FM20: The English Football League thread

[goonergez]

Tonbridge Angels: 2021/22 Season Preview

I've completed two full seasons in charge at the Longmead Stadium now, with both of them ending in play-off heartbreak. We've overachieved to finish in 7th and then 5th position in the league table, but to lose out twice in the post-season has been extremely tough to take. The board are absolutely delighted with us though, and if I take a step back I can definitely see why. This team was expected to be relegated in my first season at the helm, and we went on to shock everybody and have an opportunity at promotion instead. We then went even better last season, finishing in 5th place and for much of the season looking as though we could even put a run together and win the league title. It just feels that now we're a little bit stuck in this division. It's been very pleasing to lead this side to two consecutive club record seasons since I took charge, but now it's about pushing on and trying to be the man to take this side higher than they have ever been before. Promotion to the Conference National is the target, and I would like it to happen soon.

For me it felt very much like the squad here was basically what we needed it to be. We certainly didn't need an overhaul, and the most important part was probably to keep the majority of our squad together. We actually did a very good job of that over what turned out to be a pretty quiet summer. Immediately keeping players looked tricky, as football league sides started showing an interest in one of our star players from last season. Luis Binks was attracting interest, although only one actual bid came in for his services. We rejected a £10,000 offer for him, and instead managed to get him to sign a new contract with us. Other than that we didn't really get much interest, and we managed to clinch a number of key players to new contracts for the coming season. Even winger Jesus Cruz managed to extend his stay here, despite having to go through an appeal process to get him a valid work permit.

Contract expirations saw three players leave the club, although only one of them was a regular within our first team squad. Youngsters Rian Bray and Liam Smith both left after a handful of appearances for us, but 26-year old Tom Beere would be more sorely missed. The long time servant was here before I took charge, and made 35 league appearances for us last season. We couldn't guarantee him regular first team football though, and he chose to opt out of his non-contract agreement with us and leave the club. Our only other departure was another player on a non-contract agreement. Kings Langley had shocked everybody by avoiding relegation from our division last season, and they moved to clinch the signing of winger Nosa Iyamu for us. He was one of my first signings for this football club, but wasn't a regular starter and in all honesty wouldn't be badly missed.

We had a fairly quiet summer on the arrivals front too, bringing in just four new players to the club. All four of them were released from Football League clubs, and all of them were just 18-years of age. I'm confident that they are perfect signings for us, and all four will go on to be a big part of our squad over the coming campaign.

First into the club was Daniel Oyegoke, who had been released by Arsenal at the end of his youth contract there. He's a right back who will slot straight into our side. We had to fight really hard to get him to agree terms with us, but he looks far too good to be here for long. Fellow defender Alex Kirk also joined after release by Arsenal, giving us a third strong option at centre back. With Alex Kirk, Harry Philby and Luis Binks we have three really strong central defenders, amongst the best in the division. With either Reece Hannam or Richard Poole at left back and Oyegoke on the right, we really do have a brilliant looking defensive line.

I didn't manage to bring in an out and out goal scorer like I was hoping to, but we did fill the two gaps I had highlighted within our midfield. My favourite summer arrival was that of Malachi Talent-Aryeetey, who was released by Reading in the summer. The central midfielder looks really promising, and I can see him being an integral part of our midfield from the first kick of the season. Released by Aston Villa we also brought in a winger, as Tristan Abldeen-Goodridge came in. We may only have four new faces, but they all look to add significant strength within our squad.

I'm really hoping that we can go on this season and enjoy a successful campaign. We've built a really strong squad of players here, and I was delighted that we managed to keep hold of all of our important first team performers. Defensively we look sound, and I am left pleased that we managed to strengthen our midfield with a couple of solid looking arrivals. Up top I didn't manage to find an upgrade on Jaden Thompson-Brissett, but hopefully we can keep him fit this season. If he is fit he will score, and its only in his absence that I can see us struggling for goals. I am absolutely delighted with our squad, and in all honesty I can't really see how we could be any stronger than we are. Its a small squad, but it is an impressive one nonetheless.

The board have increased their expectations for the coming campaign, but still only want us to clinch a finish within the top-half of the table. We've managed it twice already, and I really can't see us falling short at this attempt either. All the while we are matching the expectations I am happy, as it means my job security here isn't in doubt. The league produced preview reckons we will finish in 8th position, as you can see from the above image. The media are on a different wavelength though. They've made us favourites to win the league title, with odds of 6-4 on offer for it. I'm not sure we are really capable of that just yet, but I definitely expect us to go on and clinch a third straight campaign within the play-offs. To have the opportunity to fight it our for promotion is the least I expect, and we certainly have a squad that should be capable of doing at least that, if not more.

[CityAndColour]

@goonergez - bad luck again, beginning to think there's a curse on Tonbridge! Between us that's seven playoff appearances and no promotions across three saves.

(Actually that's a lie. I played a season with them on beta and got promoted via the playoffs, but didn't continue the save.)

I won't be playing FM for another week so with the pace you play at, you'll probably be a league side by the time I update again.

[goonergez]

2 minutes ago, CityAndColour said:

@goonergez - bad luck again, beginning to think there's a curse on Tonbridge! Between us that's seven playoff appearances and no promotions across three saves.

I won't be playing FM for another week so with the pace you play at, you'll probably be a league side by the time I update again.

It does seem that this game really doesn't want Tonbridge to be anywhere other than the Conference South. I'm lucky I get so much time to play this game. I'm in a job whereby I get home at like 2-3pm and the missus works through til 6-630pm. She's been working weekends too so I am literally playing this game all of the time at the moment. Beginning to worry I am peppering too many updates into this thread though!

[warlock]

27 minutes ago, goonergez said:

Beginning to worry I am peppering too many updates into this thread though!

Nah, have at it! Your updates are always a good read.

I'm busy at the moment with a lot of real-life distractions so I'm not getting a lot of time for the game or the forum, but it's always good to see an update or two when I check in 

[Jogo Bonito]

2 hours ago, goonergez said:

It does seem that this game really doesn't want Tonbridge to be anywhere other than the Conference South. I'm lucky I get so much time to play this game. I'm in a job whereby I get home at like 2-3pm and the missus works through til 6-630pm. She's been working weekends too so I am literally playing this game all of the time at the moment. Beginning to worry I am peppering too many updates into this thread though!

Another cracking update but yet more heartbreak. Maybe I wasn't wrong when i said you two Tonbridge managers might take 100 years each to get your Angels promoted. And as said by @warlock your updates are always enjoyable and there is no need to feel that you have taken over at all. 

Hopefully I will be 'back in the game' again soon and able to share some of the posting burden with you.

[jonathan44]

SWFC End of Jan 2022:

My form has massively improved, winning 6 games in 10 (alright one was in the FA cup but I'm taking it!). My favourite game was an epic 3-3 draw with Chelsea, with Smith Rowe and Nketiah played an absolute blinder only to let in a goal in the 92nd minute.

On the transfer front, I've been expecting a bid for Sergio Gomez throughout January which never showed up and with the recent form of Alena I would've let him go for his buyout £48 million. My major aim was to sell Aursnes, he only played 13 games in 12 months, so he has returned to China for 250k less than I bought him for. Jordan Thorniley thoroughly rocked the boat after turning in a transfer request after a low ball offer of 7 million from Leicester. I didnt' want to sell, but the squad thought he deserved a move so eventually I agreed to let him go for £10.75 rising to £13 million, I think I could've got more but he was unhappy and I've got bigger issues to deal with. Axel Tuanzebe was transfer listed and in his final 6 months of his contract, so he's a good homegrown replacement. Other than that Penny and Odubajo left, both wanted first team football and to get money for both made me genuinely happy. Overall spend for the year £21 million.

In terms of other arrivals, two regens took my fancy. As I was scouting Evander at Midtjylland, a lad called Hassan attracted my scouts attention. With Forestieri out for the season and out of contract, he fits the general mould of players I go for (unhappy, cheap or transfer listed) and looks a talent to groom. As I sold Odubajo, Dominic Iorfa was my only cover at RB and then naturally was ruled out for 2 months, so I've signed an unhappy American regen called Gatti who at 18 is happy to play understudy to Henrichs for a season or two.

[StePratt]

Middlesbrough 2019/20

 

Had a break from English football for a week with Barcelona, that was a lot of fun, if a little easy. I got the Championship bug and wanted to try out somethings I had learned in Catalunya.

I started saves with Reading and West Brom but couldn't get into them. Eventually settled on Boro. Deciding to keep a positive transfer net spend throughout the save with no incomings in season 1. Just to add a layer of intrigue for myself.

Playing a very basic 4-3-3 we are massively over performing, currently sitting 2nd in the table, only tasting defeat 4 times so far. The season got off to a bad start with star centre half Daniel Ayala breaking his leg in pre-season, only just returning to full training. That meant I called Nathan Wood up from the Under 23s, he looks a star in the making. I've had a falling out with Dael Fry, so Wood will be getting plenty of game time. There is a lot of young and talented players in this squad, some of the experienced pros should definitely be worried. My two best players are both on loan from Man City, Nmecha and Roberts. They have both been highly impressive. Some Premier League clubs are looking at Ashley Fletcher, I'd be very reluctant to see him leave in January but money talks.

Has anyone else done a Boro save? Does the academy produce enough talent?

[goonergez]

Tonbridge Angels: 2021/22 Season Review

Going into the season feeling optimistic we started perfectly, picking up comfortable victories and clean sheets in our first two matches. That was as good as the opening month would be though, as we won just one of the next five, disappointingly losing three of them too. We went unbeaten through the whole of September, before suffering just the one defeat in October. That defeat being a disappointing 2-3 away to Concord Rangers in which we scored two late goals to make it look tighter than it really was. The lack of defeats was a real bonus, but we were simply drawing far too many matches. We sat comfortably within the play-off spots, but were already falling off of the pace set by the league leaders.

The defeat to Concord Rangers proved to be our last of the calendar year, as we enjoyed unbeaten months through both November and December to boost our campaign. We were still drawing matches, but thankfully Jaden Thompson-Brissett had found a bit of form, and we turned a few more drawing positions into victories. We pushed higher up the league table, and as the year ended we were sat just one point behind the leaders Havant & Waterlooville. Worryingly though, after slow starts both Maidenhead and Wealdstone found themselves sat in the play-off spots after relegation last season. They had both started the season slowly, but were really beginning to find some form. We ended the year by making a transfer, moving to bring in 23-year old striker Archie Johnson to the club from Kings Langley. He had a really good season for them last time around and although he had started this one slowly, I was pleased to bring him in. I was hoping he could contribute more goals as backup than Jobe Wakeling had. In truth he didn't though, bagging just one goal in twenty three appearances for us, although most of them were from the bench.

We started the new year with a solid enough performance, in a 1-1 draw away at fellow play-off chasers Weymouth. A truly disappointing loss to struggling Poole Town followed, although we wouldn't taste defeat again until April. That run saw us pick up seven victories, and a truly shocking nine draws. We fell off the pace of Maidenhead, who had come from nowhere to race away to the league title. We were comfortably in the play-off places, and at no stage was there ever any worry about missing out. It was however disappointing that we managed to fall so far off the leaders pace though, especially as we had made ourselves so difficult to beat. The main positive of that run was the lack of goals that we conceded. At one stage stringing together a run of five matches without conceding a goal, although we only won two of them. The main performer for us was unsurprisingly goalkeeper Kacper Kurylowicz, who was proving himself to be a cut above for this level.

April really summed up our season, as we completely buckled under the signs of pressure. We suffered back to back losses in matches we really should have been winning. Oxford City saw us off 0-2, and then we followed it up by losing and being completely outclassed 1-3 to Chesham United to leave us under real pressure on the final day. We sat in 4th position, needing to win and hope Wealdstone would drop points in order to finish 3rd. That would've been huge as we'd have home advantage in the play-off semi-finals and avoid having to play in the First Round of the post-season. In the end we dropped right down to 6th though after a drab 0-0 draw. We controlled the game against Dorking Wanderers away, but couldn't score. Other results really didn't go our way, with all our rivals around us in the table winning. We would have to enter the play-offs in the First Round, and had a tricky one away at Dulwich Hamlet who had finished the season in strong form.

And surprise surprise, it happened again. Three seasons in now, and three play-off disappointments. We never got going in the game, and despite a late flurry we couldn't fight back from an early goal. We lost the game 0-1 and bowed out at this stage for the second consecutive season. Looking back now, it's clear that our poor end to the league season really hurt us. We had thrown away our chance of making the post-season shorter, and with the home advantage too. Truly disappointing.

The cup competitions saw us show ourselves in a solid light though, as we put in good runs in both the FA Cup and the FA Trophy. The FA Cup started with a brilliant 2-0 away win at Froome Town, before we saw off fellow Conference South side Carshalton 2-1 at the Longmead Stadium. We needed a replay to get through Maidenhead on penalties in the final qualifying round to reach the First Round proper of the competition. Conference National side Hereford United visited us, and we were somewhat unfortunate to lose the game 0-2 and exit. 

In the FA Trophy we got through Willand 4-1, Tilbury 2-0 away and then Cheshunt 5-2 at the Longmead to reach the Third Round of the competition. We were drawn away against Aldershot Town, and were unfortunate to miss out. The Conference National side beat us 0-2 to end what had been a really good run for us.

I'm absolutely devastated to end the season with another play-off defeat, especially as we had the opportunity to even avoid the game. A poor final month of the season really cost us, and damaged our play-off campaign. We just drew far too many games through the season. If we could've turned a few of those draws into victories then we could've fought for at least 2nd spot, if not the league title. We only lost seven times throughout the season, and only Bath City and Havant & Waterlooville had better defensive records than us. Goalkeeper Kacper Karyluwicz was superb for us, keeping 20 clean sheets (one more than last season), and conceding just 34 goals. Jaden Thompson-Brissett was once again our top scorer, finding 20 league goals and finishing joint top in the league rankings. 

Our best performer was probably Jesus Cruz though. The 22-year old was our most creative player, laying on 14 assists and himself finding the net on 8 occasions. We've tied him down for another season, and I definitely am not ready to let him leave the club. Holding on to players may prove more difficult this summer though. Luis Binks is a wanted man again, and he's refusing to enter talks with us over a new contract. Backup goalkeeper Charlie Freeman is also attracting interest, as is right back Daniel Oyegoke. He enjoyed a really good first season with us. It's going to be a tough summer for us, and I am more than a little fearful about what may happen over the next few months.

[Jean0987654321]

Crewe - Season 2
A crazy yet unlikely successful campaign in the first season in League One. We won the EFL Trophy and we got the back-to-back promotions but we had to work a bit harder to get it. FFP was on our asses month after month so I had to do a little creative things to get around that. I was able to dump out all of the deadwood which gave us plenty of money and wages to get some League 1 quality players. In January, I found a hidden lower league gem in former Manchester United youth player Michael Fornaiser and that shored up the backline.
Sam Hendriks was also the transfer of the season. Scored loads of goals leading the line (and we were screwed without him in the squad when he got hurt.

Here are the results


And the tactic here was inspired by Julian Naglessmann. I needed a bit of stability at the back and I figued 3-in-the-back shape was enough.

And now the players

Solid at the middle of the pitch. I always thought of releasing at season's end but St. Johnstone came in and got him on a Bosman.

He played well as a DM and it is sad time but I had to leave him behind as he isn't good enough for the Championship

Dead ball specialist and is a great hand at LB. I just renewed him on the cheap as he'll come fine in the Championship

Did pretty well as a RWB so I went on ahead and renewed him. Will be a backup for the new guy

A sad time as he will leave us on a Bosman. FFP was down our throats throughout our League 1 campaign and I couldn't renew before FC Inter (not Milan) came in and got him. Not the best GK but he had a lot of clean sheets in his name

Good solid CB that can play LB as well. Renewed him on the cheap for next season. Hopefully, we'll have enough funds to buy him permanently from City

Did pretty well as a backup but he was never going to make the step up to the Championship so I'll leave him behind

A hidden gem from Germany. Can play as a RB and as a CB and did pretty well in both. Don't think he's good enough for the Championship tho so I placed him on the chopping block

Scored plenty of goals even if he is a CB so he'll surely be missed.

Didn't do too well compared to last season but he was solid nonetheless. Sad to let him go on a free to Braga but I brought him loan almost right away so

One of the most important players in this save. But he's not good enough in order to survive in the Championship

New(ish) kid on the block. I'm working hard on improving his pace but he has come up with some important goals/assists. He has the potential to become our Lampard

Decent player. Chipped in a bit but thats it

The man with all the goals

Oh and we had some new owners as the old one retired so more money injected into the club.

And other notes

 

[goonergez]

Tonbridge Angels: 2022/23 Preview

The devastation of a third straight disappointment in the pay-offs would live long into the summer months, as I seriously began to question my position as manager of this football club. Trying to figure out how to avoid further disappointment would again prove difficult, although I did decide that I was the right man to lead this club, and that they were currently the right club for me. I signed a new one year contract extension to stay at the Longmead Stadium, and set about trying to put together a squad that could go further and help us finally succeed in this division. On paper the squad we had already looked competitive and strong, but it would be about finding a couple of new faces to help us get over the finish line and gain promotion to the Conference National for the first time in this clubs history. The board increased their expectations for the coming campaign, expecting us to make the play-offs again this term. I was more than confident that would be achievable, and didn't set out to make wholesale changes to our squad ahead of the new campaign.

The most important aspect of our summer wasn't even particularly transfer related. Keeping hold of our important and established first team players was the biggest task, and thankfully we managed to achieve it. Jesus Cruz had already signed a contract extension (albeit through another work permit appeal process), but we also managed to tie down a number of others. Full back Daniel Oyegoke, goalkeeper Charlie Freeman and defender Harry Philby all signed amid interest from much bigger clubs than ours. The biggest coup was in keeping key defender Luis Binks though. We had to reject a number of bids from other clubs for his services, but he eventually signed a new one year contract to stay here and help our cause.

We did however allow a total of five players to head out of the exit door here at the Longmead Stadium. Partly to free up some room on the weekly wage budget, and partly to make room within the squad for new arrivals. 19-year old Jobe Wakeling was our top goal scorer in my maiden campaign here, but managed just the one solitary goal last season. He left at the end of his contract here, bringing to an end a three year spell in which he made 90 appearances for the club, and scored an impressive 25 goals. Fellow striker Archie Johnson left after an extremely disappointing seven month spell here, as did long time winger Joe Turner. Turner was a solid enough performer during my time here, but had suffered a few injuries last season and was beginning to decline in ability.

The other two departures were potentially surprising ones, but exits that I felt certainly wouldn't hinder our progress. Left back Reece Hannam left to join Dorking Wanderers after a solid if unspectacular two season spell with us. Winger Tristan Abldeen-Goodridge also departed after just one season with the club. The left winger failed to impress and managed just two goals for us last season. He wanted a huge pay rise to stay, and I wasn't willing to give it to him. He was released at the end of his contract and has since been picked up by football league side Walsall.

Another quiet summer took place regarding arrivals, with only four new faces arriving at the club. Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, three of them joining from fellow Conference South side Dulwich Hamlet. Their squad is of similar ability to ours, and like us they have also faced disappointment in the last three play-off campaigns. Wingers Curtis Langton (19-years old) and Lamar Reynolds (27-years old) were both picked up following impressive campaign's at Dulwich Hamlet. Between them they scored 24 goals in the Conference South last season, and we struggled to deal with both of them when we came up against them. Reynolds in particular was impressive against us. The final raid on Dulwich saw us sign 24-year old central midfielder Matt Carter. He will offer some depth to our options as he did with them, making 17 appearances last season. The final arrival was that of 18-year old striker Luca Brazil. He was released by Southampton at the end of his youth contract with them in the summer, and was chased by pretty much every team within our division. We managed to convince him to join us though, and I am hoping we will be a perfect backup and rotational option for Jaden Thompson-Brissett in front of goal.

As I have already said, the board are expecting us to make the play-offs again this season. The first time they have been so ambitious. It's a testament to how well we have done in my time here, that they now feel they can show such levels of ambition I'm confident that our squad is capable of doing at least that, although again I feel we will be someway short of fighting it out for the league title. I want us to get promoted, but I really do feel that we are only really good enough to compete for another season within the play off places.

The media seem to agree with my views too, significantly lowering there expectations for us on last season. They reckon we will sneak into the play-off places with a 7th placed finish, although we are still able to be found as short as 5-1 to life the league title. I'd like us to do better than we have done before, and ideally clinch a finish within the top-3 positions. That would allow us to avoid the First Round of the play-offs and also give us the significant advantage of playing at home in the semi-final stage. I'm confident that we should be strong enough to do that, but we will have to try and avoid drawing as many games as we did last season. It was nice to avoid losing too many games, but we have to start turning some of those drawing positions into victories. If we do that then we could potentially turn promotion into a genuine reality.

[Jogo Bonito]

Sadly I have ditched my new managerial career at Crawley after one league game. The club cannot comply with EFL rule 33.11 on HGC status players.

https://www.efl.com/-more/governance/efl-rules--regulations/section-5--fixtures/

I've posted about it in the bugs section of the forum as I don't fancy a whole season with a maximum of six subs. I wonder how they navigate this rule in real life. In short, they have a senior squad and U23 squad with no HGC players (or any out on loan). They have no U18 team either.

So, it narrows my choice of new clubs to three and it will probably be create a club mode again (ironically, avoiding this mode was the reason I chose Crawley).

Very unlucky @goonergez words fail me. But you have another 96 seasons to beat the target I set you!

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

20 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I wonder how they navigate this rule in real life

Six subs, I believe. When I first came across this in game (FM19 or FM18) I did an online search and found several clubs in the Championship and lower who had fallen foul of the rule. I believe Norwich, with their German-heavy squad, was one. I abandoned a couple of saves because of the same issue - Carlisle was definitely one - so I sympathise.

[DefinitelyTaylor]

1 hour ago, warlock said:

Six subs, I believe. When I first came across this in game (FM19 or FM18) I did an online search and found several clubs in the Championship and lower who had fallen foul of the rule. I believe Norwich, with their German-heavy squad, was one. I abandoned a couple of saves because of the same issue - Carlisle was definitely one - so I sympathise.

Salford are another. I noticed after checking to see whether one of our former players (now back here on loan, Dan Jones) was involved in the team from a week-to-week basis. Consistently six subs only. 

[goonergez]

Tonbridge Angels 2022/23 Season Review

Another season at the Longmead Stadium has come to an end, and it is fair to say that this one was by far my most disappointing. Hoping to push for promotion we disappointed everybody, and would finish the season without even reaching the play-off positions. The first time under my management that this had happened.

Our frustrating season was just built upon inconsistency. We struggled to get going at all, and although we won games we slipped down the table late on in the campaign. We just couldn't string together any runs of form, and it saw us fail to really push at the top end of the table. We spent nearly all season within the play-off spots, before we faded away horrifically at the end. The form of Jaden Thompson-Brissett probably summed up our campaign really. He scored for fun during the first half of the season, before managing just one goal in the last two months of the season, without any injury lay offs too. We completely disintegrated in the closing stages, winning just two of our last fourteen matches. In contrast we lost eight of those games. We ended up going into the final game of the season needing to beat Champions Eastleigh away, and hoping that either Chesham Town or Dulwich Hamlet would lose. Dulwich did indeed lose, and we were leading our game 1-0 as the clock ticked past 83 minutes. We conceded an equaliser then, and chasing the game we conceded a second in the last minute to lose. 

The cup competitions saw us do alright this season, although far from exceptional. In the FA Cup, a Lamar Reynolds hat-trick saw us win 4-0 away against Blackfield in the Second Round of qualifying. We then saw off a spirited Herne Bay side 3-1 after extra time to book a Fourth Qualifying round draw at home to Aldershot Town. We went down 0-1 to the Conference National high-flyers, but could be proud of our performance and effort. In the FA Trophy we relied upon replays to get through Dulwich Hamlet, Oxford City and Farsley Celtic and reach the Third Round of the competition. Drawn at home against fellow Conference South side Concord Rangers we put in a dismal performance, and bowed out after a 0-1 defeat.

With my contract expiring I genuinely feared that missing out on the play-off spots would see the board choose to cut ties with me. Thankfully they didn't, and they've given me a new one year contract to stay with the club. I didn't expect it at all but I am extremely thankful for the faith they have shown. I'm also thankful that next season the expectations have lowered to only a top-half finish. Although saying that, the boards new club vision sees them want the club to gain promotion within the next three seasons. A bit of pressure, although good to see that they have some ambition.

Simply put, too many of our players performed too consistently average all season long. Kacper Kurylowicz still managed to impress me, conceding 42 league goals and keeping a total of 18 clean sheets. Defensively we were not as strong as last season, and I can see some changes being made to our back line In midfield we were decent enough, and I was very pleased with our wingers. Summer recruit Lamar Reynolds laid on 10 assists with 9 goals himself from the left, with Jesus Cruz scoring 8 and assisting 15 from the right hand side. Up top Jaden Thompson-Brissett bagged 18 league goals, but I will still be looking to replace him. He just goes through far too many patches where he's unable to score. If we had a 30 goal a season striker I genuinely believe that we could fight it out for the league title. We need more goals, it's that simply really. 

Somewhat shockingly, Billericay Town were relegated this season, and I will definitely be looking at there squad. I'll be handing out some trial offers to some of there stronger players as I look to improve our squad. I feel like we really need to be promoted soon now, especially as our financial status is just about to hit the red. That really is something I am really worried about.

[CityAndColour]

Do Billericay still have Darren Oldaker? He is usually a class above in my lower league saves.

[goonergez]

No mate. He was an early target of mine on this save but unsurprisingly didn’t wanna talk to the lowly Angels. He left after the first season and although I can’t remember where, he is playing in the football league.

[daho]

anyone got recommendations for english players from lower leagues or championship suitable for Brentford? just got promoted to PL

[Jean0987654321]

15 hours ago, daho said:

anyone got recommendations for english players from lower leagues or championship suitable for Brentford? just got promoted to PL

Think you can get Jude from Birmingham or Luke Mathison?

 

I'd even consider my baby Charlie Kirk from Crewe

Edited March 8, 2020 by Jean0987654321

[goonergez]

Tonbridge Angels: 2023/24 Preview

After the disappointment of last season and missing out on a play-off spot altogether, this summer was to be a huge one for my football club. My reign was under the biggest pressure so far, and promotion seemed further away than it had ever been. Somehow I had managed to keep my job though, surely helped by the overachievements of my first couple of seasons in charge here. Feeling the pressure, we entered the summer needing to make some changes to strengthen and prove that last season was just a blip in the road. The wage budget was kept at the same by the board, with their expectations for us to make the play-off positions once more. Even without changes I was confident we could do that, but we would indeed go on to make changes to our personnel.

There wasn't a mass exodus, but we did lose a few key members of our squad at the end of their contracts with us. Right back Daniel Oyegoke was the biggest, as he refused to discuss terms on a new deal with us. He was one of the first names on the team sheet, but left us after a largely consistent two years with the club. Fellow regular Lamar Reynolds also left, much to my dismay. He opted to leave the club and join recently relegated Torquay United, despite an offer on the table from us to stay. Midfielder Mylo Hall was only a bench warmer for much of last season, but I was sad to see him leave the club. He was one of my first signings at the club, but he opted to join Havant & Waterlooville rather than stay with us. Fellow midfielder Matt Carter also left, but he had only made a handful of appearances for us after his free transfer from Dulwich Hamlet last summer. The only other departure was that of young striker Luca Brazil. He was a regular on the bench for us last season, but didn't impress me enough to earn himself a new deal with us.

In total we brought five new players into the club, and I am extremely excited with all of them. We needed a new right back to replace Oyegoke, and my main target was to find a striker to replace the frustratingly wasteful and inconsistent Jaden Thompson-Brissett. His goal scoring record for the club is good, but his lack of consistency and regular goals hurts us, and I wanted a stronger option.

Chasing a right back proved to be our most difficult task of the summer, although we did end up finding someone who looks a future star. 20-year old Kallum Cesay was released by Tottenham and looks a really bright talent indeed. We also moved to bring in another defender, as 18-year old Rene Martz was picked up after his release from Arsenal. We moved to sign another ex-Arsenal youngster, as 18-year old winger slash striker Craig McLean joins to add depth to our options on the flanks. He will probably feature fairly regularly though, after the departure of Lamar Reynolds. I made my oldest signing in charge of this football club over the summer too, bringing in 33-year old Abu Ogogo after his release from Bristol Rovers. He's starting to age now, but looks like a fantastic option to play in our defensive midfield role. Hopefully his experience can help bring the best out of our extremely young squad.

For me our most exciting signing is that of Ged Charlton though. The 18-year old striker is my replacement for Jaden Thompson-Brissett, and looks to possess some serious talent. I'm confident that he can find the net on a regular basis, and I believe we've found a real top talent for this division. Hopefully he can score the goals to help fire us towards the top end of this league table. I am pleased with our new arrivals, and not overly disappointed with our departures. I didn't want to lose Oyegoke, but feel that Cesay is a more than able replacement. Likewise I didn't want Lamar Reynolds to leave the club, but Craig McLean looks like a bright spark to replace him. Losing Mylo Hall was emotional, but his quality wasn't really there last season, and replacing him with the experience of Abu Ogogo seems sensible. Ged Charlton is our most exciting signing though. The media have shoved him into the top-3 potential top scorers in the division, and with Jaden Thompson-Brissett also an option, hopefully goals will not prove a problem this time around.

We're predicted to have a very good season. The board want a play-off spot, which surprised me as when I signed my new contract I was told a top-half finish would be satisfactory. I cannot risk failing again though, and I am sure I will be sacked if we fall short. The league preview has us as 2nd favourites for the league title, and the media recon we're set for a finish in 5th position. I would be happy with any spot within the play-off places, although would like us to be able to take a charge for the league title deep into the season. Maybe a little ambitious, but I finally have a squad with no real weaknesses. It's not going to be easy to gain promotion, bit I am confident that we have the abilities to really have a go at it this time around. Hopefully this will finally be our year. Fingers are crossed.

[Jogo Bonito]

1 hour ago, goonergez said:

We're predicted to have a very good season. The board want a play-off spot, which surprised me as when I signed my new contract I was told a top-half finish would be satisfactory. I cannot risk failing again though, and I am sure I will be sacked if we fall short. The league preview has us as 2nd favourites for the league title, and the media recon we're set for a finish in 5th position. I would be happy with any spot within the play-off places, although would like us to be able to take a charge for the league title deep into the season. Maybe a little ambitious, but I finally have a squad with no real weaknesses. It's not going to be easy to gain promotion, bit I am confident that we have the abilities to really have a go at it this time around. Hopefully this will finally be our year. Fingers are crossed.

Great update as always and I hope this is your year! It's a really tough league to get promoted from, but best of luck.

I've also just started a new game, as I'm unlikely to continue with the 'Crawley Six Subs Challenge'. It's a shame as I really liked the group of players and balance there. In fact, I cannot rule out a return despite the obvious restrictions faced.

Anyway, I've even completed pre-season at my new club which makes it a long-term career for me already. It's on create a club but there have been no new signings. I have cleared a few players out, terminated one loan, and brought back one decent player who had been out on loan. An update will follow in due course 

[goonergez]

And so my adventure with Tonbridge Angels has come to an end, and I am truly devastated. We actual were having a decent season, competing within the play-off places and not looking in any doubt. We endured a tough run of fixtures through February, and face four of the top five teams in quick succession. A five game winless run in which we lost three saw us drop off the pace, but we were still in the hunt. Plus we had a lot of winnable fixtures coming up and I was confident we could string a good run together. Unfortunately I wasn't given the time to do it. The fifth winless game saw us drop out of the play-off spots for the first time this season.

Immediately I was called into a meeting about the poor run of form we were on. I stayed strong, argued my point, desperately trying to keep hold of my job. Unfortunately it was no good, and I was relinquished of my duties. I'm close to heart break right now.

[Jogo Bonito]

3 minutes ago, goonergez said:

 

And so my adventure with Tonbridge Angels has come to an end, and I am truly devastated. We actual were having a decent season, competing within the play-off places and not looking in any doubt.

That is really harsh on you, so many times you have come close and this season was looking no different. A tremendous effort there at Tonbridge though and a really enjoyable read.

Lick your wounds and hopefully we will see you back in the dugout somewhere soon.

[goonergez]

16 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Lick your wounds and hopefully we will see you back in the dugout somewhere soon.

I’ll be honest I had no doubts that we would make the play offs even after the poor run of form. We literally had no games left against any top half teams so the run in looked simple enough. It came out the blue the sacking, really unexpected.

I am indeed licking my wounds, and am hunting around at where to go next. I love managing sides down here though, so I’ll be hunting around these parts again soon I’m sure.

Im excited to start reading about your new venture too. 

[CityAndColour]

1 hour ago, goonergez said:

I’ll be honest I had no doubts that we would make the play offs even after the poor run of form. We literally had no games left against any top half teams so the run in looked simple enough. It came out the blue the sacking, really unexpected.

I am indeed licking my wounds, and am hunting around at where to go next. I love managing sides down here though, so I’ll be hunting around these parts again soon I’m sure.

Im excited to start reading about your new venture too. 

That's very bad luck. I did the same thing in my previous save and stuck to my guns, but I'm pretty sure the only way to get out of one of those meetings with your job still intact is to grovel and be given a points target.

Almost a bug though. To drop out of the playoff spots for the first time and immediately be called into a board meeting? Very harsh.

[goonergez]

8 minutes ago, CityAndColour said:

Almost a bug though. To drop out of the playoff spots for the first time and immediately be called into a board meeting? Very harsh.

Literally as the whistle was blown I was sacked.

[goonergez]

Kings Lynn Town FC: Takeover Report

After the disappointment of what I saw as a premature sacking and end to the save with Tonbridge Angels, I've bounced back into a new challenge. Having had attempts with both Maidstone United and Tonbridge Angels within the south, I have decided to move slightly northwards and take on a side within the Conference North instead. I've played a fair chunk over past additions with Stockport County in this league, but it's one I haven't hit so far on FM 20. That changes now. My chosen team are Kings Lynn Town FC, a side who are the reformed version of Kings Lynn FC who went bust back in 2008. I used to have family from near the area and so hopefully that geographical knowledge will prove helpful. Players at this level aren't so keen to relocate long distances due to the wages on offer. It normally proves easier to sign players from a near proximity to the club.

The club was founded back in 2010, and therefore lack any significant history. Something that aside from the family link I have, drew me to the team. They did spend one season in this division before the reform, back in the 2008/09 season. They won the Southern Premier League play-offs last season after finishing 2nd for the second consecutive season. The highest they've ever finished was in 17th, back in the aforementioned campaign within this league. There has also been a lack of significant progress within the up competitions. The 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup is the furthest they have ever reached, as well as only the Second Round of the FA Trophy. I'll look to put that right as soon as possible. They play their home games at the 8,200 capacity 'The Walks Stadium', which they inherited from the former club. A fairly large stadium for this level in truth.

My arrival here saw the club predicted a finish of 12th place, which would be an extremely decent effort for a newly promoted side. I've been handed a one year contract to take charge of this team, and was presented with a very reasonable and realistic set of aims and ambitions from the board.

Personally I actually really like the visions of the board. The wage budget and signing under-23s preferences really fitting in with my own plans and philosophies. I like to sign younger players, and at this level there demands in regards to wages are normally much lower. With this hopefully being a long term save for me, the wage budget and club finances are sure to be very important to me. I'll definitely be trying to keep the club finances in order. There would be no point in me going gung-ho with money and running the club into huge debts. With my plans to make a fair few changes, i'm also really happy that the board only want a top-half finish in the league. I'm confident that I can improve the playing squad right away, and definitely should be able to achieve that as a minimum. I'm excited to get stuck in, to what should be a very busy couple of months.

[goonergez]

Kings Lynn Town FC: 2019/20 Preview

My arrival at the club saw a whirlwind of summer activity, as I looked at how to shape this football club under my leadership. Off the field I brought in my own coaching staff, and replaced the only existing staff member on the books with my own assistant. 49-year old Paul Bastock was the previous assistant manager here, and was also registered as a member of the playing squad here before I arrived and terminated his contract. He was replaced by Darren Bent, and we also brought in former Premier League and England internationals Rickie Lambert and Micah Richards to form our coaching team. A new physiotherapist and a new scout were brought in to form our off the field staff team.

Tactically I would set us up to play counter attacking football, and play with a firm defensive base. I'm a fan of the lone striker formation, and so we settled on a 4-1-2-2-1 formation with two attacking wingers and a pressing forward up top. A holding midfielder would sit in front of the back four, giving more creative freedom to two central midfield players. The squad looked pretty capable of playing with this setup, although straight away I was able to pinpoint a couple of areas that we would need to bring new faces in for. Of the players I inherited there were a few who stood out as having significant quality. 28-year old striker Adam Marriott looked impressive, and he fired 24 goals to help the team to promotion last season. Despite his pretty hefty wage (£500 per week), he would definitely be used as our lone striker. The media really rate him highly as well, and he's third on their list of top goal scorer predictions for the division. More impressive to me though were Chris Smith and Alfie Payne.

Chris Smith looks very strong for this level, and I will be using him as the first choice name across my defensive line. Alfie Payne is exactly the kind of player I would love to build my team around, and I am sure he will be a key performer for us over the course of the season. Unfortunately he's only here on loan from Norwich City though, meaning it is likely we will only have him for a one season spell.

The wage budget presented to me was pretty healthy for this level, but I wanted to try and strengthen the squad without getting close to maxing it out. Therefore I felt the need to allow a couple of players to leave the club to free up room for new arrivals. Backup striker Michael Gash was the main player I wanted to see the back of. He was on a £500 per week wage here, and was only going to play backup to Adam Marriott for our one striker tactic. I decided the best option was to sell him on, and bring in a younger prospect striker to play as understudy to Marriott. Wrexham came in and took him off of our hands, whilst also giving us a £5,000 transfer fee for his services. We also flogged winger Ryan Hawkins to Kingstonian on a free transfer, to free up a further £150 per week on our budget.

We definitely needed a few new faces, with left back and central midfield the key areas as they were looking a little bit bare. We would also need a backup goalkeeper after Bastock was released, and I was also keen to bring in a young prospect up top to play understudy to Adam Marriott. The left back spot was filled almost immediately after my arrival, as we made a loan deal. 18-year old Nigerian Rio Adebisi came in from Crewe Alexandra on a deal whereby we paid no fee and don't make any contribution towards his wages either. In a really bright start to the summer we also filled the central midfield position early as well. 20-year old Romario Vieira was signed on a free transfer to fill that gap for us. He was released by Leeds United earlier in the summer, and simply put would walk straight into our starting line up.

Instead of bringing in a new backup goalkeeper, we ended up bringing in a new first choice stopper instead. 20-year old Manny Idem was released by Macclesfield Town after early on in his career being on the books with Aston Villa. We moved quickly to bring him to the club, and he will be our first choice for the coming campaign. The striker position was filled by another 20-year old, as Victor Fundi was picked up shortly after being released by Crystal Palace. He's the exciting young prospect I was after to mainly feature as a substitute for us. We finished our transfer activity with a pair of options to play on the wings for us. My system will use two wingers, and we were a little short of options. We moved first to sign 18-year old Simeon Oure after his release by Sheffield United, and then signed an even better option. 20-year old Devonte Aransibia made the short move to the club, having previously been on the books at nearby Norwich City. He's a really bright spark, and I am excited to see what he can bring to our side.

Unsurprisingly my first couple of months in charge have been full of activity as I looked to put my stamp on the football club. Looking to stamp my mark, it has been an endless wave of comings and goings both on and off of the pitch. I'm confident that we have strengthened really well though, and I am excited to see what we may be capable of doing. Our transfer activity really impressed the media, and we're now considered by them to be the second favourites to win the league title. I'm not at all sure that I agree with it, but it is definitely nice to be looked at in such a positive light.

We've got a pretty good set of players here now, and I am looking forward to getting our campaign underway. We've really strengthened well, and done so whilst keeping well under the weekly wage budget. Financially we are expected to lose money this season, but hopefully we can string together a decent cup run and bring in funds to help us keep afloat. On the field our pre-season went really well. We beat Thame, Fakenham and Brightlingsea away, and suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat at home to League One Sunderland. We ended our friendlies with a good performance in a 0-0 draw at home to League Two side Grimsby Town. Hopefully these results are a sign of things to come, as that was a very solid set of performances.

[warlock]

43 minutes ago, goonergez said:

I am looking forward to getting our campaign underway

Commiserations for the abrupt end at Tonbridge, but good luck with Kings Lynn. Do you have a formal affiliate status with Norwich? Might be worth pursuing if not.

[warlock]

7 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I've also just started a new game

Hope this one lasts .

I've barely touched FM in a week, but I'm hoping life has settled a bit and I can get back to it tomorrow.

[Jogo Bonito]

Cheers @warlock will you be continuing at Brentford?

Good luck at Kings Lynn @goonergez and they sound like exciting signings.

[warlock]

Just now, Jogo Bonito said:

will you be continuing at Brentford?

I'll venture a 'definitely maybe' on that . I'm not far into season 2 at all, so at the very least I'll play on a few weeks. But it's the usual story - newly-promoted in the PL is a tedious grind and the grass always looks greener elsewhere. I've got a fast getaway car waiting in the car park 

[Jogo Bonito]

10 minutes ago, warlock said:

I'll venture a 'definitely maybe' on that . I'm not far into season 2 at all, so at the very least I'll play on a few weeks. But it's the usual story - newly-promoted in the PL is a tedious grind and the grass always looks greener elsewhere. I've got a fast getaway car waiting in the car park 

Haha. I like it. And you know I would have moved on myself so won't be surprised if you do the same.

[goonergez]

Thanks for the words @warlock and @Jogo Bonito.

there is indeed an affiliation with norwich, which should prove useful. And we have started the season well which is fresh for me. I just want to succeed at this level. Desperate for success 😂

[CityAndColour]

@goonergez - great choice. I nearly went with Lynn myself before choosing Tonbridge, mainly because of Payne and Marriot. I've also had Aransibia on both my Tonbridge saves so far and he is fantastic at that level.

[Jogo Bonito]

June 2019 - Reading, England

In what is seen as a slightly risky move by the board, Roy Race has been appointed as the new boss of Championship club Reading

After several seasons only narrowly avoiding relegation, the Berkshire outfit decided to act and will expect the unheralded Englishman to improve their fortunes

The Chinese owners have been very supportive of the last few incumbents with funding and backing where FFP has allowed them to

The new man inherits a squad which has some exciting young players, a slightly stronger spine than before, and enough ability to make an immediate impression

July 2019 - Reading, England

Having assessed the squad, the new manager was content not to add any new names to his group in the summer transfer window

However, he did bring back enigmatic Gambian winger Mo Barrow from his loan spell in Turkey as the rapid wide man can be unplayable on his day at this level

Race has also culled some of the deadwood that has typified the lethargy seen amongst the squad in recent seasons, and a couple of others were lucky to survive the chop

Having lauded the exciting potential at the club, it may be seen as a surprise that highly-rated young forward Danny Loader was one of those sent on his way

It is widely understood that the interest from Rochdale was no more than paper talk - but there were 13 clubs chasing the England Youth international as Race took charge

Having frequently disappointed when allowed his chance in the first team, and with the player not keen on signing a new deal, a price of £5 million was put on his head

Interested parties started with derisory offers of less than £500,000 but Race and the board held their nerve until more realistic bids started to roll in

The £5 million asking price seemed slightly more than his suitors would pay, but plenty of £4 million offers followed and the club decided that was good enough

With the entire £4 million being paid in full and upfront, it was down to the player and his agent to secure the right deal

And in the end the winners of this chase were Arsenal, who promptly offered the attacker out on loan to continue his development

Race, however, was not interested in taking him back and didn't feel that was a move that would benefit the club in his first season  

Race also knew that several other members of the first team squad were costing too much money for their mediocre skills, and this group were never going to get a look in

This assessment saw Sone Aluko, Adrian Popa, Vito Mannone and loanee Lucas Boye all depart within days of the new man's arrival

Of that quartet, only Mannone (briefly) had offered anything in his Reading career but Rafael Cabral is not going to be ousted in goal any time soon

Race hinted off-record that he has doubts over Romanian striker George Puscas following his expensive switch from Inter Milan, but an injury ruled out any summer sale

New Brazilian midfielder Felipe Araruna is another that was allegedly close to an early exit, with Race not convinced he will cope with the demands of English football

It is thought that fellow Brazilian Alexandre Mattos, the new Director of Football, may have persuaded Race to delay making a hasty decision on his countryman though

And so this is the 25-man squad that Race will be working with at least until the next transfer window in January

Race also has en eye on next summer, where he can already count on the pre-agreed permanent transfer of on-loan midfielder Ovie Ejaria from Liverpool

He would like to turn the loan of Monaco midfielder Judilson Gomes (Pele) in to a long-term deal too, but Monaco are asking way too much for that at this stage 

Sources close to the club have revealed that Garath McCleary, Sam Baldock and Charlie Adam have been told they won't be here beyond their contract expiry dates in June 2020

The likes of Chris Gunter, Jordan Obita and Tyler Blackett are also out of contract at the end of the season, but it is believed Race is keen to keep them around a while longer

August 2019 - Reading, England

Race was keen to test his side against a mix of opponents in pre-season, and performances were largely impressive despite numerous absences from resting international players

And as the new Championship season arrived, his methods have been rewarded with an unbeaten start from his first six league games

That's not bad at all for a club with a media prediction of 17th, and the new man will be hoping that he can keep this run of form going for a while longer

The Carabao Cup exit at Bristol City was a minor setback but we think a rotated squad shows where the new manager's priorities might lay this season

And this article ends with a quick look at how things have been shaping up for Race and his side in the first two months of his reign

The creative midfield talents of John Swift, rookie Michael Olise and the aforementioned Ejaria have been pleasing on the eye for most Loyal Royals

In attack Yakou Meite lacks finesse but offers plenty of other things in support of striker Lucas Joao, and the defence should settle once injury problems relent

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

51 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

 the unheralded Englishman

What? The most famous footballer in English history??? None better to take the helm of perennial underachievers Reading and turn them into giants of the English game.

Great start, following with interest 

[Jogo Bonito]

1 minute ago, warlock said:

What? The most famous footballer in English history??? None better to take the helm of perennial underachievers Reading and turn them into giants of the English game.

Great start, following with interest 

Cheers, trying a slightly different writing style this time. 

You're right, he was famous. But hasn't done much in the game recently. 

[warlock]

Just now, Jogo Bonito said:

hasn't done much in the game recently

Overdue for a comeback 

[Jogo Bonito]

I've been using him as my manager name at most EFL clubs for several years, but he hasn't really made a mark. I suppose if he sees Reading up it will be real Roy of the Rovers stuff...

Backroom staff will be Blackie Gray, Hotshot Hamish and Johnny Dexter!

Edited March 9, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[Ronaldo Beckham]

11 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I've been using him as my manager name at most EFL clubs for several years, but he hasn't really made a mark. I suppose if he sees Reading up it will be real Roy of the Rovers stuff...

Backroom staff will be Blackie Gray, Hotshot Hamish and Johnny Dexter!

Maybe you could hire Walter White and Jessie Pinkman as your Head Of Sports Science.

[Jogo Bonito]

2 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Maybe you could hire Walter White and Jessie Pinkman as your Head Of Sports Science.

I had to look those names up, I'm not sure they will help the club avoid getting in to serious trouble with the drug testers and for that reason it is considered unlikely their services will be required. On a more positive note, Eva Carneiro was hired as U23 physio in a move which which will almost certainly boost squad morale.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

17 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I had to look those names up, I'm not sure they will help the club avoid getting in to serious trouble with the drug testers and for that reason it is considered unlikely their services will be required. On a more positive note, Eva Carneiro was hired as U23 physio in a move which which will almost certainly boost squad morale.

Lol sorry I assumed you would of got the reference straight away.

[goonergez]

Love the new style for the Reading write ups!!!!

My first season in charge of Kings Lynn came to an end last night, and I should have an update in here later in today. Got a really easy day today so hopefully be back nice and early to get my summer going in the market. 

[Jogo Bonito]

5 hours ago, goonergez said:

Love the new style for the Reading write ups!!!!

My first season in charge of Kings Lynn came to an end last night, and I should have an update in here later in today. Got a really easy day today so hopefully be back nice and early to get my summer going in the market. 

Cheers GG, I appreciate that. There's a reason why I chose this different writing style for managing Reading that I won't bore you with the details on. Hopefully it works well and remains a good read. I'm now midway through October and plan to update again at the end of November (hopefully in-game rather than real time).

I'm looking forward to hearing about your first season too. Your affiliate deal with Norwich might see you catching up with Ipswich soon as they continue to flounder in League 1.

 

[goonergez]

Kings Lynn Town FC: 2019/20 Review

So my first campaign in charge at The Walks Stadium has ended, and it was a season full of excitement, intrigue and nervousness. I'd put together a very solid squad and we were much fancied to perform better than all sorts of expectations from before I took over at the helm. The board had laid out there expectations for a top-half finish, but I was confident that I had put together a squad that was good enough to perform much better than that.

In the end we had a season that defied all expectations, and surprised many. A season in which numerous club records were broken, and one where at times we played some truly superb football. We actually opened the campaign with a defeat, losing to highly fancied Kidderminster 1-2. That turned out to be no more than a blip in the road though, as from that stage we strung together solid form and began the season in fine fashion. By the time we hit the end of September we had still only lost the one time, and sat solidly within the play-off positions and looking good.

The beginning of November saw our only transfer activity through the rest of the season Buoyed by a solid start, I arrogantly decided that I needed to bring in a new centre back, to put my stamp on an untouched defence. 19-year old Harry Philby came in, released by Reading back in the summer. He was never really a regular in our side, but did make over twenty appearances for us.

Our second league defeat came shortly into November, but it certainly didn't de-rail our season one bit. Victor Fundi had replaced the disappointing Adam Marriott up top, and was beginning to find the net on a regular basis. Alfie Payne and Devonte Aransibia started to look a cut above this league, and suddenly we were picking points up freely. A club record of 16 matches without defeat followed, and we climbed top of the league table and never looked back. We suffered a blip at the end of the season, before beating 2nd placed Gateshead 2-0 in our penultimate match to clinch the league title and promotion to the Conference National. Gateshead pushed us all the way but we managed to hold on and clinch the club's highest ever league finish. Our home form was sublime, and we won 15 of our first 17 home matches. We finally suffered a home defeat in our 19th home fixture. A truly remarkable first season in charge came to an end, with a trophy entering the clubs cabinet. For the first time in the club's history, Kings Lynn Town would be a Conference National side.

In all honesty the cup competitions we were involved in also surpassed all sorts of pre-season expectations. The FA Cup came first, and a 3-0 home win over Matlock Town and a 2-0 away win over Blyth Spartans meant we reached the final qualifying round of the competition. High flying Conference National side Notts County were our reward, and an away tie which was purely seen as a nice money maker for the club. We performed superbly, and only a late equaliser prevented us from winning the tie. We played a home replay four days later, and produced an even better performance. A goal in each half from Victor Fundi gave us a comfortable 2-0 victory, and a spot in the First Round proper of the competition for the first time in the clubs history. We came unstuck there though, being comfortably outplayed in a 0-3 defeat away to League One side Burton Albion.

It could be argued that our performance in the FA Trophy went on and surpassed the FA Cup run, and it was a competition that grew in importance for me as we went on. A much changed side comfortably saw off Kidlington 4-2 in an entertaining game at The Walks Stadium. We were drawn at home to York City in the First Round, and went into it more seriously. My side prevailed in a brilliant performance, picking up a 2-1 victory. A favourable tie at home to South Shields saw us navigate through to the Third Round, although we needed a late penalty to win 1-0. We travelled to fellow Conference North side Chester in the next round, and yet again produced a solid enough performance. A late goal from Alfie Payne clinched a 2-1 victory and a tie against Conference National side Barrow in the quarter-finals. In what would be my teams first home defeat under my management, we went down 0-2 and exited the competition. Disappointing to get that far and miss out, but I was left immensely proud of my side and the run they put together.

A fantastic first season in charge draws to a close, and I am gutted that it has had to end. Watching my new and fresh side perform so well was a joy, and I am delighted with everything that we managed to achieve. Making so many changes to my side upon arrival could have caused us all sorts of problems with harmony and gelling, but it simply didn't and we performed superbly throughout.

We hit the season hard from an early stage, and just never looked back. We managed to surpass all of the expectations for the season laid out by the board, and I have been rewarded with a new one year contract to remain in charge. So many of my signings performed well, and its actually hard to pick out any players as it was truly a team effort. Obviously the 23 goals (20 in the league) from Victor Fundi were a boost, and he played himself into the team ahead of the disappointing Adam Marriott (3 goals in 29 appearances). Norwich loanee Alfie Payne was sublime in midfield, and goalkeeper Manny Idem proved himself more than adept between the sticks.

We will have a lot of decisions to make over the summer though, with a whole host of players running out of contract and a new league to prepare for. I would expect to keep hold of a fair few of the players who helped us to this seasons successes, but obviously improvements will need to made. Financially we are in great shape, in no small part thanks to our really good runs in both of the cup competitions. It really was a superb season both on and off the field. Hopefully this is the start of a really long and successful journey here. This certainly was the perfect start.

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Kings Lynn Town FC Honours

2019/20 Conference North Champions

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Has anyone played as Walsall, I am tempted to manage them as I don't live that far from Walsall and also they might get a big transfer clause payout if Rico Henry ever leaves Brentford.

@Jogo Bonito have you ever managed them?

Edited March 11, 2020 by Ronaldo Beckham

[warlock]

@goonergez Great season  Hope you can keep it going and find a way out of the dreaded VNL!

[goonergez]

21 minutes ago, warlock said:

@goonergez Great season  Hope you can keep it going and find a way out of the dreaded VNL!

Thanks pal!!! The National is very much my nemesis on this game haha

[goonergez]

Kings Lynn Town FC: 2020/21 Preview

Promotion in my first campaign at the helm was extremely pleasing, but meant that we would face another busy summer as we prepared to build a squad capable of beating the drop straight back to the Conference South. Last season couldn't really have gone any better, and to be promoted really does feel like an incredible achievement. I didn't even have the ability to prepare for the summer really, as our title charge went right down to the wire and we didn't know what league we would be playing in this time around. Unsurprisingly it was a busy summer, both on and off of the field.

The summer began with the news that we'd picked up a new stadium sponsor, doubling our income from that outlet. We also picked up a new local sponsor, to once again increase our income. A pleasing start to the summer, and very important funds coming in. I want us to be really careful with money, desperately trying to keep this football club stable both on and off of the field of play. Our cup runs last season really helped us financially, but I want the financial side to be a success in the long term, and that means keeping a really tight lid on our money. My weekly wage budget was increased for this season, but for those aforementioned reasons I really don't want us to increase our current bill that much. Ideally we would strengthen our squad ability whilst keeping expenditure roughly as it was.

Transfer wise it was a very active summer, with a number of players leaving and a number arriving. Perhaps more important were the players that we managed to keep hold of. Manny Idem, Chris Smith, Romario Vieira, Victor Fundi and a couple of other first team regulars all signed new contracts to remain at the club. Rio Adebisi signed on loan from Crewe Alexandra for another season, and we also managed to keep our star man from last season Alfie Payne. We approached Norwich City, and they allowed us to sign him on a free transfer. We've signed him to a two year contract with us, and I am delighted to be keeping him after such an impressive campaign last time out.

Despite a number of players being offered new deals, we also decided that a fair few would not be offered new contracts. Regular members of our squad Ryan Jarvis and Adam Marriott were both allowed to depart, as was winger Chris Henderson despite a strong season. He scored 10 league goals for us last season, but at 30-years of age he wanted a weekly wage I simply wasn't happy to give. We also lost our first choice right back Aaron Jones, who completed a pre-contract agreement to head to America and join New Mexico. We also allowed young striker Harry Limb to leave the club and join Portadown on a free transfer.

We headed into the summer with the simple goal of trying to avoid relegation, but I was hoping to improve the squad to make that much more achievable. The squad I had did well last season, but this is a step up and we definitely needed some new faces. With the departures that occurred too, we were left short of bodies and really needed to add some quality to our ranks. We replaced right back Aaron Jones with a solid signing, bringing in Remy Clerima from Maidenhead on a free transfer. The 29-year old will be our first choice on the right hand side, but is also capable of playing at centre back if needed. Central defender Malachi Walcott was also picked up on a free transfer The 18-year old centre half was on the books at Tottenham Hotspur before his release, and should be a more than able backup performer at the heart of our defence.

In midfield we managed to keep pretty much everybody, with the permanent arrival of Alfie Payne a real highlight. Devonte Arasibia and Simeon Oure impressed on the flanks last season, but the departure of Henderson did leave us short of backup. We moved quickly to bring in 24-year old Kaine Felix on a free transfer from Guiseley of our former division. He looks strong enough to compete for a starting spot, and his £500 per week wage isn't going to destroy us financially. We also added 20-year old central midfielder Lewis Byron to our ranks to add some depth. He looks promising, and joins after his release from Crystal Palace. For further depth we also added 19-year old winger Kit Elliott. He was released by Huddersfield Town and can play up top as well if needs be. That versatility could prove important to us over a long season.

Up top we were left with just last seasons hero Victor Fundi, after allowing the disappointing Adam Marriott to leave. We brought in 19-year old Shae Hutchinson into the club shortly after his release from Norwich City. He looks a really bright prospect, and our scout is a really keen admirer of him. I'm hoping he can help force Fundi to become more consistent, and hopefully both of them can prove to be regular goal scoring options.

Unsurprisingly after overachieving last year, we are expected to endure a difficult campaign this time around. The board merely want us to fight bravely in a relegation battle, but in truth nobody believes we're capable of staying in this division. The media predict us a 22nd placed finish, but I am really hoping we can prove them wrong. I think we have a strong enough squad to survive, but it is a small one and we will need to stay clear of too many injuries and suspensions. If we can score enough goals I have faith that our defence can help to keep us up. It isn't going to be easy by any means, but I really do believe that we can do it. I'm more than happy to spend a couple of seasons just stabilising within this division, but we really cannot afford to be relegated straight back from where we just came.

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Kings Lynn Town FC Honours

2019/20 Conference North Champions

[Jogo Bonito]

6 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Has anyone played as Walsall, I am tempted to manage them as I don't live that far from Walsall and also they might get a big transfer clause payout if Rico Henry ever leaves Brentford.

@Jogo Bonito have you ever managed them?

I don't think I have managed Walsall, certainly not in recent years. For League 2 though, they're one of the clubs that have the ability to make progress. The potential transfer clauses will help if you're there when it happens too. And if they are fairly local, why not give them some attention!

@goonergez Wow, what a superb season and big congratulations on promotion to your favourite league! I'm happy to see your transfers and thinking behind them, I always like how you go after released young players from the PL in particular. Malachi Walcott (who played a few minutes for Tottenham last night against Leipzig) should be an absolute diamond for you at that level. On a personal note, I'm really pleased to see you sign Victor Fundi and that he bagged so many goals. I always had an eye on him in his Palace day as 'Fundi' is a Swahili word which means builder or workman and is a word used frequently every day in East Africa. Apart from the name that amused me, he looked to have some attributes but never really made his mark there and was released. I think I only ever signed him once (possibly at Hereford quite a few years back) and hope he can build on that successful first season with you.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Jogo Bonito