CONFERENCE FOUR

[davidvangaal]

It wasn't a great Christmas on the football pitch for DVG Stars as they put in a poor performance while going down to a 1- 0 defeat to the Cubana Villains who played very well.  It looks like it was the DVG Stars who drank the rum and smoked the cigars!. in other games all of the other 5 leading teams  won which leaves Floriana leading by one point from the Villains with  Kickstart just a further point behind.

Although DVG are only 3 points behind after that defeat their poor goal difference means that it is effectively 4 points.

Elsewhere, there isn't really a relegation battle in 4-1-1  with 3 computer teams going down and Stoke Massif not really doing enough this season.

Excellent teams like West End Girls ( when theirs not busy starring in films) , Surreal Madrid and Aten Warriors are training up recently acquired players ready for an assault on the title in future seasons and Maya Jay Georgia remain strong and tactically astute. Any of these teams can inflict damage on anybody. 

None of  this season's  title contenders play each other tonight but then Floriana face both Kickstart and DVG Stars in their final two league matches of the season before their Elite Cup final against  Luton.Will Floriana prioritise that? We shall see.
 

[davidvangaal]

The leading 5 teams all won again last night which means the positions remain very tight except that the wins for the other 4 has meant that Psychotic can no longer win the league.

In mid table a battle is developing for a place in the top 8 between Robbos Reds, Surreal Madrid and Aten Warriors.  MayaJay Georgia and West End Girls are secure there.

The big news from last night is that Stoke Massif have started to put together some results at the bottom with two straight wins after string of defeats. With Stoke's final two games being against fellow relegation threatened teams they could overhaul Lochee United and we do now have a relegation battle in the division...which is good to see. The final game could be decisive.

[davidvangaal]

With two games each left to play there are 3 points separating the stop 4 teams. Any of them could win it and tonight Kickstart in 3rd place take on leaders Floriana.   

[davidvangaal]

Wow!.  Kickstart United and Floriana battled out a hard fought 1-1 draw last night.  They can both be proud of their seasons but unfortunately for them the  draw is unlikely to be good enough for either in this very close league.

Cubana Villains must now be hot favourites to take the title when they visit bottom club, SoccerStars, in final match of the season. Meanwhile 2nd and 3rd placed Floriana and DVG stars will be playing each other knowing that  a win for either would see them win the league if  Cubana do not bag all 3 points tonight . Floriana could also win the league with a draw against DVG, if Cubana Lose. 

Kickstart will lose out this year, after leading nearly all season, as even if they win and Cubana lose, to put them level , the winners of DVG v Floriana will have more points or Floriana will have a better goal difference if its a draw. Unlucky, Kickstart..but well done on a great season.

At the relegation end of the table, Stoke Massif have drawn level with Lochee United who they play in the final match tonight to decide who will be relegated.  Stoke need the win because of their 2 goal inferior goal difference.

[Theblade]

Great write ups Dave. Sadly a few days cost me and a few important players declined at the wrong time but I can be happy with the season as I didnt get top 8 last season.

Congrats Deca

[davidvangaal]

No surprise last night as Cubana Villains were crowned deserved champions of  Conference 4.  Congratulations Deca.

Robos Reds came out best in the skirmish for a top 8 place and Stoke Massif succeeded in their relegation battle to survive another season in Division 1.

Good luck to Floriana in The Elite Cup Final tonight and I look forward to resuming battle with all Conference 4 managers next season and  to seeing Lochee promoted back  the season after.  I'll probably post a review at about the half way stage.

[deca]

Thank you David,

And thank you for all your efforts with the great write ups.

Very close title run in, and just about clinched the title

Regards

Deca

[davidvangaal]

The half way stage of the season sees the current champions, Cubana Villains, fighting it out at the top with DVG Stars.  The Villains are a legend of the game and have won all there is to win whereas DVG have never won anything so maybe  the Villains could take a rest for the second half of the season?

Closely behind, and still in touching distance are Team MayaJay-Georgia who this season have picked up the extra points that their clever tactical play has always suggested they should get.  The ever dangerous, past champions,  KickStart United remain threatening in fourth place.

The noticeable absence from this title race is Floriana who seem to be going through a period of rebuilding after many of their players reached peak at the same time over the past two years. Maybe the manager is taking a bit of a rest while the new players get trained up and we hope to see him back soon.

Of the promoted teams, this season Bogata Handshake made a very good start and shook up a few teams early on.  That was good to see after watching them alternate between first and second divisions for a few seasons and, although not maintaining their early form, they do like they will cement their position in the top division this season . The remainder of the promoted teams make up the bottom four along with Stoke Massif who were in a similar position last year but performed miracles in the second half of the season to stay up.  Will they do it again this year?  It looks very difficult as the teams just above the relegation zone are very strong and are teams who you really would not expect to see there ..including the likes of Floriana, West End Girls and Robbos Reds.  My money would be on all of those teams to stay up. If anybody is going to escape the bottom four, however,  it's likely to be the newly promoted Shakhtar Senseless who are making a real fight of it and trail the very strong Robbos Reds  by just one point..

Some quality football and teams in the conference and looking forward to the second half of the season .

[davidvangaal]

Season 125 was a season of two halves in Conference 4.  DVG Stars pulled away  to win  their first ever real trophy. Manager David Van Gaal  said " I am pleased for my philosophy that we won. We didn't play any long balls and I have a dossier to prove it!"

Cubana Villains and Kickstart United put in their usual solid performances to finish 2nd and 3rd  while Floriana put in amazing stint to win all but one of their matches in the second half of the season and climbed to 4th having been teasing the relegation threatened teams at the half way stage.

At the bottom, the pattern of the past 10 seasons or so ( maybe longer, but thats when i joined.. and was promptly relegated ) continued with the promoted teams struggling to establish themselves against the strong teams already in this league.  Of the teams coming up  at the start of the season only The Bogata Handshake survived, after the benefit of a very strong start. The remainder of the promoted teams were relegated along with last season's's battlers Stoke Massif.  Next season will see the return of Lochee United and we wish them luck...they will need it.

Another thread on the forum describes the return of the Ultimate Conference Battle for next season. David Van Gaal, manager of DVG Stars , has been asked to get together a team of 4 managers including himself to enter that.  He said, "I hope that we will be successful and win against the other conferences but still we have to be aware that it's not like a piece of cake"  Messages have been sent to the top 4 teams in the first instance but if anybody else from Conference 4 would like to play, please let me know.

Good luck to all for an enjoyable season 126.

[deca]

Good write up David or should i say Champion 

Cheers

Deca

[superj]

Hello conference 4! Good luck to the other teams in 4-1-1 for the season ahead, I'll be happy with a top 8 finish in my first season back at the top

[davidvangaal]

Hi SuoerJ     Really good to have the Piggys in the Conference.  That team of yours looks to be maturing nicely and has many seasons ahead of them so I'm sure you will be making quite an impression this season and in the seasons to come.  Great that you have joined us.

[davidvangaal]

Its also good to see Romasexuals and AC Upstreet taking over the promoted computer teams ..there is going to be some serious competition in this league this season and perhaps one or two of the established teams will be in danger of the drop!

[superj]

So disappointed with my result last night! Especially after seeing Floriana's result I would have gone top 

Can't moan about my start to the season though, tough game tomorrow

[Baggio]

 Nice friendly league this one..

Should be a tight finish.