[FM11] Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen...

[AK22]

Gizmo7, you might be right. My contract only had 4 weeks left on it before I signed the extension though, so I would have thought most clubs would have been able to afford the compensation as it would only have been a few grand. I don't think I want to risk being unemployed at this stage.

My reputation is still only regional so I might have to up my game a bit more, as jaycar suggested, and go for another promotion.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Everybody loves the playoffs eh.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Pre Season 2015/16

Board Expectations

npower Football League 2 - Respectable position Media Prediction - 13th Title Odds - 25-1

FA Cup - Second Round

Carling Cup - Learn from the experience

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - Learn from the experience

Transfer Budget: £210k Wage Budget: £14.75k p/w (currently £9543 p/w)

Facilities - Training facilities were upgraded. Now 'Fairly basic' Season Ticket Sales - 222 (+5)

Youth Intake - All pretty useless.

Transfer Summary - Quite a lot of upheaval this season due to contracts expiring over the summer. 14 come in and 12 leave us, quite a risky approach but hopefully team will gel fairly quickly. Hopefully we won't miss topscorer Chiacchio too much.

Notable Transfers

Mariano Tripodi - Joined us on a free from Foggia. This Argentine has been brought in to replace Chiacchio as one of my main strikers. Good aggression, bravery and determination. (Hopefully won't get sent off too often!)

Mark Yeates - Experienced winger who's played at Sheffield Utd and Spurs, should provide some excellent service to our strikers. He's 31 now, but should have enough legs left in him for a season or two at this level.

Terry Ward - Brought in on loan from Southampton. Should do ok in midfield in League 2, has a lot of potential to fulfil so I hope he will show a bit class on his year with us.

Denis Behan - Casted off by Bury last season, his physical presence upfront will hopefully spearhead our attacks.

Marlon - Joined us late in the window, hopefully will form a solid partnership with Joe Jones in the back four. Has good stats to be a solid defender.

My objectives for the season:

- Promotion! I'm going to go for it this season and changing formation to 4-4-2. Hopefully having the extra striker will be what is required to make the difference this season. I do have a slight doubt, though, due to the amount of transfer made, but I'm certain this squad has better quality all round than in previous terms.

- Continue to improve the stature of the club. A few goods results against bigger teams and an improvement or two to the facilities will help to improve the club's reputation. The finances are pretty healthy so the funds are there if needs be.

[AK22]

Everybody loves the playoffs eh.

Mmm, at least life isn't boring when there's a playoff or two to play/lose in...

[AcidBurn]

4-4-2 is the way to go dude, good luck.

[AK22]

Cheers, I think so too. I'm hoping a more adventurous approach might make the difference this year.

[AcidBurn]

Fast strikers in a 4-4-2 with advanced wingers and an I can score more than you approach is the way to go in the lower leagues, I was too cautious in my approach which is highly unlike me normally.

[433tom]

Tripodi looks like he might be a good one. Strong mental attributes.

[AK22]

Tripodi looks like he might be a good one. Strong mental attributes.

I hope so, however, Denis Behan is a very similar player to him.

I've only room for one strong, brave target man in my starting line-up and Behan has got the nod at the moment. The reason for this is the fact the Tripodi is from Argentina and hasn't really settled that well. I'm hoping that his compatriot, Cristian Peruchini, will help him to adjust to life in the UK and then he'll get some more starts in the first team. I'm expecting big things from him eventually, as my scouts and Ass Man have rated him a lot higher than my current forwards.

[AK22]

Fast strikers in a 4-4-2 with advanced wingers and an I can score more than you approach is the way to go in the lower leagues, I was too cautious in my approach which is highly unlike me normally.

The score one more than you approach always scare me a little though! I'd much rather have a clean sheet, than a 7 goal thriller Well, anyway, I'm going to give it a go. If it works, it may change my usually cautious mentality for good.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Autumn 2015 Update

We didn't start particularly well in the league this season, only winning 1 of our first 5 games. However, the Carling Cup was completely a different story. We had a great run in this competition, and fulfilled our reputation as being giantkillers, knocking out Championship sides Reading and Peterborough, and Premier League Norwich on the way to the 4th Round. We came unstuck in our first away game, and took quite a hiding against Leeds at Elland Road to put us back in our box.

From mid-September through October we recovered well in League 2 , which won me MOTM for October and keeps us on the tails of the leaders. The squad is still getting to know each other so I don't expect to hit top form until around Christmas time. The league itself is very competitive with only 8 points separating 3rd-15th so if we can continue our good form it may turn out to be a successful season for us. The jury's still out on the new 4-4-2 formation I'm playing this season too, hopefully we will get more fruition from it later in the season but it seems to leave us a bit too vulnerable for my liking.

On a side note, pre-season favourites Brentford have already sacked their manager! Having being relegated from League 1 last season, being in 7th place and 7 points behind leaders Bradford was obviously too much for their chairman. Les Parry will become their 6th manager in as many seasons!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Winter 2015/16 Update

November was another good month for us with the team progressing to the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. We got the big pay-day we wanted from the draw, with a trip to Villa Park. As much as a positive the money is, the 4-0 defeat sent the subsequent form and morale spiralling out of control. The team is looking very disjointed all of a sudden, and points and goals are hard to come by.

I am also alarmed at how flimsy we have become on the road. 5 straight away defeats, nearly became 6 if it was not for a last minute equaliser against Torquay. And even though we are still in the playoff spots, we are definitely a team in decline at the moment. I've brought in a couple of young strikers on loan on transfer deadline day, who I will hope can help us turn the tide and get some wins on the board again.

In other news, Tranmere have gone into administration and have been docked 10 points which has set them adrift at the foot of the League 2 table. I would say relegation is most likely unless they can pull off some kind of houdini act. In the Premier League, unfortunately, Man Utd are runaway leaders with a 14 majority already

[AK22]

This made me laugh...

While I'm sure most people in the UK have been slapping on the suncream today, on 9th April 2016 it will gloves and scarves all round with snow and a temperature of -1

[uncle ron]

You're still holding well in the promotion reckoning. Do you think you'll be able to put a run together to make a push for the top 3?

[AK22]

You're still holding well in the promotion reckoning. Do you think you'll be able to put a run together to make a push for the top 3?

Top 3 doesn't look likely, only a 3 games to go and 6 points off 3rd. Playoffs is going to be the best we can do unless we get extremely lucky!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Spring 2016 Update

Our alarming run of 7 matches without a win saw us slip down to 12th in the league. The turmoil was finally overturned with a 1-0 win at Bury which put our season back on track. The 4-3 win over Scunthorpe was a cracking result in which we stole victory in added time with a very debatable goal. I'm more than willing to take any luck that gets thrown our way!

Once again our form petered out in the final few fixtures, with only 1 win in the last 5 games. This saw us limp home in 6th position, which means the playoffs AGAIN!! 73 points is our lowest total over the last 3 season in League 2. Last season, 73 points would have only achieved 9th place.

With us holding AFC Wimbledon to a draw on the final game, Scunthorpe stole the last playoff place on the final day. Brentford, as expected, achieved promotion as champions. Looks like they were right to sack their manager back in October!

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

League 2 Playoffs 2016 Update

We only went and flipping did it! Promotion!!! 3rd time lucky!!! Thurrock F.C. will be in the npower League 1 next season.

We played well in the first leg of the semi against Morecambe, 3-0 didn't flatter us at all. The second leg was a lot more nailbiting than I was hoping for though. I couldn't decide whether to go defensive and park the bus, or try and play our normal game and get a goal or two to put the tie to bed. In the end, we didn't do either, conceding two early goals was certainly not in my gameplan. Luckily, we did still score the goals I was after and saw out the remainder of the game out fairly comfortably.

The final against Scunthorpe wasn't as one-sided as the result suggested. They started well but we managed to knick a goal on the break. We then continued to take the chances that came our way, whereas Scunthorpe kept firing blanks. This was enough to win the game at a canter and enjoy our day out at Wembley!

[Luton Town]

Well done on promotion. What's the plan for next season leave Thurrock or stay for next season?

[AK22]

Well done on promotion. What's the plan for next season leave Thurrock or stay for next season?

Cheers I've just signed up for another year on my contract, so I'm staying...for now...

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Season 2015/16 Review

npower League 2 - 6th (Promoted via playoffs)

League Table Position Graph Season Summary

FA Cup -

3rd Round

Carling Cup -

4th Round

Johnstone's Paint Trophy -

1st Round

Finances - Made a small profit of £25k this season. Still no debt but our resources will be severely stretched next season no doubt.

Average Attendance - 2337 (down 335). I seem to be putting fans off, we've lost over 500 over the last 2 seasons!

Transfer Summary - 3 players joined us in the January window. Normally, I don't like to bring players in in January, however, Gwillim and Naylor were crucial to our playoffs push.

Key Players

Mark Yeates - I knew this chap would do well for us. 10 goals and 15 assists was more than enough to be our best player this year.

Denis Behan - Didn't play every game due to injury and inconsistent form, but this old-hand still banged in 15 goals.

Piotr Orlowski - 15 goals from this young striker. Started well but started to fade after Christmas. Received the runner-up award of 'Worst Signing of the Season', didn't think he played that bad and only cost me £4.5k!

Philip Naylor - This young whipper-snapper of a striker joined us on loan from Nottm Forest in the January window. His 8 goals in 17 matches were invaluable, as without them I'm sure we wouldn't have made the playoffs. No doubt about it, he changed matches by himself.

Team of the Year - This backs up how valuable Naylor was, his ratings eclipse everybody else's by a country mile.

Overall Best XI - Jamal Blackman and Karim Chatilla have now notched up 200+ appearances for the club.

Fans Player of the Year - Mark Yeates

Review of Season Objectives

- Promotion! I'm going to go for it this season and changing formation to 4-4-2. Hopefully having the extra striker will be what is required to make the difference this season. I do have a slight doubt, though, due to the amount of transfer made, but I'm certain this squad has better quality all round than in previous terms.

Achieved. In comparison to the previous two seasons, we were pretty poor at times this year. I'm not convinced 4-4-2 is our best formation either, our defensive and goalscoring records are inferior compared to last season too. However, I shouldn't complain, we've achieved promotion at the third time of asking, and I am looking forward to leading Thurrock into the unknown territory of League 1.

- Continue to improve the stature of the club. A few goods results against bigger teams and an improvement or two to the facilities will help to improve the club's reputation. The finances are pretty healthy so the funds are there if needs be.

Achieved. Even though the facilities remained unaltered, the promotion is obviously going to improve the stature and reputation of the club. I do think we may struggle in comparison with other League 1 clubs next season though.

Season     Team             League    Finish    Cups            
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010/11    Thurrock F.C.    BSS       15th      N/A             
2011/12    Thurrock F.C.    BSS       2nd       FA Cup 2nd Rd, FA Trophy 1st Rd
2012/13    Thurrock F.C.    BSP       1st       FA Cup 1st Rd, FA Trophy 3rd Rd
2013/14    Thurrock F.C.    League 2  5th       FA Cup 1st Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2014/15    Thurrock F.C     League 2  6th       FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2015/16    Thurrock F.C     League 2  6th       FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd, JPT 1st Rd

[Nobby_McDonald]

Well done AK.

[AK22]

Well done AK.

Thanks Nobby.

[AK22]

Euro 2016 Update

Hosts: France

Holders: England

A poor competition for the home nations this time round. England's defence was a meek one, being knocked out by Spain AET in the 2nd Round. Somehow Benitez has kept his job after this poor show!

Hosts France had a great tournament and saw off Serbia by the odd goal in a cagey final. However, it was still a great tournament for Eastern European football as both Serbia and Czech Republic reached the semi-finals.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Pre Season 2016/17

Board Expectations

npower Football League 1 - Attempt to avoid relegation Media Prediction - 24th Title Odds - 33-1

FA Cup - Second Round

Carling Cup - Learn from the experience

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - Second Round

Transfer Budget: £220k Wage Budget: £25k p/w (currently £15014 p/w)

Facilities - No improvements Season Ticket Sales - 444 (+222)

Youth Intake - Still no-one better than my mum.

Transfer Summary - 10 in, 11 out, made a profit of £335k. This was mainly from the sale of young striker Phil Lee. I still can't believe Bohemians paid £375k for him, he only made 8 appearances for me. I've tried to bring in some experienced heads with decent physical stats to compliment the talented youngster I've got.

Notable Transfers

Eugene Ekobo - Some might see the purchase of a 35 year old as a mistake. However, he's got great mental stats which should rub off on the other players. I'm hoping he'll play the Makelele 'Water Carrier' role for us.

Denis-Danso Weidlich - A familiar face returns to Thurrock after a season with Bologna. Made 80 appearances with us over the 2013/14 & 2014/15 seasons, I hope he will still do well on the right side of midfield.

Alex Wynter - Impressive physical stats and good teamwork/work rate, his should work his arse off in midfield for us.

Zsolt Kereki - Extremely talented Hungarian right-back. At only 18, big things are expected from him. His high determination should really help him develop into a class defender before long.

Darryl Duffy - This guys getting on a bit now too, but good all-round stats and bags of experience. His 6 years at Barnsley should be a great benefit to us this season.

My objectives for the season:

- Survival. I've decided on another change of formation this season. I thought 4-4-2 left us too exposed and could find ourselves in trouble against some of the big teams this season. I'm going to be playing 4-5-1 with a holding midfielder and two advanced wingers supporting the main striker. This should make us more difficult to break down and give us some opportunities to get some counter-attacks going, something that I feel will be vital to staying up in a division which contains Nottm Forest, Preston and Crystal Palace. For the budget I got, I think I've assembled a decent enough squad to give us a decent shout at staying up, however, we will need a bit of luck and good fortune along the way too!

- Improvement to the facilities. Even though this is not directly in my remit, I will try to put a bit of pressure on the board to improve the training facilites at least. Our youth facilities are naff and the stadium is the smallest in the division so there is plenty to be done if/when the board see fit.

[AK22]

Chapter 1 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Thurrock

Autumn 2016 Update

There was to be no Carling Cup run this season as we were knocked out in the 1st Round. However, I feel losing to Dagenham & Redbridge worked to our advantage as it made sure my players were fully fit for all the following league matches. 3 wins without conceding was a great way to start our campaign in League 1. We're not looking particularly threatening going forward but we seem to be mighty solid at the back and can chip away at teams to finally get a breakthrough.

Another spell of 3 back-to-back victories took us up to the dizzy heights of 2nd with 20 points from 10 games. This position didn't flatter us though, as we're playing well to the gameplan I set out for the season, however, as soon as the rest of the league gets their act together, I'm sure things will become increasingly difficult.

Form has now started to dip over the last four games, even though it was a tough run of away fixtures. However, the game at home to Colchester will be last game in charge at Thurrock as I've received a job offer I think would be mad to resist. I will end my chapter at Ship Lane with the club in a great position, 3 promotions in 6 seasons, and with a squad that should stay competitive in this division.

Overall Record with Thurrock:

P 309 W 159 D 67 L 83 GD + 113 Win Ratio 51%

A new chapter now begins...

[AK22]

Chapter 2 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Nottingham

27th October 2016

This club really fits the bill as a sleeping giant. Twice champions of Europe under Brian Clough in 1979 and 1980, they find themselves once again in the third tier of the English league structure. With a big stadium (capacity 29550), decent facilities and a big budget for this level, they should not be anywhere near the position I find them in.

Contract: 2 years @ £1200 p/w

Transfer Budget: £210k

Wage Budget: £110k p/w (currently £83.08k)

I take over the club with them in 15th position only 3 points away from the relegation zone but still only 6 points off the playoffs. The media predicted them to finish 1st this season, and my task will be to ensure a swift return to the Championship and get to the 3rd Round of the FA Cup.

My objectives for the rest of the season:

- Promotion. This club really shouldn't be anywhere near League 1. We might have to settle for the playoffs though as we're already 14 points off leaders Huddersfield.

- Tighten the defence. Currently the 6th worst defensive record in the league, do I not like that!

- A few new faces. I've got 2 months to get the scouts out until the January transfer window opens. I will want to bring a couple of my own players to help make it feel like it's my team and not my predecessor's.

First game is at home to third-bottom Dagenham & Redbridge (they are a bit of a bogey team for me, so I hope that's not a bad omen!)

[AK22]

A bit more information on their downfall...

I am slightly concerned that I will be their 7th manager in as many season. I'm not awfully keen on trigger-happy chairmen! I've also noticed we have a £60m gift loan from the chairman which is repayable on his departure His status is currently 'Enjoying life at the club', which if I'm correct, means that he will be looking to sell-up not before long!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Good luck at Forest AK.

[AK22]

Chapter 2 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Nottingham

Winter 2016/17 Update

My initial impressions of the team seemed to be correct. This side should really be playing Championship football, not languishing midtable in League 1. However, I've since discovered that morale is not particularly good in the squad and I seem to have inherited a couple of primadonas who are 'finding it difficult to play for a manager with such a low reputation'!

Results have improved significantly since my arrival and we find ourselves back in contention for the playoffs. We do, however, lack a killer instinct and the team seem happy to settle for draws far too often when we should be going for wins. That being said, I was ecstatic with the FA Cup 3rd Round home draw against Man Utd. We had an opportunity to win it too, as they got reduced 10 men when Darren Fletcher got sent off. We also took them to extra-time at Old Trafford but run out of steam and conceded three in the additional 30 minutes which was my first defeat as Forest's boss.

Dextor Blackstock seems to be a bit of a goal machine too, scoring in most games. Hopefully he can maintain this form for the rest of the season but seems a bit injury-prone unfortunately. In addition to Blackstock, I have inherited a good 'keeper and three good central midfielders. We are, however, lacking in quality in defence so I've brought a couple of players in on loan to reinforce the back four. Unfortunately, my predecessor had arranged a couple of transfers to arrive in January. One of which is another central midfielder, I now have six in my first team squad!

[rjfreeman]

GL taking them back where they belong. Better do a good job as the chairman doesn't seem to have much patience.

[AcidBurn]

If you can get morale up and stay in a play-off place then promotion is a very realistic aim. Always liked Forest, good luck dude.

[Raware]

Fantastic to see you at the mighty Super Reds AK!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D (Ok...i'm biased!)

Please, please, please take us back to where we belong!

[Mikal]

Good luck at Forest mate!!

[AK22]

Thanks chaps! I'm hoping that I can bring a change of fortunes to the club and drag them back up the leagues to where they should be.

I've always had a bit of a soft-spot for Forest too, which has stemmed from my admiration for Brian Clough. He really was a class act and a great personality to have in the game. I would thoroughly recommend his autobiography to any football lover, it's a great read

[Nobby_McDonald]

Chapter 2 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Nottingham

And hens and stags.

[AK22]

One word... Hooters!

[Nobby_McDonald]

We went there.

Birds are fine, as you would expect. Beer is fine - chilled and tastes good. Food is very mediocre though.

Ended up in Oceana later on after being to Via Fossa (fond uni memories of there) and Flares (surprisingly good). Had an awesome night, felt like we were minor celebrities as wearing costume so many people were asking for photos to be taken with/of us that we lost count. Oceana was also surprisingly good. I remember when it used to be The Palais it was cack, but it's significantly improved.

[AK22]

Sounds like a good night, there's a Oceana near me that's good for a night out, however, I do prefer the over 25's section, bit more civilised.

Flares, however, is a different matter! I'd rather rip my eyeballs out and stuff them in my ears than go into a Flares establishment ever again! The one in Southampton is full of 50 year old men and very little else!!!

[AK22]

Chapter 2 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Nottingham

Spring 2017 Update

After a couple of sloppy defeats, we proceded to go on a 13 match unbeaten run which confirmed our place as playoff contenders. Unfortunately, we couldn't close down Huddersfield and Coventry who continued to maintain their good form right up to the end of the season and clinch the automatic promotion places. With 4 games to go it was apparent that 3rd was the best we were going to get realistically, so I decided to experiment a bit more with tactics and formations. The results were varied to say the least; the 4-0 win over Shrewsbury was a great performance, however, the season petered out with a dismal home display against Yeovil.

I'm also concerned at how our finances are deteriorating. Even though we're averaging 16000ish per home game, which is the highest average attendance in the division, we're losing £300k a month and I'm under the wage budget by a fair bit too. It's only a matter of time before we dip into the red, promotion is a must really.

Anyway, to the playoffs then...we should be favourites, and I'm fairly confident we'll beat Colchester in the semis, but you never can be certain of anything in the playoffs.

[AK22]

Chapter 2 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Nottingham

Playoffs 2017 Update

I frickin hate the playoffs! That 3 playoff defeats in the last 4 seasons for me.

Even with loads of possession we couldn't get anywhere near the MK Dons goal to cause a threat. Fair play to them, it was a magnificent defensive display to keep us abay, but we really should have done a lot better.

Cue major summer clearout...if we don't get promoted next season it will be a disaster and I will deserve the sack.

[Raware]

Ah...unlucky! Us Forest fans are used to losing in the play-offs though.

[AK22]

Ah...unlucky! Us Forest fans are used to losing in the play-offs though.

...so am I now!

[AK22]

Chapter 2 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Nottingham

Season 2016/17 Review

npower League 1 - 3rd

League Table Position Graph Season Summary

FA Cup -

3rd Round

Carling Cup - Knocked out prior to my arrival

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - Knocked out prior to my arrival

Finances- I'm concerned that the finances are going to get progressively worse over the summer. I don't think they budgeted not to get promotion this year and I'm sure my budgets will be cut quite considerably next season.

Average Attendance - 18476. Big crowds but down 1778 from last season.

Transfer Summary- My predecessor certainly made a lot of changes before I arrived. Looks like he had to flog his best players, which may have signalled his demise.

Key Players

Dextor Blackstock - Our best player by far. 32 goals scored showed how deadly he can be in this division. Missed the playoffs due to injury which was crucial to our promotion hopes. Wants to move to a bigger club, and with him now at 31, his best days may be behind him so may cash-in over the summer if the money's good.

Jan Holenda - This experienced forward was brought in to help lead the line with Blackstock. Took a few weeks to settle but finished in good form with 7 goals in 16 games.

Sean Wood - A young midfielder loaned from Arsenal. Did well and was our most creative player with 9 assists.

Team of the Year- Some decent performances, but Blackstock is the stand-out player.

Overall Best XI - It's apparent that they've had most success playing 4-5-1 in previous season.

Fans Player of the Year - Dextor Blackstock

Review of Season Objectives

- Promotion. This club really shouldn't be anywhere near League 1. We might have to settle for the playoffs though as we're already 14 points off leaders Huddersfield.

Not achieved. So close but no cigar. In hindsight, we did our best to close down the leaders and try to secure an automatic promotion spot. I'm confident we'll do better next season.

- Tighten the defence. Currently the 6th worst defensive record in the league, do I not like that!

Achieved. A major improvement, we finished the season with the best defensive record in the league.

- A few new faces. I've got 2 months to get the scouts out until the January transfer window opens. I will want to bring a couple of my own players to help make it feel like it's my team and not my predecessor's.

Achieved. The 4 signings I made in January added to the depth of squad, which meant I could rotate and keep players fresh. I'm looking forward to marking a bigger stamp on the team over the summer.

Previous club watch:

Thurrock - 17th in League 1, 7 points clear of relegation.

Season     Team             League    Finish    Cups            
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010/11    Thurrock F.C.    BSS       15th      N/A             
2011/12    Thurrock F.C.    BSS       2nd       FA Cup 2nd Rd, FA Trophy 1st Rd
2012/13    Thurrock F.C.    BSP       1st       FA Cup 1st Rd, FA Trophy 3rd Rd
2013/14    Thurrock F.C.    League 2  5th       FA Cup 1st Rd, Carling Cup 2nd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2014/15    Thurrock F.C     League 2  6th       FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd, JPT 2nd Rd
2015/16    Thurrock F.C     League 2  6th       FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup 4th Rd, JPT 1st Rd
2016/17    Nottm Forest     League 1  3rd       FA Cup 3rd Rd

[Nobby_McDonald]

I shall not mention the playoffs again.

[AK22]

Chapter 2 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Nottingham

Pre Season 2017/18

Board Expectations

npower Football League 1 - Win League 1 Media Prediction - 1st Title Odds - 8-1 (5th favourites)

FA Cup - Third Round

Carling Cup - Second Round

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - Not important

Transfer Budget: £110k Wage Budget: £100k p/w (currently £81615 p/w)

Facilities - No improvements Season Ticket Sales - 12240

Youth Intake - Mostly carp.

Transfer Summary - 10 in (including 4 on loan), 5 out. Cleared out some of the overpaid/overrated rotation players which has reduced the wage bill by a third. Managed to hold on to my best players with promises of improving the club's stature. (They'll be properly cheesed off if we're not in contention for promotion then!)

Notable Transfers

Christophe Grondin - An experienced central midfielder with great mental stats. Hope to use him as a tutor with some of my youngsters.

Kris Stadsgaard - This former Danish international should be a solid defender in this league and will be first choice alongside Civelli in defence.

Bruno Gama - I'm hoping he's going to turn out to be a bargain. Released from Parma over the summer, he should be a good creative inclusion to the midfield.

Lateef Elford-Alliyu - Signed on a free from Brentford. Should be good enough to be a back-up striker. Has a 1:3 goal/game ratio.

My objectives for the season:

- Promotion. If we don't get promoted this season, I will not expect to keep my job. We're definitely too good for League 1 but the pressure may get to us and we could lose our bottle. I don't expect it to be straightforward either, as Swansea, Doncaster and Preston should give us a run for our money. I've changed formation slightly too to a more attacking 4-4-2 with my wingers starting in a more advanced position so it's more a 4-2-2-2. This is sacrificing my normally cautious mentality slightly so I'm hoping it pays dividend over the season.

- Keep costs under control. I would think we must have the biggest wage bill in the league, so it's imperative I keep all costs as low as possible. All contract negotiations will be scrutinised thoroughly to avoid paying out for unnecessary signing-on/agent fees. If finances get out of control, I'm sure the chairman will leave and he'll then want his £60m back. We can't afford that to happen at all!

Over the summer I've signed a year extension on my contract. £1400 p/w, must be doing something right then

[Raware]

I can't believe you let big Wes go! "You'll never beat Wes Morgan!"

[AK22]

I can't believe you let big Wes go! "You'll never beat Wes Morgan!"

I'm sorry for breaking your heart but 'Big Wes' had to go At 33 he was nowhere near good enough for a first team place and his wages were huge. Unfortunately, there's no room for nostalgia when the pressure's on to get promotion.

He had a good run though, making 495 appearances for the club. However, since being released it looks like his career may end on the scrapheap, as he's still unattached and it's now November!!!

[AK22]

Chapter 2 - Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen... Go To Nottingham

Autumn 2017 Update

We made a solid but lucky start to the season. Three 2-1 wins to start with were not particularly convincing performances, but the points were end on the board and that's all that matters at this stage of the season. We've started in good goalscoring form, looking potent in every match. Blackstock is still leading the way with 14 goals in 14 league games. I've extended his contract for another year as I don't think I can afford to lose him on a free transfer, I'm sure club would have been sniffing around in January when his contract only had 6 months to run.

Defensively, we do look all over the place at times. We're committing too many men forwards in attacks and leaving ourselves open to the counter-attack as our defence isn't the quickest. I made a small adjustment to my tactics after the defeat to Luton, and we've mananged a couple of clean sheets since then. However, Colchester still managed to walk two goals into our net! Still, I've won Manager of the Month for both August and October, the highlight definitely being the 3-1 derby win at Meadow Lane.

In other news, England have successfully qualified for World Cup 2018 with a 100% qualifying record, still under the management of Rafa Benitez! Wayne Rooney is only 1 cap behind Peter Shilton's record of the most capped player of all time, he's also scored a record 66 goals now too

[Jpayne]

Nasty thing losing to the Mighty Dons in the play-off final, in real life we suck at play-offs so you really came of on a bad end there. In good news, I'm happy that the Dons are in the Npower Championship on your save.

[AK22]

Nasty thing losing to the Mighty Dons in the play-off final, in real life we suck at play-offs so you really came of on a bad end there. In good news, I'm happy that the Dons are in the Npower Championship on your save.

Thanks (I think! ).

Unfortunately the Dons look like they're only going to have one season in the Championship as they're bottom, seven points from safety, with 13 games to go.