Which part of the UK produces the best footballers ? (Experiment)

[jcoll]

I posted this experiment over on reddit over the space of a few weeks but thought I'd post it here in full before I simulate the experiment, It's a long read but hopefully an interesting one!

Hopefully, this experiment will provide the answer to the following questions:

What if the Premier League was split into 20 teams representing UK regions of equal population?

Which region in the United Kingdom produces the best footballers?

Where do the real footballing hotbeds lie in the UK?

 

Essentially, I’ve split up the UK into 20 equal(ish) geographical regions, with the idea being that each region has a team made up of players born in that region. I’ve used this website which shows the population of each county, I then calculated that each team should be made up of players from a region of 3.26m people (65.171m/20). Teams are filled up with whole counties, except for Greater London which has been split up into 3 regions due to having around 9m people in total. Note:  Due to the diversity of the county populations and the challenges of geographically dividing the UK, some teams have slightly more/less than the aforementioned 3.26m people.

Split of Counties into Teams

 

	Team	Population	Counties
1	South-West	3,450,896	Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset
2	South-East	3,495,475	East Sussex, Kent, West Sussex
3	South Coast	3,135,638	Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey,
4	London 1	3,369,234	London Boroughs: Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Islington, Camden, Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Richmond upon Thames, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Sutton, Croydon
5	London 2	3,009,408	London Boroughs: City of London, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Bromley, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Newham
6	London 3 & Herts	3,199,939	Hertfordshire and London Boroughs: Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Haringey, Enfield, Barnet, Harrow, Hillingdon
7	South-West Midlands	3,661,711	Berkshire, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire
8	South-East Midlands	3,051,792	Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire
9	East Anglia	3,457,571	Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk
10	Wales & Hereford	3,169,324	Wales, Herefordshire,
11	West Midlands	3,420,627	West Midlands, Warwickshire
12	East Midlands	3,272,395	Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,  Nottinghamshire, Rutland
13	South Yorkshire & Humber	3,017,379	Derbyshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, South Yorkshire,
14	Greater Manchester	2,782,552	Greater Manchester
15	North-West	3,391,458	Cumbria, Lanchashire, Mersyside
16	North & West Yorks	3,434,422	North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire
17	North-East & Borders	3,127,298	County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, East Midlothian, Edinburgh City, Midlothian, Scottish Borders.
18	N.I & SW Scotland	3,082,203	Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire
19	North Scotland	3,405,207	Aberdeen city, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire,  Dundee City, East Dumbartonshire, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highlands, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Shetland Islands, Stirling, West Dumbartonshire, West Lothian.
20	West England	3,237,053	Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire

 

Here we have it, the 20 regions have been split up. Team 14 (Greater Manchester) have the smallest population but hopefully the produce of the academies of Premier League giants Man Utd and Man City will come to the fore. Team 6 has the largest population, but it remains to be seen whether this will translate into footballing ability just yet. I have also made some maps using my below-average paint skills to help visualise the split geographically.

 

England Map

Scotland Map

London Boroughs Map

 

I picked each team using a database of players from Football Manager 2020. I extracted a list of players into excel and began manually allocating each player to a team based on their city of birth (according to FM). Ultimately, I ended up on a squad of 25 players for each team and have tried my best to allocate an even positional spread throughout each squad so that the AI managers aren’t forced to play any ridiculously attacking/defensive formations. Squads have been loosely picked around current ability, reputation and transfer value.

Each team will be managed by a manager born from the region they are managing. I’ve allocated the manager with the highest reputation in each region according to FM to each team. This will add an extra element to the experiment and will be to interesting to see how much of an influence some of the better managers will have on their respective teams.

Without further ado, I will reveal the teams one by one below in numerical order (I would also like some suggestions on team names for each region, as I am aware they’re not very creative!)

__________

Team 1 – South-West - Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset – Population: 3,450,896.00

Media Prediction: 16^th - Title Odds: 350-1

Manager – Darren Way (Plymouth, Plymouth U18)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Christian Walton	GK	Truro	Blackburn	ENG	23
Jack Butland	GK	Clevedon	Stoke	ENG	26
Max O’Leary	GK	Bath	Bristol City	ENG	22
Ben White	D (C)	Poole	Leeds Utd	ENG	21
Ethan Ampadu	D (C), DM	Exeter	RB Leipzig	WAL	18
George Friend	D (LC), WB (L)	Barnstaple	Middlesbrough	ENG	31
Jack Simpson	D (C)	Weymouth	Bournemouth	ENG	22
Jack Stephens	D (C), DM	Plymouth	Southampton	ENG	25
Jordan Storey	D (C)	Yeovil	Preston	ENG	21
Sean Morrison	D (C)	Plymouth	Cardiff	ENG	28
Tyrone Mings	D (LC)	Bath	Aston Villa	ENG	26
Martin Cranie	D (RC)	Yeovil	Luton Town	ENG
Dan Gosling	M (C)	Torquay	Bournemouth	ENG	29
Josh Sims	M (L), AM (LC)	Yeovil	New York Red Bulls	ENG	22
Matt Grimes	DM, M (C)	Exeter	Swansea	ENG	23
Scott Sinclair	M/AM (L)	Bath	Preston	ENG	30
Xavier Amaechi	M/AM (RL)	Bath	Hamburger SV	ENG	18
Nicky Law	M (LC)	Plymouth	Exeter City	ENG	31
Dominic Gape	DM, M (C )	Weymouth	Wycombe Wanderers	ENG	24
Ryan Leonard	M (C)	Plymouth	Millwall	ENG	27
Ashley Barnes	AM (L), ST (C)	Bath	Burnley	ENG	29
Isaac Vassell	AM (RL), ST (C)	Truro	Cardiff	ENG	25
Kieffer Moore	ST (C)	Torquay	Wigan	WAL	26
Ollie Watkins	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Newton Abbot	Brentford	ENG	23
Sam Gallagher	AM (R), ST (C)	Exeter	Blackburn	ENG	23

 

Likely Starting XI

A region famous for Pasties, Cheese and Cider, the South West has brought to the nation many good things but unfortunately footballers (and managers) don’t seem to follow that trend. I had to search long and hard to find a manager that was born in this region. I eventually found Darren Way, who according to FM is the current Plymouth Argyle U18 Manager who recently had a spell in charge of League Two side Yeovil Town. Predicted to be in the bottom five come the end of the season, this squad seems like it will need a manager with a bit more experience to do anything of note.

The squad lacks all round quality, especially fullbacks, let’s hope Darren Way is impartial to a 3 at the back system. Stand out players include Leeds United defender Ben White who has had a great season in the championship this year, Tyrone Mings, who has recently won his first England caps and Austrian U20 capped Burnley striker Ashley Barnes who looks like the best attacking option in the side.

Amongst the rest of the team, Scott Sinclair will occupy the flanks and will be hoping to re-ignite the success he had at Swansea back in the 2011/12 season. Jack Butland will be competing for the number one shirt, who along with Tyrone Mings, shares the squads total England caps (10) between them. The team also some exciting young talent in Ethan Ampadu and Xavier Amaechi, who are both currently learning their trade in the Bundesliga.

I am not hopeful for this team, considering the lack of top players and with the inexperienced Darren Way in charge but I’m hoping he can prove me wrong!

__________

Team 2 – South-East - East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent – Population: 3,495,475

Media Prediction: 20^th - Title Odds: 600-1

Manager: Lee Johnson (Newmarket, Bristol City)

 

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Sam Walker	GK	Gravesend	Reading	ENG	27
Joe Day	GK	Brighton	Cardiff City	ENG	28
Paul Jones	GK	Maidstone	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	33
Lewis Dunk	D (C)	Brighton	Brighton	ENG	27
Steve Cook	D (RC)	Hastings	Bournemouth	ENG	28
Adam Webster	D (C)	Chichester	Brighton	ENG	24
Joel Ward	D (RL)	Chichester	Crystal Palace	ENG	29
Grant Hall	D (C)	Brighton	QPR	ENG	27
Tommy Elphick	D (C)	Brighton	Huddersfield	ENG	31
Chris Solly	D ( R)	Chatham	Charlton	ENG	29
George Cox	D/WB (L)	Worthing	Brighton	ENG	21
Sam McCallum	D/WB (L)	Canterbury	Norwich City	ENG	18
Solly March	M (RL), AM (RLC)	Eastbourne	Brighton	ENG	24
Luke Freeman	M/AM (RLC)	Dartford	Sheffield United	ENG	27
Harrison Reed	DM, M (RC)	Worthing	Fulham	ENG	24
Jonny Williams	M/AM (LC)	Tunbridge Wells	Charlton	WAL	25
Gareth Barry	DM, M (C)	Hastings	West Brom	ENG	38
George Boyd	DM, M (RLC), AM ( C)	Chatham	Peterborough	ENG	33
Robbie Burton	M/AM (C )	Gravesend	Dinamo Zagreb	WAL	18
George Thorne	DM, M (C)	Chatham	Oxford United	ENG	26
Conor Chaplin	AM (RLC), ST (C )	Worthing	Barnsley	ENG	23
James Norwood	ST (C )	Eastbourne	Ipswich	ENG	28
Conor Washington	AM (RL), ST (C )	Chatham	Hearts	NIR	27
Matt Godden	ST (C )	Canterbury	Coventry	ENG	28
John Akinde	ST (C )	Gravesend	Gillingham	ENG	30

 

Likely Starting XI

Up next, we have the combined counties of Sussex and Kent, the South East of England. Taking the reigns is Lee Johnson, current Bristol City manager, who has done well in recent years in the championship. However, in terms of ability it doesn’t get much worse. The media have predicted them to be rock bottom at the end of the season and have offered odds of 600-1 for a title win for Lee Johnson’s men.

The squad does boast the experience of Gareth Barry, who is the record all-time premier league appearance maker (653) and has also been capped 53 times by his country will be a frontrunner for captain duties. Sunderland ‘til I die fan favourite Jonny Williams makes an appearance in midfield along with Solly March who looks to be the most promising player in the final third.

The goalkeeper spot looks to be an issue with not one of the three goalkeepers being the first-choice keeper in their respective championship club sides. However, the Brighton duo of Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster look to be a solid partnership at the back and will be hoping to limit the amount of shots at goal.

With weaknesses in Goal and up front the media’s prediction is probably warranted, Lack of goals looks to be a big worry with none of the forwards seeming to have top-level experience. I would be impressed with Lee Johnson if he could lead the South-East to safety with the resources at his disposal.

__________

Team 3 – South Coast - Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey – Population: 3,135,638

Media Prediction: 8^th - Title Odds: 30-1

Manager: Neal Ardley (Epsom, Notts County)

 

 

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Alex McCarthy	GK	Guildford	Southampton	ENG	29
Neil Etheridge	GK	Fleet	Cardiff	PHI	29
Simon Moore	GK	Isle of Wight	Sheffield United	ENG	29
Calum Chambers	D (RC), DM	Portsmouth	Arsenal	ENG	24
Matthew Targett	D/WB/M (L)	Eastleigh	Aston Villa	ENG	23
Jack Whatmough	D (C)	Gosport	Portsmouth	ENG	22
Lee Brown	D/WB (L)	Farnborough	Portsmouth	ENG	28
Jason McCarthy	D (RC)	Southampton	Millwall	ENG	23
Ethan Laird	D/WB (RL)	Basingstoke	Man United	ENG	17
Jack Hobbs	D (C)	Portsmouth	Bolton Wanderers	ENG	30
Joe Partington	D (RC)	Portsmouth	Eastleigh	WAL	29
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain	M (RC), AM (RLC)	Portsmouth	Liverpool	ENG	25
Mason Mount	M (C), AM (LC)	Portsmouth	Chelsea	ENG	20
James Ward-Prowse	DM, M (C)	Portsmouth	Southampton	ENG	24
Will Hughes	DM, M/AM (RC)	Weybridge	Watford	ENG	24
Tom Cleverley	M/AM (C)	Basingstoke	Watford	ENG	29
Matt Ritchie	D/WB (L), M/AM (RL)	Gosport	Newcastle	SCO	29
Joe Ralls	M (LC)	Aldershot	Cardiff	ENG	25
Conor Gallagher	DM, M (C)	Epsom	Swansea	ENG	19
Marlon Pack	DM, M (C)	Portsmouth	Cardiff	ENG	28
John Swift	M/AM (C)	Portsmouth	Reading	ENG	24
Danny Ings	ST (C)	Winchester	Southampton	ENG	26
Lyle Taylor	AM (R), ST (C)	Staines-upon-Thames	Charlton	MSR	29
Lukas Jutkiewicz	ST (C)	Southampton	Birmingham	ENG	30
Sam Vokes	ST (C)	New Milton	Stoke	WAL	29

 

Likely Starting 11

South Coast is managed by former Wimbledon and Watford winger Neal Ardley, current manager of National League side Notts County. Another manager who lacks top level experience will be hoping to make his mark at a higher level.

This team has a bit of quality compared to the previous two and has plenty of premier league experience with a total of 10 players capped by their country. England Internationals Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mason Mount have genuine quality in the midfield and will be hoping to create the supply for Danny Ings to grab plenty of goals. However, In defence, Calum Chambers is the stand out player out of an average bunch.

Neil Etheridge, who qualifies for the Philippines by virtue of his Filipino mother will compete with Southampton number one, Alex McCarthy for the starting keeper spot.

Described as a ‘fairly determined’ squad, South Coast have a lot of industry in the team with players like Matt Ritchie, James Ward-Prowse and Tom Cleverley and will be hoping that this translates on to the pitch with some good performances.

The overall verdict in this squad is that they have enough ability and experience to finish the top half and could even push top four in my opinion.

__________

Team 4 – London 1 - London Boroughs: Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Islington, Camden, Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Richmond upon Thames, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Sutton, Croydon – Population: 3,369,408

Media Prediction: 6^th - Title Odds: 9-1

Manager: Roy Hodgson (Croydon, Crystal Palace)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Jamal Blackman	GK	Croydon	Bristol Rovers	ENG	25
Freddie Woodman	GK	London	Swansea	ENG	22
James Shea	GK	London	Luton Town	ENG	28
Aaron Wan-Bissaka	D/WB (R)	Croydon	Man Utd	ENG	21
Luke Shaw	D/WB (L)	Kingston upon Thames	Man Utd	ENG	23
Ryan Sessegnon	D/WB/M/AM (L)	London	Tottenham	ENG	19
Max Aarons	D/WB (R)	London	Norwich	ENG	19
Ryan Fredericks	D/WB/M/AM (R)	London	West Ham	ENG	26
Chris Mepham	D (C)	London	Bournemouth	WAL	21
Jake Clarke-Salter	D (C)	Carshalton	Birmingham	ENG	21
Steven Caulker	D (C)	Feltham	Alanyaspor	ENG	27
Michael Mancienne	D (C), DM	Isleworth	New England Revolution	ENG	31
Callum Hudson-Odoi	AM (RLC)	London	Chelsea	ENG	18
Jack Cork	DM, M (C)	Carshalton	Burnley	ENG	29
Declan Rice	D (C), DM, M (C)	London	West Ham	ENG	20
Michail Antonio	M/AM (R)	London	West Ham	ENG	29
Bukayo Saka	AM (RL)	London	Arsenal	ENG	17
Emile Smith Rowe	M (RL), AM (RLC)	London	Huddersfield	ENG	18
Steven Alzate	M/AM (C)	London	Brighton	COL	20
Josh Murphy	AM (RL)	London	Cardiff	ENG	24
Patrick Roberts	AM (RLC)	Kingston upon Thames	Middlesbrough	ENG	22
Ademola Lookman	M/AM (RL), ST (C)	London	RB Leipzig	ENG	21
Lewis Grabban	ST (C)	Croydon	Nottm Forest	ENG	31
Sone Aluko	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Hounslow	Reading	NGA	30
Hal Robson-Kanu	AM (RLC), ST (C)	London	West Brom	WAL	30

 

Likely Starting XI

The first of the three London teams, which spans most of south and west London is managed by Crystal Palace’s Roy Hodgson. Roy has been a football manager since 1976 and has a wealth of experience to draw upon, including a four-year spell as manager of his country. Despite being at the ripe old age of 72, Roy isn’t the oldest manager in the league..

The squad, tipped by the media to finish 6^th, is an exciting young squad with plenty of players tipped to be a big part of England’s future.

Premier League loanees Freddie Woodman and Jamal Blackman (who is currently playing at Bristol Rovers on his 7^th successive year out on loan from Chelsea) will compete for the starting keeping berth.

Man Utd fullbacks Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will almost certainly occupy their respective positions and will hope to offer an attacking outlet bombing on from their full back positions. One of England’s one cap wonder’s Steven Caulker, who currently plays for Turkish outfit Alanyaspor also makes an appearance in defence.

In midfield, Declan Rice and Callum Hudson Odoi, both recently capped by England are the strengths which the team will rely on whilst fellow youngsters Ademola Lookman and Steven Alzate who has twice been capped for Colombia will also be looking to make an impact.

In Attack, Euro 2016 hero Thomas Henry Alex (Hal) Robson-Kanu, Sone Aluko and Lewis Grabban will all fancy themselves to start.

The youthful squad will bring a lot of pace and energy to the league and Roy Hodgson will be hoping for a top six finish at minimum. I think the squad has enough depth and quality to potentially go all the way.

__________

Team 5 – London 2 - London Boroughs: City of London, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Bromley, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Newham– Population: 3,009,408

Media Prediction: 1^st- Title Odds: 4-1

Manager: Chris Hughton (Forest Gate, Unemployed)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Marcus Bettinelli	GK	London	Fulham	ENG	27
Rob Elliot	GK	London	Newcastle	IRL	33
Mark Howard	GK	London	Blackpool	ENG	33
Joe Gomez	D (RLC)	London	Liverpool	ENG	22
Chris Smalling	D (C)	London	Roma	ENG	29
Ryan Bertrand	D/WB (L)	London	Southampton	ENG	29
Michael Hector	D (C), DM	London	Fulham	JAM	26
Ola Aina	D/WB/M (RL)	London	Torino	NGA	22
Kortney Hause	D (LC)	Dagenham	Aston Villa	ENG	23
Semi Ajayi	D (C), DM	Crayford	West Brom	NGA	25
Kieran Gibbs	D/WB (L)	London	West Brom	ENG	29
Nathaniel Clyne	D/WB ( R)	London	Liverpool	ENG	28
Jadon Sancho	M/AM (RL)	London	Borussia Dortmund	ENG	19
Ruben Loftus-Cheek	M/AM (C)	London	Chelsea	ENG	23
Reiss Nelson	M (RL), AM (RLC)	London	Arsenal	ENG	19
Jonjo Shelvey	DM, M (C)	Romford	Newcastle	ENG	27
Bradley Dack	AM (C), ST (C)	London	Blackburn	ENG	25
Junior Stanislas	M/AM (RL)	Kidbrooke	Bournemouth	ENG	29
Jordon Ibe	M (R), AM (RL)	London	Bournemouth	ENG	23
Mark Noble	DM, M(C)	London	West Ham	ENG	32
Harry Arter	M (C)	Sidcup	Fulham	IRL	29
Ebere Eze	M (C), AM (RLC)	London	QPR	ENG	20
Tammy Abraham	ST (C)	London	Chelsea	ENG	21
Karlan Grant	AM (L), ST (C)	London	Huddersfield	ENG	21
Eddie Nketiah	AM (RL), ST (C)	London	Arsenal	ENG	20

 

Likely Starting XI

The Media’s favourites, made up of London Boroughs including and east of City of London is the 2^nd smallest in terms of catchment area but certainly doesn’t lack quality. Ex-Brighton manager Chris Hughton is in the dugout and has a strong team which looks to have Premier League level quality all round apart from maybe in the goalkeeper position in which Fulham’s Marcus Bettinelli appears to be the likely candidate to start.

An all premier league back four consisting of Nathaniel Clyne, Joe Gomez, Chris Smalling and Ryan Bertrand, share 74 England caps between them look to be solid partnership and will be hoping to keep as many clean sheets as possible in order to be in with a chance in the title race.

Key man, Jadon Sancho, one of, if not the most exciting player in the league, will be hoping to chip in with as many goals and assists as possible from wherever Chris Hughton deploys him. Jadon has 14 goals and 15 assists in 21 starts this year in the Bundesliga and should be uncontrollable for some of the defences he will be up against. Talented Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be hoping to remain injury free throughout the season and make a good partnership with Jonjo Shelvey who will be looking to dictate play in the middle of the park.

Bradley Dack, who according to FM is likely to play off Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham will be looking to provide enough chances for Tammy who should have enough with the level of creative quality surrounding him.

Overall, A very strong team who will be hoping to keep Jadon Sancho injury free all season. Probably rightly favourites for the title, however, will face tough opposition from some of the teams yet to come…

___________

Team 6 – London 3 & Herts - Hertfordshire and London Boroughs: Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Haringey, Enfield, Barnet, Harrow, – Population: 3,450,896

Media Prediction: 4^th - Title Odds: 7-1

Manager – Gareth Southgate (Watford, England)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
David Button	GK	Stevenage	Brighton	ENG	30
Jordan Archer	GK	Walthamstow	Fulham	SCO	26
Jonathan Bond	GK	Hemel Hempstead	West Brom	ENG	26
Ainsley Maitland-Niles	D/WB (RL), DM, M (C)	Ilford	Arsenal	ENG	21
Reece James	D/WB (R), M (C)	London	Chelsea	ENG	19
Kyle Walker-Peters	D (RL), WB (R)	London	Southampton	ENG	22
Adam Smith	D (R)	Leyton	Bournemouth	ENG	28
Ciaran Clark	D (C)	Harrow	Newcastle	IRL	29
Alfie Mawson	D (C)	Hillingdon	Fulham	ENG	25
Adrian Mariappa	D (RC)	Harrow	Watford	JAM	32
Japhet Tanganga	D (RC)	London	Tottenham	ENG	20
Ashley Young	D/WB (RL)	Stevenage	Inter	ENG	33
Harry Winks	DM, M (C)	Hemel Hempstead	Tottenham	ENG	23
Adam Lallana	DM, M/AM (RLC)	St. Albans	Liverpool	ENG	31
Andros Townsend	M (R), AM (RL)	Leyton	Crystal Palace	ENG	27
Jack Wilshere	M (C), AM (RLC)	Stevenage	West Ham	ENG	27
Joe Willock	M (C)	Walthamstow	Arsenal	ENG	19
Sheyi Ojo	M (L), AM (RLC)	Hemel Hempstead	Rangers	ENG	22
Angel Gomes	AM (RLC)	London	Man Utd	ENG	18
Jake Livermore	D (C), DM, M (C)	Enfield	West Brom	ENG	29
Harry Kane	AM (C), ST (C)	London	Tottenham	ENG	25
Dwight Gayle	ST (C)	Walthamstow	Newcastle	ENG	29
Cauley Woodrow	AM (C), ST (C)	Hemel Hempstead	Barnsley	ENG	24
Benik Afobe	ST (C)	Leyton	Bristol City	COD	26
Jamal Lowe	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Harrow	Wigan	ENG	24

 

Likely Starting XI

 

England’s hero of the summer of 2018, Gareth Southgate, takes charge of this side. Reaching the semis at the 2018 World cup is Gareth’s best achievement to date which arguably could have been seen as underachievement with the Fixtures and Squad England had. One of the more experienced managers in the league, Gareth will be familiar to plenty of the England boys in the Squad. Tipped to finish in the top 4, Southgate will be hoping to have a crack at his first trophy in (hypothetical) management.

Spearheading the attack is Spurs’ Harry Kane, who is the highest rated player in the competition based on FM current ability. Kane will be a major threat to any defence he faces and is likely to be favourite for the golden boot. Behind Kane, the duo of Adam Lallana and Andros Townsend will offer some threat and creativity and will be hoping to feed Kane with an endless supply of chances.

Jack Wilshere, who is probably best known for being the most injury prone player in the league will be hoping to stay fit throughout and make an impact whilst talented young midfielder Harry Winks will sit in front of the back four and dictate the tempo.

In defence, there is a mix of youth and experience. Young defenders Reece James and Kyle Walker-Peters are joined by 39-time England capped Ashley Young who is currently playing his trade in Milan. Two from Mariappa, Mawson and Clark will occupy the central defender position assuming Southgate plays with a back four.

Yet again for another team, the Goalkeeper position is a worry. David Button who is currently second choice for Brighton will likely start although it could be a toss-up between any of the three below-average stoppers.

I have high hopes for this team, if Kane remains injury-free they will surely be in and around the title race.

 

 

Team 7 – South-West Midlands - Berkshire, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire – Population: 3,661,711

Media Prediction: 18^th - Title Odds: 500-1

Manager – Brian McDermott (Slough, Unemployed)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Luke Southwood	GK	Oxford	Reading	ENG	21
Jojo Wollacott	GK	Bristol	Bristol City	ENG	22
George Legg	GK	Reading	-	ENG	23
Jack Stacey	D/WB (R)	Ascot	Bournemouth	ENG	23
Joe Bryan	D (L)	Bristol	Fulham	ENG	25
Lloyd Kelly	D (LC)	Bristol	Bournemouth	ENG	20
Matty Cash	D/WB/M/AM (R)	Slough	Nottm Forest	ENG	21
Jake Cooper	D (C)	Ascot	Millwall	ENG	24
Jayden Bogle	D/WB (R)	Reading	Derby County	ENG	18
Sam Hutchinson	D (C), DM, M (C)	Slough	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	29
Darnell Fisher	D/WB (R)	Reading	Preston	ENG	25
Alex Pearce	D (C)	Oxford	Millwall	IRL	30
Eric Dier	D (C), DM, M (C)	Cheltenham	Tottenham	ENG	25
Jed Wallace	M (R), AM (RC)	Reading	Millwall	ENG	25
Andy King	DM, M/AM (C)	Maidenhead	Huddersfield	WAL	30
Louis Thompson	D (C), DM, M (C)	Swindon	MK Dons	WAL	24
Herbie Kane	DM, M (C)	Bristol	Hull City	ENG	20
Callum O'Dowda	M/AM (RL)	Oxford	Bristol City	IRL	24
Josh McEachran	DM, M (C)	Oxford	Birmingham	ENG	26
Billy Bodin	AM (RLC)	Swindon	Preston	WAL	27
Theo Walcott	AM (R), ST (C)	Newbury	Everton	ENG	30
Dominic Solanke	ST (C)	Reading	Bournemouth	ENG	21
Bobby Decordova-Reid	AM (C), ST (C)	Bristol	Fulham	JAM	26
Charlie Austin	ST (C)	Hungerford	West Brom	ENG	29
Tyler Roberts	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Gloucester	Leeds Utd	WAL	20

 

Likely Starting XI

The largest team by population out of the 20, South-West Midlands was the only way I could describe this group of counties (very uncreative, I know). Despite having the biggest catchment area of all the clubs, this doesn’t seem to translate to having the biggest impact on the pitch. Out of the 25 players, only 5 are currently playing in the top flight. Brian McDermott has been given the job of managing this team in the experiment, who has surprisingly been out of a job since May 2016 when he had his second stint as Reading manager which lasted only 6 months before he was sacked.

With 87 England caps between them Theo Walcott and Eric Dier will look to provide leadership in a team which lacks quality all over the pitch. Eric Dier interestingly is predicted to start in defence for McDermott’s men. One of Leicester’s surprise title winners, Andy King adds to the experience but apart from the 3 mentioned players, this appears to be a fairly inexperienced squad.

Dom Solanke, who was tipped for big things only a few years ago will likely partner Walcott upfront in a pacey duo. Charlie Austin will also be in the mix and will likely chip in with a few goals over the season. Matty Cash has a lot of potential and will add value to the team whether he plays at fullback or on the right side of midfield.

This is another team which is lacking a top keeper, Jojo Wollacott is predicted to start. Wollacott has only managed 9 appearances this season at Forest Green Rovers so it doesn’t bode well for the defence in front of him.

Overall, it doesn’t look great for this team, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this team in and around the bottom 3 come the end of the season especially with a worrying lack of quality in goal.

 

 

 

Team 8 – South-East Midlands - Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire– Population: 3,051,792

Media Prediction: 14^th - Title Odds: 200-1

Manager – Sean Dyche (Kettering, Burnley)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Karl Darlow	GK	Northampton	Newcastle	ENG	28
Simon Eastwood	GK	Luton	Oxford United	ENG	30
John Ruddy	GK	St. Ives	Wolves	ENG	32
Ben Chilwell	D/WB (L)	Bedford	Leicester	ENG	22
George Baldock	D/WB (R)	Aylesbury	Sheffield United	ENG	26
Jamal Lewis	D/WB/M/AM (L)	Luton	Norwich	NIR	21
James Justin	D/WB (RL)	Luton	Leicester	ENG	21
Jay Dasilva	D/WB (L)	Luton	Bristol City	ENG	21
Antonee Robinson	D/WB (L)	Milton Keynes	Wigan	USA	21
Darnell Furlong	D (RLC)	Luton	West Brom	ENG	23
Charlie l'Anson	D (C )	Luton	R. Majadahonda	ENG
James Clarke	D (RC)	Aylesbury	Walsall	ENG	29
Korey Smith	DM, M (C)	Luton	Bristol City	ENG	28
Lewis Baker	DM, M/AM (C)	Luton	Chelsea	ENG	24
Dele Alli	M (C), AM (LC), ST (C)	Milton Keynes	Tottenham	ENG	23
Izzy Brown	M (RL), AM (RLC), ST (C)	Peterborough	Luton Town	ENG	22
Matt Phillips	WB/M/AM (R)	Aylesbury	West Brom	SCO	28
Michael Jacobs	M (RL), AM (RLC)	Rothwell (Northants)	Wigan	ENG	27
Luke Berry	M/AM (C)	Cambridge	Luton Town	ENG	26
Teddy Bishop	M (C)	Cambridge	Ipswich Town	ENG	22
Callum Robinson	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Northampton	West Brom	IRL	24
Sean Maguire	AM (L), ST (C)	Luton	Preston	IRL	25
Ivan Toney	ST (C)	Northampton	Peterborough	ENG	23
Carlton Morris	ST (C)	Cambridge	MK Dons	ENG	23
Sam Baldock	ST (C)	Aylesbury	Reading	ENG	30

 

Likely Starting XI                                                                   

Another team with an uncreative name, apologies again to anyone from this region. Team 8 consists of counties Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire and will be managed by Sean Dyche. Expect a mix of deep croaky touchline shouts, direct football and hard work on the pitch. Dyche is experienced at the top level having managed in the premier league for 5 of the last 6 seasons and has even guided Burnley to the Europa League, albeit losing in the Playoff round to Olympiacos.

John Ruddy, born in St Ives, will challenge Newcastle ‘keeper Karl Darlow for the starting berth in net. More strength in depth than most of the teams in the experiment in terms of the goalkeeper position.

In defence, Ben Chilwell is the standout player and will look to bomb up the left flank and create a supply of chances for the team. On the other side Sheffield United’s George Baldock will hope to do the same, as he has done for Chris Wilders men all season. Luton native Charlie l’Anson, who rather amusingly is known in Spain simply as Charlie is currently playing for Rayo Majadahonda in Spain, Sean Dyche will no doubt remind him to keep it simple at the back.

Milton Keynes born Dele Alli features in midfield and looks to be the best player in terms of ability in the team. Dyche will build the attack around Dele and will be hopeful he can provide a big impact and re-discover his form from the 2016/17 season by chipping in with plenty of goals. Chelsea duo Lewis Baker and Izzy Brown will be on the fringes of the team and will both be hoping to showcase their potential to Dyche.

If Dele plays in a deeper role, Irish internationals Callum Robinson and Sean Maguire, who incidentally both play club football together at Preston, will make a claim to start up front.

Despite being predicted to finish 14^th, I can’t tell much difference between this team and the previous one who were predicted to finish 18^th. I’d be surprised if this team does anything of note, although Sean Dyche can get the best out of his players that’s for sure.

__________

 

Team 9 – East Anglia – Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk - Population: 3,457,571

Media Prediction: 17^th - Title Odds: 400-1

Manager – Paul Warne (Norwich, Rotherham United)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Nick Pope	GK	Newmarket	Burnley	ENG	27
Angus Gunn	GK	Norwich	Southampton	ENG	23
Jed Steer	GK	Norwich	Aston Villa	ENG	26
James Tomkins	D (RC)	Basildon	Crystal Palace	ENG	30
Ryan Bennett	D (C)	Thurrock	Leicester	ENG	29
Sam Byram	D (RL), M/AM (R)	Thurrock	Norwich	ENG	25
Dominic Iorfa	D (RC), WB (R)	Southend-on-Sea	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	24
Matt Clarke	D (LC)	Ipswich	Derby County	ENG	22
Cameron Carter-Vickers	D (C)	Southend-on-Sea	Luton Town	USA	21
Michael Morrison	D (C)	Haverhill	Reading	ENG	31
Charlie Daniels	D (L)	Harlow	Bournemouth	ENG	32
Morgan Fox	D/WB (L)	Chelmsford	Sheffield Wednesday	WAL	25
Luke Woolfenden	D (RC)	Ipswich	Ipswich Town	ENG	20
Todd Cantwell	M/AM (RLC)	Norwich	Norwich	ENG	21
Isaac Hayden	DM, M (C)	Chelmsford	Newcastle	ENG	24
Alex Pritchard	AM (RLC)	Orsett	Huddersfield	ENG	26
Josh Cullen	DM, M (C)	Southend-on-Sea	Charlton	IRL	23
Flynn Downes	DM, M (C)	Brentwood	Ipswich Town	ENG	20
Tom Adeyemi	DM, M (C)	Norwich	-	ENG	27
Joe Morrell	M (C )	Ipswich	Bristol City	WAL	23
Joe Ward	D/WB/AM (RL)	Chelmsford	Peterborough United	ENG	23
Ian Henderson	AM (RLC), ST (C )	Norwich	Rochdale	ENG	34
Macauley Bonne	AM (RL), ST (C )	Ipswich	Charlton	ZIM	23
Charlie Brown	ST (C )	Ipswich	Chelsea	ENG	19
Chris Martin	ST (C )	Lowestoft	Derby County	SCO	30

 

Likely Starting XI

The trio of counties of Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk make up the next team. Another team which aren’t predicted to fair well in the season, Team 9 will be managed by Paul Warne, who currently manages League 1 Rotherham United. Warne has had a great season so far and could well take the Millers back into the championship.

Onto the players, Nick Pope is the standout player in an extremely average bunch of players. Pope is likely to have a hard season ahead of him with the amount of chances the team could concede. Alongside the only England International, Pope, the squad also features three players who have been capped by USA, Zimbabwe and Scotland. Angus Gunn and Jed Steer make up the goalkeeping contingent.

Stand out players in defence include James Tomkins and Ryan Bennett who are no stranger to playing in the top flight. Spurs’ 8-time USA international Cameron Carter-Vickers who is currently on loan at championship side Luton Town also makes an appearance along with Sam Byram and Charlie Daniels in the fullback roles.

Talented young player Todd Cantwell will provide the flair and creativity, alongside Isaac Hayden who will help to add a bit of balance to Paul Warne’s midfield. Apart from that, there isn’t much to shout about for the East Anglians. Chris Martin, who has been capped 17 times for Scotland at senior international level will probably play upfront with there seemingly being a huge deficit of quality in the attacking areas for this side. Goals will surely be a worry for Paul Warne, I think the only chance this team stays up is Nick Pope having a great season.

___________

Team 10 – Wales & Hereford – Wales, Herefordshire – Population: 3,169,324

Media Prediction: 12^th – Title Odds: 100-1

Manager – Tony Pulis (Newport, West Brom)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Danny Ward	GK	Wrexham	Leicester	WAL	26
Wayne Hennessey	GK	Llangefni	Crystal Palace	WAL	32
Lee Burge	GK	Hereford	Sunderland	ENG	26
Ben Davies	D/WB (L)	Neath	Tottenham	WAL	26
Joe Rodon	D (C)	Swansea	Swansea	WAL	21
Connor Roberts	D/WB (RL)	Neath	Swansea	WAL	23
Neil Taylor	D/WB (L)	Ruthin	Aston Villa	WAL	30
Ashley Richards	D (RL), WB (R)	Swansea	Cardiff	WAL	28
Andrew Hughes	D (LC)	Cardiff	Preston	WAL	27
Adam Matthews	D/WB (RL)	Swansea	Charlton	WAL	27
James Collins	D (C)	Newport	-	WAL	35
Joe Walsh	D (C)	Cardiff	MK Dons	WAL	27
Gareth Bale	M (L), AM (RLC), ST (C)	Cardiff	Real Madrid	WAL	29
Aaron Ramsey	M (C), AM (RC)	Caerphilly	Juventus	WAL	28
Jarrod Bowen	M (RL), AM (RLC)	Hereford	West Ham	ENG	22
Harry Wilson	M (C), AM (RLC)	Wrexham	Bournemouth	WAL	22
Lee Evans	DM, M (C)	Newport	Wigan	WAL	25
Emyr Huws	DM, M (C)	Llanelli	Ipswich Town	WAL	25
Tom Lawrence	M (RL), AM (RLC)	Wrexham	Derby County	WAL	25
Joe Allen	DM, M (C)	Carmarthen	Stoke	WAL	29
Wes Burns	WB/M/AM (R ), ST (C )	Cardiff	Fleetwood	WAL	24
Connor Wickham	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Hereford	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	26
Ched Evans	ST (C )	St Asaph	Fleetwood	WAL	30
Ellis Harrison	AM (L), ST (C)	Newport	Portsmouth	WAL	25
Aaron Collins	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Newport	Forest Green Rovers	WAL	22

 

Likely Starting XI

The first team containing players born outside of England, Wales and Herefordshire are the tenth team to be revealed and will be managed by Tony Pulis, who gets the nod over Mark Hughes and Ryan Giggs. The thought of Tony Pulis ordering Gareth Bale to launch throw-ins on to Connor Wickham’s head is a frightening one indeed.

The Welsh national team currently have their ‘golden generation’ of players having reached their highest world rankings of 8^th only 4 years ago. The squad, rather staggeringly contains a combined total of 511 Wales caps. Wayne Hennessey being the most experienced with 84 caps for his country. The cream of the crop, in this team is certainly Gareth Bale who is capable of providing a lot of quality. Gareth is the second highest rated player in the league behind Team 6’s Harry Kane.

Another key player in midfield is Aaron Ramsey, who will act as a box to box player and will give Tony Pulis’ men a bit of quality as well as work rate in the middle. Joe Allen will play in the quarterback role and will look to dictate play in front of the back four.

The squad is made up of all welsh players apart from the three Hereford lads. One of those include Jarrod Bowen who will make an interesting partnership with Gareth Bale on the wings. Another is Connor Wickham who looks likely to start up front and will provide a platform for the team to build by holding the ball up for the more creative players.

In defence, there is plenty of experience with the likes of James Collins, Ashley Richards and Ben Davies. The defence looks to be solid compared to the other defences in the league and should work together well in front of either Danny Ward or Wayne Hennessey especially given the discipline Pulis will bring.

I think this squad has lots of potential and 100-1 title odds looks to be worth a couple of quid. Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey have the potential to push this team right up the league, however, it remains yet to be seen whether Pulis gives them the freedom they need.

 __________

Team 11 – West Midlands -West Midlands, Warwickshire – Population: 3,420,627 Media Prediction: 9^h - Title Odds: 35-1

Manager – Sam Allardyce (Dudley, Unemployed)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Ben Foster	GK	Leamington Spa	Watford	ENG	36
James McKeown	GK	Birmingham	Grimsby	ENG	30
Scott Brown	GK	Wolverhampton	Port Vale	ENG	34
Rico Henry	D/WB (L)	Edgbaston	Brentford	ENG	21
Nathan Ferguson	D (RC)	Birmingham	West Brom	ENG	18
Cyrus Christie	D/WB (R)	Coventry	Fulham	IRL	26
Richard Stearman	D (C)	Wolverhampton	Huddersfield	ENG	31
Tom Lees	D (C)	Warwick	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	28
Max Lowe	D/WB (L)	Birmingham	Derby County	ENG	22
Danny Batth	D (C)	Kingswinford	Stoke	ENG	28
Jordan Clarke	D (RC), WB (R )	Coventry	Scunthorpe United	ENG	27
James Maddison	M (LC), AM (RLC)	Coventry	Leicester	ENG	22
Jack Grealish	M/AM (RLC)	Solihull	Aston Villa	ENG	23
Nathan Redmond	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Birmingham	Southampton	ENG	25
Demarai Gray	M/AM (RL), ST (C)	Birmingham	Leicester	ENG	22
Romaine Sawyers	DM, M/AM (C)	Birmingham	West Brom	SKN	27
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing	M (R), AM (RL)	Birmingham	Cardiff	ENG	27
Jude Bellingham	M/AM (RLC)	Stourbridge	Birmingham	ENG	15
Dan Crowley	M/AM (C)	Coventry	Birmingham	IRL	21
Sam Morsy	DM, M (C)	Wolverhampton	Wigan	EGY	27
Callum Wilson	ST (C)	Coventry	Bournemouth	ENG	27
Troy Deeney	ST (C)	Birmingham	Watford	ENG	30
Andre Gray	AM (R), ST (C)	Wolverhampton	Watford	ENG	27
Kemar Roofe	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Walsall	RSC Anderlecht	ENG	26
Daniel Sturridge	ST (C)	Birmingham	-	ENG	29

 

Likely Starting XI

The West Midlands is an area with plenty of Premiership and Championship level clubs and has produced many top players in the past. The current generation is predicted to finish 9^th out of the 20 teams and will be managed by Sam Allardyce, who rather staggeringly has managed 7 premier leagues clubs in his career, more than any other manager. Allardyce also holds the record for the shortest ever serving permanent England manager, lasting just one game before being sacked due to corruption allegations. Big Sam will bring plenty of experience to the team and will demand a high work rate from his team.

Troy Deeney is a player who will epitomise his manager on the pitch and will provide hard work, aggression and all round shithousery. Deeney will be certainly first pick for the captain’s arm band, alongside Deeney, the squad will benefit from the experience and leadership of 37-year-old Ben Foster, who has a total of 355 Premier League appearances and will start in goal.

The squad lacks top level quality in defence and is very much a championship standard defence. In front of the back four FM has predicted Allardyce will start with Sam Morsy and Romaine Sawyers who are both capped for Egypt and Saint Kitts and Nevis respectively. Wonderkid Jude Bellingham will likely feature off the bench over the course of the season and could make a claim to start if he impresses enough.

The main strength of this team will be in the attacking third, the team features an array of players with a mix of pace, creativity and flair. Grealish and Maddison, who are likely to fight over set piece duties should provide enough chances for the likes of Callum Wilson and Andre Gray who have genuine pace about them. Amongst the other attacking midfielders and forwards is Nathan Redmond, Demarai Gray and Daniel Sturridge. Sturridge is currently without a club having been found guilty of breaching gambling laws.

A team with plenty of goals in it, I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish higher than 9^th in the league albeit Big Sam will have to keep the defence and midfield organised so that they don’t concede too many.

_________

 

Team 12 – East Midlands -Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland – Population: 3,272,395 Media Prediction: 19^h - Title Odds: 550-1

Manager – Nigel Pearson (Nottingham, Watford)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Jordan Smith	GK	Nottingham	Nottm Forest	ENG	24
James Belshaw	GK	Nottingham	Harrogate Town	ENG	28
Scott Loach	GK	Nottingham	Barnet	ENG	31
Kieron Freeman	D (RL), WB (R)	Arnold	Sheffield United	WAL	27
Liam Moore	D (C)	Loughborough	Reading	ENG	26
Joe Worrall	D (C)	Nottingham	Nottm Forest	ENG	22
Liam Palmer	D (RL), WB (R)	Worksop	Sheffield Wednesday	SCO	27
Wes Harding	D (RC)	Leicester	Birmingham	ENG	22
Tendayi Darikwa	D/WB (R)	Nottingham	Nottm Forest	ZIM	27
Wes Morgan	D (C)	Nottingham	Leicester	JAM	35
Elliott Moore	D (RC), DM	Coalville	Oxford United	ENG	22
Joe Mattock	D/WB (L)	Leicester	Rotherham United		29
Hamza Choudhury	DM, M (C)	Loughborough	Leicester	ENG	21
Tom Cairney	M/AM (C)	Nottingham	Fulham	SCO	28
Lee Tomlin	M/AM (C)	Leicester	Cardiff	ENG	30
Ryan Yates	DM, M (C)	Nottingham	Nottm Forest	ENG	21
Sam Clucas	DM, M (LC), AM (L)	Lincoln	Stoke	ENG	28
Ben Woodburn	M (C), AM (RLC), ST (C)	Nottingham	Oxford United	WAL	19
Tom Huddlestone	D (C), DM, M (C)	Nottingham	Derby County	ENG	32
Tom Naylor	D (C), DM, M (C)	Sutton-in-Ashfield	Portsmouth	ENG	27
Che Adams	ST (C)	Leicester	Southampton	ENG	22
David McGoldrick	AM (C), ST (C)	Nottingham	Sheffield United	IRL	31
Patrick Bamford	AM (RC), ST (C)	Grantham	Leeds Utd	ENG	25
Jonson Clarke-Harris	ST (C)	Leicester	Bristol Rovers	ENG	24
Tyler Walker	ST (C)	Nottingham	Nottm Forest	ENG	22

 

Likely Starting XI

On the east side of the midlands, team 12 will be managed by Nigel Pearson who is infamous for his ostrich allegation against a journalist. Pearson is another experienced manager who has recently performed well at Watford bringing them out of the relegation zone after a terrible start to the season under Quique Sanchez Flores.

East Midlands are predicted to finish 19^th and look to be in a relegation scrap all season, Pearson may be a good manager to keep them up. There isn’t much quality throughout the squad, particularly in the goalkeeping position where it looks like Jordan Smith will start. Smith has been on loan this season at League 2 Mansfield Town from Nottingham Forest.

Similar to the West Midlands, the defence looks to be largely championship standard with the exception of the hugely experienced Wes Morgan who is familiar to Pearson from his time at Leicester. Morgan will no doubt be a certainty for captain duties and should make a good partnership in defence with Reading’s Liam Moore.

Tom Huddlestone will sit in front of the defence, Huddlestone has won 4 England caps but hasn’t been called up since November 2012 by Roy Hodgson. Alongside him is Hamza Choudhury who rather exotically has Bangladeshi-Grenadian heritage and should make a solid pairing with Huddlestone.

In attack, Pearson has a choice between £15m Saints flop Che Adams, Patrick Bamford or Sheffield United’s David McGoldrick who has won 10 caps for the Republic of Ireland. There doesn’t appear to be much depth on the flanks so Pearson will probably have to adopt a narrower formation.

Overall, the verdict on the East Midlands is not great, Pearson will have to do miracles for this team to avoid the drop.

_________

 

Team 13 – South Yorkshire & Humber -Derbyshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, South Yorkshire – Population: 3,017,379 Media Prediction: 2nd - Title Odds: 5-1

Manager – Chris Wilder (Stocksbridge, Sheffield United)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Cameron Dawson	GK	Sheffield	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	23
Joe Wildsmith	GK	Sheffield	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	23
George Long	GK	Sheffield	Hull City	ENG	25
John Stones	D (C)	Barnsley	Manchester City	ENG	25
Harry Maguire	D (C)	Sheffield	Man Utd	ENG	26
Kyle Walker	D/WB (R)	Sheffield	Manchester City	ENG	29
Danny Rose	D/WB/M (L)	Doncaster	Newcastle	ENG	28
Mason Holgate	D (RC)	Doncaster	Everton	ENG	22
Jamaal Lascelles	D (C)	Derby	Newcastle	ENG	25
Matt Lowton	D/WB (R)	Chesterfield	Burnley	ENG	30
Liam Cooper	D (C)	Hull	Leeds Utd	SCO	27
Gary Cahill	D (C)	Sheffield	Crystal Palace	ENG	33
Kyle Naughton	D (RL)	Sheffield	Swansea	ENG	30
Daniel James	M/AM (RL)	Hull	Man Utd	WAL	21
Ben Osborn	M (LC), AM (L)	Derby	Sheffield United	ENG	24
Alex Mowatt	M/AM (C)	Doncaster	Barnsley	ENG	24
Max Clark	D/WB (L), DM, M (LC)	Hull	Vitesse	ENG	23
Ben Wiles	M/AM (RLC)	Rotherham	Rotherham	ENG	20
Louis Reed	DM, M (C )	Sheffield	Peterborough United	ENG	22
Luke Brattan	DM, M (C )	Hull	Sydney FC	AUS	29
Jamie Vardy	ST (C)	Sheffield	Leicester	ENG	32
Dominic Calvert-Lewin	AM (RL), ST (C)	Sheffield	Everton	ENG	22
Billy Sharp	ST (C)	Sheffield	Sheffield United	ENG	33
Lee Gregory	ST (C)	Sheffield	Stoke	ENG	30
Jack Marriott	ST (C)	Beverley	Derby County	ENG	24

 

Likely Starting XI

Next up we have the combined counties of Derbyshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. Chris Wilder takes the manager job, who has been doing fantastically at Sheffield United this season. The squad features international level quality in defence with great strength in depth, Sheffield, in particular, have produced an amazing number of top defenders.

The squad has a combined total of 220 England caps, with 200 of those coming from the defence. The starting back four has enough quality to compete in a top four Premier League team with the likes of the most expensive defender ever, Harry Maguire. Alongside him are Man City duo John Stones and Kyle Walker as well as Danny Rose at left back. The strength in depth is highlighted by players such as Jamaal Lascelles, Gary Cahill and Mason Holgate who may have to start from the bench.

The back four will play in front of Sheffield Wednesday’s Cameron Dawson who looks to be a decent player who could play at Premiership level. Unfortunately, the quality in defence doesn’t quite translate into the midfield. The midfield three will have to work hard in order to win the ball back and give it to the pacey attack that features Dan James, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the impressive Jamie Vardy.

The squad looks made up to be devastating on the counterattack and Vardy will surely be in for a chance with the Golden Boot come the end of the season providing that the midfield can provide the chances. This teams looks very strong on paper and look like they won’t concede much based on the strength they have had the back. This team should be in and around the title race come the end of the season and will hope to prove that you can win titles with your defence.

 

__________

 

Team 14 – Greater Manchester - Greater Manchester – Population: 2,782,552 Media Prediction: 5th - Title Odds: 8-1

Manager – Gareth Ainsworth (Blackburn, Wycombe Wanderers)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Luke Daniels	GK	Bolton	Brentford	ENG	31
Keiren Westwood	GK	Manchester	Sheffield Wednesday	IRL	34
Kieran O'Hara	GK	Manchester	Man Utd	IRL	23
Ben Mee	D (LC)	Sale	Burnley	ENG	29
James Tarkowski	D (C)	Manchester	Burnley	ENG	26
Brandon Williams	D/WB (L)	Manchester	Man Utd	ENG	18
Michael Keane	D (C)	Stockport	Everton	ENG	26
Rob Holding	D (C)	Stalybridge	Arsenal	ENG	23
Kieran Trippier	D/WB (R)	Bury	Atlético de Madrid	ENG	28
Craig Dawson	D (RC)	Rochdale	Watford	ENG	29
Tosin Adarabioyo	D (RC)	Manchester	Blackburn	ENG	21
Joe Bennett	D/WB (L)	Rochdale	Cardiff	ENG	29
Phil Foden	M/AM (C)	Stockport	Manchester City	ENG	19
Dwight McNeil	M/AM (RL), ST (C)	Rochdale	Burnley	ENG	19
Dale Stephens	DM, M (C)	Bolton	Brighton	ENG	29
Danny Drinkwater	M (C)	Manchester	Aston Villa	ENG	29
Ben Pearson	DM, M (C)	Oldham	Preston	ENG	24
Joe Rothwell	M (C), AM (RLC)	Manchester	Blackburn	ENG	24
Ryan Kent	M/AM (RL)	Oldham	Rangers	ENG	22
Tom Ince	AM (RLC)	Stockport	Stoke	ENG	27
Marcus Rashford	AM (L), ST (C)	Manchester	Man Utd	ENG	21
Danny Welbeck	AM (RL), ST (C)	Manchester	Watford	ENG	28
Scott Hogan	AM (R), ST (C)	Salford	Birmingham	IRL	27
Tyrese Campbell	ST (C)	Stockport	Stoke	ENG	19
Jordan Rhodes	ST (C)	Oldham	Sheffield Wednesday	SCO	29

 

Likely Starting XI

Greater Manchester are the only team out of the 20 to be made up of one county, the smallest region in terms of population but they appear to have some potential this season having been predicted to finish 5^th. This is a region which has produced some fantastic players in the past including Geoff Hurst and probably most famously, part of the class of ’92 featuring Gary Neville and Paul Scholes

Despite having a good mix of players, there doesn’t seem to be a great selection of managers born from the region. Gareth Ainsworth, who has done well in recent years at Wycombe will take charge, Gareth has been at Wycombe for 8 years and has oversaw promotion into League 1.Impressively Ainsworth is the longest serving manager in the premier and football league.

Unsurprisingly out of the 25 players in the squad, 14 have come through the academies of Premier League giants Man Utd and Man City. Brentford keeper Luke Daniels will compete with Sheff Wed’s Keiren Westwood to start in goal. Infront of the keeper this is another squad with a strong defence, Burnley duo Tarkowski and Mee will make a good partnership if they start. Otherwise Michael Keane, Craig Dawson and Rob Holding will also make their claim for a starting spot in Ainsworth’s defence. In the fullback positions there is quality with Atletico’s Kieran Trippier who will also hope to be on set piece duties, on the other side is young Brandon Williams who has had a breakthrough season at Man Utd.

Premier league winner and more recently Chelsea flop Danny Drinkwater is predicted to start alongside Brighton’s Dale Stephens. However Greater Manchester also have the extremely talented Phil Foden who will definitely feature in the team over the course of the season.

Sharing 74 caps between them Danny Welbeck and Marcus Rashford will provide the firepower, particularly Rashford will be the key man in attack. Alongside them will be either Ryan Kent or Tom Ince, son of former Liverpool and Man Utd midfielder Paul Ince. Amongst the rest of the attacking contingent is Jordan Rhodes, who once was a prolific goal scorer in the football league.

With some talent in important areas of the pitch, the team from Greater Manchester could quite possibly finish in the top four despite having the team with the smallest population out of the 20 by a fair bit. This is another team which will rely on their quality in defence and will be hoping to get as many clean sheets as possible.

_________

Team 15 – North-West - Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside – Population: 3,391,458 Media Prediction: 3rd - Title Odds: 6-1

Manager – Phil Parkinson (Chorley, Sunderland)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Dean Henderson	GK	Whitehaven	Sheffield United	ENG	22
Sam Johnstone	GK	Preston	West Brom	ENG	26
Scott Carson	GK	Whitehaven	Manchester City	ENG	33
Trent Alexander-Arnold	D/WB (R), DM, M (C)	Liverpool	Liverpool	ENG	20
Conor Coady	D (C), DM, M (C)	Liverpool	Wolves	ENG	26
Phil Jones	D (C)	Preston	Man Utd	ENG	27
Jack O'Connell	D (C)	Liverpool	Sheffield United	ENG	25
Jonjoe Kenny	D/WB (R)	Liverpool	Schalke 04	ENG	22
Aaron Cresswell	D (LC), WB (L)	Liverpool	West Ham	ENG	29
Martin Kelly	D (RC)	Liverpool	Crystal Palace	ENG	29
Scott Dann	D (C)	Liverpool	Crystal Palace	ENG	32
Leighton Baines	D/WB (L)	Liverpool	Everton	ENG	34
Ross Barkley	M/AM (C)	Liverpool	Chelsea	ENG	25
Scott McTominay	M (C)	Lancaster	Man Utd	SCO	22
Harvey Barnes	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Burnley	Leicester	ENG	21
Oliver Norwood	DM, M (C)	Burnley	Sheffield United	NIR	28
Tom Davies	DM, M/AM (C)	Liverpool	Everton	ENG	20
John Lundstram	DM, M (C)	Liverpool	Sheffield United	ENG	25
Matty James	DM, M (C)	Bacup	Leicester	ENG	27
Connor Mahoney	M (RL), AM (RLC)	Blackburn	Millwall	ENG	22
Rabbi Matondo	M/AM (RL)	Liverpool	Schalke 04	WAL	18
Jay Rodriguez	M (RL), AM (RLC), ST (C)	Burnley	Burnley	ENG	29
Wayne Rooney	DM, M/AM (C), ST (C)	Liverpool	Derby County	ENG	33
Joe Garner	ST (C)	Blackburn	Wigan	ENG	31
Glenn Murray	ST (C)	Workington	Brighton	ENG	35

 

Likely Starting XI

This is another region which has produced some fantastic players in the past, particularly from the city of Liverpool. Famous players to come out of Liverpool include Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler and Wayne Rooney (who features in the current squad). Again, the standard of players doesn’t match the standard of manager with Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson taking charge. Parkinson’s biggest achievement is taking League two Bradford City to the 2013 League cup final.

Predicted to finish 3^rd, this team has all round ability and is one of the stronger regions as many people expected. Dean Henderson, who has had a great season with Sheffield United, will start in goal and is one of the best goalkeepers in the league. FM is predicting that Parkinson will adopt a 3-4-3/5-2-3 system with two attacking wingbacks who are both at different stages of their career. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has developed into one of the best attacking fullbacks in the world and on the other flank, the experienced Leighton Baines. In terms of the central defenders, the squad features premier league players including Connor Coady and Jack O’Connell who play their football at Wolves and Sheffield United respectively and have had a great season so far. Amongst the remainder of the defenders are Aaron Cresswell, Phil Jones and Jonjoe Kenny.

In the midfield, there is plenty of premier league quality, with FM predicted that the central pairing will be young Scott McTominay and the more attacking option Ross Barkley. FPL legend Lundstram will make the bench and will be hoping to provide a few goals and assists to the team. In the wide areas, the talented young Harvey Barnes will probably play on the right and on the left Ainsworth will have a choice of either Jay Rodriguez or inexperienced Rabbi Matondo who plays his football at Schalke.

__________

Team 16 – North & West Yorks’ -North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire – Population: 3,434,422 Media Prediction: 10^th - Title Odds: 40-1

Manager – Steve McClaren (York, Unemployed)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Alex Smithies	GK	Huddersfield	Cardiff	ENG	29
Craig MacGillivray	GK	Harrogate	Portsmouth	SCO	26
David Stockdale	GK	Leeds		ENG	33
Ben Godfrey	D (C), DM	York	Norwich	ENG	21
Charlie Taylor	D/WB/M (L)	York	Burnley	ENG	25
James Milner	WB (RL), DM, M (RLC)	Leeds	Liverpool	ENG	33
James Tavernier	D/WB/M (R)	Bradford	Rangers	ENG	27
Connor Goldson	D (C)	York	Rangers	ENG	26
Jack Hunt	D/WB (R)	Leeds	Bristol City	ENG	28
Andre Wisdom	D (RC), WB (R)	Leeds	Derby County	ENG	26
Jonny Howson	D (RC), WB (R), M (C)	Leeds	Middlesbrough	ENG	31
Fabian Delph	D (L), M (C)	Bradford	Everton	ENG	29
Kalvin Phillips	DM, M (C)	Leeds	Leeds Utd	ENG	23
Lewis Cook	DM, M (C)	Leeds	Bournemouth	ENG	22
Aaron Lennon	M (R), AM (RL)	Leeds	Burnley	ENG	32
Danny Ward	M (L), AM (LC), ST (C)	Bradford	Cardiff	ENG	28
Jack Clarke	M (R), AM (RL)	York	QPR	ENG	18
Jamie Shackleton	M (C)	Leeds	Leeds Utd	ENG	19
Marcus Tavernier	M (C), AM (RLC)	Leeds	Middlesbrough	ENG	20
Jacob Brown	M/AM (R), ST (C)	Halifax	Barnsley	ENG	21
Erling Haaland	ST (C)	Leeds	Borussia Dortmund	NOR	18
Mason Greenwood	AM (R), ST (C)	Bradford	Man Utd	ENG	17
Oliver McBurnie	AM (RC), ST (C)	Leeds	Sheffield United	SCO	23
Ashley Fletcher	AM (RL), ST (C)	Keighley	Middlesbrough	ENG	23
Josh Windass	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Bradford	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	25

 

Likely Starting XI

The region of Yorkshire would have finished 12^th in the 2012 Olympics medal table if considered an independent country, the impressive production of line of sportsmen also includes some decent footballers as shown by the quality included within the South Yorkshire team. The North & West Yorkshire team doesn’t quite have the same level of ability however does boast some exciting names.

Steve McClaren, nicknamed ‘the wally with the brolly’ as part of his unsuccessful spell as England manager failing to qualify for Euro 2008, will manage the North & West Yorks’ side. McClaren has managed in Germany, Holland and England since then and guided FC Twente to their first ever Eredivisie title in 2009. Since then, he has rather unsuccessful spells at the likes of Newcastle, QPR and Wolfsburg.

The standout name within this team is the Norwegian wonderkid Erling Braut Haaland, who surprisingly was born in Leeds when his Dad Alfe-Inge was playing for Leeds in the late nineties. Haaland has been an absolute revelation in the past year and has scored for fun, even since joining Dortmund he has in averaging almost a goal a game. Haaland will be part of an exciting young attacking trio alongside Mason Greenwood and Oli McBurnie which will certainly be full of raw talent and ability with an enormous amount of potential.

Amongst the rest of the team, James Milner is the most experienced player by a long way, Milner seems to get better with age and will probably put in a decent shift in any position with McClaren chooses to deploy him. Fabian Delph and Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips will form a tireless midfield duo and are both arguably premier league standard players who will make a big impact in the team. Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook who has been once capped for England will also throw his name in the hat to be a part of McClaren’s starting midfield.

In defence, Norwich’s Ben Godfrey looks to be the standout player (apart from Milner) and will probably partner either Andre Wisdom or Connor Goldson at the back depending what system McClaren adopts. The number one shirt will go to Cardiff’s Alex Smithies, who has featured 21 times for Cardiff in the championship in the year so far and will offer a reliable choice in net, although probably won’t do anything spectacular.

Haalands goals alongside Miners experience could prove vital to McClaren’s men having a good season as there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of quality to warrant a better finish than the currently predicted 10^th place

__________

Team 17 – North-East & Borders - County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, East Midlothian, Edinburgh City, Midlothian, Scottish Borders - Population: 3,127,298 - Media Prediction: 11^th- Title Odds: 45-1

Manager – Gordon Strachan (Edinburgh, Unemployed)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Jordan Pickford	GK	Sunderland	Everton	ENG	25
Fraser Forster	GK	Hexham	Celtic	ENG	31
Scott Bain	GK	Edinburgh	Celtic	SCO	27
Ben Gibson	D (C)	Middlesbrough	Burnley	ENG	26
Chris Basham	D (C), DM, M (C)	Gateshead	Sheffield United	ENG	30
Dan Burn	D (LC)	Blyth	Brighton	ENG	27
Paul Dummett	D (LC)	Newcastle	Newcastle	WAL	27
Callum Paterson	D/WB (R), M/AM (RC)	Edinburgh	Cardiff	SCO	24
Adam Reach	WB (L), M/AM (RLC)	Chester-le-Street	Sheffield Wednesday	ENG	26
Dael Fry	D (C)	Middlesbrough	Middlesbrough	ENG	21
Hayden Coulson	D/WB/M/AM (L)	Gateshead	Middlesbrough	ENG	21
Jordan Henderson	DM, M (C)	Sunderland	Liverpool	ENG	29
Sean Longstaff	DM, M (C)	North Shields	Newcastle	ENG	21
Matty Longstaff	DM, M/AM (C)	North Shields	Newcastle	ENG	19
Jonathan Hogg	DM, M (C)	Middlesbrough	Huddersfield	ENG	30
Lewis Wing	M/AM (C)	Newton Aycliffe	Middlesbrough	ENG	24
Jack Colback	DM, M (C)	Newcastle	Newcastle	ENG	29
Jordan Jones	AM (RL)	Middlesbrough	Rangers	NIR	24
Giovanni Reyna	M/AM (LC)	Sunderland	Borussia Dortmund	USA	16
Sammy Ameobi	AM (RL)	Newcastle	Nottm Forest	NGA	27
Adam Armstrong	AM (RL), ST (C)	Newcastle	Blackburn	ENG	22
Leigh Griffiths	ST (C)	Edinburgh	Celtic	SCO	28
Andy Carroll	ST (C)	Gateshead	Newcastle	ENG	30
Jordan Hugill	ST (C)	Stockton-on-Tees	QPR	ENG	27
Martyn Waghorn	AM (RLC), ST (C)	South Shields	Derby County	ENG	29

 

Likely Starting XI

The North-East of England is a football mad region which has produced amazing players in the past, including the likes of Chris Waddle, Gazza, Peter Beardsley, Michael Carrick and of course the legendary Alan Shearer. In terms of the Scottish contingent of the squad, Edinburgh is less known for producing football players compared to the other big Scottish city Glasgow, however the manager, Edinburgh-born Gordon Strachan will be representing the Scots.

Out of the 25 players, only 3 Scottish born players make the squad, all of whom will probably be fringe players. The squad unfortunately doesn’t match the level of ability of its predecessors from the region. Sunderland academy products Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson, who lifted the champions league trophy last year, are the two stand out players from this region. Pickford has been England’s first choice goalkeeper for the past few years and is one of the better keepers in this league.

Alongside Henderson in the midfield will be one of the Longstaff brothers who have both came through the Newcastle academy. Sean had his breakthrough season last season whilst brother Matty has emerged within the current season. Both brothers are a similar type of player with younger brother, Matty has a bit more energy and probably offers a more balanced option alongside Henderson.

Another Borussia Dortmund youngster who was born in the UK, Giovanni Reyna, features in the attacking midfield. Gio was born in Sunderland of all places, when his Dad Claudio was playing in the North-East. Reyna is predicted to start in the number ten role behind either Leigh Griffiths or 9 time England capped and £35m man (at one point) Andy Carroll. Carroll has largely had a career of injuries and under-performances since his big money move to Liverpool but will always be a handful for defenders.

In defence, the squad features some decent premier league players, including the likes of Ben Gibson, Chris Basham, Dan Burn and Welsh international Paul Dummett. Unfortunately, the strength in defence is largely in the central positions with the full back positions looking a lot weaker by comparison.

Overall a decent team that should be in and around the mid table positions come the end of the season. Pickford and the defence should hope to keep the clean sheets to take the pressure off the attacking part of the team.

__________

Team 18 – N.I & SW Scotland - Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire- Population: 3,082,203 Media Prediction: 13^th- Title Odds: 150-1

Manager – Brendan Rodgers (Carnlough, Leicester City)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Trevor Carson	GK	Downpatrick	Motherwell	NIR	31
Michael McGovern	GK	Enniskillen	Norwich	NIR	35
Craig Gordon	GK	Edinburgh	Celtic	NIR	36
Kieran Tierney	D (LC), WB (L)	Douglas [Isle Of Man]	Arsenal	SCO	22
Jonny Evans	D (C)	Belfast	Leicester	NIR	31
Craig Cathcart	D (RC)	Belfast	Watford	NIR	30
Shane Duffy	D (C)	Londonderry	Brighton	IRL	27
Grant Hanley	D (C)	Dumfries	Norwich	SCO	27
Greg Taylor	D (L)	Greenock	Celtic	SCO	21
Declan Gallagher	D (RC), WB (R)	Rutherglen	Motherwell	SCO	28
Michael Smith	D (RC)	Ballyclare	Hearts	NIR
Conor McLaughlin	D/WB (R ), DM	Belfast	Sunderland	NIR	28
James Forrest	M/AM (R)	Irvine	Celtic	SCO	27
Kenny McLean	DM, M/AM (C)	Rutherglen	Norwich	SCO	27
Stuart Dallas	D (R), M/AM (RL)	Cookstown	Leeds Utd	NIR	28
Paddy McNair	D (C), DM, M (C)	Antrim	Middlesbrough	NIR	24
Gavin Whyte	AM (R)	Belfast	Cardiff	NIR	23
James McClean	D/WB (L), M/AM (RL)	Londonderry	Stoke	IRL	30
Corry Evans	DM, M (C)	Belfast	Blackburn	NIR	28
David Turnbull	M/AM (C)	Carluke	Motherwell	SCO	19
Steven Naismith	M/AM (C), ST (C)	Irvine	Hearts	SCO	32
Kyle Lafferty	ST (C )	Enniskillen	Sunderland	NIR	31
Josh Magennis	ST (C )	Bangor	Hull City	NIR	28
Liam Boyce	ST (C )	Belfast	Hearts	NIR	28
Steven Lennon	M(C ), AM (RLC), ST (C )	Irvine	Fimleikafelag Hafnarfjardar	SCO	31

 

Likely Starting XI

The team featuring Northern Ireland and my place of birth, I’ll be backing Rodgers’ men for when I come to simulate the season. I’ve also included Isle of Man (who technically aren’t in the UK, but I’ve thrown them in for the inclusion of a particular player. As mentioned, Brendan Rodgers will take charge of this team which could’ve had either Martin or Michael O’Neill at the helm and he will be hoping to take this team higher than their predicted finish of 13^th. The squad has a wealth of international experience featuring 743 international caps between them from players representing Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

The squad’s composition is made up of 14 Northern Irishmen, 10 Scots and the one player born in the Isle of Man, Kieran Tierney who plays his international football for Scotland. Tierney is probably the key player in the squad and there may have a been a bit of bias about his inclusion to boost the chances of this team. Nonetheless he is part of a decent defence which includes 3 time premier league winner and 80-time Northern Ireland capped Jonny Evans. Amongst the rest of defence, there is Watford’s Craig Cathcart, Brighton’s Shane Duffy and Grant Hanley.

The midfield and attack are underwhelming and features only one player currently playing in the premier league. However, James Forrest offers a threat from the right wing and will be hoping to use his pace and trickery to full effect. On the other flank will probably be James McClean who no doubt would turn his nose up at representing this region if called upon in reality.

Leading the line will be either of the ageing duo of Steven Naismith or Kyle Lafferty who would offer a more direct option for Rodgers’ men. Finally, in goal, Craig Gordon should provide a decent option and has played in the premier league in the past.

Despite my allegainces to this team, I’m not too hopeful considering the squad above, but fingers crossed Brendan can work his magic and a top ten finish would be a success!

 

__________

Team 19 – Northern Scotland - Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire,  Dundee City, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highlands, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Shetland Islands, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian - Population: 3,405,207 Media Prediction: 7^th- Title Odds: 25-1

Manager – Alex Ferguson (Glasgow, Man United (Technical Director))

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Zander Clark	GK	Glasgow	St Johnstone	SCO	27
David Marshall	GK	Glasgow	Wigan	SCO	34
Liam Kelly	GK	Glasgow	QPR	SCO	23
Andrew Robertson	D/WB (L)	Glasgow	Liverpool	SCO	25
John Souttar	D (RC)	Aberdeen	Hearts	SCO	22
Graeme Shinnie	D/WB (L), DM, M (C)	Aberdeen	Derby County	SCO	27
Barry Douglas	D/WB (L)	Glasgow	Leeds Utd	SCO	29
Stephen O'Donnell	D/WB (R)	Bellshill	Kilmarnock	SCO	27
Stuart Findlay	D (LC)	Glasgow	Kilmarnock	SCO	23
Scott McKenna	D (C)	Kirriemuir	Aberdeen	SCO	22
Scott Brown	DM, M (C)	Dunfermline	Celtic	SCO	33
Craig Forsyth	D (LC), WB/M (L)	Carnoustie	Derby County	SCO	30
Charlie Mulgrew	D (C)	Glasgow	Blackburn Rovers		33
John McGinn	DM, M/AM (C)	Glasgow	Aston Villa	SCO	24
Ryan Fraser	M/AM (RL)	Aberdeen	Bournemouth	SCO	25
Stuart Armstrong	M (C), AM (RC)	Inverness	Southampton	SCO	27
John Fleck	DM, M (C)	Glasgow	Sheffield United	SCO	27
James McCarthy	DM, M (C)	Glasgow	Crystal Palace	IRL	28
Callum McGregor	DM, M/AM (LC)	Glasgow	Celtic	SCO	26
Ryan Christie	M/AM (RLC)	Inverness	Celtic	SCO	24
James McArthur	DM, M (RC)	Glasgow	Crystal Palace	SCO	31
Robert Snodgrass	M (RL), AM (RLC)	Glasgow	West Ham	SCO	31
Greg Stewart	AM (RLC), ST (C)	Stirling	Rangers	SCO	29
Lawrence Shankland	ST (C)	Glasgow	Dundee Utd	SCO	23
Ross McCormack	M(L),AM (LC), ST (C )	Glasgow	-	SCO	32

 

Likely Starting XI

Yes, that’s right, the most successful football manager of all time is coming out of retirement to participate in this experiment. I had some doubts over the inclusion of Fergie as he’s not technically still in management, nonetheless I thought I’d throw him in as he is still classed as being able to manage on FM and it could add another mini-experiment in the context of this to see how Fergie would do coming back to management with this type of squad at 78 years of age.

The remaining counties of Scotland represent this team and, like the previous squad, has plenty of international of experience. Champions League winner and probably the best left back in the league, Andy Robertson, is the key player in this team and adds some quality to the defence which doesn’t appear to be anything special outside Robertson with the remaining defenders largely being at mid table SPL clubs.

The midfield of this team is certainly the strength, FM predicts Celtic duo Callum McGregor and Scott Brown to sit in a pivot in front of the defence. Both players provide a balanced midfield and have experience playing in Celtic’s dominant spell in Scottish football. James McCarthy will also make a decent option if the managers decides to play with a three in midfield. In front of those two, will be an attacking trio of premier league players Ryan Fraser, Robert Snodgrass and Stefan Armstrong. Fraser, in particular, will be a threat with his direct running and ability to beat his man on the wing.

The striker position, however, appears to be lacking quality. FM is predicting Dundee United man, Lawrence Shankland, to start upfront although Ferguson also has the option of Ross McCormack who has previously been prolific in the championship for both Leeds and Fulham.

It will be interesting to see what effect the manager has on this team, theoretically the team should overperform with an excellent manager and that’s perhaps why they are predicted to finish 7^th.

__________

Team 20 – Western England - Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire - Population: 3,237,053 Media Prediction: 15^th- Title Odds: 250-1

Manager – Adrian Heath (Newcastle-under-Lyme, Minnesota United)

Name	Position	Birth City	Club	Nat	Age
Joe Hart	GK	Shrewsbury	Burnley	ENG	32
Tom Heaton	GK	Chester	Aston Villa	ENG	33
Aaron Ramsdale	GK	Stoke-on-Trent	Bournemouth	ENG	21
Jack Robinson	D (LC)	Warrington	Sheffield United	ENG	25
James Chester	D (C)	Warrington	Stoke	WAL	30
Curtis Nelson	D (C)	Newcastle-under-Lyme	Cardiff	ENG	26
Ryan Shawcross	D (C)	Chester	Stoke	ENG	31
Nathan Baker	D (C)	Worcester	Bristol City	ENG	28
Amari'i Bell	D/WB (L)	Burton-on-Trent	Blackburn	ENG	25
Tommy Smith	D (RC)	Warrington	Stoke	ENG	27
Ryan Shotton	D (RC), WB (R)	Stoke-on-Trent	Middlesbrough	ENG	30
Tom Edwards	D (R)	Stafford	Stoke	ENG	20
Jesse Lingard	M (RL), AM (RLC)	Warrington	Man Utd	ENG	26
David Brooks	M (R), AM (RC)	Warrington	Bournemouth	WAL	21
Marc Albrighton	M/AM (RL)	Tamworth	Leicester	ENG	29
Ashley Westwood	DM, M (C)	Nantwich	Burnley	ENG	29
Morgan Gibbs-White	M/AM (C)	Stafford	Wolves	ENG	19
Joe Lolley	AM (RLC)	Redditch	Nottm Forest	ENG	26
Josh Brownhill	M (RC)	Warrington	Burnley	ENG	23
Jack Harrison	M (R), AM (RL)	Stoke-on-Trent	Leeds Utd	ENG	22
Nick Powell	M/AM (C)	Crewe	Stoke	ENG	25
Elliott Bennett	D/WB/M/AM (R)	Telford	Blackburn	ENG	30
Tom Bradshaw	ST (C)	Shrewsbury	Millwall	WAL	26
Steven Fletcher	ST (C)	Shrewsbury	Sheffield Wednesday	SCO	32
Louis Moult	ST (C)	Stoke-on-Trent	Preston	ENG	27

 

Likely Starting XI

And, the final team in the experiment as you may have noticed is a strange combination of counties. This region was put together as the result of my mistake of having to construct a region made up of the qualifying population after incorrectly dividing the UK into 19 teams and having to pull a group of counties together from the other regions I’d already selected.

Managing this team will be former Everton and Burnley footballer Adrian Heath. Heath has managed in the USA since 2008 after brief spells at Burnley and Sheffield United in the late nineties. An unfamiliar name to most in terms of management, it remains to be seen what impact he will have.

Onto the players. At first glance the teams appear to be made up of a group of washed up premier league players with a sprinkle of young talent. Typifying this is the goalkeeping position, Joe Hart and Tom Heaton, will compete for the number one jersey alongside young Bournemouth keeper Aaron Ramsdale. It seems like most of the other regions would be begging for any one of these three considering the lack of ability in this position at most of the other teams.

In defence, the trend continues with the likes of Stoke duo James Chester and Ryan Shawcross who are alongside Jack Robinson and Curtis Nelson in the centre back position. The squad has a decent amount of ability in the midfield, which includes Jesse Lingard who more well known for his off the field social media antics than his ability on the pitch. Bournemouth’s David Brooks will probably play behind the striker whilst another of Leicester’s title winners, Marc Albrighton, will play on the left.

An ageing Steven Fletcher will probably play upfront with competition from Millwall’s Tom Bradshaw and Preston’s Louis Moult who don’t appear to be having great seasons to date.

15^th is probably about right for this squad although the relative inexperience of Adrian Heath could have an impact on how the season goes.

__________

 

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the write-up which has taken a fair bit of time. If there's any errors in the above please let me know and I can make amends before I run the experiment. In the next post, I’ll be showing the results of the experiment which will be simulated in Football Manager 2020 and also the results of the prediction game. I thought it would be fun to predict what will happen in the simulation, so if you want to participate add a comment with your predictions for the following.

The awards will be decided by FM and I will also be adding a cup competition which will probably be knockout based to run alongside the league.

__________

Predictions

Top four (1 pt for Top four, 2 pt for correct position)

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

Bottom three (1 pt for bottom three, 2pt for correct position)

18.

19.

20.

Cup Winner -

Player Awards:

Top goal scorer -

Most Assists –

Most Clean sheets –

Player of the Year –

Young player of the Year –

Manager of the Year -

 

 

Edited June 2, 2020 by jcoll
Changed title

[nie jem frytek]

It was interesting read indeed, but it's almost 2 months now without an update.

[A.Recoba]

Interesting idea. Would love to see an update!

[jcoll]

Sorry guys, I didn't think there was enough initial interest in this and completely forgot to re check the thread after the first couple of days, you can see the results over on reddit. There certainly were some interesting results and I'dlove to do something similar in FM21.

[jim owen]

looking forward to see how the north west get on in FM21, think the lack of interest last time was due to lack of updates, once you start updating on progress (maybe monthly?) then people will post. Hopefully some more Cumbrians make the North West side this time