sortitoutsi
Football Manager Graphics
- FM24 Graphics
- FM24 Player Faces
- FM24 Logos
- FM24 Kits
- FM24 Backgrounds
- FM24 Installation Instructions
Football Manager Guides Database
Football Manager Data Update
Football Manager Shortlists
- FM24/25 Update Guides
- FM24/25 Update Shortlists
- Best FM24/25 Update Wonderkids
- Cheap FM24/25 Update Wonderkids
- FM24/25 Update Young Players aged 21-25
- FM24/25 Update Best Free Players
- FM24/25 Update Expiring Contracts
- FM24/25 Update Bargain Players
- FM24/25 Update Injury Prone Players
- FM24/25 Update Richest Clubs
- Best FM24/25 Update Facilities
- FM24 Guides
- FM24 Shortlists
- Best FM24 Wonderkids
- Cheap FM24 Wonderkids
- FM24 Young Players aged 21-25
- FM24 Best Free Players
- FM24 Expiring Contracts
- FM24 Bargain Players
- FM24 Injury Prone Players
- FM24 Richest Clubs
- Best FM24 Facilities
This site is not endorsed by Sports Interactive or SEGA and is intended for entertainment purposes only. The views expressed on this site are the views of the individual contributors and not those of Sports Interactive or SEGA.
willz121
Results
Table
In other news...
willz121
Results
Table
In other news...
Transfers In
willz121
Results
Table
willz121
Results
Table
In other news...
willz121
Results
Table
willz121
Results
Table
In other news...
So the story is updated, we've had a great season with winning the Premier League, Club World Championships and the Champions League.
Dan
willz121
August - November 2018
End of Season Awards
Raheem Sterling picks up Fan's Player of the Year award
Champions League draw
Very pleased with this draw, should see us through as group winners.
Transfers In
Very pleased to add Seamus Coleman to the squad for £6.25m from Chelsea. He'll compete directly with Callum Chambers for the first team place, but also gives me an opportunity to shift Chambers into the middle to build a partnership with Batth.
We have also signed Dele Alli but I didn't take a screenshot of him.
Big expectations from the board again:
CL: Semi Final
PL: Win the title
FA Cup: Get to the final
Carling Cup: No interest
Results
August
We started the season with another defeat in the Community Shield. It's not a great result, but I gave some of the returning players a start to see if they could step up, and Connor Wickham grabbed the goal for ourselves. We followed defeat with a fantastic win over Dortmund in the European Super Cup. How we were so poor against Chelsea, but then so great against Dortmund is really beyond me, but Ravel Morriso and Ryan Gauld scored, along with a hat trick from Daniel Sturridge.
We continued our goalscoring form with two big wins in the league, 4-2 over Stoke and 5-2 at home to West Ham. Will Hughes is in fantastic form at the moment, and Patrick Roberts has made a huge claim for a starting place.
September
We travelled to Manchester City on the back of two big wins, and unfortunately we lost 1-0 at the Etihad. A disappoint result, but we rectified that with a 2-0 win over QPR. A trip to Switzerland resulted in a 2-2 draw with Basel before back to back wins over West Brom and Tottenham (Carling Cup). Harry Wilson has stepped into the first team in recent games, and looks a real prospect for us. Our youth programme is finally paying dividends.
The month ended with a very dull 0-0 at Sunderland, with very little happening at either end of the field.
October
We hosted RB Salzburg in the Champions League, and we strolled to a 5-0 victory. After drawing with Basel, we needed this win to get us off the mark in the group, and we made light work of our Austrian counterparts.
After knocking them out of the cup, we faced Tottenham in the league, and again came away with the win. Josh Murphy returned to the side after injury and scored along with Sterling who had been given a month's leave due to fatigue.
Four big wins ended October, as we smashed Fulham 5-2 at Craven Cottage before a 4-2 win over Napoli at home in the group. Seven points from three games is pleasing, but should really be 9. Braces from Sturridge and Roberts gave us a 4-0 win at home to Norwich, before Danny Ings bagged two goals against Manchester City in the Carling Cup. Ings is very much second fiddle to Sturridge at the moment, and isn't particularly happy about it. He does a great job when called upon, so it's very difficult for me to keep him happy.
November
A nervy win at Crystal Palace saw us continue our winning streak, before we traveled to Napels and beat Napoli 3-1. Stewart Inglis was given a run out up front, and made the most of his chance with two goals. A heavily rotated side beat Leicester 1-0 before we lost 2-1 at Old Trafford. We seem to be struggling when we play in Manchester, with James Ward Prowse scoring our consolation goal.
A 3-0 win over Basel secured our place as group winners, and that was the end of November. Stewart Inglis scored again, with Dele Alli also scoring.
League Table
So that leaves us second in the league, five points off Chelsea who are flying again. They have Adolf Hütter in charge now, who I have never heard of but he has done a great job for them since arriving from RB Salzburg.
willz121
End of Year Awards
Daniel Sturridge picks up the award for World Player of the Year, and he was in great form. He has started to pick up some injuries, so if a big offer comes in for him, it could be time to cash in, but he's playing brilliantly and fully deserves this award.
Patrick Roberts picks up the award for European Golden Boy, and he has been a superb acquisition over the season. If we can keep hold of him, he could be a very special talent for us going forward!
Daniel Sturridge, James Ward-Prowse and Steven Caulker are included in World Team of the Year, although it is dominated by players playing in England.
One game to go
Going into the final game of the season, we have to win and hope that Manchester United and Chelsea don't. In fact a point for Chelsea will be enough to stop us winning the title.
Chelsea host Tottenham, who have been playing well all season, whilst United are home to West Brom who need a win to stay up. We play Derby who are settled in mid-table... so what happened?
Well first and foremost, we won 5-3 at Derby which was a good result as three points was our minimum requirement. We didn't play fantastically well, but it was the three points we needed. Ears and eyes turned to Stamford Bridge, where we heard that Chelsea had smashed Tottenham 4-0, meaning the title was heading back to London after we had held it for four years.
United also won, so we finish third, just one point behind our local rivals, but it wasn't really our best season and this is reflected in the final league position.
Season Overview
Not a bad season, but not our best. Third place in the league after a tough battle with Chelsea and Manchester United. Arsenal tried to have a go, but fell away with Manchester City.
Wins in the Club World Championship, European Super Cup, Capital One Cup and FA Cup were particularly pleasing as our trophy haul continues, although defeat in the Champions League Final was a disappointment.
Player of the Year
A return to form for Danny Batth sees him pick up Player of the Year again. Patrick Roberts came in second which is very pleasing and he's fast becoming a key part of the side!
Incoming Transfers
Really pleased to pick Lee Gallagher up from Newcastle for £5m! At just 17 years old, he looks a fantastic talent, and will come into the side at the expense of Seamus Coleman I feel.
So hopefully I will return now to monthly updates after this season of discontent. Thanks for reading!
willz121
Competition Expectations
CL: Semi Finals
PL: Qualify for CL
FA Cup: Reach the final
LG Cup: Not important
After finishing third last season, it appears the board are happy for a similar season and have been quite lenient on me with the League expectation.
Champions League semi-final will be tough, as will the final of the FA Cup, but I've been there a few times now so we should be able to do well this season.
Transfers
Gallagher was the only purchase during the summer transfer window, and it signalled the departure of Seamus Coleman to Crystal Palace. I also finally managed to get Adam Lallana off the books by selling him to our feeder club Malaga. We didn't get a transfer fee, but he's gone from the wage budget at long last.
The biggest news were the players leaving for big fees; Ryan Gauld was moaning about lack of game time, and when PSG offered £20m for him, it was easy to accept. It could be a mistake as he is well recommended on FM, but he didn't fit the rotation system I use, and Patrick Roberts is a much better option all round.
With the arrival of Gallagher, and my intention of moving Chambers to the middle alongside Batth, I transfer listed Chris Smalling and Steven Caulker. Both were on good wages, and nothing more than rotation options as I intend to develop a settled back four of Gibbs, Batth, Chambers and Gallagher (left to right). Smalling ended up joining Gauld at PSG, whilst Caulker moved to Manchester City. Both left for £15m each, boosting our bank balance further.
Other departures were Joe Allen, Jacob Murphy (younger brother of Josh Murphy) and Jesse Lingard. None of them were really involved with the squad, and with youngsters such as Alli, Wilson and Kent all pushing for the first team, these guys wouldn't get much of a look in.
I tried to offload Theo Walcott, and also accepted a £25m offer for the other Murphy, but neither left. Walcott is now rotting in the reserves with recurring injuries ruining his career at Anfield.
One player who slipped our grasp was Aaron Ramsey, who joined Manchester City for £34m! I offered £40m, which was rejected, so I asked Arsenal how much they wanted - not for sale. This then was followed up with Ramsey confirming his move for £34m, with the fee rising to £44m. Very frustrated, as he is at the top of his game, but with hindsight I don't know who he would replace in the starting eleven.
Results
A penalty win in the Community Shield resulted in our first trophy of the season. It doesn't mean a lot to some, but it's another trophy in the cabinet.
A trip to where it all ended last season saw us visit Derby for our first game of the season. A comfortable win, with Roberts, Sturridge, Wilson and Batth all scoring. Wilson will be given a lot of chances this season, as I believe he will become a very good player for us.
Wilson scored again as we hosted Brighton, but Roberts stole the show with a hat-trick in 13 minutes. Delighted with his progress, and it's going to be difficult to rotate him out of the squad based on this form.
Our final game was a trip to Cardiff, where Sturridge scored twice, and Ryan Kent scored his first goal for the club. He has been out on loan in recent seasons and is in the same crop of youngsters as Wilson. I hope to give him as much time on the field as I can, but the likes of Sterling and Walcott are not happy about being rotated.
Ideally, my attacking midfield trio would be Harry Wilson, Patrick Roberts and Ryan Kent supporting Daniel Sturridge, but it remains to be seen whether I can keep them all fit, and others happy.
Due to a mistake on my part, I made Gallagher available for U18 duty, so he hasn't made many appearances as yet, but will come into the first team next month once I realised the reason he wasn't available.
League Table
A perfect start to the season sees us top, along with Arsenal, who seem to have reignited the "1-0 to the Arsenal" them after winning their first three games by that score.
Really pleased to put some big numbers on the board already, although Manchester United are also scoring for fun. Chelsea have started poorly, and I hope that continues!
In other news...
Three wins, and three big wins to start the season. All games I would expect to win easily, so I am delighted to get them won and out of the way.
Johno
Dan
willz121
Yeah was as straightforward as we could've asked for really!
Last year reaffirms my faith that when you are comfortable and winning, FM will kick you back down and remind you that it's their ball and they want to go home!
Thanks both for commenting and following still!
September 2019
Results
September was a solid month again for us, as we began our journey in Europe and also faced some "bigger" teams. The month began with a 3-0 win at home to Leicester, as Alli, JWP and Harry Wilson scored. Alli has been moaning about lack of first team football recently, so I've given him a chance to play more regularly.
The Champions League drew us in a group with Anderlecht, Lyon and Inter, and we started with a home tie against the Belgian giants. Danny Ings scored twice as he came in for the jaded Daniel Sturridge and he earned his place in the side. We kept pretty much the same team for the game against Manchester City, with Sterling scoring the only goal at the Etihad. A very pleasing result!
A heavilyu rotated side scored twice at home to Hull City to knock the Tigers out in Round 3, with Jordon Ibe and Ryan Kent taking their chances. Kent has been out of the team due to the form of Sterling, but whenever he plays he is one of the best players on the pitch. I've listed him for loan as I think more first team football will see him blossom, and keep Sterling happy.
Finally, we hosted Arsenal who at times last year tried to be a big team again. A late winner from Jordan Henderson kept our 100% record going, and we ended the month with a fantastic win.
League Table
Six games, six wins, and only two goals conceded in the league so far. Delighted with how we have started this season, but still to face any of our title rivals from last year.
willz121
Results
A trip to France at the start of the month saw us ease past Lyon 4-0. Danny Ings continued his purple patch, with goals from Sterling and JWP completing the rout.
Then something weird happened, four 2-0 wins on the bounce! Using a smaller squad this season has seen the side pick up form really well, and that showed with the wins we achieved. It started at QPR, with Roberts and Ings scoring the goals, before we hosted Newcastle. Sterling joined Ings this time on the scoresheet before we hosted Inter. Sterling and Roberts got the goals before Roberts scored again at home to Palace. Ings continued a very good month with the second.
Finally, we travelled to Brentford who are managed by Frank Lampard in the Capital One Cup. Harry Wilson's strike in the second minute saw us through, but we could (and should) have hit them for a fair few more.
League Table
Nine out of nine now, and we're flying in the league. United and Chelsea are keeping close tabs on us, but with a three point gap already opening between the top three and the rest, it could be a similar race to last season!
In other news...
Patrick Roberts picked up Player of the Month for October, and he has been simply outstanding. Here he is:
He has played all of his games in AMC, and he's really flourished in that role. With finishing of just 12, he's scored 7 goals in 12 games this season, as well as scoring once in three for England.
It is hard to believe that he has only recently made his England debut!
willz121
Results
A 90+1 minute equaliser from Cauley Woodrow saw Fulham end our 100% start to the season. Roberts had put us 1-0 up and we looked comfortable until the Fulham striker equalised late on. We followed that with a goalless draw in Milan. The result sees us through, but top spot is yet to be secured.
Our seemingly easy run of games continued, with Southampton the only challenge this month. We overcame them 2-0 thanks to Sturridge and Roberts, before destroying Swansea 4-2 in Wales. Roberts and Sturridge (2) were again on target, with JWP adding to the goals.
We travelled to Belgium to face Anderlecht, and a much changed side came away with a good 2-1 win. Ashley Inman has been struggling with injury, and the form of Ings and Sturridge has kept him out of the team... as shown in our final game where we won 4-0 at home to Norwich. Ciaran Kelly scored his first goal for us, before Danny Ings scored a wonderful hat-trick.
League Table
13 games in, 12 wins and a five point gap over United. Chelsea have a game in hand on us, so could close the gap with a win.
In other news...
Out of left field comes a managerial offer from the French national side. They have just sacked their manager after failing to qualify for Euro 2020. I accepted the role as it will be an interesting side mission.
The England job has come available twice on this save, and despite applying for it both times it went to van Gaal and Guardiola, so this might be my best bet to get some international experience.
It may also determine a potential managerial move from Anfield... but I can't see that happening for a while yet!
Patrick Roberts continues his excellent form, and again picks up the Player of the Month award.
Ciaran Kelly has been in great form this month, and he has really caused me a selection headache at the back. Batth and Chambers are working well as a pair, with Gallagher fitting in at right back. However, Kelly has displaced Chambers in the middle after a string of top performances.
Johno
Dan
willz121
Question is, do I now break my British only rule if I find some amazing French players?
Thanks Dan, really pleased to start so strongly, but disappointed that the others have followed suit.
Thanks to you both for comments and for following!
willz121
Results
Massive game to start the month; not only a local derby but with the league being so tight, a must win game - that we proceeded to lose. A terrible result for us, and we bottled it completely. In complete contrast, we then went and thrashed Tottenham 3-1 in the next game with practically the same starting eleven.
A rotated side faced Lyon in the Champions League, where a 4-1 win rounded off what was a very straightforward group. I rotated due to the impending Chelsea game, which we drew 3-3 at the Lampard Arena. After dropping points against both of our title rivals, it gives me slight hope that we face them both at home next time out and that could give us the edge.
We faced Tottenham again (fed up of playing them in EVERY cup), where Patrick Roberts and Raheem Sterling scored twice each to give us a 4-0 win, before we hammered Frank Lampard's Brentfor side 5-0.
A disappoint 0-0 draw at Goodison Park on Boxing Day was infuriating, as once again we choked in a big game, before we returned to Anfield to over run Sunderland 5-0 in the final game of 2019.
France have been drawn with Belgium in the play offs for Euro 2020, which will take place in March so it gives me a good chance to look at the players available in the mean time.
League Table
A slip down to third as we hit the middle point of the league season. It's extremely tight between the top three again and it's difficult to see the title ending up anywhere outside of those teams.
Manchester City are the best of the rest, and we are already 13 points clear of them in third. We should be on target for the board expectation of a top four finish, but after this month I want the title back.
In other news...
The Patrick Roberts award goes to Patrick Roberts, again... he's picking this up on a regular basis now, which only concerns me if Real Madrid or Barcelona take notice and he wants to leave.
After starting the game with just the Level 2 qualification that I hold in real life, I set the challenge to myself to get the top qualification possible. I've now completed my Continental B, so moving through them.
It's that guy again, Patrick Roberts features in World Team of they Year. Delighted for him, but he is the only Liverpool representative. Bale and Shaw represent the UK, but I have no chance of signing either.
The transfer of Jack Grealish was agreed in December, with the Irishman joining for £8.5m from Aston Villa. With his contract expiring, Villa offered him a new deal and we made a transfer offer, which was accepted.
Johno
willz121
I really hope to keep him, he's such a great talent and it won't be long before a "bigger" side come after him. Thanks for continuing to follow.
willz121
Results
The FA Cup was our first game of January, as we looked very comfortable against Stoke. Sturridge, Sterling and Lundstram netted as we moved through to the fourth round. Sterling was at it again with a double against Brighton, with Roberts adding a third. Daniel Sturridge then took it upon himself to score four times against Leicester, a remarkable feat and he continues to lead the line for us.
Surprisingly, we looked very comfortable in the semi final first leg of the Capital One Cup, winning at Anfield 5-0. JWP, Henderson, Wilson, Kelly and Roberts scored as Chelsea failed to really trouble us. In exact opposite, we then struggled past Huddersfield in the FA Cup fourth round, with Walcott bailing us out before the return leg at Stamford Bridge. Roberts and Sterling scored the goals to take us through to the final against Manchester United.
League Table
Level on points with Manchester United as both teams continue to push for the title. Our goal difference is keeping us ahead of our local rivals and I'm pleased that we are approaching +50.
willz121
Results
A really enjoyable win at the Emirates to start February, with Sturridge and Roberts scoring, but again we struggled against a weaker side as Ciaran Kelly nudged us past QPR 1-0. Two good 2-0 wins at Newcastle and Cardiff set us up for a massive game in Barcelona, which we drew 1-1 as Roberts scored our goal. He scored two more in the next game at Palace as we drew 2-2. Roberts was on the scoresheet for the third successive game as we won 3-2 at home to Manchester City - our first home game in five games!
League Table
Two points clear of United with a game in hand. We've also got two games in hand on Chelsea. Arsenal are now well out of the title race, although not unusual it's the same top three.
In other news...
A good month for the team, and another Manager of the Month award for myself. Very pleased this month.
willz121
France Results
Two games, two wins, and both were 2-0! Kingsley Coman has been fantastic in both games and is fast becoming an international star. Two wins mean we qualify for Euro 2020 due to the new format of the tournament.
Results
A late goal by Ciaran Kelly forced extra time and penalties in the Capital One Cup Final which we won again. It's great to keep adding this trophy despite the board not really caring for it... and it's always pleasing to beat United! Southampton proved a tricky tie, with Danny Ings scoring the only goal as we drew with them in the league.
Another tie with United saw us come out 3-0 winners, this time in the FA Cup before our return tie with Barcelona. Sturridge and Ward-Prowse scored as we moved into the next stages with a 3-2 win on aggregate. A massive win, but Sterling and Roberts still see a move to Barcelona as a step up!
With a number of big games, we rotated for the Swansea and Fulham game, with Jack Grealish netting the only goal against the Swans before a Sturridge double saw us past Fulham. Sturridge scored again at Norwich City, before netting all four against Cardiff City to cap a remarkable month for him.
League Table
Now that's more like it, five points clear with 6 games to go for all sides. Arsenal persist in fourth, but it looks a straight shoot out now with United for the title, and we are in a great position.
In other news...
Daniel Sturridge is Player of the Month, and fully deserved with his seven goals in three games.
willz121
Results
Another game against Manchester United, this time in the league where we won 2-0 at home. Ings and Wilson scored the goals as we kept our nearest title rivals at bay. We then had Chelsea to contend with in the Champions League quarter final. Harry Wilson scored for us at Anfield as we drew the tie 1-1. Our fantastic run then ended at Tottenham, where we lost 2-1 despite a late goal from Sturridge.
Our good fortune returned at Stamford Bridge though, as we hit Chelsea for four and move into the semi final of the Champions League to face Real Madrid. Frustratingly though, we lost our next game to Crystal Palace 1-0 at Wembley in the FA Cup semi final. Really disappointed as we were the better side but we didn't take any of our chances.
Real Madrid was next up, and we looked a different side as we won 3-1 at Anfield to give us a great chance in the Bernebau to progress to the final. Sunderland were the filling in a Madrid sandwich, where Robers and Sterling scored to get us a valuable win, before we headed to Madrid. Roberts scored, but Madrid scored three times to force extra time. With almost the last kick of the game, Danny Ings fired home to put us through to the final to face Manchester City.
League Table
Gap is still five points with two games remaining for United, although we have a game in hand which would hand us the title if we can win it. The game in hand is against Chelsea though, and a win for them would set up a thrilling round of fixtures.
willz121
Results
No screenshot here, but a quick run down of the results...
Liverpool 1-1 Everton (Ings)
Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (Ings)
Brentford 0-4 Liverpool (Sterling, Inman x3)
We made it incredibly difficult for ourselves, but in the end we made it over the line with the win over Brentford making it look a lot better than it was. Everton continue to frustrate us, but in the end the title was ours.
Our final game was Manchester City in the Champions League, and we won easily beating our compatriots 4-1 with goals from Gallagher, Sterling, Roberts and Ings.
League Table
In the end, we won the title by four points over Untied, and sixteen clear of Chelsea in third. We also pick up the Champions League trophy, Carling Cup and Community Shield. The only blip was the FA Cup, where we lost in the semi final to eventual winners Crystal Palace.
In other news...
Patrick Roberts wins Footballer of the Year... massively deserved, but will add further interest to his already growing list of suitors. I want to keep hold of him as he is the heart of the team, and I hope he will stay for a long time!
Fans Player of the Year for Roberts, Batth second and Sterling third.
Always good to look at Patrick Roberts' page, and he has been dominant again with his performances. 27 goals, 25 assists and 10 Player of the Match awards in 53 (1) games. Brilliant!
Manager of the Year award for me, which makes it five in six seasons!
We are well represented in Team of the Year, with Chambers, Kelly and Roberts in the eleven. Danny Batth makes the bench, after another good season for the former Wolves player.
A quick look at our summer signing Lee Gallagher. He has been in good form this season although I have rotated him with Chambers during the league games. He was a key player in our European and domestic cup games, and is becoming a fantastic addition... green arrows is always a good sign!
Been keeping tabs on Cauley Woodrow, and have decided this is a good time to add him to the squad. He will cost us £10.5m eventually, but happy to add him to the squad to compete with Sturridge and Ings.
willz121
Results
We were drawn with Serbia, Germany and Denmark, and with the new setup the games were dotted around Europe. In an interesting twist, the best third placed side will progress through to the knockout along with group winners and runners up.
Alexandre Lacazette scored the only goal as we snuck past Serbia, a game in which we were very disappointing. This was compounded with a 2-1 defeat against Germany. Griezmann scored the goal, but Germany were by far the better side. Fortunately we scored twice to overcome Denmark and actually ended up winning the group.
The rest of the tournament was plain sailing, as back to back 4-0 wins over Ukraine and Spain saw us into the semi final where we were comfortable 4-1 winners over Turkey. It took extra time, but we won the final 2-0 against Holland.
Lacazette was superb throughout, with Kingsley Coman also a key figure. Franck Bamba looks a decent talent, although Lacazette's form kept him out of the side towards the end of the tournament.
In other news...
The final against Holland was my 400th career game, which was a great landmark in such a massive game.
Our back five were named in the Dream Team for Euro 2020, with Koman and Ongenda also being named in the side. Oddly, the two players I thought were better (Griezmann and Lacazette) only made the bench.
With the tournament over, England sacked Guardiola and I had to apply. I have unfinished business in France, but the chance to manage the England national side was an opportunity that I couldn't resist.
Dan
willz121
August 2020
Transfers In
Henry O'Sullivan joins us from Southampton for £2.8m. Not that we don't already have an abundance of talent who can play in the shadow striker role, but he has a lot of potential that we don't want to miss out on!
Wayne Boddey arrives from Norwich City for £2.5m, but will spend the season on loan at feeder club Hibernian. Boddey looks like a different type of striker to the ones we currently have at the club, but I think he could become one to watch. Will be keeping tabs on how he does north of the border.
CL = Semi
PL = Winners
FA = Finalist
CC = No interest
No major shocks here, and it's starting to become the usual expectation from the board. I will use the Carling Cup to play the fringe players and any youngsters showing promise in the U21 set up, but we go all out again on the other three fronts.
We will also compete in the Community Shield, European Super Cup and Club World Championships this season, giving us seven trophies to go after.
Results
After losing to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Semi's last season, the Eagles went on to lift the trophy and we faced them in the Community Shield. We struggled against them again, eventually winning the tie on penalties.
We then faced Europa League winners Shakhtar for the European Super Cup, with Ings, Roberts and Ward-Prowse on the scoresheet. So far, two trophies already added to the cabinet!
We started the season against Derby, and it was plain sailing as we scored four times against the Rams. Two goals in each half got us three points as Ciaran Kelly got the ball rolling before Ward-Prowse doubled the lead before half time. Ryan Kent and Cauley Woodrow completed the win in the second half with Woodrow opening his Liverpool account.
A trip to the Etihad came next, and we really were poor against Man City. They won 3-0, and we just didn't have any answer for it. They played fantastically and deserved the win. Annoyingly, it gives them a head start on us now, but happy to get this away day out of the way early doors.
Our final game of the month came against Sunderland, as we overcame the Black Cats with a last minute winner from Woodrow. He scored both goals for us taking his tally to three goals in three league games. At least that was something positive to take from two poor games.
League Table
The solitary defeat leaves us just off the pace as Chelsea and City start with three wins out of three. Nothing too much to worry about in the early stages, but disappointing not to be up there!
In other news...
Ciaran Kelly picks up Young Player of the Month, with Lee Gallagher and Gary Swarbrick (loaned to Southampton) giving us a hat trick here.
willz121
Results
Cauley Woodrow continued his excellent start for us, scoring again as we won at Crystal Palace. Danny Batth confirmed the win, but a late goal from the Eagles certainly rattled the cages of our players. Palace are becoming a pain!
Our first game of the Champions League group stage saw us entertain Red Bull Salzburg, a game which we came away with a 4-1 win. Kelly, Roberts, Sterling and Grealish did the damage, and we didn't really look in any danger of losing the game at any point.
Then came our trip to the Emirates. Over the last few seasons, Arsenal have been finishing fourth, but miles behind. Cue an away defeat for us, as Henderson's goal wasn't enough to see us bring anything back from the capital. Two defeats against sides who will be in the top four end of season isn't a great start really!
Thankfully we got our Carling Cup campaign off to a flyer as our fringe players beat Tottenham 2-0. Patrick Roberts scored both goals, and whilst he isn't a fringe player, he's very difficult to leave out of the side! He played as a winger this time, and showed his ability in either the winger or shadow striker role. I think I've been drawn against Tottenham in a cup every season so far.
We then entertained Fulham at home in the league, with Cauley Woodrow leading the line against his old side. He proceeded to score a hat-trick, and confirms that he is my first choice striker ahead of Sturridge and Ings this season... much to the disappointment of the other two!
A trip to Madrid rounded off September, as Kieron Gibbs' consolation strike saw us come back defeated by 2-1. Hopefully we can do enough in the remaining games to claw this defeat back and still top the group.
League Table
A repeat of last month, with two wins and a defeat. Fortunately City and Chelsea have also dropped points, so we're keeping tabs on the early leaders.
England
A smashing 4-0 win over France in the first game of the Nations League was brilliant against my old side. All four goals came from Liverpool players, with Jordan Henderson opening the scoring before Daniel Sturridge scored a hat-trick. He is fast closing in on Wayne Rooney's record of 58 goals for England.
Disappointingly, after naming my squad, the media criticised my bias for Liverpool players after naming 13 players from my club in the squad. I find this difficult as most of the best English players are at Anfield so of course there will be a bias.