BluesGuy Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 One of my favorite things in life is history. Another one of my favorite things is Football Manager. Recently, I thought to myself, why not combine the two? Thus this idea was born. Notts County is the OLDEST professional football team in association football. Not just in England, but in the whole world. I love to manage in England, and have experience managing Notts County, albeit on FIFA 14. So I decided to manage them once again, this time in Football Manager, and see what history I could make! Notts County FC- A Brief History Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. With records of games as early as 28 November 1862,[3] Notts County is recognised as the oldest association football team in the world now playing at a professional level. Between 1888–89 and 2013–14 they played a total of 4,756 Football League matches – more than any other English team. The team plays in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. County play their home games at Meadow Lane in black and white striped shirts. The Manager Ian Richardson is a former midfielder and defender who played most of his career with the Magpies, making him an ideal choice to take over. Scoring 21 goals in 249 appearances, he is a fan favorite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 As we can see, the club was very successful in the early years, as they were FA Cup winners in 1894. The club hasn't won very many major honors since the turn of the century, which Mr. Richardson which Mr. Richardson looks to change. They are fierce rivals with local neighbors Forest and Mansfield, the latter of which we will face twice this year in League Two. We play in the 20,300 all-seater Meadow Lane. The facilities are pretty average, but we will look to improve those, as I look to focus on young talent, whether from the club ranks, or from elsewhere. Next- I will update with squads and early transfers, as well as my transfer strategy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 Squad- The squad is most certainly not short on talent, with the likes of Genaro Snijders, a speedy winger who is able to play both sides of the pitch, and Michael O'Connor, our captain, and our rock in the middle of the park. Louis Laing is with us until the New Year, which is when he returns to Motherwell. Young prospects include Jordan Richards, a right sided midfielder, and Matty Johnson, a striker who is already attracting interest from lower tier Championship clubs. We will look to hold onto him as long as possible, but we could be fighting a losing battle. I haven't found any signings to make quite yet, but my transfer strategy will be to pick up many youth prospects, and look to develop them in my squad. Some experienced additions will be needed from time to time, but I want to focus on young players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenzar Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 Interesting idea! Let's see how quickly you can surpass Forest! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raware Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 15 minutes ago, Lenzar said: Interesting idea! Let's see how quickly you can surpass Forest! With Montanier in charge, it won't take long!!! Good luck with Notts . Nottingham deserve at least one team doing well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 3 hours ago, Lenzar said: Interesting idea! Let's see how quickly you can surpass Forest! 3 hours ago, Raware said: With Montanier in charge, it won't take long!!! Good luck with Notts . Nottingham deserve at least one team doing well Cheers to both of you! A short update on what my friendly schedule looks like. I went for a morale boosting schedule, but did schedule some intriguing contests against Coventry, who are in League One, and the perennial Welsh champions TNS. We looked good against the U23s, with Jon Stead performing his role as our Zlatan admirably. Next- A review as we head into the League season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 Best of luck with my club, man. Look after them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheriff7 Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 Good luck!! ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 On 1/1/2017 at 10:25, withnail316 said: Best of luck with my club, man. Look after them. Haha, I'll do my best. Always can do better than the boys across town though On 1/1/2017 at 11:03, Sheriff7 said: Good luck!! ;-) Thanks! Schedule- Good work from the boys in our tune up fixtures. I was impressed with the Coventry win, as we put it away early against a fairly strong side. The rest of the fixtures were mainly used for morale boosting, because I need the squad to persevere through this season if we are to defy expectations and get promoted. We travel to Somerset to take on Yeovil to start the season, and face Port Vale back at Meadow Lane in our EFL Cup tie. Our Checkatrade Trophy group will be a tough one, so I will use this to rotate the squad and give more people match time. Walsall are a dangerous side, and any PL U-23 team will be tough. Transfers- We lost this absolute GEM of a HOYD, Mick Halsall, to Championship outfit Burton, and replaced him with the slightly less talented Francesco Sala. Transfers In/Out (so far) Ins- Callum Roberts provides backup to Snijders in the winger position, but has performed so well in preseason I'm considering starting him. Stanek is the former Everton GK prospect that was released last summer. Dale Jennings was a favorite of mine on FM15, as he banged in goals for years during my Barnsley save. Omerovic was a former Villa scholar that I decided to take a flyer on, as he signed on a cheap enough salary I was willing to see if he would develop. Outs- The first two are U-23 players that since we aren't registered to a league (I don't know why we aren't ), and the third, Atkinson, moved to Forest Green to get games at RB, as our depth there was too good for him to get many games. I like his upside, so I am very willing to try to help him develop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Good luck at County. You'll need it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 On 1/2/2017 at 16:48, Nobby_McDonald said: Good luck at County. You'll need it. Thanks Nobby! Update coming later tonight, hopefully. School has kept me busy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 We started the season off with a tough stretch of games, and did not performed well in the matches against Yeovil and Stevenage. We made good in the league by beating Plymouth at home, which gave the team a boost of confidence. Callum Roberts has transferred his form from preseason to competitive fixtures, with a goal against Port Vale, the equalizer against Stevenage, and an assist in the game against Palace. That game was a tough one, as we took the lead twice, only to be hit back with wonder goals, both from Kwesi Appiah, both from outside 22 yards. We ended up going out on penalties, with a clutch Mandanda save preventing us from going through. The disappointment showed up in the game with Crawley, as we went down inside the half hour, and I found myself screaming at my computer, but to no avail. The Checkatrade Trophy match provided a much needed boost for the matches in September, as a Jesse Starkey cross was deflected into the goal for our winner, and we now top the group. An easier month, which sees us take on both newly promoted sides. The two matches where we might struggle are the home contest with Orient, and the trip we have to make to Exeter to close out the month. Transfers- Loan signings were all I made, and they were both for first team cover. With a run of injuries, Madger Gomes was loaned in until the New Year to provide cover. To elabrorate on that "run of injuries" I was talking about, we lost Johnathan Forte and Genaro Snijders, both our starting wingers. We expect them back towards the middle of September, but it is looking like they will not be ready for the first team until the Exeter match. Next- September Update! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Fixtures- A very good month of fixtures, as we took care of both of the promoted sides, and drew against Accrington at home. They had a wonderful counter-attacking move that we couldn't do anything about to equalize the game. Orient showed us why they were candidates for promotion, as they dominated the whole game, and scored both goals in the air to defeat us. We really have a problem about our heading, which is something I am looking to fix in January. I decided we needed a tactics change, and it worked like a charm, as having a striker pairing up top helped us smash 5 goals onto bottom feeders Exeter. I don't know why I was so worried in the first place. The first part of the month will be fairly routine, hopefully, but things heat up as we travel to Plain Mill for the derby match, and then head to Fratton Park later in the month for a tough matchup with Portsmouth. Table- The results have now shot us up the table to 7th, as we continue our promotion hunt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 He's been playing so well. I don't have the screenshot, but Roberts and Stead are hurt as well, the latter having scored 6 goals this season. Winnable tie, hopefully we can take care of business. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 October- Our first week of the month was a great one, as we dismantled Morecambe at home, roaring back after Dickinson gave away a penalty, continuing his season long slump. Traveling to Field Mill, we snatched the lead early, and sat back and warded off all Mansfield efforts for the last 86. Form then turned bad, and we couldn't win against Crewe or Luton at home. The match against Portsmouth away was always going to be tough, but I did not expect it to be that bad, as we were very tame, and let Gary Roberts walk all over us. Upcoming Fixtures- This month should be a lot easier, as we travel to Cumbria to open our month against National League side Barrow in the FA Cup. The four sides we face in the league are all in the bottom 8, so we should return to form this month. Table- We dropped out of the promotion places, but a run up the table is likely in the next month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Good luck. Nice Zack LaVine av. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 1 hour ago, Deisler26 said: Good luck. Nice Zack LaVine av. You follow NBA? T-Wolves have it tough rn, but he is a bright spot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 22 minutes ago, BluesGuy said: You follow NBA? T-Wolves have it tough rn, but he is a bright spot. I've been a T-Wolves fan for years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 22 minutes ago, Deisler26 said: I've been a T-Wolves fan for years. Wow, that's crazy, same here! Sprewell, Cassell, and Garnett days, or further back? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 7 minutes ago, BluesGuy said: Wow, that's crazy, same here! Sprewell, Cassell, and Garnett days, or further back? The Laettner, West and Rider days. I got into them from NBA Jam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 Blackpool should be ashamed of themselves, 4 goals to a journeyman target man? I'm happy though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 Fixtures- An almost perfect month, as only lost the game to Barnet, in a gutting collapse away, as we had the lead at halftime. We needed a replay against Barrow due to our poor attack, and even left it late in the replay, scoring our 3 goals in the last 10 minutes of the match. Jon Stead banged in 4 on live TV against struggling Blackpool, and we easily took care of business in the rest of the matches. 22nd- Blackpool (-16) 15 pts 23rd- Newport County (-7) 14 pts 24th- Exeter (-18) 10 pts This leaves us in a logjam for 6th in the table, and we will need to show our resolve in the next month to advance further up. Upcoming Fixtures- The FA Cup draw gods were very kind, once again, giving us a tie against National League promotion contenders which could see us through to the Third Round! I may consider doing a live Boxing Day commentary against fellow promotion hopefuls Doncaster, in the way that @ManUtd1 or @Jupjamie does. Next- A 2016 summary! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedese Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Good start with County! Here's hoping you can get past Wrexham. Nothing better than a cup run Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Doing very well so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 10 hours ago, Jupjamie said: Good start with County! Here's hoping you can get past Wrexham. Nothing better than a cup run Thanks for the encouragement, we've really done great in the cups. 3 hours ago, Nobby_McDonald said: Doing very well so far. Thank you! Fixtures- December in the league was very patchy, as even though the teams we lost to are right up the table with us, we were toothless and couldn't hit the side of a barn. My favorite performances of the month were the emphatic wins against Colchester and Port Vale, our second win of the season against the League One side! @Jupjamie came down from Roterham to give the team a pep talk before the Wrexham match, I'm pretty sure, and spurred us to victory there. A vital month for us in terms of taking care of business, as this is the month where we face many bottom half sides. These fixtures will let us know whether we can make a run at the automatic promotion spots, or settle for the playoffs. Table- 22nd- Morecambe 18 pts GD -9 23rd- Blackpool 18 pts GD -18 24th- Crawley 16 pts GD -20 Midseason Report- So far, I've felt pretty "meh" about the season. We have had highs and lows, but overall, I wish I could do better in some areas. Our league position and form could use improvement, as we have gone spotty across the season. Our cup performances have been impressive, and I hope to continue our runs in the New Year. Player Performances of note- Louis Laing (on loan from Motherwell)- avg rating of 7.11, 1 goal in 24(2) appearances Laing has been our rock at the back, and sadly has to return to Motherwell in the middle of January. I am frantically looking for his replacement, but his shoes will be hard to fill. Curtis Thompson- avg rating of 7.13, 3 goals in 21(2) appearances Thompson started out as a rotation option, but has become a vital link in our midfield, as the quick, hard working option. Tying him to a new deal should happen sometime soon. Campbell and Stead- Campbell- avg rating of 7.22, 5 goals, 3 assists Stead- avg rating of 7.15, 14 goals, 6 assists These two have turned around our early season struggles, as the duo have turned into a lethal strike force that rival the best in the league. Stead is in the procress of getting a new contract, as our lower league Zlatan. He plays very well with his back to the goal, as a physical scorer which is complimented by Campbell's pacier style. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 Wonderful tie for us, financially and competitively Predictions on whether we've won? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenzar Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I'm thinking that Sunderland left it late and snuck it, 2-1. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 3-0 to Sunderland. Two quick goals then one late on in the second half Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 12, 2017 Author Share Posted January 12, 2017 8 hours ago, Deisler26 said: 3-0 to Sunderland. Two quick goals then one late on in the second half Wow! Exactly as you say! Unfortunately, it doesn't really matter anymore. I'm sorry to say my save corrupted as I was on the way out the door this morning. It might've had something to do with me slamming my computer lid closed, but I'm really not sure. To the few people that read this, thank you. You have inspired me to play FM more, and given me a boost everytime you replied. I will be back soon with another save, as it is one that I hope the forum will read and enjoy. P.S. Does anyone make custom kits? I am looking for some for this next save. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedese Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Damn. Corrupted saves are the worst Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Bummer. Lesson learned, never slam the lip shut. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 That sucks! Best of luck on your new save if you have one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesGuy Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 1 hour ago, Deisler26 said: That sucks! Best of luck on your new save if you have one. Thank you! I really like my idea, hopefully others like it as well. 23 hours ago, Jupjamie said: Damn. Corrupted saves are the worst They really are, thanks for following! 1 hour ago, Nobby_McDonald said: Bummer. Lesson learned, never slam the lip shut. Definitely lesson learned. Thanks for following! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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