From Jan 2009 . ALL scout reports will be charged at half price if sent via email. This obviously is quicker and cuts down on postage costs and therefore charging the full rate is no longer needed. So feel free to ask for your extra printouts via email, even if you get your full turns via the post. Alist of available scout reports are listed in the rulebook, along with the charges. But feel free to ask and if not possible i will let you know without charge.

 

WHAT TO DO.

 

Simply email me your request to info@olympiapbm.co.uk (or any of the stated email addresses, NOTE: teams@olympiapbm.co.uk may take longer as that is only checked on deadline days).

 

MAKE SURE you state your Account number/Name and most important the GAME NUMBER you want the reports to be from.

 

Your reports will be attached to a reply of the email you sent. I normally get them back to you that day, but state 48hours just in case i am away. Turn results are normaly sent back in Adbe PDF format and all others in a basic text file. Other formats are available on request, but these are the default setting as the vast majority of PCS can read them without having to pay for extra software.

 

If you ask via text message then it make take a little longer than asking via email. If you request scout reports on your turncard then they will be sent as normal via your full turn results via post/email (whatever way you normally get yours turns).

 

All the best for 2009!

 

TRev

 

Just to let managers know that game 5 should be underway in the next couple of weeks. Most of the main sides have been sorted, just a case of last minute updates and quick skill revision to do befoe i start.

Deadlines will be alternate Thursdays, there are still plenty of good sides available across the leagues. A list is available on the spare sides section of the website. You might be surprised at some of the quality sides that have slipped through the net, as most new managers obviously obsess over the top four sides in this country and similar 'mega' teams across Europe.

Outside the new game there are also some really good sides available. This is simply because all new managers are going into the new game at the moment. This is a greta chance for existing managers to pick up bigger sides in the older games.

So if you are on the look out for an extra side with decent league title aspirations then let me know. Once the new game is up and running then i will start placing people in the older games and then the quality of available sides in these games will reduce.

Trev

                The Copa America has just finished and here are a few thoughts of the tournament after a 3 year break. I enjoyed the tournament as I whole more than the last few, mainly due to the squads being nearer to full strength than in recent tournaments. On the flip side this meant there were a lot fewer young up and coming players to notice, as it has been a goldmine in past years.

                The matches I watched were pretty good, plenty of goals, some world class players and surprise no standout keepers to mention. Here is some brief thoughts on the semi-finalists and then some final notes.

                Brazil was disappointing in general but still did well, and then it all came together for the final. Robinho showed he is a world class talent, after coming out of the shadows of the missing Kaka, Ronaldinho and Juninho. However he did not show anything different from what those three stars would bring to the side. Brazil miss a Romario, Ronaldo like goal scorer and from what was on offer in Venezuala I don’t know where that is coming from in the near future. Maicon was excellent a right back, keeping out the world best right Back in many peoples eyes, Daniel Alves. Gilberto Silva was skipper and rock in the midfield, although they did look very short in this department and need to find some players in the coming years. They were very un-Brazil like and solid at the back with Juan and Alax forming a solid partnership at the back. This is a very un -Brazil like side at present, but very effective as winning the tournament at the expense of the ‘best’ side proves.

                Argentina were the class side of the competition and at virtually full strength and look excellent challengers for the next World Cup if they continue to progess like this. Obviously Messi and Tevez are fantastic talents and stars for years to come. But Juan Roman Riquelme was the heartbeat of the side, everything good went through, and it was nice to see him playing so well after a poor World Cup and a couple of mediocre seasons in Spain. Hopefully this is a turning point for one the best players in the world.  With Ayala, Zanetti, Veron etc all playing there wasn’t much to see of the next generation. Maschareno worked very hard and played well in midfield, as did Cambiasso. Crespo looked good but limped out in the group stages and give them useful variation from the attacking talents of Messi and Tevez. It fell apart in the final however, as Riquelme was cancelled out and then they looked in affective after going down very early in the final.

                Mexico in many ways was the second best side of the tournament, behind the Argentineans and missed out on the final due to a 3-0 loss in the semi-finals to them. A few regulars missing, but as I mentioned in my U21 blog Nery Castillo looks a player. Expected to sign for a devent Spanish club next season he could be one to watch. I have seen his name around for a while at Olympaikos etc but never seen him play till now. He is quick and clever and if he continues this form will be one to watch, although many fail to impress after a good couple of weeks in a tournament. So time will tell. Rafa Marquez at the back was the spine of the side. Fernando Arce in midfield also put in a few credible performances. Despite leaving their best players out in the 3^rd place match, they still saw off Uruguay after going a godl down, although the sending off of skipper Lugano did help!

                Uruguay missed out on the final after going out to Brazil via Penalties. A good unit but no new names. Following my theme on keepers in this tournament Fabian Carini was 4^th choice at Inter last season, and he started as first choice!, he even skippered the side in their final game after the sending off. Diego Forlan scored good goals and played well, although as ever he did have plenty of chances. He is a quality player and he may help his cause even more with a good season at his new side Atletcio Madrid.

                Elsewhere, the Colombians put in probably the worst performance I have seen in years in their opening game, but improved and by the end of the tournament were mediocre! An under strength and tired USA travelled to the tournament as ‘guests’ which seemed pretty much a waste of time, especially as they won a tournament the week before and seemed their main focus. Possible changes to future tournaments is inviting Spain and Portugal also, they would make the tournament more watchable.

 

That will do for now, will probably do more of these shorter blogs on the game and real-life issues and change the full newsletter to quarterly. Will do similar articles on Game 5, the transfer window and new season previews in the coming weeks.

 

I get plenty of feedback about these blogs but very few actually comment on the site, please feel free to add your views for us all to see and comment on.

 

Trev

            On these pages I will write a separate article from my normal game newsletters about real-life football. Hopefully this can be a useful guide in finding new players etc for the game itself. Please feel free to add your comment and thoughts to this blog and managers can get a better all round view of the game, and not just from my perspective.

 

UNDER 21 CHAMPIONSHIPS:

 

            Watched quiet abit of the U21 championships in which we were knocked out in the semi-finals by the eventual champions Holland in a marathon penalty shoot out. I thought it was a good championship all in all for our guys, and several stood out and looked the part in a championship format. No real negative’s player wise, apart from David Bentley deciding he was too tired, which would have been fair enough if could have said it a week earlier, giving Stuart Pearce the chance to take a full squad. Especially as with injuries and suspensions an appearance in the final could have had us running on empty player wise.

            Goalkeeper Scott Carson was quality throughout the championships and kept us in several of the matches. Skipper Nigel Reo Coker has had a bad press over the last few months and his West Ham appearance seemed to have suffered much like the sides form around the turn of the year. However he was probably the hardest working in most games and covered every blade of grass, showed his undoubted leadership potential. Hopefully the correct move away from Upton Park this summer can get him back on track, as he looks like a leader and possible full international.

            Nedum Onouha was the surprise package of the tournament for me. With Anton Ferdinand missing early games etc he started as a stop gap selection and ended up as first choice. He along with Steven Taylor were excellent at the back, Taylor more than proved the quality, tough for him we have so many decent centre backs.

            Leroy Lita and David Nugent up front had good tournaments. Lita especially looked a threat throughout and a lethal finisher. Nugent worked his socks off. Matt Derbyshire scored a vital goal against the Serbs coming off the bench also.

            Elsewhere, the Dutch as always have some good potential. Ryan Babel looks to be the new star of the side, replacing Huntelaar as the U21’s main threat. However Royston Drenthe was the star of the show for me. This lad looks like the real deal. Started as a left back but can play further forward on the left hand side, was arguably the man of the tournament. Funny, like Gareth Bale, two left backs with exceptional potential. I haven’t seen many players dominate games from LB and then I see two in a few months of each other!

            The Portuguese failed to live up to expectation. New Man United signing Nani got injured so didn’t get to see the best of him. Although plenty of interest in him well before his move, especially since his full international debut means he will be popular in all games.

            The Belgians were a decent outfit, but no real stand out players to mention. Although ex-Spurs player Johnaton Blondel played more than I ever saw him at White Hart Lane. The Serbs were an excellent outfit and have a decent midfielder in Krasic, although he didn’t shine here. They were however outclassed come the final with the superior technique and class of the Dutch in front of their home fans.

 

Hope this is of interest and as I said before, feel free to add your remarks to his on the blog. I will try and do something similar over the Summer Transfer Window and the Copa America. Just watched the Mexican beat Brazil 2-0 and this guy Nery Castillo looks very useful. Heard some good stuff over the last 2 years but never seen him play.

 

Trev