[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

Congrats on the U23 nod. You really are movin' on up.

Thanks. Unfortunately it didn't last due to the game bug. I'll try it again with senior teams.

vs Mountfield United (6th)
G: Rob Peet
D: Joe Hopewell/Tom Howe/Ryan Docherty
DM: Colin Pritchard
M: Marios Solomou/Michael Monaghan/Peggy Lokando/Curtis Burrows
S: Andrew Quinn/Jon Joyce

Without Ken Black, we go from the usual blowout prediction to betting underdogs and media expert "should be enough to see off Mountfield United". Talk about a huge step down.

1 - 43 seconds after game start, Lokando's corner hits Howe's head for the central defender's first ever Swans goal! 1-0

31 - Monaghan intercepts and quick backpasses to Pritchard for the longball. Defender misses the header, and Joyce takes it, dribbles just inside the box, and fires the range scorcher he's so damn good at! 2-0

36 - That looked offsides to me, but what do I know? 2-1

55 - Hopewell is knocked, and it's too tight a game to risk it, so Rowe jumps in.

58 - Stanley in for Docherty, who is having a super bad game.

80 - Monaghan sends it up to Quinn for the first time flare out to Burrows. Scorcher of a full-pitch cross follows, and a charging Solomou rams in his first goal of the year. 3-1

84 - Our fullbacks and Peet have been terrible all game. 3-2

Bailed out on this one by Tom Howe (8.0), Peggy Lokando (8.1), Jon Joyce (8.3), and Colin Pritchard (7.5).

We're without Joe Hopewell for 5-6 weeks, continuing a really bad rash of injuries this year. It doubly hurts because he's our team captain.

Transfer In - DL/WBL Darren Ebsworth (29)
A solid veteran who has no real weaknesses technically and is a real standout mentally (11 Bravery, 14 Determination, 12 Teamwork). 11 Long Throws, too. Unfortunately, he's banned for the next match due to yellow card accumulation dating back to last season, as Fleet let him go after two seasons of solid play for the D1 side.

@ Mile Oak (16th)
G: Rob Peet
D: Luke Rowe/Tom Howe/Ryan Docherty
DM: Colin Pritchard
M: Marios Solomou/Michael Monaghan/Peggy Lokando/Curtis Burrows
S: Andrew Quinn/Jon Joyce

11 - It's been all them all game so far, and there was no stopping this heater. 0-1

18 - Docherty lays it up to Burrows, who, with a defender in his face, makes a perfect center cross to Joyce for the equalizer. 1-1

32 - Lokando receives the center pass from Joyce and laterals to Monaghan. The delivery to Quinn in the box has the defense screaming offsides, but the shot is sure. 2-1

38 - I don't understand how Docherty has a 6.3. In the highlights, he's been making goal-saving tackle after goal-saving tackle. I also don't understand how Mile Oak is only 16th, because their long range shooting is deadly AF. 2-2

49 - Lokando connects with Howe's head on the corner and it's in! Rowe moves up to ML, Docherty over to DL, and Medlyn comes in at DR. We'll also give Ronnie Brock a spell at DC, because our whole backline has been bad thus far. 3-2

58 - Lokando has the free kick just outside the box and shorts it to Medlyn. On the giveback, Lokando is pressured by two defenders, but then one sees an open man and drifts off. That gives our Congolese midfielder the seam to pass to Joyce for the 25 yard Howitzer in the net! It's definitely been a long-range game this afternoon. 4-2

90 - A collision sends Brock off with injury, and Stanley comes in for him.

Matching 9.0s from Peggy Lokando and Jon Joyce, the Congolese getting the PotM award. Also a 7.5 from Colin Pritchard. This was a much tougher battle than I expected.

Ronnie Brock dislocated his jaw and will be out a month. So many injuries!

In other news, Jake Newton gets an offer to be the manager of the Headington A's. I wish him the best of luck, as he didn't dig up any gems for us. His new team is a semipro outfit in last place in their league, with just 3 points (no relegation, however). They're so bad, they're 4 points behind the second to last place squad.

I browse through the job listings and am very tempted by a semipro club with an AWESOME team name, but they own their own stadium, which I'm meh about. I'd rather be somewhere that needs to build a stadium of their own, so nevermind.

Then again, there's zero pressure at that job - just keep clear of the drop and rebuild the team's horrible finances. On the other hand, I want to be on the water somewhere. The new town doesn't offer that, and Lindfield at least has a stream and great natural beauty.

And that's when I spy a team I can't resist, in one of my favorite English cities.

vs Northbrook (13th)
G: Rob Peet
D: Darren Ebsworth/Tom Howe/Ryan Docherty
DM: Colin Pritchard
M: Orlando Joao/Michael Monaghan/Peggy Lokando/Curtis Burrows
S: Andrew Quinn/Jon Joyce

27 - Thanks for the own goal! 1-0

At half, we switch to a 4-4-2 flat, as Pritchard is tired. Docherty slides inside to be the second DC, and Medlyn slots in at DR. Stanley comes in at MC and Lokando, who is having his worst game as a Swan, and with a yellow beside, sits. Monaghan shifts over to the advanced playmaker role.

84 - It's a highlight-less half until the 81st minute, and both it and this one are Northbrook-centric. There's no excuse for them failing to score here.

90 - Stanley plays it out a little too long to Quinn on the left wing, and he has to chase it down prior to centering to Joyce in the box. It's a first touch layoff to Joao for the game-clinching goal! 2-0

Orlando Joao wins PotM with a 7.7 in a game we frankly should have lost, and the strikers are stressed out when I calmly take the team to task.

Transfer Out - DM/DC/MC Colin Pritchard - $4.3k
And with that, our DM setup is done. The 17 year old is willing to come back on loan, but he just couldn't pass up the opportunity to make actual money. Not that I blame him - he's performed well after Ken Black also ditched us for the money.

@ Lavant (Southern Combination Football League Division 2 Challenge Cup First Round)
G: Rob Peet
D: Darren Ebsworth/Ryan Docherty/Tom Howe/Josh Medlyn
M: Marios Solomou/Michael Monaghan/Peggy Lokando/Curtis Burrows
S: Andrew Quinn/Jon Joyce

Hate having to go with the flat 4-4-2. It's the most boring formation ever.

It's a quiet first half, and at the break, Westray comes in for Docherty, Gromett for Joyce with a switch in strikers. We're really tired, because we've been hammered with a ton of games on short rest.

57 - Howe makes a heroic interception and blasts it down the pitch to Joao for the dribble and center to Quinn. Sizzling strike is sizzling! 1-0

71 - Gromett lays it to Quinn in the box. Shot's deflected and it bounces off the defender into open space. Our loanee grabs his own rebound and sinks his second score of the match! 2-0

73 - That should have been an own goal on Westray. Absolute shit. 2-1

87 - Masterful keeping by Peet there, stopping three shots in a row.

92 - ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! YOU GUYS HAD ONE FUCKING JOB!!! 2-2

100 - WHERE'S THE PK CALL ON THAT BULLSHIT?!

Home cooking by the refs sends us to penalties.

Lokando makes the first one with ease! 1-0
Their very first kicker has his shot blocked by Peet!
Gromett gets a *very* lucky bounce. 2-0
No stopping that one. 2-1
Burrows has been shit the whole game, but he comes up when it's needed most! 3-1
Mistake-free shot there. 3-2
Ebsworth was also ass, but comes through here! 4-2
Seriously, Peet? At least TRY to stop it! 4-3
Finally, Monaghan, one of my favorite signings this offseason, seals the deal! 5-3

This was all about Andrew Quinn' second half monster two goals for an 8.8 PotM game. I'm starting to not like Rob Peet again - he's inconsistent AF.

The potential new team in my favorite English city offers a compensation budget, but none of my staff want to move with me.

The offer comes in - we negotiate to $8k for the rest of the season. On the one hand, I'm tempted to take it. A city I've been to IRL and loved, and there's a chance to really grow the fanbase. I'm also not happy with the work I'll have to put in now that our DMs have been stolen.

On the other hand, I'm building something here at Lindfield, and the village is pretty and tranquil. Also, every time I'm moved up ever in an FM dynasty, I've lived to regret it.

I honestly don't know what to do.