Grimsby Town - A FIFA 17 Coaching Career

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Each year, I pick one of the two newly promoted English League Two teams to start (and hopefully flourish) in a coaching career. It's a difficult challenge, but then that's part of what makes English Football so fun. This year, I take on Grimsby Town Mariners.

Objectives:
Youth Development (Low):
Sign 1 player in your Youth Academy assigned to the defender position. Grown 1 Youth Academy player by at least 5 overall points. Play them in 5 matches, either as part of the starting 11 or coming in as a sub.

Brand Exposure (Low):
Within 3 seasons, increase season ticket holders with at least 10% of the stadium's capacity.

Financial (Medium):
Keep player salary growth under 20%

Domestic Success (Low):
EFL League Two: Finish Mid Table
The Emirates FA Cup: Reach the Round of 32 Stage

Continental Success (Very Low):
No Objectives

Roster

Starting 11 (4-4-2 Flat):
GK James McKeown OVR 58, Age 26
LB Danny Andrew OVR 58, Age 25
CB Andrew Boyce OVR 62, Age 26
CB Josh Gowling OVR 60, Age 32
RB Ben Davies OVR 65, Age 35
LM (CM) James Berrett OVR 62, Age 27
CM Craig Disley OVR 61, Age 34
CM Sean McAlister OVR 61, Age 28
RM Dominic Vose OVR 62, Age 22
ST Scott Vernon OVR 62, Age 32
ST Omar Bogle OVR 58, Age 22

Substitutes:
RM Ashley Chambers OVR 61, Age 26
CB Shaun Pearson OVR 60, Age 27
CM Luke Summerfield OVR 60, Age 28
CB Dan Jones OVR 57, Age 21
ST Kayden Jackson OVR 53, Age 22
GK Andy Warrington OVR 51, Age 40
RB Zak Mills OVR 50, Age 24

Bench:
RM Tom Bolarinwa OVR 48, Age 25
ST Rhys Browne OVR 48, Age 20
CM Harry Clifton OVR 45, Age 18
RW Max Wright OVR 45, Age 18
CM Josh Venney OVR 45, Age 19

Clearly the roster is going to need a lot of work in my first season. The roster has no true LM and only 1 LB. I also have 5 players over the age of 32 including a 40 year old backup GK that I'll have to replace before the year is up.

It's going to be a tough challenge to have this team compete but I'm hoping that by the end of the 2nd transfer window, I'll improve my roster enough to be able to finish mid table.

I've entered the European International Cup and will be facing Shamrock, Brescia and Vercelli in early July.

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Knowing that the roster was going to take quite a bit of work, I didn't expect to get a heck of a lot out of the European International Cup. I was not disappointed.

7/3/16 - Shamrock L 0-2
7/6/16 - Brescia L 0-1
7/10/16 - Vercelli L 0-1

Going goalless for 270 minutes was not at all what I had hoped. Clearly I'm going to have to build up an offense soon, but I have other priorities as well. I did sign 2 players during July, both of which were free agents.

LB Carlos Gallese OVR 56, Age 19
CM Vinit Rai OVR 53, Age 18

Having only 1 LB on my opening roster, I needed to make sure I got depth. The fact that Gallese is only 19 gives me some upside over the next few years and think that by midseason he will become the starter over Danny Andrew (OVR 58, Age 25).

Vinit Rai gives me some youth in the center midfield. Craig Disley is a starter on my squad, but at age 34, I expect he'll retire at the end of this season or the next.

There are a few more moves I need to make before the transfer window closes. I desperately need to pick up 2 left midfielders. I have none on the roster, and desperate want to run a 2-4-4. I have to pick up another striker, since I clearly am going to have trouble scoring and I have to get myself a young goalie. Andy Warrington, my backup goalie is 40 already and am not even sure he'll make it through the season. Additionally, my starting keeper, James McKeown is only an OVR 58. At age 26, I don't think he's got a lot of upside left.

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Matches:

Grimsby Town 2016-17 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Jul 3	vs Shamrock	Lost, 2-0
Jul 6	vs Brescia	Lost, 1-0
Jul 10	vs Vercelli	Lost, 1-0
Aug 6	vs Blackpool	Tied, 1-1
Aug 9	vs Preston North End	Won, 2-0
Aug 13	at Exeter City	Lost, 4-0
Aug 20	vs Hartlepool United	Lost, 1-0
Aug 23	at Ipswich Town	Lost, 3-1
Aug 27	at Luton Town	Won, 1-0

August started pretty positively with a home draw in my opening league match against Blackpool and a win in the 1st round of the EFL Cup 2-0 against Preston North End. But after a 0-4 loss at Exeter City and a 0-1 loss at home against Hartlepool United and I found myself in dead last in League 2. A third straight loss came on the 23rd in a second round matchup against Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup and the team was reeling. But all that changed on the 27th after a surprising 1-0 win at Luton Town. Dominic Vose scored the only goal in the 87th minute salvaging a rough 2 week stretch.

League 2 Standings:

League Two Table August 31, 2016
TEAM	GP	W	D	L	PTS
Notts County	4	4	0	0	12
Exeter City	4	3	1	0	10
Plymouth Argyle	4	2	2	0	8
Portsmouth	4	2	2	0	8
Mansfield Town	4	2	2	0	8
Leyton Orient	4	2	1	1	7
Hartlepool United	4	2	1	1	7
Luton Town	4	2	1	1	7
Carlisle United	4	2	1	1	7
Stevenage	4	2	0	2	6
Barnet	4	2	0	2	6
Crawley Town	4	1	2	1	5
Yeovil Town	4	1	2	1	5
Morecambe	4	0	4	0	4
Accrington Stanley	4	1	1	2	4
Blackpool	4	1	1	2	4
Cheltenham Town	4	1	1	2	4
Cambridge United	4	1	1	2	4
Grimsby Town	4	1	1	2	4
Colchester United	4	1	0	3	3