Haden

Talking Points Special and Mushroom League Three way war With Winston Garden Lions beating AFC Dedede twice and the Familia drawing with Rovers once and then beating them at home leaves Dedede, Familia and Rovers now sitting within 2 points of each other and the last remaining knockout spot. We will look at the chances of these three teams to go up. The Familia FC This is the side that should really be going up they have top league experience and a squad full of talent, their real strengths are a fantastic defence and attack while their midfield is quite honestly not up to scratch and in the middle of a transition. They shocked Winston with an away draw early on and beat Rovers and Hydra at home however they crucially lost to Dedede at home and were held to a draw by Rovers. Their next game against Dedede will be critical they need to try and get a draw if possible, if they could shock Eights or Winston with home wins they may be in with a shout but they have a hard run in. AFC Dedede This is the team that lots of people have backed to get to the knockouts after their fantastic progress as of late. They have talent in all areas with intelligent players dotted around their side and no suspensions or injuries in sight. They were held to a home draw by Rovers but beat the Familia and Hydra away, they have not won a home game yet though. They came out and attacked Winston at home but it was not enough they have 3 home games left and an away tie to Rovers, you would say this is the kindest run in and they may be slight faveourites but they need a result against the Famlia at home. Rossers Rovers The real suprise package, Rovers who have had three managers as of late seemed to have found a good one who has put the players through their paces and got a lot out of them. They have a great defence but are lacking in other areas. The team had a really hard start away to Eights and Winston but then strung together a 4 match unbeaten run with the best result being the shock victory against Hadens Legends at home. They have a very hard run in with their home game against Dedede sticking out as one that could keep them in the knockout hunt. They are the dark horse for 4th place but don't count them out this manager is doing some great things. Kippen reeling? After discussing how well Kippen were doing they have had a mixed week this time around. They started off with a great 2-1 win against Aqui1a but defender Bedford was taken off after pulling a hamstring. They then suffered a 3-0 beating by Aqui1a with defender MacCrindle sent off and midfielder Galvao injured by a cynical tackle. The Kippen manager faces direct rivals Leeds M.O.T and could possible play Bedford and Galvao but it is at a risk of aggrivating their injuries while MacCrindle is suspended. So he has brought in the 26 year old defender Luciliano Seara who may make his debut today in this crunch match. Leeds have done well with goals so far scoring 13 in 6 matches but Kippen have only let in 7 goals from 7 matches. If Leeds win today they could leapfrog Kippen, it will be a great match as Kippen will have to work with limited resoures to shift momentum back in their favour. Showing off the skills Inter and the Elites put past struggles behind them as they enjoyed very easy double victories against Multi-Bubble FC and Recall United. A particular highlight of these fixtures was the five goals that Elites captain Bodin scored at home to help the Elites destroy Recall United. Scoring both close range shots and headers chants of “Bodin has got you on the run, Bodin he scores for fun” rang around the stadium. It brings Bodin up to 8 goals this season and could be important in the group title race as the Elites are equal in points with Inter and Aqui1a but sit ahead on a positive goal difference of 17.

Great interview questions and write up! In answer to your question dan I think it might have a negative effect but I'm unsure I will keep on eye in future and get back to you. I don't do it often but I like having it as a tactical and youth development option. I wonder how many groups will go down to the last day to decide that top 4?

Sadly here is one of my teams most finest moments. Post yours?

I have to say I come in this thread as a neutral Shef Wed fan (no one talks about my team) and I have a preference towards Arsenal as a Premier side I do admit. But what I have noticed is sometimes dazzy rubs it in quite badly but at least he wears his team proud. Wii seems to pipe in and just laugh at people and then scuttle off until he can make another comment. I just wanted to stick up for dazzy cause I think dazzy has some fair points here. Anyway I will go back to lurking from here :P

I never get teams that don't have a back up goalie what happens if he gets injured in a match or a long term injury/suspension? You would have to get this guy in!

You will finish above me I reckon, looking at my dev I am not that happy with progress atm having said that I am a game behind but some of the weaker guys still need some more games which could cost me. Really want to come out swinging for the next few games chalk up some major points before the disaster of playing you and Eights away lol.

Another nice win for my side in a friendly but need to take this form into the league now. Crucial three games ahead want to be secure before I face eights and Winston away. @Charlie I will loan you a defender for your game against Leeds for 5mil Econ

Nice interview! Looking forward to mine. No spotlight love? I predict 2-0 with 2 free kicks.

Nice reports dan I'm enjoying this format. Your point on kippen and elites were really interesting that group truly is the group of death.

Star and Flower League Report Week 3 Glory and Defeat Two of the big guns in the Star League RFC and Yellow Submarine had an interesting week. They both started it with crushing victories, RFC beat the 64s 8-0 and Yellow Submarine destroyed Madpool 7-0. However on Friday they both lost 1-0, RFC to Russian Revolution and Yellow Submarine to Dragooooo. These two losses were very significant and will be examined for our talking points in this league for this week. Dragooooo 1-0 Yellow Submarine This was always going to be a fascinating game, Yellow Submarine are one of the favourites to win this tournament however Dragooooo have quietly come into some fantastic form in their group and sit 2nd only on goal difference. They lined up with a 5-4-1 formation while Yellow Submarine went for 4-5-1. Dragooooo seemed content to not dominate possession but make clear cut chances, the architect Wielink fed a ball through to Velho who smashed it in for the opener. The first half had very few chances and both managers were hesitant to throw on new players with only Yellow Submarine bringing on a new defender. Both teams got into the game and when Wielink had to come off it seemed the home side would need to soak up pressure. It did but at a cost for both eams as Peseiro made two reckless challenges within two minutes being sent off for the 2nd which badly injured Yellow Submarine captain Delipiano and nearly started a brawl between the two sides. In the end however it was a great win for Dragooooo who are now seemingly certain to go through to the knockouts maybe even top of the group! Russian Revolution 1-0 The Roger Federer Crew Russian Revolution have had a torrid start to their campaign, they have had some hard fixtures and won none until today where they beat the group leaders RFC. They threw caution to the wind in this game and played 3-4-3 against a 4-4-2 RFC game. Revolution started well and the youth player Lenin scored his first ever goal for the team with a blistering low shot and what a game to score it in! RFC came back into the game after the break and both sides used a flurry of substitutes to try and control the game, it seemed inevitable that RFC would get a goal but Di Leva and his defence held out and the Revolution fans roared at what is a huge win for this team. Revolution now have a double header against rock bottom team 64s they simply must get 6 points from this double to build on this momentum and give them a chance to challenge for a top four spot. Baggies run a tight ship Baggies had two away games this week and again conceded no goals, they won via a Ashe breakaway goal against Coloccini and held the Wanderers to a 0-0 draw. Behind this unique run lies Cowling at the back with the two huge men Ryman and Unnarsson ahead of him and the quick Bould and Payton tracking down the wings while Barcz the veteran simply roams around the box keeping order. Ryman who was the captain in these two games had this to say “It is a huge point of pride for the lads to keep this clean sheet record going, we know if we do that it means the boys up front will get their job done and hopefully we will come away with 3 points.” However Baggies now play former champions Silverdale who sit behind them in 2nd place, surely the record will fall in this game? Bob tries something new bob adopted a 4-5-1 formation in what was the shock of the week as bob trounced Coloccini FC 5-0. In what was an unusual call for bob he opted for 1 striker up front Goufran who scored a hat trick and in doing so netted his 50th goal for the club in 88 games. Leppe was also on devastating form scoring one and making two more, he has 73 points (scoring or assisting) from 89 games which is even more impressive than Goufran. It is very much a long shot seeing bob make that top four but this win was critical, could bob start to rethink their tactics after this game and adopt more defense and midfield heavy formations in future games? Salmon the unpredictable one Over the last two games Silverdale Salmon has scored from three breakaways, three headers, a set piece free kick, a long shot and a shot after a corner. This varied way of scoring is scary for other teams, they have players like Scrimshaw and Wacek who have a lethal and powerful shot while Calderwood is dominant in the air and Orellana loves to curl in free kicks. Trying to keep Silverdale out is like trying to work out a rubix cube, the fact that this diverse attacking force will now face the defensive machine that is DuDs Baggies for the top spot in the group makes Silverdale vs DuD the potential game of the week. Nice win against a very talented Leeds team today. Interesting results in a lot of the leagues but wow have to take my hat off to @DuD masterful display today, still no goals conceded incredible!

Holy shit! How much have you played him? That is fantastic for the halfway point.

Wanna here more from @Dedede @Ellmeister and @Zell and to be honest everyone I agree this season is great. How are people feeling on their chances of going through at this halfway stage? I think despite the loss today my team is almost sure to go through I basically need to get three good home wins against the teams in the bottom three spots. My away form against my three rivals will dictate if I finish 2nd, 3rd or 4th. I quite like the league I am in has a good feel to it, Eights is obviously going to tear away as champion but some intriguing sub plots happening everywhere I will be in the stands watching Dedede vs Winston home and away carefully looking at tactics and hoping for injury ridden draws

Wretched performance today need to shake things up after that, have a week off to think about tactics. Will re-enter the league in a dogfight for 2nd place and considering the 2nd half of the league will be harder it could be a struggle. Anyone want a friendly invite away!

To be fair I beat you by two goals. :p

I don't really drink. You do now! Lol

Hadens Legends’s chairman arranged a night out with some of the league's other chairmen and they played poker. Your chairman had borrowed some econ from the club's funds as the stakes were high. After a few hours, the air was thick with smoke and it was time to turn over the final cards. Your chairman was shocked when he saw had the winning hand and had won 1 245 000 econ for your club! My chairman is obviously the James Bond of chairmen.

Damn you bob!!!!

Close game today, came out with the win and a minor defensive crisis lol. Nice write up dan also well done holding eights to a draw!

Talking Points Special and Mushroom League Eights the King Eights United carried on their dominance of the Special league by beating Hadens Legends with ease 3-0 and then hosting the Familia and again winning this time 3-1. Both times Eights have been clinical with just five chances and both times long serving captain Beck has scored bringing his total goals to 4 in 4 games. Eights will clearly be making it through to the knockouts but the question is can they get a 100% record? Their next game may answer this as it is against Winston Lions away from home. For now long live the King! Rovers defensive record Rossers Rovers after a very hard start to their campaign kept to clean sheets against Lords of Hydra and AFC Dedede. Their keeper Brezhnev after letting in 8 goals from 2 matches must be credited with this improvement. He is a very intelligent keeper entering the prime of his career and organises his defence with skill and level headedness. Defenders such as Bulatov and Wohlfarth have fantastic stamina and can give 100% until the final whistle. This is promising stuff from Rovers but this now needs to be matched with some goals as they still have not found the net, their next game is at home to Hadens Legends they would love to score a debut goal in that match. Kippen FC 4 point miracle Kippen FC shocked many pundits this week by beating AC Elites 2-1 and then holding Inter to a draw 1-1 away. The first game saw them against their old foes who are one of the strongest teams in the group and to be frank they bossed the game. Playing 4-5-1 they earned 11 chances to 2, Vogele set up MacEllar for the first before Zell hit back to make it 1-1. However the Kippen pressure was undeniable and Vogele scored with a header of his own to send the Kippen crowd roaring as Kippen notched up their first ever win against AC Elites. Kippen held firm with a 4-5-1 formation and went to Inter, they bossed possesion and again Vogele scored with a headed goal, they limited Inter's chances to three but Inter levelled when new striker Skywalker bundled home a late equaliser. Despite this Kippen are top of the group 3 points ahead, are undefeated and have the best goal difference, so far Kippen are the big surprise of this Champions League. Crunch time for Leeds Leeds M.O.T have also been performing well in the Mushroom League. They played a daring 3-4-3 formation against Recall United that saw Townshend, Pipsek and Burchell shine with goals aplently but they were losing that game at one point. This concern became an embarrassment as they were mauled by the Elites on Friday, 5-0 showing no resistance. It has to be said that Leeds have quite a small squad that while being full of talent may lose a straight power struggle with the veteran sides. This makes Leeds home tie against a struggling Inter so interesting, the Leeds manager will have to think long and hard about a game plan for this one turning up in a normal formation may not cut it. The youths making a difference This has been a good week for youth players, Inter as pointed out before were saved an embarrassing home loss to Kippen when 17 year old Skywalker scored on his debut to become an instant fan favourite. The goals scorers that helped Aqui1a win over Recall were both under 23 and The Familia were given a vital away point when Chase who is only 22 scored for them against Winston Lions. Sometimes putting a youth on does not just help with development but can give your side an unexpected element or added imputes that can unbalance your opposition.

Header from a cross: Goal scorer was Matthew Izon assisted by Derek Payton

Yeh alternating sounds good leagues starting to get really interesting and most are still quite competitive for those top 4 places.

@dan\-likes\-trees what leagues do you want to do this week. Great win for us yesterday just gonna push to win every game want that 2nd place.

Classic inter view can't wait for mine!