The second season at New England Saints has been completed. On the pitch it was a second season of unexpected success. Off it, there was an ongoing takeover bid that ultimately fell apart. In a “normal” save being unable to sign players might be a problem. In this game, it was a blessing.
The squad is still too big.
I don’t help myself either. At the beginning of the season I sold Virgil van Dijk for £24million, plus many millions of add ons, replacing him with Eric Dier (. I then sold Dominic Iorfa to Bayern Munich in January for £8.5 million. Iorfa had played 9 games at that stage, he may have gone on to play over 20 but he wanted to go and I didn’t see him becoming a first choice. One of the England youth successes of the 2017 summer was gone.
He was not the first. Alfie Mawson left in the summer window, going to Wigan for less than a million. On FM 2016 Alfie clearly had limited potential. A third, Jacob Maddox, left for Watford for £250k plus add ons. Three players from that huge raft of 2017 players have moved on. A number had to go out on loan, as was always going to the case. The list is long.
In the next season that list will have to be long again. Especially as I was unable to resist adding Reece Oxford and Trent Alexander-Arnold to the squad.
Poor Reece. Just days after arriving, the game decided to destroy him.
How will Oxford recover? Will he recover? Another layer added into the story.
Last season featured the resurrection of Jay Rodriguez. He understands the predicament of Reece Oxford better than anyone. In the previous season he had a brilliant campaign, scoring 34 goals in all competitions. This season was good but also managed to be a huge disappointment.
The numbers look solid but what they don’t show you is the huge 20 hour goal drought he suffered at the back end of the season. Of those 19 league goals, 17 were scored before Christmas, 10 before the end of September. Rodriguez started brilliantly, but my attachment to the romantic notion of his glorious come back could have cost the team. In the end it cost us nothing as the season delivered more silver.
Community Shield and European Super Cup
The two games could not have been more different.
The Community Shield offered a cruise to 2-0 victory. The most notable thing was how dominant we were against such strong opposition.
If the opponents for the Community Shield were strong, the European Super Cup opposition was herculean. Yet managerless (I had been linked with the role, no interview was forthcoming, but I would have said no anyway). Barcelona.
An epic clash in which the heat was really turned up during extra time. Barely a shot was fired by Barcelona in the extra 30 minutes. Mane added the fifth at 118. A major marker or a nice pot?
The League Cup
Another relatively easy run through the rounds, only Tottenham representing a real challenge. I rested players in the second leg and was very comfortable with the 2-1 loss.
The final would be a rematch of the previous season. An opportunity to put right the defeat by Manchester City (now managed by Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola sacked after just a few months with City sitting in 16th).
Not this time. Also a rare occasion where an opposing team undoubtedly deserved the victory (and actually got it).
There is always next season.
The FA Cup
The FA Cup was a strange mix of demolitions and tough battles. In the replay with Chelsea we snatched the game from them late on to take it into extra time. From there it was a non contest. The semi final with Liverpool was back and forth in extra time but the only goal came from Naby Keita, with his first for the club. Football Manager really knows how to do irony, Mourinho in charge at City and Keita knocking Liverpool out of the cup.
Mourinho’s real life team awaited in the final. Managed by Paco Jemez, whose work at Rayo Vallecano somehow was enough to impress the Old Trafford decision makers.
Comprehensive. The Ox finishing things off. Back to back FA Cup wins for the Saints and major trophy number one bagged.
The Premier League
Both Manchester clubs having surprising managers might be an indication as to how the season played out. If I add that Guardiola is actually in charge at Chelsea, Benitez at Arsenal and Bielsa at Liverpool, an even clearer picture starts to form.
That is a 25 point margin.
The defence was improved on the previous season, conceding 8 fewer, while the attack scored 2 fewer, despite at one stage looking a certainty to smash past the 100 goal mark. Jay Rodriguez goal drought really caused issues there.
The two losses are worth noting. Both away from home. The first 2-0 at Swansea (who had been crushed 7-0 at home) and 2-1 at QPR (who took 4 points from us in the league, drawing 0-0).
Champions League
While the FM gods may have decided they hate me in the League Cup they must love me in the Champions League. A club in it’s first ever CL season could not wish for a more friendly group.
The loss came in game 5. Having qualified with 4 wins out of 4 a reserve team was sent to Basel. Basel cashed in. The young players had plenty of opportunity to get minutes in this group phase. Woodrow, Gray and Onomah making the most of their chances and somewhat changing my views of them in the process.
In the first knock out round the kindness continued with PSV, who we faced on route to the Europa League victory last season.
Then the love ran out.
Paris St Germain.
An incredible performance. A shattering defeat. Quarter finals at the first attempt is a good showing. Provided the performance in Paris is good we can look back on a good campaign.
More than good. I expected to go out. Then when Moura scores it is over. Somehow it isn’t. A New England Saints barrage in the second half knocked the financial might of PSG out. A run to the semi finals at the first go.
Where we would face Real Madrid. It could have been Ajax, but the fates chose Real.
The fates then chose to give a Dani Carvajal a red card. From then on it was the Keylor Navas show as he kept the score down.
A lead to take to the Bernabeu. I know that going to Madrid and defending is just asking them to win. We fight fire with fire.
The fates clearly have a dislike for Real. Carvajal in the first game, Sergio Ramos in the second. Two red cards helping send New England Saints to the final.
And our League Cup nemesis. The Special One. Manchester City.
He cost £12million pounds from relegated Stoke City in the summer. In the 89th minute he volleys in a long diagonal cross from Demarai Gray to win the Champions League. A team of mostly young, mostly English players had now conquered Europe.
Thank you Xherdan Shaqiri. Even if Joe Hart should have saved it.
(subs Redmond, Gray and Woodrow for Tadic, Mane and Austin)
Champions of Europe.
A brilliant season by any measure.
Except when the true measure is not the trophies. It is so difficult to remember that. You would think that with a youth coaching background it would be easier for me. I can do it in real life, but on the game, there is still no way that I will put the younger kids in for a run of games against the big names.
The main goal is to improve the players. Screen shot 1 is their stats at the start of the season. Screen shot 2 is the end of the season.
Jack Butland
Jack Butland has firmly established himself as the number 1 at Saints. A year passes and he is essentially the same goalkeeper. The only real statistical changes have been for the worse in his vision, pace and command of area. Although his balance is up slightly.
Butland is also locked into a tussle with Joe Hart to be England no.1. At the moment Hart is ahead with Butland picking up caps here and there.
Jordan Pickford
Pickford only played 17 times, however he showed more improvements than Butland. No statistic jumped significantly but he grew by 1 point in several areas.
Kyle Walker-Peters
Walker-Peters started the season on loan, making 18 Championship appearances for Wigan. Then I sold Iorfa and a slot opened up. He was immediately recalled. His improvement has not been huge but he is up by one in most areas, though determination jumped forward at a greater rate. Importantly his potential remains very good.
Joe Gomez
Gomez was brilliant last season and that continued this time out. He has not nailed down any one of the defensive positions as his own but is my first choice to replace any of the other players. He added a further 3 England caps and appeared regularly in squads.
Calum Chambers
Chambers had very little room for improvement and his statistical changes reflect that. Up here one, down there one. A first choice in defence for the Saints and another who added 3 England caps.
Chambers also won the European Golden Award. Another indication of how far he and the club had progressed.
Kortney Hause
Last season Hause played 26 times, this season he appeared 22 times. The over twenty target was hit. Another player who has made marginal gains in ability. However, the club staff don’t seem to think he has much more to give. Could he follow Iorfa out of the club?
Ben Chilwell
Chilwell went out on loan for the full season at Reading, playing 33 times. He showed minor improvements in his ability but most importantly a small improvement in his potential.
Nathaniel Chalobah
Chalobah went on loan to Celtic for the season, playing 34 times. Statistically he made small improvements and according to my staff he is at the peak of his potential. If this is the case and there are no improvements remaining Chalobah could be a player who moves on.
Matthew Targett
There is a pattern amongst the players thus far. All gains have been solid but unspectacular. Targett has also gained 1 point in most areas. He has gained spectacularly in his value, increasing from £9.75million to £26.5million. In the previous season Targett had been injured for much of it. This time Ryan Bertrand picked up injuries and Targett played more games, 32 in total.
Lewis Cook
Cook was on loan at West Ham, playing 36 times. Cook remains a player with huge potential. If Chalobah is a player likely to be sold, Cook is almost a banker to be retained. He made the same 1 point improvements as the other players, improving by a half a star in ability. He has many more stars to improve, possibly by 1.5. If each half a star is 1 ability point then we might well see his attributes increase by 3. That would be a phenomenal player.
Lewis Baker
Baker played 50 games on loan at Sheffield Wednesday. They didn’t seem to help him, with his potential ability stalled at 2 stars. There was very little change in his stats. Baker could also be leaving soon.
Will Hughes
Not surprisingly for a player recovering from a bad injury Hughes made improvements in physical areas. He made very few improvements else where although he did play 21 games.
Nathan Redmond
A regular for England, adding 6 caps over the season but still not a regular for Saints, 49 games is a great total but 29 were as a substitute. Fourteen goals and eleven assists show a good contribution. The attributes made 1 point gains in a large number of areas, but this might be it now for Redmond. A very good player, whose role will remain the same, an important but not key player for Saints.
Sheyi Ojo
West Brom were relegated into the Championship last season. They were very keen to take Ojo on loan and he played 26 times for them over the course of the season. He is virtually the same player as at the start of the campaign.
Demarai Gray
A huge improvement in the determination of Demarai Gray. Otherwise he continued the pattern of improving by 1 point across multiple areas. My staff don’t seem to think he will improve any further. This season Gray played 37 times scoring 5 goals with 11 assists, including the assist for Shaqiri’s Champions League winner.
Josh Onomah
Onomah pushed himself into my first team plans. He was set to go on loan but his attributes were not all that far from those of Dusan Tadic, my first choice attacking midfielder. Onomah appeared 21 times during the season, improving by a full star in current ability. Tadic may find his position under threat.
Jack Grealish
Grealish made 28 appearances, fewer than last season. The reason for that was Demarai Gray and his improved form. Gray, Grealish and Redmond continue to be a conundrum. They remain incredibly similar in statistics and attributes. How to choose between them? I am yet to work that out.
Cauley Woodrow
In the previous chapter I suggested that Woodrow would not be any more than cover. This season he produced some fine performances and popped up with important goals. Woodrow improved in the most important areas for a striker, finishing and composure. In other areas he dropped, but his job is to score, not take throw ins.
Adam Armstrong
Armstrong was loaned out to Sunderland and played 20 Premier League games. He only scored 3 times, though this could be more to do with Sunderland than Adam Armstrong. Armstrong hardly improved at all and lost a great deal of his potential. Not a good loan move at all.
These are the young players form the 2017 crop who are included within my first team squad, however there are a number of significant players in the U21s and U18s who are worth noting. These players all spent the season on loan.
Jay DaSilva
DaSilva bounced between three Championship clubs, playing 13 games. He made a few improvements in his attributes and has high levels of potential. The club have a lot of left backs and a lot of wide players, so DaSilva will go out on loan. He is still only 19, so could be an important player in 2 or 3 seasons.
Ademola Lookman
Lookman played 36 Premier League games for QPR, scoring 5 and assisting 6. He is still only 19. Given the size of my squad he will probably be loaned out again. His attributes hardly changed, though I would hope that they do in the future.
Dominic Solanke
Solanke went on loan to Brighton, playing 15 times in the Championship and scoring twice. Similarly to the previous two players his attributes have not changed much but he retains high levels of potential.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Maitland-Niles was at Derby for the entire season. Playing 33 league games, scoring once and assisting 8 times. He probably improved the most out of this group of loanees. However, his path into the first team is in those competitive wide areas.
These are the only players who I really believe have a chance of getting into the first team. The rest are going to really struggle.
Holgate
Kenny
Fry
Calvert-Lewin
Edwards
And other lesser lights.
The future does not look so bright them.
Oxford and Alexander-Arnold are both new additions and might have a chance, while Trevor Chalobah and Ryan Sessegnon both have time to get back on track, but it will be very tough for them.
At some point these players will have to be sold. Not just these but some of those attached to the first team squad. Otherwise I just have a collection of players for the sake of having them. I am not looking after them. I am not nourishing them. I am just owning them.
There are a number of senior players who could be leaving too. Mane and Tadic remain at the club, but Mane’s contract is running out. We couldn’t agree terms and the vultures are circling.
Austin and Rodriguez scored plenty of goals, almost sixty between them, but I can do better. Especially as over at Spurs Harry Kane is unhappy. I have made a number of offers to them but each one was turned down. I don’t think I can give this one up. As successful as the team is, with Kane surely they can’t be stopped.
Except. Here come Real Madrid with a big bid for Shaqiri. Shaqiri is interested, can I keep him?
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
The Ox had been inspirational. The player who produced big moments at big times. Even so, winning the World Player of the Year shocked me. Mane ran away with every award available in Africa, but for Ox to win the big prize ahead of Messi, that was a huge moment. In a game about player development, it doesn’t get any more significant.