young. There isn't a more consistently productive edge rusher in this class at the P5 level despite drawing lots of attention from teams all year long. I really hope people keep sleeping on him because he fits my Titans perfect at #29. I think GM's will wise up by April though. Pro Comp: Chandler Jones
Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama: I have been one of Ruggs' most vocal critics over the past few months as I was curious how fast he actually was. I had a strong feeling he wouldn't break the record but I though anything between 4.28 and 4.35 was in play. He exceeded those expectations. I still think he may be relegated to the slot often and I question his ability to win outside and grow on his limited production. He has insanely quick feet to match that top end speed, though, and has done a good job hanging onto the football. Ultimately, dude's fast. And speed sells. Pro Comp: Desean Jackson
K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU: Chaisson is one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft to me. There might not be a rusher that is more disruptive in terms of just running at you and beating you after Chase. Injuries have slowed him down and he didn't really produce until midway through the season. He finished very strong, though, and I would bet on him to continue that trend in the league. His athletic gifts are undeniable and will give him continued opportunities to succeed. Pro Comp: Shaquil Barrett
Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama: Brother of Stefon, Diggs clearly has some of the good family genes in him. His ball skills are possibly his best attribute and he attacks the ball like a wide receiver. Beyond that, he has all the measurables you want with great size and length and good speed for the position. He's tailor-made to play outside and has a good punch and is sticky in man coverage. People cite how JaMarr Chase wrecked him, and he did. But Joe Burrow and JaMarr Chase wrecked everyone and that's a high standard to hold him to. Ultimately, he's coming off a great year and will be a great press-man CB at the next level. Pro Comp: Xavier Rhodes (before he sucked)
Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU: Coming off a fantastic year on the title-winning Tigers team, Jefferson has gained a lot of notoriety since December. Thanks to three high level postseason games- where he racked up 30 catches for 448 yards and 5 TDs- and a very good combine performance, JJ is skyrocketing up boards. What people forget though is that he's been doing it all year. He's got great size and uses it very well attacking the ball aggressively (he won a ridiculous 92% of contested catches last year, almost double any other receiver in the class) and rarely drops passes. He has very good top speed, is a smooth route runner, and has a good release. Sure, he only ran at #2 CBs for a lot of the year, but he is a ridiculously complete receiver and, honestly, I may have him too low. Pro Comp: AJ Green
CJ Henderson, CB, Florida: Henderson is one of my favorite CB prospects in this draft and the sky is the limit on his potential. Often lumped together with failed Florida CBs of yesteryear (Quincy Wilson, Hargreaves, Teez Tabor, etc), it's foolish to gloss over this guy. He's an absolutely unreal springy, twitchy athlete with all the size and length you could want. He does a great job staying in front of 90% of plays and has the make-up speed you want in your OCB. He delivers a great hit when running downhill as well. You may knock him due to some big plays allowed in 2019, which he needs to correct, but is due partially to randomness, IMO. If he averages anywhere close to his 2018 play, he'll be a great pickup at #21. Pro Comp: Marlon Humphrey
Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson: Higgins has been one of the most productive receivers in CFB over the last 3 years and has made life very difficult for opposing CBs. Using his impressive size constantly to his advantage, he's an elite jump ball winner and an eraser for inaccurate QBs. I have questions over his top speed after he declined to run at the combine, but he certainly looks fast enough to get the job done in the NFL. He doesn't always separate but when you have the catch radius and sticky hands he does, you can get away with it. He'll never be the best receiver in the league but he's very safe and you'll never have to doubt having an option on the outside. Pro Comp: Mike Williams
Josh Jones, OT, Houston: I'm a big Josh Jones Stan as well. At Houston, he excelled in both pass protection and run blocking on a team that didn't have much to play for early on in the year. He's a pretty athletic tackle prospect with an opportunity to play at either spot. He needs to improve his anchor to not get off balance but I think experience and anticipation will help. I think people saying he's this year's Andre Dillard may be right; he doesn't have the highest pedigree but when you have a guy that big who can play like he does, you take him. Pro Comp: Jake Matthews
Zack Baun, OLB, Wisconsin: Baun may not be the most naturally gifted athletes but he's one of the most productive defenders in this class for good reason. He's a very complete defender who excels at doing a variety of things. Largely ask to play as an edge rusher at Wisconsin (but off-ball as well), he is exceptional at getting after the passer. He came in light to the combine all but confirming the move to OLB, but a team wanting to use him like Seattle used Bruce Irvin could see a lot of success. He has good instincts, a few good rush moves, and is fast enough to cover out of the backfield. Some say he's a so-so tackler but I haven't seen it. Take him and be prepared to get a little creative. Pro Comp: Clay Matthews
JK Dobbins, RB, Ohio State: What a career Dobbins has had at OSU. Two years ago he was already on draft boards as a potential scat back in the NFL. After a not-as-hoped progression in '18, he really showed his colors last year. Dobbins has developed into an electric and dominant runner who excels at finding a crease and smacking the hole. He ran like a man possessed this year on his way to a 2,000 yard and 21 TD season. He still retains that scat back ability though, flipping out of the backfield to constantly hoard free yards by being a nightmare for opposing LBs. He's a little undersized but he's bulked up in recent years. And his breakaway speed is may not as good as you'd think. But he's a wicked player and will have a long career. Pro Comp: Dalvin Cook
Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU: I was a critic of Fulton early on in the evaluation process but he's slowly started to prove me wrong. Besides a tough game against a very potent pass attack in Clemson and a so-so one against Alabama, Fulton was one of the best lock-down CBs all year. He had one of the best pass-defense ratings in CFB all year. The large questions for me around Fulton have to do with him staying in front of the football. He didn't seem to get his head turned around quick enough on film and that gives me pause for someone moving on to the next level. Still, he did it against CFB's best last year and he certainly has the speed to do it. A little undersized, he still has a good press and will be successful. He reminds me of another LSU CB who came out a couple years ago with similar concerns. Pro Comp: Tre'Davious White
Patrick Queen, ILB, LSU: Arguably no player improved their stock more through the national championship game than Patrick Queen. On many radars already, he exploded onto the scene after they called his name again and again against the nation's best. A very physical mike linebacker who loves playing downhill, he possesses elite athletic traits you want in a modern linebacker and delivers a ferocious boom when he times it right. He struggles with gambling at times, though he will develop as he becomes more experienced. Discipline can be taught, but that type of athleticism can't. Pro Comp: Rashaan Evans
Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor: After an extremely impressive combine, Denzel Mims is rapidly ascending draft boards across America right now. If you weren't already looking, though, that's on you. After putting up nearly 3,000 yards the last 3 seasons at Baylor, Mims has been one of the most established threats in the Big12 for a while. A very long receiver with obviously great top speed and a great catch radius, there's very little that Mims can't do. There's very few receivers who come into the draft so pro-ready as blockers as well. I have concerns about his drop rate (8% is a little high) but he was reliable in 2019 and I forsee that not being a big issue in the leauge. Pro Comp: DeVante Parker
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon: Herbert has been one of the most polarizing prospects throughout this past season. Depending on who you ask, what he was able to achieve at Oregon may be very impressive or somewhat underwhelming. Same for his performance at the Senior Bowl. I don't feel as strongly, but I don't think Herbert will be a top 10 QB. He has the tools: a very good arm, good mobility, solid mechanics, is accurate for the most part. But, as many note, the game still looks like it moves too fast for Herbert. He's slow to process a lot of reads and struggles under pressure at times. I don't think he'll be horrible, for the record, and I think he has a big will to win. He's still worth a top 10 pick for a QB-needy team because he can lead a lot of teams to very be successful. But for all his good traits, there's just obviously something missing and I'm not sure if he'll ever acquire it. Higher floor, but lower ceiling than many think. Pro Comp: Sam Darnold
Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama: McKinney moves on from a great career at Alabama as a hyper-athletic, hard-hitting safety who finds the ball well. Don't let his combine fool you: he's much faster than 4.6. In a class where there aren't any great surefire safety prospects, McKinney will make some team very happy with his consistency in play. He needs to get better in coverage but he's the level of athlete that you believe it's teachable. He's not the sexiest pick but you can count on him as a good, versatile safety for years to come. Pro Comp: Shawn Williams
D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia: Many may scoff that I have Swift as the RB3 in this class but I still have him as one of the best 32 players. It's a testament to the depth of this class. Swift played in tandem with a combination of Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, and Elijah Holyfield for his first 2 seasons but really burst onto the scene as the guy in '19. He's a very twitchy, patient back who is expertly able to make defenders looked stupid with some violent cuts and spins. He's a very good back catching balls out the backfield and one of the best route runners in the class. Less so than the others, he doesn't have one thing that I think he's elite at but he does everything proficiently. It doesn't matter as much to me, but some teams will fall in love with the fact that he's only seen 400-odd touches in college, too. I don't think he's dominant, but he's certainly a feature back for most teams in the league. Pro Comp: Miles Sanders
Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame: There's our first TE on the board. When I watched through Kmet's tape at first, I'll be honest: I was a little bored. Kmet isn't exactly the flashiest player in this class and you won't see him wowing fans week-after-week with highlight plays. He is, though, extremely polished coming into the league. He obviously very big and moves well for his size. He's very sure-handed and is a very good in-line blocker. He only burst onto the scene this season, so there will be some doubts whether he can keep it up. But if you want sound TE play and a guy that just quietly does what you need him to, he's your man. Pro Comp: Mark Andrews
Grant Delpit, S, LSU: I really feel for Grant Delpit because it's very tough to go from a top 5-10 pick to a fringe first rounder. He hasn't done himself any favors this year, though. Infamous for many missed tackles this year, he also didn't flex his incredible ball skills the way he did in '18 and struggled with a nagging ankle injury. Despite all of this, he's still one of the best athletes in the draft and has all the size you want for someone playing safety. He's rangy with good make-up speed and still can deliver a pop when he does find the ball carrier. For all his problems tackling, I don't see it as an effort problem and that's important to note. He may hurt you, but he's also worth a significant gamble and can be a perennial Pro-Bowler. Pro Comp: Marcus Williams
Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame: Chase is one of my draft crushes since the middle of the season. If you want to watch a guy take over, just watch his 4th quarter performance against a good Virginia Tech secondary (I think it was before their starter got hurt). Claypool is a big guy for the position but I was stunned when he came in at 238. Still, he moves very fluidly and has great hands. He's an underrated route runner with great YAC ability. Of course, he also uses his size very well and is a proficient jump ball winner. I have questions about his hands in the past but in 2019 he was reliable. He was the only offensive threat and helped carry that Notre Dame offense to a 11-2 record. He needs a little polish but his God-given ability is off the charts. Pro Comp: Kenny Golladay
Mehki Becton, OT, Louisville: Becton is an absolute freak. A guy standing at 365 lbs has no business running a 5.1 forty. That's just stupid. He paved the way well all year for a resurgent Louisville rushing attack and just moved guys as he wanted all year long. You also can't help but notice how well he moves for his size: he won't win Dancing with the Stars, but he he's got good footwork. The only issue I have with Mehki lies in his effort/conditioning. It's hard to tell if he took some plays off because he was gassed or if it was because he didn't have effort, but he can't do that in the NFL. He may also struggle with the absolute best speed rushers. But guys with his size, quickness, and long arms are rare. He's still likely a first rounder. Pro Comp: Donovan Smith
Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama: Terrell Lewis is a lab-creation on the edge. The blend of his length, speed, and power is special. On his day, he is able to effortlessly glide through, around, over, etc opposing tackles at will. He struggled in the 2nd half of the season for Alabama and failed to register a sack after the Tennessee game. He plays undisciplined often and shows a poor repertoire of counters when his first move doesn't work. He weighs in well but is very lanky and looks very thin out there. He's missed a lot of time due to injury in his career each season he's played. It doesn't matter. When Lewis gets downhill and gets a step to a tackle, it's over. He's not my favorite prospect and comes with much risk, but there's no denying his top level ability if he can grow and stay healthy. Pro Comp: Montez Sweat
James Lynch, IDL, Baylor: I'm one of the biggest James Lynch fans in this draft. Lynch may not have the athletic profile of some of the other players on this list but by George is he not one of the most effective and refined players you have to choose from. After bursting on the scene as the best player on a dominant Baylor defense in 2019, he was a load to handle in the middle for opposing defense all year on his way to 13 sacks. He has a nasty initial punch that takes guards off balance and lives in the backfield. He won't get that at the NFL but for a 3 or 5 technique, he'll excel and is a very balanced defender. Very high floor on this one. Pro Comp: Cam Heyward
Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma: On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, you have an absolute freak in Neville Gallimore. Gallimore was able to shed 30 lbs last offseason to transition from a nose tackle to a more effective 3T and boy did it pay off. He was good before but he looked much more explosive this season and that showed through at the combine. Able to use his elite get off to get you off balance and his natural power to push through, he was able to live in the backfield. His only questions lie in the consistency of his effort. But if he can find another level in his motor and continue to condition, the sky's the limit. Able to play either a 3T or shade nose position at the next level easily. Pro Comp: Kenny Clark
Michael Pittman, WR, USC: Sometimes being an elite football player is just in your DNA. Pittman was a star at USC this past season after the team was relegated to their 3rd(?) starting QB early in the year. Slovis played well but it was in no small part to Pittman. Making highlight catch after highlight catch, he also wowed me with his quick feet and ability to get separation as well. He has an incredible contested catch rate and rarely drops the ball, creating a formula that makes almost any receiver successful in the league. There will be some questions about PAC12 DBs he faced, but it's silly. Pittman is one of my favorite receivers in the draft and wherever he lands in the 2nd round will be getting a steal. Pro Comp: Mike Evans
Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU: Ross has been a nfl_draft favorite for several months now but his stock in the public eye is finally starting to match perception. Blacklock excelled as a 3T at TCU last season and was able to use his tremendous athleticism to get in the backfield. He's very natural as a pass rusher and when he beats the guard to the first step, he's gone. A little small, he does get off balance at times. And there will be some concerns about injuries that have derailed him in the past. Still, when he's on his game, there are few better. Now that I think about it, I feel sorry for the talent that Big 12 guards saw last year. Pro Comp: Larry Ogunjobi
Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU: Another Horned Frog makes his way onto the board here and it's for good reason. Despite his size, Gladney feasted last year with TCU on his way to a productive 2019 campaign. A very intelligent player with very good speed, it takes quite a bit to get past Gladney in either man or zone. There will be some concerns whether his lack of size will keep him from playing OCB in the NFL but smaller CBs have done it and regardless there is a great future for him in the nickel as well. Physical and consistent, there's always a place for those CBs. A so-so combine doesn't deter me. Pro Comp: Kyle Fuller
Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M: I. Love. Madubuike. My board is mostly set but he may continue to go up because the more I watch, the more I love. The guy has elite get off on the defensive line and has elite production in the SEC to match. 11 sacks and 20 TFL in the last 2 seasons is nothing to sniff at. He uses his great burst and mean punch to quickly accelerate past guards like they're not there. He's an efficient run defender and a great pass rusher. He needs to improve his work against double teams and add some to his frame but come on. The guy's a stud. Pro Comp: Gerald McCoy
Ashtyn Davis, S, California: Another favorite of people on the sub, Ashtyn Davis has everything you could want out of a prospect. To match his top-level athleticism, he's a safety with great instincts and ball-skills with very high character that appears very coachable. I have soft spot for former walk-ons and he's one of those guys that's grinded to get where he is. He has good size, to boot. He doesn't have many primary areas he struggles with but he can continue to develop against the run. He's a guy that can certainly sneak into the first round if the right team lands in the right situation. Pro Comp: Kevin Byard
Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU: The 3rd Horned Frog in 5 spots, but Reagor finally settles in. I was a huge fan of Reagor when I started on the film and it's hard not to notice his incredible burst and top speed. Some will cite his so-so combine but I have no problem believing he's much faster than that. IMO, there's two things that separate Reagor from your traditional speed-demon prospect. First, he is one of the better 50/50 ball winners in this class and that's saying something. He has not let his height/weight keep him from attacking the ball catching it at full extension. Second, he is an extremely poor cutter for his natural speed. There's a lot of wasted movement and he nukes his own acceleration. Looks a little uncoordinated even. Still, he has a future in this league even with his limited route tree and drop problems. You can't take your eyes off him for one second. Pro Comp: DK Metcalf, minus a few inches
Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado: Very receivers in CFB the last two years have been as electric as Laviska Shenault. Able to play out wide, out of the slot, out of the backfield, or even in the wildcat, Viska uses his large frame and athleticism to power through defenders at will. As a receiver, he lacks quite a bit of polish. His route running can be sloppy and his hands can be questionable. But his YAC and running ability in general will keep him in the league for a long time. He's the type of guy you want to get the ball in space and let him go. Tackle at your own risk. Pro Comp: AJ Brown
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State: The last in a very difficult group of WRs for me to sort through, Aiyuk isn't far behind the others. After coming through the junior college ranks, Aiyuk burst onto the scene for ASU posting nearly 1200 yards and 8 TDs last year with an absolutely stupid 18 yards per catch. He is able to beat press on the outside (if you can get your hands on him) and use his incredible speed and acceleration to glide in between defenders rather effortlessly. He's pretty sure handed, though I wouldn't bank on him to go for many jump balls. Still, even if in the slot, Aiyuk will be a problem for opposing DCs for several years due to his ability to break one at any given time. He's a top 20 pick in most drafts. Pro Comp: DJ Moore
AJ Terrell, CB, Clemson: AJ is another in a long line of Clemson CBs that are really great on paper but on tape you just don't know about. Few had a more impressive showing at the combine and he assured scouts of his legit OCB size to match with elite athleticism. On film, he shows to be a very willing tackler and can deliver some pop on unsuspecting ball carriers. Still, you have to worry about Terrell as a gambler at times and he does seem to get lost in coverage. He was beat pretty badly in the NCG but I don't hold that against him. Ultimately, I think his level of play held him back and I'm confident he can adapt at the next level. Whether he will is up to him but there's no doubt he has all the tools to do it. Pro Comp: Byron Jones
Albert Okwuegbuman, TE, Missouri: The Big O was arguably the most heralded TE prospect coming into the past season but, like many flashy players before, he was exposed a little on film throughout the year. An absolute terror in the red zone with incredible big-play ability and obviously elite top-end athleticism, Albert has a lot of traits you want in a feature TE. He is, of course, a very inconsistent blocker and his lack of effort at times is concerning. There's no reason a TE that big and that athletic doesn't dominate on every play. You put Kmet in Albert O's body and you have a top 10 pick. Still, you have to hope the right coaches and environment can bring the best out of him. I wouldn't want to line up across from him on any given play. Pro Comp: Jimmy Graham
Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne: Dugger is one of the great mysteries of the draft to me. Coming from a D2 school where he looked like Ed Reed playing against Pop Warner kids, it's really hard to judge how good this guy actually is. He had a great combine and that was one of the first benchmarks I needed to see him hit. He measured well, ran well. He clearly has good ball skills and has big plus upside as a return man at the next level. He's very powerful and used his size well. It's hard to say much more because right now he's mostly a blank canvas. But he's an incredible athlete and we could be talking about a future Pro Bowler. Pro Comp: Rayshawn Jenkins
Cesar Ruiz, IOL, Michigan: Our first interior lineman sneaks on the board and it's well deserved. Cesar Ruiz starred in the middle of the Michigan OL the past couple seasons and is known for his consistency. He may not wow you with his athleticism but he's a very willing run block and very consistent pass protector. He's a cerebral player in the middle who plays very physically. It may not sound like the most glowing recommendation, but consistency is what you want the most from your interior lineman. He has as good a shot as any player to be a consistent Pro-Bowler. Pro Comp: Rodney Hudson
Kenny Willekes, EDGE, Michigan State: One of my favorite prospects in an otherwise rough edge class. Another former walk-on for MSU, Willekes has been one of the most productive edge defenders the last 3 seasons on his way to 50(!) TFLs and 23.5 sacks. Knocked for his athleticism, I don't totally understand why. He looks a little slow footed at times but at others is quick to blow right through tackles and even tight ends. He's very disciplined in the run game and his sack totals have gotten better each season. He's an absolute terror to block and projects best as 3-4 strong-side OLB. Pass on him because of his size if you want, I hope he suits up for my team next year. Pro Comp: Jordan Jenkins
Antoine Winfield, S, Minnesota: He may be pint-sized but he packs a mean punch. Playing safety for the Golden Gophers the last 4 season, Winfield burst on the scene this year after recording 7 picks on the year. Despite his small stature, he is not afraid to deliver some physical hits and plays very downhill. He excels in zone coverage but isn't to be picked on in man either and has little trouble reading the play. I have questions about how he will hold up after injuries derailed his previous two seasons, but he has football in is blood. I don't know if he'll hold up in the league, but he'll be damn good when he's out there. Pro Comp: Tyrann Mathieu
Julian Okwara, EDGE, Notre Dame: The last on the list is an explosive edge rusher who comes downhill as well as on the list. I am pretty critical of Okwara's lack of production- just 15 sacks and 20 TFLs in the last 3 seasons- and 2019 wasn't his best. He struggles to stay on the field. He gets stonewalled too easily. But when you turn on the tape, you know why he's so highly sought after. When he gets going at tough speed, you can't adjust to him. You almost can't see him coming. There's nothing gradual to his game. He either gets there quickly, or he doesn't at all. He needs to work hard on adding counters and becoming more physical. But if he can supplement that at all, he can be a dangerous pass rusher in the NFL. Pro Comp: Harold Landry

That's it guys. Hope you can glean something from it. Let me know where I screwed up in the comments. Lol. Cheers.

Team Preview - Newcastle United [Premier League 2019-20 - 8/20]

Newcastle United

by AjaxTreesdown

Welcome to the triumphant return of the Premier League Previews, a series where a fan gives an overview of his team for your perusal, and I get an excuse to take pot-shots at other clubs. This will run until the eve of the Premier League, taking a look at each club in turn. Today from way down south we're going way up north, with Newcastle United.

About

Established: 1892
Stadium: St James' Park
Capacity: 52,354
Official website
Wikipedia page
Club subreddit

Last season

Pos	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
13th	38	12	9	17	42	48	-6	45

Pre-season began 12 months ago with a lot of Newcastle fans filled with hope after a 10th placed finish. Mikel Merino and Aleksandar Mitrovic were sold to Real Sociedad and Fulham respectively, with their replacements being Ki Sung-Yeung on a free and Salomon Rondon on loan. Chancel Mbemba was also sold to Porto, while Fabian Schär and Federico Fernandez came in at centre back. Martin Dubravka and Kenedy returned to the club after impressive loan spells, with Dubravka signing permanently. Yoshinori Muto was also signed from Mainz as the most expensive purchase for us at £9.5m.
An awful start to the season saw us fail to win in our first 10 league games. In fairness, we did play 5 of the eventual top 6 in this time, but it was still a shocking run. Despite decent performances against Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City, we completely bottled games against Cardiff, Leicester and Manchester United, throwing away a 2-0 half time lead at Old Trafford. A scrappy game vs Watford in early November was our first win of the season. We beat Bournemouth and Burnley in our following two games, instilling hope into the fans that maybe we weren't terrible after all. We then won 1 game in our next 9. ¯\(ツ)/¯
22 games into the season, we sat in 18th place on 18 points. we were 3 points away from Brighton in 15th and 7 points clear of Huddersfield at the foot of the table. Gameweek 23 saw us hosting Cardiff at home. We won 3-0 with a strong performance in a game that could have been the biggest result of our season, but 10 days later Manchester City came to St James' Park and we made headlines around the world by winning 2-1, in one of the biggest shocks of the season. Our midfield that game was Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff, who was thrust into the limelight after being praised by Pep Guardiola. The fans' mood was at an insane high, boosted again 2 days later when Miguel Almiron's arrival finally broke the club's record transfer fee.
The back to back victories and Almiron's arrival revitalised the team, narrowly losing to Tottenham, drawing with Wolves and beating fellow relegation candidates Huddersfield and Burnley quite convincingly. A 2-0 defeat away to West Ham dented the team's form (we only picked up 4 points from the next 4 games) and saw Sean Longstaff ruled out for the remaining 9 games of the season with a severe knee injury.
The following game saw us do what Manchester United had done to us 5 months prior. Everton led 2-0 at St James' Park at half time, but a Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez masterclass saw the game finish 3-2. This signalled the beginning of an unplayable run of form for Perez, scoring 8 goals in 9 games including a hat trick against Southampton in what might be the best performance I've ever seen from a Newcastle player. The final 3 games of the season saw us draw to Brighton, lose to Liverpool in the dying moments thanks to Origi being the biggest clutch player alive and a comprehensive 4-0 victory against Fulham. A 13th placed finish was far better than we hoped for after the winless streak at the beginning of the season. At the time we were overjoyed, but everything that has happened with the club since has made the positives from last season somewhat bittersweet.

This Season

At the time of writing, Summer has been nothing short of disastrous so far. The season ended with some optimism that Rafa Benitez was going to sign a contract extension, we would sign Salomon Rondon permanently and that a wealthy group from the Middle East were interested in buying the club and finally ending Mike Ashley's reign as the owner of the club. Rafa left has left and signed for Chinese second division Dalian Yifang, with Rondon joining him. The takeover seems to be dead in the water, with Steve Bruce being appointed as manager on a 3 year contract. As of yet, there have been no players signed to the senior team, while Ayoze Perez and Joselu have been sold. We're expecting Joelinton to be announced in the next few days for what will be another record breaking fee, but I'm not optimistic that he will be good enough to drag us up the table.
The most I can currently hope for this season is a relegation battle that sees us narrowly stay up. Right now, I'm not sure I'll even care by the time we get past January. A sad reality that a good number of Newcastle fans are facing.
Transfers
Highlights

Player	Type	From	To	Fee(£m)
Ayoze Perez	Permanent	Newcastle United	Leicester City	30
Joelinton	Permanent	Hoffenheim	Newcastle United	40
Jose Salomon Rondon	End of Loan	Newcastle United	West Bromwich Albion	N/A

All incoming/outgoing transfers Full 2019-20 squad
3 players to watch out for
Sean Longstaff
Longstaff's recovery from injury is something I worry about a lot. Rolando Aarons' progress at Newcastle was similar; a handful of promising appearances ended by severe knee injuries. We have slapped a £50m price tag on him to ward off Manchester United this summer, which I hope we don't end up looking foolish for. Longstaff's tireless work rate, tidy passing and his threat from range (he scored numerous screamers when at Blackpool 2 years ago) will be instrumental if he returns as strong as he was last season.
Florian Lejeune
While Fabian Schär and Jamaal Lascelles have been the centre backs to receive the plaudits in the last 2 seasons, Florian Lejeune has gone somewhat under the radar when he has been equal to, and sometimes even better, than the pair of them. His involvement in the squad has at times been restricted by the two anterior cruciate ligament tears he has suffered, despite him returning from both of them in half the time footballers usually take to recover. Lejeune's positional awareness and composure on the ball made him a consistently effective defensive partner to Lascelles and Schär, while his passing accuracy and range on the left side of a back 3 was a great asset to the attacking movements under Rafa Benitez. With Steve Bruce likely opting for a very direct approach this season, Lejeune's distribution will be very important.
Jonjo Shelvey
I wanted to say Miguel Almiron, as the only player remaining from the Perez-Rondon-Almiron front 3 that was so promising last season, but I think Jonjo Shelvey could be very pivotal player. A number of Rafa's outcasts from last season like Dwight Gayle, Rolando Aarons and Jack Colback will return to the fray much to the dismay of many fans. It's Shelvey however, that catches my eye. Shelvey has talent that few players in the Premier League possess, a pinpoint accuracy with diagonal long passing that is a dream to any wide player capable of exploiting space. The downside to him is just about everything else. His poor work rate and lacking athleticism means he often can't provide adequate cover to the defence and his temper (albeit improved in recent times) means he is always a potential red card. He's a player to watch for better or worse. His performances could result in us gaining 10 points this season, or losing that many.
What the fans think
Thanks to /NUFC for their help.

How do you think this season will go?

Not as well as any of us want it to, but also not as bad as many think it will go. So (optimistically) somewhere between 11-16.

MilburnStand

I think we'll finish 13th if (and it's a big if) we make another couple of decent signings. I loved Rafa, but he would often freeze players out of the team for unknown reasons, and I think some of those coming back will have something to prove. My call for player of the season is Shelvey for that reason, I think he'll be called back in and his long Hollywood passes will work well with Almiron and another fast winger (ASM?).

spinynorman1846

We will all get increasingly annoyed as historically 'smaller' clubs than us like Wolves, Bournemouth, Watford and Leicester take an easy three points from us home and away. Their owners have actual ambition for their clubs and have proper facilities and coaching. We've got Steve Bruce in command and some wheelie bins for ice baths. The big 6 teams will beat us despite our plucky performances, we will play out grinding draws or fluky 1-0 wins against other relegation fodder teams like Brighton and Sheffield United. Meanwhile beloved ex-players like Shola Ameobi will get airtime on Sky Sports to tell everyone how great Mike Ashley is. If we don't get relegated then it will be a miracle, some fans hope that we do go down because they believe Fat Mike might be more likely to sell if we are in the Championship/League One.

EdgarAetheling

Which player is going to be your star of the season and why?

Lejeuene. He's arguably our best player but his time with us has been marred with injuries. However, when he has played he has given us that boost we needed out from defence. He's a ball playing centre-back who also has great defensive capabilities. A trio of him, Schar and Lascelles will be key for us this coming season.

The_White_Django

If Almiron can carry his form over despite losing the two players he linked up so well with it'll be him. If Joelinton can find his feet and score the goals to keep us up then him.

SilenceoftheRedditrs

Isaac Hayden. He was quality at the back end of last season, and his personal problems appear to have subsided/been resolved to an extent. Hopefully, this means he will push on and make a case for a potential national team call up.

ThinWhiteMale

How do you think the team will line up?

GK Dubravka
Back 5: Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie
MF: Longstaff, Hayden, Shelvey
ST: Joelinton, Almiron

EdgarAetheling

Formation.

MilburnStand

Dubravka. A back 5 of Manquillo Schär Lascelles Dummett and Ritchie. Longstaff and Hayden CMs, Almiron Joelinton Muto the forwards.

wingardium_leviosah

Wrap Up

by NickTM

The Manager: Well, beloved manager Rafa Benitez finally decided that enough was enough after his contract expired in the summer and went off to enjoy being filthy fucking rich in China, smuggling his boy Salomon Rondon through customs along with him. Equally beloved owner Mike Ashley decided that the logical choice to replace this Champions League-winning, multiple time La Liga-winning, two-time UEFA Manager of the Year was with... Steve Bruce. Oh boy. Look, as much as I like to use this section to poke some fun, I'm still a Palace fan, and thus I can't quite bring myself to align myself anywhere other than in line with your average Newcastle fan's reaction towards him. It was a pathetic appointment. Bruce, fresh off jumping ship from Sheffield Wednesday as soon as he saw an opportunity in the Premier League - managing to land Newcastle in hot water legally whilst he was at it, true to form - arrives with a mediocre track record in the Premier League and a spell managing bitter rivals Sunderland for one and a half incredibly average seasons. Baffling.
The Team: Benitez managed to cut out quite a lot of the deadwood and refresh the squad significantly during his tenure, which left Newcastle with a team that was reasonably balanced and able to compete across the pitch. Unfortunately, his departure was followed in quick succession by the aforementioned Salomon Rondon's loan finishing and also Ayoze Perez, a flaky but talented forward, departing to Leicester City for a hefty £30m sum. In order to compensate for the shortfall up front, a huge £40m was shelled out for Hoffenheim's Joelinton, who arrives with an okay-but-not-really-that-good goal record spread across two years out on loan at Rapid Wien and one at his former parent club. Much will be expected of him between donning the coveted number 9 shirt and the so-far limited effectiveness of last year's signing Yoshinori Muto. Elsewhere, the defence will look to continue the form that saw it become the most effective unit in the bottom half, and much has been made of the admittedly limited gametime Sean Longstaff has had in the Prem so far. Ultimately, it looks like Newcastle will be relying heavily on Joelinton to hit the ground running and Miguel Almiron to really show his class tucked in behind him.
Why to like them: I quite like DeAndre Yedlin as one of the United States' attempts to plonk a superlative athlete on a football pitch in hope he'll become a superstar. Miguel Almiron's a treat to watch play, and if the team loses there's always the faint hope one of their fans will go full Little Mac on an ungulate.
Why to dislike them: Half their identity is based on beating a League One team that they haven’t beat in 8 years. Their fans claim to hate Mike Ashley - which, let's be honest, they get a little hysterical about given they make him out to be absolute footballing Lucifer when there's probably half a dozen owners in English football alone that you'd choose him over - and yet have had about one sort-of-effective protest in the entire time he's been an owner. They're still so mentally broken by a bedsheet some bloke had scribbled a half-baked pun on that there's genuine animosity towards Aston Villa to this day. Couple that with all the proclaimations of being a 'big club' despite not really ever having achieved that much comparatively and you can see why so many fans in England often end up a little irked by them.
Also, Steve Bruce can fuck off, the pudgy northern mercenary wrister.
Summary: Newcastle weren't really good last year, and you feel the strength of Benitez' management was the thing really holding them together. With Rafa gone and an already significant outlay spent on a single transfer, things look even more grim this season. You wouldn't bet on Steve Bruce to maintain their integrity defensively, their forwards have been weakened at very least in depth, and whilst the midfield is solid it's not entirely inspiring. If you can find good odds on a midseason managerial sacking, I'd be tempted.

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Alabama Slammers Franchise Report - Year 12: A New Era