Thanks for the idea Havok. I will consider it.
Just so you all know, there are a few things that I am currently considering, regarding the state of the Screamin' Seamen.
1. Metman certainly hasn't paid off just yet, but I feel like it is too early to write him off. He suffered a form drop when he joined the team, and hasn't fully recovered yet. $500,000 may seem like a lot to have paid for him, but I spent over a week scouring the transfer market for players who met my criteria, and Metman was about as good as I could do for the money I had available. The main criteria was that the player had to be capable of putting up three stars, and no solid scorer/solid passer than I looked at was capable of doing so. Metman is capable of that, his form just needs to get better first, and it is improving.
2. I am currently saving up for a new coach. Coach Brown has been with us since the beginning, but is really no longer up to the task. He is only a passable/defensive coach. Now that my training program is fully operational (maximum physios and assistant coaches with good trainees), a solid coach is the next logical step. I am hoping that I will be able to land an offensive coach as well. That would help our offense immensely, and my defense is more than good enough to make up for that.
3. From a certain standpoint, I am only treading water at the moment. This is by design. I am running this team from a very long-term perspective. A lot of the other managers out there seem to be making transfers almost daily, while mine are few and far between (with the exception of selling youth pulls). Yes, I have a number of trainees that could sell for decent money right now (all are solid or better in defending), which in turn could be spent on some better players (forwards, midfielders). But the money they would sell for now pales in comparison to what they will be worth when my current training program comes to an end. At the end of next season, all of my defensive trainees should be formidable defenders,
at least. I salivate at the thought of the money they will bring in, and the drastic improvements I will be able to make when that happens. But it takes patience, considering that it will be the fall of 2003 before these changes take place. So if it seems like the improvement of SSFC is occurring at a snail's pace, now you may be able to understand why. Just wait...
So there you have it, my perspective on the state of the SSFC in a nutshell. This game is a very long-term endeavor (it's been running for over five years), and that is what I like most about it.
Here endeth the sermon.
