Chris Keohane, Football Manager (FM 15)

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Since I started playing Football Manager in the summer of 2013, it's become my favorite computer game and, for long stretches of time, the only one I play. That's partly because, as a husband and father, I don't have the time for games that I had back in the day. It's partly because I enjoy the game that much.

Football Manager has a game mode called "FM Classic." It's a "streamlined" version of the full game, which simplifies some aspects of the game and eliminates others. I hadn't played Classic much until the other day, when I decided to give it a whirl...and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

I've decided to begin a FM Classic career and write about it here. My manager character, Chris Keohane, is a 31-year-old former professional footballer. He's English, with Ireland as a second nationality. I envision fleshing him out, making him a full-fledged character, the center of a footballing biography that I'll write here. The story will be a different sort of Football Manager chronicle than most I've seen here, and I hope it will be an enjoyable change of pace for all of you.

I'll be back soon with some information about our hero and his first club.

One more thing: I love it when readers stop by and comment. I enjoy creating a conversation with any of you who are reading; it always encourages me to keep the story going and makes the experience that much more rewarding. Please feel very free to post and engage in the conversation.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Chris Keohane will start his managerial career at Galway United Football Club. My father's family comes from Ireland, via Canada, and our roots are in Galway. That's why I think it will be fun to manage there.

The Tribesmen, as they are sometimes known, are a recent creation, formed in 2013. Galway has a fairly long football history, however, at least for Ireland--a nation where Gaelic football and hurling are more popular than "association football." A club called Galway United played in the Irish leagues from 1937 to 2011; it was dissolved after a frightful season on the pitch and an even worse one on the financial ledger. Two years later, a group of local interests gathered to form the new Galway United.

The club play in the Irish First Division, which is the second highest Irish league. Their grounds are called Eamonn Deacy Park, after a local football star who played for title-winning sides at Aston Villa between 1979 and 1983. Deacy died in 2012, and the Galway stadium was re-named in his memory.

Galway United wear the same colors their predecessor made famous. They, and their supporters, are sometimes called The Maroon Army.


A standard Football Manager Classic game allows you to load up to three nations. You may load more, but it slows the game down considerably, and speed is one of the primary reasons why one would play Classic. Besides Ireland, I've loaded England and Scotland, so it's possible that Keohane's managerial journey could take him to those countries, too.

He'll begin in Galway, however, and he's hoping for a long and distinguished career there.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

In FM Classic, the back room staffs are simplified. Even the biggest clubs have a small staff, consisting of an Assistant Manager, a Director of Football, a Head of Youth Development, a Chief Scout, and a Head Physio. So, even if Chris Keohane goes on to the top job at Manchester United, I won't be managing a staff any larger than the one I have at Galway United.

For the Irish First Division, this isn't a bad group. There are better options available, but none of them will work for the wages Galway United can offer. So, at least for now, these five men will make up Chris's back room staff.

[Portiere]

Looking forward to reading along.

I had a lot of fun playing in Wales, and I imagine Ireland will have some similar challenges.

[Balldog]

Following!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by Portiere

Looking forward to reading along.

I had a lot of fun playing in Wales, and I imagine Ireland will have some similar challenges.

Thanks, Portiere. I think you're probably right. I've given Wales a go, too, and I enjoyed it as well.

Originally Posted by Balldog

Following!

Thanks, Balldog. It's good to have some supporters from the very start!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

7 March 2014

The Irish First Division season begins today, and here are the players Chris Keohane will lead into battle against Wexford Youths at Ferrycarrig Park today.

The star ratings reflect the opinion of assistant manager Darren Schlingermann, whose iffy ratings for judging talent (5 for Ability, 4 for Potential on a 20-point scale) make his evaluations somewhat suspect.

Goalkeepers


Keohane is fortunate to have two good 'keepers in the team. Schlingermann rates Hanley slightly higher; he's quicker, more athletic, and prone to rushing out. Gleeson, a massive young lad, is surprisingly nimble, and both of them are suited to play the "sweeper keeper" role. Both will see plenty of time between the posts for the Tribesmen.


Defenders


Keohane organizes his defense with a flat four in the back. Ludden is the first choice on the left, with his good pace and excellent work rate. His long throw makes him a weapon on set pieces, too. Horgan, the first choice at right back, is also a well-rounded player who is comfortable on the ball.

Garcia, an American import, provides size and hard-nosed defensive presence at center half. He'll usually team with Cantwell, a composed young player whom Keohane believes will be a long-time fixture at Eamonn Deacy Park. Walsh is another very good option in the central defense.

Raftery and Byrne are both talented young players who will get experience in cup matches and provide injury insurance.


Midfielders


Connolly is perhaps the team's best player, with the vision and technical skill to work magic as an advanced playmaker. Versatile O'Leary can feature as creator or destroyer in the middle of the park, or he can slide to the right wing. Sinnott, the club captain, is a solid holding midfielder who is also comfortable playing in the back. Between the three of them, Galway is set in the central midfield.

Keohane's one incoming transfer of the pre-season, Harris, is a fleet-footed winger with good ball skills. He'll play on the right, with young McDonagh on the left--although Keohane was still looking for a better option there.

Shanahan, who can also lead the line, is a decent option in reserve. O'Laoi has the makings of a future star, and Barry has promise, too.


Forwards


Keegan, another American who scored for fun with a small club in suburban New York, will hopefully do the same in Galway. Keohane doesn't have an ideal fit for the deeper-lying forward who will play behind Keegan. Curran is the best all-round striker in the team, besides Keegan. Cunningham might be the answer once he gets some time under his belt, but he's broken his foot and won't play until late summer. Molloy, too, is currently laid up with a twisted ankle that will keep him out for a month or so.

Shanahan and center half Walsh, of all people, can also deputize at forward.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

7 March 2014

Chris Keohane was aware that some people would call him "outdated," and worse, because he remained convinced that a football team could play 4-4-2 and win. Still, he liked the formation's balance; he knew it well, and he thought he taught it just as well; and he found most of his players at Galway United were comfortable playing it. His version of 4-4-2 looked like this:



The players in the team made it possible for Keohane to switch the formation sometimes, so that the left back, rather than the right back, pressed forward more. The wide midfielders would then change duties, too.

Chris preferred his teams to play a defensive style, remaining tight in the back, but that didn't mean he didn't look to score. Connolly looked like he'd be a very creative player at this level, and each of the forwards looked like he knew where the goal was. The Tribesmen had played friendlies against three sides from the Irish Premiership, and hadn't lost a one; they saw off Shamrock Rovers (2-1) and Bohemians (2-0) and drew with Sligo Rovers (0-0). All in all, the new gaffer was happy with how things had gone.

Twenty-one players made up the senior team as the season began. Two of them, Padraic Cunningham and Jason Molloy, were unavailable due to injury, so Keohane would choose his first eighteen from a group of nineteen. Cunningham, who had netted twice in the friendlies, would have made his debut had he been fit.

The players all had new shirts in three colors--maroon, white, and dark green--with the following numbers:

1. Ger Hanley
2. Colm Horgan
3. Marc Ludden
4. Kevin Garcia
5. Killian Cantwell
6. Paul Sinnott, captain
7. Stephen Walsh, vice captain
8. David O'Leary
9. Jason Molloy
10. Ryan Connolly
12. Jake Keegan
14. Courtney Harris
15. Aaron McDonagh
16. Connor Gleeson
17. Gary Shanahan
19. Alex Byrne
20. Enda Curran
42. Conor Barry
43. Padraic Cunningham
45. Cormac Raftery
46. Antaine O'Laoi

There were eight clubs in the First Division, and each would play the others four times in a 28-game league programme. The top team would win promotion to the Premier League, with the second and third clubs qualifying for a Promotion Playoff that would send up another club. The pundits thought Keohane's lads stood a fair chance of winning promotion, setting their odds at 5:4. Longford were odds-on favorites (1:2), with Shelbourne rating the same chances as Galway United.

"I like our chances," Keohane said on the eve of his first match. "We're in good shape coming out of the pre-season, and we're ready for league play to begin."

[Greyfriars Bobby]

I'm stepping out of character here to explain one of my favorite features of Football Manager Classic. I don't use it all the time, but I'm glad it's available.

In full-featured FM, it's possible to "holiday" through parts of a season, with your assistant manager running your team. I've never done that, because I was always concerned about what might happen while I was gone. I'm far from an expert manager, but if it's my team, I want to manage it.

Classic includes an Instant Result mode which allows me to play through matches...well, instantly. I can create Match Plans to use in Instant Result games. The plans allow me to give complete tactical instructions, tailored to the circumstances in the match. For example, I can instruct the team to play more defensively to protect a lead late in the match, or take a more expressive approach if we need to chase the game. I can use the same mentality and team instructions I'd use if I were playing the match myself.

I'll probably use Instant Result from time to time, especially if I find myself not having a lot of time to play.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 April 2014

Chris Keohane's first month at Eamonn Deacy Park wasn't one for the record books, but he didn't find himself staring at a possible sacking, either. The Tribesmen stood fourth after four league matches, and they advanced to the Second Round of the Irish League Cup with a 2-0 result over Cobh Ramblers at home.



Twice already, Enda Curran had struck during stoppage time to pull Galway equal--against Wexford Youths in their first league fixture, and later against Finn Harps. Both times, the dramatic goal was the striker's second of the match. Curran's first goal against Harps, a scorcher from 18 yards out, placed third in the Goal of the Month competition.

Keohane was most pleased with the 1-0 result away to Waterford United, who had been playing well in the season's early weeks.

"We've got Longford next," the manager pointed out. "They were picked to be top of the league, and their play so far has made that look like a good prediction. We need a big crowd to come out and cheer us on."

That crowd would certainly include Chris's wife, Charlotte, and their children. Jack was six, and Emma was four. Both were already die-hard Galway United fans, and both dreamed of pulling on maroon shirts one day.

"They already do," Charlotte said with a smile. "I can barely get them off to wash them."

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 May 2014

Look who's top of the league!



Chris Keohane's club was rolling, winning all four of its league matches, and doing it in style. The defense was solid, with both Connor Gleeson and Ger Hanley playing well between the posts. The Tribesmen were also getting goals, especially a young striker who had finally found a home after bouncing around the Irish leagues for a while.

Enda Curran broke in with Mervue United in the Galway Premier Division before signing with the Tribesmen in 2011. Only seventeen at the time, he failed to make his mark and drifted down to Salthill Devon, a small local club. In 2013, Curran netted eight times in 15 matches, which earned him a mid-season transfer to a bigger club: Athlone Town. Enda helped the Town gain promotion to the Premier League, but he didn't return to the club for 2014. He moved briefly to Derry City, and from there to Galway. Now, Enda led the First Division with seven goals in eight league matches, and the fans at Eamonn Deacy Park sang...

"Enda Curran, he scores when he wants."

A perfect month, with four wins in as many matches, propelled Galway United to the top of the league.



And, the club's performance earned their manager the first accolades of his career!

[DavidCorperial]

Um, those are the schedule and table for last month.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by DavidCorperial

Um, those are the schedule and table for last month.

So they are...I was having problems with Photobucket earlier, so I'm not surprised that happened.

Thanks for pointing that out. I'll edit my post and correct my mistake.

Cheers,
GB

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 June 2014

With spring settling in in western Ireland, Chris Keohane's club was settling into to to the top spot in the Irish First Division table.



Enda Curran's brace and a stalwart defensive performance from left back Colm Horgan were the highlight of a 3-0 result at home to Finn Harps. Three nights later, the Tribesmen endured a barrage of 27 shots from Premiership club Cork City and battled to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes. The Rebel Army won on penalties, but Keohane was pleased with his side's tenacity.

As the team returned to league play, it appeared that opposing defenses might be beginning to figure out how to slow down Enda Curran. Galway had another scoring threat, however. Quietly, Jake Keegan had begun to find the range. He netted in six straight matches spanning April and May.

Longford Town, one of the better clubs in the First Division, stopped both Galway strikers en route to a 1-1 draw, but goals from Keegan and Ryan Connolly saw off Waterford United on the club's return to Eamonn Deacy Park. Winger Courtney Harris left the Waterford match with a hamstring pull, which would probably keep him out for a month or more.

The Galway United board didn't care about the club's performance in the Irish League Cup; the Irish Senior Challenge Cup meant more to them. The Tribesmen drew Longford Town in the Second Round of the Challenge Cup. The Midlanders were proving a tough side for Keohane's lads, and it took a late goal from Keegan to secure a draw at Eamonn Deacy Park.

Chris knew the replay, at City Calling Stadium in Longford, would be tough. "We drew with them there, and we barely managed that," he recalled. It was easier in the Cup replay, as the Tribesmen won 2-0, through Keegan and Connolly.




A Galway United squad that was weary from a busy month of fixtures scrapped to a 3-0 result over Shamrock Rovers B, and that outcome might have secured Keohane's second straight monthly award.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

2 July 2014

Chris Keohane had experienced almost nothing but sunny skies as manager of Galway United FC, but in late June, a few clouds rolled across the horizon. Taken by themselves, they weren't terribly menacing, but the gaffer hoped they weren't the first indication of a long, stormy summer.

There was an unusual three-week break in the league schedule, so the Tribesmen didn't make their first appearance of the month until the 20th. They played a dull, goal-less draw with Cobh Ramblers at St. Colman's Park, a match that left their supporters in poor spirits.

David O'Leary felt worse. The midfielder, who had played a pivotal role in the club's successes thus far, tore a calf muscle, and the physio believed he would miss the rest of the season.

"Losing David is certainly a tough blow to suffer," the manager said. "We'll be a little bit thin in the midfield unless we can bring in a reinforcement once the transfer period begins."

The window would open on 1 July, so Keohane, along with Director of Football Conor Manning, began the process of finding that reinforcement right away. The third man who was working on this task was fairly new to the club. Chief scout Michael Taheny had spent months looking for players all over the British Isles, and had come back with exactly five reports--other than those he'd filed on players Keohane or Manning had specifically instructed him to check out.

"Even when I told him to report on anybody he saw--anybody who could put his boots on properly--he told us he had nothing," Keohane said, shaking his head. "I really had no choice but to sack him."

That happened the first week of June. In his place, Keohane hired Colin O'Brien, who had already found 145 players by the end of the month.

While the staff evaluated possible new additions, the current side took a 2-0 beating away to Wexford Youth, who thereby confirmed their status as the biggest threat the Tribesmen faced for the league title.

By the time the window opened, two new men were signed up and ready to join the club.

Keohane and his staff had been interested in Keith Quinn all year long. A 25-year-old free agent from Dublin, he could play all along the left side, as well as in the center of the pitch. Quinn's "attribute polygon" revealed him to be a quick player with good technical skills for the First Division. He possessed the willingness and the ability to do his part defensively. Keohane planned to bring Keith into the first team on the left wing.



Quinn would earn £190/week for the remainder of 2014.

The other newcomer was even more exciting. He was Henry Randall, a Northern Ireland youth international who had been released from Norwich City in the English Premier League. Only 18, Randall possessed no single trademark skill, but Keohane was convinced that his all-round ability would play well in the First Division. At worst, Henry would provide midfield cover, and he'd be in a maroon shirt through 2015.



Randall, too, would earn £190/month. He was given the number 18 shirt, while Quinn would wear number 21.

United's miniature slump, along with Wexford's two wins--one at Galway's expense--caused the table to tighten up considerably.



"Nobody will cake-walk to the league championship, that much I can tell you," was Keohane's assessment of the situation.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

The Irish First Division season is roughly at its halfway point. Here's a look at the Galway United statistics.



Enda Curran had established himself as the Tribesmen's talisman. By July, he'd fallen three goals behind Longford Town sniper David O'Sullivan in the list of top goal scores, but the Galway lad's all-round play marked him as the top player in the First Division. Not bad for a player whose ratings didn't jump off the page at anyone.

Curran led the league in average rating, largely because he had responded to teams' attempts to keep him from scoring by finding creative ways to set up his teammates. Enda was joint first in assists, with one of the highest pass completion ratios in the league, and his strike partner Jake Keegan had benefited from his generosity with 10 goals of his own.

Another player who had not originally been in Keohane's plans for the first team at the beginning of the season, Stephen Walsh, had established himself as a first choice at center half. More creative than many defenders, Walsh was surprisingly solid in front of his own goal, too. Colm Horgan, too, had played outstanding football, and Keohane rewarded him with a new contract (and a raise) for 2015.

Both goalkeepers, Connor Gleeson and Ger Hanley, were getting opportunities to play, and both were playing well. Gleeson had the better overall rating, 6.82 to 6.73, but Hanley had conceded slightly fewer goals per 90 minutes--0.51, to Gleeson's 0.58.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

1 August 2014

As July turned to August, Galway United began to open some space between their nearest competitors for the First Division championship. Chris Keohane's side won all four of their matches during July, while Wexford Youths lost only once--away to Finn Harps--but that was enough to enable the Tribesmen to pull five points clear at the top of the table.



The Galway board had charged Keohane with leading the team into the First Division Playoff. With nine matches left to play and with his team currently 19 points to the good, it looked like Chris was going to meet that requirement with ease.

"I considered accepting a more ambitious goal," Keohane confessed. "In the end, I decided to play it safe, since it was my first year on the job."



The club had snapped out of its mini-slump as quickly as it had fallen into it. The key was a defense that kept four clean sheets in as many chances during July. Both goalkeepers, Connor Gleeson and Ger Hanley, played a part in that outstanding run of form.

Enda Curran seemed to lose his nose for goal as the weather heated up, but Jake Keegan assumed the danger man role without missing a beat. The American striker netted in all four July games, and was now the team's leading goalscorer.

Keohane wondered if Curran had been punching above his weight. He hadn't given up on Enda, but he also noticed that, as the season wore on, more clubs were willing to let some of their talented young players go out on loan to clubs like Galway United.

"I'm English, and I have some good contacts in English football," Keohane pointed out. "Our staff worked hard this month, and we were able to bring in two players who should help us finish the season strong."

The first was Kadell Daniel, a midfielder who had been unable to make an impact with Charlton Athletic. Still only 20, Daniel, who had been in Crystal Palace's youth program, had potential, and Keohane thought he would be a fantastic boost to his squad.



"Kadell has experience with clubs in the Championship, and he is a very polished player for his age. He's got a lot of pace, and he sees the pitch very well," said Keohane.

Kadell was given the number 11 shirt. In his first match, against Finn Harps, he set up a Keegan goal with a perfectly weighted pass, and in his second, away to Waterford, he crossed for Keegan, whose shot was batted away for Kevin Garcia to slot home.

The second loanee was a French striker called Adam Nkusu. Adam's travels had taken him from the French Ligue 2 to the English Championship, where he had signed for Rotherham Athletic.



"Adam ought to be a very productive player at this level," stated assistant manager Darren Schlingermann. "He's as fast as Jake Keegan, and his touch on the ball is outstanding. The best thing about him, though, is his professionalism. He's a young player [Adam was 20], but the lads already seem to view him as a leader."

"I don't speak much French," Chris confessed, "and Adam doesn't speak much English. We're getting by, however."

Nkusu would pull on his number 22 shirt for the first time tonight, at home to Cobh Ramblers. It would also be the first time the home fans got to see Daniel.

It was an exciting time to be a football fan in Galway.