AK22 Posted December 23, 2013 Author Share Posted December 23, 2013 A 7000 mile flight back home. Good luck in Gateshead. Best of luck at Gateshead Good Luck at Gateshead!! Thanks all. It's nice to be back in England, as I hardly spent any time there in my last career. Interesting move. You have a hard act to follow after SRL88 Good luck. SRL88 has had good success with Gateshead, so we know progress is doable. No pressure then!! To be honest, I see Gateshead as more of a stepping stone towards bigger things, so I doubt I will be leading them to the Premier League and beyond, like Mr. Longstaff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Probably the only non league club in an international stadium. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 24, 2013 Author Share Posted December 24, 2013 Gateshead - February 2018 Update After a festive period of very little joy, results started to take a turn for the better in the New Year. I still haven't really settled on a tactic yet, rotating between 4-4-2, 4-5-1 and 4-4-1-1 depending on player availability and fitness. This, however, makes us slightly unpredictable, which I think is aiding to our good run, as the opposition can never be certain how we'll line up. On balance, I think the 4-4-1-1 makes the most of the squad's ability and will probably be our main tactic going forward. Callum Challinor plays the long striker role well (DLF support), and is probably more of a threat on his own than in a partnership. Now, this is starting to get interesting. Having recently secured results against the teams above us in the table, we're now just two points off a play-off place, and nicely placed to break into the top five over the remaining weeks of the season. We're one of the league's form teams, at the moment, so if we can maintain this, we'll find ourselves achieving a lot more than I had anticipated a few months ago. Unfortunately, off the pitch, things are starting to resemble a car crash. We're near enough £500k in debt, with the situation worsening by the week. We're also still way over the wage budget (not my fault, as I haven't made any permanent signings), which means I have no funds available to extend the contracts of those expiring at the end of the season. Unless something radical happens, it's quite possible that I'll have to build an entirely new squad over the summer. As I've already eluded to, Challinor's been excellent so far, and an integral part of the team. In fact, as it stands, he's the first name on the teamsheet, so it would be a major blow to lose him to injury/suspension over the remaining weeks of the season. In addition to Challinor, left winger, Warren Owen, has also hit a purple patch recently, and very much justifying the praise he's getting; he's rated as potentially Championship level, so he's one to keep hold of for the future, if I can. [video=youtube;b6LSb0YgxRY] TZJhhYMu-Mcbg&index=1 And here's the Goal of the Month for February. A typically cool finish from our topscorer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 24, 2013 Author Share Posted December 24, 2013 Probably the only non league club in an international stadium. I would imagine so! Would take something drastic to happen before England played here, though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton162 Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Hit a great patch of form there AK, hopefully you'll be able to maintain that kind of form and really push for a playoff place. Owen is one hell of a player, especially at that level, I can imagine he's been ripping opposition right backs to shreds! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarroOxford Posted December 25, 2013 Share Posted December 25, 2013 Love reading your stuff, AK. Sorry to go a little off-topic but can I ask you how exactly you crop and upload your screenshots for the forum? Looking to start up a career thread and I want it to be presentable like yours. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 Gateshead - April 2018 Update As we entered into the final weeks of the season, we were still right in the hunt for a playoff place, despite being unable to string any kind of consistency together. It's certainly not been boring to watch either, with the games against Tamworth, Forest Green and Nuneaton, in particular, providing great entertainment for all watching. However, it was the Tamworth game that saw key striker, Callum Challinor, hobble off with a sprained ankle. The diagnosis was not good from the physio, either, with a seven to eight week period on the sidelines expected. In other frustrating news, Reece Hayes three month loan deal came to an end at the beginning of April, meaning that I would be without my two most attacking players for the remaining weeks. He had started to form a solid understanding with Challinor, so it was particularly annoying to lose them both at a key point in the season. With results very much going in our favour, we still found ourselves in the top five even after losing to playoff rivals, Newport County. This, however, did bunch things up, meaning that ourselves, Forest Green and Newport would be fighting for the two remaining playoff places (with Exeter and Macclesfield qualifying earlier) on the final day. As you would expect, the match against Telford was a twitchy affair, with a few nerves on show by my players. Thankfully, we just about held it together, although we did need a bit of individual skill from Greg House to secure the three points. In the end, though, a draw would have been enough, due to our superior goal difference. It's quite staggering that a team that has lost 14 games this season could finish as high as fourth in the table. It's also worth noting that 76 points would have only been enough for eighth place last season. Still, it is what it is, and a double-header against Macclesfield awaits. This was terrible news, and threatened to completely derail our push for the playoff places. If we're lucky, he may be back in time for the second leg against Macclesfield. That may be too little too late, though. A few more records have been broken, with Warren Owen looking even more a class act considering his young age. Thankfully, after releasing a couple of back-up players, I've been able to secure his and Challinor's contracts for another two seasons. We're now back in line with the wage budget now, too And two awards (March and April) for a couple of our promising youngsters. Thomas is on loan from Coventry, but would be one to keep if we could. He's taken over as our attack's main focal point in Challinor's absence, deputising well when all things considered. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 Hit a great patch of form there AK, hopefully you'll be able to maintain that kind of form and really push for a playoff place. Owen is one hell of a player, especially at that level, I can imagine he's been ripping opposition right backs to shreds! He's been brilliant! I'm delighted that I've been able to extend his contract now, too, as it would have been quite demoralising to see him pinched off me on a free. To be honest, I'm surprised that we haven't had more interest for him from clubs in the Football League; he's certainly League Two level now, with the potential to play a bit higher if he continues to develop. Love reading your stuff, AK. Sorry to go a little off-topic but can I ask you how exactly you crop and upload your screenshots for the forum? Looking to start up a career thread and I want it to be presentable like yours. No problem at all - I use Alt + F9 to take a screenshot, which then gets saved in the Sports Interactive folder in your 'My Documents' or equivalent. I use imgur to upload them, but I would say Photobucket and Imageshack are probably the most popular image host sites used by people on here. Once uploaded, I tend to crop the images to fit my updates - I would recommend a little trial and error to find out what you think looks best/suits your style. Hope that helps Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Good luck in the playoffs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 Gateshead - Skrill Premier Playoffs 2018 We went into the first leg against Macclesfield still slightly under strength, although I was able to name Callum Challinor among the substitutes. In the end, we didn't really need him (although he did come on in the second half), as we managed to carve the Macclesfield defence open to take the lead in under half an hour. We shortly followed this a couple minutes later, courtesy of a dubious penalty decision that may have not been given on another day with a different referee. This, however, set us up well for the second half, where we added a third almost immediately from the resumption. Macclesfield did secure themselves a vital away goal, as we looked to sit back and defend our advantage for the remaining of the game. This was disappointing, but couldn't really take the shine off an excellent performance, which was seen by the largest home crowd of the season. Having the two goal advantage allowed me to set the team up to drop deep and play counter attacking football in the second leg. Macclesfield really went for it from the off, which played nicely into our hands when George Thomas scored a typical breakaway goal half way through the first half. This made a difficult task for Macclesfield even harder, which shortly came mission impossible when we doubled our advantage in the second half; this meant they would need to score five against one of the league's better defences if they were to make it through. A blunder from our 'keeper gave them a minuscule glimmer of hope, but this was diminished quickly when Callum Challinor scored his first goal for the club since returning from injury. We were off to Wembley! Exeter were strong favourites for the final, having finished thirteen points ahead of us in the table. Due to this, my game plan was similar to that of the second leg against Macclesfield, and we would sit deep and attempt to hit them on the counter. However, Plan A shortly went out of the window when Exeter took the lead in the first half. They completely outplayed us, and were extremely unlucky not to add to their lead before the break. During half time, we regrouped, and I made a couple of tactical tweaks to make us more offensive in the second; basically, give the ball to Challinor! We edged our way back into the match, taking more control of the football in the middle of the park, and started to put some pressure back on Exeter. The breakthrough came just before the hour mark, with Challinor making the most of a delightful through ball from George Thomas to slot into the corner of the net; it was a brilliant finish, and swung the momentum into our favour. Challinor then had the final say fifteen minutes later, when he slotted away a penalty to see us take the lead. This was a proper heart in the mouth moment, especially as Exeter's 'keeper managed to get a hand on it! Still, it went in, and we managed to see the game out, so Gateshead are now in the Football League! [video=youtube;6almEOXDBF0] TZJhhYMu-Mcbg The goal that took us to the Football League Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 Good luck in the playoffs. Thanks, they didn't go too badly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mshort22 Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Congrats on promotion Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Great job AK. Whitehawk did very well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 Gateshead - End of Season Review 2017/18 I don't think I could have asked for a better start to my career in the North East. Having taken over a side just one place outside the relegation zone, and transform them into a team that won the promotion playoff at Wembley, is nothing short of incredible. Next year will be tough, though, but I'm still going to enjoy the first major achievement of my career so far. Skrill Premier: 4th (Promoted via Playoffs) FA Cup: First Round FA Trophy: First Round Average Attendance: 798 (up 260) Transfer History | Finances The squad I inherited wasn't blessed with much talent at all, although there were a handful of youngsters who I thought could do a job for us. Within this group of starlets was Callum Challinor and Warren Owen, who both can be accredited with getting our season back on track, and pushing us up the table. In all honesty, without these two, I feel I would have struggled to make much improvement, as the rest of the squad is average at best, although I do think I did well bringing in some decent players on short term loans. Also, of these previously mentioned mediocre players, several are considerably overpaid too, and will find themselves being booted out the backdoor over the course of the summer. A major squad overhaul will need to take place to get us in shape for Sky Bet League Two, with only a handful of players likely to survive the cull. Top Goalscorer: Callum Challinor (30 goals) Most Assists: Warren Owen (21 assists) Highest Average Rating: Callum Challinor (7.46) Fans Player of the Season: Callum Challinor Other Notable Contributors: George Thomas (6 goals, 6 assists), Greg House (7 assists), James Wilson (Av. 7.14), Johnny Burn (Av. 7.01) Gateshead Best Eleven Challinor absolutely cleaned up at the end of season awards. If he hadn't been injured for eight weeks, I'm sure he would have broken David Leworthy's goalscoring record (32 for the season) from 1992/93. The financial situation is still looking pretty dire, although this injection gets us back into the black... just. The FFP regulations will kick in next year, so that's another factor to bear in mind when thinking about wage budgets. The Chairman left it very late to offer me a new deal, despite several requests from me to begin negotiations. In the end, we had to wait until the middle of May before new terms could be agreed. I'm delighted to stay, though, and have committed to a two year deal, with a small pay-rise of £25 per week. Season Team League Finish Cups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2014 Polis DRM Liga Premier 5th Astro Piala First Round 2015 Polis DRM Liga Premier 3rd Astro Piala First Round, Piala Malaysia First Round 2016 Hougang Utd S.League 5th S.League Cup Semi Final 2017 Hougang Utd S.League 6th* * Resigned after 23 games (October 2017) 2017/18 Gateshead Skrill Premier 4th* * Promoted via Playoffs. Took charge October 2017. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 Congrats on promotion Thanks very much Great job AK.Whitehawk did very well. Ta, Nobby. Yep, Whitehawk did have a great season too. They were in the hunt for the playoff spots for quite a while, but faded slightly as the season went on. Still, a major over achievement for them, regardless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlipscombe Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 great read so far mate. loved your career game on FM13 and this has the hallmarks of being another cracker. good luck in League Two. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Gateshead - Pre-Season 2018/19 This has the potential to be a difficult season, with survival in League Two being the name of the game. That said, I'm confident we'll give it a good shot and could surprise one or two as the weeks come by. All being well, this may just turn out to be enough to keep us in the Football League. Media Prediction: 24th Title Odds: 33-1 (Joint 22nd favourites. Bolton 5-1 favourites) Sky Bet League Two Expectations: Avoid Relegation FA Cup with Budweiser Expectations: First Round Capital One Cup Expectations: Be Competitive Johnstone's Paint Trophy Expectations: Be Competitive Transfer Budget: £14k Wage Budget: £17k (spending £19k) Season Ticket Sales: 251 (up 91) With little scope in the wage budget, and a minuscule transfer budget, it's been all about the free transfers and loan signings this summer transfer window. Given the restrictions, I feel I've done a reasonable job, bringing in players that should be able to compete at this level. I do, though, only have a senior squad of just 21 players, with very little in reserve in the under 21's/under 18's, so we'll really struggle if we are hit with injuries. Key Players: Callum Challinor (ST), John Rooney (AMC), Stephen Gleeson (MC), Johnny Marsh (DC), Warren Owen (ML), Ian Schwarz (DM) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 great read so far mate. loved your career game on FM13 and this has the hallmarks of being another cracker. good luck in League Two. Cheers We've won our opening league fixture, so at least we're off and running with three points. It's likely to get more difficult as the year goes along, though, so I don't expect another battle for promotion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Did superbly to get promotion there AK22 Hopefully you will have another good season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Good luck in League 2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Gateshead - October 2018 Update It was pretty much the perfect start to life in League Two, with three wins out of three from our opening games. I was delighted that we were able to continue our goalscoring exploits from last season, but equally surprised that we able to do so against stronger teams. Of course, the excellent form did not last forever, with results now starting to go as anticipated; an occasion win, mixed in with defeats to better teams. I've persisted with the 4-4-1-1 formation I devised towards the end of last season, as I feel this is what gets the best from Callum Challinor; keeping him scoring will have a huge say on how this year will go. I do tweak this every now and again, though, reverting from the usual Support Striker/Deep Lying Forward system to an Enganche/Advanced Forward combination when we're up against a defence who look they will struggle with continuous through balls. It's a ridiculously compact table, at the moment, with just nine points separating 23 teams. I'm ecstatic to see us in the playoff spots, although I'm also realistic enough to realise that we'll most likely start to drift down the table over the coming weeks. That said, it's an encouraging start, and bodes well in that we're playing well enough to be clear of the relegation zone. There is still a long way to go, though! With such a small squad, it was always likely that we would suffer with even the smallest of injury crises. With this, though, I was able to convince the Chairman to increase the wage budget (by £2k per week), which allowed me to sign two additional players - Sean Kavanagh (DL) and Ivan Toney (ST). Our impressive start ensured that I earned my first Manager of the Month award Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Did superbly to get promotion there AK22 Hopefully you will have another good season Good luck in League 2. Thanks chaps! It's been a solid start to the new season, although we are starting to waver a bit now, which is to be expected. Still, I'm hopeful we'll have enough to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazRTaylor Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Sean Kavanagh looks good for League Two level. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Definitely a strong season so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Very good start. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreatTraveler Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Great start to the season, and good for you to sign some more players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 31, 2013 Author Share Posted December 31, 2013 Gateshead - January 2019 Update So, after the good start to the season, we've now descended into a difficult run of games that has seen us only pick up four wins from eighteen league fixtures; in anyone's book, that's relegation form, so we should be thankful that we got off to such a strong start. The thing is, though, we're actually not playing as bad as the results suggest, and could have seen a few more positive results if luck had been on our side. Additionally, the 5-0 thrashing of Bolton shows that on our day we can hold our own with any team in this division. After a bit of a barren spell, it's good to see Callum Challinor back in the goals again, scoring seven times in the last five games. He's the league's topscorer, so it's pleasing that he's been able to make the step up to this division. We've dropped down the table quite considerably, and find ourselves in the no mans land of the middle of the table. I'm pretty hopeful that we won't be relegated, as another three or four victories should see us safe, but I also think that anything higher than a middle table finish is unlikely to happen. [video=youtube;_6rto43xXJo] TZJhhYMu-Mcbg Here's a fine example of a horrendous own goal scored by one of my midfielders in the 3-0 defeat to Grimsby. It's been tough enough trying to win games recently without something like this happening. Challinor's recent form has been enough to secure Player of the Month for January Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 31, 2013 Author Share Posted December 31, 2013 Sean Kavanagh looks good for League Two level. He's not too shabby. Unfortunately, quite a lot of the squad are rated as Skrill Premier level, so there's still plenty of areas that need improvement. Definitely a strong season so far. Very good start. Great start to the season, and good for you to sign some more players. Thanks all We've dipped a bit recently, but I still think we'll finish well clear of danger. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreatTraveler Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Is Sean Cavenagh the Fulham youth player? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Gateshead - May 2019 Update Unpredictable as ever, but, eventually, we recovered from the difficult winter period, finding some form again as the season was coming to an end. This was encouraging, as considering our small squad, I'd half expected us to burn out with a whimper. Defensively, it looks like we've really shored up recently too, with just the one goal conceded from our final five games. We've been pretty leaky at times, so I'm quite certain that this is more down to the poorness of the opposition faced rather than anything we've done to improve our defensive unit. Considering that our early form deserted us, I'm delighted that we just about managed to sneak a top half finish in our first season in League Two. It's been a close league in terms of competitiveness, proven by the fact that the champions, Aldershot, won the division having lost 15 games. That's just one fewer than us, and we certainly weren't serious contenders for promotion. We finished the year as the sixth most prolific team in the league, with Callum Challinor contributing 31 of the 74 goals we scored. He's broken three club records along the way too Another award, but, for a change, not for Challinor. Over the past few weeks, we've been embroiled in a takeover saga. Thankfully, there wasn't too much disruption, with the consortium taking control of the club quickly after their initial approach. After a heart-stopping moment, where I thought they might replace me with Leroy Lita (!), the new Chairman decided I would be allowed to continue in charge of the team; I'd be mightily peeved if I'd been sacked after the season we've had. Concerningly, though, a small loan has been taken out, which we need like a hole in the head, as we're already losing money at an alarming rate. We could also do with some improvements in our facilities, so it will be interesting to see if we get any investment here; I'm not holding my breath! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Is Sean Cavenagh the Fulham youth player? He sure is He came to us via Rotherham and Bradford, after spending a season with each club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazRTaylor Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 144 goals for & against make Gateshead an entertaining side! It should also show where your weaknesses lie. Idiots like David Grant annoy the hell out of me. He takes over a club with the intention of appointing someone else, despite your successes with the club. Despite you staying, I would still be off as soon as possible. The man is a moron and I couldn't work with him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Gateshead - End of Season Review 2018/19 Despite a couple of ropey spells, thrown in with a big dollop of inconsistency, it's been a pleasing season overall. My aim was only to avoid relegation, and we did this in quite some style by securing a top half finish. It's obvious that we need to improve defensively, as we had one of the worst goals against records in the division, but at least we have the fire power at the other end to help keep us out of danger. Sky Bet League Two: 12th FA Cup with Budweiser: First Round Capital One Cup: First Round Johnstone's Paint Trophy: First Round Average Attendance: 1532 (up 734) Transfer History | Finances Having released several players at the beginning of the season, I had to almost completely overhaul the squad in time for our first competitive fixtures. A similar project may have to occur over the coming off-season too, as several of my key first team players are all making noises about joining bigger clubs. In particular, our goalkeeper, Andreas Arestidou, Warren Owen and Callum Challinor have all declared their interest in progressing on to something bigger and better than Gateshead; I can't say I blame them, as they all are quality individuals with the potential to play at a higher level. Of course, it would be a huge blow to lose them, especially Challinor, and may slow down the progress we are making as a club. Top Goalscorer: Callum Challinor (31 goals) Most Assists: Warren Owen, John Rooney (14 assists) Highest Average Rating: Callum Challinor (7.19) Fans Player of the Season: Callum Challinor Other Notable Contributors: Brennan Edwards (7 goals, 6 assists), Johnny Marsh (AvR 7.09) Gateshead Best Eleven | League Two Team of the Year He's been brilliant again, and adds another Golden Boot award to his collection. Whether he'll be here for another season, though, is yet to be seen. This was a pleasant surprise, and ensures we finish the season in the black. I thought I'd then chance my arm to see if I could convince the Board to make some facility upgrades, but, of course, that fell on deaf ears. We almost doubled our average attendance from last season, but we still have one of the lowest in the division. If we're continue to improve the club, we'll need to somehow attract more fans to our home games. Season Team League Finish Cups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2014 Polis DRM Liga Premier 5th Astro Piala First Round 2015 Polis DRM Liga Premier 3rd Astro Piala First Round, Piala Malaysia First Round 2016 Hougang Utd S.League 5th S.League Cup Semi Final 2017 Hougang Utd S.League 6th* * Resigned after 23 games (October 2017) 2017/18 Gateshead Skrill Premier 4th* * Promoted via Playoffs. Took charge October 2017. 2018/19 Gateshead League Two 12th FA Cup 1st Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 144 goals for & against make Gateshead an entertaining side! It should also show where your weaknesses lie. Idiots like David Grant annoy the hell out of me. He takes over a club with the intention of appointing someone else, despite your successes with the club. Despite you staying, I would still be off as soon as possible. The man is a moron and I couldn't work with him. I agree, he does sound like a right pillock. He's also flatly refused every board request I've made since his arrival, despite there being money in the coffers to do so. Unfortunately, with the reputation/job offer bug that seems to be troubling the game at the moment, I really don't want to risk a spell of unemployment, as it's possible that may mean it's curtains for this career. Quite frustrating really, considering the way I play the game; I hope this is fixed soon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazRTaylor Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 What bug? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 What bug? This. You're pretty much buggered if you start with 'Sunday League', as I have. This was all part of the 14.2 'update'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazRTaylor Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Duplicate post. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazRTaylor Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Hmmmm, they must have hotfixed it. I started with Eastleigh and have gone through Luton, Ipswich and am now at Newcastle in the Premier League. I am Sunday League, as I always am. I will add, your reputation has built up through success with your clubs. The poster in your link holidayed 24 seasons unemployed, so he had zero pedigree. Still a bug, definitely, but wouldn't apply to you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Possibly, although I'm not convinced. I've seen quite a few examples where managers have been successful at a club, chosen to resign, and then been laughed off by all clubs of similar reputation. It seems your 'World Reputation' is the main problem, so you might be ok in your home nation, but will find it almost impossible to find something overseas. Until I've heard otherwise, I won't be frivolously looking to change clubs, unless I get made a job offer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 2, 2014 Author Share Posted January 2, 2014 Gateshead - Pre-Season 2019/20 After defying expectations last season, we'll be looking to consolidate our position as a solid League Two side. Ideally, this would mean another top half finish, although a bit more consistency wouldn't go amiss. The Board have upped their cup expectations, so we'll have to put a bit more effort into these than we have in previous years; not an easy task for a club with a small squad such as ours. Media Prediction: 14th Title Odds: 16-1 (Joint 10th favourites. Charlton 5-1 favourites) Sky Bet League Two Expectations: Mid-Table Finish FA Cup with Budweiser Expectations: Second Round Capital One Cup Expectations: Be Competitive Johnstone's Paint Trophy Expectations: Second Round Transfer Budget: £35k Wage Budget: £18.5k (spending £19.7k) Season Ticket Sales: 265 (up 14) Again, I've had very little to play with in terms of transfer and wage budgets, but still feel pleased with the work we've done. The signing of Scott Carson is certainly a coup for the club, and will do well to improve our stature, not to mention the increase in merchandise revenue the capture of a former England international will bring (I just hope we don't play too many games in Croatia ). We've also strengthened our attacking options too, with Conor Chaplin likely to prove a capable target man, who will offer us a viable Plan B now; we're quite well renowned for keeping it on the deck, so we'll have the option to hoof it forward now, when needed. Of course, we haven't really had problems scoring since I've taken charge, mainly down to the consistent form of Callum Challinor. However, since he's done his achilles, and will miss the start of the season, I'll need someone else to do the business in front of goal until his return. Key Players: Scott Carson (GK), Warren Owen (ML), Conor Chaplin (ST), Lewis Hornby (MC), Josh Sharma (AMC), Callum Challinor (ST), Cameron Norman (DR) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Doing well to hold onto Challinor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Decent first effort in the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenzar Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Shirt sales for Carson the Clown? Are they really that daft in Gateshead? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattias333 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I can picture the folk of Gateshead walking round the town centre in the Scott Carson 1# Goalkeeper jersey's! Just caught up. Well done chap as before with continued success. Gateshead is quickly becoming my least favourite team though as everyone seems to end up there at some point on this forum....either that or the Gateshead massive love this forum Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Well I guess he is a 'big name' for the likes of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 Gateshead - October 2019 Update Similarly to last season, it's been another fairly strong start, with seven victories from our opening fourteen fixtures. That's a 50% win ratio, and just about what I would have expected from a team expected to finish mid-table. There's been a couple of standout performances too, with the away wins to Walsall and Rochdale showing an improvement in our form on the road; we only picked up 21 points away from Gateshead last season, so I'm hopeful we'll better that this term. You may have noticed the slight lack of goals at times, including three consecutive games where we drew a blank. I'm still easing Challinor back to fitness, having missed the first eight games of the season, which has been the main cause of the problem. In addition to this, new signing Conor Chaplin picked up a knock too, so I was having to use third choice striker, Ivan Toney, as the main focal point of our attack; he's not really adequate for this level yet, and has struggled more often than not. We're very handily placed in the table, just the six points behind the leaders, Chesterfield. I'm not sure if we'll maintain a playoff challenge, though, but I would like to think that we'll beat last season's points haul (62). At the other end, Wycombe are having a shocker, failing to secure a victory as of yet. They finished in the playoffs last year, so this is a big surprise. I'm pleased that our record goalscorer is now back to fitness. We just need to get him firing again. [video=youtube;4Yjwbt5ULwc] TZJhhYMu-Mcbg Another accolade for Warren Owen. He's refusing to sign a new contract, though, which is a concern as it is due to expire at the end of the season. A couple of notable landmarks for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 Doing well to hold onto Challinor I think so too. He's rated very highly by the fans, so it would be a disaster if he were to leave. Decent first effort in the league. Thanks Nobby. I was pleased too. Shirt sales for Carson the Clown?Are they really that daft in Gateshead? Well I guess he is a 'big name' for the likes of them. He is a big name, all things considered. A former England international, no less. I can picture the folk of Gateshead walking round the town centre in the Scott Carson 1# Goalkeeper jersey's! Just caught up. Well done chap as before with continued success. Gateshead is quickly becoming my least favourite team though as everyone seems to end up there at some point on this forum....either that or the Gateshead massive love this forum I agree, it has turned into the Gateshead Appreciation Forum, on here recently. I'd like to get them promoted one more time, before even considering moving on. I certainly don't see myself staying for much longer than five seasons, though, as the fan base just isn't here for major success. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffy89 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Looking good so far mate! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 5, 2014 Author Share Posted January 5, 2014 Gateshead - January 2020 Update Let's start off with our terrific FA Cup run, which saw us make it to the Third Round, taking Championship side, Bristol City, to a replay. Normally, I tend to play an under-strength team for the cup games, favouring keeping the players fit for the league fixtures, however, I thought we had a really good chance of knocking our League One opposition out of the competition, so fielded the strongest eleven available to me; two late goals stunned the O's, and saw us progress to the Second Round. Up next was a trip to Swindon, a side that had already beaten us in the league this season. I had expected a close game, but, momentum was high, due to a good run of results, and we dispatched them with very little doubt. Having made the Third Round, there was always the possibility of a glamorous tie against Premier League opposition, so drawing relegation-bound Bristol City was slightly anticlimactic. That said, the match drew a record crowd to the Gateshead International Stadium, as we put a good show to earn a draw against a side two divisions above us. Bristol City showed their superiority in the replay, scraping a solitary goal in a game lacking in overall quality, which was enough to knock us out. Still, it was a nice little cup run, for which we've been handsomely rewarded financially. Back in the league, it appears that we are a team all about form and momentum; when we're on it, we can win four or five on the bounce, but, when we're bad, we're god damn awful. That said, on balance, we're now starting to play like a side in the hunt for promotion, and I fully expect us to finish in the playoffs at least. Most importantly, we're much improved defensively, having totalled eleven clean sheets in the league so far; only Swindon have done better. There's been a little bit of transfer activity to report from the January window too. Defender, Andrew Weir, joins us on loan from Peterborough, and is an improvement on our current centre-backs. Additionally, Andre Brown joins us on a free transfer, and will add to our fire power, although will be third choice behind Challinor and Chaplin. I had the option between him and Andy Carroll, but decided to go for the more creative player; it would have been far too sentimental to bring Carroll back to the North-East, anyway. Don't get a nosebleed, boys... 73 points were enough to secure automatic promotion last season, so this has to be a target for us, especially considering there's still 51 up for grabs. More importantly is the gap between us and AFC Wimbledon in eighth place, which should mean, barring something spectacularly, we'll qualify for the playoffs at worst. Good to see another club record broken. The money from the Bristol matches will be invaluable, although the Chairman still doesn't want to improve the facilities yet. It may only be one more coach, but I now have a defensive specialist, in addition to personnel skilled in attacking and fitness trained. With seventeen games still to play, it's likely that he'll improve this further. January's been a good month, despite the defeat to Barnet Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 5, 2014 Author Share Posted January 5, 2014 Looking good so far mate! Thanks Duffy, it's going quite brilliantly at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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