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[FM18]Martyrs To The Cause.....


BoxToBox

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We're off! Fourth season, league football, away we go!

I forgot to mention, Brexit came in, and it's harsh, all Europeans now require work permits. Won't directly affect us, as Wales is UK, but will probably place an even harsher premium on player prices. Thankfully, we've been granted further Coaching and Recruitment upgrades(Exceptional/Well Established), so the academy is well in place. Hopefully we can start bringing through more and more players of our own.

I was a tad disappointed as I couldn't get the players to try and play a new brand of football yet, so we remain with the three striker assault.

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Our youngster Wilson has made it into the dream eleven, which is a nice surprise!

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Super reasonable expectations, though I'd like to have had none in the Checkatrade, so I could more comfortably play lots of youth. I'll still squeeze as many as possible in.

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Big numbers in, as usual, but a good few are prospects hauled in from Wales before Brexit kicked in. We'll still be able to get them post-Brexit without work permits needed(I presume), but they now can't move until they're 18. Of course, we backed that up by having a massive clear out.

These are the big transfers.

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Mepham is a bit of an extravagance for us, but a really solid CB. Roberts I've been chasing for a year, a year of his career as a free agent. Wasted time, sigh.

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Evans was released by Man City, and has started on fire with 6 goals in 4 games.

We're also still in negotiation with another keeper, who should join any day.

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More important than any of these though, and it took all summer, but Wilson signed a new deal.

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He keeps going from strength to strength, and after fighting off many Championship, and a few Premiership sides, I'm starting to think he could be really good, maybe even eventually a Wales international?!

Now we have him being tutored to try and get him to fairly professional.

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That's the whole squad as it stands, but too reliant on loans, but we're still at the take what we can get stage.

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3 minutes ago, Timetxu said:

Just a quick question in there: how on Earth are you able to squeeze that much data in your squad overview? Is it the skin or just a very high resolution?

The resolution is 1920 x 1080, other than that, I can't say, I use that view with the default skins just fine.

 

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Halfway through the season now. On pitch, we're smashing it, financially we're in a a very dodgy situation. Perhaps I pushed the academy too much too soon, still, keep winning and it'll all work itself out.

More concerning, is about 16 clubs want Jack Wilson, even after the new contract in summer..... gonna be a hard fight to keep him.

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Bristol are a Championship club, but a crap one and we've already beaten them away in the Carabao Cup.

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Got this on the 200 games notice. :lol:

Is it failing if you're actually actively avoiding?

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8 hours ago, BoxToBox said:

On pitch, we're smashing it, financially we're in a a very dodgy situation. Perhaps I pushed the academy too much too soon, still, keep winning and it'll all work itself out.

In for a penny, in for a pound! We sold a player which got the finances slightly back into the black, and the recruitment option was open again....

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Exceptional Junior Coaching and Extensive Youth Recruitment somehow achieved in League Two. :lol:

 

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2 minutes ago, deltablue said:

Nice work getting the board to agree to that. I had a heck of a time getting a youth recruitment upgrade from above average. 

I couldn't believe it, thought it'd take a lot more time and effort, stronger finances too!

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2 hours ago, BoxToBox said:

I couldn't believe it, thought it'd take a lot more time and effort, stronger finances too!

I figured you would need better finances, but having the right agreed philosophies has always meant they're amenable to upgrades. Hopefully it'll kick things up a notch for you, and producing a few left-footed, red-haired, short forwards...

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3 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

I figured you would need better finances, but having the right agreed philosophies has always meant they're amenable to upgrades. Hopefully it'll kick things up a notch for you, and producing a few left-footed, red-haired, short forwards...

I'll see if the HOYD can set up a maximum height requirement at the door.

2 hours ago, Kubson said:

How is Evans doing?

Leading goalscorer with 26 so far.

4 minutes ago, Slipky said:

That's a fantastic read so far. Looking forward for more!

Cheers!

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Youth Intake Day!

We're back with a fresh crop of youngsters, and we'll see if the massive finances the club are pouring into youth development will pay off.

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HOYD likes Phil Morris, with good reason too...

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Morris could drop right into a squad role, not far off starter. Rowlands is never a CB, will try him at DM, but that Anticipation...... Jones may be alright as a wide striker in the three.

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18 minutes ago, oneronaldo said:

How the hell you keep doing this man, Phil Morris could be insane if his PA is as high as I think it could be

I'll be happy if he makes it to the Premiership. Him and Wilson could be a solid base to a long term side.

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Smashed through another season, and we're up to League One.

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Surprise of the season was Rhod Turner, a young prospect we took from Welsh side Barry on a flier, started growing quickly and became a senior side regular as the season rolled on.

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11 minutes ago, kingjericho said:

How big of a deal was this for your finances?

We were 250-300k in the red at the time, so quite helpful, also was the reason we were able to push through one of the recruitment upgrades.

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We're off in League One!

This time we have expectations too, board want top half, media reckon we should be third.

Transfers were quiet, by my standards, and extravagant by spending 450k when finances are so sketchy. There wasn't much to improve the first team in the main, the biggest hole in the squad was DM, and I did find a guy for that, where most of the money went. There were a few inside forwards, and more technical players I wanted, again to shift from 4-3-3, but none were interested in joining, so we'll soldier on. Developing a more stylish brand of football will have to remain a much longer term goal. Which is fine, the 4-3-3 is quite fun and brutally effective.

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Two players in the media's eleven, the beast Wilson, and loanee poacher Gethin. The other whites are all Derby, of course.

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We should hit all of this fairly handily.

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Only the one of these is expected to be a starter, maybe two at a push.

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Poole is the big deal, our new starting DM, replacing a fellow who was on loan and sent back to Crewe, who were relegated to the Conference, and he still can't get in their team...... Jones was another arranged with the pre-Brexit Welsh clubs, but was 15 at the time, so we had to wait on his arrival. Perhaps a mistake looking at his PA now, but still has the look of developing into a useful backup DM at least. Williams is handy versatile depth, and we were relatively short at CB anyway.

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Swift was released by Chelsea and could be a really tidy player. Lewis is depth at fullback, as is Davies, who was on loan here last season.

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That's how we stand, and we're off!

 

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10 hours ago, Nobby_McDonald said:

Well done Box. Merthyr Tydfil finally have a Football League team.

Cheers!

4 hours ago, DavidBeckham said:

Regan Poole \o/ Always great to see that Man United connection!

Love it, him and Levitt, was very excited to land them.

3 hours ago, kidthekid said:

Making swift progress up the ladder. Can't wait until you get into the premiership. The Wales national team should benefit from your progress.

Hopefully, we already send them a good 15 players for the youth teams, and 3 full internationals, sometimes 4, but two of them are loanees from Swansea and Brentford. Jack Wilson has started getting caps though.

3 hours ago, Sheriff7 said:

Great battle against Chelsea mate.. :applause:

Cheers!

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Youth Intake Day!

The latest batch of warriors arrive, and the money troubles all seem a little more worthwhile...

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The HOYD likes Tucker a lot, but there's quite a few handy players there, and a lot of professionalism.

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Tucker could be a fine, solid centre half. Amos is a bit limited on some of the necessaries to be a winger but could be the key piece in moving from three strikers. Phillips looks a fox in the box.

Also, the day before the intake, we confirmed promotion to the Championship.

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Yeesh! We'll not be able to improve much, unless we get really lucky in summer, and we're definitely losing two key players on loan who's parent clubs want them for first team football.

Also, that wage budget is 10k lower than Billericay Town in the Conference. :lol:

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Just now, noikeee said:

Jesus man, I was expecting you to shoot up the leagues but by now I expected some kind of challenge at least. To be leading League 1 by 22 points is just absurd. :lol:

So was I!

If anything League One has been the easiest yet.....

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49 minutes ago, kingjericho said:

You get promotions faster than you change avatar

I like to spice things up! :D

17 minutes ago, john1 said:

No surprised you are in championship so quickly :D;) 

How do you get through the season so quickly :eek: 

Lot of spare time, been off all last week sick, and probably all this week too.

If it wasn't for the fact that I was so sick, but still had the time, I could have been another season or two along.

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