West Brom : A Bouncing Baggies Story

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 304796


I have decided to chose West Brom as they are in no debt a rarity these days and are full of good british players, i will not just sign young british players but this will be something i will do, main aim is to get into europe in the next couple of seasons and possible cup runs and in the next 5 years be challenging for the title!

Info

View attachment 304797

Season Expectations

View attachment 304798

I chose the lowest possible option as going any higher did not offer much of a bigger budget so seemed stupid to go for.

Key Players

View attachment 304799View attachment 304800

I picked these two as my key players on the first day of looking at the squad and since then they have both been the subject of big transfer offers in the regions of £11 million plus.

Youth Prospects

View attachment 304802View attachment 304803View attachment 304804

Im unsure if Daniels will play much this season but Dawson and Thorne will both be getting plenty of game time.

Transfer History

View attachment 304805

Fortune and Odemwingie both wanted to leave, where on big money contracts and are the wrong side of 30 so i was glad to see the back of them especially considering we still have Rosenberg, Long, Lukaku, Wood and the new signing Danny Graham.

Danny Graham will be my first choice striker from now on and Will Hughes should develop into a key player i tried to sign Mason Bennett but derby wanted to much, Anderson moved to Newcastle as his wages were ridiculous for him and Reo Coker chose Aston Villa ahead of us.

View attachment 304806View attachment 304807

I shall be posting updates every 2-3 months in the game to save time as i always seem to power through these games and forget to type up the story!

Comments and Opinions Appreciated​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 304922


August - October 2012

My Tactic

View attachment 304923

A simple tactic really and one that works well on this years FM, doing wonders on my Dnipro and Man Utd saves with a similar tactic and West Brom have some brilliant midfielders to play this way.

Fixtures August - October

View attachment 304924

A very good start to the season as we face some lower competition which really helped me get used to how the team performs, i was a bit worried about it after the Aston Villa result where we managed to peg them back immediately after they scored twice but the 3rd time they got the win, we really should have beaten Southampton after Danny Graham's penalty i tried to shut up shop but it didnt help.
Our reserves dominated Bournemouth in the first cup game and the youth players really gave a first team Chelsea a run for their money, i reckon this is why we managed to draw with them in the league as i had a fresh team whereas they had only played 3 days previously.
Liverpool result is not as big as it used to be as they are a poor team this year but i hoped to get more from the Newcastle match but considering they are a lot better on the game than in real life it was to be expected.

League Table

View attachment 304928View attachment 304929

A top half finish is well within our reach but 7th and europe is were i really want to be come the end of the season.

Star Player

View attachment 304933

I said at the beginning he would be key to our season and he has showed why with 7 assists to go along with his 3 goals, im glad i turned down the £12 million Tottenham bid!​

 

[Sam91]

Nice to see you back and good team choice

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 305176

November - December 2012

Fixtures

View attachment 305177

Some comfortable wins have come along with some terrible defeats as the likes of Everton and Swansea destroy us! We gave both Manchester clubs a good game and City were lucky to get all 3 points, the Tottenham result was good overall but after going 2 up in a matter of moments i knew they would batter us for the rest of the game i was glad for the late equalizer as i felt we didnt deserve to lose.

The majority of goals we concede seem to be down to person error rather than a team running through us, Ben Foster has had a terrible few months along with 5 performances being rated 5.7 or less, he kicks the ball straight to the opposition and concedes he lets goals in from back passes and 40 yard tame shots from other teams, at least 4 clearances from my defence have hit an opposing player and bounced right into the back of the net!
Foster is out of here the sooner the better.

Premier League Stats

View attachment 305178View attachment 305179

We are in 10th at the moment but only 4 points from 3rd so we have been as low as 12th and as high as 5th over the christmas period. Brunt has not continued his good early season form and has been one of the first players to be subbed when we are in a tight game.

Best Player

View attachment 305180View attachment 305181

Danny Graham has been brilliant for us and 11 goals in 18 games is brilliant for a striker at this level, he also scored our fastest goal against Tottenham but it might have been too fast.

And finally after staying in the Man City job for 13 years on my Man Utd save Mancini has been sacked before Christmas this time around!

Next up Jan-Feb and a busy Winter Transfer Window!​

 

[smiles1000]

Nice story with a good team. Hope you can do what you did with your ManU story to this team

 

[coolmcool]

Nice story with a good team. Hope you can do what you did with your ManU story to this team

Might take a bit longer but we definetly have a chance to make it into europe, hopefully grab a few good bosmans for the next season and push on from there.

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 305362

January - Febuary 2013

Transfer History

View attachment 305364

Jack Butland was going to be one for the future but as Ben Foster has been booted out he may get a lot more game time, Leon Britton was brought in for cheap money as we only have 2 CM's so will be good back up and the same can be said for Albrighton.

View attachment 305369View attachment 305370View attachment 305372

Players out were only ones not getting any game time, Shane Long didnt play a single game and with Everton offering a big sum i snapped it up from them, Rosenberg was just another striker i did not need, i only play 1 up front and Graham has been on fire so there was no need for 7 Strikers in the first team squad. Chris Wood has gone out on loan in Feb aswell to Watford leaving me with Lukaku as back up.

Change in Expectations

View attachment 305367


I didnt see any point in changing the expectations as i didnt really gain any money to heap unwanted pressure onto myself.


Fixtures


View attachment 305373

Almost an unbeaten couple of months until Arsenal beat our 9 game unbeaten run in the league, we have managed to get through the FA Cup with our youth team but i may put the first team in now we are getting into it.
Danny Graham has continued with some brilliant performances carrying on with his goalscoring form, we have managed to beat the teams we are suppose to and done extremely well against the bigger teams.

League Stats

View attachment 305375View attachment 305376View attachment 305377

We are doing really well in the league and we are only 3 points off of 4th place but that is just a pipedream and any form of european football is good enough for us.

Best Player

View attachment 305378

Jonas has been brilliant recently winning man of the matches and having one of the highest ratings in the league at the moment, it was a tough choice as Danny Graham has been scoring a lot of goals still.​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 305604

March - April 2013

Fixtures

View attachment 305605

A good run in the FA Cup along with some okay league results have helped us really look like we can get european football next season. Yet again we beat the teams you would expect and do well against some of the bigger teams, i was unhappy with the Fulham match as we beat them comfortably in the cup match but were 3-1 down after half time and a few good subs and a change in tactics helped us grab 2 goals back.

Premier League Stats

View attachment 305607View attachment 305608View attachment 305609

With only 4 games to go i would like to think that we have secured european football next season and we still have a chance of getting 5th which would be an incredible achievement, Olsson and Brunt are both in the top areas of the stats lists as Olsson has been a constant key performer and Chris Brunt has set up the majority of Grahams goals along with banging in 11 goals in 40 games.

FA Cup Run

View attachment 305610

One of the easiest cup draws i have ever had as we got drawn against teams we could beat and never anyone above us in the league, we do face Chelsea in the final who in previous matches this season have beaten us once and drawn with us twice.

Butland Pressure?

View attachment 305615

Im not too sure why i keep getting this after practically every match? He has performed well and only conceded 9 goals in 15 matches which i would deem good. I know he is young but he hasnt made any mistakes and has had good performance ratings.

Best Player

View attachment 305617

At the start of the season i didnt really rate him but these past few months he has put in some good shifts and along with that bashed in some important goals​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 305661

May - FA Cup Final

Well we were told by everyone who could speak that we didnt stand a chance of winning the FA Cup final against Chelsea and they were . . . .

View attachment 305662

right, we held on for 70 minutes but a mistake from Jara lead to the goal where he cleared a cross which hit Torres and went in and i thought the dream was over, i made 3 subs and who should pop up but one of those subs 33 year old Zoltan Gera to push it into extra time, we amazingly had 2 goals disallowed which included Yacob getting sent off for getting so irate and then concede 3 goals in quick sucsession as we lost all hope and tired but youngster Will Hughes managed to grab a consolation after Craig Dawson went off with an injury leaving us with 9 men on the pitch.

Plus Side

View attachment 305664

We are guarenteed Europa League football next season but depending on the last 4 league games this month we may well end up starting off in the tournament later than at the moment​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 305722

May 2013 - End of Season

Last 4 League Fixtures

View attachment 305723

Not a bad end to the season gaining 7 points from a possible 12 but it still wasnt enough to grab 5th place despite beating Tottenham who were just above us, we should have really beaten Everton who are having a poor season but Danny Graham missed a penalty and after the FA Cup heartache our team was never really up for a game against Man City.

Premier League Stats

View attachment 305724View attachment 305725View attachment 305726

So there it is in the end we have to settle for 7th which i would have taken at the start of the season as a brilliant year but to drop down from 5th was dissapointing, we were guranteed europa league football next season due to the FA Cup final so West Ham also get a place in next seasons competition in 8th.
Jonas Olsson showed the world how good a player hes is and gains the 3rd highest rating overall for a player this season in the premier league which is just crazy considering who he is above, Brunt was joint 2nd in the assists charts but Danny Graham with his 16 league goals just misses out off the top 5 goalscorers.

Awards

View attachment 305727View attachment 305728

Jonas Olsson is quite rightly in the team of the year beating the likes of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand to get a spot, i also got recognised for my great season as i come 2nd in the Manager of the Year awards second to none other than Fergie.

April Young Player of the Month

View attachment 305729

I thought i would show this as despite me getting hounded by the media to drop Butland as he was too young he put in some brilliant performances and outperformed Ben Foster from early in the season and managed to pick up this award for his troubles.

West Brom Squad Overview

View attachment 305730

What can i say? The whole team outdid themselves this season putting in some brilliant performances the likes of Will Hughes and Butland will only get better but there is plenty of deadwood to get rid of, the loan signings Lukaku and Popov will not be staying and Jerome Thomas and Jara have not signed new contracts along with Tamas already having a deal in place to leave, Ben Foster will also be heading out as i look to the bosmans for some signings as i cant imagine i will be getting much of a budget thanks to this -

View attachment 305731

Best Player - Signing of the Season

View attachment 305732

Danny Graham has had a brilliant season scoring roughly a goal every other game and more than anything i think our tactic and style has really suited him more so than Shane Long or Lukaku, i will be looking to bring in some competition for him next season though.

New 4 Year Deal

View attachment 305733

I was starting to get worried that they were not going to offer me a new deal but in the end they gave me a massive 4 year deal on 40k a week more than any of my players earn!!​

 

[CaptainCrazy]

Good story and you had a rather splendid season, with all said and done, didn't you?
Keep up the good work, will be interesting to see what kind of players you'll manage to attract with the Europa League spot for next season.

 

[coolmcool]

Good story and you had a rather splendid season, with all said and done, didn't you?
Keep up the good work, will be interesting to see what kind of players you'll manage to attract with the Europa League spot for next season.

I did a lot better than i expected but it looks like i wont be given much money for the new season so i dont know if we will improve or not

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 306035

Summer 2013

Despite Big TV Money

View attachment 306039

We get a poor budget

View attachment 306040

I know not all the TV rights money is paid up front but i definetly thought we would be getting around £12- £15 million to spend, there was not point in changing the expectations as they made very little difference to the money we would get.

So i had some players coming through from free transfers and i also had to delve into the loan market aswell as pick up some transfer listed players.

View attachment 306042

I think i did some good buisness with who i signed and what i managed to do with players going out helped to.

View attachment 306045

Billy Sharp was up for cheap money and has done well for me in previous saves and is the perfect foil for Danny Grahams target man as a natural little poacher.

View attachment 306047

I have seen many people pick Zaha up for big money so to see him on the transfer list for such a low fee was a steal for me as i snapped him right up.

View attachment 306050

A good youth backup to make up numbers in the defensive area of the squad for now but should hopefully push for the first team in a few seasons.

View attachment 306051

Naughton was brought in as a backup RB for Steven Reid but definetly has the ability to push him out of the side.

View attachment 306053

I dont have to pay any of Kolarovs wages and not much of a monthly fee so he seems like a brillaint deal and will slot in at left back straight away.

View attachment 306054

He did well for Dynamo Kyiv in my Dnipro save so when i seen his contract was up i decided to take a gamble and we will have to wait and see if it pays off.

View attachment 306056

Ospina is a brilliant keeper for free and will go ahead of Butland for the next few seasons while he learns his trade.

View attachment 306058

The marquee loan signing Marko Marin is a brilliant player and can play anywhere across the front attacking 3 behind Danny Graham and is a league above everyone else at the club at the moment.

English Transfers

View attachment 306061

The english teams paid big this summer and signed some wonderful players with Man Utd spending a fortune on 2 brazilians in Neymar and Dede.

And Finally i forgot about this last season but it shows how well we did.

View attachment 306062

Danny Graham wins signing of the season and we earn the spot as overachieving team of the season to show how well we performed last year.​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 306284


August - October 2013

League Odds

View attachment 306285

Not very good odds but the best i hope for this season is between 10th and 6th as i really wont be breaking into the top 5or 6 with the little money i have been given, i hope to make some good runs in the 3 cup competitons though.

Youth Facilities Upgrade in Progress

View attachment 306286

This is good news long term but i was hoping to get that money to strengthen the squad in january.

League and League Cup Fixtures

View attachment 306287

Not a bad set of results a few more draws than i would have liked but the likes of Marin and Zaha have settled in, Danny Graham has been doing well but not as good as last season, im unsure on Ospina as he is no better really than Butland and Butland is english and a future star so may be used instead.
I got very worried after the heavy defeats to Man Utd and Arsenal but i think it was just our team getting used to each other as things have calmed down a bit since then, Jack Butland may well be back in the team soon though and to help i have brought in free agent CB Daniel Van Buyten to help shore up the defence.

In the League Cup i have played a mainly rotated squad with first team players Mulumbu and then Danny Graham needing to come on and make the difference though.

League Table and Stats

View attachment 306288View attachment 306289

Not a bad start to the season with a game in hand of the few teams around us and only 2 points off 6th place were we would like to be, none of my players have really outshone themselves but Marin has done well in the Europa League.

Best Player

View attachment 306290

He has been a constant threat to the oppositions goal all season and has 9 assists to his name already he has really had to step up and be the creative force of this team with Morrison, Hughes and Brunt all being out injured for long times.

​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 306291

Europa League Adventure August - October 2013

We drew CSKA Sofia in the playoffs and beat them comfortably over 2 legs and got drawn into a relatively easy group where i will look to push through to the knockout rounds.

View attachment 306292

Fixtures So Far

View attachment 306294

An impressive win against Werder Bremen has been the highlight so far LOSC are the top seeded team so i didnt expect to beat them but we gave as good as we got and Danny Graham has certainly found his goalscoring boots in the europa league.

The Table After 3 Games

View attachment 306293

Not a bad start and if we can beat Espanyol again we are practically guaranteed a spot in the next round
​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 306499

November - December 2013

First off an approach for a new club

View attachment 306500

Liverpool made an offer and as i am a fan of theirs i won the steam achievement of childhood dream.

League and Cup Fixtures

View attachment 306501

No losses in 11 premier league games over these 2 months and only 3 draws has pushed us up the table with the likes of Dorrans, Brunt and Graham playing extremely well but Marin has gone down hill since such a good start, big wins against the likes of Chelsea have helped us secure what i believe will be a top 6 position this season if we keep up this good form, the West Ham match at the end of the month was the worst we had played all season but yet we managed to grab a draw the main difference this season is we have a good squad rather than just a good team so we can change tactics around easily and bring on subs to freshen the side up almost every game.

Premier League Stats

View attachment 306506View attachment 306507View attachment 306508

Sitting pretty in 3rd and the air is rather thin up here, i was aiming for another chance to be in europe next season but a chance for champions league qualfication is now well within our reach, the league stats show our amazing recent form home and away and in a way im pleased that none of our players our in the top of the stats as it shows that we rely on no one but the whole team works together to get a result.

Squad Stats

View attachment 306509

Best Player

View attachment 306510

Danny Graham is on course for a better season than last and despite not scoring as many in the league has spread his goals out over the europa league and league cup.

Up next our Europa League Adventure​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 306561

Europa League November - December 2013

End Of Group Stage

View attachment 306562

We manage to beat LOSC And Werder Bremen late on meaning we go through top of the group on equal points with LOSC. An outstanding achievement with our first season back in europe.

Player Stats

View attachment 306563

As you can see Marko Marin is top of the assists chart with 8 shame he cant replicate that form in the league, Danny Graham is just out of the top 5 goalscorers.

Fixtures

View attachment 306564

We have been drawing against PSV in the 1st knockout round and i think we should be able to get past them and as you can see we were very lucky with the Werder Bremen game with Danny Graham scoring in the 96th minute!!!​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 306784

January 2014 Transfer Window

Change in Expectations

View attachment 306786

A change in expectations has given me a reasonable budget mainly so i can have a look at the bosmans coming up but also to strengthen the thin squad out.

Transfer Window

View attachment 306787

The main outgoings were players on loan who were complaining about game time i was never going to give them, Zoltan Gera left on a free as his contract was almost up yet he was always complaining but refused at least 3 loan deals.

Players In

View attachment 306788

A very good player and has been brought in to cover Mulumbu and Yacob as both Britton and Thorne have gone out on loan, his deal is only til the summer where if he performs well he should accept lower terms for another year.

View attachment 306789

Boyata can play in a couple of positions and can fill in around the squad as Ridgewell and Mcauley have both accepted contracts elsewhere in the summer, i good deal for a young squad player.

View attachment 306790

Jovetic becomes our most expensive player ever at a mere £8 million as Chelsea help pay his wages to get rid of him, i first tried to get him on loan but as we already had Marin and Kolarov i had to take the plunge and sign him on a full term deal at least if it doesnt work out i reckon i may make some money on the deal.

An approach from Man City

View attachment 306791

They approached me 3 times in one week i turned them down each time and they never raised anything to entice me, i didnt see why they tried 3 times though?

Catey Britton

View attachment 306792

He refused to join Sunderland as they only sat in 10th place yet joined Forest on loan in the championship!!!

Next up Jan to Feb 2014 and Europa League​

 

[coolmcool]

West Brom

View attachment 306847

Febuary 2014 - Europa League

1st Knockout Round against PSV

View attachment 306848

A brilliant result away from home as we manage to grab a late winner after going 2 up early on i would have been disappointed with anything less.

View attachment 306852


A good 2-1 victory at home means we comfortably qualify for the next round 5 - 3 on aggregate, we never looked like losing this even when they did score i could just tell we were too much for them.

Player Stats

View attachment 306853

Marin has more assists in the europa league than in the league with 9 and Danny Graham is only just out of the top 5 goalscorers with 7 goals in 10 games a brilliant return.

Next Round

View attachment 306854

Not the draw i would have wanted as PSG have reinforced their already amazing side heavily but we may still be in with a shout.

Up next league form​