FM20: The English Football League thread

[goonergez]

Kings Lynn Town FC: 2020/21 Mid-Season Report

After the success of promotion last season, we entered the Conference National for the very first time in the club's history and faced a whole new challenge. The summer brought around a lot of changes to the playing squad, but we really were not fancied to survive within this division. The board wanted us to battle bravely against the drop, but after our transfer activity I was more than confident that we could do that and then some. I didn't expect miracles from my side, but was aiming to clinch a solid finish comfortably clear of the drop zone.

We began the campaign with a surprisingly comfortable 4-0 win against Chorley Town. Next up was title favourites Salford City, who were relegated from League Two last season. We produced a stunning performance to win 1-0. In fact we went unbeaten through to the end of August, winning five and drawing two of our opening fixtures. A defeat to league leaders Woking kicked off September, but we managed to bounce back with back-to-back victories before a defeat to Hartlepool United. We kicked off September with defeat to Aldershot Town, and at this stage I began to fear a dip in form. I was wrong though and have been surprised throughout. We have of course lost some games, but we also went through a six match unbeaten run as well. We enter the turn of the year in a very good position, and way ahead of any pre-season predictions.

More than anything our season so far has been built on our solid defence. Goalkeeper Manny Idem has already picked up 15 clean sheets, helped brilliantly by our defence in front of him. Malachi Walcott has been superb, and alongside him Chris Smith has taken to the step up in division like a duck to water. Unsurprisingly Alfie Payne has been solid in midfield, and Romario Vieira has improved his performances in the holding role on last season. We haven't struggled to score goals either, which was probably my biggest fear going into the campaign. Last season's top goal scorer Victor Fundi has already managed 13, and on the wings Devonte Aransibia has 7 and Simeon Oure has also managed 7. Our squad may be a small one, but it really is surprising a lot of people so far.

After last season's efforts in the FA Cup I was hoping we could enter this competition and again impress. Unfortunately that didn't happen for us this time around. We entered in the Fourth Qualifying Round, and were drawn away to Gloucester City of the Conference North. We changed a whole host of players, and rested the majority of our key men. It really backfired, and within ten minutes we already found ourselves two goals down and having to chase the game. We couldn't get back into it though, and collapsed to a hugely disappointing 0-3 defeat. I'm disappointed as we should definitely have won the game, and the money from a decent cup run would've been extremely beneficial.

I'm not too fussed for the FA Trophy this season, instead wanting to focus on pushing for a good finish in the league. We entered at the First Round stage, and were drawn away to Hemel Hempstead of the Conference South. I made a large number of changes to the squad, and the game finished 2-1 in our favour.

We have had a simply superb start to our season, and I am in absolute shock with how my team have performed so far. I felt we were capable of a solid campaign clear o relegation, but I never felt like we would do as we have done. For me now it is about ensuring the side continue to push on, and make sure that we can maintain a really good finish. I'd love us to make the play-offs, although can't see us holding on to a fight for the league title. I am constantly awaiting a dip in form, but so far my players have continued to shock me with their consistency. Other clubs are beginning to take note of my personal abilities as a manager now too. I am being linked to a large number of jobs with League One and League Two clubs, and constantly having to play down the speculation. I have no plans to leave this club yet, and feel like I am really onto something with my squad. I forgot to mention that I won the Manager of the year award last season, although that probably won't come as a surprise due to our overachievements. I am really hoping that my players can carry on surprising, and I will report back at the end of the campaign on our progress.

------------------------------

Kings Lynn Town FC Honours

2019/20 Conference North Champions

[Jogo Bonito]

@goonergez Wow, I never expected that. Great work so far though, whatever happens you can be proud of that team. Good luck trying to finish the job.

[goonergez]

50 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

@goonergez Wow, I never expected that. Great work so far though, whatever happens you can be proud of that team. Good luck trying to finish the job.

I am indeed proud, and I definitely didn’t expect it either. Salford are on the March after a slow start, and in honesty I don’t expect us to finish anywhere near champions at the end. I’m hoping we can scramble into the play-offs then and who knows what could happen. I really hate the play-offs in this division though........

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Walsall Season 1 Review

I managed to win the League 2 title with 103 points, 31 wins, 10 draws and 5 losses.

Caolan Lavery was my top scorer with 37 goals in 45 games,  he also got 5 assists and had an average rating of 7.44

 

Another stand out player for me was Callum Cockerill-Moilett, he got 14 assists for me and got a decent average rating of 7.11, I would of liked him to get more goals as he only got 1 but that will come as he is still young.

I was hoping Brentford got promoted as I get 20% of any deal for Rico Henry but they only got 11th place which is really bad considering how good their team is.

Hopefully Brentford get a big offer for him in the summer.

[Jogo Bonito]

November 2019 - Reading, England

When we last reported from Madejski Stadium at the end of August, new manager Roy Race had guided his side to a six-match unbeaten start in the league

By the end of November, Race and the Reading fans were still fairly satisfied with the impact he had made - but the early part of September proved to be far from easy  

Any talk of a long unbeaten run was quickly ended in the month's opening fixture as a very ordinary Middlesbrough side became the first to defeat the Royals in the league

Race then saw his side 0-2 down at home to Blackburn next time out, but some harsh words at the break inspired an unlikely 3-2 comeback win 

That dogged determination saw them chalk up five wins from the next six and all of those victories were secured without conceding 

The only loss in that period was 2-0 to QPR, and it should have reminded Race that you can't always have things your own way

November proved that, as home draws against struggling Millwall and bottom side Luton saw fans expressing some discontent towards both the team and manager

The grumbling got louder as an in-form Brentford turned his side over 3-1, but a well-deserved win over table-toppers Leeds cut Race some slack  

However the goodwill earned there was all but eliminated when Wigan became the latest side to frustrate Race and send them home pointless

Football fans are a fickle bunch, but Race should be very happy with the start he has made in Berkshire as they sit 6th after the first 19 league fixtures

The star turn so far has been play-maker John Swift with a stack of assists from set-pieces and in open play

Young midfield talent Michael Olise has also been turning a few heads, whilst Lucas Joao and Yakou Meite lead the club scoring charts with six each

Defensively things are not too bad either, and there seems to be lots of cause for optimism as the winter months arrive

Off the pitch the club is making a loss each month, but Race anticipated this hence no new arrivals were deemed necessary so far

Four players Reading careers look like they may be over in January with Charlie Adam, Felipe Araruna,, Garath McCleary and Sam Baldock not being trusted by Race

The chances of new players arriving look remote even if that quartet are moved on, but Race remains convinced he has enough talent at his disposal in any event

We'll catch up with events at Reading again soon, but for now we leave you with a quick overview of the season so far

[warlock]

13 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Football fans are a fickle bunch

You'd think they'd be delighted with that. I'm confident our Roy will continue to deliver. Forward through progress 

[goonergez]

Kings Lynn Town FC: 2020/21 Review

My second season in charge at The Walks Stadium has ended, and my excitement for this club is just growing and growing. Having been promoted from the Conference North last season I expected a season of struggle, but we surprised everybody. The first half of the season had seen us perform extremely competitively and we led the table at the turn of the year. Unfortunately as the season drew to a close our form dipped, and we ended the season someway off the pace. A four game losing streak in march, and six games without a win to close the season ruined our season. Chesterfield leapfrogged us on the final day of the season to leave us in third position. Salford City had been superb after a slow start and nobody was ever catching them.

The play-offs gave us a tie against Wrexham, and we were granted home advantage. A club record attendance of 7,206 flocked to The Walks Stadium, but it ended in unsurprising disappointment. We lost the game 0-2, and missed out on the fairy tale of promotion into the Football League. We would spend another season in this division.

Having scored lots of goals over the first half of the campaign, Victor Fundi really went off of the boil. He ended the season with just 17 league goals, which is a really disappointing tally for a man who was so impressive for my first year and a half in charge. In honesty though, I would say our season was ruined in the end with injuries. Right back Remy Clerima missed the season end through a torn groin, and shortly after my mid-season update Simeon Oure was ruled out for five months and missed our run in. Kaine Felix didn't step up well enough in his absence, and that's a position I will be looking to improve ahead of next season.

The FA Trophy saw us get through Hemel Hempstead 3-1 and Hendon 1-0 both away from home, before we lost 0-1 at home to Hartlepool United to exit. A decent effort from us, but the performance to suffer defeat was really poor and we barely had a kick.

A pretty good season, but one that ends leaving a bitter taste in the mouth. For the majority of the season it was us and Salford City at the top of the table, so to not get promoted seems really harsh. Unfortunately when we really needed to be putting form together at the end, we folded. To finish third in this division at the first time of asking is incredible though, and we have to hit the summer trying to take the positives out of the campaign. It hurts now, but we need to go away and prepare for another crack at it next time around.

[goonergez]

Kings Lynn Town FC: 2021/22 Season Preview

So the summer has ended and my third season in charge of this football club is upon us. The heroic efforts of my first two seasons here cannot be pushed aside, and as we get ready to kick off I am left extremely excited about what may come for us. A third placed finish last season was the highest this club has ever finished, and was something to be incredibly proud of indeed. As last season ended and we began to look at how we could improve the squad here, it became clear that we didn't really need to do much. The players here had performed really well, and if anything we needed to add some cover to our squad to help us move forwards. I wanted to add a couple of players of significant quality, but most of the summers business would be centered around adding depth to a really small squad of players.

I didn't see a need for a mass overhaul on our squad, which had impressed for so much of last season. A number of new contracts were offered out and signed to existing players, but backup goalkeeper Alex Street and defender Ryan Fryatt were allowed to leave the club. Neither had featured consistently for us, and it freed up some room on our weekly wage budget too. A disappointing campaign with just the one league goal saw us allow striker Shae Hutchinson to leave the club too. He was sold to Dartford in a £4,500 deal after seriously failing to impress me. There was a lot of buzz about his arrival here, but he was consistently woeful and would not be missed. Winger Kaine Felix was another who failed to impress last season, and he was sent away on loan to Gateshead for the season. Defender Harry Philby joined Kettering Town on loan too, and we will assess both of them at the end of the campaign.

Arrival wise we saw seven new faces arrive at the club, as we looked to strengthen across the field. 22-year old Welsh goalkeeper Fergal Hale-Brown was the first to arrive, being picked up from Wingate & Finchley to be our new number two. 23-year old Josh Barnes also joined as a backup goalkeeper, after being released by Derby County. Both of them will offer competition for Manny Idem, who seemed to deteriorate as last season drew towards its close. Central defenders Jamie Stott and Kwaku Oduroh were also picked up after being released by Oldham Athletic and Manchester City. Stott looks a good signing, and at 23-years old should be ready for first team football. Oduroh is only 19, but should be a promising prospect pushing for a spot within our match day squad.

Our midfield didn't need much, but we brought in 21-year old Liam Waldock after his release by Sheffield Wednesday. The central midfielder will predominantly be used as cover, and give us a valuable extra body in that area of the pitch. The same can be said for 18-year old Joseph Nightingale who joined us on loan for the season from Coventry City. He's not likely to take the place of Devonte Aransibia or Simeon Oure, but will hopefully be able to provide much better cover on the wings than Kaine Felix did last season.

Up top we needed someone to come in and take some of the burden for goals off of Victor Fundi. The goals had dried up for him at the back end of last season, and I feel like he probably doesn't possess the quality to be leading the line at this level. 23-year old Moroccan Ousama was released by Leeds United, and looked like a more than able goal scorer for this level of football. I'm hoping he can find the net on a more regular basis, and help us to push on again this season.

The pre-season opinions of the media, bookmakers and my own board show me just how much we managed to overachieve last time around. Nobody thinks we can get close to the heights we reached last season, and in all honesty I agree with them. The board wants us to fight bravely against relegation again, and the media think we will finish in 19th position. I am not expecting us to push towards the play-offs again, but would be happy to consolidate for another season in this division. We are a much smaller side than many in this division, and financially and reputation wise we simply cannot compete. I'll be happy to avoid being drawn to low down the table, and just consolidating ourselves as a Conference National side.

For me it is in front of goal that I have my biggest worries for us. Defensively under my management we have always been pretty decent, but you cannot win games if you don't score goals. Victor Fundi really let us down last season, and we will really need him to step up his performances if we are to have a good season. Hopefully Ousama can help after his arrival, but I still don't think we have yet found the man to bang in 20-25 goals a season for us. If we could find that then I would be confident that we could go on and have a very successful campaign. 

------------------------------

Kings Lynn Town FC Honours

2019/20 Conference North Champions

2020/21 3rd in Conference National

[CityAndColour]

Looks like it's going to take a huge points haul yet again...

 

[warlock]

@goonergez So close... Not much I can say except I hope for a better outcome next time 

 

@CityAndColour Yup, that's pretty tight but if you win that game in hand you'll be in the driving seat. Good luck!

 

I've managed to put in a few games on the Brentford PL experience and things went the way I expected - picking up a few points against fellow relegation candidates, getting spanked by top-half teams. So I'm looking for the next job - I'm tempted to join you guys in the non-league challenge but I also have a weird hankering to take on the poisoned chalice that is Sunderland . We'll see.

[Jamesbfc1887]

2 hours ago, warlock said:

I've managed to put in a few games on the Brentford PL experience and things went the way I expected - picking up a few points against fellow relegation candidates, getting spanked by top-half teams.

Yeah I've grown tired of my Brentford unfortunately, we're absolutely flying but pushing into the top 4 is a long old grind and would take a fair few seasons and I'd rather move on to fresher pastures.

 

I've also been looking for new tactical challenges, preferably a 5 at the back project or a formation without wingers, unfortunately BArnsley seem one of the only options for the latter and I don't think my heart can take orders from those clown like directors at Barnsley.

[goonergez]

Well my save has gone down the toilet. 20 games in and we’re bottom and basically dead and buried. Every time we don’t win I’m called in for a meeting and somehow keep my job without any points tallies being required. It’s only a matter of time before they set me a target, and we can win more than a game at a time so I’ll be doomed.

[warlock]

2 hours ago, Jamesbfc1887 said:

we're absolutely flying

Is that season 2? You're doing way better than I was/expected to. But, yes, the next step - Top 4 - is the hardest and longest.

For your tactical challenge, I played a wingerless 4132/4312 with Ipswich, Plymouth and Stoke to very good effect. I think @Jogo Bonito has employed narrow tactics on a few of his saves this year so he might have some more suggestions.

[warlock]

2 hours ago, goonergez said:

we’re bottom and basically dead and buried

That's a shame. Maybe we should rename the VNL 'The Graveyard of Dreams'. It's certainly seen the death of a number of saves over the years.

[Jogo Bonito]

@goonergez Cracking updates and I was feeling your pain with the near miss and optimism with the new season...until reading that last tale of woe. I'm hoping you stick it out and are given the chance to make amends next season, assuming your heart is still in it.

@Jamesbfc1887 Amazing stuff there with Brentford, but if you feel your job is done I totally understand that. Ipswich was indeed a prime game for wing-backs, Bristol Rovers worked well with a back four and narrow DM & three CM formation with two strikers. Shrewsbury would be a great fit for 352 although slightly less since Giles moved on (and they start with a horrific injury list). I played a back four and no wingers at Grimsby but that was before they lost Ogbu. I'll have a think over who else may meet your criteria.

@warlock Well done for giving it a go. Sunderland have so many things going for them in FM terms, but I just struggle to like them. I'm still tempted by York as I love their kits, they have a new stadium on the horizon, and it's a lovely city when not flooded. Perhaps we all need that Conference challenge as gez and @CityAndColour have a really good time down there. The last time I managed that low was Hereford on an extended database before they got promoted.  The last foray on playable leagues was Hayes & Yeading in Vanarama South and that was years ago. If you prefer the South, I think Dulwich Hamlet would be a great choice. 

I'll soon be entering the January transfer window at Reading. New arrivals are unlikely but three of my first team squad (Araruna, McCleary and Baldock) have clocked up 95 minutes between them and will be moved on if I find any takers. And Charlie Adam has started to moan as he has only just made his first start of the season and has only just over 100 minutes in total so far.

Edited March 15, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[DefinitelyTaylor]

3 hours ago, Jamesbfc1887 said:

I've also been looking for new tactical challenges, preferably a 5 at the back project or a formation without wingers

Perhaps have a look at Cheltenham?

[Jogo Bonito]

2 minutes ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

Perhaps have a look at Cheltenham?

Good shout. I looked at them, pretty sure they are strong in central midfield and no wingers of note. I liked their defenders but think it was the 1 million strikers that put me off them (don't chop Lloyd though as he is semi decent and has HGC status).

[Jamesbfc1887]

1 hour ago, warlock said:

Is that season 2?

Yes it's season 2, done brilliantly and I think I'm happy with my 433 so I'd like to challenge myself to something new.

@DefinitelyTaylor @Jogo Bonito

I'll have a look at those teams, thought about Plymouth and Shrewsbury

Also Ipswich but I'm worried they'll be too easy or if I take a while to get going with 5-3-2 I'll be out of the door too soon to get to know the system.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Walsall Season 2 Review

I managed to get promoted with Walsall by beating Oxford in the Play Off Final 2-1 in extra time.

Key players were Caolon Lavery who was top scorer with 22 goals, Ryan Delaney with an average rating of 7.07 average rating & Denilson Carvalho was king of assists with 15. 

After 2 seasons Rico Henry still hasn't left Brentford which is annoying as I want that 20% of his transfer fee lol.

Brentford got to the play offs but lost 1-0 to Villa in the Play Off Semis.

Lets see if I can get higher then 17th in the Championship for Walsall as that is their highest ever league position.

[warlock]

4 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Perhaps we all need that Conference challenge as gez and @CityAndColour have a really good time down there

Quite so. Which is why I've just been appointed new manager of Boston United in the VNN. I have looked at York but left them for you; and Dulwich I know well having taken them on in the Dafuge Challenge a couple of years ago. I also considered Blyth Spartans (my wife's family have Blyth connections) but I have another (tenuous) link with Boston... When I was around 10 years old (c. 1966 ) my best friend's dad actually played for Boston which was impressive because a) he was the only person I ever knew who got paid for playing football (probably about a quid a game in those days!) and b) we lived just outside Durham at the time so it was a 350-mile round-trip for midweek training and Saturday home games.

[warlock]

38 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

I managed to get promoted with Walsall

[goonergez]

Loving that you’ve joined us @warlock although sure you’ll show me up very quickly! Also funny you’ve mentioned Dulwich as I started a save with them last night. Had a strong start and currently W4 D2 L0. Signs looks on track for a positive season. Thanks for the words @Jogo Bonito but for some reason the Conference National really hates me. @CityAndColour I’m rooting for you. You always seem to get yourself into quite a battle at the top! Walsall are doing nicely there @Ronaldo Beckham. Very nice progress indeed!

[oakesypvfc]

Just finished my first season in League Two with my beloved Vale, my how things need to change here.

The last 10 games there, I just felt we were hitting spacebar and waiting for the season to be over. We were given the expectation of avoiding a relegation battle, which we did but we just had nothing going for us all season.

Not sure if its getting the tactics wrong but we just seemed to be a big barrel of meh, big things need to change else not sure how long I can stick with this save.

[warlock]

1 hour ago, oakesypvfc said:

We were given the expectation of avoiding a relegation battle, which we did

Job done, then! Looks like you beat the media prediction, too (Vale expected to finish in 21st in my current save). Hopefully you can kick on for season 2 .

[Dong21]

Haven’t had a chance to play any FM or even visit this Forum for over a month as life has been getting in the way. Had a big catch up yesterday on all the posts I have missed recently and really enjoyed hearing about your careers.

With social distancing being encouraged in these times of COVID-19 I can see myself having more time to get back into FM. Time to dust off my Bolton save. Hopefully an update on start to life in the Championship coming soon!

[Gross_Ballon]

On 03/03/2020 at 17:07, StePratt said:

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?

Spent all morning trying to find a championship club. started Bristol/Sheffield Wed both go boring after an hour. can you post your 4-3-3 

[CityAndColour]

@warlock - welcome to the non league club. I have looked at Boston before as they are a great club, however I prefer taking on clubs that don't have a FL background as I like to be the first to create that bit of history (recently I don't even like managing clubs that have made the Conference National). They have a decent squad too, particularly Green, Penny and Mulhern.

@goonergez - bad luck again. Dulwich have a great set up though so I expect you'll do very well there and get promoted sooner rather than later.

[goonergez]

@CityAndColour it’s strange how I can get out of the Conference North/South ok, but the National always holds me back. You’re like me in the sense of clubs lacking history though. I like to think I can come in and be the saviour taking clubs to levels they’ve never been before. It rarely works but it’s a nice dream!

 

@oakesypvfc personally I think that’s a good season and a solid base! Anything over expectation is always a good season! You’ve laid a platform for yourself right there!

 

@Dong21 I look forward to reading on your progress. Bolton are a team I have looked at before, so far I’ve steered clear of it though.

[Jamesbfc1887]

There's a hell of a lot to be done at Shrewsbury, so many injuries and David Edwards the only HGC player worth using got another injury right before the season started 

This might help though 

 

[Jogo Bonito]

Well done on successive Walsall promotions @Ronaldo Beckham excellent work indeed.

@oakesypvfc I remember the days when Vale were a decent 2nd/3rd tier side. They should be doing much better as a club, and hopefully after a season settling in you can start them on their upwards journey. It's not always easy managing the club you support, I rarely did that with my own team over the years, generally due to feelings of contempt and loathing towards most of the players.

Good luck to the new managers at Shrewsbury, Dulwich Hamlet and Boston. A nice background story there @warlock although I can now certify that you are indeed 'way older' than me . Thanks for leaving York alone too, especially as GG has swooped in to take Dulwich 

Good to have you (almost) back with us @Dong21 although your FM break has lasted a couple of years less than the lesser-spotted @DefinitelyTaylor who I think will bound back in to life if Barrow get promoted (who knows anymore when or if the season  will ever end though).

Wishing you all safe and virus-free FM fun.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

38 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Well done on successive Walsall promotions @Ronaldo Beckham excellent work indeed.

@oakesypvfc I remember the days when Vale were a decent 2nd/3rd tier side. They should be doing much better as a club, and hopefully after a season settling in you can start them on their upwards journey. It's not always easy managing the club you support, I rarely did that with my own team over the years, generally due to feelings of contempt and loathing towards most of the players.

Good luck to the new managers at Shrewsbury, Dulwich Hamlet and Boston. A nice background story there @warlock although I can now certify that you are indeed 'way older' than me . Thanks for leaving York alone too, especially as GG has swooped in to take Dulwich 

Good to have you (almost) back with us @Dong21 although your FM break has lasted a couple of years less than the lesser-spotted @DefinitelyTaylor who I think will bound back in to life if Barrow get promoted (who knows anymore when or if the season  will ever end though).

Wishing you all safe and virus-free FM fun.

Thank you @Jogo Bonito and I too hope you have a safe few months ahead of us.

[warlock]

1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I can now certify that you are indeed 'way older' than me

Cheers . My wife has not yet tired of pointing out that I'm in the over-60s 'vulnerable' category for Covid-19. No problem, I said. You do the shopping; I'm not leaving the house .

[Jogo Bonito]

38 minutes ago, warlock said:

Cheers . My wife has not yet tired of pointing out that I'm in the over-60s 'vulnerable' category for Covid-19. No problem, I said. You do the shopping; I'm not leaving the house .

Nearly a perfect retort, however I think it's over 70's being likely to face isolation so you should still be able to get out to the shops for a while 

[Jean0987654321]

4 hours ago, Jamesbfc1887 said:

There's a hell of a lot to be done at Shrewsbury, so many injuries and David Edwards the only HGC player worth using got another injury right before the season started 

This might help though 

 

Mathias?

[Jogo Bonito]

3 hours ago, Jean0987654321 said:

Mathias?

Florentin? I think Mathias is well below that level these days. Maybe it's Paul 

[Jamesbfc1887]

 

6 hours ago, Jean0987654321 said:

Mathias?

 

3 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Florentin? I think Mathias is well below that level these days. Maybe it's Paul 

 

 

Boom, Florentin it is!!! He's actually a cracking signing for League 1 level, he was playing in the Europa League a few seasons ago if I remember correctly, so it's a bit of a coup!

[StePratt]

22 hours ago, Gross_Ballon said:

Spent all morning trying to find a championship club. started Bristol/Sheffield Wed both go boring after an hour. can you post your 4-3-3 

Yeah no problem. Like I said, very basic.

 

[CityAndColour]

Well, it was inevitable really...

He was clearly way too good for this level (left with an average rating of 7.94 this season) and had Championship clubs sniffing around him for the last 12 months. Not an enormous fee but a nice little profit and a 30% sell-on.

Thankfully I only had to deal with one player complaining too.

[goonergez]

Dulwich Hamlet FC: 2019/20 Review

So my new challenge is possibly the most simple one so far, as I move to take on Dulwich Hamlet and return the Conference South. A highly competitive league, and one I am familiar with after spells with both Tonbridge Angels and Maidstone United. This time I make the move to London though, to manage 'The Hamlet'. Founded in 1893 the club are gearing up for just a second season within the Conference South, having finished in 14th place last season. That finish being a club record for the highest in the club's history. Previously they had won the Isthmian Premier Division on four occasions (without promotion for some reason), and were promoted via the play-offs having finished in 2nd place during the 2017/18 season. My plan is to try and take this team higher than they have ever been previously. The Football League would be incredible, and being based on the outskirts of London there is a lot of potential for this club. Progress could see the fan base grown, and financially that would only be a good thing. The club play their home games at Champion Hill, with a 3,000 capacity and 500 seats. The stadium is rented from the local council, and was opened in 1912 before being renovated back in 1992. In the long term it would be nice to bring success to the club, in order to fund a new stadium or at least give the club the option to purchase Champion Hill outright and take ownership of the ground.

Upon my arrival here it was clear that the squad really didn't need much change at all. This inherited squad was definitely ready to look towards promotion, and it mas more about fine tuning than it was about overhauling. Upon walking into the club I did release and replace the entire backroom staff though, bringing in my own team of people. 54-year old John Durnin came in as my new assistant manager, and non-league hero Anthony Acheampong and young Callum Dyson came in to form our coaching team.  A new physiotherapist and a new scout came in as well, but neither of them would be recognisable names. Shaping up with my favoured counter attacking 4-1-2-2-1 style, I decided that we didn't really need many new arrivals. We lacked a solid number one goalkeeper though, so 19-year old Macedonian Luka Nakov was picked up. He was released in the summer by Bromley, having joined them from Slavia Sofia and looks a solid option for this level. 19-year old central defender Harry Philby was signed as a prospect after his release by Reading as well. In midfield we picked up 21-year old Devonta Aransibia after his release by Norwich City. He should prove to be a star player in his side, and joined to replace Dominic Vose who ended his non-contract agreement here to leave and join Stockport County in the Conference National.

On the field it very quickly became apparent that the board expectations of finishing within the play-off positions could well be dwarfed. We began the season with a drab 0-0 draw away to Braintree Town, before winning our next five matches to climb top of the table. A 0-2 defeat away to Billericay Town ended the opening month of the season, before we stepped up our performances and moved onwards and upwards. An eighteen match unbeaten run followed that defeat, before it was ended by the same team. Billericay Town came to Champion Hill and repeated the result, doing the double over us and cutting our gap at the top of the league down to twelve points. We followed it up with another defeat, before getting our season back up and running with victory over Hemel Hempstead. The two defeats thankfully didn't set our form into freefall, and we coasted through the rest of the season with relative ease. A play-off spot was booked with seven matches still to play, and the league title and promotion was clinched with five  games still remaining. A fantastic campaign, and one in which winning the league was never really in any doubt.

Despite the goal tallies of strikers Dipo Akenyimi (14) and Danny Mills (10), it was our defensive solidarity that saw us achieve what we did. Quade Taylor and Jarvis Edobor were superb at the heart of our defence, their performances helping us to clinch the best defensive record within the division. Goalkeeper Luka Nakov also performed consistently for us, conceding just 22 goals in 36 matches with a club record of 20 clean sheets. If we can perform that defensively solid again next season, then we certainly won't have any problems in staying up.

The cup competitions were fairly low on my priority list this season, although an FA Cup run would be a nice way to bring some funds into the clubs kitty. We cruised through the first two qualifying rounds we entered, beating Haringey Borough 2-0 away, before following it up with a 3-0 victory away against Yate Town. Both of those with much changed matchday squads. The fourth and final qualifying round gave us a tough tie, yet again away from home but this time against Yeovil Town of the Conference National. We named a strong team for the first time in the competition and it paid off. Within eight minutes we were 2-0 in front, after early goals from Danny Mills and Devonte Aransibia. We played brilliantly and kept that score line to advance to the First Round of the competition. We played host to Bath City of our division, and put in a lacklustre display to draw 0-0 and force a replay. We were even more disappointing in that game though, and lost 0-2 to crash out of the competition. We did bring in some pretty good funds in getting that far though. The FA Trophy was just the opposite. We were drawn at home to Haringey Borough in the final qualifying round and they got their revenge. We named a much changed squad, and got knocked out after going down 0-1.

Preparations for the Conference National have already begun, as I look at how I can keep this football club at the higher level. I feel like our squad won't need too much, but we will need to bring in a few new faces for sure. New contracts have been handed out and signed to a number of our key performers from this season already. Devonte Aransibia, Harry Philby, Jarvis Edobor and Dipo Akenyimi to name a few. We've also started to look outside the club at who we could bring in on potential transfers. Promotion at the first time of asking leaves us in very good shape though. The financial situation at the club has improved significantly, mainly down to a solid performance in the FA Cup. We do have a lot of players running down their contracts with the club this summer too, and that will give me an opportunity to trim down our weekly expenditure in player wages. It was on the high side when I arrived. It is a really exciting time for this football club, and I am really keen to get up and running with next season already.

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Dulwich Hamlet FC Honours

2019/20 Conference South Champions

[DefinitelyTaylor]

21 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

although your FM break has lasted a couple of years less than the lesser-spotted @DefinitelyTaylor who I think will bound back in to life if Barrow get promoted (who knows anymore when or if the season  will ever end though).

 I've not really given much of a look-in to the EFL this year, I have to be honest. It will change at some point though I presume. Perhaps I'll finally post an update of note here someday. With regards to the season... I really hope they find a compromise. We absolutely deserve to be in the position we are but we know that this was our one shot. If the season is voided, then well... that dream is over for a while again.

[Jogo Bonito]

@Jamesbfc1887 A very tidy signing for League 1 indeed, nice one.

@goonergez A strong squad for sure but that delivers a burden of expectation. Well done on your success.

@DefinitelyTaylor Some things are more important than FM, as we are finding out now. Your guest appearances are always welcome though and hopefully Barrow will get reward somehow for their efforts.

[warlock]

1 hour ago, goonergez said:

A fantastic campaign, and one in which winning the league was never really in any doubt

Congratulations! You really rip througha season, don't you?!

I will say nothing about your history in the VNN 

[goonergez]

3 minutes ago, warlock said:

Congratulations! You really rip througha season, don't you?!

I will say nothing about your history in the VNN 

I don't really know how I get through the game so quickly. I'm lucky that my job means I am normally home by like 2-3pm, and the missus doesn't show up til around7. Plus she's been doing overtime at the weekends so I have literally been playing all day every day. Yeah my history in that league is not good. I am not looking forward to attempting it again! Especially as if I fail I have basically exhausted all north and south sides attempting it.

[warlock]

2 minutes ago, goonergez said:

I am not looking forward to attempting it again!

Just my opinion, but I think the VNN is the non-league equivalent of the Championship. They're hard to get out of because you're not just competing with ambitious teams from your own level but better funded and staffed teams who have come down from the higher division. VNN is probably tougher, actually, because the playoff route is harder and only two teams in total get promotion.

If you check out the Dafuge Challenge thread you'll see that while some people blaze through the VNN without trouble, most suffer multiple attempts before winning promotion. Last year I managed back-to-back promotions with Darlington into L2 but it's the only time I've done that. In my own Dafuge save with Dulwich, I won the VNS comfortably but struggled for two seasons in the VNN before I sacked it off after relegation. I sincerely wish you well 

[Jamesbfc1887]

Shrewsbury:

Transfer Window:

 

 

 

You've already seen Florentin Pogba, an excellent player for League 1 and for only £1.7k a week I think he provides great value covering both centre back or left wing back.

 

 

The major signing of the window has to be Dominic Samuel for £400,000 from Blackburn, a pretty good operator at League 1 level, I'm sure him and Jason Cummings upfront will be enough to make any team in this league fearful.

 

 

Josh Clarke will provide options at right wing back, we're paying him too much in my opinion but he's the kind of attacking wing back I'm looking for.

 

Well this is certainly an interesting transfer to say the least, it goes against everything I've known and learnt from playing FM over the years, you just don't sign old and past their best players, it never ends well but it was the only option I had and for 1 year on a low wage and his physical stats just about okay, he may well be able to do a job when called upon.

 

 

Mateusz Bogusz, comes in on loan from Leeds, he's a great option to have at both central midfield and as a number 10.

 

 

[goonergez]

Dulwich Hamlet FC: 2020/21 Preview

My first season here at Champion Hill saw us achieve way more than expected, as we stormed to the Conference South league title and gained promotion to the Conference National for the very first time in this club's history. A host of club records were broken along the way, as we won the title by an impressive 15 points. Least goals conceded in a season, most clean sheets in a season, least defeats in a league season, as well as player records for goals scored in a season (Dipo Akinyemi) and clean sheets in a season (Luka Nakov). It was a stunning campaign, but meant that our summer was an important one now. It is vital that we don't get relegated straight back down, and undo all of our hard work from last season.

Off of the field our preparations for the new league began right away, with expenditure that I would rather not have had to spend. £95,000 was spent on adding standing capacity for another 1,000 supporters at Champion Hill. We had to do this to comply with the rules of our new league, but would mean that our current capacity would be reduced for the next six months whilst the work was completed, thereby reducing matchday income. The club also managed to pick up a new sponsorship deal, tripling our income from that avenue. On a personal note I was offered an interview for the job at League Two side Plymouth Argyle, which I rejected in an instant. We also got news that I had finished second in the Conference South manager of the season award for last year. Somewhat surprising that I didn't come out on top considering our dominance, but nice to be recognised anyways.

Having gained promotion right away, the club laid out a new five year plan for where they want the club to be. In the immediate it is not really a surprise, as this season is all about survival. In honesty they haven't been overly ambitious at all, wanting us to remain and consolidate within the Conference National over the next five seasons. I'd like to be out of this league by then but will be happy to stabilise in this league over the next couple of seasons. Our wage budget has been increased for the season, but I planned on conducting our business whilst comfortably remaining below the allocation anyways.

Regarding our squad, it was an active summer as a number of players arrived and departed the football club. 25-year old left back Jack Connors was the most disappointing departure for us, as he left to join Waterford in his homeland on a pre-contract agreement. He was an ever present for us last season, but I wasn't willing to stand in his way, despite the huge void it left in our defensive line. The expirations of a number of contracts also saw a large number of players leave the club. Second choice goalkeeper Preston Edwards and winger Connor Hunte the most recognisable. Christian Smith had become a regular in the side as last season ended, Richard Orlu played three times, but both left. Kieran Monlouis was allowed to join Kidderminster, and Marvin McCoy and Adeoye Yuseff both left to clear room on the wage bill. Winger Jeffrey Monakana was one who I didn't want to leave, but his wage demands were much more than I wanted to pay to keep him. He was also demanding a two year deal, when I only wanted to keep him here for the coming season. Finally after 12 years, 365 appearances and a club record 99 goals, winger Nyren Clunis was informed he was being released and departed the club.

We filled the void left at left back with the signing of 18-year old James Morris at the end of his contract with Southampton, He looks to possess some real talent for the future, and I am hopeful that we will see it in the pink and navy of Dulwich Hamlet. Central defender Jonathan Dinzeyi is a real prospect too, and was picked up on a free transfer after his release from Tottenham. I'm not sure how close the 20-year old will be to our first team in the immediate, but he looks a really promising young talent.

Our midfield looked a little slim after all the departures we authorised, and we definitely required options in that area. 19-year old Icelandic midfielder Isak Snaer Porvaldsson was first in, picked up after his release by Norwich City. He will slot nicely alongside Ben Chapman, who impressed last season. Fellow central midfielder Emmanuel Adebiyi was also picked up, after he was released by Watford. The 19-year old providing another option for central midfielder, and will be a long term replacement for David Ijaha. On the flanks we needed some options too, and at first moved to bring in a couple of players on loan. Devonte Aransibia impressed last season, but spent much of the campaign in the centre of midfield. I wanted to move him out wide, and in the end we signed two wingers and steered clear of loan dealings. 22-year old Faiq Bolkiah came in after his release from Leicester City, and looks promising for the future if not right now. More excitingly though we picked up 18-year old former Tottenham youngster Dilan Markanday on a free transfer dealing. He looks absolutely sensational for this level, and will slot straight onto the right hand side as a key component of our attacking play.

Finally despite grabbing 24 league goals between them last season, I looked for a stronger option up top to replace Danny Mills and Dipo Akenyimi. I was delighted to pick up 18-year old Cameron Archer for that, after his release by Aston Villa. He looks a really good player for this level, and I am hoping he can find the net on a regular basis to help us out. We also picked up 18-year old Ghanaian Enoch Asante after his release from Tottenham. Remarkable a third player signed after being let go by them.

A solid summer of business for us, and I truly feel that we've managed to significantly improve the ability within our ranks. We've signed some really promising young players, and I am excited to see them pull on the shirt. There are a number of really talented players here now, and I am quietly confident of having a decent season. We are certainly not fancied though, and the media predict we will finish rock bottom of the league table. We're also 80-1 to win the league with the bookies, and in all honesty nobody fancies us t beat the drop.

I am hoping that we can prove everybody wrong though. Survival is the priority and as much as I am suggesting more, I would be happy just to achieve it. Last season was incredible for us, but this season will prove much more of a challenge. It's a very tough league to get out of, and we don't have the reputation to attract the truly top players down to us. Financially the club is in decent shape, but I am also determined not to put that at risk chasing quick successes. We've managed to complete all of our summer activities whilst keeping our wage budget at near enough the same it was last season. That's a pretty good effort seeing as we have brought in a number of players who have previously been on the books at Premier League clubs.

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Dulwich Hamlet FC Honours

2019/20 Conference South Champions

[Jamesbfc1887]

Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This man is made of glass, I swear

[Dong21]

Great season preview @goonergez - I always like the detailed posts.

Dulwich are a side I was keeping an eye on this season after attending their FA Cup tie against Carlisle earlier this season.

Good luck for the campaign ahead!

[goonergez]

29 minutes ago, Dong21 said:

Great season preview @goonergez - I always like the detailed posts.

Dulwich are a side I was keeping an eye on this season after attending their FA Cup tie against Carlisle earlier this season.

Good luck for the campaign ahead!

Cheers for the kind words. Funny you say that, I was chatting to a mate the other day about wanting to go and watch Dulwich at some point. When this hell is over and football returns....

[Jamesbfc1887]

Oh bore off already, this is begging to kill my save.