BigJack

Predicted Finish = 20th

Competitions

Premier League - 14th. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Lost in the 3rd round to Middlesbrough.

Carabao Cup - Lost in the 2nd round to Guiseley.

I am actually disappointed with this season. We had a decent start and sat 5th after 7 games, tumbled down to 14th after 15 games before really kicking on and we sat 7th after 27 games. I honestly thought we had turned a corner but a bad run of form in the final 11 games meant we had to settle for 14th. Its still decent enough but we really need to start pushing on and trying to get higher up the table.

Playing Squad

We have a batch of youngsters who are on the cusp of the first team, and I am going to start trying to phase out the players who appear to have hit their ability ceiling over the next season or 2.

GK - Williams 31b

RB - Rooney 37c

CB - Bascoe 36a

CB - Adkins 39a

LB - Diallo 35b

CM - Woodcraft 36b

CM - Cook 37b

AMR - Mead 34d

AML - Rouse 36c

ST - Liddle 33c

ST - Jewell 33d

OTHERS

Youth Development

Another decent intake is topped off with the emergence of what looks a very good player in Mainoo 45a. The 3 elite talents are:

Mainoo 35a

Laybe 45b

Jeffries 45c

Finances and Facilities

Club Records Overall best 11

Another solid year and just after the season ended we moved into our new stadium. We have been playing in a 40'093 seater stadium for the last 3 years, and since our new stadium houses only 23'440 spectators, I instantly asked for it to be expanded upon completion, to which the board agreed.

Other

Mohamed Jabra set a new appearance record whilst we took charge of our 1100th game this season. We also, for the first time had 2 players on the NXGN List.

January 28, 2023

FC United Season 21 - 2043/44

Season Preview

Predicted Finish - 20th

Competitions

Premier League - 15th. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Knocked out in the 5th round by Chelsea.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in the 2nd round by Middlesborough.

I thought last seasons 10th placed finish was a overachievement, and I think this season has proven me right. We started well, and sat 10th after 10 games but then we sort of just plodded along for the remaining 28 games. We never looked in danger of going down, and secured safety with 3 games remaining, which in theory is the main aim at this point in the save, however we also never really looked like challenging for a top half spot like last year. Hopefully we can kick on next year.

Squad

We have a fully settled first 11 now and its really about developing the youngsters coming through.

Rooney 37c - Has started to really compete for the starting RB role.

Cook 37b - Is our star man and looks set to sign a new 5 year deal this summer.

Jewell 33d - Does his job but I don't see him improving much more sadly.

Davies 41e - One of those on the cusp of the first team, I need to make a choice on loaning him out for a season this summer.

Fisher 43b - Has made a few appearances this season and I am hopeful he can develop well.

Lee 43d - Another youngster who has done ok when needed this season, needs to improve in the final third.

Mastacaneanu 43a - Came into the team due to an injury to Mead and I am very positive on his future.

Youth Development

A really nice preview lead to a good intake, depending how you look on it. We have decent enough options in all positions, so rather than depth, I am now looking for a stand out player rather than 3 or 4 decent/good ones, this year we have exactly that. Owen 44a looks a real prospect and has already made 3 first team appearances. Harris 44b is the other elite talent where as I like the look of Forbes 44c and think he could go on to be of some use for us.

Owen 44a

Harris 44b

Forbes 44c

Finances and Facilities

Another solid year and we are now just 12 months away from moving into our new stadium. We still have no option to upgrade the youth facilities though and the current general manager has won another 2 year term this past December so we may have to wait another 18 months before we can even request it.

Other

We have had numerous job offers throughout the save, but this summer got our first from National sides with both England and Spain offering me the reigns. We also have our first regen Staff Member. Mcdermott 24c came through the 2024 intake and went on to make 546 appearances for us, scoring 73 and assisting 103 goals during his time, he also captained the side for a good decade and now starts his coaching career with us. Elsewhere, class of 2030 member Jason Brook picked up the Oceania Footballer Of The Year Award. He left the club in 2035 and moved around England before settling in the MLS and has really done well there,

We also had our 6th Player Poached from the academy. I hadn't took much notice until I checked the Transfer Clauses section. None look particularly good so I cant say I am too bothered at the moment,

January 25, 2023

FC United - 2042/43 - Season 20.

Season Preview

Predicted Finish - 20th

Competitions

Premier League - 10th. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Knocked out in the 4th round by Stoke.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in the 2nd round by Man Utd.

Its been a really good season for us, we started as relegation favourites again, and to be fair we played like it with only 2 wins in our first 9 games. I switched back to our 424 formation and this paid instant rewards with a thumping 7-0 win over Bournemouth. We started to pick up some form and had a 6 game unbeaten run which included this thrilling 5-4 win over Chelsea. The loss to City knocked us off our pedestal for a few games but we looked like we could mount a challenge for Europe 30 games in but a run of just 1 win our last 8 games meant we had to settle for 10th, a position I am delighted with in our 2nd year in the Prem.

Playing Squad

Another decent year where we haven't lost anyone, and our first team have continued to develop well.

Youth Development

Its a really good intake on first looks, including at least 2 players who could go on and be really good players for us. The elite talents are:

Finances and Facilities

Premier League money is just crazy, but despite our riches, we are stuck on excellent youth facilities. There has been no option to upgrade for at least 2 seasons now, and I think we have been hit by the bug or the chairman issue. The thing is, we dont have a chairman, we have a general manager who is selected via elections every 2 years. A election is due to take place later this year so I am hoping a new guy comes in and the option becomes available.

Other

We lost out on any future fee for the only wonderkid we have produced so far in Purcell 37a, he joined West Ham for less than we sold him to Fulham. I also hit the 1000 games mark.

January 18, 2023

FC United 2041/42 - Season 19.

Season Preview

Predicted Finish = 20th

Competitions

Premier League - 17th. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Lost in the 3rd round to Bristol City.

Carabao Cup - Lost in 2nd round to Sunderland.

Its been a struggle, but we have managed to seal the clubs Premier League status for another season with a 17th placed finish. We started poorly with just 1 point from our opening 3 games, this prompted me to switch from the 424 we have mainly been using to our 2nd formation, a more counter attacking 4231, and we then took 14 points from our next 8 games which had us looking really good. A run of 7 losses on the spin followed and put us well and truly back in the relegation picture. We picked up results here and there and with 5 games remaining, we had our fate in our own hands. A loss to Newcastle, followed by a draw with Chelsea meant we was almost safe, then this huge 2-1 Home Win over rivals Man Utd practically sealed survival with 2 games remaining.

Playing Squad

A good first year at this level, my big worry is the majority of my first 11 may be getting close to their potential ceilings and I need to start nurturing the next generation if we are to push on and really start to improve in the next couple of seasons. Main men this year were:

Jewell 33d - 15 league goals in his debut Prem season is not a bad return at all.

Adkins 39a - Is now one of the first names on the team sheet and continues to get better and better.

Woodcraft 36b - 9 goal contributions this season and he looked a natural at this level before dropping off towards the end of the season.

Diallo 35b - Was delighted he signed a new long term deal last summer having looked to be leaving on a free, he is a really important player for us as behind him we lack a decent back up.

Bascoe 36a - Solid first season from him at this level and he is one who I think can really kick on.

Youth Development

Its an ok intake, 3 elite talents but not the best in terms of personalities. The 3 elite talents are:

Harrison 42a

Fredricson 42b

Williams 42c

Finances and Facilities

Training Facilities and a New Stadium. Its not named after me which I am pretty gutted about as this is still something I have never managed to achieve on the game. Still, this is due to be built in 3 years time so we have a new temporary home until then. I have never heard of the Moritz Wunderlich stadium in Bolton, but it has 40903 capacity so the clubs coffers should see a nice boost if we can pack it out.

Edit: Did a little digging regarding the stadium, and it appears Moritz is a German tycoon who purchased Bolton in 2026, built a stadium in 2031, named it after himself and then withdrew funding in 2041. What a chap!.

Other

January 9, 2023

FC United Season 18 - 2040/41

Season Preview

Predicted Finish = 21st

Competitions

EFL Championship - 1st. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Knocked out in the 3rd round by Nottingham Forest.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in the 1st round by Peterborough United.

After last seasons 7th placed finish, I was confident going into this season that we could challenge for the play offs at the very least. We had a decent summer where we only lost 1 player, Mike Purcell 37a moved to Fulham in a Transfer worth £27.5m. Personally I would have kept him but the board accepted the bid and gave me no option to protest their decision. Anyway, we started the season steadily but not particularly well, and you will see from the past positions graph that we actually were sat in 15th place after 20 games. This is when the penny dropped and we started picking up momentum, as we lost just 2 of our next 22 games to leave us in 2nd Place after 42 games. You can see how tight the league was with just 3 points separating the top 6. 7 points from our next 3 games meant we headed into the Final Day as Champions Elect, as our 3 point gap and +12 GD advantage was a hard task for Sheff Utd to overcome, in the end we both lost on the final day of the season anyway. It as taken 18 seasons but we have finally made it to the promised land that is the Premier League and all its riches.

Playing Squad

Another amazing season from what is a brilliant group of players. We have a brilliant core and a few decent back up options. Next year is a huge step up and one I hope we are ready for.

GK - Williams 31b

RB - Askey 35c

LB - Diallo 35b - He refused to sign a new deal for the past 2 years and I thought I would lose him, turns out he has changed his mind and signed a new 5 year deal.

CB - Bascoe 36a

CB - Jabra 30a

CM - Woodcraft 36b

CM - Cook 37b

AMR - Mead 34d

AML - Rouse 36c

ST - Liddle 33c

ST - Tucker 38g - Stepped up in the absence of Jewell 33d and done a brilliant job.

Others

Smith 32b

Jewell 33d - Usually our main man, and started the season on fire with 22 goal contributions in 21 starts, then he got a injury and one led to another and he only managed 5 sub appearances after that.

Rooney 37c

Adkins 39a - Another solid breakout season from him and he is on the verge of becoming a regular.

Jepsen 37d

Murphy 35a

Bennett 37g

Youth Development

Our most promising preview for a few seasons as led a decent enough intake. 4 elite talents and a top talent who I really like the look off.

Finances and Facilities

Training Facilities Upgrade alongside a Youth Level Increase to Category 1. This was later Confirmed at the end of the campaign. A big disappointment was the announcement that our planned new stadium has been Scrapped. I thought with promotion to the Premier League, this would 100% go ahead but I was wrong. The board did announce after they are installing Under Soil Heating at our current ground though, yay. After that was scrapped I asked for another Training Facilities Upgrade which the board accepted.

Other

I reached 900 Games in management this season.

January 4, 2023

35 minutes ago, thomas_e said:

FC Energie Cottbus

Season Summary 2032 - 2033

A great season that ended with European glory!

CHALLENGE COMPLETE

What a great season for us! We didn't manage to defend the Bundesliga title from last year, but our goal was the Champions League and we really delivered! We beat Arsenal 3-1 in the Champions League final and that means the challenge is complete!

We finished 2nd in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munchen. They finished 10 points ahead of us, but we only got 6 points less than we did last year (when we won), so it wasn't really a bad domestic year, Bayern were just really good! We did beat them at the end of the season, proving that we are very much competitive against them. We rotated quite a bit this year, but our goal was always to finish top 3 and that was never in danger!

Anyway, the focus was on the Champions League, and if we slipped up a few times in the league we looked phenomenal in Europe. We finished in 8th place in the group stage, meaning that we went straight to the last 16 knockout phase. In the first game we faced Borussia Dortmund. A really strange two-leg tie as we lost 1-2 away, but won 6-2 at home in the return leg!

Next up was Man City, a team that looked amazing on paper. We managed to beat them 3-2 at home in a game we probably should have lost! In Manchester for the return leg we got through after a crazy 3-3 game. I have to count my blessings in that game as well, as Man City managed to get 6 players from the first game injured in the days leading up to the return leg, including Erling Haaland. How they managed that I don't know, but we basically ended up playing a very weakened City team.

In the semi final we faced Inter, a team that had a very easy route to the semi final. We were simply a much better side than them and we won 2-1 in Italy in the first leg before crushing them 4-1 at home in the return fixture.

The final against Arsenal was a very even affair, with Arsenal taking the lead in the first half. We managed to fight back and in the end I think we deserved to win.

The last goal in the final was scored by Josua Pagot, and that was well deserved, as he has been by far my best player this season, a campaign I wont forget. He won player of the year in the Bundesliga and the Champions League. 13 goals, 26 assists and a 7,49 avg. rating from left wing says it all, a majestic campaign!

I was surprised that we won the Champions League so fast, but looking at the team we are a really good side. We dont really have many weaknesses, except maybe missing that top quality striker. This is my second time completing the challenge with Energie Cottbus, which is cool. Even cooler is the fact that we had players on the bench in the CL final that played in my first season with the team!

After a couple of bad years we got a great youth intake, not that it matters now!

I really love doing this challenge in Germany, but now its on to the next one!

@darren1983, challenge complete!

Season Summary



Key Players



Youth Intake

Congrats mate

January 4, 2023

Lets try this again shall we.

FC United Season 17 - 2039/40

Season Preview

Predicted Finish: 22nd

Competition Overview

EFL Championship - 7th. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Knocked out in the 3rd Round by Middlesbrough.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in the 1st Round by Shrewsbury Town.

The crash meant we had to replay the last 10 league games, we came 9th pre crash, but this time managed to finish 7th. I am glad we didnt make the Play Offs/Promotion as it would have just felt dirty after failing first time around. Still a very promising season, and if we can progress as much over the next 12 months as we did this year, we could very well be looking at a promotion push.

Playing Squad

Squad Best 11 Transfers

Another great year and one where we have had a few players emerge and grab first team spots and make them their own. I am hopeful that we can avoid any sales this summer and make a real push for the play offs next season. Notable Mentions for:

Bascoe 36a - Has made one of the 2 CB spots his own and is improving all the time.

Adkins 39a - Broke into the 1st team towards the end of the season and looks a real prospect.

Cook 37b - Another player who has broke into the first team picture this season and also won his first Japan cap.

Woodcraft 36b - Improving all the time and is developing a nice little partnership with Cook.

Purcell 37a - Another solid season saw him ranked 28th on the NXGN list.

Rouse 36c - Moved him back to the wing but fills in at CM if needed still and does a job in both roles.

Liddle 33c - Has started to look better in front of goal but I think he may have hit his ceiling.

Jewell 33d - Another solid year and his best yet as he hit 34 goals in all comps.

Youth Development

Still nothing amazing with just 1 elite talent, and he has dropped to 4 star potential already.

O'Leary 40a

Finances and Facilities

A productive season saw us agree a Stadium Expansion early on, before this took off the board announced this expansion was being scrapped due to plans To Build A New Stadium. I am excited for this and hold out hope that I could finally get a stadium named after me for the first time ever.

We also asked for a Youth Facilities Upgrade and this was accepted. I asked again in April, And the board agreed again. This will take us to either superb or state of the art youth facilities and alongside a new HOYD, I am hoping to improve our intakes as they have not been amazing recently.

Other

January 3, 2023

Congrats @Neo_Geo

January 3, 2023

Can scrap the last update (which I have now deleted). As I uploaded it the game crashed, this has pushed me back to the start of March which changes everything, intake included.

January 1, 2023

FC United Season 16 - 2038/39.

Season Preview

Predicted Finish - 24th

Competitions

EFL Championship - 15th. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Lost in the 4th Round to Newcastle United.

Carabao Cup - Lost in the 3rd Round to Aston Villa.

Predicted to finish bottom of the pile, our first season in the Championship looked like a tough challenge. 3 weeks before the season started, my board decided to make this challenge even harder. I had already organised to sell Macormac 34c to Forest for £8.75m + 50% of any future fee, before they decided to sell Thompson 33e to Basel for £14.75m + 30% of any future profit and Wood 34a to Everton for £8.75m upfront, £3.5m after 20 league games and 30% of any future profit. This left me looking for 3 new starters as all 3 were key men for us. If you would have offered me 21st at this point I would have took it. We started the season well and we never really flirted with the relegation spots as we sat in mid table and recorded a very respectable 15th placed finish.

Playing Squad

We have some really talented players in the squad and if we can avoid losing anyone, we can have another decent season where we avoid a relegation battle. I genuinely think if we can develop a few players and get the strikers scoring this season then we can push on for a top half finish.

GK - Williams 31b - Another decent year as our number 1, we conceded a fair amount of goals but as a newly promoted club who play attacking football, thats to be expected.

RB - Askey 35c - A solid option at right back and he continues to attract Premier League interest.

LB - Diallo 35b - Another solid player but he is sulking over moving to a bigger club.

CB - Jabra 30a - Been with us nearly 10 years and continues to be a major presence in the side.

CB - Bascoe 36a - A new face in our back line, really pushed on towards the end of the season and will be a started for us going forward.

CM - Woodcraft 36b - Another who really made the push to first team regular this year.

CM - Rouse 36c - After the transfers we were left short in midfield so moved him from the wing and he adapted really well.

AMR - Mead 34d - Replaced Thompson and had a brilliant year.

AML - Purcell 37a - He will be our main man very soon if I can keep hold of him. Is also our first ever player to make the NXGN list, coming in at number 32.

ST - Liddle 33c - Needs to start scoring more but does a lot of work, our Nunez.

ST - Jewell 33d - Had a good first year at this level and I am confident he will get 20 league goals next season.

Others

Cook 37b - Stepped into the first team picture and is developing really well.

Rooney 37c - A solid option at RB and is being hunted by prem clubs.

Savage 33b - Has spent most his time with us out on loan but he done ok.

Turnbull 28d - Remains a solid option but Bascoe 36a emerging means he is back to 3rd choice,

Mcdermott 24c - Will get his testimonial this summer in a game against Celtic and always does his job when called upon.

Bennet 37g - Stepped in when needed and done ok, needs some development but he looks a decent option for the future.

Youth Development

Its a better intake than last year and we have 2 cb's who could be of use in the future. The best of the bunch are:

Finances and Facilities

At the start of the season, following the player sales we agreed the creation of our U21's side and a Training Facilities Upgrade. We also managed to convince the board to Expand the stadium. Come the end of the season the Stadium Expansion was announced, as was the Youth Category Increase mentioned in the last post. We are ticking along nicely on this front, with great training facilities and good youth facilities, Exceptional junior coaching and youth recruitment also. The stadium expansion takes us to 16552 with Broadhurst Parks maximum capacity 20000, we may be only 5 or so years away from needing a new stadium.

Other

We reached 800 Games managed this season and expanded/upgraded the coaching staff at all levels. Also on a sidenote I keep a shortlist containing every player released/sold by the club, it makes for an interesting read to see where they have all ended up.

List 1 List 2 List 3

December 30, 2022

FC United Season 15 - 2037/38

Season Preview

Predicted Finish = 11th

Competitions

League One - 1st League Table

FA Cup - Knocked out in the first round by Fleetwood.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in the third round by Fulham.

PJ Trophy - Knocked out in the third round by Man Utd u21's.

After last seasons Play Off Final heartbreak, we went into this season knowing we could compete at the top end of the table. We started the season well and just kept ticking along. With 8 games to play we sat top on GD with 2 sides level on 69 points. In the end we done enough and sealed the title by 3 points.

Playing Squad

We lost Walsh 29l in the summer for a very tidy £6m and also moved Jarman 32a on mid season for a pittance. This side of the game baffles me as he was so hell bent on leaving he signed for Woking who are a few divisions below us. We managed to keep hold of everyone else and with Championship football next season, I am hopeful we wont have to lose anyone this summer.

GK - Williams 31b

RB - Askey 35c

LB - Diallo 35b

CB - Macormac 34c

CB - Jabra 30a

CM - Donaldson 29k

CM - Wood 34a

AMR - Thompson 33e

AML - Rouse 36c

ST - Jewell 33d

ST - Liddle 33c

Others.

Youth Development

A poor intake and one I would say is our worst of the save so far. 0 elite talents and only one or 2 who may contribute at some point. No one really worth showing but here's the best player.

Sweeney 38a

I asked the board to upgrade our Youth Level which they have agreed to. This will move us to a category 2 youth system.

Finances and Facilities

We now have good youth and training facilities to go alongside exceptional junior coaching and youth recruitment network. Financially we still lose money each month and that wont change as I need to start upping the players wages as some are on league 2 money still.

Other

Overall Best 11

December 16, 2022

FC United Season 14 - 2036/37

Season Preview

Predicted Finish = 23rd

Competitions

League One - 4th League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Knocked out in the 3rd round by Fulham.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in the 1st round by Hereford.

PJ Trophy - Knocked out in 2nd round by Everton u21s.

It has been a great season for us, I knew if I could keep the squad together we would have a good shot at the play offs. We lost just 2 players in the summer, Chaplow 31c we already knew about, but Petrie 33a also departed in a Reasonable deal worth £9.25m. With our fantastic four from last season split in half, my ambitions lowered more to a hope. I didn't need to worry though, as Jewell 33d and Liddle 33c stepped up to the plate and had brilliant seasons including this spectacular performance which included 4 goals and 4 assists. We started ok, had a little wobble over Xmas and then went on an incredible 11 game winning run which pretty much secured our play off spot. Going into the final day, 4 teams were still fighting for 2nd place but we dropped 2 points with a draw and this meant a play off against Oxford. We had beaten them just 4 weeks earlier and a 3-3 draw in the away first leg was followed by a 1-1 draw at our place and with no goals in extra time the game went to a shoot out, we held our nerve to seal a place in the final. In the Play Off Final we faced a Grimsby side who we had beaten 4-1 at home and lost 2-1 away to this season, and a tense game ended 2-2. Extra time played out at 2-2 until they nicked the game with the very last kick of the ball. I cant be disappointed as this season has been one full of progress and I really fancy our chances of a title challenge next season.

Playing Squad

I am really happy with the squad at my disposal, we have some really good players for this level backed up by some decent prospects. I fear losing 1 or 2 over the summer but if we can avoid major losses, we can definitely have a crack at promotion next season.

GK - Williams 31b - Our number one keeper and he gets better with every passing year.

RB - Jarman 32a - He wants to play in a better division and due to Askey's emergence I am open to moving him on for the right fee, but the offers so far are nowhere near enough for me to consider.

LB - Diallo 35b - Had some injury problems at the start of the season which has held him back but I am hopeful some more first team action can kick start his development.

CB - Jabra 30a - Is a stalwart in the heart of our defence, even if he turns like a tank.

CB - Macormac 34c - A real break out season for him and is now part of my first choice cb pairing.

CM - Donaldson 29k - He is a key cog in our machine at the moment but I could do with an upgrade soon.

CM - Wood 34a - One player I fear I could lose this summer, has been attracting premier league interest for a couple of seasons now and the way he keeps improving, it wont be long before someone persuades the board to sell.

AMR - Thompson 33e - Grasped his opportunity with both hands and had an amazing season from the right wing.

AML - Rouse 36c - Another breakout star on the Left wing, he has really come on leaps and bounds and is the best trainer at the club.

ST - Liddle 33c - Has stayed loyal even after lots of interest and Is improving all the time. Bagged the POTY award for the season.

ST - Jewell 33d - He goes from amazing to absolute donkey week after week. Put in some stellar performances this season but could have won us the play offs but missed some absolute sitters.

Others.

Askey 35c (RB) - Is developing really well and if Jarman 32a does move on I feel he is more than ready to replace him.

Turnbull 28d (CB) - Is getting less and less important as time goes on but is a valuable squad member.

Mcdermot 24c (CM) - The last man standing from our first intake and I hope I can keep him until retirement.

Mead 34d (AMR) - Has played a few games and looks a good option going forward.

Smith 32b (AMR/ST) - Another player like Jewell 33d, goes from unplayable to awful but is a good option to have.

Walsh 29l (CB/LB) - His importance is diminishing as time goes by and I have had bids from Lille and Spartak Moscow for him this summer, can leave for the right price.

Holden 31e (CB/LB) - Another who could leave this summer, I just cant get him performing and with Brentford and Fulham sniffing around I am hoping I can get a decent fee for him this summer.

Youth Development

Its our best intake for a few years and I am hopeful despite the lack of great personalities. All have performed well in the U18s since coming through the intake and we shall see how they develop over the next few seasons. Loving the different nationalities coming through with a Japanese CM and Danish GK in this years intake.

Finances and Facilities

We got an upgrade to the Training facilities as well as a Stadium Expansion this year. The training ground was done mid way through the season where as the stadium announcement was after the season ended. This will take us up to 10000+ and is another step in the right direction, We are doing well financially, although we lose money ever month, the transfer instalments plus season tickets etc generally cover most of them.

Other

Club icon Onyeka returns as youth coach. He is not very good but its just a nice touch to the save.

December 10, 2022

FC United Season 13 - 2035/36

Season Preview

Predicted Finish - 23rd

Competitions

Squad Transfers Seasons Best 11

EFL League One - 13th. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Knocked out in the First Round by Crewe.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in the Second Round by West Brom.

PJ Trophy - Knocked out in the group stage.

A solid season with plenty of progress from last year. We finished 3 places higher in the league with 10 points more than last season. Our highlights this season included breaking our highest ever win with this 8-0 win over Fleetwood. We looked like we could make a late run for the play offs with 8 games remaining but we ran out of steam.

Playing Squad

Another year older and the team is really starting to take shape now and I believe if we can keep the squad together, then next season we should be pushing for the play offs. We had 2 players get in this years Team of the season. Petrie 33a, Jewell 33d, Chaplow 31c and Liddle 33c formed our front 4 this season and were all really good, between them recording 73 goals and 46 assists. Smith 32b filled in well when needed and will play more next season as Chaplow moves on. Wood 34a and Jarman 32a have really progressed this season and I think both can be key men for us next season, if we can keep the numerous interested clubs hands off them. Askey 35c and Macormac 34c have started to come into the senior side and are now back ups to the first team and looking to make breakthroughs next season.

Chaplow 31c is off Joining Forest for £5m + 50% of his next transfer fee. He refused all efforts of a new deal so I had to sell him, I did manage to make it so that he stayed for the season.

Youth Development

A pretty poor intake with only the 3 elite talents, luckily 2 of them have decent personalities. We need to upgrade the facilities asap and I am hopeful next season we will be able to do just that.

Bascoe 36a

Woodcraft 36b

Rouse 36c

Finances and Facilities

We completed the Stadium Expansion with 2 home games remaining, both of which were sell outs. Hopefully we can get another expansion soon as we lose around £350k a month still. We also got an upgrade to the Training Facilities, but due to a downgrade a while ago this only took us back to adequate, with the money from Chaplow's sale, I am hoping to get upgrades to both the Training and Youth facilities this summer. The board have agreed to a Youth Facilities upgrade but not to the training facilities just yet.

Other

December 5, 2022

FC United 2034/35 - Season 12

Season Preview

Season Preview

Predicted Finish - 24th

Competitions

League One - 16th. League Table Past Positions

FA Cup - Knocked out in the 4th round by Southampton.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in the 1st round by Hull.

PJ Trophy - Knocked out in group stages.

We started OK, with 2 wins and 3 draws and then the step up in class started to tell. We had a few 5 game winless runs but in between we would pick up 2 or 3 wins. The aim was always to avoid relegation and with 5 games to go we wasn't yet safe, but we was comfortable and ended up in 16th.

Playing Squad

We lost Crayston 31a over the summer in a deal the board accepted and wouldn't budge, I felt we could have got more but what can you do. This meant we went into the season with only 1 recognised LB and RB and I was worried we might really struggle if either got injured.

Deadline Day was fun, as we knocked back numerous offers. We did decide to move one player on eventually though, but I waited until after deadline day to ensure he remained until the end of the season. Brook 30b is leaving for Burnley in a £5m deal. With Thompson 33e and Mead 34d coming through I thought it best to get a better deal before the board sell him for cheap. The £1m after 1 international game is almost a guarantee as he plays regularly for New Zealand. Notable mentions this season for the following who are all developing really well. Chaplow 31c may be the next to leave as he is moaning and numerous sides have been bidding for him.

Youth Development

Not the best intake again but at least there is a RB and a LB who could play squad roles for us. Only 3 elite talents though so I may start looking to upgrade my HOYD soon.

Finances and Facilities

The board announced another Stadium Expansion just after the season ended. With half paid for by local grants and us paying the remaining £1.7m. The finances from the Brook deal will cover this but we had a downgrade to our training facilities so need to get this upgraded soon.

Other/ Next Season.

We just need to get comfortable at this level, maybe move a player or 2 more on and get some facilities upgraded as financially we are just getting by at the moment.

December 4, 2022

2 hours ago, gb2003 said:

Hey guys, what are you doing with your players that only have one year left and doesn't want to renew his contract? If I play regular, I sell them and got a new one but for the youth challenge?

Some advice? Do you sell them?

I have a center back who doesn't want to renew his contract but is still my best defender. The other prospects need one year to develope.

Ive been keeping them and then once last game of the season has been played offer them out for free but +50% of next transfer fee. A few clubs usually take the deal and at least you may get some money later down the line.

December 3, 2022

FC United 2033/34 - Season 11

Season Preview

Predicted Finish: 21st.

Competitions

League 2 - League Table (2nd)

FA Cup - Knocked out in 1st round by Ipswich.

Carabao Cup - Knocked out in 2nd round by Leeds.

PJ Trophy - Knocked out in 3rd round by Newcastle u21s.

Its been a fantastic first season as a professional side. We was predicted to finish 21st but we started well with 3 wins and 2 draws and just kept up the consistency all season. Looking at the Past positions graph, we stayed in the top 7 all season and we sealed promotion with 3 games to play. We even sat top heading into the final game which was at home against 11th placed Barrow but we just didn't perform and a 2-1 loss meant Salford nicked it on the last day. Still to seal back to back promotions is not something I expected but the change to full time has really seen the squad improve and I am hopeful we can avoid a relegation battle next season.

Playing Squad

Another solid season and one were we have a few new faces step in and really perform. With Onyeka my only senior striker after Jones 28c left in the summer. It was time to give Chaplow 31c, Petrie 33a, Liddle 33c and Jewell 33d their breakthroughs and they all was brilliant. Chaplow 31c and Petrie 33a have developed a really good partnership and I am hopeful of them scoring more next season even at a higher level. Other players to mention are Jarman 32a who has started to nail down the RB spot this season. Also our 2 star men in Crayston 31a and Brook 30b who were both brilliant this season. Brook 30b took to this level really well and both have been getting bidded on all season with Brook happy to stay but Crayston has said he wants to leave.

Youth Development

Preview Intake

A promising preview but on first looks the intake doesn't look as good as previous years if looking at depth. We have had 2 CMs come through who both look like they can play a part in our first team. Wood 34a has already played a few games and Kaminski 34b will get games next season as CM is a position we are not blessed with lots of capable players.

Finances and Facilities

Club Records Overall best 11

Shortly after last season finished the board announced a Stadium Expansion. The costs of this added to youth set up costs, which trebled with the change to full time from £74k to £294k has seen us lose around £215k a month. I fear I will need to sell someone this summer to fund next season.

Other

We had our most players away on international duty this season with 12 international call ups at one point.

November 30, 2022

FC United 2032/33 - Season 10

Season Preview

Season Preview

Predicted Finish: 16th

Competitions

VNL - League Table (1st)

FA Cup - Our best run yet as we got to the 3rd round and a very profitable tie away at Liverpool. We did ourselves proud as the game ended 4-2.

FA Trophy - We lost in the QF to Solihull Moors.

It has taken 10 seasons but we are finally a Football League club. We started the season really well and just kept on picking up the points. We had a bit of a blip post Christmas but led the league for the majority of the season without ever really running away with it as Barrow stayed in the hunt all season. We sealed the title on the Last day and can look forward to a first season in professional football next year.

Playing Squad

The team is really starting to play some fantastic football and we blew away some teams this year. Going professional next year means renewing everybody's contracts over the coming summer and this is going to be fun as most are wanted by bigger clubs so will want decent pay rises. We do have a really decent squad now with back up in most areas. As its the 10th season I thought id do a break down of the squad as we head into our first season as a professional club.

GK - Gaye 27a - 244 games for the club so far for our first choice keeper and he gets better with every passing season. Is also Kenya's first choice keeper becoming the clubs first player to play at a Major International tournamemt at the 2033 AFCON.

RB - Hendon 28a - 188 games for the club. Is more suited to a CB role but our lack of RBs means he has filled in and done very well there for 3 seasons. Has been hinting at moving on to a bigger club but I am hoping a good start in League 2 can convince him otherwise.

LB - Crayston 31a - One of our absolute stars and already teams like Watford, Bournemouth and Fulham are circling. 86 games already at just 17 shows how high I rate him. He has been capped by Eng u18s also.

CB - Jabra 30a - Plays mainly CB but also fills in at CM if needed and does a job in either role. Has played 113 times for us scoring 10 goals so can be a threat at the other end also. Capped by Scotland u20s and is off to the u20 World Cup this summer.

CB - Turnbull 28d - A real solid CB at this level. Has featured 196 times for us and hopefully theres many more to come. Won a few caps for Scotland u19s.

CM - Donaldson 29k - He wasnt rated much on intake day but has come on leaps and bounds since then. 123 games for us and he wont be leaving anytime soon. Capped at u20 level for Ireland.

CM/AMC - Mcdermott 24c - The sole survivor of our first intake and hes been a stalwart for the club. 313 appearences for the club so far.

AML - Scanlon 29c - He does his job without being spectacular. 136 games but only 16 goals is not a great return from a winger but he just seems to pop up when needed most.

AMR - Brook 30b - The star of the team without a doubt. The RW has 29 goals in his 98 games so far and set up 21 goals this season alone. Has won 3 senior caps for New Zealand and looks like he could be a really good player.

ST/CM - Jones 28c - filters between CM and ST depending on what formation I play. 182 games for the club but may have played his last as he is refusing to sign a new deal atm.

ST - Onyeka - He will maybe be found out at League 2 level but he has been nothing short of sensational for us. 34 goals in 39 starts this season takes his tally to 332 goals in 442 games in total. A true FC United Legend.

Back ups/Squad Players

Walsh 29l - a solid choic at CB and with 151 games to his name already, i cant call him a back up player really.

Chaplow 31c - Has started to break into the first team and contributed well this season with 8 goals and 3 assists in 21 starts. He fills in at RW when needed but is mainly a ST.

Symington 30g - The CB is developing really well and improving all the time. Made 11 starts this season and has 65 games to his name so far.

Schorah 27b - Was my starting LB for a couple of seasons but has been pushed out the side by Crayston and is not best pleased about it. Could be moving on this summer.

Tarpey 31d - Doesnt get loads of game time as we used the 424 more than the 4231 this season but 5 goals in 11 starts is a great return. Has only 20 games to his name but will be in and around the squad again next season.

Smith 32b - His first full season and it was a very promising one. 6 goals in 14 starts from the RW and when we eventually have to move Brook on he can do a job to lessen that blow.

Jarman 32a - I was hopeful he could develop into our first choice RB but he failed to push Hendon out. Its only his first full season so I wont be too harsh and still hope he can become a good option at RB in the future. Made 19 starts and will get more next season.

Youth Development

The preview promised 3 decent strikers and it didn't disappoint. Petrie and Jewell have both made an impact with 3 goals each and Liddle got 2 assists on his debut so the future looks bright. There are a couple other players who look like they could play a part squad wise but first 11? I doubt it.

Finances and Facilities

Another solid season on this front with the money from the FA Cup run pushing us up to £2.8m in the bank. I instantly asked to go pro after the Liverpool tie and the board accepted, this meant little as winning the league meant we have to go pro anyway. I am going to hold back and see how much our youth set up is going to cost us monthly before spending anymore money as I am sure it will rise with the switch from part to full time. The board are also exploring a stadium expansion so that could also wipe our funds out soon.

Other

Our 2nd promotion has seen me given the status of Club Icon and I also reached 500 Games in charge of the club.

November 23, 2022

3 hours ago, the_hdk said:

Kaf Sin Kaf

Season 38/39 (Final) - Süper Lig

Transfers / Players

Well this is it. The Final season. 16 seasons it took me...and we finish in style with a quadruple!. We finish with 8 championships, 2 cups, 6 super cups and one champions league. Kaan Dobra has finished his goal! More about the CL finale at the end. I see I forgot to update the Ballon d'Or on teh pcture and im too lazy to go back but it was won by SEGURA spanish player playing for Chelsea.

With 93 points we really dominated this season. We also finish with 466 mln EUR in the bank. Sadly still no affiliates and no improvement of youth facilities.

Epic finish.

Youth

Last year intake was amazing. Three elite players who can make the first team. Especially TASKAN with resolute persoality is high potential.

For the last update and overview of all intake players per region. Aegean with 207 is the big winner. Altough last few years we ware getting more and more players from all over Turkiye.

Key Players

And the three key players of this save

BAS (vice captain) was a brilliant goaly. In the CL final he saved two huge opportunities and we could not have done it without him.

YALCIN the Captain. The leader. The rock. Already 58 caps at age of 26, he will probably end up with around 100. The first Wonderkid we had and i'm more than happy that he stayed till the end with us. Giving him the armband was vital in that.

GULERYUZ the star striker...already 20 goals for Turkiye...his pace is amazing and he was the MoM of the final. His goal was crucial (altough he had 4 1 on 1 chances).

Champions League Final

The teams:

1-0 from GULERYUZ. Easy tuck in 5th minutae. It was our 3rd chance of the game already. Blitzball baby.

1-1 from Barcelona in 84th min from Romanian SALI. It gave hope to the Catalonians.

2-1 in 91st min! the winning goal after a great run by VURAL.

The celebrations...continued for 4 days in Turkiye (and continued long after the cup final).

And so we win...and I finish the challange.

I loved it. First time I managed to finish it in three years. Sadly Turkiye didn't have alot of foreign intake but I loved playing there. Alot of interesting clubs with rich history. Amazing intakes...much better than I remember in Poland or Netherlands.

Congrats on the completion mate 💪

November 23, 2022

FC United - 2031/32

Season Preview

Predicted Finish = 23rd.

Competitions

Squad Transfers Seasons Best 11

VNL - League Table (10th)

FA Cup - Knocked out in the first round by Dulwich Hamlet.

FA Trophy - Knocked out in the fourth round by Chester.

So another solid season and one which proves my thoughts of last year, we are no longer one of the worst sides in the league. We made a decent start, and kept around the play offs/top half of the table all season before finishing in 10th. It may be 3 places lower than last season but we have definitely made progress this season. We just need to learn to see games out better and we could easily have grabbed a play off spot.

Playing Squad

Another season deep and the development is going nicely. We still have just the one legacy player in Onyeka and he is just too good to let go at the moment, another great season from him as he bagged 44 goals in 41 starts in all competitions. Hendon 28a again played as a RB due to the lack of options but with the emergence of Jarman 32a in this seasons intake, I may move him back to his natural CB position as I do think this will make us stronger in that department. Brook 30b had another solid season as did Crayston 31a in what was his breakout season.

First 11

Others

Youth Development

Preview Intake

Our first "normal" preview was a change from the usual all A's and it hasn't ended up the worst intake we have had. A mixed bunch of Personalities but we have at least 2 players who can play a role for us. Jarman 32a has finally given us a RB who looks like he can play a part and Smith 32b also looks like he can.

We had our best run in the FA Youth Cup which include a brilliant 4-0 win over Burnley.

Finances and Facilities

All Time Best 11 Club Records

Another good season and I did decide to cash in on the Sell On Clauses for Hollis 24d and Al-Taib 24b. I waited until after the summer window closed and we got £1.1m instead of £1.5m. This pushed us to £2.2m in the bank but the board still refused to go pro. I have looked at other peoples saves and I think our next training facilities upgrade is going to cost between £1.2m and £1.8m so I am holding off to try and push us pro once the season ticket money comes in this summer.

Other

We are starting to get a lot of Youth Call Ups throughout the season, I like this though as it shows we are progressing at all levels. Brook 30b made his New Zealand Debut and has picked up 2 caps to date.

November 22, 2022

2 hours ago, HenTheChicken said:

Speechless. Honestly, speechless. WHAT A WIN! WHAT A WAY TO WIN IT! We gave Oliver his champions league final that he's been waiting 20 years for, playing him in the Right Midfielder position in his last game before retiring. What a career he's had. We knew this was our last chance to win it for years. The best players on the team are aging and the youth prospects won't be ready to play properly for a good few seasons. We had absolutely no right to win that, the semi final against benfica, 6-6 aggregate and a win on penalties was a little bit stressful to say the least, and then 3-3 against Bayern and winning on penalties there too. I just don't know how we've done it. The team had no right being in the knockout rounds on pure quality, nevermind winning it. We got so so lucky.

Our goalkeeper rick forbes was absolutely working overtime, in the last 20 games he only got a rating under seven three times, and in the away benfica game he played at a 9.1, in the bayern game he played at an 8.9. He's the reason we made it to the finals and he's undoubtedly the reason we won it. What a player. Brad powell, at the young age of 24 is already a Wales national and he was involved in all 3 of our goals in the final, with a goal and 2 assists. He played at a 9.7, another essential figure in our team that we would be nowhere without.

I could continue but I think you get the point, our players played well above their skills, and that win couldn't be repeated in another 1,000,000 games. Wow.

League Performance

Reveal hidden contents

Very unspectacular league season. TNS took us to a fight until the end. They're a really quality team but they do not do well enough in Europe.

Here's the table. Ruthin are my biggest surprise in this season, they always seem to get destroyed early on and then come back in spectacular fashion, I love watching their antics.

Europe

Reveal hidden contents

No clue how this happened, again, its just incredible.

We got so, so lucky in playing no English teams in the knockouts. They always seem to crush us beyond comprehension. If you're looking at just the results it looks so mixed. We came 20th in the league stage. 20TH! I came 2nd last season in the league phase, equal on points to Real Madrid in first, but that season we got knocked out in the QF by Liverpool.

The Benfica away game was an absolute mess. a red for each team and a chaotic penalty shootout to say the least. Not sure how we managed to score 4 against their massively superior team but I was so chuffed to even be in the final.

Ollie James had an unimpressive end to his career, and sadly I couldn't keep him on for the penalties, I wasn't really sure there would be penalties anyway, that goal from Brad Powell was so needed. I love that man with my whole heart.

The Squad

Hide contents

I would like to reiterate that we do not have the quality to be near the Champions league final, and im still so confused as to how we reached it.

Like, I adore this man but this isn't what a CL final goalkeeper looks like attribute wise. But he played so amazingly that I can't really complain.

Once again, its like we're playing with a very dodgy league 1 side and we've managed to drag it to the CL final. Wow. Brad is a great player on the field though and thats all that matters. Jeez. I can't believe it.

Congrats on the completion. 👏👏

November 16, 2022

FC United - 2030/31

Season Preview

Predicted Finish = 24th

Competitions

Seasons Best 11 Transfers Squad

VNL - League Table

FA Cup - Lost in the second round to Tranmere Rovers.

FA Trophy - Lost in the third round to Barrow AFC.

It has been our best season by far, as we managed to seal a save high of 7th in the league. We started really well and even though we had a few bad spells, we are finally looking like a decent side who can compete at this level. 7th gave us a play off spot where we faced AFC Flyde, and I do not know what happened but we just folded, 4-0 down after 30 mins meant the game was as good as over and it ended 6-2. I am happy to not go up yet though, we are nowhere near ready for league football and need another year or 2 of development first.

Playing Squad

The squad is developing really well and I am starting to really see some improvements in a lot of the players. We also now have decent depth which helped us massively this season with so many 2 game weeks. Below is our starting 11 but this may change next season as some of the back ups are really pushing for starts.

Onyeka remains the only legacy player left at the club and with no real competition for his spot at the moment, he wont be going anywhere just yet. 232 goals in 360 games is a decent return. Brook 30b had a brilliant first full season. Winning the YPOTM award for October. Watford have been sniffing around him but I have him tied down to a 3 year contract + a optional extension of another 3 years.

Youth Development

Preview Intake

Its a decent enough intake but we are still lacking a striker. Crayston 31a has already made a few appearances as we have been screaming out for a back up LB and RB and being both footed, he will cover both positions after some more training at RB.

Finances and Facilities

This season we managed to upgrade our Youth Recruitment and Junior Coaching to exceptional. We also broke our record for Average Attendance which I'm hoping can keep on growing as this will add some money to the coffers.

Other