Manager Merry Go Round (AI Experiment)
For those who read the SI games forum or The Bootroom Fanzine you may have noticed a guy that goes by the name of Kipfizh, a guy who loves to tinker around with the FM data editor to see what it throws up. The Bootroom features just two of his tales, one of which he has created a side in the lower leagues and watched them grow in holiday mode for around 50 seasons and another were he has set himself the challenge to get all 20 of the Premiership managers sacked in one season. Kipfizh managed 1o managers and on the SI games forum they are running the challenge to beat him, so I thought I would have a go and see if I could beat 10 sacked managers. So I will tamper with each Premiership team or managers to force them out, the rule is basically I can’t use the same technique more than once below I have set out what I am going to do to force the managers out.
Aston Villa: The board and fans have lost confidence in the performance of Martin O’Neill hopefully this will see the Villa get rid of the Irishman.
Birmingham: David Suvillan the chairman at Birmingham has had all his Chairman skills put to 1 apart from Business which is at 10, so that he can wheel and deal a new managers.
Blackburn: The Rovers boss has developed a dislike for management, he now believes he is looking for a career move either as someones number two or even scouting. Only earning a £1 a week can he afford to stay at Blackburn?
Bolton: Chris Evans, the Bolton ass man has grown in statue and looks like he could be the next person to take over when Gary Megson departs. Where as the big guys who tend to bully themselves through the league have been given a height and weight reduction so that gusts of wind will see them falling over.
Chelsea: Chelsea have had too much money for sometime, so I have taken it all away and reduced the prices of the tickets to go and visit them at Stamford Bridge. I have also taken down any ambition that Grant had and made him more a controversial figure.
Derby: Derby ever since being taken over by there own Americans are no known throughout the world, as a result I have risen their reputation, plus the signing of Mears and a lawyer that didn’t read the small print has seen them in a mess as Derby also have to pay Preston £50,000,000 per game for 38 games.
Everton: With Everton I have changed all the teams preferred tactics to anything with 3 at the back and messed around with the tactical attributes to make them flamboyant, defensive players
Fulham: Roy Hodgson behind closed door is earning £100,000 to manage Bolton, but he has only got a year on his contract, with his ambition raised can Fulham afford to keep him on?
Liverpool: Liverpool have a great spine to the squad and many people believe we are no better then the likes of Spurs without our main players so Gerrard, Torres, Kuyt, Crouch, Carragher and Kuyt have all there attributes set to 10 unless they are lower then 10 they will stay the same.
Manchester City: It is common knowledge that when signing players for his Manchester City side he visited the local Blockbusters store, but what he didn’t count on was that he would get his true inspiration from the top shelf. The players were all found to have had sexual enhancing drugs, meaning a worldwide ban for the year for all new players including Micah got in with the wrong crowd. (Disclaimer:- This is all fictional :D)
Manchester United:Alex Ferguson should have retired along time ago when he said he would, so I have set his year of birth to 1921 making him 85 and hopefully forcing a retirement.
Middlesbrough: Boro have a tenancy to get results against teams like Arsenal, meaning they are definitely the team to beat? So all clubs in the Premiership have become fierce rivals to Boro, meaning that every defeat will hurt . Morale is low as a result and squad rotation comes into play.
Newcastle United: Keegan loves his attacking football, so why not let the defenders get in on the action? I have set it so that the Defender prefer getting forward whenever possible.
Portsmouth: Redknapp is forever known for his dealings in the transfer market, so where would he be without that talent? He has lost any skills in spotting players or man management. His team talks are a mess and it looks like he might be using the “do it for the fans” line.
Reading: Coppell in a surprise move has took on duties as the England manager while staying contracted at Reading. As a result to try and get some of his Reading guys into the England side he has began to work them like Donkeys in training. He has lost any ability to mark but still prefers to sit back, like all England managers he shouldn’t have any tactical knowledge.
Sunderland: Roy Keane in a bid to stay in the top league in England has taken a win at all costs attitude, meaning that he has lost any Professionalism or Sportsmanship if he ever had any. Increasing is Reputation abroad may tempt some clubs to look for him overseas where as his Home reputation is down.
Tottenham: I like Ramos as a manager, think his style of Football great to watch sometimes, so I think he should be somewhere better then Spurs, so I will raise his reputation to the max and loyalty down to the rock bottom.
West Ham United: Training facilities have been set as low as they can, meaning that the players will not be able to develop through the season, but also the first team will be prone to injury, a drinking binge by the Physio means that he is unable to treat the players very well anymore.
Wigan: Because of the state of the JJB pitch Wigan have been forced to move to Southport to play at Haig Avenue. With only 1660 available seating thats how many fans will only get to see Wigan play probably very close to the attendance before they reached the Premiership. Both Chairman and Manager hate each other can it work in Lancashire? Both hate Wigan, can this reunite the two?
July
Well the first month went with not much happening really, Cesc made the first move from the Arsenal side joining Inter Milan. What I didn’t expect, was in my failure to put in a fee that the players should leave for the computer has made up it’s own reasonable price for the players, Cesc making £51 million for Arsenal. John Hesitinga and Ben Arfa were signed by Arsene. Chelsea have still managed to sign some players Modric coming in for £10.5 million but there financial statue is considered just as secure. The Liverpool players who had their attributes changed to 10 have come out into the game a lot worse in which I put them, a lot of been dropped from the first team and transfer listed. Manchester City sign defender Mensah and are in contract talks with a return for Wright-Phillips.
Managers Gone: (None)
August
It’s not looking good for Paul Jewell to get the sack as Derby are over achieving beating Chelsea along the way sitting at the top of the table after 4 games. Everton, Villa and Wigan make the bottom half. But even though Derby are looking good at the top financially things are crippling and the club has taken to restructuring the dept. Despite the lack of key players Liverpool are 3rd and after spending £27 million on Mutu and Rodriguez may help sure up the squad. During the transfer window Pompey managed to bring in 3 players, DeMerit, Torrado and Skjelbred, hopefully they turn out rubbish.
Managers Gone: (None)
September
Despite Derby playing well and topping the table last month and Paul Jewell taking the manager of the month award, they have quickly seen themselves in administration and being docked 9 points because of it, this has seen them crash all the way down to the bottom Man City and Wigan are with Derby in the drop zone with Everton just above. Normal service resumes at the top as Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool make the top 3, West Ham a surprise at 4th. But unfortunately The Hammers have been able to secure Gianni Nanni a great addition to help out the injury prone players, but even though they have 5 players out on the injury table are still over achieving. Steven Coppell’s Reading is sitting in a reasonable positing at 14th, but his lack of tactical knowledge has not hampered his England performances as they beat Isreal 5-0 and Russia 2-0.
Managers Gone: (None)
October
Derby have managed to get themselves out of the drop zone and continue to over perform still, but the pressure at the bottom is beginning to show as boards are evaluating managers performances. Reading are sat at the foot of the table as they have only managed to gain 2 points in the past month. The top four looks as it should Crouch and Mutu supplying the goals to keep Liverpool at 2nd in the league. Bolton skinny small players seem to be able to help them get about as they are finishing the top of the second tier of the Premier League.
Managers Gone: (None)
November
Still no managers have been sacked it’s looking worrying, but I am hoping that once one has gone that it will be a domino affect. Favorite to be first out is Steve Coppell who are still searching for a win going 11 games without a win. Although his England team is going through a different run not losing all year and only conceding 2 goals away to Russia in a 3-2 win, England finished top of the group on goal difference and Coppell will take England to Austria and Switzerland. Although Ramos has a better reputation around the world he looks like he might be pushed out instead of going to a better job as he underperforms and the boards are not happy with him. Moyes seems to have made his job safe for now as he has catapulted his Everton side to mid table. The top 4 looks as it should hopefully as Arsenal begin to lose more players performances will drop.
Managers Gone: (None)
December
Derby continue to storm up the league and if you didn’t count their 9 point deduction they would be 3rd in the league Jewell is a god it seems. Kevin Keegan’s side has managed to break into the top 4, so it’s not looking good to get a few managers gone from mid table clubs anytime soon. Sunderland though have drifted into the relegation zone and Reading take themselves off the bottom with a win at Villa who replace them at the bottom, seems to have secured Coppell a few more games in the New Year. Before the January transfer window Arsenal have managed to put together £139 million already in sales, will this mean that they could replace the players they have lost with a better side? Things are moving so quickly in the table that it is hard to see where the first sacking is going to come from as when one side looks like they are struggling they will quickly recover, my money though is still on Coppell.
Managers Gone: (None)
January
Through January Arsenal spent some of that money they have been making on losing their best players, in came Kuzmanovic, Moutinho, Menez, Lucio and Zapater to help a bid to win the league as Wenger sits at the top of the league. At the bottom of the league Manchester City brought in Cavani to help while the players are still on a global ban. West Ham have started to fall down the league now and sit only 3 points above the drop zone and there is only 4 points separating 11th and 18th. But it has not been injuries that have caused West Ham problems as they only have one players on the injury table who was a new signing Ryan Taylor. Newcastle are still in a Champions League place and don’t look like budging as Owen and Martins are enjoying the new support from defenders running up the pitch, Enrique and Beye being the main providers of goals. Pompey are the team this month to have changed things around as Harry Redknapp sees his side move to 9th, but it just shows you the nature of the league I have created that things can quickly change. Bankcrupt Derby are still competing for a European place and that is with a transfer embargo over their heads.
Managers Gone: (None)
February
Still no managers moving, surely Football Manager has gnomes in that knows when I am trying to do some challenge and as a result tinkers so that everyone stays in place. Reading, Fulham and Manchester City make the bottom 3 this month with the Brum moving back up the table a point under their neighbors Villa. Arsenal are beginning to lose some of there younger players, Bendtner and Walcott see the way out. But they still look to be running away from Liverpool who are 2nd. Manchester United have retained 4th place and Tottenham seem to have recovered from a bad start of the season as Berbatov and Keane score for fun to break into the top 10.
Managers Gone: (None)
March
At last the first manager has gone and it is not who I thought would be first, Middlesbrough first got rid of Southgate as they enter the relegation zone losing to all major rivals. I am hoping that this would start a trend but it doesn’t look like it will as Coppell seems to be the only manager under pressure for results as Reading are favourites for relegation. Injury prone West Ham are not so prone to injury as stats may have thought, obviously the introduction of Nanni seems to have helped as they sit at the bottom of the injury league with 0 players out of action. Unfortunately for City and Reading they sit at the top meaning that City have less players to choose from although they themselves have moved up the league even with only 10 players, a win against Manchester United doing wonders for the side.
One Manager Gone: Southgate (Middlesbrough)
April
Arsenal secure the league one player I neglected to sell onto another side was Adebayor whose 26 goals went along way, at the other end of the table Reading are the first side to be relegated but Steve keeps hold of his job at the royal club. Still anyone from Tottenham at 12th and Wigan at 19th can go down while Everton are just hanging on as their good run of form didn’t last too long thankfully. The season is coming to an end now and I think a lot of the teams are under performing but that means it balances itself out meaning that league position looks better then it is keeping people in the job.
One Manager Gone: Southgate (Middlesbrough)
May
The final teams to go down along with Reading, were Middlesbrough and Sunderland who both finished with 41 points, the two Birmingham sides only finished a point above that to survive. No other managers left their clubs but as the season ended, O’Neill and Coppell were left with the pressure over their heads of the sacking come June. Paul Jewell also is a surprise to be under pressure. Just missing out on a European place which Newcastle and Bolton took the money difficulties hasn’t done anything for Paul and could see him leave within the last month of the challenge, if there isn’t a mass exodus of players leaving I concede defeat.
One Manager Gone: Southgate (Middlesbrough)
June
June brought one extra sacking and it was 86 year old Sir Alex Ferguson, who I thought would have retired but instead Manchester United thought that needed someone else to lead the club and didn’t bother renewing his contract, maybe it did have something to do with his age but you would have thought a legend like Alex would have commanded a key to the car park for life. On a side note even though Steve Coppell finished bottom of the league with Reading he was able to get England to the European Championship final against France, but lost in extra time a Ben Arfa goal sealed it, even though nothing was helped by Owen being sent off.
Two Managers Gone: Southgate (Middlesbrough), Ferguson (Manchester United)
This item has multiple links
| Title | Date Added | Hits |
|---|---|---|
| Part One | 2008/03/24 | 215 |
| Part Two | 2008/03/24 | 118 |
| Part Three | 2008/03/24 | 104 |
| Part Four | 2008/03/24 | 108 |
