FM10 Kettering Town - Let's show the big guns!

[Striker475]

Kettering Town Football Club are a football club based in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08. The team play their home fixtures at Rockingham Road. They usually play in red, white, and black, and their main local rivals are Rushden & Diamonds. The team's nickname is "The Poppies".

A History:

Kettering Town were originally formed in 1872, turning professional in 1891. The club graduated through twelve different leagues from 1892 until they became founding members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979. The club maintained its status in the top flight of semi-professional football until the 2000-01 season.

Kettering have consistently featured in the Conference National for long periods of time, returning once again in 2008-09 after winning the Conference North in '08. However, they have never been promoted, despite often finishing in the top 5 in the conference.

Financial Situation

Transfer Budget: £20,000

Wage Budget: £10,000 (approx)

Look, you're not bleeding money. The £175k transfer of Exodus Geongham goes through on 1.1.2010 (in 10.2) and this brings in cash to almost guarantee you have a profit.

Stadium and Facilities

Rockingham Road

Capacity: 6100 (1100 Seats)

Rent: 17% of gate receipts

Training Facilities: Adequate

Youth Facilities: Basic

Staff

Manager: You?

Physio: Jimmy Davidson

Virtually no backroom to speak of. One tip - Glyn Chamberlain is a good scout to bring in. Other than that, all my signings were regens.

Squad

GK Lee Harper

DRC Alton Thelwell

DRC John Dempster

DRLC Greg Taylor

DL James Jennings

DC Ian Roper

DRC John Dempster

DRC, DM, MC Patrick Noubissé

DM, MC Darren Wrack

DM, MC André Boucard

DM, MC Lee Fowler

AML Danny Thomas

AMRL, ST Jean-Paul Marna

AMR, ST Francis Green

ST Damien Spencer

ST Moses Ashikodi

Squad Analysis

Okay, Kettering can't splash the cash like Luton. So loans are the way to go...choose wisely and you'll do well.

Keepers

Lee Fowler - Your only 'keeper, and at 37 should potentially be looking to move on anyway. Bringing in something would be a priority.

Recommended Signing - Robert Beckwith

Backup - Lee Fowler

Left-back

James Jennings - Once again, you're short of cover. Jennings is okay, but you're probably better off finding something. Scout around and you may. One I found was Robbie Threlfell out of Liverpool's reserve team - not bad, considering the level, plus he's ok for corners.

Recommended - New player?

Backup - James Jennings

Centre-back

John Dempster - Probably your best CB. He does have a habit for getting red-carded though so be careful.

Patrick Noubisse - He's fair talented, Patrick. I like his stats at CB, although he's a natural DM and can cover MC. He can certainly slot into either role though, but with 3 MCs he is better off here.

Ian Roper - Decent backup, nothing more.

Recommended - Stick with what you have - Dempster and Noubisse.

Right-back

Alton Thelwell - Once again, not a natural, but he'll do. Other areas are more pressing. Plus Dempster and Noubisse can cover here.

Recommended - Thelwell. Keep it simple.

Left-Mid

Danny Thomas - A new signing, Danny joined Kettering at the start of the season so you'll be hard pressed to get rid of him anyway. But he's the recommended choice at ML.

Jean-Paul Marna - Marna can play left or right as well as striker, so he's decent cover.

Recommended - Once again, leave it. Thomas with Marna as cover.

Centre-Mid

Andre Boucard - The Trinidad and Tobago midfielder is the best in your squad. Not bad for the level at all.

Lee Fowler - The Welshman is not bad off the free kick, and is generally decent.

Darren Wrack - He's old, but he ain't crocked. Decent technical stats combined with fairly good mental stats for the level are worth iit.

Recommended - You could do with a dose of creativity here. I'd play Boucard with a loanee - such as Tomasz Cywka from Wigan.

Right-mid

Francis Green - He's fairly crap technically, but physically ok.

Jean-Paul Marna - And he ain't much better.

Recommended - Find someone new for here. Ashley Chambers from Leicester is pretty good, although a natural striker by the time I had him he had acquired the RM skill.

Strikers

Moses Ashikodi - Only good for his penalty-taking and his speed...he can get past em, but putting it in the net is another thing entirely.

Damien Spencer - A decent targetman with good physical stats...suffers from the same problems as Ashikodi on the ground though.

Recommended - Definitely need someone who can score. I recommend Yannick Chevalier, 22-year-old Frenchman who at least has some composure in front of goal.

Formation

Look, there's options here. I played a 4-1-2-1-2, but you most certainly have the backing to play a 4-4-2 or even a 4-3-3 with two wingers, but you definitely need a classy striker for that.

My formation was (with signings):

4-1-2-1-2

Beckwith

Thelwell - Noubissé - Dempster - Threlfell/Jennings

Wrack/Boucard

Norwood/Fowler - Bozanic

Cywka/Green (retrained)

Chambers - Chevalier/Spencer

The base, however, would have to be a 4-4-2, starring:

Harper

Thelwell - Noubissé - Dempster - Jennings

Green - Wrack - Boucard - Thomas

Spencer - Ashikodi

With a few key signings you can certainly take on the best of the best. Oxford, Luton, Cambridge, you can take them all!

[TacticalGenius]

Been thinking of managing Kettering, as I'm reading '39 Days of Gazza' and it has got me thinking about trying the same 'Total Football at a non-league club' idea that Paul Gascoigne tried (and failed) to implement...

[StarManJ]

Very good OP

[TacticalGenius]

Gazza is back at Kettering!!! First signing: Paul Davis, (assistant manager) who was with him the first time round!!!

Should be interesting at Kettering. Struggling, even in the friendlies. What a crap team I've inherited!!! They're more a BSS/BSN team than a mid table BSP side (as predicted) Oh well. £20k to spend, and around £500 in the wage budget means a lot of wheeling and dealing to be done...