The Rising Came From The West

[jkwest]

The Rising Came From The West

So after a long think I decided to embark on another journey in FM13. There were a few specific factors that drew me to managing Norwich; the fact that their team was fairly young, the team overall had a solid core which I could build around and as a result of using Pr0's unofficial summer update meant that Norwich had some exciting new signings (van Wolfswinkel, Redmond, Hooper and Fer).

The leagues that I am using are: England (League Two and Above), France (Ligue 2 and Above), Germany (2.Budnesliga and Above), (Italy Serie B and Above), Netherlands (Jupiler League and Above) and Spain (Liga Adelante and Above).

Aim

• Make a healthy profit per season.
  
• Develop youth prospects (homegrown and purchased).
  
• Improve league position each season.
  

The Board's Expectations

The boards expectations were that I would achieve a mid-table finish and with the team that I have I felt that it was a realistic aim for the season ahead. To achieve this the board gave me a Transfer Budget of £3.7M and a Wage Budget of 335k p/w.

[jkwest]

Pre-Season

The first thing I do in any save is evaluate my current staff and get rid of anyone that I consider dead wood. In this instance I got rid of the majority of my staff apart from my Head of Youth Development. My reasoning behind this was that I was able to find better replacements at a cheaper salary.

Once I had brought in an Assistant Manager it was time to evaluate my team, identify who my key and most influential players would be and then decide on a formation which would compensate these key players. In the end I decided on a 4-2-3-1 formation, I knew this formation would need various different tweaks throughout pre-season in order for my team to be solid both defensively and offensively.

After looking at my team I felt that my key players were: John Ruddy, Sebastian Bassong, Leroy Fer and Rory van Wolfswinkel. These four players would be the core of my team and lay down a strong foundation to build upon in the upcoming seasons.

Overall pre-season was a success as we were unbeaten in 7 games, winning 6 out of the 7. Also, the team were playing fluid football and scoring a fair few goals. On the downside the opposition I chose for the friendlies may have been a bit naive as they didn't prove to be much more than moral boosting matches, hopefully this won't backfire on me when it comes to the start of the season.

During pre-season I felt that I didn't need to sell or bring in any players. This is because after looking at the squad I felt that they were more than capable of achieving a mid-table finish come the end of the season. Knowing my luck my feelings towards the team will probably change after the start of the season. Here's a look at my final squad (1) (2).

[Brucehum]

Interesting choice of pre-season. I tend to go with the more typical biggest team possible away to make some money for small club.

What other settings are you using on top than the 4-2-3-1 tactic to get so many 0 goals against? Standard Balanced, direct play, etc I struggle a lot with defence.

[jkwest]

First games against Newcastle so I thought having high morale would benefit the players. Looking back at it now I could of possibly played say 3 big teams at the start of pre season and then slowly lower the quality of the opposition. I'm using Rigid and Standard, left everything else alone apart from taking off using a playmaker and i'm using drill crosses. I think I rarely conceded due to the quality of the opposition to be fair.

[deltablue]

Boooo!!!!!

[joshpmilton]

Boooo!!!!!

The moment I saw that canary I knew I could rely on you to show your face!

[jkwest]

Boooo!!!!!

not a fan ayy

[jkwest]

August and September

So it was finally time for the big kick off! Looking at my first 6 games I had an idea of how many points I thought that my team could realistically get. 11 points, I was expecting to get wins against Swansea (H) Hull (A) Southampton (H), also draws against Newcastle (A) WBA (A) and a loss against Man City (H). Newcastle away was never going to be an easy fixture to start the campaign with and it proved that way. The team managed to grind out a draw, which was pretty undeserved considering the lack of chances and attacking threat we showed throughout the game. Luck was on our side though when Shola Ameobi missed a penalty in the 78 minute and we managed to hold on. There isn't much point going into a lot of detail on the match against Man City as it was near enough impossible to beat them, one thing that did frustrate me was the lack of chances we created again during this match. 2 chances in 90 minutes at home isn't acceptable in my opinion regardless of the opposition. To sum up that overall performance Bassong got a rating of 3.6! Morale was lifted for the next three games as we comfortably disposed of Tranmere in the Capital One Cup and then we managed to sneak a win in against WBA away, in my opinion this was the most positive result so far as we managed to create our highest amount of chances so far. On the other hand, we only hit the target twice in the game. Then came a comfortable win against Swansea, at this time I was starting to think that we were looking more solid at the back, the one thing that we still needed to improve was our ball retention and overall possession. After all the positives from the previous three games, then came the kiss of death when we played against Hull. A devastating 2-0 defeat away absolutely killed me, to say I contemplated turning the game off was an understatement as I felt this would be a comfortable 3 points, clearly I underestimated them! A massive factor which the team struggled with during the game was Hull's formation, we struggled in both midfield and were unable to penetrate their back 5. The next defeat came in the Capital One Cup at home against Sunderland, although this competition wasn't a priority a defeat at home always hurts. Especially when Connor Wickham scores 4 against you, i'd like to use the excuse that I played a weakened side but technically I didn't. To end September another 3 points were then dropped at home against Southampton, I may have been a bit ambitious to think that we would beat the Saints which was shown in the match.

Overall it was a pretty shoddy start to the season. We managed to accumulate 7 points from 6 games which was pretty disappointing A common theme throughout August and September was the lack of chances we created both home and away, I think a few tweaks to the formation and player roles is in order. An idea is possibly a flat 3 across the midfield instead of 2 CMs and an AM. Here's a look at the current league table in which we sit 14th.

[jkwest]

October

Three very difficult games during this month, Stoke (A), Spurs (H) and Chelsea (H). In all honesty I wasn't overly optimistic that we were going to pick up any points during this month due to our poor form. I made a few tactical tweaks to the formation (4-2-3-1). I decided to play an Advanced Playmaker in behind the Striker to try and add a bit more creativity which we were previously lacking. Also, I changed the teams marking to Zonal and their roaming to Stick to Position.

The boys seemed to up their game against Stoke and manage to get a 2-0 win, despite being dominated. The lack of possession in this game wasn't a major concern as we were playing away from home, but the team are starting to frustrate me in the way they give the ball away so cheaply due to sloppy and misplaced passes. Nevertheless another much needed 3 points in the bag. Then along came the two fixtures at home which I dreaded playing, regardless of us winning against Stoke. First up was Spurs which was another struggle, once again we were dominated throughout the game and didn't create many chances. We went 1-0 down in the 5th minute by a goal from Sandro and the first thought that came into my head was that it was gonna be another rout like the Man City game. Luckily we went into the break only trailing by 1 goal. I then thought to myself I didn't really have anything to lose and took a gamble, the gamble was to change my strategy to Attacking. Surprisingly this paid off and in my opinion we weren't dominated by Spurs in the 2nd half we just didn't create. That was until the 82nd minute when up popped van Wolfswinkel, our saviour, who slotted the ball past Lloris after latching onto a pass from Snodgrass. The team then defended well for the rest of the match and we gained another vital point. The next challenge was Chelsea. I made a massive decision to start off playing Attacking straight from kick off as I felt that the team looked more effective going forward in the previous match. Throughout the game we tested Chelsea and to my amazement we actually dominated possession. When the final whistle went I was chuffed that we had drawn and that we'd created some decent chances against a very good side.

Unbeaten during October I bet no one saw that coming, I can certainly say I didn't. Hopefully these results will kick start the season, fingers crossed! One concern I do have is the lack of goals from my strikers. Currently van Wolfswinkel has 1, Hooper has 3 and Becchio has 0. Hooper seems the most promising as he also has 3 assists to his name as well. We currently sit 9th in the league.

[jkwest]

November

So after a successful and what I saw as a productive month in October, November brought the boys back to reality. During this month we suffered defeats against Everton (A) Man Utd (H) and Aston Villa (A). On the other hand, we weren't expected to win any of the three matches we lost. In my opinion, at this moment in time, until I have got my tactics down to a tee I will be happy with a draw away from home. (Maybe a more defensive approach away from Carrow Road may help). The positives from this month were that we did manage to win against Sunderland (A) and Crystal Palace (H). Both wins were only narrow wins, the Palace victory did disappoint me because I feel that we should comfortably be beating the newly promoted teams at home. Nevertheless a win is a win and i can't really complain as long as we're putting 3 points on the board. At the end of November we have dropped down to 12th, on a positive note we are still 4 places above where we were predicted to finish this year (16th).

[jkwest]

December

Another hectic month for the lads, 6 games in total with a game at home against Arsenal and an away game against Liverpool. Starting the month and carrying on from the win against Palace, we faced Cardiff at home. Overall it was a pretty comfortable 3-1 win, although things did take a turn for the worst when we went 1-0 down in the first 3 minutes. To make matters worse on the 28th minute van Wolfswinkel missed a penalty (he ended the game with a rating of 5.2) and I started to think it wasn't going to be our day. Throughout the game we looked most threatening from set pieces and eventually our aerial dominance paid off when Bassong headed home from a Snodgrass corner. We eventually went ahead in the 68th minute from another headed goal from Bassong. Hooper secured the points for us in the 91st minute with calm and collected finish. There isn't really much to say about our performance against Arsenal, we were dominated by a superior team resulting in a 2-0 loss. The scoreline could of been much higher if i'm honest and this was proven as John Ruddy was awarded MOM. We took a massive blow to the squad during this game when Martin Olsson got injured in the 89th minute, he currently out for 4 months with a torn calf muscle. The games were coming thick and fast at this time and our next trip was to West Ham. A typical away performance occurred as we grinded out a 1-0 win scoring with our only shot on target, the goal came from Ricky van Wolfswinkel. Next stop was Anfield, it was pretty even throughout the game even when we went 1-0 in the 25th minute. We managed to get onto level terms in the 51st minute through Leroy Fer and it generally looked like we were going to sneak a winner. But everything changed in the 77th munute when Redmond had to come off, the sickening thing about this was that I had used all my subs therefore we had to play the next 12 minutes plus added on time with 10 men. I honestly thought that we had managed to get the draw until Schneiderlin broke everyone's heart in the 90th minute. Redmond had also fractured his wrist from the injury he sustained and was out for up to 8 weeks. Overall a 2-1 defeat wasn't the worst thing in the world and I was proud of the boys performance. We returned to our winning ways when Fulham visited Carrow Road. Hooper scored both goals during the 2-1 win to take his tally to 6 this season. The next game will possibly go down as the most intense and dramatic game i've played on FM13! The game at home against Newcastle started in the worst way possible, we were 2-0 down within the first 15 minutes. To make matters worse we conceded another in the 37th minute and I honestly thought that was us dead and buried. It was a completely different story in the 2nd half, we managed to sneak a goal in the 54th minute when Elliott Bennett slotted home. At this point I still didn't think we'd score another 2 goals to get back on level terms. Then popped up van Wolfswinkel in the 85th minute to make the scoreline 3-2, 5 minutes plus added on time to get an equaliser. Straight from kick off we won the ball back and up stepped the man of the moment van Wolfswinkel again to score the equaliser in the 86th minute (he doesn't score many but the goals he does score prove to be vital). At this moment I was over the moon 3-0 down and to come back to 3-3 was what I would describe as impossible for my team. The drama didn't stop there, in the 91st minute the ball was swung into Newcastle's box and cometh the man, cometh the moment up rose Luciano Becchio to nod in the winner to make it 4-3! 3 goals in the space of 6 minutes, my team could just about manage 1 goal in 90 minutes let alone 3. To say I was buzzing was an understatement maybe this was the point that fully kick-started our season.

We ended the month gaining 12 out of the 18 points available to us. Defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal were expected and looking back at the month I wasn't overly fussed due to our over results. We currently sit 8th in the league on 30 points. Now that the transfer window is open I will have a look who's about on the loan and transfer list as well as who's contracts are expiring in July.

[jkwest]

January

Overall a very lackluster start to the new year. We suffered 3 defeats in the league during this period as well as getting knocked out of the FA Cup in the 4th Round. Unfortunately we only managed 1 win in the league and a draw which was disappointing. Due to injuries to van Wolfswinkel, Martin Olsson and Bradley Johnson I decided to bring in 3 loanees. Emmanuel Badu, Kyle Naughton and Marco Ruben. Also, I will be bringing in Marcelo Estigarribia in July on a free.

[JMocks]

Keep it up!

[jkwest]

Keep it up!

cheers buddy!

[jkwest]

February

Picking up 6 out of a possible 9 points made February a very successful month for the team. I never expected to win away at Spurs, on the other hand I was very happy to see the team comfortably win at home against Stoke and Everton.

We currently sit 8th in the league on 40 points.

[jkwest]

March

A very hard month considering we had to face Man Utd and Chelsea away. We managed a win at home against Sunderland during the month. The highlight of the month was the youth intake, although there was only 1 standout player, Kris Robbins (coach report), at the age of 15 he already has some very promising stats and looks as if he will be pushing for a 1st team spot in the near future.

[jkwest]

April

Unbeaten in April, scoring 10 goals and only conceding twice. We picked up maximum points (12) which sat us comfortably in 7th, 7 points in front of Southampton who were in 8th. Marco Ruben was in top form for us scoring 5 in 4, it's safe to say he will be a massive loss once his loan has finished. Hopefully van Wolfswinkel will step up to the mark next season. I also decided to give Kris Robbins 2 starts, in my opinion he done reasonably well.

[jkwest]

May

A tough end to the season facing Arsenal (A) and Liverpool (H). We only managed to get a draw against Fulham out of the 3 games we played in May. But on a brighter note we secured a Europa League place for next season, which shall be interesting. We also finished 9 places above what the media predicted at the start of the season which is an achievement in itself.

[jkwest]

End of Season Report

Overall it was a very successful campaign for the team, although we didn't challenge in either the Capital One Cup or the FA Cup it was always my priority to finish as high as possible in the league. In all honesty at the start of the season I didn't feel that we would finish where we ended up but the boys definitely started to push on after January and deserved what they got. I'm definitely going to have to bolster the squad with either loanees or low wage free transfers next season, even both, in order to compensate playing in 4 competitions.

Here's a look at the player's overall stats from the season

Player of the Season

In my opinion I felt that Sebastian Bassong was our best player this year. He was consistent for the majority of the season and looked solid. He also contributed to 9 goals this season.

Top Goalscorer

Gary Hooper ended the season on 16 from 37 games. He also provided 7 assists for other goals during the season.

[shnen]

Good thread and nice season, hopefully the money from this season can be used on some nice signings to keep up performances even with the distraction of europe!

[jkwest]

Good thread and nice season, hopefully the money from this season can be used on some nice signings to keep up performances even with the distraction of europe!

Without a doubt mate, there's still massive improvements I need to make to the team. Got a feeling a fair few of the players ratings are gonna go down as we are in the Europa League. Obviously I need to resist the temptation of buying too many players otherwise i'll ruin the squad. Rotating is gonna be key this year so i'm gonna need quality in depth.

[jkwest]

Season 2 - Pre Season

Once again time for pre season, after a successful 1st season i'm confident that the team can further push on this year and hopefully prevent a 9 point gap like last year. The board expects us once again to achieve a mid-table finish. Pre season was a lot shorter this year and only consisted of 3 games due to us having to qualify for the Europa League which started on 1st August against Senica.

Like I said at the end of last season it was essential for us to bring in players so that we had enough quality to compete in all 4 competitions this year. Here's a look at who we brought in and who departed during pre season.

The new signings consisted of David Timor, Eduardo, Mattia De Scigilo, Eduardo Salvio and Gilano Wijnaldum.

Domingo, Daniel Marshall and Geraint Evans were all 16 year olds who had very bright futures. Both Marshall and Evans could possibly contribute to the first team on occasions this season.

After all the signings out finances look very healthy which enabled me to start improving our youth facilities in order to develop our youth players.

Here's a look at the new look and final Norwich squad for the 2013/14 campaign, i'm looking to possibly bring in another striker just incase we suffer from any major injuries (touch wood we don't).

[jkwest]

August

So the new campaign started off in the Europa League. We comfortably disposed of Senica and FC Nordsjælland to secure our place in the group stages of the competition. We then grinded out two 1-0 victories over Fulham and Sunderland. During the month I added Nicola Pozzi to the squad to add a bit more cover in case of injuries. To end the month we were handed our group in the Europa League, this is what it looked like:

In my opinion we got quite lucky with the group that we got considering some of the teams that we could of got. Obviously its still going to be tough to get out of the group but i'm confident that its doable.

[jkwest]

September

Overall a fairly disappointing month. We suffered 3 defeats in the league, only managing to win 1 game out of our 4 matches. We were also knocked out in the 3rd Round of the Capital One Cup against less opposition. The only high of the month came in the Europa League where we beat Anorthosi 2-0. We currently sit 10th in the league on 9 points from 6 games.

[jkwest]

We are currently in the process of being taken over. Was hoping it would be a tycoon but its only a local businessman!

[jkwest]

October

Mixed feelings about the month, I felt that we should of beaten QPR (A), saying that I can't complain that we picked up a point. I didn't expect much from the Liverpool match as I still don't feel that the team is up to their standard to compete with them. On the other hand, a massive win against Leverkusen and although we lost again PAOK we still sat top of the table, 2 points in front of Leverkusen. We also picked up a comfortable win at home against Leeds, hopefully we can build on the win and push on in the league.

[deltablue]

Very favourable group draw

[jkwest]

Very favourable group draw

yep we got lucky considering some of the teams we could of got

[deltablue]

Lets see if you can match or beat the 1993 team (I think that's when it was).

[jkwest]

Lets see if you can match or beat the 1993 team (I think that's when it was).

We'll see, still a long road ahead. Yeah I think your right, think the 93/94 team reached the 3rd round.

[jkwest]

November

We picked up 5 points from 4 games this month in the league. We pulled off 2 very impressive draws against Spurs and Chelsea which could prove vital at the end of the season. We lost against Newcastle, but the result was less disappointing due to Newcastle being the inform team and being top of the league. We picked up another 3 points in the Europa League against PAOK (H) to increase our lead at the top of the table to 9 points, with 2nd only having 5 points.

[jkwest]

December

A very productive month for the lads. We only suffered one loss in all competitions and that came again WBA (A) in the league. We gained 10 points during the month, including an emphatic win against Arsenal.

Here's a look at the current league table.

In the Europa League we continued our domination of the group. We disposed of Anorthosi and drew against Leverkusen.

Our 1st and possible 2nd Knockout Round matches are more than likely to be more of a challenge.

[jkwest]

Just to keep people updated, nothing came of the potential takeover.

[jkwest]

January

Apart from a disappointing defeat to Sunderland (A) and crashing out of the FA Cup against Peterborough the team performed pretty well. The highlight of the month were the 2 draws against Man City and Man Utd.

During the transfer window we bolstered our ranks in defence by signing Rafael Toloi. Also, we signed Mohamed Sissoko on loan due to our current midfield crisis (Bradley Johnson was injured, David Timor was just returning from injury and Geriant Evans was also injured. 18 year old keeper Bodao also signed. Michael Turner was sold to QPR during the window as well.

[jkwest]

February

An unbeaten month in the league, gaining 9 out of 9 points to put us into 7th. We also progressed in the Europa League after beating Roma, we now face Galatasaray.

[jkwest]

March

Another month in which we didn't lose a game in the league. I wasn't keeping tabs on our unbeaten run until there was a message that popped up that said we were currently 11 games unbeaten, pretty impressive considering some of the team we've had to face during this run. During the month we beat Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle. We also drew with Chelsea. Our impressive Europa League run came to an end against Galatasaray. We are now currently 5th in the league.

[jkwest]

Youth Intake

Once again the club found 2 more gems. We seem to have the knack for producing striker who could be potential stars. The 2 gems in this intake were Ali Johnson and Jordan Watson.

[jkwest]

April

Realistically our unbeaten run was never going to last, especially when we had to face Man City and Spurs. We only managed to pick up 4 points during April after beating WBA and disappointingly drawing to West Ham. We also suffered defeats from Man City, Spurs and Swansea. We're now currently sitting in 7th with 3 games left. Chelsea are a point behind us with 2 games in hand, which is quite worrying as its more than likely we're going to drop down to 8th.

[jkwest]

May

More disappointment this month as we only picked up 1 point out of 3 games which meant we didn't qualify for the Europa League next year. Considering the unbeaten run we were on the season has turned out to be a bit of an anticlimax.

[jkwest]

Norwich City

End of Season Review - 2013/14

There were more highs than lows during the season, but inevitably the season came to an anticlimax due to crucial results in the last 2 months.

League Table

League Positions Graph

We gained more points, scored more goals and conceded less this season compared last season but ultimately failed at the last hurdle, which was to qualify for the Europa League. We kicked on after January and then slowly lost momentum in the final 5 games.

FA Cup Capital One Cup Europa League

We fell at the first hurdle in both the FA Cup and Capital One Cup which was a disappointment. On a brighter note we played well in the Europa League scoring 28 goals and 13 conceding goals in 14 matches.

Squad (1) (2)

Goals and assists came from across in board. Was very impressed that 3 out of my 4 strikers hit double figures. As well as 5 of my midfielders getting double figures in assists. Although there is still much room for improvement.

Transfers

In my opinion all the signings I made were worth the money I spent and a success, as all the first team signings contributed someway throughout the season.

Finances

Our finances are looking very healthy. As a result of this both our training and youth facilities are being improved. Its more than likely our transfer budget will look pretty healthy as well.

Top Goalscorer: Gary Hooper - once again he popped up to scored vital goals and was a threat throughout the season.

Player of The Season: Marcelo Estigarribia - signing him was an absolute bargain considering he was a free transfer. He contributed with 3 goals and 17 assists during the season with an average rating of 7.38 from 37 starts and 4 sub apps.

Aims For Next Season: Secure European Qualification

[Mattias333]

Well as a Norwich City season ticket holder in real life Ill certainly be following your thread very closely!!! lol

Surprises me how many people are playing NCFC saves! Good news from my point of view!

With the unofficial database your using, has the ncfc youth academey setup been increased to the highest rating as during the summer they've been major changes. The clubs also been granted category one status. Happy days!

[jkwest]

Well as a Norwich City season ticket holder in real life Ill certainly be following your thread very closely!!! lol

Surprises me how many people are playing NCFC saves! Good news from my point of view!

With the unofficial database your using, has the ncfc youth academey setup been increased to the highest rating as during the summer they've been major changes. The clubs also been granted category one status. Happy days!

I was torn between being either Villa or Norwich before I started. Both teams will do well this season in my opinion. I've had to improve my junior coaching, youth recruitment and facilities since the start of the game so i'm assuming that they hadn't improved the youth academy mate.

[Mattias333]

Just caught up and read your career so far! Well done on kicking the unofficial NCFC B-team (Leeds Utd) behind!

I noticed in one of your posts you mentioned something about not being happy only making 2 chances.....In real life that appears to be Chris Hughtons aim! lol but thats another story.

Im a bit like you. Dont get me wrong im all for keeping a good defensive record, but goals get you wins, wins get you more points, more points achieves more success. In real life its almost like Hughton is setting up to get a draw every game with it being a bonus if we happen to win. Complete opposite to what NCFC fans were use to under Paul Lambert where his moto was very much in the Keegan mold in the sense that it seemed his attitude was dont matter how many you score, we will score more.

Keep the updates coming chap, keeps me entertained during the boring days at work!

[jkwest]

Just caught up and read your career so far! Well done on kicking the unofficial NCFC B-team (Leeds Utd) behind!

I noticed in one of your posts you mentioned something about not being happy only making 2 chances.....In real life that appears to be Chris Hughtons aim! lol but thats another story.

Im a bit like you. Dont get me wrong im all for keeping a good defensive record, but goals get you wins, wins get you more points, more points achieves more success. In real life its almost like Hughton is setting up to get a draw every game with it being a bonus if we happen to win. Complete opposite to what NCFC fans were use to under Paul Lambert where his moto was very much in the Keegan mold in the sense that it seemed his attitude was dont matter how many you score, we will score more.

Keep the updates coming chap, keeps me entertained during the boring days at work!

Haha, gotta be the most frustrating thing creating minimal chances especially when your at home. Don't get me wrong I don't expect to create hundreds of chances every game but I do expect to dominate at home, unless i'm playing the likes of say Man City and Chelsea who are near enough impossible to beat lol! Cheers for the comment though mate, I appreciate it.

[jkwest]

Season 3 - Pre Season 2014/15

Overall a very comfortable preseason, scoring 26 and conceding 1 in 6 games. Not that you can really ever grasp anything from preseason so there's no point in me getting too excited.

There were no real significant departures apart from a few fringe players being sold/loaned out. Apart from losing 2 youngsters, Ali Johnson and Jordan Watson, to Spurs and Chelsea respectively. It's a bit frustrating to lose them, but I wasn't willing to give a 17 yr old 5k p/w when they weren't going to feature in the team.

I decided to bring in a new RB, Miguel Torres, who looks capable of handling himself in the Prem. I also, brought in some more experience in Gaston Sangoy and Scott Parker. Once again we brought Eduardo Salvio back in on loan, I would love to sign him but he's worth 11.75M and on 39k p/w.

Just to explain my transfer policy. I've carried on with signing fairly older players due to the fact that i'm determined to integrate my youngsters eventually into the side, therefore as long as my 1st XI players are of a high standard I don't need to spend a huge amount on backup players as long as they have the quality to play.

After all the transfers and departures during Pre Season are finances are still looking healthy.

Here's a look at the current squad for the season. I'm still looking into the possibly of buying a few more youngsters to improve our U18s and Reserves.

[deltablue]

You might benefit from not being busy with Europe.

[jkwest]

August

A fairly bright start to the season. A very promising win over Southampton was the highlight of August. We've already gone one better in the Capital One Cup compared to last season. The defeat against Swansea put a bit of a downer on the month but Swansea away was always going to be a difficult game.

[jkwest]

September

A very satisfying month for the lads. Despite losing against Arsenal, which was expected, we comfortably beat Wigan and Burnley in the league and then further progressed in the Capital One Cup against Ipswich.

I'm quite pleased that both Hooper and van Wolfswinkel are putting the ball in the back of the net. Although we're only 6 games in they sit joint top goalscorers with 6 goals a piece.

We're currently sitting in 4th, a very positive start to the season. On the other hand, i'm far from getting ahead of myself and excited about our start as it is only 6 games in.

[deltablue]

It won't last

[jkwest]

It won't last

I don't expect it to.