[FM20] - Stockport County F.C. Thread - Animo et Fide

Jogo Bonito · August 31, 2020

3 hours ago, Gunner 101 said:

I'm trying to make the most of this extra time I have now to plan some signings that will help us make the step up but my squad building skills aren't the best. Hopefully I don't mess it up.

Great stuff, congrats on your promotion. You might want to have a look and see if Brambilla is available. If he is and he fancies the bright lights of Stockport, his set piece skills will delight you.

Gunner 101 · August 31, 2020

8 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Great stuff, congrats on your promotion. You might want to have a look and see if Brambilla is available. If he is and he fancies the bright lights of Stockport, his set piece skills will delight you.

Cheers mate! I’ll take a look.

Tjeerd! · September 1, 2020

Season 4: July-September

Transfers:

There's only one way I can begin this update:

Eight million! He's been a great player for us, but I just can't reject an offer like that. That amount is massive for us, it takes our balance up to just under 10 mil. Of course, our transfer window ended in July, so I had to look amongst the free agents for a replacement. In the end I chose this guy:

He's a similar type of player to Clarkson, but he's coming to a new country and doesn't know the language, so I expect it will take him a while to really start going. Aside from that, we loaned a few more players (a striker called Dadasov from Wolves, a regen right back from United called Di Marco and Curtis Jones from Liverpool, a winger) and we signed a 17 year old striker from Liverpool for 210k.

Results:

First up, I'm convinced we're cursed in the EFL Cup. For the third year running we drop out in the first round, this time to League Two side Carlisle after Mai gets himself sent off. It's been a very good start in the league though. Obviously not to the standards we've been used to, but it's a new league and this one is particularly difficult. Injuries in the first games for Touaizi and Dadasov meant that we turned to the good old partnership of Parkhouse and McAlinden and they did not dissapoint. The draw against Leeds is a good result on paper but it was hard to take considering how we dominated from start to finish. The losses to Burnley, Bournemouth and Swansea (4th, 2nd and 1st respectively) were expected, but the performance against Wednesday was unacceptable as we went into the break 4-0 down. As for the Ipswich game, Colpani got himself booked twice and gave a penalty away, all in the 6th minute, and we failed to get anything out of there. For the most part though, our performances have been good.

League:

As I said, a really good start. We've also played a lot of the sides who are near us in the table. The top four will be really hard to crack as three of the sides were in the Prem last year and they've got some incredible players. We've been scoring a lot and conceding a lot, but I'm wary of making any changes considering that we're overachieving already, though the owner begs to differ... :rolleyes:

Players:

Parkhouse is still going in the Championship (he should be available for you in the summer @Gunner 101 ). The coaches say he's a national league level player, but these performances say otherwise. Aside from him, Dadasov and McAlinden have impressed whenever they've played (they've both scored three in four starts), while Touaizi's injury in the first game has disrupted his form a little. Curtis Jones and Luke Bolton are the next most in form players at the club. No one is playing badly (except maybe Colpani, who had a stinker against Ipswich), but no one else is really standing out. We've got a lot of key players that are missing on the international breaks now, so I've had to postpone a few games already. Speaking of international breaks:

He's finally been called up to the senior squad, and he scored in his debut. Is there anything he can't do?

Edited September 2, 2020 by Tjeerd!

Gunner 101 · September 1, 2020

@Tjeerd! Parkhouse is on fire! Definitely would feel like cheating though if I went and snapped him up now. I don't think you can be too upset about how things are going so far. I assume Brentford are in the Premier League?

Tjeerd! · September 1, 2020

31 minutes ago, Gunner 101 said:

@Tjeerd! Parkhouse is on fire! Definitely would feel like cheating though if I went and snapped him up now. I don't think you can be too upset about how things are going so far. I assume Brentford are in the Premier League?

Fair enough! There are enough strikers to pick from anyway. Things are going brilliantly, better than I expected even. I'm not complaining in the slightest. And yes, Brentford are in the Prem. Brighton came in with an offer a week before the Premier League's window shut, which I managed to negotiate to 7m. I noticed other clubs were interested so I ended up triggering a bidding war and Brentford won.

Gunner 101 · September 2, 2020

SEASON 2019/2020 - END OF SEASON UPDATE

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RESULTS

Our first game as champions was an away trip against Harrogate and would be our 5th game in two weeks. We got off to a good start with Connor Dimaio pouncing on a loose ball in the box and hitting it high into the roof of the net after 6 minutes. A lovely move saw us double the lead with Max Watters crossing for Jordan Greenidge to tap home from inside the six yard box after 18 minutes. Just before half time we had our third, Jordan Greenidge getting his second from inside the box. Connor Dimaio also got his second of the game, striking home from the edge of the area with 80 minutes on the clock. Clearly no hangover from winning the league as we run out 4-0 winners.

Mid table Dagenham & Redbridge were the first visitors to Edgeley Park since we was crowned champions. Dagenham & Redbridge took the lead with a free kick from the edge of the box with only 6 minutes to go. Overall a poor performance which ended in defeat.

The Easter Monday fixture saw us away to a Dover side in good form and still hoping to clinch a playoff place. The team hadn't fully recovered from the Friday and show a rotated squad took to the field. Following a poor first half we finally broke the deadlock on the hour mark after Liam Hogan flicked on a corner and Liam McAlinden was there to head home from close range. A 5th goal of the season for McAlinden. Not one of our better performances but another victory was in the bag and with it the record for the most wins in a Vanarama National League season (32) beating the previous record of 31.

The final home game of the season was the visit of 18th placed Ebbsfleet. Looking to finish off the home campaign in style we started well and Millen Baars headed in from a corner after 6 minutes. We had our second 5 minutes later. Baars crossing this time for Jordan Greenidge to head home. It was 3-0 just a couple of minutes later as Max Watters laid the ball back to Sam Minihan who rifled a strike into the top corner from the edge of the box. Ebbsfleet were down to 10 men for a straight red after 55 minutes. A deflected free kick saw the 10 men pull a goal back but the game was won and we end our home campaign on a high note.

The final game of the season was an away trip to an in form Hartlepool. Hartlepool scored after a minute as the referee seemed to miss a definite foul on Millen Baars in the build up. A 10th goal of the season for Connor Dimaio pulled us level just before half time. We thought we had won it as Jordan Greenidge headed home but it was ruled out for an offside and we had to settle for a draw in our final game. That point however was enough to claim the record for the highest points total in a season (106) beating the previous Vanarama National League record of 105.

TABLE

Such a lovely sight. It's been a great season. Record points and wins! Some good victories and unbeaten runs along the way. The great defensive record during the first half of the season. Definitely didn't expect to win the league and definitely not by 20 points but we've done it and now the planning begins for next season back in the football league.

PLAYERS PERFORMANCES

Jordan Greenidge, Danny Lloyd, Elliot Osborne and Connor Dimaio have been the stand out performers for me. The two lads in central midfielder have scored 18 goals between them and set up a further 12. Danny Lloyd really was quality and provided 10 goals and 10 assists before his season ending injury and Greenidge is young and unproven but came in and did a job with 14 goals and 5 assists. Other notable shouts go to Liam Hogan and Eddie Clarke from the back 4. Clarke ended up in double figures for assists from left back. New signing Millen Baars as well produced the goods with 9 goals and 7 assists. I'd love to sign Eddie Clarke and Danny Lloyd permanently but I'm not sure if we will get either but I'll see.

In the end of season awards for the Vanarama National Elliot Osborne's goal against Harrogate Town picked up third place.

TRANSFERS/CONTRACTS

Left back Tyler Garratt signed a new one year deal with the club having an option for a further year. Garratt has played in 18 games this season, mostly from the bench but provides a steady back up option in the left full back position. Experienced midfielder Paul Turnbull also penned a new one year deal. The 31 year old has been a regular starter in the defensive midfield role and provides leadership on and off the pitch. Whilst striker Nyal Bell had his contract extension triggered. This was mainly due to the fact that it was unlikely Liam McAlinden would be staying as he was unhappy with a lack of playing time and I didn't want to be lacking numbers come the start of next season.

OTHER NEWS

Numerous youngsters joined the club following a new youth intake. Young Welsh striker Matty Moss seems to have decent potential but other than that I don't have much hope for the rest of them.

The clubs end of season awards highlighted the importance of the midfield duo of Connor Dimaio (also Young Player of the Season) and Elliot Osborne as they came 1st and 2nd. Danny Lloyd rounding out the top three. Elliot Osborne also claimed the Goal of the Season with a beautiful run and finish against Harrogate back in September. Jordan Greenidge picked up the signing of the season and it's hard to argue with that. He's done a lot better than I expected with 14 goals in 35 appearances.

Due to the promotion to League Two the club has now moved from being a semi professional outfit to a professional outfit. This will see us have more time available for training and an increase in the number of backroom team members. The scouting team will also have an increased range of the UK & Ireland instead of just being restricted to England.

And finally after leading the club to the Vanarama National League title I won the Manager of the Year award!

Edited September 2, 2020 by Gunner 101

Tjeerd! · September 2, 2020

Season 4: October-November

The 2022 World Cup is here, which means that we've got a massive break now. We'll be playing the next league game in 51 days, so I figured now would be the perfect moment to make an update.

Results:

The goals have dried up, while our defence continues to be shaky. Our first loss was against Charlton. They scored with their first shot of the game on the 53rd minute, Muslija got sent off in the 55th and Charlton managed to score another one in the final minutes. We failed to convert any of our 20 shots, hitting the woodwork in the process. That was followed by a fortunate win against a poor Derby County side where Serratosa got his first goal for the club with a spectacular volley. Southend picked up their first win of the season against us, and if I'm being honest they deserved it more than we did. Mannion, our keeper, was named man of the match there with a 7.8 rating. That was followed by another 0-1 loss, this time thanks a 93rd minute winner at Nottingham. We somehow managed to get something against 2nd place Bristol City, where Di Marco, our right back, got himself sent off for an elbow on the 72nd minute, Mannion saved a penalty and then Halilaj scored late on from a Muslija free kick that was whipped into the box. We were then comfortably beaten by Blackburn, while our 1-0 lead against Cardiff was turned around late in the game after Colpani gave away yet another penalty which got them back into it. A few changes were made for our last game of the month. A few roles and duties were changed while Rob Brown, the 17 year old striker from Liverpool, was given his second start of the season and then single-handedly won us the game.

Table:

This is closer to what I expected at the start of season. If it wasn't for our good start we'd definitely be fighting relegation by now. We're 19th in the form table, but luckily we've got a long period to regroup and hopefully regain some form. There's a lot of work to be done, and if things continue like this some changes will be made, though I'm generally pleased with the first half of the season we've had and the position we're in.

Players:

There are very little positives to mention. Rob Brown's performance against West Brom give me hope, but the other strikers are dissapointing massively. Aside from Brown, none of the permanent signings are performing. Mai and Muslija have been alright at best, while Colpani has struggled a lot. Out of the loans, Doyle and Jones are the standouts, though that just means they've been solid. It seems i jinxed Parkhouse with my last update, he's now forgotten how to score. Anyway, now I'll be setting up a lot of friendlies to keep fitness levels up and try to recover the team's morale, and with a bit of luck we'll look like a new team once we're back.

@Gunner 101 Comfortable title win in the end, looking forward to your adventures in League Two :thup: .

Gunner 101 · September 2, 2020

@Tjeerd! Unfortunate run of results there but you’re still in a good position. Maybe the break has come at a good time for you? Regroup and refocus like you said.

Any of your players off to the World Cup at all?

Cheers mate. I’ll update at the end of pre-season. :thup:

Tjeerd! · September 3, 2020

18 hours ago, Gunner 101 said:

@Tjeerd! Unfortunate run of results there but you’re still in a good position. Maybe the break has come at a good time for you? Regroup and refocus like you said.

Any of your players off to the World Cup at all?

Cheers mate. I’ll update at the end of pre-season.

Yeah, it's definitely a good time for a break. And no, none of my players are good enough for the nations at the World Cup . I prefer that anyway, I'll have my whole squad available for all the friendlies and I can get a proper look at everyone.

Gunner 101 · September 5, 2020

SEASON 2020/2021 - END OF PRE-SEASON UPDATE

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RESULTS

Pre-season opened up with the usual friendly against Stockport Town. Jordan Greenidge got the first goal of pre-season, heading home from an Eddie Clarke cross after half an hour. Greenidge doubled the lead after 52 minutes by getting on the end of a corner from Elliot Osborne. Central defender Aaron Ekumah headed home a third to make it an hat-trick of headed goals. Paul Turnbull scored a 4th direct from a free kick. A comfortable 4-0 win to start pre season however we did unfortunately lose Tyler Garratt for 4 weeks due to a twisted ankle.

Next up was an away trip to Vanarama South side Wealdstone. Elliot Osborne got things off to a quick start, bending the ball into the back of the net from 25 yards after just 2 minutes. Elliot Osborne was then the provider for the second as he crossed for Millen Baars to head in at the far post after 35 minutes. Millen Baars then played through Jordan Greenidge for a third just 3 minutes later. Frank Mulhern added a fourth goal straight after half time. Mulhern had his second after 74 minutes and a hat-trick of assists for Osborne. Another comfortable win however Eddie Clarke suffered a pulled groin meaning both of our first team left backs are injured. Thankfully Clarke should be back in just over a week and Garratt is a further three weeks away.

Stepping up the level of competition saw us take on Vanarama National side Gateshead. A long ball over the top from Millen Baars put Frank Mulhern through and he made no mistake with the one on one chance. 1-0 after 25 minutes. Paul Turnbull made things much more secure slotting home from the edge of the area with less than 10 minutes to go. The match finished 2-0 and another victory and clean sheet was in the bag.

Next was the first home friendly of pre-season and League One side Fleetwood Town were the visitors. We started well and a lovely passing move ended with former Fleetwood Town player Elliot Osborne smashing home from the edge of the area. Less than a minute later it was 2-0. Connor Dimaio heading in from a Max Watters free-kick. Fleetwood pulled a goal back through Paddy Madden just after the restart. However victory was sealed when substitute Millen Baars rifled home from the edge of the area after a mazy run down the right flank.

Another step up in opposition came with a trip to face Championship outfit Burton Albion. We took the lead after 37 minutes with Connor Dimaio scoring from the edge of the area via the post. We ended the first half on a high as Nyal Bell headed in to make it 2-0. Oliver Sarkic pulled a goal back for Burton with less than 10 minutes to go. However we managed to remain solid and came away with a 2-1 victory.

The final pre season match was a trip to non league side Tamworth. 9 minutes on the clock and Elliot Osborne had time and space to pick his spot from 25 yards and give us the early lead. Just over 10 minutes later it was 2. Frank Mulhern played in by Lois Maynard and he made no mistake with the one on one chance. Osborne had his second just after the half hour mark with a header from a Max Watters free kick. Tamworth pulled a goal back after 73 minutes after a scramble in the box following a free kick. 5 minutes later it was 3-2 and we had work to do to ensure we didn't throw this away. A lovely counter attack though saw Max Watters put in by Paul Turnbull and he made no mistake. 4-2 and a clean sweep of pre season victories!

TRANSFERS/CONTRACTS

Players released at the end of the season were Jordan Downing, Szymon Czubik, Ben Hinchliffe, Liam McAlinden, Adam Thomas, Jordan Keane, Dan Cowan, Ashley Palmer, Darren Stephenson, Ian Ormson and Sam Walker. I guess the two biggest departures out of those would be Ashley Palmer and Liam McAlinden with both players playing in more than 25 games last season. I let Palmer go as I feel I needed to add a left sided central defender so he would have been third choice and McAlinden refused a new deal due to a lack of playing time. At the time of this update none have yet signed for a new club however McAlinden seems to be set for a move to Derry City.

Frank Mulhern, back from a good loan spell at Vanarama North side Boston Utd where he scored 17 goals in 41 games signed a new two year contract with the club. With Liam McAlinden departing Mulhern will compete with Jordan Greenidge and Nyal Bell. Millen Baars also signed a new two year deal having done well in his first season at the club. Jordan Greenidge followed in agreeing a new contract. The young striker put pen to paper on a new three year contract. Youth prospect Edward Sartorius penned his first professional contract.

Our first piece of business was to bring Eddie Clarke in on a permanent deal following last seasons loan spell from Fleetwood Town. The left back joins for a fee of £27.5k and has signed a two year deal. Clarke was a regular starter last season and developed a good relationship with Millen Baars down the left.

Max Watters agreed to extend his stay for the season on loan from Doncaster Rovers. This probably wasn't a signing I was going to make but losing Danny Lloyd and having no chance of getting him back forced my hand as I didn't want to lose two right wingers and struggle to replace them. He played 6 games and provided 2 assists after joining us late last season.

I guess the first actual new signing to the club was Belgian midfielder Lucas Defise who joins the club on a three year contract having been released by Southampton. He offers versatility in being able to play both defensive midfielder and central midfielder although he will likely be a starter in place of Paul Turnbull in the defensive midfield role. We brought him in on trial for two weeks and he played in the first three pre-season games with an average rating of 7.9 whilst providing one assist.

The only other outgoing (apart from the released players) was young central defender Festus Arthur departed the club on loan for the season to Vanarama North side AFC Telford. I have high hopes for Arthur so hopefully this loan move will do him the world of good.

STAFF

Following promotion I set about trying to improve the club where I could and Max Wragg was brought in as a coach. Previously a coach at both Sheffield Wednesday and Oldham Athletic he provides some good defending, tactical and technical coaching skills. Also being added was former St Mirren employee Alistair Taylor as Head of Sports Science and Sports Scientist Anna Gard. Club icon Alan Lord decided to retire and vacate his Head of Youth Development role and so he was replaced with former Watford Head of Youth Development Chris McGuane. Joe Taylor (previously of Bournemouth and Bristol City) was brought in as a replacement for James Bartlett in the Chief Scout role. Also leaving the club was Brad Peacock (Scout) to be replaced with Chris Li, Luke Smith (Physio) who was replaced with Julie Fegan, Barry Conlon (Assistant Manager) who was replaced with former Welsh international Chris Llewellyn, Nick Donnelly (Fitness Coach) who was replaced with Ivan Torres and finally Karlos Leneghan (Goalkeeping Coach) was replaced with Lee Kelsey.

Former Blackburn striker Matt Jansen agreed a new one year contract to carry on managing the under 18's.

ROUND UP

I guess it's not been the ideal off season. We have struggled to attract players and often been rejected by potential signings which has really put us back in our preparations for the new season. Results wise we have done really well. Beating both Fleetwood and Burton were good results and the team looks good. Signing Eddie Clarke on a permanent deal was a good piece of business I feel and it provides a feeling of continuity down the left with Clarke and Millen Baars building a good relationship. The middle two of Osborne and Dimaio have been good again together during pre-season and with Lucas Defise behind them I'm hoping those three string up a good relationship. My only concern is if one of those two were to get injured we don't have backup really and it's something I'm still looking to solve with a new signing or two. Overall I think we are just lacking numbers and a bit of strengthening in certain positions and that's what I'm working towards fixing, just might have to lower expectations and look for players who aren't wanted by anyone else has we never seem to be a first choice.

Tjeerd! · September 5, 2020

@Gunner 101 That looks like a promising pre-season, and you've brought in a few good players as well. I'm actually very interested in seeing how Mulhern does for you. My initial plan was to keep him around too, but eventually I ended up loaning him out to get him off the wage budget. He's now tearing up the Irish league every year with Derry City coincidentally.

I'm sorry to say that you're going to have to get used to your summer struggles for the time being . Personally, I try to look through the players that are set to be released as soon as possible and try to snap a few of them up before the other clubs make offers. Once the transfer window opens you're at a big disadvantage and you're basically looking for loans and/or players who have been overlooked. Best of luck mate! :thup:

Gunner 101 · September 5, 2020

5 minutes ago, Tjeerd! said:

@Gunner 101 That looks like a promising pre-season, and you've brought in a few good players as well. I'm actually very interested in seeing how Mulhern does for you. My initial plan was to keep him around too, but eventually I ended up loaning him out to get him off the wage budget. He's now tearing up the Irish league every year with Derry City coincidentally.

I'm sorry to say that you're going to have to get used to your summer struggles for the time being . Personally, I try to look through the players that are set to be released as soon as possible and try to snap a few of them up before the other clubs make offers. Once the transfer window opens you're at a big disadvantage and you're basically looking for loans and/or players who have been overlooked. Best of luck mate!

Aye I was too late to the market but also don’t take enough risks on players. I’m hopeful we can get one or two more through the door before the transfer windows shuts though. :thup:

Yeah I kept Mulhern after he did so well for Boston United last year. He’s different to Jordan Greenidge so gives us another option. Nyal Bell too. Was a non risk with having the option in his contract and I feel he could help out this season. Bell is useful too with being able to play on the left and with numbers not being where I want them to be currently, having versatile players will help.

Jogo Bonito · September 6, 2020

@Gunner 101 I'm surprised that Festus Arthur wasn't a regular starter for you. I signed him for Hull and although the memory is hazy, I think I gave him some games at Championship level. I like the way you are improving your squad slowly, it will be satisfying when it all does come together but I think it's good to keep a tight-knit squad with a first choice team to rely on when you can.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

Tjeerd! · September 6, 2020

Season 4: December-February

2022 World Cup recap:

Messi finally lifted the World Cup for his country after beating France in the final. England finished third, beating Denmark in the third place playoff. Kasper Dolberg was named both top goalscorer and best player of the tournament, scoring 6 and assisting 1 in 7 games with an average rating of 7.51. Argentinian keeper Rulli was named best goalkeeper, while Italian striker Esposito was named best young player with 2 goals in 4 games and an average rating of 7.30.

Transfers:

No one was brought in, but a few players were sold. Our biggest deal was the sale of a regen we'd brought in on a free in the summer for 750k.

Results:

Our friendlies went really well and we carried that form to our competitive games, with 4 wins in our first 5 games since the break. January went well. We got a big win against Burnley with a spectacular performance where we only allowed them to take a single shot in the entire game, but that was followed by a thumping loss against Leeds, where they scored all their goals from outside the box. That kickstarted a dry run where we failed to score in four games. We drew unconvincingly against a struggling Middlesborough side followed by a big point against league leaders Bournemouth where we held on despite Muslija's sending off. After that we lost against Swansea, though I'm not too concerned about that as they're having a really good season. We then had two good wins followed by a draw against Southend (a single point in two games against the team that's bottom of the table ). The Cardiff game was particularly disappointing. I thought we had a pretty good chance of going through but three set-piece goals knocked us out.

League:

We're as mid-table as it can get. We're definitely not going down, but it's also unlikely that we make a push for the play-off spots. We've got ten games left and we're going to try to win as many as we can and see where we end up. I can't seem to find any reference to the position-based prize money we can get (if there is prize money, that is), but the higher the better. It's been a good season, and we've got a good platform to build from for next year.

Players:

Rob Brown has nicked Parkhouse's spot as top scorer, and at 18 he's only going to get better. Aside from him, the standouts are Touaizi, Curtis Jones and Muslija when he isn't getting himself sent off and suspended. Mai and Colpani are starting to show what they are capable of with some very good performances recently, so hopefully they keep that up next year. We've got the youth intake to look forward to this month. It's our fourth golden generation with a standout goalkeeper (that's starting to get really annoying). If any decent players pop out I'll show them in the next update.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Tjeerd!

Jogo Bonito · September 6, 2020

@Tjeerd! That's really good, solid progress and to be comfortable in the second tier is impressive work. Good luck for the rest of the season.

Tjeerd! · September 6, 2020

19 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

@Tjeerd! That's really good, solid progress and to be comfortable in the second tier is impressive work. Good luck for the rest of the season.

Cheers mate!

Gunner 101 · September 6, 2020

3 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

@Gunner 101 I'm surprised that Festus Arthur wasn't a regular starter for you. I signed him for Hull and although the memory is hazy, I think I gave him some games at Championship level. I like the way you are improving your squad slowly, it will be satisfying when it all does come together but I think it's good to keep a tight-knit squad with a first choice team to rely on when you can.

I probably should have kept Arthur around to be fair but wanted him to be guaranteed game time and with Hogan and Ekumah I wasn’t sure that would be the case. He’s started the season well at AFC Telford though which I’m glad about and I do feel he could have a future here.

Yeah I’m trying to not do too much and approach it by progressively building things up. My sole aim is to just stay up this season and will be happy to do just that. It’s been a frustrating start with some really bad news for a certain player but will update properly at the end of August.

Nice work @Tjeerd!! Where’s Rob Brown popped up from? Done really well and a season of consolidation will be good for the club I feel. Hopefully it increases your reputation and makes signing players a little easier too.

Tjeerd! · September 7, 2020

@Gunner 101 Rob Brown is a lad I signed from Liverpool in the summer for 210k. He was initially fifth choice, but after our dry period where we couldn't win a game I decided to give him a shot as he'd been dominating with our U18s side. There's a pic of him in the July-September update, but I'll post another one soon as he's improved quite a bit since then.

I checked on Festus Arthur in my save out of curiosity, and he's currently playing for Curzon Ashton (National League North) on a semiregular basis. Hopefully yours develops better than mine did, though to be fair he didn't get much gametime with me.

Gunner 101 · September 7, 2020

56 minutes ago, Tjeerd! said:

@Gunner 101 Rob Brown is a lad I signed from Liverpool in the summer for 210k. He was initially fifth choice, but after our dry period where we couldn't win a game I decided to give him a shot as he'd been dominating with our U18s side. There's a pic of him in the July-September update, but I'll post another one soon as he's improved quite a bit since then.

I checked on Festus Arthur in my save out of curiosity, and he's currently playing for Curzon Ashton (National League North) on a semiregular basis. Hopefully yours develops better than mine did, though to be fair he didn't get much gametime with me.

Of course you did. My bad. I'm awful at keeping track of things. Works hectic and I'm all over the place.

Fingers crossed. I'd really like to see him come good, especially as he's playing in the Championship IRL!

Gunner 101 · September 10, 2020

SEASON 2020/2021 - END OF AUGUST UPDATE

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EXPECTATIONS

As far as the board are concerned there's very little pressure with the main goal just trying to avoid relegation. This is aided by zero expectations of any sort of cup run and so the sole aim will be to survive being back in the EFL. If we go on and do better than that then so be it.

TRANSFERS/CONTRACTS

Jason Lokilo joined the club having been released from Crystal Palace. The right winger was loan and playing in League One with Doncaster Rovers last season. The Belgian born winger becomes easily the clubs highest paid player but will hopefully be a creative spark in the final
third. The 21 year old has signed a three year contract at the club. A guess we would probably greater vision and composure but hopefully they can improve as he gets older but other than that I think he looks a good fit for the role.

Josh Rees was signed on a free transfer having left Vanarama National side Bromley at the end of the season. He will come in and take over from the injured Elliot Osborne in the box to box role. The 26 year old has signed a two year contract at the club. He's a good team player with good stats in teamwork and work rate which should see him work well in that role and getting up and down the pitch. And he's an Arsenal fan, like me, so automatically manager favourite.

Young right back Luca Hoole was transfer listed at League One side Bristol Rovers and we managed to snap him up for free. The youngster joins on a 2 year deal and will compete with Sam Minihan for a starting berth. Luca offers decent pace and crossing so I'm hopeful we will be a good signing for now and for the future. Despite his stats not looking great right now I'm hoping the increase in first team football will see him develop into a decent player. He had plenty of suitors including Championship sides Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough.

Central defender Rod McDonald joined the club on a free transfer after being released from AFC Wimbledon. Last season he played 11 games for the League One side. The 28 year old has signed a three year contract and I think will look to partner Liam Hogan in defence with the ageing Anthony Gerrard being back up. He looks to be a nice big, strong central defender that will hopefully be good at the back and a threat going forwards for set pieces.

RESULTS

The season opener could have been kinder as we start the season with a trip to league favourites Bolton Wanderers. Unfortunately Sam Minihan picked up a knock on the eve of the game meaning Liam Hogan was going to have to cover and play out of position. A poor start saw us a goal down after just 5 minutes. Despite battling back and playing quite well, Bolton grabbed a second as we pushed for an equaliser late on. A 2-0 defeat to start the season.

Our first home game back in the football league was against Crawley Town. Both ourselves and Crawley lost our first games of the season. New signing Jason Lokilo was carrying over a suspension from last season and so will have to wait to make his debut. A missed header from Sam Minihan gave Crawley an easy chance to open the scoring after 11 minutes. We had an equaliser on 53 minutes after a long ball sent Jordan Greenidge through and he finished with the help of the post. Our first goal back in the EFL. Greenidge had his and our second just after the hour mark as we came from behind to take the lead. However it was heart break for us as Crawley equalised with 30 seconds left in stoppage time and we had to make do with a 2-2 draw.

The games were coming thick and fast and a trip to Carlisle United was our third in 7 days. The game came too soon to find a replacement for Elliot Osborne so Lucas Defise stepped forward with Paul Turnbull filling in at the defensive midfielder spot. After a rather uneventful game we grabbed the lead after 71 minutes with debutant Jason Lokilo sliding home for a debut goal after a mad scramble in the box. However we immediately conceded at the other end and it was level again. Substitute Lois Maynard then scored a beautiful curling goal to put us back in front with 8 minutes to play. However just like the last game, we ended up conceding in stoppage time. Another 2-2 draw and another victory taken away from us at the death.

Taking a break from league action we had a First Round Carabao Cup tie away at League One Doncaster Rovers up next. Doncaster took the lead after 15 minutes, Devante Cole scoring from close range after Eddie Clarke was dribbled passed too easily. It was two 3 minutes later with Cole scoring his second. Doncaster made it 3-0 after 37 minutes as a poor clearance gave Jacob Maddox a tap in. We thought we pulled one straight back but Paul Turnbull was flagged offside. A good start to the second half saw Jordan Greenidge connect with a Sam Minihan cross. 3-1. Comeback on? Nope. The match ended 3-1 and we exit the Carabao Cup at the First Round. Despite the defeat the second half was much better and we did well to create a fair few chances.

Back to the league and a home match against early leaders Stevenage who have won all 3 games so far including two 4-0 victories. Paul Turnbull gave us the lead from the penalty spot after 21 minutes and that was enough to see us earn our first victory of the new season. We played really well and we should have scored more than once but I'm just relieved we managed to get the first win under our belts and hopefully we can build from here.

Next up was another home match and the visit of Salford. Our 6th match in 17 days to open the new season. Thankfully the schedule eases off a little after this one. Unfortunately Connor Dimaio picked up a slight knock and so he misses out. New signing Josh Rees comes in to take his place. Despite having our backs to the walls for the first 45 minutes we managed to get through to half time level. Mainly thanks to some good goalkeeping by Louis Gray and great defending by Liam Hogan. We seemed to grow in confidence in the second half and just after 90 minutes Tyler Garratt, on for Eddie Clarke rifled a beauty into the top corner from the left side of the box. However we are Stockport County, kings of conceding late goals and Salford equalised through Adam Rooney. For the third game this season we have conceded in stoppage time and ended up drawing instead of winning.

Back on the road and a trip to second placed Walsall. With a slighter longer gap we had a pretty much full strength 11 out for this match, however fitness levels are still a concern and we're having to manage various players carefully. Walsall took an early lead. 1-0 after 3 minutes. A Walsall break saw them double their lead on the 38th minute. Walsall added a third with a counter attack straight after the restart. Despite having more of the ball and more shots we come away on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline.

The final match of August was a trip to a Cheltenham Town side undefeated in their last 4 games. Luca Hoole coming in for his debut. After a really positive first half we went in at the break level at 0-0. However straight after the restart we finally got the goal our performance had deserved with Liam Hogan heading in Jason Lokilo's delivery from a free kick. Scoring seemed to wake Cheltenham up and just after the hour mark they equalised. 5 minutes later and they took the lead. Jason Lokilo had his second assist of the game as Millen Baars headed in from a corner to make it 2-2 with 15 minutes left. Josh Rees managed to score his first goal for the club from outside the area to make it 3-2 with 7 minutes left. And this time we saw it through to come away with 3 points. Massive relief.

TABLE

PLAYERS

ROUND UP
Well we're back in the EFL and after a decent start we're well placed to succeed in our goals of staying within the division. The games against Crawley, Carlisle and Salford were really annoying. To be so close to winning three times and to have that snatched away was brutal and we really didn't deserve it. It's been a busy month and the squad is finally pretty much there. Elliot Osborne getting a long term injury was a massive blow however Josh Rees has come in and done well in his first three games for the club. We struggled to sign targets and we was even rejected for clubs in the league below at times but overall I'm really happy with the signings we have made now we are at the end of the window. Clarke, Defise, Lokilo and Hoole are good investments I feel. They're all first team players and should hopefully develop nicely given the game time they're going to get. Rees and McDonald are good ages and good players for this level. Rees as already started to prove that and I'm hopeful once McDonald makes his debut then he will too. I'm excited to see where we can go with this group of players and I'm hopeful we can build on what we have started.

Ideally there would have been more wins but as I mentioned those three games we drew could easily have been three wins. Bolton and Walsall are both flying high in 2nd and 3rd so no shame in losing to those I don't think. In fact the only team below us in the league that we have faced is Salford so we probably haven't had the easiest of schedules to begin with. Couple that with not having a settled side due to injuries and a lack of numbers I'm quite happy we have at least amassed some points.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Gunner 101

Jogo Bonito · September 10, 2020

@Gunner 101 Not a bad start at the higher level, plenty of sides struggling more than you! Always good to see your progress.

Tjeerd! · September 16, 2020

End of Season 4

Results:

It's been a while, but I'm back with another update. I played most of those matches before I went away and I've already started the next season, so I'm not going to dive into details here. Anyway, we had a really good run of results towards the end of the year which meant that we closed the gap between us and the play-off spots, climbing up to 7th after the game against Birmingham, one point away from the play-off spots. Our main rivals at that point were Forest and Huddersfield. A loss against the former meant that we dropped below them to 8th, though the next two wins, one of which was a vital one against Huddersfield, meant that we went into the last gameweek (Huddersfield was the 45th game) like this:

We faced Reading at home, a game we were perfectly capable of winning. Huddersfield faced league leaders Bournemouth, while Forest faced Cardiff. Both Bournemouth and Cardiff scored early on, and for a while it looked like we had a really good chance to sneak our way in. Ultimately though, we failed to score while Forest came back to win their game, and so the table ended up like this:

While it's a bit frustrating to come so close and fail, I really doubt we would have beaten any of the other teams in the play-offs. It's been a great season and I'm very happy with it. It's been challenging and fun, definitely my favourite so far.

Players:

The Player of the Season award was a close one, though ultimately Touaizi won it because of his goals and consistency (12g and 9a in 36 games). Jones would have also been a worthy winner, with 7g and 6a in 33 games. Muslija came third with impressive numbers (5g and 11a in 37 games), but he lacked the consistency that the other two showed. Brown would have been among the top 3 had he been playing since the start of the season, but he did get himself Young Player of the Season (both club and league awards) with 12g and 2a in 26 games. We also broke a league record this season:

I suppose our intense pressing is to blame. On a final note, we're getting upgrades to just about everything that can be upgraded, including a new stadium that the board have decided to build.

Transfers:

And now the most important part, the reinforcements coming in to help us push for a potential promotion (or as far as we can get, at least).

To start things off, I did actually decide to sell Muslija this summer. Another big fee for a player that is definitely replaceable, and it allows us a bit more creativity in the market now. As for signings:

First off, Evan Menard comes in to replace Tommy Doyle. He fell out with Rennes and wouldn't extend his contract, which was up this summer. We approached him before the likes of Chelsea, City or PSG did and somehow managed to bring him in. I'm expecting great things (or a big fee) from him.

Next up, a familiar face. Curtis Jones returns for another spell at Edgeley, this time on a permanent deal. Liverpool decided not to renew his contract, and we were more than happy to give him a new home. He's had a very promising season with us, and hopefully those performances will continue.

My annual City raid resulted in two new promising players. First one is Claudio Gomes. I'm not sure about FM20, but in FM19 this guy usually ended up being one of the best DLPs in the world, so I'm surprised he was let go. Hopefully now that he's going to be getting gametime on a more regular basis he can develop into a key player for us.

Our second City wonderkid is Adria Bernabe. Though naturally a central midfielder, I'm thinking of playing him on the left as one of the replacements for Muslija. Another player with a lot of potential, he can also become a key player for us.

The other Muslija replacement (we were short in the winger department last year anyway) is Palko Dardai from Hertha. He's a very similar type of player to Muslija (similar attributes, same nationality, same age, same weight, same positions...) but he's left footed and better suited to our system. He's also got a massive value, I might try to sell him next summer as well.

Finally, another right winger to rotate with Jones. I felt that Bolton wasn't quite good enough for the Championship, so I've moved him out on loan. Honorat has good attributes and brings in some more depth on the wing.

All of these players came in for free. I'm still looking for a few defenders, a striker and a backup goalie (We've been offered 4m for our current one). Now that I write this I realize that I'm doing quite the rebuild this summer. I'm chucking out the deadwood we've accumulated in our rise through the divisions, and strengthening positions where we've typically lacked players. I'm trying to not depend too much on the loan market, though a few loans will certainly be coming in.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Tjeerd!

Gunner 101 · September 16, 2020

Nice one @Tjeerd! I had feared you had given up on your save so glad to see you’re back! 9th place is a great finish, especially after the run of promotions.

Even Menard looks quite the player already. Looking forward to seeing how he develops going forwards for you. Was your transfer budget negatively impacted by the upgrades? Or do you have quite the kitty just incase you want to use it?

Best of luck for the new season!

Tjeerd! · September 16, 2020

3 minutes ago, Gunner 101 said:

Nice one @Tjeerd! I had feared you had given up on your save so glad to see you’re back! 9th place is a great finish, especially after the run of promotions.

Even Menard looks quite the player already. Looking forward to seeing how he develops going forwards for you. Was your transfer budget negatively impacted by the upgrades? Or do you have quite the kitty just incase you want to use it?

Best of luck for the new season!

Cheers! I've only just sold my 2nd choice keeper for 4m, which leaves me with a transfer budget of just over 10m. It could be higher than that, but I've been shoving quite a bit of it into the wage budget instead. It's there to spend if I want to, but at the same time we haven't got many sources of income right now and I'm finding some really good players on a free, so I'd rather just leave it there just in case. It's looking like I'm going to have to spend a bit to bring in some fullbacks though.

Gunner 101 · September 16, 2020

11 minutes ago, Tjeerd! said:

Cheers! I've only just sold my 2nd choice keeper for 4m, which leaves me with a transfer budget of just over 10m. It could be higher than that, but I've been shoving quite a bit of it into the wage budget instead. It's there to spend if I want to, but at the same time we haven't got many sources of income right now and I'm finding some really good players on a free, so I'd rather just leave it there just in case. It's looking like I'm going to have to spend a bit to bring in some fullbacks though.

Good work. Looking forward to your next update.

Gunner 101 · September 17, 2020

SEASON 2020/2021 - END OF SEPTEMBER UPDATE

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TRANSFERS/CONTRACTS

Midfielder Connor Dimaio put pen to paper on a new two year deal with the club having enjoyed a fine start to life in League Two. Dimaio was one of the top performers last season and continues to be at the higher level so I thought it was right to tie him down early and avoid any chance of him leaving for free come the end of the season. Dimaio has 11 goals and 6 assists from 50 appearances since I took over the club.

RESULTS

Our first match of September was a home tie against Huddersfield Under 23's in our first match of our Leasing.com Trophy campaign. The starting 11 was sort of thrown together in order to try and rest certain individuals. Rod McDonald coming in for his debut. Louis Gray and Lucas Defise the two other usual starters in the 11. Despite having less of the ball we had a fair few shots on goal and Frank Mulhern found the target with one after 42 minutes to put us 1-0 up and that's the way it would stay.

Back to league action and recently relegated Southend United were the visitors. We took the lead after 14 minutes as Jordan Greenidge won a flick on and Jason Lokilo got on the end of it ahead of the keeper and slotted home. Connor Dimaio got the second after 37 minutes, passing into an empty net after Millen Baars shot was blocked. It was 3-0 just before the break as a delightful cross by Eddie Clarke was tapped in from Greenidge. We managed the game well in the second half and ended up running out comfortable 3-0 winners.

Our third home match in a row was against an Exeter side undefeated in 4 games and currently in the playoff positions. A quick start from Exeter saw them go 1-0 up through a thunderbolt of a strike by Nicky Law after 4 minutes. We grabbed an equaliser on 13 minutes with Rod McDonald getting his first for the club, heading in from a Jason Lokilo free kick. We took the lead after 61 minutes with Jason Lokilo having two bites of the cherry to turn home Millen Baars cross. We settled any nerves on the 86th minute as a nice bit of play between Watters and Dimaio saw the former slot home. The perfect way to celebrate the new contract for Dimaio.

After three home games on the spin we faced an away trip to Grimsby Town. Grimsby, like ourselves, had strung together a sequence of 4 wins in a row and sat 5th in the table, 4 places and 2 points above us. Despite plenty of opportunities for both sides, the defences came out on top in a 0-0 draw.

Our third game in 7 days was a home match against a troubled Swindon Town side. The Robins were currently 20th despite being touted as playoff contenders. Despite a dominant display it took a mistake from Swindon for us to take the lead. Jordan Greenidge picked up a loose ball and ran away from the defenders to slot home for his 5th goal of the season. The one goal was enough to earn all three points. Unfortunately Jason Lokilo picked up a knock and will miss 8 - 11 days.

The final match of September was an away trip to Notts County. The Magpies also came up this season. We managed to win both games against them last season. The game came too soon for Lokilo and so Max Watters came in. Jordan Greenidge powered a header home to give us the lead after 24 minutes. Despite controlling the game a 1-0 scoreline is always vulnerable and Jim O'Brien equalised with 10 minutes and we had to make do with 1 point instead of 3.

ROUND UP

A really positive month. Going undefeated as seen us rise from 16th to the playoff positions. Squad wise I'm happy. The new signings have done well and we are much better placed to achieve our goal now. It probably looks silly to say I'm still just aiming to survive this season but things can change quickly in football and so I don't want to get ahead of myself. Connor Dimaio came in third place in the League Two Player of the Month award. Dimaio averaged 7.6 in the month of September whilst scoring twice and he's definitely justified the new contract. Whilst I picked up third in the Manager of the Month award.

Connor Dimaio signing a new deal is positive news and it's all part of the planning to continue to improve the squad by keeping the best players and tagging on improvements when given the opportunity.

Edited September 17, 2020 by Gunner 101

Tjeerd! · September 17, 2020

That's a brilliant month @Gunner 101! As you said, the first couple of games are always the hardest but it seems like you've adapted now. Some of the tougher games are out of the way already, so with a bit of luck this run of form might continue. Good luck!

Edited September 17, 2020 by Tjeerd!

Gunner 101 · September 19, 2020

SEASON 2020/2021 - END OF OCTOBER UPDATE

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RESULTS

The first match of October was at home against bottom side Morecambe. After a first half where it was attack against defence we finally broke the deadlock just after the break. Connor Dimaio heading home from a Jason Lokilo free kick. Jordan Greenidge added a second less than 10 minutes later, tapping home Millen Baars low cross. A comfortable 2-0 victory.

We was back in action away to fellow League Two side Carlisle United in the Leasing.com Trophy. Our previous meeting in the league ended in a 2-2 draw. A heavily rotated squad took to the field with only Louis Gray and Josh Rees usual starters in the side. Carlisle took the lead just before the half hour mark as we allowed too much space for a cross to come in and they punished us. We was back level just 3 minutes later though as a teasing cross from Tyler Garratt was stabbed home by Frank Mulhern. Substitute Connor Dimaio gave us the lead with 17 minutes to go, firing in after a scramble in the box. A late lapse in concentration from Garratt almost allowed Carlisle back in but we held out for a well deserved victory. That result, coupled with the win over Huddersfield Under 23's means we're through to the Northern Section Second Round with a game to spare.

Having had the chance to rest the majority of the squad we was back in league action and it was 4th v 5th as we faced recently relegated AFC Wimbledon. Unfortunately Rod McDonald picked up a knock in training and Luca Hoole was away on international duty with Wales U19's. Sam Minihan and Anthony Gerrard coming in to the side. After a positive first half where it remained 0-0 we broke the deadlock a couple of minutes into the second half. Liam Hogan with a free header from a Connor Dimaio free kick. We had a second less than 5 minutes later as Lucas Defise got on the end of a corner from Jason Lokilo to score his first goal for Stockport. Joe Pigott pulled a goal back for Wimbledon with 5 minutes left to go but we managed to hold on and claim a vital three points.

Our third away match in a row was a trip to 16th placed Cambridge United. Luca Hoole came back from international duty shattered so Sam Minihan continued to deputise. Rod McDonald was back fit again following a knock and replaced Anthony Gerrard. A game we really deserved to win with the amount of chances we created but in the end we had to make do with a draw.

A quick turnaround from the Cambridge game was supposed to see us play Plymouth Argyle however this match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Edgeley Park. Due to that postponement it meant we had a full week to recover before a trip to a mid table Northampton Town. Due to this we was able to put out a full strength 11 for the first time since the start of the month. A positive start saw us take the lead within 10 minutes via an own goal as Jordan Greenidge's header took a deflection on it's way passed the keeper. Despite not finding the net again we ran out comfortable winners.

The final game of the month was a local derby against Oldham Athletic and with just 4 points separating the two sides we could be in for quite the game. Jason Lokilo got us off to a flyer, nipping in to win the ball and run clean through on goal to slot in the opener. Jordan Greenidge sealed the victory with a good header from close range following good play by Eddie Clarke down the left flank. 64% possession ensured we controlled the game and came away with a deserved victory.

ROUND UP

Another very good month in terms of results and performances. Walsall and Bolton seem to be very dominant and so it might be difficult to break into that top two but luckily three go up automatically and so currently that is not out of reach. We have started to ensure we turn draws into wins and it's been 11 games since we tasted defeat in the league. This has translated to being the second best form side in the division behind only league leaders Walsall. We also have a game in hand against Plymouth and although it won't be easy if we win that then we could be within a win of over taking AFC Wimbledon and that final automatic promotion place. I guess the big disappointment this month was the 0-0 with Cambridge. We had so many shots but never got any clear chances in the game and it's a couple of points dropped I feel.

Edited September 19, 2020 by Gunner 101

Gunner 101 · September 20, 2020

SEASON 2020/2021 - END OF NOVEMBER UPDATE

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TRANSFERS/CONTRACTS

Nyal Bell decided he wanted to leave the club on loan and so a move to National League side Solihull Moors was arranged. Both Bell and Frank Mulhern have been complaining about a lack of first team football but I could only afford to send out one on loan. Mulhern is currently unhappy and sulking to the press despite playing his agreed playing time..

In terms of my own contract I put pen to paper on a new two year deal.

RESULTS

The first game of November was the visit of Jim Gannon's AFC Fylde in the First Round of the FA Cup. Millen Baars gave us the lead just after the half hour mark. Baars tapping home after Jason Lokilo's shot was saved. Baars was then taking off injured and the score remained 1-0 to see us safely through to Round 2 of the FA Cup.

Next up was another cup match as we faced a trip to League One Rotherham United in the final game of our Leasing.com Trophy group stage. Both teams have already qualified having won the two previous games. A much changed side took to the field with only Louis Gray and Josh Rees the usual starters in the 11. Despite conceding 4 goals we could feel a little bit hard done by. We came up against a clinical Rotherham side that took their chances. Just hope that the defeat doesn't impact on morale too much. In the grand scheme of things we was already through and the schedule made it that I had to prioritise resting my main players for the more important fixtures.

Back to league action and Leyton Orient were the visitors. We had won our last 5 home games whilst a defeat for Orient could see them enter the relegation zone. Luca Hoole was away with Wales U19's so Sam Minihan filled in at right back whilst Millen Baars was struggling for fitness so Max Watters started instead. We started well and Rod McDonald headed in from a Jason Lokilo free kick after 15 minutes. Lokilo then doubled the lead with a header of his own 10 minutes later. Connor Dimaio sealed the win from the penalty spot after Lokilo was brought down. A strong performance which justified the Rotherham result and team selection.

Next up was a tough trip to a Newport County side that had won their last 3 matches and sat a place and 1 point below us in the table. They also had the leagues top scorer in their ranks in Mason Jones-Thomas. Luca Hoole was once again rested having arrived back from duty with Wales U19's tired. Sam Minihan continuing to deputise. We didn't have the best start as Josh Rees had to replaced after 10 minutes with a gashed leg and will now miss 2-3 weeks. Millen Baars then conceded a penalty after half hour before they added a second just before half time. Baars pulled one back the other side of half time with a beautiful run and shot but as we pushed for an equaliser Newport hit us on the break to seal the 3 points. A disappointing result in what was a big game for our season.

After just a couple of days rest we was back in action with the previously postponed home match against Plymouth Argyle. Another tough game as it was 5th vs 6th and Argyle had won their last 5 on the bounce. Luca Hoole was back fit and replaced Sam Minihan whilst Elliot Osborne returned from a 4 month lay off to replace the injured Josh Rees. It was that man who gave us the lead 14 minutes in as he placed a shot into the net from 25 yards. Delighted to see Osborne back and amongst the goals straight away. Plymouth were level 15 minutes later as Eddie Clarke missed a header and it left Will Aimson the simple task of tapping home. It stayed that way until the 89th minute when Jordan Greenidge stabbed home from close range. A massive result against a close rival, especially after losing the last game against Newport.

Our third match in 7 days was a trip to League One side Hull City in the FA Cup Second Round. Hull have won their previous 4 matches and so it could be a tough ask to do anything against the higher division side here. We should have had a great start as Jordan Greenidge failed to score twice when clean through but it was third time lucky as he headed home at the far post from a corner after 20 minutes. A counter attack saw Millen Baars tap home from close range less than 10 minutes later. Hull pulled a goal back before half time however we defended well and managed to see it through to progress to the 3rd Round of the FA Cup.

ROUND UP

Overall another good month, especially in the FA Cup with the victory over League One side Hull City. League wise the Newport County result was hard to take but I'm glad we bounced back so well against Plymouth. We've still only lost 3 league games this season and they have come against the sides currently 1st, 2nd and 5th so nothing to be ashamed of at all. The return of Elliot Osborne was nice and a goal and a man of the match performance on his first game back for 4 months was brilliant. It certainly will make things interesting once Rees is back fit; who do I play out of the two!? Jordan Greenidge is in to double figures for the season (in all competitions) which is only 4 behind what he achieved last season and Jason Lokilo is only two behind the team high assists of 10 from last season (set by Danny Lloyd). Connor Dimaio is once again the top performer, Mr Consistent in the middle of the park.

Millen Baars managed to pick up the League Two Goal of the Month award for his effort in the defeat to Newport County.

Edited September 20, 2020 by Gunner 101

Gunner 101 · September 22, 2020

SEASON 2020/2021 - END OF DECEMBER UPDATE

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TRANSFERS/CONTRACTS

20 year old central defender Aaron Ekumah had his contract extension triggered meaning he's now contracted to the club until June 2022. He's been a decent enough back up to Liam Hogan this season and has the potential to develop further.

Another 20 year old central defender in Festus Arthur signed a new deal to also tie him to the club until June 2022. Arthur is currently out on a season long to Vanarama North side AFC Telford where he's played 24 games, scored twice and achieved an average rating of 7.00.
An impressive season so far as he's helped Telford to topping the league table.

RESULTS

The first game of December was another cup tie with a trip to Grimsby Town in the Leasing.com Trophy Second Round. Our previous meeting in the league this season ended in a draw. With only a couple of days rest after this game before our next league match a few changes were made with Minihan, Garratt, Turnbull and Watters in for Hoole, Clarke, Defise and Lokilo. A single own goal by Grimsby striker Harry Caldwell was enough to see us through to the Leasing.com Northern Section Round Three.

A quick turnaround saw us take on a Scunthorpe United side way down in 22nd place and on a poor run of form. We was also able to field a full strength 11 with Josh Rees getting the nod over Elliot Osborne. Millen Baars opened the scoring with a beautiful curling effort from 25 yards after 23 minutes. However Scunthorpe equalised with their first shot on target on the half hour mark. Lucas Defise restored the lead with a thumping effort 5 minutes later before Josh Rees completed the scoring with a powerful effort on 53 minutes.

After a full weeks rest we faced a trip to Bradford City. Although predicted to finish 2nd, The Bantams were down in 15th place with just 1 win in their last 5 games. Having had a week to recover the same 11 that started the previous match took to the field once again. Eddie Clarke got us off to a great start with a strike after just 26 seconds. Instead of building on that great start Bradford levelled on 8 minutes and then James Vaughan put them in front after 26. Connor Dimaio equalised just 5 minutes later and despite trying our best we couldn't find a third to secure the three points.

After yet another full weeks rest we was back at Edgeley Park to face a Mansfield Town side that were currently in the playoff positions and had just beaten Bolton. It was the third game in a row we had an unchanged 11. Things started poorly with a Millen Baars error letting CJ Hamilton score after just 4 minutes. Danny Rose then doubled the advantage before half time. Jordan Greenidge managed to pull one back after an half time telling off but Rose added his second to ensure Mansfield took home the 3 points. This was possibly our worse performance for a while and CJ Hamilton and Danny Rose were just too good for us unfortunately.

Boxing Day was here and a trip to the seaside to face bottom club Morecambe. The meeting earlier on in the season ended 2-0 to us with Dimaio and Greenidge on the scoresheet. Jordan Greenidge was on the scoresheet again, taking just 5 minutes to nod in from close range. Josh Rees added a second goal on 20 minutes with a powerful effort that flew into the net. Connor Dimaio also got on the scoresheet with a half volley just after the break to seal the 3 points.

With just 1 day rest we was back in action with a trip to Plymouth Argyle. Since our last meeting just 5 games ago Plymouth have won just once out of 4. Due to the quick turnaround some rotation was necessary with Garratt, Turnbull and Watters in for Clarke, Defise and Lokilo. We took the lead inside the first minute as Jordan Greenidge reacted first to Millen Baars shot rebounding off the post. We repeated the trick at the start of the second half as Connor Dimaio reacted quickest to Max Watters header being saved to tap home. A quick counter saw Dimaio turn provider as he slotted through for Greenidge to add his second and our third.

Another good month results wise with the odd defeat against Mansfield Town where we just couldn't cope with CJ Hamilton and Danny Rose although I was pleased with the response and the back to back 3-0 victories against Morecambe and Plymouth. All this means we sit in the automatic places for the first time this season however we have played two games more than 4th placed AFC Wimbledon, whom we play next. We have a busy month in January with the FA Cup Third Round and the Leasing.com Trophy Northern Section Third Round plus 6 league games. We do have two new signings joining on the 1st January, both were wrapped up at the beginning of December with one possibly being a real coup for the club. We do have a couple of unhappy players in Anthony Gerrard and Frank Mulhern however I'm not in a position to loan either out and so unfortunately they're just going to have to deal with it. I was happy to tie down both Ekumah and Arthur to new deals and further contract talks are ongoing for players and staff to resolve futures early and to avoid any potential departures. I'd possibly like to sign a new keeper and a back up to Connor Dimaio however budgets have been limited by the other two signings already and so loan moves might be the only option if I don't move other players out first. Right now automatic promotion doesn't seem likely and we may have to settle for the playoffs but I'd be more than happy with that. We still have 21 games to play and anything can happen.

In the monthly awards Connor Dimaio came runner up in the League Two Player of the Month award. The midfielder scored three goals and had an average rating of 7.96 during the month of December. Whilst Jordan Greenidge picked up the Young Player of the Month award following 4 goals in 5 appearances. Fellow County player Lucas Defise finished 3rd in the same award.

Edited September 22, 2020 by Gunner 101

Gunner 101 · September 26, 2020

SEASON 2020/2021 - END OF JANUARY UPDATE

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TRANSFERS/CONTRACTS

The first new signing of January was the arrival of Alex Denny from Everton. The 20 year old defensive midfielder signed from Everton for a fee of £135k and will compete with Lucas Defise and Paul Turnbull. Denny was brought in as I wasn't sold on Defise. As soon as Denny signed Defise's form improved dramatically. Typical. Still, we should be good for that position with these two young lads plus the experienced Paul Turnbull who will probably depart once his contract ends at the end of the season. Denny does have a big height advantage over Defise so will add to the threat at set pieces and the ability to strike the ball from long range will hopefully see him score some goals, especially with the amount of space he could find himself in playing in that deeper role. He's also perfectly suited to playing the half back role which I favour for my current formation.

The other deal done in December was the transfer of Abobaker Eisa from Scunthorpe United. Alex Curran has been disappointing and so Eisa comes in to compete with Millen Baars. We could have waited till the end of the season and signed him for free but a fee of £8k was agreed to bring him in now. Unfortunately he picked up a broken toe after we signed him and he's out for another 6 weeks. He offers a good amount of pace down the left flank although his fitness may be a problem. However he's very similar to Baars and so game time can be shared between the two to keep him fresh.

Young striker Matty Moss put pen to paper on his first professional contract. The 19 year old was attracting interest from Wales but has instead decided to sign his first contract with the club. I will now look to find a loan move for him in order to gain some first team experience. Having signed a new deal Moss then departed to Vanarama National League side Halifax Town for the remainder of the season, joining former Stockport player Ian Ormson at the club.

Plenty of new contracts were signed by staff with Simon Wilson (Director of Football), Chris Li (Scout), Michael Collins (U18 Assistant Manager), Ivan Torres (Fitness Coach), Chris Llewellyn (Assistant Manager), Craig Reynolds (Head Physio), Joe Taylor (Chief Scout)and Matt Jansen (U18 Manager) all extending their stays at the club.

RESULTS

Our first game of 2021 was a trip to face Championship outfit QPR in the FA Cup Third Round. Luca Hoole was recovering from a bruised knee and so Sam Minihan deputised whilst Alex Denny came in for his debut. We was under pressure straight from the kick off and after 13 minutes Alex Carbonell scored from long range to make 1-0 to the hosts. We found equaliser just before the half hour mark as Jason Lokilo ran the length of the pitch before slotting the ball into the far corner. 1-1. Alex Denny then suffered an injury which saw him be replaced by Lucas Defise. Louis Gray then denied Michael Obafemi one on one to deny QPR and stop them from retaking the lead. QPR did retake the lead on 55 minutes as Ebere Eze headed in from close range. A 2-1 defeat means we exit the FA Cup at the Third Round stage. Alex Denny and Connor Dimaio both picked up slight knocks but thankfully both will only be out for a couple of days.

A couple of days rest and we was back to league action with an important home match against AFC Wimbledon. It was 4th vs 5th but a win would be vital as AFC Wimbledon have two games in hand over us. Players were suffering with the heavy schedule and so a few changes were necessary. A poor start saw AFC Wimbledon take a lead after just 4 minutes. A disappointing first half led to an assertive team talk and Liam Hogan replacing Aaron Ekumah. It didn't work as on the hour mark Maxime Biamou doubled the lead. A poor performance and a damaging result for our automatic promotion chances.

Our third game in a week was an away trip to Swindon Town. Despite The Robins being down in 20th place they're currently on a 3 match unbeaten run. Fitness wise the team seem to be much better off than the last match so I'm hoping for a much improved performance. We had the perfect chance to take the lead on 70 minutes as Liam Hogan was fouled in the area but Connor Dimaio hit the post with his spot kick. 5 minutes later Swindon scored as they seized on a loose pass by Luca Hoole and finished passed Louis Gray. A disappointing defeat especially with the amount of chances we created.

Another quick turnaround saw us in action in the Leasing.com Trophy Northern Section Third Round and Man City Under 23's were the visitors. We had a pretty much full strength side out for the game. Aaron Ekumah came in for Liam Hogan whilst Lucas Defise took up the defensive midfielder role as Alex Denny was cup tied. We took the lead after 17 minutes as a long ball forward from Luca Hoole was met on the volley by Jordan Greenidge for his 15th goal of the season. It was 2-0 after 37 minutes as Millen Baars cushioned an header to the edge of the area and Josh Rees smashed home. Youngster Matty Moss came on late in the second half for his Stockport debut as we progressed to the next round.

Looking to get our first league win of 2021 we came up against an in form Cambridge United side that were undefeated in 6 games. The fitness curse struck again and so the squad was rotated. Thankfully we have a week break after this fixture. An even game ended all square for the second time this season.

After a weeks rest we faced a trip to 9th place Crawley Town. Crawley were the overwhelming favourites having beat both Bolton and AFC Wimbledon in their last 3 games. We almost took the lead after 40 minutes as Alex Denny struck from range and saw his shot cannon off the crossbar. We finally did take the lead after 86 minutes as Luca Hoole found space and crossed perfectly for Jordan Greenidge to head home. That was Greenidge's 25th career league goal, all 25 coming for Stockport.

Next up was supposed to be a midweek home match against top of the table Bolton Wanderers however a waterlogged pitch at Edgeley Park saw the match postponed. Due to the postponement we had another weeks break before we faced mid table Carlisle United. This would be our third match this season against the Cumbrians after facing them in the league (draw) and the Leasing.com Trophy (win). Carlisle opened the scoring after 10 minutes however 5 minutes later we was back on level terms with Connor Dimaio meeting a Jason Lokilo free kick. Jason Lokilo added to his assist with a goal, finishing from Jordan Greenidge's knock down after 38 minutes to give us the lead. Three minutes later it was 3-1 as Connor Dimaio reacted quickest to Rod McDonald's header come back off the crossbar to get his second of the match and 10th for the season. Jordan Greenidge made it 4-1 after 55 minutes, heading home from a Jason Lokilo corner. Carlisle United were down to 10 men after 75 minutes due to using all their subs and Stefan Scougall picking up an injury. It should have been 5 but Greenidge's header hit the post late on. Eventually it was 5 though as Luca Hoole scored his first goal for Stockport in stoppage time. With 4 minutes added on we had time to add another with Max Watters adding a 6th from distance for his first goal for the club. What a performance!

OTHER NEWS

ROUND UP

A tough start to the year saw our worse run of form since taking control of the club however we seem to have got through that and the second half of the month was much better. We seem to have a decent squad now with Denny and Eisa making us stronger overall. I'm hopeful that we can at least maintain our playoff position for the rest of the season but it's going to be tough with plenty of sides still in the mix.

Edited September 26, 2020 by Gunner 101

Gunner 101 · October 6, 2020

SEASON 2020/2021 - END OF SEASON UPDATE

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Instead of doing the monthly update I thought I would just get through and wrap things up in one update through from Feb to the end of the season. Apologies if it's both long and boring.

February was a long month with 8 games to be played in total. League wise it couldn't have gone much better with 5 wins out of 6. Enough to see me named League Two Manager of the Month for the first time this season. We finally got knocked out of the Leasing.com Trophy at the Northern Section Semi-Final stage by Oldham Athletic having knocked League One side Fleetwood Town out in the previous round. We had no expectations on us but to be knocked out so close to the final was disappointing. The positive run of results in the league, including beating both top of the table Bolton and 6th placed Walsall meant we was up in second place come the end of the month with a 5 point gap between ourselves and Bolton and us and 4th placed side Newport County. 2nd was the highest position achieved all season and now we needed to stay there with 10 games left to play. Having now been knocked out of all the cup competitions our sole focus was the league.

Connor Dimaio was the top performer and he's now ranked #1 in the league on average rating for the season having scored 13 goals from midfield so far. This was confirmed by Dimaio winning the League Two Player of the Month award. Jason Lokilo has stepped
up and filled the boots of Danny Lloyd from last season with a joint second high in the league for assists. Whilst Josh Rees continues to keep Elliot Osborne out the side with some good performances alongside Dimaio in the middle of the park. Rees also came 3rd in the League Two Goal of the Month competition with his long range volley against Scunthorpe. Alex Denny has also started to make his mark having joined for a large fee in January. He came 3rd in the League Two Young Player of the Month with an average rating of 7.28.

March was the opposite to February with plenty of rest in-between matches and that seemed to help us as we managed to win 4 out of 5 games, form that saw us hit top of the table. I also celebrated my 100th game in management during the vital 1-0 win over Newport County. The victory making sure of at least a playoff place come the end of the season. The month wasn't without issues though as Jason Lokilo was ruled out for 6 weeks, suffering an injury against Oldham whilst Eddie Clarke was ruled out for 5 weeks suffering an injury in the win over Newport. The last game of the month against Cheltenham saw us having a few issues as Lokilo and Clarke were injured and Hoole, Eisa and Maynard were all away on international duty. A late goal from Frank Mulhern saving us from defeat. At the end of March we're sitting top with a 4 point gap back to second place AFC Wimbledon with 5 games left to play.

On a personal note it's been a good month for Luca Hoole as he stepped up for Wales to play in the Under 21's instead of the Under 19's. Other than that Alex Denny has been good and started to make the defensive midfielder slot his own. Connor Dimaio continues to perform and his two goals against Leyton Orient saw him take his tally to 15 for the season, 7th highest in League Two overall and 1st for midfielders.

The final month of the season was here and course for celebration as we secured promotion with two games to go and wrapped the title up with a game to spare, eventually sealing the league by 7 points as we drew with second placed Mansfield Town on the final day of the season. A fantastic effort considering we were predicted to finish dead last prior to the league kicking off back in August.

Luca Hoole continues to impress and came third in the League Two Young Player of the Month award for April. His goal against Notts County sealing the title win. Lucas Defise bagged runner up in the Goal of the Month award with his promotion securing strike against Grimsby and I came runner up in the Manager of the Month award with another unbeaten month that saw us crowned champions.

After a great season 5 of the current crop were inducted into the Stockport Overall Best Eleven; Jason Lokilo, Luca Hoole, Rod McDonald, Josh Rees and Lucas Defise all being added. The only player in the starting 11 no longer at the club is Danny Lloyd who we couldn't retain following his loan spell in the Vanarama National league winning season.

Connor Dimaio picked up the fans player of the season award for the second season running with 46% of the vote. Jason Lokilo and Jordan Greenidge coming 2nd and 3rd. Jason Lokilo picking up signing of the season and the young player of the season awards.

Connor Dimaio picked up the League Two Player of the Year Award after scoring 15 times in 43 appearances. Having picked up Manager of the Year last season I also picked up the award again this season. Whilst the League Two Team of the Year was flooded with the blue of Stockport as 8 players made it. These were Louis Gray, Rod McDonald, Liam Hogan, Eddie Clarke, Josh Rees, Connor Dimaio, Jason Lokilo and Jordan Greenidge.

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FIRST TEAM SQUAD REVIEW

GOALKEEPERS

Louis Gray - Age 25, Apps 46, Clean Sheets 23
Gray has been the first choice goalkeeper for the season having replaced last season's number one Ben Hinchliffe halfway through the previous campaign. Gray has recently signed a new one year deal (with an option in favour of the club for an additional year). His 23 clean sheets ensured he was ranked first in League Two. Despite this I'm not 100% convinced he's the man for between the sticks for next season in League One and so a new number 1 could be signed. Gray however seems happy to play back up so no issues there.

Ray Hawksworth - Age 18, Apps 0, Clean Sheets 0
Hawksworth has recently signed for the club having come through the most recent youth intake and is one of two young goalkeepers in the first team squad. It's likely he will leave on loan for some first team football.

Edward Sartorius - Age 19, Apps 0, Clean Sheets 0
Similar to Hawksworth having come through the youth intake the previous year. Likely to leave either on loan or permanently over the summer.

DEFENDERS

Luca Hoole - Age 19, Apps 31, Goals 2, Assists 3
Having signed for free in the summer Luca Hoole has enjoyed an impressive first season at the club. Also impressively broke into Wales Under 21 side and looks set to be a key member of the squad for next season. Just signed a new deal to extend his stay for a further two seasons.

Sam Minihan - Age 27, Apps 14(12), Goals 0, Assists 1
His 5th season at the club and his last as we look to release him come the end of his contract. He was first choice last year but Hoole has took that from him now and he just wouldn't be good enough for the step up to League One.

Festus Arthur (on loan with AFC Telford) - Age 21, Apps 41(3), Goals 6, Assists 0
Spent the season out on loan winning the Vanarama National League North with AFC Telford. A very good season there prompted me to renew his contract and he looks set to be involved next season unless any deals take place.

Aaron Ekumah - Age 20, Apps 14(14), Goals 0, Assists 0
Played second fiddle to the more experienced Liam Hogan most of the season but started more games after the start of the new year. Looks set to fight it out with Hogan and Arthur for the right side central defender slot next season.

Liam Hogan - Age 32, Apps 36(7), Goals 2, Assists 0
Another solid season but probably his last as first choice with both Arthur and Ekumah requiring game time and his ability starting to decline with age. Likely to remain at the club for another year till his contract is up as his experience could be useful.

Rod McDonald - Age 29, Apps 36, Goals 3, Assists 3
McDonald was a bit of rushed signing at the very end of the transfer window but it's worked out great. Not sure if League Two is his level though and so a new left sided central defender looks like it might be a necessity over the summer.

Anthony Gerrard - Age 35, Apps 7(6), Goals 0, Assists 0
The veteran defender is due to leave the club at the end of his contract and unfortunately it's under a bit of a cloud has he kicked up a fuss about not starting enough. Not good enough for League Two but played his part last season and so would class his signing in the first transfer window a success.

Eddie Clarke - Age 22, Apps 38(1), Goals 1, Assists 7
Having signed following his loan spell the previous year I knew what I was getting and Clarke didn't disappoint. Hopefully he can continue to improve next season.

Tyler Garratt - Age 24, Apps 8(5), Goals 1, Assists 3
Proved a capable back up when Clarke was out injured for a month and so his contract extension was triggered for another year. Still young and still has room to grow.

MIDFIELDERS

Alex Denny - Age 21, Apps 17, Goals 1, Assists 5
Signed in January from Everton for a big fee (£135k) but he's been superb and developed quickly to become our best player. He's very consistent and provides a solid base to the midfield.

Lucas Defise - Age 19, Apps 30(7), Goals 3, Assists 2
Started the season as first choice but struggled and lost his place to Denny. Still young and has potential so will most likely stick around and be an able deputy should Denny pick up any injuries or lack fitness.

Paul Turnbull - Age 32, Apps 4(9), Goals 1, Assists 0
Was already struggling for game time and then Denny arrived which meant even less. Set to leave the club at the end of his contract having spent most of his career here. Will be missed for his experience and professional personality.

Connor Dimaio - Age 25, Apps 43(1), Goals 15, Assists 4
25 goals over two seasons from central midfield tells you everything, he's been fantastic and will hopefully be able to make the step up again next season.

Lois Maynard - Age 32, Apps 0(4), Goals 1, Assists 0
Currently transfer listed due to not being good enough but no takers. On high wages for his ability and so moving him on is something I'll look to press on with this summer.

Josh Rees - Age 27, Apps 40(1), Goals 4, Assists 2
Following Elliot Osborne's injury Josh Rees was signed and thankfully he's done the job alongside Dimaio in the midfield. Kept his place ahead of Osborne once he returned and looks set to continue going forwards.

Elliot Osborne - Age 24, Apps 4(8), Goals 1, Assists 1
A long term injury suffered at the start of the season saw him lose his place and unfortunately this meant he wasn't able to enjoy the same level of success as he did in the Vanarama National. Toyed with the idea of releasing him but in the end gave him a new one year deal with an option of a further year in the clubs favour as he was happy to stick around as a fringe player. Still have hope that he can return to pre injury levels.

Josh Staines - Age 19, Apps 0, Goals 0, Assists 0
Joined the club through last years intake but likely to be released this summer as I don't feel he's got the potential to prove useful.

Jason Lokilo - Age 22, Apps 33(1), Goals 9, Assists 14
Signed for a free with very little scouting and thankfully it worked out. He's filled the gap left by Danny Lloyd and then some and has a great partnership down the right hand side with Luca Hoole.

Max Watters - Age 22, Apps 13(28), Goals 2, Assists 5
Second season loan for Watters and one I would like to make permanent. He knows the role and does well when given the chance. Still has potential to grow and would be a perfect back up to Lokilo.

Millen Baars - Age 20, Apps 38(4), Goals 5, Assists 9
Hasn't set the world alight and despite a decent return something just isn't right with Baars. Currently looking to move him on with a year left on his contract if I can get a fee for him.

Abobaker Eisa - Age 25, Apps 6(2), Goals 1, Assists 1
Not quite as effective as the other January signing in Denny but Eisa has struggled with injury. His one goal was a match winner though and will hopefully progress next season.

Alex Curran - Age 22, Apps 2(3), Goals 0, Assists 0
Despite a decent first season, Curran has struggled this time around and looks set to leave at the end of his contact. I did try and flog him in January once Eisa joined but no takers.

ATTACKERS

Jordan Greenidge - Age 21, Apps 46, Goals 20, Assists 4
Top scorer for the second season running and he's getting better and better.

Frank Mulhern - Age 24, Apps 0(13), Goals 2, Assists 0
Had high hopes for Mulhern following his successful loan spell but Greenidge has kept him out the side. Unhappy with his lack of game time I will look to sell this summer.

Nyal Bell - Age 24, Apps 0(7), Goals 0, Assists 0
Spent the second half of the season out on loan in the Vanarama National and set to be released at the end of his contract.

Matty Moss - Age 19, Apps 0, Goals 0, Assists 0
Joined at the same time as Sartorius and Staines but seems to have the potential to be useful. Will likely need another season out on loan but hopefully can unlock that potential.

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Another great season for us and now we step up to League One. I've spent some time trying to pinpoint positions where I need to strengthen but I'm keen to not do too much too quickly and upset the balance of the side. I plan on giving those that have done so well so far a chance to keep us moving forwards, especially the likes of Hoole, Greenidge, Denny, Clarke etc. They're all still young enough and by being first choices I'm sure they will grow and be really good players for the level we find ourselves at next season.

I'll be sad to see some players leave, Turnbull and Minihan are two but they just won't cut it at the higher level. Whilst I'll be looking to get some money for the likes of Mulhern and Baars, the latter is attracting interest from Championship and League One sides so hopefully we can get something for him before his deal runs out in a years time.

Will update again at the end of the transfer window and first few games of the new season!

Jogo Bonito · October 8, 2020

@Gunner 101 Great job there, fantastic achievement! Smashing review of your squad and future plans for some of them too. Keep up the good work :applause:

Gunner 101 · October 8, 2020

14 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

@Gunner 101 Great job there, fantastic achievement! Smashing review of your squad and future plans for some of them too. Keep up the good work

Thanks mate. A really enjoyable save so far. Here's to League One!

Tjeerd! · October 11, 2020

Well done and congratulations @Gunner 101! Must admit, I thought you had abandoned the save but I'm glad to see that's not the case. I've actually played a few more months too, I'll post an update in a few minutes.

Tjeerd! · October 11, 2020

Season 5: December Update

Transfers:

I've brought in a few more players since the last update. These are the biggest ones:

Renato comes on loan from Chelsea to rotate with Rob Brown and Nabil Touaizi. Touaizi got injured for 6 weeks in late September, and Renato and Brown proved to be a very capable partnership up front in his absence. Technically speaking, he's probably the best striker we've got at the club. There's almost zero chance of him staying on a permanent basis though, which is the main reason he's not a nailed on starter for us, as I'd rather play those who do belong to us, considering Brown and Touaizi are both young and got room for improvement.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis is the other big summer signing. He's a Premier League level player who's born in Stockport and a County fan, which is probably the reason we've been able to get him. He's been immense at the back with Mai, and considering that he's probably not going to be playing much football with City in the future, I hope that he'll end up playing for us instead, on a permanent basis. He's still got two years left on his contract though, so we might have to pay a fee for him.

We're trying to get this guy to join us in the summer. I've spent the whole season scouting him and talking to the press about signing him. Like Menard, he's fallen out with Lazio and won't renew his contract (it runs out in the summer). No one else is interested in him, and it seems like he's very interested in joining us, so with a bit of luck he'll be playing in Stockport next season.

Results:

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It was a bit of a rough start for us this season. Bernabe got sent off on his debut against Leeds, coming in on the 76th minute, getting booked on the 81st and sent off on the 82nd. By the 7th game things looked a bit poor and there were already talks of us underperforming in the press, but to be fair we had already played all three relegated sides, with a lucky point against Palace where James Simpson scored in both ends, a thumping win against a Norwich side built around David Brooks and a narrow and one could even say undeserved loss against a West Ham side who had the likes of Haller, Felipe Anderson, Rice and Kolasinac. After all that though, performances improved and helped us climb up to second place. This was thanks to a lot of late goals as you can see, but when it happens on such a consistent basis you can make the argument that it's not actually luck. The two key games that in my opinion kickstarted the good form we are still carrying in december were the games against PL side Bristol City in the Carabao Cup and Sheffield Wednesday in the league. We found ourselves 2-0 down on both occasions, but managed to build back and get the win. Speaking of Carabao Cup, it looks like we've compensated for years of dropping out in the first round. Our toughest game was that one against Bristol City, aside from that it's been mostly Championship opposition. We've got the semi finals against Leeds coming up, which is a very winnable game for us, and if we do win that we'd be looking at a final against either United or Liverpool. We haven't been so lucky in the FA Cup draw, we've got United away for our first game in the tournament.

Table:

This is what the table looks like right now. We've had two games postponed in December, one against Hull City and the other against Charlton. We've had a brilliant first half of the season, and we've got a much better team than last year, so I think it's very possible we keep this form up get promoted. The whole team's performing, with the likes of Renato, Gomes, Menard, Harwood-Bellis, Brown, Mai and Burke standing out.

Players:

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Brown leads the goalscoring charts once more with 13 goals in 28 appearances. He got off to a slow start where he found himself on the bench behind Touaizi and Renato after some lackluster performances, but after the former's injury he rose to the occasion and hasn't been dropped since, even earning himself a Wales cap, which naturally came with a goal. Renato sits in 2nd with 9 goals in 17 appearances, with Jones (8g in 26 games) and Touaizi (8g in 18 games) sharing third place. Brown won November's Player of the Month and Young Player of the Month, with Menard and Renato coming in second in the Young Player of the Month award for September and November respectively. Lukas Mai (6g and average rating of 7.2 with one POM), Will Mannion (10 clean sheets, average rating of 6.95 and 3 penalties saved) and Evan Menard (1g, which was a free kick from far out, 5a and an average rating of 7.28 with two POM awards) are the only players to have featured in all 24 league games. Our only red card came in our first game, which is a stark contrast to our record breaking tally last year. No tactical changes were made to remedy that, it was probably just down to the quality of players we had then. Our facilities are set to be improved once more, this time we're forking out almost 7m which is half our budget, as our heftier wages mean we are now losing money every month. Still, nothing a few summer sales or a promotion won't fix.

Edited October 11, 2020 by Tjeerd!

Gunner 101 · October 11, 2020

I thought the same with you @Tjeerd! I just play my game quite slow and I’m in the process of moving home too so not getting much chance but really enjoying my save. I’ve started my third season now so will update probably later on in the week once I reach the end of August.

You said you wasn’t going to rely on loanees but here we are. You do right with prioritising your own players, that’s why I don’t really like signing loanees but they obviously do have worth and generally are higher quality due to knowing they’re only there temporary.

Nice first half of the season there and you’re in a really good position. Good to see your facilities are growing too with the club. How is your reputation now as a club?

I’ve looked at Will Mannion twice now but both times Hull have decided to extend his contract. Glad to see him doing well for you though. Always difficult for keepers because their in game ratings aren’t very well portrayed in the game.

Edited October 13, 2020 by Gunner 101

Tjeerd! · October 12, 2020

@Gunner 101That's nice to know. As for myself, I just play FM in bursts: play a couple of seasons, take a break for a few weeks and repeat. I'm really enjoying this save though, I'm not going to be abandoning it anytime soon.

As for loans... I know, I lied, I just can't help myself. It's been getting even worse now, Renato's become the league's top scorer and he's also my only fit striker at the moment. I've even looked to extend his loan for another year, but Chelsea aren't having it. I have extended Taylor Harwood-Bellis' loan though (Stockport fan, local lad, team leader and all that... ).

Your reputation question is very relevant right now, it's been a big part of my January transfer business. Long story short, I had about 6-8 potential targets to snap up on a free, and while all of them were open to joining, we lost them all the moment another club came in with an offer. I've lost players to Charleroi, KV Mechelen, Saint Ettiene, Portimonense and Derby. In fact, the only player who I've been able to secure is the Italian striker I showed in the previous update. We've got the worst reputation of the league, with four L1 sides ahead of us on the list. It's actually a bit better than I thought it would be too, considering how quickly we've been rising through the leagues.

I actually paid 50k for Mannion. I really liked how his attributes were spread, he's a pure shot stopper and I thought that was the best thing for a L2 goalkeeper. He's still doing very well in the Championship, and he's my first choice as long as we're in this division. I've got a young keeper that came through our academy who I see as a potential replacement for him:

The scouts and coaches say that he could be a potential PL level player, and 21 is still young for a goalkeeper. He's been climbing up the ranks slowly, playing in the National League North, the National League and League 2, with League 1 or, with a bit more improvement, even lower level Championship a realistic goal for next year. He's also been called up to England's U21s side a few times. We'll have to see what happens with him, but right now he's the best player to have come out of Stockport's academy.

Tjeerd! · October 13, 2020

End of Season 5

We've done it! For the first time ever, Stockport County will be playing in the top tier of English football. This has also earned me entry to the list of club legends, just under Liam McAlinden's name (it only took him one season to break in).

Transfers:

The Italian striker shown previously, Cucchi, was confirmed. Aside from that, the only incoming transfer was another loan from our affiliates Liverpool:

Rochel Kalana joined to cover for a few of our injured players and did really well when he played. As for sales, Joao Escoval left for Lokomotiva after only playing two games for us this season, both from the bench.

Results:

20201013144525_1.jpg.bce97ab362da2ff4f645a9450f84b782.jpg 20201013144527_1.jpg.14f064ac4173aafc03164dc2584b9932.jpg

A tough January saw us drop out of both cups and win only a single game in the league. We recovered our form though with a vital win against 1st place (at the time) Norwich where Renato scored a magnificent hat trick. We then had a shock loss against a struggling Sunderland side who won with a single shot. By the beginning of March we had relinquished our automatic promotion places once more, finding ourselves third after 3 draws in a row, and facing a tough game against the team that was now in 1st place, West Ham. A surprisingly good performance, though, meant that we got a deserved win which catapulted us back to first place. Three games later we found ourselves in a more comfortable position:

20201012192750_1.jpg.1c4728b61b43e7a07735f4a9a08ad449.jpg

Four games left against somewhat favourable opposition. We did our job against QPR and Birmingham, dispatching them quite comfortably. Next up was a game against Steven Gerrard's Millwall, where a win would confirm our promotion. A boring match ensued, with a big lack of chances. In the 91st minute Kalana played a through ball to Honorat (our right winger with 9 finishing playing as a striker) who slotted it in past their keeper, bringing joy and chaos to the town of Stockport. Premier League football was now guaranteed and the title was lifted in the next game.

Table:

West Ham lost to Burnley in the Playoff final, which means that Norwich and Burnley are the teams that will be joining us next year. Renato, who obviously leaves in the summer, ended up as the league's top scorer and best player. A busy window awaits now, as I try to get the team's quality up to PL standard. I've been given 400k as wage budget and 27m as transfer budget, so bargains are going to have to be found if we want to have any hope of surviving next year. Either way, next year is going to be the most tough and exciting season yet.

Players:

I think it's probably time that I talk you through the squad that achieved this, with a few pictures for our standout players who haven't been shown much.

Goalkeepers:

Will Mannion: our first choice goalkeeper since we were in League 2. He's attracted interest from Championship and Premier League sides and is currently complaining about his contract, asking for one that would make him the highest paid player in the team.

Andrea Tozzo: our backup goalkeeper. He's 31 years old with decent stats and Professional personality. He's played the odd game here and there in the cup, but is nowhere near Mannion in terms of quality. He's happy to stick around and I've got no problem with that unless we sign another goalkeeper, which is low on the list of priorities for the summer.

Defenders:

Ryan Burke: our only permanent left back and undoubtedly first choice there. He was signed in League 1 for 25k from Birmingham and he's developed with the club at a similar rate. He's attracted interest from many Premier League clubs, with Watford currently monitoring him. He's also on the cusp of his national team, he should be making his first start for Ireland next year provided he still plays for us on a consistent basis.

Leandro Dias: brought in on loan from Porto, he's going to be leaving with only 5 starts under his name. He was signed with the intention of providing cover for Burke and that's what he's done, but he was never going to take Burke's place this season.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis: his brilliant performances for us this season have meant that his loan has been extended for another year. He's played whenever available and has been vital for us this season. There's also a big chance that he's handed the captain's armband next season, leading his boyhood club in their first ever season in the Premier League.

Lukas Mai: the big German has been THB's partner for the entire season with similar performances. He's had a few moments where his lack of agility and speed have been noticed, but overall he's been a very good player for us. He's also been attracting interest from Germany, so he might be leaving provided we get a good offer for him.

Antony Angileri: Angileri is a very interesting player. Basically, you take the recommended attributes for a Libero and put 12s and 13s in all of them and there, you've got yourself Antony Angileri. He's nothing spectacular, a solid defender with good feet who can play at centre back, right back, defensive midfield or even central midfield, making him a really good backup option.

George Romain: an Australian born in Fiji who also has English nationality. He's played two games for us in three years, both from the bench. He's a central defender with really good physicals who came through our academy, but who will never be anything better than a L2 player at most. We need a club-trained player to sit on the bench though, and Romain is the one who's been picked for that. His contract is up in the summer, so this is probably the end of his story at Stockport.

Nadir Zortea: an Italian signed last summer for 475k. He's been our starting right back when fit, which has been less than half of our games. His value has shot up, so I'll be looking to sell him this summer.

Alpha Dionkou: the former City player was signed on loan from Arsenal. He was supposed to be a backup, similar to Dias, but Zortea's injuries have meant that he's played a larger amount of games than expected. He's leaving for Sporting Kansas City next year, I might have considered making his stay permanent otherwise.

Midfielders:

Joe Breen: my entire starting midfield was signed in the summer and so they all have recent pictures you can check. Joe Breen though is someone I don't think I've shown yet. He's the best outfield player to have come out of Stockport's academy, but apparently he was only signed the year he came through our youth intake, which means he wasn't and still isn't club-trained. That's the only reason he hasn't been sent out on loan and instead given games here. Next year though he will be leaving on loan. He's got a perfect personality and stats for a btb midfielder, or a segundo volante which is what I use. It'll be interesting to see how far he gets with us.

Evan Menard: our midfield maestro. Attributes wise he's barely improved since we signed him, but his performances for us have been nothing short of sensational. He's a player who I've really enjoyed watching, and barring a massive offer in the summer (which is possible, both Arsenal and United are interested in him) he'll continue to be first choice in our midfield.

Claudio Gomes: he has improved quite a bit. He's a similar type of player to Menard, but brings more physicality to the side. He's been giving us a lot of solid performances, and is set to continue starting in that segundo volante role for us.

Andrea Colpani: signed in our first year in the Championship to replace Clarkson. He's also been really good for us but not quite to the level the previous two have been at. Still, being a natural in both midfield positions means that he's been first choice backup for both positions, and he's done well when given a chance.

Adria Bernabe: naturally a central midfielder who we've been retraining to play left winger. He's rotated with Dardai and is the one with the most goals out of the two. Not sure if he'll be staying next season, it will depend on who we bring in.

Palko Dardai: our other left winger, the one with the most assists. Like Bernabe, he's been fairly average. His value is massive, the highest at the club for some reason, so I'm really interested in selling him.

Curtis Jones: good, but a tad inconsistent. Started the season with a lot of goals, but they dried up after a while and kept turning in 6.4 ratings. Returned to form towards the end of the year but got injured. One I'm open to selling for a good price, but open to keeping him around too.

Franck Honorat: backup right winger, found himself playing and scoring quite a bit as a striker. He's been good for us, but definitely not Premier League quality.

Strikers:

Rob Brown: a very good return there, but hampered by injuries and actually regressed attributes wise. It's also starting to look like the player Liverpool sold me was the finished product as he's barely improved in these two years. Still, he's been really good for us and if we do sell him we'll turn a big profit, so definitely a successful buy for us.

Nabil Touaizi: a good striker we signed in League 1, but not a prolific goalscorer. Was signed on a free and is currently valued at 4.6m, so a sale is looking very tempting there considering he's not up to PL standard. He might just be kept around as a backup though, and he would probably do a good job there.

Renato: one of the best players to have worn the kit. 29 goals in 40 games is an incredible return, and he's only just turned 19. He'll end up being a really good player for some top flight side, and it's been a pleasure to have had him in my team for a year.

Gunner 101 · October 13, 2020

@Tjeerd! Lofthouse looks a good prospect! Nice that he's doing well and winning things along the way too. Congratulations on the promotion the Premier League. Such a good achievement to make it there with only one season where you didn't quite make it. It's a shame you're going to lose Renato but it's so exciting to see you up there and I'm watching with interest as to who you can bring in.

Thanks for the run through of your squad, it's great to see who you have and what your thoughts are about them. It seems the foreign contingent now outweigh the domestic players. Did that change mostly when you got to the Championship?

Tjeerd! · October 13, 2020

hace 9 minutos, Gunner 101 dijo:

@Tjeerd! Lofthouse looks a good prospect! Nice that he's doing well and winning things along the way too. Congratulations on the promotion the Premier League. Such a good achievement to make it there with only one season where you didn't quite make it. It's a shame you're going to lose Renato but it's so exciting to see you up there and I'm watching with interest as to who you can bring in.

Thanks for the run through of your squad, it's great to see who you have and what your thoughts are about them. It seems the foreign contingent now outweigh the domestic players. Did that change mostly when you got to the Championship?

Thanks! I was smiling all afternoon yesterday after achieving it. Now that you mention it, I do have quite a few foreign players around, yeah. And yes, almost all of them joined when we got promoted to the Championship. It's not something I'm doing consciously though. I suppose foreign talent is just cheaper than domestic talent? I think we had a hard brexit too, maybe that's got something to do?

Gunner 101 · October 13, 2020

11 minutes ago, Tjeerd! said:

Thanks! I was smiling all afternoon yesterday after achieving it. Now that you mention it, I do have quite a few foreign players around, yeah. And yes, almost all of them joined when we got promoted to the Championship. It's not something I'm doing consciously though. I suppose foreign talent is just cheaper than domestic talent? I think we had a hard brexit too, maybe that's got something to do?

It's funny how much of a mood booster this game can be at times. I've been playing since FM2005 and I remember those first few years (05, 06, 07, 08, 09) I was still in school or college and I struggled with being bullied but this was my escape from reality and it really helped me through those years of my life however sad that sounds!

Yes definitely is cheaper for sure! I'm starting to get a few different nationalities now although I don't think I've signed anyone from a team abroad yet. I'm sure that will start to change though.

Tjeerd! · October 13, 2020

I've run into a bit of a problem here. I reached a point where I'm prompted to pick my captain and vice-captain. I picked Harwood-Bellis and Mai, and half my squad lost it, everyone thought they were a better choice. So I thought right, I'd rather not deal with this so I'll reload a recent save I have and pick differently. I've done that, same result. No matter who I pick, this happens. Apparently I can't avoid this. I really don't understand it, the only new player there is Cucchi (23.5m value, wow), so that's not the problem. I don't know, it's never happened before. I think I'm just going to go with my original choice and deal with whatever happens...

I really hope this doesn't affect my start in the Premier League...

Gunner 101 · October 13, 2020

That's frustrating @Tjeerd! Is it a known bug?

Tjeerd! · October 13, 2020

@Gunner 101 No clue. I've never heard of it happening. Not much I can do about it though, just going to have to deal with it.

Gunner 101 · October 13, 2020

Just now, Tjeerd! said:

@Gunner 101 No clue. I've never heard of it happening. Not much I can do about it though, just going to have to deal with it.

Possibly due to the ages? Not that you have many players over the age of 24 to pick from.

Tjeerd! · October 13, 2020

@Gunner 101 It was a good shout but no, that's not it sadly. It just seems like everyone thinks they'd be a better choice for captain, regardless of who I pick. It's quite amusing to see someone like Menard complaining because he's not captain, and then complaining because he feels he's being put under too much pressure when I do pick him as captain. I can't win here :idiot:

Gunner 101 · October 13, 2020

46 minutes ago, Tjeerd! said:

@Gunner 101 It was a good shout but no, that's not it sadly. It just seems like everyone thinks they'd be a better choice for captain, regardless of who I pick. It's quite amusing to see someone like Menard complaining because he's not captain, and then complaining because he feels he's being put under too much pressure when I do pick him as captain. I can't win here

Typical FM issue this. Yet we still love it.

Tjeerd! · October 14, 2020

20201014205624_1.jpg.8920436653617400786692cb4607c03e.jpg

Tempting... Problem is I don't know what I'd do with so much money, I've more or less finished my transfer business. I think keeping Menard is more important right now, but I might reconsider if I get a bigger offer...

Gunner 101 · October 14, 2020

25 minutes ago, Tjeerd! said:

Tempting... Problem is I don't know what I'd do with so much money, I've more or less finished my transfer business. I think keeping Menard is more important right now, but I might reconsider if I get a bigger offer...

Nah he’s labelled as a wonderkid! Keep him.

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[FM20] - Stockport County F.C. Thread - Animo et Fide

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