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It’s never a good sign when your Captain and Vice Captain both have bad training reports in the same month.
Oh praise Cthulhu! We made almost £71,000 last month, bringing our season total to £156k. I can work with this!
Well isn’t that something… Still untouchable but now only 76% rating. I wonder what caused the drop? The “Matches” sub-section is only at 98%. I doubt I’m being judge on our U18s, who are not the greatest in their group.
As I mentioned in the last update, James Jefcoate is now an influential player.
I offer Nixon that new contract he wanted. He’s gonna be costly but if he gets that Stamina up to a respectful level then he’s going to be well worth it. He’s gonna make £1,300 a week! That’s about $89k a year for us ‘Mericans.
The next victim is Gosport, who are bottom of the league. However, the last time we took on the worst team in the league we won on a last second header by Florence Nightingale so maybe I shouldn’t be all hubris-y.
vs. Gosport, 3 November 2018
Formation: Club (GK, DC r, DC c, DC l, WBR, WBL, MC r, MC c, MC l, ST r, ST l)
Starting XI: Legg, Pilcher, Spearing, Carroll, Maguire, Al-Ziod, Harding, Barlow, Nixon, Macey, Kirkpatrick
Subs: Webb, Parker, Day, Nightingale, Jefcoate, Thompson, McAdam, Pearson, Taylor, Duckett, Thirlwell, Smith
When a match starts and you get to continue watching the pitch instead of the in-between-action info you know you’re in for something. I get to watch the entirety of the 46 seconds it takes for us to score. Macey caps off the action with a short, sharp strike from 8 yards out. The restart action continues and aside from about 30 seconds between the first goal and restart I’ve seen all the action. Yes, first goal. Because on the restart we quickly earn back the ball and Macey gets his brace at 1:43. So the day goes. His hat trick comes at 3:53. SMDH. To get us into double-digits, Marcus “Thriller” Thirlwell gets his first club goal on a penalty shot.
Let’s talk ratings real quick. Macey got a 10.0, which I think is the highest we’ve had in a competitive match. Gosport's right back got a 3.7 and that has to be the lowest I’ve ever seen EVER.
POM: Eddie Macey (5 goals, 1 assist, 3 key passes, 2 chances created)
For the fourth round of the Southern League Cup we get to host Fleet Town, same level as us and in a league we should be in had I set up the database right. D’oh!
One of those things that I’ve always wondered about Football Manager, and really football in general, is when do players get paid. I’ve said to myself, “I’ll look into that sometime” but I’ve never looked into it. But then I found the answer by accident: Around noon on Sunday. I was looking at the Finance screen the day after the Gosport match and hit Continue and the game stayed on the screen when it returned from processing and I saw a large drop. We pay just over £12k in player wages and just under £10k in staff wages per week.
Nixon signs his new contract on Monday, 6 November. I have some trepidation about it as that’s a lot of money. He’s eventually gonna be worthy but for now I’m worried about our bottom line. It’s the 10% yearly raise and 25% raise for winning the league clauses.
More international call-ups for Kemar and McAdam with the former in two matches and the latter in one.
Somehow we are being treated as the favored ones for this FA Cup match, with 4-6 odds.
at Nuneaton, 10 November 2018
Formation: Spade (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, MC r, MC l, AMR, AMC, AML, ST c)
Starting XI: Legg, Maguire, Spearing, Carroll, Al-Ziod, Barlow, Harding, Pearson, Nixon, Duckett, Kirkpatrick
Subs: Webb, Parker, Day, Nightingale, Jefcoate, Smith, Hodgson, Jones, Thompson, Thirlwell, Rae, Macey
Nuneaton gets the first action that leads to their right midfielder collapsing in on our box but a brilliant slide tackle by Carroll ends that notion. A minute later Kemar’s sloppy cross leads to a lot more sloppy crosses but when the goalie punches the ball away it lands right in front of Harding 25 yards out and he sends in a rocket. Brixton up 1-0. Aside from a botched Kemar attempt, that was all the action in the first half.
During the intermission I give the most stirring speech ever given. Histories will recall and analyze for generations. “We have nothing to fear but complacency itself.” Everyone gains focus or gets motivated. Except Kemar, who’s not having the best of games. I give him a personal word on the way out, “You weren’t that bad but I believe you can still improve. I have faith in you.” He looked happy.
But it’s the old Duckett to Pearson connection that gives us the comfort zone at 60’. At 68’ I go to the Diamond and swap out some tired lads. At 75’ the rest of the walking dead come off. My tactical genius pays off within two minutes when Jefcoate launches a cross from way out yonder in the minor key and it finds Thriller’s head and victory is ours.
POM: Noah Harding (1 goal, 1 key pass)
Kevin Parker was injured in the 84th minute with a gashed head, which will keep him out for 8 to 14 days. That’s one hell of a gash!
Sunday, 11 November, Veteran’s Day, marks the end of Macey mentoring Kirkpatrick. The email said Kemar was a little disappointed, which makes absolutely no sense to me as his Determination climbed all the way up to 19 and his Personality is now Driven, just like Eddie. FM18 is drunk again!
Immediately after that was the draw for the FA Cup, we get to host either Doncaster (League 1) or Yeovil (League 2).
Just before the Harrogate match I get notice that Al-Ziod has been called up for international duty for a match on 20 November. Look at little Brixton with the worldly squad!
Can we keep ourselves alive for all the cups? Based on how we pasted them previously I’m confident we can. And I believe we can do this with Kemar on the bench. He at 92% Conditioning and has an international match in two day and I want him wowing the crowds so the name of Brixton rings in everyone’s ears for two countries. (Bugger! Not even 900 tickets sold.)
vs. Harrogate, 13 November 2018
Formation: Spade
Starting XI: Legg, Pilcher, Spearing, Carroll, Jefcoate, McAdam, Smith, Pearson, Taylor, Duckett, Macey
Subs: Webb, Maguire, Day, Nightingale, Al-Ziod, Thompson, Harding, Hodgson, Cullen, Jones, Thirlwell, Kirkpatrick
It takes 16 minutes for the first action shot and it ends in a familiar way: Duckett to Pearson to goal. Our second goal comes from an odd combo: Pilcher to Duckett. He was way over on the touchline half-way into Harrogate territory and crossed it all the way to the far post. This from a guy with a 3 Crossing! Duckett is possessed today! Goal three comes from another Duckett/Pearson combo. Pilcher gets a second assist in the second. Duckett, Macey…I’m sensing a theme here.
Pilcher does screw up though and his poor first touch leads to a Harrogate goal. There is no excuse for the second goal. All of a sudden we can’t win headers. But newly-arrived, newly-subbed Thirlwell restores balance to the Force and gives us a four-goal lead again.
(NB: After the match I noticed that the first goal was credited as an own goal. I don’t believe it. Looked like a rocket by Pearson. FM18 is drunk again!)
POM: Paul Taylor (1 goal, 1 assist, 4 key passes, 2 chances created)
Yep, those two goals were evidently Chick’s fault; he rocked a 6.3 rating. We won so I don’t think an official warning is in order, that and I chastised him in the locker room and he responded appropriately.
We made £5,300 from the match.
Contract and cup draw time!
We get to travel to some weird placed called Ossett Albion in the FA Trophy Fifth Round. This causes a match versus Totton to get pushed back to Boxing Day. Now we’re growing up just like we’re a real English football club.
On the same day Paul Taylor turns 17 I offer him a contract. He has League One potential so this is a no-brainer. He only asks for £325 per week but he really deserves more. I offer £500 until 2020 plus a 1-year club option. He immediately accepts and I tie a bow on the matter.
The next day is Terry Barlow’s 17th birthday. He too is League One potential talent so he’s getting a contract too. I offer him the same contract as Taylor but he doesn’t accept it immediately.
Kirkpatrick did not score a goal in his international appearance but he did rate a 7.7.
Let’s keep with the cup momentum and send Droylsden home with a more open fixture list. If things go right, one of our youth candidates may get his Senior debut at DL. If I’m being honest, I’m a little worried I made too many changes to the starting lineup.
vs. Droylsden, 17 November 2018
Formation: Club (GK, DC r, DC c, DC l, WBR, WBL, MC r, MC c, MC l, ST r, ST l)
Starting XI: Webb, Nightingale, Day, Smith, Maguire, Jefcoate, Donaldson, Cullen, Thompson, Thirlwell, Rae
Subs: Legg, Pilcher, Spearing, Carroll, Rice, Barlow, Harding, Hodgson, Taylor, Jones, Macey, Nixon
With a Rae header off a Thompson corner at 2:46 my worries fade away. Fully confirmed 35 minutes later with Rae getting his brace. I bring on Rice at 55’ as Jefcoate’s a little tired and Rice needs some WBL time. No hat trick for Rae but he did get POM.
POM: Alex Rae (2 goals, 1 assist, 5 key passes, 2 chances created)
Another day, another draw. This time the FA Vase Fifth Round, which sees us traveling to Darlington in the Conference National North, 15 spots below Harrogate on that table.
McAdam and Kirkpatrick were merely okay in their matches on 19 November, each getting a 6.5. Kemar is Jaded after the match and he’ll probably return to us and get some time off.
The next day sees the mentoring of Thirlwell by Macey commence. I’ll be floored if Thriller’s Determination goes all the way up to 19 (from 4) and his personality makes it to Driven. That would be epic.
And then Pearson comes into my office, hat in hand, asking for a new contract. He’s under contract until 2020 so I kindly tell him no and he admits he’ll have to wait. He’s already League One quality and I’m afraid of how much he will ask.
This match is against Pilcher’s old team, Bristol Mother Fucker. What? Oh… Bristol Manor Farm. Of course he gets a start to show them what they missed.
at Bristol Manor Farm, 20 November 2018
Formation: Club
Starting XI: Legg, Pilcher, Spearing, Carroll, Maguire, Jefcoate, Harding, Barlow, Nixon, Taylor, Macey
Subs: Webb, Parker, Day, Nightingale, Rice, Smith, Pearson, Jones, Thompson, Thirlwell, Rae, Donaldson
Because my tall strikers are tired or unavailable I immediately switch Macey from Target Man to Defensive Forward as that is his best role. Luckily he scores before 10 minutes is up with the assist coming from Paul Taylor. The MFers are pretty good at dispossessing our troops but we generally recover them quickly. Courtesy of a GK with small hands Taylor scores at 23’ with a close-in shot. (I check, his handling is 9. Hahaha his name is Scott Lamb, the best DM ever who ran a campaign I played in.) Nixon was getting jealous so he decided to get his shots on target and takes us up three.
We get a scare in the 51st when an MF free kick ping-pongs around the big box before dinging off the crossbar. Macey picks up a knock 5 minutes later so off he comes for Thriller. They continue to be a threat until in the 70th when one of their midfielders does the lunging, two-footed slide on Donaldson from behind and gets a red.
POM: Noah Harding (1 assist, 5 key passes, 3 chances created)
That is Noah’s fourth POM. Wasn’t I saying something about how he was the best signing ever?
Not to be out done by his teammates, The Jordanian Prince also rocks a 6.5 rating in 76 minutes of field time. :-\
Barlow signs his contract ensuring he’ll be with us until 2021, if I activate the option year.
This should be an interesting game with gale-force winds and a downpour. Maybe I’ll have to switch things up and just go Route One. We’re going with a lot of rotation today as there are many tired bodies.
vs. Bideford, 24 November 2018
Formation: Club
Starting XI: Legg, Pilcher, Spearing, Carroll, Parker, Jefcoate, Thompson, Cullen, Donaldson, Thirlwell, Rae
Subs: Webb, Smith, Day, Nightingale, Maguire, Rice, Harding, Barlow, Nixon, Taylor, Macey, Jones
Luster isn’t the only thing the first half was lacking, it was devoid of action and on-target shots. Until just after 45’ when Rae scores off a Parker cross. But there was still enough time left for a Cullen corner that Spearing connected with perfectly and I have to ditch my plans for a brutal chastising. After the restart we do get another goal when Thriller sinks a penalty shot following a foul against Thompson during a free kick.
POM: Teddy Cullen (1 assist, 3 key passes, 1 chance created)
Huzzah! The Brexit final-say is in and nothing in the football world will be affected.
Cirencester is fourth in the league so they should present-hahahaha I can’t even finish that lie.
at Cirencester, 27 November 2018
Formation: Spade (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, MC r, MC l, AMR, AMC, AML, ST c)
Starting XI: Legg, Maguire, Spearing, Carroll, Al-Ziod, Barlow, Harding, Pearson, Nixon, Duckett, Kirkpatrick
Subs: Webb, Parker, Day, Nightingale, Jefcoate, Smith, Hodgson, Jones, Cullen, Taylor, Macey, McAdam
It takes 14 minutes but we finally get a chance because Nixon was fouled in the box chasing a Duckett cross; Nixon does not miss. I can’t believe the number of penalty shots we’ve been given this year. We win but the performance was a big lump of meh, especially Kirkpatrick who manager a paltry 6.4. Many of the subs were garbage too.
POM: Mark Nixon (1 goal, 1 assist, 5 key passes, 3 chances created)
I give Kemar a talking to and he admitted he sucked. Hopefully he improves next match. I kept him in the whole match so I might not actually play him in the next one if he is too tired.
Well our run continues and things haven’t really been that close. We signed what appears to be a steal in Marcus "Thriller" Thirlwell. If his mentoring goes as planned I’ll be much pleased. A couple players got better contracts, which they fully deserved. Three of the lads got some more international time but none of them shined. My only concern is Kemar Kirkpatrick has seemingly lost the plot. I sure hope he turns that around.
