October/November
The season is in full flow now, and by all accounts it has been very productive. Granted, we knew the players would be too good for this level. It still required some application though, which we have demonstrated well.
We start off with a schedule decimated by call ups, so we played two FA Cup games in a row, winning both easily. Napoleon has demonstrated a real love for one of the greatest cup competitions, scoring 9 across the three FA Cup games in this period. In the league we looked slightly weak at the back, but not significantly so. Our goalscorers were still on form, so we never looked massively threatened at any stage, but I would like to tighten it up a bit.
View attachment 101808
In terms of the league, we look very settled in first. It's where you would expect us to be really. Urquidi, Bond and Silva are all recognised on the best of charts, whilst Gissin also retains his place after a stunning debut season with Poole. Newly capped Kronos sits on there with 4 POTMs, and now has an international goal to boot in a good season for him.
View attachment 101807
Up north, we see that it is Talent and Lewis that really light up the division. It's not unreasonable to expect these talents to move on fairly quickly, but they are making good on their opportunity.
View attachment 101806
In terms of the players of FM Base FC, the standout is still Napoleon Urquidi. The lead scorer has been a nightmare for defences this season, scoring at over a goal a game. In that, he is ably assisted by Alarcon and Silva, who lead that particular chart. Dover and Notthatbright have impressed where able, Dover doing enough to become a Dutch international - scoring on debut.
Defensively Bond is still the leading rock at the back, but a couple of horrendous mistakes recently have opened up chances for Harris and Jameson; both of whom have performed well. Naterr and Bathenon continue their titanic struggle for power on the left, whilst The Treble edges slightly ahead of WikiWiki on the other flank without any position having a clear lead candidate.
The same can be said of the goalkeepers, with Lippo taking advantage of an injury to Dale. Dale upped his assists to 4 however, so again there is no real indication of a talent gap - just that both keepers need to stop letting in goals based on recent results.
Cap'n Darnho pulled up injured just after the last update and has practically missed the last two months. Willie and Birch paired off well, whilst Fish and Tracz have impressed in the last couple of matches. Willie's goalscoring form does leave him with an advantage at this stage.
Lastly, with the lack of CAM still, Dahnert and Hawkins have been used as an impromptu strikeforce in the last game or two, to devastating effect. Both found their form to provide goals and assists, and give me a real headache for selection.
View attachment 101804
Meanwhile, across the two leagues the other 16 players are experiencing mixed fortunes. DanW and Kronos have been effective up top, whilst fellow striker Ormso has just recovered from a lengthy injury. Talent and Scully, or "Tally" as the Altrincham faithful know them, have been incredibly effective at the back, and their returns demonstrate as much. Meanwhile, Brasil is the player to be suffering the most, as he leads in quality at Stockport, but has so far been unable to stop their poor form. Expect to see a quick move from the club within the year for him.
View attachment 101802