FM22 - Ultimate Journeyman Save

Started unemployed with no coaching badges and Sunday League Footballer experience, and started looking for a job.

The only club to offer me an interview was Cefn Druids in the Welsh Premier league. I guess no one else applied, because they gave the job to me!

Best of luck! 

2021-22

Pre-Season

The squad was thin in some areas (DC, DL) and seemed ok in others, at least according to my AssMan. But the media had us finishing 12th, so I didn't hold out much hope. The board wanted a mid table finish.

It was hard to find any decent staff, the scouts especially had rather poor stats. But had to work with what we could get. Eventually managed to get in a DL and a couple of midfielders. But we were still short in DC, although the one we had was rated as one of the best players on the team.

Had some good pre-season results, including a 2-2 draw with Wrexham.

2021-22 Season

Things started better than I could have hoped for and we were top of the table after 7 games. Things took a bit of a dip after that and we fell all the way to 7th. For a while we bounced around between 4th and 6th, but never far from the teams at the top. 

The Welsh premier made up of 12 teams and is divided into two stages. After playing each team twice it splits in two. The teams top play each other for the championship and the teams from the bottom play each other to avoid relegation. At that stage we were in 3rd and also in the League Cup final. The board offered me a contract extension, and a small raise. I accepted.

In the League Cup final we met Cambrian & Clydach from the 2nd tier. After a 1-1 draw we lost on penalties. In the next game we went out of the Welsh Cup and it looked like our season might have been taking a turn. Although we were already guaranteed a mid-table finish.

We actually ended up playing quite well (4W, 1D, 1L) and even beat TNS 3-0 away from home. But the top four was tight. The next three were 2D and 1L with no goals scored and I was just hoping that we could at least hold on to 2nd place. But the teams around us also dropped points and all we had to do on the final day was win against TNS again.

After an uneventful 1st half we went out and grabbed 2 quick goals. But the team wasn't playing well and we were lucky to be in front. TNS piled on the pressure and in the 91st minute they had a penalty which they duly scored. Thankfully that was it and we finished as Champions!

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Season 2 - 2022/23 - Cefn Druids

Pre-Season

A somewhat frustrating pre-season, as I tried to strengthen the squad for the season ahead. Some that were reaching the end of their contract at other Welsh clubs refused to even discuss a contract because they didn't believe that our squad was strong enough. Thought that I managed to sign a central midfielder from a non-league English side (below tier 6), but he also decided to stay with his current club.

We did manage to sign 3 players. A 19 y/o DR, a 23 y/o ST, and a 24 y/o MC/DM/D(C).

At the end of the previous season there was also a crop of exciting youngsters that came through our youth system. Considering that I didn't strengthen as much as I wanted in the using the transfer market, some of these young ones might be seeing more time in the first team than they would otherwise have. 

Also, the board keep rejecting my requests for another coaching badge.

UEFA Champions League

The most exciting part of the early season was our first foray into the UEFA Champions League, where we were pitted against Lithuanian side FK Sudova.

We managed to hold on to a draw at their place, and it was a bit of a goal fest at home, but we pulled out the win. Astana from Kazakhstan were next, and they were just too much for us.

But that meant we dropped down to the Europa League, where we will face... Greek side, Olympiacos!!! Yikes!!!

Well, that's a pain in the As-tana … I'm here all week, folks!

Bring on Olympiacos, keep the faith! 💪

(congrats on the title, btw!👏)