Season Update

mines nearly as bad as yours :]]

 

When I was Watford manager Ellington was king of the disallowed goal. 8 times out of 10 offside and 2 times out of 10 fouling somebody.

 

Just begun the 2nd season after a highly dissapointing, frustrating 1st season in which i failed to make the play-offs finishing 10th dismay. So farking inconsistent, never won more than 3 games on the trot and we continually churned out some sh*te results.

Somewhat of a revamp of the squad took place during the summer and it better produce promotion or i'm off, wheather i'm sacked or wheather i resign remains to be seen. I did contemplate quitting during the first season and apply lower down the divisions, however i opted to stick it out with Watford for a while yet.

Suprise suprise the first 3 league games of the 2nd season gave me W1 D1 L1

 

Finished 3rd season

Won

Lge
Lge cup
Uefa cup
Fa cup

V happy!

 

now managing brighton and needing to only win my last match for automatic promotion i naturally went ahead and lost it but never fear the mighty seagulls still went up via the playoffs along with wycombe bury and millwall we must take on division 1.

with our bank balance in the red i was granted no transfer funds and even told to cut back on the wage bill in preparation for jumping up a league. tho i payed for no new players i still am 7 grand over my wage budget

all my transfer dealings are listed below but i thought i had a strong enough side injuries permitting to stay up and the bookies even tipped me as an outside chance of promotion

i had to get some money in the bank so a lot of friendlys were in order especially as we had just moved to a new 22,374 seater stadium.
we played chelsea, man utd and liverpool reserves. bradford, coventry,leverkuson, cardiff, feyenoord and of course the mighty watford

with the bank balance at a healthy 4 million the season begun. 1 win 1 draw 1 loss so far in the league and out of the league cup to qpr but i dont mind being out of the cup as with a small squad it just would have put a strain on the side thats already looking weaker after losing hanson for up to 2 months and ekersley for another 2 weeks. hopefully we'll have better luck injury wise with the rest of the squad

come on the seagulls!

 

The inconsistency continues so i got annoyed and loaded up my Wycombe game which i started on the demo. At the end of the demo i was sitting in 9th, automatic promotion was still a definate possiblity and play-offs at the very least should have been achieved. We began to peak and perhaps it was a little too early, 6 straight wins sent the chairboys 5th and just a point off the automatic places with around 10 games to go. Then it all went disastrously wrong with just 4 points from 7 games leaving me 9th and 8 points off the play-offs with just 3 games remaining. Some really sh*te results against sides down at the bottom have cost me big time.

Here's my squad, the league table and transfer dealings.

Transfers

Squad

League Table


The large amount of loanees from Reading is down to the fact they're my parent club. The free transfers of Jody Morris and Nathan Jarman were two excellent pieces of buisness whilst i hope Carl Cort will be a force to be reckoned with next season.

 

Well with 4 games to go with Ilkeston Town I sit four points clear of Nuneaton Borough in the Blue Square South (Conference South to you and I). It's been a ding dong battle between myself and Nuneaton, we're both loads of points clear of the rest of the table and have been matching each other blow for blow since the Xmas fixtures. However Nuneaton lost at Kings Lynn 3-2 and then we went to Nuneaton and drew 2-2 thus strengthing our hold on the league. We also got to the Semis of the FA Trophy and 5th Round of the Setanta Shield (with a reserve team out).

Two of my strikers - Colin Marrison (signed from Hinkley the season before) and Donavan Simmonds (on loan from Coventry) have bagged over 40 goals each. That's the first time that's ever happened to me on CM or FM. The good thing about the Blue Square South is that you can have loads of loans. I've got about 7 people on loan, all of which are youngsters from league clubs based in the area around Ilkeston - there's a tip in that for potential lower league managers . This has made one hell of a difference.

Despite this my job is currently only 'Stable' and the board are only 'Statisfied', even though in the 3 year plan they expect me to just keep Ilkeston in the league. The only thing they could be unhappy with is maybe me being about £200 over my wage budget. Ungrateful sods. I'm thinking if I do go up I might just leave for pastures new, if they're going to be like that about it.

 

I've found the boards on FM08 to be fairly hard taskmasters, although that may be something to do with my lack of achievement. :doom:

 

I have now left Ilkeston Town after taking them to Blue Square North glory. I fell out with the board, as expected they gave me barely any credit for winning the league. I've now gone to Serie B side Pescara with a brief to keep them in Serie B for at least 2 seasons. This is the first time in ages I've managed in Italy (probably not since the CM days), but I didn't get any decent offers in England.

I'm happy and sad to see Ilkeston really struggling in the Blue Square Prem this season.

Ciao.

 

As the national manager of Italia, I have beaten France and Ukraine. I have Scotland to come...

 

after keeping brighton in division one i expected the board to back me but no again they gave me no transfer funds and a 2k increase on my budget

i have decided stuff this and have gone out and signed the best players that would come to me on free transfers, including a certain mister darius henderson, and am just gunna go for it. 30k over my budget we will either crash and burn or get promoted and all will be well it remains to be seen which

my transfers this yeat and also my current squad below you will see ive got some quality players considering im in division one so lets see how it goes

come on you seagulls!

 

Well now. The St Albans City board gave me a three year plan culminating in surviving in the mighty Blue Square Premier. In my first season I leave the doldrums of the Blue Square South via the Playoffs, several shrewd loan signings later I'm finishing 14th in the top tier in my second season.

However, a horrendous lack of form at the end of my third leaves me one place off relegation come the end of the season.

Incidentally, in the last game I had a far superior goal difference to the team below me, the mighty Hinkley, 'easy' I thought. I go 1-0 up, while they go 1-0 down. 'Easy' I thought.

Somehow I end up 4-1 down with ten minutes left, and they are 4-1 up at the same time. They miss a penalty, and I stay up on goals scored.

The board, already unhappy with me as I applied for another job, don't like me and are unhappy that I only just survived. However, on the last day of my contract, despite bieng told I wouldn't get a new one, I am offered one, and I accept. Now, however, I have finished my pre-season, and, despite winning every game bar a 0-0 draw against parent club QPR, amd disillusioned at Clarence Park. A move may beckon...

It's amazing how much you can write about a game when you start flowing.

 

Things aren't looking great at Wycombe, currently lumbering in mid-table at the end of January 10 points off the play-off spots despite the board wanting promotion. My contract is up at the end of the season and i really wouldn't be suprised if i found myself out of a job come the summer. If this is the case i'll lay the blame at the feet of my players who persistently underperformed and are a horribly inconsistent side. Such is life that Sheku Kamara, Matt Jansen, John Sutton and Mawete Junior are now languishing in the reserves more than they feature in the first team.

A good cup run to the 3rd round of the FA Cup where i was thumped 4-0 at home by Bolton pleased the board, but little else has with early exits in the league cup and paint trophy. Supporters are satisfied although apparently my dealings in the transfer market could be better, which i guess is fair comment.

2nd Season Transfers

2nd Season League Tabe (15th Feb)

Current Squad

It'll take something special to go up from my current position although a winning streak would put me in contention although that's very wishful thinking

 

Has anybody seen the bit on your personal manager information screen where it gives a value of how much you've earnt during your entire career? I like that. So far into my fourth season I've earnt just over £300K. My wage at Watford for a couple of seasons helped that. Whilst at Ilkeston I was on about £160 a week and now at Pescara I'm back to a more respectable £1,500 a week. Not as much as Watford, but enough to support my children and my beautiful wife! (Now I'm dreaming).

 

Haven't seen that yet, but will have a look for it when I get back to some FM.

 

Haven't seen that Stu on either save game, perhaps you have to have managed at more than one club for it to appear ?

The current Wycombe chairman wants out and it appears a director seems set to step into his shoes, i'm dissapointed as when i saw the news item saying chairman wants to go i was praying for a big bucks (pun intended:]]) consortium to take over. Of course that could mean me getting replaced but it's a risk i'd be happy to take.

 

You have to look at the bottom of the details. It's the last thing. If I've time later after Soccer training and can be bothered, I'll try to post a screenshot.

 

Am i the only one who got bored of this version really quickly?

Although saying that, i usually play the game to the extreme in the first few weeks and then have a long break. Give it a few weeks and i'll be right back into it i think.

 

The fact i've been doing pretty pants on both games i've started is probably the reason i haven't got bored.

 

Sounds like a good description of me that.

 

Observe my screeny of where my total earning so far are. To find it, click on manager history down the left hand list of options, then click the sub option of 'Information'. Total earnings can be found at the bottom of the manager statistics list. My earning are currently £300,000.

Just for a laugh here's the current Watford squad in 2010/2011, they're sitting 1st in the Championship. Nigel Gibbs is the manager, I brought him in as my assistant way back, and he replaced me when I left.

 

Ive just looked at it!

Ive earnt 2.2 Mill!! :]]

 

Ah in the history bit on your profile, i'll have a look later.

 

ive so far earned 875k and im in 2011

managed watford, fulham and currently,and for the longest period of time, brighton so not bad considering

 

After finishing a woedul 18th with Wycombe my contract was not extended and thus i was out of a job in the summer, after pointlessly re-applying for the Wycombe job (i always do that:]]) i applied at newly promoted to the Conf. North Witton Albion.

I was offered the job and the board put their faith in me with a 3 yr deal and i had just 4 non "yth" players in the squad and a transfer budget of predictably 0K and a paltry at best wage budget of 2.1k per week for the whole squad. 16 free signings later and we had a squad along with 5 loan signings from Crewe as they're my parent club so i'm reeping the benefits of their excellent youth system.

The board wanted a safe mid-table postion in conference north at the end of the 4 year plan AND at the end of the first season whilst the media predicted i'd finish 15th. A little optimistic i thought given the state of the squad. However it's certainly looking possible after a barnstorming start to the league campaign with 5 wins out of 5, Albion sit proudly and unexpectedly at the top of the league after wins over Hednesford, Hyde Utd, Gainsborough, Tamworth and Altrincham.

I'm trying not to get carried away with thoughts of promotion but it's looking good :]]

Up the Albion !

 

Theo is a god on this game. I do hope you didn't scout him when at Ilkeston Stuart

 

Ok finished my first season in charge of Watford and got automatic promotion finishing 2nd behind Sheff Utd by 3 points.

The Duke was top scorer with 27 goals with the King on 25 goals.

 

Can you get a screen shot of your team.

 

Yep next time I play it I will take a screenshot.

 

Here's the screenshot you wanted to see

 

Just startes a new game as BLYTH SPARTANS.

They are utter shyte, with no good players and no money. Juat had a friendly against Ikeston town , and lost 1-0

 

well im bloody delighted after being predicted to finish 10th the seagulls have gained a second succesive promotion :]]

finishing 3rd meant we would have to win the play-offs i was hoping for auto promotion but luton would have had to beat ipswich for it to happen and in the end they succumbed to a 2-1 loss.

a 1-1- draw away in the first leg of the semi's against barnet gave us a good chance and we won the home leg 2-1 to set up a clash at wembley against peterborough.

having beaten them twice already this season i was confident. i would have been more confident had my first choice keeper not been away on international duty with the england under 19 squad leaving my second choice keeper to play his first game of the season talk about throwing him in at the deep end. This confidence took another knock when we conceded first and after only 47 seconds. a change of tactics was in order back to the 4-4-2 i perfected at watford and goals from chris craig on loan from boro and darren potter meant we were leading at half time. all we had to do was hold on but that had never been our style and up popped potter in the 63rd minute to seal the game. they got a consolation goal in the 87th minute and the last few minutes were tense especially with 4 minutes of added time but we held on and now the seagulls are set for the championship.

all in all im glad my risk paid off i signed a lot of players who were far too good for this league and it showed on both my bank budget and my league performances. even being 22k over my wage budget couldnt stop us and we even still made a 1 million pound profit this season god knows how but i shant argue.

alot of records were broken this season most notably was rowan vine scoring a massive 44 goals in 52 appearances with 39 of those goals coming in the league but this was still not enough to score him the top goalscoreer award for the league

another big one was gregori with a massive 24 assists in his 55 appearances not too bad at all

pics of my final squad and the league table below

 

a +50 goal difference, and scoring 109 goals. impressive!

 

thanks im hoping we will do alright in the champ though my chairman has just sold karacan my best centre miud for 1.5 million and then givn me a transfer budget of 250k to strengthen then quad overall and to replace him

 

I started yet another new game with Watford again determined to take them up. Anyway same old story, started the first season well then faded, just managed to get into the playoffs then knocked out at the Semi stage (this has happened everytime for me so far in 3 games as Watford manager).

Surprisingly I started the second season rather well, however, the last five games I have drawn 1-1 which is odd, what is even odder is that in every game I have taken the lead in the first 10 minutes, only for the opposition to equalise early in the second half. This has happened 5 times in a row. Methinks the game has the same old Footy Manager floors. I wish I'd taken that job as a tester now, I would have shown them how unrealistic it can be at times.