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The Gloucester Kids - winning the Champions League with youth products

snootyjim

By snootyjim,
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snootyjim

snootyjim

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Season 3 - August-September Overview

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We seem to have started this season in much the same manner as we ended the last. It could be an issue of tactics, but that's r eally not my strong point and we seemed to play very well with them last time around.

Frankly, until we get a bit more quality into the squad I think this is really the level at which we can expect to play, so I'm just going to keep plugging away and we'll see what happens. We are starting to see some of the youngsters really grow into their roles which is fantastic, but I'm a little concerned that the game is a bit bugged.

We're not losing money, yet holding onto my better players is only possible if I start fiddling the budgets by using large loyalty bonuses, and I'm unable to sign any staff because the budget isn't big enough. It's not the first time I've seen stupid economics in lower leagues in FM, so I'm used to it, but would be nice if they fixed it one day...

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snootyjim

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Two excellent seasons so far in this tough challenge :thup:

Just need to get lucky with the youth intakes, otherwise it could get very tricky.

Yeah, the last one was a real let down, but we've had another junior coaching upgrade since then, and a new board has just come in and begun work on some new training facilities, so hopefully that will tip things in our favour.

Good to see an improvement,hopefully the youth intake next year will give you some strikers!

Yeah, it makes such a difference having someone lethal up front. We've had a few players come through, but none of them are what you'd call prolific.

good so far, very good second season.

Thanks :)

Ugh, tough last few months, but looking good for a playoff push next season!
Great start but pity the season crashed horribly late on.

Yeah, all depends on whether I can reproduce that kind of mid-season form that we saw last season. Right now I'm inclined to think it was a bit of a one-off, but we'll see.

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snootyjim

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Season 3 - October-November Overview

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I'll be the first to admit that it doesn't look wonderful, but I'm reasonably pleased with this start. The draw with Aldershot was a terrific result, and no surprise to see us smashed in the replay away from home.

The main thing is that in the league, our defence is still just as powerful, and I've managed to integrate a lot of the youngsters - now 8 of them have made 5 appearances or more, and 5 are consistently making the 1st XI.

I think we could do with a couple more solid youth intakes to really fill out the gaps in the squad - I'm having to frequently field "silver starred" players, so to speak, when the first team are tired. I think the main team can definitely hold its own in the league, but there are so many games to play, especially including the cups, that we're frequently looking to the second string for help. So far I've used 26 players, which shows how big a squad we need.

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snootyjim

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Good luck with the coming season, fingers crossed for a quality youth intake.

Yeah, definitely! It's funny, normally when you're playing lower leagues it's a barely-registered occurrence, but in this it's the pinnacle of every season, beginning and ending on one day.

You have made fantastic strides so far. Fingers crossed this season.

Cheers, hoping we can keep improving but still very much a question of luck and optimism.

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snootyjim

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Season 3 - December-January Overview

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This is a bit more like it - only 3 losses in the league has seen us creep up the table, and Ashan Perry in particular is looking really strong. I've moved Halliday (YP1) back into midfield, and he's looking really good there at the moment which gives us a bit more flexibility up front.

The one thing we desperately need is more depth in midfield - even with Halliday (YP1) moving back it's a real struggle to get numbers onto the pitch, and we're relying on youngsters who don't have a hope in hell of ever making it.

Hopefully we can keep this run going and solidify our position in the centre of the table - and of course keep the board happy, but as usual my focus has turned to the youth intake. We'll see what happens!

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snootyjim

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2016 Youth Overview

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Chris Long

It was great to get a central midfielder, as we've desperately needed some more depth in that part of the pitch, but the rest of the intake was a little weak in terms of potential, and their current abilities are pretty low as well - don't expect any aside from Long to be making the first team until next season.

Given that I've been able to upgrade the junior coaching twice now since the first intake, I was really hoping for something impressive, but I don't feel like I've had one yet.

Anyway, we'll see how things go!

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snootyjim

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Season 3 - February-March Overview

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And back down with a bump! We're ridiculously inconsistent, but I guess that's to be expected with such a young squad (average age of 21.3!)

As before, Ashan Perry has been a rare highlight in an otherwise unimpressive spell, but there's little more to say. My main concern right now is to keep my job, as the board expect me - hell knows why - to manage a mid-table finish.

Given that we've had no increase in budgets, and the only change is the passage of time, it's a bit frustrating, but I suppose that's just the way FM works. I've not been short of job offers, been receiving maybe one every couple of months, often for Conference Premier sides, but who knows whether Gloucester appreciate my services?

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snootyjim

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Season 3 - April Overview

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Thankfully we improved a little bit in the final month of the season, but we weren't brilliant. It's hard to know what to think really -I know this a long-term game, but I really don't know what's up with us as things stand, can't work it out from one game to the next.

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snootyjim

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2015/16 Season Review

Competitions

Skrill South (17th) - Unbelievably inconsistent from beginning to end, giving us little hope of a successful season. The board expected a lot more, and right now - as things stand - my job is definitely on the line.

Cups - Similar to last season really - got through the early rounds alright, but as soon as we hit quality opposition it all fell apart. Hopefully next season we'll have a big enough squad to make a good shot of it.

Key Players

Jake Brewer - Another brilliant season from the young centre back. He's still on non-contract terms, but I'm sure I'll need to get him on a part-time contract soon.

Craig Richards - And this man again - he's unbelievably consistent for such a young player. Hopefully I'll be able to keep hold of him for a little while longer.

Lewis Hogg - The oldest player that's still a key part of the first XI, and a terrific leader. I fear that we're really going to miss him when he eventually retires.

Youth Players

I've added three more players to the list of YPs as they've come into the squad and impressed:

Marc Halliday (YP1) - I've moved him back into midfield to make up for the lack of talent there, and he's had a solid, if slightly unimpressive season. I think he's a better striker than centre mid, but that's the problem of this kind of career - you need to move people around pretty frequently, and for the benefit of the team rather than individuals.

Brendan Clinton (YP2) - Expected to play every single game, and he did alright. Definitely not performing as well as he could, but he's going to need time to improve.

Paul Fisher (YP3) - I was worried about the loss of our first-choice keeper when he refused to sign a new contract, but fisher has really grown into the role, improving with every game. He apparently has the ability to become a good Conference Premier keeper, which bodes well for the future.

Leon Rae (YP4) - Not a name that cropped up regularly in my updates, just a quiet, routine performer. One of the better players from this season's squad, and hopefully a lynch-pin of the squad for years to come.

Ashan Perry (YP5) - No surprises here, the man who kept popping up with goal after goal after goal. 12 goals and 6 assists in 24 league appearances is amazing for an 18 year old, and hopefully he'll be making a few more appearances next season - a few more goals would be lovely as well.

Club

Facilities - Bit of a boost in junior coaching and the training facilities, which is great. Not sure we've got the money to make any further strides though.

Finances - Not too bad, but it's hard to see any dramatic changes any time soon - we're pretty consistently failing to make noticeable profits. If the wages drop again, maybe that will help, but I'm not convinced that will happen.

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snootyjim

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Season 4 - August-September Overview

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Hmm, not the best start ever. Interestingly, had the game not bugged out (why would a board that's got me on a 5-game perform-or-be-sacked warning offer me a new 2 year deal?), I would have been sacked.

I feel that they're being a bit unfair, especially as I'm £20k p.a. over-budget just trying to hold together the current squad, and I've lost several players as they simply won't let me offer them new deals. It's a pretty impossible position to be in.

I'm going to keep plugging away, but I'm starting to wonder whether this is just impossible in FM14 - if it is, then fair play - it certainly ought to be! I haven't given up yet though.

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snootyjim

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2017 Youth Overview

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Roy Slocombe

Nathan Tubbs

This is a bit more like it, but I'm concerned about the length of the contracts right now - not sure I can actually hold onto these players for long enough to see the benefits.

And I'm not doing too badly in terms of central midfield stock at the moment, but any quality is appreciated. Hopefully Slocombe and Tubbs will prove their worth in the long run.

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snootyjim

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2016/17 Season Review

Competitions

Skrill South (13th) - Bit better than last season, but not as good as the one before that. I guess I should be pleased, given the improvement in our league position, but I just don't feel like we're making any progress at the moment. It's hard to see where the long-term success will come from.

Cups - Couldn't be much worse really. We're at a similar level to Bath and Brackley, although they probably deserve the wins based on league positions. A bit of cash would be nice, but I'm not foreseeing any cup runs in our future.

Key Players

Similar names cropping up again:

Jake Brewer - As ever, he's been absolutely sensational. If we lose him, it could be a massive, massive problem - he's winning us games on his own at times.

Jack Harris - Played mostly at LB, and was immensely reliable. Can't ask for much more really.

Ryan Batten - Forming a really solid partnership with Brewer, completing an as-ever formidable defence.

Youth Players

I've added three more players to the list of YPs as they've come into the squad and impressed:

Marc Halliday (YP1) - He had a few games up front this season, and really impressed, but I still need his talents in midfield. Hopefully with the new kids coming through I'll be able to use him up front instead. He deserves the opportunity.

Brendan Clinton (YP2) - Still not performing all that well, but he's a very useful utility player, able to play across 4 different positions. I think he'll be useful for a long time yet.

Paul Fisher (YP3) - Another young keeper, George Wilson, has been complaining a lot this season and given his talents, I tried to placate him, which cost Fisher his place a lot of the time. When called upon, he was okay, but nowhere near good enough to let me give up on Wilson.

Leon Rae (YP4) - Still playing very reliably, and an important part of the side, but clearly not someone who's ever going to win plaudits for stand-out performances. That's enough for me though.

Ashan Perry (YP5) - Really pleased with Perry, who kept up his goal every two games ratio, and broke the club record for goals in a season. Hopefully he'll keep growing from strength to strength.

John Lindsay (YP6) - Great debut season from Lindsay, looking like a really important part of the squad already.

Club

Facilities - Unlikely to see any further changes.

Finances - It looks okay, but we're not seeing any major boosts in funding, which will be vital to hold this team together.

Again, I'm really worried that we're going to lose some major players at the end of this season.

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snootyjim

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This is so tough. Reminds me of SnakeXe's Chorley save last year.

Keep going and it'll suddenly spring into life I think.

I certainly hope so! I've just had a look, and on FM11 it took me 5 seasons to earn promotion, so maybe I do need a little more patience...

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snootyjim

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2017/18 Season Review

Competitions

Skrill South (3rd)

Playoffs 1

Playoffs 2

Huge improvement this season in the league, absolutely tremendous stuff. I was gutted to lose the playoffs in such a galling way, pushing Halifax all the way and playing some really solid football to then lose it in extra time courtesy of some comedy defending - a looping ball came over, no defender anywhere near it, and the attacker headed it in from outside the area. But the main thing is that finally I've seen some clear progress - many of the kids are now coming of age, showing some real quality, and we've got genuine depth in the squad. It bodes very well for next season.

Cups - Pretty standard fare - went out early on.

Key Players

Similar names cropping up again (this is getting very repetitive):

Jake Brewer - For the 4th consecutive season, he's been absolutely sensational. As I said last time, losing him could be terrible, so when he asked for a new contract, I didn't muck about!

Jack Harris - Played mostly at LB, and again was immensely reliable. Can't ask for much more really.

Youth Players

I've added three more players to the list of YPs as they've come into the squad and impressed:

Marc Halliday (YP1) - I've finally managed to move him up front, but he didn't do as well as I'd hoped, only one goal in every three appearances, but as a second striker behind Perry (YP5) I guess that's not too bad.

Brendan Clinton (YP2) - Not great - he's going to be stuffed when we get some more young central midfielders in to the squad, but I'm sure his versatility will serve him well.

Paul Fisher (YP3) - Decent season in my book. I don't pay too much attention to keepers' ratings, but he's done okay - George Wilson is pushing him very hard for games which is good news.

Leon Rae (YP4) - A couple of nasty injuries held him back this year, but he was reliable as ever. Thankfully we've now got the depth to not miss him too much.

Ashan Perry (YP5) - Another excellent season, breaking the goals record again - if only he could break his goal every 2 games ceiling!

John Lindsay (YP6) - Not as good as he was in his last season, and my assistant manager thinks he has already peaked. Hopefully he can bed in a bit next year though.

Bob Walton (YP7) - Terrific season. Ryan Batten moved on a free to Sutton Utd, and Walton stepped in to partner Brewer in defence - we've not missed Batten at all.

Roy Slocombe (YP8) - Came into the squad a little later in the season, but another important part of my frequently rotating midfield. He's got room for improvement as well.

Neil Megson (YP9) - A tenacious midfielder who like Slocombe came in a little later, but should be getting a lot of games next season.

Club

Facilities - Unlikely to see any further changes.

Finances - A drop in salaries has helped us to keep scraping a profit, but it's a very small one. Unless we get some success, we really can't afford any more improvements.

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snootyjim

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Good to see the continuous improvement and I feel your pain of losing one of the more talented youth players!
Uggh, horrid to lose arguably your best player. Still that's the crux with these games, it's a struggle to keep ahold of the talented youth.
I like seeing my youth players progress. Obviously I prefer it in my team, but if it means them moving on I don't stand in their way. A prime example is David Brooks in my current FM11 save.

It is tough, yeah, although I agree with Nobby. One of the sad things about my Dorchester save was that every player who left went on to have absolutely woeful careers, and there was nothing even remotely interesting about tracking their careers.

Having said that, it is a bit easier to get over the loss of a big player when something like this happens...

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elbilly

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Well this has sure been interesting, massive improvement last season just as it looked like you were getting stuck in the mud. Hope you can kick on and get that promotion next season! Howard is helping you to some Goodwins??

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snootyjim

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Well this has sure been interesting, massive improvement last season just as it looked like you were getting stuck in the mud. Hope you can kick on and get that promotion next season! Howard is helping you to some Goodwins??

Thanks :), and yes, I think he's a Perry adequate replacement.

Good to see a bit of progress being made now. Well done :thup:

Cheers! This is shaping up very well, finally!

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2018/19 Season Review

Competitions

Skrill South (3rd)

Playoffs 1

Playoffs 2

Playoffs 3

Fantastic stuff, and as you might have guessed, Goodwin (YP11) played a huge part in proceedings. We were actually leading the table for a long period, not losing a league match until mid-November, and whilst our form deteriorated a little after that, we were a long way ahead of the chasing pack by that point and we always looked odds-on to make the playoffs.

The playoffs were very tough, with Goodwin (YP11) rescuing us with a late double in the first leg of the semi-final away from home, but we smashed Brackley in the home leg to set up a final against Dover. That was a horrible game to watch, every time Dover attacked I thought they were going to score, but somehow we survived the onslaught and yet again Goodwin popped up in the right place to get us into the lead, and Halliday (YP1) made sure.

Time for the Conference Premier!

Cups - Sorry to bore you, but yup - same story again! Out early, although Exeter were always going to be very tough opponents in the FA trophy. Can't say the same about Uxbridge, frankly.

Youth Players

I've added four more players to the list of YPs as they've come into the squad and impressed:

Marc Halliday (YP1) - Finally I think we're seeing the best of Halliday - 17 goals and 17 assists in 40 starts, the perfect foil for Goodwin.

Brendan Clinton (YP2) - Not so many appearances this year, he's being rapidly overtaken. Don't think the step up will help.

Leon Rae (YP4) - Another decent season, but he's going to be pushed very hard for time in 1st XI next season.

Bob Walton (YP7) - One of the first names on the teamsheet, he's forming a really great partnership with Brewer.

Roy Slocombe (YP8) - Carbon copy of Rae (YP4) really, very efficient.

Neil Megson (YP9) - Came on a lot this season, looking really strong at the moment.

George Wilson (YP10) - With the loss of Fisher (YP3), we needed Wilson to step up, and he did okay. We'll need another youth to come in and push him, I suspect.

Howard Goodwin (YP11) - I thought the loss of Perry (YP5) might really set us back, but I hadn't counted on Goodwin! 39 goals and 9 assists in 44 starts, taking both the club and Conference South scoring records. Hopefully he'll be with the club for a while yet!

Moses Makin (YP12) - My best right-back by a fair margin, but really not performing. I want to keep giving him games to let him develop, but I think next year I'll need to give opportunities to others.

Nathan Tubbs (YP13) - Decent first season around the first XI, and he's got potential to be a leading player in the Conference Premier, so he may push others out of the team.

Former Youth Players

Paul Fisher (YP3) - Refused to sign a new contract, and was decent as ever for Tamworth, but he's far from first choice - not sure whether they'll renew his contract.

Ashan Perry (YP5) - Also refused to sign a contract, and he grabbed 10 goals from 19 starts, but spent a lot of time playing from the bench and didn't really impress overall. Perhaps this shows how much of a step up the Conference Premier could be.

John Lindsay (YP6) - Was on non-contract terms and decided to move for a part-time deal. Was pretty dreadful at Bishop's Stortford, but he has another year to perhaps impress.

Club

Facilities - Another boost to junior coaching was very handy.

Finances - Really healthy profit boost this year after another drop in salaries and obviously a very successful season.

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