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#219380 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
First off, this month we got the youth players into the club. Not much to write home about to be honest, the only player who I can maybe see having a chance of making it into my first team at any stage is 15 year old goalkeeper James Williams, and even then if I get up the leagues quickly he simply won't be good enough. Still, he'll make an able back up for just now.
I was also offered a new contract with Hyde, and as I obviously intend on this save being about getting them up the divisions I duly signed it.
The month started in the same poor run of form as February had ended with a high scoring, but ultimately disappointing draw with Guiseley. We were then beaten by Harrogate in a close game, which I think effectively killed off any hope for the title which still lingered, but the playoff places were still very much within grasp. Now without a win in 6, we faced struggling AFC Fylde, who less than a month earlier we had drawn with. Its the type of game we really should be winning, and in a fairly startling return to form, we demolished them 4-0, hopefully a sign that the poor form and poorer performances of the last month and a half were behind us. We then faced a Stockport side, and without usual keeper Billy O'Brien, as he had been called up to the Wales under 21's squad, Williams was able to make his first steps in the first team. 2-1 down at half time, we were then sparked into life by a somewhat aggressive team talk, and 3 goals without return after the break sealed a crucial victory and looked to have well and truly put the last month behind us. We end the month still well and truly in the playoff battle, but with just 5 games left and 8 points to make up, it would take a miracle for Hyde to be crowned champions.
#219263 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
By far and away the worst month of the season thus far. Injuries really took their toll, as I was frequently having to play players out of position or guys that would be nowhere near my first team in any other circumstances just to get a team out. We started off with a poor draw against Boston United, with Manny Panther receiving his 3rd red of the season in the process. Across the board, my discipline has been one of the worst in the league this season, but Manny accounts for a fair amount of that. We were then humbled by Stockport, a game we never really got going in and I was forced to play my 6th and 7th choice centre midfielders together due to suspension and injury, obviously not ideal. A hugely frustrating draw against relegation candidates AFC Fylde next, we were so much better than them just couldn't turn that superiority into goals. We finished the month away to Gainsborough, a game which at full strength we would probably win at a canter, but with the amount of guaranteed starters missing it was no surprise to lose 1-0. A shocking month sees us slip down the table to 5th, still in the playoff places, which is after all my target, but we'll need to improve in order to guarantee that's where we finish the season
#219237 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
We kicked off the month with our second match against local rivals Stalybridge in less than a week. And for the second time in a week, we triumphed, this time even more emphatically running out 4-1 winners. Barrow were up next, and Regan Walker was in fine form netting all 3 goals. Next up we faced Solihull Moors, as two of the best attacks in the league faced each other it was sure to be a high scoring affair, with them nicking it by 4 goals to 3. A poor Lowestoft team, the only team we previously failed to score against in the league, were up next and this time we made no mistake, netting a 3-1 victory. Gloucester up next, and despite a late scare when they got 2 back we triumphed 4-2. We then snaked past Guiseley, taking the only real chance of the game, Regan Walker getting his 7th goal of the month on his way to player of the month. We now sit atop the table, although a few of the teams just behind have a game in hand. Harrogate and Solihull have to play each other in there game in hand, so no danger of both overtaking me from that.
#218974 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
The month began with the visit of North Ferriby United, who were also chasing a place in the playoffs, and had beaten us in the early days of the season. This time, however, we managed to record a 2-0 victory where we were never really threatened, a late goal line clearance the only danger they posed. Next up were Conference Premier side Nuneaten in the FA Trophy, and despite battling hard we were unable to prevent a frankly superior side from triumphing 1-0. Next up, Leamington, and a routine victory was marked by Regan Walkers goal from 55 yards out after a goalkeeping error, his first goal for the club. Oxford City were next up, and our only 2 shots on target managed to find the back of the net, as we gained revenge of sorts for that opening day rout. The boxing day fixture was a visit from fierce rivals Stalybridge, and despite Manny Panther recieving his second red card of the season in the first half, we were able to win 2-0 thanks to an own goal and a bit of a fluke from Almond. The final game was against a Colwyn Bay side who were sitting second bottom and had picked up 1 point from their last 9 matches. Naturally I failed to beat them, and was only able to snatch a 1-1 draw at the end, despite being by far the better team. Despite this, December was a fantastic month, if we'd beaten Colwyn Bay it'd have been even better but some great wins in there.
#218971 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
We started the month with a trip to struggling Solihull Moors, and we really should have been winning this sort of game, but simply failed to turn up and were comfortably beaten. Two late goals made it look far better than it was, 4-0 would not have flattered them (see spoiler below). We then faced Worcester, and bounced back in style, absolutely thumping them 4-0. A disappointing draw with Gainsborough followed this, as we twice led but were pegged back within a few minutes both times and couldn't quite find that killer blow. Top of the table, and starting to look like they were going to pull away with it, Harrogate were next and its easy to see why they're top, as they were quite simply put, a better side than I was. Our league business for the month was finished off with a smash and grab victory away to Chorley where they were dominant and we finished with 9 men due to injuries, but a defensive calamity by them at the end of the first half allowed me to take all 3 points. Our FA trophy tie against Whitby was the only remaining fixture of November, and we continued to the next round with a comprehensive 4-1 victory. Overall, not the best month, but that win against Chorley has made it a lot better than it might otherwise have been. Still, sitting roughly where I was at the end of October around the Playoff places...
#216558 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
October started with a trip to play Leamington, and despite falling behind and looking second best for the first hour the game changed completely when in the 65th minute, they were reduced to 10 men. We quickly seized on this and took the lead, and despite them then equalising, we were able to regain control of the game and run out convincing winners in the end. Manny Panther was also sent off, but fortunately this happened far too late to have any direct impact upon this game. It does however leave me with a bit of a headache as most of my midfield is now missing through injury or suspension. Next up, a home tie against table topping Chorley, a game which the board had designated a fan day and a chance to hopefully improve the long term crowds. It was therefore ideal that, although we were unable to win the game, we played reasonably well and the game was an exciting one for the bumper crowd of almost 750, so hopefully that'll help long term. Up next was that aforementioned FA Cup tie versus Arlesey, and due to an absolutely huge amount of injuries, I was forced to play an under strength side. Despite this, we were able to run out 3-1 winners to progress to the 4th and final qualifying round, where we were drawn against Grimsby, currently second in the Conference Premier, a massive challenge. Before that game, however, we had a trip to play Boston United to take care of. and although we fell behind to an early penalty, we managed to come back and win convincingly with Gray getting a few goals. The big game against Grimsby came up, and when they took the lead through a cross that managed to find its way in I feared the worse, but McNiven scored a late late equaliser to guarentee a replay and another chance to get into the first round of the FA Cup. The replay came next, and despite taking an early lead, we eventually succumb to a 3-1 loss, and while not ideal, it is encouraging that we managed to take one of the better teams from the division above to a replay and had them on the ropes for a while.
All that leaves me just outside the playoff places, but crucially with a game in hand over all the teams above me, against struggling Worcester. Hopefully a win there will propel me back into the playoff spots.
In other news, the FA trophy qualifying round draw was made this month.
I also thought I'd give you a look at the financial situation 3 months into the season. As you can see below, the situation is now far more healthy than it was at the start of the year, and we're even predicted to make a profit over the rest of the season. If we were to manage to attain that then it would be almost 3 times what our balance was when I took over, which can only be a good thing as we look to expand.
#216544 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
September 2014
Started the month with a trip to a Gloucester side predicted to struggle, and from everything but the result you could see why. I was much the better side but somehow managed to lose the game, the killer blow being a bit of a comical own goal by McQuade who blasted it into his own net under absolutely no pressure at all. I was able to bounce back with a comprehensive win over Hednesford, where it really could have ended up about 8-0, what with missing a penalty and some absolutely glorious chances as well. We then faced Brackley, and were very harshly done by as we lost to the dodgiest of dodgy penalties being given and scored by them. That game also came at a price as Gary O'Neill was ruled out for 4 months with a torn hamstring. Next up was Lowestoft at home, and an appalling game of football followed which absolutely deserved to be a 0-0. This was our last league action for the month as next up was a trip to Rushall in the 2nd qualifying round of the FA Cup. A cup run would be absolutely wonderful for the finances if we could get to the competition proper and draw someone from even the League 2, and so it was ideal that we managed to progress with a comfortable, if unspectacular, 2-0 victory. As shown in the stats below, we were by far the better side and an upset was never on the cards.
All of that leaves me sitting 11th in the league, but still not too far off the playoff places which is where I'd ideally like to be finishing. Winning the league is I think a bit beyond my team at the minute, but a playoff place is very achievable and a good run and who knows.
We also drew Arlesey in the next round of the FA Cup, another team from a division below us so that should hopefully be a winnable tie, and leave us just one stage from qualifying for the competition proper and the chances of a big (in comparison to Hyde's stature) pay day.
#213489 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
August 2014
Just one more player joined in August, another centre midfielder, this time Irish player Gary O'Neil, who should be a regular starter for me.
Him, alongside Panther with Lampkin on the bench and Clark ahead of them in the attacking midfield slot will be my preffered option for centre midfield this season.
We followed up the opening day defeat with another poor display at North Ferriby, another game where we let a lead slip. However, we were able to gain our first win against Barrow. A last minute equaliser salvaged a point against Colwyn Bay in a game we completely dominated but were unable to take our chances. A solid win v Bradford PA was up next before we trounced Tamwoth, them going down to ten men after 18 minutes and getting a late consolation goal just to take the shine off it slightly. All that leaves the table looking like this...
#213106 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
Obviously not ideal, but 2 of the goals came right at the end when I was chasing an equaliser and then before my tactics had been able to change back to normal. A couple of important players were also missing for this game, and I missed out on another target as Conference Premier teams came in for him. Still, 45 games to go.
#212944 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
As I previously stated, the main area where I really needed to bring in some players was in midfield, especially the centre midfield area, and so far I have only managed to bring in 2 players, who will play there the bulk of the season assuming no other transfers (which I am looking at). First up is Manny Panther, a 30 year old experienced Scottish player, who I will look to employ as the more defense minded of my two midfielders.
Second was Jason Lampkin, a 22 year old who will be the main playmaker in my midfield area.
Ideally I was looking for both these guys to really function as back up but a few of my targets were snapped up by other clubs and thus far I haven't been able to find anyone else. Panther should be able to do a job I suppose, and Lampkin has some potential so its not the worst situation to be in, but a few more would certainly be welcome.
I also brought in an attacking midfielder, in the form of 20 year old Luke Clark, as I intend to play a 4-2-3-1 formation.
#212509 Hyde F.C. - Up the Tigers!
oneteaminglasgow
So, I've chosen for my FM15 story to be with Hyde FC, in no small part because of how badly their real life season went last year. The squad is in need of a number of additions, as you will see below and the finances (again below), aren't in the healthiest shape in the world. Obviously my long term aim of the save will be to have Hyde battling in out at the top end of the pyramid of English football but short term I merely want to steady the ship, and put the finances in a much healthier place. This will mean that I will attempt to strictly stick to my wage budget and avoid bonuses and clauses which would be disastrous for the long term finances of the club. I also have a couple of other ambitions, such as using the youth system to bring through as many first team players as i possibly can, and also because I quite enjoyed doing so in other saves, I have imposed a ban on signing foreign players and will only use players who either represent one of the four constituent countries of the UK (or overseas territories such as Anguilla), or players who were born in Britain or Ireland, even if they have chosen to represent another country as sometimes happens. Obviously, only the beta version has been released so far, so don't expect to see too much from this until the full version on Friday although I will be playing it a bit and updating as such. Up the Tigers!
You'll of course note that theres a frankly startling lack of any centre midfielders in my squad, not ideal to say the least and the first issue which I'll be adressing.
Although currently not in the red, that projected balance is worrying, and ideally I won't go into negative balance at any stage.
#134165 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
#133211 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
Probably not too far away from my strongest line up for this game. Danny Batth was injured and as such Stearman started in his place, although both are very able players so that wasn't too bad. Ismael also out, and with George Boyd lacking match fitness at present, Colclough came in to hopefully do a job. Andrews also starts as he's been playing well this season.
I think, looking at that, we would have been good value to get all 3 points but have ended up having to settle for the draw, even if the goal I did get was bizarre. They took the lead through a great strike from the edge of the box in the 11th minute, and this is how it stayed, without and incidents of note, until I won a corner in the 35th minute. Aaron Taylor-Sinclair delivered the cross, which Ben Foster in the West Brom goal came to get. However, rather than punching it clear or collecting it, he seemed to drop the ball into his own net. This was the real turning point. Up until then, West Brom had been the better side, after that it was wave after wave of me putting pressure on them, with occasional breaks by them, but ultimately, although we hit the woodwork twice, none of this led to anything of note. Disappointing not to win, but at least we haven't lost the game.
#133071 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
Just 2 games this month so far, a thumping win at home against Millwall, and a very disappointing loss away to Sheffield Wednesday, who are now just a point behind me. A couple of managerial sackings in the division this month, and I proved to be a man in high demand...
Obviously turned down both of these, as it would defeat the point of the story. We also had a large delegation on international duty this month, most notably 5 different players all called up to the Scotland squad. There was a point when 4 out of the 11 on the pitch for Scotland were Wolves players which is great to see. There is another game in November coming up, and its a huge one.
My first Black Country Derby. At home. Probably the biggest game of the season, and potentially the biggest of my managerial tenure at Wolves so far. Stay tuned for that
#133064 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
Month started off well with 2 Tony Watt goals within the first 10 minutes giving us the win at Brentford. We did however drop points against bottom side West Ham, which was unfortunate, and unlucky given we really could have won this game. We were 3-0 up before conceding 2 goals which made it a much more nervy end to the game, but managed to hang on in there for the 3 points. Billy Sharp made his first start, and also got his first goal in this game. We then drew against Brighton, and they will be absolutely gutted with this one given the last kick (or head, as it was) of the ball grabbed the point for us, but very pleased with this one. The last game was a huge disappointment, even if the 4-1 scoreline did flatter them massively. In reality, was a close game where they probably edged it.
Still top of the league, but Blackburn have had an absolute stormer of a month and won all their games, so the gap at the top is down to just 1 point. Cardiff have also been in freefall this month, picked up 1 point...
#133016 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
September
A perfect month of results! Only managed that once before, in September of the season I won League 1. We started with a tough away trip to Cardiff, who had only just been relegated. I expected this to be a really tough game considering that they have stars like Javi Garcia in the side, and it was, but thankfully just before half time we managed to take the lead through Paul McGowan. We came out in the second half in the same mood and extended it shortly after, although the lead was cut shortly after we managed to hang on and Garcia's late red card secured the result. We were on the road again to new boys Crewe Alexandria next, and having taken the lead early on, it looked like heading to a stalemate after they equalised on the stroke of half time. However, the lead was re established with 10 minutes to go, and we extended it further in the closing stages. A blinder of a first half saw of Blackburn at Ewood Park, although they got 1 back in the second half and only the linesman's flag prevented a second. Huddersfield were the next team to take us on, and Tony Watt on a real run of form continued it, with Boyd and McGowan also scoring. We ended the month with a scrappy 1-0 over Yeovil, which I'll take as it was our only clean sheet of the month.
A great month, and we're 4 points clear at the top having already beaten the team below us away from home! If we can keep this up, then the premiership surely beckons!
#132844 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
We started off our season at home against Doncaster, and although we lost, I have absolutely no idea how. We had 61% possession of the ball, 27 shots compared to their 9, and hit the woodwork an unbelievable 4 time during the game. Stuart Bannigan also tore his hamstring in this game, and will be out for 3 months which is a huge blow for us. We then faced Gillingham in the League Cup, and despite being dominant throughout, Taylor-Sinclair's sending off left it looking like we might go out before Tony Watt's goal sent us through. A great second half come back with goals from new boy George Best, and Jamie O'Hara giving us the win. After falling behind against Ipswich, we took the lead, before they went down to ten men. However, we seemed to get slightly complacent and allowed them to grab a late equaliser. We led at half time versus Crystal Palace, but a red card for Danny Batth, quickly followed by an equaliser for them left us looking to salvage a point. We managed this, but also finished the game with 9 men after Mark O'Hara was sent off. After this, we were put out the League Cup in the second round for the 3rd year running. A quite remarkable game against Barnsley rounded off the month, as we were 2 down within 8 minutes from a header, and then a dodgy penalty call. We pulled one back through Keith Andrews (a goal which won goal of the month), before Barnsley were 3-1 up after 16 minutes. A penalty of our own was scored by Leigh Griffiths, before we equalised with Andrews second of the game. After this, both sides threatened to take the lead, before we eventually managed to do so through a glancing header by Griffiths.
Too early in the season to really read anything into it, but we sit just outside the playoff places. If we are around this area in coming months, I'll be very pleased.
#132722 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
Pre-Season
These are my results. If you've followed this, you know my feelings on friendlies, but here they are anyway.
Its been a totally infuriating transfer window. I managed to get my main target when I signed 21 year old English Right-Back Sam Byram from Leeds for an initial fee of £4.4 million with a further 825k over the next 2 years. However, it was all downhill from here as I attempted to bring in a number of players, either on loan or fully transferred, but they instead chose to go elsewhere for whatever reason. I had also already allowed a couple of players to leave the club on the basis that I was going to be getting in suitable replacements, which might have not been the wisest move but they were surplus to requirements and, in some cases, on huge wages (Kevin Doyle, for example, was on 47500 per week, far more than anyone else in the squad). Other than Byram, I only managed to bring in a couple of players on free transfers, none of whom I expect to be regular starters but all of whom could yet play a role in the team. Carl Ikeme and Bakary Sako leaving also meant I have now achieved my aim of having a team made up entirely of UK and Irish players. I also managed not to lose any of my first team players, so I would say that I have a stronger first team this season, but that my squad as a whole is probably weaker.
My Squad
Goalkeepers
Like with last season, Sam Johnstone will be my number one, and new signing Ryan Allsop will be his back-up. After this I'm a bit short in this department, but hopefully there won't be any period where both of them are unavailable.
Defence
Largely the same as last year, although the addition of Byram fixes my problem area of right back. Taylor-Sinclair will continue at left back, as he has proven himself more than capable here, and Batth and O'Hara will be my first choice centre backs, with Stearman also more than capable of filling in when injuries or suspensions come into play, or if bad form needs to be rectified. Rainey and Caldwell will be called in in case of emergencies, and Foley will be second choice right back, while Golbourne will be second choice at left back.
Midfield
Bannigan and Armstrong will be starting in my two centre mid formations, with O'Hara my 3rd choice, and youngster Regan Mitchell will get a bit of game time in order to continue his development. Keith Andrews will also play a part if he needs to. Paul mcGowan will continue in the attacking midfield role which he has made his own over the last few seasons. Ismael ha proven himself a valuable asset and will get a chance at being my starting right winger, while McKenzie will play on the left. Boyd can fill in either of these and will make the majority of his appearances from the bench. Colclough could also be recalled from his loan should the need be there.
Forwards
Watt and Griffiths will be first choice and will share the role of my lone striker, and Billy Sharp will be waiting in the wings should I need to use him.
I would imagine that, barring injuries, my starting 11 for this season will be: Johnstone (GK): Taylor-Sinclair (DL), O'Hara (DC), Batth (DC), Byram (DR): Bannigan (MC), Armstrong (MC); McKenzie (AML), McGowan (AMC), Ismael (AMR): Watt (ST)
In other news, over summer young winger Rory McKenzie gained his first Scotland cap:
#132700 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
League:
Comfortable mid-table finish, no more than can be asked for in my first season back in the Championship. But as with last season, there were certain areas of the squad which I would like to highlight for praise:
- Attack: While a common problem for teams who are recently promoted to the league is that they are simply unable to score enough goals, we have had no such issues, with only second placed Burnley and 7th placed Nottingham Forest getting more goals than we managed, and indeed we scored the same amount as champions Derby. This certainly reflects well upon the team going forward, and gives us a foundation to be confident next season
- Set-pieces: While admittedly down from last season, we were once again one of the top scorers from Set pieces this season.
- Difficult to beat: Our big problem has been that we draw too many games, we haven't actually had that many defeats (relative to our position. A fair few teams above us lost more games, which suggests we have been successful in managing to make us difficult to beat
While this is obviously very good, the season has not been without its disappointments, and these are listed below:- Defence: We conceded far too many goals this season. This, I think, can be put down partly to a lack of quality and also injuries to several key defenders over the course of the season, and simply the formation and style of football we employ. If we are to progress, we certainly need to get tighter at the back.
- Clinical: Although we have had a really good attack this season, there have been a number of games which we drew, and when I looked at the stats, it transpired that we had had a few clear cut chances which we failed to take. I would like to be able to improve upon this.
CupsFA Cup: Lost in 4th Round v Swansea
League Cup: Lost in 2nd Round v Millwall
No real complaints here, could have probably gone further in the League Cup as Millwall at home is a very winnable tie, but hey, thats football. These were once again not my main focus, once I have established myself in the top flight, I'll pay more attention to these.
Player of the Year
3rd Place: Paul McGowan Again, a very good season, much more goals for him than last season (9 compared to 1) and also 8 assists from the attacking midfielder.
2nd Place: Stuart Armstrong - Has proven himself this season, and been one of my favourite players this season. Seemed to be involved in a huge amount of my build plays/
1st Place: Aaron Taylor-Sinclair - An average rating of 7.14 says it all, he's been incredibly solid this season, laying on several chances for other players and also being defensively very solid. A great season for the left back.
Building for next season
I need a right back, probably need a more experienced winger and I'll let one of the younger ones go out on loan and another striker as both Doyle and Cassiddy should be leaving in the summer. I will also be looking at bringing in a goalkeeper as I'm not sure Johnstone will be able to reach the standard I require, and Hennessey is wanting to leave
#132691 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
April/May
Started the month with a disappointing loss against Huddersfield, where we took the lead but were pegged back and lost it. The roles were reversed against Blackburn, as we were behind within 14 seconds, but came back to win it late on. Against Norwich, we faced 10 men for the majority of the game, but by this point we had nothing left to play for having guaranteed safety but also being out of reach of the play off places, and it showed against a side who were still chasing the play offs. We lost to Palace as well, probably deservedly, before 2 goalkeeping mistakes gifted Jamie O'Hara a brace, and we sent Bolton down to League 1. We led 3-1 against Barnsley, but playing a couple of fringe players and youngsters, we were unable to hold onto the league and conceded a late equaliser.
Finished the season comfortably mid table, achieved my targets this season, so very pleased with that. A couple of players in for next season and I will hopefully be in and around the playoffs.
Season summary to come soon...
#132633 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
The big news on an international front was that young Centre back Mark O’Hara made his international debut for Scotland in the March friendly game against Mexico, playing from the start and managing a very solid rating of 7.4. Tony Watt was also selected in the squad, although he did not make it onto the pitch. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone also made his debut for the England under 21’s which is good to see as he had been selected in a few squads without making it on.
February:
The month started with that FA Cup replay against Swansea, and after battling to a draw in the original game, we were soundly defeated here, Mark O’Hara’s goal making the score line slightly more respectable but overall, still a very poor result. A draw at the Den in our next game was an improvement, but having led for much of the game, I had hoped we would be able to get all 3 points, but it wasn’t to be. We ended our winless run against Sheffield Wednesday, a thumping 3-1 win, where O’Hara and Griffiths did the damage for us. We were then deservedly beaten by Wigan, before rounding off the month by beating Brentford, in a game which could, and should, have been a much more comfortable win that 2-1
March:
We started off by losing against a high flying Leicester side, who simply outplayed us, not much more that can be said about this one. A 2-2 draw with Preston next was infuriating, having missed a penalty, hit the bar in injury time, and the fact that both of their goals would have been comical had they not been against me, but we had to settle for the point. A comfortable, if expected, win against Yeovil followed this, before we absolutely demolished Brighton (a game which cost the Brighton manager his job), with all 4 of my attacking players getting a rating of above 9, and only one of my starting 11 getting below an 8. We were however beaten soundly in the next game, as we got complacent against West Ham and they took advantage of this, and frankly at times I thought we would be on the end of the kind of score we had just inflicted on Brighton, it being just 3-1 flatters us slightly.
At the end of that, we sit in the top half, but I think the playoffs will be a step too far at this point, but equally, although mathematically still possible, we have essentially guaranteed our survival in this league which was the main aim at the start of the season.
Our youth candidates came in, and unlike last season where there we no real candidates who I thought would break into the first team in time, this season we have one, in the form of Alvechurch (which a quick google tells me is about 25 miles from Wolverhampton) born centre midfielder Regan Mitchell.
With a bit of tutoring, and the right training, he could become a very handy player for the squad and will hopefully become the first in a line of players from my youth team to play a role in the first team squad. He’s also a Wolves fan, which is nice to see.
#132541 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
We started the new year with our FA Cup tie against Aldershot, where we comfortably saw them off 2-0 in a game where we were unspectacular but efficient and our safe passage through to the next round was never really in doubt. This came at a price though, as shown below. A 3-1 defeat by Leeds followed this up, and this was a major disappointment and we were defeated despite, in my opinion, being the better side, so it was fairly hard to take. Following this, we drew consecutive games against Doncaster and then Middlesbrough, which were both probably fair reflections of how the games went. We then had our FA Cup 4th round tie against Swansea, and we managed to hold out against the Premiership side coming back from a goal down 3 times, and despite ending the game with 9 men after both Stearman and Mark O'Hara were sent off, we managed to hold out for the replay at Molineux. Should we manage to get through that at the start of February our reward will be a tie away to Blackburn, and as such we've managed to avoid any of the really big sides, although obviously it will be a hard tie. Our next game was away to Burnley in the league, and a threadbare squad with our only fir centre back being Gary Caldwell we put in a poor defensive performance, but showed our strength in depth up front as plenty of our attacking play got us 3 goals, but 3 in 5 minutes for them killed the game off. The month ended with a game against Ipswich, which was another 0-0, we had the better chances but didn't take them.
No league wins this month which is disappointing, exactly the same distance from the playoff places as the relegation zone. We need to have an upturn over the next months in order to make sure that we stay up, although last season 53 points was enough to stay up, so potentially just 4 wins from safety.
#132535 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
The month kicked off with me being offered the now vacant West Ham job, which I declined due to the fact that I am actually really enjoying being Wolves manager and want to see this through. West Ham are also sitting below me in the league and it would have been a backwards move. But still, being offered the job must mean I'm doing something right.
Our first result of the month was a goalless draw with Norwich, where both of the best chances fell to them so I'll definitely take the point from this. In our next game, we went in 2-0 down at half time and managed to bring it back to 2-2 which was excellent. Next up were a Crystal Palace side who had just been relegated from the Premier League the season before, and we made them look second best from the off. Jamie O'Hara opened the scoring as his corner went straight in, and then 2 goals from Tony Watt secured the win by Half time. Although palace were better in the second half, a brace from Leigh Griffiths meant that we won this comfortably. An early goal from Watt gave us the win against Bolton, a second provided by an unlucky own goal from a Bolton player. Derby were perhaps unlucky not to take the 3 points, but 2-2 it finished after Colclough equalised in the second half. We then faced local rivals Birmingham City, this time at their ground. A dodgy penalty converted by Griffiths was added to by Colclough before they got one back to make it a tense last 10 minutes. Our 15 game unbeaten run was ended in some style by Nottingham Forest. The team looked as though they just got complacent, and Forest took full advantage. Cannot complain with the scoreline, their play deserved it, we were made to look like a school team.
We have pulled even further away from the relegation zone, but we haven't gotten any closer to the playoff places. I'm not too bothered about this, and in fact another season at this level might be the perfect thing for us as it will allow our players to develop so that they are ready for the premiership when we get there.
#132509 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
I think the best way of looking at this is another unbeaten month, and the tactical change has definitely made us difficult to beat which is good, probably what we had to do after getting promoted. Mark O'Hara got his first professional goal against Brighton, although they equalised in the second half to split the points. We then played out a goalless draw against West Ham, the games only real chance coming after just 5 minutes when Paul McGowan was played in by Tony Watt, but he was unable to find the back of the net. In the next game, we were behind against Huddersfield twice but managed to claw them back twice, Stuart Armstrong's late goal rescuing a point from the jaws of defeat. We rounded off the month by beating Blackburn at Ewood Park (Sorry George). Though we were behind at half time, we came out strongly in the second half and were soon even, before Tony Watt ended his recent goal drought to win the game.
We sit comfortably in the top half, a few wins away from being in the race for the playoffs, but also if form takes a downward turn then we will be dragged into the relegation battle
#132497 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
A slight alteration in tactics saw us drastically raise our game from the failures of the previous month, starting off with an impressive 2-0 victory against Wigan. Richard Stearman's first half header set on our way before a late Griffiths goal wrapped things up for us. Griffiths continued his goal scoring run with a superb hat trick against fellow newly promoted side Brentford in a great 3-0 win. A late Leicester City goal robbed us of a third straight win, but continued our unbeaten run. We were lucky to take a point against bottom side Yeovil, after throwing the kitchen sink at them we were able to grab the goal we needed to stretch our run to 4 games. We rounded off with a thumping win over Playoff winners Preston, where we dominated from start to end, and where Griffiths got his 5th goal of the month.
An unbeaten month, and 3 wins in 5 sees us rise up the league, into a much more respectable position. It is still early days, and a couple of loses will see us slide into a relegation battle so we need to remain consistent and keep up our good form from this month
We also brought in experienced centre back Gary Caldwell on a free transfer. Although he's getting on, I think he could still do a decent enough job at this level. He also has good mental stats and I think he could be useful in helping bring some young players through, and on fairly low wages I think it was worth it. Don't expect to see too much of him in the first 11.
#132471 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
Due to the international break, we had to wait until the second weekend of September to build on our draw away to Leeds against a Doncaster side who had 1 point from their first 5 games. However, we simply did not turn up, and were soundly beaten by a side who just seemed to have a bit more fight in them. We followed this up against high flying Burnley, and again we were beaten although less comprehensively, and the match could have gone either way for long periods before they got a second goal in the final 10 minutes to kill it off. We managed a draw at Ipswich, thanks to a late goal from Kevin Doyle who was only in the squad due to injuries to other players. The months only win came against the Millwall side who had dumped us out of the League cup a month earlier, and there was a slice of luck about it with a controversial penalty deciding the game. Millwall only had their indiscipline to blame as they gave away 15 fouls in the game in comparison to the 2 we gave away, and as our goals included a penalty and an indirect free kick volleyed in, you can see this cost them. We rounded off the month by losing to Sheffield Wednesday, where a draw would have been a fairer result but they were that bit more clinical and it proved vital as we left with nothing.
A frankly shocking month leaves us near the foot of the table, hopefully we can improve in coming months and move away from this precarious position, I don't fancy a relegation dogfight.
#132399 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
We kicked off the month, and our campaign, with a game against local rivals Birmingham City, in front of a capacity crowd at Molineux. Though we led for much of the game, we were on the back foot for long periods, however, it looked like we were going to be able to hold them off and gain a valuable 3 points to kick of our season. However, with just 5 minutes of normal time left, a Nikola Zigic pass cut the defence wide open and allowed City right back Paul Caddis to sneak in and score a late equaliser. On the balance of play it was probably deserved, but it was still gutting having led for so long. Next up were Cheltenham in the league cup, and having taken a 3 nil lead we almost lost it as we lost our focus allowing them to grab two goals before full time to make the game look much closer than it had been. We next faced Derby County and then Nottingham Forest, and were comfortably beaten in both games, although we did cause both sides some problems, a good sign for upcoming games. Middlesbrough were next, and a superb second half performance saw us race home 3-0 winners after a fairly even first half. We were then dumped out the League Cup by Millwall in a game of few chances, but this does not really matter at this point. The League is the important thing for us this season. We rounded off the month with a trip to Leeds, where we led twice but were ultimately undone by a Noel Hunt double, and survived a late scare to claim a valuable point.
At the end of the month, the Championship table looks like this...
The bottom 2 are Doncaster, on 1 point and Middlesbrough, on 0. A solid but unspectacular start, but all that I'm expecting this season is to manage to stay up comfortably and at this rate, we should be on course to do that. Also worth noting that we have already played 3 of the teams who were in the hunt for the play offs last season.
We also recieved a healthy addition to the banks when Matt Jarvis made his move to Benfica from West Ham...
#132383 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
Pre-Season
As you are aware, I don't take charge or organise the friendlies myself, and I don't read too much into them, but if you're wondering, these were my results.
I had several more arrivals to the squad before the season kicked off...
First off was Stuart Bannigan, a 21 year old Scottish centre midfielder from Partick Thistle. Bags of energy, good passing range, and good defensively, he'll be rotated in and out of the first team this season but will definitely be given the chance to prove that he can make it at this level and get a game for Wolves. At 250k, this is a relatively cheap transfer (compared with signings of Tony Watt, etc), and hopefully he can prove, like Paul McGowan did, that it is possible to get a bargain who can go on to be a good player for me. Several other Championship teams were interested in him as well, so I was naturally delighted he came here.
The next player was the goalkeeper I wanted, in the form of 21 year old ex-Manchester United youth product Sam Johnstone, whom I landed on a free transfer. A very competent goalkeeper, he has the potential to play at a higher level than the Championship, and I'm planning on having him split game time with Hennessey fairly evenly (assuming Hennessey is still at the club come the end of the transfer window). In seasons, to come Johnstone should become my number 1, depending how he develops, and on a free transfer this is absolutely ideal.
Another United Youth product joined my ranks in 19 year old Scottish right back Donald Love. Again on a free transfer and on quite low wages, I thought Love was worth the gamble and signed him up. He will spend the season on loan at Swindon, in League 2, as he is not currently ready to play a role in the first team, but hopefully when he returns he'll be able to play an active part in my first team.
Jake Cassidy also went on loan to Hibernian for 5 months, should be a good move for him as he'll play regularly and can hopefully come back and challenge for a place in the first team
We were drawn against Cheltenham in the League Cup first round, a winnable tie so we should progress to the next round there. Its away from home which is the only thing that complicates it slightly, but we should still have enough to beat them.
In other news, this happened...
Yup, you are reading that. Switzerland won the 2014 world cup, beating Germany, Belgium and Uruguay on route to the final....
#132377 The Return of Wolves.
oneteaminglasgow
Season 2014-15
Pre-season is just about to begin, and as such I thought I'd give you a quick look at the transfers which have already been made:
Leaving the club were...
Margreitter simply didn't have the quality to play at this level, he had spent the season on loan at Kobenhavn, and they took the opportunity to sign him for the agreed release clause. Not a big loss to me, and 500k is a very healthy return for a player whom I was only ever going to use in an emergency, so overall quite pleased with this deal.
Doumbia was actually quite a good player, and probably would have been good enough to get a game for me, but as I have stated, I only want British and Irish players in my team and, being Malian, he did not fit this requirement and as such I felt it was time for him to leave.
Ward was my 3rd choice left back, had spent the season before on loan and I was unlikely to give him a game. I decided to cash in since sitting in the reserves for a season would only negatively impact his value.
Forde was a bit of a difficult one, as he had the potential to be a useful player for me, but given thought I decided that he was unlikely to be able to make the step up as there were a number of players above him in the pecking order. I am sad to see him go, as he undoubtedly played his part last season, but I decided it was best for him and the club since he wouldn't be getting as much game time for me, and I'm not bothered with players complaining about lack of game time.
There were also a number of players whose contracts expired, most notably George Elokobi, who I would have kept if he had filled the criteria of being British or Irish, or indeed filled the criteria of being good enough.
Now, onto the more exciting news that we have a new arrival at the club, from guess where? Yeah, got it in one, Scotland! Makes a nice change signing someone from there!
Very excited by this signing, although it does now mean that my first team squad has more Scottish players in it than English! But yeah, Tony Watt, as I'm sure you're aware, was at Celtic prior to me, best known for scoring their winner against Barcelona in the Champions League last season. he spent a season on loan in Belgium playing for Lierse to get more game time (and also apparently to keep him away from the Glasgow nightlife). Felt that although the goals were spread throughout my team last year, only Griffiths managed to get double figures, and another striker to help carry the load and also be a proper alternative when Griffiths isn't on form was a must.
My main targets for the rest of the window are a right back, as although Kevin Foley is a decent choice there, I don't have any real cover without disrupting another area of my squad, and Foley isn't the youngest and will soon be past his best, and a goalkeeper to replace Hennessey since Hennessey wants to leave, and I think if I can get a suitable replacement in I will let him. I'm also looking at a central midfielder since this happened...
Davis was likely to be one of my first choice centre mids, so this is disappointing and leaves me lacking proper cover here with Forde leaving (I would have kept Forde had Davis suffered this injury before the transfer offer).
#132344 Canada
oneteaminglasgow