text:
You said that I needed to push for the promotion so I did!
You said that I needed to push for the promotion so I did!
Racing Club de France - Levallois 92
French Ligue 1 2013/2014
Ligue 1: 12th
Coupe de France: 10th Round (defeated by Toulouse FC)
Coupe de la Ligue: Champions (defeated Olympique Marseille in the Final)
Season Review: A comfortable mid-table season was pretty much my best case scenario when the season started, and we never looked in any danger of ending up at either end of the table. But that's all we were really looking to take from the season - stay away from relegation, and with this young team I think they can really grow into Ligue 1. Some of the highlights of the league campaign were doing the double over Bordeaux - the reigning French champions, and defeating eventual champions Lyon at home.
Of course, the highlight of the season was the epic win over Marseille to secure us our first piece of silverware since the team was Racing Club de Paris in the 1940s. It also secures us European football for next season - a little early for us possibly, but we'll aim to do a Fulham and balance the demands of the Europa League with a decent showing in Ligue 1.
Notable Transfers - In: Marcao became my club record signing when he joined for £1.8m early in the summer - the Brazilian left winger's raw pace, dribbling skill and crossing all appealed to me and he would be a near ever-present in the first team, providing 16 assists over the course of the season. Argentinian Diego Alegre filled the hole in central defence left by Jiri Javurek's departure when he arrived for £1m from Boca Juniors. Spanish attacking midfielder Luis Alfonso Saizar is one to watch for the future, after arriving on a free from Atletico Bilbao.
Notable Transfers - Out: We had two major departures this season - one in each transfer window. In the summer, Czech central defender Jiri Jaruvek left for St. Etienne for £1.7m - a decent fee considering I rate his replacement, Diego Alegre, much higher. On the last day of the January transfer window, Italian right-back Daniele Spina was sold by the chairman to Monaco for £5.5m - again, a decent price, but it was sad to see him go after he'd been a first team regular ever since our first season in Ligue 2.
My Player of the Season 2011/12: Marcos Coca - Again, he had a very consistent year and bossed our midfield effectively, growing very nicely into his role as midfield playmaker. None of my players really shone, but they're all still young, and all still learning at this level. Coca gets the nod because he was always a reassuring presence in the centre of the park.
Most Valuable: Marcao - £5.5m
Top Scorer: Mark Csiszar - 23 goals
Fans' Player of the Year: Mark Csiszar - I originally brought this versatile Hungarian into the squad as cover for the right side of my midfield, but he's really proven himself as a striker this season - especially with last season's top scorer, Arnau Cortes, suffering injury problems, Csiszar has become an invaluable part of the team.
Next Season: No stadium debt or in fact any financial worries at all - Ligue 1 TV revenue coupled with a relatively low wage bill (at least low in comparison to the rest of the division) means we're pulling in £1m or more in profit every month. To avoid relegation again this season, the board have given me £14m to play with as well as an enlarged wage budget. However, I doubt I'll be spending too much of it - with the youngest squad in the league, I really want to give this team a chance to grow into themselves and the division. I honestly believe they can only get better, and I want to give them the opportunity to do so. I may add a little strength in depth because of our more demanding fixture list next season, but other than that, we'll see if basically the same group of players can improve on last season's performance as they get a year older and wiser.
Code:Season Division Position Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Achievements 2010/11 National 2nd 9th Round N/A Promoted 2011/12 Ligue 2 12th 10th Round 2nd Round None 2012/13 Ligue 2 2nd 10th Round 4th Round Promoted 2013/14 Ligue 1 12th 10th Round Winners Qualified for Europa League
Lots of impressive promotions since I last posted - don't want to leave anyone out, so - well done everyone!
Well played Good luck with next season
Just firing mine up now. Hoping for a big budget wage and transfer so I can attempt to survive. And Butt signed a new contract \o/
G. Keenan's Velez C.F.- Spanish LIGA adelante- 2018-2019 Season
Season review: After surviving relegation quite comfortably last season I was hoping to improve and really push myself on into the top half of the table, but it didn't quite happen, and we ended up only improving by one position finishing 14th. Goals conceded were my big gripe last season after we conceded 77 goals and it got a lot better this year as we only conceded 57 goals. Our goal difference also saw a steady improvement from -10 last year to +4 this year. I don't think the playoffs will quite be in reach for next season but I am hoping to break into the top half of the table.
League Table
Managerial History:
Code:Season League League Finish Achievements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2010/11 Spanish Second Division B4 11th None 2011/12 Spanish Second Division B4 7th None 2012/13 Spanish Second Division B4 9th None 2013/14 Spanish Second Division B4 4th None 2014/15 Spanish Second Division B4 4th None 2015/16 Spanish Second Division B4 3rd None 2016/17 Spanish Second Division B4 3rd Promoted, playoffs 2017/18 LIGA adelante 15th None 2018/19 LIGA adelante 14th None
Working your way up.
Best of luck Jack, Montevarchi are a great club to pick
Good luck Jack!
We have three games left in this season, and we're desperately clinging on to third place in Ligue 1 and the final Champions League place. The table is as follows:
No chance of getting any higher than 3rd - but finishing in the Champions League places would be spectacular. Marseille are the hot team in the division right now though, rising from 11th to 4th in the past five weeks, while we're coming off the back of two consecutive 2-1 defeats. It's going to be interesting...Code:Pos Team Pld GD Pts 1st Olympique Lyonnais 35 +33 78 2nd Toulouse F.C. 34 +36 73 3rd Racing Club 35 +17 61 4th Olympique Marseille 35 +24 59 5th Paris St. Germain 35 +13 56
(By the way, in case you're wondering how I managed to do an entire season in the two hours since I posted my last season review - well, I didn't. I finished the last season during the week, just didn't have time to post the review until today. We all know that only GK can get through the seasons that quickly )
Any of your games against the top lot?
Good luck.
First 1st Division quality signing made. Adam Pepper from Liverpool comes in for free
And I only noticed him because of my subscriptions. My manager has Aberdeen as his favoured club and Pepper was in the news thing saying he was sad to leave them after being on loan there!
iseemonsters - congrats on the cup win and good luck for the run-in. i like the look of Marcao.
minisav - show us the pepper!!
welcome Jack
Adam Pepper
Disappointed with his lack of speed but he is apparently much better than dos Santos so will fill in that position. Still tempted to try and get Merida for next season as well. I'm on his favoured personnel
Getting Pepper on a free is a pretty big coup - he moved to Celtic for £9m in my game a few seasons ago, I think. Excellent work!
Yeah, and then I just went and signed this guy for free :o
I forgot I was trying to sign both of them!
Rotation policy here I come!
Attila the hun! Just noticed that
It's all coming down to the last game for me. Marseille dispatched Strasbourg comfortably 2-0, while we needed a last minute winner from Marcos Coca to grab a 2-1 win over Lens. Then Lyon did us a favour by narrowly beating Marseille 3-2, but we couldn't take advantage as we crashed to a 1-0 defeat at lowly Sochaux. Here's how it stands:
We have to match whatever Marseille do in their game against Lens - if they win, a draw against Nice won't cut it for us because of our inferior goal difference...Code:Pos Team Pld GD Pts 3rd Racing Club 37 +17 64 4th Olympique Marseille 37 +25 62
I am just about to crack on with my Evora save
All looking good for you guys, and I love Attila the Hun(garian) haha
I use an AMC yes monsters
Also picked up another few bargains. Then I get my new budget. 6.75 million
A tidy 10m for TV rights helping I suppose.
Des Tiny's
Lusitano de Evora
November 1st Update
Some News
Mauro Zambujo made the 2nd Div Team of the week 18th Oct.
My only Right back Gueifao has been injured, and he will be out for 6-7 weeks with a twisted ankle, damn guess I need a DR.
The Matches
2DS: Evora vs Igreja-a-Nova 2:0
Nilton (9), Zambujo (88)
MoM: Zambujo
We completely dominated this game having 65% of the possession, but we just were unable to convert in the wet weather, I am happy with the final result which does move us up the ladder a little bit. Now 4th on the table with a +6 GD.
CUP: Vit. Setubal vs Evora 3:0
I am not expecting much from this game as they currently sit near the top of the Liga Vitalis after being relegated last season. All I want is a good performance from the boys. Well it took 22 mins for them to score, and we had actually been in the game, so may not be too bad. They added another before 30 mins was up, could be bad now. And a red card for Franco following his second yellow leaves us with ten men for the final 20 minutes. Well we kept them out for the entire second half, and really I have to be happy with that.
2DS: Camacha vs Evora 1:2
Costa (73), Djibril (80)
MoM: Costa
Well it took a last quarter rush from us, but we finally got back into the game and with 10mins left were looking good.
2DS: Louletano vs Evora 4:3
Alves (19,60), da Silva (55)
A pass from Zambujo who had been offside when he received the ball led to our opening goal, and brought us back to level terms. A goal from a corner brought us back level again, but our defensive lapses are really letting us down. A great series of passes up through the field ending with a through ball from Maria to Alves and a shot into the corner has finally given us the lead. A great 5 minute stretch. They though pulled it back and equalised in the 78th minute, and then took the lead in the 83rd. That results drops us to 5th, but it was against one of the top 3 teams in the league, and we were always in the game.
2DS: Evora vs Pampilhosa 3:0
Nilton (pen20,45+1), Alves (48)
MoM: Nilton
A great first half from Nilton saw us go in 2 nil up at the break, his first saw him taken out and convert the penalty, while his second was just a great shot once he was free of the defense. Straight after halftime he became provider as he ran down the right win and floated a cross to Alves who headed it home.
My Player of the Month
My player of the month is going to be Nilton, he scored 3 goals and added 2 assists during the month, but most of all is the fact he only started out as injury cover, but he has now replaced Djibril in the starting line-up for now.
Player Stats
League Table
League Stats
Good luck Jack no Coke.
I should've known better than to sign a striker whose surname is Immobile. 1 Goal in 14 games so far!
Des Tiny's
Lusitano de Evora
December 1st Update
Some News
And I just lost Calu for 4 weeks, he was my replacement DR, so now struggling to find a DR.
The Matches
2DS: Mafra vs Evora 3:0
I have no idea what happened here, it was like our players just all had an off day all at once, an appalling game. It drops us to 5th in the league.
2DS: Monsanto vs Evora 2:1
Nilton (49)
Another appalling game, but we did make an early second half attempt, just couldn't do it all. Two losses in a row to teams ranked near the bottom has really hurt my league standings, I need to do something to turn it around.
2DS: Evora vs U.Serra 4:0
Alves (42,48,63), Nilton (50)
MoM: Alves
A couple of stunners by Alves either side of halftime have lifted the team as a whole, and maybe from here we can get back into the race for the league. With Nilton adding a third shortly after on a huge solo run and a powerful strike the game was now ours. Alves then completed his hattrick off a great Nilton through ball.
2DS: Evora vs Farense 0:1
MoM: da Silva
This should've at least been a draw.
My Player of the Month
Well a terrible month there. I am not even going to name a player of the month they were that terrible. I will upload screenshots later.
Player Stats
League Table
League Stats
Never thought I'd try a challenge given it would involve a couple of things (attibute masking, loading only 1 nation, low starting rep for instance) that I'm not used to doing, but might as well have a go anyway. Unfortunately I didn't want my maiden post to be like this but I'm having a bit of a rep problem. I'm going for France but Sunday league experience is greyed out and 'automatic' for who I wanted to go for (Sannois) gives me 'regional', and part time, 'national' (or was it the other way around?) which is clearly far too high. This is odd given people have managed to start with low rep for them before. Would a different club give me a lower rep or do I need to go elsewhere?
If Sunday League is greyed out then pick Automatic and you're well within the rules
It doesn't matter if you choose Automatic
Grrr how annoying!
Struggling a bit in Serie A and heading toward the January transfer window, the board have a takeover bid!
So the inevitable transfer embargo is placed on the club
Takeover has just taken place on 30 January, so no new players for me as the embargo will last into February, typical.
Oh well, let's see how we can cope!
I may be training Attila the Hun to be a MR and then sign Buonanotte (AMC) and train him to be ML. Currently needing a ML, LB and a ST and possibly another DC at this stage! Oh and GK. Not 100% sure about Butt tbh.
Hope this comes up OK.
Apologies for rep but that's what automatic gave me (again, as I had got the reps the wrong way round in the earlier post). Better starting point then I expected but I don't expect to be going anywhere fast at best anyway. As it happens I'm in between seasons on my main save (which I'll alternate a season at a time with this one) so can get started next time I get the chance. Must say despite my lack of self-confidence when I started looking around I felt really excited.
Last edited by deltablue; 10-01-2010 at 16:00.
Good luck.
Just remembered my reserves which I decided to get rid of. Offers in galore
Finally have a left mid in. Assulin, Van der Vaart & D'Alessandro all rejected me.
Instead, for 3.2m, I brought in Merida permanently
Got Silviu Lung Jr for 5m upfront. Fans unhappy
congrats on signing Medrida... why are the fans unhappy about signing of Llung Jr??
Waste of money. 12.5m it will be in the end. I needed a good goalie tbf. They say the same about Guy Medel but I didn't think Cha Du-Ri was ready to make the step up as first choice.
Well after a fairly poor start, here is an update
League Table,one win in seven :o
Star Player so far
In the end I think a good goalie can make a team.
Butt was the difference between us just simply overachieving and getting promoted last season.
Hoping Lung Jr can do the same
i agree completely. a good GK is essential.
Immobile is putting in some great performances though
Struggling so far this season though,haven't won a game since the opening day
I say this about a goalie and I've lost the 2 opening games. 2-0 and 3-1
Hat-trick number two
I have a problem. Last season I finished third with Casa Pia, not yet updated here, and qualified for Europa League. Now I can´t register my team for play there because we only have three homegrown players. This despite the U19 obviously is filled with players that are homegrown. What should I do?
Have you tried using the Auto-Select option. That usually found a selection that worked when I hit similar problems.
Going on holiday for a day can solve the problem as well I think.
Flashman's School Days - CF Portugalete - Season Summary 10/11
Predicted - 18th
Actual - 16th
Relegation Play-off - Won
The Season
Well the writing was on the wall as soon as pre-season began with my assisstant manager guiding the team to a 7-0 defeat against fellow Second Division B2 strugglers Sant Andreu. When I arrived at the club almost none of the exisisting team could possibly make te grade so off I went to sign as many players that could fight relegation for me. 19 players in total came in before the deadline passed the best of which was Revy Rosalia.
Unfortunaltly the team took a while to gel together and we conceded 28 goals in the first 10 games and gaining only 5 points. This was the story of the season as we seemingly shipped goals for fun, 72 in total the 2nd worst record in the league. (Also I don't know what was wrong with the strikers but they can't finish to save their lives ). After that we conceded in almost every game but only more than 3 twice, which compared to the first 10 games where that had happened 4 times was encouraging.
The team was in the relegation zone for almost the entire season and with a late surge it appeared that we may be able to haul ourselves to automatic safety, however, with a win needed on the last day to finish 15th and playing against the 2nd placed team Leganes, despite them going 1-0 up we pulled it back to 1-1 but after dominating for the rest of the game Leganes scored a winner and so we had to go to a relegation play-off.
The first game of the play-off finished 1-0 to Alcala and my dutch CB Martijn Kuiper got a sending off that just happened to make me livid enough to fine him a weeks wages. This upset the majority of the first team who all felt it was unfair, added to this increasing numbers of players during the season had been declaring they were dismayed by the lack of harmony within the squad. I still don't know what that lack of harmony has come from :confused: Despite all these problems the players pulled their fingers out and came up with a 2-0 win in the home leg and we duely stay in the Second Division B2.
The most important players of the season were:
GK Jose Carlos
D/MR Josep Manuel Ayala
D/WBL Josue
AMLC Revy Rosalia
ST Christian Okpala
And the only player I payed money for is one to watch:
DC,DM,MC Antonio Cuenca
Finances - More or less steady going.
Plans For Next Season
- Improve defence
- Improve striking personel
- Finish higher than this season
Dear all Big Euro Nation Challenge participants:
As some of you may know, I have created a signup challenge that involves the best players to have come out of the 5 Small Club to Big Club Challenges. For those of you who are not familiar with this signup challenge, I intend to create a challenge utilizing the best talent that the Small Club to Big Club Challenges have seen. From participating in this challenge last year, I know that some of you have very good players but haven't nominated them in the thread yet. Additionally, a couple of you have already completed the FM10 Big Euro nation challenge so I would be delighted if you have a player or two that you can nominate. I hope that some of you nominate your players, and behind my own challenge, this is my 2nd favourite challenge in CSE, so I'm really hoping the Big Euro All-Stars can show 3 of the 4 other challenges who has the best team!
Although, if I do get a lot of nominations (although highly unlikely), I will sort the players out by regions, and if I have enough teams I will be able to create a league only with SC2BC teams and players. You can choose any version of FM for this challenge, but I can only check your hidden attributes for FM09 and FM10.
'So don't wait, nominate!'
Thanks for reading this,
Last edited by rancer890; 11-01-2010 at 17:19.
Nice one rancer
Can't reiterate this post enough. For all the Big Euro challenge success stories we've had we owe each other to combine and create the greatest CSE side out there!! C'mon chaps, pull together . Don't wait, nominate !!
Renato Curi Angolana - Serie C2/B - 2011/12
Some bad pre-Christmas form found us in a slightly unstable 12th place
First up in the New Year was a tricky visit to Juve Stabia who were 6 games without defeat and unbeaten at home. We totally forgot abot our post-Xmas form and strolled to a very impressive 2-0 win. This was followed by a slightly unfortunate home defeat to Cisco before we picked up another away win at a dire Chieti. There followed 2 satisfactory 1-1 draws at play-off chasing teams. We then visited Aversa Normanna and were dire and lucky to escape with a 1-3 defeat.
This meant that we had slipped dangerously close to the playouts, only 2 points above 14th now but despite that only 9 points from the playoffs with 10 games to go. Next up was another home game without a win as we drew with Pro Vasto. Then we visited and thrashed Arzachena, the worst team in the division. Next up were matches against the top 2 teams in the division; the aggregate result was a shocking 0-8 , the 1st 0-4 was undeserved, the 2nd very much so. Suddenly we could not score and the result was 0 goals and 1 point from the next 2 games and a slide into a playout position .
Finally we sorted ourselves and were 4-0 up at home to Gubbio. That said, obviously our defence attempted to throw it all away but we managed to hang on to a 5-4 win; our first home win for over 5 months. Unfortunately everyone else around us won leaving still in the playouts. An unlucky defeat in our next match did not helped. There followed a visit from Foligno; in 2nd and chasing the title. We went 1-0 down against the run of play but 2 goals in the last 20 minutes gave us a vital win (which in the end prevented them from winning the title) especially as Barletta, our challengers, lost so we moved 1 point clear. Our final match was away to Pisa but given that Barletta were at home to the unspeakably bad Arzachena we had to win. A penalty after 40 seconds helped, a red card are 30 minutes did not. However we managed to hang on and confirm safety.
So 13th it was and this shows our downhill spiral nicely. Well, that was a lot more difficult than it should have been. We are better than our final position shows; a better team, positive GD, more wins than defeats and only 3 points less than last year's 7th place should not equal relegation struggle. What this has confirmed is how dangerous this division is; 8 points between the playoffs and playouts last season, 12 this season. Also 50 points got me 7th and nearly the playoffs last year, it would have got me relegation worries and 12th this season. Most of the clubs are so evenly matched that it is very easy to get dragged down into trouble before you even realise it. To be fair, last season also showed how easy it is to get "dragged" into a promotion race without realising it .
Our main issue this year was scoring goals; we had a better defensive record but scored 14 goals less, we also had far too many draws and a horrific home record, 5 months without a home win is just plain embarrassing.
Finances - still going down but the Summer income more or less covered the continual monthly losses, can see this pattern continuing until we obtain something ressembling acceptable gate receipts
Transfers - pretty much total success, the only ones who did not play much were 2 of the loanees (so did not cost me anything) whilst the other 2 were pretty much every present at fullback, the new midfield and central defence were good as well whilst Melinte picked up after a slightly poor start
The better players were:
Best GK - Ricardo Giorgi - again satisfactory, 1 clean sheet every 3 matches is not bad, made a few great saves as well, my assistant manager only gives him 1 star though so it is probable that I might replace him
Best Defender - Pietro Resta - one of my loanee fullbacks, both my new DCs were not bad at all but the fullbacks were better, ever present apart from 1 Serie C Cup match, was solid throughout, out of contract at Siena in the Summer, would like to sign him up permanently if possible or if he signs a new contract another season on loan here would be nice
Best Midfielder - Francesco Della Rocca - good MC for this level, came in from Bologna and after a slow start he really started to impress, great vision and created a fair few goals, only issue is that he not always the fittest player and is a little injury prone as well
Best Winger - Cristian Melinte - a £10k buy from Palermo, he did not really impress to begin with but I knew he was the best MR here so I persisted and it paid off, most assists at the club and chipped in with a few goals as well, more of the same please
Best Strikers - Liborio Bongiovanni and Carlos - both had same rating, both scored a similar number of goals, both were vital to our team, I think Bongiovanni is slightly more important given the number of assists and that he is younger but Carlos is the better player and picked up his first Venezuela cap as well, given that he is pushing 35 I am not too sure how long the latter will stay first choice but if I have to stick with these 2 again next season I will have no complaints.
I would like significantly better next season. A playoff push has to be the aim and with a couple of additions it should, in theory, be possible. With the loanees leaving, the fullback situation will have to be sorted out whilst upfront both my backups will probably be leaving so strengthening there will be necessary. Might have a look around for a GK as well.
Best 11
Overall Best 11
10/11 - Serie C2/B - 7th
11/12 - Serie C2/B - 13th
Team I Would Like To Play Every Week - Arzachena - H3-0, A4-0 (very very last, awful team)
Team I Would Not Like To Play Every Week - Cisco - A0-4 (Serie C Cup), A0-1, H0-1 (Serie C2/B) (10th)
Last edited by ghostwriter; 11-01-2010 at 22:47.
Ok first season in with Montevarchi
After a very difficult start to the campaign,we turned it around in the second half of the season going 12 games unbeaten.This moved us away from the relegation battle and into a more comfortable midtable finish.http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/7...bleseason1.jpg
Ciro Immobile was the clubs top performer with 18 goals but his loan finished and he opted to join Piacenza instead of a second season on loan at the Brilli.i couldn,t afford the 200k asking price with my transfer budget of 0k Luca Castiglia also returned to Juventus after a great second half of the season.
Heres my transfers from the first season,some turned out to be good players,some not so much. http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/5...erhistory2.jpg
Allesandro Frau,Marco Di Fatti and Emanuelle Marzocchi all deserve honourable mentions as they had fine seasons.
So 11th position after my first season,I'm happy enough with that after my poor start.Next season my aim is to push for a playoff spot,which should be a realistic target.Here's my best 11 from last season http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/9264/best11x.jpg
As I'll remember very few details doing a retrospective report at the end of the season, I'm adding bits as I go along. As that means having a fair bit of detail, I thought I'd split updates up to cover half a season each. Most of the screenshots will be in the second half update.
Deltablue – Sannois SG – National - 2010-2011 (Part 1) (Sorry, had it in bold in the word document but it didn't seem to come out)
Predicted position: 15
So the adventure begins. With no other members of staff, that was the first priority. I soon filled up all the slots with an Ass Man, 2 coaches, 2 scouts (one of whom I immediately send off around France, for though I could do all of central Europe and a fair few other countries I reckoned that was a good place to start) and a physio. The squad looked small but otherwise would have made for a good starting 11 on their own. I was blessed with 200k in the bank, had 20k for transfers and over 2k spare on a wage budget of just under 12k. Before I started spending I got an out of contract 25yr old D RC from Beauvais named Ritchie Makuma (which doesn't sound very French though that's his listed nationality), another potential free signing rejected me for someone else (which has already happened to my first choice general coach).
The signing of a 2.5k Luxembourger failed as he was also a youth coach so the board blocked it, however once the trialists game passed I made a raid for 4 of the best players. The addition of 3 paid-for players (5k Madagascan forward from Romorantin, 1.5k French winger from Switzerland and a £425 backup keeper from first opponents Paris (F.C.)) gave me a squad of 21 with only 1/3 of the budget spent (though was £40 over wage budget). As the first game loomed I hoped I hadn't been too cautious with the transfers, saving what cash I had from when I could get some more and when I needed it.
One of the experiences that's both the most exciting and most nervewracking in the world is the opening game of a season, especially if it's also your first with a club. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, aside from the fact that we were expected to survive, which I needed to do anyway. Being out of trouble was enough for me, being at least close to the promotion places would be nice but I wasn't really expecting it.
A home game with Paris FC was a tight one to call. New forward Claudinho got the opening goal and had a second ruled out before taking a knock later on. Paris applied a fair amount of pressure but we held out for a successful first result. Going away to Creteil was going to be much harder, especially with Claudinho not fully fit. We took the lead early on nonetheless before being 2-1 down at half time. We equalized (and got a knock to another forward) but they scored a winner right at the end. That was the beginning of a run of only 1 point from 5 game before another win came, against Rodez taking us above them and out of relegation for now. After 2 defeats from 2 tough games, 7 points arrived courtesy of 3 games against the bottom 3 teams, giving a 4 point and 3 team cushion from relegation after 12 games. These were the sorts of games we needed to get the points in but we sadly couldn't play them every 3 weeks (twice at home as well) and there were tough teams to come.
After 1 point in 4 games (and that at home against the remaining team in the relegation zone) something amazing happened. We were away at top club Bastia, very much a mission impossible. Claudinho (who since his opening day goal had been disappointing) got a goal after a record 16 seconds. They equalized, partly thanks to another disappointing showing from my DM, Perez, who was having just the latest of his frequent costly-bad displays (and was soon subbed). We retook the lead and never looked back, ending up winning 5-1! However just like with his good debut, Claudinho got a knock and is out for 4-5 months. The fact we were just 3 points clear even after that highlighted how important that result may well be. Holding Stade Lavallois (who had replaced them at the top) was also good by a last minute defeat against Stade Plabennecois was very disappointing.
Not much to say so far (contrary to the length of the above report). Struggled against many sides, got points where I needed to. There is a pretty fine line between success and failure given how most defeats were pretty close (in score at least) and many of those I didn't lose were definitely a case of riding my luck. Pretty nerve-wracking stuff but at least I'm on the right side of the line so far.
Good stuff guys
Scraped through to the German Cup 3rd Round. 2nd Division side Augsburg pulled out a 2 goal comeback in the 2nd half. A goal wrongly chalked off for us in ET. We won 7-6 on pens though!
Gladbach in the next round. In my division. Hoping I can sneak through though. Would do wonders for the finances. I'm hoping to finance a deal fro a better striker. Milevskyi is my only target atm as I know of no others
Wow, must have been quite a nervous cup tie. I'm actually constantly swapping places on either side of the relegation line.
Just smashed first place Wolfsburg 3-1
I have not had internet access for the last 5 days it has been torture. However I cracked on.
1.FC Saarbrucken Season 2
Upon gaining promotion we were simply brilliant. We went on an 18 game unbeaten run and secured promotion as Champions.
League Table
1.FC Saarbrucken Season 3
After living the high life last season it was back down to earth with a bump. A season of grinded out results meant we avoided relegation on the last day of the season. A great accomplishment considering no players of note or the required skill wanted to sign for us.
League Table
I spent a great deal of time scouting players during the season. As such I decided that I would play a very young side the following season. 19 Games in we are bottom but seem to be turning the corner now. I will post a more complete report at the end of the season.
Congrats to all the guys that have achieved successes
Deltablue – Sannois SG – National - 2010-2011 (Part 2)
Predicted position: 15. Actual position: 17. French Cup: 8th round.
No rest for the weary. Half-way through and it's only mid-November. Creteil threw up a surprise. They had already played Steve Marlet in the first game, but trumped that with Jari Litmanen (now 39) in the return game. He got a penalty and 2 assists in a 3-3 draw. A cup win over Racing Levallois was the only win I'd see for a while and I dropped into the relegation zone. But I was starting to draw against a few teams that had beaten me the first time, and throughout each match I'd switch between in and out of it a few times (even when losing). A 3rd draw in the last of the 5 league games (and defeat in the cup to Vannes) before the winter break, coupled with results elsewhere lifted me out by a point. Unfortunately an attempt to get a few reinforcements was hampered by a rule that the January window can't be used to sign players from the same division or below. An away win against 5th placed Gueugnon (playing Carsten Jancker) was my first since Bastia, but yet again results elsewhere meant I didn't gain any extra breathing space.
There was the signing of an out-of contract Sibierski which didn't prevent back to back home defeats which dropped us firmly in the zone but in the return games against the relegation strugglers another 7 points were gained, being a rather closer call then before, to get out again by 3 points. But with a tough run in for most of the remaining 8 games, that meant little. In 16th I was the lowest of 3 teams on 32. Paris and Beauvais both just 3 points behind. Of the 5 teams mostly considered to be involved in the scrap, 3 would survive. Reims and Cassis-Carnoux were 3 points further ahead and behind respectively, with another side 1 point from them. They were unlikely to change their situation but it wasn't impossible. 4 games later and only 1 point meant we were back in the zone and with top 2 clubs Bastia and Lavallois next there was a sense that the game was up.
Or was it? 2 defeats later and Stade Plabennecois were sent home with a 3-0 defeat ringing in whatever part of the body defeats ring in. For a while that lifted us to provisional safety. Though that wasn't the case at the end of the match. Plabennecois and Cassis-Carnoux were on opposite sides of the line, both on 37 points with Cassis in safety. I was just a point behind with Paris (who I faced in the final game) just 1 behind me, while Beauvais were just 1 ahead. The first half was mostly ours, with a fair few chances missed, including a penalty. At half time Cassis and Beauvais were safe on 37, with me, Plabennecois and Hyeres (who only had a faint chance before and were probably winning) all on 36 and Paris bottom on 35. They had a player sent off and more chances came. Then finally there was a goal, for Paris. We got another penalty and this time it was scored but some more chances failed an in the end just we fell by just 1 point.
Unfortunately I was sacked when I went back to the main screen so I couldn't get a finances screenshot. But it had been a season of loss so I estimate it was around 100k in debt. Though in the end it doesn't really matter. I don't regret having a go, and after pretty much lowing hope near the end, to come back to nearly do it was quite an experience.
Unlucky You going to try again/see who gets promoted next?
Kind of scared. Managers are being sacked left, right and centre. Went on a 5 match unbeaten run and getting a couple of wins. Got a new striker coming in January. Also trying a trade for Milevskyi as Roma want my best striker.
I will probably try again. My initial backup plan wait to see who gets promoted and continue doing that but it wouldn't seem right going with a club in the same league as my previous one, which is why I don't do it normally, even if it is technically a different manager. Having done a challenge season (from the first match since mid-afternoon) I'll probably go back to my main save for a season, as I'd always planned to alternate, then I'll try somewhere else. Probably Germany (as I like a simple structure, one of the reasons why I went for France over somewhere like Spain or Italy), though Italy (which will few automatic places and many playoff/playout places would be interesting) or Scotland (where at least I'll have time to build without relegation worries) are also on my list of potential places to try.
Deltablue - Hard luck mate, better luck next time around!
Minisav - Hope you manage to keep your job, the board will regret it if they sack you!
As for me, i've managed to finish my first season in Serie A and will give a more detailed report later. As a summary though, we finished 13th (not too bad), have been granted planning permission for a new stadium and been given a whopping £36.5 mil transfer kitty to boost the squad and they only want a mid-table finish
Here's something for you though, until i update later!
I've splashed out heavily on one player (£17.5 mil ), he plays AML/ML and was voted in the World Cup Dream Team 2014. The question is, who is this illustrious player that will be plying his trade for Pisa this season?
Answers on a postcard!
I might put some clues up through the day, depending on responses.
Last edited by cookie15; 13-01-2010 at 12:04.
Is he a real player?
Well how could we guess otherwise El Sid?
Got Bayern at home next. Praying that I don't get mauled. Although we did get a win here against their main challengers...
Oh and Roma looking at my best striker Scaring them off with a high-price tag plus trying to do a swap deal for Milevskyi
Bayern seem to be easier to beat than Schalke/Stuttgart/Werder or Leverkuesen. To my team, anyway. I did the double over them this season *smug
Also how much did you get as a transfer kitty in your first Bundesliga season? I barely got £5mil
Although I have made a lot of sales to add that too.
OK, time for a few clues!
Clue 1 - I bought him from Bordeaux, but they got him from a club in Portugal.
Clue 2 - He's 26 years of age.
His Nationality would probably give him away!!
J Moutinho?
Hospitalet - Season 4 - 2013-14 - Liga Adelante
After the disappointment of not improving in the league last season when compared to the season before that I made a few decisions as to what needed doing to see the team move forwards as I had decided I should be aiming for a top half finish in the up-coming season.
After finding out that we cannot expand the capacity of our ground (6400 total - 6000 seated) due to council planning permission or something i realized that we were never going to have one of the big wage budgets in the league due to the lack of revenue we could potentially bring in. As a result of this I have focused more and more on bringing in mainly younger players with the quality to progress with the team or make the team a bit of money. I had also noticed in the previous season that we had only managed to keep the club with a positive bank balance due to the money we had received in transfers. So therefore when anybody put in a bid anywhere near 1m the chairman was always going to accept the bid on my behalf!
The Season
We started the season with 2 league wins and victory in the Spanish cup 2nd round. We then struggled going 9 games without a win as the mainly new team wasn't playing well together and we came up against several of the better teams in the league. This poor form saw us drop down the league table to 19th and just above the relegation places, we were also knocked out in the 3rd round of the Spanish cup 2-0 at home to Celta. Then as we played some of the weaker teams our form improved and we managed to then go 11 games without defeat as we rose up the league table.
We then settled into a top 7 position in the league and as other teams faltered we came closer and closer to the promotion places eventually finishing in 5th place 4 points off promotion. If only our form had been better at the start of the season!
Compared to the previous season we had managed to finish 10 places better, obtaining 19 more points, Scoring 11 more goals and Conceding 8 less goals.
The Players
Bas Van Duijn - GK - With the sale of my previous number GK (Daniel Romero) for 1.3m I had gone on the lookout for a replacement. I brought Bas in for 40k from Vitesse and he had an excellent first season and has the ability to improve further.
Daniel Opare - DR - Had another good season and contributing more than last season
Luca Bianco - DR - Brought in on a free from Lazio. He played occasionally when Opare was injured or needed a bit of a rest and showed his potential by getting a better average rating than Opare.
Ricardo Alonso - DL/DC - I brought in Ricardo for 130k from Marbella and with his huge potential this was a bargain buy. Being only 16 years old and making 30 league starts Ricardo was excellent and a major prospect for the future if i can keep hold of him!
Vasily Ignatjev - DC - Brought in on a free in January to provide cover he actually played a lot more and a lot better than I was expecting.
Massimilano Sala - CB - Was one of my first choice centre backs at the start of season but a 950k bid from Ipswich was too much for my chairman to turn down!
Ivan Benitez - CB - My other first choice centre back who had another excellent season. Unfortunately despite trying all season i couldn't get him to sign a new contract despite his willing to discuss terms.
Juan Carlos Alvarez - DMC - An excellent season for the 17 year old who was much improved from the previous season
Francesco Viola - MC - An absolutely fantastic season for Francesco who picked up the Fans player of the year. His 10 goals and 14 assists was a fantastic contribution.
Josip Knezevic - MC / AML - Brought in to provide quality on the left wing and as cover for Viola. He cost 525k from Osijek. His 12 assists made him good valuable for money and added a lot to our midfield.
Zoltan Bagi - AMR - His second season for the club was much improved and he looks to be developing into an excellent player.
Mihajlo Zaric - AML - Brought in for 275k from Red Star he is only 22 years old and the fans really like him. Had a good season with 3 goals and 9 assists.
Fabio Caracciola - ST - Highly recommended by my scouts i was slightly dubious due to his finishing attribute being 12 and heading attribute being 9. I feared he was going to be a flop as he only scored once or twice in his first 12 games. He then seemed to settle in the area and with the team which resulted in him playing much better finishing the season with 12 goals.
Ivan Bolado - ST - He was again my number 1 striker and top goalscorer with 24 goals. His 24 goals gave him 3rd place in the Liga Adelante Top Goalscorers. He has now scored 44 league goals for the club and looking at the club history the record league goalscorer for the Hospitalet has 45 goals. So hopefully if I can keep hold of him he can break this club record for me!
Jean-Pierre Kremer - ST - Young striker i brought in for 230k from Anderlecht showed some of his promised as he contributed with 6 goals this season.
Next Season
Well after being only 4 points off a promotion place I am hoping that we can at least challenge for promotion if not achieve it. We are more secure financially now as well are making a profit every month at the moment and hopefully in the near future we can invest some money into the facilities at the club.
FC Libourne-Saint-Seurin, 2018-19, Ligue 2
League Position - 7th: Past Positions
This season was our best ever season. At the end of last season our star left midfielder 'Di Dio' was bought by Sion. Anything around 1M or higher is far too good to turn down when you're a club like us, and I would have accepted the 1.2M offer even if the Chairman hadn't. There seemed to be at least some sort of progress amongst the squad, as I only brought in a few players this season. One being our new right back Svec, brought in on the cheap. The others being a striker, Vafougbe Dosso and a new central defender, Michael Blanc. Despite having around 2M to spend, I only spent 250K because there wasn't a player worth spending a lot of money on. I also renewed the loan of Vivaldy Joaquium, I didn't expect Monaco to accept, but they did, so that saved me having to bring a new player in. I think next season could be the first season we push for promotion, although the board will probably buy a new stadium or something.
Key Players
Vivaldy Joaquim - The homegrown hero's loan contract was renewed and he stayed at the club. This season he played primarily on the left of midfield, which is why his goal and assist tally isn't as impressive as last season's. He also won the prestigious 'Ligue 2 Player of the Year' award.
Sergio Marbus - The Dutch central midfielder had another solid season in the heart of midfield, scoring 8 and assisting 5.
Geslin Schafer - The 23 year old Belgian striker had a quality season, scoring 21 in 39 games, also assisting 10.
U21 Player of the Year
Jérôme Hebert - The 17 year old home grown player didn't have as many starts this year as he did last year, but he still did well in the 5 games he did start. He was a prominent figure on the bench as well, coming on 16 times,
Career Overview
Code:Season League Position Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010/11 National 4th None 2011/12 National 5th None 2012/13 National 7th None 2013/14 National 2nd Promoted 2014/15 Ligue 2 18th Relegated 2015/16 National 3rd Promotion 2016/17 Ligue 2 13th None 2017/18 Ligue 2 12th None 2018/19 Ligue 2 7th None Trophies won:
SV Stuttgarter Kickers - German Bundesliga 2012/13
After an easy climb up the leagues, I was fairly confident that with a few quality signings we would stay up this year.
Table http://img25.imageshack.us/i/fmgermantable2.jpg/
Progress http://img96.imageshack.us/i/fmgermanprogress2.jpg/
A great season from start to finish. We were floating around the top spot for a while, but there was no chance of us holding on to it. We ended up in 5th place, which guaranteed us a place in the Europa League next season, which will make life more interesting. This season we owed alot to the front two, who chipped in with the lions share of the goals. Kramaric was an incredible buy, and we fought off some big names to keep hold of him in January.
Squad http://img96.imageshack.us/i/fmgermansquad2.jpg/
Heavy on the centre backs I guess. As is obvious, we relied a huge amount on Kramaric and Fomin, who luckily remained almost completely injury free throughout the season. We were shakey at the back, despite the multitude of CBs. It's an inexperienced squad, who I hope to keep together for many years to come.
We started with a fairly small budget, but that grew with sales of over priced, under talented players. Gutted to lose Zidane for so little though, I really thought he had a future. Bloody French. Kramaric and Gyenes were great buys though, and for such small fees can count as bargains.
A really good first season in the top division of German football. Next year I'll look to push onn in the league and hopefully make my way into the Champions Leauge. The Euro Cup should prove fun.
Code:Season League Position Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010/11 Division 3 3rd Promoted through play offs. 2011/12 Division 2 2nd Promoted, Lost in German Cup 1st Round 2012/13 Bundesliga 5th Qualified for Euro Cup.
Cookie- Cheers, and I'm sure you're going to enjoy all that money with relatively low expectations.
Stella, PaulHartman - Surely it won't be long before promotion
WillCarruthers - Enjoy a long european adventure, will be very useful once you reach the CL.
Montevarchi Calcio Aquila - Italian Serie B 2013/14
Transfers - I finally had a transfer kitty and the ability to scout outside Central Europe so I went Brazilian shopping although the rule allowing only 1 non-EU signing per season did mean I had to pick and choose a bit. I also smashed our transfer record paying 500k for a 16yr old, but he's rated as having leading Serie A potential and Man Utd were already interested by the end of the season.
Italian Serie B
Predicted: 22nd | Final Position: 3rd | Graph
Predicted to finish dead last the fixture calendar was kind as we faced fellow strugglers in the early games and it helped us kick start our attempt to avoid relegation in fine style. So much so that we spent the first half of the season in or around the promotion spots and every time I thought we were about to slump we'd bounce back.
With 12 games left we were only 3 points off top spot but bouncing around between 3rd and 4th. A few too many draws saw us lose ground on the leaders but we bounced back again and with 4 games left we climbed to 2nd. That was as high as we got however as a few tough games to end the seaoson saw us pick up only 4pts from the last 4 games so into the playoffs we went.
A poor first leg away to Ascoli in the semi-final left us needing to overturn a 3-1 defeat. 2-0 down after 22 minutes in the 2nd leg, we managed to pull it back to 2-2 but we were staying in Serie B.
Italian Cup - 3rd Qualifying Round
Other News
Finances - Not bad, TV money made the difference.
Club Records
Most Assists: Anaílson - 15
Most Goals: Edgar - 17
Most MoM: Zvonomir Mostarlic - 5
Highest Avg Rating: Domenico Oliveri - 7.26
Fan Player of the Year: Domenico Oliveri
Best Eleven: Season | Overall
Montevarchi Calcio Aquila Trophy Room
Serie C1/A x 1 - 2012/13
Serie C Cup x 1 - 2012/13
Serie C2/B x 1 - 2010/11
Italian C1 Super Cup x 1 - 2012/13
Italian C2 Super Cup x 1 - 2010/11
Career History
Next Season...Same again would be fine by me.Code:Season League Pos. Serie C Cup Cup Europe Achievements _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2010/11 Serie C2/B 1st 2nd Rnd N/A N/A Serie C2/B Champions, C2 Super Cup 2011/12 Serie C1/A 7th 2nd Rnd 1st Qual. N/A None 2012/13 Serie C1/A 1st Winners 4th Qual. N/A Serie C1/A Champions, Serie C Cup, Italian C1 Super Cup 2013/14 Serie B 3rd N/A 3rd Qual. N/A None
After only one season in Serie A, i've managed to persuade him to join me and my commercial manager loves me.
Didn't get a chance last night to do my season review, but will ensure it'll be up tonight. I'll also post screenies of my new acquisitions to the squad!
Daemonic - A very good season all in all, i reckon you'll get promoted next season.
WillCarruthers - A very good season all round there, congrats on the Euro Cup qualification, that's my aim for next season.
PaulHartman - Congrats on your best season to date.
StellaF1 - Good luck next season, hope you manage to get yourself promoted.
daemonic - unlucky in the paly-offs but great first season in Serie B
willcarruthers - great first season in Bundesliga.
stella - great season there and good progress made. good luck next season.
paulhartman - congrats on best season, as cookie said. might see you pushing for promotion next season?
As for my Venezia game, i have 4 league games to go and hopefully i might get that done tonight. need to see how high we can finish.
The club needs a little time to grow as I'm still heavily reliant on a first 11 with very little by way of decent backup options. Another season or 2 in Serie B will probably be better in the long run.
SV Stuttgarter Kickers - German Bundesliga 2013/14
A gret first season in the Bundesliga, finished 5th and qualifying for the Europa League. The main aim pre season was to keep the core of my squad together, and try to add some quality in midfield.
Table http://img689.imageshack.us/i/fmgermantable3.jpg/
Progress http://img43.imageshack.us/i/fmgermanprogress3.jpg/
Well, after a horror start, we went on a superb 6 match winning run, propelling us briefly to the top of the table. With a better squad than last year I expected to push for a Champions League spot, however we had some bad patches, in particular an 8 match winless streak which ended any realistic hope of European qualification (from the league at least ). I was happy to finish mid-table in the end, as at one point there was a chance we would be sucked into a relegation fight.
Squad http://img18.imageshack.us/i/fmgermansquad3.jpg/
As you can see, all the goals coming from the front 3. Ruslan Fomin, my saviour for the last two seasons looked out of his depth here and with his strength fading, it might be time to move him on. A mid season injury crisis made me realise I have nowhere near enough strength in depth, especially in midfield, where I was reduced to recalling some fairly rubbish loanees to fill the gaps.
Transfers http://img14.imageshack.us/i/fmgermantransfers3.jpg/
Of the £13m spent, only Tarik and Grlic were really worth the money. Diouf was a dreadful buy and disrupted the squad almost instantly. Going out, it was a shame to lose Philli, as I had high hopes for him, but our finances weren't good and I thought at the time we had decent replacements; this turned out to be a mistake.
Europa League http://img97.imageshack.us/i/fmgermaneurocup.jpg/
Roma were the only team to really outclass us here, which is promising. I enjoyed this tournament, but the prize money is rubbish and we really need to graduate to the Champions League.
German Cup http://img69.imageshack.us/i/fmgermancup.jpg/
My first silverware as the StuKis manager. It was a real battle to get through to the final, but a timid Bayern didn't overplay us as they usually do, and we managed to claim a cheeky late winner,and ensured another season in Europe. (Kramaric's goodbye present )
Finances http://img97.imageshack.us/i/fmgermanfinances.jpg/
Obviously going fairly well. They've taken a hit since I took this, as we've expanded the stadium and upgraded the youth system. Still, nice to have money in the bank, and I've broken just about even with transfers every season.
Next year I want to qualify for the Chamions League, simple.
Code:Season League Position Achievements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010/11 Division 3 3rd Promoted through play offs. 2011/12 Division 2 2nd Promoted, Lost in German Cup 1st Round 2012/13 Bundesliga 5th Qualified for Euro Cup. 2013/14 Bundesliga 9th Won the German Cup, Euro Cup 1/4 Finals.
Last edited by Willy Wonka; 14-01-2010 at 17:17.
I've taken a short break from my Chippenham game and travel to Germany where I will be leading SC Preussen Münster to glory.
Wish me luck.
welcome and good luck MikaelS...
2014 Season Review - Serie A
Following last season's somewhat unexpected promotion from Serie B, the aim this season was to avoid relegation and secure ourselves in the topflight. This meant bringing in a few new faces, but no-one spectacular as the budget was a little tight.
The season started better than expected and saw us win 2 of our opening 4 games, drawing one of the others. Unfortunately, this wasn't to be the case for the first half of the season. Entering into December we were in free fall and hadn't won a game in 10 matches. We had edged ever closer to the relegation zone and were in 17th. I was hoping to do a little wheeler dealing in the January window - when BAM out of the blue, a takeover is launched!
This went on for a couple of weeks, and in late December the dreaded Transfer embargo was placed on the club. This typically finished with a matter of days remaining in the window and with a new chairman unsure to my credentials the embargo remained in place. So basically, we weren't able to strengthen the squad in the slightest, Pisa would have to do it the hard way!
The new owners then decided to announce planning for a new stadium costing about £70 million, great we'll become debt ridden. By this time in the league we were bouncing around the 15th/16th position. A string of good results in the final few games of the season would see us finish somewhere around mid-table, and that's exactly what we did. This secured at least another season in Serie A.
League Table 2014 - http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...League2014.jpg
New Stadium - http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...NewStadium.jpg
Well the lads really outdid themselves this year and played well above themselves. The following are the lads who stood out for me:
Victor - My young Spanish keeper, whilst conceding loads, had a cracker of a season. He developed nicely, although i'm not sure whether i will need to strengthen in this area. http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...008/Victor.jpg
Sukuta-Pasu - The young ST ended up scoring a few essential goals for the club and managed to become the main strike partner for Gallardo. http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...ukuta-Pasu.jpg
Keko - The Spanish AMRC had a really good season scoring a few and creating a number too. He looks to have a bright future although i'm not sure whether he'll and up as a MR for me next season. http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o..._2008/Keko.jpg
Brek Shea - The American ML had another good season, and his value has really soared. A good squad player really and i'll be looking at bringing someone new in. http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...BrekShea-1.jpg
Ahmed - The young Egyptian AMR had a very good first season at the club. I'm hoping he'll continue to develop and become quite a player in the future. http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...2008/Ahmed.jpg
As you may have read in an earlier post i've been given quite a transfer budget (£36.5 million) and here are my transfer buys and bargains that have joined the mighty Pisa!
Angel Di Maria (£17.5 million) - AML/MLhttp://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...08/DiMaria.jpg
Jajalo (free) - Squad DMC/MC http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...008/jajalo.jpg
Hyland (£8 million ) - DC/DMC/MC http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...008/Hyland.jpg
Marzorati (free) - DR/DC http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o.../marzorati.jpg
Mariga (free) - MC http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...008/mariga.jpg
Pereda (£8.75 million) - GK http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...008/Pereda.jpg
I've also added a couple of young prospects for the future, so i'll add screenies at a later date when the squad is finalised.
Aim - European qualification in some form.
Sukuta Pasu has been a real handful for me when I've played against Leverkeusen, so good buy. Well done on staying up.
some good signings there cookie. like the look of Pereda. good luck for the new season. what's the spec of the new ground?
New stadium will have undersoil heating and have an all seater capacity of 25651.
It'll cost £66.69 mil to build, but we've already secured sponsorship £32.34 mil!
The stadium is going to be named after a Pisa favourite Nicollini.
That's all i know currently.
I hate Sessegnon. We were cruising towards a credible 1-1 draw against Bayern. He then pops up with his 2nd of the day in the 85th minute
Revenge shall be all the sweeter once I am champions
How's your season going Minisav?
My third has started brilliantly, striker Tarik is on fire.
Currently 11th at the half-way stage. Just got in a new striker. My main strikers and Filkor have become subject to a lot of attention.
OK, as I'm doing so badly in Dafuges challenge, I may as well do as badly in this challenge
I fancy Scotland and after trawling through umpteen pages of this thread I still have two unanswered questions - if anyone can help, please??
1) The re-set date for Scotland??
I've seen games saved at June 1st, June 16th, I've read a post with a new manager posting a screenie on 25th June......... which is the best date to holiday until (preferably one day before the re-set date, so I can reload!!)
2) The DDT file....... I'm aware of where to save it to etc etc....... but, would I have to "untick" the dafuges ddt file on the "extra files" preferences screen, or would it not matter??
Just want to play by the rules!!
If anybody can help me please, I'll get this bad boy going over the weekend!!
2) You should untick the dafuge challenge ddt file as it will keep players in england that you will have an advantage with.
Montevarchi Calcio Aquila season update 2011/12
Well I've finished my second season in charge at the Gastone Brilli Peri,here's the final table http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/4582/season2tablea.jpg A slight improvement on the previous season.I picked up 47 points last season and 53 this season,so we are edging ever closer to those coveted playoff spots.I brought in a lot of players on loan in my first two seasons and while some of them turned out to be great aquisitions,they departed at the end of the season as I couldn't afford to buy them outright.So I've kinda struggled to find a consistant 11 over the last two years.
My defence improved on the first season and I conceded a lot less goals and scored a few more also,this is mostly down to some great performances from the new keeper I brought in from Albinoleffe http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/1999/keeper1.jpg I know he doesn't look the best but he does perform
After losing Ciro Immobile the seoson before I searched franticaly for a replacement and brought in Villalva,he managed 16 goals and 8 assists in 30 games but to be honest he scored 2 or 3 in one game and then nothing in the next three.So even though he was a good enough striker,he was a little too inconsistant for my liking.
One player who I have managed to secure after a very sucessful loan season is Juventus Domenico Pirotta http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/8817/pirrotta.jpg He put in some great performances last season and I'm delighted to secure his services on a full time basis,free transfer at that
On to the finances......well there is none I've just started my third season in a row with 0K to spend in the transfer market,well looks like another 'Arry Rednapp wheeling and dealing transfer window.
Finally I've let my ass man's contrack run out,so I'm on the look out for a new one.Anybody know any good ones that will accept less than £400 a week
Season 2010/11 - C2/C 11th pld 34 won 13 drew 8 lost 13 for 49 agst 60
Season 2011/12 - C2/B 7th pld 34 won 14 drew 11 lost 9 for 56 agst 46
Last edited by Jack no Coke; 15-01-2010 at 10:40.
Have you managed to get a parent club Jack? In my first season at Montevarchi I asked the board for one and got Fiorentina and that was a great help in getting loans in the first couple of seasons. Some I was able to get for 2 or 3 seasons in a row so it gave the side some semblance of being settled.
The other tip would be get your scouts off to Spain, nigh on half my team are Spanish now, great players who are either free or available at knock down prices.
i agree completely. there are lots of Spaniards out there who are good and would apparently love to play in the Italian lower leagues.....


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'Armstrong': The Lie Will Out
When Alex Gibney started production on "The Armstrong Lie," his grimly fascinating documentary about Lance Armstrong, his working title was "The Road Back." That was in 2008, after Armstrong had announced he was ending a three-year retirement to return to professional cycling. The road map for the film seemed clear. It would follow the unexpected comeback, while exploring the question of what was driving the man who had recovered from a near-fatal illness, stonewalled ceaseless accusations of doping and, against all odds—and logic—won the Tour de France seven times in a row. But the work in progress changed when, early this year, Armstrong admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he had been doping all along. The filmmaker retooled his film accordingly, and retitled it "The Armstrong Lie." He might also have called it "The Tooth Fairy," since part of the fascination is why we ever believed the story the pedaler was peddling.
Watching the final version of the documentary means seeing elements of the earlier version in a new light, with the supposed hero as a peerless liar who insisted on his spotlessness even as professional cycling as a whole proved to be a dirty sport. Some of those elements will be familiar to those who have followed Armstrong's doubt-shadowed triumphs and shattering disgrace—the fury he unleashed against his perceived enemies ("He was an immensely intimidating person," one interview subject recalls); the evolution of doping techniques from drugs to transfusions in order to avoid detection; the greedy hypocrisy of cycling officials; the long-standing code of silence among teammates and associates who finally turned on their team's leader. Still, "The Armstrong Lie" is truly singular, a tale of ambition that's almost mad enough to be mythic.
Lance Armstrong, the movie notes, came out of Plano, Texas as an angry, competitive kid: "I love beatin' people," the kid says, putting it plainly, if mildly. Yet the figurative beatings he inflicted were no greater than the punishments he endured almost two decades ago from testicular cancer that spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. Film clips from that time remind us of how Armstrong's illness, his remarkable recovery and the philanthropic foundation he created all served to inoculate him against suspicions of doping that were already swirling around him. We believed, or at least half-believed, his protestations of purity because we didn't want to believe that someone who'd been through such medical tortures would endanger his health yet again, much less lie about it. And because, as the film shows vividly, his ambition to win—to punish, to crush, to prevail—transcended ordinary comprehension.
Was he nothing more than a compulsive liar? Mr. Gibney's footage suggests otherwise. One of the most interesting parts of the film turns on the evident sincerity of Armstrong's postretirement attempt to win the 2009 Tour de France by riding clean. He failed, though his third-place finish was, as the filmmaker puts it, "the perfect ending for the film I wanted to make."
In the film he did make, his subject tells the truth only after the evidence against him has become so overwhelming as to make him a pariah in the sport he managed to dominate for 10 years. "The Armstrong Lie" wears thin before it's over; the wafer-thin nature of the cyclist's personality can't sustain a two-hour running time. Toward the end, though, there's a revelatory moment that requires close attention. It's in one of the clips from the Winfrey interview, after Armstrong has confessed. "Did you feel in any way that you were cheating?" Oprah asks. He nods his head almost imperceptibly, meaning yes, and says "No." At least one of his reflexes is still sharp.
'Thor: The Dark World'
Under a photo of Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman on the Facebook site for "Thor: The Dark World," a fan has posted the comment "They're so beautiful, it hurts." Well, they really are beautiful, these two—Mr. Hemsworth's Thor, the God of Thunder who goes after bad guys with his trusty hammer, and Ms. Portman's Jane, Thor's across-the-universe girlfriend. In the previous episode, Jane, an astrophysicist, was much concerned about resolving her particle data. In this one she's worried that "physics is going to go ballistic, the very walls of reality will be torn apart," because the nine realms of the physical world are in convergence and a race of baddies called Dark Elves have a weapon called the Aether that can destroy every corner of creation, including our own. That's a problem, to be sure, but the larger problem, transcending all realms, is that this action-adventure sequel from Marvel soon turns so dumb and 3-D-murky that it hurts.
Most of the action is generic, though sufficiently straightforward to provide relief from the incoherent storytelling. Which realm are we in now? Where were we a moment ago, and how did everyone get here? Such questions seem not to have troubled the writers or producers. As for the director, Alan Taylor, he has done a lot of top-drawer television, including episodes of "Game of Thrones," but there's no sign he has a feel for feature films; his emphasis is entirely on big set pieces at the expense of narrative flow.
Tom Hiddleston is entertaining once again as Loki, Thor's evil brother. Anthony Hopkins is orotund once again as Thor's father, King Odin. Idris Elba has returned as Heimdall, the omnipotent sentry who, for lack of much else to do, gives new meaning to the notion of watchful waiting. And in a film that's often sillier than it wants to be, Stellan Skarsgård is back with intentional silliness as the physicist Erik Selvig, who turns up this time as a flasher at Stonehenge.
'How I Live Now'
Kevin Macdonald's screen version of the young-adult novel by Meg Rosoff gets off on the wrong foot as soon as its teenage American heroine arrives at Heathrow and plants her own two feet and torn tights on English soil. Saoirse Ronan's Daisy, who's been sent by her father to stay with relatives in the countryside, is a spoiled brat and an offputting pain who is tense, obviously troubled and on some sort of medication. Then Europe gets off on a much wronger foot by engaging in a spasm of nuclear war, after which Daisy and her cousins must struggle to survive in a sylvan setting suddenly showered with radioactive snow, and beset by violence from unnamed and mostly unseen terrorists.
Ms. Ronan grows in screen presence, and grace, as her character opens up—the movie's central notion is that Daisy will be healed by her grueling trials—and the story profits, somewhat, from its outward resemblance to the "Hunger Games" saga. Yet the production feels tentative and underpopulated: I thought not only of Katniss Everdeen but of the marvelous pandemonium in Danny Boyle's zombie epic "28 Days Later." Short on events and surprises, "How I Live Now" concocts a mystical bond between Daisy and her handsome cousin Eddie (George MacKay), with whom she ambiguously but still provocatively falls in love. The things kids will do when the power grid fails.
'The Motel Life'
No one will accuse the Polsky brothers, Gabe and Alan, of dressing up their directorial debut with the trappings of popular success. This tale of down-and-out brothers living on the edge in Nevada has all the crowd-pleasing potential of a dirge. (It was adapted, by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, from a novel by the writer-musician Willy Vlautin.) All the same, it's admirable and even memorable, in its moody fashion, thanks to Roman Vasyanov's richly textured cinematography—he's a shooter to keep our eyes on—and three affecting performances.
Frank and Jerry Lee Flannigan, played respectively by Emile Hirsch and Stephen Dorff, flee their seedy motel in Reno for a similar dump in Elko after Jerry Lee accidentally hits a kid on a bike and kills him. The brothers are hardly a fun couple, but they're full of buried talent—Frank is a born storyteller, Jerry Lee covers motel walls with vibrant drawings—and their devotion to one another shapes the plot; indeed, it pretty much is the plot. Dakota Fanning plays Annie, a troubled young woman and Frank's former girlfriend. Whenever she smiles, a world that's woefully wrong seems briefly right.
DVD // Streaming // Download
'The Triplets of Belleville' (2003)
The Tour de France in the 1960s, rendered by Sylvain Chomet in an animated feature with a visual language all its own. The absence of conventional dialogue helps draw us into the mysteriously moving world of a spoke-thin bicycle-racer; his indomitable, club-footed grandmother, their supersniffer of a family dog and the three old crones of the title, superannuated vaudevillians who turn up when the action moves from bicycle racing in France to bicyclist-chasing in Belleville, a city that's an amalgam of New York, Montreal, the Mont Saint Michel and the metropolis from "Metropolis."
'Good Will Hunting' (1997)
Stellan Skarsgård is Gerald Lambeau, an MIT math professor who first spots the towering talent of Will Hunting, the angry young blue-collar hero played by Matt Damon. Will has mayhem on his mind and a brain that resonates with the deepest mysteries of mathematics. When asked how he's able to prove theorems that have stumped the world's intellectual elite, this semitough kid from South Boston compares himself matter of factly to Mozart. Mr. Damon wrote the script with his friend and co-star Ben Affleck. Robin Williams is Will's therapist. The director was Gus Van Sant.
'Atonement' (2007)
Saoirse Ronan's Briony, a precocious 13-year-old in 1930s England, jumps to a conclusion that isn't just wrong but perverse in this screen version of Ian McEwan's novel, which Joe Wright directed from an adaptation by Christopher Hampton. Briony lacks any understanding of adult behavior that might put what she thinks she's seen in sensible context. And the girl's inflamed imagination leads her to a fateful decision for which she lacks any clear motive. Yet that decision changes the course of three lives: her own and those of the star-crossed lovers played by Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.
Write to Joe Morgenstern at firstname.lastname@example.com and follow him on Twitter: @JoeMorgenstern

subset: commoncrawl


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KILLEEN (January 22, 2013) ---The Killeen City Council will consider zoning changes Tuesday to an area near the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery that could mean more retail spaces in that area of the city.
The agenda item states that a public hearing will be held to consider an ordinance as requested by Splawn Ranch Partnership to rezone approximately four acres to include the use of a conditional use permit for retail space.
The area is on the northeast intersection of South Fort Hood Street and Splawn Ranch Drive in Killeen.
Developer Mike Emmons said he hopes to possibly add a gas station and food mart type business in the area and any other retail spaces the community presents a need for.


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Taste of Premier: An Inside Look at the New Devices and Services Strategy at Microsoft
- Posted: Nov 12, 2013 at 9:50AM
- 80,415 views
- 1 comment
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Lex Thomas welcomes CTO of Enterprise Services Scott Lengel and Sr. Architect Kevin Fleck to the show as they discuss the new devices and services strategy at Microsoft as well as the Top 10 ways IT Pros can be heroes in their organization by supporting this initiative.
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I found it interesting and looking forward to seeing even more interesting combinations of devices and services enabling businesses to do more with optimal product/service mixes.
Imran Anwar
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It happens to every bachelor at some point. It's called The Dry Spell, and it seems to come around every six months or so to remind you that humility is the foundation of a balanced mind. It also serves the purpose of reminding you how much time you haven't been spending with your dude friends (and why).
If you aren't Brad Pitt, chances are that you won't have a steady stream of smart, sexy women lining up to go out with you for the rest of your life. In fact, most of us who aren't movie stars would count ourselves lucky to have a steady stream of ugly, stupid women waiting at our doorstep.
A Dry Spell builds upon itself like a snowball, picking up all those bits and pieces of your self-esteem and then unceremoniously dumping them at your doorstep. As your personal stock goes down, so does the attention from women. I have never been able to figure this out; it's as if women have a collective subconscious that immediately notifies them that you've been recently rejected. The Loser Alert kicks into high gear and even that pudgy girl who used to put her Yoga mat next to yours gives you a dirty look when you ask for her number.
A seasoned bachelor knows it's going to get worse before it gets better.
I had been fortunate. I dated two super-hot, sexy women in a row without down time, and I'd gotten used to it. But Corporate Kitten was long gone, and Hot Yoga Girl had disappeared like smoke in the wind. A few non-answered texts had dissolved the fledgling relationship before it went anywhere. I was on my own again.
When I started getting drunk at the Bristol and hitting on the hostess, I knew I was in trouble. There were only two directions to go – and one of them was very, very, depressing. I decided to adjust my attitude.
I compiled these "Rules for Digging Out of a Slump":
- Don't get drunk and hit on the hostess at the Bristol. Ever.
- Every girl is a prospect: Even if you don't find her attractive, chances are she has at least two hot friends you'd like to meet.
- Don't go to the dark side: Complaining about how much you hate women to women does not score any points. People want to be around happy people. Don't be a downer.
- Hang out with guy friends: Women don't trust a guy who doesn't have guy friends. It looks shady.
- Don't hang out at bars alone: This looks desperate. Women can smell desperation a mile away. If you must hang out at a place alone, pick a spot and make it your hangout. Don't hit on the staff, however, it will only make you look more desperate.
- Take attractive female friends out: Women are attracted to men who are with attractive women. Even if they're just your friends, the other women at the bar, restaurant, theater or charity event don't know that. All they see is you, with a beautiful woman.
- Don't look for dates at a bar: The chance that girls you meet at a bar are alcoholics is about 70 percent. Girls are always on their guard at bars, plus there are 15 other guys with the same idea swarming around like piranha. The more options a girl has, the less likely you are to get her attention. Try a Yoga class. The girls will be healthier and friendlier, and there are always twice as many females as males. Another good idea is volunteering at an animal shelter – you'll immediately appear to be less shady and more sympathetic. There are always cute girls working at animal shelters (and you'll be helping your community).
- Never lower your standards: If you choose "available" over "desirable" you'll only be hurting yourself, and it will negatively affect your attitude. And remember, it's what YOU find desirable, not society – your self-esteem will plummet just as badly from a beautiful woman you aren't attracted to, even if everyone else is.
Of course, I would systematically break every single one of these rules in the following six months. Giving advice is easy. Taking advice … Well, you see where I'm going with this. Some day it'll all be over. Right?


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What are the pros and cons of buying an older higher-level camera if the price is about the same as a new entry-level one?
As a fairly generic answer, I'd go for an older higher level camera every time. To me, higher spec cameras tend to have a longer life span (in terms of shutter actuations), and more solid build than entry level ones. Although saying that it is more likely that they have had heavier use before getting to you. I reckon also that features and specs of high end cameras tend to take a long time to filter down to lower end cameras, so they may balance out over time. You pay a premium for using a large retailer for second hand kit, but at the same time you usually get a warranty (some in the UK offer a whole year's warranty on second hand cameras and lenses). I took a chance and used eBay and got a great deal but it isn't as safe.
To put in context and give my reasoning for this answer, I upgraded from a Canon EOS 350D to an EOS 40D when the 40D had already been out for 6 years, and what a leap it was for me. It was also cheaper than almost any current entry level Canon DSLR.
In my opinion it boils down to two factors (assuming you mean DSLRs in the low- and mid-range):
Given an amount of money you balance the two based on your current and predicted use of the camera and your capabilities as a photographer.
The pro features are: more buttons giving you direct and quick access to parameters that you might want to set manually (ISO, aperture/shutter speed if you choose between having one or two control wheels, additional LCD panel on top and many more). With these features you can choose the settings you want easier and faster. And for some shots time is crucial.
On the other hand the technological advancement (i.e. a newer camera) gives you better quality of your photos in low-light conditions, better live-mode etc. With a new camera you can easily shoot in a pub with a cheap lens. With an older one it's more tricky and it's good to have a wide-aperture lens.
There are also other non-pro features like adjustable LCD (you can hold your camera above your head or just above the ground for unusual perspective and still frame the shots on the adjustable screen) that also increase the cost.
So you need to choose between having the features that you need and the performance in low-light conditions. Just don't confuse image quality with photo quality. You can take crappy photos with the best, high quality camera and great photos at low quality with an old camera.
In one sentence, based on my opinion: if you can use the features to get better photos, buy the older camera that has these features.
For me it was a choice between D5100 with a great sensor (at the time) and an older D90 with the additional LCD and all the important settings easily available with their own buttons. I've chosen the latter, although I do miss the adjustable screen of D5100.
And I still use my old compact TZ8 camera that fits in the pocket - a great feature on its own, sometimes surpassing the low image quality. It's better to take a low quality photo than miss the opportunity altogether.
You can take amazing photographs with any camera. The trick is to know and understand your equipment. An older professional camera might be more rugged and durable, but might have lower resolution or light sensitivity. It really depends on the specific cameras you are comparing.
A few years ago I was dead set on buying a used 5DMk2 because I wanted a full-frame camera. Just to be sure, I checked it and a brand new 7D out in the store, and fell in love with the ergonomics of the 7D. It had a better AF, grip, and view finder than the 5DMk2.
One final thought: A professional camera might be more rugged than a prosumer camera, but if it was USED by a professional, its probably seen a lot of wear. The new, cheaper camera will be brand new and undamaged.
I'm not saying you shouldn't buy a used camera, just keep it in mind. I would buy used lenses if you are careful about what you are getting.
So to summarize: I wouldn't worry about what your equipment is as much as I would worry about knowing how to take advantage of the equipment.
I had to decide the same thing a short time ago, whether to go for a D7000 vs any other camera. The only restriction was that it had to be Nikon because I owned a couple of Nikon fit lenses that I wanted to reuse. First of take a look at:
In summary, if you ask me whether to get a D7000 vs d3300 or d5200 my recomendation is going to be every time to go for the D7000. I own both a d5100 (which my girlfriend uses) and a D7000.
Here're the highlights:
The only real benefit for getting a D5200 over a D7000 would be because of the flip out LCD which allows you to record videos easily and allows for some pictures to be composed easily in some situation without having to get on your knees or lay in the ground. In addition the D5200/D3300 weight a little less and are a little smaller although the difference is not really that big (about 200g and the D7000 being a little bigger).
In summary, go for the D7000 if you can afford it, and specially if you're in doubt between d7000 and a new entry level for the same price...
My first DSLR was a used Canon 30D. I was considering something like this vs. a new Rebel, and I'm convinced I made the right decision. The 30D was so much better in build quality and durability, and it had extra controls for all the settings I found I needed to change regularly (vs. finding a setting in a menu somewhere). It served me well until I traded up to a 40D and later, a 7D.
I can't tell you for certain that I wouldn't have found a lower-end camera suitable to learn with, but on the occasions I've had to pick up low-end Canon & Nikon cameras since I've been shooting, the difference in quality and features is striking. I'm very glad I made the choice I did when I started.
The new, entry level camera will likely have better hardware and software than the older, higher level camera. But the higher level camera will likely have a bigger sensor. The higher level camera will be built with a professional or pro-sumer in mind.
It is not easy to find an older higher-level camera (new OR used) at a price that is even close to a new entry level camera.
If you are an entry level photographer, you cannot go wrong with an entry level camera. It is a great learning device and the cost to own it is a very good deal.
The biggest questions are what are your required features, and what are the generational differences.
Feature requirements can help make it easy to decide what to buy. Deciding between an old pro camera and a new entry-level camera, but want an integrated vertical grip? The pro camera is the only sensible choice. Require a camera the other half won't mind carrying? The entry-level camera is almost definitely a better choice.
Generational differences in digital SLRs can have significant image quality differences. Resolution, dynamic range, and ISO, in particular, advance a little with every generation of camera. Compare the D7000, D5200, and D3300 and you can see that the oldest camera (D7000) is bested by the newer D5200. The D3300 is a mixed bag in that it's a step back on dynamic range but a step forward on color depth and high ISO. These differences are minor (and likely not visible without significant comparison), but each of these are only one generation differences. Compare the D3300 against the D90 (the D7000 predecessor) and there's a big jump in performance that will be visible under a variety of circumstances. If image quality is an ultimate goal then a newer camera will, in general, be the best choice.
It is in the nature of design to make compromises. In the context of Camera selection, your purchasing potshot is at a moving target. Until now, the buyer was always forced to compromise - even with the currently "top-rated" camera - and that kept them coming back for more. But first things first.
Beyond the drip-drip of advancing specs, there's the customizations nightmare. Custom peripherals cabling. Custom batteries (cost: as much as a solid third of the camera itself). Custom memory cards. Custom flash. Custom Lenses.
Where too would we be without software that -even after more than a decade in development- leaves the latest and supposedly famous brand camera's lenses locked and useless?
Then there's that unintentional (but inevitable) physical damage. Electronics trashed and guarantee voided by the first encounter with hill mist. Creeping pixel errors. Lense bloom. Scratches.
Obsolescence and perception: resolution too low, sensor not fast enough, blurry telephoto, flash not strong enough.
Finally, the inevitable supply limitations. Even max-possible-sized memory card (or cards of the precise type supported) are at some point simply no longer produced.
The good news? Given the (let's be honest) perfectly acceptable resolution and speed of almost all current offerings (including 2nd-hand), you can relax the technology fetish and concentrate on MINIMIZING YOUR WORRIES.
Concentrate on surprisingly few characteristics and these days you will generally get a decent photo: battery life, card capacity, robustness and waterproofing. All else is either overkill, weight and/or liability.
New lower cost cameras can have impressive credentials. My Sony A55 focuses faster, has higher resolution, and takes better pictures in low light than my "higher end" Sony A700. The A700 has features that I like better than the A55. But the A55 clearly wins the comparison.
The new camera will have a warranty. On the old camera wear and usage can vary from user to user. Really old digital cameras are like really old computers, full of obsolete parts and not really relevant in the fast evolving camera world.
If you are uncertain about what camera model is best for you, how about looking for a used, newer, lower end camera? Spend a few months shooting, and you will better understand what you want in your camera, not what others suggest.
The main tradeoff between a newer entry-level camera and an older prosumer camera are those of sensor/processor vs. UI hardware.
As cameras tier upwards in a product line, they tend to have more usability features: harder wearing bodies, faster burst rates, more sophisticated AF, more menu settings, autofocus adjustment, better viewfinders (pentaprism vs. pentamirror), the possibility of full-frame, dual wheel controls, top-plate LCDs, more programmability, and more buttons.
As cameras are "refreshed" in a lineup, they sometimes inherit hardware UI features from the higher tiers--but typically they do not, as there has to be price and feature differentiation between the higher and lower models. The main change between generations in the same tier are sensor and/or processor updates.
Because features that may be important to you can be either sensor/processor or hardware based, you may have to pick and choose depending on the individual model. But most experienced shooters trend to getting an older prosumer body over a newer entry-level body, because a lot of us feel that sensors have reached sufficiency of performance for most uses, and a lot of new firmware/processor features (new in-camera processing setups) may not be important and hardware UI and handling are always going to be important to how one relates to the camera, or are simply used to features at the prosumer level and are unwilling to give them up (e.g., dual wheel controls).
There is also the fact that entry-level bodies tend to depreciate more rapidly than higher-end bodies, because of their tighter release cycles (typically once a year, while prosumers may have 18 month-to-3 year release cycles). A Canon dRebel body that has a $800 MSRP at the time of its introduction may only go for $500 new within a year or two.
If, otoh, there's a trend in hardware design that means a brand new feature (say, 4K video shooting) is of paramount importance to you, then possibly getting the newer entry-level body makes more sense. As with any gear purchase decision, it all comes down to "it depends" on what and how you shoot and your budget.
One cannot surely say that older higher level camera is better than newer entry level in terms of image quality. High level cameras give you dedicated buttons to set parameters like WB (white balance), ISO, metering, etc, for which you have to dive into the menu in entry level cameras (but they usually do provide each of these, just through a menu). First ask yourself what is convenient for you. Secondly, high level camera gives you a durable and whether sealed body for a high cost and more weight. Ask yourself how frequently you take pictures in rain, snow, or sea splashes.
With the advancement of technology a newer entry level can give you better image quality as compared to older higher level. Find Nikon D3300 vs D7000 in this regard. One thing to be kept in mind is that each camera has a predefined shutter life. So before buying an older camera first think about the fact that you are not knowing that how many shots are already taken with it and how many are left. Such researches are a must before a second hand DSLR deal.
My new, entry-level D3200 seriously blows away my older, more expensive D200 in terms of image quality, especially in less than optimal lighting conditions. But, when you grab the D200 it feels like a well-built machine whereas the D3200 feels a bit like a toy. (Although, most people do like smaller.) Myself, I like quality build over size and weight. If you're looking for image quality, a mid-range model like the D5300 or a D7100 may provide the compromise you are looking for.


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A Message from Sheriff Scott Israel
Halloween is fast approaching, and while children anticipate the annual celebration of fun and fantasy, it's a good time for the rest of us to think about safety. As part of our ongoing commitment to protect children, all of us at the Broward Sheriff's Office will be passing along Halloween safety advice.
We now know that the horror stories about pins and razors hidden in Halloween treats were the stuff of urban legends. Even though sabotaged candy is unlikely to appear, we should still exercise good common sense and err on the side of caution. Children should be instructed not to eat any treats until they're back at home and mom or dad has inspected them. Parents should make sure that candy wrappers are sealed. Fruit or homemade items should be thoroughly examined. If there is any doubt, throw it out.
When little ghosts and goblins take to the streets, the biggest threat they face is motor vehicle traffic – something for parents and drivers to keep in mind.
For motorists, extreme caution is the rule for Halloween night. Expect children to run across the street, coming out of nowhere, oblivious to traffic. Children should be accompanied by adults when trick-or-treating. A responsible grown-up will be the person with a flashlight, leading the way when there's a need to cross the street. It's always best to stay close to home and to visit neighbors and friends that you know. Make sure children only approach homes that are well lit. Treats should be handed out at the door so that youngsters don't have to enter the homes of strangers.
Surprisingly, simply falling down is also a leading cause of accidental injury on Halloween, the result of children tripping on their own costumes. Make sure their costume fits well and check that the child can see through any mask that he or she might be wearing.
Older children and teenagers need to be reminded that Halloween trick-or-treating is okay but vandalism will not be tolerated. Any deliberate act that damages property or causes harm to another person is a crime and deputies will treat it as such. Remind teens to never wear a mask in public, especially when visiting a store or similar establishment. It is actually against the law and it could lead to tragic consequences if a fun-loving young person were mistaken for a robbery suspect.
In addition to protecting children this Halloween, it is also important to protect property as well. Battery powered lights are always a safer alternative to candles inside pumpkins. If you decide to use candles, never leave them unattended, and make sure children are never left unsupervised around them.
I urge all parents to keep these few, common sense safety tips in mind this season. Let's all make sure our children stay safe this Halloween.
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3 May 2013 1:25 AM #1
Can't sign in with Sencha Id after installation
Hello I am new to Sencha and trying to install the 30day trial version of sencha architect 2.2
After installation, I can enter my sencha id and password. Clicking the sign in button ends up in a windows error message "Sencha Architect.exe has stopped working"
Whenever I try to open sencha architect again, I instantly get the same message. Uninstalling and deleting the C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Sencha folder, allows me to enter the sencha id again after I reinstalled the application. However, it ends with the same error message?
What can I do to use Sencha architect?
3 May 2013 2:00 AM #2
I just installed an older version from here:
and everything works fine with this one (Sencha Architect 2.1)
Would be great to test the latest versions. Thats why I am still looking for a good hint!


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Speed Park was filled with more than 100 of the nation's finest artisans, along with delectable food and the region's top musical artists Aug. 25 and 26 during the 22nd annual Art in Speed Park event.
Art and music fans browsed the artists' booths, enjoyed music played from the park's pavilion and even tasted wine beneath the trees in the wine garden.
Photos By TONY BENNETT | Contributing Photographer


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Welcome once again to Transformation Thursday ! It's the one day each week we get together to celebrate getting stuff done. No matter if it's your first time here or you are a party regular, everyone is welcome to link up your DIY, crafts, tips & tutorials at the bottom of this post, then go around and give each other atta girls & high fives. Just join in at the bottom of this post.
First up: this week's features….
If you're looking for one more last minute Christmas craft, these simple {and pretty} twig stars from Desire Empire are a perfect way to go.
Picked & Painted shared her gorgeous green China cabinet. I'm not sure what color this is… but I'm totally crushin' on it!
Want to paint something red instead? Vintage Breeze made over this table with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint {which is some amazing stuff!}
Here on my blog, earlier this week I shared my Book Page Sunburst Mirror. If you love those book page wreaths but want to make it quick, it's the perfect way to go!
REMEMBER: To be featured eligible to be featured you must have the link directly in your post. You can still link up with a link back on your party page or sidebar, but to get featured you must link in the post, m'kay?