Always The Bridesmaid, Never The Bride - Brighton & Hove Albion

[Sam91]

January 2017

Transfers


We had some issues here. I wanted to start building for the BPL but our wage budget is too small. I tried to sign Carl Jenkinson but he wanted £50k a week and I'm not paying him that nor would my board let me anyway. Another issue was Tomer Hemed... I've been getting bids for him for months now, knocking them back. But he came to me this month saying he wanted to move to Shaktar, I tried to talk him out of it but he stood firm so I agreed to sell him if they bid for him... which they didnt in the end!! But just for extra cover I loaned in Dom Solanke from Chelsea

Hardly a world beater but a useful signing who can also provide cover on the wings.


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Results

Managed to rest some big players this game and still got a good win. Hambo came off the bench to net his first goal for the club after Hemed and Murray were out injured.

Great win here in the FA Cup. Tie was done after 28 minutes.

Frustrating draw here especially after they went down to 10 men.

Back to back draws against 10 men... we really are missing Hemed. Baldock is good, but just not Hemed.

Thats more like it!! Great win over Newcastle here. Superb first half show, Kayal bossed it.

Drawing league leaders United was always gonna be hard, but we put in a really good performance here and on another day may have forced a replay.

We drop points again against 10 men.. not good enough. Wells is the top scorer in the league and Huddersfield are doing really well but to not get anything after they had a man sent off after 33 minutes is not good enough.


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Player of the Month


Beram Kayal

Great month from the midfielder, okay we havent had the best results but Kayal has been a beast in the middle of the park for us.


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Table

Still 16 points clear even though we've dropped points this month

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[Sam91]

February 2017

Results

Tough result to take against struggling Brentford, but after going down to 10 men I was pleased to see Solanke pop up and nick a goal to avoid defeat for us.

Thats more like it!! Huge win over Burton and a nice clean sheet to boot.

LuaLua has been out for 4 months so it was nice for him to net a brace on his return to the side. Good win here too and another clean sheet.

Barnsley are rock bottom and we piled on the misery here with a good win and a third consecutive clean sheet.

Reading are having a shocker of a season. Solanke, Knockaert and a Sidwell brace made matters worse for them.


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Player of the Month


Anthony Knockaert

Our talisman. Our Hazard, Sanchez, Pogba. Superb month from the lad.



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Table

Can we have our trophy yet?​

 

[darnho]

Cheers mate glad you're enjoying, any advice on what to improve on the layout I'm all ears

I think the layout looks good, what skin are you using? looks great

 

[Sam91]

I think the layout looks good, what skin are you using? looks great

TCS 2017 mate, superb skin. Even better if you use it full screen, provides so much info. I use windowed cause Im weird like that

 

[Sam91]

March 2017

Results

Wheeey Hemed is back amongst the goals finally. Shame Stephen got sent off again, fined him 2 weeks this time.

Another red card... this time it cost us big time as we lose to lowly Rotherham.

FFS STEPHENS!!!! Three red cards in a row this is a joke!!

The one game this month we dont get a red card we get spanked 3-1 by Leeds.... typical


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Player of the Month


Beram Kayal

No-ones really stood out but 3 goals this month is decent enough from Hemed.


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Table

Still 15 points clear even after a poor month
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[Sam91]

April/May 2017

Results

Another red card... but still a good win here.

Birmingham just seem to be our whipping boys!! Managed to rest some bigger names here and still got a result.

Hemed back amongst the goals. Solid win here, always good to get a clean sheet.

A real thriller here as Wolves were in a three way battle for second place!! Real back and forth game and a draw was probably a fair result in the end.

Easy work made of Wigan here. Nice to see Dunk get a goal and Stephens net as well.

Tight match against Promotion chasing Norwich, Hemed missed a late peno to get us all 3 points.

Bristol have struggled this season. We need just one more win to beat the record points total and most wins in a Championship season.....

We fail.... shame but Villa were the better side on the day.


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Final Table

Newcastle mounted a huge comeback in the back end of the season to finish second.

These are the relegated teams.


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End of Season Awards

Can't argue with much of that Pocognoli has been incredible notching 13 assists from left back.

Hemed's injuries cost him top scorer as he got just 21 goals.


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Squad

I really couldn't have asked for more this season it became such a stroll in the end. Standout players have to be Knockaert, Hemed, Duffy and Dunk. Jamie Murphy done well too, our full backs provided fantastic attacking outlet. But many of these players wont cut it in the BPL... I'll be back at the start of our first season in the top league stay tuned​

 

[darnho]

TCS 2017 mate, superb skin. Even better if you use it full screen, provides so much info. I use windowed cause Im weird like that

Just loaded it into fm, looks fantastic mate. Thanks

 

[Sam91]

Summer 2017 Transfers

Outs

I suppose the most notable loss is Hemed. The guy was a little ***** and I couldn't stand his moaning anymore so when Chievo came in for him I let him leave. I was sad to lose Molumby, a superb young English centre mid but £5m and also 30% profit from any future sales is a good deal. Norwood just isn't BPL quality, and neither are any of the other lads. Bruno was also released, I wasn't renewing a 35 year old full backs contract on the wage he wanted.




Ins

I was given a decent little kitty of £23m to work with before I'd made any sales. It was a bit of a struggle I wont lie, a lot of players I went for chose other clubs but I feel like I've done alright and brought in some really good young talent. Lets have a closer look at some of the new boys.


Tom Ince

A few Derby players were unhappy after they failed to get promoted and they have some good players there. One that caught my eye was Tom Ince. A player who had so much potential a few years back but hasn't quite shone. I'm gonna give him a chance though and he looks like the ideal inside forward for me cutting in from that left wing. Handy he can also play up top or on the right.



Will Hughes

Another Derby lad. Can still improve but is also still a very good player. For just over £10m I think we got him pretty cheap too. Look forward to seeing how he can do in the BPL for us.



Muhamed Besic

I needed a tough tackling work horse in the middle of the park and Besic fits that role perfectly in my eyes. For a decent fee too after he was transfer listed I'm looking for him to be our new half back and stick a foot in a bit more than Norwood done last season.



Lewis Cook

Amazed I picked up this lad. Transfer listed as he was unhappy at Bournemouth I jumped at the chance to recruit him here. Bags of potential. English. Fantastic deal.



James Wilson

Dragged in on loan after I failed to land Iheanacho on loan from City. Decent enough pacey striker and been on loan here before so should settle quick. Will rotate with Bamford up top.



Tyrell Warren

Not really BPL standard is he... I've stuggled to find a decent right back I could actually pick up to be honest but he'll have to do as a back up for now. Only in on loan anyway.



Martin Kelly

Now you may laugh but he's not a bad little player. Can play centre back also and what he lacks in technicals he makes up for in nicely rounded mental and physical stats.



Alex Buttner

A pretty good complete wing back for our formation here in United reject Buttner. Got in on a free so can't really complain too much. Good attacking threat but a bit lacking defensively. Hopefully he does a job for us though.



Vaclav Cerny

Sadly Cerney has picked up a knock in pre season and will miss the first 2 months but he's got bags of potential and can hopefully develop really nicely here.



Predrag Rajkovic

Wowwwww what a keeper. For £6m as well. If I can keep hold of him for 10 years we are sorted in between the sticks but I can't help but feel after a good season or two a bigger club will come in for him.



Patrick Bamford

Ahhh Bamford... Championship Player of the Year from Season 2014/15 when he was 21. A few failed loan spells at BPL teams where to be fair to the lad he was hardly given a chance, now he finds himself on the south coast with us! He will be my starting striker, he will be given a fair chance to nail down that spot. I hope he takes it.



Any futher deals will be included in the August 2017 post, theres one in the pipeline already so keep an eye out!! Let me know what you think about my deal thanks for reading
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[2Girls1Schlupp]

love the Hughes, Ince combo with Cook also in there! Bamford should do wonders for you. Looks like you've nailed on safety there but you never know! Love the tactic I have reverted back to it in my story/save since I failed with my own.

 

[Sam91]

love the Hughes, Ince combo with Cook also in there! Bamford should do wonders for you. Looks like you've nailed on safety there but you never know! Love the tactic I have reverted back to it in my story/save since I failed with my own.

Cheers mate, yeah hopefully Bamford can notch some important goals for us. Yeah its a really good tactic mate

 

[2Girls1Schlupp]

Cheers mate, yeah hopefully Bamford can notch some important goals for us. Yeah its a really good tactic mate

Hughes is a favourite of mine though! Hoping he hits the heights in real life to prove fm correct lol! but what a talent.

 

[Sam91]

Hughes is a favourite of mine though! Hoping he hits the heights in real life to prove fm correct lol! but what a talent.

Yeah hes had some bad luck with injuries but I'm sure he will push on hopefully. Believe he signed a new contract with Derby earlier in the season I think

 

[Sam91]

August 2017

Further Transfer News

So Hunemeier left for just £2m, I rejected a bid from Hamburg for him and he complained so I said if they bid again I'd accept. They did come back in but so did Wolfsburg and he chose them. FM logic.

Coming in though was Kenneth Omeruo to fill the gap left by Hunemeier. I also loaned in Jung at cover for left back.

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Results

What a way to kick off our season!! A huge win over Sunderland away from home which is massive as I expect Sunderland to be relegation rivals. Tom Ince with a goal and an assist.

Ahhh what could have been. Two nil up and we threw it away. To be fair they deserved it. Had way more shots and chances but I was nicely impressed by Bamford.

Great win over our fellow newly promoted side. Bamford with another 2 goals and his first was an absolute peach. Tom Ince also netting.

EFL Cup game. Rested our bigger names, Bamford netted 2 minutes after coming off the bench. They scored with the only shot they had all game....

Ahhh we done well and had our chances but Spurs were just that bit better. Alderweireld scoring from a corner and Alcacer netting a cut back. Duffy pulled one back but a bit too late. Still proud we done so well.


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Player of the Month


Patrick Bamford

See what happens when you put some faith in your younger players Chelsea?!?! They do well!! Superb start from the lad.


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Table

Not that it means much this early but a really solid start.


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Major BPL Transfers

Just a little something extra. Verratti moving to City for that much is mad. Chelsea, after missing out on top 4 last season, lost Hazard for a pretty small fee considering how good he is. Coutinho goes to Barca. Arsenal actually sign a world class striker in Icardi!!​

 

[Sam91]

September 2017

Results

I'll take that!! They battered us but Predrag Rajkovic was in top form here for us.

Bournemouth have struggled this season. But they gave us a real battle here, 3-0 flattered us but I'll take it for sure.

Ahhhh I messed up here. Rotated the team and it backfired massively!! Shame as a good cup run would have been nice but staying in the Premier League is priority this season.

We gave them a really good match to be fair!! Just a shame we gave up a goal late.... still take the positives, we netted 2 goals and played really well.

What a game of football!! Annoyed we gave up the lead three times but in a game of real attacking football from both sides a draw seems fair. Great game of football.


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Player of the Month

Predrag Jajkovic

Yes he's conceded 9 goals in his last 5 games but he's pulled off some lovely saves and pretty much got us that point against Chelsea by himself.


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Table

12 points from 8 games is more than I could have wished for. Also we've scored the most amount of goals in the league so far!! Total football down here in Brighton.

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[Sam91]

Injury News For Brighton

Devestated....

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[Sam91]

October 2017

Results

Cerny came on after Knockaert got injured and will be out for 2 months. Great to beat our fellow newly promoted sides.

What a win!!! Huge performances from the lads. Cerny netting nice and early, showing that we don't need to worry too much about Knockaert being out. Bamford netted a brace and even Martin Kelly got involved!!

Solid performance. West Brom are fighting down low in the league and were never in this. We had 60% possession and they didn't even work Stockdale in goal.


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Player of the Month


Vaclav Cerny

Came in really well when Knockaert got injured and netted 2 goals.


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Table

Flying high....

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[higgsy03]

Do you have a link to the tactic mate it looks a great tactic would just like to know the team instructions. As I can't find Daren's tactics anywhere. Keep up the good work

 

[Sam91]

Do you have a link to the tactic mate it looks a great tactic would just like to know the team instructions. As I can't find Daren's tactics anywhere. Keep up the good work

Will do mate I'll post the link to it now mate: Best FM 2017 Tactis: Darren's Devastating 4-1-2-3 2.0FM Stories

Also a huge sorry, my laptop broke and I've only just got it back!!! Updates will be back on the regular!!

 

[Sam91]

November 2017

Results

Tough game to take, a real injury crisis hit this month and with both my first team goalkeepers out up stepped 19 year old Bailey Vose who is truly not BPL standard... but wasn't at fault for any of the goals. We could have got something here but for a red card for Buttner.

Great comeback here!! Bailey Vose again in goal got a 7.0 rating and made a great save late on to get us a point here.

Icardi is too good on this game... he destroyed us. I also managed to sign a new keeper on a free just before this game, released from Chelsea in the summer. Matej Delac:

Had a shocker against Arsenal... he's alright but hopefully Predrag Rajkovic will be back soon.


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Player of the Month


Bailey Vose

No-one stood out this month as we failed to even get a win. But I'll give it to the lad who was called up from our youth team and played two games and done reasonably well enough.

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Table

Slipping down a bit now but a few more wins should secure us safety soon enough.​

 

[Sam91]

Injury News

Just had no luck with injuries so far this season.... Buttner now out for up to 6 months with an injury to his Achilles.. I'm sure he wont be the same player after either. A new left back is a must now in January if the board give me some money.
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