Improving Ireland with Sligo Rovers

[Hampus Silverholt]

That was one **** of a season with so many games. Unlucky not to finish with more than the 1 trophy, but hopefully bringing in a couple of class additions and maybe some good back up players for depth could see you smash it next year.

It suddenly gets mad in July with all the European games, we're going to have to get used to that throughout the save. Hopefully I can find the players to strengthen the squad for next year!

Two seasons...two trophies. Can't complain at that mate...good work!

Exactly! I would've taken that along with a run to the Europa League 4th Qualifying Round within 2 years so can't complain

 

[FM_TNSSO]

So what stage of the Europa League do you enter next season now? Think the squad is strong enough to get you to the group stage yet?

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

So what stage of the Europa League do you enter next season now? Think the squad is strong enough to get you to the group stage yet?

We'll go into the 1st Qualifying Round. Teams who finish 2-4 in Ireland all go in at the stage so we'll have to play 8 games in total in order to get to the group stage. As for how far we can get I'm honestly not sure, I think if the draw is kind to us we could get to the group stage but it all depends on who we bring in before next season. It's quite easy to get some quality loans from English clubs so I'm just hoping we can find the right players to go alongside them

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

2019 Season Review

2019 was a crazy season where we eventually finished second in the league behind Shamrock Rovers, won a cup and went on a Champions League adventure.

Airtricity Premier League: Runners Up
FAI Cup: Lost in final to Shamrock Rovers
League of Ireland Cup: Winners
Scottish Challenge Cup: Knocked out in 2nd​ round by Berwick
Champions League: Knocked out in 3rd​ Qualifying Round by PSV
Europa League: Knocked out in 4th​ Qualifying Round by Red Star

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Incredibly Derry City were relegated after they lost to Cabinteely in the relegation play off. And after spending all the season near the top, UCD missed out on the Europa League by 2 points… Gives them more time to concentrate on exams I suppose!

Mikey Drennan was the top scorer in Ireland and scored 29 for us in all competitions. He also won Irish player of the year, beating Seamus Coleman amongst others!

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And just the 3 Sligo players were in the Team of the Year, with goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney in there for the second year in a row as well as Cardiff right back Cameron Coxe

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12 Sligo players averaged over 7.00 throughout the season.

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We’ve been handed a very generous budget for next year, which was down to our Champions League run.

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But there might not be much we can do with it until the English clubs release players in June next year.

Either way, it doesn’t change my aims for next season, which will be to win the league and have a decent run in the Europa League.

Irish Football Summary – 2019

National Team Ranking: 51 (was 40th​ in 2018)
Nation Coefficient Ranking: 35 (was 39 in 2018)
Irish Teams in Europe: Dundalk Europa 3rd​ Round, St Pats Europa 1st​ Round, Cork Europa 1st​ Round.​

 

[Gerarddrog]

Very interesting story so far mate.... Im a league of Ireland fan myself so keen to see how well you can do as this is usually one my save challenges I do

 

[NashBigginss]

Another great season! Love to see Owen Garven doing well for you, as an Ipswich fan he used to be one of my favourite players growing up

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

Very interesting story so far mate.... Im a league of Ireland fan myself so keen to see how well you can do as this is usually one my save challenges I do

Cheers mate, don't know much about the league but always keep an eye on ex villa players who are there like Toner and Drennan etc. And what's the best you've done with a team from Ireland? In FM16 or 17 I did a similar save with Kalmar FF in Sweden and won the Europa League with them so I think that's what I'm aiming for this time round

Another great season! Love to see Owen Garven doing well for you, as an Ipswich fan he used to be one of my favourite players growing up

I'll pretend I didn't let him go on a free at the end of the season... Think I remember him playing a few games for Palace when they were first promoted to the Premier League. He was always back up for me but made an impression when he scored twice in a Champions League qualifier earlier in the season

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

2020 Season Preview

After his retirement at the end of last year, Sligo’s highest goalscorer and 5’5” target man Raffaele Cretaro is now the under 19 assistant manager for as long as he wants.

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And we’ve been busy in the transfer market.

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We’ve added quality to defence and attack with 4 free transfers from English clubs, Shane Lavery from Everton looks the best.

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And we’ve made our customary loan signings, bringing in youngsters from Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City

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I’ve also picked up a number of under 18s from Northern Ireland who for some reason were all really cheap. They look like they are not far away from the first team!

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Our squad is young but is looking strong. Top scorer last season Mikey Drennan goes into the season as my 4th​ best striker!

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And because of those transfers, we’re predicted to win the league and the board want us to win it too. The pressure is on!

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8 of the ‘Media’s Dream Eleven’ are Sligo players. Although 5 of them are all on loan from Premier League clubs!

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Unless anything drastic happens I plan to post the next update halfway into the season in June as that’s when the season really kicks into gear with the European games.​

 

[Gerarddrog]

Cheers mate, don't know much about the league but always keep an eye on ex villa players who are there like Toner and Drennan etc. And what's the best you've done with a team from Ireland? In FM16 or 17 I did a similar save with Kalmar FF in Sweden and won the Europa League with them so I think that's what I'm aiming for this time round.

My best personally in the same save was got Dundalk to the first knockout stage in europa league by finishing third in champions league group and got Shamrock Rovers to the quarter final of champions league. But got the co efficient up high enough to have two teams in the champions league qualifiers.

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

My best personally in the same save was got Dundalk to the first knockout stage in europa league by finishing third in champions league group and got Shamrock Rovers to the quarter final of champions league. But got the co efficient up high enough to have two teams in the champions league qualifiers.

I'm hoping I get to the Champions League Knockout Rounds or finish third in the group so I get to the Europa League knockout rounds before I find it too easy domestically in Ireland, still a long way to go though!

 

[Gerarddrog]

I'm hoping I get to the Champions League Knockout Rounds or finish third in the group so I get to the Europa League knockout rounds before I find it too easy domestically in Ireland, still a long way to go though!

Yeah eventually being successful in Europe takes away from the domestic challenge as I find I can even have a second 11 who are better than the next best side domestically and i usually play them players in the cups and the league games around Europe. I haven't actually done that save this year as I got a real job now and not as much time but you've got me very interested in doing one now.

 

[DembaDan]

Currently doing a save with Derry City in the LOI, really interested to see how you develope Sligo Rovers as they are struggling in my save but then again Derry City just got relegated in yours.
Finished 2nd in my first season and got knocked out of the europa 2nd round qualifiers. Current 2nd with 6 games to go and am 9 points behind cork city but i've two games in hand, beat Braga 2-1 over two legs to get into europa group stages so pleased with my progress so far.

was 1 million in debt before the europa run so really needed that cash XD

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

Yeah eventually being successful in Europe takes away from the domestic challenge as I find I can even have a second 11 who are better than the next best side domestically and i usually play them players in the cups and the league games around Europe. I haven't actually done that save this year as I got a real job now and not as much time but you've got me very interested in doing one now.

I'm the same, had loads of time last year for my Berwick save but don't play FM as frequently now... I'd be in 2035 by now if it wasn't for work!

Currently doing a save with Derry City in the LOI, really interested to see how you develope Sligo Rovers as they are struggling in my save but then again Derry City just got relegated in yours.
Finished 2nd in my first season and got knocked out of the europa 2nd round qualifiers. Current 2nd with 6 games to go and am 9 points behind cork city but i've two games in hand, beat Braga 2-1 over two legs to get into europa group stages so pleased with my progress so far.

was 1 million in debt before the europa run so really needed that cash XD

Found it strange that Derry managed to get relegated and even more strange that Cabinteely got promoted in my save! And I'd love to get to the group stages in the Europa League soon although the Champions League run last year means we've got £1.1m in the bank so finances aren't too much of a worry!

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

Europa League 1st Round Draw

Because the Irish season starts in February and has a 4 week break in June I’ve decided to give my first update of the season in the June break.

We’ve played 20 of our 36 league games and sit top of the league by one point.

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So far this season we’ve had a few dodgy results, like losing to Longford, a team in the division below us, on penalties in the League of Ireland Cup and also drawing 1-1 with bottom of the table Cabinteely.

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But when we win, we win by a lot. In fact we’ve already scored 20 goals more than Shamrock Rovers in the league.

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Shane Lavery, who we got for free as Everton no longer needed him, is the top scorer in Ireland with 14 goals in 20 games.

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But it is Kelechi Nwakali, on loan from Arsenal, who is by far the best player in the league.

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He has 11 goals and 7 assists in 19 games and is so good I changed my formation just so he could play in his preferred position of attacking midfield.

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The top 7 highest rated players in Ireland all play for Sligo with Nwakali being first of course.

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And just to make things more daunting for our opponents we’ve agreed to sign striker Raul Uche when his Leicester contract expires.

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However the whole reason for playing so many games since the last post was so I could get to the Europa League draw. In the first qualifying round we have been drawn against Apollon Limassol of Cyprus.

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Out of all the teams we could’ve got, we got one of the toughest! We’re going to have to be at our best if we want to get through to the next round.​

 

[NashBigginss]

I had Shayne Lavery on FM last season for Bath City and he was unreal! Such a well rounded player and at 6ft causes mayhem. Love the signing of Raul Uche as well, should tear that league up!

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

I had Shayne Lavery on FM last season for Bath City and he was unreal! Such a well rounded player and at 6ft causes mayhem. Love the signing of Raul Uche as well, should tear that league up!

I wasn't sure if he'd be prolific enough because he only has 11 finishing but he's proving me wrong!

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

Europa League 1st Qualifying Round

Before our Europa League 1st​ qualifying round match we were given the news that Raffaele Cretaro is no longer our under 19 assistant manager as he has accepted the top job at Shelbourne.

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Apollon Limassol were 6-4 favourties for the first leg which was in Cyprus… but I have no idea why!

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I don’t know how or why, but we were awesome and beat them 6-0 away from home. They played a high line and we took full advantage of that, with new signing Uche scoring twice in a minute.

Because of that we rested some players for the second leg however that was just as easy.

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In his second start of the season, back up midfielder Lee Lynch scored a hattrick… that’s how bad Limassol were!

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In the second round draw we have been paired with Montenegrin side Mladost Podgorica (but Google calls them OFK Titograd).

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Just like last year we seem to have easier opponents in the second round in Europe than we did in the first!

In between the two Europa League matches we played our two title rivals… and won both games!

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That leaves us 6 points clear at the top.

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Things are starting to look very promising at Sligo!​

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round

So, after smashing Apollon Limassol 11-0 on aggregate we faced off OFK Titograd in the 2nd​ Europa League Qualifying Round. The first leg was once again away from home but unfortunately we did not win 6-0 again.

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But we did win 3-1 thanks to two goals from Kelechi Nwakali.

And we comfortably won the second leg thanks to a first half red card for our opponents.

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So into the third qualifying round we go, the Europa League has been a relative breeze so far! Next up for us is Atromitos of Greece.

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I have no idea if it’s a good draw or not, I guess time will tell.

In the league, we’ve drawn our last two games but have not lost in 10 matches

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And despite those draws we’ve extended our lead at the top of the league to 8 points.

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I can’t give enough love to Kelechi Nwakali. He has 16 goals and 11 assists in 26 games this season.

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Also let me tell you about the curious case of Paul Armstrong. He’s a young Irish midfielder who looks decent, but nothing special. We got him from Longford after his contract expired at the end of 2019.

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Fast forward 8 months and for some reason Villa were willing to pay £500,000 for him when he wasn’t even making the substitute bench for Sligo!

Easiest money we’ll ever make!​

 

[Hampus Silverholt]

Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round

We came into our Europa League Third Qualifying Round match with Greek side Atromitos having gone a record 15 games unbeaten in all competitions…

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…and we kept the run going in the first leg!

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Both strikers scored twice to put us in pole position to reach the fourth and final qualifying round. We still made hard work of it in Greece though.

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A 2-1 defeat broke our unbeaten record but it mattered little as we put ourselves within 2 matches of the Europa League group stage for the second season in a row.

This time round we have been drawn against Belgian team Genk.

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What is it with these tough draws? Genk still have Sander Berge as well as Belgian international Leandro Trossard. The only positive I can see is that they scraped through to the fourth round on penalties in their last match.

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Let’s actually get to the group stage this season!​

 

[leckuno]

All these qualifiers must still be helping bring a bit of cash into the club hopefully