Spartans Soul, Keep the Faith - An FM11 Story

2012 preseason

2011-08-14T19:53:00.000-06:00

Promotion in non-league football is challenging. Player wages increase with promotion clauses but the club's budget for salaries didn't change. I worked to get rid of players who didn't contribute, reduce wages and add players who could fill in at multiple positions.Finally, I want to bring in as many young, physically talented players as possible. I let Dale, Doninger, Brayson and Morris leave on for free or cheap. I added three young players in Doherty, Stenning and Hunt. All have good physical skills and the potential to improve into good players.

We'll see soon how promotion treats the squad. I suspect we'll compete, but I'll be happy with a top half finish.

My friendly strategy is to make money and to get the team's morale into shape before league play. I achieved both of these things in 2012. Matches against Stoke, Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday brought in much needed cash and the Spartans put in good performances in late summer friendlies.

Promotion!

2011-07-30T20:09:00.000-06:00

The Spartans finished off a very strong 2011-2012 season, comfortably winning promotion to the Blue Square Premier. What led to this season's improvement? Players, players players. I used mostly the same tactics as the second half of last year, but this year we controlled possession better and finished chances better. We finished the season with only five losses, and two of those occurred while playing youngsters after clinching the title.

The Spartans scored bushels of goals, but were led by new signee Shaun Jeffers. Strikes Bayne and Jeffers also contributed mightily. Midfielder Ryan McGorrigan was especially good, netting twelve times in league play.

So now the club moves on to tougher competition. This particular transition tends to be challenging for me. The competition gets better, but payroll doesn't. I'll be looking to improve and consolidate.

2011-2012 midseason report - an excellent first half

2011-07-27T08:46:00.000-06:00

What a difference these new players have made. The Spartans sit at the top of the table on New Year's Day and have lost only once in twenty one league matches. The squad is scoring in bunches. They're letting in a few goals, but the defense if generally quite solid.

MIDSEASON TABLE

MIDSEASON RESULTS

Notice the loss to league foe Alfreton and to Exeter in FA Cup play. Both were unlucky. Blyth had two goals called back against Alfreton and a goalkeeper's terrible giveaway in injury time doomed The Spartans in Cup play. Both games were winnable. Blyth was surprisingly outplayed by Ebbsfleet in FA Trophy action.

All in all, this is a good improvement relative to last season. The boys are playing well, and the new signings have uniformly been good contributors. I'll provide more details about lineups and statistics soon.

2011 preseason

2011-07-26T22:01:00.000-06:00

I was pretty aggressive this summer, scheduling a number of friendlies. Four early matches against big reputation clubs were aimed at enhancing our modest club's coffers. The Spartans went winless, but had good performances against Watford and Birmingham.

Late summer friendlies were scheduled against lesser competition. Blyth scored big wins against lesser competition, and the squad is in high spirits to kick off conference play.

Transfer Summary - summer 2011

2011-07-26T21:52:00.001-06:00

As stated earlier, the goals here are to eliminate some underperforming expensive players and to build up skill in the squad. The following moves were made this summer....

I let six contracts expire, including that of player/assistant Chris Swailes. Goalkeeper Daniel Lowson was allowed to move on a free as was Nicky Deverics. None of these players were especially strong last season and several were quite expensive.

I'm pretty excited about the replacements. Fullbacks Peter Gregory and Ben Sampayo trained at Portsmouth and Chelsea, respectively and Ryan McGorrigan, who can play in midfield or attack, trained at Newcastle. These folks should do a good job of increasing athleticism at the club. I've also signed former Coventry man Shaun Jeffers, who scored 15 goals for Nuneaton last season. Veteran Alex Rhodes is also expected to contribute. Conner Jennings, on loan from Stalybridge, will provide depth at striker.

Finally, I've signed Sean Thurgood as a player/assistant. He seems to be every bit as effective as Swailes at one-fifth the cost. This savings will allow me to bring in additional coaches.

I think all these moves are in the right direction.

End of season 2010-2011

2011-07-24T20:34:00.002-06:00

Blyth Spartans have finished this year’s campaign. Although the club struggled with tactics and talent, they still managed to finish in 6th place. The squad didn’t exactly play well down the stretch, but poor play from Corby, Solihull and Eastwood allowed the Spartans to sneak up the table. Thoughts on my first season follow.

FINAL TABLE

Personnel and performance
I initially overestimated the talent on the squad. I though a modest influx of talent and depth would be enough to challenge for promotion, but this was not the case. Saiko, Doninger and Nicholas were solid preseason acquisitions. Nicholas was especially valuable in defense and chipped in with a few goals off of corners. Highly rated Adam Boyes was a bit of a disappointment. He contributed as a playmaker, but did not produce the goals the team needed, especially during a late season injury crisis. I’m hopeful he’ll improve with maturity, as he was only 19 in his first season with us. Old hands Paul Brayson and Robert Dale were amongst the club’s top players, although Brayson suffered through a midseason scoring slump and both players were limited by injuries. Although these guys were solid players, they didn’t put in the kinds of performances I’m really looking for. The injury crisis did have one especially positive outcome. We took a risk on Scottish striker Graham Bayne. He wasn’t highly regarded by my scouting staff, and isn’t exactly young, but he played well in a few games towards the end of the season and may be a contributor next year.

SCORING

PLAYER RATINGS

The goals for next season will be to improve our scoring options. We need more weapons in attack. We also need more/better players out wide. We need some rotation players who can fill in at multiple positions. Injuries hit us harder than they might have because players were out of position. Finally, we need to cut/modify payroll in smart ways. For instance, we got mediocre goalkeeping from highly-paid Daniel Lowson. We can save money here and a number of other places. I’ll need to use this money to improve the squad.

Tactics
I began this season trying to work out my own tactics. That didn’t work well, unfortunately. I’m committed to playing a 4-4-2 in non-league football, at least, so about halfway through last season I switched to the highly recommended 4-4-2 Goals Universal by Grom Dalibor Lazarevic. The switch in tactics was followed by a series of dominant performances and excellent attacking football.
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=5105

Injuries slowed down the club, but I like this tactic as a starting off point.
I’ve been working on set pieces, and especially corners, and I hope to have something to say about that soon.

Staff
Fiscal constraints limited the club to an expensive player/assistant and a scout. I should have terminated the assistant after taking over the club, but didn’t. Here’s a place where I can certainly save money. I need additional coaches for player development and I could use another scout as well. These will be summer priorities.

Summary
In short, although I wasn’t thrilled with my first season performance, it wasn’t a dismal failure. I’ve learned a lot, and an confident that I can lead the Spartans to great things in the seasons to come.

New tactics, better result and injury catastrophe

2011-07-21T22:23:00.002-06:00

Although Blggr intended to work out his own tactics, pressure from fans and the Blyth board forced him to adapt and to incorporate tactics from England's best. The Spartans responded well and forged six straight conference wins and goals in bunches. Blyth marched into playoff position before a shocking series of injuries left the club limping towards the end of the season. In a span of two games, the Spartans lost Paul Brayson, Robert Dale and Mark Doninger three of the club's top scorers, all of whom are unavailable for months. These three skilled players have accounted for almost 60% of Blyth's league goals. Adam Boyes is the only striker left in the squad to have scored a senior goal. Spirits are down at Croft Park.

Goal scoring turned off like a switch

Missing offense

Little optimism

Mixed result continue

2011-07-20T23:01:00.000-06:00

Blyth surprised Newport County in FA Trophy 1st round play. Remarkably, star striker Paul Brayson scored 16 seconds in for the visitors. Boyes followed with the Spartans second goal in the 22nd minute. Newport pulled one back midway though the second half but Blyth survived a last minute barrage to move through.

The Spartans dominated conference rival Workington at home in a match in which Boyes scored two headers off of set pieces. Holliday draws against Alfreton and Droylsden and a road loss at Workington left players and supporters disappointed, however.

Blyth still sits in the top half of conference play and is within striking postition of promotion play. The squad has to work on defending set pieces however, as they concede few goals in the run of play.

Spartans struggle with stiff competition

2011-07-19T22:36:00.000-06:00

Blyth played well but earned only one point in recent matches with third placed Gainsborough and league leaders Telford. Blyth was outplayed at Gainsborough, but an 88th minute penalty from Adam Boyes earned a hard fought draw.

Blyth also hosted Telford, and gave the visitors an inspired performance. The Spartans played well and created good chances. Unfortunately, finishing let the club down. Each team defended set pieces poorly, trading own goals. The difference in the match was a stunning strike from Greg Mills that gave the visitors a two goal lead just before the intermission.

Improved results

2011-07-18T23:15:00.000-06:00

The Spartans' play has improved significantly in recent weeks. The disappointing FA Cup exit was followed by another disappointing loss, this time to BSN foes Eastwood. FM Blggr modified lineups and tactics with little success, but spirits were buoyed with a convincing win over cellar dwellers Hyde.

Blyth was inspired in a road draw against Corby, a match they dominated and were unlucky not to win. League wins against Boston Utd., Harrogate and Gloucester were followed by a exceptional performance against Folkestone in FA Trophy action. Although Blyth went down a man early, they responded strongly with three goals from star midfielder Robert Dale. Deverics, Doninger and Callum Morris also scored for the Spartans. Spirits are now exceptionally high, and FM Blggr hopes his squad can keep up this run of good form, especially as league leaders Telford visit Croft Park next week.

Improved form

Blyth sits is good position given last month's struggles.

The Spartans' biggest issue has been conceding too many goals, but scoring has not been a problem. Striker Paul Brayson has been exceptional, bagging 12 goals in all competitions. Blyth has also received good contributions out of midfielders Dale, Doninger, Turnbull and Deverics. New signee Oliver Nichols has been exceptional in defense and has contributed three goals off of set pieces. Shaun Saiko has performed well in limited appearances after injury. Newcomer Adam Boyes has contributed, but has not yet found the scoring touch.

A poor run of form

2011-07-16T22:43:00.000-06:00

A solid start has transitioned to struggling performances. Blyth started September with a matchup against league-leading Telford. The Spartans were underwhelming in their road loss, and were lucky to limit Telford to two goals. They created a lot of chances and their poor finishing kept Blyth within reach of a point until the final minutes. Play was poor throughout, but I was especially surprised at how easily we were dispossessed. We were physically dominated.

Blyth's rookie manager should take his fair share of the blame here. An underwhelming team talk may have contributed to the Spartans slow start and poor performance.

The loss to Telford was followed by a disappointing home draw against Worcester and a shock loss to Redditch.

Poor play also followed the Spartans to FA Cup qualifying. Blyth struggled to get by BSN members Harrogate before losing in 3rd round qualifying to Guiseley.

The mental outlook in the squad is bad. There have been some bad defensive performances, some unlucky scorelines, and a goal drought. We'll be looking to modify tactics for more consistent performance.

On a positive note, new signing Shaun Saiko has returned from injury and the squad has been able to add Ogunbote from Basingstoke and Gary Walker from Worcester. These players add a little depth to a team desperately in need of rotation players.

A Solid Start

2011-07-15T22:07:00.001-06:00

We've put together a pretty solid start, ending August with four wins and two draws. Blyth stands in second place a point behind Telford. We're scoring a lot, and I've been especially impressed by the offensive contributions out of midfield. The defense has been solid, but we've given up a few goals off of corners. Something to work on.

There are still personnel issues to deal with. We need to reduce payroll while building depth in attack. The starting strikers have been exceptional, but there's a big dropoff to the third striker and youth players at four and below. Boyes has fitness issues and I need another option in case of injury and in times of match congestion. I've had no luck getting folks to come in on loan and payroll won't allow for additional signings.

Conference play begins!

2011-07-14T09:57:00.000-06:00

The boys pulled together a strong performance in their opener against Solihull Moors. We went down 0-1 after new signing Nicholas gave up a penalty in the early minutes, but were dominant after that. Stikers Brayson and Boyes scored in the first half and Nicholas made amends with a good header after the break. Turnbull rounded out the win with a late goal.

I was happy with the performance here. Although we didn't maintain possession the way I'd like, we generated good chances and finished well. I'm hopefull that my initial tactics are a good starting place and that the boys will start of the season with a run of solid finishes.

Friendlies

2011-07-14T09:49:00.001-06:00

The club has played a number of friendlies this summer. We're trying to gain match fitness, fold in new players, work out tactics, and maybe help out the finances a bit. Results were mixed, but I don't typically worry too much about results in the summer. The boys did have a particularly good showing against Stevenage, but underperformed in a few matches. I've been working on custom tactics and have a plan for how to start the season. I'll provide more details here as those tactics are tested.

There was one major injury in the summer. New signing Shaun Saiko will be out for a few months. This leaves an already thin midfield in a pretty rough spot. I'll have to do something about this.

Preseason

2011-07-14T09:44:00.000-06:00

The lads are working hard to get into shape and to implement new tactics. Four new signings have joined the team. All four should be good additions to the squad, but I'm especially excited about Boyes as we seemed to be especially weak in attack. Saiko is also highly rated, but is out for a few months due to an injury sustained in a preseason friendly. These additions have put us a bit over suggested payroll, so we'll be looking to unload a couple of defenders. I'm also searching hard for players available on loan. The board ultimately decided that there was no benefit for a parent club (and I'm viewed as naive and inexperienced?), so I'll try to draw some interest in youngsters from Premier League and Championship Clubs.

Modest expectations

2011-07-13T12:02:00.000-06:00

Knowing little about this club or it's potential for success, I've chosen modest expectations. Promotion would be great, but the benefits of higher expectations are modest, at best. The first priorities are to rebalance the squad a bit. There are an excess of centerbacks but we're weak at midfield and attack. After some negotiation, the board has agreed to look for a parent club. Hopefully a new arrangement will bring some good young players on loan, and a little money to boot.

A Yank in Northumberland

2011-07-13T09:01:00.000-06:00

In an announcement from its board of directors, Blyth Spartans AFC today announced the hiring of FM Blggr as its next manager. Chairman Tony Platten stated, ‘Although he is unheralded, we think we have a real gem in Blggr. We’re confident he can uphold the fine traditions of our club.’ Blggr has claimed to be thrilled by the opportunity to reach even the lower levels of English football. ‘This is a dream come true for me. I’ve met the boys, and I think we can do good things this coming season.”

Members of Blyth Spartans AFC Supporters Club are less impressed. Billy Smyth, club founder, said ‘That’s bollocks! I understand his only previous managerial experience was with his pub team. He doesn’t belong even in non-league football.’ When asked to comment, Blggr replied, ‘Although I probably shouldn’t respond, I must admit that although I spend much of my free time at the pub, I’ve never officially managed the pub team. I do have managerial experience, though. I’ve led my daughter’s U-8 team to two straight city titles. I hope to bring that success with me here to the north of England.’

What tactics should I use?

2011-07-12T09:42:00.000-06:00

It seems to me that there are at least a few important questions to ask before even loading the game. One is whether I should design my own tactics or to try those developed by others. I have very little experience designing tactics, but I am willing to try. In fact, it would probably make for a more interesting game. I am sure that readers will not be shy to help!

So, let's vote. How should tactics be selected for the upcoming game?

A new experiment

2011-07-11T12:15:00.003-06:00

So it goes, the beginning of my experiment. I'd like to blog the results of my next FM2011 game. I'll be asking for your input occasionally.

Here is decision #1. What team should I manage? I favor minnow or mid-tier clubs and have put together a list of five possible clubs in the poll above. The English teams were selected by FM11 at random. The Spanish and Italian clubs were selected by me as clubs that would be fun, and clubs that don't get a lot of attention in the FM world.

Please vote. Team selection will be determined by the results.