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Posts posted by Punch
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MAY 2042 - Match Day 34 - At Chelsea
We put up a tough fight but in the end, were no match for a determined Blues outfit, looking to secure Champions League qualification.
A tight first half seen us go to the break all square, but we were unable to hang on, two second half goals secured all three points for the home team.
Plenty of teams in action while we were on FA Cup duty, but the loss keeps us in 12th place.
Forest and Watford are now confirmed relegated, and I suspect Boro will not be far behind.
Up next
We host 14th place Villa.
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APR 2042
With several games rescheduled to next month, it ended up being a very short month, with one League game, which winning confirmed our place in the Premier League for next season, and an FA Cup Semi Final win, which sent us to our second ever FA Cup Final.
Stats
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards
With rumours continuing to swirl on and off that the Chairman wants out, I was surprised when I went to him and he agreed to upgrades for both the Youth and Training Facilities.
Considering the massive financial investment this required, I was happy to see them both get approved.
While we are not a big club, we are still one of the most profitable in the League.
The Facility upgrades put a dent in the account this month, but we are still in a great place.
Our final 5 League matches for the season, and while we have some tough games, we have already secured our place for next season, so we can relax and enjoy ourselves, although with every position up the ladder worth another £2+ million, it is in our interest to continue to push as hard as we can.
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APR 2042 - FA Cup Semi Final - Vs Brentford
It was a tough battle at Wembley as we hard to work hard to overcome the Bees.
With a lesser schedule, we were able to play a near full strength team, and that may have proved the difference, as we were able to hold off the Bees in the first half.
We finally found our own attacking groove in the second half, with two goals in 9 minutes breaking the game open, and ending the fight from Brentford.
The financial benefits continue.
We enter our second FA Cup Final where we will face Chelsea, who overcame Manchester United to book their place.
Once again, we will have to overcome a side we have never beaten.
Up next
Ironically our next League match is also against Chelsea.
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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.
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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
SpoilerThis 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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I think you already have the Youth thing covered.
Just keep an eye on your Youth Team coaching and see if you can make any improvements. Even sending them on Coaching Courses can help some.
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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.
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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.
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2 hours ago, Stuniverse said:
Does anybody know if there's an option in FM24 to (a) decide when the Training Camp should be scheduled for and (b) choose where to go on the Training Camp?
Usually when you get the email about the training camp, there will be a tan at the bottom giving different options.
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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.
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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.
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4 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:
Very well done
Thank you!
It seemed to be a long time coming.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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[FM23] Another Island Life - Green Lion Pride - A Guernsey FC Youth Story
in FM Career Updates
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MAY 2042 - Match Day 35 - Vs Aston Villa
Four wins on the bounce at 'home' as we put on a brilliant performance against Villa.
The Villans had no answer as we went on the attack early, and had a two goal lead by the break.
A third goal early in the second half killed off the game, and we were able to cruise to victory, although we gave up a silly injury time goal.
Also pleasing was to see us score three goals, none of which were scored by Finnegan, showing we are learning how to win games without relying on one person to get the ball in the net.
With three games to play we sit 12th, almost having confirmed a better finish than 14th, where we ran last season.
Up next
A tough ask as we travel to Anfield to face the 2nd place Reds, who are still in contention for the title.