Subject: Crunch time!

One week left in the league season and there's some interesting scenarios:

Premiership - 7 players

Blue Bulls have wrapped up the league yet again! Well done Theunis. They nearly slipped up when their B side got held to a draw against Dreams last week, but their massive goal difference means that even a loss to Durban City next week would not stop them from taking the title. Dreams have held the top two sides in the last two weeks and have a comfortable hold of third place.

Down at the bottom, the bot team has been slaughtered in last place and will be relegated. Rovers will finish 2nd last and face a play off. The other two play off positions are up for grabs though. Nazguls are currently two points clear of Jackpool and Chiefs. However, if they lose to Dreams, then the winner of the clash between Jackpool and Chiefs will leapfrog them into the safe spot, leaving Nazguls and the loser to fight for their premiership positions in the playoffs.

League II.01 - 4 players
ASmith's WoodMead UTD have won the league and will enter the playoffs. Well done!
The other three player managed sides are sitting in the next three places on the table, all safe from the relegation playoffs. Good job all!

League II.02 - 3 players
The three managers fill the top three places here as well. Good job!
Grimmjow's Vikings have cruised home on top to earn their playoff spot. Well done!

League II.03 - 1 player
Wisani has got Mathive Stars at the top of the table but the playoff spot is not secure yet. He faces 2nd placed Neurotic and is only 2 points clear, so at least a draw is required. Average marks would suggest that Stars shouldn't have a problem beating Neurotic but that loss last week is worrisome, as is the use of the default 'normal' tactic. It might be a bit late in the season to experiment with tactic design but guys, the default tactics are absolutely AWFUL. Designing your own tactics will improve your results dramatically against the bot teams, and without them you've got next to no chance against other players.

League II.04 - 2 players
Witbank's Black Aces have slaughtered the opposition here and earned AUTOMATIC PROMOTION TO THE PREMIERSHIP as the best League II champion. Congratulations!!!
Cape Stormers are sitting comfortably in second spot.
(edited)

With Black Aces replacing the premiership bot side, whatever the result of the 3 playoff matches, we will have a completely player-managed Premiership next season. I may be mistaken, but I think this is the first time this will be the case.

Well done guys, and here's hoping that all our managers will stick with the game and be around for many seasons to come!

Super write up!!! Yes think this is going to be the 1st season next season with a bot free prem league. Hell man i was really gutted getting the draw, thought it would be taught but thought my boys would have pulled through, but that didnt materialize.

Next season going to be very very interesting!!!

Yes, very good post MarcL. For me it's been a case of too little, too late. My tactics in the beginning of the season were awful and it cost me dearly (let's put it down to inexperience) - I focused alot on training two strikers and have seen at least one of them more than double in value and primary skills - which I think is not bad. I also purchased a better GK in the latter stages of the competition - His performances in the last two league games were awesome and I managed victories over Chiefs, Jackpool and a draw against Nazguls. Next season promises to be much tighter with no bots. Looking at current marks and players of possible playoff opponents I should kill off the challenger in the playoffs and be part of the premiership next season, but if not, I will definately see you in a season or two with a very competitive team. Well done to Black Aces on their promotion and Bulls on their championship victory!

I think there are 2 or 3 matches I regret. At times failing to log in on some matches was my downfall. Was lucky to draw against Durban as I failed to log in before the matches.

I hope I will improve on that next season.

Congrats again to Bulls and welcome to Black Aces.

Thank you all very much , it will be an honour for me to play against your teams , even though it will be hard but to me reaching top div and playing against strong teams can make my team stronger even for me i ll gain several experience ! looking forward to this new challenge mates

Yes next season going to be really hard and very very interesting. I am finishing my project here in Saudi in a weeks time hopefully ill get another job with internet so i can give you okes a hard time :)
But very well done to the new comers there are a couple of us that has been playing here for ages and we have been very lazy, now things have changed and we are going to have our 1st truly competitive season without any bots so every game is important. I am really looking forward to that.

gj on this man :P good read

Thanks guys. :)

I'm glad to see all the comments. Shows that people are actually reading this board! ;)

we always read :)

Even when we do not comment.

Your articles always show an element of thoroughness in them and well thought ideas.

Thanks Phibeon. :)

Congrats to Chiefs for securing their Premiership position with an emphatic 4-0 win today over Jackpool. Nazguls and Jackpool will be joining Rovers and Kruger in the playoffs.

Well done to Mathive Stars for ensuring their playoff spot, though it was a close call, a 0-0 draw against the second placed team when a loss would have seen them lose the title.

It'll be interesting to see how the playoffs work out, though I'd expect the current player managed premiership teams to come through to retain their places and for the bot to get beaten by Black Aces. It's great to see only 1 bot team amongst the 8 playoff places. Good luck everyone!

For the top 2

The Trinity Cups

Another season over and I'm gutted! My boys only needed to draw for the league and cup double but, despite 12 shots to 1, the Bulls won 1-0. Well done Theunis for yet another league title! Dreams slot into 3rd yet again with Nazguls, now a bot, in 4th.

Black Aces struggled in the Premiership and are the side to go down, though Witbank's team is likely to bounce right back up again with their marks averaging around 35.

The promoted side will be Joburg Vikings, managed the Grimmjow. Congratulations! They had a perfect record of 14 wins in League II.02, scoring 84 and conceding only 3. The average individual marks of 30 will need to be improved dramatically though if they are avoid bouncing back down again next season.

The playoffs, if my calculations are correct will be:
Kaizer Chiefs vs chealsea32
Jackpool vs mathive stars
Rovers United vs Woodmead Utd

In all three cases, the Premiership sides will be strong favourites to retain the places in the top flight.

Thanks Marcl. I got a bit lucky that is for sure. After my draws i thought my season was over but then again you never know till the wistle blows. Then again 12-1 you should not be worried next season you are more than likely to dominate!

Yeah, maybe, except I know that your strikers were messing around up front pretending they were mids and my defs are going to be playing as mids this coming season to work on their playmaking. Going to be another interesting one, that's for sure.

A very tight season has come to and end. Congratulations to Blue Bulls and Joburg Vikings on their championship victory and promotion. Sad to see Mpumulanga Black Aces going down (one of the best managers in my opinion), but they should bounce right back up as MarcL pointed out. Hopefully I will get some decent training done in the upcoming season. My two primary trainees didn't exactly "xcell" in training this season.