Career Schwantz tries the Shearer Challenge *COMPLETE*

[Schwantz34]

I liked the look of this challenge from @Jsavfcso this will be my attempt at it! I've chosen Newcastle because I have a soft spot for them and it's where Shearer himself scored many of his goals and ended his playing career. My player of choice for this is going to be young Danny Loader who I have signed from Reading. He's only 18 so has time on his side to improve too.

These are the tactics I'll be using but are open to change. Through pre-season I'm already thinking the defence may be a little too aggressive so might need to dial that back a bit. Also thinking I might end up running with two CM and not one as a BBM but I'll give it a few games before I change that.

So here we go!

Edited June 15, 2020 by Schwantz34

[Schwantz34]

Only 6 games in and getting battered.

Switching to my own tactic from here to try and stop leaking a load more goals;

 

[bb]

1 hour ago, Schwantz34 said:

Only 6 games in and getting battered.

Switching to my own tactic from here to try and stop leaking a load more goals;

 

😂😂😂

[Schwantz34]

Still not working. Newcastle are really poor but I have had success with them before. My tactic worked for a couple of games then back to getting beat. Loader is scoring at a good rate but I need to avoid getting sacked.

Trying a 4-3-3 wide setup next 🤣

[Ian]

I’m sure you’ll hit on something eventually, got to be something there with all the tactic testing you do.

[Schwantz34]

56 minutes ago, Ian said:

I’m sure you’ll hit on something eventually, got to be something there with all the tactic testing you do.

Has to be one of your own though I think the rules said? If not I'd have just used a go to one from here ha ha. Currently using my second tactic I made and put on here for a guy trying to re-create O'Leary's Leeds. It's a 4-4-2 so hopefully less leaky. Loader is still scoring well regardless but I do need to stay in the job. Had a mini clear out in January as well and added players so that should help.

Edited April 30, 2020 by Schwantz34

[leedsunited87]

15 hours ago, Schwantz34 said:

Still not working. Newcastle are really poor but I have had success with them before. My tactic worked for a couple of games then back to getting beat. Loader is scoring at a good rate but I need to avoid getting sacked.

Trying a 4-3-3 wide setup next 🤣

I struggled last season with them massively but came good in the end 

[Schwantz34]

So season 1 is over and I managed to rescue it with my tactic (along with a big January squad revamp) from this thread;

Anyway on to the results and goals. Loader did very well in his debut season despite me almost derailing it with two very leaky tactics up until January. He came out with 21 Premier League goals;

As for the team this is how it panned out;

Games;

[Schwantz34]

Season 2

Finished and it's taken a while due to me dipping in and out of various saves. I changed tactic again a few games into this season and I'll be sticking with it going forward, because through playing around I stumbled on a tactic that won me the title and still got Loader 20 goals! I did start with 2 up top and that's why I brought in Schick who then ended up rotating with Saint-Maximin in the front wide areas. I would like more goals for Loader of course because right now he's only on course to tie Shearer's record. Will see how the tactic does season 3 and will tweak the instructions and roles to try and get more from him if needed. Anyway here's season 2, Champions!

Loader;

Transfers in;

Transfers Out;

Goals;

Assists;

Games;

The tactic I'm now using and created myself;

Also all these players from my team made it into the team of the season;

Current Danny Loader numbers;

Games - 74

Goals - 41

Seasons - 2

Edited May 19, 2020 by Schwantz34

[Schwantz34]

Season 3

 

Got 12 more points than my title winning season and still didn't retain, finishing 2nd on goal difference 🤣

The Tactic is still the 4-3-3 I created and results wise it's very very good! Impressed myself at how solid it's been for me and now I might end up using it on other saves. Defensively it's been excellent again, only giving up a measly 14 goals in the league. The problem is Loader has again gone over 20 goals but only just in bagging 21. It's a good return again but I need him to do more to get to Shearer's numbers faster.

Transfers In

Transfers Out

Goals

Assists

Games

[Edit]

Just noticed there's a game out of shot in the bottom photo. That's a Champions League final loss to PSG 1-2.

On course to manage Shearer's goal tally a season before he did if my maths are right but I'm hoping Loader picks it up a bit now. He seems to go through spells of not scoring. During this season I think he was on 17 goals in February or around that time and I thought he was flying because of his match ratings being so high. He then only got 4 more league goals in 3 months. I'm still hopeful that he will start going over 25 a season soon but we'll see.

Current Danny Loader numbers;

Games - 111

Goals - 62

Seasons - 3

Edited May 19, 2020 by Schwantz34

[Schwantz34]

*Mini update*

Early in season 4 Loader picked up his first real injury so he's missed a few games, but came back with a bang!

Also for season 4 I've made some tactic tweaks to try and get more goals from Loader. I've taken off shoot on sight which seems to help, also changed passing to mixed and the focus to both flanks in the hope they will assist more than shoot now they don't do it on sight.

Shape and everything else are still the same as the 4-3-3 I showed on earlier posts.

[Edit]

Uh oh he's out again, though not as long this time but will still miss some games. Hope this isn't going to suddenly become a regular occurrence.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Schwantz34

[Schwantz34]

Loader is again having a lull in the second half of the season. Currently on 17 league goals then this happens;

Hoping to get him back for one or two games but it looks unlikely. It's probably season over for him.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Schwantz34

[Schwantz34]

Season 4

I did get Loader back but not until the FA Cup final so no more league goals and he stayed on the 17 he had when he got the final injury of the season. I'm optimistic for season 5 though because the team scored more than they have in the previous seasons and created more chances, so had he been fit I think Loader would have got 25+ goals. Added to the fact he missed 11 matches through injury.

Here's how the season went;

Transfers In

Transfers Out

Goals

Assists

Games

So it's a League and Cup double and another big improvement in points come the end of the season. The Loader injuries have hampered the goal tally but the improvements following the tactic tweak bode well for season 5 if he stays fit.

Current Danny Loader numbers;

Games - 138

Goals - 79

Seasons - 4

Edited May 22, 2020 by Schwantz34

[BatiGoal]

Decent player development over the past 4 seasons. Hopefully Aerial and Decisions go up a bit more in the coming years. But he'll grab that record easily. Question is by how much. 

[Cockers2505]

Looking good, I have used this player before, and he does do well in previous versions, maybe train him as a Target striker to improve his Arial as @BatiGoal suggested, otherwise another year should see him getting improved results, good luck

[Schwantz34]

9 hours ago, BatiGoal said:

Decent player development over the past 4 seasons. Hopefully Aerial and Decisions go up a bit more in the coming years. But he'll grab that record easily. Question is by how much. 

I think he'd have had a great season 4 if the injuries hadn't disrupted and then curtailed it. Missed 11 games.

[Schwantz34]

4 hours ago, Cockers2505 said:

Looking good, I have used this player before, and he does do well in previous versions, maybe train him as a Target striker to improve his Arial as @BatiGoal suggested, otherwise another year should see him getting improved results, good luck

He's worth over £100m on a Leeds save I have, but on that one I signed him two or three seasons in I think.

[Schwantz34]

Season 5

Loader has taken off in a big way! This is either a freak season or he's going to do this regularly now as he's hit 37 league goals in 37 league games! Unbelievable Jeff!

I didn't alter the tactics from the tweaks I made to my 4-3-3 in season 3 so I'm surprised he's taken off so spectacularly all of a sudden but I'll certainly take it! I thought he'd go over 25 eventually as I said in previous posts, but not by the amount that he's gone over 25 here! Big question clearly now is can he keep this up? Well you and I will see as this record attempt progresses!

Here's Loader's season;

Final Table

Transfers In

[Edit]

This was one I'd arranged but ran out of time for in January. Schick asked to move and a bid came in so I accepted and instantly went to get Campbell to replace him, only both deals fell through as it went beyond the transfer window. I then went back and arranged the Campbell deal again but to go through after the season, so I'm adding it here as it won't show up on next seasons transfers. I'll be offloading Schick since he wants out but he's likely going once the new season kicks in.

Transfers Out

Goals

Assists

Games

Little gutted I didn't get the FA Cup hat-trick and disappointed to go out of the Champions League in the first knockout stage. The disappointments however are completely offset by the whole point of this career and that's Danny Loader goals, and boy has he delivered this season!

Current Danny Loader numbers;

Games - 175

Goals - 116

Seasons - 5

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Schwantz34

[Schwantz34]

Looks to be some interest in him in the real world.

 

[Schwantz34]

Season 6

I lost Loader to injury two games before the end of the league season and he also missed the FA Cup Final, but still knocked in 30 league goals and Campbell deputised well so that's turned out to be a good bit of business. The two signings made in January also helped immensely and although one was very expensive in Diaby, he'll be around a long time as he's only 25. The other January signing Romero has been brilliant at the back and was brought in with Stark moving into his 30's. Premier League winners again and with an unbeaten season! Gutted we didn't get the FA Cup though because I love that competition. The Champions League went to extra time and with Loader having an off game Aouar and Scott stepped up and won us the big prize! Had another good season has Loader and whilst not hitting the 37 goal highs of last season, he's still added another 30 to the challenge haul and made more assists than he ever has before!

Here's Loader's season;

Final Table

Transfers In

Transfers Out

Goals

Assists

Games

Well on course to topple Shearer and now that Loader has hit 30 or more twice, I could be looking at a good score on the leader board for others to have a go at.

Current Danny Loader numbers;

Games -  211

Goals - 146

Seasons - 6

 

 

[Schwantz34]

Season 7

Season 7 in the bag and Loader has declined again in goals as he's gone from 37 to 30 to 29. Might be because I didn't start him in most of the cup competitions so his league form may have suffered a bit from starting then not then starting again, I'm not sure. The idea was to keep him fresh and fit for the league and the challenge. 29 is still a good amount of goals scored though. Another very successful season aside from the challenge as my side won the treble! Made very few changes in the transfer market because it wasn't really needed with the squad I have. Even got to name a new 75,000 seated stadium! Went for Keegan Way as the name. Figured the Geordies would like that if it was real, possibly! Stacking up a lot of silverware now in the cabinet.

Loader's season

Trophies won so far

Final Table

Transfers In

Transfers Out

Goals

Assists

Games

Current Danny Loader numbers;

Games - 246

Goals - 175

Seasons - 7

Just noticed his squad status has been backup for the last few seasons, oops! I need to read the contracts screen more carefully when they come up 🤣

Edited June 5, 2020 by Schwantz34

[Schwantz34]

Season 8

Loader's best season so far for total goals with 48, and back on track for league goals with 31 which is his best since season 5. A first domestic treble won, having taken the league title again as well as the FA Cup and a first ever League Cup on this save. The Community Shield was defended again too for a fifth consecutive season. A big disappointment however was going out of the Champions League in the quarter final to Barcelona who are a great side, but it still stung. We did win the European Super Cup for back to back wins in that. Almost a brilliant season but still a very good one overall.

Loader's season

Final Table

Transfers In

Transfers Out

Goals

Assists

Games

Really not happy with 5 assists and 6 goals from Ferran Torres after shelling out £148m. Given the numbers Saint-Maximin consistently gets I need somebody to get solid numbers as he's into his 30's now and will need replacing soon. I thought Torres was that man but for the money paid his return was awful. Will see how he starts the next season and take it from there, but got my eye on Jack Clarke if Torres still doesn't perform.

Current Danny Loader numbers;

Games - 283

Goals - 206

Seasons - 8

[Schwantz34]

So I went ahead and signed Jack Clarke anyway and didn't wait until January to see how Torres does as I'd initially planned. The thought being as I said that Saint-Maximin is into his 30's now (still a brilliant performer though) and Torres was very poor last season. I will still start Torres but if he gets outperformed by an off the bench Clarke, I'll be looking to get my money back on him though that might be difficult. Saint-Maximin has apparently seen the writing on the wall after initially confronting me with worries over me scouting Clarke, because he felt it threatened his place in the team (it doesn't until he gets too old) and he's now saying;

🤣

[Schwantz34]

I've decided for season 9 that I'm going to change Loader's role up front to an AF. His stats have stalled a bit the last few years and tend to drop by the end of the season, having looked back in this thread. Now this could go horribly but I have a healthy number of goals banked in the challenge so could maybe afford an off season if it doesn't go well. I think it's worth trying out.

You will all see once the season is done exactly how it went of course.

[Edit]

I'm also slightly tweaking the attacking instructions to this;

Edited June 9, 2020 by Schwantz34

[Schwantz34]

Tactical tweak and Loader's position change are going very well at the half way point. Conceding more goals suddenly but the positives are far outweighing that!

Now can the team and Loader keep this up all season! 

[Schwantz34]

Season 9

For the team as a whole the tactic tweaks were brilliant, but for Loader it brought his league goals down but increased his assists as well as winning him the Premier League top scorer award with 27 so still pretty good. He also walked away with the Players Player of the Year. The team won the quadruple (again won the Community Shield but as I've said before I'm not counting that) League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League so really reluctant to change back now ha ha! Loader may well bump his goals again next season now he's had a season in his new role and I'm really not unhappy with a league return of 27 (37 overall), and he had an injury where he missed two full games and I could only really bring him off the bench for three or four after it so he may have scored more had he been able to start those games. The team also scored more goals than they had since season 5 but conceded a few given recent standards. Jack Clarke was a revelation and quickly displaced Torres as starter, and I haven't found takers for Torres yet but still trying to offload him. Overall we were more entertaining as a team you might say!

Anyway on to the facts & figures stuff.

Loader's season

Final Table

Transfers In

Transfers Out

Goals

Assists

Games

So that's another season down and rapidly approaching that Shearer record!

Trophy haul

Current Danny Loader numbers;

Games - 319

Goals - 233

Seasons - 9

[Cockers2505]

I doing well @Schwantz34 just ashame he isn’t doing as well has hoped, normally as they get older the numbers double each year

[Schwantz34]

3 hours ago, Cockers2505 said:

I doing well @Schwantz34 just ashame he isn’t doing as well has hoped, normally as they get older the numbers double each year

The team is doing ridiculously well and he'll easily beat Shearer's record. It may be a very beatable scoreboard record for the challenge though. We'll see.

[Schwantz34]

Loader has started season 10 in almost identical form to season 9. Last season he only got 7 more league goals all season after his hot start, so I'm hoping for better this time around.

[Schwantz34]

Oh it's like the game heard me 🙄