Setting the Seagulls Flying High: Sam vs Anu

Who will do better?

  • Sam

    Votes: 9 52.9%

  • Anu

    Votes: 8 47.1%
  • Total voters
    17
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Pre Season

Pre season was decent to say the least. I managed to make two signings-albeit one being a loan signing. It all started off on the 8/7 when I was in desparate need of a new striker. Whilst watching a special Premier League Archieve on ESPN I saw Jamie Cureton playing. Jamie was a very good journeyman striker. Heck I thought he retired. After looking on wikipedia it says that Jamie still plays for Norwich City. I phoned the Norwich boss Paul Lambert that evening.
"Evening Paul, Richard Barnes speaking,"
"Evening Richard, how may I help you?" he replied
"Well yes I am interested in signing Jamie Cureton. How much do you want for him?"
"Ahh yes...Jamie. Well he is transfer listed. I'll give him to you for £7000."
"You've tranfer listed him!!" I was stunned
"Yes. He doesn't feature in my plans." Paul replied
Twenty-four hours later the signing was complete. We have signed one of English football greatest strikers!

Our first friendly game-my firsr as manager of the club was against the reserves. I set out our strongest side available. Unfortunately though Jamie's transfer was confirmed later that I expected and thus making him unavailable for selection.
"Alright boys. This is our first match together. It's only a friendly so don't worry about the result. I want a good performance. We will be starting off with a standard 4-4-2. Now get out there and so what you can do!!"
The end result...rubbish. We scraped it 1-0.
"Can't even blimmin' beat the reserves properly. If this is how you perform against league clubs we have no flippin' chance. I am not tolerating this garbage. Now f**k off and I'll see you in training tommorow."
Training was a better experience. Hopefully we'll have a much better performance against Hull.

We played Hull knowing that we are no pussovers. Training has been good. In fact we are starting to play more as a team. My team talk was just literally, "do what you did in training". Nothing too complicated. Two minutes in however we fell behind.
"Keep your shape. Hassle them." I barked out them
Three minutes later we were level. Jamie scored. Wahey!! After sixteen minutes we were in front. Adam Virgo netting from a free kick. Very good free kick. Hammered into the bottom left corner. But then they scored two quick goals to enter half time leading 3-2.
"That was a better performance. Carry on passing the ball. Retain possesion. Don't always think for the killer ball. Hold and give...but do it at the right time. You got me?"
However my inspirational team talk did not help. We were defeated.

"Yes Martin. So the deals done? Whole season. Yes that's marvellous. Thanks." I was speaking to Martin O'Neill. We have just signed Austrian striker Andreas Weimann on loan for the rest of the season.
When I arrived at my office I recieved a call from Mr Knight.
"Richard please report to my office immediatly," he said in a very harsh voice
"Morning sir. What was it you wanted?" I asked politely
He looked very dissapointed. Surely not at me..
"This Andreas Weimann. He's not the type of player you I was expecting to arrive here," he said
"But sir,"
"No Richard. When you came here for your interview you said you would sign anyone of good quality to the club,"
"But sir Andreas has excellent potential."
"Listen Richard. We'll see how this goes. But I have had this before with other managers. And I have lost a lot of money on things like this. I want a success with him,"
As I walked down the corridor I couldn't help thinking, Mr Knight is a big fool...

Our remaining pre-season fixtures brough some good results. A 3-0 victory against Bognor Regis, our feeder club. Inigo Calderon, Tommy Elphick and Nicky Forster scored. Following this result we held recently relegated Burnley 2-2. Nicky and James Smith netted. We played the Glenn Hoddle Academy next and hammered them 3-1. Dean *** scored a fine solo effort before Nicky added a brace. Against Queens Park Rangers we won 5-4. An astoishing game!! Nicky scored a hattrick and Inigo and Dean also added to their tallies of friendly matches goals. Our worst performance however was against Wolves at home. We lost 3 flippin' 0. It was a disgrace. We couldn't connect any passes together. A catalouge of error. I think I'll write a book about it. Yeah thats what I'll do. Anyway our final pre-season game against the Liverpool Reserves was a victory. Dean scored whilst an own goal made it a comfortable 2-0 victory for us.
​
 


Ward Impresses.

New Brighton manager Peter Ward has got off to a good start with the Brighton faithful, with only 2 games lost, and one was against the League Leaders and the other was unfortunate encounter, with Anton Jongsma seeing red for The Gulls, Brighton have also knocked out Bristol City in the League Cup, there for, only on penalty kicks, but that does not take anything away from what was a great game and a match that proved that Brighton can cope in the higher-league.

As the end of the first month of the new season begins, new manager Peter Ward has lead his side to 10th position, and has also knocked out Championship sides, Coventry City and Bristol City, but only just, they beat both teams on penalties, but this see's them in the 3rd round where they can look forward to playing the big-guns in the Premier League.


The result of the league so far is Brighton's emphatic win over Yeovil Town, it is very rare to see an away side score 4 goals, but Brighton changed that.

Peter Ward's side sit in a comfortable 10th position with only two defeats and that could be very different, as it took difficult circumstances for Albion to clinch points at all in these matches.

View attachment 84291




Transfers:


View attachment 84292
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good read so far lads will follow keep up the good work :D
 
-1 vote on me, as I voted for myself so I could see who had most votes.
 
August...the start of a new era

It's been an exciting first month of my football league career. In total we eleven goals. It all started of on a nice warm afternoon on the eighth of August. Opening day of the season. Brighton & Hove Albion vs Rochdale. The match proved to be an exciting ecounter as we both took a piece each. The final score of three-three probably showed justice to each team. Four minutes into my first game in charge, they took the lead.
"Keep your shape. Don't try long balls," my attempts to get my message clear to the players worked and we were duly awarded when captain Andrew Crofts scored a well worked move. Just before half time they re-took the lead. I was fuming.
"If you are going to perform like that in front of 7246 people go join Derby. They like people like that. That was an absolute shockhorror. We need to get the ball out to the flanks. We need to attack their back four. Got me." that was my half time team talk. Twenty minutes into the restart the greatest Englishman never to have played top flight football Nicky Forster scored a magnificant header. They then took the lead for the third time. I had to take risks.
"Ref substitution." I was going to take Adam Virgo, our centre back off. Forward Sebastian Carole was to come one.
A minute before the end...the ball came to Cureton. He checked and passed back to Gavin Hoyte. Hoyte looked up and deftly put a hopeful ball into the box. It looked comfortable for their keeper and back four. The chance looked to have gone..but a long haired maniac came racing in. Sebastian got ahead of the defence and powerfully headed the ball. GOAL!!! My first ever super sub...I was hoping it was not my last.

Three days later we played in an away match in the first round of the Carling Cup. In a match we dominated; we only managed to win one-nil. Gary Dicker, formerly of Stockport County put in a man of the match performance and also scored the only goal of the game with a scrappy goal from a throw in. We dominated possesion and created more than ten chances. It was a good performance yet not very clinical.

"This side are out to get you," I told my players prior to the match against a much superior Colchester side. Yet again we defended very well showing the unity and managed another one-nil victory. Inigo Calderon scored after another great pass from super sub Liam Dickinson. My first ever league victory. Feels good.

"Lets not try anything stupid. I don't want to see any long balls. I want to see us playing an attractive passing way. Short passes, simple passes. Frustrate the opposition. Hassle them. Our last two performances added with a bit more fire power could make us serious promotion contenders. I have belief in each and every one of you." It was our weekly tactical meeting. It was the eighteenth of August. We had a match in the evening.
"Richard Barnes please report to the chairmans office," the loud speaker women said
Me? I wonder what he wants to speak about.
Knock knock.
"Enter," the broad voice of Mr Knight's voice answered
"Morning sir," I casually said.
"Morning Mr Barnes. Can I please ask how many games Mr Jamie Cureton has played in?"
"Ermm," I was struggling to think why he would ask this.
"Three,"
"And how many goals?" he asked again
"None," I replied.
He didn't look impressed. In fact he looked very frustrated.
"You can go now,"
I thought to myself. What a miserly little man.

The match against Notts County that night was my first defeat. We lost three-one. Jamie opened his account for us. Next was the Carling Cup Second Round. We were eliminated. Burnley defeated us by two goals to one. Jamie made it two in two. Against newly promoted Bournemouth I was expecting a win. I didn't expect it to be so comfortable however. We won the game three-one. Andreas Weimann scored his first goal for us and Jamie netted a double. Eat your words Mr Knight!! We ended the month against recently relegated Plymouth Argyle. It finished one all. Jamie netted again.

Overall a decent month. Two draws, two defeats and, three victories. All is good...
​
 
Very nice Anu. ^^)

Looking forward to Sam's update. ;)
 
MC shanksy said:
Me to buddy and Anu that was a great update mate. :)
Click to expand...

Chris said:
Very nice Anu. ^^)

Looking forward to Sam's update. ;)
Click to expand...

I appreciate the kind comments :D. Looking forward to Sam's update too (H)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boucaud Signs

As the transfer window slammed shut I managed to make one last signing-Kettering Town's midfielder Andre Boucaud. I have always admired Andre for his sheer presence in the teams he has played for. A very calm player I managed to get him for a fee of £24k. And for once Mr Knight hasn't complained about one of my signings. I had to speak to the League Paper today about this signing-and I wasn't very pleased doing it.
"Andre is a fantastic signing to the club and I am very glad he has joined. I have full faith in his abilities and he can bring that extra bit of solidity between midfield and defence. Overall I am glad at the signing and would like to end this conference here. Thank you."


​
 
Setember - October.


Russel Slade let Brighton last year to safety after a poor campaign, but now this season, new manager Peter Ward has led his Brighton side to the grasp of the Play-Offs, yes, we're just in November, but Peter Ward couldn't of asked for a better start to his managerial career.
Under Jim Gannon at Stockport, he was used to seeing his side's line-up in a 4-5-1 formation with advanced wingers.

But now we see his side line-up like this:

Ridgers

Calderon Morrison Virgo Stefanovic

Smalley Jongsma Dicker Pinney

Dalla Valle Dickinson.


Brighton's top-scorer this season is Alex McDonald, who scored 6 goals, but now he has left and returned to his parent-club, Burnley. But that gap has been filled by veteran Nicky Forster who has come in after an injury ruled him out at the start of the campaign.

But, Peter Ward was quick to snap up Daniel Subotic from Championship Portsmouth, Subotic has never really got a chance at Portsmouth but Peter Ward has given the youngster a chance:


View attachment 85235


Brighton has never really grasped a World Cup spot after losing games at the wrong time and teams such as Sheffield Wednesday have jumped in and took it off them.


View attachment 85240



On the transfer front, Peter Ward has revealed his former mentor Jim Gannon had a big impact on his signings: "I'm still very good friends with Jim and I still take notes off him and he helped me with signings and when I was at Stockport, I knew what lads like Gary Dicker, Liam Dickinson, Adam Proudlock and James Tunnicliffe were like, but, I have made a mistake, I have signed too many strikers, if this wasn't the case, Proudy would definatley be in the side, but credit to him, he's not complained and has been brilliant in the games that he has played."


- - -

Brighton sit in 8th in npower League One.


View attachment 85242


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Quality Sam. ;)

Love your updates. :D
 
Topsy Turvey end for Ward!
Will Brighton claim a play-off place?


Brighton would have nevert expected to be in this position, but now, it's all about claiming that final play-off place, with points dropped, players injured, mistakes and redcards, Brighton should be thankful that they could have a chance of having a chance in the play-off's.

But, it's a change of formation that has seen a change for The Gulls, and the returning Anton Jongsma has been a key affect in dragging Albion back towards the play-off places

With just 5 games to go, Brighton sit 5 points away from the play-offs and have some very important and tough games coming up such as Mk Dons, Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Hartlepool.


View attachment 85451


CAN BRIGHTON GRAB THE LAST PLAY-OFF SPOT?
Update soon!

​
 
Good luck in getting that Play-Off place Sam. (K)
 
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