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Stromson — And the new job is…
Hello folks and welcome back to my *fill in the blank* story! It’s been an intriguing few months, complete with a title appearance, shock resignation, and curious sacking! I spent the better part of 5 months hanging around the Job Center before the right offer finally came my way.As you may have guessed, I decided to make a video for the big reveal. ;-) I’m really enjoying recording them, and so far they’ve been received pretty well. So here we go, check out our new team:
So there you have it folks — we’re going to Wales! Now a fair few of you are probably wondering what would possess me to accept a position in the Welsh League (with the worst team in said league), but reject offers from a BSN/S or BSP club (both of which I received), and you’re well within your rights to do so. It really boiled down to two deciding factors:
1) Afan Lido was a newly promoted team, and had yet to play a league game. This meant I had full control over my starting squad versus trying to pick up a relegation-threatened Aldershot 2/3rds of the way through the year.
2) Earning the Welsh Premier League a respectable place in Europe is the ultimate challenge. I’d like to (if I have the patience) be able to pull of a similar stunt to Excessive’s, and I can’t think of a more difficult or interesting league to try and do it from.
A Little Bit of Background
So now we’re in Wales, and now you know why, and now it’s time to fly! Okay okay, so I have no talent for poetry (especially the convoluted kind), but seriously, it’s time for a little information session on the Afan Lido and the Welsh Premier League. First, here are the rules/nuances for the WPL:
All in all, it’s a fairly straight forward league. The only two notables are the «Two U-19s on the match squad» rule, and the league splitting in half after 22 games (effectively shutting out the bottom six teams). Neither of those are especially far fetched or overly limiting, and the U-19 rule will help me keep a healthy recruitment cycle in place. I prefer 7 subs named to 5, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Next up is a little bit of history about Lido:
Again, not too much to mention. Afan Lido are a squad without much success, and their only notable achievement was a 1995 appearance in the Europa League (then the UEFA Cup). They were knocked out in the first round of that competition, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Latvian side FK Jelgava. Two League Cup wins are the only trophies currently in the case, and the club hasn’t enjoyed much success since that Europa visit. I hope to be the manager to turn things around for them!
Team Roster:
To begin, let’s take a look at the Assistant Reports for the squad before I began my overhaul:
Aside from a small handful of players, there wasn’t much going for us. Most of our players were glorified amateurs, and they just didn’t have the skill to compete on this level. It was quite the task, but I think I’ve managed to compile a squad capable of challenging in the Welsh Premier.
Goalkeeper: Reece Ottley
Picked up on a free (just assume all of my players were on free unless I mention otherwise), Reece is lightyears better than my previous keeper. His Concentration is a bit low, but he should be able to perform reasonably well at this level.
Rightback: Danny Taylor
I brought Danny in to replace the rather poor rightback currently on the payroll (this is going to be a theme). There isn’t anything exceptional about him, but he has a decent amount of potential and should be able to do well for us.
Centerbacks: Liam Hancock and Aaron Morris
I don’t think I’m stretching when I say Aaron Morris is my best player. Both of these guys are new to the squad, and they’re helping to shore up my back line. I’m optimistic they’ll be able to perform well together, and Aaron Morris still has the potential to grow.
Leftback: Paul Cochlin
A pretty experienced fullback, I’m counting on Paul to secure our left flank. My biggest concern is his relatively low pace and subpar marking, but at this level one can’t be too choosey.
Midfielders: Shaun Galsworthy, Andy Robinson, and Keiron Howard
Shaun Galsworthy is the only incumbent player to be retained in the starting eleven, and one of only three that’s even left on the roster. Coincidently, he’s one of my best players and the anchor of my midfield crew. Keiron and Andy were both brought in on free transfers, and they’ll be helping Shaun out quite a bit. As a collective group, I think this is the strongest aspect of my squad.
Attacking Midfielder (R): Bradley Robinson
A relatively talented player with oodles of potential, Bradley will be in charge of generating attacking movements on the right. His crossing needs a bit of work, but I feel confident that he’ll develop nicely.
Attacking Midfielder (L): Craig Williams
Maybe I’m crazy, but I think this guy looks a little like a young Simon Peg (not that Peg is old). Regardless, he’s a solid winger and miles ahead of my incumbent. He’s spent nearly his entire career in the Welsh Premier with Lanelli and TNS, and I’m hoping he’ll be able to continue his success here.
Striker: Craig Hughes
Probably the biggest question mark on my current squad, it remains to be seen how Craig Hughes will pan out. He’s older than I typically go for, but I was in desperate need of a striker and he’s had a pretty solid career (including a rather successful stint with Newport County). Hopefully he’ll hold up and bag a few goals along the way.
Season Outlook:
Now that you’ve seen the squad, let’s take a look at how the pundits think we’ll do this year:
Hahaha! Those are by far the worst odds I’ve ever been given. I’d advise you to go ahead toss $5 on us, and you may be due for a very sweet payout. I’d personally give us odds closer to Airbus or Haverfordwest, and I think we’re capable of mounting a potential title challenge, and hopefully will qualify for a European spot. Meanwhile, check out our season ticket sales:
We’re soaring! Moving up to the Premier league gave us 6 whole fans, unbelievable! This is one of those screenshots I plan to save for 20 seasons down the line when I do a «then and now» post. :)
Wrap Up:
I think we’ve got a pretty decent squad together, and I’m gunning for a top half finish. We’re predicted to finish last, but I’m fairly certain we can avoid that fate. My pipe dream is to take Afan Lido as far as I can, and I want to turn the Welsh League into one of Europe’s elite. That’s no small task though, and I won’t be able to do all of that with just Lido. This project will likely involve turning Lido into a perennial contender, and then moving on to a different Welsh squad and building them into contenders as well. Is a Champion’s League title in the cards? Perhaps, but I think I’ll focus on regular runs in the Champion’s and Europa leagues to begin, and then we’ll go from there.
Surprise, it’s a bonus!
What’s this now!? A bonus? That’s right folks, I went ahead and recorded our first ever league game for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading all, and as always, I’d love to hear your comments/concerns/suggestions!