January Nominations
The start of a new year, the start of a new poll. This time for the January Story of the Month. Who will you vote for? Here are the five stories nominated by the judging panel:
Jamesg237's Liverpool FC - Back to the Past
It was always his dream to be the manager of the great Merseyside club, and he got that chance when Kenny Dalglish was sacked from the Anfield post. James began his tenure by loaning out some of Liverpool's younger stars so they could gain experience. He was not able to make many transfers due to the small budget given to him by the board. The first season saw Liverpool knocked out of both cup competitions and out of Europe. However, a brillian managerial performance from James over the season saw Liverpool win the Premier League for the first time in their history, a wonderful achievement! It was the second season when James started making a huge amount of transfers. He spent a lot of money on hot propects, looking to build Liverpool up over the years. These propects quickly clicked in, as Liverpool won the Community Shield. The League Cup was the next trophy to come to Anfield. Liverpool were knocked out by the invincible Barcelona but James' Liverpool completed a famous quad as they won the League and FA Cup again. It was a dream come true for Liverpool fans across the globe and a memory to last forever!
manchesterblue97's Sporting CP - The Lions from Lisbon
Lothar Matthaus was one of the finest footballers to have ever graced the game. After some unsuccessful managerial stints, Matthaus found himself another chance at Sporting CP. He quickly set about bringing in his own players to create his own era. Sporting started their season off with wins but the players were not yet playing at the standard expected by Mr. Matthaus. Unsure about his future, Mr. Matthaus was reported to saying that he would join Bayern Munich if they ever offered him a contract, the Munich manager being sacked with in the following few days. If Matthaus lost faith in his players' inconsistent performances, a change in tactic certaintly changed that. This change won over the football world and has produced many magical moments thus far. As it stands, Sporting our top of the league, in the semi-finals of the Potuguese Cup, in the semi-finals of the League Cup and in the 1st Knock-out Round of the Europa League. Very impressive indeed!
The FM Rookie's KuPS - The Rocky Road To Glory
A former professional footballer losing his way to alcohol. Nick Johnson got a wake up call when he woke up one day without knowing the true meaning of life. He decided to get back in to football and manager Kuopion Palloseura of Finland. A team which has not been successful in decades, Mr. Johnson changed their forutnes instantly by signing experienced players and bringing his own brand of football to Finland. In an astonishing first season, KuPS picked up the domestic treble of the League Cup, Finnish Cup and the Veikkausliiga. They also reached the Europa League Play-offs where they were beaten by Napoli. A huge achievement by a manager looking to prove his worth. The second season was brought upon Mr. Johnson while he was having some issues in his personal life. He did not let that get to thim, however, and he re-branded his style of play which brought instant success. This was the "Banzai Tiki-Taka" tactic. As it stands, KuPS have won another League Cup, are top of the league by a huge margin, in the Finnish Cup Final and have somehow reached the Champions League Group Stages!
FM King's Sunderland: The Black Cats
Dean Ashton was thrown head-first in to the world of football management when he took over Sunderland at the start of the 2012-2013 season. He had an idea of how he could make Sunderland invincible. He set about making this idea reality by signing high-profile players such as Raul Albiol from Real Madrid. His new-look side blossomed under his attacking system and were high-flying in the league from the start. Dean Ashton was also involved with an off-the-field relationship with Mila Kunis. His sex life was on top of the nation's gossip for weeks. Sunderland's football was amazing with them being top of the table mid-way through the season. As Ashton's love stories kept the press happy, he guided Sunderland to a mouth-gaping 3rd place in the league. This was an extraordinary achievement! He strengthened up his side for the new season and the results were all the same: win, win, win. This was amazing for the Black Cats and they went on to celebrate the double, winning both the Premier League and the FA Cup. They were also unlucky to lose to Manchester United in the Champions League Final. A great story, no doubt about that!
jason_connolly1987's The Lions of Aston Villa - Becoming King of the Jungle Once More....
Since we left you in December (irl), Jason's Aston Villa were knee-deep in to the 2014-2015 season and was putting together a run to match Arsenal's in '04. They were flying high in each competition and were looking for silverware! With German goalkeeper, Ter-Stegen, already signed, Aston Villa won the League Cup for the third season running after veating Spurs in the final. An incredible moment for an incredible manager! As it was, Villa had qualified from their Champions League Group, were top of the Premier League and were still in the FA Cup. More silverware on the way? Let's hope so!
