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The Hattrick Season 68 thread

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Donut102
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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#149381

Postby Donut102 » July 2nd, 2018, 8:47 am

Next week I have 7th at home. Another big defensive team, usually playing 532. One of my titanic scorers picked up his third yellow this week, so will need to play a more rounded attack rather than just AIM. So its 253 with 2 x IMTW.


Won 2-0, which leaves me 6 points clear at the top of the table with 2 games to play. With the GD I have (+42 vs 2nd on +21) I think its all over - so will start playing the younger players to get some experience. Next week I play 6th, and even with a less experienced team I still have a good chance of taking the 3 points and therefore the title.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#149472

Postby Bink333 » July 2nd, 2018, 12:47 pm

I've had a busy few weeks, which included (to my dearly beloved's absolute delight) taking a couple of weeks off to watch the World Cup group games.

I've picked up 2pts in the Prem over the last fortnight, a 0-0 away and a 3-3 at home. The 0-0 was as a result of a 4-4-2 Press, using 3xCD to stop a usually very attacking midfield heavy team. I wasn't expecting a draw, and it was more of a PIC Press Pray day, which turned out quite well. Yesterday's game was against a title contender (as are my next two) and despite edging possession, the chances were split 5/5 and it ended 3-3. I was 3-1 up after 84 minutes as well.

England's NT has had to face back to back MoTs over the last fortnight. Somehow we've come through it without dropping any points, but Cameroon have been getting results as well and remain 3pts ahead of us in 2nd. There's 4 games left, and we are set to play the 4 strongest teams in the group (at least on paper) starting with China at home, then Cameroon away, Kenya at home and Romania away.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#151032

Postby Donut102 » July 9th, 2018, 7:53 am

They think it's all over...it is now.

I won 5-1 on Sunday to leave me 6 points clear of 2nd with just one game to go. So the league title is in the bag. Looking at the auto-promotion line I am well off the pace, so whatever happens next week I will be facing a qualifier. So its time to give the youngsters a run out and manage team spirit.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#151072

Postby UncleIan » July 9th, 2018, 10:16 am

Donut102 wrote:So its time to give the youngsters a run out and manage team spirit.


Well done, congratulations. Balance that with confidence though, i.e. try not to get hammered when it should have been you doing the hammering. Otherwise you won't be able to hit a pig's [expletive deleted] with a banjo. Though I'm sure you know this already.

Last week we gave 8th a sound thrashing, 2-2 after half an hour turned into 9-2 at the final whistle, nice. Yesterday was a bit more tricky, away to 4th, decided on a PIN/Press, I think they expected banzai from me and went a into an unfamiliar 4-5-1. They edged possession, we couldn't break them down, and they managed to pop a goal in during the first half. 1-0 final score. Chances were 4-3. A point would have been nice, but I was wasn't expecting much from the match.

This now makes the final round of matches slightly more interesting. I'm on 25 points, and 3rd are on 24 points, 4th are now on 22 points, but -23 goals behind me (I think I'm safe there). I'm at home to the runaway leader that is auto-promoting, so why wouldn't he MOTS? While 3rd is away to 6th, who are 3 points and +11 goals ahead of 7th. 7th play 4th, massive defence that won't ship goals. So, basically, I need to do better than 3rd do, but he's got an easier match. I suppose my only consolation is that 1st have lost a game this season so won't be trying to go unbeaten, but it's hardly going to be a walkover. Finishing 2nd or 3rd, I suppose it doesn't make much odds, 3rd I'd start with a home fixture against a known tough team, 2nd is a lucky dip.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#151131

Postby Donut102 » July 9th, 2018, 1:03 pm

Otherwise you won't be able to hit a pig's Pink marshmallows with a banjo. Though I'm sure you know this already.


I do, and it did factor in my view. I don't really want to lose any game, even if its a dead rubber.
I think I could win the last game on a PIN with my normal 1st team with training optimised, delivering say 250-275 hatstats. With the youngsters (and future coaches) being played I will drop down to 200 hatstats.

However I think I will struggle in IV if I can only deliver 275 hatstats week in week out - my last foray to these heady heights lasted only one season where I finished 7th, with the consequential decimation to fan mood and gate receipts. I did get increased sponsor income, but not enough to offset. I can make £1m/ season in V, and think I need to be able to achieve at least 4th in IV to be no worse off

So if promotion through the leagues was my priority I would play the first team - but I don't feel I'm ready yet. I'd rather focus on the long term plan and bide my time.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#151720

Postby Bink333 » July 11th, 2018, 11:24 am

I was away to a LS team on Sunday. I splashed out a lot of money for a 34y/o divine+3xp quick mythical forward with useful secondaries. It damaged TS as we was controversial, which scuppered and plans I had about trying to get close in m/f.

I toyed with a few formations. CA looked possible, but I didn't think my expected CA rating (mythical) would create enough chances to cover off their LS chances, plus conversion rates would still favour them.

So I opted for a Press. They still had a lot of the ball though, so I included a powerful sitting midfielder to try and reduce another chance. In the end they scored 1, and although my attack ratings were good enough to score I only had one chance and it didn't convert. Could easily have done though so I was happy with the set up.

The loss means I remain 5th, and 2pts ahead of 7th. Potentially 7th has the trickiest tie away to a top 4 side that didn't MoTs last week. I am home to the Champions who have mathematically secured a hattrick of titles, but other than the 3pts for the historical standings table, I have no particular interest in winning the qualifier, as I am planning to sell up and start a rebuild, and it would be rude to deny another team a chance to play in the top flight when I have this in mind. I'll discuss my expected ratings for that match if I remain in 5th or 6th after Sunday.

I got blitzed 4-0 by the Chinese manager on Friday who went with perfect tactics to counter a home CA from England. Now 6pts behind Cameroon, we are away to them Friday, with just 3 games remaining. I'm expecting them to MoTs to try to seal their path to Q2, and I don't have the formation experience to build a 5 man wall in defence, and I doubt I'll be able to match them in midfield on a MoTs because they have fome advantage and the same TS, as well as better TC becuase they won easily this week against Saudi Arabia who MoTsed us the week before.

I may painted myself into a corner here, but the alternative seems to have been to paint myself into a different corner with worse TS and still no formation xp for a 5 man defence. I'll see what I can do one the form updates are in, but it looks pretty thin.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#152574

Postby Eastheath » July 16th, 2018, 1:15 am

won our final game 4-3 to finish top of the league with a clean sweep of 14 wins.
Its not as big a feat as it sounds, it was series V after all, and we had a couple of bots in there
Have put a group of older players up for sale as they wont be helping me out in series IV.
Might also need to sell a striker to give me enough coppers to buy some younger backup.

Mission is to stay in series IV for more than a season, and break the recent run of up down up down....

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#152593

Postby Donut102 » July 16th, 2018, 8:20 am

We drew 2-2 in the final game to finish top of V, and needing a play-off to promote.

I've had a look at the play-off opponent, and am thoroughly outclassed. So it looks like another season in V while I try and build a more competitive team.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#152635

Postby Bink333 » July 16th, 2018, 10:47 am

I was in 5th, at home to the freshly re-crowned Champions of England.

They'd MoTsed the previous game, and I set up on a PIC. 2-5-3 with 58-59% possession and about 50% right attack, a bit more in the middle and around 60% left attack. I opted to play creative.

It should have been an easy win. Luckily for me the teams in 6th and 7th both lost, because the Match Engine had one of it's crazy days, and we lost 0-2. It isn't the first time this has happened to my lads on the last day of the season against MOTsed out freshly crown Champions, but that's probably just a coincidence.

There's little point in me trying to defend my place in the Prem in the qualifier. I'm delighted to have picked up 16 points to add to my score on the historical standings table, but now is the time to rebuild, and it would be rude to try deny another team a chance to play at the top when I'm switching my attention to training rather than on pitch performances. It's been planned for awhile. My psychologist and form coaches contracts expire today and I'm looking to bring in a 2nd lvl 5 assistant coach.

I'll be looking to sell everyone that isn't earmarked for the hall of fame (although I think there's a feature that allows you to include ex players on HoF now) before I drop to 5% training next week, and m highest TSI player is leaving before the playoff, as the French NT manager is keeping tabs on him, and he needs to train with someone else next week or he'll lose stamina at my training update. The others can go after the qualifiers as the end of season prize money usually seems to boost the transfer fees, although player transfer inflation has really deflated the real value of that cash injection these days.

England are sadly out of Q1. We set up with a divine+1 m/f away from home on a MoTs against Cameroon on Friday, and matched their midfield at kick off. It ended 3-3 and the -13CD we have to them is not recoverable over the next two games. I'll make sure the next manager has some 5 man defensive formations to choose from, and 4-5-1 as I really missed being able to use those this season. I suspect this also made us a bit predictable as we only had 3 viable formations to choose from.

Still, the part of the job that no one really likes because of the workload, I quite enjoy. That involves sorting through the younger prospects and discussing training plans for those guys in the future. I'm going to reintroduce a handover spreadsheet for the next manager, so that he/they will have a much better crop of players, some well researched information and more formation choice.

It'll keep me out of mischief anyway.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#152689

Postby UncleIan » July 16th, 2018, 3:17 pm

We were at home to the Champions, who were definitely auto-promoting no matter what the outcome. Before the match we could have slipped to third, so it was an obvious MOTS to try and keep spirits and fan mood up over the season break. I think they were expecting a 2-5-3 banzaii from me, as they lined up with a 3-5-2 CA with the wings loaded offensively. I got more ball than I thought I would. A dodgy penalty and a wriggle through the middle saw us bag a 2-0 win. Nice.

Second secured on 28 points, despite personnel changes and only being 4th on average ratings and stars, though I have the biggest average midfield currently, so I guess that helped edge me higher. It's been a pretty good season, though I've struggled away from home, 4 losses and a draw, while Albumen Towers has been a fortress.

Fingers crossed the team coming down from III isn't going to walk it next season.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#154292

Postby Bink333 » July 23rd, 2018, 9:45 am

Well I'm out of the Prem at last, lost the qualifier 2-4. we scored the first 2, and so I was a bit worried that the carefully orchestrated plan was going pear shaped, but it worked out in the end.

I've put another 7x30 somethings onto the transfer list.

On Friday had a very satisfying win against Kenya, who opted to MoTs us. 1-0 with came from 3xCA chances, all up the middle and for once I'd set some normal forwards instead of FTW. I also played the game with 5 full-backs. I felt a bit like Gerard Houllier in his latter days at Anfield. Now there was a a manager who appreciated a full-back...

I'm on 5% training with an excellent coach with effect from this week for the next 2.5 years, and 1- 1.5 years of the same with my second team, so unless I carry on as England manager I expect I'll downgrade my activity into 'set it and forget it' mode.

I managed to improve the team up to 6th on the Prem historic standings table, with 5 seasons there with Amarula Ant Lions, and another 5 seasons with Apostrophe Now. The team name has changed already, we're now Peanut Butter Thighs. I've ordered a stadium reduction in seat numbers from 78k down to 61.5k and expect I'll need to reduce that further as I slip down the leagues.

I've joined the Albion Project for training in conjunction with some other managers toward the NT, and have a technical from my YA that's met the eligibility criteria already. I'll be looking to spend a fair bit on buying at least 2 if not 3 trainees to join him, and whatever else I can get from the YA.

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#154421

Postby Donut102 » July 23rd, 2018, 3:20 pm

I'm on 5% training with an excellent coach with effect from this week for the next 2.5 years

Wow, I make that about 8 seasons. This game certainly lends itself to the focused training regime until you're competitive. I'm not sure I've got the stamina for that! I guess I'm treading a middle line - normal stamina training whilst in the Cup, and dropping to 5% when out of the cup. I'm averaging about 10% stamina over the season - which over 8 seasons would be worth about 6.5 weeks of training.

I think I can live with that for now. I enjoy the Cup, and I can still compete in V.

On Sunday I lost my qualifier. I went with 550 formation Long Shots, giving the kids and future coaches an experience game. Surprisingly it was still 0-0 at half time, but they banged in 2 in the second half to take the win.
I managed a Formidable long shot tactic skill, which converted no goals. Indeed, every time I have ever played long shots I have never scored a goal. However if I had played my normal 352 or 253 I would have lost 5-0 so it was still the best choice.

Good luck with the training Bink and I may see you in V in a few seasons!

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Re: The Hattrick Season 68 thread

#154557

Postby Eastheath » July 23rd, 2018, 11:24 pm

brilliant. i have promoted into the #3 rank league in series IV. Looks like computer says I'll be lucky to finish 7th.
Ah well, lets do some selling then spending and see if I can compete.....


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