FM22: The English Football League thread

[Ronaldo Beckham]

 Scunthorpe United FC Season 6 Review

A remarkable season for Scunthorpe with us reaching our highest ever position in the history of the club. 

We finished 7th and was 6 points away from getting into the Play Offs. 

I am very happy as I don't want to get promoted to the Prem yet.

We overachieved with our small squad but we worked hard and managed to do very well.

Best Players

Unfortunately Sam Burns dropped off in quality this season and lost his place to new signings Jonathan Leko, Samuel Edozie and James Belagizi who were tried out as strikers. 

Leko ended up leaving in January after he moaned about playing in his prefered position. 

Belegizi isn't scoring enough to stay as a striker. 

Edozie is more of a winger/inside forward so next season the main aim is to find a new man upfront to bang in the goals.

Samuel Edozie was our top scorer with 14 goals. 

Billy Sass-Davies was our best overall player with the best average rating of 7.22 

Alex Lowry was a close 2nd for the best player of the season with 13 assists, 5 goals and an average rating of 7.18.

Best Overall 11

Player Awards

I will do another season and see how I feel as much as I am enjoying the save I need a break from it and maybe do a save in Spain or Italy.

I am thinking of doing a save with Elche who tend to sign Argentinian players or Almeria just to see if I can topple the big teams with a club with good financial backing behind it.

The Italian teams I am thinking of managing are Parma, Palermo or Udinese.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Scunthorpe's Biggest Sale Ever

I have also managed to sell my goalie Ellery Balcombe for £4m after signing him 2 seasons a go for £9k.

 

[warlock]

Gateshead, December 2021

We left the Heed after our first month of the season with an unbeaten start under our belts. The question was, could we maintain that excellent form and, if so, for how long? In the event, September was equally as impressive as our unbeaten run stretched to 8 games:

New signing Georgiou continued his impressive start, while we also found goals from strikers Scott and Blackett, plus midfielders Campbell, Langstaff and Olley. Scott jumped out to an early lead in the competition for leading scorer, but we'd also developed a nasty habit of assuming first-half leads and then allowing the opposition back into the game - witness the Gloucester match where a 3-0 lead at half-time became a threatening 3-2 victory at full-time. 

Our unbeaten start came to an end in October as we struggled against a strong Boston side, but we quickly returned to winning ways in the FA Cup, before putting together an unbeaten run of 4 league games. The wins in the cup were also pleasing since the board had charged me with reaching the first round proper.

And we went one better, seeing off L2 outfit Sutton in the competition in probably our best performance of the season, before suffering our second league defeat against promotion-chasing York. After a disappointing home draw to Alrfreton we managed to return to winning ways in the league. We also managed to hold on to top spot in the league, despite the 2 defeats and 2 draws, although Fylde are just 3pts behind with a game in hand:

Although Scott continues to lead the scoring chart, our finishing could do with an upgrade as we often end games with just a handful of shots on target from a total shot count of 15-20. I've been unable to improve that, despite a number of tactical tweaks. Midfielder Gregg Olley is by far our most important player with 6 goals to add to his 7 assists but, worryingly, he has now attracted the attention of Bolton and Wrexham and we may face a struggle to keep him at the club in January. Young Taylor Charters, on loan from Carlisle, is not far behind him in terms of performances.

We begin December with an FA Cup 2nd round tie as Sheffield Wednesday visit the International Stadium. I'd have preferred an away draw, but hopefully the Owls will bring a large crowd that should still provide us with a decent - and much-needed - payday.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Just a small update. So I just finished the season with Scunthorpe. We managed to get into the Play Offs but we lost 5-2 to Middlesborough in the Semi's.

I have decided to leave the save as I don't think I can go much further then I did as I basically sold all of my best players and still finished in the Play Offs but the finances are so bad cos me and my DOF kept buying players and my squad ended up with 120 players amongst the 3 squads and despite getting rid of a lot of them I still had up to £30m in debt predicted. 

I really enjoyed the save but I knew my time was now to leave it be.

My next destination is a Bordeaux resurrection save and then I might do the Elche save signing Argenintians. 

I will probably come back to this thread soon enough with a Burton Albion youth only save.

 

[hasdgfas]

21 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Just a small update. So I just finished the season with Scunthorpe. We managed to get into the Play Offs but we lost 5-2 to Middlesborough in the Semi's.

I have decided to leave the save as I don't think I can go much further then I did as I basically sold all of my best players and still finished in the Play Offs but the finances are so bad cos me and my DOF kept buying players and my squad ended up with 120 players amongst the 3 squads and despite getting rid of a lot of them I still had up to £30m in debt predicted.

I really enjoyed the save but I knew my time was now to leave it be.

My next destination is a Bordeaux resurrection save and then I might do the Elche save signing Argenintians.

I will probably come back to this thread soon enough with a Burton Albion youth only save.

 

fair enough! Was fun to follow while you did enjoy it.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Just now, hasdgfas said:

fair enough! Was fun to follow while you did enjoy it.

Yeah I enjoyed it but I knew the writing was on the wall. The 2 scenarios was I would of got promoted to the Prem and got bored as I usually do playing in the Prem or I would of got frustrated with the bad financed and not being able to do anything about it from selling players alone.

The problem I have on most of my saves is I like to max out facilities, youth recruitment etc and usually me and my DOF who I put in charge of transfers usually keeps buying players and I end up having a squad of over 100 players hence why the finances are rubbish.

I need to take more control of transfers in my next save.

[warlock]

Gateshead, February 2022

Another two months completed and we're just past the halfway point of the season. Although we were proceeding steadily, the mid-winter stretch is usually tricky in non-league as the weather can lead to postponed matches and fixture pile-ups, which in turn lead to player injuries and exhaustion. In the event, we had just one postponement but that led to some problems. We were due to travel to Farsley on the second weekend of December but a waterlogged pitch saw the fixture cancelled and pushed back to the end of the month. Unfortunately the schedule was already pretty hectic between Christmas and the first week of January and we ended up having to play 5 games in 11 days.

We began the month with the visit of L1 Wednesday in the FA Cup. No-one expected us to get anything from the match and so it proved, although young AML Georgiou briefly lit-up the International Stadium coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute and taking the game by the scruff of the neck. Bagging a brace in two minutes, he gave us a flicker of hope. Unfortunately, none of his team-mates could rise to his level and the Owls saw out the game for a comfortable win. A week later we were back to cup action in the FA Trophy and needed extra time to find a way past a determined Brackley outfit before resuming business as usual in the league with three consecutive and comfortable victories.

We began the new year in fine style, travelling to local rivals Blyth and putting 3 past them, but we looked shattered on a visit to Hereford and struggled to a draw. Our venture in the Trophy came to an abrupt end at the hands of Barnet from the league above us, but the return to a game-a-week schedule allowed us to recover some fitness and we saw out the month with back-to-back wins in the league.

But January saw us suffer what may yet be a mortal blow to our title hopes. Gateshead's very own Captain Fantastic, Greg Olley, was snatched away from us by Bolton for £56k, an offer I rejected but was overruled by the board. In half a season, he scored 8, created 6, and enjoyed an average rating of 7.58. He'll be greatly missed. Sadly, his departure came on top of another loss after I was surprised to learn that on-loan LB Nathan Newell had signed for only 6 months and left the club. Although Sunderland were happy to extend the loan, the player declined the offer. To rub salt into our wounds, he appeared in the media soon after to say how much he'd enjoyed his time at Gateshead and thanking me personally for helping develop him as a player .

That left me with two big holes in the squad to fill, but despite the increased transfer budget of some £50k, we struggled to find likely candidates, particularly for Olley's AMC role. In the end I spent £3.6k to bring in James Hardy from Chester, much better at AMR where he'll play, with Adam Campbell moving over to fill the AMC spot. At LB I went back to the loan market and brought in an 18-year-old prospect from Morecambe, Connor Pye, who I think will do a job for us, although he's better in defence and offers little when we're attacking.

We have managed to extend our lead at the top of the table as both Fylde and Boston have slipped a little, allowing York to overhaul them. Taylor Charters, on loan from Carlisle, has proved to be a good stand-in for Olley despite being better at CM. Scott and Blackett now share the goalscoring honours. We have the best attacking and defensive records in the league, and despite not getting a big cup payday our finances are looking healthy. Onwards and upwards. Hopefully...

[robterrace]

One of the things that comes up with my backroom staff now (Macedonian Chief scout, as well as a Spanish scout with decent South American knowledge), is the opportunity to find players in areas I wouldn't normally.

Some of these were Argentinian, and, even without being able to scout them properly, I was able to see that some of the players available would be more than good enough for League One football, and, the standard of league in Argentina (especially if they were playing in the top flight), would be more than enough to get them a work permit to allow them to play in England.

Before I go into recruitment, there was an outgoing player to sort out.

Young midfielder Warren O'Leary had come through the youth setup, and made the best part of 50 league and cup appearances for the club. At the beginning of November, he began to attract the attention of Premier League clubs, and after Newcastle and Everton made bids, the 18 year old decided that Goodison Park was his preferred option, and agreed a deal to move there. A fee of £1m, rising to £1.5m, with a friendly and sell on agreed, so a more than profitable agreement there.

Defensively, we were short of a centre back, and a left back, which, despite our performances, would leave us short from time to time. 

One of those issues was solved from our new found knowledge of South America. 

22 year old centre back, Yago De Vito will join on a free Jan 1st from Véléz. Whilst not a strong player, he possesses the ball carrying skills that will help me in the middle of the defence.

Another signing was made, again, for the January window, after Dale Taylor tore his calf muscle, and would miss a large portion of the season. This would mean that he would return to Nottingham Forest in the window.

This time, it was Colón that was looked at, and 23 year old striker, Franco Déboli joining on a free transfer. A slightly more physical presence than I already have in the side, he is good in the air, and I'll look to use him as a hold up for McNeill and Eppiah.

Covering for the loss of O'Leary, 20 year old midfielder Enzo Vlaeminch will arrive on loan from Argentinos Juniors until the end of the season. He has decent work rate and passing ability, and combined with his first touch and marking, will be a great disruptor in midfield.

 

[warlock]

3 hours ago, robterrace said:

our new found knowledge of South America

Love all the names in Argentina - a real melting pot of immigration.

[robterrace]

8 hours ago, warlock said:

Love all the names in Argentina - a real melting pot of immigration.

Definitely.

It may end up becoming my hunting ground once I get settled in the Championship. Pick up players for a decent fee, and move them on afterwards. I see it in a similar way to the Roberto Martinez revolution that happened when he signed for Wigan all those years ago.

We were set to make a 4th signing from South America as well, with forward Lucas Rebecchi leaving Vélez to head to the UK. 

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by robterrace

[robterrace]

An area that did need improving was in goal. Will Norris was dependable, however, he wasn't all that great distribution wise, as he was very one footed.

A replacement was found in League One, bench warming at league leaders Derby.

At 27, he is 3 years younger than Norris, and has definite potential to improve, as well as having a couple of international caps.

For a fee of £28000 (the most I've paid for a player so far on this save), Kieran O Hara joins on a 3 year deal.

The temptation to shell out lots more money is there, however, we have building blocks in place, and a signing agreed for June that hopefully will help us move forward and to the next level.

He was that determined to move away from his current club, that he takes a near £3k pay cut, and will join on a 3 year deal.

[robterrace]

Rolling on to the end of the season, we got stronger after the signing of O'Hara and the Argentinians. The presence of a strong goalkeeper added some steel to the back line, and with Charlie McNeill winning top scorer in the division, we always presented a threat going forward. 

As with all teams, there will be a few changes at the end of the season. 

However, as with all of that, we have the playoffs to contend with first. We staggered in on the last day, with a 3-0 win against Bristol Rovers, with Charlton collapsing, although, our form since the middle of January when O'Hara joined is remarkable. Played 20, won 11, drawn 7 and lost 2, scoring 38 goals, conceding 15, and keeping 9 clean sheets in that time.

A disappointment was that Ellis Chapman, one of my promising players (hes been with the club since before I joined) wanted a new contract, and turned down several offers, before wanting over £6.5k a week (something which would have blown my pay scale out of the water. 

However, that was tempered with Charlie McNeill agreeing to another season on loan with us. The 20 year old leading the league with 22 goals in 40 this season, giving him 37 in 78 in total at the club, something which I hope he'll improve next season.

Along with the previously mentioned Niakate, we also moved to strengthen the midfield, as Vlaeminch will return to Argentina, and our options are a little limited, despite Stephen Kelly and Scott Robertson having good seasons, they'll be outmuscled by most midfielders in the division.

The way to strengthen the midfield was found in Scotland, reaching the end of his contract at Celtic. At 23 years old, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Liam Shaw fits our criteria of player, and was more than happy to sign a deal to return to England. His development had stagnated over the last 18 months with very few competitive appearances, but, this allows us to bring him in.

As well as Shaw, several players were picked up from Premier League sides at the end of their contracts, mainly to drop into the U18 setup and develop.

-------------------

In qualifying for the playoffs, the club achieved its highest ever league position, something which hit the targets set by the board. Of course, taking advantage of the board was also something to do, as the formation of an U23 team was agreed, which, would give the fringe players a great way of remaining fit, as well as developing the youth in the setup even further.

-------------------

Before we could focus on the new season, we had two games against Luton Town to deal with.

With us being the lowest ranked team, we host the first game.

The first leg went far better than expected, running out 3-1 winners, despite Admiral Muskwe pegging us back immediately after taking the lead in the first half. Even Lucas Rebecchi hitting the post 3 times didn't prevent him from scoring and providing an assist. Changing formation mid second half (from a 4-3-1-2 to a 4-3-2-1) actually helped tie down Luton, and we created far more than expected.

The second leg was bound to be a different affair, but, Charlie McNeill scored in the 87th minute after Luton went 2-0 up in the first half, to send us to Wembley. The only downside was Franco Deboli spraining his ankle, which means he is likely to miss the final against Millwall.

--------

Between the second leg and the final, Ben Chrisene confirmed another season (his 3rd) on loan from Aston Villa. The 20 year old full back would be first choice on the left of the defence whilst we developed the next in line. Chrisene has been one of the more consistent players in the division this year, and has shown a marked improvement over the last 2 years.

----------

The final was against a Millwall team that had been outstanding all season, and we'd both won a game each. The only major player missing was Deboli, but, Lucas Rebecchi moved up front to fill that space.

Both of us saw goals disallowed for offside, with Dale Taylors effort in the 113th minute being harshly called back (in my opinion, and the game went to penalties.

Shaun Hutchinson missed Millwalls second penalty, and every one of our penalties was scored, with Ellis Chapman scoring the all important winner.

I feel theres a lot of preparation to do, but, I'll be aiming to try and stay up.

Now. Wheres my list of signings to make? 

 

[warlock]

@robterrace Congratulations! Definitely promotion the hard way but all the more satisfying for that 

[robterrace]

32 minutes ago, warlock said:

@robterrace Congratulations! Definitely promotion the hard way but all the more satisfying for that 

Thanks.

It wasn't how I wanted to do it, and I'm sure I've got a little bit of work to do to strengthen some areas, but, I'm up for the challenge.

-------------

With promotion sealed, the work begins to fill a few holes in the squad. The aim is to finish just outside the relegation places, but, have a cup run, as that will bring us more money than our 7000 capacity stadium will bring us.

Since the Playoff final, plenty of offers have been made to players, with several accepting, as well as the previously mentioned Niakate and Shaw.

So, 9th June rolls around, and the following join.

Goalkeepers

James Ferris - 17 year old Irish U19 goalkeeper, came through at Hamilton. Future prospect, and something to work on.

Tom Ritchie - 21 year old Scottish keeper, well thought of by the scouting team, will be 2nd choice.

Defenders

Mohamed Grayaa - 18 year old on a free from Liverpool. Massive, and will try to develop as a ball playing CB in coming seasons.

James Moss - Free transfer from Manchester United. Needs some work on his technique, but, the makings of a decent player.

Guillermo Enrique - 24 year old right back, signed on loan from Gimnasia y Esgrima. Well rounded technically, and his physical side will allow him to go up and down the flank all day.

Midfielders

Patrick Abdulazeez - Diminutive midfielder, joining from Arsenal. Will try to develop into an attacking midfielder so he doesn't have to rely on his lack of strength as much.

Jamie Kennedy - 17 year old signed from Glenavon. Needs work technically, but his fitness and agility will help massively.

Liam Shaw - As previously mentioned, joins from Celtic on a 4 year deal. Provides height and a bit of physicality to the midfield.

Mirko Nikolasevic - Loan signing from Red Star in Serbia. Another really highly rated youngster.

Attackers

Endri Miftari - 18 year old joining from Chelsea. Has great potential, but needs to work hard to achieve it.w

 

 

[warlock]

Gateshead, May 2022

Having patched up a couple of holes in the squad following January departures, there was nothing else to do but plough on and see whether we could secure the title from a leading position. With a comfortable lead and in strong form, everything was looking good but veteran FM managers will know that the game can turn quickly and horribly wrong. But for two months we kept on our merry way:

Another 10 games without defeat, although I was unhappy with the increasing number of draws, albeit away from home. Against Telford and Boston we never looked like scoring, and against Gloucester we were 0-2 down at half time and it required some industrial language and some major tactical tweaking to emerge with a point. And then came April:

Another draw to open the month, our first league defeat since November, and two more frustrating draws to see out the month. With the pressure mounting and nerves widespread could we really bottle this?

Um, no...

An anti-climactic way to clinch the title but I'll take it. Turns out that while were stumbling both York and Fylde had stumbled harder. In the event, we were comfortable at the top:

Scott and Blackett shared the goalscoring duties but it was loanee Taylor Charters who emerged as our best and most influential player. Happily, his loan has already been extended for another year, as has on-loan GK Filip Marschall who leads the league with 19 clean sheets. We still have two games to play, but thoughts have already turned to reinforcing the squad for the National League. About half of the players are good enough to make the step up, and another 3 or 4 seem to have the potential to reach the required standard but we'll definitely need to replace two loan signings at LB, neither of whom is good enough going forward, and some decent backups at AML, AMR and a couple of central midfielders. Should be an interesting summer.

[Meraklija Vujevic]

I done guide and first season with Fulham where we won Premiership instantly with new record with 99 points.

Used 3 of my tactics and I was adapting to my opponents!

Played with latest database what was released on 01.08.2022.

Full guide you can find on my you tube channel and on mye topic on fm base site!

[robterrace]

@warlock congrats on the promotion.

-------------------

Preparations for Championship football continue. The previous signings all sorted and ready to try and help us remain in the Championship, although, starting the season away at Bournemouth, fresh off their relegation from the Premier League, is a tough way to start things.

First up, changes to the backroom staff.

Former Slovenian international Robert Koren comes in as U18s manager. The former West Brom and Hull midfielder has a wealth of experience in the player development side of things.

In the new U23 setup, former French striker Benjamin Psaume is the manager. Having just retired from playing, his personality trait of Perfectionist will help development. 
His assistant is former Guingamp player and reserves manager, Claude Michel. Again, like Psaume, he has a decent personality trait (Model Citizen), so will hopefully bring through some decent players.

--------------------

One outgoing transfer of note, was goalkeeper Will Norris. He was courted by 3 Premier League teams, despite being not all that good for me, and left for Arsenal for £40k. I'm guessing they're using him for homegrown quota.

A signing I actually paid money for, was for young forward, Chris Saunders, from Boston. He'd scored 21 goals last season as they missed out on promotion, as well as providing 7 more for teammates. He'd fit into the first team rotation.

July 1st rolls round, which is the start of preseason, as well as being the day that new free transfers arrive from other clubs.

Sikou Niakate - Free signing from Arminia Bielefeld, the Malian will play on the left side of the defence, and has the physicality to stand up to the sort of strikers you get in the Championship.

Jarrel Quansah - Liverpool academy product, now representing Ghana. Another centre half, although, he is one for a couple of years down the line.

Will Fish - Manchester United academy product. Well developed physically and mentally. Will be in the first team squad, and get game time,

Jacob Salmon - Young Gibraltan full back, made appearances in the U21s and senior side. Very raw, but, a prospect well worth developing for the future.

Jack Henry-Francis - Central midfielder joining from Arsenal. Not afraid to put a boot in, nor cover the ground. Will be used as a backup to Shaw a lot of the time.

--------------------

There are a couple more offers in for players, but, most of the movement is for new staff coming in, as well as young players for the U23 setup.

 

[CityAndColour]

Another one? This would be the third takeover in less than eight seasons.

Maybe this is the one that will actually give me some money?

[warlock]

5 hours ago, CityAndColour said:

Maybe this is the one that will actually give me some money?

It's the hope that kills you . But fingers crossed - you deserve a bit of good luck.

[robterrace]

Another new signing to come in, was former Manchester United youngster, Zidane Iqbal. He agreed to come in as a squad player for his first season, which allows me to fit him into the squad alongside Stephen Kelly, who he matches well in attributes, although, he is a little more of a flair based player than the Scot.

The media put us as favourites to go back down, and say we'll finish 24th.

I'll happily take 20th and stay up, especially given the teams in the Championship.

Our total transfer outlay this summer is £-15k, and of that, £15k was spent on a player going back out on loan for the season.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

After watching the football documentary One Shot - Football Factory I have been inspired to start an EFL save with a London club preferably as low as possible but I am welcome to suggestions. 

My aim is to sign young lads from London to help get them to play for teams higher up then the team I am managing and in the process making the club money but the main aim is to help young footballers who didn't make it to the Prem and get them back there.

I was thinking of teams like Barnet, Leyton Orient etc. 

I am looking for some suggestions please. 

@Jogo Bonito@robterrace @warlock any suggestions I would appreciate.

[warlock]

1 hour ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

London club preferably as low as possible

I'd argue that Barnet are not strictly a London club but they're certainly close enough that the idea would work.

At a lower level (VNS) you could look at Dulwich Hamlet, who are well-placed to take free signings from the likes of Orient, Millwall, Charlton and Palace. But I think the club with the lowest reputation in the current database would be Hampton & Richmond. Obviously you can take players from any London-based club, but H&R are naturally closer to the likes of Chelsea and Brentford, as well as Palace, Charlton and Wimbledon.

One thought that occurs... because of AI reluctance to sign non-league players, you might do better to start at one of the lower-league clubs like Orient, Charlton or Wimbledon. Might make it easier to promote your youngsters up the pyramid.

Definitely an interesting idea for a save 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

55 minutes ago, warlock said:

I'd argue that Barnet are not strictly a London club but they're certainly close enough that the idea would work.

At a lower level (VNS) you could look at Dulwich Hamlet, who are well-placed to take free signings from the likes of Orient, Millwall, Charlton and Palace. But I think the club with the lowest reputation in the current database would be Hampton & Richmond. Obviously you can take players from any London-based club, but H&R are naturally closer to the likes of Chelsea and Brentford, as well as Palace, Charlton and Wimbledon.

One thought that occurs... because of AI reluctance to sign non-league players, you might do better to start at one of the lower-league clubs like Orient, Charlton or Wimbledon. Might make it easier to promote your youngsters up the pyramid.

Definitely an interesting idea for a save 

Cheers mate I really appreciate your advice. For some reason AFC Wimbeldon kept coming into my head for what I want so I have decided to go with them.

I will do a little write up soon. 

Cheers mate I really appreciate your advice.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

So I have decided to start a new EFL save after watching the first episode of the documentary series One Shot - Football Factory.

I wanted a team in London who I can sign unattached young players based in London and help them make a career as a full time football and also hopefully make the club money as well but the main aim is to make dreams come true.

The team I have decided on is AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon who also have the best shirt sponsor ever have also produced come along way in it's short history.

AFC Wimbledon celebrating it's 20 year anniversary after being formed due the evil owner of the original Wimbledon decided to move the team to Milton Keynes and formed MK Dons.

Their stadium was built 250 yards away from the original Plough Lane stadium of the old school Wimbledon played.

The stadium currently holds 9,215 but can expand to 20,000.

After many successive promotions through the English Non League's  AFC Wimbledon have been in League Two for 6 seasons.

Hopefully I can get promoted in the first season so I can go against fierce rivals MK Dons.

Other rivals include Crawley and Sutton United.

The club is still owned by a Fans Trust and also have a great relationship with the Community with them offering football courses to kids.

With AFC Wimbledon being based in Merton they have vital links there and also Kingston.

AFC Wimbledon Squad 2021/22

 

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  NZL Nik Tzanev 2 DF  WAL Chris Gunter 3 DF  ENG Lee Brown 4 MF  ENG Alex Woodyard (captain)[120] 5 DF  ENG Will Nightingale 6 MF  ENG George Marsh 7 FW  ENG Nathan Young-Coombes (on loan from Brentford) 9 FW  ENG Josh Davison 10 MF  ENG Ayoub Assal 11 MF  RSA Ethan Chislett 13 GK  ENG Nathan Broome 15 DF  IRL Alex Pearce 17 FW  ENG Aaron Cosgrave 18 FW  ENG Kyle Hudlin (on loan from Huddersfield Town)

No. Pos. Nation Player 19 MF  ENG Paris Maghoma (on loan from Brentford) 20 DF  ENG Huseyin Biler 21 MF  ENG Luke McCormick 23 MF  ENG Elliott Bolton 24 MF  ENG Alfie Bendle 26 DF  ENG Jack Currie 27 MF  ENG Dylan Adjei-Hersey 29 FW  ENG David Fisher 30 DF  ENG Paul Kalambayi 33 DF  ENG Isaac Ogundere 34 MF  ENG Kwaku Frimpong 36 DF  ENG Luke Jenkins 37 DF  ENG Paul Osew 49 FW  ENG Quaine Bartley

Former Well Known AFC Wimbledon Players

Adebayo Akinfenwa

 

A club legend who scored 19 goals in 83 appearances and was a fan favourite.

Danny Kedwell

58 goals in 118 appearances was a great return for Kedwell.

Lyle Taylor

Another striker who done well at AFC Wimbledon was Lyle Taylor who managed to score 44 goals in 131 appearances.

AFC Wimbledon are also known to have a decent academy with Patrick Roberts, Toby Sibbick, Josef Bursik, Osaze Urgohide, Toyosi Olusanya, Tyler Burey, Daniel Ageyi and Will Mannion all coming from the academy.

I am hoping to add to that list. 

Transfer Rules

I am only going to sign players from London and preferably only sign free transfers. 

Preferably players from Wimbledon or near there.

I wont be loaning anyone from the top clubs. 

I will not stand in the way of any player wanting to leave. 

I only have England up to Level 13 loaded with all English players loaded as well.

My Aims

To produce as many players as possible to play in the EFL leagues and the Premiership.

To produce a player either from the youth academy or signing someone unattached who goes on to represent England.

To get into the Premiership.

To have the best Youth Academy in England.

I hope you all come along with me for the journey.

If anyone has any suggestions on players to sign then please feel free to let me know.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Ronaldo Beckham

[robterrace]

The run to the end of August saw us play a couple of the relegated teams in our first few games.

Bournemouth were far too good for us, however, Sheffield United spoiled our first home game in the second tier, with a last minute equalizer.

Shortly before our third match of the season, against Coventry, a face who spent time on loan with us in League One joined on a permanent deal, costing £40000 from Rangers.

We also attracted attention for Isaac Mabaya, who had developed into a good little player at right back. Leicester were at the front of the queue, and a fee of £2m was negotiated, which would break the clubs transfer fee received record. This included a hefty sell on clause for if he progressed further.

At the same time, this cropped up..

The sale of Mabaya went through on the day of the Derby match. From the £2m fee, £300k had to be paid to Liverpool as the sell on clause, but, even then, the remainder would keep us ticking over for the season.

 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

First Big Sales For AFC Wimbledon

I would of liked a fair bit more for Nightengale who is definitely a capable Championship defender but he wanted to leave and I didn't want to stand in his way.

20% on the profit of the next transfer will hopefully work out well for us.

Another big deal was this one with a £250k fee and 20% profit on the next deal. I also managed to loan him back to the club for the rest of the season.

Both are key players but the aim is to get them to a certain point and then move them on to better teams to progress their careers.

[robterrace]

With the move to the Championship, we were short in midfield expertise. Lots of the squad were young and a bit inexperienced. We had to break our transfer record to bolster this, with Ethan Galbraith arriving from Linfield for a fee of £325k. With 12 caps for Northern Ireland, he adds international experience as well.

We also didn't have a dedicated ball winner for the base of midfield. This was solved in Spain, where Huesca midfielder Cristian Salvador was transfer listed. A £300k fee was agreed, and he joined on a 3 year deal.

Two more players left, with Ellis Chapman heading to Birmingham, and Charlie Raglan going to Bradford.

Edited August 9, 2022 by robterrace

[StePratt]

My fourth season as Barnsley manager has drawn to a close. Mixed bag of a season. 

 

The average age of my squad is just 22, with the oldest player being 28 year old Callum Brittain, who was at the club in League One when I took over. Callum Styles is the only other Barnsley original left. Godwin-Malife joined from League One Forest Green after promotion to the Championship. The squad is smattered with some incredible regens and a few classic wonderkids who hadn't moved to bigger clubs. 

We had a terrible run during December and January, losing 8-3 (Chelsea away) and 6-1 (Man City away), whilst also getting knocked out of the FA Cup by League One Plymouth. I was hanging on to my job through this spell, picking up 3 points from the 27 available. 

However, we made it to the Carabao Cup semis, getting knocked out by Man City, 5-3 on aggregate after losing the first leg 4-0. Our away performance all season. 

Let's take a look at the competition overview and see where we finished up.

 

 

Oh yes, Euro Cup Finalists! Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. What a run though. 

We played and beat some absolute monsters of Europe, past and present. We just didn't turn up against West Ham in the final. After the Milan result I was confident we would pick up our first major piece of silverwear.

 

Squad overview from the end of the season. It's looking like a big summer of recruitment, whilst only signing players under 22, with only Kik Piere and Labrovic being exceptions. Omadiagbe is going to be my number 1 next season. 

Spoiler

 

 

Alexander Velez had a breakout season and will become one of the best in the league if he keeps improving.

 

Spoiler

 

Andro Arrue will be my first choice CB this season as I phase out Kovacevic and use Dorrington and Scalvini in rotation.

 

Spoiler

The club has had several takeover rumours and we are in the process of expanding Oakwell to make the most of our recent success.

[robterrace]

Had a bit of an interesting offer..

I think I'm going to take it, and see where I end up.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

AFC Wimbledon Season 1 Review

I managed to finish 10th which is well below the board's expectations of getting promoted. I need to improve massively to keep my job.

 I thought I done well and never realized the expectations were so high.

I had 2 players as top goalscorers with 10 goals each. Zach Robinson and Paul Osew both homegrown boys doing well. 

I will definitely need more fire power next season.

Honourable mention to Paul Kalambayi who started as back up central defender and cemented his place in the starting line up once Will Nightengale left. He got the highest average rating of 7.32 and already has Bradford looking at signing him in the summer.

Best Overall 11

Player Awards

Lee Brown who is a stead old head in a very young squad was outstanding with 12 assists playing on either side as a full back and deserved his player of the season award.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

AFC Wimbledon Season 2 Summer Transfer Window

I have managed to sell a few players to bigger clubs.

First one out was Jude Russell who I signed one a free transfer last season and he played very well for me which attracted the interest of QPR who signed him for £175k plus 20% profit on his next transfer. 

Next one out of the door was Harry Paton who went to Wigan for £100k plus 30% profit of his next transfer. He barely played for me so he wont be missed.

Finally the biggest loss was Paul Kalambayi who went to Wigan for £245k & 20% profit on the next transfer.

Hopefully one of these players does well and ends up making the club some decent money on their next transfer.

I haven't really signed anyone as my squad is quite big now.

 

 

[warlock]

On 09/08/2022 at 22:09, StePratt said:

My fourth season as Barnsley manager has drawn to a close

I'd say a good season. Disappointing in the European final but a fantastic run to get there. Better luck next season 

[robterrace]

So.

West Bromwich Albion. 13th place in the Championship when I join, only a place above Cheltenham, but, thats about as close as you can get.

Light years of difference between Cheltenham and them, however, West Brom were guilty of poor recruitment over the last couple of seasons, and the team was very lopsided.

Management wanted the average age of the squad bringing down, which, would take time, however, there was a telling lack of depth up front, with Robinson, Dike and Morton being the strikers. Something which was compounded when Dike tore his groin in a match, and would be out for 2 months, meaning that Morton would be the go to for the foreseeable future.

----

One positive, was that most of my scouting team came with me from Cheltenham, so, a lot of work had been done looking at targets, but, with being at a bigger club, we could look slightly further than before, and attract better players.

To make space, though, we would look to move older fringe players on, the first of those, was Romaine Sawyers, the 33 year old being an experienced head in the squad, however, he was beginning to decline physically, and, in the way I wanted to play tactically, a lack of pace would expose us in midfield.

He would depart to Barnsley for £500k, having made over 130 league appearances for us.

-------

Other areas we needed to improve in, were defensively, and in goal. Our centre halves were somewhat slow, and whilst good in the air and pretty solid, we need quick centre backs in order to be able to fit to the attacking style we're adopting.

In Benji Siegrist and Josh Griffiths, there were two dependable goalkeepers, however, they would both be lacking in the Premier League when we get there.

--------

Onto the recruitment stuff...

I'd been looking through clubs in South America and Africa, for potential young player signings when I was at Cheltenham, so, now there was a bit more money in play, it would be possible to make a move for some of them.

Firstly, in goal. Benji Siegrist had agreed a move to Grenada in Spain, freeing up a squad spot for a replacement keeper. 
Coming in, for £2.9m, was Julen Agirrezabala. The Spaniard had been backup to Unai Simon at San Mames, and moved for first team football.

Also arriving, in defence, from Celta Vigo, was Spanish full back, Javi Lopez.
The 22 year old had represented his country at U20, and also moved for first team action.

The first of my youth scouting players joined next, as Columbian Félix Carrillo joined from Envigado, where he had made 67 appearances. The centre back would be a ball player for me.

Next in was dual national Emeka Okeke, who arrives from Nigerian giants, Enyimba. The central midfielder holds English and Nigerian nationality, and will immediately fit into the first team setup.

Also arriving, from League Two frontrunners, Colchester, was striker, Daniel Beasant. The 19 year old had scored at a goal every 3 games for his former club, and the scouting team rated him highly.

 

 

[warlock]

Gateshead, September 2022

Following our unexpected title win last time out, I set about trying to improve the squad for life in the National League. Not that we needed much, but there were a couple of holes to fill, and some late outbound transfers opened up a couple more.

Before the summer break I'd already made moves and brought in CB Geraldo Bairami from Kidderminster. A graduate of the academy at Championship side Birmingham, he looks a player and my coaches rate him as easily our best defender. Sadly, he isn't showing it on the pitch and I'm not sure why. Hopefully, he'll settle into the side sooner rather than later. We also needed recruitment at LB and my first move was to bring back Sunderland prospect Nathan Newall, who had declined a loan renewal back in January. No doubt our promotion helped change his mind and he agreed to a season-long loan.

To provide cover and competition for Newall, I paid my second transfer fee of the save - a massive £7.5k for Stockport's Mark Kitching. Although technically not as good as the lad from Sunderland, he brings a bit more experience to our backline. I also wanted better options for the DLP role in central midfield and found a good prospect in Jack Young, originally from neighbouring Newcastle but he joins after a season each at Tranmere and Wycombe Wanderers. He joined on a free transfer and has immediately become one of our most important players.

Another hole to plug was backup goalkeeper. I'd already renewed the loan of the excellent Filip Marschall but last season we relied on another loan backup and I wanted a good prospect on our books. 20-year-old Roco Rees joined on a free from Brentford, with scouts and coaches rating him at 5-star potential.

With plenty of spare wage budget available, I took the opportunity to add a couple of long-term prospects. 18-year-old CB Ben Beales joined from Middlesborough and looks to be a nailed-on starter in a season or two, while Sunderland's 21-year-old Stephen Wearne looks less likely but provides good cover all across the forward line.

At that point I though we were done but as we got into competitive games I had a bad feeling about our striker options. Cedwyn Scott and Macauley Langstaff had done well last time out, but both seemed to be more effective at AMR and AML. That left us with just one out-and-out striker in Paul Blackett who had also done well but lacked a bit of consistency. When our scouts brought to my attention West Brom's Jamie Soule I knew we had our man, if only on loan. Happily, both club and player agreed to the move and he has immediately transformed our front line:

As the season got underway the board played a dirty trick - initial expectations were to avoid relegation and that's what I put to the squad. No sooner had that been agreed than the board announced they were expecting a mid-table finish. I was confident of the former, less so the latter, particularly after our opening game, a 2-1 away defeat at Grimsby. However, things looked better through the opening month:

Since York were undefeated when we played, an away draw is a creditable result. But Torquay were 2nd and Stockport 1st so we ended August with two fantastic performances. It's also easy to see the impact Soule has had for us, but this will make it clearer:

If we can keep him fit, who knows how far we can go.

[warlock]

11 minutes ago, robterrace said:

West Brom were guilty of poor recruitment over the last couple of seasons

An excellent illustration of what's wrong with AI recruitment in FM at the moment, I think. But I have no doubt that you're the right man to turn things around 

[robterrace]

15 hours ago, warlock said:

An excellent illustration of what's wrong with AI recruitment in FM at the moment, I think. But I have no doubt that you're the right man to turn things around 

The other issue its caused is that its put us very close to FFP boundaries, however, I'm trying to move a few players out in order to give us a bit of leeway.

Another new signing came in, this one heading back out on loan. He was familiar with Felix Carrillo, having been teammates at Envigado, and he heads back to Columbia for a period in order to gain more experience.

In probably the last inbound move of the window (unless something special comes up), Montenegrin attacking midfielder, Viktor Dukanovic. At 20, he fits well within our transfer targets, and, he already has 23 caps for his country, as well as over 100 league appearances. 

As mentioned earlier, FFP boundaries were close. The first player to depart, was Grady Diangana, who heads to Lyon for £7m, its not a fantastic amount, but, it clears most of the issues.

Also departing, was Dominic Thompson. He didn't react well to the potential of his match time dropping with the signing of Javi Lopez, so, he was offered out, and West Ham were negotiated to his release fee of £7.5m, which allows us to give some of his profit to Brentford as per the deal that signed him.

The remainder pushes us just under FFP regulations, but, highlights that if we do not get promoted this season, the need to rebuild the team gets more important.

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by robterrace

[robterrace]

After Dukanovic, there was a loan signing came in. 

As we were a bit short down the flanks after Diangana left, and I didn't really want to spend a great deal of money, the chance to sign Manchester United youngster, Alejandro Garnacho came up. A loan until the end of the season was in everyones interests, and he was given the number 11 shirt.

It left us just under half of the window to deal with, and, although there were a couple of injuries in and around the first team, our first attempt at strengthening the squad appeared to be OK.

Another departure went out on Deadline Day, with Kyle Bartley heading to Blackpool for £350k. The majority of the fee was spent on a centre back that fitted our system, and this was young Ecuadorian, Diego Almeda, who for £325k, looked to be a bargain.

In the match vs Preston, a couple of days before the deadline, we lost Callum Robinson to a hip injury that is likely to end his season. This meant that a quick loan move had to be made in order to strengthen, and, Dane Scarlett of Spurs was available. There was also potential interest in Daryl Dike, so, that would also cover that move, as Daniel Beasant was out for a month with a broken arm that he sustained prior to his move.

The move for Dike didn't materialise, however, Callum Morton, who, since my arrival had scored 7 goals in as many games, was the subject of an £11m offer from Southampton, who had the financial might of parachute payments to bolster their wealth.

His replacement came from the Norwegian leagues, where Rosenborg striker Noah Holm had been scouted as an option for Morton. He was slightly bigger in build, and his strength would be an asset, he was also pretty quick, so that was a bonus. For £3m, he signed a 3 year contract.

Holm was the last deal of the day, and, with that, our dealings completed.

[Dong21]

Evening all - I've been following along with all the posts in this thread, as usual. Some great work being done, particularly on the transfer front. 

I have just reached the half-way point in my first National League season with Oldham Athletic. Update can be found here if anyone is interested: 

 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

AFC Wimbledon Season 2 Review

My aim was to get promoted after disappointing the board last season and I managed to do it.

I had to do it through the Play Offs and we beat Salford 3-0 in the Play Off final after beating Carlisle 4-3 on aggregate in the Semis.

It wasn't an easy season as were in and out of the Play Offs all season but near the end we managed to just stay in the Play Off spots and then we got promoted.

Best Players

Top Goalscorer - Zach Robinson - 16 Goals

Best Average Rating & Most Assists - Lee Brown - 13 Assists and 7.37 Average Rating.

The New Arrivals

Best Overall Eleven

Player Awards

Lee Brown won the Player Of The Season, Kyle Hudlin won the Young Player Of The Season & Fynn Talley got Signing Of The Season.

Summary

My defense was superb this season with Lee Brown being exceptional even at the ripe old age of 32 years old.

Kyle Hudlin excites me with 10 league goals in 16 league games for the season. 

The board just want me to bravely fight against relegation which I think I can do. 

Hopefully onwards and upwards for Wimbledon.

Thanks for reading.

 

[robterrace]

Before I go through the end of the season stuff, I've got a couple of signings that are coming in, basically to cover spots that I need.

With Thompson departing at the end of the window, I didn't have chance to get a replacement reserve left back in. with Conor Townsend also leaving in the summer and not being up to standard, but, with a list of about 10 to look through, and a couple of scouts I could send out, it gave me the option to look around.

One of them was in Croatia, where the target had been playing regularly in a Dinamo Zagreb side that was underperforming in the league, albeit, still within touching distance of the top.

A reasonable £850k fee was agreed, and, Filip Brekalo agreed to move to The Hawthorns.

Another move for a young player was also agreed, with 18 year old Welsh goalkeeper, Alun Roche agreeing a move from Port Vale for £325k. He'll go back to Vale Park on loan, but, will be developed with the aim of replacing Agirrezabala in a few seasons.

Another two signings were agreed at the end of the season, with young Serbian midfielder, Zoran Simic signing for £2.4m from FK Cukaricki in his homeland. There were a couple of attributes that stood out massively for me, and, he'll slot in well to the team.

The next signing involved returning to Cheltenham to pick up one of their talented young players. Luke O'Neil had impressed me when he came through the youth setup there, and, the 18 year old had spent time on loan at MK Dons, as well as making appearances for Cheltenham when he returned. The big centre back will return on loan to Whaddon Road for the next season.

---------

The NxGn list appeared, and West Brom were represented with Felix Carrillo, our January signing from Envigado. He'd slowly been exposed to first team football, and was flourishing in his role. Although, I am more intrigued by the 'Israeli Suarez'.

Back to the football.

When I came in from Cheltenham, we sat 14th, having played 14 matches, winning 4 of them, drawing 6, and losing 4, which, for a team that the board wanted to be in promotion contention, obviously wasn't good enough.

In order to make up the points behind that we were, there would have to be a culture change, something which I enjoy, as it means I get to move on the players who don't fit, and get players in that do.

I've already mentioned the January transfer window, as this was the first real opportunity, however, there were still a few players who didn't fit my criteria, and I'd look to move these on in the summer.

-----

So. 32 games later.

68 more points at an average of 2 per game. We lost a few, drew too many, and won games we shouldn't have, but, playoff football once again for the management team. This time, with a big added prize at the end.

----------

Barnsley provide a difficult opponent. They were in the top two for a lot of the season, until their manager departed to Stoke, then shortly afterwards appointed the Peterborough manager, who managed to guide them to 6th.

The first leg at Oakwell went as well as we wanted it, with Dara O'Shea and Tom Bayliss scoring to take the advantage back to Birmingham. Dane Scarlett was absent, recovering from a groin strain he sustained with 3 games remaining of the season.

For the second leg, we welcomed back Dane Scarlett. Although he wasn't 100% fit, he would give us 60 minutes or so before we withdrew him. His inclusion took all of 5 minutes to pay dividends, as he latched onto Emeka Okeke's through ball and placed his shot past Brad Collins. Mads Andersen and Carlton Morris scored for Barnsley, with an Alejandro Garnacho goal in the middle, and we held out for a 4-2 aggregate victory.

-------

Onto Wembley again. This time, Blackburn stood between us and promotion. They'd beaten us in the last 4 meetings, including a disappointing performance less than 2 months previously where we'd failed to beat 10 men and they scored with 20 minutes to go.

Semi Ajayi made his last appearance for us at Wembley, the 31 year old asked for a move in March, and he goes to Alaves for £4.5m. 

In the match, Viktor Dukanovic opened the scoring, before Dane Scarlett had a goal disallowed for offside. Blackburn had a lot of shots, but nothing really troubled Julen Agirrezabala. With 2 minutes left, Noah Holm scored a penalty, after Ivan Cavaleiro was fouled, securing the victory, and taking us to the Premier League. Man of the match went to Semi Ajayi.

----

 

[robterrace]

With the Premier League season approaching, reinforcements arrived in those previously mentioned.

Tom Bayliss was the subject of a £9.7m offer from Everton, which was above what we wanted for him, and he left for Bramley Moore Dock on a 4 year deal.

Alejandro Garnacho extended his loan for another season, the 20 year old looking to push on this season.

On the other flank, after the departure of Bayliss, we were left with Ivan Cavaleiro. The trickery he offers is good, but, I have doubts as to whether or not he has the stamina/fitness to keep up with the quick transitions we want in the top flight. It would be more likely that he would back up Garnacho on the left flank.

Luckily for me, the flanks was an area I'd focussed on over the second half of the season, as I knew it would need attention.

We'd got a young winger in the U23s who'd spent the season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday in League One, who would 
make the step up to first team football this season. Ben McNamee was still raw, but, was excellent with the ball at his feet, and possessed the fitness and pace to get up and down all match.

To back him up, and provide a slightly different option, we paid £6.5m to Basel for their Italian U21 winger, Francesco Sanna. The 19 year old of diminutive build, will play wider and not cut in as much, using his pace to get outside the fullbacks, whereas, McNamee will cut in far more often. Sanna is also comfortable on the left flank, which is something I may explore from time to time.

[robterrace]

Another signing came in, this time from North of the border, and to be honest, I have no idea why he was transfer listed at Celtic with the attributes he has.

For £450k, Jordan Morrison joins, mainly to provide depth for the attacking midfield role..

Another player sale happened as well, with Cedric Kipre agreeing a move to Maccabi Haifa for £9.25m, the deciding factor was European football for him, something which would probably see me lose players over the coming seasons until I qualify for those comps. 

Dara O'Shea was also the subject of a lot of interest from Bournemouth, who offered in excess of £10m for him, however, he rejected the move and stated his intention to stay with us.

After Kipre and Ajayi departing, I felt that we needed a replacement, as the young Columbian and Spanish players signed in January were still developing as I wanted. We found that in Scotland, where former Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis was with Celtic, and, a fee of £8m, spread over 4 years was agreed.

The final defensive signing I wanted to make was to strengthen the right back slot. Fabiano Souza, who had been first choice in the Championship had been caught out a few times in aerial challenges, and was a bit lacking in some technical areas. 

Our scouting lists came in handy again, this time, highlighting Bart van Rooij, who, at 24, was just outside our perfect target player, but was better in a lot of the areas we needed to improve in, especially aerially, even though he was the same height as Fabiano. For £4.2m, from N.E.C., he joins on a 5 year deal, and will become the first choice going forward.

[warlock]

On 15/08/2022 at 15:07, robterrace said:

With the Premier League season approaching

Congrats on the promotion! Good work with the Baggies 

[warlock]

Gateshead, January 2023

Last update came at the end of our first month in the National League - somehow we have arrived at New Year's Day, and a little past the halfway point of the season. And what a season it's been...

September and October saw us lose just once, a disappointing away defeat at King's Lynn. We also dropped two points to visitors Yeovil but otherwise we enjoyed a run of sparkling form. If there was a cloud on my horizon it was the radical drop-off in form of the stellar Jamie Soule up front. Having opened his account with an average of a goal a game, he then succumbed to the law of averages and bagged just one goal in his next 10 games. Fortunately, our AMs were able to shoulder the burden as Scott, Langstaff, Charters, Georgiou and Hardy kept us on a winning track. Having relegated Paul Blackett to the role of backup to Soule, I saw the error of my ways when the former scored a cracking first-half hat-trick against Harrogate. From that point, Blackett established himself as first-choice striker.

With that run, Blackett took his tally to 15 league goals in 12(7) appearances, while Soule added just one more goal to his tally. And that presents me with a dilemma: do I keep him on loan in the hope he can recapture something like his best form, or send him home and save nearly £1k a week on his wages? December also saw the emergence of a new lethal weapon - young CB Tom Sams:

The former Leicester youngster now has 5 goals in his last 8 starts and his average rating of 7.86 in all competitions makes him our best performer. His 19 jumping reach and 12 heading make him an absolute menace from corners.

Our spectacular form leaves us comfortably on top of the league as our closest rivals of failed to keep up:

Plenty of time for things to go wrong, but can't complain at this stage.

 

[robterrace]

Eep.

That was over with pretty quickly, as the takeover fell through, although, theres still rumours going on about more happening.

Coming up to the first week of the season, I lost Viktor Dukanovic for a few games due to a groin strain, and circumstances meant that the only real attacking midfield option I had in my squad was Alex Mowatt, who, whilst being a solid central midfielder, didn't really fit into the attacking midfield, as it meant I would lose his work ethic in the centre of the pitch.

Having sold a couple of fringe players for small fees, and sent other youngsters out on loan (Jordan Morrison and young striker Graham Dodds had gone to Portsmouth, who fitted our requirements well), we had a couple of squad spaces, should we need to strengthen.

The priority was finding a second attacking midfield option, and the shortlists the scouting team had returned gave a few options.

Top of that list was James McAtee. Finding himself in Belgium, playing for the tycoon backed Royal Antwerp, he had submitted a transfer request, wanting a new challenge. The 22 year old was available for £11m, and, whilst he wasn't a world beater, he was exactly what we wanted, and, being home grown, also helped us in that criteria.

What I wasn't really prepared for, was Antwerps next move. They'd been sniffing round winger/attacking midfielder Ben McNamee since the start of the season, and I'd set his transfer price to a ridiculous amount to try and discourage them.

However. It didn't.

It would mean a massive club record fee incoming, but, for a fee that would hit £60m, he departs. I couldn't really turn that money down, as it would allow us a lot of room to manoeuvre, both recruitment wise, and in general improvements. 

To be continued....

 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

AFC Wimbledon Season 3 Review

Another promotion secured. AFC Wimbledon will be playing Championship football for the first time ever next season. 

GET IN!!!!

I  managed to avoid the uncertainty of the Play Offs and finished 2nd place with 86 points. 

Key Players

Jaden Williams - 19 Year Old English Striker - Free Transfer from Spurs

Luckily my transfer policy is paying off with us recruiting Williams on a free transfer after he was released by Spurs. 

26 goals in his debut season for us was more then I can ask for. 

I think he will definitely go onto to bigger things.

Tolaj Bola - 25 Year Old English Left Back - £20k from Rotherham - Originally from Arsenal Youth Team

A very good Left Back who is way too good for League 1. 12 assists and 6 goals as well shows off his attacking abilities. 

He was also our best Average Rating of 7.57 just shows he always put 100% in.

Nya Kirby - 24 Year Old English Central Midfielder - Signed on a Free Transfer from Crystal Palace

Former Crystal Palace academy player Nya Kirby has been getting better and better for me since we signed him 3 years a go.

8 goals and he also had the most assists for the season with 13 and was very close to beating Bola for the best player of the season with an average rating of 7.39

Another player with a bright future ahead of him.

Other Notable Mentions

I managed to resign Will Nightingale on a free transfer from Fleetwood Town and he come back and was a rock in defence for us. 

Harlee Dean a free transfer from Birmingham City. He was 32 years old when I signed him and went against my usual transfer policy but I knew his experience was needed to help the very young squad we have.  He always performed well and formed a solid defence with Nightingale. 

Best Signing Of The Season

Samuel Iling - 20 Year Old English Winger - Free Transfer from Juventus - Former Chelsea Academy Player

My scouts managed to find this absolute diamond in the rough in Sameul Iling who I signed after he was released from Juventus and he managed to destroy the League One defences and his value has sky rocketed. I have managed to get him to sign a new contract with a £5m minimun fee release clause but I can see him going for just under that in the summer as he has teams like Burnley after him. 

AFC Wimbledon Best Starting 11

Player Awards

Fans Player Of The Season was Tolaji Bola.

Nya Kirby was Young Player Of The Season. 

Signing Of The Season was Tolaji Bola but I would personally say it was Samuel Iling.

I have no idea how I am going to do in the Championship. I am just hoping to stay in the Championship next season.

 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

AFC Wimbeldon's Biggest Sale Ever

A massive sale for a player who I will miss but he needs to progress his career. 

I hope he does well at Palace and gets a big transfer down the road. 

I have already replaced him with former Spurs academy player J'Neil Bennett who looks like a great player in the making.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Ronaldo Beckham

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Another New Signing For AFC Wimbledon

Nigerian International Adrian Akande has signed from Enugu Rangers FC but was born in London and played for Crystal Palace and Chelsea's academies. 

He is highly rated and only cost the club £205k.

With excellent determination and Perfectionist personality I can see him going far with AFC Wimbledon.

 

 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

AFC Wimbledon Record Signing

 

I wouldn't normally spend £534k on a play for AFC Wimbledon as I mostly want to sign players on free transfers but Luke Badley-Morgan has great potential. 

Only 20 years old with great acceleration I can see him giving nightmares to the opposition's defence.

 

[warlock]

@Ronaldo Beckham Congrats on the promotion. Good stuff!

In terms of the save goals, is Iling the first player you've managed to move up to the PL?