When They Kick At Your Front Door:
A BRIXTON FC Story

YOUTH INTAKE DAY 2021

[Ed. Note: Back in mid-October 2025 IRL my laptop had a total failure of the hard drive. (IRL meaning "In Real Life" not Ireland.) Gone were my save files, notes, html files, and images. I managed to find an old save on the cloud but I've had to restart in March 2021. This means that the Youth Intake Day where I got great midfielders never happened. I'll be slowing updating this site as I get through the months.]

Reasons to be cheerful, part 4

Yeah
One, two strikers here before us
Not what we need now
No one who’s ever gonna lead us
I’m so bummed out now
A DM who knows how to pick pockets
He’ll learn midfield now
A goalie who can punch rockets
I feel better now
Yeah

In this divergent timeline our intake is not that good. No stars of the future. One striker and one goalie might amount to something.

Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 4

1. Gael Barbier: He’s from Brixton. This is great for two reasons. First, having a “local kid” on the team is just good for storytelling. Second, it proves that the game is working. I added Brixton the city to the database when I added Brixton the team. This is ultimate nerd satisfaction, knowing I can effect change in the game.

2. Gael Barbier: He’s half-French. Normally, I don’t get excited about France but the first time I played Football Manager in earnest, FM14 in 2019, my first Youth Intake included a great French defensive midfielder named Lambert Ludovic from Calais. He was the first foreigner Brixton ever signed (I’m not counting players from the British Isles) and it seemed natural that he would come from northwest France.

3. Richard Phillips: He’s yet another Brixton player from the Caribbean. Also, if he can shake his Unambitious personality and improve his Determination, he could be John Burns' back up for a number of years, given his left-footedness and lack of height.

4. Lee Beirne: I’ m not sure he’ll supplant Tasos Noulas as my DMC of the future but he does have some very nice defensive skills.

5. George Bunn: I don’t want none unless I’ve George Bunn. Sorry, Sir Mix-A-Lot. I’m not sure he’s the answer to anything but with him being equally adept with either foot and starting with high Pace, he should be a serviceable back-up for a while. My AssMan thinks he can learn to be a DMC so he’ll be valuable next year while we’ll still have only five subs at our disposal.

6. Only one player has a single-digit Natural Fitness.

7. Only four players have negative Personalities; two are Unambitious, one is Temperamental, and one has Low Determination.

8. Only five players are from London. Our recruitment reach is expanding. Maybe another decade and we’ll be stealing youth from Brazil, Japan, and Australia.

9. A good number of players have several positions so they’ll be ultra-subs for the U18s and eventually U23s. I don’t see them making it to the Seniors though.

10. One of the aforementioned subs right off the bat is considered a “Committed attacking midfielder” because of 15s in Determination, Teamwork, and Work Rate. (His Bravery is 1 so we now know that isn’t a factor in being Committed.)

Player Cards

Gael Barbier, GK
As I’ve mentioned earlier, a Brixtoner, a Frenchman, but also with some good numbers in the Goalkeeping and Mental areas. I’m not exactly thrilled with that 14 Tendency To Punch though. On the other hand, I’m loving the Teamwork. He’ll never make me forget Gareth O’Keeffe but he might make me forget Adrian Lee. He’ll get mentored by Chick Legg as soon as possible.

Richard Phillips, AM L, ST C
Yes, he can be a left-footed Poacher of the future possibly if we get him mentored-up. Macey will get the opportunity to make him a Driven player. Starting with some good Technicals and Physicals is pleasing too but that 2 Bravery is a concern.

Lee Beirne, DM
It’s nice having a player start Natural at DMC. Maybe he’ll be as good as Tasos Noulas, maybe he won’t, but I’m confident he’ll be good enough to be our second-best defensive midfielder for a while. I’m very glad to see a lot of good defensive skills and a lot of high Mentals. Were he only taller he could be a Half Back.

George Bunn, D/M C
Speaking of Half Backs! Georgie here is kind of short for a DC so if he’s still with us when he’s 21 I’ll move him to DMC, where my scouts are confident he’ll be equally adept. Having MC already Accomplished is quite pleasing too as player flexibility is paramount. I like that he’s Either-footed but I don’t like that he likes to Shoot From Distance AND has a Long Shots of only 1. He’ll have to unlearn that.

Kenny Holden, D L, DM, M C
I wish Kenny Holden was gonna be good. I’ve got some Kenny Rogers/The Gambler jokes lined up in case he ever gets in a real match. But that’s not why I’ve highlighted him; it’s because I think he might be one of those players like Kevin Jenkins who flies under the radar on your scouts’ scope but has a lot of good Attributes. His Physicals are very good for a 15 year-old and quite a good number of 12s are nice to see. A 13 Heading?! Crazy. I like how he can be a DMC and DL too.

Youth Candidate Match

Well, that was a debacle for the new youth. Only Lee Beirne performed well, a 6.7, and seven players rated 6.4 or lower. Gael Barbier actually managed a 6.5 despite giving up so many goals.

 Brixton U18s 4:0 Brixton Youth Candidates

I offer contracts to everyone but Gareth Owen and Daniel Acheampong as these guys don’t offer much and/or have no future. The players liked their offers so much that they immediately signed.

Scouting

I send some scouts out to canvas England and Wales but with minimal expectations. I don't have many great needs but it never hurts to look. I'll report back if there are any morsels to steal.

Behind The Curtains

This is a new section where I’ll discuss the how I try to understand how the game engine works. Sometimes it will just be about observations, sometimes I’ll introduce experiments I’m conducting.

Here is an observation, which might not be new to you, but just cropped up so I figured I’ll address it. Players new to your team can have their scouting assessment change after they join, even Youth Candidates. I bring this up because Barbier saw his Potential Ability assessment go up to 4.0. As did Bunn. I believe this means that they are at least League One quality.