Managerial Stipulations- FINAL UPDATE

Rahul W makes his seasonal return to the blog! 

With 10 games left in the season, I take a look at how the 27 managers who put forward managerial stipulations are going in the season, and whether they will keep their job or get the sack (and rate their chances too).

I did the same for the last season, when there were just 12 managers! Link below:

http://smtop100.blogspot.sg/2016/08/managerial-stipulations-how-are-things.html

Note: I'm not sure if Youth Cup/World Club Cup count towards cup competitions as they are not official cups, so I consider them as not counting towards cup competitions for the purposes of this post.

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1.      Sir Kevin Wallace - Boca Juniors

• Boca Juniors finish outside of promotional places in Division 3

In the scenario that Boca Juniors finish in 7th-20th position in the Season 4 campaign & therefore fail to achieve promotion back to Division 2, or should they fail to achieve promotion via the playoffs, Sir Kevin Wallace would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.

Boca are currently flying in 2nd place in D3, with 48 points, In fact, they share the same number of wins, draw, losses, goals conceded and points; Sporting have scored 44 goals to Boca's 43. Tight! Just 10 points separate 1st from 10th, while Villarreal in 4th are just 2 points behind Boca. As such, a play-off spot at the minimum looks likely, but direct promotion could be anybody's game. On current form though, they look good for promotion and/or the title.

Prediction: Stay (7/10)- STAY

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2.      DP 91 - Juventus

• Juventus finish below 8th in Division 1
• Juventus do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions

In the scenario that Juventus finish in 9th-20th position in any seasonal campaign & also fail to make it to the final of any of Top 100's cup competitions, DP91 would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.

The Turin giants are in the middle of nowhere in 4th, 13 points off 3rd placed Madrid and 9 points ahead of 5th placed Napoli, while they are 11 points ahead of 8th/9th placed Milan and Chelsea. It looks pretty clear that they will finish above 8th. In such a case the second clause is deemed void, but Juve lost to Bayern in the Shield quarters and to Man City in the Cup semi-final, while they play Milan in the Youth Cup Ro16, Bayern in the WCC quarters and Palermo (again!) in the SMFA Cup Ro16. DP is set to enjoy another term in Turin.

Prediction: Stay (9/10)- STAY

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3.     James Foster - Standard Liege

• Standard Liege finish below 15th in Division 4

In the scenario that Standard Liege finish in 16th-20th position in Division 4, Season 4, James Foster would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.

A very cautious stipulation by James, Standard are flying in 4th with 46 points, 3 behind 3rd placed ASSE and 11 behind leaders Hellas. 4 ahead of 8th placed Dnipro, they look strong for direct promotion/play-offs though they have drawn 13 games and lost just 4. Though academic, they are 15 ahead of 15th/16th placed Monaco and Zagreb; James will enjoy another season in Belgium regardless of the division.

Prediction: Stay (9.5/10)- STAY

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4.     Greg Bilboa - Malaga CF

• Malaga finish outside of promotional places in Division 5

In the scenario that Malaga CF finish in 8th-20th position in the Season 4 campaign & therefore fail to achieve promotion back to Division 4, or should they fail to achieve promotion via the playoffs, Greg Bilboa would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.

A full 10 points behind 3rd/4th placed Santos and Dynamo Moscow, direct promotion looks a step too far for Greg to bridge. Which leaves them challenging for a play-off spot, but with just 2 points separating 6th to 10th, there are 5 teams challenging for 2 play-off spots realistically barring a collapse from the Top 5. Greg has his work cut out as he needs to secure a play-off spot under tough competition and then win the two play-off games to gain promotion and thus keep his job. He could do it, but the odds aren't high.

Prediction: Sack (3.5/10)- RESIGN

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5.     Norman Little - Newcastle United

• Newcastle United finish below 12th position in Division 2.

In the scenario that Newcastle United finish in 13th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4 campaign, Norman Little would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.

Newcastle are dead bottom in 20th. 6 behind 16th placed CSKA who are safe right now, 3 behind 18th placed Villa where he would not lose his job normally. 9 behind 12th Spartak, his and the team's safety looks a very difficult proposition. Norman is set to lose his job this season, while his side could well go down too.

Prediction: Sack (2.5/10)- SACK/RESIGN

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6.     Gordon 'Gino' Kinnear - Liverpool

• Liverpool fall into the relegation zone 20-38 games or finish below 12th position at the end of the season in Division 1.
• Liverpool reaching any cup final will see the 13th-20th position finish requirement nulled.

In the scenario that Liverpool drop into the relegation zone at any point from game week 20-38 or finish in 13th-20th position in Division 1 at the end of the Season 4 campaign & additionally not make a cup final, Gordon 'Gino' Kinnear would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.

Liverpool made the Cup final v Man City, which means Gordon will enjoy another season at Liverpool. While they haven't dropped into the relegation zone at any point since GW20 (I think), they are currently 10th with 38 points, while 13th placed Porto are just 2 behind them. If not for the final, Liverpool's season would have become interesting, but as it stands, Gino could deliver silverware this season. In addition, Pool also made the WCC quarters where they face Merseyside rivals Everton and the Youth Cup Ro16 where they face Hamburg. They did lose in the 2nd round of the Shield to ASSE. But Liverpool's season could be brightened up after 7th Feb.

Prediction: Stay (10/10)- STAY

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7.     Pat Roper - VFB Stuttgart

• VFB Stuttgart finish below 8th or fail to make a domestic cup final.

In the scenario that VFB Stuttgart finish 9th-20th or fail to make a domestic cup final then manager Pat Roper will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Stuttgart are currently 19th with 25 points, a full 13 behind 9th placed Marseille. 8 behind 16th placed Palace, Stuttgart may well go down, while Pat could lose his job directly or through the stipulation, as he's 3 behind 18th Udinese. Pat couldnt get past the Youth Cup group stage either, while he lost the Shield 4th Round to Villareal and the Cup quarters to Liverpool. A tough season all round.

Prediction: Sack (2/10)- NULL

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8.     Feargal Hickey - Shakhtar Donetsk

• Shakhtar Donetsk finish below 7th in Division 2.

In the scenario that Shakhtar Donetsk finish in 8th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4, manager Feagal Hickey will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Shakhtar are currently 19th with 26 points, very similar to Stuttgart. With 7th placed Wolfsburg a whopping 20 above them, his stipulation is not going to be met. It's a tight relegation battle with them 4 behind 16th CSKA, and a point behind 18th Villa, but as it stands, Feargal could lose his job directly and through the stipulation, while his side may well go down to D3.

Prediction: Sack (1.5/10)- RESIGN

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9.     Michael Bowes - Arsenal

• Arsenal finish below 12th in Division 1.
• Arsenal do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions

In the scenario that Arsenal finish in 13th-20th position in Division 1, Season 4, manager Michael Bowes will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Arsenal lost in the first rounds of both the Cup (Sampdoria) and Shield (Ajax), while they didn't make it out of the SMFA Shield either. They also lost out to Lazio in the WCC. No cup final for Arsenal, while they are struggling in the league too. Currently 15th, they are 9 behind 12th placed PSG. Though Michael has pulled out all the stops to keep his job, D1 is a tough place and it looks like he will take on another job in the next season.

Prediction: Sack (4/10)- RESIGN

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10.     André Libras-Boas - Hellas Verona 

• Hellas Verona fail to achieve promotion from Division 4.

In the scenario that Hellas Verona finish in 8th-20th position in Division 4, or fail to achieve promotion from the playoffs in Season 4, manager André Libras-Boas will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

André went for a bold stipulation and is living up to it so far: Hellas have topped D4 with 57 points, 6 ahead of 2nd placed Sassuolo, while there is a 11 point gap to 4th placed Liege. Furthermore, there is a 13 point gap to 7th placed city rivals Chievo and 15 to 8th Dnipro. Hellas look good for the title as well as promotion barring a collapse: André will enjoy D3 football in all likelihood. 

Prediction: Stay (9/10)- STAY

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11.     Greg Owen - Wolfsburg

• Wolfsburg finish below 7th in Division 2.
• Wolfsburg do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions

In the scenario that Wolfsburg finish in 8th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4 & additionally do not make a final of any cup competition, manager Greg Owen will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

After being knocked out of all knockout competitions at the earliest opportunity, Wolfsburg's season has become interesting. In a highly competitive D2, only 3 separate 2nd placed United and 7th Wolfsburg. They are 3 ahead of 8th Genoa. Anything could happen, but Wolfsburg should have the firepower to finish in a playoff spot at the very least. Greg could either end up in D1 or lose his job, that's how tight this season is. 

Prediction: Stay (5.5/10)- STAY

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12.     Nathan Prince - Olympiacos

• Olympiacos finish below 10th in Division 4.

In the scenario that Olympiacos finish in 11th-20th position in Division 4, Season 4, manager Nathan Prince will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

The Greek club are currently 5th with 45 points, 4 behind 3rd ASSE and 3 ahead of 8th Dnipro. 11th Dynamo Kiev are nine behind Olympiakos, so Nathan's job looks more or less secure, which should allow him to focus on a direct promotion/play-off spot for the rest of the season.

Prediction: Stay (7/10)- STAY

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13.     Gareth Crisp - Athletic Bilbao

• Athletic Bilbao do not achieve a playoff position or better in Division 3.

In the scenario that Athletic Bilbao finish in 8th-20th position in Division 3, Season 4, manager Gareth Crisp will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

The Basque outfit are currently 6th in D3 with 42 points, 5 behind 3rd Swansea and 6 behind 1st/2nd Sporting and Boca. Of perhaps more importance, they are just 3 ahead of 8th Lokomotiv, so it's all to play for in Bilbao for the rest of the season. It's too close to call whether Gareth will be next season

Prediction: Stay (5/10)- STAY 

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14.     Heath Brown - PSV

• PSV finish below 10th in Division 3.

In the scenario that PSV finish in 11th-20th position in Division 3, Season 4, manager Heath Brown will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

The D3 mid-table is clogged up: just 8 points separate 8th from 17th. PSV are currently 13th with 33 points (12th to 16th all have 33 points). 10th Hamburg have 38, 5 more than PSV, so with all the competition, Heath has a tough job ahead of him if he wants to keep his job. He has a capable yet misfiring squad, but it's too close to call if he'll keep his job or not.

Prediction: Sack (5/10)- RESIGN

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15.     Rahul W - Manchester United

• Manchester United finish below 10th in Division 2.

In the scenario that Manchester United finish in 11th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4, manager Rahul W will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

I gave myself a safety net for my stipulation as I didn't want to lose my job in case of a nightmare season after waiting for it for a bit more than 3 seasons. Currently 2nd with 49 points, only 8 points separate 2nd from 10th. But 11th placed Ajax are 14 behind us, which should ensure I keep my job at OT for another season. Everton are flying towards the title, 6 ahead of us, but who knows who else will directly promote this season?

Prediction: Stay (9/10)- STAY

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16.     Brian Clough - FC Basel

• FC Basel finish below 10th in Division 3.

In the scenario that FC Basel finish in 11th-20th position in Division 3, Season 4, manager Brian Clough will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Basel are dead-last in 20th with 24 points. They're 14 behind 10th placed Hamburg- in all likeliness, Basel are likely to go down again, this time to D4. 4 behind 18th Udinese, 9 behind 16th Palace: Basel will likely go down, while Brian could lose his job in both ways.

Prediction: Sack (2/10)- RESIGN

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17.     Lee Reynolds - Borussia Dortmund

• Borussia Dortmund finish below 10th in Division 1.

In the scenario that Borussia Dortmund finish in 11th-20th position in Division 1, Season 4, manager Lee Reynolds will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Dortmund are 11th with 38 points, but are just 3 behind Napoli in 5th. Given the tight D1 mid-table, Dortmund could find themselves on the right side of 10 in a few games, given they're unbeaten in the last 6 games. Lee has a good chance of finishing in the top 10 but it will likely come down to the last few games.

Prediction: Stay (5.5/10)- STAY

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18.     Warren Livesey - Olympique Lyonnais

• Olympique Lyonnais finish below 16th in Division 2.

In the scenario that Olympique Lyonnais finish in 17th-20th position in Division 2, Season 4, manager Warren Livesey will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Lyon are currently 17th on 28 points, but are just 4 points behind Benfica in 13th. It's a tight battle down the D2 table and the situation could change; it's too close to call at the moment. Lyon certainly look up for the fight. However given Warren left mid-season and Niall came in, it is unlikely this stipulation will be followed through if it fails.

Prediction: Stay (5/10)- NULL

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19.      Rob Ryan - SSC Napoli

• SSC Napoli finish below 10th in Division 1.
• SSC Napoli do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions.

In the scenario that SSC Napoli finish in 11th-20th position in any seasonal campaign & also fail to make it to the final of any of Top 100's cup competitions, Rob Ryan would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.

Napoli are 5th in D1 with 41 points, heading the best of the rest in D1. But they are only 3 ahead of 11th placed Dortmund, which means Rob could find his side slip down the table with a loss of form. They did lose the Cup 1st round to Hamburg, the Shield 2nd round to Bayern and the WCC Ro16 to Bayern again, while they remain in the Youth Cup (Ro16 v Real Madrid) and the SMFA Shield Ro16 vs Guingamp. Their chances of making any final are slim though, which means Rob needs to stay in the top 10 of D1, a fairly plausible outcome.

Prediction: Stay (7/10)- STAY

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20.     Tom Parfitt - Levante UD

• Levante UD fail to improve on Season 3 & finish below 15th in Division 5.
• Levante UD fail to improve upon their 40 points total from Season 3.
• Levante UD fail to improve on 33 goals scored from Season 3.
• Levante UD fail to improve on 46 goals conceded from Season 3.
• Levante UD fail to improve the goal difference of -13 from Season 3.

In the scenario that Levante UD finish in 16th-20th position in Division 5, or fail to improve upon the Season 3; points, goals for, against & difference tallies in Season 4, manager Tom Parfitt will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Tom has struggled with Levante for the past few seasons but his loyalty and commitment to the cause has kept him in the same job. In Season 4, he put forward an ambitious stipulation, which he is actually on course to fulfilling. Levante finished 16th in S3, but are currently 6th on 43 points, improving on their S3 total of 40. 16 points separate them from 16th which makes them likely to fulfil that part of the stipulation. Levante have scored 39 goals this season, improving on S3's total of 33, while they have conceded 33 this season. That means they cannot concede more than 13 goals in the last 10 games, a bit of a challenge. With a GD of +6, it is likely they will beat S3's GD of -13. They are on course to gaining a play-off spot (and maybe promotion?) but the stipulation of goals conceded will be the challenge in the last 10 games for Tom, if he wants to keep his job.

Prediction: Stay (5.5/10)- RESIGN (conceded 47 goals)

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21.     Alex McLean - Internazionale

• Internazionale fail to improve on Season 3 & finish below 12th in Division 2.
• Internazionale fail to improve on 44 goals scored from Season 3.
• Internazionale fail to improve on 43 goals conceded from Season 3.
• Internazionale fail to improve the goal difference of +1 from Season 3.

In the scenario that Internazionale finish in 13th-20th position in Division 2, or fail to improve upon the Season 3; goals for, against & difference tallies in Season 4, manager Alex McLean will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Along with Tom, Alex may have taken the toughest challenge possible for which credit must be given. While Inter finished 13th last season with 50 points, they are currently 3rd with 48 points, which means one win will see them overtake last season's point tally. 17 ahead of 13th placed Benfica, the place finish will also be bettered. Inter scored 44 goals last season; they are currently on 41; 4 goals will see that be achieved too. While they did concede 43 goals last season, it's 28 goals this season, which means they have to avoid conceding 15 goals in the next 10 games. Lastly, the GD of last season was +1, while it's +13 this season- looking good on that front too. But given the nature of the stipulations, things can change at any time, so Alex faces a task ahead of him. Like with Tom, the conceding goals stipulation will be the challenge.

Prediction: Stay (5.5/10)- STAY

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22.     David Senior - Valencia

• Valencia finish below 16th in Division 1.
• Valencia fail to improve upon their Season 3 campaign.

In the scenario that Valencia finish in 17th-20th position in Division 1, Season 4, manager David Senior will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100. In the scenario that Valencia do not improve upon their Season 3 campaign, the position of David Senior as manager will also be considered. 

Valencia are currently 6th with 40 points, a full 16 ahead of 17th placed Zenit. That makes it very likely that he will keep his job for the next season. In addition, Valencia finished 16th last season which means David is on course to bettering Season 3. He needs 11 more points to overtake last season's tally of 50; with 10 games to go, that should be easily attainable.

Prediction: Stay (8/10)- STAY (but finished 13th with 49 points- position considered?)

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23.     Michael Hudson - Torino

• Torino finish below 6th in Division 5.

In the scenario that Torino finish in 7th-20th position in Division 5, Season 4, manager Michael Hudson will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Torino are 5th at the moment, with 48 points, 5 ahead of 7th placed Malaga. As such, Michael has some breathing room, but a loss of form could add the pressure on him to keep his job. But it looks likely that he will keep his job.

Prediction: Stay (7/10)- STAY

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24.      Gursimran Brar - Bayern 

• Bayern finish below 8th in Division 1
• Bayern do not make a cup final in any of the cup competitions

In the scenario that Bayern finish in 9th-20th position in any seasonal campaign & also fail to make it to the final of any of Top 100's cup competitions, Gursimran Brar would resign with immediate effect & seek employment at another club within Top 100.

Bayern are leading the game world at the moment, with 74 points, 4 ahead of 2nd placed Barca. A whopping 35 points ahead of 9th placed Chelsea, Gursimran has mathematically secured his job  at Munich for the next season and looks good for the title if he can keep up his form. He faces a critical two games now versus Real and Barcelona, which could close or open up the title race. Bayern did lose in the Cup 1st round to CSKA, but are in the Shield final vs Zenit which fulfils both stipulations. They are also in the WCC quarters v Juve and the SMFA Cup Ro16 vs Hannover. Munich could be celebrating come the end of the season.

Prediction: Stay (10/10)- STAY

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25.     Mark Stewart - Hertha Berlin

• Hertha Berlin finish below 11th in Division 5.

In the scenario that Hertha Berlin finish in 11th-20th position in Division 5, Season 4, manager Mark Stewart will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Hertha are currently 10th, with 41 points, but they are crucially 6 ahead of 11th placed Koln. That gives them breathing space, and with just a 2 point gap to 6th Levante, they could finish off in the play-off spots. Mark should be able to keep his job barring a collapse.

Prediction: Stay (6/10)- STAY

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26.     Barca Kes - Bordeaux

• Bordeaux finish below 15th in Division 4.

In the scenario that Bordeaux finish in 16th-20th position in Division 4, Season 4, manager Barca Kes will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Bordeaux are currently 13th with 33 points, 2 ahead of 16th Zagreb. It's all tight to call at the moment whether Kes will survive his stipulation; only time will tell.

Prediction: Stay (5/10)- STAY

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27.     The Linder - Crystal Palace

• Crystal Palace finish below 16th in Division 4.

In the scenario that Crystal Palace finish in 17th-20th position in Division 3, Season 4, manager The Linder will resign with immediate effect and apply to manage another club within Top 100.

Palace are currently on 16th on 33 points, the same point tally as the four teams above them. 2 ahead of 17th Besiktas, it is a tight end-of-season run for Palace. They could finish anywhere in the lower half; too tight to call now. With a newsfeed ban, The Linder will have to work his socks out to keep his job.

Prediction: Stay (5/10)- STAY

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What do you guys think? Comment below :)