FM14: The Skrill Premier, North & South thread

[Jogo Bonito]

A tip for you - after youth intake date comes and goes, scroll through every Conference North/South team. If they have they received a hot prospect, they will invariably be listed as the club's "key player". I've shortlisted a lot of prospects this way.

I'm trying to bring in 'real' youngsters but will see what my annual youth intake will be, and see if any are worth keeping. I can't imagine having any transfer funds for a few seasons, so don't think shortlisting hot prospects from anybody else will help me out.

You're squad seems quite similar to mine - nobody worth £30k, and mainly home grown. You're doing very well to sit in 2nd spot, I'm nowhere near that high - although did peak at 7th for a brief while. I'll get my update to the end of December sorted very soon.

[Deicide]

Hey lads, I'm thinking of starting a save in the Skrill Premier or Skrill North/South. And I've now narrowed it down to 4 clubs, them being Forest Green, Ebbsfleet United, Chester or Boston United. What leagues do you recommend to load? I was thinking of loading the top four, plus Ireland, N. Ireland, Iceland, Wales and Iceland. The thinking being I would have more regens to choose from since I'm pretty bad at this.

The lowest level I've managed is League One with Crewe and that was with large database, 16 different leagues loaded with 80,000 players if that helps.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

[Jogo Bonito]

Hey lads, I'm thinking of starting a save in the Skrill Premier or Skrill North/South. And I've now narrowed it down to 4 clubs, them being Forest Green, Ebbsfleet United, Chester or Boston United. What leagues do you recommend to load? I was thinking of loading the top four, plus Ireland, N. Ireland, Iceland, Wales and Iceland. The thinking being I would have more regens to choose from since I'm pretty bad at this.

The lowest level I've managed is League One with Crewe and that was with large database, 16 different leagues loaded with 80,000 players if that helps.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

CityAndColour will probably suggest FGR as he's a fan of theirs. Ebbsfleet have a bit of cash behind them, I don't know much about the merits of the other two currently.

Personally, I only ever load the leagues of the country I play in, to avoid clogging up the game with all those news items from countries I won't manage in. However, I always go for a customised 'large' database and pick 'top flight players' from certain countries or regions that I think I may be interested in signing from. Also, I load all players of British and Irish nationality when starting at L1 level or below. I think I have 101,000 players, but that includes all players of African nationality, which you really wouldn't probably need or want in the Skrill leagues as WP prevents most from being eligible.

Good luck however you do it, and with the team you select. It will be good to see a few more managers at this level.

[CityAndColour]

I usually load all home nations. And surprisingly I'd go Boston United out of those four.

[Jogo Bonito]

I've progressed to the end of December (season 1) at Hereford. Things have gone quite well, although our current position of 7th (38 points from 26 games) makes us look better than we actually are. That's probably not the case in the eyes of Wrexham fans though, after we demolished them 6-0 at their place. We couldn't see off Plymouth in our FA Cup replay, although losing on penalties showed we put up a good fight. We're also doing well in the FA Trophy so far, but face a tricky tie at Alfreton in Round 3.

Vences Bola has been in good form as my main striker, and now has 16 goals (14 in the league). He's just been ruled out for three weeks with an injury though, and will be a big loss. In the last couple of months I've settled in to a 442 formation, and we certainly seem to create and score easier now. Danny Pilkington's goal return is slightly flattering as he keeps blasting home long range free kick's. It has tempted me to offer him a new contract though.

The only addition prior to the winter window was the loan of Scunthorpe striker Matt Godden. He arrived for three months at the end of October, but has been pretty average. I've renewed contracts on most of my first team players now, except defender Rod McDonald who won't accept a new deal on the same wage. I've got about 10 players that I'm allowing to leave when their contracts expire at the end of the season, but so far there are no takers for them on free transfers - I'd love to get their wages off the books early. As it stands, I'm operating a first team squad of 20 at the moment, having moved about eight players in to my dormant U21 squad. But New Years Day sees two more incoming transfers...

Former Reading, Wycombe and Aldershot goalkeeper Jamie Young arrives from Hayes & Yeading, and will hopefully impress with the gloves. My quest for a reliable (and ready) second striker continues, and the next man to have the chance to grab that spot is Marcel Henry-Francis, a young forward who was at Dulwich Hamlet. Both of these players had been on NC terms, hence agreeing to the modest wages we could offer them.

[CityAndColour]

You had Bola and Henry-Francis on one of your FL games, didn't you?

[Jogo Bonito]

Yeah, I took them to Leyton Orient in version 14.2 but they were only Development squad players. This time I am hoping they will be at the right level - the early signs are good.

I'm in the January transfer window and have managed to sell one player (for the massive sum of £3.5k!!), release one, and loan a few out. That means I can try and bring in a couple more. The league is really tight, we could make the play-off's or end up in the relegation zone. One win (or loss) can move me up or down about 8 places.

[CityAndColour]

Top ten would be a terrific result in the first season with Hereford's squad. Who are your January targets?

With four to play we are almost certainly going to finish 2nd or 3rd, which is a fine result in our first Conference Prem season. Barnet have run away with the title, but we are nine points clear of 4th and 5th. Forbes has been phenomenal as an advanced playmaker, and January signing Barry Corr has provided some real class up top.

[Jogo Bonito]

Yeah, I would have snapped your hand off for a top half finish when I saw what I started with. I've passed the January deadline now, and got one of my two main targets in via p/ex (two of my players went the other way). I think this new player will become my best player, so I'm delighted to get it done. The other target would have been excellent too, as he has scored plenty in our league for a rival club. Again it was a two-for-one part exchange deal, and one of my 'unwanted' refused the contract offered, so the deal fell through on deadline day. I'm a little oversubscribed in the striker department now, as I got another one in on loan from League 2, but the squad is shaping up quite well. My new 'keeper hasn't been able to play yet (injured and then cup-tied) but hopefully now he can prove his worth. I'll pop up my transfer dealings and progress soon.

You're doing great with H&W in your first season at that level, it shows what can be achieved because we are probably at similar clubs - if you overlook our FL history. Good luck with your run-in, and play-off fixtures.

[CityAndColour]

Unfortunately I deleted my old Havant save, which I would have liked to go back to. In that I'd just been promoted to League One and my two centre halves, DLP and attacking mid were all academy products, while my striker was a youngster I'd poached from Woking and developed nicely.

[CityAndColour]

Unfortunately our journey ended in the playoff semis to Halifax. So it's at least another season in non league football.

The board have also promised to look into turning full time next season too, but it remains to be seen if that will happen.

On a positive note, Kieron Forbes won the divisional player of the season award with 11 goals and 15 assists.

[Jogo Bonito]

Unlucky on your play-off loss with Havant & Waterlooville, but an excellent campaign for your team anyway - and very good returns from Forbes.

I've reached the end of February in my first season at cash-strapped Hereford. The transfer window saw me add a few more players, including Guernsey striker Ross Allen, who was surprisingly allowed to leave on a free after months of negotiations on p/ex deals had fallen through. Dominic Knowles came on a short-term loan when Godden's finished, but he only added a solitary goal in nine matches before a broken foot ended his season. My most satisfying transfer was the p/ex deal for Ross Gaynor, who can play anywhere down the left and will become a real star at this level. With no cash to spend, getting him for free and shifting two unwanted players off the books at the same time was a dream scenario. I have also just added young Charlton centre-back Harry Lennon to the squad. He arrived with an injury so has yet to feature (and is cup-tied) but should be good quality for the Skrill Premier.

One target that got away was Ross Lafayette. The Welling striker has been a regular scorer for his club, and had agreed to join on a p/ex deal. Unfortunately, one of the two players going in return (Bush) rejected his contract and the deal fell through on deadline day. The other player due to depart (Rankine), therefore has to stick around until the summer as nobody else was crazy enough to want him.

Leaving the club in a productive month was my number one 'keeper, Rhys Evans, as we needed the cash before his contract expired. I had already found a replacement in Young, although my reserve 'keeper (Lloyd-Weston) has had to play all Cup games since then as my new man is cup-tied. I loaned out reserve players Edwards, Walker, Brown and Edge - their new clubs are paying 50% of their wages (100% in Edge's case) - whilst Sharp moved on for free. None of these players had (or would) ever play a game for me, so it was useful to reduce the wage bill. Alex Darlington hadn't really done much since signing, so was used as a makeweight along with Artus (another unwanted reserve player) in order to recruit Gaynor. The final mention goes to Jordan Palmer-Samuels, who is young and may have a future - but needed game time away.

I'm very happy with the results of the team. We've had the odd battering and disappointing defeats in the league, but we have also produced some excellent results along the way. The performances in the FA Trophy have been very satisfying, although we needed a couple of replays before a solid semi-final win against Macclesfield over two legs. We will soon play Chester in the FA Trophy Final, but regardless of the result, the cash generated from that run has been invaluable with our rocky finances.

On that note, a new contract given to Danny Pilkington when he was on three league goals just came back to haunt me. After beginning to score more regularly, I became aware that he needed just one more league goal for his 10th of the season - which would earn him another £5k bonus. On learning this, I started to leave him out of my league side, using him in Cup matches only. But a mini injury crisis dictated his selection against Dartford in our last outing, and he went and banged a hat-trick. A real bittersweet moment for the club indeed, but an excellent return from a right midfielder. I can't talk about goals without mentioning again Vences Bola, who has 17 from 32 in the league and 21 from 39(2) in all competitions so far.

The league table shows how tight it is still. We have 51 points and sit in 8th, but really could finish anywhere from 3rd (currently 55 points) to 21st (currently 41 points). A placing of 21st would put is in the relegation zone, but I'm confident we have more than enough points to avoid that situation.

[CityAndColour]

Great season. I had Lennon in a previous save with Alfreton, and he was still starting for me in the Championship. I also had Knowles with Guiseley and he tore up that level.

Have started the new season and have run into a problem signing players, with no one of much quality even willing to discuss terms. So our squad certainly hasn't improved, although we've added some former EPL experience with Darius Vassell and James Harper.

[Jogo Bonito]

Knowles didn't really make an impact, certainly not as much as his stats would suggest. Luckily my other strikers (when fit) are supporting Bola nicely now. Hopefully Lennon will live up to his potential for me.

What kind of wages can you offer? Vassell and Harper certainly will bring some experience, maybe not much else these days? Hopefully you can bring one or two more decent players in.

[CityAndColour]

Well, I've actually moved clubs. 3rd-placed Chesterfield offered me a job at the start of September with the requirement of winning the league. It's risky, but they're full time and have a wage budget nearly three times when I had to H&W. Bloated squad however so looking forward to January.

I could offer a maximum of £625 pw with Havant fwiw, as opposed to £2K with Chesterfield.

[Jogo Bonito]

Your £625 p/w was about the same as me, after I asked for some more leverage on wages in my new contract offer.

I've often been tempted to start at Chesterfield, but was put off by their slow backline. The original midfield is very strong (if many of them remain for you), and I'm always confident of finding and signing good strikers, but the slow defence really doesn't appeal. The fact that the place is a bit of a dive (new stadium excepted) didn't help their cause.

Just to clarify, they're 3rd place in which league?

[CityAndColour]

The Conference, so same league. This is fourth season so I'm inheriting a squad that is quite different from their starting one, although the one and only Richie Humphries is still a key figure.

I've gotten rid of a few and signed Ed Oshodi on a free so far, and waiting until January when I can organise more departures.

[Jogo Bonito]

Blimey, a big fish in a small pond then. A great opportunity to revive them.

[Jogo Bonito]

I've completed season 1 and don't really know what to say. Taking over a club with a poor squad and financial woes, I fully expected (and actually hoped for) a season or two of stability in the Skrill Premier, before hopefully regaining a place in League 2.

Early signs were that this level of ambition was about right. I needed a mass clearout and initial results reflected our weaknesses. However, thanks to some modest but fairly good transfer business, things began to pick up. Once some momentum had been gained, consistency improved, and we even began to consider a play-off spot.

A good run in the FA Trophy saw us claim an unlikely trophy at Wembley, beating Chester in the final. I thought this alone was more than acceptable for a first season, but the success only seemed to drive the team on further. We began to play well enough to hold our position in the top five, and a couple of weeks before the end of the regular season, we hit the lofty heights of 3rd. As others around us dropped points, we managed to keep that standing until the end and booked a play-off spot.

A Semi Final victory over Alfreton followed, with a convincing 6-3 aggregate scoreline. The 3-3 draw away in the first leg was actually a little disappointing after being 3-1 up, but a routine 3-0 home win in the second leg eased us through to the Final, where we would face Kidderminster. They had finished second behind Barnet, and were comfortably above us all season, but we now had good form and an even-money chance of turning that 33-1 shot of promotion in to reality...

To complete the double in my first season, given what was inherited when I arrived, far exceeded my expectations. Survival in the league and a few pounds from a Cup run would have been more than adequate. I don't think we were the second best team in the league, and feel sorry for Kidderminster, but you have to grab any opportunity that comes your way. I don't know what the board will allow me to do next season, but at least the club will be back on a safer financial footing in any case.

Here are the player stats for the season, showing appearances in all competitions. Not included in the list are Rhys Evans who made 27 league appearances before departing in January to Yeovil, Alex Darlington who made nine league appearances before joining Sligo Rovers in January, Jordan Palmer-Samuels who made seven league appearances from the bench before going out on loan to Rushall, Dominic Collins (who made six league appearances) and Michael Rankine (who made one brief substitute appearance). Short-term loanees also excluded from the list are Dominic Knowles (who made five league and four cup appearances on loan from Burton with one league goal), and Matt Godden who made 11 league and two cup appearances on loan from Scunthorpe (adding two league goals and one cup goal).

Star player profile

[CityAndColour]

That's an incredible season. I know that feeling - actually wanting to consolidate for a couple of seasons leaves you feeling a little flat after promotion (I've even stopped saves because of it) but for a club like Hereford, promotions are needed to stay afloat financially.

Anyway, I've done what I always do after I jump ship to a bigger club, and that's lose interest in the save (I never learn, sadly). I've gone back to one of my favourites Dorchester in the Conference South. Holidayed a season to change the landscape and they survived relegation, so I've gotten stuck in. Found a handy looking newgen to build my side around:

I have him on heavy poacher training to improve finishing, first touch and pace, and then will try and get him to learn the "shoots with power" PPM to compensate for his poor finishing. Shouldn't matter too much at this level though, and he started with two goals on debut.

[Jogo Bonito]

Cheers, and yeah, the last thing I had expected was promotion. The idea was to build slowly, that's why I took on one of the worst clubs in the league. I'll probably give it a season in L2 to try and stay up, because it should be a bit of a struggle.

I never switch clubs in my saves - the last time I did that was three or four versions ago - so understand how you might lose interest. Good luck with your new effort at Dorchester and with your training of your new prospect. He looks like Michael Rankine with no finishing ability or pace, but at least he has potential!

[CityAndColour]

A slight difference in size between he and Rankine! Can't complain with his performances though - playing as a F9 in my 4-5-1, he has scored 16 goals in 22 starts, including the winner against Mansfield in the FA Cup 2nd round.

[Jogo Bonito]

Very good early returns on Omogbehin. I have no idea about size in 'cm' but there's clearly some good potential there. So I take it all back, nothing like Rankine.

Talking of Rankine, he was only given one substitute appearance for me last season (totalling five minutes and not long enough to earn a rating). I'm happy to say he will be released on 30th June.

[CityAndColour]

In old terms, Rankine is 6'1 and my newgen is around 5'5 or 5'6.

I holidayed the first season before taking over and Dorchester got a couple of five star newgen prospects as well (potential to be leading Conference Prem players) so that was pleasing. We also scooped around £289k from a 3rd round FA Cup tie at Sunderland.

[IslandDave]

I decided to try a very different challenge after playing in MLS for seven seasons (winning four times). I had tons of offers from Premier-level teams, including AC Milan and Man City, but I wanted to start at the bottom. So, I interviewed with Hyde in Skrill North (in the 2020 season). During the interview, they wanted only to avoid relegation (only just promoted that season) and I agreed, setting no expectations higher than that.

So, I started the job and brought on a couple of decent scouts and an AM that was ok on JPA/JPP, signed a eight or nine frees, and assembled a decent club for the payroll and salary restrictions imposed on me.

We played a bunch of friendlies to help bring in cash and improve our tactics. The season started, and within five games (1 win, 1 draw, 3 losses), I was already seeing my job status in the 'insecure' range. What the heck? A couple more loses and another draw made it worse with the press now asking me questions about it.

After a FA Cup draw against a Skrill Premier team, I had to explain to the board why we didn't win (huh?). After nine season games, we sat at 1 win, 3 draws, 5 losses and a -5 GD, good enough to be in 19th place, just above the relegation line.

And then they fired me for drawing against the team sitting in 2nd place in the league, a game played away and with my top striker and goalie both on long-term injuries.

What the heck? For a team that only wanted to avoid relegation, I thought we were doing ok. Barely into the season, we were finally starting to look more dangerous, and had we not had the injuries, we probably would have won that last match. I can't fathom how a semi-pro team would have fired any manager at that point.

So, I ran back the clock to where I resigned from the LA Galaxy in MLS and this time took a job with Workington. Tighter budget but so far, we're doing a mid-table job and no threats of being fired.

What's the deal with the super-fast hook on a team in Skrill North that had the lowest of low expectations and I was meeting those (even if just)? Was a very strange way to go out, I expected at least a season or two to get my team together and work up the league, not two months of 'expectation-level' performance before getting the ax.

/end rant.

[Jogo Bonito]

IslandDave, that does sound very tough indeed. Hyde, like IRL, were relegated from the Skrill Premier in my first year at Hereford with a stupidly low amount of points (20-30 IIRC). In your version, having just got back up to Skrill North, and with low expectations, I'm very surprised they gave up on you so quickly.

Hopefully your experience at Workington will be more enjoyable, and feel free to write up your progress in here if you stick at it.

P.S. How is the MLS on FM14? I had my first attempt at MLS on FM13 (also with LA Galaxy), and it's very different. Do you still have the same issues with losing half of your squad every time an International match is on? I assembled a great squad, but a little light, and often coudn't name subs for vital matches. I may have to try MLS again some time soon...

[IslandDave]

IslandDave, that does sound very tough indeed. Hyde, like IRL, were relegated from the Skrill Premier in my first year at Hereford with a stupidly low amount of points (20-30 IIRC). In your version, having just got back up, and with low expectations, I'm very surprised they gave up on you so quickly.

Hopefully your experience at Workington will be more enjoyable, and feel free to writing up your progress in here if you stick at it.

Thanks! Yeah, so far Workington has been better even though I have about 75% of the payroll and 0 transfer budget. Sitting in 16th place right now, but I lost three starters to injury for a couple of weeks, so three losses in a row was not unexpected. I definitely love the challenge of trying to get promoted with so little to start with in building the club. Not this season, but perhaps next.

P.S. How is the MLS on FM14? I had my first attempt at MLS on FM13 (also with LA Galaxy), and it's very different. Do you still have the same issues with losing half of your squad every time an International match is on? I assembled a great squad, but a little light, and often coudn't name subs for vital matches. I may have to try MLS again some time soon...

I started playing FM in 2010 with MLS so that's what I'm 'used to' I suppose. It has very different rules than pretty much every other league, but it is a very fun challenge so long as you join a club willing to spend some money to keep training facilities up and hire solid professionals. That's why I usually went with the Galaxy and was able to assemble sought-after talent to take the field.

Yes, the international matches could be a real bother. After working a season or two to sign 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 star talent, I often had 10-12 guys playing for international squads and another 4-8 on the youth teams. World Cup / Gold Cup were the worst, where I'd lose almost all starters and top reserves for several weeks. Sometimes I got the option to rearrange matches, but that did nothing as six-eight matches would just be rearranged for the same several weeks, so I just stopped bothering.

The best way to handle these situations was to really go aggressive into young signings that could step in and have them stay match fit through second team friendlies. Instead of spending money on transfers, I used the allocation funds to increase my player salary maximum and collected as many 2-3 star (3 1/2-4 1/2 potential) players as possible, usually under 22 years old. I'd spend some of the allocations on 4 1/2 - 5 star potential internationals and sign them cheep (these later became the best source of transfer income as I'd buy them at 400-600k and sell them for 6-10M a couple of seasons later).

I'd lose 10 of 11 starters during (for example) the World Cup and have to sub in a bunch of 2 to 2 1/2 start kids.

It worked great, though! Not only were they often good enough to draw against decent squads, they won more than expected and the big bonus was that they all got 6-10 matches of first squad experience, which really boosted their progression. For example, I had managed a trade for Diego Fagundez as a 2-star (4 1/2 star potential) and played him at AMR for almost two months. By the time the first team returned, he'd become 3-star and was then a regular rotation option after that (and in later seasons, he became a 4-star stud and I eventually sold him for almost $12M). A couple of others did similar and left me with a set of guys I could use in even tough matches while giving my top starters a rest. We were almost unbeaten the rest of the way.

So, even though the international teams did draw off most of my team, the challenge of getting the next-tier guys ready for prime time made it a fun exercise, and having survived it each season, left our club much stronger as a result.

[Jogo Bonito]

Thanks for the info on the MLS. Your strategy obviously paid-off, so I'll try and remember that if I head back 'over the pond'. You just reminded me how much I cursed when the Gold Cup came along though - I just didn't have the numbers to cope. It must be so much worse in a World Cup year...

It's great to see you enjoying the challenge with Workington. They had only just been relegated from the Football League when I first 'knew' about football, so it would be good if you're the man to take them back! It's rewarding but always a struggle in the first few years, good luck. If it doesn't last, you could always try them 'fresh' from 2013.

[CityAndColour]

Might be worth uploading that Hyde save to the bugs forum (if you still have it). Being sacked when you're meeting the season expectations seems a bit off.

As for Dorchester, well solid tactic + good squad + good injury run + poor competition = a 20 point lead with two games to go. To give you an idea of how poor the league has been, we are the only club with less than 10 losses, and second has 67 points from 40 games. Our goal difference of +42 is also 27 goals better than anyone else.

Club stalwart Jamie Gleeson has been my player of the season, with eight goals and 14 assists. Omogbehin has 23 and nine, youth product Nickson Sampson (great name) has 13 and 11, fellow youth product Jon Pollard has 12 assists and veteran striker Aaron O'Connor has scored 11.

Our bank balance is £513k (thanks mainly to our FA Cup run) but the club still can't afford to turn professional.

[Jogo Bonito]

Congrats on your success with Dorchester, even if you were just 'less worse' than the opposition. Your rookie Omogbehin has done very nicely indeed.

Due to the success of season 1, we had good news in the summer with a number of sponsorship deals being trebled in value. Tasked with avoiding relegation - and after releasing seven men by choice - we were handed an initial budget of £55k, and a small amount of scope in wages despite numerous promotion clauses being activated. With some careful business in the transfer market early on, and then having adjusted the squad bonus from 'normal' to 'low' to free up some more funds, I was even able to afford myself a little spending spree towards the end of July.

This meant I managed to build my squad exactly as I wanted - identifying the positions for improvement first, and then approaching the right players for those positions. If one target was out of reach, I had alternatives in mind, and this method ensured I strengthened all areas that I hoped to but without stockpiling. In reality I was also able to recruit a better standard of player than I would have actually anticipated, due to the financial improvements within the club...

It looks like a big influx of players again, but when it's broken down it's not quite that bad. Lennon re-joins on a seasonal loan from Charlton after making a handful of appearances for us at the end of last season. Phillips and Jordan had both been on seasonal loans with us last year, and were snapped up on free transfers as their contracts at Burton and Charlton expired in the summer. Fox then became the third youngster to move from Charlton when his contract there expired. The signing of Osborn was a bit of a coup as I was surprised Nottingham Forest didn't retain him, and Westcarr was released by Walsall but should also be more than capable at this level. The last of the free transfers saw the arrival of Bates, who had been unattached since leaving Bradford in January, but accepted nominal wages in view of his fitness history. By now, I was in a position to add some more quality with Gregory coming from FC Halifax for £12k, a club record fee of £98k being splashed to sign Smith from relegated Bristol Rovers, and a further £62k being spent on Okuonghae after Colchester joined us in L2.

The only slight disappointment for me, is that the two final signings are both showing nationalities outside of the UK & Ireland. No other players or staff at the club are in that situation, although even these two were born in Ballyclare, N.ireland (Smith) and Croydon (Okuonghae). Only Smith and Allen (from Guernsey) do not have HG status.

I've just completed my pre-season, and I'm satisfied with how it went. I chose fairly tame opposition after prioritising team morale over cash benefits, so we faced a couple of local amateur sides, a fellow L2 rival, and two clubs from L1 as our opposition:

Newport County 1-1 Hereford (Lennon)

Pegasus Juniors 0-2 Hereford (Allen, o.g.)

Westfields 0-4 Hereford (Bola, James, Henry-Francis, Allen)

Hereford 0-1 Bristol City

Gillingham 0-1 Hereford (Allen)

The Bulls are now ready to embark on my second season (first in League 2) with a glamour trip to Morecambe first up. After that we face a trip to Charlton in the Capital One Cup, 1st Round. Our friends from London have been good to me with several loan deals since I took over, but I won't let that affect my desire to take their scalp.

I'm operating a tight but versatile 22-man squad, with three others in reserve who are not assigned squad numbers. I've included them in the screen shot, even though they're unlikely to feature, as I have chosen not to run any U21 side. So apart from these 25 men, all I have at the club is my rather weak U18 lads. However, with this squad at my disposal, I'd now be disappointed not to finish in the top-half. Time will tell...

Goalkeepers & defenders (Gaynor will play both DL/ML positions)

Midfielders & strikers

[CityAndColour]

It's a shame Gregory isn't as good in game as he is in real life, but otherwise some solid business there. Only two relegation spots in L2 as well so a good start can almost see you safe right away.

Unfortunately I made the mistake of only running a medium database, which has made the pool of players willing to sign for me very small, even with a promotion in the bank. In fact the only potential first team signing I have made to date is experienced winger Peter Bore from Oxford City.

There are some good free agents around though who won't discuss terms now, but hopefully will around Sep/Oct. Funds aren't an issue - going into the first league fixture, I have a transfer budget of £56k and £2.44k per week free in the wage budget. It's just a matter of finding worthwhile players to use it on.

[Jogo Bonito]

Yeah, it's a bit of a shame when you see certain players like him (and Gray) under-rated, but I reckon Gregory can do alright in L2. I had a few other targets available on free transfers but they weren't interested in joining, and had a couple of capped Africans who agreed to move but failed with their WP applications. FC Halifax were relegated so Gregory was available at about 1/3 of his actual price, I thought it was worth the risk.

I've got a large custome database, it must have about 100,000 players on it. I can imagine on medium, it must be hard to find good enough quality players that are also willing to join. You've started the Skrill Premier season now?

[CityAndColour]

Gray did most of his damage in the second half of the season in real life, which is perhaps why he wasn't boosted as much as he should have been in the data update. One area I have always through FM fails in is lower league performers getting moves up the pyramid, which I assume is because AI teams buy more on reputation and potential than they do form.

This off season alone you've seen Gray (Brentford), Gregory (Millwall) and Holman (Colchester) get good Football League moves, while Lolley (Huddersfield) and Vassell (Posh) got January moves. However in pretty much every save I have had I watch Holman score 25 a season and never get a sniff of a cash move upwards.

I'm just about to start my season now - Macclesfield away first up, who play a 4-4-1-1 formation which always cuts me to shreds. Glad to get it out of the way early!

[Jogo Bonito]

Holman is a goal machine from L1 downwards, as was the case in FM13 too. Another one that can do the same damage in FM is Liam Hearn, although not as good IRL as Holman now.

I'm really intrigued to see how the likes of Holman, Gray and Gregory do on their actual step up next season. It's funny you mention Vassell, because I checked him and was able to take him on loan to Hereford, but apart from his finishing and pace, he was rated poorly so I left it alone. I also tried to loan Lolley, but Huddersfield wouldn't entertain it.

In my game, Braintree finished 9th in the end, but scored 98 goals! Sean Marks, rather randomly, had 20+ goals by November, and ended up with 33 league goals in 37 games (over 45 goals in total) and Holman hit 20 league goals in 33 games. I've signed Holman so many times that I left him alone this time, but I'm sure he would have been available cheaply as you're right - nobody higher up ever comes in for him.

Good luck in Skrill Premier, I'll be underway in League 2 soon.

[CityAndColour]

Well we've made a very solid start, against all odds. We're 7th after 13 games with a 6-4-3 record, although even with such a record it's still clear that the majority of the squad are well out of their depth at this level. And of the three losses we've suffered, two of them (1-5 to Kiddy and 1-4 to York) really exposed us against bigger sides.

Coming up to the end of September and there is still no one worthwhile willing to join, even on loan.

[Jogo Bonito]

Good start there C&C. I think teamwork, tactics and strategy often count as much as the quality of players. Hopefully a top-half finish or dart at the play-off spots may be in order?

I've had a bit of a rocky start to life in L2 with Hereford, but hopefully we can rise higher in due course (17th in September).

[CityAndColour]

Well we've just about secured safety. After 37 games, we are six points off the playoffs (having played a game more than most teams, and with a goal difference 21 goals worse off than 5th!) and 11 clear of relegation. However, it has become pretty clear that just about every single position needs to be upgraded, and we've been on the end of a few thumpings from full time clubs.

In fact, of the four players I have signed since promotion, only one has made more than five starts. A few of my shortlisted free agents are willing to talk to me now, but on terms I can't afford, while most worthwhile signings still won't even discuss terms. I need a good youth intake if I want to make any progress.

Central midfield and central defence are two massive areas of concern. I don't have any Conference level centre halves, while with talisman Jamie Gleeson currently out through injury, my other midfielders are barely Conference N/S standard.

You would be pretty happy with 17th come May, surely? How far above 23rd are you?

[Jogo Bonito]

You've done well to have a fairly comfortable season there, despite question marks over many of your players. Hopefully over time you can get better quality players to talk to you or sign on.

I've reached the end of September 2014 now with Hereford, and after my first win in L2 (at the fifth attempt), we have improved a little. This is probably down to a tactical change - and the return of Vences Bola from injury after missing the first four games.

We exited the JPT in the next match after that first league victory (3-0 to Wolves in Round 1), and this prompted me to switch tactics. With two box-to-box midfielders in the middle, plus two wingers and two strikers, the signs were that we couldn't stop the opposition as easily as in the first season. Apart from Bola, my other strikers hadn't done enough to warrant regular starts yet, and we needed more defensive stability, so I opted for a 4-1-4-1 system.

Two more solid league wins followed, with cleansheets in both, before an unlucky 4-3 defeat, and then a 0-0 draw at Shrewsbury. Before the aforementioned defeat we hit the lofty heights of 7th, but now sit nicely in 11th. We had earlier been knocked out of the Capital One Cup (Round 1) after losing 2-1 against Charlton, so apart from the FA Cup, we can focus solely on L2 survival.

I would definitely take a finish anywhere above the drop zone, but I'm hoping this new formation will pay dividends. Bola now has five league goals in as many starts, but we are having to cope with the absence of regular 'keeper Jamie Young (four weeks) and reliable midfielder Kingsley James (three months). Time will tell.

[CityAndColour]

An FA Cup run would certainly help your finances. Hopefully you can get two easier fixtures and then an away 3rd round tie at an EPL club.

We ended up finishing a very comfortable 13th on 64 points (16-16-14). We were never really threatened by relegation, and as the season went on it was clear we weren't a playoff team either.

Playerwise, it was really the tale of two. Gleeson finished with seven goals, 10 assists and a league best 10 MotM awards, while Omogbehin scored 21, had 11 assists a nine MothM awards. The development of youth team winger Nickson Sampson was also evident, with 12 goals and 12 assists as an inside forward.

My two youth products:

A big bonus too as the club have opted to go professional, which has two very obvious benefits: the ability to scout across the UK (and attract players outside of England with a full time contracts) and full time training for the players.

[CityAndColour]

And when a boom prospect wants a base wage of more than double what you can offer, sometimes you have to be creative...

[CityAndColour]

Well I have to say, it's amazing the difference going professional can make. A glorious summer in the transfer market now has us as title smokies, rather than another tough slog.

Firstly, the experienced guys:

Nick Montgomery - Former Sheffield United and Central Coast stalwart. His attributes are still excellent, and he will slot in both as my holding midfielder and my captain.

Kieron Forbes - A favourite of mine, and will provide Gleeson with a classy midfield partner.

Tom Cadmore - A really solid centre half, who can also play right back.

Matt Bulman - An upgrade between the sticks.

Joe Anderson - Former Fulham youth player, joins on a season loan from Histon and is an excellent attacking left back.

However, the best thing about going pro is the fact that players from abroad will often at least give you the chance to make an offer, as you can make it worth their while with professional terms. Managed to grab a couple of beauties...

It took a lot of clauses to get it done, but if I can hold onto him I'll have the lone striker position filled for years to come.

Great name and a serious prospect. Has some developing to do but my coaches think he could be top flight quality. Cost only £5k compensation from KSA in Cameroon.

[Jogo Bonito]

Excellent stuff City&Colour. The two new imports look great, especially the striker! I had a few players join me with a list of clauses like that, sometimes it's the only way! Did your Cameroonian have dual (assume French) nationality?

In season 1, I had two really good and established African players agree terms (with plenty of clauses), but both failed their WP applications. I can't afford to go back in for the striker now (still unattached) but the defender (although recalled to his NT recently) still has his WP turned down.

What I thought was a good new tactic flattered to deceive, and results dipped again. I've got the FA Cup 1st Round coming up (at Worthing) which is a chance to remedy my failings.

[CityAndColour]

Yeah he has French citizenship too.

We started with a bang, with five wins in a row, before the standard losses despite dominating. Have a home match against the bottom side next to try and get things back on track.

Kaarevik started with a goal and four assists in his first two matches, before spraining his ankle.

[CityAndColour]

Well, we can certainly score...

Not sure about the bit at the other end though.

[CityAndColour]

Anyway, soon after that screenshot I switched to a previous tactic I used (mainly on FM13), which is a 3-5-2 with wingbacks and an AMC, similar to how United appear to be playing under van Gaal. It makes us a bit leakier at the back without a DMC, but really utilises the pace of Kaarevik in an advanced forward role, rather than as a lone false nine as he was in my 4-5-1.

The results were terrific, although tailed off a bit towards the end of the season. We clinched the title in the penultimate fixture with a win at Boreham Wood, and then thumped rivals Eastleigh 4-1 at home on the final day before collecting the trophy. We also made it to the third round of the FA Cup, where a trip to Elland Road put a bit more in the coffers.

Performance wise, it was all about Kaarevik. After an ankle injury ruled him out for the first month, he plundered an incredible 44 goals in 43 starts, and added 19 assists for good measure. He also signed a new deal which sees him at the club for at least the next two seasons, although a bid of £350k from a team in a higher division will trigger a release clause.

Omogbehin (15 goals and 11 assists) and Elliot Benyon (19 goals and 15 assists) provided excellent support, and Bong was imposing in his first season at the club, and also signed an extension.

So League Two awaits. My shopping list is headlined by the need for wingbacks and a new 'keeper.

[Jogo Bonito]

Nicely done CityAndColour, and great stats for Kaarevik. Good luck in League 2.

I've not got much further with Hereford, but will update soon.

[Graham Banks]

Has anybody tried starting with Concord Rangers?

[Jogo Bonito]

Hi Graham, I've not managed them myself - what were you trying to find out?

I've just hit the winter transfer window of season 2 at Hereford. I've adapted my formation a few times but think I may now have found one that suits my players best. We currently sit in 6th, our highest placing of the season - but we're still only a couple of defeats away from mid-table obscurity again.

Since the summer, the only addition to the squad was Frankie Sutherland (QPR) on a 3 month loan (just expired), as a replacement for long-term injury victim Kingsley James. Dominic Collins was sent out on loan to AFC Telford in November, and hopefully he will stay there until his contract expires in the summer.

I've just renewed all staff contracts except for my scout, as I think it's nearly time for 74 year old Bobby Roberts to retire. I've also just extended all important player contracts for another year - everybody except Matthew Bates was willing to take reduced wages as we look to stabilise the club further. Four players will be allowed to leave at the end of the season, plus a number of uninspiring youngsters.

Next up is an FA Cup 3rd Round clash with Sheffield Wednesday at Edgar Street. There is little chance of an upset, but a bit more cash will help us along. Here are the results so far, and the League 2 table...

[Graham Banks]

Hi Graham, I've not managed them myself - what were you trying to find out?

I was just trying to find out whether anybody had had success with them in their first season. I'm playing in Classic mode.

[CityAndColour]

They are a tough gig, Graham. I would say they are probably the smallest club at that level reputation wise (them or Gosport) so attracting players will be difficult.

Fantastic progress, Jogo. You could even be a sneaky chance for consecutive promotions with your current form.

Sadly I didn't even get a chance to play with Dorchester in the FL as the file corrupted. I've taken charge of Burnham after they were promoted into the Conference South - a surprise first season promotion was great, but we're getting battered in the Conference Premier with insecure finances and not a hope of attracting the required quality.

I'm thinking about changing things up and going with a 4-1-1-3-1 (basically a 4-2-3-1 but with one of the central mids pushed back to a DM spot).