FMM Story
S5E2 – Pre-Season 2024/25
(Leamington FC, Championship)
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OUT – Loan – Full Back, Ciaran Brennan to Southend United
OUT – Loan – Central Defender, Sean Neal to Farnborough
OUT – Loan – Defensive Midfielder, Robbie Dodoo to Farnborough
OUT – Loan – Winger, Kristjaan Breakspear to Warrington Town
OUT – Loan – Winger, Finn Bonfield to Coventry Sphinx
OUT – Loan – Attacking Midfielder, Wilson Killip to Coventry Sphinx
OUT – Loan – Striker, Melvin Hartley to Blyth Spartans
OUT – £1’500 – Goalkeeper, Teddy Digie to FC United of Manchester
OUT – £1’500 – Central Defender, Dael Breeze to Dulwich Hamlet
OUT – £6’000 – Winger, Harley Brown to Folkestone Invicta
OUT – £10’000 – Central Defender, Robbie Gelhardt to Aldershot Town
OUT – £200’000 – Full Back, Jernade Meade to Queens Park Rangers
OUT – £400’000 – Full Back, Dan Meredith to Queens Park Rangers
OUT – £400’000 – Goalkeeper, Billy Rosa to Hamilton Academical
OUT – £2’500’000 – Winger, Michael Fernandes to Sunderland
IN – £4’000’000 – Full Back, Ethan Laird from Manchester United
IN – £2’700’000 – Full Back, Sam McCallum from Norwich City
IN – £5’000’000 – Winger, Anthony Elanga from Manchester United
IN – £625’000 – Striker, Sam Greenwood from Salford City
IN – Free – Striker, Arkadiusz Milik from Napoli
After some consideration, I decided it was in the best interests of the club to act upon the best judgement of my head, rather than my heart; Dan Meredith and Jernade Meade, having seen us this far, were quite clearly neither skilled nor athletic enough for the Championship, and I decided to offer them out to other clubs. Queens Park Rangers, who evidently disagree, bought them both for fair fees. We were able to replace them quite handsomely, not with the most technically gifted players, but with a couple of top physical specimens in Sam McCallum and Ethan Laird. With all of my first team full backs now possessing a 15+ Pace attribute to add to an already impressively-paced central group, I’ve been able to tinker tactics slightly to playing a high defensive line – the logic being I can bring more bodies closer to midfield with less risk of being caught stranded by fast attackers.
And speaking of fast attackers, we agreed to an unexpected and somewhat unfavourable deal for Michael Fernandes who, on loan and as a Leamington player, had managed a possibly irreplaceable 32 goals and 41 assists over the last three seasons. Sunderland wanted him for £2’100’000, but with only £400’000 to make up to his release clause, it was a clear choice to negotiate up to that and let him leave on our own terms. Having already signed one failed youth prospect from Manchester United, it was also a pretty simple task to ask them for another in the dangerously pacey Anthony Elanga, who joins for twice the price of Fernandes but, one suspects, probably only half his contribution in goals and assists,
Finally, replacing Ennis and Griffiths with talents as exciting as Ennis and Griffiths turned out to be a fool’s errand. The best available option was to make satisfactory moves for two tactically appropriate players in Salford’s Sam Greenwood and, somewhat notably, former Ajax and Napoli man, Arka Milik. I’m not expecting much from these guys, honestly: at 30, Milik brings experience from which David Avenell can learn, but he’s a dimming light; and Greenwood is the same sort of player as Ennis only worse – though, in fairness, he is two-footed and can play on both wings, making him an ideal utility man in attack, the sort of player you want on your bench to cover multiple eventualities.
(0 – 0) sc Heerenveen (H) –
(3 – 0) Maccabi Tel-Aviv (H) – D Avenell (2), B Ormerod (1)
(4 – 0) Luzern (H) – M Edwards (1), R Cole (1), J Jones (1), R Drench (1)
(3 – 0) Mallorca (H) – A Elanga (1), K Shashoua (1), D Avenell (1)
(2 – 0) Astana (H) – J Jones (1), S Greenwood (1)
For the second pre-season in a row, I decided to host some higher reputation foreign sides at the New Windmill Ground, and though in truth results against reputable but inconsequential sides such as these might not give a great indication of strength going into the tough Championship, control of possession owning to our new focus on a shorter passing game was a very prominent feature. I’m still unclear on what to do against narrow, deep defending – the reason we lost the FA Cup Final was because the team couldn’t break down that kind of insular play from West Brom; this is something I will have to tinker with as we move through the year.
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Replies
@Tango, you say that, but domestic club job offers have rather dried up. I think the only one I got for the whole of last season was Middlesbrough, and nothing came in through the summer either. I was slightly tempted to apply for the Nantwich Town position, as they were promoted into the VNN this summer, and they're the team I've always said I'd buy if I became modestly rich (I support Crewe Alexandra, so I want to bolster the local area).
@TheLFCFan, he certainly adds a new level of quality even to this side; a European top-tier talent at a Championship side, and when you now add Arka Milik into the mix with his experience, we've suddenly become a much more assured unit.
@ScottT, I noted that the club's rating hasn't really gone up, sadly. We've now got a 2 star reputation, which is one of the lowest in the Championship. So our antics haven't really impacted the club's profile. However, I'm now listed as a "National" reputed manager, so maybe there will be eyes cast in my direction. But I'm committed to a few more seasons here.
S5E2 – Pre-Season 2024/25
(Leamington FC, Championship)

OUT – Loan – Full Back, Ciaran Brennan to Southend United
OUT – Loan – Central Defender, Sean Neal to Farnborough
OUT – Loan – Defensive Midfielder, Robbie Dodoo to Farnborough
OUT – Loan – Winger, Kristjaan Breakspear to Warrington Town
OUT – Loan – Winger, Finn Bonfield to Coventry Sphinx
OUT – Loan – Attacking Midfielder, Wilson Killip to Coventry Sphinx
OUT – Loan – Striker, Melvin Hartley to Blyth Spartans
OUT – £1’500 – Goalkeeper, Teddy Digie to FC United of Manchester
OUT – £1’500 – Central Defender, Dael Breeze to Dulwich Hamlet
OUT – £6’000 – Winger, Harley Brown to Folkestone Invicta
OUT – £10’000 – Central Defender, Robbie Gelhardt to Aldershot Town
OUT – £200’000 – Full Back, Jernade Meade to Queens Park Rangers
OUT – £400’000 – Full Back, Dan Meredith to Queens Park Rangers
OUT – £400’000 – Goalkeeper, Billy Rosa to Hamilton Academical
OUT – £2’500’000 – Winger, Michael Fernandes to Sunderland
IN – £4’000’000 – Full Back, Ethan Laird from Manchester United
IN – £2’700’000 – Full Back, Sam McCallum from Norwich City
IN – £5’000’000 – Winger, Anthony Elanga from Manchester United
IN – £625’000 – Striker, Sam Greenwood from Salford City
IN – Free – Striker, Arkadiusz Milik from Napoli
After some consideration, I decided it was in the best interests of the club to act upon the best judgement of my head, rather than my heart; Dan Meredith and Jernade Meade, having seen us this far, were quite clearly neither skilled nor athletic enough for the Championship, and I decided to offer them out to other clubs. Queens Park Rangers, who evidently disagree, bought them both for fair fees. We were able to replace them quite handsomely, not with the most technically gifted players, but with a couple of top physical specimens in Sam McCallum and Ethan Laird. With all of my first team full backs now possessing a 15+ Pace attribute to add to an already impressively-paced central group, I’ve been able to tinker tactics slightly to playing a high defensive line – the logic being I can bring more bodies closer to midfield with less risk of being caught stranded by fast attackers.
And speaking of fast attackers, we agreed to an unexpected and somewhat unfavourable deal for Michael Fernandes who, on loan and as a Leamington player, had managed a possibly irreplaceable 32 goals and 41 assists over the last three seasons. Sunderland wanted him for £2’100’000, but with only £400’000 to make up to his release clause, it was a clear choice to negotiate up to that and let him leave on our own terms. Having already signed one failed youth prospect from Manchester United, it was also a pretty simple task to ask them for another in the dangerously pacey Anthony Elanga, who joins for twice the price of Fernandes but, one suspects, probably only half his contribution in goals and assists,
Finally, replacing Ennis and Griffiths with talents as exciting as Ennis and Griffiths turned out to be a fool’s errand. The best available option was to make satisfactory moves for two tactically appropriate players in Salford’s Sam Greenwood and, somewhat notably, former Ajax and Napoli man, Arka Milik. I’m not expecting much from these guys, honestly: at 30, Milik brings experience from which David Avenell can learn, but he’s a dimming light; and Greenwood is the same sort of player as Ennis only worse – though, in fairness, he is two-footed and can play on both wings, making him an ideal utility man in attack, the sort of player you want on your bench to cover multiple eventualities.





For the second pre-season in a row, I decided to host some higher reputation foreign sides at the New Windmill Ground, and though in truth results against reputable but inconsequential sides such as these might not give a great indication of strength going into the tough Championship, control of possession owning to our new focus on a shorter passing game was a very prominent feature. I’m still unclear on what to do against narrow, deep defending – the reason we lost the FA Cup Final was because the team couldn’t break down that kind of insular play from West Brom; this is something I will have to tinker with as we move through the year.
---
Replies
@Tango, you say that, but domestic club job offers have rather dried up. I think the only one I got for the whole of last season was Middlesbrough, and nothing came in through the summer either. I was slightly tempted to apply for the Nantwich Town position, as they were promoted into the VNN this summer, and they're the team I've always said I'd buy if I became modestly rich (I support Crewe Alexandra, so I want to bolster the local area).
@TheLFCFan, he certainly adds a new level of quality even to this side; a European top-tier talent at a Championship side, and when you now add Arka Milik into the mix with his experience, we've suddenly become a much more assured unit.
@ScottT, I noted that the club's rating hasn't really gone up, sadly. We've now got a 2 star reputation, which is one of the lowest in the Championship. So our antics haven't really impacted the club's profile. However, I'm now listed as a "National" reputed manager, so maybe there will be eyes cast in my direction. But I'm committed to a few more seasons here.