Here is my starting 11 at the end of the season:
[imgw]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8042/2014tacticsfinal.jpg[/imgw]
This motley crew achieved the unthinkable by winning promotion in our first season of League 2 play. The main thing to take note of is that we had four key loan signings that will need to be replaced/renewed going into next season. I'm hopeful that our ascension to League 1 will give us access to equal or better talent either via loan or preferably via transfer signing.
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Here is the final league standings at the end of the season:
[imgw]http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/9027/2014tablefinal.jpg[/imgw]
Exceeding expectations doesn't come close to defining our season. We made our first season in League 2 our last with a performance that was good enough to clinch an automatic promotion by a comfortable 10 points. You can see that we were more opportunistic than dominant with our goal differential to end the season. Our +22 was the worst of the top 3 auto promoters and 4th best of the top 7. We won when it mattered.
Carlo Nash was rewarded with the League 2 Manager of the Year award after leading Exeter to a dominant 2nd half that concluded with a 1st place finish. I was 2nd in voting for the award after our spectacular run and Richard Naylor of 3rd place Rushden was 3rd in the voting.
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Here is the transfer table at the end of the season:
[imgw]http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/244/2014transferfinal.jpg[/imgw]
Different day, same song. I moved my transfer budget to my weekly wage budget and didn't spend a penny on transfers. We ended the season roughly 1k p/w below our wage budget and that proves my point - we aren't in a strong enough financial position to make a splash on the transfer market. We're better off served with paying for the talent we have, seeking out smart free transfers, and working on our loan partnerships.
Congrats on promotion! Have you ever thought of becoming a real football manager I'm sure Welling could do with you lol! Cant wait to see how you get on in League 1! I also see Kisuka and Gylfi are wanted! who by?? Good luck in league 1
Ash327 :
Congrats on promotion! Have you ever thought of becoming a real football manager I'm sure Welling could do with you lol! Cant wait to see how you get on in League 1! I also see Kisuka and Gylfi are wanted! who by?? Good luck in league 1
If Welling want to speak to me, they can contact me on this site.
I'm going to try to get a few games simmed later today and I'll look into who's watching Kisuka and Gylfi for you. IIRC, there's a spanish team that's been tracking Kisuka for some time now and both players have been attracting English teams from League 1 since last season.
Preparing for the Coca Cola League 1, Season 1
Coaching staff - my expanded coaching staff will remain in place from last season and I'm content with that. The only areas that I am actively looking to upgrade would be at Ball Control and Set Piece training; with both areas only rating 2.5 stars.
Current training star ratings are as follows (previous season in parenthesis):
Strength - 3.5 (3.5)
Aerobic - 4.5 (4.5)
Goalkeeping - 3.5 (3.5)
Tactics - 3.5 (3.5)
Ball Control - 2.5 (2.5)
Defending - 3.5 (3.5)
Attacking - 3.5 (3.5)
Shooting - 3.5 (3.5)
Set Pieces - 2.5 (2.5)
Starting Eleven
GK - Andrew Collier (loan), 3 stars
DR - Darren Cole, 2.5 stars
DL - Grant Basey, 3 stars
DC - Sean Porter, 3 stars
DC - Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, 3 stars
DMC - Stefan Bailey, 1.5 stars
MC - Nicholas Barrett, 3 stars
MC - Gylfi Sigurdsson, 3.5 stars
AMR - Elias Wagner, 2 stars
AML - Tom Brighton, 2 stars
ST - Christiano Kisuka, 3 stars
Ideally, I want to find replacements for anyone under 3 stars. That means Darren Cole at right fullback, Stefan Bailey at defensive mid, and my two wingers - Elias Wagner and Tom Brighton.
Goals, expectations, and budgets
I'm still uncertain how I feel about the sudden promotion to League 1. On one hand, it's a tremendous achievement for us to have literally taken League 2 by storm and securing a move up in our first season. On the other hand, I worry that it will become a tremendous burden to try and compete with yet another increasingly difficult level of competition. Perhaps my concerns are unfounded. After all, I voiced these concerns at the start of last season's campaign and it was only a matter of months before we began to look like legit promotion candidates. Hopefully I'll be able to make some more quality moves and have similar success this season.
Financials
Net gain/loss, two seasons prior - 242k
Net gain/loss, previous season - 353k
Current bank balance - 1.13m
Predictions
Prediction to Board - avoid relegation
Prediction by Skybet - 51:1
Prediction by Media - 24th
Budgets
Transfer budget, previous season - 375k
Wage budget, previous season - 15.25k p/w
Transfer budget, upcoming season - 550k
Wage budget, upcoming season - 40k p/w
Coca Cola League 1, Season 1 begins
Coaching staff - as mentioned previously, I set out to improve my training in two areas this season - ball control and set pieces. I found two very capable coaches and moved quickly to bring them into the fold. I had to pay both of my former coaches in order for them to agree to a mutual termination but it was worth it. My new set piece coach is Allan Johnston and he gives us a phenomenal 4.5 star rating. My new ball control coach is Sam Forbes and he gives us a 3.5 star rating. Forbes also doubles up as my new assistant manager and he is an improvement in that role also.
Current training star ratings are as follows (previous season in parenthesis):
Strength - 3.5 (3.5)
Aerobic - 4.5 (4.5)
Goalkeeping - 3.5 (3.5)
Tactics - 3.5 (3.5)
Ball Control - 3.5 (2.5)
Defending - 3.5 (3.5)
Attacking - 3.5 (3.5)
Shooting - 3.5 (3.5)
Set Pieces - 4.5 (2.5)
Starting Eleven
GK - James Dormand, 2.5 stars
DR - Darren Cole, 2.5 stars
DL - Grant Basey, 3 stars
DC - Sean Porter, 3 stars
DC - Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, 3 stars
DMC - Stefan Bailey, 1.5 stars
MC - Scott Ford, 3 stars
MC - Gylfi Sigurdsson, 3.5 stars
AMR - Elias Wagner, 2 stars
AML - Tom Brighton, 2 stars
ST - Christiano Kisuka, 3 stars
I have a few changes to note. First, James Dormand is back as our starting keeper. We sought out a stronger parent link than what we had with Blackpool and we landed a partnership with West Ham. Losing our projected starting keeper is well worth the price of having a Premier League link.
Second, I went against the grain and splashed a whopping 110k transfer fee for 3.5 star rated right back Shaun Creighton. I admit the move was a bit rushed because we lost starting right back Darren Cole for pretty much the entire offseason due to broken ribs suffered during training. We pried away Creighton from Peterhead of the Scottish 2nd Division for such a fee because he will likely be the future for us at right back.
And lastly, we brought in some serious scouting power after our top scout chose not to resign with the team. I now sport two 20/20 scouts in Rab Robertson and Adie Williams to go with a 20/19 scout in Jack McDermott. I have these three guys scouring as much of Europe as my board will allow for younger talent (25 years or younger). I'm hoping to start stocking up the reserves with some nice prospects as a result.
Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/986/2014fixturesaug.jpg[/imgw]
League Table
[imgw]http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2099/2014tableaug.jpg[/imgw]
FA Cup results
League Cup results
6-5p vs Watford (League 1)
0-1 vs Derby (Championship)
Johnstone's Paint Trophy results
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My biggest fears are playing out in front of my eyes. I figured we'd be up for a harsh reality check after blasting through League 2, but my first month in League 1 play is more painful than I could have initially imagined. We leave August behind with an 0/1/4 record and we find ourselves dead last in the league standings - 24th place. We've put together some inspiring stretches of play during games, but for the most part we look afraid out there on the pitch. Part of my woes were due to having two starters out early due to injury, and I'm hoping that a return to full strength will help us break into the win column.
As crappy as we've played in our league games, we had a spirited victory in the League Cup. We played promotion contenders Watford and gave them all they could handle. New signing James Forrest came through in the 25th minute to give us the lead but Watford stormed back to level the game in the 30th minute. We hung on through extra time and took our chances with penalties. I thought we were done for with a first shot miss, but James Dormand stoned the 3rd shooter and we shot even the rest of the way. On Watford's 6th kick, Mathew Sadler screwed the ball wide to advance us into the 2nd round.
Our second round matchup was a gut-wrencher as well, but this time we fell short vs Championship side Derby.
My first team has a clean bill of health going into September.
Hope your team will have comeback and will win games
Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3554/2014fixturessep.jpg[/imgw]
League Table
[imgw]http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9034/2014tablesep.jpg[/imgw]
FA Cup results
League Cup results
6-5p vs Watford (League 1)
0-1 vs Derby (Championship)
Johnstone's Paint Trophy results
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What a month! After struggling to play up to the level of talent we faced in our first month of league play, I'm proud to see my boys starting to step up to the challenge in front of them. A winless month is all but forgotten after we put the wraps on an undefeated one! We went 4/2/0 in league play and if it weren't for a freak self goal in our game vs Hartlepool we would have won 5 games.
I was actually scared, to be honest, after the Hartlepool game. We had just broken through with our first win in the previous game - an inspiring 2-1 victory on the road against Millwall. Then we faced off against top side Hartlepool and held serve at home. Allan Cairns came off the bench to bury a header in the 67th minute and the fans were ready to riot. Then as time was getting ready to expire, Sean Porter inexplicably overpowers a header back to our keeper and nets the leveling goal for the opposition. I was devastated. Porter was devastated. The fans were ready to riot again, but this time out of anger. We came back with passion in our next game however, and we dismantled fellow relegation contenders Scunthorpe on the road.
Confidence is high right now and hopefully we can continue to avoid the loss column a little longer. Our run of games has catapulted us from the basement to the middle of the table and we currently sit in 13th place.
We didn't have any cup games last month, but this month we kick off the JPT against League 2 side Gillingham. With more talent on board this season, I'd like to make a run at our semifinal finish that we accomplished last season.
Starting right back Eric Lichaj is our only casualty going into October. He is going to be out for about 2 months due to a hip injury.
Ive been following this story for quite a while now, and i decided to do my own game, only problem is that my laptop is currently in germany broke
but i started it on the PC but the PC cant seem to handle FM running
so im gonna wait till i get my laptop back and transfer game to there and conquer europe with Worcester in the Blue Square South
Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/8058/2014fixturesoct.jpg[/imgw]
League Table
[imgw]http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2708/2014tableoct.jpg[/imgw]
FA Cup results
League Cup results
6-5p vs Watford (League 1)
0-1 vs Derby (Championship)
Johnstone's Paint Trophy results
5-4p vs Gillingham (League 2)
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Our second strong month in a row shows that we are far better equipped to avoid relegation than what was on display to begin the season. We finished the month with a 3/0/1 record that has lifted us into 7th place and just outside of a playoff spot. I don't think we can hang onto our position for the duration of the season, but our fans are getting behind us and we're playing quite well at the moment. And as long as we can keep it up, I'm happy to watch our team build confidence in one another.
After a thrilling 1st round cup game vs Watford that ended with penalty kicks, we followed suit and had another nailbiter in the JPT vs Gillingham. The only problem is that Gillingham, while a promotion contender, is one league below us. We seemed to suffer from motivation, that's for sure. Nevertheless, we scraped by with a win and we're into the south quarterfinals where we face Leyton Orient whom we beat this past month during league play.
Starting right back Eric Lichaj is still our only casualty going into November. He has about 3 to 5 weeks remaining with his hip injury.
Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/3758/2014fixturesnov.jpg[/imgw]
League Table
[imgw]http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2708/2014tableoct.jpg[/imgw]
FA Cup results
1-0 vs Bradford (League 1)
League Cup results
6-5p vs Watford (League 1)
0-1 vs Derby (Championship)
Johnstone's Paint Trophy results
5-4p vs Gillingham (League 2)
1-2 vs Leyton Orient (League 1)
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We head into the last month of the year on a high note, having gone undefeated in November. With our 2/2/0 record for the month, our undefeated streak is at six games. Thanks to this run of form we continue to maintain a top half position and we have pushed into 6th place. If we continue to perform at this level for another month, I think we can start to get excited about our prospects of holding down a playoff spot as we head into the back half of the season.
We're into the 2nd round of the FA Cup thanks to an upset of Bradford, who are currently 2nd in the league. We followed up that performance with a gritty draw on the road against Norwich and we will have the replay at home where I like our chances of advancing. We weren't so lucky in the JPT, however, as we suffered defeat against Leyton Orient where we gave up a very early goal and had to fight uphill the rest of the way.
As one starter returns from injury (Eric Lichaj), we lose another one. Winger Will James twisted his ankle and is out for 2 to 3 weeks.
Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2245/2014fixturesdec.jpg[/imgw]
League Table
[imgw]http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/9020/2014tabledec.jpg[/imgw]
FA Cup results
1-0 vs Bradford (League 1)
1-0e vs Norwich (League 1)
League Cup results
6-5p vs Watford (League 1)
0-1 vs Derby (Championship)
Johnstone's Paint Trophy results
5-4p vs Gillingham (League 2)
1-2 vs Leyton Orient (League 1)
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A promising start to our month quickly dissolved into a frustrating one as we head into the new year. We squandered a 2/1/0 start with a 0/1/3 finish and our overall 2/2/3 record led to us dropping back to the middle of the table. We currently sit in 10th place with a little less than half of the season remaining. We're only two points behind 6th place and the final playoff spot so it's not too crazy to think that we could shock everyone and earn a playoff bid. We're starting to show an inability to earn points against the top sides, however.
My initial prediction of avoiding relegation looks all but certain at this point. My new goal for the season is to achieve a midtable finish.
Our home fans made the difference in our replay against Norwich; a game that went deep into extra time. Wayne Phillips bagged the only goal of the match in the 107th minute. That sets us up with a 3rd round clash against Premier side Fulham. We'll take it as a learning experience as I don't expect us to pull the upset.
My entire first team has a clean bill of health going into January.
I had a random thought last night as I was watching a game play out. I'm thinking of dramatically changing my formation. The same formation that's worked so well for me to this point. I think the main reason is that I'm finding myself committing a lot of players to attacking in order to break down defenses.
I think this is in part mainly because I use a lone striker. And while King Kisuka is doing ok (he just bagged 5 goals in 3 games), I wonder what he can do if he had a dedicated strike partner next to him. The formation I'm thinking of is a wide 442 diamond. I like the idea of having two strikers powered by a dedicated AMC. I'm thinking that I can have those three players set to attacking mentalities and that's it. Comparitively, I have 5 players set to attacking mentalities right now - both of my center mids, both wingers, and the lone striker.
As I ponder the above move I keep reminding myself that I have some promising strikers in the fold. Not only that, but I'm also looking to move away from the target man type into more of a Carlos Tevez type - a fast lone striker that can play as either an advanced forward or a poacher. As good as Kiskua has been over the years, I think I'm hitting the ceiling of not just Kiskua's potential but the ceiling of his player type's potential. I think that a faster player up front will help to open things up for my midfielders that roam into the box from deep.
Recent Fixtures
[imgw]http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/9337/2015fixturesjan.jpg[/imgw]
League Table
[imgw]http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/4591/2015tablejan.jpg[/imgw]
FA Cup results
1-0 vs Bradford (League 1), 1st round
1-0e vs Norwich (League 1), 2nd round replay
0-4 vs Fulham (Premier), 3rd round
League Cup results
6-5p vs Watford (League 1), 1st round
0-1 vs Derby (Championship), 2nd round
Johnstone's Paint Trophy results
5-4p vs Gillingham (League 2), 2nd round
1-2 vs Leyton Orient (League 1), South Quarterfinal
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We got back to our winning ways to start the new year, notching a 2/1/0 record in January. This small run of games gets us back into 7th place and within 2 points of 6th place and the final playoff spot. With a little over 1/3rd of the season remaining, it's time to see if we can climb our way into a playoff position.
Our only cup action this month saw us finally bow out of the FA Cup. We looked pretty good in the 1st half against Premier side Fulham even though they took a 2-0 lead into the break. Instead of making a game of it in the second half, however, we couldn't hang in there against a much stronger side and gave up two more goals for the final 0-4 margin.
No injuries to report going into February. This is going to be key as we begin our final push in league play.
You are reading "Conquering Europe".
