Data Update Poll!
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#461359 From Wollongong to where? An Australian takes on the world.
benglish
Yeah, i'm hoping not to hang around in scotland for too long matt, I definitely want to go somewhere more exotic before returning to Europe. Skin's just ^there^ for ya
Thanks Looch, hopefully it'll be a long and successful story
Anyway, on to the pre season...
After a few hours of tedious tactical exploration and experimentation, i've decided to go with... drum roll....
The exotic 4-4-2. What else. Since we're clearly a way behind the other teams in our division, we'll be playing a very defence minded, counterattacking style. No tiki-taka over here in Coatbridge. Now it's time to go over the signings that have been made. I think i've gotten some real good business done, but maybe not enough of it. We just don't have the wages to be able to afford anyone near the quality of the other teams in our division. One of the strikers for Clyde even has 13 finishing! Imagine that!
So, who did we bring in? Only four, but in all the positions we needed.
Mikey Hopkins comes in as another option for our midfield that was previously lacking in depth. 5 passing is a concern for a midfielder but he has some potential. He's not first choice, or even second, but hopefully he'll do enough when called upon.
Aaron Bradbury will most likely be our first choice left midfielder this season. He's not exactly a world beater but he's better than nobody (which is what we had previously) and is on a cheap 55 pounds a week.
The wonderfully named Kevin Dzierzawski will definitely be our first-choice centre-mid this season. I'm not sure why he wants to come to Albion Rovers, but somehow he accepted the contract offer and i'm certainly not complaining. Decent bit of business here.
Finally, we have Sam Dryden. This guy was an absolute steal. 80 pounds a week????? Am I reading that correctly? He's easily our best defender. Hopefully he can produce solid performances at right and centre back this season, since we'll certainly need everything he has to offer. Welcome Sam!
Pre-Season matches
Surprisingly, i'd actually call our pre-season decent! Sure, we lost 4 but we won two (despite one being a morale booster against a bunch of kids) and didn't perform shockingly in most of our losses.
I'm not going to put up screenshots of every match since it's just pre-season, but i'll run through them briefly. The loss to Sheffield United was expected, but the gap in quality was made obvious as they scored 4 times in the first 15 minutes. However, we seemed to regain some sense of composure after a dreadful start and only conceded one more for the rest of the game.
I wasn't expecting anything from the Betfred Cup, and i'm quite happy not to have finished bottom of our group.
We kicked off with a 1-0 loss to Airdrieonians, who play in the division above us. We actually bested them in terms of possession and shots, however we just couldn't make the chances count. A good performance in most aspects. We then suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Ayr, and there is really nothing to take from this game. We were dominated completely by the Ladbrokes Championship side and it's a wonder we didn't lose by more. Then came our one win, against Berwick. Berwick are predicted to finish 5th in our division, so it was great to see us manage to scrape out a win (although admittedly we were more than a bit lucky). Finally, we faced Stranraer from the division above and put in a spirited performance despite losing 1-2. A decent cup campaign overall, with some promising signs shown.
Finally, I found the smallest team I could and scheduled a friendly to boost morale before the start of the season. This poor team was the mighty Fife Elite, and we performed well, putting 5 past them. Conceding two is certainly a worry however, both long balls over the defence for their 3 finishing 4 long shots striker to smash home from outside the box both times (this game sometimes, I swear).
Promising signs, but it's certainly going to be a struggle this season. I'm going to be travelling for the next two days (gotta love Australian distances) so don't expect anything until monday-tuesdayish. I'll be back with a few games played then. Up the Rovers!
#461190 From Wollongong to where? An Australian takes on the world.
benglish
So here we are. The glorious 4th tier of Scottish football, home to teams such as Cowdenbeath, Queen's Park, and of course our very own Albion Rovers. Let's get stuck in.
At this stage we are predicted to finish dead last. With the squad we have here, that sure seems a fair prediction - there is lots of work to be done. Anyway, here it is:
Key Players
Gary Fisher
Bryan Wharton
The problem is, that's about it. Looks like some recruitment really needs to be done. As for finances, we are in the black with 18k in the bank.
As for board expectations, in the league all they want is for us to avoid relegation. It's looking like that could be quite the task. In the upcoming Betfred cup, and in the IRN-BRU cup, the only request is for us to "Be Competitive", whatever that means. We are also expected to reach the third round of the Scottish Cup. Our training and youth facilities are both 1.5 stars, described as below average. As for our stadium, we will be playing in the 1,572 capacity Reigart Stadium in Coatbridge.
Not the worst start.
Lots of work to do, but we have an alright foundation to get started on. Next up, a pre-season review.
#461025 From Wollongong to where? An Australian takes on the world.
benglish
Welcome to the world of my alter ego, Benny English. Born in Wollongong, Australia in 1993, he is a man with big ambitions. After high school, he flitted from job to job, unsure of what direction life was taking him in. The only thing staying consistent in his life is his love of the beautiful game.
The month was June 2018. Benny sat down at his laptop, opened up chrome, and started searching. Putting out his disappointingly bare resume to all those who would accept it. No qualifications, no footballing experience. All he had was a dream and the small amount of money in his pocket. After weeks of no response, finally he got an email back. And this is where the story begins.
#404330 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
Not a bad month, not a great month. It was basically what I was expecting from us - except with different results against different teams. 4 games this month, let's jump in.
Toulouse FC 2-1 EAG
A good result, comfortably outclassing EAG in most aspects, 2 quick goals in the first half gave us the lead, before they pulled one back near the end mainly due to me fiddling with tactics (bad idea). Still, the result I was looking for and continued our unbeaten run.
Stade Rennais FC 3-1 Toulouse FC
Really disappointing, I would almost say unlucky. We took the lead in the 57th minute through a nice strike from close range from Jimmy Durmaz, but then for some stupid reason Jullien decided to concede TWO penalties within ten minutes. After that we completely let go of the game and they scored one late from a deflection from a corner to rub it in. Unbeaten streak over, and was hoping for a better result.
FC Toulouse 1-0 OM
A good way to turn around from the Rennais result - beating OM! A decent performance, we had the possession (just) and OM had the shots (just) but we just scraped through when Andy Delort confidently converted a penalty into the bottom right in the 85th minute. Good result, I tried a 4-2-3-1 for the first half of the game then defaulted back to the 4-1-2-3 for the second half which seemed to work better. Good result.
PSG 3-0 Toulouse FC
I was expecting nothing from this game due to PSG consistently beating every other team in the league 4-0 or 5-0, but we performed surprisingly well until we had a man sent off. Despite the Neymar goal, before the 71st minute we were actually playing quite well, keeping the majority of the possession and having a few chances, although once we had 10 men we collapsed and let two more goals in. Overall not anything less than I expected, no upsets here.
OTHER NEWS:
Corentin Jean went out on loan (he just wasn't playing), we drew LOSC in the Coupe de la Ligue, my job security is untouchable, and I got a new contract!
LADDER:
PLAYER OF THE MONTH:
The only real standout (imho) was our goalkeeper -
Alban Lafont
Some solid performances - he really saved us in the OM game, coming up with some spectacular saves and, despite the score, played very well in the PSG game.
Overall, a decent month. Hopefully next month we can continue to cement our position near the top of the table! Until then, happy reading!
#404310 [FM18] We're Not Famous Anymore!
benglish
#404301 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
A French football magazine's article on our new midfielder
#404169 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
Yeah I couldn't be happier, wasn't expecting much going into the game but it turned out really well!
#404164 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
Our great form continues into this month with 5 games, 1 draw and four wins! We haven't lost for 10 games now, which is amazing. Onto the fixtures:
Toulouse FC 2-2 Olympique Lyonnais
I would have been even happier with this result if we hadn't let go of a 2-0 lead. Andy Delort (who had recently complained about lack of first team football) kicked it off, and Max Gradel scored again moderately early into the first half. Unfortunately Lyon came back with two goals and our defence just couldn't do anything. We still managed to dominate possession and shots, but overall I am happy with the result against a team such as Lyon who were 2nd at the time.
AS Monaco 1-2 Toulouse FC
What a win! We managed to beat Monaco, an achievement for us considering the quality of the two squads. We scored early before they equalised, but Jimmy Durmaz scored in the last minutes of the game for an emphatic win. Andy Delort scored his second goal of the month for us. Gradel played well picking up the POM award. Overall a good win which saw us move up the table nicely.
FC Toulouse 2-1 Girondins de Bordeaux
We just can't have a boring game can we?! We scored in the first - and last - minutes of the game. It wasn't the most convincing performance from us despite the stats. We consistently missed good chances and hit the bar twice from close range. It took a dramatic last minute penalty for us to come home winners in this game, Andy Delort converting yet another one for his third of the month. Somalia, who I was playing to rest Max Gradel, also scored his second goal of the season. He has scored on both of his starts so maybe I should consider him more for future matches.
FC Toulouse 1-0 ESTAC Troyes
For our first game in the Coupe de la Ligue we faced a fellow Ligue 1 team, ESTAC Troyes. We came into the game as clear favourites but played a less than convincing game. This was our worst performance of all, the stats showing our dominance in possession and shots (once again) but we couldn't convert anything! It took an own goal for us to win, not a great performance but we are through to the 4th round of this cup.
Montpellier HSC 0-3 Toulouse FC
Our last game of the month was a much more convincing 3-0 win although until the 79th minute it was looking like it could be another 1-0. Overall a great game for Andy Delort, whose last goal was a great finish from outside the box into the bottom right corner. Convincing and thorough in all aspects, very happy with the win although we shouldn't have been expecting anything less from the bottom of the table side.
OTHER NEWS:
We broke the club's unbeaten streak, which was previously 6 (seriously?) and we are still improving it - up to 10 at the moment. Somalia also broke the record for the quickest goal scored for our club at just 24 seconds into the Bordeaux game. Andy Delort is currently on 6 goals for the side, having scored no less than 5 this month. I am happy with the team's performance so far with us seeming in contention for European spots, although it is still very early in the season.
LADDER:
PLAYER OF THE MONTH:
It should be no surprise this month,
Andy Delort
With 5 goals in 5 games this month he is in great form, I can't believe I hadn't been playing him enough earlier. A good month from him.
Next month sees us face PSG for the first time in the 4th of our four games, until then, happy reading!
#403958 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
#403954 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
This month was a massive improvement on the last one. We had two draws and two wins from our four games played, although admittedly none of them were against one of the big, heavily invested-in sides - that challenge comes next month when we face both OL and AS Monaco...
Anyway, onto this month's fixtures:
FC Nantes 1-1 Toulouse FC
An interesting game.... Jimmy Durmaz getting sent off right after me praising him so much. Later in the game Nantes lost a man and we dominated the game when numbers were even.
Dijon FCO 1-1 Toulouse FC
Another 1-1. An extremely even game against a team of generally equal stature. 50% Possession each and similar stats in most areas. Max Gradel with the goal - a stunning free kick from the top right corner of the box, into the top left corner of the goal. Not too bad, not anything groundbreaking from anyone.
Toulouse FC 2-0 Amiens SC
Finally another win! This was a dominant performance - 15 shots to their two. Max Gradel scored both goals proving once more he is the best player on the team. I will definitely have to find a good replacement when his loan ends at the end of this season. A good performance all round, very happy if we continue to play like this.
Toulouse FC 3-2 Stade Malherbe Caen
What a game! We score two goals, they bring it back to 2-2, and then Thomasson scores a worldie from outside the box - a first time volley into the top right corner - in the 89th minute! Thomasson had a great game in general, and the rest of the team impressed as well. A good result considering Caen were 4th on the ladder when we faced them. A good way to end off the month and ensure morale is high to head into the games against Lyon and Monaco.
OTHER NEWS:
We drew ESTAC Troyes in the cup, another Ligue 1 side. Not a great draw considering there were plenty of Ligue 2 sides in the mix but not everything can go your way.
The board are very happy as is to be expected considering they thought we would end up in a relegation battle, which doesn't look insanely likely at the moment. We are also on a 5 game unbeaten streak at the moment, which is nice although I have a strong feeling it will end next month...
LADDER:
PLAYER OF THE MONTH:
This month it goes to....
Max Gradel
It was a tough one between him and Thomasson who had been putting in great performances in the midfield, but his clinical finishing and the fact that we would have lost some games without him got him the win this month.
Next month our first real tests - OL and Monaco, straight after one another. If we win one i'll be very happy. Anyway, until then, happy reading!
PS: Took your advice with the title, thanks guys! Can't believe I missed it myself.
#403937 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
Going with a 4-1-2-3 wide to suit our players, and adopting a short passing, high tempo style.
The friendlies were pretty positive, although not as dominant as I would have hoped them to be.
Time for the season to start!
The season starts
Toulouse 1-1 RC Strasbourg Alsace
Alsace had just been promoted, so I was hoping for a win. Unfortunately it didn't come. It was a pretty bad performance from us with too many yellow cards and not enough possession. Andy Delort scored with a header which bounced off the post and in after a beautiful cross from Jimmy Durmaz, and they equalised on the counter and scored a placed shot into the bottom right. Hopefully we can improve in the next game.
Toulouse 1-2 LOSC
Not the best result again, LOSC had a small advantage according to the press going into the game and it showed. It was a better performance overall than last time, but we still need to work on the fouls count and the possession.
Toulouse 1-0 Metz
A very good performance compared to the last two games, against a side weaker than us. This time our advantage showed and we dominated the game with Jimmy Durmaz scoring his second goal of the season from close range after dribbling past two opposition defenders. Let's keep playing this way, please!
END OF THE MONTH
Overall a mixed month with our first three games in the league, with our play improving as the games went on. Hopefully we can find our form and continue to win some more games.
LADDER:
MY PLAYER OF THE MONTH:
Jimmy Durmaz. 2 goals and 3 great performances to start the season off. Always dangerous down the left flank with his expert dribbling and crossing.
#403935 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
IN:
Adrien Thomasson
Thomasson was our one and only first team signing this window, signed for 4.5 million. (He is declining due to having being injured recently, he'll be back on the rise soon). We needed more quality in central midfield with only 3 players above 3 star ability (one of which was going to be in a DM position anyway) could play there, and he comes in with still some potential to be reached. A first teamer.
Quentin Boisgard
A youngster with some potential. As you can see he went out on loan straight away to get some first team football. One for the future. This transfer was arranged before I arrived.
OUT:
No players left the club properly, but there were some loans.
Quentin Boisgard to Creteil Lusitanos
Clement Michelin to Nimes Olimpique
That wraps up the transfers, a quiet window with only four moves overall.
#403934 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
Starting out, the board want me to avoid automatic relegation. Pretty simple task considering we are predicted to finish 9th in the league this season - so the board will be happy unless something goes disastrously wrong.
Let's have a look at some of the best players in my squad.
Max Gradel
The best player at the club, on loan from Bournemouth. Great dribbling, technique, and very fast. With 4 and a half star ability he will be one of our key men.
Giannelli Imbula
Another loanee, this time from Stoke. Great technique, dribbling and first touch, an all round great player with no real weaknesses apart from corners and his leadership.
Andy Delort
Most likely our main striker for the season, would prefer him to be able to play as more of a false nine for the tactic I have in mind. Brave, lots of stamina, good finishing, he has pretty much all the thing a solid striker needs. 3 and a half star ability is decent.
Jimmy Durmaz
Our best option on the left wing, good crosser, dribbler, pretty fast, and a good free kick taker too. Solid player, although he has reached his potential already at the age of 27.
That wraps up our key players for the season ahead: time to see how we fared in the transfer window.
#403931 It's time Tou... Louse?
benglish
The Beginning!
Welcome to my Toulouse story - my first . I am doing it on FM17 simply due to personal opinion of FM18 not being as good in the BETA state. The long term goals for this save are to eventually overcome PSG/OL/OM/Monaco and become the main French powerhouse of football, and also to win the champions league, eventually.
I have the latest transfers database, as well as the DF11 Player Faces Megapack and some kits and logos.
Let's jump right in!