AK22 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Welcome to my FM11 Journeyman Career Thread! Here's my game setup, starting in January 2011. 20 leagues in 10 nations. Large database on 11.3. 50000 players. Leagues Loaded England - The Home of Football. I will look to build my career up in the lower leagues early on. Spain - A country also known for its football heritage, I've enjoyed managing here in previous games. Italy - Even though it can be quite low scoring at time, these leagues have a history of big rivalries which I would like to experience. France - As a rule I don't particularly like the French, but I do like their cheese and pastries so would consider going here at some point. Germany - I will do almost anything for a Currywurst, so would definitely manage here! Brazil - Exciting football, even though the league structure is bonkers, would be exciting to manage here at some point. Argentina - Never managed here before, but always thought it could be a challenge. The Wildcards Mexico, South Korea and Russia - Having Mexico and South Korea loaded will give me opportunities to manage in other continental competitions that I don't normally play in. Russia is chosen as an alternative European league, and with it running Mar-Nov, it provides a different perspective to European football. Manager Ambitions Here's my starting manager profile, unemployed with Sunday League experience. - As a Liverpool supporter, I would want to take charge and restore them to their former glory as the biggest team in England. If I get to destroy Man Utd in the process, even better! - My 2 local teams are Southampton and Portsmouth, so I would like an opportunity to manage at least one of these clubs at some point. - With leagues on 4 continents loaded, I would like to win the Champions League (or equivalent) on all the different continents if the opportunities arrise. I will be updating 4/5 times a season including a pre-season and end-of-season update, with a couple of updates in the middle. And so it begins... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Career History Club Career Season Team League Finish Cups --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010/11 Thurrock F.C. BSS 15th N/A 2011/12 Thurrock F.C. BSS 2nd FA Cup 2nd Rd, FA Trophy 1st Rd 2012/13 Thurrock F.C. BSP 1st FA Cup 1st Rd, FA Trophy 3rd Rd 2013/14 Thurrock F.C. League 2 5th FA Cup 1st Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd 2014/15 Thurrock F.C League 2 6th FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd 2015/16 Thurrock F.C League 2 6th FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd, JPT 1st Rd 2016/17 Nottm Forest League 1 3rd FA Cup 3rd Rd 2017/18 Nottm Forest League 1 1st FA Cup 2nd Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd 2018/19 Southampton Championship 5th FA Cup 3rd Rd 2019/20 Southampton Championship 4th FA Cup 5th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd 2020/21 Southampton Premier League 7th FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd 2021/22 Southampton Premier League 8th FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup 3rd 2022/23 Lazio Serie A 1st Europa League RU, Coppa Italia TIM SF 2023/24 Lazio Serie A 1st Champions League Last 16, Coppa Italia TIM RU 2024/25 Lazio Serie A 1st Champions League QF, Coppa Italia TIM Winner 2025/26 Lazio Serie A 1st Champions League Last 16, Coppa Italia TIM Winner 2026 Cruzeiro EC Brasileirao 1st Copa Sudamericana Winner 2027 Cruzeiro EC Brasileirao 1st Campeonato Mineiro Winner, Copa Libertadores QF, Copa Sudamericana SF 2028 Cruzeiro EC Brasileirao N/A Campeonato Mineira Winner, Copa Libertadores RU, RESIGNED 11/07/2028 2028 Spartak Moscow Prem'er Liga 1st Champions League Group Stage 2029 Spartak Moscow Prem'er Liga 2nd Champions League Group Stage, Europa League 1st KO Rd, Kubok Russii SF 2030 Spartak Moscow Prem'er Liga 1st Champions League Group Stage, Europa League 2nd KO Rd, Kubok Russii Winner 2031 Spartak Moscow Prem'er Liga 1st Champions League Group Stage, Europa League 1st KO Rd, Kubok Russii QF 2031/32 At. Madrid La Liga 4th Champions League Winner 2032/33 At. Madrid La Liga 2nd Champions League Last 16, Club World Cup Winners, Copa del Rey QF 2033/34 At. Madrid La Liga 1st Champions League Last 16, Copa del Rey RU 2034/35 At. Madrid La Liga 2nd Champions League QF, Copa del Rey Winner 2035/36 At. Madrid La Liga 1st Champions League Winner, Copa del Rey QF 2036/37 1.FC Köln Bundesliga 7th N/A 2037/38 1.FC Köln Bundesliga 8th DFB-Pokal Runner-Up 2038/39 1.FC Köln Bundesliga 3rd DFB-Pokal Winners, Europa League QF 2039/40 1.FC Köln Bundesliga 3rd DFB-Pokal Runner-Up, Champions League Group Stage, Europa League SF 2040/41 1.FC Köln Bundesliga 1st Champions League Last 16, DFB-Pokal Semi-Final International Career Season Team Achievements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Russia U21s Qualified for U21s European Championship via Playoff. 2023 Russia U21s Finished 4th in Group B at U21s Euros. Resigned. 2024 Belgium 2025 Belgium Finished 1st in Group 4. Qualified for World Cup. 2026 Belgium/England Reached 2nd Round at World Cup. Resigned. 2027 England 2028 England Reached Semi-Final at European Championship. 2029 England Finished 1st in Group 3. Qualified for World Cup. 2030 England Reached Quarter-Final at World Cup 2031 England Finished 1st in Group B. Qualified for European Championship. 2032 England European Championship Winner 2033 England Finished 1st in Group 5. Qualified for World Cup. 2034 England 3rd Place at World Cup 2035 2036 France 2037 France Finished 1st in Group 8. Qualified for World Cup. 2038 France World Cup Winner 2039 France Finished 1st in Group F. Qualified for European Championship. 2040 France Reached Quarter-Final at European Championship. Resigned. Manager Awards 2010/11 : None 2011/12 : Blue Square South Manager of the Month x 3 (February, March, April) 2012/13 : Blue Square Premier Manager of the Year 2013/14 : npower League 2 Manager of the Month (October) 2014/15 : npower League 2 Manager of the Month (March) 2015/16 : npower League 2 Manager of the Year, npower League 2 Manager of the Month (October) 2016/17 : None 2017/18 : npower League 1 Manager of the Month (August, October) 2018/19 : None 2019/20 : npower Championship Manager of the Month (December, February) 2020/21 : Barclays Premier League Manager of the Year 2021/22 : Barclays Premier League Manager of the Year (2nd Place) 2022/23 : None 2023/24 : Associazione Italiana Calciatori Miglior Allenatore 2024/25 : Associazione Italiana Calciatori Miglior Allenatore 2025/26 : Associazione Italiana Calciatori Miglior Allenatore (2nd Place) 2026 : None 2027 : None 2028 : None 2029 : Russian Manager of the Year (2nd Place) 2030 : Russian Manager of the Year 2031 : Russian Manager of the Year (2nd Place) 2031/32 : None 2032/33 : Premio Don Balon Mejor entrenador del ano (2nd Place) 2033/34 : Premio Don Balon Mejor entrenador del ano (2nd Place) 2034/35 : None 2035/36 : Premio Don Balon Mejor entrenador del ano (2nd Place) 2036/37 : None 2037/38 : None 2038/39 : Fußballtrainer des Jahres, Spielers Fußball-Trainer des Jahres 2039/40 : None 2040/41 : Fußballtrainer des Jahres, Spielers Fußball-Trainer des Jahres Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Roll of Honour World Cup Year Winners Runner-Up 3rd Place Hosts ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 Croatia Brazil Spain Brazil 2018 Brazil Russia Belgium Russia 2022 France Spain Portugal Qatar 2026 Brazil Spain Portugal Mexico 2030 Spain Brazil Italy Portugal 2034 Spain Argentina England China 2038 France Spain England USA European Championship Year Winners Runner-Up Hosts ---------------------------------------------------------- 2012 England Scotland Poland/Ukraine 2016 France Serbia France 2020 Germany England Spain 2024 Czech Rep Portugal Italy 2028 Spain Portugal England 2032 England Spain Germany 2036 Italy Turkey France 2040 Italy Portugal Spain Champions League Year Winners Runner-Up Hosts --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2011 Barcelona Real Madrid Wembley, London 2012 Inter Milan AC Milan Allianz-Arena, Munich 2013 Real Madrid Roma San Nicola, Bari 2014 Napoli Chelsea Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 2015 Man Utd Chelsea Guiseppe Meazza, Milan 2016 Man Utd Chelsea Olympiastadion, Berlin 2017 Real Madrid Arsenal Izmir Ataturk, Izmir 2018 Real Madrid Tottenham Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow 2019 Barcelona Stuttgart San Marnes Barria, Bilbao 2020 Sampdoria Inter Milan Swedbank Arena, Stockholm 2021 Man Utd Barcelona Delle Alpi, Turin 2022 Lyon Zenit Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels 2023 Man Utd Valencia Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam 2024 At. Madrid Man Utd Old Trafford, Manchester 2025 Tottenham Sampdoria Estadio de Madrid, Madrid 2026 At. Madrid Man City Stade Felix Bollaert, Lens 2027 Man Utd Lazio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid 2028 At. Madrid Zenit Sukru Saracoglu, Istanbul 2029 Real Madrid Man Utd Luzhniki, Moscow 2030 Lazio Marseille OAKA Spyros Louis, Athens 2031 Marseille Barcelona Estadio do Dragao, Porto 2032 At. Madrid Barcelona Aviva Stadium, Dublin 2033 Man Utd Marseille Hassler Arena, Koln 2034 Lyon Man Utd San Nicola, Bari 2035 Man Utd Arsenal Nuevo Mestalla, Valencia 2036 At. Madrid Man Utd Artemio Franchi, Florence 2037 Lazio Marseille Izmir Atatürk 2038 Man Utd Lazio Rostov-na-Donu, Rostov-na-Donu 2039 At. Madrid Marseille Emirates Stadium, London 2040 Marseille Man Utd Estadio Nacional, Lisbon 2041 Real Madrid Tottenham La Cartuja, Sevilla Europa League Year Winners Runner-Up Hosts ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2011 Palermo CSKA Moscow Aviva Stadium, Dublin 2012 At. Madrid Monaco National Arena, Bucharest 2013 AC Milan Monaco Gelredome, Arnham 2014 Sevilla Liverpool St. Jakobspark, Basel 2015 Villarreal Liverpool Camp Nou, Barcelona 2016 Inter Milan Tottenham Estadio Nacional, Lisbon 2017 Lazio Aston Villa Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund 2018 Lille St. Etienne San Paolo, Naples 2019 Liverpool Lazio St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton 2020 Man City Chelsea Bulgarska, Poznan 2021 AC Milan Inter Milan La Cartuja, Sevilla 2022 At. Madrid Schalke Victor Prokopenko Stadium, Odesa 2023 Sunderland Lazio Panathinaikos Arena, Athens 2024 Lyon Liverpool Saransk, Saransk 2025 Inter Milan Benfica Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul 2026 Chelsea Malaga Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus 2027 Dortmund Chelsea Delle Alpi, Turin 2028 Fiorentina Man Utd Stade Velodrome, Marseille 2029 Bari Palermo Cluj Arena, Cluj Napoca 2030 Tottenham Malaga ESPIRIT arena, Dusseldorf 2031 Chelsea Porto Turk Telekom Arena, Istanbul 2032 Man City Inter Milan Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 2033 Leverkusen Valencia Stade de France, Saint-Denis 2034 Chelsea Schalke FC Krasnodar, Krasnodar 2035 Malaga Fiorentina Parken, Copenhagen 2036 Liverpool Palermo Anfield, Liverpool 2037 Lyon Dortmund Yaroslavi, Yaroslavi 2038 Malaga Schalke De Kuip, Rotterdam 2039 Fiorentina Sunderland Villa Park, Birmingham 2040 Chelsea Lazio VELTINS-Arena, Gelsenkirchen 2041 Palermo FC Bayern Cassano Park, Genova Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
letissierandhenryaregreat Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 - My 2 local teams are Southampton and Portsmouth, so I would like an opportunity to manage at least one of these clubs at some point. Whatever you do, wherever you go, make sure you don't manage Portsmouth. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen...Go To Thurrock Mid-Season 2010/11 Thurrock F.C. are a semi-professional club playing in the Blue Square South. They were formed as Purfleet in 1985 but changed their name in 2003. Their best season saw them finish 3rd in the BSS in 2004/05. Home games are played at Ship Lane which has a capacity of 4500 (300 seated) and has basic corporate and training facilities, basic youth recruitment and minimal youth facilities. Currently there is only 27 season ticket holders. Here's the link for more detailed information about the club. After applying for all the available jobs on 01/01/2011, I received offers back from Thurrock and Solihull Moors. After the real life death of the Solihull manager, it didn't seem right to go there so I plumped for Thurrock instead and signed a 6-month PT contract on £475 p/w. Naturally there is no transfer budget and we are spending £2691 of our £2700 wage budget so there's not much flex there either. I take over a club who are sitting comfortably in mid-table, 10 points adrift of the playoffs and 9 points clear of the relegation zone. They had have already been knocked out of the cups prior to my appointment. My initial impressions are that mid-table is just about right for the club in its current state. My objectives for the rest of the season are: - Consolidate our position in the league, mid-table will do just fine for now. - Sort out the backroom staff. We currently have 2 assistants but no scouts. - Get the new scouts scouting for some talent. - Try to bring in a couple of frees to help shore up the defence that is currently the 2nd worse in the league. First game is at home to Dover on January 3rd so very little preparation time unfortunately. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luton Town Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Good luck with Thurrock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Whatever you do, wherever you go, make sure you don't manage Portsmouth. Well, I can't guarantee that, even though it would be unlikely I would manage both (we all know how it worked out with Harry!) Good luck with Thurrock. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock January/February 2011 Update After a spectacular start against Dover, we went through a very sticky patch with 0 wins in 5 games which included a 4-0 drubbing at home to Eastleigh. My initial impressions of the team were severely questioned after these results and part of me thought we could be dragged into the relegation dog fight. A tweak in tactics and my fears were alleviated after wins against Boreham Wood and promotion candidates Bromley. This left us back in 11th place, where we were when I started, still 11 points off the playoffs but now 13 points away from relegation. My record reads 4-2-3 after 9 games. Defence still wobbly too! Transfer wise, I have brought in 4 players on free transfers; a decent centre back, a full back who can play on both flanks, a versatile midfielder and tall striker. Finances are extremely tight, not helped by average gate of only 219. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GylfiAsCharged Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 A solid start, keep it up! And I see you lost to Welling, I'm managing them in my Journeyman career, it's a pretty fun league to manage in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
433tom Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Nice job getting things back to steady state. How many points are you off from a playoff spot now? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 A solid start, keep it up! And I see you lost to Welling, I'm managing them in my Journeyman career, it's a pretty fun league to manage in. Welling have done pretty well this season. They beat us twice on their way to 6th, missing out on the playoffs by a point. Nice job getting things back to steady state. How many points are you off from a playoff spot now? Miles off the playoffs, never really on the horizon tbh. Closest I ever got was 11 points away, improvements needed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock March/April 2011 Update The season run-in turned into a damp squib. Only 2 wins in 10 games is not impressive at all. I didn't expect much from the last 3 matches as they were against top 6 teams, but even still, the performances were poor and I am starting to question my team's commitment. Our home form is a big cause for concern as I have only won 2 games at Ship Lane since taking over. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Season 2010/11 Review Blue Square South - 15th League Table Position Graph Season Summary FA Cup - Knocked out before my arrival FA Carlsberg Trophy - Knocked out before my arrival After taking over a club in 11th position, I managed to make them worse and with a terrible run of results in April, 15th was probably as good as it was going to get. We finished 9 points clear of relegation but a considerable 17 points off the playoffs. Farnborough and Braintree were the teams who celebrated promotion, whereas Boreham Wood, St. Albans and Weston-Super-Mare were relegated. Finances- In summary, we're broke and losing money! Average Attendance - 231 Transfer Summary- 4 in, 5 out, all on frees. No specular purchases. Key Players - None. All equally average at the moment. Team of the Year Fans Player of the Year - Adam Gross (DL). His average rating of 7.03 says it all really! Review of Season Objectives - Consolidate our position in the league, mid-table will do just fine for now. Achieved. Even though we were never in danger of going down, our form was quite alarming towards the end of the season - Sort out the backroom staff. We currently have 2 assistants but no scouts. Achieved. Brought in 2 scouts but more work to do in the summer. - Get the new scouts scouting for some talent. Achieved. The 2 scouts have been scouring for talent across the UK and France, so can strengthen the team in the summer. - Try to bring in a couple of frees to help shore up the defence that is currently the 2nd worse in the league. Not Achieved. Brought in 2 defenders but still leaking goals when we shouldn't be. 5th worse defence is an improvement on the 2nd worse defence I inherited. The board seem reasonably happy and my job status is 'stable', so I've signed a 1 year extension on my contract still on £475 p/w. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Reasonable enough start. What's happened to the Berwick save? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Reasonable enough start.What's happened to the Berwick save? Having a little break from the Berwick save as my enjoyment was starting to wane after 16 seasons. Normally, I would change clubs when this happens, but that isn't really an option in this case. Will still do an odd season/update now and again though but the progress will be slower. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Pre Season 2011/12 Board Expectations Blue Square South - Safe mid-table position Media Prediction - 17th Title Odds - 40-1 FA Cup - 4th Qualifying Round FA Carlsberg Trophy - 1st Round Transfer Budget: £0 Wage Budget: £2.7k p/w (currently £2681 p/w) Facilities - Unchanged on last season Season Ticket Sales - 27 (Down 1) Youth Intake - Cack! Transfer Summary 11 transfer in, 12 out, all on frees. Backroom staff also shaken up with a new Ass Man coming in, a new coach, a scout and a physio. Notable Transfers - Eugene Kangulungu - Former DR Congo international, at 35 is now past his back but I hope his experience will be invaluable as I try to shore up our defence. Should be a threat at set-pieces too. - Matias Chiacchio - Argentine striker with a bit of a bad injury record. If I can keep him fit, he should be a class act in this league. - Cristian Peruchini - Another Argentine who plays in the hole. Another player who is more than decent for this level. - Ryan Doble - Versatile young Welshman. Has good physical stats for his age. Should improve over a couple of seasons and will probably play league football at some stage. - Karim Chatilla - Has 1 cap for Canada, this strong MC should help strengthen the core of the team. My objectives for the season: - Consolidate our status in the BSS, a top half position would be very satisfactory. With the media predicting us to finish 17th, we will do well to avoid being drawn into the relegation dogfight. - Tighten the defence. I'd prefer to win matches 1-0 rather than 4-2. A change in formation to 4-4-1-1 should make us harder to break down. - A decent cup run would really help the finances which are seriously in the red now. - Continue to look for bargains in the transfer market. Will only buy players that majorly improve upon what I've already got as wage budget is near enough maxed-out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luton Town Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Good luck this season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Autumn 2011 Update We started shakily with 3 games without a win but then the new players and new formation started to gel and we started to pick up results against teams of a higher standing. Confidence in the team started to grow and we find ourselves in a good position going into the winter period. The league is very congested at the top of the table and we are only a couple of wins off the playoffs, so things are looking positive at the moment. We've also made it to the 1st Round of the FA Cup where we will face Gillingham at home. This will generate some much needed income. On a downside, our strength in depth is worryingly lacking. My concerns about Chiacchio's fitness were proven as it appears he is made of cheese, having only started 4 games since his arrival having suffered with a sprained ankle, groin strain and brusied thigh. Also, my new ML, Aziz Mady-Mogne, played 5 games before breaking his foot and will miss 5-6 months of action. Apart from these two, the new signings have all settled quite well so far! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Winter 2011/12 Update Despite December being a rocky month, we came out the other side in a very respectable position and right in the mix to fight for a play-off place. The weeks of playing Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday are virtually over, which will be a great relief to my squad, as their fitness is in serious decline. Even with 2 days rest after a game, I was starting players on 85% fitness which meant they would be knackered by half time. A couple of new signings joined us in January, a DC and a FC, who both signed on for cheap wages and will provide me with a first team squad of 21 players for the run-in. The highlight of this period was the remarkable 1-0 win over Gillingham in the FA Cup 1st Round. We really shouldn't have had a chance against the League 1 opposition, however, they didn't play very well and we managed to knick a goal on the counter attack and then clung on for dear life! Luton put pay to us in the next round but this was enough to improve the bank balance slightly and increase my reputation up to 'regional'. It is also worth noting that the 52 points we have already this season is the same amount that we finished the previous season on. Hopefully this, and the cup run, will be enough for the board to extend my contract which is due to expire at the end of the season. I've been dropping hints! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Spring 2012 Update An unbelievable run of games saw us go unbeaten from the 2nd of January, which included a league and club record of 16 wins in a row. Everything just seemed to click at the right time with every player contributing to the team's performance, and this was good enough to win me Manager of the Month for both February and March. This run of form catapulted us up into the title race along side Dover. However, they were unstoppable too, and having scored over 100 goals, they deserved to secure automatic promotion more than we did. So we're off to the playoffs and I'm feeling quietly confident. If we can continue our run of form, we will certainly have a good chance of going up, and even if we don't, it's still been an amazing season for the club. A point of note is that last season 76 points was enough to guarantee promotion as champions. This year 76 points would have been only good enough for 7th place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfreeman Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Nice run. GL in the playoffs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSpurs94 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 If you'd beaten Hampton and Richmond, you would of won the league by one point Good luck in the play-offs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 Nice run. GL in the playoffs. If you'd beaten Hampton and Richmond, you would of won the league by one point Good luck in the play-offs Cheers Playoff update coming up... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock BSS Playoffs 2012 Update We did it! In the semi-final we completely battered Bishop's Stortford in the first leg to take a 4 goal advantage back to Ship Lane. We played out a meaningless 1-1 draw but my dopey left back decided to get himself sent-off and would miss the final. The BSS Playoff Final is not played at a neutral ground, it is hosted by the highest finishing team. This played out in our favour as we had finish 2nd, however I was not going to take Ebsfleet for granted as they had finish 3rd. The media were backing Ebsfleet too, so I expected a tight game. We completely dominated from the whistle, so I was extremely angry when we gifted them a goal after 38 mins. Chatilla redeemed himself for his own goal, as he was the player who won the penalty which provided us the equaliser. We scored within 5 minutes of the break and survived a nervy final half hour where Ebsfleet never really got close to equalising but we couldn't kill off the game with a 3rd goal. For the first time in history, Thurrock F.C. will be in the Blue Square Premier next season! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle ron Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Well done on the play-offs victory. A great end to your first season at Thurrock Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Season 2011/12 Review Blue Square South - 2nd (Promoted via Playoffs). A club record high. League Table Position Graph Season Summary FA Cup - 2nd Round FA Carlsberg Trophy - 1st Round A great season in which we achieved more than I could have ever hoped for. Getting promoted was never on the cards at the beginning of the season but once we started gathering momentum, we grew stronger and stronger. 23 games in a row unbeaten is a big achievement for a club of this stature and the players must be credited for pulling together and driving forward as a unit. The cup victory over Gillingham proved what a plucky side I am building and the board have recognised the achievement by extending my contract for another season. Meanwhile, it was heartache for Sutton Utd, Tiverton and Kingstonian as they were relegated out of the BSS. Finances - Only made a small loss this season helped by the cup run but still a mess! Average Attendance - 560 (A club record 2709 saw the playoff final) Transfer Summary - Major activity over the season with 16 coming in and 18 players leaving us. Once again all free transfers. Key Players - - Cristian Peruchini - Played in 'the hole' and had an excellent season. 13 assists and 17 goals showed how well he linked up with compatriot Chiacchio. - Matias Chiacchio - 'Mr Sicknote' proved his worth when he wasn't on the treatment table. Our league topscorer with 17 goals in 34 games. - David Hutton - Great performances from the right side of midfield. 24 assists and 11 goals from our set-piece specialist. Team of the Year- Couldn't have chosen better myself! Fans Player of the Year - Cristian Peruchini Review of Season Objectives - Consolidate our status in the BSS, a top half position would be very satisfactory. With the media predicting us to finish 17th, we will do well to avoid being drawn into the relegation dogfight. Achieved. More than surpassed this objective with an unexpected promotion. - Tighten the defence. I'd prefer to win matches 1-0 rather than 4-2. A change in formation to 4-4-1-1 should make us harder to break down. Achieved. 34 goals conceded in the league meant we had the second tightest defence behind Dover. Surely will be tested further in the BSP. - A decent cup run would really help the finances which are seriously in the red now. Achieved. The cup run happened, but we still didn't quite breakeven over the course of the season. I'm not sure what else I can do here! - Continue to look for bargains in the transfer market. Will only buy players that majorly improve upon what I've already got as wage budget is near enough maxed-out. Achieved. My scouts did a great job and uncovered a few gems who could and should play at a higher level. The team feels like 'my team' now as the first choice 11 are all players I have signed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 Well done on the play-offs victory. A great end to your first season at Thurrock Thanks uncle ron Really satisfying to see the progress we made this season, hope we can hack in the BSP! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Well done cheap man's AK47. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Euro 2012 Update Hosts: Poland & Ukraine Holders: Spain In what was a tremendous tournament for the Home Nations, England went on to beat Scotland 4-1 in the final, with Wayne Rooney getting a hat-trick (we can only dream it will happen IRL ). Even Ireland made it to the QF too!Shock results saw Serbia knockout Spain in the Quarter-Finals, and France and Holland fail to make it out of their respective groups. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Pre Season 2012/13 Board Expectations Blue Square Premier - Fight bravely against relegation Media Prediction - 24th Title Odds - 33-1 FA Cup - 1st Round FA Carlsberg Trophy - 2nd Round Transfer Budget: £0 Wage Budget: £3.8k p/w (currently £2883 p/w) Facilities - No improvements, the pitch is getting worse though! Season Ticket Sales - 52 (+26) Youth Intake - No-one of note Transfer Summary - All free transfer, 8 come in, 4 leave us. 4 new scouts join us too. Notable Transfers - Junior Miranda - An experience Brazilian midfielder. Great physical stats and my scouts think he's good enough for League One. Hopefully will adapt to life in Thurrock. - Chris Holroyd - Will be Chiacchio back-up. Released from Brighton but is good enough for this level. - Joan Angel Roman - 19 year old centre midfielder, released from Man City. Once again good physical stats so should do well in this league. - Kuami Agboh - I needed a back-up left back and this former Togo international was going for a free. He's 34 now but I won't expect him to play every game anyway. My objectives for the season: - Survival! I hope we don't find ourselves completely out of our depth but we are a very small club in comparison with the other teams in the league. If we can do well against some of the other small clubs we may do well enough to get a lower mid-table finish. - Keep improving the squad. My scouts can now scout the whole of Europe so I've sent them off to see what they can find. Any player who can improve matters will be brought in as long as their wage demands are realistic. - Improve the finances. Still in the red. Might have to consider robbing a bank if we don't get some investment from somewhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Autumn 2012 Update We started well with 4 wins in our first 6 matches which included a convincing 4-1 win over Altrincham. Then of course, my 38 year old first choice goalkeeper, Joel Eboue, gets injured in training and will miss 5/6 months with a broken pelvis (he has since announced his pending retirement at the end of the season too). His back-up, Joe Woolley, came in for the game against Newport County and concedes six! I went out in a panic and signed the first half-decent 'keeper my scouts recommended. Jamal Blackman was the lucky man, released from Chelsea and only 19 but has kept a couple of clean sheets since. Needless to say, Woolley is now very much transfer-listed and is fourth choice now behind Eboue, Blackman and my Mum. League-wise it is quite close, 4 points off the play-offs, 8 points clear of the relegation zone. I'd be happy to stay around the mid-table point for the rest of the season and try and sort out our leaky defence. It could be worse considering bottom side Kidderminster only have 1 point from their 17 games so far No cup giant-killing this season either but we did make a game of it against Crewe at least. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luton Town Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Well done on your start in the Blue Square Prem Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Cheers Luton Town Still doing ok but just had this pop up. (Game date: 03/01/2013) Stockport are a much bigger club. They are professional and have a wage budget 4 times bigger than what I can spend at Thurrock. They were predicted to finish 2nd in the BSP this season but are having a shocker and currently sit 18th, only 4 points above the relegation zone and 12 points behind Thurrock at the moment, where we're sitting 10th but just 1 point off 5th and the playoffs. Not sure what to do at the moment, saved the game and going to think about it while I have my lunch! I'm doing well at Thurrock still but I can see a bigger long term future at Stockport if I can keep them up which is possible as we have 20 league matches still to play. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Decided to stay put with Thurrock for the time being. Stockport is a good opportunity but I think I owe to Thurrock to at least see out the season and guarentee them BSP status for another year. I'm being linked with a few other League 2/BSP teams so might have to make further decisions in the summer. My loyalty has been rewarded with a 5-2 win over Crawley in the first match since rejecting Stockport! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luton Town Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Im my opinion a good decision. In real life if Stockport do down i can't see them going back into the league any time soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfreeman Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I'm glad you decided to stay Thurrock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Thanks guys, hopefully I won't live to regret it! Stockport ended up appointing some bloke called Mike Walsh who's last managerial post was with Barrow in 1996! Scraping the 'Barrow' springs to mind... groan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
433tom Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Stockport ended up appointing some bloke called Mike Walsh who's last managerial post was with Barrow in 1996! Scraping the 'Barrow' springs to mind... groan And you were his competition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Never thought of it like that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Winter 2012/13 Update After resisting the alluring advances from Stockport, I'm pretty certain I've made the right decision to stay at Ship Lane. We've continued our steady progress throughout the season and sit in the pounds seat as the season run-in starts. The table is mighty close, so any slip-ups could drop us back into mid-table which would still be acceptable by the board but I think we could do better than that. Newport look like running away with the league and I reckon Lincoln will take 2nd but 3rd-5th are certainly up for grabs. In Kidderminster news, they are now up and running with wins over Barrow and AFC Telford, but alas, it looks like they've left it too late as they are 25 points away from safety!! Defensively we are still looking frail at times, and we're not particularly competant at defending set-pieces either. A slight concern that I will look to address in the summer. Our star turn so far has to be Junior Miranda. He's got 20 goals and 13 assists and everytime he plays well, we win. Unfortunately, we may have turned into a 1 man team, he's that good (or the rest are that bad!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.W.G Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Looking good so far, hope your loyalty to Thurrock rewards you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luton Town Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Good luck hope you make the playoffs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Looking good so far, hope your loyalty to Thurrock rewards you Fingers crossed. Definitely staying until the end of season even though my name's being banded around for sorts of jobs at the moment. Good luck hope you make the playoffs Hopefully, but it's too close to call at the moment. Even if we do make it, it won't be as straightforwards as last season's was. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Spring 2013 Update An absolutely amazing end to the season. We hit a great run of form through February and into March which catapulted us on to the back of Lincoln and runaway leaders Newport County. I thought the defeat against relegation-troubled Barrow would rule us of the race for automatic promotion and we would have to face the roulette wheel of the playoffs, but Newport and Lincoln had other ideas. Lincoln only won 9 points from their last 5 games and Newport completely bottled-it when it mattered most. At one stage they had an eight point advantage at the top but their last 5 matches saw them only earn 2 points (the 2nd worst record in the league) and surely their morale has been damaged so much that a playoff victory will now be unlikely. I'm not sure if we deserved to win the league, 11 defeats and 60 goals conceded showed we weren't infallible, and in the previous 2 seasons, 90+ points were needed to go up automatically. However, the table doesn't lie, and even though we didn't lead the table until after 45 games, we were in the right place at the right time. Remember Stockport? No? Neither do I .... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luton Town Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Loyalty is the key Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfreeman Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Congratulations:thup: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.W.G Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Congrats on promotion Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock Season 2012/13 Review Blue Square Premier - 1st Champions. A club record high. League Table Position Graph Season Summary FA Cup - 1st Round FA Carlsberg Trophy - 3rd Round A great achievement by the team to earn a totally unexpected promotion. Clinching it on the final day made it an even sweeter but I'm still not quite sure how we did it! However, it was enough to ensure I picked up Manager of the Year, even though I never won any of the monthly awards this season. Lincoln won the playoffs and will join us in League 2, whereas Alfreton, Dover, Braintree and Kidderminster all got relegated. The Harriers finished bottom with 23 points so they made a slight recovery, it could have been a lot worse for them! No cup runs for us this season but I'm not bothered, I'm much more satisfied with the BSP Trophy! Finances - Brassic! Made a loss of £41k this year.Average Attendance - 605 (up 45) Transfer Summary - A fair bit of activity over the season but still no money spent or received. Key Players - Junior Miranda - One of the best buys I have ever made on any FM. I'm always a bit dubious of bringing Brazilian's to the UK as they don't always settle but this guy was different! He made an instant impact and tore away the opposition in most matches. He plays in the hole and is equally adept at linking midfield and attack as he is at bombing forward to arrive late in the box. Quite rightly won BSP Player of the Year with 28 goals and 16 assists, and I think I might love him a bit! Unfortunately, he's just turned 31 so his playing days are numbered but I'm sure he'll become a club legend in the years to come. Joe Jones - A big presence in defence. Still has a lot of learning and improving to do but I reckon he'll make the step up to League 2. He's only 20 and showing great potential so some clubs might start sniffing around soon. Team of the Year - Dominated by Junior Miranda, but that's the way it was! Overall Best XI - Karim Chatilla stands out as he has made 100 appearances for the club now. Fans Player of the Year - Junior Miranda (obviously!) Review of Season Objectives My objectives for the season: - Survival! I hope we don't find ourselves completely out of our depth but we are a very small club in comparison with the other teams in the league. If we can do well against some of the other small clubs we may do well enough to get a lower mid-table finish. Achieved. We did better than survive! There were times that I couldn't believe how well we were playing but I'm sure it'll be a lot tougher in League 2. - Keep improving the squad. My scouts can now scout the whole of Europe so I've sent them off to see what they can find. Any player who can improve matters will be brought in as long as their wage demands are realistic. Achieved. The scouts excelled themselves this season. Unearthing a player like Junior Miranda made the difference this season as he carried the team by himself at times. Will need to continue this talent-spotting over the summer. - Improve the finances. Still in the red. Might have to consider robbing a bank if we don't get some investment from somewhere. Not achieved. Getting worse! All I can hope for is bigger attendance next season. I've signed a 2 year contract extension on £700 p/w but I know that I have probably taken Thurrock as far as they can go, so I will be looking to leave after a season or two. However, my chairman is ecstatic and I've got great job security, so I'm definitely going to give League 2 a good go as I owe it to the fans and I really want to see if Junior Miranda can have the same effect in a higher division. Season Team League League Finish Cups ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2010/11 Thurrock F.C. Blue Square South 15th N/A 2011/12 Thurrock F.C. Blue Square South 2nd FA Cup 2nd Round, FA Trophy 1st Round 2012/13 Thurrock F.C. Blue Square Premier 1st FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 3rd Round Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luton Town Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Must be the lowest average attendance to win the BSP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 Loyalty is the key Thankfully it paid off and I made the right decision. Stockport recovered well though, and nearly made the playoffs. Congratulations:thup: Congrats on promotion Thanks for the comments. Back-to-back promotions was unlikely. I can't see back-to-back-to-back happening though Must be the lowest average attendance to win the BSP That's what I thought too. We had the lowest average attendance in the league as some of the mid-table teams were getting over 2000 a game (Cambridge, Wrexham, Mansfield). Hopefully we will get some more bums on seats next season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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