Hello folks and welcome to a new chapter of the Vauxhall Motors FC Football Manager 2011 story! It’s a historic moment for the club since it never got to the Blue Square Premier before so we needed to strengthen the squad and exceed the expectations once again. Our fans celebrated the unlikely promotion from Blue Square North last season but I was hoping to see more both from the team and from the fans since I wasn’t very pleased with having just around 100 people in the stands at our home games.
I made several requests to the board during pre-season but only two of those got approved: allowing my scouts to be sent all over Europe and a slight increase to the wage budget. I have also asked them for better training and youth facilities and to relay the pitch but they were unable to accept because of the poor finances. Anyway, I told them that we could achieve a top half finish so they handed me a wage budged of 5.5K per week. No transfer budget this time either :(
As always, we were predicted to finish bottom of the table but that doesn’t scare us anymore :)
Here’s a round-up of the transfer activity: 11 players joined the club while another 11 departed. We got a massive 3,000 pounds from the outgoing transfers, not bad :)
Now let me introduce the new faces. Let’s start with the new pair of goalkeepers, I’m quite happy to have found these two. Canadian youth international Adam Street should be my first choice goalie next season, he was released by West Ham and I seized the opportunity. I think he’s a very good keeper at this level and he also has some potential to become even better.
English youngster James Dunn seems to have enough potential to keep Adam Street on his toes, the 19-year old might have a decent career ahead of him.
I made no changes to the full backs area but I felt that we needed another pair of centre backs to compete with Ryan Carolan and Chris Pendleton for a place in the first team. Oliver Nicholas was the first new centre back to join the club this summer, an Eritrean international that came had the opportunity to be at Arsenal during the early years of his career. Then he moved to Manchester City, Blackburn and Newcastle but never managed to make a first team league appearance.
The other new centre back is Scottish youth international Fraser Kerr, a tall defender with lots of potential. I’ll have to work with him to improve his pace just a bit but he is good enough to be a decent player at this level.
I was planning to make some improvements to the wingers department but I couldn’t find enough worthy players until now. I have managed to get in just one new winger, Spanish youngster Pablo Navas who was released by Portsmouth after coming to England from Barcelona. He has decent technique and pace and I hope that he will settle in quickly.
I have also brought in a new pair of central midfielders, two promising youngsters that could serve the club for a few years. The first one is Turkish youth international Oguzhan Ozyakup, a former Arsenal player that can also provide cover on the right wing.
The second CM is Northern Irish youth international Matthew Ball, a player with exciting potential and decent attributes overall. I wanted him because he has good technique at this level and he could team up very well with Shane Williams in the middle of the pitch. Go to the next page to read the rest of the story.
Go to the next page to read the rest of the story.
Laxeyman
23 ноября, 2010 at 16:15
Hi Johnny, good signings there, your squad looks strong apart from the wingers. As for a right winger, I’ve got one called David Hutton, who is an Irish lad and my assistant says he is a good Blue Square Premier player. His wage is only £130 a week, so check him out :) Good luck for the season.
Johnny Karp
23 ноября, 2010 at 18:27
Thanks for the recommendation Laxeyman, I looked him up but unfortunately he’s not available on a free transfer.
Sayam Khan
23 ноября, 2010 at 17:29
Hi Johnny,
I’d say you should maybe loan a right winger if you can’t find one on a normal transfer?
Anyway i think your best signings are your defenders.
I see you changed your skin? Is it not confusing when you change in a middle of a game?
Good Luck
Johnny Karp
23 ноября, 2010 at 18:30
Thanks Sayam. There are no good players available for loan, at least those who might be interested in coming to our club are not good. About the skin, it’s not confusing at all since the skin I chose has all the buttons and menus placed almost identically to the default skin.
JonnySniper
23 ноября, 2010 at 17:41
I just signed Ozyakup for Southampton, fighting off top Spanish and French teams. He’s got the potential to be very good. Awesome signing for you mate. Good luck.
Johnny Karp
23 ноября, 2010 at 18:31
Thanks Jonny, that’s great news about my Turkish lad. I hope he will live up to the expectations.
Vinners
23 ноября, 2010 at 17:47
Good signings Johnny, the only signing the same as me is Kerr, who is a good player. My problem is he goes off with my left winger every once in a while playing internationals…. Also I am pleased you took my advice and I am sure you’ll be pleased to have taken £50k. I’m only 20 games into my season coz I’ve been a bit busy recently so your catching me up. With regards to your right winger problem I have a guy called Albert Owusu-Ansah, Jimmy gives him 3 stars for CA and 4.5 stars for potential (£150 per week). But really I have him for his pace. Check him out, if you want :) Anyway looking forward to your story. Good luck!
Johnny Karp
23 ноября, 2010 at 18:32
Thanks for the recommendation Vinners, I’ll look him up a.s.a.p. :)
Kevin
23 ноября, 2010 at 17:52
Hi Johnny
Hurray you signed a Canadian.You will probably have to import Tim Hortons coffee and donuts for him :) Interseting pre-season opponents though a brilliant result against Derby. I’m glad you got Koroma back he’s actually a very useful player. Like your Dutch signing too!
Johnny Karp
23 ноября, 2010 at 18:34
Thanks Kevin. My Canadian goalie seems like he needs to lose some weight so he might have to live without Tim Hortons’ coffee and donuts :)
Ana Garcia
23 ноября, 2010 at 19:11
Yay! A Spaniard! :)
Some really good transfers Johnny, your squad looks very good now just hope your new players can settle quickly!
I dont play with wingers, so am afraid I can’t reccomend anyone. :(
Johnny Karp
23 ноября, 2010 at 20:46
Thanks Ana, now I’m looking to bring in another Spanish player to keep him company :)
Darren Smith
23 ноября, 2010 at 19:18
Nice signings Johnny!! Your new strikers will be lethal and I cant wait to see loads of goals. With that lethal front line I think promotion is on the cards again. Just look at your demolition of Derby. Well done mate.
Johnny Karp
23 ноября, 2010 at 20:47
Thanks for the confidence Darren. That was just a friendly game though, competitive matches are a whole different story.
Sears
23 ноября, 2010 at 22:34
Well done Johnny on a good pre season. However, are you not a little worried with your Assistants Manager’s team report regarding your midfield? Although I do hope they can show there good potential as your squad is still extremely young. Good luck in looking for a right winger, unfortunately I have no recommendations.
Johnny Karp
24 ноября, 2010 at 06:48
Thanks Sears. Well, I am a bit worried but my midfielders have good potential so I hope that regular first team football would help them to make good progress.
Jack
24 ноября, 2010 at 04:00
Hi Johnny, some great signing there, particularly looking forward to seeing Asante playing. Just a quick question, I’ve just started a game with Aberystwyth town in the Welsh Principality league, as its where I go to university :p, thought it would be a new challenge, anyway after some persuasion they extended my scouting range and allowed me more scouts, just wondered where you would send these scouts? Unfortunately not everyone would jump at the chance to play in Wales!
Johnny Karp
24 ноября, 2010 at 06:49
Thanks Jack. I guess your primary scouting target should be UK and Ireland but you might try to send a scout in Eastern Europe as well. You’ll have to try and see.
Jack
24 ноября, 2010 at 12:57
Cheers Johnny, much appreciated :)
Lye
24 ноября, 2010 at 10:43
Hi Johnny,
Good signings, so glad you have signed Oliver Nicholas. He is fast becoming a leader in my team. Hope to see him do well for you. Your decision to overhaul the strikers department looks like a wise choice. All your strikers should be able to perform a good job. Good luck.
Johnny Karp
24 ноября, 2010 at 11:16
Thanks Lye, I expect great performances both from Nicolas and from the new strikers.
cous
24 ноября, 2010 at 12:53
A player that might be of interest to you is Bally Smart. He is primarily a left winger but he can play right midfield as well. He is a young south african with ok pace and skill.
Johnny Karp
24 ноября, 2010 at 14:07
Thanks Cous, I’ll send one of my scouts to check him out :)
hils
24 ноября, 2010 at 15:31
Hi Johnny,some good signings there!!!!!!! Amazing result against derby!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny Karp
24 ноября, 2010 at 15:53
Thanks Hils!!! :)
J
25 ноября, 2010 at 07:50
Good luck for the new season.
Try to get a parent club?
Johnny Karp
25 ноября, 2010 at 09:25
Thanks for the good luck wish. I forgot to mention the parent club, the Tranmere Rovers link was terminated and the board was unable to find a new parent club :(
Arjuna Kankipati
25 ноября, 2010 at 09:58
Hey Johnny,
You made some nice signings, Street, Navas and Ozyakup are your best ones
Arjuna
managerstoriesfootball.blogspot.com
Johnny Karp
25 ноября, 2010 at 10:13
Thanks Arjuna, I hope that those players will do well.
sergio
25 ноября, 2010 at 11:54
hey johnny how do you go about your scouting?i would like to find decent young players for my RM Castilla team they must be EU nationals which makes it harder but i did manage to get omar koroma on a free last night coincidentally i c you have also signed him
Johnny Karp
25 ноября, 2010 at 12:18
Koroma is a good player, I hope he’ll do well for you. About the scouting, the important thing is to have good scouts and also a good assistant manager and then you will have to evaluate the players yourself to see if they can fit into your tactical approach.
keiran
26 ноября, 2010 at 23:51
abdeltareck sakali is quality and so is alexis nikolas a must sign , navas was good for me in the blue square north but struggled to make the step up
good luck :)
Johnny Karp
27 ноября, 2010 at 07:57
Thanks for the recommendations Keiran, Nikolas is on my shortlist but I will look up Sakali.
Mariano
21 декабря, 2010 at 10:16
Yes Sakali(too late i know), though his attributes are not very high he is my Havant(2010/2011) right winger and with amazing stats, he does the Messi move moving to the middle and shooting from outside the box:)
He scored many goals and gave many assists.
Johnny Karp
21 декабря, 2010 at 13:53
Sakali was on my shortlist, I think he still is, but I didn’t sign him because he wanted too much money, that’s what I remember :)