FM Saddler's Managerial Journey

View attachment 135318
October Results

6 more league games and another chance for the Saddler's to define themselves as a top team in the division. Another international break would mean the Saddler's would have a lot of fixture congestion on the back end of the month which could cause fitness problems.

Wigan 0-0 Walsall (SBL1)

It was a game that Saddler made clear wouldn't be easy but in the end he would've been disappointed not to have claimed all 3 points. Wigan had a man sent off with half an hour left but the Saddler's couldn't break through and get a winner at the DW Stadium.

Walsall 0-1 Chesterfield (SBL1)

It was a bad day all round for the Saddler's. Chesterfield had been fantastic in the opening 2 months of the season and they continued that at the Bescot. Walsall kept the game even in the first half but Tom Bradshaw got injured with 5 minutes left in the first half and he will miss 4 weeks. Chesterfield then took their only real chance in a boring second half to claim all 3 points with Ariyibi getting the goal.

Barnsley 2-3 Walsall (SBL1)

The Saddler's earned their revenge for the 3-0 league cup loss but it didn't come easy. Watkins put the Tykes 1-0 up just 30 seconds in but a Bradshaw-less Saddler's went into the half 2-1 up thanks to goals from Lalkovic and Gallagher before the half. Barnsley once again came out strong though and equalised through Hammill just 3 minutes into the second half but once again the Saddler's took the lead and all 3 points thanks to Seager.

Colchester 2-0 Walsall (SBL1)

A very poor result for the Saddler's as 23rd place Colchester took a 2-0 win thanks to a Lee brace. The Saddler's were the better side throughout but couldn't find the back of the net. Colchester remained stubborn at the back for the 90 minutes and claimed all 3 points.

Walsall 1-0 Burton (SBL1)

It should've been a more comfortable win for the Saddler's with Burton having a man sent off as Butcher gave a penalty away which Sawyers failed to convert. Kieron Morris got the goal just before the half meeting a cross at the back post. The Saddler's controlled the game but it was a nervy final 5 minutes with Burton piling pressure on.

Walsall 1-1 Gillingham (SBL1)

It was an unfair result with the Saddler's being the poorer side throughout. Neil Etheridge was superb on his way to earning man of the match but it was the Saddler's who took the lead through Gallagher in the 25th minute. Gillingham, despite having 26 shots (16 on target compared to Walsall's 9 shots in total) didn't earn their point until the 89th minute when Norris hit a superb shot from about 25 yards out to equalise.

Table
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 750, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Position[/TD]
[TD]Team[/TD]
[TD]Played[/TD]
[TD]Won[/TD]
[TD]Drawn[/TD]
[TD]Lost[/TD]
[TD]GD[/TD]
[TD]Points[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD]Scunthorpe[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]29[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4th[/TD]
[TD]Coventry[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]28[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[TD]Walsall[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]28[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6th[/TD]
[TD]Barnsley[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7th[/TD]
[TD]Sheffield United[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


​
 
Good start so far, and enjoying the layout, easier to see everything without unnecessary graphics, plain and gritty!

Shame about Bradshaw's run of injuries, as he is a class forward, thinking about signing a back up in Jan?
 
View attachment 135309
October News Round Up

Kinsella Loan Extended
Liam Kinsella's loan move to Cambridge was extended a further 3 months with the right back impressing for the league 2 side.

Kouhyar & Smith Move On Loan
Maziar Kohyar has moved to Corby on loan for a month and Jamie Smith has moved to Gloucester on loan for 3 months as both look to impress the staff at Walsall and push for the senior squad.

Bradshaw Injured AGAIN!
Leading goalscorer Tom Bradshaw has picked up yet another injury and will miss the first week or two of November with a pulled hamstring.

Tonks Turns Professional
17 year old full back Sam Tonks has had his contract turned professional. The youngster has been impressing in the youth side and although he isn't expected to feature for the senior side any time soon Saddler handed him a 3 year deal.

FA Cup Draw
The Saddler's have been drawn against non-league Mickleover for the FA Cup first round. The tie will be played at Mickleover Sports Ground at the beginning of November where the Saddler's will look to pick up a routine win.

Gallagher Injured Too!
The Saddler's strike options seem to be bare going into November as Sam Gallagher, who scored 2 goals in October, is expected to miss up to 2 weeks with a sprained wrist. This leaves Saddler with just Seager as an option with both Jordan Murphy and Amadou Bakayoko out on loan.
​
 
dporter8999 said:
Good start so far, and enjoying the layout, easier to see everything without unnecessary graphics, plain and gritty!

Shame about Bradshaw's run of injuries, as he is a class forward, thinking about signing a back up in Jan?
Click to expand...

Thanks mate! Bradshaw injuries are frustrating. Have Seager and Gallagher on loan from Southampton (who are my senior affiliate) and they have 5 goals between them so far. Bradshaw is just prolific so hoping to keep him fit when he comes back this time round.
 
View attachment 135307
November Fixtures

The quietest month of the season so far with the Saddler's having 5 fixtures including the first round of the FA Cup to start the month off.

Mickleover (A) FA Cup 1st Round

The Saddler's will expect a routine win against non-league side Mickleover in the FA Cup 1st round. Expected to reach the 3rd round this should be an easy side and the Saddler's may field a rotated side in order to let some other players get a sniff of first team action.

Shrewsbury (A) SBL1

Shrewsbury were once flying high but have slipped in form and now sit in 13th. With just 1 win in 11 league games they will look to break the bad streak but the Saddler's will look to get one over their rivals and take all 3 points.

Sheffield United (H) SBL1

7th placed Sheffield United are once again under performing based on pre-season odds. Expected to be fighting for automatic promotion they are struggling to break into the top 6. It will be a tough game at the Bescot for both sides but the Saddler's should get all 3 points.

Swindon (A) SBL1

2nd place Swindon are one of many teams to be over performing and it will not be an easy game travelling to the County Ground. Swindon will look to grab all 3 points whilst the Saddler's may settle for a draw, despite knowing a win could fire them back into the top 2.

Bradford City (H) SBL1

Bradford, like Sheffield United, are another side performing below expectations as they currently sit in 10th place. They have struggled to find consistent form and the Saddler's will look to take advantage of this and get all 3 points.​
 
Well that was a disappointing month really. Dropped out of the top 2, lost Bradshaw, AGAIN! How we didn't get the win against Wigan and Colchester I will never know but we definitely deserved it. Gillingham was a bit of a let off as we didn't deserve the point at all.

Looking forward to the FA Cup game. Gives us a break from the league and hopefully we get a better result in this cup competition than the previous two. I don't know whether to play the strongest side or rotate a bit to give some of the backups a chance to prove themselves.

Mantom was disappointing last month, he seems to have lost his early season form. He struggled a bit against Colchester and Burton so I might give Flanagan and Osbourne the chance to prove themselves.

Rico and Demetriou for me have been our best players so far. Both of them have dominated at the back and been fantastic going forward but their fitness is a bit of a worry. Both of them had to sit out a couple of games last month and it cost us, especially against Colchester despite Taylor and Williams playing well.

I don't see why we can't be back in the top 2 at the end of the month. Sheffield United will be tough but I am confident of getting a win. Bradford and Shrewsbury I expect a win. Swindon is the only game I'm not sure about but I think we can get all 3 points if we are at our best.
Click to expand...
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View attachment 135219
November Results

The beginning of the FA Cup and a tough run of league fixtures which saw 3 of 4 league opponent'***** form going into the game meant it would be a tough month for the Saddler's.

Mickleover 0-2 Walsall (FA Cup 1st Round)

Saddler opted to semi rotate the team and give starts to Taylor, Flanagan, Osbourne, Hesketh and Seager and it worked out for the Saddler's. Controlling the game from the off with a simple style of play the Saddler's took the lead after 20 minutes with Seager hitting the net second time of asking. The Saddler's continued to control the game but it wasn't till the 80th minute when they got the second with Morris scoring a neat goal from the edge of the box.

Shrewsbury 1-2 Walsall (SBL1)

The first taste of this rivalry for Saddler and it looked like it was going to end in defeat. After an hour Shrewsbury had been in control and Akpa-Akpro made it 1-0 in the 61st minute. With Saddler screaming on the sideline though they kicked into gear and just a minute later Sawyers scored a superb volley to make it 1-1. Kieron Morris would once again come off of the bench and in the 78th minute he scored the winner, set up by Sawyers to get all 3 points.

Walsall 1-1 Sheffield United (SBL1)

Morris continued his fine goalscoring form making it 3 in 3 as he scored in the 8th minute after earning his start. United brought it back to 1-1 though 4 minutes later with Woolford getting on the end of a good cross. Both sides had their fair share of chances in a back and forward game but neither could get the important second goal.

Swindon 3-0 Walsall (SBL1)

The most in form team in the league continued to walk their way past challengers as they scored 3 against a strong Saddler's back line. Unbeaten in 15 and having won 8 on the bounce Swindon were looking unbeatable in the league and they proved to be again today with Obika getting 2 and Thompson adding a late 3rd.

Walsall 1-1 Bradford (SBL1)

Bradford hit form going into the game and the Saddler's were aware of the threat they posed. Opting to play a counter style of football Saddler reaped it's rewards early on. 24 minutes in Bradford had a corner but the ball was cleared to Bradshaw who ran through to make it 1-0. Bradford equalised just before the half through Clarke who was played through to slot home. Neither side could break the tie in the second half and both sides left with a point.​
 
View attachment 135217
Sky Bet League 1
November 29th 2015

Going into the busy festive month we take a look at the table for Sky Bet League 1. There are tight battles at both ends of the table with a host of teams still in a promotion and relegation battle after 20 league games.

View attachment 135216The top half of League 1 is currently extremely tight. All teams down to 12th are within 5 points of the top 6 and that could be brought down to 2 points for many with 4 teams between 7th-12th currently have a game in hand.

Swindon are currently in fantastic form and that has seen them hit the top of the table and they are currently the only team in the league to have conceded less than 10 goals. Coventry sit just 3 points off but with Swindon having a game in hand they could extend that and pull away from the chasing pack.

The play-off places are currently filled with some very good teams. High scoring Chesterfield and Southend sit in the first and last play-off places and both sides will look to hand on to those places in the coming month. Peterborough and the Saddler's are both struggling to find consistent form in recent weeks but continue to hold onto their spots.

View attachment 135215The bottom half of the table contains some surprising names. Title favourites Wigan sit in 13th having failed to produce the goals using their high quality front line. The once high flying Shrewsbury have dropped down to 17th and with just one win in 5 could slip into a relegation battle.

A bottom 4 of Doncaster, Crewe, Colchester and Blackpool prop up the table. Blackpool and Doncaster were both expected to be doing better but have both struggled to defend which has cost them. Crewe and Colchester have the opposite problem though as neither of them can seem to find goals for themselves.​
 
View attachment 135214
November News Round Up
As the Saddler's continue to fight for their play-off spot we take a look at the monthly news round up...

October Young Player Of The Month Award For Kinsella
On November 1st Liam Kinsella, on loan at league 2 Cambridge, won the young player of the month award and finished 3rd in the player of the month award.

Rico Hands In Transfer Request
18 year old left back Rico Henry has handed in a transfer request for January claiming the club don't match his ambitions. Saddler tried to convince the youngster that promotion was achievable but Rico demanded a move away.

FA Cup 2nd Round Draw
The Saddler's were drawn against league 2 Newport County in the 2nd round of the FA Cup. The tie will be played at the beginning of December at the Bescot Stadium.

Loan Stars
Amadou Bakayoko, Liam Kinsella and Maziar Kouhyar continue to impress out on loan. Kinsella has 2 goals in 15 games from right back for Cambridge and an average rating of 7.29. Bakayoko who has missed the last few weeks of action and will miss more time injured has 8 goals and an assist in 15 games for Grimsby. Kouhyar, currently at Corby has impressed having 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 games.

​
 
View attachment 135209
December Fixtures
Just 5 games await the Saddler's including the 2nd round of the FA Cup in December...

Newport County (H) FA Cup 2nd Round

It will be an expected win for the Saddler's as they take on a league 2 opposition in the FA Cup. Newport currently sit in 16th in league 2 and they have struggled to find form so the Saddler's should be able to advance to the 3rd round with ease.

Fleetwood (A) SBL1

18th placed Fleetwood have struggled this season after looking good in pre-season. The Saddler's will look to break their inconsistent league form with a win against the Cod Army.

Port Vale (H) SBL1

Another game the Saddler's will look to win as they host 20th placed Port Vale. Port Vale see the Saddler's as a rival and the Saddler's will look to get the win against a struggling side.

Millwall (A) SBL1

Another team who are performing under expectations are 14th placed Millwall. The boxing day visit to the Den will be tough for the Saddler's because of the quality in the Millwall team but they should at least be looking for a draw if not all 3 points.

Peterborough (H) SBL1

The only top half team the Saddler's will play this month are 4th placed Peterborough. Both sides are stubborn defensively but struggle to find the goals that teams around them get. The Saddler's will look to use their home advantage to get the win and leap frog Peterborough.
​
 
Another inconsistent month. We can't seem to find consistent form and I know it was a tough run of fixtures but we could've done better than that. I don't know what went wrong against Swindon but it just collapsed on the day.

I'm unsure on Rico. He had been fantastic for us and is definitely one of our best players but since he has demanded his transfer he has dipped in form. Taylor has been doing okay when he plays but he doesn't offer the same threat as Rico. If Rico does leave we will have to bring somebody in but we lack the funds to add players.

Kieron Morris and Romaine Sawyers have been fantastic. Forde has been great as well. Lalkovic could lose his place if he doesn't improve. He needs to provide more going forward and we seem to lack the threat down the left side with him playing.

Only other problem is where the goals are coming from. Bradshaw has struggled a bit with all his injuries and Seager has struggled to score consistently. Gallagher is still an option but has struggled for fitness since his injury. We have a lot of attacking options but haven't been able to add the goal tally.

Honestly I expect 4 wins in 5 for December. The FA Cup should give us another win and then the only game I can see us struggling in is Peterborough but I expect a point in that game. I see no reason we can't go unbeaten next month.
Click to expand...
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View attachment 135175
December Results

With 1 game cancelled there were only 4 fixtures for the Saddler's including an FA Cup 2nd round tie with Newport...

Walsall 2-0 Newport County (FA Cup 2nd Round)

It was a pretty routine win for the Saddler's who controlled the play and won the game in midfield. Anthony Forde opened the scoring 11 minutes in tapping home after Morris had a shot pushed onto the post. Forde then won a penalty just before the half with Bradshaw converted with ease. The bad news was that Sawyers was injured late on and would miss up to 3 months.

Fleetwood 0-1 Walsall (SBL1)

It looked like Fleetwood would have the upper hand when Sam Mantom was sent off after half an hour. However the Cod Army couldn't create any chances after the tactical changes that Saddler made. With 13 minutes left Anthony Forde rushed through for his second in as many games to give the Saddler's all 3 points.

Walsall 2-3 Port Vale (SBL1)

It was a tough result to take. Grant Holt put Vale 1-0 up early on but a Bradshaw brace, with goals either side of the break, gave the Saddler's a 2-1 lead. Holt then made it 2 winning the ball in the air. Late on the referee gave Vale a penalty, converted by Holt, which Downing was sent off for, only to have his ban overturned.

Millwall 3-1 Walsall (SBL1)

It was 2 losses on the bounce for the first time since September as a Millwall side coming into form out powered the Saddler's. Saddler couldn't find a way to break down the hosts at the Den. Morris scored early on but it was later cancelled out by Upson from a corner. O'Brien scored on the brink of half time which made it tough for Saddler and it was made worse with a late goal to make it 3-1.

Table
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 750, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Position[/TD]
[TD]Team[/TD]
[TD]Played[/TD]
[TD]Won[/TD]
[TD]Drawn[/TD]
[TD]Lost[/TD]
[TD]GD[/TD]
[TD]Points[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6th[/TD]
[TD]Southend[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]39[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7th[/TD]
[TD]Scunthorpe[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]-1[/TD]
[TD]37[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8th[/TD]
[TD]Walsall[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[TD]Millwall[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]35[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10th[/TD]
[TD]Rochdale[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]34[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

​
 
View attachment 135173
January Fixtures

7 games await the Saddler's in January as they look to right what went wrong in December. The transfer period could see some movement as well with Rico having handed in a transfer request and other players attracting interest.

Rochdale (H) SBL1

Rochdale are in fantastic form and currently sit 10th in the table. This game could define the season as whoever loses will surely fall behind in the race for the play-off's.

Peterborough (H) SBL1

The game that was cancelled in December is moved to a Tuesday night but Peterborough still remain in the play-off's. Currently in 5th it is another key game for the Saddler's as back to back wins to start 2016 will put them in the play-off's.

Preston (H) FA Cup 3rd Round

A game that many believe is winnable as championship Preston visit the Bescot. Both sides will see it as a chance to advance into the 4th round and possibly get a big tie but it looks to be a fairly even game.

Coventry (A) SBL1

Another team who are doing well as the Saddler's travel to the Ricoh Arena to face 4th placed Coventry. Coventry came out 1-0 winners the first time the sides met so the Saddler's will be looking for revenge in the M6 El Clasico.

Bury (A) SBL1

After 4 tough fixtures the Saddler's should get a chance to dominate a game against 20th placed Bury. It should be an easy win for the Saddler's in a month that could see a lot of up's and downs.

Blackpool (H) SBL1

23rd place Blackpool are really struggling and again it should be an easy win for the Saddler's. The reverse fixture saw Walsall get all 3 points in a 3-1 win with Bradshaw and Morris getting the goals.

Doncaster (A) SBL1

The final game of the month sees the Saddler's travel to the Keepmoat to face off against 22nd place Doncaster. Doncaster have struggled all season and the Saddler's will look to continue that and end a busy month on a high.

​
 
View attachment 134825
January Results
It was a strong showing in January for the Saddler's as the transfer window kept quiet. Saddler offered Rico to premier league teams but the interest died down when Saddler named his price.

Rochdale 0-0 Walsall (SBL1)

It was a mixed start as an in form Rochdale somehow held the Saddler's to a point. Saddler praised the side post game for their attacking football and he had the right to as the Saddler's were only denied by an in form Dale keeper.

Walsall 1-1 Peterborough (SBL1)

One of the best defences in the league hosted one of the best attacks. The Saddler's took a lead through a Bradshaw penalty on the brink of the half. They looked like going for a win but a poor linesman decision left Peterborough with a point despite Taylor being offside as he hit the net.

Walsall 2-0 Preston (FA Cup 3rd Round)

Championship Preston didn't know how to cope with a high pressing attacking Walsall side. The Saddler's brought the JPT Semi-Final from a year ago to fans minds with the 2-0 win. Gallagher got the first 46 minutes in before Morris added the second 6 minutes later.

Coventry 2-1 Walsall (SBL1)

Once again Coventry managed to get the 1 goal win in the M6 El Clasico. 2 goals in 2 minutes gave Coventry a lead with O'Brien and Joe Cole getting the goals. 3 minutes later the Saddler's won a penalty which Bradshaw converted. It wasn't to be though as despite a dominant performance from then on the Saddler's couldn't get a 2nd.

Bury 2-3 Walsall (SBL1)

It was a game to remember as both side battled for 3 points. The wide game won it in the end for the Saddler's though. 8 minutes in Lalkovic made it 1-0 meeting Forde's ball at the back post however Rose pulled it back for Bury. Just after the half Bradshaw made it 2-1 but once again Bury made it 2-2 4 minutes later through Leon Clarke. However it came down to just minutes left as Anthony Forde met Lalkovic's cross at the back post to get the winner.

Walsall 1-0 Blackpool (SBL1)

Another dominant performance for the Saddler's as they had over 60% possession. It wasn't a goal fest but it came down to Bradshaw's 4th goal in 5 games as he scored early on to get the points.

Swansea 2-1 Walsall (FA Cup 4th Round)

It was a very tough result to take for the Saddler's as 2 early Swansea goals gave them the win. 30 minutes in it looked like Swansea could have scored 4 or 5 goals but Saddler made tactical changes and the second half saw a comeback. Flanagan was brought on and made it 2-1 minutes later. Then in the 90th minute the Saddler's thought they had won a penalty with Naughton getting sent off but the referee declared it as a freekick, replays showed it was a penalty and heart break for the Saddler's.

Table
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 750, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]Position[/TD]
[TD]Team[/TD]
[TD]Played[/TD]
[TD]Won[/TD]
[TD]Drawn[/TD]
[TD]Lost[/TD]
[TD]GD[/TD]
[TD]Points[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8th[/TD]
[TD]Coventry[/TD]
[TD]29[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]46[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[TD]Millwall[/TD]
[TD]29[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10th[/TD]
[TD]Walsall[/TD]
[TD]28[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11th[/TD]
[TD]Oldham[/TD]
[TD]29[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12th[/TD]
[TD]Wigan[/TD]
[TD]28[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Despite how bad the table looks it is still very tight in league 1. A win against 23rd place Doncaster in the Saddler's game in hand will put them in 7th place on the brink of the play-off's only behind 6th placed Southend on goal difference.
​
 
Hi guys, I have been playing ahead without time to post on here so tomorrow I am hoping to get one big post to sum up the rest of the season. Hope everyone's enjoying and I still welcome any feedback!
 
So we give an update on the current situation as we head into the final 2 months of the season. It's been a tough season so far with inconsistency proving to be the factor which is affecting us. However big injuries have affected that including that of Romaine Sawyers who was on fire to start the season.

View attachment 134563
So at the beginning of March we sit 9th in the league just 2 points from the play-off spots. This is a lot better than at the beginning of the month when we sat in 12th and 7 points off of the top 6. With 13 games to play we are still pushing for that top 6 and despite injuries and inconsistency we are keeping within range of the spots.

View attachment 134561
However when you look at the media prediction table it shows the difficulty in this league. Only 2 of the predicted top 6 sit in the top 6 currently and that is Coventry in 3rd and Sheffield United in 6th. League favourites Wigan sit in 8th which has been a largely disappointing season for the Latics with the quality in their squad. However it is the success of teams predicted to finish mid-table or worse such as league leaders Swindon who were predicted to finish 20th. All the shock teams have made the league extremely competitive and the top 6 has not stayed the same for weeks.

View attachment 134560
So there are our final 13 fixtures. The next 3 fixtures will be key to keeping in touch with the top 6. Scunthorpe and Barnsley are currently 2 of the teams fighting on the edge of the play-off spots whilst former league leaders Chesterfield occupy one of the top 6 places.

After those 3 games we have a good run in. We face just 4 top half teams in games which could be must wins with all of the top half still in contention. We face those 4 teams in 4 games on the bounce with fixtures against Oldham, Sheffield United, Southend and Swindon. Win all these 4 games and all of a sudden we could be battling for the top 2 spots.

That is pending we win expectedly in the games either side of the tough run. Prior to the run we face Colchester and Shrewsbury who are in a relegation battle and also Gillingham who aren't safe yet. We then end the season with Bradford, Fleetwood and Port Vale who are all struggling and I expect wins.​
 
So with 13 games to go we were really tight in the play-off battle but with all teams down to mid-table still within a chance of making it I knew it was going to be tough. This is how the fixtures went...

View attachment 134463
So after an initial loss to Scunthorpe it wasn't looking good but we then got back to back wins against Barnsley and Chesterfield which could have been key moving forward. However once again inconsistency struck as we backed this up with a poor loss to Colchester.

Then came the most frustrating game of the run in as we lost to Shrewsbury 1-0. Shrewsbury had just a single shot all game whilst we had 27 and 15 on target but couldn't beat Leutwiler.

We went back to winning ways against mid-table Gillingham and play-off chasers Oldham thanks to an in form Tom Bradshaw who got 4 goals in 2 games. Back to back draws proved costly though as Sheffield United and Southend were still in a big chance of the top 6.

Swindon were just the better team once again as they walked their way to the title but we walked all over Bradford. However with 2 games left it looked unlikely. We needed results of Barnsley, Sheffield United and Southend to go our way.

When we lost to Fleetwood all 3 drew meaning we could make the top 6 but it would require either Southend and Sheffield United OR Barnsley to lose. Or we would need Southend to lose, one of the others to lose and the other to draw whilst we swung goal difference by 5 goals.

In the end it wasn't to be though. We looked inspired and were 2-0 up thanks to a brace from Kieron Morris. But we ended the game with 9 men due to injuries and Port Vale brought it back. Southend and Sheffield United ended up taking the final 2 play-off spots as they both won their final fixture.

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In the end the table was unfair but it amazed me to the final day how tight the league was with all teams down to 11th finishing within 3 points of 5th. The last day truly was a toss up and it was anybodies guess who could've made it but in the end we let ourselves down.

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The bottom half wasn't as tight though. The bottom 3 was decided prior to April with Blackpool, Crewe and Bury all being extremely poor throughout the season. Shrewsbury were the final team to make the drop to league 2 after they failed to get a result final game.

So it's going to be another season in league 1, if the board decide to renew my contract. Honestly I don't expect them to. The finances were poor in the second half of the season and the position, although unfair and unlucky, makes the season seem a lot worse than it was.

Just to let people know I am going to switch to a more streamlined writing style. I was enjoying the other style but it was taking too long to write and delaying the speed of playing (because of having to have all the stats, tables, fixtures, etc. up to date). I hope people still enjoy the story and I will continue to give the same amount of depth in future posts but it'll be in a simpler layout style.
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So with the season done let's look at some of the stats and final awards...

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Unsurprisingly it was Bradshaw who walked away with most of the awards. He walked the player and young player of the season awards as he smashed home 29 goals in 42 games (in all competitions). I was quite surprised to not see Morris in the top 3 though as he was key all year being our second top scorer and top assister with 11 goals and 8 assists in 32 games.

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The team of the season was straight forward. The only inclusion that surprised me was Lalkovic on the left as he didn't feature that often and when he did he was poor (lost his place to Morris and eventually Sims). I was expecting to see Morris on the left with Forde on the right.

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It was no surprise in the end that Bradshaw was the leagues top scorer as he hit home 28 goals to win the leagues Golden Boot with 5 more goals than anyone else. The striker will be key to plans moving forward so I will have to focus on keeping him into next season after he features at the Euros.

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And as for my stats they aren't too bad. I would like to focus on defending better or scoring more next year as that goal difference is too small for my liking. I won more games than anything else but in the end lost key games which saw us finish 11th.​
 
The final post of the first season as we take a look at the end of season news...

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The first piece of news was rather disappointing. If I were to be staying on it would seem to be tougher next season with our facilities being downgraded. I asked for an improvement but it was prior to any award money for league finish so the board rejected due to the "current financial situation".

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However the more important question was whether or not I would be getting a new contract. Looking at this I wasn't confident. The finances were deteriorating and the final league position was disappointing despite how close it was.

So when I went and requested a new deal I wasn't hopeful, but...

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I was given another year! Somehow I managed to convince them to give me a second year to prove myself. The expectations are likely to be the same in year 2 and they won't be helped by a relatively small budget (compared to this season). I'll look to reach the play-off's this time round and earn that 3rd season.

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However this was what surprised me. With the disappointment the season ended in I was surprised to see that Bonser was so happy with me signing a new deal. Also Kieron Morris was looking forward to a second season at the Saddler's under Saddler.​
 
So the end of my first season in management. It didn't go fantastically but I'm happy that I challenged in my first managerial season. I know I was expecting more but in the end it was a very tight division and any one of 7 teams could've got into the 2 play-off spots last day.

I think I've spotted my faults this season and know where I need to make improvements. Tactically I was too lenient and it often left the team a tad confused on what to do so going into next season I will define tactics a bit better.

Also is my reluctance to use some of the loan players till later on. Sims came in late and was fantastic in the late push for the play-off's but he rarely played as I opted for Morris and Lalkovic more often despite them either being not natural in the position or poor all season. Also Hesketh should've featured more in Sawyers absence. He made a lot of difference when he played but I opted not to play him for some reason when Sawyers was injured.

Next season I want nothing less than play-off's and a couple of decent cup runs. The FA Cup is an important one as it'll help if we can get a couple of big draws and the JPT is one I want to improve in after this years disappointment.
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