The History Bhoys - From the Lisbon Lions to ____?

[mjaferrie]

Youth Intake Day!

After a couple of years of drab intakes we finally have some serious potential in Jorge McGuire YP19a, our suspiciously Mexican named half Irish half American.  Looks like we need that wall to extend a bit over the Atlantic, Donnie T.  #maketallaghtgreatagain

McGuire is also the first Iron Walled, ahem, sorry, Willed personality we've had in this save - and the first I can remember seeing come through in any FM save.

[mjaferrie]

It's the 22nd of September and we're heading up to Oriel Park in Dundalk for one of the biggest matches of our season.  After scraping through to the Champions League group stage on away goals against Viktoria Plzen, we had some real competition to look forward to!

The home game against Arsenal to open our group you ask?  Nay!  (We got smashed 5-0 btw...)

I'm talking about the League Cup Final against Limerick!  We have the chance to win the last domestic competition available to us after four unsuccessful attempts.  Limerick won the trophy last season and have gone on an incredible run again to the final, so they'll be looking to pick up the trophy in consecutive years, while we seek to win it for the first time since the season before I took charge.

The lineups are announced!





I just realised I forgot to do a summer transfer window update again.  Nathan McKenna SP19a joins us from Sligo Rovers for free, he's a 20 year old centre back born in Dublin, but crucially he can also play at RB so he replaces the outgoing Mark Frahill.  The only other incoming player is Jon Mulcahy YP16b - he signed for Reading this summer but I managed to get him to resign on an 18 month loan deal.  He's a 19 year old Dubliner, so the deal is well within the 21/location limit.

Anyway, we're off in Dundalk!

[mjaferrie]

45 minutes... Half time beckons.  Alex Phillips is on the left hand side with a throw for Limerick.  It's forward for Connolly who plays it on the ground back to Jackson.  It's a 3v1 though and he is forced to play it back to Corbett, who plays it back to Barry in the heart of defence.  Barry plays a long ball upfield to Roche, but Ian Harker wins the ball back for Shamrock Rovers.  It's over to the left and Roberto Connolly picks up the ball.  Connolly plays it forward for Mulcahy, who picks out Jonathan Buttigieg with a low pass to the left.  It's forward for David Brennan and Shamrock Rovers have plenty of options here!  There are 5 green shirts to 3 blue, Limerick have to hair it back to their own half.  Brennan finds Mulcahy who has bombed up the middle of the park, he's through on goal, but squares it for Paul Moran SP17h! OH THAT IS SENSATIONAL!  A left footed strike into the top corner, 1-0 to Shamrock Rovers!

[mjaferrie]

Half Time

Pretty tight so far, with only the one goal in it.  Limerick are showing more intent, so we need to get our act together a bit going into the second half.  

[mjaferrie]

78th minute...

Darren Connolly with the ball for Limerick, oh that is an awful challenge from Adam Farrell!  He's already on a yellow card, what's the ref going to do?  He's off!  Shamrock Rovers are down to 10 men!

81st minute...

O'Sullivan on the right hand side, deep in his own half.  He plays a long ball upfield for Darren Connolly but it's picked out by Murphy for the Rovers.  Forward to Paul Moran, and he's picked out Simon Brennan in the middle of the park.  He's forced back into his own half by the Limerick defence, and loses the ball to Cronin.  Cronin plays it to O'Sullivan again for Limerick, who plays a sweet ball down the line for Gary Buchanan!  He makes the cross, it's CONNOLLY!  GOAL FOR LIMERICK! 

[mjaferrie]

FULL TIME!  We're into extra time here at Oriel Park, Shamrock Rovers are down to 10 men and Limerick take full advantage, pulling the game back to 1-1.  30 minutes still to play here!

102nd minute...

Shamrock Rovers win the free kick, Paul Moran whips it into the box but Buchanan heads it clear.  It's only as far as Ian Harker SP18a, who OH WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!?  He plays it over the top of everyone for Simon Brennan to pick it out, nodding it home for Shamrock's second!

[mjaferrie]

112th minute...

Jason Rowe plucks the ball out of the air from Limerick's corner, he throws it long to the centre circle for Ian Harker.  Harker loses the ball to Buchanan, who plays it forward for Darren Connolly.  Connolly's 30 yard pass out to the left reaches Jackson, but he's crowded out and Alan Sexton dispossesses him.  Sexton plays for Gareth Wright.  Wright short to Paul Moran, inside to Ian Harker.  Ian Harker plays into the centre circle for Brennan, who squares it first time back to Gareth Wright.  Shamrock Rovers are content to keep the ball in their own half here.  Wright takes on his man and finds Paul Moran on the right hand side.  Oh that is a wonderful through ball! 







Brennan is through on goal!  Where does he have this energy from?  He leaves the Limerick defence in the dust...



HE SHOOTS!!!



BLOCKED!



 

[mjaferrie]

But BRENNAN GETS TO THE REBOUND!  IT'S 3-1 TO SHAMROCK ROVERS!!!

[mjaferrie]

Alright!  So in our 5th season, we have finally lifted the Premier Division and all cups available to us!

In order to win the Munster Cup and the First Division I'll have to take over at another Irish club (unless we somehow get relegated and somehow I actually keep my job, but that would take a pretty Leicester-esque fall from grace!).  I'm sticking with Shamrock Rovers for now - and my next job will definitely not be in Ireland.  Somehow, it would seem a bit too disloyal to the Hoops Likely to move onto Wales or Northern Ireland next, or even back to Scotland.  England will take some mental strength and courage... 

[mjaferrie]

Season Review 2035!

After winning the title in style last season, we improved on our overall performance this year, only losing once in the league all season and picking up 82 points overall!  We've claimed the title for a second successive season.  At the other end, it's a surprise relegation for Drogheda, who will be replaced next year by Finn Harps.



And our results in the second half of the season:



We've had some great performances in the second half of the year, and continued that into the cups.  After losing the Leinster Cup Final to eventual relegated side Drogheda United, we stormed to a 3-1 League Cup victory over Limerick.  A 4-2 win over Cork City means that we claimed the Senior Challenge Cup too, and completed a quadruple of trophies this season!



Meanwhile, we faced off against Arsenal, Porto and Dortmund in an incredibly difficult Champions League group.  Results were about as can be expected, with 6-0 and 5-0 defeats to Arsenal, 6-1 and 3-1 defeats to Dortmund, and a 3-1 defeat in Portugal.  Incredibly, though, we managed a 0-0 draw against Porto at home, meaning we've picked up our first European group stage point!





The money from our Champions League group qualification has so far gone to Training and Youth facility upgrades, as well as being put towards buying our stadium after a previous attempt fell through due to lack of funds.  Crucially though, from the beginning of next season we are going to be only the 2nd Professional club in Ireland after Dundalk.  League prize money is up from £101k to £139k, so hopefully that will continue to increase and we will start to see other Irish sides make the step up.

Top 5 Young Players of the Season (Players 21 and under at the beginning of the season)
Jonathan Buttigieg YP16a - Age 20, Appearances: 46(8); Goals: 25; Assists: 20; Av. Rating: 7.52
Ryan Bolger SP15a - Age 22, Appearances: 40(6); Goals: 6; Assists: 10; Av. Rating: 7.47
Paul Moran SP17h - Age 19, Appearances: 12(9); Goals: 6; Assists: 3; Av. Rating: 7.30
Alan Sexton YP15a - Age 21, Appearances: 7(9); Goals: 0; Assists: 1; Av. Rating: 7.25
David Brennan YP15b - Age 20, Appearances: 6(2); Goals: 1; Assists: 1; Av. Rating: 7.15

As promised, a complete new top 5 this season!

Notable Mentions
Paul Clarke YP17h
Jon Mulcahy YP16b
Jason Rowe SP17f
Nathan McKenna SP19a
Ian Harker YP18a

Season  |          Club           |     Nation    |         League         |   Position  | Other  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016/17 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Scottish Cup
2017/18 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | League Cup, Europa League
2018/19 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup
2019/20 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup
2020/21 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup
2021/22 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, Scottish Cup, Europa League
2022/23 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Scottish Cup
2023/24 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | n.a.
2024/25 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | League Cup, Scottish Cup
2025/26 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Champions League
2026/27 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Club World Championship, resigned
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2026/27 |    Nottingham Forest    |    England    |  Sky Bet Championship  |     14th    | (joined with 10 games remaining)
2027/28 |    Nottingham Forest    |    England    |  Sky Bet Championship  |     1st     | n.a.
2028/29 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     13th    | n.a.
2029/30 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     16th    | n.a.
2030/31 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     n.a.    | resigned mid-season
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2031    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | Leinster Senior Cup, Senior Challenge Cup
2032    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | President's Cup
2033    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | n.a.
2034    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Leinster Senior Cup, Senior Challenge Cup
2035    |     Shamrock Rovers     |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Senior Challenge Cup, League Cup, President's Cup. Resigned as Wales manager.

[BoxToBox]

Excellent win, especially with 10 men.

[ManUtd1]

Excellent work! Loving the tactic!

[davehibb]

Great read. KUTGW.

[mjaferrie]

On 13/02/2017 at 17:49, BoxToBox said:

Excellent win, especially with 10 men.

 

17 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

Excellent work! Loving the tactic!

 

7 hours ago, davehibb said:

Great read. KUTGW.

Cheers lads!  Things are starting to tick along pretty nicely now with the Rovers - got everyone tied down to a Full Time contract which has more than trebled our wage outlay but with the Champions League moolah we can afford it.  Hopefully we'll be able to keep ahold of players now we have a bit of cash and the board won't feel inclined to accept offers - although it happened at Celtic with Dembele and I had to negotiate them out of it.  It would be great to get back into Europe again next season!

[mjaferrie]

Season Preview 2036

Aaaaah.  It all feels pretty relaxed this year now I don't have those pesky long distance flights with Wales.  The lads were great, but my heart's in Dublin.  Of course it is!  Dundalk's dominance is a distant memory, as we've claimed back to back titles, and just hammered them 3-0 in the President's Cup - the same score as in last year's game.  Now we've secured our place at the top of the Irish game we move on to the next, and much more significant, challenge - European progress.  In the summer Ireland will move up to 25th place in the coefficient table, which means we will have one representative move up from the Europa League 1st qualifying round to the 2nd.  The Premier Division is at £139k for winning again this year, so hopefully that will continue to increase.  More money, and teams moving up the rounds in Europe, means more teams turning pro, which means a better standard of league - which means more money!  We've just finished our 5th season in Ireland, hopefully after 5 more we'll see more teams get to the European playoffs or even the Group Stage. 

We start off this season as usual, with a Leinster Cup tie and the Presidents Cup.  We won both games 3-0.



In addition to spending money on upgrades, we've also been able to recruit a couple of players from English sides who my Chief Scout had filtered out of the "Realistic Transfers".  It took a bit more money in transfer fees and wages than we've been accustomed to so far, but these guys were totally worth it.  Hopefully they'll give us a chance at picking up some points in Europe over the coming years.

IN

Jack Jordan SP20a (18), born in Bray - £250k from Coventry
Gavin Forde SP20b (22), born in Dublin - £400k from Leyton Orient
David Williams SP20c (19), born in Bray - £160k from Bury

Forde was 21 at time of signing - his birthday is the 19th of January - and I'm delighted to have picked him up before he would have fallen outwith our limits.  He's a class left winger who will be a direct replacement for Mulcahy, whose loan spell with us ends at the end of this season, and can also play in attacking midfield - perfect!

OUT - none

LOANS - Will Thomas, to Birmingham

FIRST TEAM SQUAD

Goalkeepers

Barry Moran SP15e IRL (26) - 4CA/PA, our number 1.
Mikie Massey SP18b IRL (22) - 2.5PA, his potential has plummeted from 4PA and looks to be replaced soon by Jason Rowe SP17f.  
Verdict:  We're solid here, Moran is a beast.

Right Back

Nathan McKenna SP19a IRL (20) - 2CA, 4.5PA.  A retrained centre back, who comes into this position to replace Will Thomas
Alan Sexton YP15a IRL (21) - 1CA, 3PA.  No development from him last season, which is worrying.
Verdict:  We're grand here, I tried to sell Will Thomas during the transfer window but a loan deal was all that was offered.  

Left Back

James McLoughlin SP16b IRL (20) - 1.5CA, 3PA.  Had some incredible performances from him last season.
Conor Reilly YP17a IRL (18) - 1CA, 3PA.  Had some incredible performances from him last season.
Verdict:  Rough.  Mark Frahill's departure leaves us woefully understrength here.  Reilly makes the step up from the U19s, but is more comfortable on the right.  Might be our first IWB!

Centre Backs/Sweepers

Roberto Connolly IRL (26) - 3CA/PA. Captain.
Michael Murphy SP17e IRL (24) - 3.5CA/PA. First choice.
Ken Lynch-Clarke YP17g IRL (18) - 2CA, 3.5PA, developed a huge amount as expected - following Carney's departure a year ago he's had a lot of game time.
Verdict:  No change here really.

Right Midfielders/Wingers

David Williams SP20c ENG (19) - 2CA, 4PA.  The Bray-born Englishman is probably going to switch his allegiance to the country of his birth as I seriously doubt he'll reach England call-up standard.
Verdict:  Finally have a right winger!  After two seasons of being bone dry here the transfer market served up a diamond.

Left Midfielders/Wingers

Jon Mulcahy YP16e IRL (19) - 4CA, 5PA.  Gutted to have lost him to Reading, but a move away was always coming.  Fortunately they've let him join us on an 18 month loan deal.
Jonathan Buttigieg YP16a MLT (20) - 3.5CA, 5PA.  Mammoth improvement from the young Maltese starlet - retraining as an attacking midfielder has meant a huge increase in game time and 6 caps as a result.
Gavin Forde SP20b IRL (22) - 3CA, 4PA.  Long-term replacement for Mulcahy despite being 3 years older.
Verdict:  Solid!

Defensive and Central Midfield

Ryan Bolger SP15a IRL (22) - 2.5CA, 4PA.  Surprisingly fallen behind Adam Farrell.
Ian Harker SP18a IRL (21) - 2CA, 3.5PA.  Another one to falter, after two consective poor seasons.
David Brennan YP15b IRL (21) - 2CA, 3PA.  Returns from his loan spell and is a first team regular.  CA doesn't reflect his comparative stats with the above two players.
Dave Devaney SP17c IRL (21) - 2.5PA.  Unfortunately I think I've ruined this guys prospects.  He's a defensive midfielder who I wanted for cover at centre back, but the result has been no games in either position.  He's still young though, so plenty of time to improve.
Adam Farrell SP15d IRL (24) - 4PA.  An incredible breakthrough season.  I should have put this guy in the first team much sooner than I did, but he didn't seem up to it.  Blown his critics (yeah, yeah, okay... me ) miles away and is now our first choice.
Verdict:  What was that about needing a bit of quality?  Farrell has made a huge step up, but it looks like the other 4 are just bit part players for now.

Attacking Midfielders

Richie Nealon-Thornton IRL (26) - 3CA/PA, grand.
Gareth Wright SP15b IRL (23) - 3CA / 4PA, concerning drops in CA/PA but hopefully it's reflective of the squad's improvements as a whole.  
Kevin Healy SP16c IRL (23) - 2.5CA / 3PA.  Same as above.
Paul Moran SP17h IRL (23) - 2.5CA / 4PA.  Coming along nicely!
Verdict:  By far our strongest area of the park, with Buttigieg and Mulcahy dropping in from the left wing, and Brennan and Connor from up front.  

Strikers

Simon Brennan IRL (23) - 3CA/PA, dropped a whole star but attributes remaining intact hints at an overall squad improvement.  
Joey Connor SP15c IRL (23) - 4CA, 4.5PA, our best player by a mile!
Verdict:  Another Bray-born Englishman, Jack Jordan SP20a, is waiting in the wings for now.  He's being retrained as an AMC, to fit into our strikerless tactic.

Overall, the squad is looking pretty healthy these days.  With Will Thomas heading out on loan, our oldest player is now a ripe old 26!...

[mjaferrie]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

[BoxToBox]

They're dun alright.

[Keano16]

[mjaferrie]

Mid Season Report 2036

Kept a brief eye on the Euros this summer, Scotland again topped their group but fell at the Quarter Finals stage to a massive 6-0 defeat against Spain.  A harsh lesson for 2032's champions!

Anyway, summer means we're at the mid point of the season in Ireland, and Champions League football is just around the corner!  We face off against Luxembourgian side F91 Dudelange, in what should be a fairly routine tie.  Things have been pretty smooth domestically, we're 5 points clear of Dundalk with a game in hand, and we've already claimed the President's Cup and Leinster Cup!





After 3 consecutive demolitions of Dundalk at the beginning of the season, we let them have one back in May



So, with only 1 defeat and 3 draws so far this season, we head into the Champions League qualifiers!  

[clarkehwbu]

19 hours ago, mjaferrie said:

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

[mjaferrie]

30 minutes ago, clarkehwbu said:

Exactly!

Dudelange have been dispatched with ease...





... But we have a pretty tricky tie in the 3rd knockout round...

[mjaferrie]

Summer Transfer Window

Haven't had one of these for a while...  After a couple of years of forgetting all about this window being open thanks to the European excitement, we've recruited well this year!

IN

Anthony Benson SP20d (21), born in Dublin - Free from Cabinteely
Colin Goulding SP20e (20), born in Dublin - £240k from Dundalk
Denis Collins SP20f (21), born in Dublin - £200k from Preston
Kevin Gorman SP20g (19), born in Dublin - £5.5k from Dundalk

Four more Dubliners added to our ranks!

OUT

After returning from his loan spell at Birmingham, Will Thomas joins Rochdale on a permanent deal for £45k.

[mjaferrie]

Ticht as a fly's arsehole...

[mjaferrie]

We've been drawn against Sparta Prague in the Playoffs!



Whatever happens in this match, we'll have group stage football this season - win and we reach the Champions League again, lose and we drop into the Europa, which is in itself an achievement!  The assurance of European money, whichever way it ends up, means I'm happy to pull the trigger on these upgrades!





I'd been holding off such a big outlay in case we didn't make it to Group stage football this season, as the money would have been better spent in improving the squad via the transfer market.  This though, means we can further improve the players who are already here!

[mjaferrie]

A tight first leg away from home, but we scored two crucial away goals!



An even tighter game at home means we're going to the Champions League!!!



A really difficult group again this season, although to be fair, any team at this stage is likely to serve our asses on a plate.  Targets?  Well, any more than 1 point would be an improvement on last season!  Also looking to lose 'better' than Barcelona last night Under 4-0 defeats only please  

[mjaferrie]

Youth Intake Day!

Hmm... A half Irish, half Argentinian born in Argentina?  Seems legit...

[mjaferrie]

Season Review 2036!

Ridiculous to go as far as calling it a dip in form - but we lost a whole twice in the second half of the season, meaning we finish up this year with the exact same points total as last season.



We've beaten the league record for the biggest win, with a 7-2 victory over Cork City, and we've also won every trophy we entered this season - for the first time completing the quintuple!

League:



Cups:



In the Champions League this season, I didn't quite manage the "Better than Barca" target A massive 7-0 defeat against Leipzig was a disappointment, but we did manage to score against them on their own turf!  We also almost managed to draw with Real Madrid in Dublin, but again picked up only 1 point from the 6 games.





Top 5 Young Players of the Season (Players 21 and under at the beginning of the season)
Jon Mulcahy YP16b - Age 20, Appearances: 37; Goals: 20; Assists: 14; Av. Rating: 7.93
Nathan McKenna SP19a - Age 21, Appearances: 55; Goals: 5; Assists: 5; Av. Rating: 7.60
Jonathan Buttigieg YP16a - Age 21, Appearances: 32(11); Goals: 20; Assists: 6; Av. Rating: 7.47
Paul Moran SP17h - Age 20, Appearances: 13(11); Goals: 8; Assists: 11; Av. Rating: 7.38
Ian Harker YP18a - Age 22, Appearances: 17(29); Goals: 9; Assists: 10; Av. Rating: 7.27

Jon Mulcahy absolutely smashes the average rating records this season, and Reading have luckily agreed to let us extend his loan deal by a further 1 year.  Huge increase in performances across the board!

Notable Mentions
James McLoughlin SP16b
Ken Lynch-Clark YP17g
Kevin Gorman SP20g
Alan Sexton YP15a
David Brennan YP15b
 

Season  |          Club           |     Nation    |         League         |   Position  | Other  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016/17 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Scottish Cup
2017/18 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | League Cup, Europa League
2018/19 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup
2019/20 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup
2020/21 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup
2021/22 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, Scottish Cup, Europa League
2022/23 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Scottish Cup
2023/24 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | n.a.
2024/25 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | League Cup, Scottish Cup
2025/26 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Champions League
2026/27 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Club World Championship, resigned
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2026/27 |    Nottingham Forest    |    England    |  Sky Bet Championship  |     14th    | (joined with 10 games remaining)
2027/28 |    Nottingham Forest    |    England    |  Sky Bet Championship  |     1st     | n.a.
2028/29 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     13th    | n.a.
2029/30 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     16th    | n.a.
2030/31 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     n.a.    | resigned mid-season
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2031    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | Leinster Cup, Senior Challenge Cup
2032    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | President's Cup
2033    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | n.a.
2034    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Leinster Cup, Senior Challenge Cup
2035    |     Shamrock Rovers     |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Senior Challenge Cup, League Cup, President's Cup. Resigned as Wales manager.
2036    |     Shamrock Rovers     |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Leinster Cup, Senior Challenge Cup, League Cup, President's Cup.

[Keano16]

Luis O'Reilly hahaha.

[BoxToBox]

Excellent work in Europe, also, Luis O'Reilly!

[ManUtd1]

Brutal Group stage, as I actually liked that draw for you...certainly didn't expect Ze Germans to be that good.  Regardless, good cash and reputation boosts from the campaign.

Luis O'Reilly.  Sounds like a Will Ferrell character. 

[mjaferrie]

48 minutes ago, Keano16 said:

Luis O'Reilly hahaha.

 

40 minutes ago, BoxToBox said:

Excellent work in Europe, also, Luis O'Reilly!

 

2 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said:

Brutal Group stage, as I actually liked that draw for you...certainly didn't expect Ze Germans to be that good.  Regardless, good cash and reputation boosts from the campaign.

Luis O'Reilly.  Sounds like a Will Ferrell character. 

I'd upload some of his performances but the files are bigger than 2 mega bites  

Leipzig have been solid actually!  Won the Champions League 5 or 6 years ago, won the Europa League in 2019/20 and came runner up 10 years ago.

[mjaferrie]

December 2036

It's 10 years since I resigned at Celtic and moved on to become the manager of Nottingham Forest, and times have certainly changed!  From the heights of Champions League glory, we're now scrapping for a single point in the Group Stages at Shamrock Rovers.  I thought it would be interesting to take a 20 year look at the top leagues in Europe, as well as the Champions and Europa Leagues!

First up, the top 5 leagues in Europe!  Italy have dropped down to 6th, which means the top 5 are England, Germany, Spain, France and Portugal.

England has been a story of Manchester, with either City or United winning the title in 15 of the past 20 years.  Arsenal won 4 in the first 5 years of this save, and then Chelsea managed to break the North-West stranglehold back in 2030/31, but in fact Manchester City have won the Premier League an astonishing 5 times in a row since then and look set for their 6th!



Germany has seen a predictable stranglehold of it's own, with Dortmund's 5 titles and Leverkusen's 1 the only break from Bayern's total dominance of the German game.  Leipzig are certainly threatening though, with a top 3 place on 8 occasions.  



In Spain, the greatest shock has to be who hasn't won the league.  In 20 years since this save began, Barcelona have not won the title a single time.  Atletico's 9 titles and Real's 11 means the Spanish top flight has been in Madrid for 20 years.



France is another tale of dominance, unsurprisingly.  Monaco looked likely to break PSG's grasp on Ligue 1 with their wins in 2024/25 and 27/28, but the Paris side have won the league the other 18 times.



Portugal again sees a similar story, with Sporting CP's 2018/19 triumph the only time the title hasn't gone to Benfica.



So a running theme in Europe's top leagues.  Scotland, in 7th place, have seen the title go to Celtic all 20 times, but it's Italy that has the most interesting league in terms of challenging teams.  Juventus, Lazio, Roma, Inter Milan, Napoli and Atalanta have all won their domestic league.  

The Europa League has been won by a number of massive teams, with established giants Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus all winning Europe's secondary competition.  No team has won the competition more than twice in the last 20 years, although Celtic, Liverpool, Wolfsburg, Arsenal and Manchester City have all managed that feat.  The surprise of the competition for me though has to be a Manchester United v Barcelona final last season!



The Champions League hasn't been quite as varied as it's little brother, with Arsenal and PSG both winning it 3 times and Manchester United lifting the trophy an incredible 5 times in the last 20 years.  Manchester City on the other hand have toiled in this competition, coming 2nd five times including two final losses to their great rivals.



The world record transfer was Bernardo Silva's £113m move from Monaco to Manchester City in 2019/20 - he has since moved on to become manager at Barnet  

 

[mjaferrie]

Season Preview 2037

Following the quintuple win last season, domestic football is well under control.  After wrestling the domestic domination from Dundalk, we've turned our attentions to European progress and have made the Champions League Group Stages twice in a row.  In a bit of a change, I've decided to give the pre-season update before the opening cup matches, so here's how the squad's looking heading into the new year!

IN

John Allen SP21a (19), born in Dumboyne - Free, unassigned
James O'Brien SP21b (17), born in Drogheda - £32.5k from Drogheda United
Aidan Quigley SP21c (17), born in Dublin - £39k from U.C.D.
Tommy Brennan SP21d (19), born in Trim - Free, unassigned
Alan Gibbons SP21e (17), born in Dublin - £44k from U.C.D.
Jon Mulcahy YP16b - loan from Reading

OUT - none

FIRST TEAM SQUAD

Goalkeepers

Barry Moran SP15e IRL (27) - 4CA/PA, our number 1.
Jason Rowe SP17f IRL (20) - 4PA, solid backup. 
Verdict:  Mikie Massey goes out on loan to get some game time so Jason Rowe gets the nod.

Right Back

Nathan McKenna SP19a IRL (21) - 2CA, 3.5PA.  A sharp drop in PA, but the determined youngster is one of our best performers.
Alan Sexton YP15a IRL (22) - 1CA, 1.5PA.  Hopeless, tried to sell him but nothing doing.
Verdict:  I'd like to shift Sexton and bring in a replacement.

Left Back

James McLoughlin SP16b IRL (22) - 2CA, 3PA.  Improving well.
Kevin Gorman SP20g IRL (19) - 1.5CA, 3PA.  Looking forward to big things from this group of youngsters.
Chris Hallett YP20b IRL (17) - 1CA, 3PA.  
Verdict:  Reilly is released at the end of last season so Gorman and Hallett join the first team.

Centre Backs/Sweepers

Roberto Connolly IRL (27) - 3CA/PA. Captain.
Michael Murphy SP17e IRL (25) - 3.5CA/PA. First choice.
Ken Lynch-Clarke YP17g IRL (19) - 2CA, 3PA trying to sell him on.
Luis O'Reilly YP20c ARG (16) - straight into the team as L-C is likely to be sold.
Verdict:  Just O'Reilly in here.

Right Midfielders/Wingers

David Williams SP20c ENG (20) - 2CA, 4PA.
Glen Grimes YP20a IRL (17) - 1CA, 4PA. 
Verdict:  Both of these guys have plenty of potential!

Left Midfielders/Wingers

Jon Mulcahy YP16e IRL (20) - 4CA, 5PA.  Don't really need him any more due to the sheer number of options in this area, but he's our best player by a mile and I'm glad to get one more year out of him.
Jonathan Buttigieg YP16a MLT (21) - 4CA, 5PA.  Solid here or AMC.
Gavin Forde SP20b IRL (23) - 4PA.  Needs games at his age.
Verdict:  Solid!

Defensive and Central Midfield

Ryan Bolger SP15a IRL (23) - 2.5CA, 4PA. 
Ian Harker SP18a IRL (22) - 2CA, 3PA.  Another drop in PA.
David Brennan YP15b IRL (22) - 2CA, 2.5PA.
Dave Devaney SP17c IRL (22) - 2PA.  
Adam Farrell SP15d IRL (25) - 3.5CA/PA.  First choice.
Verdict:  Farrell is great, but we lack a bit of class here.

Attacking Midfielders

Richie Nealon-Thornton IRL (27) - 3CA/PA, grand.
Gareth Wright SP15b IRL (24) - 3CA, 3.5PA
Kevin Healy SP16c IRL (24) - 2.5CA, 3PA.
Paul Moran SP17h IRL (24) - 3CA, 4PA.  Improving all the time.
Verdict:  No change here!

Strikers

Simon Brennan IRL (24) - 2.5CA/PA, Might move him on.
Joey Connor SP15c IRL (24) - 4CA, 4.5PA, our best player by a mile!
Verdict:  Grand so!

The transfer window is still open, but there's unlikely to be any more movement now.  Players I've offered out have been on the list for a couple of months and nothing doing.  Here we go into the new season!

[mjaferrie]

Interesting times ahead!

[mjaferrie]

Or not...



But then 3 minutes later...

[deltablue]

Nice European run. 

[mjaferrie]

1 hour ago, deltablue said:

Nice European run. 

Thanks! Hopefully we can improve on our record 1 point next season
.
Meanwhile, that takeover went on for more than 4 months and then fell through.  What a kerfuffle.

[mjaferrie]

Mid Season Report 2037

It's all too easy on the domestic front.  Since the start of the year we haven't drawn a single game and we've only lost once, a 1-0 away defeat at Shelbourne.  Absolutely dominant here in Ireland!





The real goal is of course European competition, but I do wonder how long I'm going to have the stamina for a lack of a challenge domestically.  Domestic football is the bread and butter I guess, and we're just running away from the rest of the pack.  At the halfway point of the season, we're already 10 points ahead of Dundalk.  Hopefully our form can improve in Europe as well and make the Shamrock job a bit more interesting, but I feel like after claiming Dundalk's dominance there isn't much left to achieve here that wouldn't take 10-15 more years in the job.  A Europa or even Champions League win?  Miles off, we can't even claim more than a point in the groups...  It's a tricky situation!  Lots to think about.  Anyway, we're heading into the qualifiers again and we're off to Gibraltar to face Lincoln Red Imps!

[mjaferrie]

2037 Shamrock Rovers > 2016 Celtic

[ManUtd1]

1 hour ago, mjaferrie said:

2037 Shamrock Rovers > 2016 Celtic

[mjaferrie]

31 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said:

#notanembarrassment 

To be fair, he's more than made up for that defeat this season!

Anyway, this happened:





We were predicted to get hammered by the media.  I'm amazed we've got through, and it means we're definitely in European group competition again next season!  But we're rewarded with a seriously tricky tie:

[argento]

just caught up, great progress in champions league

[mjaferrie]

2 hours ago, argento said:

just caught up, great progress in champions league

Thanks mate!  Unfortunately our Champions League journey is over for this year, as Basel beat us home and away to consign us to the Europa League.





Two tight games, but unfortunately we just didn't have that cutting edge.  Pretty happy with this Europa draw though, I think we're definitely capable of taking some points here!



In other news, the transfer window has been and gone and while it's been a quiet one, we have one major transfer to be excited about!  5 years ago I signed a 17 year old named Darren Brown for £105k from Drogheda United.  He would only sign a non-contract deal at the time, and ended up moving to Raith Rovers in Scotland for free just one and half seasons later.  2 loan seasons at Dundalk followed before he broke into the Raith first team, but in a shock move he has rejoined us for £600k this summer!  He's just turned 22 on the 19th of August, and was 21 when we signed him in June.  Dead excited about this one!  Raith Rovers wanted £6m for us to resign him 2 years ago, so to get him for 10% of that is amazing!

[davehibb]

This is a great read.

It's making me want to seriously look into a sort of Gaelic/Celtic themed save. I can understand the struggle in terms of dominating domestically becoming stale though. Any ideas where you might like to end up next if the time to move on does come?

[BoxToBox]

Good fight against Basel though, they're usually a very strong team.

[mjaferrie]

On 17/02/2017 at 10:17, davehibb said:

This is a great read.

It's making me want to seriously look into a sort of Gaelic/Celtic themed save. I can understand the struggle in terms of dominating domestically becoming stale though. Any ideas where you might like to end up next if the time to move on does come?

Thanks!  I think if I were to do this kind of save again I'd search around for some Welsh / Irish systems with the lower leagues.  Only having the top flight in Wales makes that section of the journey seem a bit like a 'pit stop'   Maybe Northern Ireland or Wales next, or back to Scotland.  Depends what jobs are available because I'd preferably take over at a team with European history.

On 17/02/2017 at 11:17, BoxToBox said:

Good fight against Basel though, they're usually a very strong team.

Tricky games, despite dominating possession and having the most chances they still beat us in both games - gutting!  Hopefully we can pick up some points in the Europa League though!

[mjaferrie]

Youth Intake Day!

No mental South Americans this year, but we have a half Irish half Nigerian instead!  (Seriously, where do these guys come from?! I have an affiliate in Malta and an affiliate in Ireland)...  The top two this year are pretty good!

[mjaferrie]

We've just won our first ever European game and won the league with 5 games to spare!  Full update to follow

Edit:  Meanwhile, boardroom chaos returns.

[ManUtd1]

Congrats on the league and European win, although boardroom chaos is never welcome...

[mjaferrie]

Season Review 2037!

The board takeover is finally complete, after initial 4-month long talks collapsed and these looked to be heading the same way.  Previously we only had a Chairman, but we now also have 2 directors.





In a previous post I mentioned that we won the league with 5 games left to play, and we've also broken the total points record - beating Dundalk's previous total of 87 points by 1 point.  The prize money in the league is also up this season to £172k!  Not megabucks, but at least it's heading in the right direction.







3 defeats (against Shelbourne, U.C.D. and Dundalk) and a draw against Dundalk are our only dropped points this season.  We also beat Shelbourne in the Leinster Cup Final and Dundalk in the League Cup Final, but tasted defeat against Drogheda United in the Challenge Cup Quarters.



Europa League!

As I mentioned, we also picked up our first ever win in European competition, and in fact came 3rd in a group containing Valencia, Dnipro and PAOK.  A 1-0 home win over PAOK and a 2-1 away win against Dnipro meant that after 3 games we topped our group, despite a 4-0 defeat to Valencia in our 3rd game.  Unfortunately, 3-0 and 2-1 defeats to PAOK and Valencia meant that qualification wasn't possible, as they raced into the top 2 positions, and the final home game against Dnipro was a dead rubber with both sides unable to make the knockout stage.  7 points is not a bad showing for a team of our stature though!



Top 5 Young Players of the Season (Players 21 and under at the beginning of the season)
Jon Mulcahy YP16b - Age 21, Appearances: 54(1); Goals: 34; Assists: 25; Av. Rating: 7.88
Jonathan Buttigieg YP16a - Age 22, Appearances: 36(9); Goals: 25; Assists: 9; Av. Rating: 7.65
Nathan McKenna SP19a - Age 22, Appearances: 59; Goals: 2; Assists: 5; Av. Rating: 7.57
Darren Brown SP16a SP21f - Age 22, Appearances: 26; Goals: 1; Assists: 8; Av. Rating: 7.31
Kevin Gorman SP20g - Age 20, Appearances: 38(5); Goals: 0; Assists: 1; Av. Rating: 7.23

Jon Mulcahy was absolutely storming it again this season, and has made 10 apearances for Ireland.  His loan spell is up at the end of this season, but he's still 21 so would fit with our signing policy... Hopefully I can resign him before he turns 22.

Notable Mentions
Chris Hallett YP20b
Paul Moran SP17h
Jason Rowe SP17f
Alan Gibbons SP21e
Denis Collins SP20f

Season  |          Club           |     Nation    |         League         |   Position  | Other  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016/17 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Scottish Cup
2017/18 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | League Cup, Europa League
2018/19 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup
2019/20 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup
2020/21 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup
2021/22 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, Scottish Cup, Europa League
2022/23 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Scottish Cup
2023/24 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | n.a.
2024/25 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | League Cup, Scottish Cup
2025/26 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Glasgow Cup, League Cup, Champions League
2026/27 |         Celtic          |    Scotland   | Scottish Division One  |     1st     | Club World Championship, resigned
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2026/27 |    Nottingham Forest    |    England    |  Sky Bet Championship  |     14th    | (joined with 10 games remaining)
2027/28 |    Nottingham Forest    |    England    |  Sky Bet Championship  |     1st     | n.a.
2028/29 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     13th    | n.a.
2029/30 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     16th    | n.a.
2030/31 | Nottingham Forest/Wales |    England    | English Premier League |     n.a.    | resigned mid-season
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2031    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | Leinster Cup, Senior Challenge Cup
2032    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | President's Cup
2033    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     2nd     | n.a.
2034    |  Shamrock Rovers/Wales  |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Leinster Cup, Senior Challenge Cup
2035    |     Shamrock Rovers     |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Senior Challenge Cup, League Cup, President's Cup. Resigned as Wales manager.
2036    |     Shamrock Rovers     |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Leinster Cup, Senior Challenge Cup, League Cup, President's Cup.
2037    |     Shamrock Rovers     |    Ireland    | Irish Premier Division |     1st     | Leinster Cup, League Cup, President's Cup.