[FM23] Another Island Life - Green Lion Pride - A Guernsey FC Youth Story

[Punch]

12 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

There's that age-old adage isn't there: would you rather have the points on the board or the games in-hand?

Very true mate.

There is also the other issue, that we have to fit all those games into our schedule at some stage, so we are possibly going to end up with a lot of games to be played in a very short amount of space.

We may become the victims if our own success this season.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2045 - FA Cup 4th Round - At Sheffield Wednesday

 

 

It was domination from start to finish as we hammered the League Two Owls into submission by the half hour mark.

A hat-trick for Chamberlain, along with a brace from O'Connor, and while we didn't keep a clean sheet, it was a pretty solid defensive effort.

 

Roll on the winnings.

 

We head to Bolton to take on the Wanderers in the 5th Round, who we have a good record against from our time in the Championship.

 

A new month will bring a return to League action, it seems an eternity since we played in the League, but we will host the relegation zone Boro, but they have won three, and drawn one of their last five matches.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2045 - While we were on Cup duty

 

The Premier League continues to roll along without us, and the few games played have dropped us to 10th, and we have now played up to 5 games less than some of those around us.

[Punch]

 

JAN 2045

 

An incredible month, although we faced only one League match, we went undefeated, although we required two draws, and penalties to get past Arsenal in the League Cup.

I don't think I have ever seen a schedule like that before.

 

Stats

 

Goalkeepers

 

 

Defenders

 

 

Midfielders

 

 

Forwards

 

 

 

Transfers

 

After not doing much in sales at the beginning of the season, I have sent a few players on their way in the mid season window.

 

Stevens had never managed to establish himself as a first team regular, so a massive offer was accepted, and we sent him on his way.

 

Ward was another who had not managed to take his chances, most of his 85 appearances came from the bench.

 

Our former Number 1, had fallen way down the pecking order this season, not making a single appearance so far this season.

With an embarrassment of talent between the sticks, we moved him on.

 

Another of our big pool of keepers, who had never served as more than a back up, and with others coming through, and Redmond entrenched as our number 1, it was time to cash in on him as well.

 

15 players out, but a lot were younger kids sent out on loan.

 

That record increased by another £40 million before the window closed.

 

Our wages have stayed about the same through the season, with only Preston spending less than us.

 

A great month financially, based largely on player sales.

 

...and this is where our lack of League matches last month begins to bite hard.

We face 8 matches next month, including a massive 7 League games in three weeks, along with the League Cup Final. 

[Stuniverse]

4 hours ago, Punch said:

Very true mate.

There is also the other issue, that we have to fit all those games into our schedule at some stage, so we are possibly going to end up with a lot of games to be played in a very short amount of space.

We may become the victims if our own success this season.

Yeah, Paul Warne said during Derby's promotion run-in last season that he'd rather have the points on the board even though the chasing pack could overtake Derby if they won all their three or four game-in-hand, the reality was they weren't going to win them all.

And Warne was proved right.

[Punch]

20 hours ago, Stuniverse said:

Yeah, Paul Warne said during Derby's promotion run-in last season that he'd rather have the points on the board even though the chasing pack could overtake Derby if they won all their three or four game-in-hand, the reality was they weren't going to win them all.

And Warne was proved right.

Yeah, that double edged sword of having games in hand, but needing to fit those games into the schedule.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - Match Day 21 - Vs Middlesbrough

 

 

A real missed chance here as we gave up points against the relegation zone Boro.

Our attack ran riot, particularly in the second half, but we just couldn't find a way past their keeper, who had an absolute blinder.

 

Just a few make up games today, but we miss a chance and stay 10th.

 

We travel to Blackburn who sit just one place behind us.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - Match Day 22 - At Blackburn Rovers

 

 

Back to our attacking best as we blasted Rovers off their own park with four goals by half time, including an incredible 7 minute hat-trick from O'Connor.

The second half wandered along a bit, and we got caught napping, conceding a sloppy goal late.

 

Back to our winning ways and we gain two spots to 8th place.

 

Away to Preston and we must make the most of these games against the lower teams and collect maximum points.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - Match Day 23 - At Preston North End

 

 

The Lilywhites have been pretty poor since their promotion to the Premier League, but we still had to do a good job if we wanted the three points.

Marshall and Chambers had us two goals up pretty quickly, but from there we seemed to wander slightly, even giving a goal back just before half time.

A half time baking got the boys back on track, and we dominated the second half, with Chambers and Marshall each completing their braces.

We also were much better defensively, completely shutting down the hosts attack.

 

Just a few make up games played, as we have jumped to 6th place.

We are certainly making the most of those games in hand, but it will be interesting to see how we manage the fatigue issues later in the month.

 

The games keep coming as we host 14th place Wolves.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - Match Day 24 - Vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

 

 

We continue our good run with a dominant performance over Wolves.

We had a lot of possession, but only one goal to show for our efforts by the break, so we had to make sure we did a good job in the second half.

I needed not worry, as 7 minutes in, we had smashed in two goals, well and truly putting the game to bed.

Another brace for Sam Marshall, who is now keeping club stalwart Romario Finnegan out of the starting line up, showing that we have really broken our reliance on him alone for goals.

 

We jump to 5th place over the beaten Arsenal.

I only just noticed Manchester City...only conceding 8 goals in 26 games so far 

 

We host 13th place Brentford.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - Match Day 25 - Vs Brentford

 

 

A tough day on the island, but we just managed to scrape home with a point.

After a tight first half, which ended scoreless, it was then made harder in the second when Toby Brooks got himself sent off for a clumsy second yellow.

Neither side could score from open play though, with both goals coming through penalties.

A weird result, but after going a man down, we were probably lucky to take a point.

 

Another from the class of 43 makes their League debut.

 

A silly second yellow means we are down another player in a congested shcedule.

 

Just a few make up games again...but Manchester United 

We drop to 6th with Arsenal's win.

 

We travel to 18th place Southampton.

 

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - Europa League Round of 16 Draw

 

We head to Tilburg in the Netherlands for the Round of 16, where we face the 1st Leg against Willem II, before they travel to the island for the 2nd Leg.

 

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - Match Day 26 - At Southampton

 

 

For all our dominance in this one, the Saints really hung tough, playing the part of spoilers, frustrating us almost into submission.

Our boys kept at it though, and with the introduction of some legs off the bench, the goals started to flow late, as Finnegan and Marshall put us on the board.

Buss put the icing on the cake, before the hosts caught us on the break as we kept right on attacking, but it would only prove a conciliation.

This match was a testament to our patience, as we could easily have been frustrated into mistakes, but came away with what looks in the end, like a comfortable win.

Thankfully, O'Connor's injury was only minor, and he is only out for a few days.

 

We leapfrog the Gunners again into 5th place as our good form continues.

 

A much tougher match up as we host the white hot Manchester City.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - Match Day 27 - Vs Manchester City

 

 

A disappointing result as we fall at home for the first time this season, failing to contain the juggernaut that has been Manchester City this season.

After a solid defensive performance to hold them to s single goal at the break, we lost our way a bit in the second half, falling 0-3 behind, before we finally started playing with any sort of attacking freedom.

Marshall continued his rise with a stunning curling effort from outside the box, while Chamberlain turned in a goal line scramble, to make the last 10 minutes interesting, but ultimately, it was too little, too late.

 

We stay 5th as Arsenal are beaten again.

While we lost, we can take some positives from Manchester City having conceded only 10 goals all season, and we are one of only two teams to score multiple goals against them.

 

The first real Trophy of the season goes on the line as we head to Wembley to take on West Ham in the League Cup Final.

The Hammers have won two of the last three League Cups, while we won the title in between, our first Trophy since joining the Premier League.

[Stuniverse]

4 minutes ago, Punch said:

A disappointing result as we fall at home for the first time this season, failing to contain the juggernaut that has been Manchester City this season.

You gave them a good run for their money though, @Punch

[Punch]

16 minutes ago, Stuniverse said:

You gave them a good run for their money though, @Punch

But did we though?

We were pretty gun shy, and they were three up and probably backed off a bit, before we finally woke up and started attacking like we normally do.

The last 10 minutes got a bit hairy for them, but where was that intensity for the first 80 minutes?

We are getting there, but at the same time it seems so near, yet so far...

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - League Cup Final Preview

 

 

League Cup Final time and while the Hammers start slight favourites, with their recent form and record, they should probably be heavier favourites.

We have a pretty poor record against them historically, so it is going to be a tough match for us, but after having had a monster month of League games, we are going to also have some tired legs coming into this match.

[Blarney]

18 hours ago, Punch said:

 

FEB 2045 - Match Day 27 - Vs Manchester City

 

 

A disappointing result as we fall at home for the first time this season, failing to contain the juggernaut that has been Manchester City this season.

After a solid defensive performance to hold them to s single goal at the break, we lost our way a bit in the second half, falling 0-3 behind, before we finally started playing with any sort of attacking freedom.

Marshall continued his rise with a stunning curling effort from outside the box, while Chamberlain turned in a goal line scramble, to make the last 10 minutes interesting, but ultimately, it was too little, too late.

 

We stay 5th as Arsenal are beaten again.

While we lost, we can take some positives from Manchester City having conceded only 10 goals all season, and we are one of only two teams to score multiple goals against them.

 

The first real Trophy of the season goes on the line as we head to Wembley to take on West Ham in the League Cup Final.

The Hammers have won two of the last three League Cups, while we won the title in between, our first Trophy since joining the Premier League.

I'd say unlucky in this one.

[Punch]

5 hours ago, Blarney said:

I'd say unlucky in this one.

Gave them too big of a head start before we finally started playing like we can. Hopefully we are learning those lessons.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - League Cup Final - Vs West Ham United

 

 

 

Trophy time as we collect the second trophy of our Premier League era, with a massive upset, convincingly beating the heavily favoured Hammers.

After a tight first half, where we held a slight advantage, mostly thanks to some solid defending, we blew the game apart in the second half, running away with the title in the end.

Sam Marshall continued his meteoric rise, running riot through the West Ham defence, and even though he didn't score himself, he set up two goals, and continually pulled defenders away from other players, allowing them easier access to goal.

A brilliant performance all around though, as we take the Cup for the second time in three years.

 

A little bit of prize money for this one.

 

A strange one as we had already won this competition.

 

The result means that between us, West Ham and Guernsey have now taken out the last four League Cups.

 

We will definitely be involved in Europe again next season.

 

Leading the way in goal scoring and assists.

 

We return to European action as we travel to the Netherlands for the 1st Leg of the Round of 16 against Willem II.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045 - While we were on Cup duty

 

The Premier League rolls on with or without us, but we hold in 6th place.

We still have games in hand over those around us, but a packed schedule of games still remains.

[Punch]

 

FEB 2045

 

A massive month, but we performed brilliantly, taking four wins, two draws, and just the one loss from seven League matches, while we rounded out the month with our second League Cup title.

 

Sam Marshall's star continues to rise, taking out the Player of the Month, smashing home 6 goals from 5 games.

 

He also took out the Young Player of the Month, while Guernsey players took out all three places.

 

I took out 3rd place in the Manager of the Month award, the first time I have been listed in this one.

 

Stats

 

Goalkeepers

 

 

Defenders

 

 

Midfielders

 

 

Forwards

 

An exciting development, as we have had three players hit 20 goals, and none of them are named Finnegan.

While Finnegan has become a bench specialist, and still managed to net 12 goals himself, we are showing that our reliance on him is well and truly broken.

 

In winning our second title, we broke the record for goals scored during the League Cup campaign.

 

We make a loss this month, despite the additional pay out for the Wigman transfer deal.

 

A much less hectic month as we start out with Cups, Round of 16 in the Europa League wrapped around our FA Cup 5th Round, before we face three League matches.

[Blarney]

On 01/08/2024 at 03:37, Punch said:

 

FEB 2045 - League Cup Final - Vs West Ham United

 

 

 

Trophy time as we collect the second trophy of our Premier League era, with a massive upset, convincingly beating the heavily favoured Hammers.

After a tight first half, where we held a slight advantage, mostly thanks to some solid defending, we blew the game apart in the second half, running away with the title in the end.

Sam Marshall continued his meteoric rise, running riot through the West Ham defence, and even though he didn't score himself, he set up two goals, and continually pulled defenders away from other players, allowing them easier access to goal.

A brilliant performance all around though, as we take the Cup for the second time in three years.

 

A little bit of prize money for this one.

 

A strange one as we had already won this competition.

 

The result means that between us, West Ham and Guernsey have now taken out the last four League Cups.

 

We will definitely be involved in Europe again next season.

 

Leading the way in goal scoring and assists.

 

We return to European action as we travel to the Netherlands for the 1st Leg of the Round of 16 against Willem II.

Great win!!

[Punch]

1 hour ago, Blarney said:

Great win!!

Especially considering how we have struggled against those top teams, this was a brilliant win.

We just kept finding ways to put the ball in the net, and never let them back into the game.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - Europa League Round of 16 - 1st Leg - At Willem II (Netherlands)

 

 

 

A physical match, with a card happy referee, handing out 8 yellows, but somehow both teams managed to keep all their players on the pitch.

After the dust settled, we came away with a massive advantage, heading into the 2nd Leg back at the Green Lions Den next week.

Kennedy put us in front with the early penalty, but from there the game really bogged down in a massive series of fouls, with that being the only goal of the 1st half.

It was nearly the 70 minute mark before we put the game away, with Kennedy again finishing a good series of passing to slot home our second.

The icing on the cake came off the bench with Toby Brooks making a nuisance of himself among the hosts defence to cause an error and smash home a third goal.

A massive effort to shut out the hosts, and keep them scoreless, leaving it all for them to do next week.

 

Probably no real shocks in this round of results, although there are still some very close ties to be played out.

 

We stay in Cup mode, of the FA variety this time around as we travel to Bolton for our 5th Round encounter.

Edited August 14 by Punch

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - While we were on Cup Duty

 

While we were in the Netherlands, the League rolls on, with results dropping us to 6th place, but we still have 2-3 games in hand over those around us.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - FA Cup 5th Round - At Bolton Wanderers

 

 

We were heavy favourites, and we took a heavy win, despite playing a heavily rotated team, with our Europa League fixture in just two days time.

A massive performance though, as we smashed home three goals in each half to have raced to a 6-0 lead before they pulled one back in the shadows of full time.

Job done and we move on to the next round.

 

Winning keeping the bank balance rolling.

 

We are off to Southampton for the Quarter Final, which will change our schedule as our Manchester United game will be moved to next month, creating a crazy schedule for April.

We have a good record against the Saints though, so will will be looking to keep that rolling as we look for a place in the Semi Finals.

 

Our Cup run continues as we host Willem II in the 2nd Leg, where we hold a 3-0 lead.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - Europa League Round of 16 - 2nd Leg - Vs Willem II (Netherlands)

 

 

We went into this one with a handy advantage from the 1st Leg, but we still had to do a professional job to get through the next round.

We certainly achieved that in an attacking masterclass as we went all out, blowing the visitors out of the park.

Two goals in each half, and we probably should have scored a lot more as we managed to hit the post an incredible four times.

The job is done and we move on to the Quarter Finals.

 

Winning keeps the bank rolling.

 

No shocks in the Round of 16 results, but it's another week or so until we found out who we face in the Quarter Final.

 

We return to League action as we travel to 15th place Bournemouth.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - Match Day 28 - At AFC Bournemouth

 

 

It took us a while, but we finally run over the top them late in the second half.

After a tight first half where we couldn't find the back of the net, it took over an hour before Marshall broke the deadlock.

His second just before full time sealed the deal, before two players came off the bench to smash home injury time goals to make the score line look inflated.

 

We hold steady in 6th place, and we still have 2-3 games in hand.

 

A short turn around before we face a make up game against 8th place Chelsea.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - Match Day 29 - Vs Chelsea

 

 

An epic battle at the Green Lions Den as we couldn't be separated from a tough Chelsea outfit.

They took the lead into the break, before we hit back in the second half.

We could have ended up with the three points, but for our continued impressive record of hitting the woodwork.

 

We were the only match in action today, the result keeps us in 6th place, while we still have a game or two in hand over those around us.

 

We return to FA Cup action, travelling to Southampton for the Quarter Final.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - Europa League Quarter Final Draw

 

We will face French giants Maeseille in the Quarter Final next month, which will add two extra games to our already packed schedule.

We will host the 1st Leg on the island, and we will then head to France for the 2nd Leg.

 

A 1,200 kilometre trips awaits us for the 2nd Leg.

 

We are the only remaining England representative in the competition.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - FA Cup Quarter Final - At Southampton

 

 

An absolutely crazy game as we were in complete control, had the game wrapped up, and then fell asleep at the wheel, giving up an equaliser deep into injury time.

Extra time was all one way traffic though as we blasted away to take the match, and march on to the Semi Final.

A good result in the end, but we made much harder work of it than we needed to.

 

Winning keeps the money rolling.

 

We are off to Wembley for the Semi Final, where we have been drawn against Championship side Fulham, who pulled off a massive upset, knocking over Tottenham to reach this stage.

We have had some tight battles, although we have had the best of them most recently.

 

The win over Southampton was our last match for the month as we now face a two week break for International fixtures, where we will have nearly 30 players called up, before we face Boro next month.

[Punch]

MAR 2045 - While we were on Cup duty

 

Those teams not involved in FA Cup duty were in League action this weekend.

The results didn't have any effect on our 6th placing though.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045

 

We are still involved in so many Cup games that the League is starting to fall behind as we only get in 2 games this month, although we do register a win and a draw.

We advance to the Quarter Finals of the Europa League, still not having conceded a goal in that competition, while we advance twice in the FA Cup.

 

Sam Marshall continues his brilliant rise, taking out another Young Player of the Month award.

 

Internationals

 

Plenty of players on International duty to end the month, while we welcome our 43rd and 44th Senior Internationals.

 

The seed bursts into flower, as our young striker Sam Marshall is listed as the best Wonderkid, taking out this years NXGN award.

A very well deserved recognition in light of his massive rise this season.

We also ended up with three players recognised in the top 50.

 

A small profit this month, and we take advantage of another add on clause that pays off.

 

O!M!G!!!

We knew our good Cup runs would result in catching up with us in the end, but the schedulers have smacked us with the biggest stick possible, as we face a mammoth 9 games next month.

[Punch]

 

MAR 2045 - Youth Intake

 

It's that time of year, and the Class of 45 has arrived, and while the preview offered a little bit to be excited about, it appears to have delivered a few possible gems.

 

I have never been too convinced about the star system, but this one is all over the place.

 

The attributes are all over the place as well, but there is massive potential among those at the top of the list.

Nice to see a few Guernsey natives in the list, although we will probably only pick up two of them.

 

The Top 5

Spoiler

Pace, finishing, technique, and plenty of potential growth.

A possible frontline partner for Sam Marshall in time to come.

 

Plenty of pace, and quality technique, but we will probably look to train him as a midfielder.

Again, massive potential to look forward too.

 

Another exciting forward, and while he may not have the excitement of Bolton above, he is none the less a prospect with impressive potential.

 

The best defender of the intake, and while there are a few rough edges, there is a possible diamond awaiting us down the line.

 

Much like the previous, this is another potential diamond, if we can polish up some of those rough edges.

 

 

 

 

Overall, a pretty exciting intake, with plenty of players who have the potential to be a part of the mix, if we can get them to reach their considerable potential.

Happy to see that our Academy is still producing plenty of exciting prospects.

[Punch]

 

APR 2045 - Match Day 30 - At Middlesbrough

 

 

A lacklustre start to the month, although I guess we can take positive from the fight back.

We got off to a bad start, and it was worse when we were two down after 15 minutes, which we were probably lucky to stay only two down at the break.

The second half was a much better performance as we started to return to our attacking best, but it took us until the 72nd minute before Marshall finally got us on the board.

Our super-sub Captain, Finnegan came off the bench to smash home an equaliser late in the game, but we could not find a winner.

This was a disappointing result against a relegation zone opponent, especially when we have a massive month, where every point is going to be important.

 

We stay in 6th place, just above the chasing pack, but with games in hand, but also showing how this was a missed opportunity.

 

We return to Europa League action, as we host Marseille in the 1st Leg of the Quarter Final.

 

[Stuniverse]

I've been away for a bit @Punch but am all caught up now.

Given how well Guernsey have done, including hammering West Ham in the Cup Final... maybe I should go away more often...

[Punch]

1 hour ago, Stuniverse said:

I've been away for a bit @Punch but am all caught up now.

Given how well Guernsey have done, including hammering West Ham in the Cup Final... maybe I should go away more often...

Haha...have been away myself lately, just trying to get back into it, and I am so not ready to go back to work tomorrow 

The Cup Final was a shock result, given how heavily favoured West Ham were, but as I said earlier, we just kept scoring so they couldn't get back into the game.

[Punch]

 

APR 2045 - Europa League Quarter Final - 1st Leg - Vs Olympique De Marseille (France)

 

 

A full house at the Green Lions Den as we do enough to get the job done in the 1st Leg.

Early pressure resulted in a goal inside two minutes to allow us to control the temp of the match.

We continued to play attacking football, but it took until an hour later to score the second goal, which puts us completely in control of the tie.

We possibly should have scored more, but we take a handy lead to the return leg in France next week.

We continue our brilliant record of not yet having conceded a goal in this competition.

 

A quick turn around as we stay at home, returning to League action to host the 9th placed Leeds in a tricky encounter.

[Punch]

 

APR 2045 - Match Day 31 - Vs Leeds United

 

 

An absolutely stunning result as we run riot over the Whites, who just had no answer for Sam Marshall.

Even though the officials did everything they could to keep him off the scoresheet, with VAR having to overrule the on field officials all four times (which must be some kind of record), he just kept putting the ball in the net.

A great result and a clean sheet to boot.

 

The result keeps un in 6th place, with two games in hand over those around us.

 

Back to Europa League action as we head to France to take on Marseille in the 2nd Leg of our Quarter Final, with us holding a 2-0 advantage.

 

[Punch]

 

APR 2045 - Europa League Quarter Final - 2nd Leg - At Olympique De Marseille

 

 

We headed to Marseille with a two goal advantage from the 1st Leg, and it took only 15 minutes for Sam Marshall to make a pest of himself among the hosts defence and put us three goals to the good.

Both sides played pretty attacking football throughout the match, but neither were able to make any impression on the scoresheet.

The rest of the match kind of faded away into the final quarter, as the result was secured, and both teams seemed content to look towards future games.

 

Another win keeps the money rolling.

 

We are now 12 games into this competition, and are still yet to concede a goal.

 

Plenty of goals in the other matches, especially for Leipzig, overturning a 1st Leg loss to book their place in the Semi Final.

 

We get German outfit Hoffenheim in the Semi Final.

We host the 1st Leg, before they host the 2nd Leg a week later.

We have one previous meeting, getting the better of the friendly encounter, some five years ago.

 

We return to League action with a massive clash against Spurs.

[Punch]

 

APR 2045 - Match Day 32 - At Tottenham Hotspur

 

 

A tough match at Hotspur Stadium as we go down in a tight one.

The hosts scored early before we hit back, only to give up another goal just after the half hour.

We put up a huge defensive effort, along with some luck from the posts to save us from going further behind at the break.

The same theme continued in the second half, as we struggled to hold them out.

The job got a little easier when they had a player sent off with 20 to go, however, we weren't able to take advantage, with the score remaining the same.

 

Just a few make up games over this weekend, the loss keeping us in 6th place.

With not long to go in the season, our two games in hand may become crucial to our final positioning.

 

A short turn around as we face another make up game against the struggling Manchester United.

[Punch]

 

APR 2045 - Match Day 33 - Vs Manchester United

 

 

The Red Devils have been horrendous this season, but this was a complete performance all up and down the park.

Sam Marshall was the clear standout, scoring two, and setting up the other two as he took the lead in the Premier League Golden Boot race as well.

All three forwards on the score sheet, a massive defensive effort to shut down the visitors, limiting them to only two shots on target, and a clean sheet to boot.

A really good day at the office, as we bounce back from the loss to Spurs, while making the most of our make up game.

 

We were the only teams in action today, the win leaping us over Arsenal on goal difference, while three losses on the bounce leaves United on the edge of relegation.

 

Another short turn around as we head to Newcastle to take on the struggling Magpies.

[Punch]

 

APR 2045 - Match Day 34 - At Newcastle United

 

 

We make the most of taking points off lower placed teams, with another dominant performance over the seemingly relegation bound Newcastle.

A big crowd in at St James, but it was all one way traffic, as our forwards made the most of the wet weather smashing home tow goals in each half.

A really quality performance, although we did relax a bit and give away a late goal, but otherwise, a good day out.

 

With Arsenal beaten, we jump three points clear of them, remaining in 5th, but we are still some way behind 4th, despite our game in hand.

 

A schedule change sees us returning to Europa League action, as we host German outfit Hoffenheim in the 1st Leg of our Semi Final.

[Blarney]

Tough loss against Tott but a good run nonetheless.  It looks like Man City is in it to win it but they're last 5 matches have pulled them back toward the pack a bit, especially with West Ham going on a run.

Edited August 25 by Blarney

[Punch]

1 hour ago, Blarney said:

Tough loss against Tott but a good run nonetheless.  It looks like Man City is in it to win it but they're last 5 matches have pulled them back toward the pack a bit, especially with West Ham going on a run.

Yeah, I still think they are favourites, but they are trying hard to bottle it...

[Punch]

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APR 2045 - Europa League Semi Final - 1st Leg - Vs TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

 

 

A really disappointing result at home, leaving us with a massive mountain to climb in the 2nd Leg next week.

We gave up an early goal, but hit straight back to level the scores, and this is where is started to go wrong.

We created so many chances, but were frustrated, and forgot to play our patient game, which came back to bight us as the visitors scored twice late to take a huge advantage back to Germany.

We have it all to do.

 

An even tougher assignment as we face our final make up game, on just one days rest, against the 4th place Liverpool.

[Punch]

 

APR 2045 - Match Day 35 - Vs Liverpool

 

 

A really tired performance, from both teams if I am honest, as this months marathon schedule has taken it's toll.

We scored the early goal, and then tried to hang on for dear life, as we didn't seem to have the energy left, despite the heavily rotated squad.

The visitors were not fairing much better, but late in the second half, their subs managed to mount a late challenge, and find the equaliser.

Both sides seemed happy to share the points, without risking further strain on the players.

 

A debut for one of the class of 43, as Cortell was called into the defensive line to cover some tired legs.

 

The schedule is still all over the place, but we hold 5th place, equal with Arsenal, one point clear of Chelsea, but we do still have a game in hand.

 

We are off to Germany to face Hoffenheim in the 2nd Leg of the Europa League Semi Final, with a massive challenge ahead of us, as we are trailing 1-3 from the 1st Leg last week.

[Punch]

 

APR 2045

 

An absolutely insane schedule this month, and it really started to take it's toll by the end of the month.

Three wins, two draws and a loss in our six League games, we advanced in the Europa League, before losing the 1st Leg of our Semi Final.

 

Marshall just goes from highlight to highlight as he slots home an incredible 9 goals in four League games.

 

He also takes out the Young Player award, while we took out all three places.

 

With no player sales this season, we are not as profitable this year, although e are still pretty well off financially.

 

A small loss this month, although we make further money from additional clauses to player sales.

 

We will be playing late into May, as our crazy schedule sees us not play our FA Cup Semi Final, until more than a month after Chelsea beat Arsenal in the other Semi.

We begin the month with our 2nd Leg against Hoffenheim, trailing by 2 goals, while we face three League games, but Champions League qualification is probably out of reach that way.

[Punch]

 

MAY 2045 - Europa League Semi Final - 2nd Leg - At TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

 

 

We won the battle, but we lost the war.

After we collapsed at home a week ago, we had it all to do in the 2nd Leg.

We got the early goal to give us a chance, but it was a tough battle, and we couldn't get the second goal we needed to level it up.

 

We fall just short of the Final, but advanced further than the Board expected us too, so I guess we can still call that a successful campaign.

 

A tricky return to League action as we travel to 9th place Everton.