Football is the game, Money is how we keep score.

Blackpool FC
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September

Blackpool vs Bolton
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Start of september in the Johnstones Paint Trophy against struggling Bolton. We needed penalties to get us through in the end but i have no idea why we needed penalties when you look at our statistics. Shouldve been over in the first half.

Hartlepool vs Blackpool
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Hartlepool are one of the better teams in the league so i'm glad to get this fixture out of the way early on in the season and i'm delighted to get 3 points over them. Mason Bennett scored just shy of the 10 minute mark. We gave away a penalty on the half hour mark which Max Power fired into the net. The second half was end to end stuff with neither side being able to find the net until the dying second when Max Sanders slotted in a nice finish.

Blackpool vs Yeovil
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Yeovil are a very inconsistent side, they might beat me in one game and then lose to the bottom side. They gave us a tough game, we couldnt get many shots off on goal and anything we did have, they dealt with fairly easily. We had a good passage of play just before half time where we scored two goals through Kyle Copp and Donervon Daniels.

Notts County vs Blackpool
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So our winning streak came to a halt against second from bottom Notts Co. Frustrating game to watch, they didn't cause us any problems to be honest and i'm not sure how we didn't score 3 or 4. We gave away a silly penalty to give them the lead but equalized shortly after through Mason Bennett. The second half was all us but we couldnt find the net .

Blackpool vs Northampton
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Back to winning ways in style. Bennett scoring after missing out in the last 2 or 3 games. An own goal from Gjokaj gave us a two goal lead which saw us through until half time. Second Half Christian Scales scored a header from a corner which finished off the scoring.

Exeter vs Blackpool
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Our unbeaten run comes to and end against high flying Exeter who are proving to be our biggest contenders so far. This game had draw written all over it, with neither team causing too many problems. Wagstaff scored in the last second of the game with a rebounded effort from just inside the area

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So in a month that saw us lose our winning streak and then the unbeaten streak, we're still top of the league but just about with Exeter just behind us.

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We've got a fairly decent month ahead of us, playing mostly the bottom half of the league.
​
 
Blackpool FC
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October

Blackpool vs Forest Green
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The scoreline suggests that this was a fairly close affair, but it certainly was not and i'm annoyed at the fact that i had to rely on an own goal and a late goal. We had so many chances, but just couldn't finish. The goals are starting to dry up.

Blackpool vs Preston
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We gave them a good game, but not good enough. This is my first big derby game of my career and one the fans would like to forget. Despite taking the lead and controlling the first half, Preston came back at us in the second half.

Eastleigh vs Blackpool
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The bottom team in the league gave us a tough game here and deserved a point, if not 3. We were very poor. Jack McKay is complaining about a lack of first team football so i'm sacrificing Mason Bennett to keep him and the squad happy and it's not working out.

Blackpool vs Morecambe
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Another hair-pulling affair. This time it was the defence that let us down, with Morecambe scoring from two corners. We could've scored 4, 5 or 6 but McKay let us down, i'm dropping him and letting him sulk on the bench. We're throwing away points here.

Bolton vs Blackpool
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Thats more like it. Sorry Bolton are shocking so far this season finding themselves in the relegation zone this early in the season. Mason Bennett returns and scores a brace along with Kyle Copp, who despite my pre-season worries has been performing well this season. Liam Kelly chipped in with a lovely free kick from just outside the area.

Blackpool vs Southend
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I always saw this as this as the most difficult fixture this month and we were both, lucky and unlucky. We gave away a penalty which they missed so thats how we were lucky, and we were unlucky as they scored very late on through a corner. Seriously, the Match Engine hates me when it comes to corners lol.

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A very shaky month, with 2 wins and 3 draws sees us still in top spot but just on Goal Difference with Exeter closing the gap and making the most of our slip ups.

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A difficult month and if it goes anything like last month we might just lose top spot if Exeter keep up their good form.
​
 
its been a hectic few days. I'll get an update done soon.
 
Blackpool FC
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November

Oxford vs Blackpool
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Twice we went down to a strong Oxford side, and twice we pulled back but i'm seriously annoyed that we couldnt take the lead. We absolutely bossed the game and deserved to score at least 3 or 4 goals and get the 3 points we needed.

Blackpool vs AFC Wimbledon
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I needed a win and i'm glad to get through to the next round of the FA Cup. The prize money is a nice boost and in the next round we face Dover. We were fortunate to get a penalty in the first half. Wimbledon were all over us and deserved the win. The came at us in the second half and grabbed a deserved equaliser but we came back at them immediately and scored from the restart. That was enough to see us through despite the Don's coming at us strong.

Blackpool vs AFC Wimbledon
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We had a chance to write our wrongs against Wimbledon immediately and we proved how good we can be. We didn't score quite as many as i would've liked but all that's important is the 3 points. Mason Bennett scored a nice goal, rounding the keeper and slotting it home.

Newport Co vs Blackpool
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Another tough fixture against Newport who are pushing for promotion and fighting for a playoff spot. They gave us a good game and we were somewhat fortuitous not to have conceded a goal or two in the first half. Our luck continued in the second half when we took the lead when Scott Wharton deflected a shot into the back of the net. Bunchanan scored 7 minutes later to secure the win, through a corner.

Blackpool vs Accrington
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Another difficult game. Accrington gave us a good run for our money and only for a moment of brilliance from Mason Bennett they could've had a share of the points. Lumly had a great performance in nets for us and duly earned the man of the match award.
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After a good month we find ourselves at the top of the league with a 3 point gap between ourselves and Exeter.

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We've got a few tough games playing Dover twice but i'm confident enough that we can get another 100%. Interesting to play Dover twice this month, including once in the FA Cup.
​
 
I have been following the story all along and although I rarely comment (anywhere, not just here), I wanted to say that I like the concept and the story layout a lot. KUTGW. Am sure that there are plenty like me "just following". You are NOT talking to yourself.

Take care

PS : journeyman stories are tough to follow. A yearly mini squad analysis, after the transfers are done would make it easier to follow. Of course its not mandatory or anything. Just a thought. Not even a request.
 
Last edited:
angelheart said:
I have been following the story all along and although I rarely comment (anywhere, not just here), I wanted to say that I like the concept and the story layout a lot. KUTGW. Am sure that there are plenty like me "just following". You are NOT talking to yourself.

Take care

PS : journeyman stories are tough to follow. A yearly mini squad analysis, after the transfers are done would make it easier to follow. Of course its not mandatory or anything. Just a thought. Not even a request.
Click to expand...

Thank you! Means a lot!
i've got to admit i haven't really done any squad analysis at the end or start of the season so i'll try and do some more of that.
 
Blackpool FC
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December

Dover vs Blackpool
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We're through to the next round of the FA Cup after a tough game against my former employers. Dover perhaps had the better of the chances but a good performance from Lumley kept us on level terms. We had a few chances, but couldn't really threaten Stephens between the sticks until Mason Bennett produces a moment of magic to give us the lead.

Blackpool vs Barnet
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This is a game we should be winning fairly easily and by quite a deficit. We struggled to finish our chances and despite having quite a few clear chances at goal we only managed to finish the one through midfielder Reece Flanagan in the second half. Barnet didn't cause us too many problems despite taking the lead and had a lot of long shots at goal. They scored through a corner. Frustrating game to match.

Blackpool vs Dover
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We've had a good record against Dover so far but we couldn't find a way past them here. It was a fairly drab affair with very few chances on either end, with a lot of efforts from long range. Mason Bennett had a few chances but couldn't produce his usual class.

Plymouth vs Dover
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Plymouth were relegated last year along with ourselves and Doncaster, but unlike us are performing well below their expectations, finding themselves in the bottom 4, but i faced them at the wrong time. They're on the way up and are in decent form whereas we aren't performing well at all. Plymouth were the better team and won the game courtesy of a freekick.

Scunthorpe vs Blackpool
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A well needed win and good performance to go a long with it. Mason Bennett returns to the starting 11 after a few poor performances and scored early on in the match. Liam Kelly added his name to the scoresheet with a long range effort which found its way into the back of the net.

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After a rather poor month with only one win in the league we're surprisingly still in first place thanks to Exeter's poor form aswell.

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​We've got a couple of difficult fixtures up next with Port Vale, Southport and Bury, but i'm hoping the pick up the form and get back on track.
​
 
Blackpool FC
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January

Port Vale vs Blackpool
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Great performance against a tough team, but i would've liked to see some clinical finishing in front of goal with most of our chances missing the target. Mason Bennett scored after their keeper saved an effort from Molumby, Liam Trotter added immediately in the second half. Port Vale produced little to threaten us.

Blackpool vs Newcastle
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The scoreline doesn't reflect how the game went. We put in a brave fight but just couldn't beat Jack Butland between the sticks. We gave away a silly penalty to give them the lead , Newcastle doubled their lead shortly after and extended it even further after some heavy pressure on our defence. Thats the end of our FA Cup run!

Stevenage vs Blackpool
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A very, VERY fortunate win against a poor team. I was puling my hair out this entire game, we should be comfortably beating a team such as Stevenage. Our first goal came through a long range effort from Liam Kelly, which hit the cross bar and hit off the back of Thompson. Our second goal was similar, it was another long range effort which hit Gafaiti and deflected into the back of the net.

Blackpool vs Bury
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Another complacent and frustrating performance. There's no excuse for this kind of performance. We had no composure, we had no temperament and no patience.

Southport vs Blackpool
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Southport twice took the lead in the first half but we came back in the second half with Kelly equalizing and Bennett later scored to give us a one goal lead. We scored the 4th and final goal through a deflected shot. It was important that we won this game, Southport are quietly climbing the ladder.

Doncaster vs Blackpool
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A closely fought battle and one that i needed to win. Despite being on the backfoot for the most of the game we came out on top. Doncaster took the lead through a free kick and threatened a number times to extend their lead but couldn't find a way through our defence. Molumby equalized through a free kick and Kyle Copp handed us the win with a fantastic long range effort.

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I'm not going to lie, this was a very fortunate month but sometimes you need luck to win titles, and thats what i want. We've managed to extend our lead to 5 points, with Exeter straggling behind us and Hartlepool right behind them.
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We've got a tough month upcoming with Exeter and Hartlepool coming up with Yeovil in between. They're both at home so hopefully i can get the win. The other 2 fixtures are very winnable.
​
 
Blackpool FC
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February

Blackpool vs Hartlepool
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This was a big game that we couldn't afford to lose with Exeter and Hartlepool hot on our heels at this stage. Although i'm happy that we got away without losing, we really should've won. The man of the match here was their Goalkeeper which says alot, he single handedly kept them in the fixture despite the best efforts of Mason Bennett

Yeovil vs Blackpool
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A very boring affair in Yeovil. This was another important fixture with Yeovil climbing into the playoff spots, and i didn't want to give Exeter or Hartlepool the opportunity to catch up even further. Jack McKay came off the bench and scored a nice goal in the last kick of the game after rounding their number 1 before slotting into the bottom right corner.

Blackpool vs Notts Co.
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A great performance here against one of the poorer sides in the division. A brace from Mason Bennett and a free kick from Max Sanders gave us a comfortable lead. We had plenty of opportunities but couldn't finish but i'm not going to complain about a 3-0 win.

Northampton vs Blackpool
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Another strong away performance and one we could've won by a more comfortable margin but some good goalkeeping kept Northampton in the game but they couldn't cause us too many problems. Kyle Copp scored a nice long range effort which hit the underside of the crossbar and found its way into the net.

Blackpool vs Exeter
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An even contest at Bloomfield road with both sides having their fair share of chances but neither side could make the breakthrough. We, perhaps had the better of the chances but some poor composure meant we couldn't beat their keeper.

Forest Green vs Blackpool
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Another well fought win away from home, which we've done a few times recently. Mason Bennett could've had a hattrick here if he was on form but had to settle for one. Kyle Copp took a shot from outside the area which deflected off a Forest Green defender and Mason Bennett hammered in a half volley to give us the win.

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Not only did we have an unbeaten win, we had a very strong defensive showing with 6 clean sheets, which is a new record for Blackpool. We had a very strong away performance this month which i'm happy with. With Exeter and Hartlepool out of the way it's all in our hands as we extend our lead to 6 points ahead of Exeter and 12 ahead of Hartlepool.

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We've got a fairly straight forward month with nothing too difficult coming our way. We face a few of the bottom teams like Bolton and Eastleigh. The only fixture that might be a concern is Wimbledon, but we're top of the league for a reason!
​
 
Blackpool FC
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March

Blackpool vs Eastleigh
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Not the most convincing performance against the bottom team of the league by any means but we got the win. Mason Bennett scoring just before the half hour mark and Lubomir Satka scored 8 minutes later. Other than that the game was fairly quiet with little to talk about.

Morecambe vs Blackpool
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A good away performance here against Morecambe we just couldn't get the result we deserved. Some great goalkeeping kept them in it. Paul Mullin gave them the lead with a well struck effort beating Lumley. We had our fair amount of chances in the second but couldn't find a way through until Jack McKay nodded in a header from a Spencer Brown cross.

Blackpool vs Bolton
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Another less than desirable performance and result against struggling Bolton. Mason Bennett scored after half an hour which breaks a season goal scoring record for Blackpool and sees him onto 24 league goals this season.

Southend vs Blackpool
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Southend gave us a good game here. Despite taking an early 2 goal lead we were back level on half time. Jack McKay stepped up in the absence of Mason Bennett with a brace and giving us the lead twice. Satka also got on the scoresheet.

Blackpool vs Oxford
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A great performance, just lacking any sort of composure at all. After a battering ram of a first half from us we were somehow still level despite having over a dozen efforts on goal. Oxford came out gunning in the second half taking the lead early on but Mason Bennett hit them back a little under 10 minutes later.

AFC Wimbledon vs Blackpool
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This time we were the slightly fortunate side to win. Wimbledon had about 6 clear chances to score but Lumley kept us in it. We took the lead 10 minutes from the half through youngster Barras. Wimbledon equalized 15minutes into the second half to share the points.

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Another unbeaten month but not the most convincing. We're still top with a 4 gap lead and we've guaranteed ourselves a playoff spot but i'll disappointed if we need to rely on that at this stage.

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To finish off the season we've got a nice run in. Port Vale being the only top 6 side we have to face. I'm fairly certain we'll finish top.
​
 
Just finished the season.

Will update soon.
 
Will have it up this evening, i've been busy with other things.
 
Blackpool FC
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End of Season

Blackpool vs Newport Co.
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Great performance but the scoreline was a lighter tighter than i would of liked, despite having plenty of chances on goal but we couldn't finish any of them until Scott McTominay popped up to score half way through the second half.

Port Vale vs Blackpool
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Another tight encounter away from home against a good Port Vale side. We took the lead courtesy of Jason Moloumby but Port Vale fought back equalizing 15minutes later. Both sides had their fair share of chances, but it was Jack McKay who proved instrumental to the win as he scored a brace late in the second half.

Blackpool vs Scunthorpe
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Another game with plenty of chances but lack of composure kept the scoreline low. Jack McKay scored another brace to give us the win making it 4 goals in 2 games. A lapse of concentration at the back let Scunthorpe equalised from the kick-off.

Accrington vs Blackpool
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A boring first half with only a handful of chances was worrying but after an assertive team talk the lads went out firing with Jack McKay picking up a goal 10 minutes into the second half, but Accrington hit us back soon after. Flanagan gave us the lead yet again with 15 minutes left in the game.

Blackpool vs Plymouth
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Horrible performance and a well deserved loss.

Barnet vs Blackpool
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The final game of the season didn't disappoint with 6 goals being scored. Barnet took the lead after missing a penalty, they scored the rebound. Mason Bennett hit them back immediately but Barnet took the lead again. Second half was all us with Jack Steele equalising and Jack McKay giving us the lead before Scott McTominay scoring to extend our lead.

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A fantastic way to end the season, despite losing to Plymouth i was very happy with the finale. We won the league in the end with an 8 point gap between ourselves and Exeter with Hartlepool behind them which rounds off the automatic promotions. Bury won promotion through the playoffs.
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Despite Mason Bennetts great form all season, he only managed to get third in the top goalscorers. He also made the League 2 best eleven along with Buchanan , Daniels and Lumley. Despite Winning the league comfortably , beating our expectations of mid-table, i didn't win Manager of the year, infact i only managed to win Manager of the Month twice i think.
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Luke Kelly won the goal of the season award with this screamer against Southport.
<span style="font-family:century gothic;"><font size="3">[video=youtube;s4fNnJm7dGc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4fNnJm7dGc[/video]

Is there anything else you would like to see before i go into the pre-season?
​
 
I take that as a no.

I'll have a pre-season update soon.
 
Blackpool FC
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Pre-Season
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A very pleasing Pre-Season. We started off we a tough start against our Parent Club Arsenal but picked up from that demolition with 3 straight wins . I've introduced two new tactics to replace what we were doing last season. One for away games/ tough games and one for home/comfortable games.

Transfers
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On to the business side of things. Buchanan, Copp, Steele,Flanagan, Scales and Edmunson head out of Blackpool despite featuring frequently for us last season, but i honestly don't think they were capable of stepping up to League One standard. Incoming, i'm very happy with my signings. I resigned Mason Bennett, Lubomir Satka and Graeme Barras on season long loans, i'm not sure why it's not showing up here. Liam Trotter joined us after a successful loan spell last year, but because he's coming towards the end of his career i only signed him on a year contract. Many of you will recognise former Burnley man George Boyd who joins us to add some quality and experience out wide. Alfie Davidson is a young midfielder i signed on loan from Southampton, he looks like a quality player. Alex Prohouly is a Wide Attacking Midfielder who looks like a decent signing, he'll be on the opposite wing to Boyd. Mark Edgar is Wide Midfielder who can also slot into left back who will mainly feature in our away tactic. Harry Kyprianou is a young cypriot who i signed for the first team and will go into the Left back slot, he's got plenty of experience playing for Cyprus 29 times. Conor Morley is a young centre back who can cover left back, he's got heaps of ability so i'll be hoping to take him up a level or two.
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Squad Overview
Goalkeepers:
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I've been looking for a quality keeper to help us in League One but haven't been able to find one. Now we're really lacking in the area so i'll need to sign somebody to cover for Lumley, because if he gets injured we're screwed.

Defenders:
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The back four will start off with Barras at right back, Satka and Donervon in the centre and Conor Morley at Left Back. Morley can play all over the back four so can slot in if injuries get in the way of any of the other positions, while Kyprianou can cover him.

Midfielders:
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Davidson and McTominay will occupy the midfield duo, with Boyd and Prohouly occupying the AMR and AML spots when playing the Home Tactic and with George Boyd and Mark Edgar occupying the wide midfielder roles when we're playing against tough opposition.

Forwards:
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Up front we'll have Mason Bennett and Jack McKay who combined fairly well last season and can hopefully light up League One. Youngster Craig Laycock who came through the academy will be fit to cover them in case of any injuries.

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This is how the Home/ Control tactic will look. I had great success last season playing Bennett and McKay in False Nine positions so i though i would try both of them together in that role and it looked good in pre-season. The Wide players are very important as well. I'd love to play with wingbacks aswell but i lack the quality of player.

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This is how i'll be setting up against tougher opposition and most away games. It's not as risky as the above tactic. I haven't had a chance to test it yet but hopefully it will work out fine.

Opening Month:
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First up is familiar opposition in Hartlepool, followed by a Capital One Cup fixture against Barnsley. Followed by Birmingham, Leyton Orient (who i played with Dover) , Gillingham and Swindon. So by all means it's a tough start to life in League One.
​
 
Won't even dare to comment on the Gk matter. Afraid I'll jinx it. What's the plan ? consolidation year or more than that ?
 
angelheart said:
Won't even dare to comment on the Gk matter. Afraid I'll jinx it. What's the plan ? consolidation year or more than that ?
Click to expand...
Yeah it's pretty dodgey.

I want to push for mid-table but i'll settle for survival.

Been a bit busy lately, will hopefully make time to update.
 
I've played a bit. Will do half a season and update then,
 
Good luck with this Seano! Just read through all ten pages and you linking into TDJ' story made me read his so felt I could only leave you a comment as well.

Looks like you've began to hit the 'bigger things' now at Blackpool and a good league win that's for sure.
 
Hey Folks,
It's been awhile but i won't be able to continue this story.
Basically, i've got 5 weeks left in Uni in my final year so with projects due, assignments and exams after that i don't really have the time to play. So i'm going to stop this story.

I'll be starting a new story sometime around May/June.
 
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