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Rise to the Top [FM 2017]


tastaiwan

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8 hours ago, RyanBrown said:

I'd start going direct, boot the ball up field and hope for the best.

I would, but I don't want my % possession lingering in the 30s...it's probably the smartest thing to do, but it goes against my football values. What to do, what to do?!

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We got ourselves into a little bit of a sticky situation in the final stretch of the league. Things started out mediocre with two ties, but things quickly turned dark as we lost three games in a row 2-1. One point above the relegation playoff spot with a place in next year's League 1 on the line, Mocanu found himself face to face with his old team in ninth place. Montrose and Stirling were even on points with only goal-difference keeping them apart, so a win or a tie here was necessary. Thankfully, we momentarily turned around our horrendous form for the final game to beat Stirling and keep the league leaders to a draw.

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Our survival also comes at the cost of Queen's Park fall from first place alongside Stirling's potential relegation. I haven't seen this until now, but Stirling's goal difference is quite terrible... The league was terribly close this year, with 3 points separating the top 5, 3 points separating the bottom four, and Cowdenbeath chilling in the center of the league table. Thankfully we survive the year and live to fight another day.

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All in all it was a pretty average season. Jim Wilson, the two and some star youngling I brought in to build from the youth up has become a bit of a starlet of the fans, and who can blame them? He put in a great shift during the season, turning in the occasional performance over 8.0, which is really good for his age and our performances in the league. I'm glad he wants to stay with us. The league positions how that we were all over the place. Started great, went to crap, did great again, leveled off, suddenly did great again, then almost got relegated. I would kill for some consistency.

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Taking Care of Business

Well...I've quickly learned that the two squad system is not viable until you reach the upper leagues. My second team just isn't good enough to be trusted to play and get a good result, so in the end I just had a first team that was playing all the time and the others players who are almost good enough to play and have potential are rotting. I'll have to take a different approach to squad building, but first I need to look at what I have, no including players who've left or I'm forcing to leave because of poor performances.

Jordan Hart - Starting keeper. He'll be the starting keeper again next year. He's very good and continues to impress, I'm happy where he's going.

Max Currie - Backup keeper. This is a toughy. He's not very good, but there are other positions where I want to bring in high quality players that will lead our players into a good finish next year, so unless I get a good option I'm content to let him play backup.

Jim Wilson - Starting right back. His performances are great, his stats look great, the fans love him after only a year, and he's only twenty. Is there anything else I could want? If only I could get him on a really long contract but those don't exist down here...

Greg Pascazio - Center back. I think he'll continue to be starter, but I want to see if I can bring in a rock at the back, and if I can he might end up getting dropped. It's hard to tell.

Michael McMullin - Not the starting left back, but he's still pretty good. He might play more games next year but Andrew Steeves might continue to keep him out.

Andrew Steeves - Basically just as good as McMullin. Maybe I should rotate them...

Kyle McNaughton - Pretty much definite starter next year, I like his stats and I think he'll continue to serve me well into next year.

Ewan Gourlay - Backup center back. Not getting much playtime and will probably get unhappy.

Michael Kelly - One of our key players on the left side. He has incredible (for this side) stats and continuously puts in ravishing performances. Will work to put on a new contract soon.

Blair MacLennan - Another key figure in the side, he'll continue to be important going into next year.

Danny Smith - Young and inexperienced, but he plays a ton and plays well so I don't care.

Ewan Henderson - He's okay, but won't get on the starting squad I think.

Rabin Omar - I don't know if I want to keep him or not. He's insignificant and doesn't play as much as his opposite. His stats don't quite fit the way I want my wingers to play. He'll probably stay another year, though.

Kieran McWalter - One of the reasons I'm unimpressed with Omar...this guy is beating him out of the position, and he's beating him hard. Despite being, according to the scout, not good enough for this league, he's one of our better performers.

Sebastian Ross - Great midfielder, very young, needs more playtime.

Steven Ross - He's done very well so far this year, and I suspect he'll hold his spot a while longer, but I'm thinking I need a stronger forward to come in.

Ryan Tierney - So good...but also so bad...very unimpressed, but every once in a while he still shows up and makes me glad I signed him. Too inconsistent.

Craig Johnston - Very good striker, he'll pretty much certainly beat Ryan Tierney out of the side. He's put in a lot of great performances this year.

That's everyone. It's hard to see where we need improvement, but I'll look to cover weak positions before I splash on someone great.

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Transfers 2019

Out:

Darren Hynes - Wasn't good enough to playing enough, so he's out to get some on the wage budget.

James Irvine - An offer came in for a youngster, so I plopped a future sales profit clause on that one and he's out.

Max Currie - Never mind he's out.

Scott Rumsby - He's been begging to leave since the winter so there was no chance of him staying.

In:

Josh Mullin - A decent right winger to give depth, but he's not that good. He'll play a bit because that position doesn't have any stars. As if Kieran McWalters is gonna keep playing there.

Jack McMillan - Another JM for the books. Just another attempts to increase depth.

Brett Long - The best option I could find at goalkeeper to replace Max Currie. Depth. He's not bad though.

Not every signing this year is just a depth signing. I've made two signings that will slot directly into the starting eleven, and I hope they can make an immediate effect because they are quite skilled.

Lee Paterson - Paterson joins us from Hibernian, so he's coming from a high-profile background. His list of pros and cons is very impressive, and he'll mostly play on the right wing. However, do to issues in the transfer market for the third year in a row he'll double as a left wing back up. Scotland is seriously lacking in left wingers.

Darren Lyon - I introduce you to possibly the best signing of the save so far. He'll play in the (I'm utilizing three center mids now in a 4-3-3 wide formation) and will, no doubt, play a big role this year. He may not have one single big attribute, but all his important attributed are consistently good, which I put a lot of value in.

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20 hours ago, RyanBrown said:

Hopefully this season you finally get promoted. It has been a struggle seeing you under perform (in a way) with the squad you currently have.

The bookies put me in for a top half finish, around 5th or 6th. Maybe Darren Lyon and Lee Paterson really turned their heads. The squad I have should be good enough for the promotion, but you underestimate my lack of skill as an FMer...

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7 hours ago, tastaiwan said:

The bookies put me in for a top half finish, around 5th or 6th. Maybe Darren Lyon and Lee Paterson really turned their heads. The squad I have should be good enough for the promotion, but you underestimate my lack of skill as an FMer...

I am sure you aren't that bad. But good luck anyway, sure you can do better than last season.

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Just read through this. Was quite a roller-coaster of emotions. The lesson I picked up here was University teams are terrible, probably hungover every game. 

I loved the month of win lose win lose win. I bet you couldn't decide if you loved or hated Montrose. 

Onwards and upwards. I think you'll have a great season next season. KUTGW.

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11 hours ago, andychar said:

The lesson I picked up here was University teams are terrible, probably hungover every game. 

I loved the month of win lose win lose win. I bet you couldn't decide if you loved or hated Montrose.

Would definitely explain the form...

I still don't know if I like Montrose, but after last time I tried to leave a club I was relatively comfortable at I think I'm going to give this one a good go, at least one promotion, before I take another look outside Scotland.

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What an astonishing group of friendlies...we beat Aberdeen in a surprise win and tie with Celtic in an even more surprising fashion! Good signs to come, hopefully. The Betfred Cup goes slightly worse, but by no means is it terrible. We soundly beat Annan and lose to Premiership teams by 1 goal only, which is fantastic. Livingston, in our league, do keep us down and defeat us on penalties, but otherwise it's a pretty good showing. I think over the course of a long season we'll do quite well. Michael Kelly is looking to move to a bigger club, and his depressed value is forcing me to value him at $0. It's amazing what being in a certain league will do to a certain player's value...

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Try pairing Steven Ross with a target man on support. The ball gets moved to the TM, and Ross should move into position for chance after chance.

This worked very well in the Scottish League One for me.

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52 minutes ago, Lenzar said:

Try pairing Steven Ross with a target man on support. The ball gets moved to the TM, and Ross should move into position for chance after chance.

This worked very well in the Scottish League One for me.

I would try that, it sounds more organized than what I've been doing, but I changed to a one striker system this year to take advantage of lots of good midfielders and wingers. Would have been solid last yet but times are a-changin'.

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The rough start to the league continued for just a little but, but things turned around big time towards the latter half of the month. We completely dominate against Airdrie, which is a trend I hope to see continue throughout the rest of the year. We did have scattered losses, illustrating our need to keep improving, but other than that it was a fantastic month. Next update I'll be hoping for only one loss, but it might be tough. Time is a commodity, and hopefully I'll get enough of it tonight to make one more update, but chances are things will really get rolling this weekend. Maybe a few more job changes, who knows :D (Please no, I'm good).

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Morton are having a blinder of a campaign so far and find themselves already four points above the next 3.

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Everything was going absolutely dandy, undefeated in the league right up to the end of this period. We've very consistently defeated the other league sides and that's very encouraging. However, Morton must be having the season of their lives because for the life of me I can't seem to beat them and take over their position on top of the table. Right now there's honestly nothing I want more than to finally go even on them on points and go into that automatic promotion spot but it's really difficult. Despite grabbing so many points, they grabbed just as many and more, and their rather convincing recent win over us is telling me I might have to settle for second if things don't change...

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I'm not going to push them off their roost when they're on such scintillating form.

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I've got an offer from over in Romania, and while it's quite an interesting prospect to change country, but the club screen was less convincing...

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One look at the finances and I was out. I'm not very keen on trying to dig out of that hole.

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Second job offer, also rejected. I would love to make a move, but good jobs just aren't showing up yet and I want to make it to the Championship before I move.

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Also, I'm not moving to a club with a guaranteed relegation to the second tier.

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Here I am, just cruising through the next cycle of games, and I hit Morton and I know this will be the last game before I update. Third time I faced them, and of course the third time I lost. Last two times, though, I lost 3-1, and this time I only lost 2-1, so I guess that's progress? The month was going so well too, unbeaten in 7 league games, but I was nervous heading into that game because they seem to be my kryptonite. If Morton is an example of the bottom of the Championship, then promotion will most likely just give me an unnecessarily frustrating season of losses. Stepping away from that depressing thought for a second, we're having a fantastic season, and heading into the final three or so months things should go smoothly with Montrose taking second place. I'll have to go through the promotion playoff, and there's a pretty good chance that if I make it to the final I won't beat the potentially relegated team from the Championship. Remember, this is the smooth scenario where I don't lose to anyone except Morton. St Pat's Athletic, fourth place in the Irish Premier Division and past multi-time champions, offered me an interview. They're so good and it would have been a great move, but their club balance was over $1,000,000 in the red, and unless I made it into the Champion's League after the first year I wouldn't be able to pay that off. So at Morton I stay, nice and safe financially.

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First off is Michael Kelly's replacement. He's quite a bit worse but he's really pacey and will be good in the future, so I figure it's worth it.

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Good grief. get off my back about Paterson, I only just signed him! Maybe if you'd kept your eyes open a little earlier you wouldn't be going for him now.

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We dropped off quite a bit for this series of games, and I had to stop rotating the team for the last three games and play my strongest eleven to get back on track. It looks like we're good now so I'll most likely rotate up to the next Morton game and go all out there. Inverness beat us soundly, big surprise.

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Morton dropped off as much as we did, so both our teams must be getting fatigued by the long season. They haven't recovered yet and have lost their last five games, so things are looking pretty and. Livingston could still make a break for the title, but with a three point league at worst, things are looking good for the final nine games.

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Well...what an end to the season. I did not, at all, expect this. Throughout the season, I've been vying for second place, and I even made it up to first. But things were stagnating and we were dropping off the pace a little when it was getting crucial. First, I supposed I'll show you the games.

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It's not been good heading into the end of the season. Our losses outnumber our wins, and things were definitely not looking good heading into the final stretch. With the last four games, a total of 12 points, granting us only 4 points, our title challenge took a serious hit. However, somehow...

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Despite a red card, despite a draw, despite our recent form, despite our lack of shots, we somehow won the title.

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And here's why. Thanks to an incredible result from Albion Rovers, my personal saviors of the season, Morton fall to a loss and we make up the one point difference, and we get them by four goals on goal difference. Despite not beating Morton a single time throughout the entire season, we barely nick the title away from their awaiting hands and take the spoils.

Also, I'd like to note Michael Kelly, who's transferred to Airdrie, can go suck it.

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Here's the overview of the season. Everyone's happy and we barely get first place on the final day despite the circumstances. Also, we got taken over by an investor earlier this month and he funneled $160k into the coffers, so we're doing really well financially. Hopefully I get some good transfers and survive next year, but I think we can do it. The new chairman's also given me a new contract, so I think he's happy with my work.

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Oh sweet, verdant pastures of Northern Ireland, despite your reputation for crappy football, this is still an undeniably luscious offer.

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European football as well, the league may not be that good but I think I can do something. FM Gods, bless me with good luck!

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Well...I am very excited about this move. This might be just about what I was looking for. I've always had reservations about managing in Northern Ireland because I've never, ever had a good experience doing it. However, that was usually in the second or third tier. Now, I'm taking over right at the top of the food pyramid, and I'm ready to get rolling. Priorities are of course to keep winning the league to stay in Europe and to make money through that. I can't wait to get started!

European football here I come! Only four years into the save, too. Incredible.

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My paycheck has been soundly doubled, a good sign of the moneys here at Linfield.

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Again, everything here suggests goodness. $3.1 million in the bank, good history in the league, $1.2 mil transfer budget.

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Now I just need to figure out what to play.

 

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I would have preferred to win all the games, but I just took the opportunity to tinker with the tactic a bit. Seems to have worked, because we've done quite well there.

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First signing steps into the left wing. He doesn't have an especially dominant trait, but he's well balanced and that's respectable. He'll start, he's easily the best player there.

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Another fantastic player, he'll step straight into the AMC spot as one of the only players I trust to play there. Young and with space to grow, he should do well.

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Fantastic player, I wasn't sure if I could trust my keepers to dominate in the league and in Europe, so I bought in a nice, cheap, good option. Former Juventus player for 5 years, so obviously Linfield is Juventus quality. Right? Right?!

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England wins something. I guess really anything can happen in FM, no matter how long the odds.

One more transfer to round up this transfer window, I don't think I'll bring anyone else in unless someone leaves.

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Great player. Fantastic player. I think this will be a good year for Scott Hassan.

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Well then...I'm not much regretting coming over here to Northern Ireland. No European football anymore, which will probably affect our finances a little, but hopefully we don't get drawn against a team like Basil next year.

Two new transfers come in, but we're good with the first team so just two youth prospects.

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Both join us from league foes Balinamallard United.

Overview

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Late September/Early October 2020

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There go the prospects of an unbeaten league. Starting after the Coleraine game, Tomas Hoban has scored in every game and has got two hattricks, so there's an academy product from these parts that I'm excited to have. He's taking a bit of playtime from Frank Ross but Ross has himself established himself as a center mid, so no problem there. No idea how we lost to (almost) bottom of the league Ballymena, but we thrash everyone else.

Overview

In first by only four points, hope to extend that soon.

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5 hours ago, andychar said:

Going to Linfield and winning the league a few seasons in a row will do nothing to hurt your reputation. 

Good work so far.

My personality did change to spineless though, I didn't know you could have personalities! It's cool but hopefully not a turnoff for future employers...

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I thought we've been dropping points, but other than that one loss against Coleraine, we really haven't. The truth is that Cliftonville have been having just as good a campaign as I have, they just...lose less. We catch up on their three point lead with a win against them right at the end there.

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Damn........good stuff. One signing to speak up for this transfer window, the only business I'll be doing at all this winter.

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Youngster Ryan McDowell is coming in, Ballinamallard Utd seem to have a lot of good youngsters because I've bought a lot of players from over there for cheap. He's decent right now but only 18, he has lots of time to develop. He'll most likely go out on loan this summer.

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The league goes on without a hitch, but only three of the six games played were a part of that. We win the final in the League Cup Final comfortably against Glentoran, guaranteeing us our first trophy of the year. We're still in the running for the Irish Cup, with the quarter final kicking off the next series of games. The Challenge Cup was a bit of a tougher ask. We advanced all the way to the Semi Final, not a minor achievement as Scotland will always have better teams than Northern Ireland. Kilmarnock beat us quiet handily despite gifting us most of the possession all game. I'll admit, we were on such a good run of form that when they scored and we didn't reply, I was a little shocked. I think I'm getting too comfortable with winning, which isn't a habit I want to be forming.

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We put up 9 out of 9 points and Cliftonville fail to reply, leaving us 5 points ahead with five games left.

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That moment when you don't play enough games before the next update. I couldn't include all the information, the dates are missing but you can puzzle out what competition they're in. Glentoran beat us off the back of the loss against Kilmarnock, probably just a small hiccup of form that sometimes happen when you lose one game, it tends to topple over into the next games. We start performing a lot better though after that and take home three wins, albeit with a lot of help from own goals.

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I'm pretty sure the league title is guaranteed at this point, but what do I know. I haven't got a notification about it yet. There is, however, a very critical piece of information missing, the whole reason why my update is so early...

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Good grief...I have no idea what's happened here. I have two stars of reputation, and Blackburn are rich and up in the Championship, top 20 leagues in the world. I don't know which of my past staff members or players or admirers is running the show at Blackburn, perhaps a former chairman, but they seem to be a fan of my work...I did not anticipate flying up the managerial ladder this fast, I've been at Linfield for, what, less than a year? Oh well, here goes. Off to get Blackburn back into the Premier League. I never thought I'd say that by 2021.

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Just a Small Step Up

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Still feels incredible. I have no words.

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Three premier league titles in our history and some incredibly facilities. My body is so ready.

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Looking through the squad, I recognize Eddie Nketiah, who I'm confident is a former Arsenal player. Oh, how far we've come. Matt Macey, another Arsenal youngster, also takes the goalie spot for us. Here's the profiles for our three best players:

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Basically what I expected, and with that, the season's over. The target was mid-table, and we achieved exactly that with my seven games. Now just gotta bring in the right players, and we can maybe pull off a playoff challenge? Maybe a little hopeful?

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Taking care of the ol' business, some more players to round out the squad, especially with several loan players leaving.

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Will most likely start over Matt Macey because he'll be better in the future. Gotta love those Turkish immigrants in Holland, eh?

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Another potential rich player, he'll be exceptional as well. Gotta build towards the future, it's just what I do.

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It was a little harder to find a capable striker, but I feel like his star rating betrays his actual ability, and with determination like that he ended up being my top pick. He can also play as a false nine, which is pretty important.

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Everything's going prime. Reading caught me off guard, but we also only narrowly won the previous three games so I guess we had it coming. We didn't do as well against AFC Wimbledon as I hoped, and Brentford was boring.

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Mid-table boringness, we are exactly where we expected to be, and with a ton of money.

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Excellently average. Maurizio has yet to develop consistency, but other than that things are going well. We didn't expect wins against Everton or West Brom, although Barnsley was a bit of a disappointment. I don't think we're doing particularly bad though.

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We find ourselves in the playoff places for now, hopefully we can keep it going.

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