[FM23] Another Island Life - Green Lion Pride - A Guernsey FC Youth Story

[Punch]

 

DEC 2041 - Match Day 15 - Vs Leeds United

 

 

We leave it late to rescue a point against a tough Whites outfit.

The visitors took the lead early, but it was an arm wrestle for the rest of the match.

We really ramped up the pressure late in the game, and just when it looked like our efforts would again be unrewarded, Garai smashed home a volley deep into injury time, to enable us to steal another valuable point.

 

We drop another place to 15th, but hold a 10 point break over the relegation zone.

A massive surprise this weekend as the struggling Manchester United hammer the then 1st place Liverpool.

 

Up next

We travel to Nottingham to face the struggling Forest, in another game that we really need to get a result from.

[Punch]

 

DEC 2041 - Match Day 16 - At Nottingham Forest

 

 

A thumping performance against the relegation zone Tricky Trees, especially in the second half where we ran away with the match.

Two quick goals had us on our way, but we drifted off at the end of the first half and conceded a sloppy penalty to let them back in.

After a half time baking, we snapped back into gear, and the goals flowed, while the defence tightened back up, and locked them out of the rest of the game.

Two penalties for Finnegan to complete his hat-trick, and a screamer from Chambers completed the rout, earning us another vital three points.

 

A massive win shoots us back up to 11th place, and now 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

Liverpool smashed Arsenal, who then sacked their manager after this match.

 

Up next

We host Norwich in the League Cup Quarter Final.

There will probably be plenty of rotation required, as we have a massive League clash with Manchester City just three days later.

[Punch]

 

DEC 2041 - League Cup Quarter Final - Vs Norwich City

 

 

The rotated squad put in a dominant performance, but it took penalties to decide this one.

We put on the early pressure, but the Canaries took the lead early, before we hit back to be level at the break.

We created plenty of chances, and looked the more likely in the second half, but could not get the ball in the net,

We went to penalties, and despite a miss, Al-Habib came up with two crucial saves to send us through to our 4th straight Semi Final.

 

We draw League leaders West Ham in a tough two legged fixture, where we will host the first leg.

Having never beaten them, we will need to overturn a poor history if we want to advance to the Final for the first time.

 

Up next

A return to League action as we face a tough match up against 8th place Manchester City.

[Stuniverse]

5 minutes ago, Punch said:

The rotated squad put in a dominant performance, but it took penalties to decide this one.

Sounds like a tense match. Penalties. Phew! Well done on winning the shootout 

5 minutes ago, Punch said:

We draw League leaders West Ham in a tough two legged fixture, where we will host the first leg.

Having never beaten them, we will need to overturn a poor history if we want to advance to the Final for the first time.

Edited April 5 by Stuniverse

[Punch]

7 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Sounds like a tense match. Penalties. Phew! Well done on winning the shootout 

We made harder work of it than we should have, but held our nerve in the shootout.

4th straight League Cup Semi Final, but going to need a huge effort to make the Final.

[Punch]

 

DEC 2041 - Match Day 17 - Vs Manchester City

 

 

A tough match and we were behind the eight ball right from the word go as the Citizens were two goals up before the 10 minute mark.

Three goals down by half time and all we had left to play for was pride in the second half.

Even though the visitors might have been in cruise control, we actually outplayed them in the second half, even pulling a goal back, but it wasn't enough to recover from the horrible start.

 

A few teams have played extra games while we were on League Cup duty, as we fall back to 14th, but still 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

 

Up next

Another tough match as we travel to the 3rd place Spurs, unbeaten in 9 games.

[Punch]

 

DEC 2041 - Match Day 18 - At Tottenham

 

 

A tough loss, but despite us leveling early in the second half, we were always chasing the game here.

We were outplayed but a much bigger club, although we did managed to hold them scoreless in the second half, but they were well in control.

A lot of improvement still to be made if we want to start competing with these bigger clubs.

 

We hold 14th, and still 12 clear of the relegation zone.

 

Up next

Another tough match to round out the month as we host 10th place Everton.

[Punch]

 

DEC 2041 - Match Day 19 - Vs Everton

 

 

We knew we were in for a tough match against the 10th place Toffees, and so it proved to be as it took a late strike from Taylor to rescue a point.

The stats seem to show we dominated the match, but neither side was really able to create many clear chances.

To be fair though, if we were offered a draw before the match, I probably would have been happy with it, although it does seem like a missed opportunity now.

 

We stay 14th place, and with everyone in the relegation zone having a draw, we also stay 12 point clear.

 

Up next

An interesting match up to start the new year as we travel to Fulham, who are one place and one point above us on the table, but they have not had a win in 7 games.

[Stuniverse]

22 minutes ago, Punch said:

We stay 14th place, and with everyone in the relegation zone having a draw, we also stay 12 point clear.

No threat of relegation... but the Premier League is looking tough again @Punch

[Punch]

1 hour ago, Stuniverse said:

No threat of relegation... but the Premier League is looking tough again @Punch

Sure is. Look at that top 3, West Ham had a loss and dropped from 1st to 3rd, but there is still only one point between them all, and the bottom three have only won three games between them all season.

It's a crazy looking table.

[Punch]

 

DEC 2041

 

We round out the year with a tough month, winning only one game from six in the League, although we did manage two draws, and to advance in the League Cup.

It's a tough League, and while we are 4 wins above the relegation zone, we are still firmly entrenched in the bottom half of the table.

 

Youth Intake Preview

 

This is a concern as the only area of promise if midfielders, and we already have an abundance of capable players in that area.

Hopefully the actual intake throws up a surprise or two, but there is nothing to get excited about here at this stage.

 

With January arriving, so does the mid-season transfer window, and while we of course will not be looking to buy, we may look to off-load some players, of the price is right.

I am certainly not looking to sell Chambers, but £84 million is a lot of money for the Board to be tempted by.

 

Hopefully the fact that we are still profitable will keep the Board quiet though, as we really don't need to sell players to keep the club afloat at this stage.

 

Another busy month incoming, where we will face West Ham three times in 10 days, while our FA Cup campaign also gets underway.

[Punch]

 

DEC 2041 - Mid-season review

 

With us having played 19 games, exactly half the season, I thought it a good chance to take a look at how we are performing.

 

Stats

 

Goalkeepers

Australian international, Hamilton, has played all the League games, while Al-Habib has played the Cup games.

While they are not far apart in ability, I have not yet seen enough from Al-Habib to give him a crack as first choice keeper, and Hamilton is still performing very well.

 

Defenders

We do rotate through a lot of defenders, especially as our WBs are tasked with a high work load.

The performances are pretty reasonable across the board, and I think as long as we keep seeing improvement, we are a chance of developing into a club that can take it to the top half of the table.

 

Midfielders

Buss and Brown are our two best midfielders, with the others taking their turn in the rotation as required.

We task our DMs with a lot of work in both attack and defence, and I think we are seeing some pretty reasonable numbers from all of them.

 

Forwards

Our forwards have been excellent this season, and while Finnegan has been a stand out, contributing 14 goals, all in the League, there are plenty of players who play a good supporting role.

I would like to see more goals coming from other players though, as we seem to struggle to find the net if it's not coming from Finnegan.

 

Overall I think the players are performing well, and probably still above expectations, but I am still looking to see more improvements along the way.

 

 

The Home and Away problem

 

We have basically been homeless since we joined the Premier League, having only played one match at the expanded Guernsey Stadium at the end of last season.

It has really shown to be an issue this year, as we seem to hate playing in our temporary home at Bournemouth.

 

Away Record

 

We are actually performing in the top half of the League as far as results go away from home this season, winning 5 of our 9 matches.

We have also smashed in 25 goals in those 9 games, while conceding only 13.

 

Home Record

 

...and here is where the story gets grim.

We have not won a single game at our 'home' ground, collecting only 5 points from 10 games.

For an aggressively attacking team, we have also managed to score only 6 goals in those 10 games, while shipping 16.

 

Basically, we can't get back to the island soon enough.

I was not really impressed with the Board's decision to expand the stadium again so soon, and if it wasn't for our impressive away form, it's a decision that could nearly cost us our place in the Premier League.

 

19 games down, 19 to go, and we are still in two Cup competitions.

There is still a long way to go in this season.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2042 - Match Day 20 - At Fulham

 

 

We kick off the new year with a massive win over the Cottagers, continuing our crazy away form, our 6th win in 10 matches away from home this season.

Two goals either side of the break, with three different scorers, none of which were named Finnegan, showing that we can score goals elsewhere.

 

We gain a spot to 13th, and have now moved 15 points away from the relegation zone.

 

Up next

Our first of three games against 3rd place West Ham this month as we host them in a tough League encounter.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2042 - Match Day 21 - Vs West Ham United

 

 

We really punched above our weight here in this one, giving one of the League leading teams a real run for their money.

We had our moments, and created a few chances, but were not able to put them away.

The Hammers put away the winner just before the hour mark, and one goal proved to be all it took.

 

We stay 13th, with a gap of 14 points to the relegation zone.

A few wins from the lower teams, including Watford, who finally got their first win of the season.

 

Up next

We host West Ham again, this time in the 1st Leg of the League Cup Semi Final.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2042 - League Cup Semi Final 1st Leg - Vs West Ham United

 

 

We put in a massive effort to take a two goal lead over the Hammers, but couldn't hold them back, as we hang on for a draw.

We surprised the visitors with two youngsters getting their name on the scoresheet, as we played a heavily rotated squad.

They kept up the pressure in the second half and were able to level the tie up, leaving us with a massive job to do in the second leg, away from home.

 

A big crowd breaks our gate record.

 

Up next

Our FA Cup campaign kicks off as we host League Two Southend in the 3rd Round.

[TelcontarTargaryen]

Did West Hame actually won the Premier League few seasons ago, judging by that league position history in that screen? Impressive.

[Punch]

18 hours ago, TelcontarTargaryen said:

Did West Hame actually won the Premier League few seasons ago, judging by that league position history in that screen? Impressive.

 

 

They've been Runner Up twice in the last four seasons, but in the last decade, they have won a lot in Europe.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2042 - FA Cup 3rd Round - Vs Southend United

 

 

We sent out a heavily rotated squad again, and they performed brilliantly to get the job done against a spirited Shrimpers outfit.

Three different goal scorers including a goal on debut for Chamberlain.

A solid defensive performance as well and we keep a clean sheet.

 

Al ways good to keep the money rolling in.

 

We travel to the United side of Sheffield for the 4th Round tie.

 

Up next

We travel to West Ham for the 2nd Leg of the League Cup Semi Final, were the tie is locked up at 2-2.

[Asmo57]

Silent reader for a long time here!

I have a question about your training: which program do you use? Every time the same one?

I'm also wondering how you handle your players rotation. A few players switched every match or a Team1/Team2 for Wednesday/Saturday games?

I'm right now also in a youth-only with Harrowby United (FM24), starting in level 10, currently in level 7, struggling to enter VNL/VNS division (3 seasons in D7 after 3 promotions in the first 4 years). I recently got my Pro status but I think I went too heavy on the training schedule, my number of injuries for the season is very high (training injuries mostly).

KUTGW and good luck in PL!

[Punch]

21 hours ago, Asmo57 said:

I have a question about your training: which program do you use? Every time the same one?

Welcome to the thread, happy to help where I can.

I found a training schedule that someone had set for FM21, and it still works in 23.

I use three different training schedules during a month - the first is a general training week that concentrates on chance creation, chance conversion, and more general training. The second is an attacking focused training week. The third is a defensive focused training week.

Each month I will set a general week, an attacking week, a general week, a defensive week, and then back to the general week.

I make sure my 18s and 21s squads are running the same training schedules, which seems to hep with development.

Let me know if you want to have a look at them, and I will drop them in.

 

21 hours ago, Asmo57 said:

I'm also wondering how you handle your players rotation. A few players switched every match or a Team1/Team2 for Wednesday/Saturday games?

I generally carry a large squad as I rotate players a lot.

Anyone who has a high match load, and less than an almost full heart, gets the game off, if I can, or at least gets a spot on the bench if I have a lot of fatigued players.

I find this helps keep the players fresh, the injuries low, and also helps with morale, as I have so many players getting game time, that I don’t often get players upset about not playing enough.

22 hours ago, Asmo57 said:

I'm right now also in a youth-only with Harrowby United (FM24), starting in level 10, currently in level 7, struggling to enter VNL/VNS division (3 seasons in D7 after 3 promotions in the first 4 years). I recently got my Pro status but I think I went too heavy on the training schedule, my number of injuries for the season is very high (training injuries mostly).

Good luck with your save.

Anything below National League/League 2, is probably too early to turn Pro, as it is hard to keep up financially.

The other thing to remember is at that level you have minimal coaches and medical staff, which can slow development, and lead to more/more severe injuries.

[Asmo57]

16 minutes ago, Punch said:

Let me know if you want to have a look at them, and I will drop them in.

Yes please, I would like you to do so. Thanks!

16 minutes ago, Punch said:

Good luck with your save.

Anything below National League/League 2, is probably too early to turn Pro, as it is hard to keep up financially.

The other thing to remember is at that level you have minimal coaches and medical staff, which can slow development, and lead to more/more severe injuries.

Yeah, I did not ask for the Pro status, but the chairman retired and the new one came with a lot of initial money (1M€ + another 1M€ for a new stadium). And we turned Pro by the way...

And after injecting 2M€ in the club last year he just forced me to sell my best player for 30k€ to Bolton Wanderers ("The offer was too good to refuse bla bla bla..."). ^^

Edited April 9 by Asmo57

[Punch]

10 hours ago, Asmo57 said:

Yes please, I would like you to do so

No problem, will do so when on the laptop next.

 

10 hours ago, Asmo57 said:

Yeah, I did not ask for the Pro status, but the chairman retired and the new one came with a lot of initial money (1M€ + another 1M€ for a new stadium). And we turned Pro by the way...

And after injecting 2M€ in the club last year he just forced me to sell my best player for 30k€ to Bolton Wanderers ("The offer was too good to refuse bla bla bla..."). ^^

Yeah that can happen.

Now you’re in the position where you need to make money to stay afloat.

One of the good things about island saves is you always seem to get good crowds which helps financially. Must be nothing else to do 

[Punch]

 

JAN 2042 - League Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg - At West Ham United

 

 

It was a brave effort to push one of the League leaders all the way to extra time after the teams could not be separated through regular time.

The task was made harder when Kesswell was sent off after half hour for a shocker of a tackle.

We put in a massive defensive effort to keep them out for nearly two hours, but the pressure finally showed as they ran in two late goals to take the win.

We exit at the Semi Final stage for the 4th straight year.

 

Up next

A return to League action, and another tough match as we host 7th place Wolves.

[Punch]

On 09/04/2024 at 19:02, Asmo57 said:

Yes please, I would like you to do so. Thanks!

Hey mate,

Here are the schedules I use.

The one and two match should be obvious when to use them.

So I run:

One For all

Attack

One for all

Defence

One for all

 

In that order each month.

If you get a run of games you can throw in and Easy Schedule, or if you have a big Cup match, you can throw in a Big Matches schedule.

There is also the pre season schedules I have been using.

 

Everything is flexible so you can make adjustments as required, or if you have a lot of tired players, you can throw in some extra rest/recovery sessions, or you can change it up and throw in a quickness/strength session if you think the players are not getting enough of them either.

 

Something you can have a play around with and see if it helps.

Big Matches.fmf FMS Attack Focus Training 1 match.fmf FMS Attack Focus Training 2 match.fmf FMS Defence Focus Training 1 match.fmf FMS Defence Focus Training 2 match.fmf FMS Easy Schedule 2 match.fmf FMS One For All Training 1 match.fmf FMS One For All Training 2 match.fmf FMS Pre-season weeks 1-2.fmf FMS Pre-season weeks 3-5.fmf

[Punch]

 

JAN 2042 - Match Day 22 - Vs Wolverhampton Wolves

 

 

A hard fought point as we manage to come from behind to draw with the highly fancied Wolves.

It was a tight first half, but we found ourselves behind at the break.

Captain Finnegan hit the equaliser in the second half, and both sides fought hard for the win, but no further goals could be found, so it was to be a share of the points.

 

There were some mid-week games while we were on League Cup duty, so the table is a bit wonky with different amounts of games played.

We stay 13th, with a 14 point gap over the relegation zone.

 

Up next

We travel to 11th place Everton, who have lost two on the bounce, and are winless in four.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2042 - Match Day 23 - At Everton

 

 

A heart breaker as we go down in injury time to the Toffees.

Another Finnegan goal gave us the lead, however the hosts hit back to have it level at the break.

A game short on genuine chances as both sides struggled to get out of the midfield.

Just when it looked like the points would be shared, the hosts stole a goal deep into injury time to send us home with nothing to show for our efforts.

 

It was made worse as we lose one of our midfield for a few weeks.

 

Everton recovered from their shock mid-week loss to beat us, but we stay 13th, the gap to the relegation zone now back to 11 points.

 

Up next

We head to Sheffield for the FA Cup 4th Round.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2042

 

We manage only a win and a draw from our four League games this month, while we also exit from the League Cup at the Semi Final stage, although we do make a successful start to our FA Cup campaign.

 

We made a player sale, and with a over stock of midfielders, when this offer came in for one that was unlikely to make it as a top prospect, it was easy enough to send him on his way.

We keep making money as he plays, and get the usual sell on clause included.

 

We collect some solid cash for a player we sold two years ago as Pamc makes another move.

We will collect a total of £7.5 million, for just adding a simple clause into that sale.

 

West Ham spend £6 million more per week than us on wages...mind boggling.

We are still nearly £3 million per week under the League average.

 

A great month financially sends the account over the £200 million mark.

 

Another tough month coming up, with some enormous League games.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2042 - FA Cup 4th Round - At Sheffield United

 

 

A cracking result with a heavily rotated squad as the youngsters put on an attacking clinic to blast the Blades out of the FA Cup.

Just as pleasing was the defensive performance to keep the hosts scoreless, as we book our passage into the 5th Round.

 

Not all good news though as we lose another player for two weeks to a gashed leg.

 

Along with the nearly £400k we received for our share of the gate, mate for a profitable day out.

 

We host Brighton in the 5th Round, and with an excellent record against them, we will be hoping to continue our push towards the later stages.

 

Up next

We host last place Boro, who are without a win in 10 games. This is a crucial match to keep the distance between ourselves and the relegation zone.

[Stuniverse]

Comfortable in the top of the bottom-half of the Premier League, banking the cash in millions, and still in the FA Cup... are you happy with how the season is going, @Punch?

[Punch]

44 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

Comfortable in the top of the bottom-half of the Premier League, banking the cash in millions, and still in the FA Cup... are you happy with how the season is going, @Punch?

Happy that we are staying far enough away from the relegation battle, but bemused about what could have been, if we were in our own stadium.

We still have not won a League match at our temporary Bournemouth 'home', so if we had managed to win two or three of those, that could have pushed us up the the bottom of the top half of the table, and all of a sudden we are being talked about as contenders for a European spot, although I am not sure we are ready for that.

We can't get back to the island soon enough.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2042 - Match Day 24 - Vs Middlesbrough

 

 

We put in a massive performance against the last place Boro, but ended up with only a draw to show for it.

Chance after chance was created, and the xG suggests we should have scored two or three goals, but the visitors keeper had one of those days, turning away everything we threw at him.

While it was good to keep accumulating points, it is really disappointing to not manage to win a game we dominated so heavily, especially against a relegation bound team.

 

A few matches played while we were on Cup duty, and then a few catch up games as well.

We stay 13th, but we do have some games in hand over a few of the teams around us.

 

Up next

Almost mission impossible as we host the League leading Spurs.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2042 - Match Day 25 - Vs Tottenham Hotspur

 

 

We were always up against it with the high flying Spurs in white hot form at the moment.

The visitors lived up to their form, running us in circles in the first half, and while we did pretty well to hold them back as long as we could, we found ourselves two down at the break.

We had our moments in the second half, but were not able to mount enough pressure to make a comeback, and they cruised to victory.

 

We have been on a tough run and find ourselves now 5 matches without a win.

 

We drop to 14th, but still hold a 12 point gap to the relegation zone.

 

Up next

We travel to the 13th place Manchester United, who have been struggling this season, so this may be our best chance for some time to get points off them.

Good they are in the bottom half of the table as we haven't beat anyone in the top half.

We also need to make sure we score first, as so far this season, we have only won one of thirteen matches when conceding first.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2042 - Match Day 26 - At Manchester United

 

 

We gave the Red Devils a run for the money at Old Trafford, despite giving up a half time lead, we ended up coming from behind to secure a late equaliser to steal another point on the road.

Another brace for Finnegan, as our captain continues to lead from the front, literally and figuratively.

 

Just a few teams in action, playing make up games from Cup duty.

We stay 14th, but have moved 13 points clear of the relegation zone.

 

Up next

Our week in Manchester continues as we face the blue side of town, who are currently sitting 9th, undefeated in their last seven outings.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2042 - Match Day 27 - At Manchester City

 

 

Our double header in Manchester ends in a tough loss, although we did put in a brave effort against a much bigger team.

Down 0-2 early, we managed to stem the tide, even pulling a goal back before the break.

We held them out in the second half, and even mounted sustained pressure on them to end the match, but unfortunately could not grab an equaliser.

 

The press think the fans are critical, but in the same story, managed to report they are optimistic

 

We stay 14th, and 13 clear of relegation.

 

Up next

We are now 7 games without a win, and we welcome Arsenal, and it might be a bad time to play them, as they will be stinging after being upset by the then last place Boro.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2042 - Match Day 28 - At Arsenal

 

 

We got off to another bad start, the Gunners were two up early, and three by the break.

A half time rocket seemed to fire up the kids and they came out firing in the second half, pulling two goals back.

It wasn't enough though as we ran out of steam, only just managing to keep the hosts from scoring further.

 

This is our worst run of results for quite some time.

 

A few further catch up games played, and we stay 14th, still with a 13 point break to the relegation zone.

 

Up next

A match that is a must win, as we host 18th place Forest.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2042 - Match Day 29 - Vs Nottingham Forest

 

 

The duck is finally broken as we win our first game at our temporary home, in 15 attempts.

The struggling Tricky Trees were no match as our attack finally clicked into full gear, while our defence shut out the visitors completely, in a brilliant all round performance.

Finnegan was brilliant, scoring one, and setting up two more, showing he isn't just a scorer, as we put four names on the scoresheet.

 

A first win in 9 games moves us up to 13th place, but more importantly, we put more distance to the relegation zone, now sitting 16 points clear, with 9 games to play.

 

Up next

Another tough match as we travel to 5th place Leeds.

[Stuniverse]

10 minutes ago, Punch said:

The duck is finally broken as we win our first game at our temporary home, in 15 attempts.

The struggling Tricky Trees were no match as our attack finally clicked into full gear, while our defence shut out the visitors completely, in a brilliant all round performance.

Finnegan was brilliant, scoring one, and setting up two more, showing he isn't just a scorer, as we put four names on the scoresheet.

 Very well done, @Punch

[Punch]

 

FEB 2042

 

While we started the month with an FA Cup victory, our League run was shocking, losing three and drawing two of the first 5, part of an 8 match winless streak.

We did managed to round out the month in style though, with a thumping win over Forest, which was our first win at our temporary Bournemouth home, in 15 League matches.

 

Stats

 

Goalkeepers

While Al-Habib has shown some great form in the Cup games, it has not been enough to unseat Hamilton from the top job.

 

Defenders

We ask a lot of our defensive line, and as a group, I am pretty happy with the performances they have been putting in.

 

Midfielders

Buss and Brown have been leading the way in the midfield, but I am starting to see some glimpses of promise from my namesake, Nix, when he has been given opportunities.

 

Forwards

With 9 games remaining in the season, Finnegan has bettered his 19 goal mark from last season, although it's a little concerning to see that no one else is even close.

 

 

Another good month financially as we continue to bank money, for when the inevitable wage demand hikes start arriving.

 

A much quieter month coming up, with the Watford game being important. A win there would almost confirm our safety for next season.

[Punch]

4 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

 Very well done

Thank you!

It seemed to be a long time coming.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2042 - Match Day 30 - At Leeds United

 

 

A cracking result as we upset Leeds at Ellend Road, taking a massive three points.

Young striker O'Connor scored a goal in each half, and the defensive effort was brilliant to hold out a Whites outfit that came back at us hard.

 

We jump to 12th place, equal with plenty of teams, but our goal difference keeps us above them.

With 8 games to play, we have a 16 point gap on the relegation zone, which should make us pretty close to safe.

 

Up next

We host Brighton in the FA Cup 5th Round.

[Stuniverse]

1 hour ago, Punch said:

A cracking result as we upset Leeds at Ellend Road, taking a massive three points.

Headline: GUERNSEY FORTUNATE TO BEAT LEEDS

Don't you just love headlines and games like that? Not so good for the nerves but very satisfying when the referee blows the final whistle.

1 hour ago, Punch said:

With 8 games to play, we have a 16 point gap on the relegation zone, which should make us pretty close to safe.

Mathematically no, not yet... but I'd say Guernsey are safe. Normally anything over a point-per-game gap in a relegation battle is enough for safety. Teams are in a relegation scrap for a reason and the bottom two, bottom three really look as good as down to me.

--

Will you be back home on the island next season, @Punch?

[Punch]

1 hour ago, Stuniverse said:

Headline: GUERNSEY FORTUNATE TO BEAT LEEDS

Don't you just love headlines and games like that? Not so good for the nerves but very satisfying when the referee blows the final whistle.

In fairness though, we probably were fortunate, as they had an off day in front of goal, and our defence was immense late in that second half.

Yes, very relieved to see the whistle go and we get the three points.

 

1 hour ago, Stuniverse said:

Mathematically no, not yet... but I'd say Guernsey are safe. Normally anything over a point-per-game gap in a relegation battle is enough for safety. Teams are in a relegation scrap for a reason and the bottom two, bottom three really look as good as down to me.

You are correct, but two points per game is generally a pretty safe mark, and too much of a gap to catch up. Unless we fall in a heap and lose every game for the rest of the season.

 

1 hour ago, Stuniverse said:

Will you be back home on the island next season

We are due to move back to Guernsey in May, so we may, like last season, get one game back on the island, if we are lucky.

Hopefully the Board won’t do something stupid and pull the trigger on another upgrade, and we end up homeless again next season. I certainly won’t be asking for it.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2042 - FA Cup 5th Round - Vs Brighton & Hove Albion

 

 

Short turn around between games resulted in a heavily rotated squad being sent out against the Seagulls.

The kids put in a great effort, rattling the visitors as we smashed in two goals in the first 6 minutes, from which they never recovered.

A third goal before the break, and the match was as good as over, despite their late penalty.

 

Heavy rotation resulted in three debuts for the club, as more of last years intake get their first action in the first team.

 

More money keeping the bank balance rolling, while we break the receipts record.

Will be good to try an repeat this in our own stadium.

 

We will travel to London either way for our Quarter Final tie, but we will have to wait and see who we face.

The schedule is all over the place, so there are plenty of games still to be played.

 

Up next

Back to League action as we host last place Watford.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2042 - Match Day 31 - Vs Watford

 

 

A stunning result as we hammer last place Watford.

The Hornets were no match as we put together one of our best attacking performances, with Finnegan netting a club record 4 goals.

It was also a solid defensive performance to suffocate the visitors attack, and keep a clean sheet.

 

Not all good news though as we lose O'Connor for a few weeks, although we have plenty of quality options to help soften the blow.

 

For the first time in our Premier League history, we win three games on the bounce, and after taking 15 games to win at our temporary home, we have now won twice in a row.

We find ourselves in 12th place, and with a 19 point gap to the relegation zone, it would take a collapse of epic proportions in the next 7 games for us to not be safe.

 

Up next

A much tougher assignment as we face our longest road trip of the League season, heading to 7th place Newcastle.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2042 - FA Cup Quarter Final Draw

 

West Ham thumped Arsenal, so we will head to London Stadium to take on the Hammers in the Quarter Final.

 

We have a poor record against them, and they knocked us out of the League Cup as well earlier this season.

 

A tough ask if we want to advance.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2042 - Match Day 32 - At Newcastle United

 

 

Our winning run ends at at our furthest League road trip of the season, as the Magpies get the better of us.

Despite being down at half time, we did manage to pull level, but we couldn't hang on as they ran over the top of us late in the game.

 

Just a few teams in action this weekend, but we stay 12th, with an 18 point gap to the relegation zone.

 

Up next

Another tough task as we travel to London to face West Ham in the FA Cup Quarter Final.

Having never beaten them, we will need to put in one of our biggest performances ever if we want to advance to the Semi Final.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2042 - FA Cup Quarter Final - At West Ham United

 

 

A crazy match at London Stadium as we secure our first ever win over the Hammers and advance to the Semi Final.

We come from behind three times, including injury time goals in both regular time, and extra time.

Just when it looked like we were heading for penalties, we scored a second injury time goal to stun the hosts, and send them out of the Cup.

 

A big day for the bank account as we progress.

 

We head to Wembley to face Brentford, who we have a near perfect record against, including a previous FA Cup Semi Final win.

 

Up next

After an international break, we return to League action as we host 14th place Blackburn.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2042

 

A cracking month as we win two of our three League matches, before advancing twice in the FA Cup, including our epic upset over West Ham in the Quarter Final.

 

Impressive recognition for our Captain as he is named as our first ever Premier League Player of the Month.

 

Our good form also lead to our young players scooping 1st and 2nd in the Young Player of the Month awards.

 

Internationals

 

An incredible number of players on Senior International duty to end the month, including five debutantes.

 

We have two players in the NXGN awards this year, with regular 1st team defender Jack Brown coming in 12th, while Alhassan Kwame came in at 43rd.

 

An impressive month continues to grow the bank account.

 

With the first half of the month still being taken up by an International break, we have a very short schedule, with just two League games, while we face Brentford for a spot in the FA Cup Final.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2042 - Youth Intake

 

The next intake has arrived, and while the preview gave us very little to be excited about, I am actually pretty happy with some of the prospects that have arrived.

 

While I am still never really convinced about the star system, there are a few players here who look like they could push for first team places.

Guernsey native, Marshall, looks like a massive prospect.

 

Marshall rates so highly that he could nearly push for a place in the first team next season.

There are several others that also look like they have potential.

 

The Best of them

Spoiler

This kid is going to be enormous in our front line.

Good pace, strong finishing, and impressive mentals, there is just massive potential to lead our attack for many years to come.

 

A solid looking defender, while there is plenty of room to grow, this one could be a diamond in the rough.

 

Not many midfielders in this years intake, but Robinson is the best of them.

Again another that looks a little rough, but there is massive potential to turn into a really good player.

 

Not sure where our HOYD keeps finding these Australian giants, but this one stands over 2 meters tall.

Given the right development, there is massive first team potential for this monster.

 

Another pacey forward who will have the potential to burn defenders.

Plenty to work with, but plenty of room for growth.

 

 

 

We welcome our first player from the USA, but only two Guernsey natives this year, with the majority coming from the English mainland.

 

For an intake which promised very little, there is certainly enough potential there to keep me happy.

With still some improvements available in our Youth rating and facilities, there is still room to these kids reach their potential.

[Punch]

 

APR 2042 - Match Day 33 - Vs Blackburn Rovers

 

 

After 14 games without a win at our temporary home, we have now won three on the bounce.

We made hard work of it, and it looked like we had given away points when we conceded a sloppy goal late in the second half.

Our boys stayed at it, however, and were rewarded with all three points when a passage of quality passing resulted in a cracking goal from Finnegan, to complete his brace.

This game showed how we have made improvement this season, as this was a game we previously would have settled for a draw, or even conceded another goal and lost all the points.

 

There has been plenty going on in the 22 days since our last match.

The end result of all of it is we stay 12th, but we have reached the magical 40 point mark, which is considered the minimum for safety.

However, with 5 games to play, we are now 21 points clear of relegation, so we are now also mathematically safe, regardless of how our remaining results go.

 

Up next

FA Cup Semi Final time as we head to Wembley to face Brentford.