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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 10, 2006 12:41:32 GMT
Thank you.
Now, fetch me my slippers.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 11, 2006 12:39:58 GMT
November 2006
St Albans vs Dagenham and Redbridge St Albans 13-8 / Draw 2-1 / Dagenham and Redbridge 6-4 (Fav)
Last game of the month, and they're favourite, even though they are "overacheiving" by being in 17th.
They play defensively the entire game and we work a few shots, but can't find a goal anywhere and slump to a 0-0. Surprisngly, the draw lifts us from sixth to fifth to round out November.
St Albans 0-0 Dagenham and Redbridge
We still can't buy a place on the goal of the month tournament, but the board are delighted with our performance and we stuck another 14 grand in the bank in November, which is handy as we have a couple of new players coming on board in January first. [/size][/font]
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 11, 2006 12:58:54 GMT
December 2006
Canvey Island vs St Albans St Albans 13-8 / Draw 2-1 / Dagenham and Redbridge 6-4 (Fav)
For some reason our morale is down again. I have no idea why as we're performing out of our skins, sitting in the top five with a team that everyone, including our AssMan, says can achieve nothing but relegation.
It doesn't help, then, when we concede an early goal, but thankfully French horn breaks onto a flick on and finds his trademark hammer, belting home his 15th league goal of the season to tie the scores and earn a draw.
St Albans 1-1 Canvey Island - Boylan, 15 - French Horn, 65
[/size]
St Albans vs GravesendSt Albans 6-4 (Fav) / Draw 2-1 / Gravesend 13-8 Yes, it's time for one of those games, as our morale has completely neutered our attack, so that even though we dominate the game there's no way, at all, that we're going to score. Cue the 0-0 again and we're down to 8th place, as everyone around us wins. St Albans 0-0 Gravesend[/size]
FA TROPHY ROUND ONE Scarborough vs St AlbansSt Albans 3-1 / Draw 2-1 / Scarborough 4-5 (Fav) Away, against the fourth placed team from the conference, with a team filled with very poor morale. Good luck. So I decide to move away from the defensive-counter formation we've been using, as it's possible everyone's morale is bad because I'm boring them to death. Also, it's hardly stopping us leaking goals anyway. This turns out to be a pretty handy idea when you combine the attacking format with a central defender who's 6'7" as Cocktail Cubs is forward far enough to beat everyone in the air for the opening goal. Five minutes later it's Cubs again, this team winning a towering header at the back, the ball bouncing to Crunchy Fat who bends a pass through to Rogue Trader. Trader nudges around a centre half and then rolls the ball across the keeper and in at the far post. Scarborough never really threaten as both Cubs and Pastry Mania score 10/10. Mania lands the Man of the Match award, but gets a kick in the face for his trouble and will join everyone else in the doctors office. We get four grand for reaching round two of the trophy. Scarborough 0-2 St Albans - Cocktail Cubs, 26 - Rogue Trader, 31 INJURYPastry Mania will get two weeks to admire his Man of the Match trophy at home as he recovers from being kicked in the mouth. Also going home is youngster left back Shoe Nails who has flu and, as such, isn't allowed anywhere near anyone. A day later Crunchy Fat suffers a groin strain in training and will be gone two weeks. Happy christmas to me.
[/size] York vs St AlbansSt Albans 7-2 / Draw 9-4 / York 4-6 (Fav) Home team York are big favourites for this game, but someone needs to tell them that, as we give them a bit of a seeing to, Rogue Trader continuing his good run by opening the scoring and then setting up the second, giving Missing Letter the easiest goal he'll ever score by skinning a defender, then leaving the keeper sprawled before sliding a square ball for letter to score in the empty net. In the second half York look like they might find a way back in when they score, but just a few minutes later, Trader is fouled in the box and Big Family, back from injury for the first time in months, sends the keeper the wrong way, lifting us back up to seventh for Christmas Day. York 1-3 St Albans - Rogue Trader, 21 - Missing Letter, 38 - Birchill, 46 - Big Family, 70 (Pen) - Gentleman's Club
[/size][/font]
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Post by coffers on Jun 11, 2006 19:05:37 GMT
A fine string of none losses confirming your over-achievement is no fluke or something. Ignore me I'm rambling. It must be heat stroke as I haven't had a drink yet.
GWKIU! :thumb:
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Post by Moo on Jun 12, 2006 8:44:02 GMT
s1ut - are you Elth in disguise?
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 12, 2006 20:44:24 GMT
December 2006
Forest Green vs St Albans St Albans 3-1 / Draw 2-1 / Forest Green 4-5 (Fav)
After christmas I get a Boxing Day present as Cocktail Cubs cuts his hand on the day of the game, opening one of those electronic games that come in that heat moulded plastic covering. Those are bastards. We'll be starting right back Rambler and reserve defensive midfielder Empty Chariot at centreback, which should be a laugh.
So with our defence manned by three right backs and a defensive midfielder, it must be time to go attacking and, say, score a goal on 17 seconds without Forest Green touching the ball. That seems to annoy them a little and they're 2-1 up on 26 minutes, but after setting up the first goal for Rogue Trader, French Horn blasts home a second to tie the game up for half time.
To start the second half, Forest Green score inside 20 seconds without us touching the ball. Now where did they get that idea? Just after the hour it's 4-2 as our makeshift defence is just woeful, three Greens left unmarked at the back post. So we decide to go forward and move to and old style 00/01 2-1-4-1-2 formation, which gives us a late goal through Rogue Trader - his tenth of the season, but that's it and we're downed, 4-3.
Forest Green 4-3 St Albans - Rogue Trader, 1, 88 - Abbey, 26 - Beesley, 36,46 - French Horn, 36 - Foster, 67
INJURY What we need is more injuries, obviously, so Gentleman's Club and Missing Letter bugger off with bruised ribs and back spasms, respectively. Thanks
[/size] St Albans vs WycombeSt Albans 13-2 / Draw 7-1 / Wycombe 2-5 (Fav) You remember wycombe, right? They're the team that spanked us 4-0 in the second game of the season, when we had a full team. So now we have three right backs and a reserve defensive midfielder playing in defence and a reserve right back playing right midfield, I'm not too hopeful. As it turns out it's a shocking game, dull as you like, which is just fine for me. Especially when Rogue Trader bags a first half equaliser and there are no more goals. St Albans 1-1 Wycombe - Dodds, 23 - Rogue Trader, 29 - Rogue Trader [/size]
So we're loitering on the outskirts of the playoffs, waiting desperately for our entire team to come back from injury, because I think we could be pretty useful with a full squad.
[/font]
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Post by coffers on Jun 12, 2006 21:41:50 GMT
Hmm a wobble, let's hope that is all it is.
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Post by Moo on Jun 13, 2006 8:12:20 GMT
I'm hoping for a Tailspin™, not a Plummet™ because I'm not that nasty.
Still though, considering this is your first season in this league, it's a damned fine effort and still a nice lurking position there.
KUTGW! :thumb:
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Post by Sonic on Jun 13, 2006 23:44:42 GMT
You need to fix that defense, as your easily scoring enough goals. This games doesn't like you reaching too far too quickly by the look of things.
TG KUTGW :thumb:
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 14, 2006 13:54:33 GMT
I'm amazed by how tight it is at the top; six points between 1st and 11th. We can definitely score goals (touch wood) but we're shocking at fullback and our two centre halves are one very, very tall guy and one who's 5'10" but a bit more pacey. Sadly this means when we face two big guys, or two quick guys, one centreback has a good game and the other has a mare.
I brought in 6'1" DC Pirate Homage from Watford, but he has to play his way to fitness before I can stick him in and then I don't know if I should drop Cocktail Cubs, as his 6'7"ness is handy at corners.
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Post by Moo on Jun 14, 2006 14:16:45 GMT
That's far too tall to be a football player....
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Post by coffers on Jun 14, 2006 14:26:25 GMT
But he could do a robot dance.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 14, 2006 21:35:11 GMT
January 2007
We start off January by annoying the board by corking our wage budget, with the additions of young Swedish defender Hello Tree, centre back Pirate Homage and goalkeeper Motorcycle Loneliness. Tree is a right back, because I haven't enough of those with just the four starting every game right now.
Cambridge vs St Albans St Albans 4-1 / Draw 5-2 / Cambridge 4-7 (Fav)
Injuries and lack of fitness really strip the team today, so that we have no one to play left midfield, although Cocktail Cubs is fit again, so we only have to play three right backs, if we go 4-4-2. I look around the reserve team and decide I can't, because I really don't have anyone to play the left side. So it's a 2-3-2-1-2 formation that we've never played before and it looks a lot that way as we ship two goals in 23 minutes and still trial by a pair after 80.
Sop at this point I go a little... odd... and go to a 2-1-2-5 formation, in the best tradition of, well, Pops, although I don't have a Welshman to play up front. I do, however, have youngster Hunt for Fractions and ex Luton trainee Stolen Robin and both score in the space of two minutes after we change formation. I'm not sure then if I should get greedy and keep five up, or settle for the point and drop back to something more human. I decide to stick with the five forwards, but it's no use, so it's another draw.
Cambridge 2-2 St Albans - Barker, 8, 23 - Hunt for Fractions, 80 - Stolen Robin, 81
[/size] St Albans vs CrawleySt Albans 13-8 / Draw 2-1 / Crawley 4-5 (Fav) Crawley are heavy favourites and spend 90 minutes showing us why, so it's a shame that they can't beat us, really. It's another draw, Magic Bird getting his first goal for the club to tie the game, but we'll take the one point. St Albans 1-1 Crawley - Watt, 24 - Magic Bird, 56 [/size]
FA TROPHY ROUND TWO Kettering vs St AlbansSt Albans 4-1 / Draw 5-2 / Kettering 4-7 (Fav) If Crawley were heavy favourites, Kettering are Boony-weight favourites and I decide that if I'm going to properly play on the counter, then Stolen Robin must be on from the start, as he's our fastest forward. So I'm very happy when Robin poaches a goal on 12 minutes, outpacing the defence and sidefooting inside the near post. We hold the lead until the 71st minutes, when Kettering equalise, but then go back in front with a finish from sub Purple Hayes, who picks up his own rebound for a goal with 15 minutes left to run. We hold that lead until the last minute, when a Kettering defender belts home a header, coming free even though we have 9 players defending in the box. We didn't need a replay, really. Kettering 2-2 St Albans - Stolen Robin, 12 - Long, 71 - Purple Hayes, 75 - Burgess, 90 [/size] FA TROPHY ROUND TWO - REPLAY Kettering vs St AlbansSt Albans 3-1 / Draw 2-1 / Kettering Evens (Fav) The odds shorten on us, but both teams are utterly knackered and it shows. Defender Shoe Nails gets the only goal of the game, but unfortunately it's in the wrong end. St Albans 0-1 Kettering - Shoe Nails, 6 (og) [/size]
St Albans vs MorecambeSt Albans 3-1 / Draw 2-1 / Morecambe 4-5 (Fav) This is what passes for a spanking, although it seems we're playing against 12 men all game long, as we pick up five yellow cards and a straight red, sending Pastry Mania, French Horn and Stolen Robin to suspension. Morecambe go up 3-0 before Horn steals a goal back, but I can do nothing more than lock the team in the changing rooms after the game and give them the paint peeling treatment. It's our first defeat in four league games. St Albans 1-3 Morecambe - Ekoku, 10, 42 - Skinner, 20 - French Horn, 46 - Gentleman's club, Pastry Mania, Big Family, Monkey Moon, French Horn - Stolen Robin [/size]
St Albans vs SouthportSt Albans 6-4 (Fav) / Draw 2-1 / Southport 13-8 We've a bunch of players suspended and our wings stripped by injuries to Magic Bird and Missing Letter, leaving us to play fullback Big Family at LM and reserve AMRC Method Actor on the right. Purple Hayes gets his first start up front for a while and that proves to be fortunate, as he opens the scoring, then sets up Togue Trader to give us the lead again on 24 minutes. The game is pretty cagey from there as we don't need to be throwing away what would be a very welcome win. Southport start to push forward looking for that equaliser, which is exactly what we want, and Purple Hayes is away again to make it 3-1 on the counter. Southport bag a goal on 93 minutes, but there's no time for them now and we're back on the trail with three points. St Albans 3-2 Southport - Purple Hayes, 15, 82 - Jupp, 17 - Rogue Trader, 24 - Daly, 90(+4) - Rogue Trader [/size]
Halifax vs St AlbansSt Albans 7-2 / Draw 9-4 / Halifax 4-6 (Fav) On the road against Halifax and looking to keep it tight. So going 4-0 down in the first 18 minutes isn't the best start. We lose 4-2. Halifax 4-2 St Albans - Mansaram, 2, 9 - Killeen, 16, 18 - French Horn, 32 - Rogue Trader, 69 [/size] [/font]
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Post by coffers on Jun 14, 2006 22:52:49 GMT
Not good, only one win in that lot, the heavy grounds must be taking their toll. I found January & February to be bad months for getting results even with Man City when they were hammering all before them. Injuries, knackeredness and suspensions do take their toll. You need more strength in depth or something.
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Post by Sonic on Jun 14, 2006 23:02:29 GMT
I'd say more quality in squad to go with that depth, but then, I'm being fussy now.
That league loss was always on the cards after all those draws, and that FA Cup saga. Morale would have taken a hammering at that point.
Your away form isn't the best either.
Still, it is only the first season after promotion.
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Post by Moo on Jun 15, 2006 7:58:00 GMT
What both of them said. The squad depth/strength thing is always going to be a factor in any league, but in the lower ones, I have noticed that I have had to have a decent turnover of players, or be very lucky that some bargains that have been OK to play at a level well beneath their ability are willing to join me. To be honest, just signing all and sundry with a view to making up squad numbers isn't the best thing you can do, so if yo uhave done that, then a smiting may be on the cards. But if those that have been signed recently, the Swede for instance (but is signing a Swede realistic for a Conference club) is an improvement on what you have already, then flog the others, even if they have only been there a few months. Any money into the club at that level is a good thing and it brings your wages down a bit. (I seem to recall you were struggling to be under budget here, or it may just be me being senile). Anyway, the results are annoying, but they happen to the best of us, so just keep cracking on. KUTGW! Oh and nice throwback formation, we're all so proud of you.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 15, 2006 11:54:40 GMT
It's mostly down to depth, yeah. I have three cracking forwards and if I can score I'm always in with a shout, but my defence is very random and the midfield just gets ripped apart through injnuries. I don't think I've played my starting four in midfield, (Magic Bird - Monkey Moon - Crunchy Fat - Missing Letter), since October or early November, due to various injuries. I need to spend the next year or so quietly building my quality in defence, especially at fullback and adding depth to my midfield, but there's always the temptation to flail about and sign everyone to get promotion quickly. The budget is killing me, because if I'm right toward the top the board are "pleased" instead of delighted, so now I'm slipping off the pace a bit I'm going to have to bring the wages down, or risk the wrath of this guy :
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Post by Moo on Jun 15, 2006 12:01:52 GMT
You wouldn't want that looking up at you with a scowl, I agree.
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Post by Boony on Jun 15, 2006 13:13:14 GMT
Where did all those right backs come from? You're doing well, s2ugt, to be so high in your first season up there. Good luck trying to get some depth to the squad, and bringing those wages down...
Are Oxford going to be relegated?
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 16, 2006 12:17:08 GMT
Ok, a quick look around at things, to answer 800's Oxford question and others.
Chelsea lead the premiership, ahead of Man United, holders Arsenal and Liverpool. QPR, Wigan and Derby are in the relegation spots. Newcastle are eighth, ten points off the lead, with Middlesbrough four points further back in 10th.
Preston top the Championship, ahead of relegated Charlton, while David Platt has Ipswich two places and six points above the relegation zone, two points behind Crystal Palace.
Reading's new manager Keith Alexander has the team on a two game win streak, which has lifted them out of the relegation spots in League One[/b].
Oxford finished third in League Two last season, but lost the playoff first round. This season they're seventh, one point out of the playoff positions.
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Post by Narcizo on Jun 16, 2006 12:26:12 GMT
The game underestimating Reading. Surely not? That never happens in C/FM.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 16, 2006 12:30:20 GMT
January 2007
The end of the January and the transfer window is about to close, so I help out our naughty wage position by buying two more players, to enamour me to the board. Wingbacks Father Pigeon and Free Fish come in, both offering midfield cover too - the versatility being the reason we bought them. Wallsall make a bid of £45,000 for midfielder Crunchy Fat. We negotiate it upwards a bit, but the window closes and the deal gets cancelled, which is good, because Fat is a very solid midfielder for us.
Kidderminster vs St Albans St Albans 3-1 / Draw 2-1 / Kidderminster 4-5 (Fav)
Kidderminster are heavily favoured and I'm wondering if my tactic has been cracked, (if you can crack a vanilla 4-4-2), so I go 3-2-3-2, with the new kids in as starting wingbacks, Pastry Mania and Pirate Homage man-marking and Cocktail Cubs playing inbetween with zonal marking and a free role, so he can help out where he sees fit.
It's a solid start, as Kidderminster look like a home team and a favourite, controlling us quite easily, but we have some joy on the break, with French Horn through twice, only to fail to finish. Then Kidderminster score, but it's not too bad, as it took a real moment of individual skill to pull off, as their forward plays a one two, hitting the return pass on the volley for 1-0. I tell the lads they can still do this at the break and they respond immediately, as new kid Free Fish swings in a cross from the right, and Korean forward Rogue Trader sprints between two defenders to head the ball in.
The further the game goes on the more it looks like we're going to win it, if anyone can, but a late break for Purple Hayes brings a great save from the Kidderminster keeper and the game ends 1-1.
Kidderminster 1-1 St Albans - Shields, 42 - Rogue Trader, 46 - Rogue Trader[/size][/font]
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Post by Boony on Jun 16, 2006 12:56:55 GMT
Oxford came third? Jeeze, in real life they came 23rd and were relegated conference-wards.
Interesting change of formation there, s2ugt. Didn't help you win, though...
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Post by coffers on Jun 16, 2006 13:11:24 GMT
They'll have to get used to the new formation. To be honest I relly struggled to get any FM06 formation to work that didn't have a starting back 4. The full backs could push up to have betetr attacking options, but sticking 3 or 5 in defence caused me alll sorts of headaches.
At least S1ut didn't lose and I guess Kidderminster would be considered one of the better sides in the division.
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Post by Mr Bismarck's Electric Donkey on Jun 16, 2006 14:33:37 GMT
February 2007
Rogue Trader and Monkey Moon annoy me by being called away to their international squads. Trader is on hot form at the moment and was just voted onto the team of the week. I don't need him being shot in Iraq.
St Albans vs Kettering St Albans 6-4 (Fav) / Draw 2-1 / Kettering 13-8
At home to Kettering and we're slight favourites, despite losing a starting midfielder and forward to international call ups. Without Rogue Trader it's important that one of the other forwards steps up and... hello French Horn. The former MK Dons forward tears Kettering in two with his 20th, 21st and 22nd goals of the season.
The first is a nice strike across the keeper, but the second is a belter, regaining the lead for the Saints with an effort from just less than 30 yards that near breaks the net. In the second half he bends a beauty around the keeper in a one-on-one for the 3-1 lead, then hits the bar and has two other chances to become the first Saint with four goals in a game.
St Albans 3-1 Kettering - French Horn, 24, 44, 76 - Long, 36 - French Horn
[/size] Woking vs St AlbansSt Albans 9-4 / Draw 9-4 / Woking Evens (Fav) Our sudden Jekyll and Hyde outburst continues as we get our arses handed to us by Woking - five men not being enough in defence to actually defend, it seems. Letting in a goal in the first minute isn't too clever, but Woking just cut through us at will and only Crunchy Fat's free kick gives us anything on the day. Woking were one place above us in the league, so a win would have been useful in what was really a six pointer. Woking 3-1 St Albans - Clarke, 1, 22 - Crunchy Fat, 36 - Burns, 45 Rogue Trader seals a 7/10 for South Korea, in a 1-1 draw in Greece.
[/size] Weymouth vs St AlbansSt Albans 7-4 / Draw 11-5 / Weymouth 5-4 (Fav) Weymouth came up with us last year, but have only just been knocked off the top of the National by losing last week. So, yeah, Jekyll and Hyde then. Purple Hayes who has been the third best of our strikers for a while now, after being so hot last season, wakes up early and has three wheetabix, hitting the post and the bar in the first five minutes before opening the scoring. Weymouth spawn a goal right on the half time whistle, as their midget forward somehow beats our 6'7" Cocktail Cubs to a high ball for 1-1. While Hayes is on form, French Horn is evidently knackered from his hattrick last week as he's playing like a dog, so he's off in favour of Rogue Trader and the Korean almost immediately seals his 15th goal of the season, to put us back in the lead, pushing in front of his marker and chipping the keeper for a really pretty goal. With the 2-1 and less than half an hour to play, we go deep, defensive and whack the time wasting through the roof and the tempo down low and just kill the game. We have a couple more chances to add goals, as Crunchy Fat shows good skills to find space and set up chances, but we can't add to the lead. We'll take the three points though, especially against one of the teams that are above us. Weymouth 1-2 St Albans - Purple Hayes, 17 - Woods, 45 - Rogue Trader, 68 - Pastry Mania[/size][/font]
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