I am starting a new Journeyman save.

DATABASE (All Playable):

• Vanarama National League North/South and above;
• Brazilian National First Division Only (Not playable until 04/01/2021);
• Ligue 1 Uber Eats Only;
• Bundesliga Only;
• Irish Premier Division Only;
• Italian Serie A Only;
• Spanish First Division Only;

Start Date: 27/07/2020

I've attached my managerial style below

NEW JOB:

I have just been hired as manager of Vanarama National League side Wealdstone Football Club on an 11 month contract.

SEASON EXPECTATIONS:

• Avoid relegation from the Vanarama National League [REQUIRED];
• Reach First Round of English FA Cup (Minimum) [REQUIRED];
• Reach Third Round of English FA Trophy (Minimum) [PREFERRED]

I am currently studying for my National C Licence, and will be finished on the 1st of December 2020.

The team cohesion is very poor, which I am planning to rectify when my players return from holiday on the 10th of August.

Overall, I'm feeling hopeful about the club and I plan to make an update a few matches into the season.

Poor Start At Wealdstone, But Signs of Hope Emerging

It took a league record breaking 8 matches for the first league win. Not an ideal record to break, but the drought was ended in the most Football Manager way: against the team in first place.

After a load of trialists and loans, the Stones managed to score a lot of goals in pre-season, including an accidental screamer from a trialist full back that I have attached below (erroneously opening with FM2020). This didn't translate to the league, however, scoring only 4 goals across 3 matches in the opening 7 games of the season. This goal drought was not limited to the league, either, with the Stones scoring only a single goal at home to mid-table Vanarama National League South side Concord in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round. With the team badly in need of a win, we hosted (then) first place Torquay United, favourites to lose. After a 4-2-4 Wide formation wasn't working, I switched to a 4-4-1-1 in mid-week and scrambled to find a new goalkeeper to loan in or sign on a free, desperate to play more Under-23s. I had essentially given up hope when all I could get was Ben Winterbottom, a 19 year old on loan from Brentford who was apparently worse than my current man between the sticks, but decided to play him anyway, thinking it would be a heavy defeat either way. It was a heavy defeat, just a heavy defeat for The Gulls, rather than for The Stones.

At half time, the match was still goalless, which was favourable given the quality difference. The second half was a completely different story, however. Dan Wishart, my left midfielder who had been performing poorly in training and in matched, opened the scoring in the 48th minute, but I was still pessimistic, having lost from similar leads in the past. In the 90th minute, Siph Mdlalose, a 21 year old South African striker who I had trialed for 4 weeks before signing him, scored his first ever senior club goal before making it a brace in the 90+3rd minute. No matter how hard the Torquay United players tried, their best attempt was an offside goal, giving Winterbottom a clean sheet on his debut. Going into the match, we had lost 3 home matches out of 5 and were bottom of the table. Following the match, we had caused an upset, rose in the table, and gave a youngster a debut and a clean sheet. Miracles can occur, and one has just occurred at Grosvenor Vale.

The next update will be after the Christmas period, when post-COVID fixture congestion will start to take its toll.

Quick Update

Just finished my National C Licence and should have my National B Licence by mid April 2021.

SEASON 1 OVER!

I have finished my first season as Stones manager 14th in the Vanarama National League, and have decided to renew my contract for another season. Overall, a bit up and down, but we finished 5 places higher than expected, and broke some records (some good and some bad). Looking forward to next season.