fyrefuze Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 great work jogo. nice read. I am a big fan of Wallace and Scougall, especially the way they have developed in my save. Wallace is a good CM while Scougall can be re-trained to play on the left wing as a cover for murphy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Very impressive start to the season Muhaimin. Hopefully the form continues throughout the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Thanks for your feedback FjollFan and fyrefuze. Now I can start to think about my next club and get on with enjoying the game again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FjollFan Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 So we have now left both January and February behind and is coming into March we have had some very up and down moments. The wins against Chelsea and Man Utd were brilliant and even though both those matches could have ended either way we managad to keep shut. Then there were the awful game against West Ham were literally nothing worked, we got just stomped into the ground. The second leg of the Capital one cup semifinal against Leicester was just bonkers, it were 2-2 at full time and then Scott Sinclair went into hyperdrive or something and scored in the 91th, 98th and 101th. Disappointing but not unfair. Besides Joe Gomez I didn't make any additional signings although I kind of wished I had since the closest thing to a injury crisis I have experienced in FM15 struck and Hwan, Isgrove, Cinar and Ademir all was injured at the same time at one point so another winger would have been welcome Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10jayjayokocha Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Who needs Messi or Ronaldo when you have Paddy Madden Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 FF: Excellent cup runs there, unlucky losses in the end. League form also not too bad, although I would have expected the results in reverse (beating lower teams, and losing to top ones). 10jayjay: Great stuff from Madden, was he free after the first season? Crawley is a tough one, isn't it? Lovely skin/background, I've never got to grips with them so stuck on the plain old boring one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Sunday August 3rd 2014 Stephen Dawson agreed terms on a new contract with the club. The 28 year old tireless midfielder signed a new two year deal worth £2.5k a week. Monday 4th August 2014 Ashley Eastham agreed terms on a new contract with the club. The 23 year old centre back signed a new two year deal worth £1.1k a week. Rochdale 3-4 Leeds United A disappointing end to pre-season as we went down to Championship side Leeds Utd. Callum Camps got us off to flyer scoring within the first minute of the game. Joe Bunney then added a second and third with five minutes left in the first half. But a second half collapse meant we ended pre-season on the losing side. Pre-Season Stats: Goals Joe Bunney - 4 Callum Camps - 2 Nyal Bell - 1 Ian Henderson - 1 Joel Logan - 1 Scott Tanser - 1 Stephen Dawson - 1 Oliver Lancashire - 1 Tuesday 5th August 2014 Injury Update: Febian Brandy - Lower Back Stress Fracture - 5 weeks to 7 weeks Saturday 9th August 2014 Rochdale 1-2 Peterborough United A brave display wasn’t enough as we went down in our first game of the season. Things started well with Rhys Bennett playing the ball out to the left where Ian Henderson supplied a deep cross for debutant Mohamed Coulibaly slotted home. Unfortunately The Posh came straight back and equalised via a dodgy penalty decision before Stephen Dawson picked up two yellow cards deep into the first half leaving us with an uphill battle. Peterborough finally broke the deadlock on 76 minutes and although we threatened towards the end, Peter Vincent could only skim the woodwork with an header. Ian Henderson’s performance also earned him a place in the League One Team of the Week. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Mohamed Coulibaly - 1/0 Tuesday 12th August 2014 Rochdale 3-1 Bolton Wanderers A draw against another North West team in the first round of the Capital One Cup presented a tough task as Bolton travelled to Spotland. We took the lead on the 27th minute through young striker Joe Bunney. The match remained that way all the way up until injury when it exploded into life, Max Clayton grabbing Bolton’s equaliser following back up keeper Steve Collis pushed a shot straight into his path. Extra time loomed before Joe Bunney added his second goal on the 92nd minute to surely hand us the tie. However the scoring wasn’t complete and Calvin Andrew put the icing on the cake a minute later to seal a 3-1 victory and a path into the next round. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 0/2 Mohamed Coulibaly - 1/0 Calvin Andrew - 0/1 The Second Round Draw was completed after the game and saw us tasked with a trip to Championship side Reading. Could we claim another victory from an higher ranked team? Time will tell! Saturday 16th August 2014 Today marked the draw of the First Round of the JPT North section. We was drawn away to local rivals Accrington Stanley who we beat 3-1 in a pre-season friendly. Chesterfield 0-2 Rochdale The first away game of the season saw us pick up three points. A goalless first half was followed by a dodgy penalty decision (thankfully in our favour) Ian Henderson converting from the spot. Our second came through youngster Joe Bunney, bending the ball in from 17 yards after good play from Henderson. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 1/2 Mohamed Coulibaly - 1/0 Calvin Andrew - 0/1 Ian Henderson - 1/0 Tuesday 19th August 2014 Injury Update: Febian Brandy - Lower Back Stress Fracture - 2 weeks to 4 weeks West Bromwich Albion’s 20 year old striker Adil Nabi joined the club for a season long loan deal. The agreement meant that the player got first team football whilst we had no outlay on wages. Crewe Alexandra 0-4 Rochdale In what was expected to be a close encounter we completely blew the opposition away with a performance of the highest quality. Calvin Andrew opened the scoring within the first two minutes however we had to wait until just before half time for our second, Crewe striker Valle heading into his own net. Coulibaly sealed the game on 50 minutes before Ian Henderson added a fourth on 84 minutes. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 1/2 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ian Henderson - 2/0 Friday 22nd August 2014 Liverpool centre back Lloyd Jones, 18, became the next signing to come to the club. Like Nabi, Jones has joined the team for the season but without the cost of any wages. Saturday 23rd August 2014 Rochdale 2-1 Bristol City An even game saw us sneak three points against Bristol City. Joe Bunney set us on the path to victory with a strike in the first three minutes however as half time edged nearer Bristol City grabbed an equaliser following poor marking from a corner. Young midfielder Callum Camps slotted home the winner on 71 minutes from just outside the box, his first goal for the club. The performances of Ashley Eastham, Scott Tanser and Callum Camps were also good enough to secure them a spot in the League One Team of the Week. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 2/2 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ian Henderson - 2/0 Callum Camps - 1/0 Tuesday 26th August 2014 Reading 1-0 Rochdale The defeat to Reading saw us eliminated from the Capital One Cup in the Second Round. Despite battling away, a goal just after half time settled the tie. Despite the defeat we met the boards expectations in reaching the Second Round and can also be pleased with beating a higher ranked team in Bolton Wanderers along the way. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 2/2 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ian Henderson - 2/0 Callum Camps - 1/0 Saturday 30th August 2014 Rochdale 0-2 Bradford city The last game of the month saw us on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline despite having the better of the game against Bradford. Two quick goals just past the hour mark, including a cracking free kick by Alan Sheehan saw Bradford travel back to Yorkshire with the three points. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 2/2 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ian Henderson - 2/0 Callum Camps - 1/0 End of Month Round-Up - August 2014 Sky Bet League One - 6th (possible finish 1st to 24th) Capital One Cup - Lost in Second Round (v Reading) FA Cup - Not entered yet Johnstone’s Paint Trophy - North First Round (v Accrington) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Nice update Gunner, and not a bad month at all - it usually takes me a lot longer to get that kind of consistency. Are you playing 442 and how are you using Henderson/Vincenti? Good luck in September mate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Nice update Gunner, and not a bad month at all - it usually takes me a lot longer to get that kind of consistency. Are you playing 442 and how are you using Henderson/Vincenti? Good luck in September mate. I'm doing what I normally do with formations and varying them from match to match. Mainly played 4-4-2 so far though. I have Henderson and Vincent both down as right wingers and whilst Henderson has been good, probably the most consistent performer in the side, Vincenti is at the opposite end of the scale as well as performing poorly in training so will need to sit down with him and sort things out if he's going to perform! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Interesting stuff, but I'm sure you'll sort that out. Will look out for your next diary update in due course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Interesting stuff, but I'm sure you'll sort that out. Will look out for your next diary update in due course. It includes a £275k deadline day signing.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Ooh, that's a big deal for Rochdale. It must be a serious improvement and I imagine it's virtually your entire budget. Teaser post, that was... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Ooh, that's a big deal for Rochdale. It must be a serious improvement and I imagine it's virtually your entire budget. Teaser post, that was... We had no left winger in the squad and he's good enough right now for the level we're at but also hopeful that he can improve as we (hopefully) progress. It's pretty much the budget gone but I have spare wages and a little bit of transfer funds left so no panic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 11, 2015 Author Share Posted March 11, 2015 Good stuff mate, will be interested to see who it is when revealed in the diary! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FjollFan Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 @Jogo: I always had that "problem" in FM where we do well against the big teams but horrendous against the worse @Gunner 101: Seems like you are doing pretty well. Safe wins and some close losses Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Thanks FF! Aim is to reach the playoffs although media prediction and board reckon mid-table. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10jayjayokocha Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Crawley were relegated to League Two and a Greek tycoon took over. Thanks to the money available, I managed to get a few decent signings. Won promotion 10 games to go and won the title comfortably in March as well. Paddy Madden scored 57 goals. My biggest achievement is in FA Cup though!! Looking forward to this now.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyrefuze Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Nice run man. great luck avoiding the bigger names. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 Even with a tycoon, that's an incredible season for Crawley. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo7 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Just had my youth intake for the year and this guy seems like he could be a good left back for us in the future. Definitely needs a lot of work (especially crossing :o) but he has already great physical attributes for a 15-year-old. Will try and develop him over the years Quick update on how we're doing in the league - currently 5 points clear at the top of League One, having played 35 games. It's still all very tight below me with the chasing teams, as only 3 points separate Rochdale in 2nd with Oldham in 6th. Will be disappointed if we don't finish top 2, but we're well on course to do so, just need to keep praying that we don't have any injuries to key players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FjollFan Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 @Gizmo: Gregory certainly looks like he a can be a decent fullback although I would probably play him to the right due to his rightfootedness. Hopefully he will prove valuable for you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 Going well Gizmo, nice one. That youngster looks like he could become decent, good luck with that. I'm almost convinced where I am going next - but I have at least three options in both League 1 and League 2. I don't think my guide made it too obvious who I might pick, and I'll probably end up doing loads of these clubs in shorter saves anyway. Watch this space... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo7 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 just need to keep praying that we don't have any injuries to key players. ...next game and McAleny fractures his arm - out for 5 weeks Luckily we're less reliant on him now, as George Green has hit a purple patch in his form recently, so he's been playing as our lone striker and McAleny as our left winger in a flat 4-1-4-1 formation. Doesn't affect me too much as I'll move Luke Garbutt up to left wing from left back and bring in Blair Adams at left-back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 10jayjayokocha: How did Lillis do for you? If you've read my updates you will see that I've just started as Rochdale and Josh is currently my number one. My assistant doesn't rate him too highly but he seems to be okay in early games. How did he get on for you? Jogo: You're starting to become like me and manage every single league team.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo7 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 @Gizmo: Gregory certainly looks like he a can be a decent fullback although I would probably play him to the right due to his rightfootedness. Hopefully he will prove valuable for you Yeah good shout. He's already classed as "accomplished" at RB so I don't need to train him anymore to that position do I? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 Gizmo: I see you have strength in depth there now so despite the injury you can push on. Garbutt should do fine further forward and Adams is not a bad player to bring in either. Gunner: Nice one haha. The only difference is I won't start with them all and then change my mind early on Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I am settled with Rochdale! Thanks very much! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10jayjayokocha Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Gunner; Conceded a few easy goals at the start of the season so I decided to loan Bettinelli from Fulham and he has been brilliant for me. Actually I was really impressed with Lillis' performances against me and that's why I signed him. Didn't give him enough playing time to judge though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10jayjayokocha Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 European Football in League One next season then Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo7 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 ...next game and McAleny fractures his arm - out for 5 weeks Luckily we're less reliant on him now, as George Green has hit a purple patch in his form recently, so he's been playing as our lone striker and McAleny as our left winger in a flat 4-1-4-1 formation. Doesn't affect me too much as I'll move Luke Garbutt up to left wing from left back and bring in Blair Adams at left-back. Haha ridiculous - next game and George Green gets injured, out for 3 weeks, and Ryan Mason gets injured, out for 5 weeks Mason was a bit-part player so not too much of a blow, but Green... EDIT: - Blair Adams injured himself during weight training - out for 4 weeks! :D Beyond ridiculous this past week or so Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo7 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Great achievement there jayjay! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo7 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Eughhh, now we go on to lose the JPT final on penalties to York Oh, and another injury to add to the list, this time Tyias Browning the unlucky man - taking our injury list up to 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FjollFan Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 @Gizmo: Accomplished should be good enough although I have haerd rumors that it's possible to become natural in a trained position, probably have something to do with the players adaptablility. Also unlucky with injuries and the JPT finals there mate, hopefully you can recover @jayjay: That's a ridicilous accomplishment right there Congratulations! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 Gunner, I'm really pleased you're settled with Rochdale and I look forward to seeing how your season continues after that solid start. Gizmo, that's a really bad run of luck - I suffered several seasons like that with Exeter (not that we ever got close to any cup final) and it was tough indeed. 10jayjay, lost for words - all I can say is well done on that miracle 'double'. * I've taken over at my new League 2 club and have had a player from Blyth Spartans decline to open talks, and one that had been playing for Spartans in Scotland until a month ago refuse to move. I have no transfer budget, only three staff members (the board refused to add any more) and I'm going to be in charge of fitness for the first year too! I think you can safely say that I haven't landed on my feet here... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FjollFan Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Alright, so season 2019/2020 has now been concluded and to say the ending was terrible was a slight understatement. 10 games, no green dots and once again, the best match was against the biggest team, in this case Manchester City where we were their equal throughout their match but they had the better composure in front of the goal but a draw would be more fair. Despite the horrendous form we didn't plummet in the table as the teams below us were just as terrible so we held onto our 13th place. West Brom, West Ham and Blackburn will be leaving us while Burnley, Sunderland and Crystal Palace as been promoted from the Championship. MVP's of the season was without a doubt Oh Sung-Hwan and Callum Saunders. Hwan with 16 goals, 6 assists and 7.14 and Saunders with 21 goals, 9 assists and 7.15. The big disappointment has been Waters but not due to bad plays but rather because his season has been torn apart by injuries as he sprained his ankle twice, strained his wrist once, stained his knee ligaments once and finally gashed his arm once. As soon as he got up to speed another injury hit him. While we have been given less transfer budget than last year I am happy with this as we didn't even spend half of last year and I don't look to toss money around this season either. I have already finalised a deal for this guy to the measly price of £120k. Besides him I will be looking for a DM, another AML and possibly a DL. Our biggest challenge of the summer is not to buy any players but to hold onto Hwan as several teams have already started snooping and uneasing the korean, hopefully he realises what's best for him...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 That's a tough run there FF, but survival is good enough however it happened. What are the remaining aims that you wish to achieve? Good luck with your next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FjollFan Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I don't have any end goals really, instead I will play this save as long as I find it enjoyable and I don't see the spark dying in the next seasons atleast But for next season I will aim for a spot around 9-10th depending on what happens during the transfer window. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Jogo: Had to drag Vincenti off just after half time in the last game. I feel like Van Gaal! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Great commitment FF, and pleasing to hear you're still enjoying it. Good luck for that top half finish Gunner, I guess it's not going to end well for Vincenti at Spotland then. I'm surprised he has been such a let down, but as they say it's a funny old game. Hopefully the young guys you've given pro contracts to will come good instead. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 In the next game I've got him to score his first goal. Moved him inside to an attacking midfield role and he played much better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 In the next game I've got him to score his first goal. Moved him inside to an attacking midfield role and he played much better. That's managerial genius Gunner, well done! I'm going to get through the first few months of my game and do a proper update - assuming I don't get sacked before that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 That's managerial genius Gunner, well done!I'm going to get through the first few months of my game and do a proper update - assuming I don't get sacked before that. Looking forward to the update! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Cheers mate, looking forward to yours too. Curious about this expensive left-winger, haven't really got a clue who it might be - and it's £275k more than I was able to spend before the first window closed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Cheers mate, looking forward to yours too. Curious about this expensive left-winger, haven't really got a clue who it might be - and it's £275k more than I was able to spend before the first window closed He was picked up by my scouts so I wasn't aware of him either! He's played three games so far, averaging 7.37 with 1 goal and 1 assist to his name. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Monday 1st September 2014 Transfer deadline day saw our first permanent summer transfer with the arrival of 22 year old Irish winger Daryl Horgan from Dundalk. The fee for the left winger was £275k however Rochdale fans are seemingly delighted at the arrival of the player who they believe should have commanded a much higher fee. The player has agreed a £2k per week contract for three years with the club taking an option for a further year effectively contracting the player to the club until his 26th birthday. The deal became a club record transfer spend having beat the previous record of £150k. Tuesday 2nd September 2014 Injury update: Febian Brandy - Lower Back Stress Fracture - 4 days to 8 days Accrington Stanley 1-4 Rochdale The JPT Northern First Round threw up a repeat of the pre-season fixture just over a month earlier (we won 3-1 that day) and the result was even better this time around. Following a bit of squad rotation we started slowly and found ourselves 1-0 down within 30 seconds following a lovely team move by Accrington. The lead didn’t last long though as on loan forward Adil Nabi grabbed his first goal for the club on the 9th minute. The second was another first, Daryl Horgan, the club record signing rising the highest from a corner to head home on his debut. Nabi added his second goal just before half time to calm things down. The scoring was completed by a less likely source has centre back Ashley Eastham headed home from Henderson’s free kick. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 2/2 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Adil Nabi - 0/2 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ian Henderson - 2/0 Callum Camps - 1/0 Daryl Horgan - 0/1 Ashley Eastham - 0/1 Saturday 6th September 2014 Crawley Town 1-3 Rochdale A game which we bossed ended in a convincing victory against 10 men Crawley. A poor first half saw us come in at the break 1-0 down thanks to Paul Pogba’s Brother Mathais finishing from close range. A telling off at the break saw a much improved performance which saw us take 27 shots. Joe Bunney got us back on level terms before Ashley Eastham made it 2 in 2 from the back. Crawley then lost a man just after the 70th minute mark and Stephen Dawson finished the game on 90 minutes heading home from Long’s cross. Both right back Sean Long (assists) and Ashley Eastham (goal) made the League One Team of the Week with their performances. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 3/2 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Adil Nabi - 0/2 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ian Henderson - 2/0 Ashley Eastham - 1/1 Callum Camps - 1/0 Daryl Horgan - 0/1 Stephen Dawson - 1/0 Monday 8th September 2014 Febian Brandy resumed full training following two months out on the sidelines with a lower back stress fracture. Brandy is currently second choice in the right wing position behind Ian Henderson. Thursday 11th September 2014 Billy Hasler-Cregg agreed to join Vanarama North side Guiseley on a 1 month loan deal. Guiseley are currently 2nd in their division. Friday 12th September 2014 Joel Logan agreed to join Vanarama Conference side Forest Green Rovers on a 1 month loan deal. Forest Green are currently 10th in their division. James Hooper agreed to join Vanarama North side North Ferriby on a 1 month loan deal. North Ferriby are currently 11th in their division. Saturday 13th September 2014 Sheffield United 1-2 Rochdale Possibly the toughest away trip of the season saw us come away with a fortunate 2-1 victory. Winger Ian Henderson gave us a strong start, heading home a Stephen Dawson cross on the 23rd minute. Peter Vincenti, out of form before the game added a second on the 74th to seemginly wrap up the victory. However two minutes later former Rochdale man Matty Done pulled one back for the blades. Captain Stephen Dawson recieved his second red card of the season in stoppage time but it was too late for Sheffield United to mount a serious come back and we escaped Bramall Lane with 3 points. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 3/2 Ian Henderson - 3/0 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Adil Nabi - 0/2 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ashley Eastham - 1/1 Callum Camps - 1/0 Daryl Horgan - 0/1 Stephen Dawson - 1/0 Peter Vincenti - 1/0 Sunday 14th September 2014 Andy Cannon agreed to join Vanarama Conference side Forest Green Rovers on a 1 month loan deal. Forest Green are currently 9th in their division. Tuesday 16th September 2014 Injury Update: Joe Rafferty - Twisted knee - 3 to 9 days Matthew Lund - Pulled hamstring - 4 weeks Wednesday 17th September 2014 Nyal Bell agreed to join Vanarama Conference side Bradford PA on a 1 month loan deal. Bradford PA are currently 4th in their division. Saturday 20th September 2014 Rochdale 0-1 Coventry City A disappointing display saw Coventry leave Spotland with the three points. A 10th minute strike enough to seal a contest that we should have done better in. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 3/2 Ian Henderson - 3/0 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Adil Nabi - 0/2 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ashley Eastham - 1/1 Callum Camps - 1/0 Daryl Horgan - 0/1 Stephen Dawson - 1/0 Peter Vincenti - 1/0 Tuesday 23rd September 2014 Rochdale 3-0 Walsall Following the defeat against Coventry we needed to get back to winning ways and we did, thanks to an Adil Nabi hat-trick. We started well and on 9 minutes Nabi grabbed his first of contest. Goal number 2 for the team and Nabi came just before half time. Nabi skipped past a couple of Walsall defenders before finishing from outside the box. With the game wrapped up, it was a chance for Febian Brandy to make his first start of the season following 2 months out. And it was Brandy who set up the first as he skipped away from Walsall’s backline before squaring to Nabi to complete his hat-trick. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 3/2 Adil Nabi - 3/2 Ian Henderson - 3/0 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ashley Eastham - 1/1 Callum Camps - 1/0 Daryl Horgan - 0/1 Stephen Dawson - 1/0 Peter Vincenti - 1/0 Saturday 27th September 2014 Leyton Orient 3-0 Rochdale A tough game away to one of the league’s stronger sides saw us fall to our first ‘heavy’ defeat of the season. We never really got going playing a 4-1-4-1 formation and deservedly lost to a much better team. Season Goalscorer’s: League/Cup Joe Bunney - 3/2 Adil Nabi - 3/2 Ian Henderson - 3/0 Mohamed Coulibaly - 2/0 Calvin Andrew - 1/1 Ashley Eastham - 1/1 Callum Camps - 1/0 Daryl Horgan - 0/1 Stephen Dawson - 1/0 Peter Vincenti - 1/0 Monday 29th September 2014 Preston North End defensive midfielder Keith Keane agreed to join the club on a 3 month loan deal. Keane will come in to help fill a hole within the team and has the added attribute of being able to play in various positions. Keane is also transfer listed by his club and so could make a permanent move at the end of his loan spell depending on how things go. Tuesday 30th September 2014 Injury Update: Matthew Lund - Pulled hamstring - 6 to 12 days End of Month Round-Up - September 2014 Sky Bet League One - 4th (possible finish 1st to 24th) Capital One Cup - Lost in Second Round (v Reading) FA Cup - Not entered yet Johnstone’s Paint Trophy - North Second Round (v Preston) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Great update Gunner! I'm aware of Horgan but would never in a million years have thought he was the man! I always have a good look at Ireland as you can often pick players up for free in November of the first season. Unfortunately on the new database, all of my 'preferred' targets usually available in 2014 have already extended their actual contracts, and so won't be free until 2015. By that time, I will probably have looked elsewhere. Getting back to Rochdale, things are going well. That was a great win over Sheff Utd, and pretty consistent form for early in the season. The Leyton Orient and Coventry defeats must have hurt, but overall you must be very satisfied. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Great update Gunner! I'm aware of Horgan but would never in a million years have thought he was the man! I always have a good look at Ireland as you can often pick players up for free in November of the first season. Unfortunately on the new database, all of my 'preferred' targets usually available in 2014 have already extended their actual contracts, and so won't be free until 2015. By that time, I will probably have looked elsewhere. Getting back to Rochdale, things are going well. That was a great win over Sheff Utd, and pretty consistent form for early in the season. The Leyton Orient and Coventry defeats must have hurt, but overall you must be very satisfied. What are your thoughts on Horgan? The Coventry game was disappointing because we could have done better and should have done. The Orient game we was outclassed and so I can't have too many complaints. We're doing well, steady and seemingly under he radar has none of my players have been up for any awards yet despite us being 4th. Happy to add Keith Keane to the squad too as Barry-Murphy shouldn't really be anywhere near the squad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 I've never signed Horgan but he is decent in the Irish league and looks capable enough at the start of my game. I really hope it works out well for him at Spotland. I wouldn't have paid £275k for any player in either of the Irish leagues, but then I'm incredibly tight on transfer fees I'd prefer losing a game 3-0 when we are outclassed to one we should have won but got robbed. Teams at this level will have off days if you're playing properly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I've never signed Horgan but he is decent in the Irish league and looks capable enough at the start of my game. I really hope it works out well for him at Spotland. I wouldn't have paid £275k for any player in either of the Irish leagues, but then I'm incredibly tight on transfer fees I'd prefer losing a game 3-0 when we are outclassed to one we should have won but got robbed. Teams at this level will have off days if you're playing properly. Hopefully he can! He's started well so we shall see! Hurry up and update on your new save. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 I'm not really sure what took me to Carlisle United. It wasn't my first choice (or even my second choice) in League 2. Perhaps it was the fact that this was a club that could be doing better. It's a club that is capable of attracting more people to a stadium that has seen better days, but is large enough to cope with football higher than this. Probably another factor was that it would be a challenge, and that there were quite a few teenagers and similar who could instantly become an important part of my team. Finally, I like the fact that I can see (courtesy of a face pack) every one of my staff and players across all of my three squads. After relegation, our media prediction is for a mid-table finish. There is no transfer budget and we have virtually no spare wage allowance. There are no transfer clauses to give a cash boost, and half of the first team squad is too old and/or not good enough for my liking. As I got to grips with the new database for the first time, I did some exploring of who could be recruited. At any club, before I take over, I have players in mind. Sometimes it doesn't work out that I can get who I want, but I try and follow philosophies. For this club, I want to be using players from (or with connections to) the North of the country, plus Ireland and Scotland. I could have brought in many more players than I did (and better players) but these are the ones I felt we really needed right now. Upon arriving in Cumbria, I immediately transfer-listed and invited offers for 10 of my first team squad. Most of them could go for less than 50% of value, some even for free, or on loan with their wages paid. Sadly, only one player was of interest to anybody, but £20k from Gateshead for defender Sean O'Hanlon was very well received. I was disappointed not to move on any of the others despite repeated attempts, including six first team forwards that I hoped to clear out. In view of this, it seemed crazy to spend any money on the first targets I had, so that might need to be next year's plan when it's more appropriate. In the meantime, I needed a new central defender to compete with Courtney Meppen-Walter and Troy Archibald-Henville. The former is a good player, but I can't erase my feelings over his prison sentence, so try not to use him. The latter is decent enough at this level, but Josh Lelan from Derby is an excellent fit for my needs. He is with us on a cost-free loan for the season, and will be a regular starter. Next in were Chris Dawson (Leeds), a central midfielder player with promise and Jordi Hiwula (Manchester City) a striker who has been doing well with Walsall in recent times. Both of them have lots of potential and are going to get plenty of opportunities at the club. Completing our summer business were permanent deals for Jack Laird, a young striker picked up for free from Cefn Druids and attacking midfielder Gabriel Almeida, a teenager from Brazil. Laird (who has a decent goal ratio in non-league football) has gone in to my U21 squad, whilst Almeida is somebody who has spent time at Manchester City and most recently Corinthians in his homeland. I managed him at Grasshoppers in Zurich and know he can be a key player for a club at this level if utilised properly. I've added three staff and kept on everybody that was already employed by the club. The new men all have connections to Carlisle - Paul Murray and Rory Delap as respected former players held in high regard by our fans, and Dennis Booth as a staff member on several occasions between 2003 and 2013. Our numbers are limited, but for a League 2 club there is a surprising amount of Pro Licences amongst this team. The board initially refused to allow an extra coach, leaving me and the other three staff coping with all training. I had therefore taken charge of fitness work, in addition to my other tasks - but maybe the board finally accepted this wasn't the best idea. Luckily Murray (who I recall had moved from here to QPR for a fairly big fee back in the day) can now take that aspect on. The pre-season friendlies had already been arranged before my arrival, and all four were against affiliate clubs (Workington are the fifth one we have, but for some reason they weren't playing against us). I liked having a light schedule, and we showed enough promise to give me hope for a steady first season. The opening day league victory over Luton was as comfortable as it looks, but interestingly they now lead League 2 whilst we struggle along in mid-table. In most of the other games we have been competitive, but I haven't ever felt we have settled in to any rhythm. We've scored quite a few late goals, which shows that we don't give up - but we need to stamp our authority on games better than we are currently doing. I switched from 442 to 451 in the last fixture, and might see how this goes for a few weeks. The Capital One Cup defeat to Blackburn was a decent effort, and we are still alive in the JPT after beating Accrington. We have a home match against Bury in the next round, whilst in FA Cup Round 1 we have little hopes of a run, having drawn a tricky tie away to Burton Albion. So far it's been a steady but unspectacular start to life at Brunton Park, but we're achieving our targets without having clicked yet. The performance graph and league table show how it's gone, but hopefully we can push on and see if the play-off spots are within reach. If we don't reach those heights, it won't be a disaster anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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