Stoke City Story -

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zidave
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 139
  • Views Views 20K
champions league quarter final 1st leg​

FC BARCELONA V STOKE

Camp Nou April 2nd

Arguably, Stoke's biggest match of their history was played in freezing conditions in Barcelona.

Hammel was forced into 2 changes from his strongest team.
Da Silva (regen) replaced the recently disappointing Ansaldi at left back.
Yannis Tafer replaced the injury recovered but tired Spanish Superstar Iker Muniain.

Barcelona lined up in their usual formation with Bangoura the target man and Bosman signing of 2 years ago Pato lining up against his compatriot Da Silva.

A tight game started and the start we dreamed of occurred in the 20th minute, a precious away goal.
Good work from Tafer on the right wing created space for Defour to break into the box and score his debut Stoke goal.
The whistles of 100,000 Catalunians spurred Barca into action and a superb Modric cross from the left wing caught Da Silva out and Pato scored a powerful header.

The rest of the game was a tense battle with Stoke edging the possession & chances.
Gourcuff forced a smart save from Valdes.

Bernardo had a poor game and was replaced by James Rodriguez.

Man of the Match was Luca Modric.

We go back to The Britannia with the advantage...
 
Champions League Quarter Final 2nd Leg​

Stoke 0 Barcelona 1

A disappointing birthday for the Manager as Barcelona scored a clinical early goal through Xavi and defended the advantage with a man of the match display from Victor Valdes.

Still, a good Champions League run with progress seen from last season.
Target is a semi final place next year.
 
Premier League Finale

Chelsea 2 Stoke 0

My players were already concentrating on the Champions League 2nd leg during this game.
I had rested a few key players but was still a strong enough team to perform better.
Zarate scored early for them, Ryan Babel doubled the lead in the 2nd half and they could even afford to let Zhirkov miss a penalty.
Mbia proved once again why he will be playing elsewhere next season.

Bolton 1 Stoke 4

A much better performance after an average run of performances at best.
We raced into a 2 goal lead. Bolton pulled 1 back with a 30 yard free kick which was stunning.
Little to worry about as Muniain scored just before half time & got his 2nd close to the end.

This win together with Arsenal and Spurs failing at the weekend meant we were crowned Champions again and would receive the trophy after our derby against United at the weekend.

Stoke 1 Man United 0

Party atmosphere at The Britannia as the newly crowned champions were in total control against United who were missing Rooney.
Captain Milevskyi scoring the only goal with 15 left on the clock.

Wolves 1 Stoke 2

Another derby for the Champions. Rotation was evident to ensure everyone gets a medal and to keep the squad fresh.
Wolves scored early but Bernardo equalised from the spot almost immediately.
The Manager's view was obstructed (I was cursing Scott Parkers equaliser in real life) so cannot credit the assist.
Yannis Tafer (playing for a permanent deal) scored a "real poachers effort" to secure another win.

Could we exceed 90 points with wins in our remaining games?

Stoke 3 Everton 0#

Europa League hopefuls Everton were the next team to be spanked at The Britannia to a rotated Stoke team.
Muniain was back in the side to score the 1st.
Young regen John Elliott had returned from loan at Bristol Rovers to latch onto a long ball with an exquisite 1st touch and shoot coolly home.
A Sandro header from a Rodriguez corner was the 3rd.

Hart was injured so Geninho (regen keeper) made his League debut in goal.

Spurs 1 Stoke 1

With a cup final to play 6 days later the Manager rang the changes.
Spurs young regen striker opened the scoring. Again the Manager had his view obscured.

A much better 2nd half performance from Verratti who came on set up Canales for an equaliser.

So we finished on 89 points with only 3 league defeats all season and 16 points clear of 2nd.
 
Unbelievable mate! Fantastic Achievement.
 
FA CUP WEMBLEY MATCHES​

Semi Final v Reading

Stoke played championship team Reading after failing to win the last 3 tough games.
Would morale be low after being knocked out of the Champions League?

A disappointing crowd of 70,200 saw an entertaining game which Stoke comfortably won.

French Internationals Tafer and Gourcuff secured the goals in a 2-0 victory.
Stoke would play Chelsea in the final.

FA Cup Final v Chelsea

The newly crowned champions faced a Chelsea side that had underperformed in their league campaign by only finishing 6th.

Both sides lined up with a diamond formation.

Hammel had a full squad apart from Denis Alibec to chose from and he stuck with his usual 11. Ansaldi getting the nod at left back due to his experience.

The game started but both sides evened themselves out in the 1st half hour.

31st minute

Mauro Zarate gets free in the left wing area and pings a dangerous cross to the back post.
Ansaldi is isolated against Ryan Babel who opens the scoring.

Half Time Stoke 0 Chelsea 1

Too many important players were not performing. Shawcross Bernardo Gourcuff and Rodriguez were singled out for a bollocking but the whole team was urged to improve in the 2nd half.

60th minute

Gourcuff and Muniain were hauled off for Rodrigues and Tafer.
Stoke urged to attack as their attempts to control possession were not working.

78th minute

The Manager is frantically seen urging the full backs forward.
Bernardo is carrying a knock but is asked to assist in overloading the opposition.

90th minute

With the whistles from the Chelsea end Tafer is forced back towards the half way line by 3 Chelsea players. Suddenly a sharp turn has created space, a pass to Sandro is immediately laid into James Rodriguez path and from 22 yards his sweet left foot smashes the ball past Cech into the net.

Extra Time

Great work from Ansaldi on the left enables a whipped cross into the box. Tafer rises and smashes the ball against the bar.
There is only 7 minutes left, was that our chance to avoid the lottery of a penalty shoot out?

No worries as a darting Milevskyi run draws the defenders away from Tafer and a slick through ball is coolly finished from the edge of the box.
Tafer is ecstatic as this could be his last appearance in a Stoke shirt.

The exhausted Bernardo makes way for Canales and Stoke hold on for their 1st ever FA Cup win in 151 years and securing a fantastic double.

Sandro was voted as the E.on Man of the Match
 
End of season review

Obviously a highly enjoyable and successful season!!

Trophies

Community Shield
Premier League
FA Cup

Awards

Footballer of the Year - Artem Milevskyi
Top goalscorer - Iker Muniain 20
Manager of the Year - David Hammel
Fans Player of the Year - Iker Munian

Munian got 2nd best goal of the season.
Fabregas named Players Player of the Year. Bernardo and Munian placed 2nd & 3rd.

Squad Review

The following players will be allowed to leave if the right offer comes in.

1) Christian Ansaldi - major drop off in form last year. There are better left backs around.
2) Miles Addison - rarely featured last year and at 25 should be playing 1st team football.
3) Glenn Whelan - now 30 he is not considered good enough to be in a squad challenging for the Champions League.
4) Diego Arismendi - happy to keep but will accept circa £8m.
5) Stephane Mbia -last summers Bosman didn't impress but he is now out for 6 months with a serious virus!?!
6) Lacina Traore - never impresses when he starts a game. Could raise £10m plus.
 
Pre-season

Transfers

I wanted to get my transfers out of the way in July and have been pretty much successful in achieving that.

£20m has been raised by selling squad players that I identified at the end of last season.
Glenn Whelan leaves after 5 successful seasons for some sun in Majorca.
Another Spanish exile is Lacina Traore who can warm the bench at La Romareda.

The big name signing at The Britannia is another Brazilian - NEYMAR.
I have had my eye on him for a few seasons now and have signed the flamboyant striker for £24.5m. His 2 performances in pre-season have been breath taking and this gives me a wealth of options in attack.

The rest of my signings have been regens.
4 young English players to ensure I do not fall foul of any squad number rules in future seasons and a Spanish midfielder who will learn from Defour and Sandro.

Pre season results and performances have been 1st class with no goals conceded.

Top start to the season (unlike last year) coming up with Spurs in the Community Shield and the opening day of the season.

The Champions League is the target in this the 6th season.
 
This made me smirk a little.
3 consecutive news items.
Sorry Cork...
 
August Review

Community Shield

Another trip to Wembley but not as successful as the last 3 unfortunately.
I picked a strong team with Neymar preferred to Muniain to give him match practice.

We were poor in the 1st half and were totally outplayed.
Defoe opened the scoring after good work from his regen strike partner.
Huddlestone smashed home a 25 yarder just before half time which provided an uphill task in the 2nd half.
We played better after the break but never looked like troubling Spurs.

Premier League

Spurs 0 Stoke 2

A chilly opening day fixture at White Hart Lane and the start of a tricky run of fixtures at the start of the season.
Ansaldi came into the team for Da Silva at left back and Muniain started in place of Neymar.
A comfortable win for the Champions with 6 clear cut chances created.
Bernardo opened the scoring after a delightful one two with Muniain on the edge of the box.
Milevskyi made the game safe after 69. Alibec picked up a knock in the last minute.
Good start to the season.

Man City 0 Stoke 2

A visit to struggling money bags City and another good result.
We were assisted when they went down to 10 men after 2 yellows for their unheard of striker.
Gourcuff was on fire and opened the scoring after 35.
Bernardo scored a deflected second and the game was safe.

Stoke 5 Birmingham 0

1st home game of the season was an emphatic win.
Man of the match Defour opened the scoring with a 20 yard volley before doubling the lead on the stroke of half time.
We were unplayable 2nd half. We are looking much more dangerous from corners with some tweaked tactics and Otamendi got his 1st of the season.
Rodriguez scored what turned out to be goal of the month with a 30 yard curler.
Gourcuff continued his excellent start to the season with a class one two with Milevskyi.

So we are top of the league with a game in hand.
Man City are bottom!!

Champions League Group

Inter
Porto
Wisla
Could be tough

Awards

Manager of the Month
Rodriguez goal of the month.
 
holnc01 said:
what backroom staff have you got ?
Click to expand...

Hi Mate I always find Italians have the best coaches.
You can also search for regen staff there are loads from the start.
Search by the attribute you need and filter down from 20 and so on.
If they have a 20 in the coaching attribute you need then they are normally good and become continental or better pretty quickly.

I attach some of the best real ones below.

Who are you managing & what season?

I got Christian Chivu aged 33 as a Coach and he is awesome so look for old players if a few seasons in.
 
September Review

Champions League

Stoke 2 Porto 1

A double from James Rodriguez just after half time was just enough to secure the 3 points.
A senseless red reduced Porto to 10 men and a header 6 minutes from time made it a nervous last 5.

Inter 1 Stoke 2

Milevskyi gave us a fantastic start in the San Siro firing home from close range.
Another red card against us left Inter with 10 men but they immediately equalised.
Both teams seemed to settle for the draw but nobody told James Rodriguez who smashed home from 30 yards deep into injury time.

Premier League

Aston Villa 0 Stoke 0

Our 1st dropped points of the season in a tame affair at Villa Park.
Neither team really went for the win although Stoke shaded the stats.

Stoke 1 Liverpool 0

A woeful Liverpool were only beaten 1-0 with Gourcuff scoring the only goal.

Stoke 2 Wolves 0

Loads of chances not enough goals as we comfortably beat our local rivals.
Milevskyi & Bernardo with the goals.

Carling Cup

Hull 2 Stoke 3

A strong team played a Hull team weakened by the loss of their loan "stars" from Stoke.
You would have thought we were the weakened team as they rushed into a 2-0 lead.
Neymar pulled one back just before half time for his 1st goal for Stoke.
This tamed down my planned bollocking at half time.]
However we needed to improve and luckily Neymar and the excellent James Rodriguez got us through.

Villa at home in the 4th round.

No monthly awards.
Still no goals for Iker Munian?!?
 
Mate this is awesome, I always give Stoke ago but to no avail (pardon the pun) maybe i think like a fan rather than a manager lol.

Keep looking at the Champions league screenshots thinking they're real
 
I know you have stopped the story but just want to say what a great story you had going mate. Great achievement!
 
LazyTurk said:
Wot tactis do u use? can i get a link 2 them please... thanks
Click to expand...

Hi Mate.

Complete Domination with Better Defence.
I then changed slightly depending on who was playing upfront.
Sometimes changed Attacking Forward to Complete or Target Man.
Don't always Overload either depending on the oppo but always play the same formation

Just off to play footy now but will upload later.

---------- Post added at 06:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:07 PM ----------

burkeyoa said:
I know you have stopped the story but just want to say what a great story you had going mate. Great achievement!
Click to expand...

Thanks mate.
I should of continued but my laptop is getting old now and doing the game & the story was too slow!!
In Season 10 now and is still going well.

I will check yours out now!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

FMBase

Beta

Resources

Back
Top