FM 2005 - A Manager's Journal

[GoldenEagle]

****The Introduction****

I am taking another stab at a Football Manager dynasty. This time, it is with a bit of a different twist. I am entering this dynasty in the form of a journal. All of my thoughts and what not will be entered here in the journal format. I am planning on taking my sweet, precious time with this dynasty and really immersing myself into it.

I will be doing this dynasty as a career approach. In other words, I will move on to another job if feel the time is right and I feel like it would be realistic to take that job. I am trying to do something that would accurately reflect the real world of football managing. It is ok If I get fired from a job or two, it is all a part of the business.

The format will be a week by week entry. However, I will not be overly concerned with dates. I think the flow of the dynasty will be pretty easily understood even without the use of dates. I will analyze every team and every transaction within my own league. Again, the goal here is to make it as accurate as possible to the life that a real football manager would live.

Since I will start in the lower leagues (as any up and coming American manager would), I will be using lower league manager rules. I will be designing my own tactics. I can only use scouts to find players and limitations will be placed as to where I can find those players. I can only use the transfer screen of the country I am managing in to find players to scout after they have been released on free transfers. I can only sign staff who speak the primary language of the country I am working in with scouts being the exception.

****The Leagues****

I will be running the following leagues: USA, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Wales, Holland, Greece, Brazil, and Argentina. All leagues have every division possible.

****The Team****

My plan was to originally randomly draw a league out of a cup and use the LLM generator to pick a team. The first part went off without a problem. I drew Northern Ireland out of the cup. However, the LLM generator does not have Northern Ireland. I took some initiative and picked the Oxford United Stars as my team. The are in the Second Division, which is the the third overall division.

[GoldenEagle]

****The Squad****

I had my first look at the squad in the first training session. I knew relatively nothing about these guys but was able to pick up on some information about them as a player watching them play in a match type situation. We are planning on starting training here shortly, and will concentrate on fitness to prepare for the up coming season.

Name: Niall Walker
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 19
Basic Wage: $120 p/w
Value:$0
Strengths: Niall is solid in the air with the ability to win some crosses played into his 18. He is aggressive and can concentrate very well. I would also consider him brave after watching a session.
Weaknesses: He has only an average work ethic, which may hold him back from being an effective player in the future. He can rush out at all on a player which means he is bound to get scored on during breakaways. He also does not do a great job of punching, which negates his aerial ability. He is also not a great handler.
Comments: Niall is the only keeper on my roster for right now. As fore mentioned he has some strengths, but it seems that every strength he has seems to be offset by a rather gaping weakness. He will be getting his fair share of playing time until we find a better keepers.
Tactical Notes: When Niall is in the game, we will have to avoid giving up breakaways at all cost. It would also be wise to apply heavy pressure on the attacking teams so that shots will be off frame when they are taken. We can give up the occasional cross and will concentrate heavily on putting the defenders in the middle, creating a log jam in front of the goal.

Name: Gerald Taylor
Position: Left Defender
Age: 18
Basic Wage: $50 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: He is a good marker and an average tackler. He is very aggressive on the pitch and is influential, making him a candidate to be captain. He is brave and can anticipate well. He has decent speed and has solid natural fitness. He is also a hard worker and works very well with his teammates
Weaknesses: He is not going to be able to switch into an attacking mode when necessary since he has no attacking skills at all. He is also not going to be able to win anything in the air.
Comments: Gerald is a solid young player with a possibility of having a future in the football world. He is probably going to start on the left side for us in the back. As with most of the players on our team, his first professional stint will be with us.
Tactical Notes: Gerald is a hard nose defender who will shut down most attacks on the left side. While he does have a touch of speed, he does not have the blazing speed to get to the outside to shut down attacks. I suspect he will be playing toward the middle and attempt to keep any/all pressure off the keeper in front of the net. He will not get involved in the attack very often.

Name: Paul Doran
Position: Central Defender
Age: 19
Basic Wage: $120 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Paul is a brave defender who is determined to win everything back there. He is a decent anticipator, which really benefits defenders. He has great concentration, and brings some pace and fitness to the table.
Weaknesses: While Paul is very determined, he does not have the skills necessary to win every ball in the back. He is a below average header, something we desperately need in the back considering the amount of crosses we are likely to see. He is average tackler, which may be seen as a weakness. He is not going to be able to get in the flow of the attack.
Comments: Paul will be seeing his first action with football this season, as he has no other experience playing football. He will probably be used in a rotation system for most of the year.
Tactical Notes: Paul is going to be ok for us in the back. He will stop some attacks and I love his determination back there. He will not be a distributor and as a result will likely play everything long at his feet.

Name: Ronan Kelly
Position: Central Defender
Age: 18
Basic Wage: $50 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Ronan is a solid guy in the air. He is going to win some headers as he also has the natural ability of being able to jump high. This is very important to our team. He has a hard worker and has some good physical skills.
Weaknesses: Ronan has trouble keeping his composure on the field. He also is the worse transition player on our team and will be unable to play anything up to the midfielders and strikers.
Comments: Ronan will be getting his first taste of professional football this season. He will be used in a squad rotation system at the central defender position.
Tactical Notes: We will rely on Ronan to mark opposing target strikers out of the game. He is athletic enough to do so and has the determination to work in the back. He may be a critical part of our defense, depending on the teams we see.

Name: Kevin Roddy
Position: Central Defender
Age: 17
Basic Wage: $50 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Kevin has the best work rate of anyone on the team. He works super hard when training. He is also a good tackler and anticipates the ball very well. He is very determined in the back.
Weaknesses: He needs to work on his physical strength. He will get pushed around out there. He will also not win much of anything in the air. He has some offensive skills, but needs to work hard to improve in this area.
Comments: At 17 and an excellent work rate, Kevin has the potential to be a very solid player one day. He has a long way to go but will have plenty of time and will get his fair share of first team football to help him along.
Tactical Notes: Kevin is a swarm defender. He will get in your face and win the ball from you. He is good to have n the back. However, when we face teams that are going to cross he will get in trouble. He will play against teams that do not have effective crossers.

Name: Declan McKeever
Position: Right Defender/Midfielder
Age: 17
Basic Wage: $40 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Declan is a solid player. He is a good dribbler, can really take a free kick, and is no slouch at passing the ball either. He works fairly hard and has some bravery to help in the back.
Weaknesses: He lacks determination, something I am not sure I want in the back. He also is not the fastest player in the world and fitness may be an issue as well. That could be a big concern if he is playing outside midfielder.
Comments: Declan should probably be playing in the right midfield spot, but he is the only guy we have who can handle the right back position. He will play there until we can address the position with another player.
Tactical Notes: Declan and his offensive skills really are not going to benefit us much in the back right now. We do not have the passing skills of other defenders to risk getting him the ball so deep in our defending third. He also does not have great speed to run down passes on the flanks we are going to need to play. In short, Declan is a good young player but I am having a hard time finding out where he fits in on this team.

Name: Kevin Dohetry
Position: Right Midfielder
Age: 19
Basic Wage: $40 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Kevin has good speed, something that we need on the flank to close down crossing attempts and to run down the long balls played out of the back. He is brave and he works well with his teammates. He also has a good work ethic and has some quality fitness skills.
Weaknesses: He does not do anything really well offensively. He is a below average crosser and passer.
Comments: Kevin has some attractive qualities that fit into the team’s style of play. However, he is not going to relied on too much to contribute to the offense.
Tactical Notes: Kevin is going to be playing more of a holding midfielder. When he gets the ball, I want him to get rid of it quickly. He will be primarily responsible for slowing down attacks on the right flank.

Name: Paul Cooley
Position: Central Midfielder
Age:19
Basic Wage: $120 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Paul is aggressive on the field. He is very determined and is a decent worker. I also like his physical skills with the exception of his speed. He is just not a blazer but has decent enough speed.
Weaknesses: He is not going to work well unless he has some space. He is not going to be able to dribble past anyone and he is not very creative.
Comments: Paul is more of a holding midfielder. He is a decent passer. He will be able to stop some attacks before they develop in the midfield. However, if space becomes tight he is likely going to turn the ball over.
Tactical Notes: Paul will be playing more defensive when he is on the field. I envision him begin a sub when we have the lead and telling him to play back and get rid of the ball quickly when it comes to his feet.

Name: Chris McGill
Position: Central Midfielder
Age: 19
Basic Wage: $120 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: He is very brave and can pass the ball pretty good. He is also able, sometimes, to dribble out of a tough spot. He is good concentrator and should be able to create a few plays us as well.
Weaknesses: He has no glaring weakness but his technique and positioning could use some work. His first touch may cause us some turnovers in the midfield area of the pitch. He could also work on his physical strength.
Comments: Chris is a guy who is going to get some quality minutes in the center mid this year. He is just an average player. He will be gaining his first year of football experience.
Tactical Notes: Chris is going to be to be told to dribble while he can, and to try to set up the strikers with quality thorough balls. He is some what creative. He can defend a little as well. He does not have closing down speed and will drop when the ball is lost.

Name: Graham Brown
Position: Left Midfielder
Age: 17
Basic Wage: $50 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Graham is a good anticipator of the ball and I am hoping that will allow him to close down on his attacker. He is also brave and aggressive and has an uncanny ability to concentrate. He is also a pretty good passer and can create some things off the dribble.
Weaknesses: He is not very determined on the pitch, in fact he plays with no fire at all out there. He is not going to finish hardly any chances that come to him. He also does not having the blazing speed I covet on the outside.
Comments: Graham is young and he works extremely hard in training. His downfall will be his desire or lack of to win. It is imperative that we win.
Tactical Notes: Graham is the only left midfielder we have got, so he will see the majority of the minutes there unless someone is signed/loaned in. I think he will do a decent job for us. I wish he was tad bit faster but perhaps he will improve over time. He will look to set up the strikers with his good passing skills.

Name: Paul Slavin
Position: Central Midfielder
Age: 20
Basic Wage: $120 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Paul is a superb passer and he can create something with his dribble. He is very aggressive and brave. He has decent creativity and pretty good fitness.
Weaknesses: He is not a good finisher and he really lacks any defensive skills. He is also is not very fast and he does not work well with his teammates.
Comments: Paul is getting his first taste of football experience, as is every other players on our team. I think Paul will be an integral part of the team and will be the centerpiece of the midfield.
Tactical Notes: Paul is going to play a quick paced, high tempo game. He will be forced to make instant decisions, something he should excel at. It will be up to him to get the ball forward to the people who can score.

Name: Eamon Carlin
Position: Striker
Age: 19
Basic Wage: $120 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Eamon has a burning desire to go on to the pitch and win. He can also create his own shot off the dribble to some extent. He is decent in the air, but we are not going to be a crossing team. He has great influence over his teammates on the field.
Weaknesses: He is not that great of a finisher. He does not have blazing speed. He is average at best off the ball.
Comments: The jury will be out on Eamon. He has some skills that I can dig but at the same time he is being held back a bit. I will just have to wait and see how he does.
Tactical Notes: Eamon will be what I call a slashing striker. He lacks the strength the hold the ball up. He will get the ball and turn and go to the goal and try to either shoot or set up the other striker.

Name: Sean Doherty
Position: Striker
Age: 19
Basic Wage: $120 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Sean is the best finisher on the team. He is still is not a great finisher but I predict he will be the leading goal scorer. He is decent in the air and very determined to score goals and win on the pitch. He also works well with his teammates.
Weaknesses: He does not have great speed. He does not have the strength to hold the ball up. He is also may take himself out of position to score some goals.
Comments: Sean will be the go to guy when we have the ball. He is not going to set anything up and he is pretty much going to shoot when he gets the ball. I hope he will be up to the task.
Tactical Notes: He is the go to guy. He will shoot, shoot. He will something in the air when we do cross the ball in.

Name: David Harkin
Position: Striker
Age: 16
Basic Wage: $50 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: David is great in the air. Unfortunately, we do not play a style that will benefit him the most in terms of goals. He is brave and determined and has some decent mental skills.
Weaknesses: He is going to take himself out of position to score some goals, which a target striker really has to have. He is not going to be able to take long shots and if he gets in trouble on the pitch he has no dribbling skills to bail him out.
Comments: David will see some time this season. He is going to have to work hard on the pitch to make sure he maintains some playing time, as their seems to be some questions as to what he can do.
Tactical Notes: He will be the target striker when needed. He some strength and could come in late to hold the ball. He could be a solid player for some teams but we really do not have the talent around him that would benefit him the most.

[GoldenEagle]

I get the standard welcome to the club greeting. As mentioned, my first club task was to watch a match between the players. That taught me what I needed to know about the club. This is low level. Every player we bring in has to be brought in for a reason. They have to be brought in to serve a specific role. Money is too tight to just waste it.

I actually have a transfer budget of $8k, which surprised me a bit. The club is sitting on a $87k cushion. I do not plan on tapping into this money and I would like to build that pile of cash each year. The wage budget sits at $2.8k a week and I am currently spending $1,146 so I have some flexibility there. I will be able to keep about 30% of the transfer funds I raise. I have a feeling I am working for a stingy board who will not tolerate losing money.

I only have one coach at the current time. Chris Kerr is 44 years old and is the only coach on the squad. We do not have an assistant manager. Kerr is not a very good coach but he is all we have. I may look elsewhere, as he makes $700 p/w and that money could be invested in a better coach. One scout is employed at the club, Paul McLaughlin. He is not a good scout and again I may terminate his contract as he makes $360 p/w. We have one physician in Ian Adair.

My first action at the club was to place an advert for a scout, coach, and assistant manager. We would like to hire a couple of scouts and a coach/assistant manager. I also assigned my current scout to England to look for players.

I also set up my preseason schedule for training. In my opinion, this is one of the most undervalued parts of the game. Keeping a good training schedule which benefits everyone is the key to developing a talented team. I go pretty deep and analyze everything in my training.

A couple of teams loaned in players before the end of the week. QUB brought in veteran 34 year old defender/midfielder Stephen Beatty from Coleraine until the end of the season. I have been told he is a pretty solid player and should help QUB in the back. Annagh United brought in a center back from the Irish Premier League’s Dundalk. Andrew Noonan will be joining them until the end of the season. He is a defender/midfielder who I think will contribute to their squad this season in a starting role.

[GoldenEagle]

I get word that my scout, Paul McLaughlin, has started the English search. I am ambitious in thinking we may find some players who will want to come play for us. Northern Ireland is not the best of regions currently in the world. I wonder if FM takes this into place. I doubt it.

There was some more loan activity in the early part of the week. PNSI brought in George McMullan from Premier side Cliftonville. He is a forward with some speed. That is all I really have heard about him. The 22 year old released a comment to the media saying he was happy for the opportunity. He will be there until the end of the season. Chimney Corner loaned in Ards’ Scott McCroy until the end of the season. All I know about him is he is a 20 year old central defender. Annaugh United made another move by bringing in 20 year old striker Aidan McVeigh from first division side Glenavon. He looks to be a solid striker. QUB brought in Ballymena United Rurari McLean until the end of the season. He is a solid central midfielder.

My scout recommending signing Shaun Allaway who was released by Leeds. He is young, solid goaltender who I would love to sign. He requests a 1 year contract worth $420 p/w. The most our board will let us offer is $260 p/w. We offer that.

Wakehurst completed the signing of Ciaran Donaghy. There was no fee involved. Donaghy comes from Northern Ireland Premier squad Ballymena United. He is a 22 year old defender who can play on the left and in the center. It is hard to tell anything about him after that.

We get four applicants for the position of assistant manager at my club. I decide to offer Englishman Jon Rudkin the job. He is excellent with working with youngsters, something my squad had to have. He is requesting $700 p/w We offer him $460 p/w to see if we can get him at a bargain.

Shaun Allaway turns down our offer. That is no real surprise. We do not have the resources available to bring him in.

[ausonny]

Wow, that is a young, young team. Is the rest of your division that young?

[GoldenEagle]

We have three people apply for the position of scout with the club. We try to get all of them for cheap. We offer them one year contracts with a $130 p/w salary. They each requested $360 p/w If they all accept, then we will have three quality scouts for just $30 more than we are paying for one scout.

Jon Rudkin has agreed to our contract offer and will become the assistant manager with the squad. Unfortunately, this means we will terminate the contract of coach Chris Kerr. In other staff news, one of the scouts turned down the offer. We up the deal to $160 p/w.

The other two scouts also rejected our offer. We up the deal to $160 p/w. Simon Clifford rejected the deal of $160 p/w. I offer him $200 p/w. I am making scouts a top priority as I fell they are needed for the success of any small club.

We finally got another scout under contract when Grant Towell accepted our offer of $160 p/w. Towell, 23, will immediately be assigned to scout Northern Ireland.

Our friendly hosting Glentoran of the Premier League has been cancelled. Glentoran qualified for the next round of Euro Cup qualifying after defeating AC Vantaan Allianssi of Finland.

****Friendly Match vs. Omagh****

We hit the pitch today and face off against Premier side Omagh. It should be a test for our team to see how well we can do and also will allow us to get used to the current tactics.

I liked what I saw from the first half of play. We did give up 7 shots but only three of them were on target and none of them put pressure on Walker. It seems the swarm defense may be able to work after all. We really packed it in there. We did score a goal when Sean Dohetry received a free kick from Slavin. He held the ball and laid it off to McGill who scored. It was our only shot on goal.

The second half was almost identical to the first half. We had one scoring chance, but the build-up could not result in a shot. Shane Hackett did score a goal for them. Taylor pinched toward the middle a tad bit too much and it left the flank open. Hackett was skilled enough o get the shot off before the pressure closed him down and it was easy after that.

I take from this match that our swarm style defense has the potential to be very effective. We are going to have to find a way to generate more offense. Omagh does have better talent, but it is not leaps and bounds better talent that you would expect to see in other leagues.

We bring in two other staff members as the week closes in scouts Tim Davies and Simon Clifford. They will be paid $200 p/w. Unfortunately, I took for granted some of the past versions of CM where you could terminate a contract of a coach for free. You can no longer do that and we would have to pay some pretty hefty termination fees for Chris Kerr and Paul McLaughlin . It looks as if we will have to ride out those contracts. Ouch.

[Desnudo]

Well you don't have to worry about some of those LLM rules since no one from outside the UK would coach or play in Northern Ireland anyway. ;)

[FrogMan]

what happened to your Luton career?

FM

[GoldenEagle]

ausonny - At first, I thought the league was some sort of development league with strict player age regulations. However, looking around the league, we are much younger than the rest of the teams in the league. I am not sure why the team is so young. I am thinking it may be that they recently promoted from some sort of development league.

Desnudo - This is the bottom of the barrel right here. I did have a Swede apply for a job who spoke English. He was pretty good too but I could not afford to pay him. Too bad.

FM - I just have to start at the lowest possible level for a game to be fun for me. Luton seemed cool, but I really just like to play in the lower levels and try to slowly build a team up.

[GoldenEagle]

I assign the two scouts I just signed to Ireland and Scotland, respectively. I now have all of the British Isles covered and it will be awhile before we expand out any further. I do not see us scouting outside the Isles for the foreseeable future. In fact, the only reason we would be able to draw players is if we were a regular fixture in the European competitions.

The board tells me they are still sure they made the right choice in appointing me as manager. We lost $15,315 last month and our balance is $75,258. My wage salary stayed the same. I guess it only applies toward players and not staff.

****Friendly Match vs. Limavady United****

We hosted another Northern Ireland Premier squad today. Limavady United came to the Templemore Complex today. Should I be alarmed that my stadium is a complex?

We struggled in the first half. We gave up a goal in the 1st minute as Paul Brown shot right in front of the goal. Hew was surrounded but still managed to get a shot in. Paul Brown would score again n the 43rd minute when are defense got stretched thin thinks to s useful build-up. They shot twice and scored two goals.

The second half was more of the same. They scored a goal by Andrew Farris in the 83rd minute when Gerald Taylor played a bad ball in the back. I told him to only play long balls. I do not guess he listened.

We can take some positives and negatives from this match. We are not going to generate much offense with only three players involved in the flow. We can occasionally get support from McGill and the outside midfielders but they are out there for defense. Scoring will be a problem this season. I think the goals they scored were more of circumstances instead of actual defense. Our keeper is weak and we must void giving up shots.

My scout in England reports that’s he would recommend picking up defender Dorian Small from Rhyl. Two things come to mind, Rhyl is in Wales so why would he be scouting there? The other thing is the guy is not any good anyway so why does it matter?

My scout in Northern Ireland reports on a player named Daryl Clarke.Clarke was recently released from Northern Ireland Premier squad Glenavon. He has some decent attributes which I like. He is very fast. I have short listed him and will look at him again in the future.

QUB continues to loan in players. They have brought in a player from Premier League in Distillery’s Tim Mouncey. Mouncey is a 22 year old stirker who is decent, but not dominant, in the air. It is hard to really get a read on him.

Our scouts are in full force now, and I get reports back on many players. The first player I short list is 23 year old midfielder Chris Coffer, who was released by Distillery. He is a good player and I can see us offering him a contract in the near future. I also short listed another central midfielder in Brian Lagan, who was released by first division side Bangor. Central midfielder Michael McCaughey is available on a free after being released from Premier side Newry. We short list him as well. Simon Gribben is a veteran striker my scout found and we could offer a contract to him if we need a player for leadership or a striker in a pinch.

[FrogMan]

FM - I just have to start at the lowest possible level for a game to be fun for me. Luton seemed cool, but I really just like to play in the lower levels and try to slowly build a team up.
GE, that's cool. That's the beauty with a game like FM (and CM before that) and its humongous database. There's something for everyone :)

FM

[GoldenEagle]

Daryl Clarke, the young central defender has been offered a contract by English side Eastbourne Borough. We are contemplating offering him a contract. We do offer him a 1 year contract of $130 p/w. That is far below the $320 that he is requesting per week.

Twenty six year old defender Sean O’Reilly has left Brantwood, a club in my league. He signed with a lower league Northern Ireland squad, presumably to get more playing time.

My England scouts find a real talent. Matty Warner is a 19 year old English left winger who has played for me before in previous careers of FM. He can flat out play and I was hoping my scout would fin him I offer him a 1 year contract worth $180 p/w. We short list another left winger in Andrew Morrow. He could be an option if we can not come to terms with Warner.

****Friendly Match vs. Glenavon****

We hosted another Northern Ireland Premier side. This time it was against Gelnavon. At least we are playing the big boys. We are playing challenging teams and I guess that will help out in the long run. This is the last friendly before the season starts.

In the first half, they scored twice. One was a free kick laced in by Gerard McMahon in the 6th minute. The other was of a corner kick when the head of Gary Clifford put the ball in the back of the net in the 18th minute. We only got off one shot.

The second half we managed to keep them off the board and generated a few more solid chances. We just do not get any shots on target and can not get it on frame. I have worked on shooting in the pre-season more than anything except fitness so this is a bit disappointing.

So, two goals off set pieces to a Premier league side. That is not bad. We are going to have do something different on corner kicks to get some height back there. I will come up with something.

Our scout in England turns up another young midfielder in Andrew Wright. I have worked with him also in a previous career of FM. He was released by Liverpool. We could use a player like him we offer him a contract of 1 year, $180 p/w.

Our scouts find some more players for me to check out. The Northern Ireland guy has recommended picking up young 19 year old defender Keith McCrink. If Clarke turns us down, we may pursue him as we would like to have four central defenders for depth purposes.

Annagh United loaned in another player, this time from Premier side Newry. Timmy Grant will be joining the squad for the rest of the year. He is a 21 year old striker. He looks like he will help that team out. I am not real sure though, as most of his attributes are hidden.

Good news on my team front. Left Winger Matty Warner has agreed to terms. Here is his profile:

Name: Matty Warner
Age: 19
Position: Left Winger
Basic Wage: $180
Value: $0
Strengths: Matty has several things going right for him. First of all, he is a very good free kick taker. He will instantly take over that duty for our team. He is also is the best crosser on our team. He is good passer and has good determination.
Weaknesses: He has about average speed. He may be able to outrun some players. He is not going to be a defensive player, as he is not a good tackler or anticipator. He also will win nothing in the air.
Comments: Matty upgrades our offense, something that we are concerned about. However, he is unfit and will take some time to get into match shape. He should be a solid pick-up for us.
Tactical Notes: Does Matty change the way we play? Not really. His offensive skills help out but he will not see as much playing time due to his defensive skills. He does not have great speed or pace to be a difference maker in the second half as a sub. I think he will fit in the system and do some good things for us but one player is not going to change the way we play.

Our Ireland scout brings back a goalkeeper, which we desperately need. John O’Hara is a 23 year old Irishman, released from Irish Premier side Shelbourne. I have short listed him and will approach to sign him if we do not find anyone better over the next week or so. Y Irish scout also find a player that I am very intrigued by. That is 25 year old defensive midfielder Paul Armstrong. Armstrong has never played professional football before and I am not sure why. I like the attributes he has and would fit well in our system. I offer him a 1 year worth $180 p/w.

Daryl Clarke agreed to terms with Eastbourne Borough and rejected our offer in the process. They offered him more money and probably a better squad status. Daniel Perry, a young right back also on my short list, was offered by First Division Irish squad Monaghan United. At this time, I have no plan to match the offer.

Some more good news. Andrew Wright has accepted my offer and is joining the squad. Here is his profile:

Name: Andrew Wright
Age: 19
Position: Central Midfielder
Basic Wage: $180 p/w
Value: $0
Strengths: Andrew has an uncanny ability to tackler the player with the ball. He can also restart an attack with a pass. I am counting on him to link up with Salvin. He has some pretty good speed. If he develops his speed more he can become a stud defensive midfielder.
Weaknesses: He does not have great technical attributes other than tackling and passing. He is also not a very good off the ball or with flair.
Comments: Andrew joins after spending three years with the Liverpool reserves. I am hoping they gave up on him too quickly and he will develop into a quality player for us. I have a feeling he will.
Tactical Notes: Andrew will step in and start for us in the central midfielder when he gets match fit. I think he will really help us out, both defensively and at restarting the attack. He will not change the way we play, yet.

I short listed another young left winger/center mid. He is currently with Omagh Reserves. We are going to keep an eye him. I may take him on loan. His contract expires at the end of the season. Our scouts also found a young right winger named Sean Malee in Ireland. He is 21 years old He has some speed which I like so I short listed him.

Paul Armstrong turned down a contract offer from us. I may or may not re-offer. I do not see him coming here though.

[GoldenEagle]

My scout recommends signing young nineteen year old winger Colin Marshall, who was recently released from Aston Villa. Marshall is another player who was on a previous team of mine in another FM career. I think he would benefit our team so I offer him a contract of $220 p/w. It will be a 1 year deal if accepted.

I decided to return to the possibility of picking up Paul Armstrong on a free transfer. This time, I up the offer to $280 p/w. Let’s hope this offer will draw more of his attention. I really think he would do well here.

Monagahn United picked up young English fullback Daniel Perry on a free transfer. I scouted Perry and had him on my shortlist at one point. I did not sign him, so I guess that can tell you something about the way he plays.

The Northern Irish Second League odds were announced today. Tobermore United have been made the favorites at a price of 4-5. The other contenders include Dergview at 5-4, Brantwood, Wakehurst, and Lurgan Celtic at 6-4 and us, the Oxford United stars at 7-4. The bookmakers believe we are not far from the pack and could gain promotion this year.

My scout recommends a 21 year old Irish fullback by the name of Sean O’Brien. I like his work rate. I may make a pitch to sign him if we need some cover or someone to spell at right back or in the center defense.

Paul Armstrong turns us down again. I guess he is not interested in playing football or at least for us anyway. Colin Marshall rejects our initial offer. We counter with an offer of $280 p/w.

A shortlist a few other players who my scouts discover. The most notable is 18 year old midfielder Graham Port. Port was released by Manchester United and we may look to pick him up in talks with Marshall break down.

I did not realize it but my target striker David Harkin is on a part time month to month contract. It expired and I did not know. I guess maybe it was a youth contract. We offer him a new one year deal for $60 p/w and no signing bonus.

****Intermediate League Cup Group 4 Match vs. Ballyclare****

We step on to the pitch for the first time this season as we face first division side Ballyclare. We will be on the road. The Intermediate League Cup is one of four cups played in Northern Ireland. I am not sure how or if we will be in the other cups. We are in a group with Ballyclare, Ballinamallard United, PSNI, H & W Welders, and Banbridge.

It is difficult to tell much about Ballyclare. I know they are more of a veteran team then we are. Most of the players for them have the attributes hidden so we can not get an accurate scouting report. We will go into the game playing our normal tactics and line-up as I see nothing that scares me.

Things started well for us when Sean Doherty took a long pass and slotted it home for the 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. I thought he was offside but they did not call it. They managed to get level in the 40th minute when John Jordan took a cross and finished it. They have been most dangerous from the wing, swinging in many passes that could have led to goals. We have outshot them 10 to 3 but only two of our shots have been on target.

I bring Matty Warner and Andrew Wright in at halftime. The second half led to more shots for us but we could not find the back of the net. In the 85th minute they were awarded a penalty, but Paul Emerson blazed it over the bar. However, in stoppage time they scored when Dean Doherty put it past Walker.

We go back with no points and a very disappointing loss on the road. We were able to find the space to get shots in but could not finish. Our defense gave up a couple of weak goals. I may abandon pinching the defenders toward the middle if we continue to get burnt on the wings. In other group matches, Ballinamallard United beat H & W Welders, 2-1. PNSI got three valuable points on the road, when they smashed Banbridge, 4-1.

[GoldenEagle]

The week starts as I get news that Wellington Rec has signed John Paul O’Hagan on a free transfer from second division side Lurgan Celtic. Wellington Rec is in the lower leagues. I do not know much about the player transferred out but he must not have fit into Lurgan’s plan. QUB also transferred out a young striker by the name of Shane Lennon to lower league side Tandragee.

We found out our draw for the Northern Irish Steel and Son’s Cup. We will play the Linfield Swifts who are currently playing in the reserve league. They are the reserve side of Northern Ireland Premier Division team Linfield.

QUB continues to improve their defense by loaning in Ballymena United defender Albert Watson. Watson, 18, was a starter a year ago for Ballymena United. Banbridge transferred out veteran striker Dessie Gorman. He moved to Derry City of the Premier Division.

Colin Marshall rejects our latest offer and we decide to head in another direction. We will be offering a contract to Graeme Port. We offer Port a contract of $200 p/w to open the negations. In other contract news, David Harkin has turned professional after agreeing to a new contract.

The Northern Ireland transfer window will close next week. This should not affect us much.

Portstewart transferred out a young player by the name of Stephen McDowell. He is a young full back and will get the chance to play some down in the lower Northern Irish leagues.

Graeme Port has agreed to our contract offer and will join the club immediately. I think I mentioned this before but he came up through the Manchester United youth academy. Below is his profile:

Name: Graeme Port
Position: Right Attacking Midfielder
Age: 18
Basic Wage: $200 p/w
Strengths: He is an average dribbler but with a very good first touch and some technique too boot. He is determined and has a good work rate. He also brings some pace to the table.
Weaknesses: He is not a very good passer. He is also not going to cross the ball much as he sucks at it. He really will not do much for us defensively which could hurt.
Tactical Notes: I like Graeme as a second half substitute. He will just go out there and carry the ball and try to get us some solid look late in the game. I think he could play a full game as well if need be.

Our scouts return a couple of more players that are out there without a contract. The most notable is 19 year old winger David McGill. This guy has a chance to be a stud. His work rate is a little low and that could hold him back. However, I still offer a 1 year, $180 p/w deal. The other player I like is left back Matthew Holden. He is a very offensive minded left back who I will most likely offer a contract to.

****Intermediate League Cup Group 4 Match vs. Ballinamallard United****

I look over their tactics and see they run a 4-4-2 similar to ours. They are in the first league. Their starting keeper is injured and will be replaced by the back-up who looks much weaker. The midfield and defense look average and I really can not tell since the attributes are not shown for the most part. They have a couple of good strikers up front.

Kevin Doherty is injured and will miss the match. He is out for a few more days with a sprained ankle. Graeme Port, who is not match fit, will start in his place. I am a bit concerned about that but we will need to play it by ear.

We dominated the first half creating several chances. We put most of them wide of the goal though. Eamon Carlin did score in the 28th minute on a feed from Sean Doherty. However, Kevin Roddy gave up a penalty in the second time in as many games. This time, they converted as Stephen O’Neil scored form the spot in the 32nd minute. We headed into half tied at 1 a piece.

Andrew Wright and Matty Warner came on for us at half time. Te second half went much better. Paul Slavin capped a great run through the center of the defense to give us a 2-1 lead in the 72nd minute. Ronan Kelly came on for Paul Doran after the goal. Warner sent in a great corner which Wright finished in the 78th minute and we hold on to our 3-1 win.

In other action, PSNI beat Ballyclare 2-1 at home to move them to first place in the group with six points. H&W Welders beat Banbridge at home, 3-2, to give them their first three points. We will be off from this cup until September 11th. Our next match will be in a week and half against the Linfield Swifts in the Steel and Sons Cup 2nd round.