EPL Challenge 2007 (The Ultimate Premiership Experience)

yossibenayoun · 11-23-2006, 08:00 PM

Ben Smith took Bolton Wanderers to their highest ever position in the Barclays Premiership today when they finished a fantastic 6th, and in turn, qualified for next years UEFA Cup.

Smith's appointment was greeted with derision from certain sections of the Reebok faithful, but the affable manager slowly won over the sceptical fans with some determined performances throughout the season.

One of Bolton's star performers was undoubtebly Nicolas Anelka with 20 goals in 35 games

Another star performer was the Trotters Goalkeeper, Jusski Jaaskelainen

When Smith was asked about particular highlights of the season, he pointed out the 2-0 victory against Arsenal and 1-0 victory against their fierce local rivals, Manchester United, as stand out results. "When you have such a small squad that we have, compared to the riches of the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, the result is even more staggering"

Next season, Smith hopes to consolidate their top half status and is hopeful of a better run in the domestic cups. Although wary of the strains a Uefa Cup run could put on the club, SMith says he wouldn't have it any other way and tells the fans that they should be optimistic about the future of their beloved club.

sdiprose · 11-24-2006, 10:02 PM

Pre-Season Round-Up

Preparations for our return to the Championship have gone well, morale is good, and our strikers seem to be in good form.

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Northwood 0-5 Watford
King Marlon scored two, as did Tamas Priskin, with Tommy Smith adding the fifth.

Kidderminster 0-2 Watford
King and Priskin scored one apiece.

Walsall 0-2 Watford
King and Jimenez, this time.

Port Vale 0-4 Watford
King scored his 5th and 6th of pre-season, with Bangura getting in on the action and an own goal taking us to four.

Barnsley 0-2 Watford
King and Villaluz with the goals.

Wrexham 1-2 Watford
A Jimenez double took us from a goal down to ensure the perfect foundations for our season had been laid.
---------

Marlon looks to have recovered his confidence, and is in superb form at the minute, with seven goals in five friendly games. Villaluz and Jimenez are looking sharp, and Bangura and Francis are forming a good, solid partnership in central midfield. Jay DeMerit and Danny Shittu are looking up for the task this season provides, and things in general look good for the club.

Transfers

In:
<LI>Ben Foster, GK, £3m from Man. Utd
<LI>Juan Manuel Vargas, D/WB/AM L, £1.7m from Catania

Out:
<LI>Albert Jarret, to Scunthorpe for £100k
<LI>Claude Seanla, releasead

<LI>Junior Osbourne, released
<LI>Dominic Blizzard, to Chester, free
<LI>Sheku Kamara, to Mansfield, free
<LI>Ben Gill, to Rushden, free
<LI>Joel Grant, to Bristol Rovers, free

I’m delighted that we have signed Foster on a permanent deal, he is a top-class keeper and was excellent for us last season. I’m also happy with winger Vargas, who can also play in defence; he will go straight into ML and will provide good cover in case Jordan Stewart gets injured at left-back. However, I am disappointed that I didn’t manage to bring in a natural DL – I had three contracts agreed, but was unable to obtain work permits for any of them, which is f***ing ridiculous.

Also, I was aiming to bring in Carlos Vela and Denilson on season-long loans from Arsenal, but unfortunately Pagi is a **** **** **** ****er

and decided he wanted them, for some unknown reason, and they went to him instead. ****ers, the lot of you.

:p

Training

Training has been looking good, especially over the past few weeks, whilst the friendlies have been being played. A lot of the youngsters are actually looking like they are beginning to show some promise, and first-team regulars such as Bangura, Jimenez, Villaluz, King and Clarkson setting a fine example for the rest of the squad.

Injuries

Marlon was out injured at the end of last season, as was Vyacheslav Hleb. King returned for training back to fitness, but we will be without Hleb for a few more months, with ankle ligament damage. Other than that, everything looks good and set for the big kick-off!

Last Words

We are three days off of the opening game of the season, are second-favourites after Crystal Palace to win the league, and full of confidence we can spring a few surprises and win this league. I’m not sure that the squad is as strong as my record breaking Sunderland side in FM06, which earned an outstanding 118 points, but that is definitely my target, at least!

David Pagi · 11-26-2006, 03:51 PM

You'll good great steve straight back up dont worry about it

STFC will rule again · 11-26-2006, 06:59 PM

2006/07 Season Roundup

Well, the first season has been completed in EPLChallenge and there was plenty of last gasp position changes that kept everyone involved going into the final games.

Everton finished highest in 5th position but that's mainly down to Niall's assistant manager doing all the work

with Cahill and Johnson being the main reasons for the club doing well. Hopefully this won't last and Everton plummet but I don't see it happening soon :p.

The next 3 positions saw Smithy's Bolton, my Newcastle team and Sam's Villa battling it out right till the last few games for the UEFA Cup spots with Sam dropping away towards the end, leaving it to me and Smithy to fight it out on the last game of the season which Bolton ended up winning out in the end. I'd also like to point out the considerable job the Bolton assistant did in getting them to their lofty position in the table and that I've had no cash to spend :p, not that i'm making excuses of course

.

Goat's Man City team finished in mid-table with a win one, lose one philosophy along with the eccentric nutter that is Schelotto ending up with 7 yellows and 2 red cards which would surely impress Roy Keane and Vinnie Jones

.

Now we get to the huge relegation battle with no less than 4 EPL managers all involved throughout the season which saw Dave's Fulham just about staying up and despite the poor start, Pagi's Boro managed to somehow stay up which must be a first for Pagi in a first season in EPL

.

Steve's Watford put up a great fight but didn't have enough in the end and also Mo's Blackburn managed to make a decent fist of getting out of it towards the end with some big teams defeated but it wasn't quite enough.

So we go into the new season with most of the managers in the Premiership fighting for honours both at home and abroad and also there'll be two teams in the Championship but with the talent in both squads, surely it won't be long till they're back in the top league :thup:.

Whatever happens, it promises to be exciting as always so let battle commence!.

EmmYouEffSee · 11-26-2006, 07:53 PM

2007 And Bouchard's Getting Arrogant...AT LAST!

After guiding a somewhat delicate Aston Villa team to 8th position in the league after an abomination of a start, I'm keeping very upbeat about this year!

The season started like a knackered out Ford Capri last season and ended on the wonderful distinctive pur of the Aston DB9. The squad was taken apart and shipped around creating space for players to shine. Ross County's become the hub of the Aston Villa youth side, which is lead by Mads Laudrup none other than the legendary Michael's son.

The first team took time to gradually re-build. Unlike Andy 'I look like a GOAT' Nilsen who clears his squad as quick as his nose, I thought i'd take my time in bringing the bads through, only introducing three players in the summer and one in January. Per Ciljan Skjelbred, Eduardo Ratinho and Daniel Fredheim Holm were brought through to the first team, enhancing the weaker part of the side, the attack. Jeremy Mathieu or Beadle as he's known on the training ground, was shipped in at left back, affirming himself with no nonsense defending - making both Jlloyd Samuel and Bauma redundant in the side.

This summer i've brought in Greg Halford - an attractive talent from Colchester for just under a million. Sebastian Pocognoli in as cover for either Mathieu or Barry on the left hand side, brought in from the Greek side Genk. Finally the ever reliable Freddy Guarin was signed, only to reveal he's not brought a work permit with him.....not a problem. Oh no wait! It is! A part time feder club in Belgium...why wouldn't anybody want to play there for 3 years?! Nightmare!

Anyway, that's the side and this will be our year. Containing sides at Villa Park became specialty last season, even picking up points against the big sides - including a double over Man Utd. An FA Cup Semi-Final defeat was gutting, however the fans filled Wembley to see the Mighty Villa battle against Chelsea, to lose only by a Frank Lampard goal in time added on.

Last season was good and had a positive finish to it, so fingers crossed this one should be an absolute belter

sdiprose · 11-27-2006, 10:04 PM

2007/08 Season Underway

Results

Sat. 4th Aug, 1500
Plymouth 0

Watford 1
Kosstadinov 85

Wed. 8th Aug, 1945
Watford 1
Clarkson 6

Southampton 2
Rasiak 72
Jones 79

Sat 11th Aug, 1500
Stoke 1
Webber 21

Watford 2
Kosstadinov 82
Smith pen.90+3

Sat 18th Aug, 1500
Watford 3
King 12, 81, 86

Hull 0
(Bangoura s/off 70)

Thoughts

A hard-earned win got our season off to a winning start, and things looked good after taking an early lead against Southampton. However, this was followed by 160-odd minutes of football which was bad, but not quite as bad as Mr. Bouchard’s geographic knowledge…

Tactically we were poor, perhaps it was me underestimating the opposition, but it had to change. And so, I reverted back to last years tactic that served us so well in the run-in, and within minutes saw a great turnaround, and then an emphatic win over Hull, with Marlon King running riot.

My main concern at the moment, however, is the number of shots off target. The Hull game was ridiculous; with 80mins played, we had had 24 shots, but only 4 of those were on target. Shocking stuff, to say the least.

Another transfer brought in was 20-year-old Danny Szetela, a Yankee doodle utility man, comfortable on the wings, at full back, or as a defensive midfielder. For the paltry sum of £210,000, he looks to be a bargain and I hope he can fulfil the promise he is showing. The other new-boy, Vargas, has had a solid start to his Watford career, with a good assist and often tracking back from midfield, but he does seem to be worryingly short on fitness at the moment.

In other news we have a new feeder club in the form of a Belgian side, who I embarrassingly can’t remember the name of. This will be good in terms of bringing in youngsters, who can then be sent on loan for a few years in order to get their work permits, if they agree to go there that is.

Four games in, and 9 points from the 12 available, see us sitting in 4th, behind early frontrunners Blackburn and Southampton. That won’t last too long though, knowing Mo’s track record :p and although it’s still early days, we’re in a good position.

Next up is Notts. County in the League Cup first round, to be played at Vicarage Rd. Should be an easy win

Until next time.. :thup:

yossibenayoun · 11-28-2006, 07:46 PM

SMITH IN GOOD SPIRITS FOR START OF THE SEASON

Bolton Wanderers manager Ben Smith insists team morale is better than ever as he prepares his Bolton side for their first game in front of the home fans this season.

After disposing of newly promoted Derby County at the weekend, Smith is confident of victory over Tottenham.
"If we play at a standard we are capable of, I can see us giving Tottenham a run for their money."Results between the two sides last season meant victories for the away team, with Tottenham winning 2-1 at the Reebok, a result Smith hopes to overturn.

Bolton's team for their opening day victory was as follows:
Jaaskelainen, Hunt(c), Bouma, Mancienne, Ben-Haim, Varela, Fortune, Tal, O'Brien, Okaka, Diouf. Subs: Kanu - Fortune (36), Stelios - Varela (65), Litmanen - Tal (80). Goals: Diouf (6), O'Brien (79)

TRANSFERS

Ben Smith was furious when Phil Gartside went over his head to allow the sale of top goalscorer, Nicolas Anelka to Schalke during the Summer and although the £13,000,000 transfer fee will come in useful for Smith, he made it known in no uncertain terms that he was unhappy that he was not contacted over the transfer.
Smith has wasted no time in bringing some fresh faces to the Reebok, bringing in the following players:-

Samuel - Aston Villa 1.1m
Bouma - Aston Villa 750k
Barton - Man City 3.7m
Okaka - Roma 4.6m
Carr - Newcastle 250k
Hoefkens - Stoke City 210k

Smith also picked up the likes of Kanu and Hasselbaink on free transfers to bolster the strikeforce.