My Story by Lee Rothery

[LEEMOD]

Hey fellas, welcome to my new thread, for those that know me you may have already read some of my work in the excellent 'The Journals of Humpus Widgren' thread. For those not familiar with it here it is:

The team I am starting with is K Bocholter VV from the Belgium 3rd division, we are predicted to finish 11th out of an 18 team league, this will be an extremely tough challenge and in my next update I will look to analyse my squad and see where I need to strengthen and discuss finances etc. However, on first glance things don't look that impressive.

If you do have any questions or comments please feel free and I will get back to you - thank you for reading.

 

 

 

[Holdii]

Good luck in Belgium!

[LEEMOD]

On 10/24/2016 at 17:40, Holdii said:

Good luck in Belgium!

Thank you mate, really hope you enjoy it.

[LEEMOD]

So what I have done so far (yes still on day 1 here)  is to decide on what attributes are going to be critical for the style I want, I do this for all my teams and this will change depending on who I am managing. Now, universally my go to attributes are determination & work rate as it's what I like all the way through my side however I have decided to focus on maximum 3 attributes per role for now as at this level it's unlikely we're going to find a perfect fit so this helps me narrow down my search for potential new signings. 

My system will be a 352 hybird and is very attacking in nature, this could be a major risk in my 1st season but it's one which held me in good stead before so let's see how it goes. Anyway after my careful analysis, here are a few key players for me on 1st glance..

First up is my best player who is Brent Willems, he is a very good full back for this level and will be re-trained as my wing back, he is currently been courted by a few clubs from the division aboveand only has a year left on his contract so it could be well worthwhile arranging a new deal as soon as I can:

 

 

Next up is Yves Claes who is a 39 year old centre back, clearly way too old but he may be able to do a job for a year, I mean just look at those mental stats, he could be decent as a tutor too with his determined personality, I just wish he wasn't so old because he does look decent.

This lad was in my under 21 side but again he looks to be a decent enough prospect at wing back and will be a good under study to Willems, he does have some potential left but a lot to be honest but he will do for now:

Next up is Pavek who will be first choice Anchor Man, once again he is past his best clearly at 35 years of age but I like him but his game time will need careful management due to his low natural fitness, other than that he looks a decent sort of player. 

 

Here are the finances as things stand, not great as you can see but what else can you expect in the Belgian 3rd division? The projections are worrying but all I can really do is try my very best to improve key areas but it will largely depend on who wants to come play for me. 

 

In my next update it will come after our pre-season friendlies and will include the results and any additional signings we made plus our backroom team but I doubt I will change much here as I don't like to upset the apple-cart so soon into my tenure. 

Thanks for reading. 

 

 

[LEEMOD]

So in terms of transfers I did find it somewhat frustrating, not many players want to come play for me, we did agree 5 deals but 3 of those joined teams in the second division however we did at least manage to bring in 2 additions in the form of loan deals. No one has left the club yet and it's way too costly to release a few of them so they can sit in my reserves for now. 

First up I signed right wing back Kris Simon from KV Mechelen, he looks a great player however he got injured after two games but should be ok for our league opener, his tackling, work rate & stamina are outstanding, his lack of acceleration is a little worrying but we can't expect too much

Next up I managed to bring in Andre Vandewalle from Waasland-Beveren , he looks a real find for us and should be a rock at the back I hope!

This leads me to my squad sheet for the forthcoming season, I based them on a % rating per attributes by role so there is some overlap which is a good thing especially if we have a spell of injuries for example. 

Part of my inactivity in the market has been forced upon us as we're over our wage budget so it had to be managed carefully. 

In terms of results I've been impressed with how we have gone about our business pre-season but as we're part time match fitness is still way off what I would like it to be but I'm sure it's the same for the remaining teams in the division. 

My next update will come at the end of August where we would have played our 4th round cup tie + 2 league games. 

Thanks for reading. 

[LEEMOD]

Well I have been majorly impressed with how we've gone about our business, despite an old team and a few players been asked to play out of position we have really hit the ground running, The highlight was the incredible win over Lommel United who play in the division above us! If we can stay clear of injuries & keep up this form during September I'll be more than happy. I'll certainly be sure to warn them of complacency. 

My striker Joachim Desmedt has been awesome so far, he's not even that good for what I want from our F9 role but he has done superb so far, here he is:

[LEEMOD]

Here we are now at the end of September and I have been so surprised at the quality we have shown. Despite the loss at Berchem where we had 13 shots on target with 5 CCC's it's been very pleasing and we've often looked more dangerous when we play more of a counter attacking style, as we have 5 attacking duties playing this way does hold some appeal. The most amazing result for me was away at Pro-League side Waasland-Beveren who are fr superior than us, we were 0-2 down at half time but we came out fighting and got two goals back somehow and took them all the way to penalties. It was indeed a superb achievement and we can be very proud. I do expect November to be tough as teams now will have an idea on how we approach games but time will tell. Here are the results & league table for this period.

[LEEMOD]

We had a torrid start to October with back to back defeats, the 0-1 home loss to Woluwe-Zaventem was partocularly galling as we battered them but we simply couldn't score, they had zero shots on target and only won thanks to a own goal by us.  

After those defeats I held a team meeting where the atmosphere can only be described as frosty at best but it seemed to pick the lads up as we picked up 6 points to end the month on a high to take us to 3rd from 7th. The league as you can see below is so tight so we know a good run can really have a significant impact but with injuries now adding up it's going to be more than challenging. 

Here are the results & league table after October:

[LEEMOD]

November 2013

Strange month really, OK we never lost but it felt like an opportunity lost, we battered Huy for example but as usual our finishing was awful but in the away games we tried a slight variation in our system in that we went to a more counter system and it paid dividends as we hammered in nine goals in two games.  We need to somehow rediscover our home form and it's something I will be working on. 

The league is still so tight with just six points separating us in third to the team in twelfth place. 

As you can see below Brent Willems a player I highlighted in an earlier post has been nothing short of superb in the left wing back position, five assists & 4 goals is superb!

 

 

[LEEMOD]

DECEMBER 2013

A really good month for us leading into the new year, we took 7 points leaving is just 1 point off Huy at the top. The margin now is getting bigger so it's important for us now to keep up the intensity in January, here are the results & league:

[Holdii]

Doing well in the league.

[LEEMOD]

9 minutes ago, Holdii said:

Doing well in the league.

Yeah, it's so tight though so it could be anyone's but I certainly didn't expect this in the first season. In some ways it might be better for us to stay in this division because I think we could seriously struggle in the second division. 

Appreciate you reading

[LEEMOD]

JANUARY 2014

Sometimes I love FM, you think you have a settled team and bang! Injuries seem to pile up and all form goes out the window as you do your level best to plug the gaps such a storm brings.  I have to be mindful though on the other hand that 90% of my squad are not even players suited to my style so we're really over achieving. Anyway, this was January:

[LEEMOD]

FEBRUARY 2014

It's been a torrid month where at Woluwe we simply capitulated in the last 10-15 mins. I did have a team meeting after that game as well as a few one to one chats and we seemed much more like ourselves with the 2-0 win. 

The league seems even tighter now than it ever has been and now at the business end of the season every point counts but it anyone's guess who's going to be promoted!

 

 

[LEEMOD]

MARCH 2014

I decided to change my tactics, I felt we were conceding too much and often in games it felt like re-runs of the Newcastle v Liverpool games of the Keegan era. I am so pleased to tell you it seems to have done wonders for us. We removed some team instructions and changed to a more balanced system with focus on defense with 3 cb's and 1 dmc and it worked so well as you can see below! With 5 games left now all is to play for. Huy and my tip for promotion Woluwe-Zaventem will be looking to push on so it should be interesting (we actually go away at Huy on 26th April for what potentially could be a title decider!)

We also had our youth intake which was pretty dire apart from 1 young lad I liked (see below) - I did take a few others for squad fillers as they are cheap but..

Here are the results & league table

[LEEMOD]

APRIL 2014

This team keep on surprising me, just when I think we had blown it we go away to one of the best teams in this division and somehow come away with all 3 points, it was a really gritty performance. Even now with 2 games left to play still the trophy engraver has no idea what letter he's starting with!

[LEEMOD]

MAY 2014

What a strange end to the season, we could only draw & then lose but thankfully the other teams didn't punish us so it all came down to a playoff final for the title against Huy, I am not sure if it was because we were on the same number of points or if that happens normally for 1st & 2nd teams but anyway we pulled a superb performance out of the bag and smashed them 4-2. We go up as champions! This has been a superb achievement for us, I never thought we would manage such a feat in the first year! I have much work ahead of me now in the summer. 

Player performances for the season:

[LEEMOD]

Superb news!

[LEEMOD]

Now I am super confused we have a two legged game now against FCV Dender in the Champions playoff  - I assume we're already promoted?!

Anyway, we won anyway against a very good team

[LEEMOD]

Jesus this is so tough...pre-season has been a real struggle so far, no money at all. I'm working with my hands tied behind my back here. 

[LEEMOD]

Pre-season has been a real struggle here what with the finances the way they are but I think I've done just about OK to get in the players I needed. First of all let me show you the business we did:

In terms of outs I let Claes go who to be fair has been superb for us but he's now 40 years old and in this division we can't have that so off he went. Kurt Willems left on a free as well, he was only ever going to be a back up and he moans a lot so I'm glad to see the back of him if truth be told. Finally, off went Dupont and in the process saving us £400 a week, he is a winger who I was trying to convert to wing back but he didn't do enough.

On to my transfers in see below, I think I have done really well, after a good loan spell Vandewalle now joins us full time, he was our rock last term so I'm looking for him to push on. Elsewhere, I have Degryse who's a fantastic wing back, I did try to go after Simon again on loan but his parent club weren't interested. I then decided to bring in two loan deals, first we have Vermeulen from Standard Liege  who has decent finishing and is pacey although he is soft as sh*t so we'll have to see how he does but not bad for £0 a week! That leaves me with Fernandes who is an absolute beast, I've no idea why Vise let him go on loan but I'm not complaining because he looks superb. Here they are:

Our finances are poor as usual but the next summer is critical as most of my team have contracts expiring so each player will be fighting for their shirt and I'll be offering new deals as I see fit. This is the squad sheet for the forthcoming season:

Our pre-season was pretty good with some huge victories as I have created a more attacking version of my system and it could well be pulled out of the bag late in games if we need an urgent goal. 

[LEEMOD]

AUGUST 2014

Well what a tough start it has been for us, the teams in this league are so much better than what we faced last year but we've certainly been in games and kept things tight at the back which is pleasing and to be honest despite just the 1 point I'm fairly impressed with our performances. 

[LEEMOD]

September 2014

My tale of woe continues unfortunately but we have been in games, we've never been hammered. We even created some good chances in games. I'm beginning to think that perhaps we're being a little too conservative so I could decide to switch to the tactic which won us promotion but it's a risk as it only employs two centre backs with no full backs, it will be that or a 4231 counter I made some time ago. With the next game upon us I'll need to decide pretty quickly.

[LEEMOD]

October 2014

I'm really pleased to tell you that things have really improved here, we went back to my 352 shape we played last season and we've looked much more dangerous going forward. we still look a little leaky at the back in all honesty but we had to throw caution to the wind because it's points that matter now. I'm really happy to have picked up our first wins of the season and hope we can pull away from the quagmire that is the relegation spots. 

Lommel United sacked their Manager and I've been heavily linked to the vacancy, it would certainly be a step up in terms of structure etc but I am so far enjoying my time here, despite money issues and the lowest wage bill in the league it's enjoyable to battle each team and I think we've done well given our status as relegation favourites pre-season. 

[LEEMOD]

November 2014-January 2015

Sorry guys I forgot to do November so here comes a sizeable update, first let's look at the results in this period. A mixed bag indeed but before our 8-0 win I changed my tactics again as it seemed we were getting worked out as I went to a counter 4231, it worked so well!

The league now looks like this, if we can keep up our form we should be safe in a few weeks which is amazing for a club of our size:

As I mentioned in pre-season the majority of our squad had contracts expiring in the summer but the big talking point was that we're not offering our new signing Vanderwalle a new deal, his performances have simply not been good enough and in my team if you don't perform you're out. 

Notably though they were new deals for Pirotte, Kedlikli, Gillard, Degryse & Willems but our squad is going to be light next season. 

In advance of this happening I also managed to sign two free transfers in January, both look really good as you can see below:

[LEEMOD]

FEBRUARY 2015

Ever since changing to a 4231 Counter we have looked unstoppable, I am still not sure how we're doing it but at the moment there is no chance I am changing a single thing. A few months ago we were looking over our shoulders but now we're in a safe mid-table position somehow, trust me I am more shocked than anyone but I'm tremendously proud of the lads, they have worked hard for me and played our of their skins against teams which on paper should be better than us. 

[LEEMOD]

MARCH 2015

March was another very good month and who knows if we can win our remaining games and others slip up we could be a decent value bet for a late playoff push but in fairness it looks likely. Even though we lost at Mouscron we gave it everything, my young striker scored in 92nd minute for  point or so I thought but they went straight up the other end to score so wasn't to be. 

[LEEMOD]

We did rather will in our youth intake, I decided to offer 3 academy lads contracts and all of them have a decent chance especially the latter two players, here they are:

[LEEMOD]

APRIL 2015

Well I shot myself in the foot as soon as I mentioned the playoffs, my players must have caught wind of my optimism and bottled it as we took just one point from the last three fixtures to finish the season in 11th place which for a team to have been predicted dead last is a towering achievement. The last three games was a stark reminder of how we can easily get battered in this league and to some extent this informs my decision for next year as I look to expand my club DNA to include not two attributes but four these will be Determination / Work Rate / Natural Fitness / Acceleration. I will also be adjusting a few positional attributes as well but all of this will come in my next post. 

We do have a huge number of players leaving us so for the first time ever here I may finally have some wage budget to play with and hopefully by finishing in 11th players will want to come play for us despite the wages we're able to offer and despite my terrible pitch which needs relaid ASAP!! I did ask the board about this maybe 4 times but each time they  said no, this may well explain the deluge of injuries we got. 

Anyway, here is the results during this period, the final league table & squad performance:

[LEEMOD]

Bigger update coming soon as it's still the summer so lots of work ahead but the media don't think much to our chances again but what do they know after all they under estimated us last season!

!

[LEEMOD]

It's been such a long busy summer one of the busiest I have ever experienced on FM with practically a whole new squad coming in which is not something I usually like to do but needs must because when it reached 1st  July we were left with 16 players and 4 of them were 16 year old so I needed to move fast as I could. My whole approach was to really nail down my new look club DNA and ensure as much as I could that players really met my criteria and even though we plunged beyond the wage budget again I think we did rather well. I even managed to sell Gillard for an actual amount of money which was really nice as it allowed me more room to work with in regards our wage budget. 

Here is the business we did:

As you can see just from first glance on my squad sheet our DNA looks superb for a club like ours:

Here are some of our best buys ( I won't run through them all as it will take ages but here's what I think are the top 5)

1  OWEN MAERTENS - This kid can be anything he wants, there was a host of clubs after the talented youngster but we hiked his wage up to ensure we got the deal done there and then. Thankfully he chose us and he is going to be a key member of our team already:

2 FRANK DELGOFFE - Already capped 3 times by the Morrocan U21 team this lad looks another exciting prospect, his technicals are excellent for this level:

3 DANNY SCHMITZ - A consumate professional and a possible captain of ours - our central midfield looks strong!

4 DENIS POGGI - A really good player I feel, his primary role will be out wide but he can also do a job up front, he should fit in well for us:

5 ROLAND BEERTEN - This lad joins us on loan from OH Leuven - another central player, 15 for passing and 15 for flair at this level! Although he as strong as a 3 stone Luke Chadwick I still think he has the potential to unlock teams and pull of the sublime. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LEEMOD]

You join me now as we come to the end of August and it has been a superb start to the campaign, I was happy with all the league performances but we didn't turn up for the cup even if we did play mostly back ups for it. Next month we have to go away to Cercle Brugge who look to good for this league as well WS Bruxelles, if we come away with 1 point from those two games I would take it.

[LEEMOD]

September was a strange month really, despite that amazing win at Cercle Brugge we have been so inconsistent, losing to Boussu & RWDM Brussels is simply not acceptable, we're much better than these teams in terms of attributes I feel but I have also been tinkering quite a lot between 3-4 systems which to be fair probably doesn't help anyone. 

There is a definite break away group now but I am confident we can keep up as we are yet to play teams like Eupen & Berchem who we should be beating. 

[LEEMOD]

OCTOBER 2015

It has been a torrid month, ok perhaps the loss against STVV is understandable but we're dropping points now against teams we should really be beating and the game against Antwerp was farcical, we played them off the park, they had one shot on target in the 993rd minute and scored, absolutely gobsmacked. It's too early to draw any conclusions but we need to pull our socks up if we want to push on the best we can. 

Here are those results & league:

 

[LEEMOD]

November / December

I think I've been trying to run before I can walk and I really do need to start understanding the limitations of my team because although in my own mind I have been a little disheartened with our performances we are still massively over achieving and I really need to start reigning in my personal objectives. During the time we played some good stuff especially in the most recent three games. Mid-table does seem our level at the moment. 

Elsewhere, I have tied young Gijbels at centre back to a new deal as well as our best DMC Hugo Delforge. 

 

[LEEMOD]

JANUARY 2016

It's been such a poor month for us, we couldn't score for toffee and it's been a worry, we did manage to end the month with a good away win but we're just very average at the moment and the league reflects that. 

[LEEMOD]

FEBRUARY & MARCH 2016

We have been so inconsistent as usual but to be fair when you consider our media prediction we have actually over achieved for the second year running but I still feel a little disappointed because I thought with the players we signed we might push for top 6 but at least we're now a decent mid table side now in this division.

This is how the results looked and how the league looks now:

[LEEMOD]

APRIL 2016

Well we ended the season with a flourish against some good teams taking 10 points from a possible 12. However, this seems to tell the story of our season, one minute awful & the next sublime. However, with those points it was able to propel us into a nice 9th place finish which is two spots above where we finished last season. 

When all is considered I think it's been a good season for us and I really hope next year we're able to push on but with our budgets I know that will be easier said than done. Here is the squad sheet for the season sorted by average rating:

It's no coincidence that the best performing players missed large parts of the season through injury and who knows what we may have achieved if we would of been able to keep them fit.

Here is the final league table:

My next job now is to look at contracts and then put together my shortlist for potential transfers. I will be back in touch once it's all sorted as we head into our 4th season. 

Thanks

[LEEMOD]

 August 2016

Apologies for the lack of updates, unfortunately real life got in the way but my time playing is more limited than before, anyhow let's have a look at our pre-season results first.

I have been very happy with our defensive play, I have actually gone back to a more defensive system because the bar has been raised in this division in terms of quality, where as last year I felt we had a good shot of top5, I think this year could be a struggle and in order to bridge that gap or at least attempt to we are going to have to play smarter. How this new system plays out in the league is going to be another thing entirely.

In terms of transfers it has been much more of a balanced approach compared to last season, I managed to get rid of a few under performers and I feel like I have really added to our stock this summer, one person I will be watching closely is wonder kid Owen Maertens, he didn't do that well last year but if I can get him firing I think we'll be a strong proposition this season.

Here are my top 3 signings I would say:

1) Aloys Servais - he looks to be our best defender, he is strong and decent in the air and his core defensive attributes are mainly  12 which is decent for this level:

2) Fabrice Peeters - another player who joins us from the 3rd division, his technicals are nothing to talk about but I like how aggressive he is and his physicals are really good so hopefully we'll see a lof of pressing down the left side, 30 year old and could certainly do a job for a year or two

3) Andrew Boulanger - look at those states, I think he has the potential to really set alight this division, his goal scoring so far in his career has been ok but I think his attributes will see him get goal side a lot and if I can get the best out of him he could be a key player for us.

The reason I think we may struggle is because we now have to compete with teams like Westerlo who are going to be a tough team to beat but also  I would suggest Sint Trudiense /  Cercle Brugge / Sint Niklaas / Dessell are all teams with a shout. I think if we can hit the top 10 again I would probably take that but a lot depends on our young players. 

I will back in touch at the end of August.

[LEEMOD]

August 2016

We could not have asked for a tougher start to the season we played two class teams in Westerlo who taught us a lesson, and Cercle Brugge who we managed to get a point from at there place which is no mean feat. We showed good character to get back into the game and hold on. Virton are another good team so I was pleased with the 2-1 win. Our reward for winning the two cup games is a trip to Genk who are huge compared to us, we will go there though playing narrow containing football and seeing where it takes us.

September could be tricky but despite the impossible challenge of a trip to the mighty Dessell we play Hoogstraten & Olympic Charleroi who I really do expect us to beat. Our young starlet Maertens has been building up match fitness in the reserves so far so hopefully he will be close to a return but I think the trip to Dessell could be too soon.

 

[LEEMOD]

SEPTEMBER 2016

My team have really surprised me this month, I've been using the shouts to really make us solid and hard to beat and it has really shown in our results, this was emphasised more so by the very fact we took the almighty Genk all the way to extra time, we were even winning 1-0 at half time in extra time but my the second half my team were spent as they were rampant and scored three goals. I was nothing but proud of my lads.

Elsewhere, Maertens has now a few games under his belt and is a class act for us although he is yet to show it, I do think October promises to to be a big month for him. In the league we have done really well, a superb point at Dessell was followed by 3 straight wins and even though we lost to Sint Niklaas we were so unlucky and missed some sitters in the last few mins as we continually pumped ball after ball into their box. 

[LEEMOD]

OCTOBER 2016

October has been superb for us, now we're playing what I would deem 'lesser teams' we are really showing our worth 15 from 15 this period is amazing and it's no surprise to see us top of the league, I'm really not sure if we can keep this up but we're doing so well and in Beyens / Verhoef up top we're looking amazing, Boulanger my summer recruit can't even get into the team at the moment. Elsewhere Maertens is now coming into the plan a lot more and he has even being called into the Belgium U19 squad which for a club like ours is superb. However, I am concerned because he won't sign a new contract and his contract expires next summer. 

[LEEMOD]

NOVEMBER 2016

 

November has been a tough month for us, we were outplayed at Antwerp who looked superb but against Mouscron I was devastated, we simply didn't show up and with December looking to be a very tough month I will know if my players have balls by January as December sees us face some top teams in the shape of STVV, Cercle Brugge & Westerlo, we're going to have to dig in as best we can and try to carve something out for ourselves but this recent little wobble is a little worrying. 

Elsewhere, I am over the moon to announce that both Maertens & Beyens have agreed new 2 year deals, these lads are so important to us and I will be looking to renew a few other players this month before we hit January 1st.

[LEEMOD]

DECEMBER 2016

Well, as predicted it was a very tough month but I am very happy to come away from this batch of games with 5 points as we just hold onto second place. Tienen have been the surprise package this season but we have to play them at home yet and we already beat them at their place 1-0 earlier so there;s still hope despite the gap. 

It was nice to see Beyens back on the scoresheet, the goals have dried up over the past few months however what is more of a pressing concern is the form of my left wing back Peeters, he has been shocking, I dropped him and brought him back in to see if that helped but it didn't so I have warned him and said in no uncertain terms that he needs to improve and improve fast. 

[LEEMOD]

JANUARY 2017

January has been a tough month and it was so disappointing to collapse so easily especially when playing at home against table topping Tienen who have been superb all season, we beat them at their place last time but they did a job on us for sure.  Overall though I am still happy to be sitting 3rd after 23 games is remarkable really given our resources.

February looks a little easier and March easier even still so who knows what can happen yet, we just need to ensure we stick to our principles and grind out some good results.

 

[LEEMOD]

FEBRUARY & MARCH 2017

This period started so well for us but 3 defeats from the last 4 games has got me really concerned because we're looking very shaky at the moment when it really matters and these last 4 games now are absolutely critical for us because Dessell have a game in hand and Hoogstraten are not far behind them and we can not afford a slip up. These were the results and current league table

We have also had our yearly academy ceremony and I am happy to welcome Appiah to our under 18's, this lad looks like he could well turn out decent in a few years. 

 

[LEEMOD]

Hey all, just so you all know I will be continuing with this, not played the game for a while but back on it now, it's 20th May in game so I will get through pre-season and do a bigger update, thanks to all those following

[LEEMOD]

Well, it's been a very busy summer here at Bocholt as we prepare for our 4th season in the Belgium second tier. After our 3rd finish last season I do believe we're on the right track now unless of course last season we somehow far exceeded expectations. Anyway, I made what I think are six very good signings, given our structure and reputation I think I have done well. 

First up is Alix Janssen who comes in as my first choice left back for the season:

Then we have Robert Dupont who will compete with Gijbels and Dubois for a starter position at centre back:

Next up is Doneaux who I will be re-training as a full back because I think his attributes really suit how I want him to play, another excellent addition:

 

Degeer will be back up to my 1st choice DMC Delforge as I had no depth here and he is certainly more than capable:

 

Finally, one of the weakest areas of my team is up front and I pounced twice on these two who I am very excited to work with, both look absolute quality for this level:

 

 

 

[LEEMOD]

PRE-SEASON/AUGUST

I was very happy with our preparations for pre-season as a whole, I thought it would be a good idea to test ourselves against teams from the division above whivh despite losing both of those we gave them a good test although the main issue was that we lost star striker Zahibo to a fractured arm. 

We were not so good in the cup away at Walhain from the third division, they pushed us all the way to extra time but we manged to get through it and we now await the draw for the 6th round. 

What I was most impressed with though was the way we started in the league, in fairness I would fully expect us to beat both teams but the manner of victory really impressed me as we controlled both games and were fairly comfortable. We face a visit to the much fancied Hoogstraten next who like us have won both of their opening games so we'll need to be at our very best. 

Here are the results for July/August:

[LEEMOD]

SEPTEMBER 2017

This month has been a complete mess, yes it's true that whilst we have suffered with injuries we simply have not turned up for games and low morale within the camp has been so low but I am really not happy with what I am seeing at the moment, I am considering having a huge rethink tactically because I know the board won't stand for much more of this:

Here is the league: