Conquering England? It's like taking candy from a baby!

This is my second thread, Raise Your Hand If You're An International Manager *raises hand* was my first thread and they will both be active. I just started to miss club management and really needed to get back into it so here we go! I have a lot of aims to complete in this save and it will definately keep me involved with the game. To start with I hope to 'conquer' England and then after that go and take over Europe. So here is my aims for England:

My Aims

• Manage in the Blue Square North for at least a season.
  
• Get promoted from the Blue Square North.
  
• Manage in both Blue Square South for at least a season. (1 full season)
  
• Get promoted from the Blue Square South.
  
• Manage in the Blue Square Bet Premier for at least 2 seasons. (4 full seasons)
  
• Get promoted from the Blue Square Bet Premier.
  
• Win the FA Trophy at least once. (runners up)
  
• Manage in the npower League 2 for at least 3 seasons. (1 full season)
  
• Get promoted from npower League 2.
  
• Manage in the npower League 1 for at least 4 seasons. (2 full seasons)
  
• Get promoted from npower League 1.
  
• Win the JPT at least 2 times.
  
• Manage in the npower Championship for at least 5 seasons.
  
• Get promoted from the npower Championship.
  
• Manage in the Premier League for at least 6 seasons.
  
• Win the Carling Cup at least 3 times.
  
• Win the Carling Cup with at least 3 different teams.
  
• Win the FA Cup with at least 3 different teams.
  
• Win the FA Cup at least 5 times.
  
• Win the Premier League at least once.
  
• Get promoted from every league.
  

As you can tell, this will take its time as it is but it will keep me involved in the game and after I have completed these challenges I will move abroad and look for another interesting challenge. I cannot accept a contract offer from any team that is abroad until all of the above are completed. I can do them in any order and go back if needed. I.e. if in my 3rd season in League 1 I got promoted I could spend a few years in the Championship then accept a contract from a club in League 1. I'm really looking forward to this, staying in England is something I don't usually do and everyone loves the English game.

Initial Game Set-Up (I have used two new databases, both have only changed the names of Leagues and Teams.)

Approx player count: 47,000

Manager Profile

I will be doing 2 updates a season, a preview and review. This will speed up my game time and I will be able to give a more detailed post each time. Please feel free to comment in either of my threads because they will both be active. Currently no English jobs available so it looks like I will have to wait until we get the first sackings of the new season. Thanks, hope you enjoy reading!

Worcester City - Blue Square North - Season 2011/2012

"Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane." -taken from Wikipedia.

I take over Worcester City on the 29th October and sign a 1-year contract till the end of the season on £575p/w. Media predictions was 11th so my aim for the season is to get the team playing good football, get out of the relegation zones then march on up the table and get as far away from the drop as possible, although I would easily take 19th position. St George's Lane holds a capacity of 4,850.

• To get Worcester out of the relegation zone and make sure the fans aren't dissapointed. A run in the cup would be nice but I can't see it happening with the squad we have.
  
• Sort out the backroom staff, we have the right people but maybe not the best people.
  
  
• Get my reputation building upwards with some good results as my contract runs out at the end of the season.
  

Well I made my first signing at the club and got a weird question from the media when introducing him. I know its 'non-league' but surely they wouldn't pick nobodys off the street to ask the questions.

This management malarkey? Easy. wait a minute, whoops...

Let's see if you do as well with Worcester as you have been with Northern Ireland in your other save.

Let's see if you do as well with Worcester as you have been with Northern Ireland in your other save.

That would be nice, just into February now, should get the first season done tonight!

Well, the minute I resigned I got a job offer, although not the team that said they couldn't afford compensation, that was Truro City. I accepted the Eastbourne Boro job offer and move into a new league, heading south! Just to let you know, my season in charge of Worcester City does not count as a season in the Blue Square North, I have to play every league game of the season.

If anybody wants any screenshots posting I will gladly do it.

Eastbourne Borough - Blue Square South - Season 2012/2013

With 41 games played, this is how the league table looked with us going to Sailsburys ground needing 3 points to get promotion. It had to be Sailsbury a team that I have had the most success with on any football manager game winning 3 promotions. Although, I never expected it to come down to this as Ebbsfleet lead the way basically all season and were runaway leaders for most of the season getting as far as 7 points clear.

Salisbury City vs Eastbourne Borough

Amazing! We somehow did it! The start of the season was poor and we didn't win any of our first 4 matches, so Pericard lost his place upfront and eventually lost his place at the club (signing for Sutton United during the season). Once we won a game we really started to gel and we couldn't be beaten. After our 5th game of the season we went and lost only 2 of our remaining 37 league games. We had amazing runs at times when our strikers couldn't find the goal (more notably at the end of the season). And then coming down to the last game of the season our top goalscorer had completly lost form and not scored for a good few matches, we hadn't ever topped the group and we didn't seem clinical enough to be league winners, but when we needed to, we stepped up our performance and finished off Salisbury. Great season!

League Table - 78 points won the league last season so it shows how more competitive it was this season.

League Table Graph - didn't top the table till the end of the season, but that's the only time it counts!

Fa Cup - Disspointed to have lost to league opposition and not even make it to the 1st round.

Fa Trophy - No complaints we gave it a good go and lost to Premier opposition.

Finances - should improve with the bonuses of winning promotion.

Transfers - we did a little bit more action just to bring in cover, nothing more.

Key Players

James Taylor (GK) - we conceded the least amount of goals all season and our keeper kept the most clean sheets all season with 20.

Ryan France (AMR) - Brilliant season for him, I thought he was playing lower than he should and with 19 goals and 14 assists, we can't complain. He also won Player of the Season, had some tough competition from Cherno Samba of Chelmsford City.

Hicham Abdellah (ST) - Played upfront on his own all season as a poacher and he didn't half take the goals. Had a dry spell at the end of the season but with 32 goals in 36 starts he easily came top goalscorer in the team. I played him AML first few games then dropped Pericard upfront -best decision I ever made.

Season Aims

​Finish in the top 3, will take 5th. - Finished top.

Get to the 1st round of the Fa Cup and not get knocked out by the same or lower league opposition. - Got knocked out in the 4th Qually Round, to same league opposition.

Build up my reputation as again it is only a one year contract. - I am now Regional!

Career Aims

Managed a full season in Blue Square South.

Won promotion from Blue Square South.

Previous Club Watch

Worcester City - Blue Square North - 16th

Manager History.

Team				Days in Charge		Played		Won		Drew		Lost		Win %
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worcester City			191			35		17		6		12		48%
Eastbourne Borough		---			49		30		13		6		61%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall				N/A			84		47		19		18		55%

Career History.

Team				Competition			Finished		Achievements
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worcester City			Blue Square Bet North		13th			N/A
Eastbourne Borough		Blue Square Bet South		1st			Promoted as League Winners

Overall Comment: I really enjoyed my season and think with some good re-building of the team it is more than capable of competing in the Blue Square Bet Prem. I have renewed the contracts of the best players too make sure, if I go, they don't lose everyone that got them promoted but I am considering what I should do. The board will no longer delay the offer of the new contract so I have reached the point where I either have to accept or reject and I am totally unsure however to top it all off, I won Manager of the Season and feel 1 season more would do nothing but good.

Great promotion

Great promotion

Cheers mate!

Well with 1 day left on my contract and having the board offer me contract after contract after contract I decided to accept and sign a further 1 year deal but I will not be extending it any further. We haven't yet signed anyone but I am very confident I can easily avoid relegation.

Well done on winning the title.

Eastbourne Borough - Blue Square Bet Prem - Season 2013/2014

• Finish at least 16th.
  
• Get to the 3rd round of the FA Cup.
  
• Enjoy my final season at Priory Lane.
  

Hope manage alright.

I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or bad thing but, I've just had 4 injuries in one match, 2 were forced off and the other 2 took quite bad knocks. Obviously I am fearing the worst for another injury crisis yet once I finish the match only 1 of them is out for 7 days? The rest are perfectly fine, even the 2 that were forced off are fit and ready to play the next match.

So yes that's a good thing but then what if it's the Carlos Tevez affect and they don't want to play so they fake an injury to come off? I'm kidding of course, but maybe my players are starting to rebel. Would be an interesting bit of news 'Eastbourne Boro boss faces rebel crisis'

Well done on promotion buddy

Well done on promotion buddy

Cheers mate! Every comment gives me more inspiration

I'm enjoying my first season in the Blue Square Prem which has surprised me a little to be honest, thought I'd end up job hunting during the season but not bothered in the slightest at the moment.

Cheers mate! Every comment gives me more inspiration

I'm enjoying my first season in the Blue Square Prem which has surprised me a little to be honest, thought I'd end up job hunting during the season but not bothered in the slightest at the moment.

Yeah its a nice feeling when someone appreciates your story aint it, Shame I only have a few atm on mine :L

Yeah its a nice feeling when someone appreciates your story aint it, Shame I only have a few atm on mine :L

My other one had 9 posts, a full season gone before someone commented and Nobby only commented on this early on because he has read my Northern Ireland thread!

You know it's not your day when you get 5 injuries in 3 games then as you hope to gain something with a depleted squad your keeper gets injured, within 12 minutes and you don't put a back-up on the bench.

Although they only took the chance to capitalize once! And I managed to reply to that meaning we came away with a point

I've had points from being a man down (once going 2 men and a goal down and winning 3-1!), I'd imagine no keeper's just as bad, good to know it's not the end of the world.

I've had points from being a man down (once going 2 men and a goal down and winning 3-1!), I'd imagine no keeper's just as bad, good to know it's not the end of the world.

I forgot to mention they went down to 10 men in the first half as well but still they had one shot on target, which was their goal. So I was surprised they didn't try more.

I'm going through an amazing run which is about to turn horrible, we are unbeaten in 10 games but the playing 2 games a week, every week (due to cup and postponements) has caught up with us and we now have 7 injuries and only 16 players fit, which means enough to fill the bench, just. (I don't use reserves or U18's at this level) so that is it.

I've made the training much lighter and will try and battle through it but my amazing run will come to end soon and probably turn the opposite direction when we lose a game but for now, still unbeaten in 10

I totally sympathise with the fixture pile-up problems. January and February can both be pretty horrific months when you're playing two games a week with such a small squad. Still, it looks like you're coping well with it. I usually have to call on a few 16 year olds just to fill the bench

I sympathise with the fixture pile up but less so if you refuse to use your reserve team players. At times like this they are needed as back up.

I sympathise with the fixture pile up but less so if you refuse to use your reserve team players. At times like this they are needed as back up.

I don't mean refuse to play them. I refuse to have any. The only contracted players at my club are the first teamers, reserve players and youths take up to much wage budget for a small club.

Eastbourne Borough - Blue Square Bet Premier - Season 2013/2014

• Finish at least 16th. - Finished 12th.
  
• Get to the 3rd round of the FA Cup. - knocked out to Plymouth in the 2nd Round.
  
• Enjoy my final season at Priory Lane. - I certainly did, FA Trophy runners up and mid table, no complaints.
  

Career Aims

• Done 1 of my 2 seasons in Blue Square Bet Premier.
  
• Lost in the FA Trophy final!
  

Previous Club Watch

Worcester City - Blue Square North - 19th.

Overall Comment: FA Trophy final performance aside, an amazing season! Enjoyed every minute of it (bar the last 9 games of the season) I was just so annoyed that the one defeat sent us on a bad run which ended with a horrible final. The performance has dissapointed me the most, I didn't see a single attack from us but a great way to sign off as manager of Eastbourne Borough! Darlington got relegated, I'd love to manage them next season but we shall see what comes available, looking in the Blue Square North though.

Career History.

Team				Competition			Finished		Achievements
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worcester City			Blue Square Bet North		13th			N/A
Eastbourne Borough		Blue Square Bet South		1st			Promoted as League Winners
Eastbourne Borough		Blue Square Bet Premier		12th			FA Trophy Runners-Up

Manager History.

Team				Days in Charge		Played		Won		Drew		Lost		Win %
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worcester City			191			35		17		6		12		48%
Eastbourne Borough		741			105		54		29		22		51%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall				932			140		71		35		34		50%

*I do apologize for the inconsistency of my pre-season and post-season reports. I am still trying to get the right amount of information in to gain a consistent look.

This best not count as a relegation on my behlaf

But, here I am with my new club! I rejected rumors from Burnley and Crewe to sign for these!

More to follow...

Rather big wage bill.

Rather big wage bill.

Yep, but a rather big wage budget to go with it. In comparison to my other teams.

You're still quite a bit over, probably even more so after the new budget calculations, and whatever the board says you can manage, you'll be losing considerable sums.

You're still quite a bit over, probably even more so after the new budget calculations, and whatever the board says you can manage, you'll be losing considerable sums.

Yes but the contracts run out at the end of the season and so I can let the big spenders go without having to pay them compensation. It has to be sorted out yes but I think that it will be easy to get under budget with a good team.

Reaching the cup final was a great way to sign out with Eastbourne

Good luck with the new club, and taking them back up to the BSP.

Reaching the cup final was a great way to sign out with Eastbourne

Good luck with the new club, and taking them back up to the BSP.

Thanks a lot AK! It was a real shame that that was how I bowed out of Eastbourne but having my last game at Wembley? No complaints!

I intend on getting them straight back up there

Having watched Soccer AM before I know who this person is, but for those who don't, this person is just a crew member on Soccer AM which is why I am confused as to why he is classed as an assistant manager on Football Manager?

Trev

Just checked his history, is this some sort of a funny joke?

Edit: Soccer AM even have a team on Football Manager? I'm getting more confused by the second,

Just found out that Soccer AM have a team in the game which doesn't bother me, I'm going to have them in a friendly next year, even though I don't watch my friendlies. It's a shame me and Trev couldn't agree personal terms

When you have 6 players at the club, yes 6 and 3 of them possibly leaving in less than a month (due to their contracts running out) and having JUST joined the club the one thing you do not want to see is this...

Maybe I chose the wrong club?

No, to be fair. I nearly doubled the problem, they had players on £600p/w or £700p/w with 2 year contracts and the most one of my Eastbourne players got was £350p/w? Maybe £400p/w but I made sure it was a 1 year contract so if needed they could go at the end of the season without having to pay them off.

Looks like you have your work cut out.

Looks like you have your work cut out.

"If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well"

"I never shy away from hard work"

"I'm going to need these quotes to keep my spirits up"

I'm not sure which is worse

this:

or this:

Oh dear, think you need to start thinking of an exit strategy!

On the Soccer AM note, I've just signed Max Rusden as my scout. Pretty decent too, well for League Two anyway

Oh dear, think you need to start thinking of an exit strategy!

On the Soccer AM note, I've just signed Max Rusden as my scout. Pretty decent too, well for League Two anyway

I'm determined to get these promoted but I'm not sure how possible that will be. The embargo doesn't stop me from signing players but it has stopped me from offering anything over £90p/w and they are all on full time contracts so it's odd I'm finding people that accept this? Anyway, steady progress. I arranged friendlies where we will get thrashed in (just been hammered 8-0 by Cardiff) but it gets me a decent bit of money.

I gave in and offered Trev what he wanted, so he's now my Ass Man.

this sounds slightly promising?

It's getting better

Ah good, lets see how things go on the pitch.

Sounds like good news

Ah good, lets see how things go on the pitch.

Sounds like good news

Thanks a lot guys! I'm going to need a lot this season to get anywhere!

This looks a massive challenge, though at least you can operate in the transfer market again.

Good luck clawing back that deficit! Tough old season ahead