FM 21 - The Burnley revolution

Transfers and tribulations.

Whilst trying to burn off the Christmas indulgence on the treadmill, I look around and find that 30 million doesn't buy a lot in 2021

I decide I'm OK defence wise, I have Chris Wood & Ashley Barnes up front and Victor Fischer can fill in if needed

I think I'm going to indulge in an English player, with potential, who looked at home in the premier league, is young and will only aid the philosophy I'm going for..

welcome aboard Todd Cantwell


Everyone seems pleased - I know he may not change my fortunes instantly, but he's as good as anything I've got, is only 22 and I think will be a good investment - only time will tell.

Onto the games - First up I go toe to toe with Wolves, but as seems to be the theme of the season, get pipped in the 87th minute


Again though - I have no one to bring on to help a tiring team get through with a win or draw at least Look at that bench - I mean poor Kevin Long doesn't even get a squad number !

I get back on the horse in the FACUP with a win against Fleetwood

I then pick up an outstanding 1-0 Vs Spurs.... This get Jose' the sack however, so I invite him to get on the red wine....

A thick head and two days later I take on Leeds who are 7th I hold out little hope for my flagging players, who I couldn't even rotate Vs Fleetwood

IM FINALLY ON THE RIGHT END OF A LATE GOAL !!!



The always brilliant Chris Wood gets me the point I think I deserve.

After that I have Chelsea in the cup - I sacrifice my team and play all the returning injured troops and send the rest of the lads to a team bonding day at a recovery spot off the M66

I try a few more Transfers

Matic Accepted but said no
Promes Accepted but said no
Alonso (Marcus) Accepted but said no

All due to my league position of 15th

However, I do snare



I see him as the long term fix after Gylfi's loan expires - no way Everton will let him back here - he's flying

I keep my rotated (ISH) team out V Man U promptly get beat 2-0 but see no issue

My issue comes when I get beat by 16th place Newcastle and end up replacing them at 16th



The board summon me - I sight the injuries as collateral and they take it. however, I need to get some more wins.....

Consistently inconsistent

A tricky Feb poses 4 tough tests Vs Chelsea, Everton, Arsenal and West Ham

We start well Vs Chelsea, but in classic Burnley fashion... ( you guessed it ) 88th minute Werner goal denies me


So I channel my inner Pep I explain this can't go on otherwise we are going to end up in the drop zone without a paddle!

This " Pep" talk..... stands for nothing, as we subsequently get beat Vs Arsenal and Everton

This makes West Ham a massive game so I change training in the week running up to it and concentrate on Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork

Thankfully it works, the lads play well (Helped by a Red card for Craig Dawson)
This mean I get 4 points out of the month which isn't ideal, but I end up flirting with 17th ....


The board just about give me the vote of confidence, but I cancel the squads Easter eggs ... this isn't good enough , although I know I'm not too far away !!! ( I hope)

Oh No..

I see March as the month to secure the future and consolidate my mid table by playing teams alongside me and below in the league.

I get 2pts from Fulham and Brighton respectively, but then I face West Brom who are 20th, garbage and IF when I beat them it will stand me in good (John)Stead for Sheff Utd at home to end the month 2 wins and 8 point from the month would get me in or around 13th - Ideal for the board and fans expectations

Then we kick off

4 mins in - the ever impressive Chris wood nods one in and I'm on my way ... Or so I think



Jesus of Nazareth its all going wrong - I plummet to 18th
I GO FULL WARNOCK - I LOSE MY SH*T Water bottles kicked, rest day cancelled, Jesus wept.

I thankfully win 2-0 Vs Sheff Utd but all of a sudden this drops in the inbox


Here we go

Any comments or shares are welcome as I have 0 social media

Extremely tight at the bottom. It has been quite the frustrating season for you with far too many goals shipped late on unfortunately. If only games were 80 minutes long instead!

Pivotal May

A wonderful bit of Media arrives in my inbox, which really gets me down - Even the loyal fans are turning on me.


The fixtures look manageable, although Chelsea is a daunting start.


I escape with a 0-0 which is a point I hope isn't crucial in this run in.
Then the lads decide they do like me, the methodology and the Premier league and have two blinders !!!!




From this I receive some more reassuring inbox mail which Cheers me up no end !




After getting this news I call the full squad in and that them all to a Chippy Tea

A few players look a bit surprised at this cuisine, Gylfi gets extra scraps, for dragging me out of the mire, Mohamed Dahoud requests sauerkraut with his fish and chips.... He gets mushy peas and told to behave !

Ashley Barnes seems withdrawn, I think he wants out...

These chips must have lay heavy as I labour to a loss and a draw



BUT I SURVIVE

Onto the end of season review next !

End of season review

What a season... a Rollercoaster in Lancashire

Board Summary

Thankfully I fulfil the boards requirements, and at 15th I feel vindicated in my choices, and with a little more luck could have been was high as 12th

Season table

The table makes OK reading and thankfully I survive the chop, unlike Jose' and Arteta on the list of high profile casualties

Transfers

The transfers I think have gone well, and going forward I feel I'm transitioning slowly into the team I want to be.

The highlight

Chris Wood, what a star man for me, without him I'd be kicking a ball around in the championship. His goals are like goal dust and a pure joy to behold.


Before I could even book my jollies away .... The Phone starts ringing... TRANSFER SILLY SEASON HAS BEGUN

Great to see a real playthrough (none of this, "I finished 2nd with Burnley in the first season" bollocks) and well presented, easy to read and see what's happening. Looking forward to see how you progress

Also, great to see the rightful champions back on top.

Well done on doing enough to avoid the drop. A horrific season for Spurs and Leicester!

All aboard the transfer merry go round !!!

I barely tuck into my coffee and toast the day after the season ends before newly promoted Norwich get on the phone and make offers for Ben Gibson & Ashley barnes

This is no great shakes as I didn't have Gibson all year and Barnes was a bit part player.

They both got and 17.5 million from there sales will go towards a new striker to come in alongside Chris Wood

Then Spurs come in with a ridiculous offer for Nick Pope of 20 million - I tel lDaniel Levy to "Jog on" and slap 45 million on his head.

Mr Levy then precedes to Jog on AND OFFER THE 45 MILLION

SHIT .. I can't not accept this, Pope wants to go, and surely I can get a decent goalie for 30-35 million and have a bit spare to reinvest - I reluctantly let him go.

Bournemouth who also came up pay the optional fee for Vydra so here's how things look at then end of June.




The board allocate 45 million to the coffers aswell so I feel I'm in good shape and a little like Ive got a bit of free reign.

Before I inevitably buy defenders and midfielders and forget about a goalie & striker I do a double swoop for Englands no:1 and a striker in the same mould as Mr Woods




Aswell as players - the board let me add two more coaches - I off for an attacking and defending options, both of whom are well revered in England and have a balance of skill and just getting the job done

Welcome Kuyt and Dyche - who on first reflection do sound like a yuppy pair of barristers from London - I know this isn't the case as soon as Dyche whips out the Nescafe



The spending will continue into July .....

Deutschland and Deals

July brings the team together and pre season with a 10 day training camp in Germany.

Pickford forgets his passport ( or I forgot to add him to the training camp squad) and Edouard is at the Olympics with France under 23's

However, the rest of my additions do come along ... and I think you will agree, there's a couple of belters in here:


Maddison obviously is the standout, and I expect to fulfil and surpass the role I had Glyfi in doing when on loan last year - this deal was obvious helped out by Leicesters' relegation.

There are a few teams sniffing around Steve Cook so the young centre half from PSG is a cover option, and if I get double my money for Cook, he can go.

Alonso is so versatile - he's a footballing potato waffle (if your over 24 you'll know what i mean)

Pre setons is a relatively damp squib, but finishing it with 3 wins on return to England.


The August fixtures Look OK, I aim for 2 wins, a draw and then a likey loss to Man City on the opening day.


I prepare for game 1 vs City in quite a confident mood for the season, and the team sheet I feel looks stronger than last seasons opening day.


I still have the feeling this Cook story is going to rumble on now as 10 teams are interested, so I need to really have another fallback plan..

Some really good signings there! Maddison, Pickford and Edouard will take you to the next level.

August-us Poop

My heady optimism for August is only dampened slightly and I go toe to toe with City but their new star signing Haaland bags a couple and condems me to a thrilling but upsetting 3-2 defeat.



However, my goals for the month aren't off track, I need to get back on the horse with some wins V's Norwich and Sheff Utd respectively

these next two don't go accordingly to plan either....
2-2
1-1

But its two points... I suppose

Then the Carabao Cup is drawn... and i subsequently fall off my chair !


A MASSIVE FIXTURE V's My local rivals.

I rotate as I need to get 22 players up to full match fitness, and I may have rotated too much

done on penalties.

Done by Blackburn

Done by my Rivals

Done on penalties.

Could that have gone any worse ?!

This guys are down, Im down, another Draw Vs Wolves just rounds off August in a poor way ... but I suppose 3pts are better than none.


Brighton then offer 17 million for Steve Cook and I can't resist 7 million profit.

I therefore set off on the hunt for a Centre half... and have an idea,

A dejected looking Nathan Ake was on the bench when I played City, and I just test the water......

Holy Sh*t - the go for it.... Nathan goes for it ..... I fly across the M56 ... get his signature on the dotted line and end up with an absolute star signing - He can pass, he can defend, he's English, he's 26, can he be the keystone in this squad to get us going



Now September is looking a little less daunting!!

(Dont) Wake me up, when September ends!!

Nathan Ake drops straight into my team as we take on |West Brom, were I am still haunted by our dire loss last year, but the players have a good week, Kuyt & Dyche slot into the coaching team well, which all culminated with a Brilliant 3-0 win


The other winnable game Vs Leeds in September is perforated by a tough tough game Vs Arsenal

from the 3-0 win I change Absolutely nothing and go and take the Arsenal on full of gusto, and beat them 2-1

A bloody miracle based on the stats from the game, but Mr Pickford has a stormer and we shoot right up the table to 11th


I furthermore go into the Leeds game buoyed by no injuries, and Chris Wood resuming his form of last year - banging in goals for fun.

we go on to dispatch Leeds and Sir/Lord Chris Wood MBE/OBE/Freeman of Burnley bags yet another to make it 7 in 7


This win keeps me in 11th and even the media now decide that what I'm trying to achieve may actually be working. Although, Finlayson ball sounds more like an illness that a playing style !!


To celebrate the month end the full coaching team go out for a few beers , but Dirk Kuyt gets in my ear after a few shandies, we get on his contacts list drunk, and I go into the office in the morning to discover this in the inbox


Not quite a scene from The Hangover but I make Kuyt join in the bleep test with the lads as punisment - 5 minutes in he spews Grolsch Everywhere..... but all is forgiven!

Summary: A great month .... hopefully we can built in October and consolidate top half

Awards and anarchy

After some Silver Medals for Myself as manager of the month and Dwight McNeil for young player, Fischers screamer gets goal of the month and we set off to Stamford Bridge to play the Chelsea in good spirits.





We get battered at Chelsea - a case of Great British Bake off off Star baker ( have a great week - then cack the next!! )

It doesn't help when Dahoud channels his inner Marco Boogers......BAD


Very much like Shakira's hips... the stats don't lie. Woeful - but im not too hard on the team after the great September


We get back oh the horse V's Villa but more pleasing that the result, I bring last Januarys cheapo signing Philippe Sandler in who gets MoM and now gives me a nice alternative to Ashley Westwood who seems to be playing every minute of every game at the minute.

The results get me up to a B- which Im pleased with, but I also top the form chart which is very pleasing !!



The final game of the month is Vs a spurs team who are flying

They dismantle me in a brilliant fashion, again I can't complain, but I let the lads know that the Chelsea and Spurs games are the level we need to be at.


It's not the worse position to be in after 10 games. - I let the lads have their Halloween party - but only just !



onto November... with some fireworks guaranteed !!

You can be pretty happy with the form. The losses are coming against sides you're not expected to be beating. I'm sure you'll be looking up rather than down, where you have cemented quite a bit of distance between yourselves and the bottom three.