mask0991

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New beginning

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Transfers and Goals:

My primary goal this season is to gain promotion to the Premier League. I'd like to go as far as possible in the Capital Cup and FA Cup but those will not be my priorities. In a few years, I'd like to challenge for the Premier league title and hopefully, challenge clubs in Europe.

As for transfers, I am not looking forward to a lot of activity. I may sign 1-2 midfielders and /or a striker depending on the pre-season matches. I won't be making any big money transfers even in the future. I'd like to build the team based on the current crop of players and those coming from the youth system.

 
Good luck with Fulham but just dont beat Brighton! lol
 
2014-15 Pre-Season

Just finished the pre-season friendlies. Tinkered with 3 different formations and several players. The performances were a bit sloppy to begin with, as indicated by two home losses but once the players started to get used to the formation, the performances improved.

Some key observations:
Defense needs some work - sloppy work at times, opponents finding too much space. I might try to get my hands on a good sweeper defender.
Midfielders and strikers put on decent displays, which was encouraging.
Based on initial performances, Cauley Woodrow, Bryan Ruiz and Patrick Roberts would be players to watch for.
The first game is an away game vs. Birmingham. Hoping to start with a good performance. The players are all raring to go and the morale of the players is very good.
 
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AND THE 2014-15 SEASON IS UNDERWAY!!!
August 9th 2014
CH: BIRMINGHAM CITY 1-2 FULHAM
View attachment 294314
A solid start to the season, although the game was close. Birmingham threw everything they got at us but the defence held strong. Rodallega scored a wonderful goal, which can be viewed below.
[video=dailymotion;x2iy0jz]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2iy0jz_fm-2015-rodallega-goal-fulham-vs-birmingham_videogames[/video]

August 15th 2014
CH:FULHAM 4-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC
View attachment 294313
Wigan took the lead against the run of play. We had the best chances and hit the woodwork a couple of times before they scored. But we came back in an amazing fashion and responded with a 3 goal salvo in 6 minutes. The victory was well-deserved and it was a very pleasing performance.

August 19th 2014
CH: BLACKPOOL 1-2 FULHAM
View attachment 294312
We were dominating possession and carved open the opposition multiple times gaining a deserved 2-goal lead. Scott Parker's sending off changed the course of the game. Blackpool brought an additional striker and put the pressure on us. We had to weather the storm and they scored a goal to reduce our lead. We brought in an extra defender to avoid conceding again and reverted to a 531 formation. They pressed hard, but never got past out defence.


August 23rd 2014
CH: FULHAM 0-1 ROTHERHAM
View attachment 294311
And the first defeat. We definitely didn't deserve that, not in the slightest. The game was even for the most part and we were the better team for most of the second half. They took their chance while we came up against a rock-solid Rotherham's goalie Adam Collin. His performance was so good that he deserved the player of the match award. I sympathized with the players and we have to move on. A home defeat is always tough to digest.

Sky Bet Championship: 3rd position with 9 points. Bournemouth occupy 1st position with 10 points.


Other news:
1. Rodallega is out for two weeks, which will force a shuffle in the tactics but given the strength of our squad, it shouldn't be a huge blow.
2. Capital One Cup draws Fulham against Birmingham, with the latter team being drawn as the home team.
3. Fernando Amorebieta has expressed his desire to leave Fulham for Burnley and he seems determined to make his move soon.
 
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Capital One Cup: Woodrow's goal sends Fulham through to 3rd round
St. Andrews, Birmingham: Woodrow's fourth goal of the season gave Fulham a 1-0 victory over Birmingham. The build-up to the goal started with a swift counter attack as Fulham played the ball out of their defense, and to their flanks. The goal came when young striker Woodrow escaped his marker and side-footed Alexander Kacaniklic's low cross into the net.

Apart from the goal, the quality of finishing was pretty average from both teams. Birmingham's Davidson missed a golden opportunity as he failed to control his volley. At the other end, Fulham's Kacaniklic sent the ball way wide when he was one-on-one with the goal keeper after a beautiful pass by Hyndman.

The third round of the Cup drew Fulham against Manchester United, which will be a tough ask for the Cottagers despite them playing in front of their home fans.


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Fulham have some amazing youngsters on this game, should be fun developing them, good luck.
 
Wrapping up August 2014 and the Transfer Window
After a good start to the season, it was time for the last match before the end of transfer window. It was an away encounter against Reading. The morale was high and the boys were playing with confidence. We were determined to bring home the 3 points and we did, in style!

FULHAM 2-0
READING
C. Woodrow (26, 47)
We carved them open multiple times and hit the back of the net on two of those occasions. Woodrow, who has been in sensational form scored two, the first one being a really good one, as he had a very narrow angle to score. The goal can be viewed below. Pleased with the results recently, especially the youngsters who have been putting in some impressive performances.
[video=dailymotion;x2iziat]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2iziat_fm-15-woodrow-goal-vs-reading_videogames[/video]


TRANSFER WINDOW
Lots of rumours in the media these days relating the club to a bunch of players, despite there being no interest from out side. It is irritating but as a manager, I can only squash all of them in the media. No additional transfers were made and two youngsters were sent out on loan for more experience.

Fernando Amorebieta, who has been wanting to move to Burnley has finally told me that he's happy to stay at Fulham. We're all delighted as he has been a regular for us this season and his presence will be a boost to our defense.

TEAM NEWS
Tim Hoogland and Ross McCormack have both expressed their concern about not getting enough first team football. I promised both of them more game time in the coming games. I'll have to come up with a way to fit McCormack into this team, especially when Woodrow is in superb form.
 
Now that I am settled at the club and have a good knowledge about the players and the staff, I wanted to take things to the next level and set the foundation for a title challenge. The upcoming fixtures were vital.

Sept. 12th 2014: FULHAM 1-0 SHEFF. WED
Cauley Woodrow (40)
Solid defensive work laid the foundation for a good win. I went with a 442 formation rather than the 4231 formation which has been producing good results so far. We were dominant in position and never looked like slipping after getting the goal, which came through Cauley Woodrow once again. He is in very good form off late, and his form will be crucial for us in the league.

Sept. 16th 2014: WOLVES 1-2 FULHAM
McCormack (20), Woodrow (27); Doyle (60)
After the success of 442 in the previous game, I decided to go ahead with the same formation and a similar line-up. We started strongly, scoring 2 goals in the first half hour. The first half was played in the mid-field and possession kept changing hands quickly. The second half was totally different! Wolves threw everything at us. They pressed hard and eventually pulled one back in the 60'. Our defense was solid, however. We closed them down quickly forcing them to resort to long range shooting, which really didn't threaten us. More solid defending saw us through and gave us 3 nice away points. Woodrow scored for the fourth game in a row!

Sept. 20th 2014: FULHAM 1-1 IPSWICH
McCormack (90+3);
Berra (59)
I still can't believe we only got 1 point from this. I reverted back to 4231 this game to exploit the flanks. We totally dominated the game (see Stats below). We had a lot of chances but it was Ipswich who scored first. I really didn't see that coming as they hardly attacked our goal until then. We kept pushing and finally equalized in the last minute of stoppage time, thanks to a 25 yard pile driver by Ross McCormack. It was the least we deserved - we should've won given our dominance but that's football! I could only sympathize with the lads as they gave it all they had.

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LEAGUE STANDINGS
After 8 games in the league, we occupy the first position with 6 wins, 1 draw and a loss. Pretty pleased with the performance so far but it would be nice to stop leaking goals and keep clean sheets. I can't really fault the defenders because we never gave away goals due to complacency or mistakes in the field.

C. Woodrow is the joint top scorer in the league. He has scored in 5 games out of the 6 we won and hasn't scored in the games we didn't get the 3 points. He's proving to be a vital player despite being only 19 yrs of age. Well done lad!

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Capital One Cup:
Time for the big clash against Manchester United. This was going to be my first big test and was never going to be easy against a top team. With Rooney, Falcao, Sneijder, Mata, Fellaini in their line-up, we had to produce something magnificent to get a good result. Unfortunately, it wasn't so.

FULHAM 1-4 MAN UTD
Kacaniklic (86); Falcao (58,72,82), Mata (75)
We were good in the first half as United attackers didn't find a lot of space in our half. But our second half performance was rather lackluster. Lots of sloppy passes resulted due to extreme pressing by the Man Utd midfielders. They dominated in the midfield and scored 4 goals, with Falcao grabbing a well deserved hat-trick. Kacaniklic's goal came as a consolation but it was all but over by then.
Even though the performance could've been better especially in the second half, I didn't criticize the players. We were always the underdogs and the Red Devils are tough to beat.
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Very nice start mate, being able to watch some of the goals is interesting!
 
Very nice start mate, being able to watch some of the goals is interesting!
Cheers! Glad to know that you find the embedded goal videos interesting. I'll upload goals that I find interesting or important.
 
SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT!

The day started just like any other as I drove myself to the training ground while sipping on a glass of hot tea. As soon as I entered the dressing room, I felt something strange. The intensity in training was missing and the morale didn't seem high. I felt the need to have a chat with the boys. I asked Scott (Parker) to assemble the team to discuss the situation. The loss to Man Utd hurt the lads despite being the underdogs.

Me: Come on guys! We've done well so far despite the loss to United. We are at the top of the league now. Let's keep that up.
McCormack (reluctantly): While that's true boss, the loss to United was tough to digest.
Parker joined in, as the senior member and the captain.
Parker: It's all right boys. United are a strong team to beat, considering the kind of players they have. We have a league title to challenge for, and a promotion to aim. Let's focus on that.
Rodallega: I agree with Scotty. We have the right kind of players to make it happen. If that's all boss, we're going to get back out there (training ground) and give it our best.

After a few private chat between some players, there were positive nods in response to Parker and Rodallega's comments.
Younger players like Patrick Roberts and Woodrow were pleased to know that the skipper and I had our faith in this team. They returned back to training.

Me: Now, that's the reaction I wanted. Glad to know we are on the same page. Let's convert that good feeling into productive training sessions.

As the players were leaving, I called Woodrow to have a private chat in my office.

Woodrow (slowly approaching me): What's on your mind, boss?
Me: Just wanted to say you have been outstanding so far, netting goals in all of our wins. I have faith in you, Cauley. You are a bright talent, one of the best I've come across.
Woodrow (excited): Thanks, boss. That's a lot coming from you. I am pleased to have started every game and will repay your faith in me with goals.
Me: Now, get out there and have fun!

The players morale definitely increased and I was able to see a lot more smiles and intensive training from the boys. It's time to get back to winning ways vs. Blackburn in the championship.
 
After the loss to Man Utd, it's time to get back to winning ways....On with the championship fixtures:

CH: BLACKBURN 0-2 FULHAM
Woodrow (51), Rodallega (59)
Solid victory. We dominated possession and passed around well. After taking the lead, Blackburn attacked and pressed hard. The defense was strong and put in some amazing tackles to prevent Blackburn from scoring. One of the many tackles impressed me (see below). There were a couple of similar chances where the defenders put in last ditch tackles to pile on the frustration for Blackburn. 3 points in an away game secured!
[video=dailymotion;x2j396o]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2j396o_fm-15-last-ditch-tackle_videogames[/video]

CH: FULHAM 2-1 MILLWALL
Ruiz (80), Woodrow (88); Upson (25)
Almost a scare. Ed Upson's early goal gave Millwall the lead and they really held on to the ball. The players were getting frustrated and it resulted in a lot of long shots, which never threatened the opposition goal. We finally equalized when Ruiz volleyed a cross from Hoogland. The game was heading towards a draw until the moment when Woodrow latched onto a Christensen's through ball and attempted a first time shot, which ended up in the back of the net. It was fitting that Woodrow scored the winner as he has been on scintillating form this season.

MANAGER OF THE MONTH (SEPTEMBER)
My first personal award. We got 3 wins and managed a draw in the four games during the month. We also occupy the first position in the league, which is pleasing. I am delighted to get my very first personal award, and will be looking forward to adding more.

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CH: BRENTFORD 0-1 FULHAM
Woodrow (30)

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That news article sums up the game pretty well. Bettinelli was the hero, deservedly grabbing the player of the match. I could make a montage of the saves he made that game but I decided to pick the best of the lot for your viewing pleasure.
[video=dailymotion;x2j3op0]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2j3op0_fm-15-bettinelli-super-save_videogames[/video]​
What a save!

WOODROW ON FIRE!
This 19 yr lad is the joint top scorer in the league with 10 goals. He has scored in 8 of our 9 wins and has been working hard in the training, showing good signs. Another interesting thing to note is that everytime he has scored, we won the game so far - quite an interesting statistic!

LEAGUE TABLE
A look at the league table after 11 games. We sit at the top, 5 points ahead of the second placed Watford. Some big games coming up, but I am sure we'll be prepared!

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Fulham's Injury Woes:
Ross McCormack and Hugo Rodallega got injured during training and are out for 3 weeks. That means 2 of my 3 strikers are unavailable for the next 5-6 games, which is really unfortunate. The next few games will be vital.
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October 18th 2014 CH: FULHAM 1-2 HUDDERSFIELD
Woodrow (55); Bunn (20), Wells (68)
Disappointing, to say the least. Also this is the first game we lost when Woodrow scored. The performance was sub-par, to say the least. Neither team deserved to lose but they got the 3 points and we ended up with none. Rodallega and McCormack's absence was hugely felt as we launched an all-out attack during the ending stages of the game. A second home defeat, something I need to rectify.

October 21st 2014 CH: CARDIFF 3-0 FULHAM
Bettinelli (o.g.,71), Revell (74), Noone (85)
We lost the game when Scott Parker got sent off in the 51st minute, for a second yellow card. I started with Woodrow and Dembele and had to bring off Dembele when Parker got sent off. I was going for a draw at that point but once Cardiff scored, things changed. They added a couple more as we tried to equalize and gave us a pasting. Once again, the absence of two strikers prevented me from going into 'true' overload mode.

My thoughts:
Things need to turn around, and quickly. We are still at the top of the league but only one point separates us from Watford, who are second. I did issue Parker a stern warning for getting sent off, which changed the game significantly. As a senior player and captain, he ought to know better than to perform a reckless tackle in the opposition half, while already on a yellow card.

The next game is versus Derby, who are in the top 4 at the moment. Another slip-up could see us lose the top spot in the league, and we must get back to winning ways!

 
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To all of you reading/following this thread:

Could you make any suggestions to improve the content? Is there something lacking, or is it fine?
 
(Oct 24th 2014) CH: FULHAM 2-0 DERBY
Ruiz (61), Dembele (73)
A much needed victory, after two losses. With McCormack and Rodallega still sidelined due to injury, Dembele got his second league start this season. The game was evenly matched till Ruiz scored, after which we took control of possession and dominated the game. Dembele's goal gave us nice cushion. The fact that we won against Derby who are competing for a promotion spot is pleasing.

NEWS: Ross McCormack back to training.
The Fulham striker, who was injured for 3 weeks is back from injury and resumed light training. He should be back to match fitness soon, after a couple of reserve games.

(Nov 1st 2014) CH: BOURNEMOUTH 3-1 FULHAM
Kermorgant (10, 90+2 pen), McQuoid (80); Woodrow (4)
Disappointing performance, devastating result. We took the lead very early through our goal scoring machine Woodrow. Once they equalized 10' into the game, things started to turn. Our players slowly started to lose focus, kept misplacing passes and missing interceptions. Bournemouth deservedly took the lead in the 80th minute. They scored a third to pile on the misery when Hoogland gave away a penalty. Replays show that McQuoid took a dive. But it was a game we didn't deserve to get any points from, and I'm not going to complain.

NEWS: Hugo Rodallega back to training.
Another injury victim for Fulham is back to full fitness and is ready for selection. This should be a boost for us, as all out strikers are fully fit.

 
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TEAM MEETING
Recent results haven't been going our way and I decided to have a chat with the team. The day before the next game (vs. Leeds), I told Peter Grant to assemble all the players before they began training.

Me: Alright lads. We have been letting ourselves down recently. We may have lost 3 our of our last 4 games but we all know that we are a much better team than that.
Ruiz: He's right fellas, we are much better than the results show.
Me: We had some injury issues too which weakened our bench strength a bit. We should come back strong.
Kacaniklic (reluctantly): Boss, do you have a tactic in mind for tomorrow? Should we focus on tactical training today.
Dan Burn and Kay Voser hinted that they were curious of the formation as well.
Me (without hesitation): Yes, I do guys. Mark (Pembridge) knows the tactics for tomorrow and he'll help you guys. That'll be all. I just wanted to encourage you guys and tell that we will get back to winning ways!

I saw Huw Jennings (Youth coach) approach me after the team dispersed.
Huw: So, with Hugo and Ross injured, Cauley had to single handedly shoulder the responsibility of the center forward. He's still young and not ready for such a huge responsibility. He seems pressurized and not fully fit due to the intensity of such a play. You might want to consider signing another striker.
Me: I've been thinking about that but never really made it a priority. Now that you bring up mental and physical concerns, I'll look into it. Thanks, Huw!
 
(Nov 5th 2014) CH: FULHAM 1-0 LEEDS
Burn (17)
And back to winning ways. A solid victory and a much needed one. I was never really concerned about giving away an equalizer as the defense was rock solid whenever called upon. Burn's goal came from a corner when he put a bullet header past Silvestri. Ruiz's corner was flicked on by Woodrow at the near post and Burn was waiting at the far post to bury it.

The victory was spoiled by the bad news that McCormack is going to be out for another 3 weeks after getting harshly tackled by Liam Cooper. It made me furious and I spoke my mind to the press. They wasted no time in putting it in the headlines.
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Unlucky McCormack: Out for 3 weeks, plays one game and out for 3 weeks again.

A quick look at the league table with home and away statistics.

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Woodrow still tops the goal scorers chart.

 
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