lukegraham1991

TRANSFER - MOREIRA Another youngster to bring into the ranks that will be going back out on loan to the club we purchased him from. A small transfer fee in comparison to the potential ability if he reaches the peaks of what our scouts think he might be capable of.

GAME DAY 5 - PREMIER LEAGUE - AWAY VS MANCHESTER UNITED A much improved performance in the scoreline, however, not having even one player having a 7 rating is a bit worrying. We kept them to a late goal that came from a corner to the giant or Wout Weghorst who nodded home the winner, but if we lose at Old Trafford, a 1-0 loss to a set piece isn't the end of the world. Notable poor performances: Rafael Santos Borre: 6.2, Tom Davies: 6.3 & Alex Iwobi: 6.3. Standout performances: Amadou Onana: 6.9 & Nathan Patterson: 6.9

TRANSFER - GONCALO ESTEVES After weeks of negotiations between ourselves and Sporting Lisbon, we've finally got our man. We already have 3 RB's in the squad though so due to his age and the lack of game time he would get with us, we have loaned him back to Sporting for the remainder of the season, a good prospect to look forward to bringing through the ranks though & an absolute snag at 2m considering the ceiling this guy has with his PA.

GAME DAY 4 - CARABAO CUP ROUND TWO - HOME VS LEEDS UNITED Well, that didn't go to plan, we made a few changes, as we should for this cup being a midweek fixture and our next game being Manchester United away. Not enough to warrant a 3-0 beating at Home but being out of the Carabao Cup isn't the end of the world. Some shocking performances and mistakes cost us badly here along with very little offensive creation is always going to end in tears. Notable poor performances: Neal Maupay: 6.0, Rafael Santos Borre: 6.3, Seamus Coleman: 6.3. Standout performances: Jarrad Branthwaite: 7.2

GAME DAY 3 - PREMIER LEAGUE - HOME VS AFC BOURNEMOUTH Another home game vs a newly promoted side. This one proved to be our first test of the season, sticking with the same formation and tactic as the opening two games where we only scored the one goal via a penalty, but didn't concede yet. The decision to drop Neal Maupay for Rafael Santos Borre looked very good to start us off, with him both winning, and scoring a penalty to put us 1-0 up. Shortly after, Bournemouth took the lead and 10 minutes after the break, went 2-1 up. I took the decision to change the formation to more of a 4-4-2, bringing Maupay back into the fold to partner Santos Borre, thankfully, the extra pressure late in the game at Goodison Park paid off, Santos Borre bagging a second of the game and third of the season to draw us level. A huge bit of luck from a Seamus Coleman cross ending up inside the far post gifted us the win in the 91st minute and it was time to go defensive to see things out. UNBEATEN IN THREE! Although this one was a close call - these are the games we need to win. Notable poor performances: Nathan Patterson: 6.4, Ruben Vinagre: 6.4. Standout performances: Seamus Coleman: 7.8, Rafael Santos Borre: 7.6

GAME DAY 2 - PREMIER LEAGUE - HOME VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST Next up we take on newly promoted side Nottingham Forest at home, our home opener to the league so I wanted nothing but a comfortable win. A bit of a cagey affair, but we limited the Forest chances with another solid defensive performance. A red card helped our chances and the opposition gifted us a penalty to secure the win. Two poor performances on the bounce for Neal Maupay now, and a goal from substitute Rafael Santos Borre will probably mean that the goalscorer gets a chance up top in our next outing. UNBEATEN IN TWO! Notable poor performances: Neal Maupay: 6.4. Standout performances: Nathan Patterson: 7.4, Jordan Pickford: 7.3 & James Tarkowski: 7.3.

Early cup draw for the Carabao Cup 2nd round has seen us drawn against fellow Premier League side Leeds United. We could've probably hoped for an easier draw to start things off but we will need to beat this calibre of team if we want any hope of winning a trophy this season.

GAME DAY 1 - PREMIER LEAGUE - AWAY VS WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS First league game of the season started on rocky terms as our holding midfielder Idrissa Gueye was injured a day or two before the big game, meaning Tom Davies, a lesser alternative had to step in, somewhat short of match fitness. Away from home, against a Wolves team that was basically matching our formation was always going to be a tough one, to take a 0-0 away from home, I wouldn't be too displeased with. Notable poor performances: Neal Maupay: 6.3. Standout performances: Ruben Vinagre: 7.3, Jordan Pickford: 7.2, Jarrad Branthwaite: 7.1, James Tarkowski: 7.0.

Through pre-season we took on 6 different teams including Galatasaray in Seamus Coleman's testimonial to get minutes under belts & gain match fitness throughout our ranks. Despite one questionable draw vs a Czech 2nd Division side, I thought pre-season went well and the formation and tactics were working well enough in preparation for the league opener where we will be taking on Wolves (A) in no doubt, a tough fixture. As you can see below, Neal Maupay has been the standout attacker for us in pre-season and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured for a number of months, he will be the man leading the line with Rafael Santos Borre stepping in when that competition is required.

Next up, over the course of pre-season, you can see the transfers I have made to bolster our squad and hopefully compete to a better standard that the Toffees are displaying IRL. Utilising some free agents, filling the gaps in our squad and getting a few players into the club in a few problem positions to give ourselves more options when the time comes. I am not going to get rid of any first team players this window unless a hefty bid comes in late in the final month as I want to give my squad a chance to prove themselves with the tactic, formation and squad I have to use.

First up, I took a look at our formation and tactics to figure out how I was going to approach the season with the small budget I have as well as the tools I currently have at the club. Ultimately deciding to adopt a 4-1-2-2-1 or 4-3-3 as some like to see this, I think I've given myself a nice balance with the right players (available) in the correct positions and roles. Gegenpress is my adopted approach with a Positive mentality, trying to get the ball down and move it quickly against my opponents.

This week I have started a fresh save with Everton. Being the only team not to be relegated since the Premier League began, that are outside of the top 6, I wanted to start a save here, to take them up, to the heights of europe, rather than down, which is looking like a real possibility IRL lately. Our story begins in pre-season of the 2022/23 campaign....

Swansea Uni have funded our first coaching course early on in the save by spending £600 on our progression to get us on a course for a National C License! Date: 10/07/22

Nailed it! ....aaaaaand we're off!

We have our first job interview with Swansea Uni!!

First job applications are in as I try my luck with several teams to see where I can potentially look to manage right away. Updates to follow off the back of my applications...

Today we begin a new save with no coaching badges, along with the experience of a Sunday League Footballer (true to real life!) and no team to start the save, where I will look to gradually build up my skills and get to the top leagues in the world of the beautiful game! I have attached the Active Leagues below that I will start the game with, quite a variance of where I could play, I imagine it may take a little time to get a job to start us off but the application process & interviews are all part of the fun! Hopefully some of you will take some interest in this as I look to upload regular updates, I will try to upload a month at a time once I am manager of an actual team, I will try to update any applications and interview processes along the way also. LET'S GO!!!