[FM18] Welsh Dragons - Carmarthen Town

[ajcardall]

Just now, pullthru said:

Enjoying this. Did you accept it??

Sorry, yes I did! Going to stick the National Team updates in their own posts. Not done much yet, although got a couple of friendlies over the summer

[ajcardall]

2019/20 End of Season

 

We ended our season well, picking up the FAW Cup which was pleasing. We dropped points in 4 games - defeats in three of them - which means the title race was always going to be close between ourselves, TNS and Prestatyn. The 1-5 defeat to TNS was a bitter blow, and if we were to retain the league title, it needed an extremely strong final run-in to achieve it and overturn the points deficit. 

 

In the end it came down to goal-difference, and we managed to pinch the crown - although it was very close! TNS had a superb season and it went to the final game, and our victory against Connah's Quay gave us the league crown for the third season in a row. It will take some improvements over the summer if we're going to dominate the league and really start to pull away from TNS. After bagging two titles in a row, I foolishly rested on my laurels and this season TNS came very, very close.

 

So the season ended up being a domestic treble winning season. By far our best year in terms of trophy haul, but it was far too close for comfort. I'll be scouring the market over the summer months in an effort to ensure we don't have a repeat and can start leaving TNS behind in our wake.

 

Here's the official review. The league table position graph shows how it really was at the end that we managed to overcome TNS and end in first place.

 

The stats, awards and injury report for the season. We were fortunate to avoid any really major injuries, with just 3 players (Liam Walsh twice) missing really extended periods of the season. Sadly, Walsh has found himself marginalised after his two injury set-backs, and may well be moved on.

 

Improvements across the board, with the league climbing the charts, as well as our own club co-efficient and reputation. We've also moved up the national co-efficient table, and now all three Europa League teams will enter in the 1st Round, meaning the Preliminary Rounds of qualifying are bypassed.

[ajcardall]

Progress Trackers

 

The only decrease this season was average attendances, but with our earlier exit from the Champions League, that was to be expected. Improvements off the field continue at a decent pace, and right before I start gathering the data to fill in the tracker, the club announced the step-up to professional status. All key players have signed full time deals, along with the better youth players, ensuring they spend as much time as possible on the training ground. The move to Professional operating status means we're now the 2nd club in the Welsh pyramid to boast such a set-up - the other being TNS!

 

A poor season for the National Team, but everything else showed signs of improvement!

 

Nice to see our European entry places improving!

 

And more improvements for David Priest!

 

[ajcardall]

 

First action since taking the Wales job, and we have two friendlies - both away, against Mexico and against Finland. Following that we have the draw for the UEFA Nations League. Of course, before all of this can occur, I need to select my first squad as the Wales manager.

 

I opted to go for a squad that featured new call-ups, giving some of the younger prospects a chance ahead of the more experienced elder statesmen of Welsh football. Gareth Bale has already retired from international football, and was unwilling to reconsider his retirement. Disappointing, but it does provide an opportunity to forge a new identity for the national team, and cast of the shackles for being a 'one man team'.

 

The first match wasn't the worst, and we were competitive throughout the fixture. Disappointing to concede a winner late on in the game, but I was expecting a much worse scoreline, so overall I am pleased with how the first game went.

 

Played very well against Finland, but we often looked suspect at the back, which was a concern. But still, it was pleasing to get the first win under our belts.

 

We are in the UEFA Nations League Divison B, and have been placed in Group 2, with Albania and Bosnia.

 

[ajcardall]

2020/21 European Campaign

 

We enter the European fold once more, looking to build upon our progress and reach new heights for the club. In our first European season we did manage to reach the 2nd Qualifying Round for the Champions League, and I was hoping that we'd be able to repeat the feat this time around. The extra income that the Champions League offers is a huge boon, and we need those funds in order to build upon the foundations we've been laying down.

 

Sadly, it wasn't to be. When we drew the Israeli outfit, I had hoped we'd be able to overcome and progress into the 2nd Round. Unfortunately we were abysmal in the first leg, and the 1-6 defeat was never going to be overturned. We looked yards off the pace, and it was a rude awakening.

In the Europa League we fared better. We managed to reach the 4th Qualifying Round before coming up against a very strong Bordeaux team, who we were always going to struggle against. I was faintly optimistic after the first leg - a very credible 2-3 defeat - but the difference in class told in the away leg, and Bordeaux comfortably progressed.

Still, we reached new heights in Europe - the 4th Qualifying Round - so there are signs of progress being made.

 

As far as the other Welsh teams go, there was just a single goal scored across the six games, and all three teams fell at the first hurdle.

[ajcardall]

2020/21 Pre-Season Report

 

So the European adventure came to an end for another year, and now it was time to turn our focus to domestic matters.

 

We enjoyed the strongest pre-season so far, beating teams such as Hibernian and Fulham, as well as an utter thrashing of the Everton U-23 squad (12-1!)

 

The UEFA prize money was used to further expand our Junior Coaching budget and our Youth Recruitment Network. 

 

A busy transfer window. After last season where we were slack, which allowed teams such as Prestatyn and TNS to catch up, I decided to ensure extra quality was brought in this year to attempt to push on, and ensure we're not left trailing but the other teams in the league.

Alex Evans has been brought in as a rotation option at the back. He isn't our strongest defender, but is better than the options we were relying on last season when injuries, bans (etc) started to keep our first choice defenders out of action.

Leighton Hill is another back-up/rotation option at the back. Like Evans, he's unlikely to be a first-team regular, but will provide much better strength in depth in the defence.

Mark Thomas is a young winger, who is already the strongest AMR in the team. He has room the develop and improve, and will be a first team option this season. Brought in to add quality to our team and ensure we kick on to the next level.

Lee Connelly is another young attacking option who has room to grow. At 20, he will be featuring regularly in the first team, either as the Advanced Playermarker or Advanced Forward.

Mitchell White is yet another youngster in the final third who is adding immediate quality, as well as improved potential to the team.

Matt Hall isn't the greatest goalkeeper, but he is better than what we had previously. Hopefully he'll be able to keep a few more out of the season, but I would still like to improve this position if possible.

Sion Speake, at just 18, is already the strongest full-back in the team, and will be a first team regular. He should improve over the coming years, too.

Nathan Baxter is a Dutch centre-back, and by far the best defender we have on the books. Snapped up from TNS, he'll be straight into the squad, and at just 20 years of age, could still improve.

 

Our odds provide a good marker as to how much we've strengthened, as we're now 5/1 to win the league - which are our best odds so far. The bookies clearly think we've really closed the gap on TNS this summer, and hopefully this proves accurate.

 

For the first time, we have players in the running for the top goalscorer - at least as far as the bookies are concerned. Liam Thomas and Rhys James are the favourites to be the leading scorer this year - and it's hard to argue. Both are 20+ goals a season players over the last couple of years.

 

Finally, the board seasonal expectations. Not much change from last season, with the League Cup still not being deemed a priority. The board do want us to be challenging both in the league and for the FAW Cup this season, which are more than fair given the last few years' successes.

[Monceanu Rares]

Why Bordeaux? Is not there since 18-19 a Champions Path in the EL? 

[Sheriff7]

On 11/1/2018 at 19:41, Monceanu Rares said:

Why Bordeaux? Is not there since 18-19 a Champions Path in the EL? 

How it could exist a champions path in EL??Champions of every country play in Champions league...

[Monceanu Rares]

Since 18-19, every champion that loses a match in the CL qualifying will have a second chance in the EL on a special path that guarantees 8 places in the EL group stage ( see 2018-19 Europa League on Wikipedia)

[Sheriff7]

2 hours ago, Monceanu Rares said:

Since 18-19, every champion that loses a match in the CL qualifying will have a second chance in the EL on a special path that guarantees 8 places in the EL group stage ( see 2018-19 Europa League on Wikipedia)

If this is right(Wiki makes often mistakes), you have right and i am sorry didn't know it,so it is a bug then and he should raise it..I believe because new system is more complicated they made mistake...

[ajcardall]

I didn't realise the qualification path had changed, starting with the 2018/19 season. I'm guessing this hasn't been reflected in the game, but will be in FM19? Either way, It's not something that overly bugs me, and I can live with it for the sake of the save

[ajcardall]

2020/21 Season

 

This season was and important test to see if we could once again assert dominance over TNS, or whether they'd managed to bridge the gap after last season. I made sure to seriously strengthen - taking some of TNS' best players in the process - so I was confident heading into this season that we would be able to widen the gap again. Progression into the 4th Round of Qualifying for the Europa League, as well as giving Bordeaux a decent game over the two legs, also gave my confidence and high expectations for the season ahead.

Premier League: Winners

Welsh FA Cup: Winners

Welsh League Cup: Winners

 

Welsh Premier League

Domination is one word that could be used to sum up this domestic season. We were a class above all opposition in the league, and finished the season dropping just eleven points throughout the campaign. We were incredibly close to an unbeaten season, but Connah's Quay managed to prevent this rare achievement. Despite a 'wobble' in our form at the end, we finished up an incredible 19 points clear of TNS.

 

Welsh FA Cup

Only one goal conceded in our FA Cup campaign as no-one came close to stealing our crown.

 

Welsh League Cup

Again, just conceding only one goal in the League Cup.

 

Season Round-Up, Stats and Awards

 

Co-Efficient Changes & Other News

Now ranked top of all managers to who managed in Wales. Expect this gap to grow and grow

 

Brexit happened, and we got the player-limit option - or "medium Brexit"

 

Further rise for our club co-efficient after coming close to the Europa League group stages this season.

 

But not much to cheer elsewhere, as our league slid down the rankings table, and our qualification places also suffered.

[ajcardall]

Club Trackers

 

Our seasonal profit/loss worsened, but elsewhere it was a good year for the club.

 

Despite our own club co-efficient rising, it was a bad season overall as the league, and both cup competitions slid down the rankings tables.

 

And progress in the qualification entry spots was also hit.

 

But coaching stats saw a nice increase this year!

[Monceanu Rares]

It has been reflected, but I think the Bordeaux draw seems to be an error

[DazRTaylor]

I actually think that Brexit is better than no changes.  You can know sign 17 South Americans with no issues, for example, whereas in a no change Brexit, you would still need work permits for these.

[ajcardall]

11 hours ago, DazRTaylor said:

I actually think that Brexit is better than no changes.  You can know sign 17 South Americans with no issues, for example, whereas in a no change Brexit, you would still need work permits for these.

Fair point mate.

 

When doing a lower-nation save I tend to stick to players of that nationality anyway, so the 17 Fgn limit shouldn't ever be a factor. But you're right, it does make grabbing a young south American starlet much easier. I may look into this avenue. 

[ajcardall]

14 hours ago, Monceanu Rares said:

It has been reflected, but I think the Bordeaux draw seems to be an error

Yeah, I read up on the changes for next season with regards to having a "Champions" path for qualification. It doesn't seem to be in the game, though? At least, I can't say that I've noticed it in other saves.

 

There is a "Champions Path" for the Champions League, I know that much.

[ajcardall]

Further to the qualification discussion, while wikipedia seems to suggest changes, the UEFA site/press release does not?

 

http://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/newsid=2399126.html?redirectFromOrg=true#/

 

The retention of the Champions and League qualification routes is mentioned for the Champions League, but no such changes are mentioned for the Europa League?

 

I can't find any official (ie, UEFA) source that confirms the changes?

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Champions League Qualification - 1st Round - Leg 1

 

Our European campaign gets handed a tough start as we face Polish outfit Legia Warsaw in the 1st Qualifying Round. They're several classes above us right now, so I'm not expecting to progress any further in this year's Champions League, but hopefully we can at least keep it respectable.

 

Or, you know, maybe we can't. Looking at the stats (shots and possession) it looks fairly even. It wasn't. They were clinical, we were woeful. I fined several players. I expected to lose, but I was furious at shipping so many goals at home. Disappointing.

 

Did smash the record attendance and gate receipt records though. I doubt if they'll be returning after that performance, though!

[vikeologist]

Just a quick note to say that I'm really enjoying this thread which I'm following.

Usually I ask people questions about the save to show a (genuine) interest, but all the answers are supplied by your comprehensive level of detail.

I do have one question though. Do you just play the European matches at parc y scarlets, and is Richmond Park still the main ground for league games? Where is Parc y Scarlets? Oh, Llanelli. That's miles away, mun. I don't remember ever seeing a football stadium in Carmarthen, but maybe Richmond Park is the football pitch a son of my friends used to play youth matches on.

Anyway, this save looks like a really hard and frustrating slog. I'm glad you're doing it so I don't have to. It's like a public service. 

I lived in Carmarthen a long time ago, and have a lot of happy memories of the place, and people. The challenge I oversee (Ultimate Challenge) somebody once stated at Carmarthen, but soon gave up, and achieved success at every single subsequent club, so I'm glad to see your progress.

Looks like you're in a catch 22. Just getting to a European group stage would probably really bring in a financial windfall, (which you could use for improving your facilities even more), but maybe it's a really big hurdle. 

Is this 'challenge' tougher than you expected it to be, having done a similar one before?

I hope I'm not demotivating you. maybe just after your latest European exit is the wrong timing. Don't give up. 

[ajcardall]

7 minutes ago, vikeologist said:

Just a quick note to say that I'm really enjoying this thread which I'm following.

Usually I ask people questions about the save to show a (genuine) interest, but all the answers are supplied by your comprehensive level of detail.

I do have one question though. Do you just play the European matches at parc y scarlets, and is Richmond Park still the main ground for league games? Where is Parc y Scarlets? Oh, Llanelli. That's miles away, mun. I don't remember ever seeing a football stadium in Carmarthen, but maybe Richmond Park is the football pitch a son of my friends used to play youth matches on.

Anyway, this save looks like a really hard and frustrating slog. I'm glad you're doing it so I don't have to. It's like a public service. 

I lived in Carmarthen a long time ago, and have a lot of happy memories of the place, and people. The challenge I oversee (Ultimate Challenge) somebody once stated at Carmarthen, but soon gave up, and achieved success at every single subsequent club, so I'm glad to see your progress.

Looks like you're in a catch 22. Just getting to a European group stage would probably really bring in a financial windfall, (which you could use for improving your facilities even more), but maybe it's a really big hurdle. 

Is this 'challenge' tougher than you expected it to be, having done a similar one before?

I hope I'm not demotivating you. maybe just after your latest European exit is the wrong timing. Don't give up. 

Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah all our European games are at Parc y Scarlets, which I would assume is down to the ground regulations (capacity etc) stipulated by UEFA. I've never been to Carmarthen myself. The only reason I picked them was because I wanted to take a good-to-average Welsh side, rather than start with TNS (for example). Plus I quite like the club colours and badge!!

I'm not finding it a slog yet. After all, it's only 5 seasons old, and improvements to co-efficients and league reputation do take a long time to come through. I do feel we're improving year-on-year. I'm now able to convince League 1 standard players to sign up, which is a huge boost. Domestically it's getting easier, as last season proved. It's at the stage where I now make copious use of the 'Instant Result' button for about 95% of domestic matches.

The next major hurdle, like you say, is qualifying for the group stage. We got close last season before going out (expectedly) to Bordeaux, but we weren't massively outclassed, which was a big positive. Once I'm able to overcome the qualification process on a regular basis, and we become a group stage regular, then the next major challenge is improving the standard of Welsh football. It's all well and good Carmarthen competing regularly, but if the other Welsh teams continue to struggle in qualification, then our national co-efficient and our qualification stage entry places are going to really struggle to show signs of improvement. At that stage it may be a case of using the European money to buy up some players from the other top Welsh clubs - and for over-the-odds prices. The hope being the AI clubs then use that money to strengthen so they can begin to compete as well. Of course, I can't simply sign their best players, because they're gonna need them. So maybe get some of their younger ones, or players who can provide another benefit. Perhaps players with high levels of determination and/or professional personalities, so I can use them as tutors for my own youngsters?

It is a tough challenge, especially in Europe. But its part of the fun. The biggest blow so far was the backwards step that our Competition rankings took, as well as Nation Club co-efficient, last season. That felt like one step forwards and two steps back. But again, it's all part of the charm, and if I were ever able to get Wales into the upper-tiers of European rankings, then it would have been well worth the effort.

I dabbled for a season with the Welsh national job, but I couldn't find the interest needed to make it worthwhile, so resigned as Wales manager. That is probably something I'll return to later on in the save, but right now the priority is definitely on Carmarthen and improving Welsh football on the whole.

I did try something similar with a Faroese team, but encountered a few bugs that increased the difficulty. I don't mind a tough challenge, but not when artificial difficulty is thrown on top by the game in the form of bugs!

I've still got plenty of determination and desire to see this through. Thoroughly enjoying the challenge. Now that I feel confident enough to use the Instant Result button in domestic matches, then seasons should progress much faster, and hopefully start seeing rewards for the efforts much faster!

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Champions League Qualification - 1st Round - Leg 2

 

We travel to Poland with the impossible task of overturning a 5-goal deficit from the first leg. I'm under no illusions that that's going to happen, but I am at least expecting a much improved performance from the first leg. After all, we need to be mindful of our co-efficient.

 

Much, much better, and but for a last minute equaliser, we could have come away with a 2-1 victory. But still, achieving a 2-2 draw away against Legia is a big result, and I'm much happier following the second leg than I was the first.

 

£427K was transferred following the defeat. Hopefully a good Europa League run will ensure we're able to add to that even further. At this stage, the money from Europe is what is keeping us solvent. During the rest of the season we operate at a loss (usually ~£60/70K per month).

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Qualification - 2nd Round Draw

 

We'll face Faroese outfit HB in the 2nd Round of the Europa League, and realistically we should be looking at progressing into the further stages.

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Qualification - 2nd Round

 

As expected, we progressed into the 3rd Round with ease, running out as 9-1 victors on aggregate.

 

Another cash injection, and with us making it into the 3rd Round, we'll have more to follow - even if we exit at this stage!

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Qualification - 3rd Round

 

We'll be facing the Icelandic champions FH in the 3rd Round. As a measure of the relative strength between the two clubs, FH sit 136th in the co-efficients table, with a co-efficient of 11.975. We, meanwhile, are 229th with a co-efficient of 6.350. On that basis you have to make FH the favourites for the tie, but I'd like to think we do have a decent chance over the two legs. If we can get a good result in the first leg (away), then we can be confident taking them to Wales.

[ajcardall]

Our chances of progression were dealt a big blow as our star player suffered a muscle strain in training on the eve of the match, ruling him out of contention for the tie, and, should be progress, the 4th Round too!

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Qualification - 3rd Round

 

Two very solid displays means we're into the final qualifying round, and just 180 minutes away from the Group Stages of this season's Europa League. We came this far last season before succumbing to Bordeaux, so now we wait with baited breath to see who we will face this year...

 

Another cash boost. Lovely.

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Qualification - 4th Round

 

And it is off to Belarus, to face BATE for a place in the group stages. The draw could definitely have been a lot worse, with teams such as Everton, Real Sociedad and Ajax in the mix. Realistically we have to accept it will be a big ask to progress and enter the group stages, but if we get a little luck, I think we definitely have a chance.

[ajcardall]

It wasn't a classic, but an away goal and a clean sheet is a brilliant result from the away leg!

90 minutes to go. Just 90 minutes!

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Qualification - 4th Round

 

So, here we are. A slight advantage on the eve of the second leg, with the knowledge that one more good performance should see us through to the group stages of the Europa League, which would be new territory for the club. If we can make it, then the financial windfall will be enormous for the club, and could be a huge catalyst to help us strengthen and kick on. There also comes the inevitable added boost to our club profile, and to Welsh football on the whole.

Of course, we still had the second leg to navigate, and it wasn't going to be easy!

 

WE DID IT!!! A mightly impressive performance against a surprisingly lacklustre BATE, and Carmarthen Town will be competing in the Group Stages of the Europa League!!! This is surely the greatest achievement the club have made in their long history, and we shall be rubbing shoulders with some truly big names! It's a golden opportunity to test ourselves in competitive football against some of Europes big names, and all the revenue that this will generate is going to be a fantastic boost to the club!

So we await the draw to see who we shall be playing against...

 

And we'll be going up against some truly big names. Liverpool is a test I am relishing, and both Genk and Udinese are no mugs at all. Yes, it is a very tough group - but for us, they all are tough groups! Perhaps we can sneak a few cheeky points in our home games? Of course, progression is a massive way off, but to compete at this level is fantastic.

 

A huge windfall for the club - and that's without any TV revenue or gate receipts factored in. This is going to be hugely lucrative.

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Pre-Season Report

 

Naturally, this pre-season has been fantastic. We've managed to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League, which is remarkable, and we've seen a lot of money come our way as a result of that. It was also a busy month in terms of player acquisition, as I looked to really build on last season's domestic dominance, and really emphasise our class against Welsh opposition.

 

A very strong set of friendlies, including a remarkable game against Premier League West Brom! To lose by just the single goal, even if it was a friendly, is fantastic and we can be very pleased with ourselves.

 

As I alluded to, we've had a busy summer in terms of player deals. To be able to attract names such as Gary Hooper is testament to how far we've come. Sure, his playing career is winding down, but for the level we're at, he should boss it.

There are too many players to do individual reports and analysis for, but I still wanted to show just how active we have been.

To be grabbing players from league clubs in England is brilliant.

 

TNS are still the favourites, despite last season's domination over them, but I'm not concerned.

Little change to board expectations, and dominating the Welsh landscape is now becoming the minimum expectation for us.

 

I used the money from Europe to request upgrades to both our Training and Youth Training Facilities, both of which were approved with little fuss by the board. It's a big outlay, but if we're to compete regularly in Europe, then we do need to make sure we can squeeze as much from our players as possible. I had earlier requested upgrades to the Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment levels, but both of these were sadly rejected. I shall try again once I am able.

[ajcardall]

We got a proper spanking in our first group match, which really shows how much further we still have to go to be competitive.

Positives are at least we managed to grab ourselves two goals

 

No surprise the heavy defeat sees us rooted to the foot of the table following the opening round of fixtures. I'm still wildly optimistic and hope we can get a point or two on the board - but it will be a big ask!

[Sheriff7]

6 hours ago, ajcardall said:

Further to the qualification discussion, while wikipedia seems to suggest changes, the UEFA site/press release does not?

 

http://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/newsid=2399126.html?redirectFromOrg=true#/

 

The retention of the Champions and League qualification routes is mentioned for the Champions League, but no such changes are mentioned for the Europa League?

 

I can't find any official (ie, UEFA) source that confirms the changes?

That's why i wrote before "if this is right" because wiki makes often mistakes and SI always waits for UEFA'S officiall anounce for every change in game...

[ajcardall]

15 minutes ago, Sheriff7 said:

That's why i wrote before "if this is right" because wiki makes often mistakes and SI always waits for UEFA'S officiall anounce for every change in game...

Yeah, I know what you mean. The wiki page doesn't even cite an official sources, so I'm guessing it hasn't been officially announced.

 

Either way, it's not something I'm too bothered by. If it is a bug, it isn't game breaking

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Group Stages - Match #2

 

Our campaign in Europe proper got off to a predictably bad start as were roundly thrashed 2-7 by Genk in Belgium. Our next fixture was against Italian outfit Udinese at home. While they're not one of the big Italian clubs, they are still far stronger than we currently are, so it will take a lot if we're to get something from this match.

 

Incredible! Two late goals in the space of two minutes turned what seemed to be a close defeat into a memorable victory! We are thankful that Liam Bossin had a strong game between the sticks - Udinese had ten shots on goal, and for some superb goalkeeping, they would have hammered us.

 

Here's the moment the Udinese fell apart and Hooper was allowed to ghost through onto the end of Alex Babos's through ball, before taking it first-time on the volley and rifling it into the net.

 

In Group C's other fixture, Liverpool overcame Genk 3-0, so they claim an early advantage and move to the top of the pile.

We find ourselves in third, 2 points clear of Udinese.

Up next come 5-time Champions League winners, Liverpool...

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Group Stages - Match #3

 

After the late heroics against Udinese, we managed to secure our first points in the competition. The next hurdle for us to overcome were English giants, Liverpool. It was a home tie, but even with home advantage, it was going to take the effort against Udinese, multiplied 10-fold, if we were to come away with anything from the game.

 

Despite the defeat, I'm actually happy to take that. Losing by just two goals is a decent effort. However the result was marred...

 

Central-defender Arron Davies suffered a broken leg, and is likely to miss the remainder of the season. A bitter blow, but we soldier on regardless.

 

Genk picked up a victory against Udinese, propelling them into second place. Udinese are yet to register a victory, and remain rooted to the foot with just 1 point.

[ajcardall]

Setting new records once again - our attendance and gate receipt records (both set earlier in the campaign) have been smashed once again.

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Group Stages - Match #4

 

So we managed a respectable enough result against Liverpool in Carmarthen, but the big test was still to come - facing them at Anfield.

 

So we came away with the same scoreline, but my word, we were utterly battered! This easily could have been 6/7, but we managed to keep it respectable once again.

 

Udinese still yet to win a game, so at least we're not bottom of the pile. For now!

 

Unfortunately the injuries are now starting to pile up. These extra games are having an effect - and not a good one, it seems!

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Group Stages - Match #5

 

Our next test came in the form of Genk, this time at home. Given our home advantage, would we be able to avenge the humbling we received in Belgium?

 

No, not really. The game was closer, and we created some good chances, but were unable to put them away with any efficiency. 

But still, at least it wasn't 2-7 again 

 

The defeat means that any pipe-dreams of qualification to the knock-out phase have now ended. We still have one more match - the away fixture against Udinese, and the result could affect our final position in the table.

It's been a cracking adventure, I've really enjoyed it. Obviously we're still some way off being able to truly compete, but a victory of Udinese at home, and a couple of decent defeats (if such a thing exists) against Liverpool gives us cause for optimism looking forwards.

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Europa League Group Stages - Match #6

 

We travelled to Italy knowing that regardless of the outcome of the match, it was to be our final appearance in Europe this season. Of course, there was pride and our final position still to play for, so we would be going looking to get a positive result if we could.

 

We got a very good result. We were down to 10 men in the 34th minute, and then down to 9 men in the 74th minute! To hold on to the draw was a monumental effort, and I'm proud of the lads out there today.

 

Of course, the shared points mean we finish the group in 3rd place - a remarkable achievement when you consider how much smaller we are in terms of stature and ability. There are plenty of reasons to be positive, but also we realise that we still have a long, long way to go before we can realistically look to make it past the group stages.

Of course, the test now is whether we can make it through to the group stages on a regular basis, or was this a flash-in-the-pan?

[kidthekid]

Is your team still semi pro?

Great progress so far

[vikeologist]

Well done on your group stage success; both getting there and picking up points.

Hopefully getting back there will get easier, because your coefficient must be getting better, or even automatic because of the national coefficient.

Does Wales have to climb a lot of places to get an automatic group stage place? Maybe the key is to have the champions get a CL playoff place, and then even if you lose that (which you probably would) you'd be in the EL group stage, but really I'm only guessing as I've maybe only done Europe with a club from such a small nation once, (and maybe even then I left after winning the league).

[pullthru]

Brilliant achievements for such a small club.

The financial windfall received for a club like Carmarthen is massive!

Your next challenge is to keep getting to that stage every season?

It's a shame that you can't 'promote' the club into the English non leagues!

[ajcardall]

7 hours ago, kidthekid said:

Is your team still semi pro?

Great progress so far

No, we made the step up to Professional at the end of the 2018/19 season

 

5 hours ago, vikeologist said:

Well done on your group stage success; both getting there and picking up points.

Hopefully getting back there will get easier, because your coefficient must be getting better, or even automatic because of the national coefficient.

Does Wales have to climb a lot of places to get an automatic group stage place? Maybe the key is to have the champions get a CL playoff place, and then even if you lose that (which you probably would) you'd be in the EL group stage, but really I'm only guessing as I've maybe only done Europe with a club from such a small nation once, (and maybe even then I left after winning the league).

Thanks! This season was a huge step forwards, can't wait to see what it means for the various co-efficients, etc!

In the qualification places table, Wales are 50th after the last calculation (hopefully this should improve a bit after our strong performance).

The first automatic Group Stage entry is at 12th position (1x Europa League Group Stage spot), and for the Champions League it is 10th.

The first real change is if we get to 24th position - and even then it is only 1x entry to the 2nd Qualifying Round of the Europa League! For the record, 17th place is the first 2nd Qualifying Round spot for the Champions League.

Got a long ways to go. If we can compete regularly in the group stages (maybe even start sneaking into the Knockout Rounds) then real progress should start to show. The problem is if the other Welsh teams continue to struggle and fail to make it past the 1st or 2nd Qualifying Rounds, our qualification places will take longer to improve. That's why I was thinking, if I can compete regularly, I'll start buying a few players from teams such as TNS, Prestatyn, Connah's Quay for massively inflated prices, hoping they can use the money to really strengthen.

2 hours ago, pullthru said:

Brilliant achievements for such a small club.

The financial windfall received for a club like Carmarthen is massive!

Your next challenge is to keep getting to that stage every season?

It's a shame that you can't 'promote' the club into the English non leagues!

Thanks

Yes, definitely. If I can keep on making Group Stage appearances, it'll be a massive step. Domestically TNS (etc) are falling even further away (or rather, we're pulling away), so the focus now is definitely on European progress and making sure we can repeat it regularly.

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Welsh League Cup

 

The League Cup was a competition that was deemed of little importance by the board, but as a means of asserting our dominance over the Welsh footballing landscape, and also in trying to raise its profile across Europe, I treated it accordingly and set out to ensure we retained the trophy for the third season in a row. 

 

We met our expectations and did secure the trophy, beating Porthmadog in the final 4-0. The campaign was very routine and with no dramas thrown in.

 

Like last season, we only conceded once during our defence of the trophy, and that was against TNS. However we did win that match 7-1, so a slip-up was never likely.

All in all we scored 20 goals in our four games in the competition, which was fantastic.

 

While the board did acknowledge the achievement, they were understandably keen to ensure out focus quickly returned to bigger and better things.

 

Unsurprisingly, we had the competitions top goalscorer (Josh Magennis, 5) and top assist maker (Jared Bird, 5)

[ajcardall]

For the first time in the career, we've actually sold a player for something resembling actual money. Championship powerhouses () Sheff Weds came in after Scott Bonnell, and after he said he wished to be able to enter talks with them, I accpted a bid of £7K + 50% of next sale. Realistically I wasn't going to convince him to remain at Carmarthen - even if we do play in Europe! - when Championship clubs are looking at him, so off he went. We parted of good terms, I told the lad he deserved this opportunity, and he responded saying he was grateful to the club for giving him the opportunity.

Danny Parsons was brought in as replacement, and while he isn't as good as Bonnell was, he will still provide adequate cover and back-up. He could still improve, but I don't see him ever being a like-for-like replacement for Scott.

 

[ajcardall]

Youth Intake - Class of 2022

 

For the first time we don't have a so-called "golden generation", but this is probably more of a testament to how much we've improved the quality of the players we have, rather than the youngsters actually being poorer.

 

There's no real stand-out this year, but there are a handful of youngsters who could go on to become solid - if unspectacular - players for us. Of course, some of these could thrive and be star players at other clubs in the league.

 

Here're the three stand outs this year. All have a lot of work and a long road ahead.

All players with 3+ star PPA have been offered contracts. The rest will be released after their trial period finishes.

[ajcardall]

2021/22 FAW Cup

 

We started the campaign as favourites to retain the cup, and board expected that we achieve that as a minimum. Establishing sheer dominance is important, so I treated the competition with respect, and we played to win.

 

Comfortable winners yet again, and just one goal conceded in our defence of the crown.

 

 

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Welsh Premier League

 

After a strong season last year, we went into this season looking to further improve our dominance. Last season we went close to an unbeaten season in the league - could we go one step further?

 

Indeed we could! We had an unbeaten season and in fact went very close to registering a perfect season! We only dropped 2 points, against rivals Aberstywth. Can we have a 32-game winning season next year? That's the goal!

 

Look at the green!

 

Unsurprisingly, we dominated the player-stats this year.

 

 

[ajcardall]

2021/22 Season Review

 

Well, where to start? We cleaned up domestically and went unbeaten, even going close to a perfect season in the league. We competed in the Europa League group stage, and we didn't perform THAT badly. We made money hand-over-fist. We were even able to attract league players from the English leagues to come and join us. Couldn't have asked for a better season, to be honest!

 

Babos was incredible, he blew this league away this year. Little surprise that Championship and League One clubs are now courting him - but so far no bids have materialised. I don't expect to keep hold of him, but hopefully we can replace him - if that is even possible!

 

A lot of major injuries and extended periods of absence this season. But despite that, we still blew all domestic opponents away, and even put in some good performances in Europe!

 

Good news across all rankings and co-efficients, with big rises across the board.

 

Along with the pre-agreed Training and Youth Facilities upgrades, the board also agreed to improve our Junior Coaching Budget and Youth Recruitment levels.