For my first blog article I will introduce what my challenge is and how it went from the start of my Football Manager 2018 journey to now; the end of the preseason of my second season in charge of Hampton and Richmond Borough.
For my first blog article I will introduce what my challenge is and how it went from the start of my Football Manager 2018 journey to now; the end of the preseason of my second season in charge of Hampton and Richmond Borough.My challenge, get Hampton and Richmond to the Premier League, and if a promotion is achieved this season, 2020/2021, that can kick start my campaign massively.
First of all, I’ll provide a bit of context.
I had made a strange start to my FM 2018 Touch save.
I started out as FC Lorient of the French 2nd Division where I had left after about 6 months due to the fans not liking the football although it was getting results.
I then was hired by Bognor Regis in January of 2018 where I managed to keep them up on the last day from bottom of the league when I joined them.
This was mainly down to the help of my superb advanced forward in Ollie Pearce.
He was instrumental in winning us games in our relegation battle and won the player of the season award.
However, I left Bognor Regis at the end of that season to go to Scottish Division 2 side Annan Athletic. I did not enjoy this due to how weak the club was run with finances and also how bad the players were. There was no hope with this club so I left after just 60 days at the club.
I was without a job until October where I took control of Nuneaton town who were in a surprise relegation battle in the Vanarama National League North. I guided the club to the mid-table finish expected of me however I chose to leave yet another club at the end of the season.
In June of 2019, I was hired by Hampton and Richmond Borough of the National League South, a league I was somewhat familiar with after my Bognor Regis days.
This would be my first full preseason at a team.
During the preseason friendlies, I noticed a young defensive forward in 16-year-old Steve Stone who I turned into a first-team regular as the season progressed.
He was good for me in this season getting 9 goals and 10 assists in the 2019/2020 season and would prove to have a deadly partnership with my advanced forward Ollie Pearce, who I had resigned on a free transfer. He was even better than last time netting on 24 occasions in the league over the season despite picking up injuries fairly often.
Other players like Shaun McAuley on the right wing and the likes of Nathan Linton on the left.
Loan players like Owen Nolan, I resigned again on loan for the 2020/2021 season also proved to be very good.
My only real concern was my centre-backs.
Fullbacks I had few problems with, Soganile and loanee Jack James ( another I resigned on loan for the 2020/2021 season ), never caused me that many frustrations over the season.
Jack Bradley and Ciaren Jones were where many of my frustrations grew.
I had never had great centre-backs, but that was usually reliable, Tom Hamblin for example from my Bognor Regis days.
These two however were meant to be some of the best players I could get and for whatever reason I could not get them to perform consistently.
I managed the team to comfortably avoid relegation from the league despite a shocking winless run towards the end of the season.
I wasn’t getting smashed in these games, 1-0 or 2-1 but just couldn’t replicate the same form from the start of the season which saw us flirting with the playoffs.
To make it more annoying goals were definitely avoidable.
So, I reached the end of that season, my first full season with a club. I was offered a new contract and that is where I am now.
I am about to kick off the new season against Welling after, what I would call, a relatively successful preseason.
All my key players have signed contracts and all the dead wood has been shunted out.
I have brought in a few free transfers in right back Tyler Walker and right midfielder Josh MacDonald of Guisley in the division above.
Owen Nolan and Jack James also resigned on loan deals as previously mentioned.
My preseason started with a 0-0 draw with my own reserve side.
I was fairly content with this as the players had just returned from holiday.
I then played friendlies against Wembley, 2-0 win with goals from Nolan and Steve Stone, and also my former club Bognor Regis where I won 1-0 with a Josh MacDonald goal.
We then lost 4-0 to Premier Division side Leicester which I can’t complain too much about as we did actually have a few shots on goal.
Then I played fellow VNS side Chelmsford in which I saw my side win 5-4 in a thrilling match thanks to goals from Stone, MacDonald, 2 from Pearce and a Jack Bradley header in the last minute.
I then beat Leatherhead 5-1 with goals from centre midfielder Joshua Roe, another brace from Pearce, Josh MacDonald and also a goal for Steve Stone.
A friendly away at Maldon and Tiptree followed where we were superb in a 5-0 win with goals from MacDonald, a Steve Stone brace and an Ollie Pearce brace.
We then suffered a 3-0 defeat to Championship side Fulham but again like Leicester, no complaints.
We finished the preseason well with a good 2-0 win against Chertsey despite playing our weaker side with goals from back up striker Elumba and Owen Nolan.
I am currently playing a bog-standard 4-4-2 formation with Central Defenders on ‘Defend’, Fullbacks on ‘Defend’.
Wingers both on ‘Attack’.
A central midfielder on ‘Support’, can be on ‘Defend’ if Venney is playing and not Roe, playing alongside my main Ball Winning Midfielder in Dave Mellor on ‘Support’.
Ollie Pearce in his Advanced Forward role with Steve Stone in Defensive Forward on ‘Defend’.
I play flexible team shape with standard mentality for home matches unless against a club from at least the league above or top of my league.
For away matches when I am clearly better than the team I play standard also but for the most part I use Counter mentality.
My instructions do not change. I have Direct Passing, Fairly Wide, Hit Early Crosses and Clear Ball to Flanks.
I think we may just do alright in the 2020/2021 season and I would love it if we could get promoted to kick start my Premier League Challenge. COME ON THE BEAVERS!
