edallen2 - Comments

This game cost Ronal Koeman his job at Southampton as he was sacked the following day with Southampton near the relegation zone which is below where they should be given then quality of the players at the club. Wow 19 fouls and no cards of any colour shows the ref was lenient. It felt really great to have 10 British players in the line up while some clubs have no British players in their match day squad at all.


I think getting 13 points from 15 points was a great return considering that we had 3 Cup games and 2 of them were the League Semi Final. Patrick Roberts stepped up up his game in the 6 gams since the turn of the year and showing signs that he is on his way to fulfilling his potential.


Holy Molly!!! We have gate crashed the top 6 with a potential Champions League place as we are currently 5points behind Arsenal. We have drawn the most games but lost fewer games so far this season. The relegation is getting tighter between Southampton, Hull, West Ham, Aston Villa and West Brom however Norwich and Leicester’s hopes of staying are starting to look very bleak as the teams above them a game in hand.


League Cup

We did enough against West Brom to reach the final where we face Man City. The last time the club reached a Cup was in the UEFA Cup under Roy Hodgson. The club has not been to Wembley since 1975 when the club were FA Cup runners up.

FA Cup

Round 3

Wolves, AFC Wimbledon and Plymouth were the sides causing upsets in Round 3. There were quite a few teams scoring 3 or more goals in this round with some that were expected but the 5-2 between Forest and Bournemouth was the eye catching result.

Round 4

I decided to play with 3-2WB-3-2 as I have the players available and with the quality to make it work over the next few seasons.


Forest were involved in another 5-2 thriller while Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea hammered their League 2 opponents. Our run the Cups is looking rather impressive this season and I hope it continues hand in hand with our impressive showing in the Premier League.

Round 5

Deja Vu. A potential Liverpool v Chelsea match is the highlight if Liverpool can overcome Palace in their replay.

Retirements

Scott Parker could could play another 2 or 3 years but only at a lower level as he is picking up yellow cards over the past season and a half. His experience and leadership of the past season and a half has been beneficial to the young players in the squad.


FM can be slightly bonkers at time as it showing that I am one of the favourites to takeover from Pellegrini at Man City. If this was FM16 or 17 then I would definitely consider running two saves at the same time sort of sliding doors with Man City with their young players and building Fulham into all British powerhouse.

Transfers

Ben Garrett £7.5m raising to £8.5m from Crewe

The transfer is broken into £3.5m upfront, £4m over 48months, £500k after 30 league games and £500k after 10 International Appearances. I have been scouting him for the past season and a half. I had one bid back in January but it was rejected shortly before he agreed a new contract with a £7.5m release clause but this transfer will cost the club about £6m as the part of the fee is spread over 4yrs. I hope he can improve on his technical skills and he will be a decent Premier League keeper.


I had accepted a £6m offer from Swansea has I have Woodrow, Dembele, Keane and Jovic, when he is back from injury, as they are the future and the potential to be a lot better than McCormack. His rejection of the offer by Swansea makes it seem it is about the money rather than football for McCormack. I hope to sell him in the summer regardless if he scores 15 to 20 goals this season and we somehow get European football next season.

International Break

I arranged this friendly to give the fringe players some game time in case they are needed in the coming fixtures for various reasons.

Premier League

Despite some really good results and performances, I feel that the strikers need to be converting more of the chances that are being created. The defeat against Chelsea was expected and the players did not have time to let that sink in as they had the game against Tottenham 3days later which is a good thing as the players came with a point. The draw against Spurs led to the draw against Sunderland and win against Hull as this the attempt by the club to get some momentum going into the 2nd half of the season.


We are currently the best of the rest however that could all change over the next 18 games. There are currently 6 teams in with a chance of winning the Premier League title while there are 7 teams fighting against relegation. I think we will struggle to stay up next season if we are in the Europa League as I will have a small squad that not yet be ready to handle both domestic and European football as we are already struggle with playing Cup competitions and League games.

League Cup

It would be great for the club to reach the final however winning the Cup with either Man City or Newcastle in the final is out if the question but it should be a valuable learning experience for this young squad.

FA Cup

There are quite a few games that could see some big upsets for example Concord Rangers v Stoke, Leyton Orient/Shrewsbury v Man City, Man City v Southend

Fixtures

January is going to be very important as we can easily pick up 12points before we face Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal in February. If we can come away with around 3 points from the games Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal than it would put us in a good position for the next few games where we would look to get at least 9 points. I think 24 points from these 12 games plus a good run in the cup competitions would give us momentum as the season enters the final few games. I think the players of Fulham and West Brom will be very familiar with each other playing each other in back to back games in the League Cup and Premier League.

Preseason

This preseason was about getting the players to be familiar with each other as I have rebuilt this squad with several aims that make up a long term project. If I have players available during the International Break then I might arrange a friendly for the fringe players and have a look at different formations.

Premier League


This was a poor result to have going into the International Break as it means the players will not be able to get the result of their system and it will linger for the next game. This result ends a run of 6 games unbeaten, 2 wins and 4 draws, with McCormack scoring 6 goals. Forshaw, Maguire and Bartley all had a good game despite the result.


I was expecting us to be lose to Arsenal but the stats show that we could have had a point against Arsenal which means the players need to start convert the chances they create otherwise we could be at the wrong end of the table.


I decided to shake things up amongst the players by picking Woodrow ahead of McCormack after he went 3 games without scoring and me wanting to stop a potential relegation battle before it starts. Woodrow played his first game in 8months after getting injured and he scores which just shows that he can be the striker to replace McCormack.


The first 6 games would have been a great foundation to build the rest of the season on however the shock defeat to West Brom put some doubt into the players minds which remained there until the victory over West Ham and hopefully the win against Stoke is starting to put the confidence back into the players minds and give them belief that they can stay up. McCormack is doing well and needs to continue to score the goals or Woodrow will replace him. The defence need to do better otherwise despite scoring goals we could be in the relegation battle towards the end of the season.


The first 6 games saw us above where we are expected to be but the defeat against West Brom saw us drop to 14th. The back to back wins saw us climb to 6th so after 11 games we are on course to finish in the top 10 but I would take finishing between 14th and 7th to avoid European football which the squad is not ready for.


Ross McCormack had a great month in September scoring 5 goals in 3 games and if he can keep that going the should be near the top of the goal scoring chart and should see the club in the top 10.

League Cup

Round 2


Round 3


Round 4 and Quarter Final


Managerial Sacking

Big Sam lasted a bit longer than his real life counterpart did at West Ham. The sacking came after 1-0 loss to Stoke and our 3-0 win was their 2nd of 4 defeats. Malky Mackay and Aitor Karanka are joint favourites to takeover from Allardyce but I don’t think Karanka would move from Middlesbrough as they are currently 14th while West Ham face a season long relegation battle and any manager would be under be constant pressure from the fans.

England Squad

Another news item that reflecting what is happening in English football right now but 2 seasons before it happened. This is the end of Joe Hart at the highest level of Domestic and International football?

Transfer Update

This is not I wanted to read about Jovic months before his transfer. This is going to hamper his development as a striker but I have faith that he will fulfil his potential after he has overcome his injury both physically and psychologically. He is not going to straight into my First Team when he arrives as the plan was to have him at the club for the reminder of the season then loan him for First Team football at a Championship club for a season then evaluate his development.

I did the players to get to January without many injuries and suspensions as I have a small squad to play with. I am looking for players in a couple of positions, to replace players or add players to the squad for the long term.

New Players

Adam Forshaw, Middlesbrough £6.5m

The transfer is made up of £2.5m initial fee, £1m after promotion, £2.5m over 30months and £500k after 50 league games. His versatility means that I can use different formations without needing more players and I think he can be a good Premier League player.

Andre Wisdom, Liverpool £3m

He is my first choice right back and he is equally as good at centre back meaning I can take off either Mings or Kavanagh and replace them with an attacker without having to use 2subs.

Carl Jenkinson, Arsenal £3m

He fits the criteria for what I am trying to do at Fulham. He still has time to be the right back that people in the game expected him to be.

Harry Maguire, Hull £3.6m

He is an old school central defender who heads and kicks the ball away from goal. I have now 4 good young centre backs in the senior team plus 3 or 4 in the U21’s who could make the step up to the senior team. I am looking at Maguire and Bartley as my first choice but the form of Burn with Bartley is going to make that decision very hard.

Joe Gomez, Charlton £6.25m

The overall fee is a lot for a 17 year old centre back but he as the potential to be a top class centre back. The deal is £2.5m initial fee, £2.5m over 24months, £600k after 30 league games and £600k after 10 International appearances.

Kristoffer Ajer, Start £600k

I tried to sign in January but he signed a contract with Start. I could not pass up the opportunity to sign despite him not being British or Irish. He has the potential to the club’s future captain and midfield general.

Mason Holgate, Barnsley £2.5m

His deal is £1m initial fee, £q1m over 12months and £500k after 30 league games which will cost £1.7m of my transfer budget. He and Gomez have the potential to Fulham and England’s future centre back pairing with that in mind I might send both out on loan to get first team experience before moving up the senior side.

The way the transfers are structured mean that the total amount deducted from my transfer budget is lower than the overall fee as the cost is spread over several months and sometimes the Chairman or Director of Football can get the other club to accept a lower payment for some of the clauses.

I am looking at adding a couple of more players to the squad by the end of the transfer window. I am also going to ask the Board to invest more money to improve the Youth Team Level and facilities as they were downgraded as well as getting affiliations to access young players from other clubs and improving the scouting network as the Board have removed all restrictions.

Championship

I was playing Woodrow for the last few games to see if he can live up to the expectations that those at the club have of him then he gets injured during the game and is out for 7months which will hamper his development. The score would be different if Ruiz was playing as he is leading the assists for the club.


Bryan Ruiz makes a huge difference to the side when he plays and I hope he does not keep getting little knocks that keep him out of the side for a couple of weeks especially in the Premier League trying to stay up. I hope the players can convert the chances they get in the Premier League as they cannot afford to be wasting them if we are going to be staying up.


There were 2 teams that stopped us from scoring while one of them beat us which is the 2nd of 3 games we lost. The last 2 or 3 games I played a starting 11 made up of U21 and 2nd string players which resulted in 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss with the hope that some can give an indication that they are ready to be part of the senior next season or need a season out on loan playing regular first team football. I was rotating the players a lot after January due to the FA Cup plus injuries and suspensions which did not affect the overall result plus it gave me a good look at the back up players in high pressure games which some showed that they are capable of being decent players for the club in the Championship but might find the Premier League a step too far. The team is showing promise and if I can a few players from the home nations with decent potential could see the club have a half decent Premier League squad with the potential of challenging for a trophy or even push for the top 7 every other season.


Brentford were really unlucky to miss out on automatic promotion after we lost the last game to Norwich which would have had an impact on their performances in the Playoff games.There are so many clubs at the bottom that have been in the Premier League but are now struggling to be in the Championship also there will clubs poaching their best players which would deepen their troubles. It was very close from 4th to 17th where a good or bad run of results could see the club climb the table or fall down the table.

FA Cup

3rd Round

We took Man City to a replay back at the Craven Cottage after a 1-1 draw at the Etihad. It is good to see a couple of young players from City’s Academy getting a run out a in a nearly full strength line up which makes our win even more special. The game was fairly even but we got an early goal which then puts the pressure on Man City to attack and get back into the game.


Blackburn caused an upset by beating Aston Villa while the Merseyside Derby was a close affair. Bradford and Coventry the lowest ranked clubs left in the FA Cup.

Round 4

Bartley and Burn have formed a good partnership i a short period of time plus a good understanding with Bettinelli. We play with 10 after using our allotted subs when Voser got injured in the 84th minute which meant the players had to play against a strong Crystal Palace side for over 30 minutes. Williams, Woodrow and Hyndman showed some good mental strength as they scored their penalties after coming on as 2nd half subs during normal time.


There were no real surprises in this round of the FA Cup but there some good potential match ups for Round 5. Blackburn and Charlton fans hope that the FA Cup run can lead to an improvement in their league form.

Round 5

I decided to play my back up players against Charlton for 2 reasons to rest my first choice players and Charlton are struggling in the league. Amorebieta and B would have been first choice pairing if were not for the form of Burn and Bartley.

Round 6

We proved hard to breakdown against Arsenal despite them having 62% of possession and, considering the players that Arsenal, they should have had hammered us.


The Quarter Finals were Premier League v Championship with 3 of the teams pushing their Premier League opponents to their limits.

Preseason

In addition to the annual friendlies with Derby and Aston Villa, there was an invitation to a friendly competition and a friendly against St Johnstone. To beat Nancy and Sampdoria in 24hours with the same line up bar a couple of changes. If the players can perform like this in most games then there is a good chance of us staying in the Championship.

Youth Team

The other big news for the club and it’s future is that my request to improve the level and facilities was accepted by the board at the cost of £600k. I the emergence of Wade and Pelling, who is out on loan for the season, helped sway the board in accepting my request.

Championship

This was out 5th win of the season in 11 games and our 3rd win in a row also the 2nd away win of the season. The players are very comfortable with the 4-5-1 formation with a flat 5 in midfield. We have conceded 10 goals in 11 games and scored 17 which is OK but could cause problems fi the players stop scoring while still conceding goals.


This the last game at the Hawthorns as the Pirelli Stadium should be ready on the 28th Oct. I was surprised that Christie signed for the club last season as he is better than the club. We are getting chances at the opposition’s goal but not converting them into gaols as this is down to not having a decent striker who can score goals at this level.


We were averaging around 2,400 which is probably the lowest in the Football League. the low attendances were no surprise as the fans had to pay a lot to travel to Hawthorns plus the time and distance put them off from coming despite the results the club was getting. The attendance figures was not the only thing effected by the move from Pirelli Stadium has the club is the red due to low income generated by being at the Hawthorns and the increase costs associated to the move. I am hoping that every home game is sell out which should lead to a massive increase in revenue being generate then this would help reduce the debt the club had generated due to the move to the Hawthorns.


This is the first home game at the newly improved Pirelli Stadium. The lack of a decent striker is hurting us which is going tom impact our progression in the Cups and our final league position. This game was a sell out which I hope is one of many games to see the Pirelli Stadium full. I hope this is the start of the club keeping the momentum going after coming home and I want to turn the Pirelli Stadium into a nightmare ground for visiting teams.


It is great to see the club building some form and momentum over the last 3 months at the Hawthorns which should continue now we are back home at the Pirelli Stadium. The midfield has been impressive all season so far especially Palmer after he did not get the transfer he hoped he was going to get but he is now happy to be at the club and it is shows in his form. I need McGurk to rediscover the form has he shown over the last 2 seasons which would gives us a chance of staying up and doing well in the Cups.


WTF?! We are third not 3rd from bottom. The Championship is a strange creature at times as one moment a club can be at the the bottom the have a run of a good results can put the club mid table with a slim chance of the Playoffs and vice versa. That is why I am not taking being 3rd for granted and looking to strengthen the squad in January with loan signings and extending contracts are some of the players at the club. The fight for survival and Playoffs is going to be interesting as there are some big clubs involved at both ends of the table.

League Cup Quarter Final

I hope the game against Tottenham is a sell out and it is the club’s highest revenue generating match also I hope it is on TV.

Finance

The projections for the season could see us making a big loss but still within the Financial Fair Play Rules for the Championship. I am hoping that the remaining home games plus any extra home games in the cup competitions will be enough to see the projected loss reduce.

Championship


Alan Browne, Preston £1.7m raising to £3.2m

The add-ons are £600k after 30 league games, £600k after promotion and £300k after 10 caps. He is currently a member of the Irish U21 side and as the potential to be decent player for the Irish and Fulham senior sides. The fee maybe a bit high for player that has only made 23 appearances for Preston but I think the fee will prove to be a bargain if he fulfils his potential. I am lining him as Scott Parker’s long term replacement in centre midfield.

Kyle Bartley, Swansea £130k

I could have waited until the end of the season to sign him on free transfer but I could not risk losing Amorebieta without having a replacement in place. Burn and Bartley will be my new centre back pairing.

Tyrone Mings, Ipwich £6.5m raising to £8m

The breakdown of the transfer is £3.7m upfront, £3.5m over 42 months, E£600k after 30 league games, £65k per league game for 10 league games, £500k after 10 caps and 20% of profit. He has the potential to be England’s best left back and be real threat from left back if he can improve his passing. I have to good young left backs at the club and there is a lot of games left so they will both get games.


Mick McCarthy went for experience in the centre of midfield with Grindheim who brings leadership and aggression to the squad while Savage and Wallace bring creativity. These signings seem like that Ipswich are making sure that they are not dragged into the relegation battle rather than trying to get into Playoff contention.


Millwall just like Ipswich are looking to avoid getting into a relegation battle by adding a couple of experienced players on short term deals. I think Millwall could be in trouble next season as they have a lot of players in the squad over 30 with not much which will be an advantage to their opponents. Their new signing Kamara is out for the rest of the season.


Norwich took their time to find a replacement for Bassong while adding pace and creativity to the midfield on deadline day. If I was in Alex Neill’s position I would have added a striker or 2 as the ones at the club are not scoring enough goals which means the opposition are always have chance of taking points from Norwich and that could cost Norwich the opportunity of automatic promotion.


Wigan have pulled a major coup by signing Adrian Mutu who did not have a great couple of seasons at Chelsea but Malky Mackay must think Mutu as something to offer. Wigan must be careful not to be over reliant on experienced players as they would need replacing which could put the club at risk if the experience players leave at the same time.

Bundesliga



If Bayern kept hold of Thiago and Badstuber with the addition of Borini and Xhaka plus the current squad should be enough to put pressure on Dortmund for the title. FC Bayner were the only club in the Bundesliga to do any major transfer business in this window.

Liga



Only time will time if Atletico regret selling Raul Jimernez to Benfica. Atletico haved added pace and width to their team as they look to remain at the top of Liga and resist the pressure from Barcelona whose only business was selling Rafinha to Man Utd for £14.25m and loaning out some of their youngsters.


Real Madrid signed yet another creative midfielder in Florenzi but can he establish himself in the starting line up on a regular basis.


Villareal might regret selling Musacchio and Giovanni dos Santos if they fail to get Champions League for next season either via the League or Europa League.

Ligue 1

Not much transfer activity but Lyon have moved up the table since my last post while PSG are likely to win the title before the season ends.

Premier League



Arsene Wenger has gone big in order to secure a Champions League but more importantly are Musacchio and Nkoulou are the anwser to their defensive issues at the back.


Burnley have gone all out in both defence and attack in their push to move from the bottom of the Premier League. The players that been brought into the team can either keep them up or help them to get promotion at the first attempt if they are relegated.


Jorginho might be able to get regular games in their starting line up while do Santos will find himself warming the bench and playing in the Cup games against lower league teams since they have Drogba.


Everton are hoping that Vida is going to be the long term partner fro John Stones at the heart of the Everton’s defence. Everton will be hoping that Cabaye will show that early form he had at Newcastle before he moved to PSG.


Liverpool did some last minute buying but are they are necessary. I can understand one or two additions but 5 on the last day at the cost of £34.5m is a risk when they are 3 points behind Man Utd. I think Gonalons is the long term replacement for Gerrard in midfield and I think the only reason why there were 5 deal on the last day is that Liverpool took their time in getting the deals done.


This is quite surprising considering they are 6th with a chance of finishing in the top 4. I think they are going to spend big in the summer when their targets will not be cup tied in the Champions League.


Man Utd are going to expect Rafinha is going to be the next Scholes. They don’t have anyone in double figures for league goals scored at the moment, Falcao 9 in 16 and van Persie 8 in 15, could it be that van Gaal is being too pragmatic.


Will Southampton come to regret selling Wanyama which they did not need to plus if he stayed with Popov and Toivionen being added to the squad could see Southampton finish 6th or 7th next season.


Is Heung-Min Son going to the player that Spurs have for real? I really do like it when FM reflects real life or does something unexpected which you will see in a moment. Savic returns to the Premier League after having not so great two seasons at Man City but I think since then he has become a better players. Rossbach could be Lloris long term replacement and is a typical Levy buy. Spurs are at least 2 players away from having a squad thta is capable of winning and challenging for the Premier League title on a regular basis.

Serie A



Juventus have strengthen their full back positions with Sakai and Cricito who returns to Juventus after 7years. Firmino could become the focal point of their play over the next few seasons as a few of their star names could be leaving for one reason or another.


I am surprised that Roma did not sign a goal scoring striker in order to catch Juventus as Roma are not scoring enough goals which is the case for most Serie A teams.

On the 6th of January Inter fired Prandelli and on the 14th they hired Gaurdiola with Inter rock bottom of Serie A.If Gaurdiola can keep them up and turn them into title challengers again then he has to be considered one of the best managers in history. Gaurdiola needs to sort out the defence first before sorting out the attacking side of the squad which is quite decent. They should not be at the bottom of the table which shows there is something behind the scenes that is causing the club tounderperform and affecting the players.

I am looking at the right back position for next season and the summer transfer window is about getting rid off players that I do not want at the club for one reason or another. I think I have a squad that contains a good foundation for the club build on and avoid relegation if we are promoted this season.

I was assessing players at the club which will determine the long term future of the playing squad while getting the players ready for a promotion push.

Championship

This was the club’s first televised game of the season and Craven Cottege was sold out despite the being on a Friday evening which says a lot about both sets of fans. The players are now getting use to my formation and tactics after the preseason of constant changes and a few games of the League season where the results were not what we were expecting. This game showed why Fulham paid the money for McCormack as he is every good striker in the Championship just like Rhodes and it would be interesting to see if he can make the step up to the Premier League if the club gets promotion.


Ross McCormack is on course of getting around 30 goals in the Championship after scoring 13 goals in the 24 games so far while Woodrow is showing his potential of being the clubs leading striker with 7 goals in 10 games which is giving McCormack some competition for the strikers position. Bryan Ruiz is a good player but he is picking up a few minor injuries which means I am having to change the formation every few games and this is has led to the decision of not renewing his contract when it expires in the summer. Middlesbrough are the only club so far this season to beat us but this might not be only the defeat we have this season as the remaining 22 games are played there might a few losses before the season ends.


I can only see it between us and Brentford for the Championship title with the points gape between them and Norwich being 6 points. Things can change quickly in the Championship which is why 3rd to 14th are all in contention for the Playoffs while 15th to 22nd are fighting for survival at this moment. The January Transfer Window opens soon so it is going to be vital that the clubs either keep hold of their top players or improve on the squad.

League Cup

We got a nice easy game against Rochdale which meant I could play players who have not yet featured so far this season. Fleetwood, Colchester and Crewe with the upsets in


Fleetwood, Colchester and Derby with the upsets in Round3 as they are joined by Crewe which is good for the competition seeing them getting drawn against bigger clubs and winning regardless if the bigger fields a weaker team.


We gave Arsenal a tough game and I felt that we could have won it on another day but that is knockout football. Fleetwood, Crewe and Colchester’s fantastic run in the League Cup came to end but they shown that League 1 and 2 clubs can compete in the Cups against bigger clubs in one off games.

FA Cup

The standout games are Leicester v Wrexham, Swindon v Tottenham, Everton v Liverpool, Chelsea v Preston, Crystal Palace v Wycombe, QPR v Dagenham and Redbridge has some could intense games and some could see some big upsets.

League Round Up

There are some really good teams struggling in the Bundesliga. It is a shock to see FC Bayern to be struggling to be in contention for the title.


Only goal difference separates PSG, Monaco and Toulouse at the of top of Ligue 1. Lyon once the top team in France now face a relegation battle while Marsielle are starting to head in that direction if they do not improve.


The top 6 is pretty much what is to be expected but Man Utd could win their 1st title since the retirement of Alex Ferguson. Liverpool could win their first Premier League title and their first league title since 1990 if Man Utd slip up. QPR in 12th are not yet safe as a couple of bad results could see them slide down the table and end up fighting against the drop.


Atletico Madrid could extend their lead if Barcelona slip up after their Winter Break. Real Madrid could put themselves back into title contention if they win their 2 games that they have in-hand. Almeria are essentially relegated while Elche have a slim chance or staying up while 10th-18th are all trying to avoid being in the last relegation place.


WOW!! Inter at the bottom of Serie A but they are not adrift from safety. AC Milan must be careful not to have a bad run of results to avoid falling into the relegation battle. Roma are giving Juventus something to think about as Juventus are looking for their 4th consecutive Serie A title.

New Players

Alexander Dominguez, Liga de Quito Free Transfer

I have Joronen and Kiraly has backup keepers but I feel Joronen is not good enough while Kiraly is in his final year of his contract and in his early 40’s. Dominguez is about the same level as Stekelenburg but I am planning on selling Stekelenburg in the summer regardless of promotion or not.

George Cooper, Crewe £750k ( £500k plus £250k over 24months)

I have a potentially good Premier League player in Cooper as long he keeps improving and I hope to develop his right wing position. His main position in the line up is Attacking Midfielder in the shadow striker role which Eisfeld’s role as well so I have 2 young AMCs competing for that role.

John Hou Saeter, Rosenberg £2m (£500k plus £500k after 30 games, £500k 10 International games and £500k after promotion)

I am looking to develop his defensive side of his game and I could potentially have a decent all round central midfielder in a few years time when he is ready to be part of the first team.

Luka Jovic, crvena Zvezda £3.4m (£2.4m plus £1.2m after 24months and £600k promotion)

He is a superstar in the making and could be part of a young deadly strike force with Dembele and Woodrow. He will be joining the club on 1/1/16 and hope the club is above the relegation zone of the Premier League when he arrives. I had him at RB Leipzig and he was awesome.

Over the next 2 to 3 transfer windows I am looking to recruit young British players with the odd non British signing when necessary. I am also looking at improving the youth team coaching over the next couple of seasons. It is going to be interesting to see how clubs use the January Transfer Window across the leagues.

Championship Prediction

We are favourites to go down but if I get the right players into the squad then we might stand a chance of staying up. It is no surprise that the 3 relegated teams from the Premier League are the favourites for promotion but has recent seasons have shown that Premier League clubs that have been relegated struggled if they do no get promoted back into the Premier League at the first attempt.

New Players

Callum Ball, Season Loan from Derby

I added him to the squad just in case that either McGurk, Kee or both are sold during the summer.

Fabian Holthaus, Loan from

He is here to push Giverin while be a short term solution while I wait for a better option to be available on a free transfer or when I have funds available.

Reece Brown, Free Transfer

I do hope that him, Burgess and Turnbull can form partnerships which could see the club stay in the Championship.

I am hoping that I can keep hold of Palmer, Lyness and McGurk for at least unitl January. Also the World Cup took place during the summer and some funny results.

New Player

Luke Mulholland, Free Transfer

He spent his entire career playing in the States and the past few years in the MLS.His ability to play at right wing and attacking central midfield means that I can change formation during the game in the attempt to gain an edge over the opposition. He would be starting most games if I did not already have Dyer, Palmer, Weir and Kearns.

League

I had to rotate the side for most games due top the FA Cup games and the club managed to get points in all but one game which was the 1-0 loss to Walsall. McGurk was very consistent with goals despite having a few weeks out with an injury. The overall form of the players are below the standards expected of a team that is at the top of the table despite the results.


We drew the most mistakes in the League this season which nearly cost us the League 1 title and automatic promotion to the Championship. Charlton was the most improved team has they went from 21st after 6 games to 2nd while Shrewsbury finally found some form in the last 10 games to rescue themselves from relegation. Port Vale dropped down the table like a stone to be relegated.

FA Cup

I went with a 3-5-2 due to tiredness at the fullback positions. It seems to have suited Diamond and Sharps in defence.


Our fairy tale ended in the Semi Finals against Chelsea. The prize money from the FA Cup is making sure that the club is in the black as we made £600k in prize money and £400k in TV money on this run.

Stats

Adam McGurk is too good for the club while Palmer will soon be out growing the club. I would like to see more goals from the midfield the keepers concede fewer goals if we are going to secure a 2nd season in the Championship. The central defence is getting rebuilt in the summer has Holness and Sharps are leaving the club and Diamond is not quite good enough for the Championship but I am going to keep him for his experience and leadership has the defence is going to be a young one.

2015/16

New Players

Jordan Turnbull, £250k Southampton

I felt he did enough for me to break the club transfer record and spend the entire transfer budget on him. I hope he can be affective alongside Burgess and another central defender in order of reducing the number goals being conceded
.
Samir Carruthers, Free Transfer Aston Villa

He had a couple of months left on his contract at Aston Villa when I offered him a pre-contract. He offers something different to the midfield and can play a few different positions which means I can change the formation to suit the game. I have the feeling that he can break into the Irish National Squad if he can put a run of consistent performances for the club.

Pre-Season

This is going to be a valuable couple of games for the players and the club. If we can perform well even if we lose both games then we might have a chance of staying up.

Stadium Move

The Pirelli Stadium is becoming an all-seater stadium with the same capacity while the work is being done at the ground we will moving the Hawthorns but it would give the club an idea of how a Premier League stadium should be.

This post has been put on the backburner while I have been doing my Seattle Sounders save on FM15. The main reason for the change is that I have been playing a couple of computer games which are just as addictive as FM. I am keeping this save alive and not deleting because I want to continue to see where I can take Burton Albion.

Player Stats

The defensive unit needs to be improved has the club will be competing in the CONCACAF Champions League. Pappa, Cooper and Dempsey were great support for my forwards with their goals and assists as well as averaging a rating between 7 and 8. I need Long, Lowe, Tapperallo, Kovar, Leguiza and Correato be performing a lot better in 2015 has their squad has been dismantled for various reasons. The players that have left did not perform to a level that I wanted or were too inconsistent with their performances apart from Cooper who was great due to playing out of position on the right wing.

Tactics

The players were consistent in their scoring but it seems that they like to score early then build on it rather than chase the game. I wonder if the players fatigue and lose their concentration towards the end of the game which leads to teams scoring goals late on. I hope by having a younger team that this will not happen much in the coming season especially in the CONCACAF Champions League.


The players seem to preferred to be accurate and place their shots rather than hit and hope despite having instructions to shoot on sight. The goals are coming from central areas with the wide players cutting in and Dempsey with the free kicks also Martins and Trapperallo putting the ball away from the chances created by the team. We concede goals from within our area which means I either need to inject pace into the defence, improve their defensive positioning or both in preseason.


The players are creating goals by passing even from wide positions and within our own half. Pappa provide just under half the assists down the wide positions. The left is our biggest threat going forward also our biggest weakness which will need addressing in preseason and throughout next season either by getting a left back or using 3 central defenders.


The 4-2-3-1 formation was frequently used has I had the players to make it work and it was familiar to the players by the end of the season. The 4-2-3-1 becomes 4-3-3 wide when Dempsey is not playing which seems to give a bit more protection to the defence with the extra central midfielder. I think the players can play in a 3 back formation which I will be using during preseason which is why it did not work as well as I hoped during the season.


There seems to be a lot of variation in formations used by managers in the MLS which makes for an interesting league where some leagues have managers using the same formations and style. It appears that if a team have 5 at the back will do well against my attackers.


Finance

The club is pretty much self sufficient and does not need the backing of a wealthy owner or a big sponsor. Only £560k spent on travel despite the USA being a very big country and at times the club goes from end of the country to the other which is less than some Premier League or Championship clubs spend. I am expecting to increases in spending as well as revenue if the club are able to use the entire 67,000 seats for every home game. The TV money came from the US Open Cup but the club gets around £2m from the MLS for the TV rights for the 2015 season.

Wages

Toronto FC has the highest wage bill in the MLS which does not guarantee them success while Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas are amongst the lowest yet managed to have good season. The spending on average is on the same level as League 1 clubs in England and it means that clubs are not likely to stretch them beyond their resources.

League Stats

We have one of the biggest grounds while New England have their stadium capacity capped to 20,000 for league games. It is no surprise to see Chivas USA at the bottom despite having a good season however off the field issues had an impact on the fans turning up due to them being disbanded.


The clubs at the top of this chart have much smaller capacities than us which despite selling out the allotted seats means that we were always going to be 60% full but there were a few games which showed that we can fill the ground. It is easier to sell out San Jose’s ground than it is to do so with CenturyLink Field but I would like to see the club have it’s own purpose built ground even it means that the new ground starts of at 45,000 before increasing to over 60,000 over the years.

Next season will see the introduction of New York City FC and Orlando City to the Eastern Conference with Houston moving to the Western Conference also every team plays each team twice meaning an increase of 4 games.

I did not want to sell but £3m for Alonso is too good to turn down also he wanted to see if he can play in Europe. This transfer led to Dempsey stating that he is not happy about the size of the squad which my response was that I will be looking at adding to the squad. The transfer window that allows clubs to sign players domestically and from outside the States is closed until February 2015.


It is best to get the money upfront without any monthly payments or add ons has the MLS will take a cut of the fee. Players can be traded for Draft Picks and International Slots.

MLS

I am now considering using a back 3 for next has I will not be renewing Gonzalez’s contract and the players are starting to get understanding their roles in the formation. Leguiza’s debut could only be better by scoring a hat trick.


One thing that is clear to me that the defence needs to be better next season especially when we are playing in the CONCACAF Champions League. The likes of Trapperallo, Correa, Leguiz and Zavaleta, who is on loan at Chivas USA, will need to step up next season has there will be changes to the squad after the MLS Cup and I will not know the final squad until I need to select players for the season in February. I had a crisis of player dissatisfaction due to not signing new players after selling Alonso which is not possible due to the fact the people I want to sign are either under contract until after Christmas or June 2015 plus the foreign and domestic transfer window is closed but I told them things will change. The disharmony did not affect the results and the form some of the players.


There were some big clubs that have underperformed this season. The club is now the favourite to win the MLS Cup but there are a couple of decent teams in the Playoffs.


This used for the order of the draft picks but a team can have 2 picks in the same around if they have been given a pick from another team for either a future draft pick, allocation money or player. The Supporters Shield is given to the team with the best overall record as well as determines places for the CONCACAF Champions League places. It will be interesting to see what happens to Chivas USA’s place in the competition when the clubs ceases to exist after the MLS Cup.

MLS Cup

These teams play for the 4th spot in the Playoffs has they finished 4th and 5th in their respective Conferences. Chivas USA are giving their fans something to remember when their club ceases to exist.



Montreal Impact made it to the MLS Cup final even though Sporting Kanas City were the best team in the conference.


The club drew the first game 1-1 at the Hub Centre Stadium but we got the vital away goal. I managed to field strongest XI which I have not been able to do on a regular basis throughout the season for one season or another.


Real Salt Lake defeated FC Dallas in the other Semi Final match. We won the first game 2-1 thanks to a Dempsey goal and a Bachers own goal. This the best the players have played all season where every player got a rating over 7. We should have scored more goals and Real Salt Lake deserved not to be in the MLS Cup if they had made it through with that performance. These 2 home games in the Playoffs got crowds of over 60k just show that the club could sell out every game next season which would mean a big increase in revenue next season.


That is a perfect start for us which allowed the players to settle down and into their rhythm. The club deserved to be MLS Champions after the season the club has had. This is the last that most of the players will play for the club and have ended their their time at the club with MLS winners medal which for the majority the players is their first MLS winners medal.

US Open Cup

This was the first time this season that the CenturyLink Field was sold out. I hope the club can do it on a regular basis next season and maybe one day have it’s own stadium. This is the fourth time the club has won the US Open Cup since joining the MLS in 2009. This is the only game for Parsemain will play this season and he showed that he can be asset for the team however he has to prove during preseason that he is better than Trapparello, Correa and Leguiza. It was a close game but our quality upfront was better than Coloardo Rapids.

Retirement

I was not surprised that he has retired since he has not played not that many games this season. Mahnemann’s retirement has left with only 1 keeper at the club at the moment but I have someone lined up. Traore also retired which was a bit of surprise has he is 33 and has at least another 2 or season before he should thinking of retire especially he has played 27 games in all competitions. If I offered him an extension he would be playing fewer games next season has Zavaleta will be returning to the club from being on loan at Chivas USA.

Drafts

I did not take part in the Re-Entry and Dispersal Drafts has my assistant and myself agreed there were not any players that were good enough for the club.


The expansion draft is for clubs that are joining the MLS and they have a big pool of players to pick from. I had to select 11 players that will be protected from the draft which includes 5 International players. I could not watch the draft has I was hoping that Cooper was not going to get a drafted by either Orlando City and New York City FC. I have two choices now either sign a right winger or convert Leguiza to be a right winger.

New Players

Andre Hansen, Free Transfer from Odd

He is going to challenge Frei for the keepers spot and has the potential to be star in the MLS. If he does well in the 2015 Season then it is going to be hard for me to keep him at the club in the summer and January 2016 but I am hoping what I did with Martins works on him as well. He is arriving on the 17th of February 2015.

Elliot Stoltz, Superdraft Boston Rams

I will be looking at converting him into a left back has I could not find a suitable left back and have not young player at the club that has the potential to be a good left back. He played 34 games for the Rams and I expect him to play the same number of games in 2015 Season if not more.

Ian Reyes, Superdraft Jersey Express

I have now a nice collection of strikers who bring something to the side. Ian Reyes one day will not only be leading the attack but also be the captain of the club. He has a lot of work to do to be a good player for the club.

Isasiah Osbourne, Free Transfer

He has been without a club for some time after his release from Blackpool in the summer. He is needed in order for me to rebuild the midfield after the departures of Alonso, Pineda, Rose and Bowen. He is the sort of midfielder I needed for the likes of Pappa, Martins, Leguiza and Dempsey to do what they do. He is arriving on the 17th of February 2015.

Jared Jeffrey, Free Transfer

He is in the squad to add cover in case of injuries and suspensions.

Zarek Valentin, £210k from Bode/Glimt

The fee is £100k upfront with £100k over 12months but this is only costing me £155k of my transfer allocation. I needed a right after selling Alonso, Pineda and Rose got drafted in the Expansion Draft which meant Evans moving to his natural position of centre midfield.


I signed 8 players from the Academy side on Reserve Team Contracts. I am looking at loaning some of these players out to give them some game time and keep my squad selection in line with the restrictions without having to waiver many of these young players. Their ratings in the Academy were 3 to 4.5 star but dropped when moved to the senior side due to the quality of the players already in the senior side however these star ratings can change when players leave.

The aim for the 2015 Season is to be competitive in the CONACAF Champions League and try to defend the Trophies we won this season which is going to be tough due to the number of player changes and potential change in formation.

The next post will review the 2014 season covering the club’s finances, tactics etc.

New Players

Eduardo Leguiza, Free Transfer

He is on a reserve contract which means his wages are no included in the Salary Cap but he does take up one of three remaining International slots on the roster. He has the potential to be a good striker for the club. I might loan him out next season depending on who is staying and leaving the club.

Jose Correa, Free Transfer

He is on the same type of contract has Leguiza and takes one of the remaining International slots on the roster. Another young striker that has the potential to be a decent player for the club. I have 3 young strikers that can replace replace Martins and Cooper when they do leave the club for one reason or another.

MLS


I do hope the club can increase the allocation from 38,000 to around 50,000 for next season. This the game without the influential Dempsey in the line up and I think the players did well but the question is can they do this on a regular basis until his return.


Tapparello has scored his second league of the season and his 3rd in all competitions. I hope this has given him an increase in confidence to go on to score a few more while Martins is out injured and show that he can become the main striker for the club for many seasons. This was my second choice starting line up due to having the Semi Final of the US Open Cup mid week which went to penalties and the players did not have enough to recover for this important game. It is telling how influential Dempsey and Martins are on the players that play alongside them. It is good to see Azira to be playing after his injury even it was for 45minutes.


Houston is the first game without Martins, who is out injured again this time for a month or so, and it showed how much of a difference he makes when he plays. Tapparello scored his first league goal against Houston and I hope he can score a few more before Martins comes back from injury. It is good that other players are chipping in with goals in the absence of Dempsey and Martins.


It appears that the Western Conference is stronger than the Eastern Conference this season but that might change due to the introduction of NY City FC and Orlando City. Chivas USA appear to be giving the fans of the club one last chance of success this season before the club is dissolved in December.


There are 10 games lest and plenty to play for over these games. I hope to have Martins back from injury during these games and that he can be the difference between the club having a good season and a trophy winning season. I would like to see around 45,000 at the games to show that the club deserve to have a bigger allocation of the 67,000 seats and also the club could on verge of making history.


This could not have happened at a better time has I need all my players to be available. I think this should be introduce into every league around the world and I like how it can only happen once per season per player.

The Return of Parsemain

He is not yet back to match fitness yet but he is at least recovered from his injury. I am hoping he is available for the US Open Cup matches has he is still on the Season Ending List has I was told by my head physio that he would be out for 6months. If I had known that he would be back after 5months I would not have put him on the Season Ending List so he would be available for the remaining games at least from the bench to start with before starting a game if he can show that he is fully over his injury with a few goals.
I have made no set plans for the squad next season has the players I want to get rid of, keep and bring in keep changing. I have only a few days left on the Summer Transfer left in which European clubs can bid for Martins but after August I will have him until at least 1st of January when the Winter Transfer Window opens.

MLS
https://youtu.be/50WdhFR5sp4
I went with a 3-4-1-2 formation has I left this would give the players the best possible chance of winning with the players available. I feel the players can play in a formation with 3 at the back but it is going to take time for the player to get use to it and to find the right back 3 formation. I felt that we should have won this match but that is football where team can have 45 attempts at goal with 16 on target gets draws against a team who at 11 shots at goal with 7 on target.


We had players in midfield and defence out injured from February to August overlapping each other which I meant had to keep changing formations and players especially when I had US Open Cup games in midweek. The constant changing of the formations and players meant the players are not getting familiar with them despite that I am happy with the overall performance and results which would have been better if I had my strongest team available playing in the main formation 4-2-3-1. I was hoping that Tapparello would have scored a few goals by now but I still have faith in him to fulfil his potential to be MLS star has he needs time to develop. Alonso, Dempsey and Martins are leading the team towards a potential trophy winning season has the club looks for its first MLS Cup since the club joined in 2009. I am really hoping that the team can find more consistency and higher performance levels for the rest of the season.


The club is in a good position to secure a place in the Conference Semi Finals. If San Jose can win their 3/4games in-hand and results going in their favour could see San Jose getting a Playoff place for the 4th Semi Final place. Both Conferences are looking to be very close however Sporting Kanas City are looking like they will pull away from the rest of the Eastern Conference.


FC Dallas could find themselves in 4th place if the other teams behind them win their games in-hand. The club could open a significant lead if the games in-hand are won and the rest drop points.LA Galaxy could rapidly climb the table if they can turn things around and win their games in-hand plus they have a very good squad.


The club has pretty much been near the top since game 4/5 after dropping to 8 after 8games. Chicago went from 18th to 7th after 3games then to 2nd after another 2games but dropped to 10th after another 7games then they stayed around there since just shows that a good or bad run of results had have a huge impact on your placing in the tables. Montreal have improved after game 4 they went from 18th to 14th then upto 5th after 16games. If Montreal can keep that kind of form going then they could challenge for the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup.


Houston, Portland and DC United are going to fight to avoid having 1st pick in the 2015 Superdraft which is a sign that they are underachieving given that their squads are considered to be one of the best in the league. San Jose have finally got going and if this was European football then Mark Watson would be sacked by now along with Dominic Kinnear, Caleb Porter and Ben Olsen.

Injury

I decided to put Paresmain on the Season Ending Injury List has I do not think he will be back to full fitness by the end of the season and this would allow him time to get back to fitness for next season. He can concentrate on his physiotherapy without having the pressure of having to get fit for some important matches which would be beneficial to him. He has been missed so far this season has Tapparello so far has not scored the goals I was hoping he would get by now. Parsemain would have been by 2nd choice striker this season and my main striker if Martins is sold before the 31st of August.

US Open Cup

Preliminary Round


1st Round


2nd Round


3rd Round

I went with 3-4-3 formation and my back up players to give them game time. Lowe was the only one to impress but he is my 5th choice central defender but might get some league games towards the end of the season has I have started to think about who is going to be in the squad next season.
There are a few shocks has a few MLS sides were beaten by clubs outside the MLS. U23 sides can be recognised as separate teams but affiliated to their parent club so they can face each other which is what happened here.



4th Round & Quarter Final

This time I went with 3-3-4 has I continue to look for a 3 at the back formation that is going to work with the players I am thinking of having next season. Traore and Alonso were great but I need the others to do better. There are a few players that have contracts beyond this season who might be waivered after the season has finished.


I went with 4-3-3 with the players that were fit to play has the team have been playing a game on Saturday/Sunday then on Wednesday for the past few weeks which means some players are getting tired therefore lacking some sharpness which could be present when they are fresh. Kenny Cooper was great and done well in games even when he is played on the ring wing which is not his natural position.


I would have loved it if Carolina Railhawks had made to the Semi Final. We are 2 games away from potentially a 4th US Open Cup trophy which is good for a club that has been in the MLS since 2009.

I am scouting players in various positions for next season now has I am at who is staying and leaving. Next season I will using the reserve slots that are available to have the best young players from the academy so that I have the full £38k to use on players but I am going to loan out some of them so they can get game time.

I have not played my Burton save for a few weeks and when I did start to play it again but I felt bored by it however I have not deleted it so I may go back to it in the future. I was looking at the previous saves I have done over 3 FM games to see which ones had my enjoyment about which were Wigan and Southampton on FM12, LA Galaxy on FM14 and Everton on FM15 but I decided that the Seattle Save I did has my first save on FM 15 was good but I did a lot early which meant I did not enjoy as much. This time around I am build a squad slowly and aim to win domestic trophies in a season or 2 then move on to trying to win the CONCACAF Champions League and Club World Cup in a few seasons then start to dominate the competitions while bringing through young players from the Academy. There are several reasons why I chose Seattle Sounder; 1. The 60,000 seater Century Link Stadium, 2. The fans, they have broken attendance records for the club a few times since 2009 also the capacity when from around 30,000 to 60,000 has the board felt in 2009 that the club would attract around 12,000 season tickets holders, 3. There is room for improvement in the recruitment and training of youth team players which was also one the reasons I wanted to do this, 4. The youth team training ground can be improved, 5. I can rebuild the squad in 2015 when a lot of older players will be leaving which means there will be spaces for youth team players from the Academy. 6. The MLS is a fun, challenging and unique league to play in has there is no other league like it.

Best Players

Brad Evans, Club Captain

His versatility is very important to me has he is the club’s best right back despite his best position is right and central midfield.

Chad Marshall

The best centre back at the club. I have the feeling his going to be on the score sheet a few times with his aerial ability so I will look to make sure our set pieces are good.

Clint Dempsey

The most decorated player in US football. The fans and I are hoping that he can bring the same form and class he had at Fulham and Tottenham, I expect him to be scoring around 15goals and at least 15 assists.

Obafemi Martinns

He should be scoring at least 20 goals a season for the next 3 seasons. He is already attracting interest from Ajax and Swansea has I am starting this save in January 2014 so I can have a full season in the MLS.

Preseason

The results really did not matter has I was trying to get the players use to my tactics and 3 different formations which will be used at some point during the season.There were a couple of players that proved themselves and when I have to select the roster for the season they are now in consideration.

The 3 formations are:

4-2-3-1

This is my main formation for the season. I will be using 2 defensive midfielders in of the back four which will offer more protection to the defence and allows the front four to do their thing knowing that there is a good defensive unit behind them.

4-3-3

This is my secondary formation for when I don’t have my wingers available or when I need rotate the squad.

3-5-2

My third formation is based on having 3 at the back has I have only one left at the club so having a third formation with 3 at back makes sense. I have some quality young centre backs in the Academy so this formation might become my main or secondary formation.

During this preseason I had a couple of players on trail and I signed one of them along with another one which is rather interesting as well as being a first on the FM saves I have done with LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders.

Dante Tapparello, Free Transfer

He has the potential to be a star of the MLS and he is the first player I signed via an agent message in the inbox. I do not have a decent young striker in the club and I have 2 strikers in their late 20’s and early 30’s. The good thing about his contract apart from the £500 per week wage is that there is no loyalty bonus, % annual wage increase, agents fees and other bonus’.

Oguchi Onyewu, Free Transfer via Allocation

Every so often through out the season the the MLS holds a lottery for players that don’t have clubs where the lowest ranked club from the previous year that has entered the lottery gets the player. Since Seattle Sounders were the only club that entered means the club gets Onyewu however I don’t get the chance to negotiate the contract.


I am happy to have him for the next 2 seasons has he already improved the defence. His signing allows to develop the young centre backs at the Academy into players ready for first team football in 2 seasons. I expect him and Marshall to dominate the aerial battles at both ends of the of the pitch and to be on the score sheet like Marshall.

Waivers


A week or so before the first game of the season each club has to submit their roster to the league and any player that is not injured who is not selected are waivered and put in the March Waivers Draft. I selected those players has they had 12months remaining on their contracts and were not good enough for I what I am trying to do with the club. Neagle amd Barrett were drafted by Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire respectively. The others remain without a club but able to sign other clubs.

League One

Zander Diamond as club captain as set the standard against Tranmere and Crawley. The extra games in the Cups along with the Christmas period has caught up with the players which saw the players struggle for form and fitness despite that we got some good results.


Crawley and us are going toe to toe to be the Champions of League One. Our little battle could see Bradford close the gap if the pressure of our battle gets to the players of both clubs. Rotherham are most certainly relegated given their current form and they should be planning for life in League Two. The relegation battle is going to be intense over the remaining 15 or 16 games with 7 teams being involved. Charlton have found their grove and are looking good for a Playoff place and could do well if they keep their form going.

Managerial Sacking

2 managers were sacked in December and their replacements appointed quickly by the clubs to allow them time to assess their squads and give them the whole month of January to make changes. I feel for Paul Jewell and Paul Mariner who do not have the time to assess their squads and make changes to them which could see them in a no win situation with having to fight a relegation battle with the same players.

FA Cup

3rd Round

We drew 1-1 in the first game at Hillsbrough which led to this replay at a packed Pirelli Stadium where we caused an upset when McGurk scored the only goal. The preseason games against Aston Villa and Derby along with this result show that we have a good chance of surviving in the Championship. I am hoping this is not the only time we get a big club at the Pirelli Stadium this season.



4th Round

We had another former Premier League club at the Pirelli Stadium has we continue our much need revenue and club history making FA Cup run. This time we only needed the one game has we got a surprise win against Reading which is continuing to show that the players in this squad can play in the Championship.

5th Round
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There are plenty of games which could potentially see several upsets even though Chelsea v Man Utd is the one that will dominate the coverage.

Retirements

Kevin Phillips

He is the definition of what professionalism is because he not once complained about the lack of playing time when he did play he was great and showed that he still had it at the age of 41.

Ian Sharps

The arrival of Burgess on free transfer in the summer pushed him to the bench and Turnbull on loan made Sharps 4th choice centre back. I wasn’t going to renew his and Phillips contracts at the end of the season as they are not good enough for the Championship along with their age.

New Players

Jason Gilchrist, Free Transfer

I hope he can develop into a decent striker for us in the Championship or League One. He is currently in the U20 squad but I am considering loaning him out in the summer to get regular first team.

Liam O’Neil, 3month Loan from

I needed cover has Turnbull is out injured for a month or so and I have no faith in Holness.

Daniel Johnson, Season Loan from Aston Villa

I took advantage of the club’s affiliation to Aston Villa has I needed a central midfielder due to Weir being out injured for 2-3 months and only having Byrne and Bell has cover. If I do get promoted and he is released by Aston Villa in the summer then I will sign him.

Come the summer I will need to rebuild my defence and add a few more players.

I sold Phil Edwards for £58k to has he wanted to play more often then I was playing him that was down to Cyrus Christie being the better player. His transfer fee, the £55k a year sponsorship, the money from the FA Cup rounds 3 and 4 have reduced our debt to around £20k. If we beat Bristol City or Wigan then the club becomes debt free but I have the feeling we will be in the same situation next season unless I see more people at the ground for our games. I hope The Board finds the money to make the ground an all seater and increase the capacity considering that at the moment we at 80% capacity for most games where has we were at 50% capacity last season so there is proof that we will need a bigger stadium.

Just loaded my save for a couple of hours to do some scouting before the transfer window opened and this appeared in the inbox. A bit of a late Christmas present.

It is a good start but could have been better. I hope to see a few more 000's at the end.

.
What a turn around after being 2-0 down after 26 minutes then to absolutely hammer them just shows the character of the whole squad. This is a rare start for Phillips and shows that he has something to offer in his final year of his contract however he has a clause of a year extension in his contract which will be triggered if he plays 15 league games.


The Board have decided to hold another Fan Day after it worked last season but this time local residents can apply for free tickets. I really hope this has a long term positive affect on the attendance figures and see the average go above 4900 which will only help ease the financial situation at the club a bit


Just under 6000 attended the game which we weren’t at our best but still got a good result. Phillips is continuing to show his quality despite having poor physical stats but he has experience to make sure he is in the right place at the right time.


I hope to see more people attend more matches and see the average to be 4500 which could mean us getting around 5500 next season which will help the finances of the club.


Wow!!! Not quite a total sell out for the club but is the highest attendance for the club. An early Christmas present with a win over one of our rivals. The 4-5-1 formation allows the players to control the midfield and provides an extra layer of defence when out of possession.


We are conceding goals on a regular basis despite my best efforts in trying to build a decent defensive unit. I need McGurk to be scoring more often and I desperately want Weir back in midfield has he is our injured for 3months and despite the youngster Byrne doing a good job at the moment but need Weir’s experience and quality.


Crawley are pushing us for top spot after being top for a few games while we had a bit of blimp. Charlton are really have turned their season around and are challenging for a place in the playoffs. Port Vale continue to struggle and slide closer to the relegation zone. Rotherham looked like they had turned it around but are now look set for relegation.

Johnstone’s Pain Trophy

Northern Section

Rotherham are taking some solace in this competition despite their league form this season. This competition is a good source of extra revenue for the club has I look to improve the situation.


Southern Section


FA Cup

The aim is to get a Premier League club away then try to force a draw and the replay at the Pirelli Stadium.

Round One


Round Two


Round Three

There are plenty of upsets waiting to happen with Leeds v Man Utd is the standout tie of the round. I am a little disappointed that we did not get a Premier League team but it gives the club a realistic chance of getting into the draw for Round Four.

The club are currently projected to make a loss of £700k which is £300k less than my previous post stated. I really need the board to make announcement in the summer that they have secured a main sponsor otherwise this is going to get very frustrating has I would have no transfer funds and a small wage budget to compete either in League One or hopefully in the Championship. I would have to sell my best either in January or in the summer after they agreed new contract extensions.

New Staff and Players

Cyrus Christie, Free Transfer

He is going to replace Phil Edwards as my first choice right back. I have the feeling he going to be the best right outside the Championship and hopefully be a decent in the Championship once we are promoted.

Daniel Kearns, Free Transfer

His versatility is going to be a huge asset for the club has I have got a small squad with no players in the U21 squad who can step up to the senior squad in emergencies. He is another player that I expect good things from at this level.

Jack Byrne, Free Transfer

I hope he can develop into a good central midfielder which means that I could have 4 really good young central midfielders has I try to get the club into the Premier League.

Jordan Turnbull, Season Loan from Southampton

I am losing faith in Sharps and Holness to perform well at this level so I decided to bring in Turnbull to sure up the defence when either Diamond or Burgess is out of the squad of whatever the reason. If i get the funding next summer and we are in the Championship I might just try to sign him permanently.

Ruben Lameiras, Free Transfer

He is going to be excellent cover for Hussey and should be a good player for me in League 1 and hopefully in the Championship. A couple of improvements are needed for him to be a good player in the Championship.

Tyrone Mings,3month Loan from Ipswich Town

I just needed some short term cover for Giverin whilst I try to and sort out a 2nd formation to replace the current 4-5-1 formation if there are injuries or suspensions in certain positions.

Jamie Neal, U18 Coach


Nick Marshall, Head of Youth Development


Owen Hargreaves, U18 Coach


Ryan Prentice, Chief Scout


Affiliation

This could be beneficial to me next season if we are in the Championship but these affiliations end when both clubs are in the same league which means our Derby link will end in the summer if we are promoted and Derby remain in the Championship.

Preseason

This preseason was about getting the players use to the formation and each other. I think the squad is ready for the Championship but the same can’t said of the club off the field.

League 1

I am delighted with the results but not happy with only 3 clean sheets in the first 10 games. It is good to see the same players that were in League 2 stepping up and showing the same form also it is good see that the new players are pushing this club forwards without disrupting things. We are currently averaging around 4000+ for every home game which is great and I hope it is around 5000 next season.


This is like League 2 last season where the teams at the top were close together while the bottom sides seemed to be adrift of the sides above them however I wasn’t expecting the bottom 2 last season to escape the relegation zone so there is hope for the bottom 2 clubs.


Crawley (Green Line) since game 6 have shot up the table to second and are putting pressure on us by being 2points behind us. Charlton (pink line) appear to have turn their season around after sliding down the table and there were rumours of them sacking their manager but i think they should stick with him now he has turned it around. Port Vale (purple line) have really struggled and their manager could be the 3rd manager this season to lose their job after David Weir mutually agreed to leave Brentford and Paul Mariner was sacked by Rotherham which is understandable since Rotherham have been bottom for a while now also not winning a single league game didn’t help.

International Player


This is McGurk’s first call up to the Northern Irish squad and it is well deserved. I am expecting him to repeat the same goal scoring form for them has he done for us. He is not the only the International in the squad because Byrne and Wade were called up to the U19’s of their respective countries which is good to see.

Johnstone’s Paint Trophy

Northern Section
Round One


Round Two


I hope to have another successful run in this competition has it could mean another trip to Wembley and the extra income.

Southern Section
Round One


Round Two


Coventry v Portsmouth is the standout match in both sections of the competition.

League Cup

Round One


Round Two


Holly Hell!! We have beaten Swansea and this is the first time in Round 3. There are a lot upsets has Premier League were fielding weaken sides against the small clubs. It is a shame that there is no prize money for making it into each round of the competition.

Round Three


World Cup 2014



There were some good sides who really struggled in the Group Stage. Germany, England and Brazil dominated their respective groups.


Belgium have really upset the locals by knocking out Brazil and making it to the Final where they lost to Spain. England had an easy path to Semi Finals but lost to the impressive Belgium side and this Belgium side should be considered the best team of the tournament despite Spain the World Cup.


The club does not have a main sponsor for the season and the club are predicted to make a loss of £1.5m at the end of the current season. I really do hope the board does find a sponsor next summer has I would be forced to sell my best players to keep afloat which would mean rebuilding another squad for zero cost, except for wages, to compete in the Championship. I have never been in this situation before on any of my FM saves and that is why I am targeting promotion to the Championship at the first attempt and looking to have a run in the cups with has many home games as possible also I want to get replays if away from home. So far the board are doing the right by not getting loans to cover the loses has this would put the club in even worse place has it is not prudent to borrow money to cover normal spending.

Tatics

I have used the same playing instruction regardless of formation and mentality, the instructions are directing passing (not long ball), shoot on sight, offside trap, tighter making, get stuck in and higher tempo. The idea is to make the team more attacking and quicker in possession.


4-5-1 was the main reason for the success the club this season but the amount of goals conceded is something I need to address in the summer. I will still use this formation next season has it is the most familiar one for the players.


I have only used this formation to have a look at Laing and Kennedy to determine if they are good enough for League 1 as well as seeing if this formation can work for the players. It was a success against the smaller clubs but I am going to use it against bigger clubs in preseason to see if it is a long term viable option.

Goals

The bulk of the goals come in the 3rd and 4th quarter hour periods while we concede the most in the 2nd and 3rd quarter hour periods. It seems by the 61st-75th minute the players are awake and this is something I do not want next season has this could mean we could be losing and drawing more games when we should be winning them has this could lead to a relegation battle.


It seems my players rather go for an accurate shot rather than a hit and hope power shot from distance which could be why the players were scoring a lot of goals this season.


Pass and move seems to be the way the for the players to be scoring with a few crosses from the wide areas. It appears that the wide areas is where the team are getting the goals from despite only 18 crosses. I think a new right midfielder and right back are needed has the club are conceding a lot down that side of the pitch.

Stats

McGurk and Kee were fantastic while the midfield absolutely proved to be the driving force behind the success. The youngster Matthew Palmer was the standout player for the club and proved that he is playing below the level he should be at which is the Championship. The main area of concern is the defence has the team conceded too many goals for my liking but they were good overall just a couple of decent players in a couple of positions could see the improvement needed for next season. There were only a couple of players who did not score a single goal and a few players who did not get an assist which shows that the players are capable of doing good things in League 1 if they can do this again.

Leagues

The top 6 are predictable while Hull finishing 7th is an absolute shocker. The clubs that were relegated could find life in the Championship difficult has it is becoming a Bermuda Triangle of English football where Premier League clubs disappear and are not seen for years.


Monk didn’t last long at Swansea while Moyes only lasted 6months before being replace Brian Laudrup after Moyes was anointed by Sire Alex Ferguson. It is no great surprise to see the relegated managers sacking their managers.


It is no surprise that of the best funded club in the Championship gained automatic promotion.There were some good sides that struggled in the Championship and next season could see them at the top of the table if they can get their summer recruitment right.


I do feel sorry for manager who get replaced by a new board and I think there should be some rule which gives the current manager a protection period to prove that they are the right manager for them.


Wolves bounced back to the Championship at the first attempt after successive relegations while it took Sheffield United 3 attempts to get promotion back to the Championship.


Here is a surprise appointment. Peter Schmeichel is the new manager of Gillingham after this screen shot was taken.

FA Cup
4th Round

The major surprise is how well Norwich id despite their poor form in the Premier League while Spurs miss out on winning the FA Cup and Champions League.

Finances

We got more in TV and Prize money than season ticket sales which I hope to see an increase of season ticket sales over the summer. The TV money is made up of £271k from the league and £131k from the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. The prize money was £275k from the Football League for finishing 1st in League 2., £45k from the FA Cup and £90k from the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. I really hope that get an increase in attendances on match days which will help to offset the increases in expenditure but I hope to control that by signing players on loan without monthly fee and players on free transfers who don’t have agents. I want to get the club finances in position for the club to afford a couple of bank loans to convert the stadium to all seating and expand it as well as building a new you team training complex. I will not get the board to borrow money for transfers which not sensible financial management.


The vast majority of transfers were loans and free transfers. It is either that financial constraints or clubs being very picky in what players they have. Burton are about mid-table in annual salaries while Portsmouth have the highest wage spend but they struggled this season despite apparently having the best squad in League 2.

New Players
Christian Burgess, Free Transfer (Pre-contract from Middlesbrough)

He is young and has some really good stats in some important areas. If he can improve his defensive stats he can be the future club captain.

Craig Gordon, Free Transfer

He was out for a year with knee issues and no club which makes this transfer a surprise has he still able to play at the highest level but it speaks volumes about him as a person to agree to play for a League 1 side. I think Lyness and Wade are going to learn a lot from Gordon has he has played at the highest level.

Luke Shackleton, Free Transfer

I am going to develop him into a central defender and central midfielder has this would be more cost effective than getting two players for both positions.


I knew Simon Wade being at the club would be trouble for me has he is already attracting interest from Swansea, West Ham and West Brom. This pre-contract agreement seems to have put off Swansea while West Ham and West Brom are still interest but the pre-contract agreement goes to some way of giving me more protection in keeping Wade at the club.

I have really enjoyed doing this post and I have already started to rectify some of the issues that have been highlighted in this post which will be revealed in the next post along with a nice affiliation with a Premier League club which I hope to use to get good young or unused experience players in on loan.

This is the game that saw the club win the League 2 title after gaining automatic promotion against Plymouth. This game was important has we lost our first league game of the season against York in the previous game. I was hoping that I can sign Kennedy, Prutton and Laing on free transfers but that is not possible due to financial reasons but it is not down to the wages that the players want. I have to say that this is the first time in a long time that Palmer was below his usual performance levels.


The final home game of the season and what away to sign off the season with a McGurk hat trick in front a full Pirelli Stadium against our closet rivals. It would be nice to see 4,000 to 5,000+ next season on a regular basis at the Pirelli Stadium.


I think switching to 3-5-2 and being away from home was a major factor the first lose of the league season against York despite using the same formation against Plymouth which we won. The loss against Southend was a sign that the players were off on their jollies which is understandable has there was nothing for my players to play for. I really hope that Kee and McGurk can keep scoring in League 1 next season with the defence improving a lot over the summer could see us either surviving the relegation battle or finish mid-table. I knew the unbeaten run would end but I did not expect the run to nearly last a season however it just shows that getting the tactics right with the right players than a run like this one can happened in League 2 and the pressure was on the players all time has the run put a target on the club for other clubs to raise their game when they face the club.


I think I said that Accrington could be dragged into the relegation has they were stuck in no mans land has they were a few points behind Wycombe and a few points ahead of Exeter. I was proven right about them being relegated while Bury and Torquay fought their way out of the relegation zone. Plynouth had a shocker over the last 19 games has they went from 3rd to 14th and the same was for Portsmouth who have been up and down the league table all season. The Championship, Leagues 1 and 2 are weird has one season a club could be having a blinder of a season making it to the playoffs then the following season they could be facing a relegation battle and the reverse can happen or a team could be the relegation then ends up getting promotion.

Johnstone's Paint Trophy

North


South


Final

I really don’t know how we managed to win and have 11 players on the field at the end of the match. I hope the players enjoyed playing at Wembley has this could be their chance to do so. This was the first fully professional trophy the club has won so it means a lot.

2014 Youth Team Intake

Every March the club has an intake of new players for the youth team and the hope is that there are one or two potentially decent players. This time I think have got 3 decent young players.

Daniel Phillips, 3.5 Start Potential

I hope he can improve his technical stats before he makes his first team debut in a few seasons and I believe that he can do it.

Paul Pelling, 5 Star Potential and 2.5 Star Current Ability

He could easily be in the first team squad right now but will not do him any good has he will not get the necessary game time to help his development even though the first team train at the world class St Georges Park which will help his development but the game time is needed as well.

Simon Wade, 5Star Potential and 2 Star Current Ability

Another youth team player that could be in the first team squad and he could be better than Lyness when he gets to the same age as Lyness.

I cannot wait for these players to reach their 17th birthday which is when they can sign professional contracts or their pre-professional contract agreements start. This would stop clubs from going straight the player or their agent if they have one at 15 or 16yrs old. I could see Pelling and Wade playing for England one day and I hope they can do that with Burton by being in the Premier League.

I have really enjoyed this season and going back to a previous save to manage a small club with the aim of making that a big club without the resources like other clubs have, yes we have one of the best training facilities in the country to use but the rest of the clubs infrastructure is poor and needs money to be invested in them which makes managing clubs like Burton Albion worthwhile doing has you can see the club grow and improve on and off the field.

The next post will be reviewing the season with the focus on where the club can improve along with a brief review of the rest of English football and any new signings that I have made.

The Board decided that the game against Newport would be good for a Fan Day has a way to get more fans. The club needs to connect with the local community if it is going to survive and thrive which is not going to happen without having fans to support the club. I think this is a good idea allowing adults who bring their kids to get a discount on adult tickets or better still allowing kids in for £1.The Board were happy with the increased attendance figures and I hope these Fan Days continue even if or when we make it into the Premier League has this would help to keep the club grounded and connected to the local area has it appears that clubs in the Premier League are drifting away from their core fan base.


It is great to have Kee and McGurk scoring goals with others chipping in with the odd goal.The squad is coming together rather nicely and are now very familiar with the style of play and the formation that I have been using. I have tried 3-5-2 which worked and I hope to develop that has my 2nd formation for when either full back is out injured or suspended. The only reason I think we had 2 high scoring games after 8 games of low scores is that I introduce 2 new players to the line up but is that simple or is it because both clubs are struggling therefore made it easier for us to score against them? Only the next few fixtures will give me a definitive answer. Over the course of the games that have been played in all competitions has revealed that Matthew Palmer is a consistent performer and has lots of potential which will make it hard to keep to him at the club in the long term unless we keep moving up the league then it is a matter of time before his form and development starts to plateau at the club then is when he needs to move but he keeps this going then I see no issue of him staying at the club.


The relegation battle over the last 17 games will see Exter, Bury and Torquary fighting it out while Accrington are some what caught in no-mans land with the possibility of being dragged into the relegation battle. The automatic promotion and play off places are going to be tight has it covers about half the table while we have pulled a 10 point lead at the top. We are the highest scorers, the least goals conceded and the best goal difference in the league.


Carlisle, Bristol City, Newport who are the lowest ranked club left and Leyton Orient who caused one of the biggest upsets in the FA Cup with their 3-0 win against Liverpool are the only clubs from Rounds One and Two left in the competition.

David Prutton, Season Loan from Sheffield Wednesday

I needed another central midfielder and one with some experience of playing in a promotion chasing side and Prutton fits that bill. His contract is up at the end of the season and I hope he can impress for me to offer him a contract in the summer has he would have a big role to play next season has is one of few players that have played in League 1.

Louis Laing, Season Loan from Sunderland

This is a weird one and stupid has I was looking for a another central defender, so I can got to 3 at the back and have cove, I accepted a loan for Holness for the season has I promised him I would loan him out to get first team football. Louis Laing’s contract is expiring at the end of the season and his age makes him perfect for Burton has I know he can play in the Championship.

Terry Kennedy, Season Loan Sheffield United

This one should have not been made if I was not so stupid has to loan out Holness for rest of the season. I think he is going a good signing despite what happened and I hope I can sign him in the summer if I get some money to spend but I don’t think that is going to happen.

The downside to the loans is that I cannot offer the players a pre-contract agreement while they are on loan at the club and I really hope that their clubs do not extend their contracts while they are on loan here and that their contracts do expire after the loans finish.

The club is a strong position to get promotion to League 1 and make it to the Jonstone’s Paint Trophy Final at Wembley. There is a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season which could see key players getting injured or suspended.

I found that the 4-4-2 formation was not going to work so I switched to 4-5-1, either has a flat midfield 5 or the wide men pushed further forward, which seemed to work but needs working on before it is going to be effective. I had several players on trial but they all have agents which the fees to pay the agents comes out of the transfer budget which I do not have.


It was a while before the players were familiar with how I wanted them to play which saw quite a few goals being conceded and we went 14 games before we gout our 2nd clean sheet of the season. There was a 4 week period where McGurk was out injured and his presence was sorely missed however it gave Kee and Alexander the opportunity to prove that they can cover McGurk's absences in the future or in Kee's situation replace McGurk if McGurk was sold or leaves the club after his contract expires. I tried to stick to the same formation so that the players did not have to adapt to a new formation which could have affected the results we got. It is nice to see other players are scoring goals but I would like to see McGurk to be scoring more given that he is a top player in League 2.

Table


League Cup


Johnstones Paint Trophy

North

South

My prediction is that MK Dons will win the Johnstones Pain Trophy has they are strongest club left.

FA Cup

Round One

We took Preston to a replay at their ground where we won 1-0 while Worthing, Solihull Moors and Potters Bar took their Football League opponents to replays. The aim is to make it to Round 3 and hopefully get a home against a Premier League club with the hope of taking them to a replay at their ground.

Round Two

Alfreton and Macclesfield caused the upsets with their away wins against Football League opponents. I think I have met the Board's expectations by reaching the 3rd Round and hopefully a home draw against a Premier League.

Round Three

I was slightly disappointed not to a get a home and not getting a Premier League club but I hope Bolton, who are a good side, do not take us seriously and we can take them to a replay at our ground. There are plenty of potential upsets which need the clubs to have a huge slice of luck and the bigger clubs to have an off day for these upsets to happen.

New Player

I have had Luke Giverin on my radar has a potential signing but needed funds to pay the agents the fee so money was moved from the wage budget to the transfer budget for this purpose. I sold McCrory to Sligo Rovers for £55k, £13k upfront with £43k in add-ons, I tihnk he is good enough to be playing in the Championship.

I have already decided ho is staying and leaving which could see £5k going back into the wage budget but that could be used up on renewing selected player contracts. I have started looking players to sign on precontracts for enxt season has I am not expecting a transfer budget even if we get into League 1 next season.

Davide Morello, Free Transfer

I was looking for a keeper has I have got Lyness as the only recognised keeper in the club but there was suitable keepers that were available on loan so I ended up at looking at experienced keepers that were available on a free transfer. Morello fits the bill financially and as a player who could replace Lyness as my first choice keeper. There is a clause in his contract that Morello will get an automatic 1yr extension after 15 league games.

Michael Hoganson, Season Loan from Derby

I needed a short term cover for McCory has Hussey’s natural position left midfield. Hoganson’s natural pace at this level means that his poor defensive attributes are balanced out but he needs to improve those areas if he is going to mike at Derby.

Paul Burns, Season Loan from Queen of the South

I have McDonald who is AMR and Dyer is a central midfield but not natural right midfielders. Burns’ experience will help the squad a lot and like the previous Burton save I might just get a pre-contract in place but that depends on who is available in January.

I could have signed a left winger on a free transfer but one thing that prevented me from signing them was the agent fees which is something the club can’t afford at the moment. I am saving that money for players at the club whose contracts are expiring at the end of the season if they are good enough to be in League One.

Barry Whitbread, Scout

The club had only one scout and I needed another two scouts allow me to look for players in the UK and Ireland. I think he is going to do a good job for us.

Ian Storey-Moore, Scout

He was once a player/manager for Burton and now has returned to the club has a scout.

Roddy McKenzie U21 Manager

I think Burton is going to be a great place for for young coaches who want to be managers to learn about the game from a coaches/managers view before taking a managerial role at another club.

Ugo Ehigou, U18 Coach



I think we are going to be fine has I will be removing the most evil of clauses on the game which is the annual % increase from contracts that are expiring at the end of the season and the rest will be removed when their contracts are up. All new players will not get the clauses. This will save the club a lot of money.


If the players can repeat what the did facing Derby against Leicester we might get into the 2nd Round of the League Cup. I think we are going to be in contention for promotion whether it is automatic or via the Playoffs. I had to switch to 4-5-1 after 4-4-2 was not going to work despite having the players for it. I will have to move McGurk from the strikers role to the left wing if I was to use AMR and AML.

North Round One


South Round One

I think the North draw is stronger than the South has the North section has Wolves, Sheff Utd, Bradford, Preston while the South have Coventry and Portsmouth. The Johnstones Paint Trophy is the only realistic chance of silveware apart from a slim chance of of the League 2 title or the League 2 Playoff.

I am looking to have a plan in place in case of promotion via the playoffs has the time between the Playoff Final the start of the season is shorter than getting automatic promotion to have a chance of staying in League One or if we stay in League 2 for another season in order to get the club in a position to be pushing for promotion.

I felt that I have done all I can with RB Leipzig on FM15 and have lost that satisfaction of taking a small club to the top with no or little to spend along the way. I have not been able to find that satisfaction and enjoyment for a while and have gone from one save to another trying to the same feelings I got from the Wigan, Southampton on FM12 and Burton on FM14. I looked at the Burton squads on FM15 and FM14 then to came to the conclusion that then FM14 squad is better. Then I looked at the posts for that Burton save and saw what I does doing then and not doing now which I will be bringing back to the new blog. I have also decided to start a fresh new blog with a new theme and dedicated name so it can hopefully keep me interested and focused on it.

I will be using the 14.3 update has I was using the 14.2 update the last so that means I do not have Delap who is now a coach, Reed is at York, Howe is at Newport and I cannot sign Zambrotta who is a manager of a Swiss club.

The reason I choose Burton in the first place was that they had potential to be a good Championship club with the hope of one day getting into the Premier League. There is a lot of hard work to be done between now and then to get the club into the Championship then the Premier League such as youth team facilities need improving or a new purpose built centre, the stadium needs upgrading in all areas like converting the terraces to seats once the club is in the Premier League etc. All this needs time and money which I have plenty of one and not enough of the other to achieve the aim of getting into the Premier League and this is where I was getting the satisfaction and the love of FM was seeing Burton Albion growing into to a potential top club which is was missing in the saves after this one.

Burton Albion use the St Georges Park has their first team training base and the youth team uses the Welbeck Defence 6th Form College near Loughborough which is at the moment not to standard of producing the players I need to get the club into the Championship and one day the Premier League. The club has only won 5 Trophies in it’s history and just missed out on promotion via the Playoffs last season.

The club has a few good players who I need to be playing well in every game if the club stands a chance of getting to League One. I have highlighted the captain, key player and youth prospect to do a more in depth profile of them, you can view the rest of the squad in the squad page.

Adam McGurk
He has the potential to be a good player for a bottom to mid table Premier League club. It is going to be hard to keep him out of the starting line which could hamper his development so I will be looking to use him from the subs bench with a run of a few games in the starting line up in all competitions.

Matthew Palmer
He has the potential to be a good player for a bottom to mid table Premier League club. It is going to be hard to keep him out of the starting line which could hamper his development so I will be looking to use him from the subs bench with a run of a few games in the starting line up in all competitions.

Zander Diamond
He is the club captain and is out injured for about 2months. I am hoping he could lead the club on and off the pitch has the club tries to climb up through the leagues to the Championship and one day the Premier League but I think the Premier League is beyond his abilities.

4-4-2

I would need to get a left back, left winger and right winger has cover has I have only got one player for those 3 positions. I am hoping Kee and McGurk can form a deadly partnership during preseason.

4-3-3

This is a good formation I don’t need to get players into the squad but it does leave me short of players in the central midfield position if the players get injured or suspended.

3-4-3

This formation is a good fit as well and can easily make it a 3-5-2 if one for the strikers get injured. The balance of attack and defence is nearly perfect has the 3 at the back covers both single and double strikers while 3 upfront could overcome most defences.


The bookies think we are good enough for the playoffs with an outside chance of getting automatic promotion. There are some good teams in the league which is going to make it hard to get promotion or even stay in the league.

I think our preseason friendlies will set the players up nicely for the season and I hope Derby will put a good side out so that the players can get feel to be up against a good Championship club. The League Cup game against Leicester should see the Pirelli Stadium full and I am expecting to field a weaken team while I will field my strongest available eleven. I am looking at having a good run in the Johnstones Paint Trophy has this could be our only chance of getting silverware into the club.

It has felt good to write this post in the way I wrote the first Burton posts and I am starting to feel a bit more optimistic about FM14. I hope this feeling continues when I start to play properly over the weekend. The question I have got running through my mind about this save is do I sign some of the same players or get new ones has I loved the players I signed and they proved that it was the sum of the parts not the parts that got them to be Premier Leagues Champions in 2020, Burton Albion went from League 2 to Premier League Champions in 8 seasons. I do like the layout of FM14.

I will be posting on regular basis, thinking of either once a week, or twice a week or more frequently.

There is something wrong creating careers so I am using this one, this is a reboot of the save.

I have felt for a few weeks that I have done all I can with the RB Leipzig save and was not getting the same satisfaction I was getting from Wigan, Southampton on FM12 and Burton on FM14. I have been thinking about doing another save on FM15 but decided to go back to FM14 and start a new with Burton using the 14.3 update that means I do not have Jordan Pickford on loan, Zambrotta is a manager of a Swiss club, Rory Delap is now a coach, Rene Howe is at Newport and one of my top players Adam Reed is at York.

I will be posting a preview of the club and I what I want to achieve with Burton.

Hi can you delete the two the brewers careers and there is something wrong with creating careers has i keep getting a crash report pop box when i try to gain access

BUNDESLIGA

https://youtu.be/Lhzuzz_3xvA
The first half of the season saw a lot rotation has I had players complaining about not playing but that didn't affect the form despite loses against FC Bayern and Dortmund. 2 loses and 4 draws saw us trying to close the gap on FC Bayern while trying to stay ahead of Dortmund. I have to say Ferati and Jovic were great in the first half of the season while some players failed to convince me that they deserve to be in the starting line up on a regular basis.


Jovic turned into a goal scoring machine until he was out injured for about 2months and was relying on Palacios-Martinez who score in his very first game for the senior side then failed to score in the next few games he played. This has led to start looking for a striker who can provide back up for Jovic.


From next season there will be only 3 teams qualifying from the League for the Champions League after Italy overtook Germany in the coefficients which determines the allocations for the Champions League and Europa League.

DFB-POKAL



We managed to retain the DFB-Pokal but it would have been nice to see either HSV or Kaiserslauten winning it has it would have been a better story. This competition has generated around £12m for the club this season.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE


https://youtu.be/lRwbrZ-NTKc
Man City and PSG were really poor since they were expected to be challenging for the Champions League title. 4 teams failed to register a point while getting a hefty negative goal difference.


Not another Arsenal v FC Bayern tie in the First Knockout Round. It was nice to see Ajax play Barcelona despite them being out played by Barcelona. I thought our luck was used up against Barcelona and Shakhtar in the previous rounds. The Champions League generated around £70m for the club this season in prize money, TV money, merchandising and match day revenue.

NEW PLAYERS


Espina was signed from Ajax for £4.4m in January after Klostermann agreed to a pre-contract with Celtic. I am expecting him to be better than Klostermann,


Klebinho was signed from Flamengo £2.5m in January. I am either going to send him or Espina on loan for a season to get first team experience.

Martial agreed to a pre-contract agreement in M. He is going to be cover for Jovic as well as an emergency left winger if Cinar and Ochs are both out injured at the same time. He has time to show that he can be a top class striker.


Mazzitelli was signed Roma on a pre-contract agreement. I needed a new central midfielder after deciding not to renew Demme’s contract, selling Mogilevets and Tachtsidis. He is going to fit in nicely with this squad of mine but they are now know what it takes to win the Champions League.

2018/19 season is going to be a tough one has I have got the World Club Cup in December when clubs are winding down for the winter break. I am looking at making changes to the youth team coaching staff so I can get the best of the youth team players.

I normally don't do posts separately for preseason or competition draws but this time I am after seeing what happen in the Champions League group draw.


I wanted a low key preseason to keep the players grounded rather than having big clubs like Barcelona, Manchester United etc or going overseas to play games after winning the Bundesliga title and to allow the players to get use to different formations, tactics and line ups without having to play against the big clubs. The results are has expected but the performances were a mixed bag which was expected has I tried playing players who didn’t play with each other much last season also alongside the new players.



Group G is the ultimate group of death with clubs of financial muscle. This season could see us not having any form of European football after Christmas unlike last season where we some how made into the last 16 of the Champions League.

Here are my predictions for each group:

Group A: 1. Chelsea 2. Monaco 3. Benfica 4. CSKA Moscow

Group B: 1. FC Bayern 2. Celtic 3. Galatasary 4. Club Brugge

Broup C: 1. Barcelona 2. Arsenal 3. Marsielle 4. Malmo

Group D: 1. Atletico 2. Sampdoria 3. Leverkusen 4. M. Tel-Aviv

Group E: 1. Real Madrid 2. Udinese 3. Ajax 4. Zanit

Group F: 1. Dortmund 2. Manchester United 3. Olympiacos 4. Olava Liberac

Group G; 1. PSG 2. Manchester City 3. RB Leipzig 4. Shakhtar

Group H: 1. Juventus 2. Porto 3. R. Sociedad 4. FC Korberhaven

Yes I am optimistic about our chances but after last season why not, this squad can compete in Europe in time. There will be a season where our rating will see us in the pot 1 or 2 but the players need consistent exposure to European football whether it is in the Champions League or the Europa League.

Jonathan Tah, Hamburg SV £12.25m

I have got 5 top class central defenders in the senior squad with Pumpido in the 2nd Team. This deal includes £43k per month for 12months, £12k per game for 10games and £1.1m after 50 league appearances £14m may seem a lot for a young defender who has not made a single appearance for the senior national side and been at the heart of side that was relegated but I am hoping that he can prove his potential with RB Leipzig over the next few seasons.

Ruben Barbosa, SC Heeverveen, £3.5m

I have 2 decent left backs in the senior side so I brought in Barbosa after having concerns that Lukaku, Dimarco or both may want transfers in January or in the summer if big clubs showed any interest in them. This transfer includes £1m after 50 league games and £83.33k per month 12months.

I have had my request for a new stadium and a couple of other requests which will have an impact on the club in the long term but in a good way accepted by the chairman. I have almost concluded my transfer business for the season.