Gunner 101 Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 (edited) WELCOME TO THE FM20 STOCKPORT COUNTY F.C. THREAD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WHY BE STOCKPORT? - Previously a Championship side having struggled financially they now found themselves in the National League having won promotion last season from the National League North. - Long term goal of knocking rivals Manchester City off their perch having previously been above City in the league pyramid. - Recently stabilised and a chance for YOU to make your mark on this 137 year old football club. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CLUB INFORMATION & HISTORY Founded in 1883, Stockport County are a semi professional football club who compete in the National League having recently been promoted from the National League North. The club play their games at the 10,500 all seater stadium Edgeley Park. This has been the clubs home since 1902. With zero transfer budget and little room in the wage budget; can you lead the Hatters back to the Championship and beyond? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - COMPETITION EXPECTATIONS The club has just been promoted to the National League and the board aren't expecting massive things and steering clear of a relegation battle should be achievable I would think. A nice FA Cup run at this level would be good for bringing some finances into the club. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FIRST TEAM SQUAD GOALKEEPERS Ben Hinchliffe - Age 30, CA ★★½, PA ★★½ Ian Ormson - Age 25, CA ★★, PA ★★★ Neither keeper is great for this level so a new one would ideally be brought in. Both keepers contracts expire at the end of the season and I wouldn't expect to be keeping them around. DEFENDERS Dan Cowan - Age 23, Right-Back, CA ★★½, PA ★★★½ Ashley Palmer - Age 26, Central Defender, CA ★★★, PA ★★★ Festus Arthur - Age 19, Central Defender, CA ★★, PA ★★★★½ Liam Hogan - Age 30, Central Defender, CA ★★★★, PA ★★★★ Jordan Downing - Age 20, Central Defender, CA ★½, PA ★★★ Sam Miniham - Age 25, Right-Back, CA ★★★, PA ★★★½ Eddie Clarke - Age 20, Left-Back (On loan from Fleetwood), CA ★★★★, PA ★★★★★ Tyler Garratt - Age 22, Left-Back, CA ★★★½, PA ★★★★ Defence wise the squad is well stocked. Another central defender would be good as Downing isn't good enough to be back up, although Cowan and Keane (Midfielder) can also play there. Clarke and Garratt give you lots of quality down the left. MIDFIELDERS Jordan Keane - Age 25, Defensive Midfielder, CA ★★★, PA ★★★ Ben Jackson - Age 18, Left Midfielder (On loan from Huddersfield), CA ★★★, PA ★★★★★ Paul Turnbull - Age 30, Central Midfielder, CA ★★★½, PA ★★★½ Sam Walker - Age 32, Central Midfielder, CA ★★★, PA ★★★ Lois Maynard - Age 30, Central Midfielder, CA ★★★½, PA ★★★½ Elliot Osborne - Age 23, Central Midfielder, CA ★★★½, PA ★★★★ Connor Dimaio - Age 23, Central Midfielder, CA ★★★★, PA ★★★★½ Adam Thomas - Age 25, Right Winger, CA ★★½, PA ★★★ Darren Stephenson - Age 26, Left Winger, CA ★★½, PA ★★★ Danny Lloyd - Age 27, Left Winger (On loan from Salford), CA ★★★★, PA ★★★★½ Alex Curran - Age 20, Attacking Midfielder, CA ★★½, PA ★★★★½ Like defence you're well stocked and the numbers mean you have the potential to play many different formations. The centre is particular strong with Dimaio, Osborne, Maynard and Turnbull. The wings are the weak area and unfortunately Stephenson starts the game with a broken leg and he's out for 6 months. ATTACKERS Liam McAlinden - Age 25, Pressing Forward, CA ★★★★, PA ★★★★½ Frank Mulhern - Age 22, Pressing Forward (On loan at Boston), CA ★★★, PA ★★★★ Nyal Bell - Age 22, Pressing Forward, CA ★★½, PA ★★★½ Szymon Czubik - Age 20, Poacher (On loan at Mossley), CA ★½, PA ★★★½ Not quite the numbers as elsewhere and two are out on loan without the ability to recall so maybe an area to focus on. McAlinden is pretty quick and tall but his finishing needs work. Bell at 22 is running out of time to reach his potential too so I would look to bring another striker in. Mulhern and Czubik are both out on loan and out of contract come the season end. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - THE FINAL WHISTLE Stockport County awaits. Can you acheive survival back in the National League and build from there? Will you make it back to the Championship? Or maybe you can go further and be above Manchester City once more? Whatever you do please post your updates here whilst playing as the Hatters so we can celebrate success together! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ANIMO ET FIDE WITH COURAGE AND FAITH Edited August 5, 2020 by Gunner 101 Adding Competition Expectations 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 5, 2020 Author Share Posted August 5, 2020 SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF PRE-SEASON UPDATE The reason for choosing Stockport County is due to being them on most versions of the game but mainly back around FM06/FM07/FM08 when I first joined this forum and we had a decent Stockport County thread. Recently I've struggled to get into FM and as I've got older time as been harder to come by to find the time and play, let alone post about it as well. It's crazy to think 14 years have passed but I still have great memories of my previous Stockport sides with the likes of Anthony Pilkington, Ashley Williams, Adam Le Fondre, Liam Dickinson etc. Good times. Moving on.. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TRANSFERS Having inherited a decent enough squad (numbers wise) I set about trying to improve things where I could however at the end of August I had only managed to bring in one signing. Millen Baars arrived at the club on a free transfer having left Manchester United without making an appearance. Capable of playing both left and right wing the 19 year old from Holland signed a two year contract on £325 per week. With decent acceleration (15) and pace (14) I'm hopeful he will provide a threat down the wing. Having been first at Ajax and then United I am hoping he will realise some of his potential and turn out to be a good signing for us. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FORMATION Formation wise we're going to look to play a 4-1-4-1 DM Wide as it offers great flexibility and suits the players we have at our disposal. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PRE-SEASON RESULTS Overall pre-season went well. The intra squad friendly probably showed we have very little talent in the youth team as it was a seriously one sided affair. The match against Cheadle was even more one sided with Adam Thomas bagging a hat-trick. Up next was local rivals and League Two side Oldham Athletic. We actually took a 2 goal lead but let it slip in the last 10 minutes. Another local game against Stockport Town saw us dominate again with trialist striker Moses Abioye scoring twice. We decided against signing him though and the former Leeds United youngster is still without a club. League Two side Colchester United were next and we played really well to come away 4-1 winners before a single goal saw us lose to League One side Wycombe. Unfortunately that game saw us lose Liam McAlinden for 4-5 weeks meaning we're relying on just Nyal Bell up top to start the season. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 8, 2020 Author Share Posted August 8, 2020 SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF AUGUST UPDATE August saw us take on the first 5 league games of the new season and our first back in the National League following promotion last season. Predicted to finish 21st out of 24 teams we're aiming to not be sucked into a relegation battle. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TRANSFERS Having only brought in one signing before the start of the season two more have now made their way through the door. Anthony Gerrard joins the club at the ripe old age of 33 and offers us some experience in defence. It also frees up Jordan Downing to depart the club on loan if there are any takers. Gerrard is brave and good in the air but lacks pace which is something I'll have to be careful of if we come up against fast strikers. Gerrard signs on a one year deal with the club having the option to extend this by a further year should we wish. The second player to join is at the opposite end of his footballing career. Jordan Greenidge is 19 years old and joins on a free transfer having last played in Spain having also taken in Cyrpus as well as playing at Stoke and Reading. Following McAlinden's injury I felt it was important we added another striker and Jordan as room to grow into a League One/Two striker. He offers decent pace and will provide extra support to McAlinden and Bell up top. Greenidge joins on a two year contract with an optional third year in the clubs favour should we wish to extend this to three years. Overall I'm quite happy so far with the players we have signed in the form of Baars, Gerrard and Greenidge. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESULTS The season began with an away trip to Sutton Utd and we came away winners thanks to Paul Turnbull slotting home from the penalty spot. We really should have scored at least one more but happy to start with a win especially seeing as Sutton have lost 5 out of 5 so far this season. Next up we played Solihull Moors at home and we really struggled to break them down and ended up not having a single shot on goal. The complete opposite in the next game happened as we managed to put 4 past Bromley with 4 different scorers. Millen Baars getting his first goal for the club. A late winner from Bell saw off Barnet before a goaless draw against Aldershot saw us end the month 5th in the league following the first 5 games. We seem to be good at the back with goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe keeping 3 clean sheets but less impressive going forwards. Liam McAlinden finally returned from injury off the bench in the last game against Aldershot so hopefully we can start to score more in September. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TABLE As you can see we currently sit 5th but we have yet to play anyone higher than 18th in the league so I'm not counting my chickens yet. September will see us take on both Maidenhead and Fylde so we should know more once we reach the end of September. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PLAYERS PERFORMANCES Nyal Bell has stood in well for the missing Liam McAlinden and contributed 2 goals. Palmer being the best performer makes sense with him being a central defender and the lack of goals conceded and we have plenty of competition at the back now with Gerrard signing. Gerrard played in place of Palmer against Aldershot in the last game and managed a clean sheet. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 Nice thread, best of luck with the other Hatters Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 8, 2020 Author Share Posted August 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said: Nice thread, best of luck with the other Hatters Cheers mate! Just be me talking to myself no doubt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 2 hours ago, Gunner 101 said: Cheers mate! Just be me talking to myself no doubt. The more you post, the more chance of comments. You know the EFL thread now goes to non-league too though, if you prefer to post in there? Good luck with Stockport Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 8, 2020 Author Share Posted August 8, 2020 4 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said: The more you post, the more chance of comments. You know the EFL thread now goes to non-league too though, if you prefer to post in there? Good luck with Stockport You know me and how slow I play. I’ve always liked the fact of having separate threads for different teams but I guess this place is a lot less busy these days. I’ll keep playing and posting. I enjoy it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 1 minute ago, Gunner 101 said: You know me and how slow I play. I’ve always liked the fact of having separate threads for different teams but I guess this place is a lot less busy these days. I’ll keep playing and posting. I enjoy it. That's cool mate. I'm a slow player too, take your time and enjoy it. I'll check up on your progress from sunny Cyprus (not in real life obviously). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 On 08/08/2020 at 20:09, Gunner 101 said: Cheers mate! Just be me talking to myself no doubt. Well, I'll be over here in the corner, watching and listening And you're right - the FM bits of the forums are quiet right now, but that just makes a good thread all the more welcome. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 10, 2020 Author Share Posted August 10, 2020 Cheers both! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 11, 2020 Author Share Posted August 11, 2020 SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF SEPTEMBER UPDATE We have now reached the end of September and we're 11 games into the season. Let's see how things are going. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TRANSFERS No further dealings have happened since the last update. I've decided to look for a new goalkeeper as it's a position I feel needs strengthening however I am yet to find someone suitable. It's looking likely to be a loan deal too as we only have a very small amount spare in the wage budget. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESULTS September began with a home match against Wrexham and we came away with all 3 points thanks to a solid performance. Connor Dimaio scoring his first goal of the season right at the death to seal victory. Danny Lloyd did unfortunately pick up a twisted ankle though and will miss 3-6 weeks of football. What makes it even more unfortunate is that we already don't have second choice left winger Darren Stephenson available due to a long term injury. Another home game was next as Halifax visited Edgeley Park. Alex Curran stole the show by first setting up Jordan Greenidge for his first Stockport goal before Curran himself settled any nerves with a volley inside the 6 yard box. Next up was the first away trip of the month and a trip to Maidenhead United who were sitting just outside the playoffs in 8th. We started well and on 16 minutes Millen Baars put us ahead from inside the 6 yard box. Jordan Greenidge made it two in two as he headed home in the second half to seal all 3 points. Alex Curran again proving useful providing the assists for both goals. Back at Edgeley Park for the final home game of September and Harrogate Town were the visitors. We really struggled to figure them out and on the 12th minute Harrogate took the lead. We slowly clawed our way back into the match with some tactical tweaks and Eddie Clarke popped up to smash home the equaliser. Some further tactical tweaks at the break made the difference as first Alex Curran and then Elliot Osborne scored to make it 3-1. Osborne's goal was delightful, taking the ball off a toe on the edge of our box and running the whole field before placing home from 25 yards. Jack Emmett saw red for Harrogate in the 86th minute before Connor Dimaio added a fourth. Jon Stead scored a late goal but we ran out comfortable 4-2 winners in the end. A tough away trip to Fylde followed and a draw was probably a fair result. The schedule had started to catch up and some tired legs were in the squad but we battled well against a play-off chasing team. The final game of the month was an away trip to Woking and again we fell behind early on. This time though we hit straight back with Baars smashing home from 25 yards. Connor Dimaio popped up from a free kick right before half time to see us go 2-1 up. Not content with that Jordan Greenidge was played through by the returning Danny Lloyd and Greenidge slotted home at the second attempt. Mark Harris, someone we scouted in the summer but ended up choosing to go with Baars pulled a goal back for Woking but we held out to ensure we ended the month unbeaten with 5 wins and a draw from the 6 games. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TABLE It's been a great start to the season as we sit top of the league ahead of Notts County by a single point. Having started the season with a prediction of finishing just outside the relegation zone in 21st place I have to say I'm surprised. We have looked good in September. Finally scoring more goals whilst remaining pretty solid at the back. We're now the second highest scorers in the league and the also have the second best defence too. Next month will see us take on both Barrow and Dover as well as former league sides Yeovil and Hartlepool as well as start our FA Cup campaign. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PLAYERS PERFORMANCES It's good to see both Greenidge and Baars settling in well and getting on the score sheet so early on in their Stockport careers. Greenidge has 3 goals and 2 assists from 5 starts so far. Alex Curran has been a surprise package covering for the injured Danny Lloyd he's managed to become the league leader for assists. In the monthly awards central midfielder Connor Dimaio came runner up in the Player of the Month award. Dimaio managed 3 goals in the month of September with an average rating of 7.48. The Vanarama National Goal of the Month was won by fellow central midfielder Elliot Osborne for the brillant solo effort against Harrogate. Carrying the ball from way in his own half before placing a shot home from 25 yards. And after leading the team to 5 wins out of 6 I was presented with my Manager of the Month award for September. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 19, 2020 Author Share Posted August 19, 2020 (edited) SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF OCTOBER UPDATE We have now reached the end of October and we're 16 games into the league campaign. October also saw us enter the FA Cup at the 4th qualifying round. Let's see how we got on. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TRANSFERS No further transfers were made during the month of October. Midfield duo Connor Dimaio and Elliot Osborne as well as defender Sam Minihan have all penned new two year deals to stay at the club. All three contracts were due to expire at the end of the season. Minihan also agreed to a lower wage which is good considering I have very little left in the wage budget. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESULTS October started with a home match against Dover and it was a match where we saw not only one goal but two ruled out for offside with the second I feel definitely being onside. It looked like the referee would come between us and victory until Dover went down to 10 men on 70 minutes and substitute Ben Jackson popped up from a corner to give us victory. Next up was a tough away trip to 4th place Barrow. We slowly grew into the game before taking control in the second half. Alex Curran getting on the end of a Connor Dimaio free kick to ensure we took home all three points. A home match against Hartlepool followed and Elliot Osborne was celebrating two goals following his new two year deal. Right back Sam Minihan added a third before winger Millen Baars scored his 4th goal of the season. Our next match saw us start our FA Cup campaign with a trip to Kidderminster Harriors from the National League North. Despite being a league below they're a professional club whilst we are still semi-professional. Elliot Osborne was back on the score sheet, turning a defender and lashing home to put us 1-0 up. Striker Jordan Greenidge sealed the tie on 74 minutes from close range after a scramble in the box. Back to the league and a home match against recently relegated Yeovil Town. Things could have started well but Paul Turnbull had a penalty saved on 22 minutes. We finally scored when Danny Lloyd struck a free kick from distance on 70 minutes to secure the 3 points. That victory also marked 14 games unbeaten along with 5 straight wins in October with zero goals conceded. Trying to finish the end of the month of a positive and standing in our way was a mid table Dagenham & Redbridge. We started well with Connor Dimaio heading against the bar after 15 minutes.However despite having a total of 20 shots we just couldn't find the net and the match ended goalless. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TABLE October saw us open up a 9 point over our rivals as Torquay climbed above a faulting Notts County. That means the top two were recently promoted clubs. Other than the Hartlepool game we have struggled to really put teams away however at the back we have been brilliant. Our goalkeeper (Ben Hinchliffe now has 12 clean sheets from 16 games). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PLAYERS PERFORMANCES As I said goals have been harder to come by than clean sheets which explains why there's no out and out top goalscorer at the club. We're still the fifth highest scorers in the league but it would be nice if Greenidge could bag some more being the current number one striker. Liam McAlinden hasn't had much change with Greenidge being the preferred starter in a 4-1-4-1 formation. Midfielder Connor Dimaio continues to perform well despite only contributing one assist throughout the month. His passing and running of the middle of the park alongside Elliot Osborne have been key to our good run of results. Elliot Osborne was rewarded for his fine performances by coming third in the Player of the Month award. Osborne averaged 7.3 during October and scored twice. And for the second month running I was named Manager of the Month following 4 out of 5 victories. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OTHER NEWS After the FA Cup victory the board announced that due to better than expected finances we would retain 70% of any transfer revenue this season. This is an increase from 40%. Not that we have any assets that will sell for lots but it's good to know the finances are moving in the right direction. Edited August 19, 2020 by Gunner 101 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 (edited) Right, it just so happens that I came across this thread while running my own County save in the background. Not sure if I'll be able to bring myself to post here on a consistent basis, but I figured I might as well show what I've been up to these two years at Stockport. Season 1 Brought in Tom Heardman, a quick and tall striker with good finishing and movement, to partner Liam McAlinden in my 442. Ody Alfa, a winger, was brought in to replace Adam Thomas, who damaged his spine in the last game of preseason. The other two were centrebacks to rotate with Palmer and Hogan. We ended up winning the league by a very confortable margin, with 8 games to spare. McAlinden was absolutely spectacular, as you can clearly see in the player stats. Other important mentions would be Heardman, who had a good season as Liam’s partner, Ben Jackson, who scored 15 and assisted 8 in 39 games from the wing, and Dimaio, who scored 9 and assisted another 9 in 28 league starts. As for the other competitions, we went out against a struggling Stoke team in the third round of the FA Cup and we ended up winning the FA Trophy comfortably. Sorry for the short summary, in hindsight I should have documented it a bit better than I did. On another note, the Champions League was rather interesting. In a rather unrealistic sequence of events, City somehow made it to the final! Our rivals in our first ever Champions League final? Who else could have been but Premier League winners (both in reality and in game) Liverpool? To make things even more unbelievable, we actually won... Season 2 Not much was expected from us in League Two. Not from the board, who were asking me to fight relegation, and definitely not the media. One busy transfer window followed, where I got rid of pretty much everyone: only McAlinden, Dimaio, Hinchliffe and Hogan survived the culling. We brought in a very solid striker in Jakubiak to partner McAlinden, two wingers who were better suited to this division in Stobbs and Redmond to replace the loanees, a very good goalie in Mannion and a strong left back in Calum Macdonald. The rest of our signings gave us some much needed squad depth, while all our loans came in to fulfill key roles in the side. The highlight of our window though was securing an affiliation with Liverpool, which allowed us to bring in two players who were admitedly too good for this level. Neco Williams basically became our best right back and right winger the moment he arrived, while the versatile Adam Lewis was our best option on the left and in midfield. Our summer went so well that suddenly we were predicted to finish 6th in the league. My first ever Carabao Cup game in this edition ended in a frustrating loss against a weaker Leeds side. In the league, however, we were unstoppable, thanks to some incredible performances from an unlikely hero, 20 year old David Parkhouse, who was initially brought in as a backup but seized his chance with both hands after Liam dislocated his shoulder. Our good performances weren't limited to the league, however: What a game that was. Of course, we were outmatched in the next round, losing to a Bristol City side that would later get promoted to the Premier League. The other cup, the Leasing.com one, proved to be more of a hindrance than anything else. The empty stadiums, constant matches against U23 sides, the frustrating disciplinary rules and such meant that I found myself playing a weaker side in hopes of getting knocked out, but even then my band of regens and deadwood would still beat all the PL kids. I actually got to the final, where Spurs(‘ U23 team) got their revenge on me (the one time I play my strongest available players in that cup and we lose). The league ended up being a cakewalk. I brought in another Liverpool loanee in January, Leighton Clarkson, and used him to secure the title with another hefty points total. Funnily enough, neither Neco nor Adam Lewis featured in our team of the season. I presume that’s because they played all over the pitch? And all that leads to the present season, which has yet to begin, though I might have dipped my toes in the transfer market again this summer… All of them players who were released, the standouts being: A City duo! Well, trio if you count Dele-Bashiru, but he'll be more of a backup. I was surprised to see Touaizi released, as he's rather highly rated and can usually develop into a PL level player. He'll be rotated with our other three strikers, but I've got high hopes. Luke is a player I'm rather fond of in real life. A powerful, hard working winger/ full back who can put in a really good cross. Some of his mental stats are a bit worrying, particularly his off the ball movement, but there's still some room for improvement and he could be a decent player for us. As for Darnell, his physicals are what convinced me, as our high line requires pacy centrebacks (which is why I've got Magloire in, with his 19 acceleration and 20 pace). Technicals and mentals could use some work, though, and the hefty wages were a bit hard to swallow. Still, our reputation and wage budget is rather low for this level and attracting good players is hard. This is all we've done right now. Notable mentions would be an extension to the loans of Neco and Lewis from Liverpool, the permanent signing of ex-loanee Leighton Clarkson, who found himself transfer listed on return, the signing of Bryn Morris on a free and the signing of Joao Escoval. And I'm going to leave it there, as this has gotten rather long. Apologies for any mistakes and such, and good luck @Gunner 101 and anyone else looking to take the Hatters back where they belong! Edited August 21, 2020 by Tjeerd! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 21, 2020 Author Share Posted August 21, 2020 Jeez, just 7 defeats in two seasons? Well done! And congratulations on the back to back promotions! I could probably ask a million questions but I won't. It's interesting how you went down the 4-4-2 route, that didn't even cross my mind but Ben Jackson is a natural as well as Adam Thomas so makes sense. What did you do with Danny Lloyd? Also interesting how Osborne ended out on loan for you season two. He's been great for me in my first season so far. Good job getting Williams from Liverpool. Doubt that you'll be able to do that on FM21. Loving the win against Spurs. Nice work. KUTGW! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 I fell in love with the 442 last year as I struggled to get other systems to work as well as that one did, so I pretty much went into this save with the idea to eventually mould the squad to fit that formation. As you say though, It helps that both wingers were naturals in the MR/ML slots (although Thomas damaged his spine; he spent the whole season out). Danny Lloyd basically served as a backup for both wings. Osborne had a really solid season. Initially I rotated him with Turnbull, but he quickly outperformed him and ended up getting 37 starts (quite a few from the right wing, mind) in the league, while Turnbull got 26 and Dimaio only got 28 due to injuries. Problem was that the arrival of Adam Lewis in August kind of forced him out, as I had already brought in Alfie Payne and Paul Lewis (the latter a mistake, admittedly). I figured that I had enough numbers in midfield, so I loaned him out to get him off the wage budget. As for Williams, I'm definitely going to enjoy using him while I still can! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 21, 2020 Author Share Posted August 21, 2020 That's fair enough. Sometimes it's easier to stick with what you know. I know I do most saves I play. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 22, 2020 Author Share Posted August 22, 2020 SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF NOVEMBER UPDATE We are now at the end of November. 21 games into the league season and playing in the First Round of the FA Cup against League One Tranmere Rovers. Let's see how we got on. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TRANSFERS Again no further transfer activity this month with zero movement in the wage budget we can't really sign anyone without players moving on or getting in a loan without a wage contribution. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESULTS The month started with a home trip to lowly Chorley. It looked like we would be frustrated but finally after 89 minutes Alex Curran rifled home from 25 yards to give us the lead. The relief was clear to see as two minutes later Connor Dimaio ensured the points with a close range volley. We was handed a tough draw in the FA Cup First Round with a trip to League One side Tranmere Rovers. A poor start to the game saw us go 1 goal down after just 5 minutes however we settled down and 5 minutes after half time Elliot Osborne curled a beauty into the net from 30 yards. Tranmere edged back in front 10 minutes later though. A simple long kick from the keeper was taken down and struck with venom by Stefan Payne. Poor from us. We thought we had the equaliser when Curran slid it home from close range but it was ruled out for offside. Unfortunately that meant we fell 2-1 and exit the competition at the First Round. Disappointed to lose but a good performance against a team two leagues above us and we met the boards expectations. Back in league action and on the road again with another tough trip to third placed Torquay United. Our goalkeeper, Ben Hinchliffe kept us in it, making 11 saves and managing to keep a clean sheet (somehow). We created very little and can count ourselves lucky to have drawn. Back at Edgeley Park and we was facing 17th placed Chesterfield. We controlled possession of the match and dominated on shots however it was just the single goal and that was scored by Liam McAlinden. Netting his first goal of the season and first for Stockport after 13 appearances (mostly from the bench). Boreham Wood were next up with "The Wood" down in 23rd place. Danny Lloyd's solo goal was enough to secure all 3 points. The last game of the month was a total opposite to the previous one with a trip to 4th place Eastleigh. Connor Dimaio got on the end of an Eddie Clarke cross to put us 1-0 up. Danny Lloyd then cut inside his man and lashed home to score our second just a minute later. Liam McAlinden then raced through to seal the points on the 73rd minute. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TABLE Another almost near perfect month in November as seen the gap over second place extend to 12 points however Notts County do have a game in hand. We have now gone 10 league games without conceding a goal which is just outstanding. To be on 52 points after 21 games is definitely not what I expected but we have been solid at the back all season. 21 games, 17 clean sheets (6 more than anyone else) and 8 goals conceded is a brilliant record. Maybe I'm slightly too defensive? But then again we're the third highest scorers in the league so maybe not? We're currently on a 19 game unbeaten run and haven't conceded for 10 games. The first game of December is a top of the table clash at home to Notts County. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PLAYERS PERFORMANCES The midfield duo of Connor Dimaio and Elliot Osborne have been great and have contributed 10 goals between them so far. Both have already signed new contracts so hopefully they will be with us for at least the rest of the season. They're both 23 years old so have room to grow. The other stand out player has been central defender Liam Hogan. He's won 89% of tackles and he's one of the reasons we have done so well defensively this season. In the monthly awards Connor Dimaio once again missed out, coming in third place in the Player of the Month Award. Dimaio having an average rating of 7.36 and scoring twice in the month of November. Whereas once again I scooped the Manager of the Month award making it three in a row. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OTHER NEWS Following the 2-0 win over Chorley we are now the proud owners of the record for the most games without conceding in a row in the Vanarama National League (6) - Now 10 at the end of November. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 22, 2020 Share Posted August 22, 2020 Good job mate. 17 clean sheets in 21 games is absolutely mental. I only managed 20 in the entire season! It's nice to see McAlinden finally getting his first goal for you. Is he your second choice (or third?) behind Greenidge or are you looking to rotate between them? Your stand out players are pretty much the same ones that stood out for me. Also, I'm finding Curran's performances for you interesting. Where are you playing him? I never really gave him a chance, to be fair. Just didn't fit in... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 22, 2020 Author Share Posted August 22, 2020 56 minutes ago, Tjeerd! said: Good job mate. 17 clean sheets in 21 games is absolutely mental. I only managed 20 in the entire season! It's nice to see McAlinden finally getting his first goal for you. Is he your second choice (or third?) behind Greenidge or are you looking to rotate between them? Your stand out players are pretty much the same ones that stood out for me. Also, I'm finding Curran's performances for you interesting. Where are you playing him? I never really gave him a chance, to be fair. Just didn't fit in... Yeah defensively we have been brilliant. McAlinden is actually first choice but Greenidge has been playing based on form and how he’s been developing as a player. I started playing Curran on the right wing as a winger but now he’s playing on the opposite flank as an inside forward. He’s not a starter but he’s always done well when given the chance. Obviously he’s naturally an attacking midfielder but I’m retraining him. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted August 22, 2020 Share Posted August 22, 2020 1 hour ago, Gunner 101 said: SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF NOVEMBER UPDATE Following the 2-0 win over Chorley we are now the proud owners of the record for the most games without conceding in a row in the Vanarama National League (6) - Now 10 at the end of November. Incredible work! I love those defensive stats, I used to love doing that sort of thing when I got in to FM and these forums. Over the years I have probably become more balanced, but this is tremendous stuff! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 22, 2020 Author Share Posted August 22, 2020 27 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said: Incredible work! I love those defensive stats, I used to love doing that sort of thing when I got in to FM and these forums. Over the years I have probably become more balanced, but this is tremendous stuff! Cheers mate. It’s been an incredible start to the season. Not sure how I’ve done it but we’ve done well. Just want to add more goals whilst trying not to leak too many at the back. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 6 hours ago, Gunner 101 said: Just want to add more goals whilst trying not to leak too many at the back Don't we all . Seriously good start to the season there. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 23, 2020 Author Share Posted August 23, 2020 7 hours ago, warlock said: Don't we all . Seriously good start to the season there. That was like Owen saying “If they don’t score, they don’t win” You get what I mean though. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 23, 2020 Author Share Posted August 23, 2020 SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF DECEMBER UPDATE We are now at the end of 2019 and have played over half of the games in the league. We also competed in the FA Trophy First Round. Let's see how we got on. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TRANSFERS Recently released Carlisle United goalkeeper Louis Gray joined the club on trial for two weeks before signing an 18 month contract until June 2021. He was one I was looking at and was surprised when he was released as they wouldn't entertain a loan deal. Overall he's a better keeper than what we have currently and he also has a decent kicking stat so hopefully he can distribute the ball well. We now have 3 keepers at the club so it's likely I'll look to move third choice Ian Ormson out sooner rather than later. Young central defender Festus Arthur agreed a new two year deal worth £575 p/w with his previous deal due to expire at the end of the season. I also triggered the extension to Anthony Gerrard's one year contract meaning the experienced central defender will remain with us for a further year. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESULTS The month started with a home match against our closest challengers, Notts County. The game was locked at 0-0 but on the 63rd minute Michael Doyle picked up a second yellow to see red for Notts County. It then took us to the 84th minute where Millen Baars curled in a beauty from the edge of the box to win us the match. Next up was another tough game with a trip to an Ebbsfleet side just outside the playoff positions. With a fair few games recently we had to use more of the squad so only Elliot Osborne from the usual midfield three starts the game. Having been 0-0 at the break a long ball from Anthony Gerrard sent Jordan Greenidge away and after beating one man he smashed the ball home from just inside the area. The lead lasted only three minutes though as Liam Hogan conceded a penalty from a corner and Ebbsfleet levelled from the spot. Greenidge turned provider as he crossed for Millen Baars to slot home from inside the box to put us back in front. Greenidge then scored the third in the final minute of stoppage time to wrap up all three points. Next up was our first game in the FA Trophy with a trip to fellow National League side Harrogate Town. In our previous meeting we managed to win 4-2. A poor start from us saw Harrogate take the lead after just two minutes. A second penalty in two games conceded by Liam Hogan saw Harrogate take a 2-0 lead on the 33rd minute. A stunning strike than saw us go 3 goals down by the 41st minute. Eddie Clarke crossed for Jordan Greenidge to head home after 67 minutes. Start of a comeback? Nope. We exit the FA Trophy in the First Round. The games don't get easier as a home match with 4th place Barrow is next. It means we have now faced 2nd, 8th, 5th (if you count the FA Trophy game vs Harrogate) and 4th in our December fixtures so far. New signing Louis Gray took his place in the starting line up. A lovely turn and through ball from Connor Dimaio played in Jordan Greenidge who slotted home the first goal of the game after 17 minutes. A deflected free kick meant no debut clean sheet for Louis Gray as John Rooney equalised for Barrow on 37 minutes. It remained level until the 84th minute when a cross field ball from Anthony Gerrard found Danny Lloyd. Lloyd cut inside his man and smashed home to put us 2-1 up. Just to make things more complicated Paul Turnbull picked up a second yellow card leaving us to hang on but hang on we did as we picked up another 3 points in the league. It's Christmas and a Boxing Day trip to Yeovil Town. Whilst down in 18th in the league their form has picked up and in terms of the form table they're 6th place. With having 2 games in 3 days the squad is rotated to help try and keep players fit and ready. A simple ball over the top saw Yeovil's Rhys Murphy through one on one and he slotted home to give them a 1-0 lead after 18 minutes. Yeovil went two goals up just 6 minutes later as Tyler Garratt scored an own goal from a corner. Tyler Garratt, trying to pay us back for his own goal crossed for Jordan Greenidge to head home after half hour. 2-1 and back in with a shout. Just as we started to create some changes in the second half Yeovil scored a fluke goal that went all the way through and found the corner. Our second league defeat of the season. The last game of 2019 is a home match against mid table Woking. A quick start saw us hit the woodwork twice before Alex Curran was fouled for a penalty and Connor Dimaio put it away to see us take an early lead. Millen Baars finally made our total domination count with the second from a corner on the 75th minute. Stupidly we allowed a completely unnecessary counter attack and Woking a lifeline with 7 minutes to play. However we saw it with ease and ended 2019 with a win! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TABLE Another decent month in the league with 4 wins, some against those around us in the league. Disappointed to finally concede and then not stop conceding but I've tried to move to a more attacking formation in order to provide more goals and it was always going to be difficult to maintain such a solid defensive shape whilst doing so. Hogan also became a little sloppy with the giving away of two penalties. Losing out in the FA Trophy wasn't ideal as the board wanted us to reach the third round however it does mean we only have the league to focus on now (said every manager ever). Despite feeling a little less confident this month we have managed to open the gap to second place up to 15 points. Notts County having a bit of tough time without a win in their less 3 games as seen Torquay come back up to second. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PLAYERS PERFORMANCES Jordan Greenidge as started to put the ball in the back of net, going on a little run of scoring in 4 games in a row. Probably helped by the fact I've got two players closer to him now in the Inside Forward roles whereas before he was a little isolated. He's still growing into that pressing forward role but he's developing well. Elliot Osborne and Connor Dimaio continue to perform in the middle of the park whilst as I mentioned before Liam Hogan as slipped off, possibly due to the fact he now has less protection and it's making his job more difficult. In the monthly awards Jordan Greenidge was runner up in both the Player of the Month and Young Player of the Month. Greenidge had an average rating of 7.72 and scored 4 goals during December. Also for a fourth month in a row I managed to bag the Manager of the Month award. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OTHER NEWS Early noises are being made about the upcoming youth intake and it's being labelled as a golden generation for the club. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Another good month. Your lead is looking quite comfortable at this point, and being out of the cup means that you won't have to worry that much about fitness and such. I hope I haven't jinxed it now . Not sure what it is about Yeovil, but they were actually the only side I failed to beat in the league. The packed schedule definitely worked against you there. As for your youth intake, all I'm going to say is don't get your hopes up just yet. My "golden generation" turned out to be a keeper who could potentially be a National League player and that's about it. I'm actually writing my own update now, will be posting shortly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 23, 2020 Author Share Posted August 23, 2020 5 minutes ago, Tjeerd! said: Another good month. Your lead is looking quite comfortable at this point, and being out of the cup means that you won't have to worry that much about fitness and such. I hope I haven't jinxed it now . Not sure what it is about Yeovil, but they were actually the only side I failed to beat in the league. The packed schedule definitely worked against you there. As for your youth intake, all I'm going to say is don't get your hopes up just yet. My "golden generation" turned out to be a keeper who could potentially be a National League player and that's about it. I'm actually writing my own update now, will be posting shortly. I've done a full 360 and perhaps I'm now too attacking, especially away from home. It's something I'm working on putting right. Yeah I never get my hopes up with the youth intake but fingers crossed. Look forward to the update. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 (edited) Season 3 - August-September Transfers: I've made a couple noteworthy signings since I last posted: Max Power joins on a free to give me yet another strong option in midfield and Ryan Burke comes in to play left back, while the injury prone Jack Stobbs leaves for Rotherham, who had also signed Alfie Payne and Matthew Platt. Results: Our campaign began with a really unconvincing win at MK Dons where we didn't have a single shot on target and only won thanks to an own goal. Our second game of the season was a loss to Colchester where we hit the woodwork four times, including a chance in the 92nd min where Touaizi rounded the keeper only to then hit the post. A good performance against Blackpool was followed by us getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup once more, where fellow League One side Scunthorpe converted a corner early on and we failed to break them down. The game against a struggling Tranmere side was probably the most convincing performance up to that point, as we managed to prevent them from taking a single shot in the whole game. That kickstarted a good unbeaten run, although I still feel we should have scored far more than what we did. Jakubiak’s poor form meant that David Parkhouse got the nod for the Fleetwood game next to Touaizi, and that’s been our front two since. The draw against Wigan was particularly hard to stomach. A poor performance meant that we were 2-0 down by half time, but one aggressive team talk later and suddenly we found ourselves going into the final minutes with a 3-2 lead, only to then concede in the 94th minute. Still, we bounced back as Parkhouse continued his goalscoring form with a wins against Luton and Shrewsbury. League: I can't quite believe that yet again we are fighting for promotion. Not really sure how I'm doing it at this point, but I hope that we keep it up. That being said, I find the prospect of yet another promotion (third in a row, fourth if you count Jim's) a little bit scary, as our small wage budget and reputation are seeing us struggle a bit to attract really good players. I'd almost rather stick around League 1 for a while to develop the club a little more before tackling the higher leagues. Players: I'm delighted with Bolton's performances so far; he's playing a really big role for us on the right. Aside from that, a small tactical tweak saw us drop one of our midfielders to the segundo volante role and Clarkson is truly thriving there. Parkhouse, our (not really at this point) backup striker, was named both Player of the Month and Young Player of the Month for September having scored in every game. His partner, Touaizi, doesn’t score as much but he’s also playing really well. On a final note, Mannion and the defensive line have been really impressive. The pick of the bunch would be new guy Joao Escoval, who has also chipped in with a 6 goals thanks to our revolutionary "lump-it-to-the-big-guy-at-the-near-post" corner tactics. Speaking of tactics, this is how we are lining up most games: Aside from all of that, we've got upgrades to both our training and youth facilities to look forward to this October. Still, I don't think we'll be producing good local talent anytime soon, not with City and United also in the area. Edited August 23, 2020 by Tjeerd! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 23, 2020 Author Share Posted August 23, 2020 Fabulous stuff @Tjeerd! Really well done again and so far, so good. Obviously you've mentioned about going up too soon but if you have the chance then you have to take it. Four promotions in a row would be incredible. Who wants Parkhouse and his is good form likely to see him be poached? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 I've just lost 3-0 to Rotherham in the very next game, after Escoval of all people got himself sent off in the 9th min . @Gunner 101 I'd love getting promoted yet again, definitely. Parkhouse is wanted by Larne, the team who won the Northern Irish League. Their reputation isn't as good as ours though, and we play in a far better league, so I doubt his head will be turned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 23, 2020 Author Share Posted August 23, 2020 Typical. Yeah shouldn’t be losing him to someone like that. All is well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Season 3 - October-December Transfers: In this time period I had to make a few key decisions with the future in mind, namely which contracts to extend or not. McAlinden, Parkhouse and Macdonald were offered a one year extension, while wingers Connor Stanley and ageing club captain Danny Redmond were told to look for new clubs: Stanley joins Sheffield Wednesday for 70k, Redmond joins Chesterfield for around 2k net (we would pay a percentage of his wages for 6 months). Another player offered around was last year's top scorer Alex Jakubiak, who has fallen down the pecking order this year. All that means that I'll have to look for a new left winger in January, as I only have loanee Adam Lewis in that position. Results: These three months have been nothing short of spectacular. Barring the aforementioned Rotherham game and a freak result against Oxford United, we have been dominant. The Man City U23s result, which was ultimately meaningless, is down to me playing a weaker side. There's been a lot of goals; Touaizi has really found his goalscoring form and McAlinden has shown that he can still do it in League One. Parkhouse got himself injured in the first Scunthorpe game and only just returned for the Wigan game. One of the more interesting games from that bunch was the win against Southend. Max Power, playing as a right winger, scored and then got himself sent off. It was only because Mannion's heroics (which include a penalty save) that we managed to win the game. Aside from that, most of the wins were fairly comfortable at worst, even the Wigan game as they never really threatened and it was only because of our wastefulness that we didn't score more. League: We've put ourselves in a very comfortable position. 13 points + game in hand clear of 3rd place. We've been head and shoulders above the rest to be completely honest. I mean, look at this : Players: Touaizi has been developing nicely. A championship level striker now, apparently, and it shows. Leighton Clarkson is still excelling in what is a crucial role for the system to work properly, and he's also been getting himself a few assists as well (8). It's a shame about Redmond, as he's still doing well when called upon, but his physicals are starting to fall and I'd rather give games to someone who will actually be in my plans for next year. Aside from that, Liam McAlinden's actually in the best form at the minute. 7.94 average over the last 5 games, and he's got himself 7 goals in 12 starts. Not bad for a "Good player for most National League sides", eh? Finally, our youth intake is a golden generation again, apparently. Our best prospect is, for the third year running, a keeper. Oh well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 25, 2020 Author Share Posted August 25, 2020 Wow what a great run of results, definitely going to have my work cut out to compete with you here but it's great to see you doing so well. Glad to see McAlinden is doing well for you. I've obviously not given him the same chance but it's hard with Greenidge playing well and only playing the one up top. What's McAlinden's finishing stat now? One thing I feel I'm quite poor at is my squad building but you seem to be doing a nice job at keeping bringing in fresh new faces that take you to the next level. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 9 minutes ago, Gunner 101 said: Wow what a great run of results, definitely going to have my work cut out to compete with you here but it's great to see you doing so well. Glad to see McAlinden is doing well for you. I've obviously not given him the same chance but it's hard with Greenidge playing well and only playing the one up top. What's McAlinden's finishing stat now? One thing I feel I'm quite poor at is my squad building but you seem to be doing a nice job at keeping bringing in fresh new faces that take you to the next level. Cheers mate . It's true, I have been showing very little loyalty to my players, but at this level everyone is replaceable and there's almost always a better option available in the market. Anyway, here's the club legend himself: Don't exactly remember his starting attributes, but I don't think he's changed much. Still a poor finisher, but he does create a lot of chances for himself to be fair. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 25, 2020 Author Share Posted August 25, 2020 Yeah finishing wise he's exactly the same, he's big and quick though which is helpful. To be fair Greenidge and McAlinden are very similar players and I didn't expect to be playing Greenidge over him but it just happened. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 26, 2020 Author Share Posted August 26, 2020 SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF JANUARY UPDATE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TRANSFERS Aaron Ekumah joined the club on a free from fellow National League side AFC Fylde. He was a player I was watching and then Fleetwood Town offered him a contract and so it forced me into a decision and I went for it. He's only 19 years old but seems to have some decent stats for this level and I feel he could potentially grow into a very good player. Initially signing a contract for 18 months we also added an optional one year extension in favour of the club. Ben Jackson had his loan terminated and has returned to parent club Huddersfield Town. Jackson was complaining about a lack of game time and with him not fitting into my tactic I felt it was better to terminate the loan deal. Jackson played a total of 7 games with 3 starts and provided 1 goal and 1 assist during his time at the club. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESULTS 2020 started with an away trip to one of only two sides to beat me in the league so far this season, Solihull Moors. Just before half time a sloppy pass by Louis Gray let Solihull through and they made no mistake to punish our mistake. Solihull added to their lead after 58 minutes. It was then three 4 minutes later as we completely fell apart. A total disappointing made even worse by the fact that we lost Millen Baars to injury. Thankfully only for two weeks. Next up was top vs bottom with the visit of Sutton Utd. A snowy Edgeley Park saw the yellow ball on show and Sutton put the yellow ball in the net first after 34 minutes. However we hit straight back with Anthony Gerrard scoring his first goal for the club with a header from a free kick. Left back Eddie Clarke scored his second goal of the season on 55 minutes as he was allowed space and slotted home from the edge of the area. Danny Lloyd with his second assist of the game. Less than a minute later Lois Maynard (in for the tired Dimaio) scored his first goal for Stockport with a smashed effort from the edge of the area into the top corner. Substitute Adam Thomas added a 4th but it was disallowed for offside. Liam McAlinden then also had a goal ruled out for offside. Both were correct decisions and it remained 3-1. Due to being knocked out of the FA Trophy we had a free week so a friendly was arranged against local side Stockport Town. A 5-1 win followed with Greenidge (x2), Curran, Dimaio and Lloyd scoring. After a two week break from league action we was back with an away game against 5th place Wrexham who had won their last 4. A good start to proceedings saw us take the lead through Danny Lloyd. Lloyd reacting first after Eddie Clarke's shot hit the post and rebounded back out. A 5th goal of the season for Lloyd. Lloyd got his second of the game direct from a free kick less than 10 minutes later to make it 2-0. The 2 goal advantage didn't last long as two minutes later Wrexham pulled a goal back. The two goal advantage was restored at the start of the second half with Eddie Clarke picking out Jordan Greenidge for his 10th goal of the season. The final match of the month saw 7th placed Bromley arrive at Edgeley Park. Bromley took an early lead as Gerrard was turned and Michael Cheek put the ball passed Gray. An equaliser came through Elliot Osborne latching onto a long throw from Eddie Clarke and smashing past the keeper with power. Bromley retook the lead straight after half time with a fluke goal. Baars clearance smashed into Clarke and it bounced straight into the path of a Bromley player who just had to tap home. Elliot Osborne was again the man to equalise following a fine run from Millen Baars. We then took the lead for the first time on 74 minutes with substitute Alex Curran getting on the end of a lovely assist from Sam Minihan. Curran's 5th goal of the season. Not exactly sure how we won that but what a game and win! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TABLE Another very good month saw us extend the lead at the top of the league to 17 points. Not having the FA Trophy definitely helped as our players were fresher than the teams we played against for sure. We've added more goals but still struggling to find the right balance to ensure we stop conceding them too. Up until the Wrexham game we had lost 3 away games on the bounce so it was good that we managed to stop the rot. I was playing too attacking away from home so some tactical tweaks were made and they definitely made a difference. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PLAYERS PERFORMANCES Greenidge, Dimaio and Osborne have kept up the form this month with Clarke and Lloyd also stepping things up in the past month. Clarke has put on 5 assists in his last 4 games from the left wing back role. Elliot Osborne picked up the Player of the Month award with an average rating of 7.38, scoring twice and setting up another. Eddie Clarke came third in the Young Player of the Month award with an average rating of 7.38 also. Contributing 5 assists and a goal in January. Danny Lloyd also took third in the Goal of the Month competition with his long range free kick against Wrexham. Whilst for the 5th month in a row I was named Manager of the Month. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OTHER NEWS New details were released regarding the UK leaving the EU and that there would be no changes to the current system surrounding work permits and no new restrictions on EU players. The clubs Head Physio (Craig Reynolds) and Director of Football (Simon Wilson) have both signed new 18 month deals to keep them at the club. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted August 26, 2020 Share Posted August 26, 2020 @Gunner 101 Nice work with Stockport, and good to see you have a fellow County manager to push you along too. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 26, 2020 Share Posted August 26, 2020 (edited) Season 3 - January-February Transfers: So I said I'd need a left winger to replace my outgoing players. Turns out that we were severely limited by our wage budget and I didn't find anyone appropriate to bring in, so I had to make do with our fourth Liverpool loanee: His contract is up in June, and he could potentially be a Prem level player apparently, so we might make his stay permanent. Results: We've had a lot of games. Just look at February, 9 games in 26 days. We started off with a few convincing wins and revenge on Spurs' U23s side, and then we lost to Colchester. Another poor performance meant that we've failed to get a single point against them this season. That was followed by another two losses: one against Luton and one against Arsenal in the cup. We regained our footing a week later with a win against Plymouth, which was Hill's first start. He scored and got himself sent off, but we managed to stay on top of them despite that. Then we got a win against a struggling MK Dons side (they've managed to get one point in the last 6 league matches). Touaizi got himself a perfect hattrick against Forest Green and then Max Power got himself sent off against Tranmere. We progressed to the semi final of the Leasing.com trophy despite losing a 2-0 lead. Three 2-0s later, and we dropped out of said cup. While I don't like the competition, It's dissapointing to lose in a semi final. That was followed by another defeat, this time against Doncaster. It was pretty clear that the insane run of games wore our players out, a lot of them are struggling fitness wise now. Luckily, we've got a week to rest, and a 4-game March to look forward to. League: We've secured play-offs despite our loss at Doncaster. The Don's have had a massive fall, from being 9 points clear of third to being twelve points short of it. We should be winning the league, although we're going to have to start playing better. We've been knocked out of every other competition though, which means less games and less rotation needed. Players: Nabil Touaizi is still top scorer, but Parkhouse is right behind him with 22 goals. Aside from that though, most of my players have had a dip in form, which is understandable considering the month we've just had. Standouts have been strikers Parkhouse and Touaizi, midfielders Morris and Clarkson, and our left back, Ryan Burke. Anyway, good job as always @Gunner 101. It's looking like your County will be back in the football league next year. Can we expect a lot of transfer activity in the summer or are you going to mainly rely on the players that have gotten you there? Edited August 26, 2020 by Tjeerd! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 26, 2020 Author Share Posted August 26, 2020 Nice one @Tjeerd!! Looks like you’ve pretty much got it sewn up and yet another promotion! Have you started planning for the step up? I’ve started to plan for being in League Two next season (hopefully not going to jinx it). Just looking at positions where I feel that I’ll need to strengthen and starting to try and build a list of potential signings. Hopefully be able to finish my first season over the weekend. Cheers @Jogo Bonito! Yep, think @Tjeerd! has definitely improved the quality of this thread. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 26, 2020 Share Posted August 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Gunner 101 said: Nice one @Tjeerd!! Looks like you’ve pretty much got it sewn up and yet another promotion! Have you started planning for the step up? I’ve started to plan for being in League Two next season (hopefully not going to jinx it). Just looking at positions where I feel that I’ll need to strengthen and starting to try and build a list of potential signings. Hopefully be able to finish my first season over the weekend. Cheers @Jogo Bonito! Yep, think @Tjeerd! has definitely improved the quality of this thread. Cheers mate! Honestly, this summer is shaping up to be the hardest one yet. I'm facing two big problems in terms of signing new players: first, our wage budget is still only about 50k. I could shift a chunk of my transfer budget but even then I think it'd still be smaller than just about every championship club. Second problem is our reputation and by extension our pulling power. That means that any good, cheap, championship level players that become available are going to try to join any other club but us. We've also got a hard brexit to deal with, which also makes recruiting that little bit harder. I think the squad we've got right now should keep us in the Championship. I'm also hoping that we can entice some of the higher rated Liverpool players that are still not cracking into the first team. Brewster is probably off limits for us, but we might be able to snag the likes of Hoever, Curtis Jones, Ben Woodburn or Harvey Elliott on loan. Really, I'm just hoping that the likes of Clarkson or Touaizi stay around and carry us to a good position next year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 27, 2020 Author Share Posted August 27, 2020 It’s the biggest problem with climbing the leagues too quickly but have faith, you’ve done amazingly well so far. Keep utilising Liverpool as much as possible to add that extra bit of quality and I think you’ll be just fine, even if you don’t go onto win the league at the first attempt this time around. I’m assuming you have your key players tied down to decent contract lengths? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 28, 2020 Author Share Posted August 28, 2020 (edited) SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF FEBRUARY UPDATE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TRANSFERS Darren Stephenson left the club on loan to Icelandic First Division side Por for the final 4 months of his contract. Stephenson was out injured for the first half of the season and hasn't featured since recovering. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESULTS The first match of February was a home match against 6th place Aldershot. After a poor first half we had a penalty following a push on Anthony Gerrard. Connor Dimaio making no mistake from the spot. Aldershot were reduced to 10 men after 87 minutes due to a two footed lunge. Glad for the three points and a first clean sheet for 10 games! Next up an away match at mid table side Barnet. A poor start saw Barnet go 1 up after 24 minutes and that's how it remained. Next up should have been a home game against Boreham Wood however a water logged pitch saw the game postponed. Not ideal as it means we now have a longer break and then three games in 8 days instead. A manager-less Notts County were next up after they sacked their manager following a 3-0 defeat to Aldershot. The TV cameras were in town for a top of the table clash. Danny Lloyd saw us off to a good start with a free kick from 30 yards. A quick breakaway saw Millen Baars send away Jordan Greenidge and it was 2-0 just two minutes later. Notts County were down to 10 on 54 minutes as Mitch Rose elbowed Elliot Osborne. A brilliant ball over the top from Sam Mininhan sent Liam McAlinden through and the striker made no mistake with the one on one. The previously postponed match against bottom side Boreham Wood was up next. After early pressure we finally made the breakthrough with Elliot Osborne finding space and scoring from 30 yards. Liam Hogan scored his first goal of the season with a header from a Danny Lloyd free kick on 63 minutes. Danny Lloyd added a third 6 minutes later with a strike from just outside the area. Larnell Cole pulled a goal back just three minutes after though, just to add some nerves but we managed to run out 3-1 winners. The last game of the month was a big one. 1st v 2nd. Stockport vs Torquay. Torquay took the early lead through their top goalscorer Jamie Reid on 18 minutes and that's the way it stayed. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TABLE Despite the defeat to Torquay we're still 14 points ahead with similar goal differences. Notts County seem to have fallen away after back to back 3-0 defeats (to us and Aldershot). 11 games to go and hopefully we will continue the form we have maintained all season and get across the finish line in first place. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PLAYERS PERFORMANCES Danny Lloyd was on form during the month of February with two goals and two assists. The midfield duo of Connor Dimaio and Elliot Osborne have been as consistent as ever with no let up from the pair. Aaron Ekumah made his debut during February and I will look to give him as much game time as possible in order to aid his development. Possibly the first month of the season where we didn't come in the top three of the player/manager awards. However Elliot Osborne did pick up the Goal of the Month award for his strike against Boreham Wood. Edited August 28, 2020 by Gunner 101 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 End of Season 3 Results: We were given a bit of a rest after a very game intensive February. A really comfortable win against Lincoln was followed by an absolute demolishing against Oxford United. After that, we traveled to Southend. A win against second place Southend could have potentially meant that we secure promotion, but we were deservedly beaten. There was an additional game scheduled for the end of March, the one against Peterborough if I'm not mistaken, but a waterlogged Edgeley Park meant that we were given an 18 day rest. April started with three very comfortable wins. We lifted the title in the second one thanks to a convincing performance where we also relegated Crewe. A loss against Fleetwood meant that it would not be a perfect month, but I'm not really bothered by it. League: We're back! We're back for another round, 20 years after being relegated from the second tier of English football. This time we'll hopefully leave the right way. As a bonus, our good friends over at Southend have also joined us. They've been with us in League Two, they've been with us in League One and now we'll be travelling together to the Championship. Players: Parkhouse ended with 28g and 7a in 43 games and won both performance-based awards. Touaizi finished top-scorer with 30g in 53 appearances, while Clarkson and Burke had the most assists with 12. I was surprised with Burke as my full backs are more defensive than usual, but he's one of our main corner and indirect freekick takers, so it does make sense. Anyway, I've started recruiting a few new faces, mostly regens who have been released from Premier League clubs. One in particular really interests me, but I'll be introducing him in a more transfer-focused update in the future. Also, this happened for the first time: Cheers Blackpool, and have fun in League One Richard ! On a final note, the league's award winners haven't been announced yet, but my guess would be Touaizi for both player and young player of the season. I'll confirm it in the next update. @Gunner 101 Keep it up, you're nearly there! Just one final push and you will be back in the EFL, which is where the fun really begins. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 28, 2020 Author Share Posted August 28, 2020 Smashed it, nice work @Tjeerd! Goals galore from your two strikers. Looking forward to seeing what you do over the summer in getting the squad ready for taking on the Championship. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 Nice work seeing you both top of the table. Well done @Tjeerd! and good luck finishing the job @Gunner 101 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 28, 2020 Author Share Posted August 28, 2020 Just now, Jogo Bonito said: Nice work seeing you both top of the table. Well done @Tjeerd! and good luck finishing the job @Gunner 101 Not happy. He’s hijacked my thread and showing me up. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 30, 2020 Share Posted August 30, 2020 Sorry @Gunner 101. Couldn't resist it . And cheers @Jogo Bonito, I just hope I can keep it up. Anyway, I figured I'd introduce a few of the lads who're going to help us this year. First though, this is a player I got from City on a free. Any ideas as to what I could turn him into? He seems too slow for a winger plus it wouldn't make much use of his defensive stats, and I'm not entirely sure if he's quick enough to be a full back. He might be a decent box to box, or a segundo volante as I'm training him into right now, but maybe you guys see something else in him? Anyway, I've got four big signings to introduce. First off, a player I've got a soft spot for. Tommy Doyle, who made his PL debut this year, is a player who is very highly rated in real life. In game he looks like a great playmaker and could also possibly slot in as a segundo volante. Frankly, I'm surprised he even joined us as the scout report said he had no interest in coming in on loan, but I declared interest via the media and it seems to have worked. He comes in on really big wages, but I think he can make a big difference for us and ultimately if he does as well as I think he can, he will prove to be a bargain. Next up, a big German to slot in at centre back. Mai's actually a player I managed in last year's edition, so I also have a bit of a soft spot for him. That isn't the reason he comes in though, he really was the best free centre back available for us. He's also the perfect big guy to aim corners at, so I'm also expecting him to chip in with a few goals. Third guy is a possible answer to our left winger shortage. The lad we brought in on loan, Thomas Hill, chose to sign for Ipswich, which meant that we'd have to keep looking. Soon after I found this guy, who was set to be released by Hannover. The only possible problem I see is that he's right footed and cuts inside from the left, but I can definitely work with that. Honestly though, I'm tempted to sell him as soon as possible. For reference, Lukas Mai is the next most valuable player we have, and Muslija's value is three times the money we have in the bank. We'll see what happens... Finally, another centre back. He's got good attributes and he's fairly cheap and versatile, so I figured I'd bring him in as at worst he'll provide some much needed squad depth at the back. At the moment though, he'll be starting next to Lukas Mai and hopefully they'll be our main partnership this year. Anyway, that's what I've been up to this summer. I've still got a few more targets in mind, both permanent deals and loans. I'll make another update before the start of the season if needed. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 30, 2020 Author Share Posted August 30, 2020 @Tjeerd! I was thinking of a midfielder. Was thinking advanced playmaker but his passing isn’t the best. Stamina lends itself well to the box to box role. Never used a Segundo Volante and don’t have the game loaded to check exactly what it does! Nice use of the loan market once again. Any lads coming in from Liverpool? Permanent lads are good ages too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 31, 2020 Author Share Posted August 31, 2020 (edited) SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF MARCH UPDATE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESULTS The first match of the final two months of the season was an away trip to lowly Chorley. A quick start saw Danny Lloyd strike from 25 yards after just 5 minutes. Annoyingly Chorley equalised with their first shot of the game on 24 minutes. However two minutes later we was back in the lead with Danny Lloyd getting his second of the game and 10th goal of the season. Danny Lloyd turned provider for the third with his free kick delivery headed home by Anthony Gerrard. Although Chorley came back again and reduced the difference to 1 on 73 minutes as Gerrard's missed header was punished. Thankfully we held out and that result meant we had secured at least a playoff spot. 3 days later we was on the road again with a trip to mid table Chesterfield. Due to the quick turnaround unfortunately it meant a slightly rotated squad with Sam Minihan, Elliot Osborne and Millen Baars all dropping out due to fatigue. An even game without any major incidents ended 0-0. Despite the draw we have now managed to set a new record points total for the club (86) beating the previous record of 85. A waterlogged pitch at Edgeley Park (again) meant the Eastleigh game was postponed so following an extended break of 11 days we was back in action with another away trip, this time to 20th placed Halifax Town. A poor performance saw us come away with a point in another 0-0 draw. Worse than dropping points though was the fact that Danny Lloyd, who has been arguably our best player suffered a torn hamstring and would miss the remaining 8 games of the season. This means Lloyd may well have played his last game in Stockport colours has his loan deal ends at the end of the season. Another quick turnaround after playing Saturday we was back in action on Tuesday. This time under the lights and in front of the TV cameras as we welcomed relegation threatened AFC Fylde. Who are now managed by none other than Stockport legend Jim Gannon! We took the lead through Adam Thomas after 24 minutes. Thomas in for the injured Danny Lloyd. Thomas had his second goal 10 minutes later with a header from a corner. A mistake by Louis Gray saw Fylde pull a goal back with 8 minutes to go however we hung on and claimed all 3 points. A heavy schedule in March saw us back in action for our 3rd game in a week. This time was 20th placed Maidenhead. A heavily rotated side was selected with only Louis Gray and Elliot Osborne usual starters. Max Watters came straight in to make his debut. We got off to a great start as Liam McAlinden stabbed home from close range. Maidenhead had been forceful all game, picking up 5 bookings before they had a man sent off on 35 minutes for a two footed lunge. Maidenhead were then down to 9 men on 82 minutes as Curran ran through on goal he was tripped and a second yellow was produced for the Maidenhead player. Not a great performance but a team full of squad players got us the 3 points. Having secured victory we have now managed to set a new record of wins in a season (29) beating the previous record of 28. The last game of March saw us play our previously postponed fixture against Eastleigh. This would now be our 4th game in 10 days but could potentially see us promoted as champions. With their first shot a target Eastleigh took the lead. A penalty on 69 minutes after Turnbull committed a foul. We finally managed to produce an equaliser in the 92nd minute as Adam Thomas crossed low and Millen Baars tapped home at the far post. Then with stoppage time up, Millen Baars rolled the ball back to Sam Minihan who placed the ball home from 25 yards to see us collect 3 points and also crowned CHAMPIONS!! TRANSFERS Young right winger Max Watters joined the club on loan until the end of the season to provide cover for the injured Danny Lloyd. He was someone I looked at when Ben Jackson left in January but decided we had enough numbers but when Lloyd got injured for the season against Halifax I decided to bring Max to the club. He has decent pace and suits the role that I want him to play. Watters joins from League One side Doncaster Rovers. TABLE What a sight. Winning the league with 5 games to spare was not what I expected when I first started the game. Yes, I thought avoiding relegation would be comfortable but to go and do the complete opposite? Not what I expected. We have the second best goals for record and second best goals against record in the league whilst winning 7 more games than anyone else. Now we have a chance to enjoy the last 5 games and to see how many points we can end up with come the end of the season. PLAYERS PERFORMANCES Adam Thomas had a decent month after coming in for the injured Danny Lloyd. Thomas helped the team get over the line with two goals and a key assist against Eastleigh. Sam Minihan had been solid at right back and also had played a key role in securing the title with scoring at the death against Eastleigh. Elliot Osborne was again one of our better players and has been all season. OTHER NEWS I was delighted to be offered a new one-year contract extension by the board taking me through to June 2021. Despite enjoying an undefeated month and winning the league I only came second in the Manager of the Month award behind Notts County boss Adam Barrett. Edited August 31, 2020 by Gunner 101 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjeerd! Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 @Gunner 101 Welcome to the EFL! I loved the last minute comeback against Eastleigh, it's not often you see that. I'm also looking forward to seeing how you prepare for next season. Thomas seems to have done really well filling in for Lloyd, is he in your plans for next year? And to answer your previous comment, Serratosa is now being trained as a box to box and a few more loanees have joined, Curtis Jones the only one from Liverpool. I'd love to have brought in a few more from them but almost none of the Championship level ones are loan listed and they're also doing quite a big clear-out this summer, with both Woodburn and Brewster leaving permanently. I've actually played the first game of the season against a Middlesborough side that's predicted to struggle and finish below us. We won thanks to an 89th minute winner from Tommy Doyle, but if most games are going to be like that then I definitely see us staying in the league for the next few years. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 101 Posted August 31, 2020 Author Share Posted August 31, 2020 (edited) The Eastleigh game was ridiculous. We had 66% possession and 38 shots in total and just couldn't score. Then when they scored the penalty I thought "here we go". But thankfully we finally managed to break through and I just had a feeling if we got one then we could get another. What a way to win the league though. Currently I have Thomas down to be released but nothing is finalised yet so it could change. I'm trying to make the most of this extra time I have now to plan some signings that will help us make the step up but my squad building skills aren't the best. Hopefully I don't mess it up. Nice to get off to a good start. I always feel early games are more closely contested so don't worry too much @Tjeerd!. Edited August 31, 2020 by Gunner 101 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now