A Simpler Story....Started At The Bottom, Now We're Here!

[BallyC7]

May 2020 - The Playoffs

May 2020
"End of Season & Playoffs"



We knew we were already in the playoffs, but we had the formality of the final 2 games of the regular season to get out of the way first.


Matchday 45: Oxford United (Away)
Wigan Top Performers: Grigg 7.5, N.Byrne 7.5, Barker 7.0

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A pretty close game which we came out on the losing side but to be honest this game could of gone either way.


Matchday 46: Doncaster Rovers (Home)
Wigan Top Performers: Martin 7.2, Morgan 7.1, Lewis 6.8

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Our final game of the season meant nothing to either team. We'd already guaranteed playoffs and Doncaster were already relegated. The game fizzled out into a boring 0-0 draw.



Which led us straight into the playoffs....where we would take on Coventry City in the semi finals.

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And we gave ourselves the perfect platform to make the final with a solid 3-1 victory in the first leg. Although I'd have felt a lot more comfortable if they hadn't grabbed that late goal.

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But I was absolutely disgusted with the 2nd leg performance. This bunch of players are complete and utter bottlejob wankers! To say I was fuming would be an understatement.

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Charlton overcame Peterborough in the other semi final.

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But it was Coventry who go up after an emphatic win in the final.

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So this is how the league table looks at the end of the entire season. The memo for next year...."must do better".

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​

 

[BallyC7]

End of Season Awards

End of Season Awards

Highest Average Rating

1st. Will Grigg - Striker - 38 appearances - 7.29
2nd. Ben Brereton - Striker - 49 appearances - 7.19
3rd. Josh Sims - Winger - 36 appearances - 7.15


Top Goalscorers

1st. Ben Brereton - Striker - 25
2nd. Will Grigg - Striker - 23
3rd. Ollie Hawkins - Striker - 11


Most Assists

1st. Brandon Barker - Winger - 12
2nd. Josh Sims - Winger - 10
3rd. Max Power - Central Midfielder - 9


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Ben Brereton finished runner up in the top goalscorer award.

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And Max Power was named in the League One team of the year.

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​

 

[BallyC7]

English Season Review

English End of Season Review


Manchester United wrestled their Premier League title back from City, winning it at a canter. Arsenal and Liverpool also made the Champions League spots with Chelsea only just securing a Europa League place. Swansea, Burnley and Fulham are down.

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Middlesbrough took the Championship title and will be joined in the Premiership next year by Huddersfield and Norwich. The bottom 3 were well off the pace, as we see the return of Bolton to League One.

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As we know, Bristol City were crowned champions of League One, with Portsmouth and Coventry also going up. Rochdale and Lincoln City suffered final day heartbreak as their relegated to League Two with Blackpool and Doncaster.

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Swindon ran away with the League Two title. Oldham and Mansfield are up automatically with Plymouth winning the playoffs. Forest Green continue their yoyo between League Two and the National League by going down again. Wycombe also drop out of the football league.

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Tranmere Rovers make a return to the football league after winning the National League title. Salford City also continue their progress after winning the playoffs. My old team Telford stayed up.

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Halifax Town were one of the favourites for the National League North title and they duly delivered. Barrow make an immediate return to the National League alongside them. Nantwich and Buxton are relegated in their first season at this level.

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Dulwich Hamlet had an amazing season in the National League South, winning the division by a clear 9 points. Whitehawk are another yoyo side who make an immediate return back to the National League. Hampton & Richmond Borough were probably the surprise relegated side.

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Manchester City lifted the FA Cup after thrashing Liverpool in the final.

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Newcastle will play European football next season after beating Chelsea to the Carabao Cup.

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It was Chelsea's U23s side that lifted the Checkatrade Trophy this year.

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And it was Dulwich Hamlet who completed a double as they lifted the FA Trophy.

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​

 

[coolmcool]

Very unlucky with the Coventry tie, after that win in the 1st leg i thought you had it all sown up! KIU

 

[BallyC7]

Very unlucky with the Coventry tie, after that win in the 1st leg i thought you had it all sown up! KIU

So did I mate....I was livid as I was sitting here watching it unfold in the 2nd leg....it was one of them games where no matter what I did tactically, nothing worked!

 

[coolmcool]

So did I mate....I was livid as I was sitting here watching it unfold in the 2nd leg....it was one of them games where no matter what I did tactically, nothing worked!

I hate it when you have a match that you feel the FM gods have decided you must lose! Just had a look at your round up of England, did Truro fall out of the football league completely!

 

[BallyC7]

I hate it when you have a match that you feel the FM gods have decided you must lose! Just had a look at your round up of England, did Truro fall out of the football league completely!

Yes mate....which shows just how well you're doing with them!!

 

[BallyC7]

Pre Season 2020/21

Pre Season 2020/21

The pre season campaign went very well. Only 1 loss to Sunderland in the Lee Cattermole testimonial. Other than that, we scored a lot of goals across the rest of the fixtures and kept four clean sheets too.

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The finances don't make for great reading.

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As the club announced big losses last season.

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The commercial summary did show a sharp increase in the value of our shirt sponsor, although everything else seemed to be going down.

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Despite missing out on promotion last season, the dynamics now look good!

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Despite the bank balance being in the red, the board are still giving me nearly £2 million to spend on new players.

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The board are expecting a title win this year....anything but could result in me losing my job!

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And the bookies fancy us to pull it off.

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So let's have a look at who I've brought in during the transfer window.

Nico Yennaris
Signed from Brentford - Fee £205,000

Nico was a product of the Arsenal academy and has been with Brentford for the past 7 years. He has plenty of experience playing in the Championship, racking up over 130 appearances for the Bees. He is a good addition to the midfield and a great replacement for Sam Morsy.

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Hernan Griffiths
Signed from Arsenal - Season long loan

18 year old Hernan Griffiths is a very versatile player with the ability to play any attacking midfield or striker role. With good pace and dribbling skills, he can pick up the ball from deep and drive into the opponent's box causing plenty of problems for opposition defenders.

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Alex Lacey
Unattached - Free Transfer

Lacey was released by Bristol City who won our league last year. He only acted as a backup player for them, making 6 appearances last season. He'll probably be more of a backup to me as well but he's a decent player to call upon in an emergency.

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Martin Kelly
Signed from Sunderland - Season Long Loan

Martin may only be here on loan, but he is still costing me a fair bit. I am paying £21k per month and 100% of his £7,500 per week wage. However, I think it will be completely worth the money as he is a much stronger right back than what I previously had. He is also a player who has managed over 100 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool and Crystal Palace.

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David Buchanan
Signed from Northampton - Fee £33,000

David has been a first team regular for Northampton for the past 5 years, with more than 200 games or them under his belt. Over the past couple of years, he has recorded average ratings over 7.0 across a whole season so he's pretty consistent. Initially signed as a backup player at the age of 34, he could certainly get his head down and work his way into my first team.

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Hiram Boateng
Signed from Exeter City - Fee £425,000

Hiram is another player I have brought in to bolster the centre of midfield. He's been a first team regular for Exeter for the past 3 seasons and has racked up 39 assists during that time!

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Jan Bednarek, Josh Sims, Ben Brereton
Renewed Loan Deals

I renewed these three on loan for another season.

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As far as departures go, Sam Morsy left the club on a free, a few youngsters went out on loan.

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And a load of players were released at the end of last season.

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​

 

[BallyC7]

August 2020

August 2020
"Top Of The League After An Unbeaten Start"


Matchday 1: Oldham (Home)
Wigan Top Performers: Sims 9.4, Power 9.0, Grigg 9.0

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Perfect way to start the new season!


Matchday 2: Plymouth (Away)
Wigan Top Performers: Grigg 9.5, Barker 9.3, Lacey 9.2

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Plymouth were promoted last season, so we were certainly expected to win this one. And we did so in pretty emphatic fashion, smashing 6 past them!


Matchday 3: Blackburn Rovers (Home)
Wigan Top Performers: Barker 7.6, Doyle 7.1, Bond 7.1

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The lads fought back really well from 2-0 down to earn a well deserved draw. We went down and I had to make a couple of tactical tweaks and it worked to great effect and late on we could of even won the game.


Matchday 4: Northampton (Home)
Wigan Top Performers: Grigg 9.4, Barker 7.5, Lacey 7.4

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A Will Grigg hat trick earns us another win and we finish the month unbeaten in the league.



Three wins and a draw leaves us top of the league at the end of August. The best way to put the disappointment of last season's playoffs behind us.

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And I am awarded the first manager of the month award of the season.

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And.....Will Griggs On Fire (sorry couldn't help myself).

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In the Carabao Cup, we were given a 1st round draw against Tranmere Rovers. A game I'd expect us to win.

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I made five changes to the team that beat Oldham on the opening day of the season and the players that came in did me proud. We cruised past Rovers in a match where they didn't really pose any threat.

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Which meant we were in the draw for round 2, where I'd face Premier League opposition for the first time in my career.

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And we managed to take them to extra time with a good performance. Unfortunately, their fitness levels proved stronger as they pushed on to win it in the extra 30 minutes. Proud of my lads for their performance though.

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In the Checkatrade Trophy, the group stages were drawn. Our toughest test in the group is likely to be the youngsters from Manchester United.

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​

 

[BallyC7]

September 2020

September 2020
"Still Unbeaten, Still Top"


Matchday 5: Swindon (Away)
Wigan Top Performers: Power 9.1, Boateng 9.0, Doyle 8.8

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This was a close game up until the point when they went down to 10 men and then we ramped up the pressure and cruised to a good away win, inflicting Swindon's first defeat of the season on them. I also handed a debut to 18 year old midfielder Trevor Grounds who came on for the final 15 minutes, grabbed himself an assist and nearly bagged himself a goal.


Matchday 6: Rotherham (Home)
Wigan Top Performers: Doyle 8.8, Brereton 8.6, Power 8.1

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We did really well to see out the game and get the 3 points considering we had to play more than an hour with 10 men.


Matchday 7: Mansfield (Away)
Wigan Top Performers: Barker 8.3, Brereton 7.4, Byrne 7.3

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We were made to work hard for this result, but the lads dug in well and we managed to grind it out for all 3 points.


Matchday 8: Southend (Away)
Wigan Top Performers: Power 8.2, Sims 8.1, Lacey 7.7

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How we didn't win this game I don't know....19 shots on goal and more than 60% possession! I suppose I can take the positive that we did rescue a very very late draw and maintain our unbeaten start to the season.


Matchday 9: Exeter City (Home)
Wigan Top Performers: Sims 7.7, Bednarek 7.3, Grigg 7.1

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This game saw 1st meet 2nd and the only two sides still unbeaten in the division. And as it turned out, neither team lost their unbeaten record as the game finished 1-1. It was a good game that I felt we just edged but just couldn't find the 2nd goal to ****** it.


Matchday 10: Bradford City (Away)
Wigan Top Performers: Grigg 8.8, Grounds 8.5, Brereton 7.7

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A good away win against a Bradford side that have made a disappointing start to the season. Youngster Trevor Grounds came off the bench to grab his first two goals for the club in only his 4th appearance (all from the bench).


Matchday 11: Bristol Rovers (Home)
Wigan Top Performers: Doyle 9.8, Sims 9.5, Power 9.2

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Well, well....Will Grigg picked up an injury so Eoin Doyle was handed a start here and boy did he make the most of his opportunity, with an excellent hat trick and an assist as well!



Another unbeaten month sees us maintain top spot in the league and we have a 3 point lead now too. Exeter have lost 2nd to Blackburn who are likely to be up and around the top of the table all season I suspect. Bolton are the shock as they remain in the relegation places and promptly sacked manager Jack Lester this month.

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Runner up in the manager of the month for me.

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Max Power finished 3rd in the player of the month.

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In the Checkatrade Trophy, we played our first group stage match against Port Vale. I took the opportunity to rest some players for this one. We dominated the game but still laboured to a 1-1 draw. However, we do pick up the bonus point for winning the shootout.

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Leahy and Grigg picked up minor injuries that will see them miss about a month.

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​

 

[ScottT]

Still unbeaten! Great start to the season, you'll definitely go up this year I think.

 

[BallyC7]

You'll notice that there has been no update from me for a week. My PC started playing silly buggers on me on Monday. Everything I was using was crashing midway through (including FM18) and then it just started to randomly shut itself down. I've got a guy having a look at it. Depending on what he potentially quotes me to fix it, I may not bother as its a 5 year old unit and is struggling to keep up with the latest version of FM anyway.

On the other hand, I have just been given a new Microsoft Surface Pro by work which has all the latest spec. I've loaded up FM on it and it runs like an absolute dream. So for now, I'm going to start a new save on there and will begin a story to follow what I'm up to. If I can recover this file from my PC then I may come back to it as I was loving this one.

So for now, this thread is temporarily dead but may be revived in the future.

 

[coolmcool]

Thats a shame mate as you were going well, i know the pain of losing saves to computers breaking, on the 5 star rating for the computer performance for FM mine comes in at half a star!

 

[BallyC7]

Thats a shame mate as you were going well, i know the pain of losing saves to computers breaking, on the 5 star rating for the computer performance for FM mine comes in at half a star!

Same as my PC....however the new laptop from work gives me a 5 star rating. Happy days

 

[BallyC7]

Now I just have the pain of deciding where to start and who to be on the new save..... I have a few ideas I'm toying with....

- Revive Hamburg in the German league
- Start with a lower league side in Spain with a long term goal to topple Barcelona and R.Madrid
- Start mid way through the leagues in England (League One sort of level)
- Start with a lower league team in France with the long term aim to stop PSG's dominance
- Start with a mid table side in the top division in somewhere like Denmark/Sweden/Norway with a view to become the dominant side in the country and bring european success to the club further down the line


What would my readers on this thread prefer to see? I need feedback in the next hour as I'm looking to kick start this today.

 

[coolmcool]

Always enjoy an obscure league to be honest my favourite saves i have done myself have been Limerick in Ireland, Dnipro in Ukraine and Dinamo in Croatia, not seen many in Denmark or Norway so they would be my choice

 

[FMLOVER78]

I did a Hamburg Save on FM17 and it was really good so I'd recommend that!

 

[JamesScott2908]

Shame about the computer! Thoroughly enjoyable read this was! I've had an Icelandic save on both FM17 and 18 (Breidablik) and that has been good fun! Some cracking regens come through too!