BIG Chromer
8 years ago
3 weeks ago
91
Premium
https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/fiTk8NTAfWc1dZAUEZjKKflQHqmygrINrYlV3o4u.png


An Introduction


St. Albans are a team that appealed to me, and I am not overly sure why if i'm honest. Nevertheless, I decided to take on the challenge to take them to the Premier League, that is the aim for now, not win it, just get there. However, I am more than likely going to get addicted to the save and become attached to it if we get that far, so we will see! We begin in the National League South, St. Albans a club that have only ventured higher than this league once, and for one season only, in the 2006/07 season (As far as I can tell). Before we take over they have 4 trophies in the cabinet, 3 Bostik League Premier Division and 1 English Isthmian League First Division. Lets see if we can add to that collection then, personally I would like it if we could add a trophy from each league on the way up, however if we go up via a playoff, I certainly wont complain! An FA Trophy would also be nice to achieve before we become a league side, however I wont avoid promotion just to achieve this

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/TmJy3OR3sMMD8VDIG84WnD4fPAW2dZWI39yhtEAH.jpg


Our home stadium is Clarence Park, a 5,007 capacity stadium with 900 seated. This should be plenty good enough for now and probably up until league 1, our attendance isn't particularly huge, and we only fill about 22% of our capacity. So no need to expand. We have poor training facilities with basic youth facilities and no data facility. The club has a fairly decent owner (In game at least, no idea about the real world), who provides some solid financial backing, as well as being eager to help you settle in, allowing you most of the things you ask for such as more staff members. We are affiliated with Watford, a useful link where we can hopefully utilise some of their younger talent in loan deals.

You have maybe been able to see I have attempted lower league saves before and they have just sort of stopped, now at the beginning of FM18 and with a new PC, all the problems should be behind me and we can crack on with this one! Without further ado, lets begin with the first end of season review, which will be pretty much the only posts, other than maybe youth intakes, until League 1/Championship.

The story begins..
BIG Chromer
8 years ago
3 weeks ago
91
Premium
https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/fiTk8NTAfWc1dZAUEZjKKflQHqmygrINrYlV3o4u.png

End of Season Review - 2017/18 Season


https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/9UHlb1pzmJ40VRaEnWHvIXwcjSGJSflsx1QGO0ID.png


The season began well, with the board expecting us to get into the playoffs, I expected it too looking at our squad and comparing it, but boy, I was not prepared for the fight we had to put up to do so, preseason went badly, we played mainly Scottish teams and had a 6-0 demolition from Watford, our senior affiliate. However the first league game came about and we won, and we didn't stop, consistency is the key to promotion, and we were consistently decent, our first loss coming to Gloucester on the 2nd September 2017. We then continued consistently through the league, staying at least in the playoff places all the way to the end of the season.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/oAhjKZx6EVc1Itg5LRZSBIkSQQXixIdyb0dUSt4S.png


Unfortunately, we didn't have the squad depth for the cups and it showed, a 1-0 away loss to Bognor Regis, a game where we should and could have done better. Our expectations were to reach the round we did, but I am disappointed we couldn't do more to win the game. Though we had a good couple of games including the 5-0 thumping of Stratford, which I enjoyed, a real team effort, against lesser opposition true, but everyone contributed 100% and to keep a clean sheet wasn't a very common occurrence at this time for us at St. Albans.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/WUydIRK85bx5WFZxyW6D1IBNanac68nBdvjbKLe7.png


Slightly better for us was the FA Trophy, where we got all the way to the 4th Round against Aldershot, even then they required extra time in both the first game, and then the replay to eventually beat us 4-2 at Clarence Park. I am slightly sad we didn't go any further than this, I am still mightily impressed with the quality of our team throughout this competition, and hope we can do better next year! Board expectations were for us to reach the 1st round, so personally I am satisfied with the team.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/5gGmLDnwKb3ajSPD6vr6BzlALvZ3LMxBs7ACB4jT.png


Well well well.. This is a first for me! A "golden generation", granted by the time we progress a little further they probably won't be first team quality, but this made me happy nonetheless that the poor quality of our youth facilities produced something this decent, so much so the head of youth development got an improved contract for an extra year! The entire intake is below, and I will analyse my two favourites from it also.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/alrIweZ2MewkhpDrRX5sWVtiolKjpMgcz2tEAe79.png


My head of youth development personally thinks that Joe Stewart is the best of the lot. A striker who can play Deep Lying Forward, Defensive Forward and Target Man in a reasonably good way. Personally I am not too sure what they see in him, I think he could be trained to be a decent player, and he has good physicals for the league we are in, but with only 9 finishing and 10 determination, there is a very long way to go for this young lad.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/JwR7USQL6CS0UcVMcwd7yN3HnRSiwzWo4bMVpxMC.png


Secondly, this is one player they rate highly, but not as highly as some of the other, but I think personally this one is a gem of a midfielder, waiting to be polished, a rough diamond, if you like. His name is Gary Johnson, and wow oh wow, I like him. A natural a centre midfield, as well as a competent defensive midfielder and left midfielder. His preferred roles are Mezzala, Ball Winning Midfielder and Central Midfielder and personally I think I will train him into a BWM, he reminds me a lot of our first team player Solomon Sambou, a solid BWM and I think this guy can surpass him in every, single, way. With 16 determination, a fairly determined personality and 13 natural fitness, I think he had the basic tools to grow and grow and become a first team player for us in the future. To describe him right now would be, a jack of all trades a master of none, and his is someone who just need a little bit of polish in the key areas to become an absolute star I think for St. albans.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/RlcMHvbFiAHzQuhBqwjLnX5GxSe1R7sWLy4PTI9n.png


We have talked about the cups, and we have talked youth intake, now lets go back to the league, where we did well, 4 teams were in it right until the very end where we won the league with one game to go.. However this is how it looked with 4 games to go... very very close..

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/i0gnep0T3y7SpTvRzVsmmGqwXEMbxrFg5Q7IbAdH.png


We had to play Hampton and Richmond, we won the game, we win the league, and we managed to do it 3-1, we were 3-0 up in the first half before conceding in the 73rd minute, with me worrying this could be the comeback for them, but it wasn't to be, and we were victorious, the National League South champions!

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/fC7NG8qfnXEYzv2YLnEnVavrr3zZXjkZ3Z1SOYce.png


So that all being said, how do I think the season has gone? Personally, I think we did amazing, we aimed for playoffs and did one better earning promotion and a 5th trophy for St. Albans, and the first of my reign. I also got a new contract some when in the season and am now signed until 2019, hopefully I can persuade the board to give me another extension in the summer. Next season I am a little concerned, we are only semi-professional and the board are not willing to become a professional side, so we have limited funds and contracts to give, but we will do our best to battle to avoid relegation, in game date is 12 May 2018 right now, so if we make some good signings, I'm sure the objectives will be more a mid-table finish and not fight bravely against relegation. Finally, before I leave this already very long post here, I just want to post some screenshots that I have little to say, but think it would be nice for you to see, including our trophies so far, some general club information and my contract. Until the next post..

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/xtsHt5cmaCywJx4Lm8FOlsij4cnhfJJbzxrssMRE.png

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/lJKTFT9IqhKBGG1t9OT5KXcZtB1BkWZhhHvE7LnX.png

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/9iM9eiYQTWqDQRZ1V3CGaWpeLfrOIGviwIJONRHw.png

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/5luXeXbXCHbh0M7Kb0PE3oOyYge5Xq4bZoOiAt3a.png
Dan
12 years ago
4 months ago
16,964
Good luck with this @BIG Chromer it should be fun, superb start.
BIG Chromer
8 years ago
3 weeks ago
91
Premium
Preseason Update 1

Thank you Dan! A quick update, I am no longer considered favoured personnel for some reason, and I'm not in Icons or Legends either, so I wonder who I upset for that to happen!

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/9HRPz09rcC1RzqaPPCkmDshLwQlUWbgOlb3xgJuW.png
BIG Chromer
8 years ago
3 weeks ago
91
Premium
Preseason Update 2

Nothing much just a new contract for me, signed until 2020.


https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/EnpAcWsJ6nqI1unfpoC3ej9SHWhxowkvyjVhtYap.png
BIG Chromer
8 years ago
3 weeks ago
91
Premium
Preseason Update 3

The expectations for this season have been revealed, and I think its doable, if we fail to avoid relegation it will be a disappointment, as such, I changed it from fight bravely, to avoid, this gave me another £1,000 in vital wage budget, enough to secure a couple of quality players.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/ywpixvQkBJKz1OihNhFdWoD3vvry4k3bHIdLmJWw.png
BIG Chromer
8 years ago
3 weeks ago
91
Premium
Season Begins


I have to be honest.. this is the toughest thing I have done on FM so far.. We are outclassed every game, every point is counting and it is frustrating as all hell.. This season really is just do anything to stay up and move on from them.. doing better looks unlikely. 7 games in and we sit on just 5 points leaving us 22nd in the league.. If I am being honest again, I am getting incredibly annoyed with some of these games, we have the chances and possession, I think looking at it our defence is the issue, and we could really do with a new set of full backs and a new Centre back.
BIG Chromer
8 years ago
3 weeks ago
91
Premium
SACKED


Well... This is a sad moment of my FM18 Career.. I have been sacked by St. albans.... I knew it was comming, we were bottom and just didnt have the team. I lost the dressing room, I lost the fans and then the board... We didnt win for 7 games, and just were dreadful.. Im sad but glad.. I was getting angry and frustrated playing this save and perhaps that contributed towards my getting sacked, im not sure. Where do I go from here? Well, I wanted this to be my long term save this year however it is now clear that this wont happen, and I kinda dont feel like restarting with St. albans. I am considering a couple of teams that look interesting.. There is obviously Billericay Town, who have an insane team, and a good ammount of money, im tempted by Eastleigh too but im not sure honestly.


I think I will go with Billericay honestly as its slightly easier in a game i am very much struggling to get to grips with, and I think the handicap will only last until League 2. So I will start it tonight/Tomorrow, and will post an introduction to it along with the first season as and when it is completed. I am dissapointed how this save went so maybe a slightly easier one will be better.
zak the leader
7 years ago
2 days ago
5
hi im a season ticket at St albans

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