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Career Tree's 30yr "Goal A Mile" Challenge - added World round-up!


Mr Tree
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1 hour ago, Foxy said:

Excellent season there 👍🏻 

Close to Oxford but not geographically 🤔

Cambridge Utd?

Thanks!

Only "quite" close... But I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree. You're both far too east - I still have a long way north to go :)

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Closer :)

i need to update my snazzy graphic, and we've just spent the past couple of days driving across half of Europe. If I get round to it tomorrow, then you might get your answer early :D

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Job done, so here goes...

SEASON 12

I had a nice young squad, but the coaches didn't really rate their chances of stepping up, and it was hard to recruit sufficient quality too. I tried to plug a few gaps, ruining my overall career spend in a few short weeks, but we lost our Great Entertainers vibe, drawing 4 of the first 8 games 0-0!!

Spoiler

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As you can see, we were hardly disgracing ourselves, but I just wasn't feeling it. It was a step too far for big Sam, so we were just treading water.

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Time for something drastic!

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Yep, not OX-ford United @1759, but TEL-ford United :)

Having conquered (ish) the VNS, VNL, Leagues 1 and 2, the Championship and the Premier League (that was the "ish"), I was left with one hill yet to climb - the VANARAMA NORTH!!

Telford have great facilities and expected promotion, but they were languishing in lower mid-table when I arrived. Their squad was utter trash too, and overpaid with it, so I had to perform some quick maneuvers to improve our outlook.

When I arrived, I got the usual messages including "here are some players our scouts recommend". One of those was a 16yo PSG striker. Upon assessing the squad and finding that, for the first time in the challenge, I had no natural option to move forward with, I thought "well let's see if I can that PSG kid". I'm not sure how often PSG loan their youth to the Vanarama North but young Ignacio was sent over:

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Obviously, this was a bit reckless and risky, but that's the fun of it eh :)

Shrewsbury is just 11 miles from Telford so that was my backup option, while if the kid smashed 30-odd, the likes of Stoke, Crewe etc would come into play.

He knocked in 3 in his first 2 to leave me feeling like a genius, but then promptly went scoreless in his next 6. Meanwhile the fans were in no mood for patience, or my excuses that I was using the only 11 half-decent players in the squad and that not many of those were defenders...

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Things hardly got better quickly, with an element of foreshadowing in this dramatic collapse :(

Spoiler

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I eventually found some defenders and a keeper and we started to get going:

Spoiler

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Spoiler

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I found another good young striker, but his lack of actual shooting ability meant that I stuck with Ignacio for the challenge, despite the guy's cool name:

Spoiler

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So then I suppose this was inevitable, at some point!

Spoiler

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Poor Whitby - they ended up relegated, of course. My gran used to own a holiday cottage up there so I've been there a few times - true story.


Anyway, that was part of a cracking run of form that saw us enter the playoff places with two games to go, and hold on to that spot...

Spoiler

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And we were rolling to such an extent that we dispatched our playoff rivals on the road, with injury-time goals in both games:

Spoiler

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Spoiler

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...leading at an all-or-nothing playoff final against... The only team I could possibly play at home!

Yes, Southport had somehow battled their way through from 7th. Remember, they'd scored two injury-time goals to hold me to a draw early in my reign, and per above they were one of the few teams to deny me during my great run.

And they proved to be my nemesis again :(

Spoiler

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Bummer dude.

And for the challenge, well yeah, young Ignacio had not quite set the VNN alight...

Spoiler

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...even losing out to Captain Marvel in the league:

Spoiler

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My old team Rovers, meanwhile, bounced back to win their first game after my departure 6-0, and they did well overall for a top-half finish, showing the benefit of not having me in charge:

Spoiler

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My manager profile after 12 seasons:

Spoiler

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And the snazzy graphics! The summary of the journey so far:

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NEXT TIME: Will we be able to get Ignacio back? And can we maintain the good form?

Edited by Mr Tree
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2 hours ago, Foxy said:

One question. With all your success as a football manager could you not afford a car or take the train?

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:D mentioned in the original post - due to discrepancies in different Google Maps systems, I'm using the walking distance between the two stadia. So this is the most accurate representation of my route :)

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SEASON 13

Of course it was a World Cup year, so an old classic took the trophy, beating an unlikely participant in the final...

Spoiler

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Domestically, I left you with two questions so let's address those quickly: no, Ignacio did not want to return :( That left me with 19 in the bank but starting again with a new striker. I picked up a lad released from Liverpool, Dominic Cooney, but I can't seem to find the initial screenshot of him now 🙄

As for continuing my momentum - yes, yes I did. The Vanarama North was conquered:

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Despite smashing the league, there weren't too many noteworthy games - the only one I got a screenshot of was this heroic nine-man victory:

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I had fun in the cups though:

Spoiler

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Those successes put me in the hat with the big boys - and fancy my luck in drawing against the greatest team in the history of the sport:

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We even managed to hold these giants at The Home of Football:

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Before eventually succumbing to their awesomeness in the replay:

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And in the FA Trophy - well, I don't really know what happened here. It's not like Wycombe were struggling - I think they snuck into the playoffs in the VNL. But they were no match for me:

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Even my reserves stuffed them in the second leg:

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And then we had another opponent from the division above in the final, and we paid them similarly short shrift:

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Spoiler

However...

Little did the poor Telford fans know, as they celebrated, that their dastardly manager had applied for a new job on the eve of the final...

And within a few days, he would drop that bombshell.

The main man had a cracking season:

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And my manager profile prior to my next move:

Spoiler

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So, this could be a bit easier to guess, as you're looking within 37 miles of Telford for my next destination... However, it may be a bit of a trick answer, as I think I've failed to mention a crucial detail so far... 

All will be revealed by the weekend. Thanks for reading!

Edited by Mr Tree
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7 hours ago, 1759 said:

Nice season at Telford with the double!

I’m guessing Stoke City next?

Cheers, it was great fun - building a nice young squad.

Not Stoke next, nope...

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SEASON 14

So the crucial detail that I don't think I've mentioned before is, I loaded up the Welsh league at the start of this save too, "just in case".

And fate conspired to give me a perfect opportunity to hop over the border, as the TNS manager got poached:

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Hopefully a good chance to rack up some goals and miles while I'm here!

For the second team in a row (after perhaps a fortunate start in that regard), I didn't have a natural option as my striker when I arrived. So I splashed out 8k on this beauty from Caernarfon:

1700218757_Screenshot_20190423-151342_FM2019Mobile.thumb.jpg.9c318815eabd64608f00f70add45305f.jpg


It was my first chance for a taste of European football, and we did pretty well...

Spoiler

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...but couldn't quite make it to the Champs League group stage:

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This was good enough, though, for a spot in the Europa League group stage - already quite an achievement for the Welshies. Unfortunately, all I had to show for it was a win against unheralded Poles Pogon, as we ran into the unstoppable force of... (checks notes)... Kilmarnock?

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I suppose I should've known that Killie were something to be reckoned with after seeing this news message during the previous season :D

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Europe put a lot of pressure on a small squad lacking in quality, but I recovered from a slow start to win the league, of course (the Welsh league is awful!)

Spoiler

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Big Chris had his old teammates cursing when we visited early in the season...

Spoiler

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And he added a few other hat-tricks:

Spoiler

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Plus a couple in the cups, both of which we won:

Spoiler

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Where did that leave the big fella overall? He did well, but I'm not amazing at racking up goals on goalscoring challenges, so "just" a goal a game:

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Manager profile at the end of the season - domestic player bias took a battering due to a few recruits from England and Scotland 🙄 But on the other hand, playing in Europe boosts my reputation to Continental :D

Spoiler

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And the updated overall summary:

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NEXT TIME: We hit the halfway mark in the career... Can we get further in Europe? And how far can Big Chris take us?

Thanks for reading, and all comments are highly appreciated!

Edited by Mr Tree
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Ahh I was never going to guess you’d go to Wales but great idea and a nice 46 goals to add to your mileage.

Hopefully you can get a good run at Europe next season.

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4 minutes ago, Gunners Rishi said:

Mate how many seasons do you have left? This is going to be really clutch trying to get those goals in the last few years

30 seasons in a career, and I think the challenge is to play a season at Elgin. I don't think getting enough goals to get there will be a problem, but it might be a bit nervy seeing if the job becomes available!!

I'm the "guinea pig" here, the first to try it (I think). I think I've seen that the sensible/boring way would be 4 or 5 clubs, 6 or 7 seasons at each, and rack up 150-odd goals per striker - it gives you a lot more options. But I'm having fun jumping around :D

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SEASON 15

First our regular check-in on the international scene - this must've been a tense final! But congrats to Netherlands, European Champions in 2032!

Spoiler

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Personally, having completed the domestic treble in my first year, Europe was the area where I was looking for improvement in my second year.

Unfortunately, in the Champions League, we went out one round earlier :( Overpowered by a decent Rapid Vienna team:

Spoiler

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That meant I had to qualify for the Europa League, with a tricky tie against perennial Norwegian champs Rosenborg.

Spoiler

A sensational start in Norway... fell away just as spectacularly, leaving nerves jangling:

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But a great performance at home sealed the deal:

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We started the group stage in style, with a hat-trick from the big fella raising hopes of a top-two finish...

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Domestically, we went out of one cup with a shocking defeat:

Spoiler

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But we made good progress in the other:

Spoiler

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(I was going all-out attack against this tiny team in the second half - but FMM was having none of it!)

That proved to be my last game at TNS though, as an interesting opportunity opened up....

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Yes, a nice little trip up to Lancashire was in store. Big Chris had earned us sufficient miles:

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And we left with him looking a better player, although Wales were curiously still overlooking him:

Spoiler

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TNS were doing fine too - dropping a few points with the heavy schedule including Europe, but still looking good:

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Anyway, time to move on. Wigan had great facilities and a decent budget, but it was early November, they were midtable (I didn't take a picture of the league when I arrived 🙄), the squad was full of 1.5 or 2-star players, the board expected a challenge for the title, and I couldn't bring anyone in until January. Hmm!

After assessing the squad and finding the best 11 pretty much fit my standard 4-3-2-1, I pressed continue and my left winger promptly broke his leg - second day at the job!

Spoiler

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They didn't even have a decent-looking striker, so I made sure my scouting department was in good shape before sending them out to find me a gem. Meanwhile I played a few games that didn't do much for me in the challenge (I had no designated striker at this point), but actually... It all started coming together quite quickly. An unbeaten run from my arrival quickly catapulted us into the playoff race:

Spoiler

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We left it late, but deserved the win at Spurs in the Cup:

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So, that was a pleasant way to reach January, and now I could get recruiting. To remind you, so far the first three strikers I used were inherited... Then I loaned one, picked up an out-of-contract freebie, and at the last stop I spent money on one for the first time, £8k!

So the natural progression was... To splash out £10m on this kid!

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I wonder if he'll be able to help me rack up the MILES. Get it?! Cos his name is Miles, and it's "a goal a mile", hahaha!

Spoiler

 

Hmm. I also got a tasty young winger for £4m and flashed the cash at two of my defenders at TNS, as well as bringing in a keeper on loan from the Prem. The board did not appear to be dazzled by my initial dealings:

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And naturally, results nose-dived :( and the top three pulled away, leaving us looking at playoffs at best, although we had our moments:

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We ended up in the top six fairly comfortably:

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And an emphatic performance in n the semi-final first leg knocked the stuffing out of Wolves:

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The final was win-win for me - it was nice to go into such a game not worrying too much. If I lost, Griff would get another year at this level, whereas the Prem might be a big step up. But of course, we play to win.

Burnley had lost on the last day to allow Palace to overtake them for 2nd place. And then I broke their hearts again with a late winner - ouch!

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Griff did well for me, although the step up's gonna be a challenge as he's still just a kid:

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My manager profile at the halfway point of the career:

1724905685_Screenshot_20190430-202411_FM2019Mobile.thumb.jpg.aa1efd48ffa74d05da87f228a2b21e89.jpg

 

And the overall summary:

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So another crack at the Premier - I lasted 8 games last time with Bristol Rovers before bailing for the VNN. Hopefully things go a bit better this time!

Thanks for reading - all comments are highly appreciated :)

Edited by Mr Tree
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5 minutes ago, Paul186 said:

Great career, getting difficult now going to need a lot of goals before your next move.

Cheers - the North West is full of clubs so not hugely worried, but yeah it's gonna be interesting.

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SEASON 16

Back to the Prem. My previous visit, with Bristol Rovers, saw me winless in my first eight games, with no goals from my striker. I drew 4 of those first 8 0-0, and had a 3-3 draw with Chelsea. There was a total of 12 goals (we scored 5 and conceded 7) in the 8 games, so excluding the Chelsea game, there was a total of 6 goals in 7 games. Ouch.

I bring up the numbers because, yes, my Wigan season started similarly:

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23 goals total in 13 games, including (again!) 6 in the Chelsea game (we lost 4-2) - so 17 goals in the other 12 games. Good defence but need some help at the other end!!

Fortunately there were differences. I won my first game for starters, and Griff was doing alright, banging in 9 of the 12 goals that I'd scored:

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And his early-season form impressed the judges:

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I visited my old mates down in Bristol, but left empty-handed :(

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Journalists started spreading malicious false rumours about me to try and bring us down:

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My lads (Hart was away on loan) got a 1-2 in the prestigious "Welsh Footballer of the Year" awards. Also, note Stevie G - fair play, lad 👏

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The goalscoring and the belief within the squad really started to pick up when we handed Man City a pasting in the cup:

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And we repeated the dosage a few weeks later against a Liverpool team who really weren't expecting it:

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We invited another of the big cheeses to our house so that we could rip their heads off:

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And we were within touching distance of a remarkable spot in the top four!

We actually finished the season on a 10-game unbeaten run, but alas it wasn't meant to be, as we drew the last four in a row, including this thriller at Hillsborough:

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But still, a very respectable season:

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And the judges fawned over me and my squad:

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McGovern and Potter were loanees that I brought in in January when I realised we needed a bit more in midfield and on the wings... More on them next time :)

Also, quick note - the Chelsea goalkeeper there, Stanton, was my GK at Torquay back in the day :D

And the main man? He ended the year as the EPL's top scorer:

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And he was developing nicely:

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29 goals overall to give me 46 goal-miles in the bank:

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Manager profile - the Domestic Player Bias looks permanently screwed now :( And I would like the records to show that I have spent less than £100m so far :D

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Thanks for reading!

NEXT TIME: How will the Latics fare in Europe? Can they make it to the Champions League?

Edited by Mr Tree
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Excellent season and I’m sure if you can replicate some of those big wins more often next season then you will be easily top 4 if not champs.

I know you have spent a lot of time in the lower league but still fair bloody play.

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And I would like the records to show that I have spent less than £100m so far :D

 

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Lol, yeah I just liked how I'd caught it on 99.97 :)

I've had a couple of heavy days of play so I think I'll bang out a bonus edition tomorrow - things are certainly progressing nicely :)

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SEASON 17

As ever, first things first, congratulations to Spain on a dominant win in the World Cup final!

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England reacted to their latest shambles in, yes, surprising fashion:

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As Foxy said, I was actually quietly confident - I held my own last year, my young players were improving nicely, and I plugged some of the gaps in my squad. I also managed to get Potter and McGovern in permanently, though I don't seem to have any good screenshots for either - Potter had all green in the second column at age 20, and he had a release clause, so that was easy. Rangers weren't playing McG (y'know, only the EPL Player of the Year 🙄), so he requested a move and I snapped him up - sorted. Both in for around £20m each.

 

We started at last season's other surprise package, Watford, and it was all looking good... until...

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Everton then came over and whooped us and I got slightly worried. But fortunately, we recovered well:

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Griff was getting his...

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...but the party soon stopped :(

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He had a couple more frustrating knocks during the season, slowing us down somewhat (I didn't have a good reserve this season, but I brought one in for £33m after all this!)

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I was chugging along alright though, with some players blooming nicely. This was the winger that I brought in for £4.5m alongside Griff back in the championship - look at his physicals! 😍

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And I had this young keeper who I used in the Europa League - check that out, 7 clean sheets in a row!

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I was using my hot prospects and reserves in the Europa League - we did well...

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...but then I kept attacking and I got caught out 🤦‍♂️

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Still, the league was the main prize..

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I had a dramatic late win at one of my rivals:2110968850_Screenshot_20190505-085920_FM2019Mobile.thumb.jpg.b9c340645ac72e215bf1df2841419d85.jpg

 

But I got totally FMM'd in another game in the run-in:

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Fortunately, my main rival blew an early two-goal lead in a big game:

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And I followed up with a thrilling win featuring 4 goals from Griff:

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And that was just about enough to get me over the line:

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We dominated the awards:

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And the main man overcame his injury problems, only missing 7 EPL games in total and having a stormin' season otherwise:

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So that puts me on 77 goal-miles overall.

Manager profile:

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This now means that I've won every league in England. My miles take me up to the barren North West and there seems little point in changing clubs now. There are a few more options North East but if you check the map, you'll see it would affect my route quite substantially.

Thanks for reading, and all comments are highly appreciated!

NEXT TIME: How will the Latics fare in the Champions League? Will Griff's fitness improve? And can he hold off this incoming £33m signing?

Edited by Mr Tree
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I had to stop reading halfway through when I saw Joey Barton became England manager 😱 

Well done on the league title. Fun to read and clear to see you're enjoying playing it.

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15 minutes ago, samhardy said:

I had to stop reading halfway through when I saw Joey Barton became England manager 😱 

Well done on the league title. Fun to read and clear to see you're enjoying playing it.

Cheers Sam, yeah I'm loving it, definitely my sorta thing and it's reenergised the game for me. Can definitely see myself doing this sort of project on future versions - not sure how well it'd translate to other countries (UK benefits from having so many clubs), but might give it a go in Germany or something too...

Anyway, still a long way to go here first!

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6 hours ago, Guppy McFicklestein said:

Just found this treasure of a career. What a read! Keep up the good work, Tree

Cheers mate, much appreciated!

The next season is a real belter too... Hopefully I'll get it up tomorrow 👍

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