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Board Expect - Battle Bravely Against Relegation Media Predict - 23rd
Not suprisingly I am made redhot favourites to go straight back down. With no money to spend again and with my scouts not coming up with the gems I was praying for I see no reson to argue with the assesment.
I am able to attract a couple of young loan signings (a striker and a keeper) and give half a dozen trialists permenment deals in a feeble attempt to try and bulk up the squad.
The first two games of the season sees me conceed 10 goals and score once, I settle for a season of misery. I immediately ditch my attempted defensive set-up and go with the style that helped me win promotion the season before, I might aswell go down with style I assume.
This pressure free system seems to suit my players down to the ground as by the seasons mid-point I'm flying high in 4th place! My strikers are loving the move up divisions but I'm conceeding like my defenders spend every friday night on a bender. Its only a matter of time I think till my forwards stop firing and then I'm in trouble.
The FA Cup is a nice pre xmas distraction as I dismantle runaway L2 leaders Port Vale 4-1 away from home and earn a nice home tie with Wolves. They promptly give me a footballing lesson with 4 goals in the 1st 20 minutes and I end up losing 5-1 in front of a crowd of just over 3000, the game makes me nearly as much in gate receipts as I took the entire season before.
Back in the league my winter blues strike again as I go on a run of just 2 points in 9 games, I slip to 8th but there is only 6 points between 2nd and 10th so its all to play for.
I battle for a nil - nil (only my 3rd clean sheet in 33 games) away against runaway leaders Stevenage and it seems to be the turning point as my defence realise how to actually play football and the strikers re-discover their scoring boots in the next couple of games.
I take a young creative mid on loan as the deadline approaches and he is a breath of fresh air in a stagnant midfield. His set pieces are just what I need as I go on a run that sees me sneak into the playoffs on goals scored - the season finishes with just 4 points seperating 2nd and 9th in the league.
In the semis I take Dagenham & Redbridge to the cleaners - a hat-trick from my pacey striker in the 1st leg and two thunderous free-kicks from my on loan midfielder in the 2nd leg see to that.
I am installed as favourites to beat an injury ravaged Macclesfield side in the final but my young side can not quite see out the dream as I am unable to convert in a dominant 1st half. Its all over early in the 2nd half when one of their forwards coasts into the box and purposely runs into the forearm of my 17yo fullback. It earns the fullback a red card, gives Macclesfield a penalty and consequently a 1-nil lead which I never look like turning around.
I am deeply dissapointed at the result but proud after a truly atonishing season and wonder if I can take carry it on again next year or whether this season was just a major fluke.
Good news is that a vast increase in attendance and a decent cup run has swelled the coffers of the club and I am now very much in the black. Maybe I can expect a transfer budget?
I spend the early summer dismissing rumours that my two young CB's and my pacy striker are set to leave but with a few league clubs in England and Scotland sniffing around I am not too confident in my word.
Final Pos: 5th Cups: FA Cup - 3rd Round vs Wolves - lost 1-5
Top Scorer: pacy striker - 38 Top Assister: loanee striker - 22 Ave att: 2051 Balance: 505k
Euro 2008 - Italy beat Romania on pens - England go out in group stage, the wet manager is sacked - \o/ - at least thats a good end to the season!
After spending what seemed like days thinking of who to begin my quest I see the light (or Frank) and end up with Stalybridge Celtic in the Conference North.
I am delighted with the choice as, when I arrive, I find out a Blackburn legend is involved in the coaching set-up - good start I feel.
Season 2006 / 07
Board Expect - Respectable League Position Media Predict - 8th
With a very negative bank balance and quite a large squad there is no money to spend and little room to manoeuver within the wage budget. I set about employing a second scout and spend the summer running the rule over a vast number of trialists. Some terrible, some much much worse.
I do, however, pick up quite a few new youngsters, most notable are a very pacy (but quite dumb) forward and a giant 21yo center half. I also pick up a 36yo combative mid which should help in giving the midfield some steel.
I get a nice surprise during pre-season friendlies when it turns out that one of my under 18 CB's is actually quite okay and he is drafted into the 1st team squad. I release a fair few players and am ready to start the season.
A quite dreadful start to the season sees me second bottom after 12 games and I have no idea how to stop leaking goals. Some good news is that my pacy striker is starting to find his feet and I have found another not so terrible (only 5ft4 though!) forward in the youths.
Halfway through the season and I have moved slowly up the table, 8 points from the playoffs and 10 above relegation. Its seems however that my hopes of sneaking into the playoffs have come to an abrupt end during a shocking winter period that sees me win just twice from the beginning of Dec to early Feb. A quick check of the standings sees that all is not lost as I am 12 points from the final playoff spot with the teams around there in just as bad form as me.
With nothing to lose, and a half bottle of JD to my side, I throw caution to the wind in the final third of the season, my two strikers play like they should probably be drug tested and I lose only once more in the run-in, making the playoffs by a point!
I do not expect much in the playoffs due to the fact all the other teams in there have done the double over me during the season.
The semi final against Farsley see me at home in the 1st leg, a drab game ends nil-nil and two early goals in the 2nd leg see me sneak into the final on the away goals rule despite a rousing comeback.
The final against Workington starts like a house on fire, both teams exchange goals in a frantic opening 10 minutes before the higher placed team start to take control of the match, a quick break away on one of their many attacks sees my fast striker on his own from the halfway line and (i close my eyes) he makes no mistake in putting us 2-1 up on the stroke of halftime.
I absorb relentless pressure in the second half up until Workington are reduced to 10 men for a second booking, 20 minutes left and i take the chance to slow the game down, boring the crowd to death to secure promotion \o/
In the aftermath, i reflect on a quite fantastic end to the season but, as I finish my drink, doubts set in as to the state of my defence. I set about scouring many scout reports in the vain hope one of them may have found a gem, on a free, wanting to play just for the pure love of the game......I wont hold my breath.
Final Pos: 5th - promoted via playoffs \o/ Cups: Cups? Sorry I do not understand
Top Scorer: Pacy striker - 22 Top Assister: Veteran Mid - 11 Ave att: 512 Balance: -£105k
Board Expect - Safe Mid-Table Position Media Predict - 17th
(Bookies 6-4 favourites to win league?!? How does that work??)
I'm given my first transfer budget at the beginning of the summer, a war chest of £25k and a £2k a year top up on the wage budget is given me to strengthen my squad. I spend it wisely (I hope), strenghtening areas of concern. I get a left back for £4k, a back-up keeper for £2k, a powerful athletic mid for £10k and a defender that can play all across the back for £6k.
I also manage to keep hold of 3 of my loanees from last season, an 18yo keeper, the 19yo creative mid and a 19yo defender who was putting in some storming performances towards the end of last season. My second top scorer from last season (an on loan striker) is snapped up by a newly promoted championship club so I'm back to the scout reports. I find an experienced target man on a free. He taken on a short term contract and all is well.
I manage to fend off bids from numerous league 2 and a couple of Scottish clubs for my two CB's and my pacey forward. All 3 are flattered to be linked to bigger clubs but never once whinge about me rejecting the offers. I have a good feeling about the coming season.
My good feelings are well founded as the season starts like a house on fire. I go top after 3 games and by the mid point I am 16 points clear of 2nd place having conceeded just 10 goals in 23 league games including a run of 8 clean sheets in a row. My strikers aren't as prolific as last season and I seem to have trouble beating teams that go down to 10 men (5 games against 10 men sees me score just once) but I'm not too concerned as my defensive problems of the last two seasons seem to be waining. The downside, however, is having to dismiss rumours of my two CB's leaving after every other game.
Theres a down turn in my form when yet another winter slide (these part-timers must not like the cold!) sees me lose 5 in a row but with all the teams below me beating each other i'm still quite a way out in front.
But, disater strikes as, my on loan keeper brakes his wrist (2 months), one of my towering CB's pulls a ligament (3 months) and pacey striker breaks his foot (3 months) all within 2 games! With my experienced target man breaking down in training (out for the season) and my pacey striker the only player seemingly capable of finding the net in recent weeks, it doesnt look good.
The run in is a nail biting afair as my form yoyo's between okay and downright abysmal, to make matters worse Stockport are putting a run together that see's my lead cut to 7 points with 6 games left. Time good old Mr Daniels again methinks.
They cannot make up the difference however and I'm up with 2 games to spare, relief all round as I've been top since week 3. I'm goning to have a major battle on my hands next season but the extra money will be lovely. Clubs are sniffing round my players again but this time they have release clauses that could see anything upto 4 major players leave me soon. Another two 1st teamers have rejected new contracts and look to be on the way out.
I end the season rejecting a job at Bury - mid table L2 - and request new training facilities and improved youth set-up, both of which i am told are in the offing.
Final Pos: 1st \o/ Cups: Nowhere
Top Scorer: pacy striker - 23 Top Assister: loanee mid - 12 Ave att: 1759 Balance: 744k
Of Note - Portsmouth win prem after avoiding relegation by a point the season before, Chelsea (11th) and Arsenal (8th) finish outside top four for 2nd season running. Southend of L2 get a right thumping in league cup final at the hands of Man Utd - 8-1.
I only live 3 miles from Stalybridge Celtic so I quite like this thread.
I don't like Stalybridge Celtic at all, my non league football teams big rivals, but hey that is in real life, I don't mind them on FM as my team are hardly likely to be in FM in the near future, we were one division away last year, but got relegated and so are two divisions away.
Your rivals on this game will have been Hyde United in BSN and Droylsden in BSP, how are both of them doing in your game?
Hyde have lost in the play off semis twice in a row, I keep an eye on them because they are 'fierce' rivals. In my 1st season I had two fun games against them losing 5-3 away and winning 6-3 at home, both times we each had players sent off for violent conduct.
Droylsden I'm not sure on, I will check them out when I get home :thup:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by glynners7:
Hyde have lost in the play off semis twice in a row, I keep an eye on them because they are 'fierce' rivals. In my 1st season I had two fun games against them losing 5-3 away and winning 6-3 at home, both times we each had players sent off for violent conduct.
QUOTE]
And people say FM is not true to life, in the matches last season Hyde and Stalybridge had players sent off left right and centre against eachother.
Also Hyde won 7-3 last year.
I always think that when you play fierce rivals on FM it should nearly always kick off, as in real life, a fierce derby battle never goes by without an incident or two!!!
So now you are in League Two, who are your local rivals this season?
I've got Oldham, Rochdale and Bury that are fairly close by so that should be 3 good sized crowds.
I'm looking forward to the Macclesfield game myself, bit further afield but they beat me in the playoff final in my 2nd season, revenge will be sought!
I'm pretty gutted that I cant quite start my league 2 'adventure' yet as I've got to take the missus out tonight.
Haven't been this much into a save since the early days
Linear Mode
