Conquering Europe

Preparing for the Blue Square Premier, Season 2

Coaching staff - I'm happy to be returning my overworked 3 man coaching staff next season and I can only hope that the board will see to it that we can add a few more!

Current training star ratings are as follows (previous season in parenthesis):

Strength - 2.5 (2.5)
Aerobic - 2.5 (3)
Goalkeeping - 1 (1)
Tactics - 2 (1.5)
Ball Control - 2 (1.5)
Defending - 2 (1)
Attacking - 2.5 (2)
Shooting - 1.5 (1.5)
Set Pieces - 2 (1.5)

Starting Eleven

GK - James Dormand rose to the challenge of the BSP as our shot stopper. In 46 league games, he only conceded 45 goals and also recorded 18 clean sheets. I'm more than content at this point for him to wear the #1 jersey as we develop youth behind him. Nothing about his abilities stands out in either a positive or negative way and I think this helps him to get the job done.

DR - Darren Cole is our new right fullback and he added some much needed speed out wide. His athleticism helped make up for his low ratings in composure, concentration, and off the ball; which is to be expected for a 19 year old. He already has average marking and tackling, leaving only his mental makeup lacking.

DL - Dale Bennett manned this position on a season-long loan last year and I will look to bring him in again this upcoming season. I will also be looking for a more permanent solution on the free transfer market.

DC - Ryan Johnson will continue to man one of the center back positions for the time being, although I will look to bring back Eddie Oshodi on a season-long loan once again. Johnson lacks the pace that I'm looking for at the heart of our defense.

DC - Carl Jenkinson, who was brought in last season, makes the move from the reserves to the first team. I like the 19 year old's strength and heading. And for being relatively young, he isn't a liability in terms of composure, concentration, and positioning. I like the prospect of him helping to anchor our defense as he continues to develop.

DMC - Jonathan D'Laryea is another signing from last season and he will continue to man the DMC position. He's already a sound defender and at 25, I hope he still has some room for physical improvement.

MC - Fred Foreman will continue to man one of the central mid positions. Remember what I said about surrounding him with better talent? He had a 6.94 rating through 23 league appearances last season. The 19 year old is one of the most mentally astute players on the team and if he continues to develop, I think he can be a real problem for opposing defenses from his midfield position.

MC - I'm very tempted to call up Ibrahim Farah from the reserves, but he will clearly be better off working on his composure, positioning, and off the ball a little longer. In a pinch he can be called up due to his sheer speed, physical, and creative abilities. I will be rushing to try and resign Danny Joyce on loan again because he was fantastic as a playmaker for us.

AMR - James Lawson did more to let me down than he did to impress me last season. Hopefully another season playing and training as a winger will help him perform better on the pitch.

AML - Kenny Smith is penciled in at left wing but I want to find an upgrade that is better at creating opportunities for others. Smith has horrible ratings in concentration, decisions, off the ball, and positioning, so I can't explain how he compiled a 6.77 rating through 23 league games. His pace causes major problems outside, however, and he's strong enough to nudge a defender off him.

ST - my diamond in the rough plays our lone striker role. Christiano Kisuka was a nightmare for opposing teams to put up with. He's tall, strong, and a good header so I supply him to his head. What really makes him stand out is his ability to score off his foot as well. He's nimble and has a good first touch and technique, so he's able to get off quality quick shots at times. Needless to say, the 19 year old dominated with a 7.23 rating through 34 league games, netting 22 goals in the process.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/3555/2011fixturesaug.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2263/2011leaguetableaug.jpg[/imgw]

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I was quite disappointed when the board did nothing about our semi-pro team status in the offseason. Rather than step away like I had originally thought, I decided to go the same route as I did when I was coaching at Carlos Sarmiento - I'm going to force the board to react positively by winning as much as possible!

With that in mind, I still only told the board I would achieve a midtable finish. I'm hoping that if I overachieve and finish just outside of the top 5, that will help spur the board into action next offseason. With my budget set at 9.25k p/w like last season, I set out to cut some dead weight and reload with cheaper talent. As it stands, I managed to cut my wage bill to where I have well over 2k p/w in excess and yet I have signed some quality players. All total I now have six new starters compared to last season because my three long term loans chose not to sign on with me again. No matter, since I signed more permanent solutions to that problem.

The first month of league play was extremely promising, especially since the team is still looking to gel. Going 3/2/1 will hopefully be a foundation for good fan support and good team morale. I want to get this positive spiral of events going! The board made it clear that they may look to trim the budget next season if the team doesn't turn a better profit this season, so I want to win as many games to bring as many people to the stadium, to spur our team to play well, etc. I'm also hoping for a good run in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy to further boost team income.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/6362/2011fixturessep.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/7755/2011leaguetablesep.jpg[/imgw]

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A second consecutive solid month has us nestled into 4th place early in the season. We achieved yet another 3/2/1 record for the month and I'm hoping we can continue our run of form when cup play begins and we have less time to rest in between matches.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/8563/2011fixturesoct.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/4472/2011leaguetableoct.jpg[/imgw]

FA Cup
Teams defeated:
2-1r Bromley (BSP) - 4th qualifying round

FA Trophy
Teams defeated:

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A promising month was derailed a bit with two draws that featured us giving up leads late in the match. As a result, we have slipped into 6th place but we're still playing solid football IMO. The fans seem to be getting encouraged a bit, as we hit the 1000 mark at the ticket gate this month for the first time.

The FA Cup has kicked off and we're starting to feel the strain of extra games, especially since we couldn't defeat Bromley until our qualifying round replay game. The win brought a much-needed purse of ~20k, and we managed to turn a profit last month for the first time in quite a while.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/4083/2011fixturesnov.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/3733/2011tablenov.jpg[/imgw]

FA Cup results

2-1(r) vs Bromley (BSP) - 4th qualifying round
1-0 vs Kettering (BSP) - 1st round
3-1 vs Gainsborough (BSN) - 2nd round

FA Trophy results


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We continued our torrid pace with a 3/1/0 month during league play. That netted me the manager of the month award for November! The team is really performing well and outside a 2-5 loss in a friendly vs Middlesbrough, we have looked worthy of our 4th place position in the league.

We're onto the 3rd round in the FA Cup but our run will all but likely end here. The silver lining is that we will sell out our home game against Tottenham in the process.

The FA Trophy will be kicking off soon and we will be facing Woking (BSS) in the first round.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/9663/2011fixturesdec.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9677/2011tabledec.jpg[/imgw]

FA Cup results

2-1(r) vs Bromley (BSP) - 4th qualifying round
1-0 vs Kettering (BSP) - 1st round
3-1 vs Gainsborough (BSN) - 2nd round
0-3 vs Tottenham (PL) - 3rd round

FA Trophy results

3-1 vs Woking (BSP) - 1st round

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Our assault on the top of the table makes the turn for the home stretch. Another month goes by and we have yet to lose a league game. Our second consecutive 3/1/0 league record also earned me the manager award for the second month in a row. The last time we lost was back in October - a span of 9 league games. This run has led us to be firmly entrenched in 3rd place. The top 5 are starting to pull away from the pack a bit, and we are currently 5 points ahead of 6th place. This could prove to be critical because Luton is showing no signs of slowing down their performance either, and they currently sit at the top of the table with a 5 point margin over 2nd place.

As expected, we were shown the exit in the FA Cup by Tottenham. And even though it was tough watching our team get carved up, it's not like I expected anything different against the Premier League side. We set records in both attendance and gate receipts from the game with a max capacity crowd of 5500 on hand.

We continued our domination over BSS side Woking with a 3-1 victory. We haven't lost to them in 6 games now. Our 2nd round opponent is BSN side Boston United.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/6978/2012fixturesjan.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2315/2012tablejan.jpg[/imgw]

FA Cup results

2-1(r) vs Bromley (BSP) - 4th qualifying round
1-0 vs Kettering (BSP) - 1st round
3-1 vs Gainsborough (BSN) - 2nd round
0-3 vs Tottenham (PL) - 3rd round

FA Trophy results

3-1 vs Woking (BSP) - 1st round
4-0 vs Boston United (BSN) - 2nd round
1-0 vs Farnborough (BSS) - 3rd round

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Another undefeated month goes by and we continue to hold down a top 5 position. From our 3rd place spot we are 7 points behind 1st place Luton and 9 points clear of 6th place Histon with 17 games left to play.


We manhandled Boston United in the 2nd round of the FA Trophy and then played a very lazy game against Farnborough. We're set to face off against Ebbsfleet in the 4th round.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9652/2012fixturesfeb.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8582/2012tablefeb.jpg[/imgw]

FA Cup results

2-1(r) vs Bromley (BSP) - 4th qualifying round
1-0 vs Kettering (BSP) - 1st round
3-1 vs Gainsborough (BSN) - 2nd round
0-3 vs Tottenham (PL) - 3rd round

FA Trophy results

3-1 vs Woking (BSP) - 1st round
4-0 vs Boston United (BSN) - 2nd round
1-0 vs Farnborough (BSS) - 3rd round
2-1 vs Ebbsfleet (BSP) - 4th round

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Our torrid run of league wins continues this month with a perfect 6/0/0 streak. This led to me being awarded as Manager of the Month for the third time this season. As impressive as I feel our recent play has been, Luton has been nearly as hot. They still sit at the top of the table and hold a 4 point lead over us. With 11 league games to go, we're looking at a potentially pivotal gave vs Luton within the week. That game will go a long way toward deciding who wins the league.

Christiano Kisuka put us on his back against Ebbsfleet, and my target man delivered two goals that advanced us into the semifinal round. We now face a 2 leg series agaisnt Barnet who currently are currently 3rd in the league. A win vs Barnet would likely have us face off against none other than Luton in the final, as they face BSS surprise team Chelmsford in their half of the semis.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/5900/2012fixturesmar.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/6328/2012tablemar.jpg[/imgw]

FA Cup results

2-1(r) vs Bromley (BSP) - 4th qualifying round
1-0 vs Kettering (BSP) - 1st round
3-1 vs Gainsborough (BSN) - 2nd round
0-3 vs Tottenham (PL) - 3rd round

FA Trophy results

3-1 vs Woking (BSP) - 1st round
4-0 vs Boston United (BSN) - 2nd round
1-0 vs Farnborough (BSS) - 3rd round
2-1 vs Ebbsfleet (BSP) - 4th round
3-2 aggregate vs Barnet (BSP) - Semifinal

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The positive spin on last month's results is a 3/2/1 league record and the fact that we clinched a playoff berth. We continued to handle business down the stretch and the added depth that we acquired in the offseason has helped tremendously. With a seemingly endless run of at least 2 games per week we have been borrowing players from the reserve team and those players have done an admirable job.

The negative spin on last month's record is the fact that we absolutely wet the bed against Luton. We were at home and had a chance to cut dramatically into their lead. But Luton showed why they have been in pole position for months now. They strolled into Park View road undeterred and walked away with a victory that essentially locked up 1st place for them.

We will get our chance at revenge in the final round of the FA Trophy, however, as we saw off Barnet and Luton dispatched Chelmsford. We managed a 0-0 draw during our away leg and had to mount a furious comeback. Down 1-2 going into the half, Christiano Kisuka once again put the team on his back. He notched a brace 2 minutes into the second half to draw us level. Then going into extra time, it was a fabulous effort by our left winger Tom Brighton that delivered the victory in the 104th minute. Luton looked somewhat complacent in their series. They ran off with a 3-0 lead at home in the first leg and then lost 0-2 in the away leg. We'll see if they have motivational issues in the finals.

Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2020/2012fixturesapr.jpg[/imgw]

League Table
[imgw]http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/866/2012tableapr.jpg[/imgw]

FA Cup results

2-1(r) vs Bromley (BSP) - 4th qualifying round
1-0 vs Kettering (BSP) - 1st round
3-1 vs Gainsborough (BSN) - 2nd round
0-3 vs Tottenham (PL) - 3rd round

FA Trophy results

3-1 vs Woking (BSP) - 1st round
4-0 vs Boston United (BSN) - 2nd round
1-0 vs Farnborough (BSS) - 3rd round
2-1 vs Ebbsfleet (BSP) - 4th round
3-2 aggregate vs Barnet (BSP) - Semifinal

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If I have a chance to impress the board, it will be in the coming week. Here is my schedule:

1 May - Away leg of semifinal playoff game vs Accrington
5 May - FA Trophy Final vs Luton
8 May - Home leg of semifinal playoff game vs Accrington

I'm torn as to what I will dedicate more of my energy towards. A win vs Accrington will book us a trip into the finals and a chance to win promotion to League 2. A win vs Luton brings home some hardware via the FA Trophy. I would imagine that promotion will give me the greater chance of having the board turn our club into a fully professional one, compared to our semi-pro status that currently hinders us by way of limited budgets, support staff, etc. I'm wondering if a monumental upset over league winners Luton wouldn't net us the same results as well, however.

As of now, I'm going to put more effort into the FA Trophy Final and hope that we can manage a reasonable game vs Accrington. I feel confident that we can win our home leg so it's a matter of playing sound defense in the away leg and hoping to snatch the win at home.

I was originally going to wait to post this until tomorrow, but I'm too excited!

Click here to download a replay of my FA Trophy Finals match vs Luton.

Here is my starting 11 at the end of the season:

[imgw]http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/8333/2012tacticsfinal.jpg[/imgw]

A solid starting 11 and 5 man bench if I say so myself! This squad netted us the FA Trophy and 2nd place in the BSP when the league predicted an 18th place finish and even my own expectations were closer to 5th place. We will be returning everyone illustrated except for winger James Lawson. He doesn't want to agree to a reasonable contract so we will find an able replacement via free transfer as our young players aren't ready yet.

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Here is the final league standings at the end of the season:

[imgw]http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/930/2012tablefinal.jpg[/imgw]

2nd place by a slim margin over Barnet, yet a mile away from 1st place Luton. What makes me happy is that we played sound defense and allowed the fewest goals over the course of the season. Our offense was only good for 10th most goals scored, but our fantastic defense helped us to the 2nd best goal differential overall.

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Here is the transfer table at the end of the season:

[imgw]http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/4818/2012transferfinal.jpg[/imgw]

Our free transfer movement continues as our budget remains painfully small. None of our speculative buys have amounted to anything yet, and I really hope that the board begins to invest in better training and youth facilities soon!

Preparing for the Blue Square Premier, Season 3

Coaching staff - The same 3 man staff I employed last season is the same that we have this season. The board didn't make the jump to being a professional club, again, so we're limited to 2 coaches to supplement my assistant.

Current training star ratings are as follows (previous season in parenthesis):

Strength - 2.5 (2.5)
Aerobic - 3 (2.5)
Goalkeeping - 1 (1)
Tactics - 2 (2)
Ball Control - 2 (2)
Defending - 2 (2)
Attacking - 2.5 (2.5)
Shooting - 1.5 (1.5)
Set Pieces - 2 (2)

Starting Eleven

GK - James Dormand continues to get the job done as our keeper. In his second season he lowered his goals allowed to 30 (45 previous), increased his clean sheets to 24 (18 previous), and even came away with 1 MOM award! There are more gifted goalies in the BSP, but Dormand simply gets the job done.

DR - Darren Cole is the returning starter at right full back. His performance dropped very slightly compared to his second season on the team. His composure and concentration ratings are still low and I think that is what's limiting his otherwise solid defensive abilities.

DL - Grant Basey was brought in last season and he turned out to be a wonderful addition. His terrible natural fitness likely kept other teams from signing him but he worked well in a rotational system. He had a 7.15 rating last season and contributed 3 goals and 2 assists from left back. He's also a nice set piece taker, with good ratings at corners, free kicks, and penalty kicks.

DC - Carl Jenkinson did an admirable job of stepping up from reserve team obscurity to being a starter on the first team. He is more of an offensive-minded center back, however and I'm working on bringing in a more defensive presence.

DC - Shane Cansdell-Sherriff was a stud for us. The Aussie played a big role in our defense and should continue to do so.

DMC - Jonathan D'Laryea is the returning starter, although fellow DMC Jean-Paul Kalala may be taking his starting gig. Going forward, we'll be looking to add a younger anchor man to continue our tradition of sound defense.

MC - Fred Foreman continues to play better as the talent around him increases. He turned in his best campaign yet with a 7.08 rating last season. Another season with familiar faces around him should help continue to unlock his creative talent.

MC - Nicholas Barrett was brought in on a free last year from West Ham and he fit the bill as a creative presence in our midfield. He averaged a 6.86 rating and contributed 2 goals and 11 assists. At 19, Barrett should still have some growing to do.

AMR - Elias Wagner stepped in at right wing and did wonders for our offense. Like Barrett in the midfield, Wagner is our orchestrator during most attacks and he was a handful. He averaged a 7.04 rating, bagged 9 goals, and also had 8 assists. He has similar fitness issues as Grant Basey, but he does well in a rotating scheme.

AML - Tom Brighton is the new man opposite Wagner and he's just as troublesome for defenses. While not as quick as Wagner, Brighton likes to muscle his way around from the left wing. He averaged a 6.82 rating, scored 6 times, and added 4 assists.

ST - Christiano Kisuka continues to be my crown jewel on offense. The target man scored 4 fewer goals than last season but played better overall as evidenced by his 7.35 average rating. He totaled 18 goals, 4 assists, 10 MOM awards, and was a finalist for the Player of the Season award. Not bad for a 19 year old!

Goals, expectations, and budgets

For all that we achieved last season, it still wasn't enough to convince the board to go professional. I know I sound like a broken record, but this is really hindering the team's development. I was pleasantly surprised at the availability of transfer funds this season, however, since we raked in so much money thanks to winning the FA Trophy and finishing 2nd in the league. Of the ~2m that we grossed, ~1m of that came in the final month of the season. We turned a profit last season for the first time, finishing 790k in the black, and our bank balance is sitting at ~620k. I'm tracking these figures because the board keeps telling me we can't afford to improve training or youth facilities and I had to wait until the pitch was in shambles before they agreed to relay it.

I only had three options to present to the board, so once again I took the most conservative at my disposal. I told the board that we would achieve a top half finish, although I fully expect for us to make a run at the #1 position. Recently relegated Dag & Red are tipped by the oddsmakers to win promotion, with last season's 6th place Wrexham team with the 2nd best odds. We're being projected with an 8th place finish, which would be an abject failure in my book. Either we win promotion outright or we fight our way via playoff!

I have been allotted a 55k transfer budget and a wage budget of 9.75k p/w. We're currently spending almost 1k p/w less than that, and as per my standard practice I have reallocated all of my transfer budget into my wage budget for the time being. Unless we can secure a signing that will surely catapult us in the standings, I'm not keen on spending transfer money.

Hey... what ur doing has inspired me to try do the same... but i have started unemployed with only Sunday league exp like you did.... but i cant get a job?? lol... dunno what i can do... when ever i say im interested.. the club says no to inexpedience 'me'.

Gussin : Hey... what ur doing has inspired me to try do the same... but i have started unemployed with only Sunday league exp like you did.... but i cant get a job?? lol... dunno what i can do... when ever i say im interested.. the club says no to inexpedience 'me'.

Glad to hear it! :beer

When I first start unemployed, I immediately go on vacation and have the game automatically apply for any job offers that come along. It usually takes a few months of game time before someone gets desperate enough to offer a job. :yes