The Red Devils - Not A Manchester United Story
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In the FA Cup, we had a second round replay against Barnet. With home advantage on our side against lower league opposition, I firmly expected us to cruise through to the next round.
It was hardly cruise control but we are through.
We hosted Charlton next in League One. Having already beaten them a few weeks ago at The Valley, we felt confident we could get another result here.
The Addicks went into an early lead, but then presented us with the perfect opportunity to take the points when they went down to 10 men as early as the 20th minute. We absolutely hammered their goal for the remaining 70 minutes but to be fair to them, they were resilient and tough and walk away with a well earned point, leaving us frustrated.
Another 1-1 draw up next against a Wrexham side that are slowly climbing the table and moving away from the relegation battle.
Earlier in the season, we'd lost to Port Vale after I, rather embarrassingly, tipped them for relegation. As we play them again, they are indeed sitting 22nd and struggling. I was hoping we wouldn't be embarrassed again!
Nope not this time! Colm Whelan got himself another hat trick as we beat them with relative ease.
All in all, December has been a pretty good month!
As we come to the end of the year 2024, there is an award for one of my players. Ryan O'Kane hasn't played a single game for us yet after being loaned back to Dundalk following his signing in January. However, he's been so impressive for them, he has won the Irish U21 Player of the Year. He'll be returning to the club in the coming few days and I look forward to seeing what he can do for us in the 2nd half of the season.
New Years Day 2025 and our fixture was at home to Barnsley. Could we kick off the new year with a win?
You're **** right we could!
And we follow it up with a point away at Swindon. A good point too considering we played a whole half with 10 men.
That would lead us into the 3rd round of the southern section of the Papa John's Trophy and a face off against one of the best development teams in the country.
An entertaining game for the fans that just swung our way and we progress again! I'm almost starting to believe we could win this trophy this year without even really trying. I've fielded weakened teams in every game and my team talks have always been about going out there and having fun, without much motivational speak.
Lewis Shipley has been decent at the back for us this season, but unfortunately he returns to Norwich after his 6 month loan came to an end. Despite him getting plenty of football with us, they didn't want to renew the deal. Gutted to see the lad go to be honest!
Oh we do love an FA Cup Replay. After a 1-1 draw with Luton (which is a good result), we will now play our 3rd straight replay in the competition this season! We could really do without the extra games, but it's good to progress in the competition if we can.
Bristol City have been nowhere near the force I expected them to be in the league this year and find themselves in 13th place in the table. However, that is only 8 points off the playoff places, so they still have time to turn their season around.
But they didn't start that turn around against us as we record yet another victory to continue our good form.
That good form has seen us move right up to 3rd place in the table with 17 games of the season to go. And with games in hand on both the sides above us and even the sides below us as well, we are in a strong position right now. Never would I have imagined that after 29 matches, we'd have the 2nd best defence and the best overall goal difference in the league! Flying!!
It was hardly cruise control but we are through.
We hosted Charlton next in League One. Having already beaten them a few weeks ago at The Valley, we felt confident we could get another result here.
The Addicks went into an early lead, but then presented us with the perfect opportunity to take the points when they went down to 10 men as early as the 20th minute. We absolutely hammered their goal for the remaining 70 minutes but to be fair to them, they were resilient and tough and walk away with a well earned point, leaving us frustrated.
Another 1-1 draw up next against a Wrexham side that are slowly climbing the table and moving away from the relegation battle.
Earlier in the season, we'd lost to Port Vale after I, rather embarrassingly, tipped them for relegation. As we play them again, they are indeed sitting 22nd and struggling. I was hoping we wouldn't be embarrassed again!
Nope not this time! Colm Whelan got himself another hat trick as we beat them with relative ease.
All in all, December has been a pretty good month!
As we come to the end of the year 2024, there is an award for one of my players. Ryan O'Kane hasn't played a single game for us yet after being loaned back to Dundalk following his signing in January. However, he's been so impressive for them, he has won the Irish U21 Player of the Year. He'll be returning to the club in the coming few days and I look forward to seeing what he can do for us in the 2nd half of the season.
New Years Day 2025 and our fixture was at home to Barnsley. Could we kick off the new year with a win?
You're **** right we could!
And we follow it up with a point away at Swindon. A good point too considering we played a whole half with 10 men.
That would lead us into the 3rd round of the southern section of the Papa John's Trophy and a face off against one of the best development teams in the country.
An entertaining game for the fans that just swung our way and we progress again! I'm almost starting to believe we could win this trophy this year without even really trying. I've fielded weakened teams in every game and my team talks have always been about going out there and having fun, without much motivational speak.
Lewis Shipley has been decent at the back for us this season, but unfortunately he returns to Norwich after his 6 month loan came to an end. Despite him getting plenty of football with us, they didn't want to renew the deal. Gutted to see the lad go to be honest!
Oh we do love an FA Cup Replay. After a 1-1 draw with Luton (which is a good result), we will now play our 3rd straight replay in the competition this season! We could really do without the extra games, but it's good to progress in the competition if we can.
Bristol City have been nowhere near the force I expected them to be in the league this year and find themselves in 13th place in the table. However, that is only 8 points off the playoff places, so they still have time to turn their season around.
But they didn't start that turn around against us as we record yet another victory to continue our good form.
That good form has seen us move right up to 3rd place in the table with 17 games of the season to go. And with games in hand on both the sides above us and even the sides below us as well, we are in a strong position right now. Never would I have imagined that after 29 matches, we'd have the 2nd best defence and the best overall goal difference in the league! Flying!!
FM_TNSSO
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Exeter City beat us 3-1 at home in the league already this season, so this had the potential to bring our excellent form to a halt.
And they completed the double over us to hand us our first defeat in all competitions in 2 1/2 months and 17 games!
If Walsall get promoted from League Two this season, they might have a big thanks to us. I've allowed both Dom Telford and Will Randall to go there on loan for the remainder of the season and they are two players that could tear it up for them in the lower division.
Our FA Cup replay with Luton would present us with a tough challenge at their place and we were big outsiders to get through to the 4th round.
The bookies were proven right on the day and it is Luton who progress. However, it was a good effort from us and we have nothing to be ashamed of.
Derby County could be staring relegation in the face unless they improve, currently sitting 22nd in the table and deep in the relegation scrap.
And we didn't do them any favours here as we come away from Pride Park with all 3 points! Ryan O'Kane with the winning goal...his first for the club.
In the Papa John's Trophy, we knocked out one of England's best youth development sides (Chelsea) and if we were to progress in the competition, we would have to do so again, this time against Liverpool's youngsters.
We found this surprisingly easy and Liverpool's young guns didn't fire at all.
Transfer deadline day and I'm always keen to give the fans something on the final day of the transfer window and this one was no different.
LOAN SIGNING: OLIVER CASEY
Signed on season long loan from Blackpool
After Lewis Shipley went back to Norwich, it left us short on centre backs, so I needed to bring another in. Oliver has only been handed 6 league starts by Blackpool in the Championship over the last 2 seasons and might find League One to be more his level. I was more than willing to give him the chance to prove that and think he can do a job for us.
Now I didn't really need anyone else, but there was another youngster available on the loan market who I think could improve our squad depth for the rest of the season and give us a better chance of keeping up our current momentum.
LOAN SIGNING: REUBEN MCALLISTER
Signed on season long loan from Hibernian
The 18 year old Scot has incredible passing and vision for his age and could be one of those players that appears from the bench when we need a little more creativity or are chasing a goal late on.
Back to the action and we hosted Plymouth in the league and it only took 16 seconds for Colm Whelan to put us in front. It set the tone for a back and forth game between two sides that were at the top of their attacking game. Luckily for us, we came out on top on the day in a game that could honestly have gone either way. It's a big win though against the side 8th in the league.
Our next game was a huge one as we took on 2nd placed Crewe in a promotion battle. Who'd have thought I'd be saying promotion battle at this stage of the season...not me that's for sure!
It was a tightly contested game throughout and neither side could find a way through as we played out a 0-0 draw.
In League One this year, we have lost the least amount of games of anyone in the league alongside Oxford United. Both of us have only lost 5 times as we prepare to meet each other.
And now we hold the title of least defeats all by ourself after beating Danny Schofield's side. A tight affair but we came out victorious with a huge result!
The games against the top sides in the division keep coming as we take on 6th placed Stoke.
And the amazing results keep coming too as we see off another promotion hopeful! We made things a lot more nervey for ourselves than it first seemed though as we raced into a 3-0 lead only for Stoke to give it everything to try to get back into the game.
Incredibly, with just 13 games of the season remaining, we are in an automatic promotion spot and 4 points clear there too! More importantly, we have opened a 10 point gap to Barnsley in 7th place and a playoff spot at least looks like a real possibility this season!
And Colm Whelan is proving to be an amazing signing for us a couple of seasons back as he leads the way for the golden boot!
And they completed the double over us to hand us our first defeat in all competitions in 2 1/2 months and 17 games!
If Walsall get promoted from League Two this season, they might have a big thanks to us. I've allowed both Dom Telford and Will Randall to go there on loan for the remainder of the season and they are two players that could tear it up for them in the lower division.
Our FA Cup replay with Luton would present us with a tough challenge at their place and we were big outsiders to get through to the 4th round.
The bookies were proven right on the day and it is Luton who progress. However, it was a good effort from us and we have nothing to be ashamed of.
Derby County could be staring relegation in the face unless they improve, currently sitting 22nd in the table and deep in the relegation scrap.
And we didn't do them any favours here as we come away from Pride Park with all 3 points! Ryan O'Kane with the winning goal...his first for the club.
In the Papa John's Trophy, we knocked out one of England's best youth development sides (Chelsea) and if we were to progress in the competition, we would have to do so again, this time against Liverpool's youngsters.
We found this surprisingly easy and Liverpool's young guns didn't fire at all.
Transfer deadline day and I'm always keen to give the fans something on the final day of the transfer window and this one was no different.
LOAN SIGNING: OLIVER CASEY
Signed on season long loan from Blackpool
After Lewis Shipley went back to Norwich, it left us short on centre backs, so I needed to bring another in. Oliver has only been handed 6 league starts by Blackpool in the Championship over the last 2 seasons and might find League One to be more his level. I was more than willing to give him the chance to prove that and think he can do a job for us.
Now I didn't really need anyone else, but there was another youngster available on the loan market who I think could improve our squad depth for the rest of the season and give us a better chance of keeping up our current momentum.
LOAN SIGNING: REUBEN MCALLISTER
Signed on season long loan from Hibernian
The 18 year old Scot has incredible passing and vision for his age and could be one of those players that appears from the bench when we need a little more creativity or are chasing a goal late on.
Back to the action and we hosted Plymouth in the league and it only took 16 seconds for Colm Whelan to put us in front. It set the tone for a back and forth game between two sides that were at the top of their attacking game. Luckily for us, we came out on top on the day in a game that could honestly have gone either way. It's a big win though against the side 8th in the league.
Our next game was a huge one as we took on 2nd placed Crewe in a promotion battle. Who'd have thought I'd be saying promotion battle at this stage of the season...not me that's for sure!
It was a tightly contested game throughout and neither side could find a way through as we played out a 0-0 draw.
In League One this year, we have lost the least amount of games of anyone in the league alongside Oxford United. Both of us have only lost 5 times as we prepare to meet each other.
And now we hold the title of least defeats all by ourself after beating Danny Schofield's side. A tight affair but we came out victorious with a huge result!
The games against the top sides in the division keep coming as we take on 6th placed Stoke.
And the amazing results keep coming too as we see off another promotion hopeful! We made things a lot more nervey for ourselves than it first seemed though as we raced into a 3-0 lead only for Stoke to give it everything to try to get back into the game.
Incredibly, with just 13 games of the season remaining, we are in an automatic promotion spot and 4 points clear there too! More importantly, we have opened a 10 point gap to Barnsley in 7th place and a playoff spot at least looks like a real possibility this season!
And Colm Whelan is proving to be an amazing signing for us a couple of seasons back as he leads the way for the golden boot!
FM_TNSSO
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Colm Whelan added another goal to his tally as he scored the opener on our way to a 2-0 win over Portsmouth! Yet another great result which boosts our chances of promotion!
And we followed that up with another win away at Fleetwood.
With Ipswich dropping points in their last two games, we've gone top of the league!!!
Cambridge United were up next for us though and we haven't beaten them in three previous meetings.
We stop the rot though and chalk up another victory!!
Followed up with a demolition job over Birmingham. We are genuinely playing like champions at the moment and with performances like this, we must quickly be becoming everyone's favourites to win the title.
However, a disappointing draw against Shrewsbury reminds everyone that we're maybe punching above our weight a bit.
But we bounce back immediately with a win over Lincoln! I wonder how important that 95th minute winner will be come the end of the season!
Time for our Papa John's Trophy semi final and this little competition has now left us 1 game away from giving our fans a day out at Wembley! Only Newcastle's youngsters stood in our way!
We've been great in this competition all year, so it would be disappointing not to get to the final. But I'm pleased to report that we were as good as ever and record a comfortable victory to reach to last stage of the Papa John's Trophy! We're going to Wembley!!
It's Brighton U21s that await us in the final. They've knocked out Stoke, West Brom U21s and Exeter City in the knockout rounds.
In the league, Bristol Rovers presented tougher opposition than expected but we showed our determination and grit in this one to get another win closer to promotion.
In fact, we are so close we can taste it! With 6 games to go, automatic promotion looks to be in the bag and now it's a case of us versus Ipswich for the title.
And we followed that up with another win away at Fleetwood.
With Ipswich dropping points in their last two games, we've gone top of the league!!!
Cambridge United were up next for us though and we haven't beaten them in three previous meetings.
We stop the rot though and chalk up another victory!!
Followed up with a demolition job over Birmingham. We are genuinely playing like champions at the moment and with performances like this, we must quickly be becoming everyone's favourites to win the title.
However, a disappointing draw against Shrewsbury reminds everyone that we're maybe punching above our weight a bit.
But we bounce back immediately with a win over Lincoln! I wonder how important that 95th minute winner will be come the end of the season!
Time for our Papa John's Trophy semi final and this little competition has now left us 1 game away from giving our fans a day out at Wembley! Only Newcastle's youngsters stood in our way!
We've been great in this competition all year, so it would be disappointing not to get to the final. But I'm pleased to report that we were as good as ever and record a comfortable victory to reach to last stage of the Papa John's Trophy! We're going to Wembley!!
It's Brighton U21s that await us in the final. They've knocked out Stoke, West Brom U21s and Exeter City in the knockout rounds.
In the league, Bristol Rovers presented tougher opposition than expected but we showed our determination and grit in this one to get another win closer to promotion.
In fact, we are so close we can taste it! With 6 games to go, automatic promotion looks to be in the bag and now it's a case of us versus Ipswich for the title.
TheStockportHatter1883
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So love this story so far keep going lad 
FM_TNSSO
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So love this story so far keep going lad
Thanks mate! I'm really enjoying playing this one. On gardening leave between jobs at the moment, so getting plenty of time to play and FM is the only thing keeping me sane!
FM_TNSSO
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Millwall away is certainly a fixture we would have feared at the start of the season with us being newly promoted and them being relegated. However, the season has progressed and so has our confidence and we'd now go into these games fearless and confident we can turn anyone over.
And if it wasn't for a late equalizer from Benik Afobe, we would have walked away with the win as well. Still, a point at the New Den is a decent outcome.
MK Dons would also represent tough opposition. With them sitting 7th, they are battling hard for a playoff spot.
We were the better team on the day but have to settle for a draw in the end.
With other results going our way though, promotion to the Championship was secured! Unbelievable!
Then, we had a 2 week break before our Papa John's Final against Brighton U21s. The plan for the lads was to simply enjoy the occasion - this might be their one and only opportunity to play at the national stadium in their whole careers.
12 minutes into the final and top scorer, Colm Whelan, had us in front with a headed effort. We had started the game brightly this goal gave us a deserved early lead.
Nathan Holland then had us 2-0 up inside half an hour as this strike found the top corner! We were firmly in control and looked like we might be on our way to lifting the trophy.
Less than 2 minutes later, Holland had his second as he headed home at the far post from a Travis Johnson cross. Game over!
There was a 4th late on as Charlie Wyke came off the bench to complete the rout!
We have our first trophy in the bag as Papa John's champions! Great effort from the lads and although this cup is looked upon as a bit of a noddy cup, it's silverware and I'm proud to have led the club to lift it!
Now for the title race! With 4 games remaining in the league, only one point separates us and Ipswich. That penultimate game of the season could prove pivotal in who finishes as champions as we take each other on at Portman Road. We'll also be hoping for a favour from 3rd placed Stoke as well, with that definitely being a tough fixture for Ipswich to play.
Our title challenge got off to the worst possible start. Two sending offs and we were on the end of a battering by Bristol City! The Ipswich fans will be rubbing their hands together after this, especially as they beat Portsmouth to open up a 4 point lead with 3 games remaining.
Not the best week as for the 3rd year in a row, the youth intake is terrible and it's really disappointing that in 3 seasons, we haven't produced a single player who looks like they'll go on to play for the first team.
Although Francis Robinson is definitely the best player I have seen come through and maybe...maybe he could appear for us at some point if he develops.
If we wanted to stay in with a chance of winning the league, we had to beat bottom of the table Cheltenham. I expected a better performance than we showed against Bristol City!
But I didn't get it! Without a doubt, this was our worst result of the entire season! But after what we've achieved, I really don't feel I can be angry with the lads!
So it's crunch time. Ipswich vs Crawley...1st vs 2nd...if we don't win, Ipswich win the league.
We were much improved from our last two games, but a draw is not enough for us to stay with Ipswich and they will lift the league title. However, we can't underestimate our achievement this season in getting promoted!
We finish off the season with a solid 1-0 victory over Crewe to give the fans a nice end to the campaign.
So there you have it...a 2nd place finish and back to back automatic promotions! Absolutely incredible stuff considering we were predicted by many to finish bottom of the table and immediately suffer relegation back to League 2. Instead, it's Championship football coming to Broadfield next year! Meanwhile, Wrexham ended up propping up the division and will drop back down a level, whilst Birmingham continue to fall down the leagues as well!
And if it wasn't for a late equalizer from Benik Afobe, we would have walked away with the win as well. Still, a point at the New Den is a decent outcome.
MK Dons would also represent tough opposition. With them sitting 7th, they are battling hard for a playoff spot.
We were the better team on the day but have to settle for a draw in the end.
With other results going our way though, promotion to the Championship was secured! Unbelievable!
Then, we had a 2 week break before our Papa John's Final against Brighton U21s. The plan for the lads was to simply enjoy the occasion - this might be their one and only opportunity to play at the national stadium in their whole careers.
12 minutes into the final and top scorer, Colm Whelan, had us in front with a headed effort. We had started the game brightly this goal gave us a deserved early lead.
Nathan Holland then had us 2-0 up inside half an hour as this strike found the top corner! We were firmly in control and looked like we might be on our way to lifting the trophy.
Less than 2 minutes later, Holland had his second as he headed home at the far post from a Travis Johnson cross. Game over!
There was a 4th late on as Charlie Wyke came off the bench to complete the rout!
We have our first trophy in the bag as Papa John's champions! Great effort from the lads and although this cup is looked upon as a bit of a noddy cup, it's silverware and I'm proud to have led the club to lift it!
Now for the title race! With 4 games remaining in the league, only one point separates us and Ipswich. That penultimate game of the season could prove pivotal in who finishes as champions as we take each other on at Portman Road. We'll also be hoping for a favour from 3rd placed Stoke as well, with that definitely being a tough fixture for Ipswich to play.
Our title challenge got off to the worst possible start. Two sending offs and we were on the end of a battering by Bristol City! The Ipswich fans will be rubbing their hands together after this, especially as they beat Portsmouth to open up a 4 point lead with 3 games remaining.
Not the best week as for the 3rd year in a row, the youth intake is terrible and it's really disappointing that in 3 seasons, we haven't produced a single player who looks like they'll go on to play for the first team.
Although Francis Robinson is definitely the best player I have seen come through and maybe...maybe he could appear for us at some point if he develops.
If we wanted to stay in with a chance of winning the league, we had to beat bottom of the table Cheltenham. I expected a better performance than we showed against Bristol City!
But I didn't get it! Without a doubt, this was our worst result of the entire season! But after what we've achieved, I really don't feel I can be angry with the lads!
So it's crunch time. Ipswich vs Crawley...1st vs 2nd...if we don't win, Ipswich win the league.
We were much improved from our last two games, but a draw is not enough for us to stay with Ipswich and they will lift the league title. However, we can't underestimate our achievement this season in getting promoted!
We finish off the season with a solid 1-0 victory over Crewe to give the fans a nice end to the campaign.
So there you have it...a 2nd place finish and back to back automatic promotions! Absolutely incredible stuff considering we were predicted by many to finish bottom of the table and immediately suffer relegation back to League 2. Instead, it's Championship football coming to Broadfield next year! Meanwhile, Wrexham ended up propping up the division and will drop back down a level, whilst Birmingham continue to fall down the leagues as well!
FM_TNSSO
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It was a shame in the end mate, but back to back promotions is way beyond my expectations so I'm still happy
Next year is going to be really tough in the Championship though!
FM_TNSSO
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END OF SEASON 2024/25 REVIEW
Sky Bet League One = 2nd (automatic promotion)
Emirates FA Cup = 3rd Round (knocked out by Luton Town)
Carabao Cup = 2nd Round (knocked out by Hull City)
Papa John's Trophy = Winners
As we look over the squad stats for the past season, it's clear to see that we were excellent in defence and amazing in attack, with the midfield playing their part if not being totally spectacular. Colm Whelan was immense up top, scoring 35 times in 49 games (only 34 starts), whilst Charlie Wyke played excellent as a 2nd choice striker, scoring 21 times! Brandon Mason had his best season yet at left back, leading the assist charts with 13.
Of the new arrivals, it was the two keepers who impressed the most and both got plenty of game time. Liam Shephard was brought in because of injuries and eventually became 3rd choice right back, but he did well for the games he played. Jack Lankester's average rating seems low considering he contributed to 14 goals this season and he definitely seemed to play better throughout than his rating suggests.
The Best 11...
The Awards...
Colm Whelan is also the League One golden boot winner and League One Player of the Year! He's turned out to be an amazing little signing for me!
He was also named in the Player's Team of the Year alongside Brandon Mason!
As we reach the end of my 3rd season in charge, the overall best 11 has seen my first two players reach 100 appearances under my management. Both Dion Conroy and Jack Powell are inducted into the 100 club, with the likes of Brandon Mason and Charlie Wyke only 6 games away.
Following the same pattern as last season, we were one of the best attacking sides in the division by some way!
Another key factor in our success this year was the ability to stop our opponents playing against us. Our own passing game was solid, whilst keeping posession stopped our opponents building momentum against us.
The Commercials...
Looking to the future, after two straight promotions, the board are predicting a tough few years ahead in the Championship. For the next 5 years straight, we're only expected to battle relegation.
There's no denying the squad will need significant improvements over the Summer if we are going to compete at the higher level, but the budget to do it is minimal with just a million quid to spend, which really doesn't buy you much in the 2nd tier. There is over £30k available in the weekly wage budget though so if anyone decent is available on a free, we should have the money to pay them to come to the club. However, I'm fully aware of the fact we won't have the reputation and appeal of plenty of other Championship clubs, so attracting good players could also prove difficult. One thing's for certain though, I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Sky Bet League One = 2nd (automatic promotion)
Emirates FA Cup = 3rd Round (knocked out by Luton Town)
Carabao Cup = 2nd Round (knocked out by Hull City)
Papa John's Trophy = Winners
As we look over the squad stats for the past season, it's clear to see that we were excellent in defence and amazing in attack, with the midfield playing their part if not being totally spectacular. Colm Whelan was immense up top, scoring 35 times in 49 games (only 34 starts), whilst Charlie Wyke played excellent as a 2nd choice striker, scoring 21 times! Brandon Mason had his best season yet at left back, leading the assist charts with 13.
Of the new arrivals, it was the two keepers who impressed the most and both got plenty of game time. Liam Shephard was brought in because of injuries and eventually became 3rd choice right back, but he did well for the games he played. Jack Lankester's average rating seems low considering he contributed to 14 goals this season and he definitely seemed to play better throughout than his rating suggests.
The Best 11...
The Awards...
Colm Whelan is also the League One golden boot winner and League One Player of the Year! He's turned out to be an amazing little signing for me!
He was also named in the Player's Team of the Year alongside Brandon Mason!
As we reach the end of my 3rd season in charge, the overall best 11 has seen my first two players reach 100 appearances under my management. Both Dion Conroy and Jack Powell are inducted into the 100 club, with the likes of Brandon Mason and Charlie Wyke only 6 games away.
Following the same pattern as last season, we were one of the best attacking sides in the division by some way!
Another key factor in our success this year was the ability to stop our opponents playing against us. Our own passing game was solid, whilst keeping posession stopped our opponents building momentum against us.
The Commercials...
Looking to the future, after two straight promotions, the board are predicting a tough few years ahead in the Championship. For the next 5 years straight, we're only expected to battle relegation.
There's no denying the squad will need significant improvements over the Summer if we are going to compete at the higher level, but the budget to do it is minimal with just a million quid to spend, which really doesn't buy you much in the 2nd tier. There is over £30k available in the weekly wage budget though so if anyone decent is available on a free, we should have the money to pay them to come to the club. However, I'm fully aware of the fact we won't have the reputation and appeal of plenty of other Championship clubs, so attracting good players could also prove difficult. One thing's for certain though, I'm looking forward to the challenge.
TheStockportHatter1883
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If only I were stop and think and not panic buy or change formations when things go south, I'd be one of the best or improve as an FM'er
FM_TNSSO
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The first departure of the Summer is winger, George Thomson. He was a key part of my squad down in League Two and contributed to our promotion season with 9 assists and a couple of goals. However, we've outgrown him now and it was time for him to move on and he joins Notts County for £950.
There was always going to be a small number of first team players released who were deemed not good enough for the squad anymore.
The most notable is Jake Hessenthaler who has been a great utility player for me over my three years in charge. Although he hasn't set the world alight, he has played plenty of games under me and always filled in and done an ok job when I need to rest the first teamers and rotate the squad and not once has he complained.
Again, Will Randall hasn't been amazing for us, but played plenty of games. Clearly League Two is more his level as proven by his successful spell at Walsall last season.
As for my first signing of the Summer, it's a player that spent last year here on loan.
NEW SIGNING: CRAIG MACGILLIVRAY
Signed from Charlton
Fee: Free Transfer
Craig's contract came to an end and I was happy to snap him up on a personal deal after his successful spell on loan with us last season. Not sure if he'll be the number 1 keeper again depending on who else comes in, but he has been happy to take a backup contract anyway.
Next through the door were two promising youngsters from Southampton on loan.
LOAN SIGNING: SAM POTTAGE
Signed on season long loan from Southampton
Pottage is a hard working midfielder who should give us a bit of an edge in the centre of the park. His aggressive nature should hopefully see him break up the opposition's play through the middle of the park and he'll become the backbone of our midfield.
LOAN SIGNING: TYLER DIBLING
Signed on season long loan from Southampton
The more exciting of the two is Dibling, who bring some pace and flair to the front line. He's a keen finisher who should hopefully bag some goals for us this season.
I still needed a 2nd keeper in the squad and ideally someone who had the ability to become number 1 between the sticks.
NEW SIGNING: LUKE MCGEE
Signed from Swindon Town
Fee: £120k
Luke McGee has been number 1 for Forest Green and Swindon over the last 3 seasons in League One and I have given him the opportunity to step up and try Championship football with us.
Another loanee comes in next and it's a returning player I am delighted to bring back to the club.
LOAN SIGNING: HENRY CARTWRIGHT
Signed on season long loan from Leicester
Cartwright played 29 times for us in our League Two promotion season, but when I tried to renew his loan last Summer, Leicester said they wanted him to play at a higher level. Last season, he played for Queen's Park in the Scottish Premiership and now we are in the Championship, Leicester were happy to let us have him back!
Improvements had to be made at centre back as well, but a lot of my targets were not interested in joining us due to our small stature. I therefore had to look to the lower leagues.
NEW SIGNING: RICHARD NARTEY
Signed from Salford City
Fee: £300k
It's a two league hike from League Two to the Championship for Nartey but I'm hoping his pedigree will shine through having come through the youth at Chelsea.
This year's pre season was a bit of a mixed bag to be honest and I really don't know what to expect from the start of the season.
It's no surprise to once again see the bookies place us at the very bottom of the table and us and Lincoln are apparently nailed on to get relegated. Southampton are odds on to return to the Prem immediately and it's no surprise half their team makes up the media dream 11.
There was always going to be a small number of first team players released who were deemed not good enough for the squad anymore.
The most notable is Jake Hessenthaler who has been a great utility player for me over my three years in charge. Although he hasn't set the world alight, he has played plenty of games under me and always filled in and done an ok job when I need to rest the first teamers and rotate the squad and not once has he complained.
Again, Will Randall hasn't been amazing for us, but played plenty of games. Clearly League Two is more his level as proven by his successful spell at Walsall last season.
As for my first signing of the Summer, it's a player that spent last year here on loan.
NEW SIGNING: CRAIG MACGILLIVRAY
Signed from Charlton
Fee: Free Transfer
Craig's contract came to an end and I was happy to snap him up on a personal deal after his successful spell on loan with us last season. Not sure if he'll be the number 1 keeper again depending on who else comes in, but he has been happy to take a backup contract anyway.
Next through the door were two promising youngsters from Southampton on loan.
LOAN SIGNING: SAM POTTAGE
Signed on season long loan from Southampton
Pottage is a hard working midfielder who should give us a bit of an edge in the centre of the park. His aggressive nature should hopefully see him break up the opposition's play through the middle of the park and he'll become the backbone of our midfield.
LOAN SIGNING: TYLER DIBLING
Signed on season long loan from Southampton
The more exciting of the two is Dibling, who bring some pace and flair to the front line. He's a keen finisher who should hopefully bag some goals for us this season.
I still needed a 2nd keeper in the squad and ideally someone who had the ability to become number 1 between the sticks.
NEW SIGNING: LUKE MCGEE
Signed from Swindon Town
Fee: £120k
Luke McGee has been number 1 for Forest Green and Swindon over the last 3 seasons in League One and I have given him the opportunity to step up and try Championship football with us.
Another loanee comes in next and it's a returning player I am delighted to bring back to the club.
LOAN SIGNING: HENRY CARTWRIGHT
Signed on season long loan from Leicester
Cartwright played 29 times for us in our League Two promotion season, but when I tried to renew his loan last Summer, Leicester said they wanted him to play at a higher level. Last season, he played for Queen's Park in the Scottish Premiership and now we are in the Championship, Leicester were happy to let us have him back!
Improvements had to be made at centre back as well, but a lot of my targets were not interested in joining us due to our small stature. I therefore had to look to the lower leagues.
NEW SIGNING: RICHARD NARTEY
Signed from Salford City
Fee: £300k
It's a two league hike from League Two to the Championship for Nartey but I'm hoping his pedigree will shine through having come through the youth at Chelsea.
This year's pre season was a bit of a mixed bag to be honest and I really don't know what to expect from the start of the season.
It's no surprise to once again see the bookies place us at the very bottom of the table and us and Lincoln are apparently nailed on to get relegated. Southampton are odds on to return to the Prem immediately and it's no surprise half their team makes up the media dream 11.
TheStockportHatter1883
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I mean I do like the skin but I use the cut out face packs as the former club's badge will be on their kit especially if I sign one from a rival team
FM_TNSSO
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I'd highly recommend him based on this season in League One! He was awesome! I played him as a pressing forward (just in case you do bring him in) and he thrived in that role.
FM_TNSSO
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As we're about to kick things off, the board remind me of their expectations for the upcoming season and there isn't much expectation that we'll achieve much this season! Let's just enjoy the ride!
Our first ever Championship game would be against a Cardiff side that were playing Premier League football last season! So it would be a tough introduction to the second tier.
But we pulled off the shock of the opening day with a superb win! Not only did we win the game, but we were totally dominant in doing so too!
In the Carabao Cup first round, we'd drawn our local rivals in an Aldershot side that like us have won back to back promotions and were now plying their trade in League One.
We made hard work of it, but thanks to a penalty shootout, we are through to the second round.
Back in the league though, we received a firm reminder of how tough this division is going to be for us this season as we suffer back to back defeats to Luton and Sunderland. Only narrow defeats and neither side dominated us, so there is hope we can compete.
So the 2nd round of the Carabao Cup would give us a nice opportunity to play a 'lesser' side from the lower league. We'd drawn Portsmouth who will still feel they're a bigger club than us despite playing at a lower level now.
But we reminded them that we're better than them on the football pitch with a comfortable win.
Our 3rd round tie will present us with my first opportunity as Crawley manager to take on one of the giants of English football. I just hope they don't play Erling Haaland!
Back in the league, we took on a Blackburn side that were propping up the division after losing all 3 of their opening games this season.
And we inflicted their 4th straight defeat on them with a narrow 1-0 victory! It's still early days but winning 2 of our opening 4 games is promising.
Historically, I have always completed at least one deal on transfer deadline days, as I like the fans to have something to get excited about along with everyone else. I know myself that if my club isn't involved in any rumours or anything on deadline day, it's pretty boring. This year's deadline day was no different as I added a couple of really good players to the squad which definitely strengthens us!
NEW SIGNING: OLIVER RATHBONE
Signed on a free transfer
Rathbone comes in and brings with him valuable experience of playing at Championship level for the last 3 seasons with Rotherham. He now has over 300 senior appearances in English football after coming through the youth at Manchester United and he takes our level of player at the club up a notch.
LOAN SIGNING: MIGUEL AZEEZ
Signed on season long loan from Norwich
I did still want another centre mid with a bit more creativity about them for my advanced playmaker role. Azeez ticks that box nicely and is an exciting addition for the rest of the season. I firmly expect him to be chipping in with a few assists and could become our best creative outlet for attacking moves.
As the transfer window comes to a close, the wage expenditure shows we are spending well below most of the clubs in the division. Southampton spend a whopping 12 times what we spend!!
Back to the action and Hull City became the first club this season to absolutely dominate us on the pitch. They blew us away on the stats, having loads more possession and more than 20 shots on our goal compared to our 5 on theirs! We managed to keep the scoreline respectable though, despite their dominance, but it is defeat!
It wasn't the greatest result to lead us into our match against title favourites, Southampton.
Again though, we gave them a game and weren't disgraced in our performance. It's another defeat but again, we played some good stuff at times which should boost our confidence.
Any points that can be picked up away from home this season will be a massive bonus and we picked up a good one at QPR in our next game.
Seven games into the season and we have a couple of wins on the board as we sit 16th in the table! Give me 16th at the end of the season right now and I'd snap your arm off for it!
Manchester City would field a mixed side against us with a variation of senior and youth team players. Still, with this team, I didn't expect to get too much from the game.
But we can be incredibly proud of our efforts as we take City all the way to a penalty shootout! We didn't manage to come out on top in the end, but it's a top, top effort!
Our first ever Championship game would be against a Cardiff side that were playing Premier League football last season! So it would be a tough introduction to the second tier.
But we pulled off the shock of the opening day with a superb win! Not only did we win the game, but we were totally dominant in doing so too!
In the Carabao Cup first round, we'd drawn our local rivals in an Aldershot side that like us have won back to back promotions and were now plying their trade in League One.
We made hard work of it, but thanks to a penalty shootout, we are through to the second round.
Back in the league though, we received a firm reminder of how tough this division is going to be for us this season as we suffer back to back defeats to Luton and Sunderland. Only narrow defeats and neither side dominated us, so there is hope we can compete.
So the 2nd round of the Carabao Cup would give us a nice opportunity to play a 'lesser' side from the lower league. We'd drawn Portsmouth who will still feel they're a bigger club than us despite playing at a lower level now.
But we reminded them that we're better than them on the football pitch with a comfortable win.
Our 3rd round tie will present us with my first opportunity as Crawley manager to take on one of the giants of English football. I just hope they don't play Erling Haaland!
Back in the league, we took on a Blackburn side that were propping up the division after losing all 3 of their opening games this season.
And we inflicted their 4th straight defeat on them with a narrow 1-0 victory! It's still early days but winning 2 of our opening 4 games is promising.
Historically, I have always completed at least one deal on transfer deadline days, as I like the fans to have something to get excited about along with everyone else. I know myself that if my club isn't involved in any rumours or anything on deadline day, it's pretty boring. This year's deadline day was no different as I added a couple of really good players to the squad which definitely strengthens us!
NEW SIGNING: OLIVER RATHBONE
Signed on a free transfer
Rathbone comes in and brings with him valuable experience of playing at Championship level for the last 3 seasons with Rotherham. He now has over 300 senior appearances in English football after coming through the youth at Manchester United and he takes our level of player at the club up a notch.
LOAN SIGNING: MIGUEL AZEEZ
Signed on season long loan from Norwich
I did still want another centre mid with a bit more creativity about them for my advanced playmaker role. Azeez ticks that box nicely and is an exciting addition for the rest of the season. I firmly expect him to be chipping in with a few assists and could become our best creative outlet for attacking moves.
As the transfer window comes to a close, the wage expenditure shows we are spending well below most of the clubs in the division. Southampton spend a whopping 12 times what we spend!!
Back to the action and Hull City became the first club this season to absolutely dominate us on the pitch. They blew us away on the stats, having loads more possession and more than 20 shots on our goal compared to our 5 on theirs! We managed to keep the scoreline respectable though, despite their dominance, but it is defeat!
It wasn't the greatest result to lead us into our match against title favourites, Southampton.
Again though, we gave them a game and weren't disgraced in our performance. It's another defeat but again, we played some good stuff at times which should boost our confidence.
Any points that can be picked up away from home this season will be a massive bonus and we picked up a good one at QPR in our next game.
Seven games into the season and we have a couple of wins on the board as we sit 16th in the table! Give me 16th at the end of the season right now and I'd snap your arm off for it!
Manchester City would field a mixed side against us with a variation of senior and youth team players. Still, with this team, I didn't expect to get too much from the game.
But we can be incredibly proud of our efforts as we take City all the way to a penalty shootout! We didn't manage to come out on top in the end, but it's a top, top effort!
TheStockportHatter1883
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Ouch unlucky against Man City, I despise them in real life ever since we whipped them back in the '90s
FM_TNSSO
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If we're going to survive this year in the Championship, then the teams we HAVE to beat are those that are smaller and have been flirting between the Championship and League One over the past few seasons. Teams like Peterborough!
We didn't get the win but it's another point and every point will be valuable to us!
Meanwhile, Norwich away is the sort of game this year that we don't really expect to take anything from.
And for the first time this season, we find ourselves on the end of a hiding! Totally outclassed for 90 minutes!
Hopefully we could improve against Huddersfield who were alongside us in the bottom half of the table.
But we were almost as bad again and were well beaten. This is gearing up to be a long hard season ahead, but we always knew this was going to be the case after back to back promotions.
Any side managed by Eddie Howe is going to be tough to beat and he finds himself heading up the coaching team at Sheffield United these days. I'll fully admit he's one of my faves in the world of football management!
His team played some lovely stuff and absolutely battered us on the stats, with an incredible 33 shots at our goal!!
Even more incredible though was the fact we won the game!! Eddie and his team will feel cheated, but right now I don't care! We're going to need a few more wins against the run of play like this, if we're going to survive this season!
The result was a much needed confidence boost for the lads after 6 games without a win! We needed to capitalise on it going into the match with 22nd placed Rotherham.
And we did make it back to back wins, but only just! At 2-0 up, we were cruising and looked to be well in control. But we switched off and let them back into the game and they really should have gone 3-2 up when we gave away a penalty, only for Luke McGee to pull off a great save and keep the scores level. Richard Nartey popped up with a headed effort in injury time from a corner for us to nick the points at the end.
He might have got the winner, but it was Nartey's defensive performance that really stood out and earned him the player of the week award.
I do have a developing situation at the club though and a player that has really given me the ump if I'm honest! Jack Powell has come up through the leagues with me and been an important member of my team. During the Summer, I added several central midfielders to the squad and he came to me with concerns about his playing time. I reassured him he still had a place in my team and he's already featured 8 times this season for me in the league, so I feel I've proven it to him! However, the little sh it is still unhappy and now thinks he's too good to turn up to training! Fair to say he will now be dropped to the U21 squad and won't play for the club again! He'll also be put up for sale in the January transfer window...no player is bigger than the club and going AWOL from training is unacceptable.
Miguel Azeez would come into the starting lineup and take his spot for our next game against Reading.
And he helped us to a good point against a side in the top half of the table.
Lincoln came up with us last year via the playoffs, so we have to be targeting these sort of games for points this year.
And we come away with another one. We weren't the better side on the day, so a point will do.
We'd built ourselves a nice little run of 4 games without defeat, but as we prepared to face top of the table Nottinham Forest, we knew it would be tough to keep that run going.
At least the board and fans don't expect anything at all from the game.
The game was all over within 20 minutes as Forest blew us away in the early stages! Although, it was a brave effort from my lads to try to get back in the game and there are some positives we can take from this performance against one of the best sides in the league. Worth noting that their 4th goal only came in the dying minutes as we threw men forward trying to get that equalizer.
15 games into the season and we have 16 points. We're on target at the moment as I firmly believe if we can average a point per game then we will stay up this season. Clearly Rotherham and Preston are going to struggle this season and already find themselves well off the pace, which could be a big help for us. Right now, we're battling away and doing just about enough.
We didn't get the win but it's another point and every point will be valuable to us!
Meanwhile, Norwich away is the sort of game this year that we don't really expect to take anything from.
And for the first time this season, we find ourselves on the end of a hiding! Totally outclassed for 90 minutes!
Hopefully we could improve against Huddersfield who were alongside us in the bottom half of the table.
But we were almost as bad again and were well beaten. This is gearing up to be a long hard season ahead, but we always knew this was going to be the case after back to back promotions.
Any side managed by Eddie Howe is going to be tough to beat and he finds himself heading up the coaching team at Sheffield United these days. I'll fully admit he's one of my faves in the world of football management!
His team played some lovely stuff and absolutely battered us on the stats, with an incredible 33 shots at our goal!!
Even more incredible though was the fact we won the game!! Eddie and his team will feel cheated, but right now I don't care! We're going to need a few more wins against the run of play like this, if we're going to survive this season!
The result was a much needed confidence boost for the lads after 6 games without a win! We needed to capitalise on it going into the match with 22nd placed Rotherham.
And we did make it back to back wins, but only just! At 2-0 up, we were cruising and looked to be well in control. But we switched off and let them back into the game and they really should have gone 3-2 up when we gave away a penalty, only for Luke McGee to pull off a great save and keep the scores level. Richard Nartey popped up with a headed effort in injury time from a corner for us to nick the points at the end.
He might have got the winner, but it was Nartey's defensive performance that really stood out and earned him the player of the week award.
I do have a developing situation at the club though and a player that has really given me the ump if I'm honest! Jack Powell has come up through the leagues with me and been an important member of my team. During the Summer, I added several central midfielders to the squad and he came to me with concerns about his playing time. I reassured him he still had a place in my team and he's already featured 8 times this season for me in the league, so I feel I've proven it to him! However, the little sh it is still unhappy and now thinks he's too good to turn up to training! Fair to say he will now be dropped to the U21 squad and won't play for the club again! He'll also be put up for sale in the January transfer window...no player is bigger than the club and going AWOL from training is unacceptable.
Miguel Azeez would come into the starting lineup and take his spot for our next game against Reading.
And he helped us to a good point against a side in the top half of the table.
Lincoln came up with us last year via the playoffs, so we have to be targeting these sort of games for points this year.
And we come away with another one. We weren't the better side on the day, so a point will do.
We'd built ourselves a nice little run of 4 games without defeat, but as we prepared to face top of the table Nottinham Forest, we knew it would be tough to keep that run going.
At least the board and fans don't expect anything at all from the game.
The game was all over within 20 minutes as Forest blew us away in the early stages! Although, it was a brave effort from my lads to try to get back in the game and there are some positives we can take from this performance against one of the best sides in the league. Worth noting that their 4th goal only came in the dying minutes as we threw men forward trying to get that equalizer.
15 games into the season and we have 16 points. We're on target at the moment as I firmly believe if we can average a point per game then we will stay up this season. Clearly Rotherham and Preston are going to struggle this season and already find themselves well off the pace, which could be a big help for us. Right now, we're battling away and doing just about enough.
FM_TNSSO
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- 2,940
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- 3,699
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Ipswich Town beat us to the League One title on the final run in last season and they had started this season in a very similar manor to us this, earning 15 points from their opening 15 games. This would be a massive game for both sides as we fight to stay up!
So it was a devastating defeat for us! Especially as we dominated for large periods of the game but simply couldn't put the ball in the back of the net!
We then had a 2 week break before our next game and during that time, a few of my players picked up injuries that has left me with a bit of a crisis on my hands. Not ideal when we have 3 games to play in the next week, including 2 of the top 3!!
We did manage to take a couple of points from those games though and were competitive in all three as well.
And it's fair to say we can feel a bit hard done by with the Watford result. There are 5 minutes of added time with us 2-1 up and Watford's equalizer came in the 96th minute!
Bolton were up next for us and with no disrespect to them, they should be an easier game than the likes of Watford and Brighton!
OK, this was the first time I was really p155ed with my team this season. I know we're punching above our weight and I know we're expected to be relegated, but throwing a 2-0 lead here to lose the game and not even get a point is disgusting!
That defeat has left us hovering just above the relegation places and our next game was against Sheffield Wednesday. There is no getting away from it...it's a must win game!
Failure to put the ball in the back of the net cost us again and we have to settle for a disappointing draw. Our attackers are really struggling at this level!
Wigan were 19th so again our encounter with them was an opportunity to pick up points.
Just another draw though, but probably a good one considering the sending off and we were holding on for dear life at the end!
We are now on a 10 game winless run in the league though!
We wouldn't get a better opportunity to bring that run to an end in our next game though. Preston are propping up the table and only have 1 win in 22 games and only 9 points to their name!
In a disappointing display, Preston were the better side and we were lucky to get a draw though! We must do better in these games if we want to stay up!
The festive period was not a happy one for us or our fans either as two more defeats in the space of 3 days, which included an embarrassing thrashing by Peterborough, leaves us questioning our ability to play in this division.
As we reach the end of 2025, we are edging closer and close to those relegation places and now only 3 points separates us from the bottom 3! Without a win in 13 games and we find ourselves bang in trouble!
The pressure is starting to pile on from both an unhappy board and fan base!
So it was a devastating defeat for us! Especially as we dominated for large periods of the game but simply couldn't put the ball in the back of the net!
We then had a 2 week break before our next game and during that time, a few of my players picked up injuries that has left me with a bit of a crisis on my hands. Not ideal when we have 3 games to play in the next week, including 2 of the top 3!!
We did manage to take a couple of points from those games though and were competitive in all three as well.
And it's fair to say we can feel a bit hard done by with the Watford result. There are 5 minutes of added time with us 2-1 up and Watford's equalizer came in the 96th minute!
Bolton were up next for us and with no disrespect to them, they should be an easier game than the likes of Watford and Brighton!
OK, this was the first time I was really p155ed with my team this season. I know we're punching above our weight and I know we're expected to be relegated, but throwing a 2-0 lead here to lose the game and not even get a point is disgusting!
That defeat has left us hovering just above the relegation places and our next game was against Sheffield Wednesday. There is no getting away from it...it's a must win game!
Failure to put the ball in the back of the net cost us again and we have to settle for a disappointing draw. Our attackers are really struggling at this level!
Wigan were 19th so again our encounter with them was an opportunity to pick up points.
Just another draw though, but probably a good one considering the sending off and we were holding on for dear life at the end!
We are now on a 10 game winless run in the league though!
We wouldn't get a better opportunity to bring that run to an end in our next game though. Preston are propping up the table and only have 1 win in 22 games and only 9 points to their name!
In a disappointing display, Preston were the better side and we were lucky to get a draw though! We must do better in these games if we want to stay up!
The festive period was not a happy one for us or our fans either as two more defeats in the space of 3 days, which included an embarrassing thrashing by Peterborough, leaves us questioning our ability to play in this division.
As we reach the end of 2025, we are edging closer and close to those relegation places and now only 3 points separates us from the bottom 3! Without a win in 13 games and we find ourselves bang in trouble!
The pressure is starting to pile on from both an unhappy board and fan base!