FIFA 13 Retail Impressions

[steelerfan]

Entering the January transfer window, I'm at a real crossroads in my time at Wolverhampton.

My league goal is to gain promotion and the club is currently 11th with 36 points (10-6-9) and trails the last promotion playoff spot by 8 points with 21 league matches remaining.

That said, I've currently got just over $8M in the transfer budget. I'm trying to upgrade my back four and I'm going to have to squeeze the most I possibly can out of those dollars.

Overall, morale at the club is very low even with some players who are in my Starting XI most of the time. The season expectations, mixed with the club's poor results, are making for a culture of unrest and I've got to get a grip on it this month or I'll be looking for work in a lesser league very soon.

I hit the club up, twice, in the first couple days of January for additional funds for transfers and they shot me down, citing my poor performance as the reason that they wouldn't trust me to use it to improve the club. This is getting sticky.

I am being forced by the board to move an unsettled player, Boukari, as his situation has become a constant source of distraction and media speculation. After a couple months of dealing with it, he's finally let me know he wants out and the board is telling me to grant his wish and move on. Fortunately, he's usually on my bench and is not a key contributor.

I love this game.

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[steelerfan]

Additionally, I have 3 players transfer listed, 2 listed for short loans, 8 listed for season loans, 2 out on season loans, as well as having 2 full season loanees on board.

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[steelerfan]

The dealing has begun. I've already loaned 2 of my young players out this January and I'm being hit with daily offers to buy others.

I was offered $4.7M for my Keeper, Hennessy (27 yo, 80 OVR). I countered at $8M and it was re-countered at $7M. I then can back at $7.75M.

I think I'm going to move him because I can add around $5M to my budget by doing so and I short listed a couple of suitable replacements. One is a 78 OVR (iirc) and is 27 and his value is like $3M. The other is a 75 OVR and is 23. His value is $3.5M. In both cases, my advisor says it looks like those deals could happen (which is why I chose to short list those players).

I could add some $ to my budget and either get younger or get a relatively comparable player. In my position, every dollar counts.

The good news in all of this mess is that I'm unbeaten in 3 (2-1-0) and I'm up to tenth in the table and just 6 points from a playoff spot with still 20 matches to go.

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[steelerfan]

I've now had 7 clubs approach me for Ujah. I've scared 3 off, but the other 4 are offering between $11.5 and $15 million. I'm trying to stick to my $15 million asking price and actually see if I can get even more.

I've also scared off a few who have inquired about Doyle.

I've agreed to sell Karl Henry to Everton for $875k. He's 32, just a 70 OVR (CDM), declining fast, and never plays. I hope the Toffees work out a contract with him.

I've also agreed to sell my keeper, Wayne Hennessey to Hamburger SV for $7.5M. That's also pending player negotiations.

I sold Ronald Zubar (29 yo, 70 OVR, RB) to Bolton for $1.7M, and the unsettled Razak Boukari (27, 73, ST) was also sold to Bolton for $3.4M. Neither had a huge role with the club.

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[steelerfan]

My last match was an FA Cup 3rd round match with Brighton & Hove Albion. I was down, 4-2 midway through the second half when the game froze. I decided to sim it, and lost 2-1. I held Hennessey and Ujah out, because of their pending sales.

After the match, I learned that Hamburger SV came to terms with Hennessey, completing his $7.5M transfer. The deal to send Karl Henry to Everton was also finalized.

I managed to get the full $15M from Fiorentina for Ujah. This gives me some money to spend and I only really need to replace Hennessey and get some depth up front. After that, the remaining budget can be spent bolstering my back four.

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[steelerfan]

I just completed a transfer with Palermo. I purchased 24-year-old CB Ezequiel Munoz for $7.5M and signed him to a 3-year deal at $50k per week.

Munoz will immediately step in at LCB and upgrade the back four (previous LCB was a 73).

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[steelerfan]

Another signing: 21-year-old striker Jack Sampson to a 4-year deal (10k per week). I paid Bolton $4.5M for him (72 OVR).

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[steelerfan]

Just purchased 25-year-old LB Kieran Gibbs (81 OVR) from Arsenal for $8.5M. I had to overpay him to get him to join my less-prestigious club. He was signed to a 5-year deal at $90k per week.

I also added GK Simon Mignolet (26 yo, 77 OVR) from Aston Villa for $4.3M. I signed him for 3 years at $45k per week. All told, I should have just kept Hennessey.

For depth purposes, I also added versatile 24 yo midfielder Ashley Westwood from Villa on a 3-year deal at $10k per week for $1.7M.

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[steelerfan]

Now that the dust has settled, this is what my club looks like:

GK Mignolet 77
RB Stearman 76
RCB Margreitter 76
LCB Munoz 80
LB Gibbs 81
CDM Rogie 77
RM Hammell 77
LM O'Hara 79
CAM Adomah 75
RS Elkeson 80
LS Doyle 75

Substitutes
GK Ikeme 68
CB Johnson 74
LB Ward 73
CM Valotti 75
CAM Torres 73
ST Branzani 75
ST Sampson 73

Notable Reserves
CB Berra 73
RB Foley 72
CDM Westwood 71
ST Griffiths 73

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[steelerfan]

I'm back into an international break. I just drew my first match, 1-1, with Paraguay. There were 39 shots in the match (19 by Ecuador).

After I fell behind at 74', Calcedo equalized in the 79th minute.

Next up is Cameroon.

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[steelerfan]

Jesus.

Just took a 5-1 loss at Cameroon. My only goal came on a penalty in stoppage time.

Time to get back to Wolverhampton where I'm tenth in the table in the npower Championship League. The good news is that there's 15 matches left and I'm only 3 points out of a promotion playoff spot.

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[steelerfan]

For the record, my international record is now 2-3-5. Not impressive, but at least it's all been friendlys.

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[steelerfan]

Got the result in a tough match at Cardiff City, winning 1-0. I managed the only goal of the match in the 77th minute when Albert Adomah put one in off the right post after a loose ball situation was created by the defense.

The match featured 26 shots (12 by Wolves) and 10 on target (6 by Wolves), but there were very few good chances. It was truly a defensive match.

Wolves remain in 10th place at 14-9-9 (51 points), but are just 2 points behind 6th place Birmingham City and 4 points back of 4th place Nottingham Forest. For Cardiff City, the loss drops them into a tie with West Ham United (67 points) at the top of the table. The Hammers lead on goal differential (35 to 27) and have a game in-hand.

As an aside, I was offered a one year extension, and I accepted, to remain the manager of the national team of Ecuador.

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[steelerfan]

Followed my big win over Cardiff City with a draw at home against Oldham Athletic, 2-2. Shots were even at 10 and Wolves held a 6-5 on target advantage. I also had 6 corners, but failed to convert.

Scoring for Wolverhampton were Kevin Doyle (29' penalty) and Elkeson (42').

The big match of the day saw West Ham and Cardiff City play to a 1-1 draw to remain level at the top of the table with 68 points.

Here's the top half of the table, going into my match at Peterborough. The top 2 will be promoted and 3-6 will enter the Promotion Playoff:

Club Played Points GD
1. West Ham 32 68 35
2. Cardiff City 33 68 27
3. Derby County 33 62 16
4. Reading 33 57 20
5. Nottingham Forest 33 56 5
6. Blackburn 32 55 17
7. Birmingham City 33 54 16
8. Leicester City 32 53 22
9. Wolves 33 52 12
10. Blackpool 32 52 9
11. Brighton & Hove 33 51 4
12. Middlesbrough 33 45 -4

The bottom of the table (bottom 3 will be relegated to League 1):

21. Millwall 33 27 -26
22. Peterborough 32 25 -17
23. Leeds United 32 20 -21
24. Oldham Athletic 32 19 -43


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[steelerfan]

Despite conceding an Own Goal (Ezequiel Munoz), Wolves earned a 4-2 win at Peterborough. Wolves outshot The Posh 15 (6) to 11 (4) and possessed the ball for 56% of the match.

Aside from Munoz's 12th minute gaffe, scoring for Wolves were Kevin Doyle (3' penalty), Adam Hammill (18'), Elkeson (42'), and Munoz (49').

Munoz's redemption in the 49th minute came from a blistering header off of a corner and it really tilted the match to Wolves.

In the days following the match, I lost Albert Adomah for 3 months with an LCL injury that occurred in training.

Up next is a visit from Derby County who are 3rd in the table. Wolves are still 9th, through 34 match days, but are just 2 points behind the bottom playoff position.

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[steelerfan]

Oh, additionally, Wolverhampton is unbeaten in their last 11 league matches with a 6-5-0 mark over that span.

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[steelerfan]

Wolves stay hot, increasing their unbeaten streak in the league to 12 with a 2-1 won over Derby County.

The Wanderers held a shot advantage of 13 (7) to 9 (4) and both of their goals were scored by Kevin Doyle (9', 39'). Doyle leads the Championship League with 22 goals on the season, despite having missed ten games.

The win vaults Wolves to 7th in the league table, just 1 point behind Leicester City who currently holds the last Promotion Playoff spot with 11 matches remaining.

Next up is a trip to face Leeds United who are 23rd in the league and are 3 points shy of safety.

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[steelerfan]

Frustrating loss at bottom-feeding Leeds.

With only 2 days rest and West Ham up next, I rested 6 regulars from my usual Starting XI. Add in the injury to Adomah and I had 7 out.

Really, Wolves played well. A 4% possession advantage, 5 more shots on target, and a 9% pass accuracy advantage. It wasn't enough.

Andrea Branzani got Wolves out to a great start with an absolute laser from 17 yards, just 4 minutes in. However, Leeds had a 2-1 lead at 47'.

The frustration came in the dying embers of the match when, in stoppage time, there was a scramble for a loose ball in front of the Leeds net.

The ball was rolling, with momentum, across the line when Kyle Westwood, who had lept to avoid the opposing keeper, came down just in front of the ball. The ball was about 95% over the line, but hit Westwood's heel and caromed back out. Aggh!

The loss dumps Wolverhampton all the way down to tenth in the table, but still just 2 points from 6th and a Promotion Playoff spot. Leeds remain in the relegation zone but are just one point shy of safety.

Next up is a trip to West Ham to face the league-leading Hammers who are now 4 points clear of Cardiff City. It should be very interesting after I talked shit in the press leading up to the match about our 5-1 demolition of West Ham in August.

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[steelerfan]

Wolves went to West Ham and took their second straight defeat. The Hammers scored in the 47th minute after a loose ball scramble bounced their way and was easily netted for the game's only goal.

After scoring 5 times on West Ham early in the season, the Wanderers managed just 5 shots with none of them being on target. I would venture to say that this was easily the worst offensive output that I have had in my, roughly, 700 matches between FIFA 12 & 13. Ugly.

The loss brings me to another international break. Wolves remain in teenth place, with nine league matches remaining, and are now 5 points shy of sixth place and a potential playoff spot.

During the international break, my Ecuador squad has friendlys scheduled with Ivory Coast and South Africa.

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[steelerfan]

Ecuador wins, 2-0, at Ivory Coast behind goals from Felipe Caicedo (28') and Christian Noboa (45') and the clean sheet kept by Maximo Banguera. It was the second friendly I've won over Ivory Coast in my time at Ecuador.

Up next, South Africa.

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