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Another short month is ahead of us and then we'll be done with the matches. During the times between the matches I'll have to think long and hard about who to keep and who to let go.
Oh praise be to Cthulhu! Finally getting things right again. Noel's improvements include 11 green arrows and single-point gains in Anticipation, Composure, Decisions, and Off The Ball.
But wait! What's with all these red arrows?!
Not as bad a loss as usual, just £147,507.
The win of the Manager of the Month award is a given. So is my approval rating of 96%, up a point.
On March 7 David Caffrey moves up to the Influential layer. I'm liking this. Not liking the Dressing Room Atmosphere. Is it because of Mark Marshall's lingering discontent?
Youth players are continuing to improve. I'm fortunate to have great facilities and very good coaches.
I can't remember if I've ever pointed this out but once your youth intakes sign, your scouts reassess their initial assessments. A lot of ours have dropped below one yellow star, going into the light blues. Something else I noticed? That GK from the intake is only 176cm tall. Reminds me of me in my youth soccer days. Why'd my coaches make the shortest kid the goalie?
Despite supposedly being maxed out, Chick Legg continues to see attribute improvements. This month it's One On Ones, Throwing, and Leadership that jumped a point.
Speaking of Chick...his mentoring of Niall Crook is paying off already as the mentee's Determination has gone from 16 to 17.
On the assessment front, my AssMan now assess that Desmond Brizan is a "Good player for most League One sides." He's been a great find.
Raymond Devlin has recovered his Pace to 10.6 so it's showing up as 11. This was part of his recovery from the drops back in January. Now to get Corners back up to 13.8.
Yeah, that's about it on the established players. Not a lot of matches to give people the experience they need?
The Checkatrade Trophy Final is at Wembley and the media is projecting a crowd of 31,000 fans but all I heard was the cash registers.
This pre-match hype includes a press conference, of course. Lordy, eleven questions. Three questions were about the opposing manager trying to rile me up. Again, this is the worst part of this game. Luckily that manager isn't playing to the media either.
I don't know why the game hates youth MC Jay Hale. I put him on the roster for two U18 match and one U23 match but each time the game removes him. WTH?!
What's this? Chesterfield, the team we slaughtered a month ago and buried for good. Urgh. I hope they aren't thinking the third time's the charm. Because of that rule about four players playing today who played in the previous match I have Gary Leary in the squad. Stupidly, I forgot to take him of the roster in yesterday's U23 match. D'oh! (He starts at 91% Condition.)
vs. Chesterfield at Wembley, 2 April 2023
Formation: Diamond Attack (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, DMC (DLP), MR, ML, AMC (AM), ST r (TM-A), ST l (AF))
Starting XI: Legg, Lawford, Evans, Brizan, Curran, Caffrey, Keegan, Leary, Matthews, Devlin, Burns
Subs: Stewart, Cosgrove, Cockbill, Noulas, Lemon, McGregor, Macey
I knew the presser was just a bunch of traps. Our first five shots are off target and the first highlight doesn't come until almost 36' and it starts with Chester in control. My stirring halftime speech moves nobody but Matthews so I direct some passionate words at Burns about him being the answer to our needs; that motivates him! But it seems Devlin is the hope but he shoots right at the goalie and then tries to lob him, only to hit the crossbar; that might explain is 6.4 rating. Well, right after 57' we give up a header from a free kick. Oh! They were offsides. Unregardless™ I pull Devlin, rocking a 6.3 now, and put in Macey. So of course within seconds his first shot is weak and right to the goalie. There were no more highlights until the 89th minute, starting with their throw-in deep in Brixton territory. They keep sending the ball from flank to flank ultimately getting the ball into our box. Evans perfectly times a slide tackle, sending the ball out wide to Lawford. He hoofs it forward to Macey, Eddie runs to almost the endline, crosses to the near post where Burns is able to squeak it in under the goalie, right at 90:11. I hadn't used the other two subs as I figured the fix was in and we were going to extra time. So I switch to the Cudgel and bring on Cockbill and Lemon, taking off Keegan and Leary.
POM: Eddie Macey 7.7 (1 assist, 4 key passes, 3 chances created)
Well that was disgusting. The locker room speech is not pretty. Everyone but Legg and Leary get fired-up; those two are confused and demotivated. On target just 6 of 24?! At least we got £100,000 for the win.
Would you be surprised that Devlin's agent again shows up demanding a new contract? Well, you shouldn't be. And this after a 6.3. At least Raymond doesn't pitch a fit. I really, really, think this is poor programming. I think somewhere in the code a less-than got substituted for a greater-than or vice versa.
Ima drop the Spade (v2) and go back to the Arrow. Just isn't working well. I really want the two strikers dealio.
In the post-match presser one of the questions was about using the victory in the Checkatrade to springboard into a better job. Absolutely not! And then on the morning of the 3rd, Burton Albion offer an interview. They are 12th in League One. Why would I even want to?! Goodbye, sir!
I'm kind of running an experiment. On 3 April the U18s have a league match and I'm putting in Jay Hale at AMC in hopes that he actually gets to start. If the game doesn't play him then I'm gonna reload and take control myself. Sure enough, Hale is yanked for Shaquille Bailey. So I reload but can't figure out how to take control short of firing the manager. How about going with the 4-4-2 instead of the Arrow? It works! Must be that Hale is only Competent at AMC.
Only one player made it into the Team of the Week but that's no surprise considering we didn't have a Saturday match. The honor goes to Eddie Macey, as an ML of all things. Crewe had eight players make it in. They clobbered the hell out of Oldham.
Another wonderful time of the year is upon us. It's when you get an email talking about players fixed to be released by Premier teams. Boy do I like pouring over those player cards. I found one Target Man with no Bravery worth a punt, I think. I send my AssMan to scout them all.
Seems it isn't just Burton Albion who want a little slice of me. Swansea (Championship) and St. Johnstone (Scottish Premiership) offer interviews on the morning of 6 April. Naturally I say no.
Ben Evans is being tapped as a potential contender for the League Two Player of the Year Award.
Those players set for release that I set my AssMan upon? Only one was noteworthy, an 18 year-old GK on Manchester United. I'll keep an eye on him in June and maybe pick him up cheap.
Before our match, Curran wants to discuss a new contract. He's on £750 per week until 2024. It's a reasonable request so I tell him, "Soon."
All we have left on our schedule are league matches. The last match is on 29 April. The last U23 match is 24 April and the last U18 one is on 2 May.
Remember how I was all like, "League championship is confirmed, gonna rotate folks, especially against weaker opponents?" Well, based on the last match, that ain't happening. I don't care that AFC Telford are 23rd. Look what happened with York. I want to get Dryden as much time as possible to figure out if he should be dropped for Leary, who rated 7.6 against Chesterfield.
at AFC Telford, 8 April 2023
Formation: Arrow (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, DMC (Regista), MC c (BBM), AMR, AML, ST r (DLF), ST l (TM-A))
Starting XI: Stewart, Lawford, Evans, Brizan, Curran, Caffrey, Matthews, Keegan, Berkovic, Devlin, Burns
Subs: Legg, Noel, Sterling, Lemon, Flitcroft, Dryden, Marshall
I was fixin' to complain about another match in which we take forever to get our first shot. But that first shot comes in the 12th minute and it’s a beautiful cross by Burns followed by a even more beautiful header by Devlin. We get a throw-in on the left way down by their corner. It goes to Caffrey and he gets his dribble on, going into the box and then he gets tripped. And Burns is automatic. Fates smiles upon Caffrey as we get a free kick just an inch outside the box and his free kick goes straight in. From there we get cheeky, Keegan traps a pass with his chest, in the box, pirouettes and sends a low cross to the far post, where it’s met by Yossi’s foot. He almost gets a second but his cross pinballs around and their left back gets an own goal. Oh! He’s saved the embarrassment as someone from Brixton was offsides. Berkovic gets to come off so Dryden can work on his AML skillz. But of course we let one in, this time from a million miles away from a dude with a 13 in Long Shots.
POM: Yossi Berkovic 8.8 (2 goals, 2 key passes, 2 chances created)
Sometimes I wonder if FM coding just hates us, giving up late goals no matter which tactic I use.
Why is there a press conference after we beat the 23rd ranked team? It starts with that long shot. "No comment." On to Evans winning Player of the Year. "He desereves it." (And then I wonder if it's because I yank him so often that we give up late goals. If only he could improve his Stamina...) Sheffield Wednesday is drooling over Caffrey. "Go elsewhere, dude." Fulham wants Burns. "Go elsewhere, dude." There were four more questions but they were about Burns again and how we play so well away from home.
Yikes! Two matches in three days! Looks like some U23s could see some action. Who needs a debut?
Crap. Burns wants to leave to go to Southampton, who are currently 10th in the Premier League. I ask Macey to handle the matter and it actually works. But this is a brewing problem. Marshall is already mopey AF (and I really do want to sell him) but the ripples could see Giannis get into the Seniors earlier than I want. If an EPL team offers northward of £9,999,999 then I'll sell John and go shopping with the money.
I promise not to freak out if we lose. If I had a chalkboard I'd write it 100 times. Poo! Not many fans today.
vs. Rochdale, 10 April 2023
Formation: Arrow (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, DMC (Regista), MC c (BBM), AMR, AML, ST r (DLF), ST l (TM-A))
Starting XI: Stewart, Nickson, Noel, Cockbill, Sterling, Noulas, Lemon, McGregor, Dryden, Marshall, Macey
Subs: Legg, Cosgrove, Peers, Pike, O'Reilly, Young, Flitcroft
I know what I said about losing but this is preposterous! The first action sequence isn't until the 32nd minute but it ends as some many do: Macey heading in a goal. It was a Dryden cross so he's already proving he might just get to stick around. Dryden had started things with a corner and later he gets a second assist from a corner directly to Noel's forehead. Marshall is the only one who seems to not be giving his all so I bring up in the locker room. I also ask Lemon to cool it now as he is on a yellow. Marshal just doesn't get it so at 58' I pull him, and his 6.4 rating and Complacent attitude. I really wanted to give Lemon a whole match but I don't trust him with that yellow, so Noulas moves forward and Steve Pike goes in at Regista.
I tempt fate and move to the Cudgel at 74', bring on Cosgrove and take off McGregor. (Dryden goes from AML to MC r (BBM).) Yep, within 6 minutes we can't deal with a corner that is sent to the center, beyond the arc and then they play keep away until a chance opens up. I tell them the second half was a bit of a let-off and guess who has the audacity to get all stressed? Mark Flitcroft, who was an exact duplicate of Mark Marshall: Complacent and rating out at 6.4.
POM: Chris Dryden 8.4 (2 assists, 3 key passes, 2 chances created)
I'm gonna have to ditch the Cudgel and play defense by being all Control-y.
So those 6.4 ratings mean that Marshall and Flitcroft get official warnings. If Marshall complains he's getting dropped to the U23s. I'll shrug off any complaint from Flitty. Did not expect that. It's Flitcroft who gets lippy. Let me consult my Roster Management spreadsheet and see if he's even in my plans for next year. He technically is but I think Alex Wainwright will make me forget him. Marshall does feel his warning was harsh and with him being such a turd the last three matches (6.5, 6.5, 6.4) I drop him too.
Here's something rare: An agent demanding a new contract when his client plays well. Sterling wants a new one and he deserves a new one. Just not right now. See me in May.
Neither Marshall or Flitcroft complain about being dropped. Good.
Let us move on to something more pleasant. A new contract for Curran. I try to get him something close to what Lawford got. I get pretty close but Curran will jump up to £3,500 per week after five international appearance. (Let us hope that doesn't happen for a while!)
Damn, our inability to dominate leads to just Berkovic getting into the team of the week, as the ML.
What the heck?! I noticed that Legg has a "Wnt" badge next to his name. Turns out that Plymouth (24th in the Championship) want him. If he went to them he would just be in League One next season so...he's got League One potential or current ability? Time to extend him! He's on £750 and I'm thinking £1,000 should keep him happy. He's thinking the same thing!
Three League One teams also are eyeing Thamindu Noel. Two of them, Bolton and Millwall, are going up to the Championship. Luckily his contract has an option that has been triggered: Get promoted and into 10 matches. We're going up and he's started 13 matches.
I do drop the Cudgel and go to a 4-4-2 Control. It's an old tactic I used when I had Mickey Morris and Mark Marshall starting. I made the left central midfielder the Ball Winning Midfielder, because Caffrey is left-footed, and the right striker a Target Man-Support, because of Devlin.
Good news comes in on 11 April. My AssMan assesses that Jethro Swain has the potential to be Championship talent. Excellent!
Hahahaha! West Ham beat Man City in the FA Cup Quarter Final. Kemar Kirkpatrick got a goal. Awesome.
Curran signs his new contract on the morning of 13 April. Glad to have you around longer, Mark.
Today's selection is predicated on who needs Match Sharpness the most. That's it. We battered them about back in late November. They are currently 19th but due to our lesser selection today, I make no predictions. Carlisle are way the heck up north, almost in Scotland, some 264 miles north by northwest.
at Carlisle, 15 April 2023
Formation: Arrow (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, DMC (Regista), MC c (BBM), AMR, AML, ST r (DLF), ST l (TM-A))
Starting XI: Legg, Lawford, Cosgrove, Brizan, Curran, Noulas, Lemon, McGregor, Dryden, Devlin, Burns
Subs: Stewart, Nickson, Cockbill, Sterling, O'Reilly, Leary, Macey
I really would like to score before 10' again but I'll settle for an 18-yard screamer from Burns at 10:25. Our second goal was one of those mad melees in the box where nobody can get control but eventually Lemon finds himself and the ball in open space and nudges it in easily. Ha! The restart continues until McGregor, on a 6.3, gets pulled down trying to get to a Burns crossing. Burns has been pretty solid of late and gets his brace from the spot. I think I'll slow things down. I even tuned Devlin down to a supporting Target Man. Again, Burns gets a cross in and Devlin very easily just stands his ground and outleaps the defender next to him. Very Erling Haaland-esque. Both our wingers are phoning it in so I'm left to figure out who comes off first. I take off McGregor because he is rating 6.7, and put in Leary. I hope Dryden doesn't continue his complacent way. Next Ben O'Reilly goes in for Burns; no point risking an injury. And then it's Macey on for Devlin and I switch to the 4-4-2 Control. At 80' I pull a trick out of my hat. I change my left and right midfielders into Defensive Wingers. Pretty neat, eh? And before the changes take effect they send a free kick from deep in their territory up the left wing. But their left winger has nobody to cross to because his compadres are too winded to keep up. Doesn't matter, he crosses and it goes off Brizan and trickles over the goal line. Sports Interactive, you effing muppets. O'Reilly gets some revenge, heading in a Lemon free kick. I wonder if the program is trying to make sure we get our first loss but can't quite do that so they make sure we don't get a clean sheet? I don't know.
POM: John Burns 9.3 (2 goals, 1 assist, 3 key passes, 3 chances created)
Ignoring the first match, are we gonna go the whole month without a clean sheet?
Okay, I checked. The last time we scored before 10' was 4 March during our brutal smackdown on Chesterfield when we put up six to their zero.
Chick Legg signs his new contract just 2 hours after the match. What timing! :-D Interesting...his Value went from £5,750 to £37,500. Also interesting, Plymouth no longer want him.
I get an email on the morning of 16 April about Tom Simpson's development. His Work Rate is 5 and so is his Teamwork now. His Positioning jumped 1.2 points so is showing as 12 now. Same as his Stamina, except it's 11 now. Hmmm...if he keeps this up, maybe I can move on from Evans, make Noel my right centreback, and have Cockbill, Cosgrove, and Simpson as my spare three.
Now that Curran and Chick are locked in, time to see about keeping Sam Sterling. He's currently on £375 a week and he wants- Well son of a bitch. He doesn't want to negotiate. That prat! How about if I change his squad status from "Hot Prospect" to "Rotation" will that change his mind? That doesn't seem to have any effect. Should I have my Director of Football negotiate a new contract? I've never used that feature though. I think I can wait until May to try again.
Our representation on the Team of the Week is alright. Legg (GK), Burns (MR), and Lemon (MC r) got in.
Our scouts finish scouring the islands for youths and they found no additional tasty morsels. Oh well. Next year in Jerusalem!
Oh, so the Notts Co manager thinks he can break up our possession based tactics? Hmmm...mind games... Does he want to draw me into changing? I think we can handle them. As I suspected, it's a trap! A journalist asks what I think of his comments. "I think he's trying to motivate his team."
These guys have something to play for as they are still in the hunt for the third and final promotion spot, or at least the playoffs for the fourth spot.
Did I mention that they were the ones who prevented us from having a perfect win record? I might as well go for a loss-less season and field my best. I'm going to give Shaquille Bailey his first start. According to my scouts and AssMan, he is better than Luke Matthews. Let's see if this is true! Also, they think Cockbill is better than Brizan so he gets a start too.
vs. Notts Co, 22 April 2023
Formation: Arrow (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, DMC (Regista), MC c (BBM), AMR, AML, ST r (DLF), ST l (TM-A))
Starting XI: Stewart, Lawford, Evans, Cockbill, Curran, Caffrey, Bailey, Keegan, Berkovic, Devlin, Burns
Subs: Legg, Cosgrove, Brizan, Noulas, Matthews, McGregor, Macey
We have a good turnout today with nearly fifty-five and a half hundered assembled under the cool, cloudy sky. The first action comes in the 9th but Notts' Grant is off target. What a nice Regista move by Caffrey! A long ball to Burns and he takes an early shot so it's not a true one-on-one. Kristensen has no problem knocking the shot aside. Debut Boy Bailey tries a no-look pass in the box but it goes to Notts and they clear. It's been a droll match, with no action in the last seven minutes. Bailey attempts an assist but is denied when Devlin's low shot gets blocked. Kristensen is looking in form today. And now it's Curran with an early cross but Keegan's header goes over the bar due to Kristensen's hand. The resultant corner gets cleared easily and Notts have a counter. But again Grant is off target. Why did Devlin just head Stewart's long ball back into Brixton territory right to Adams? Wow! How many corners is that for Brixton? And why did Evans head it over the bar? Finally! Burns can't shoot today but he sure can cross to Devlin, who is deadly accurate! Brixton one, Notts nil. I bet the Brixton manager was beginning to sweat.
TWEET
Chris Keegan is not having the best game today. No runs, no crosses, no nothing. Surely he has enough in him to do better in the second half?
TWEET
Is the corner kick Notts County's weakness? If not it's the low cross from the left. Burns again to Devlin who is unable to miss today. The home team scores again! Brixton two, Notts nil. The County are in dire straights. You would think that Devlin and Burns on a breakaway would be unstoppable. Maybe Kristensen is really that good. Don't say slump! Just as I suspected, Keegan is not looking interested in today's tie and is getting pulled for McGregor. Oh no! Now Devlin is delivering the ball to the goalie with minimal desire. And Yossi had such a perfect set up! I guess the manager also sees something he doesn't like in Evans. Or maybe he wants a better look at Cosgrove. I'm wrong again! Devlin cannot be stopped when he truly feels it. And what a great, early cross by Keegan's replacement! Brixton three, Notts County nil. Raymond fully deserves his early exit and long-time Captain Eddie "The Beast" Macey is the right person to bring on for the final 20 minutes. I hate to say it but Brixton won't last long in League One if they can't figure out how to defend a lead. It's sad to see them give up yet another late goal. Yeah, Cosplay was the one asleep at the wheel there. At least they were on target on eleven of their thirteen shots.
TWEEEeeeT
That's it here at Windmill Gardens. Another very solid performance by the Brixton attack, another late goof by the Brixton defence.
POM: Raymond Devlin 9.6 (3 goals, 1 key pass, 1 chance created)
I hope you liked the "announcer" perspective. I hope I can find an answer to our defensive woes.
Cosgrove ended with a 6.2 and I yelled at him and he got fired up. That response assures he doesn't get a fine or official warning. Bailey turned in 7.4 performance. Very proud of him.
At least we made over £50,000 today.
Three players again make the Team of the Week. Cockbill (DC r), Devlin (MC r), and Burns (ST l ).
It's the final game of the season and all I really want is a clean sheet to end the season right.
at Cambridge, 29 April 2023
Formation: Arrow (GK, DR, DC r, DC l, DL, DMC (Regista), MC c (BBM), AMR, AML, ST r (DLF), ST l (TM-A))
Starting XI: Stewart, Lawford, Evans, Brizan, Curran, Caffrey, Matthews, Keegan, Berkovic, Devlin, Burns
Subs: Legg, Nickson, Noel, Sterling, Noulas, Leary, Macey
Yay! Another goal before 10'! And it's Burns scoring and Devlin assisting. I don't believe I've ever seen a free kick that goes directly past one of our players and right to a foe. But Matthews is not his best today and Keegan must be dreaming about his summer vacation. Cambridge's counter is strong until the cross when Brizan breaks up the party and sends it back up field. Keegan ends up with it and crosses to the middle. How 178cm Burns is able to outleap two central defenders to head in the ball is beyond me. Yossi is also having a bad game until he crosses to Devlin for our second headed goal of the match. It just gets better from there. I make strategic stops to preserve my superstars with Burns going off first then Devlin, moving Yossi up to left striker, and then finally Lawford who is pooped from so many minutes this season.
POM: Raymond Devlin 9.2 (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 key passes, 3 chances created)
Well look at that! We finished the season with a clean sheet! Amazing. Almost as amazing as the combo of Burns and Devlin.
So...I'm conducting an experiment with two of the Youth Intakes that didn't make the team. I'm going to give Brian Pinney at PA of 165, the average for an English international player, and give Vincenc Rama a 130, considered the minimum for a Premier League player. I'm going to see if they ever come to the attention of other clubs and see how they develop. I won't change their CA though. The "story" being that they were so embarrassed being dropped by a League Two team that they decided to strive every day to be better. Kind of like when Michael Jordan got cut by his basketball coach as a child. I was a little late in making this decision so Pinney is already on trial at a puny team called Washington. He signs a non-contract with them on 13 May.
Lawford's change is just the righting of the ship. Last month was a blip. Curran...I don't know...probably same thing as what happened to Lawford last month? And the same for Caffrey?
Veloudos is gonna be awesome.
What can one say when you have a near-perfect season, winning the league by miles and even winning a cup. Along the way we found two outstanding player; I'm looking at you Raymond and Yossi. We had to say good-bye to some amazing players too. It all worked out in the end.
It's gonna be weird with no real matches in May. Maybe I can squeeze in some friendlies at Windmill Gardens to make a bit of dosh.
