FM - Luton Town 2004/05 Season

[GoldenEagle]

I am ready to attempt another dynasty with Football Manager, this time with a higher prestige team. The team I have chosen is Luton Town, a League One team. Luton Town is currently in first place in League One in real life. I chose them because I knew they would have some talent. I also wanted to see if I could live up to the real life expectations.

Those of you who follow dynasties around the board know that our very own FrogMan is also running a dynasty with Luton Town. This is another reason I chose this team, so the readers could make a comparison between the same team but going in different directions. Football Manager is such a deep game that two different opinions could drastically change the game. I thought it would be fun to document the same team.

I also be using the format that MikeVick7. It will not be exactly like but you should recognize the similarities. All credit should be pointed toward him.

Here is the basic set-up of the squad:

Team: Luton Town
Status: Professional
Reputation: Regional
Finances: Ok
Stadium: Kenilworth Road, Luton
Stadium Capacity: 9975 all-seater
Training Ground: Needs some investment
Media Prediciton: None

July 12th, 2004

-I get the standard greeting message. Nothing really to report here.
-Bill Tomlins welcomes me to the club. He says the expect a respectable league position. I am also given $36k to work with in transfer funds.

-Friendly Match vs. Notts. Co.
I let my assistant control this one, as I figured it would be unfair for me to coach the team as I have not had proper time to review any of them. The match was a draw 1-1. Stephen O’Leary scored off a PK for us. There is nothing else to really say, as I did not even watch the match.
Goals - Gavin Gordon (39), Stephen O’Leary (80)
Man of the Match - Saul Deeney
Venue - Meadow Lane, Nottingham
Attendance - 474
Final - Luton 1, Notts Co. 1

[GoldenEagle]

2004/05 Roster Evaluation

Goalkeepers

-Rob Beckwith: 19, $110k value, $490 p/w
Rob is a young stud who is expected to get the starting nod in the nets this season. He is very aggressive, which I like to see in a keeper. Overall he is balanced with seemingly a very bright future. He is also extremely brave.

-Marlon Brentford: 34, $28k value, $900 p/w
Marlon is a veteran player/coach who will handle the goal keeping training duties. He will certianly be given a fair shot at also earning the starting spot. He was signed recently on a free transfer by previous management and I suspect it was to back up Beckwith.

-Deno Seremet: 23, $16k value, $1.05k p/w
The Slovenian seems to be the odd man out of the keeper rotation. He is good in the air and commands his area well. However, I feel the other two are better and Seremt seems destined for the reserves at this time.

[GoldenEagle]

Defenders

-DL Sol Davis: 24, $24k value, $2.2k p/w
Davis is a bit slow, but he can get forward and get involved in the attack - which I like from outside backs. He is a pretty good tackler and can mark very well. He is aggressive and has a good mental game which is a plus for defenders.

-DC Chris Coyne: 25, $56k value, $2.4k p/w
The Australian is our best option at the anchor defender role. He is decent in the air but a pretty good marking back and a average tackler. He is pretty fast and aggressive. I wish he was better in the air but I think he is a good choice.

-DC Dave Bayliss: 28, $12k value, $1.2k p/w
Dave was listed by the previous management but I felt he had some attractive qualities to add to the team. He lacks a presence in the air but is a superb tackler and hopefully will break up any plays through the middle. He has some speed and is good in the teamwork department.

-DR Ian Hiller: 24, $24k value, $1.05k p/w
The jury is still out on Ian as a potential starter. Right now I feel he is probably the best option. He is another guy who can get forward in the attack but he really lacks speed. He is average as a tackler and a marker. He has an ok mental game.

-Curtis Davies: 19, $110k value, $440 p/w
Davies is a guy who can back up in the center back position. He is a natural sweeper. He is a younger guy who is not yet fully developed but could be a good player down the road. I suspect he will split sometime with the seniors and reserves this year.

-Alan Neilson: 31, $6k value, $2.2k p/w
Alan was transfer listed by the previous management and will stay on that list. If he is not sold he will be playing with the reserves. His high wages make him even more expendable.

-Leon Barnett: 18, $24k value, $400 p/w
Leon appears to be an exciting young prospect. He can play on the left side and in the center as well. He is a good marker and decent passer out of the back. He is aggressive and has good mental skills. He does not have much speed though, which may hurt him. I suspect he will get some first team action this year.

-Russell Perrett: 31, $10k value, $1.4k p/w
Russell is good option for a back-up at the center position. Is he decent in the air, at tacking, and marking. He has a good mental aspect of the game. He is not a blazer, but can keep up. I expect him to see some playing time this season.

-Kevin Foley: 19, $260k value, $700 p/w
Foley is a talented young man with a bright future it so appears. He is a good attacker and can really get forward in the attack. He is a good marker but does not have a lot of speed. He has played for the Ireland U21 team once, quite an honor. He should be a talented player.

[GoldenEagle]

Midfielders

-ML Paul Underwood: 30, $40k value, $2.2k p/w
Underwood is a very solid option at left midfielder. He hits very good crosses and is fast enough to get up and down the pitch. He has good physical skills and good mental skills as well. He also is an option to be the captain.

-DMC Kevin Nicholls: 25, $70k value, $2.6k p/w
I really like Nicholls as a defensive mid option. He is strong and very fit. He is not very fast but should be able to keep up. He is ok in the air and a good marker. He has enough tackling skill to disrupt most plays.

-MC Steve Robinson: 29, $60k value, $2.2k p/w
Robinson is a talented player with good passing and dribbling skills. He is also a good finisher on top of that. He is brave and has enough speed to make a difference. He should excel in the center mid role an have a good season.

-MR Paul Hughes: 28, $56k value, $2.2k p/w
Paul is one of the faster guys on our team. He is a pretty good dribbler but not a good crosser. He is a good passer. He may or may not keep his starting spot but should see a ton of action for the first team this season.

-Ahmet Brkovic: 29, $44k value, $1.25k p/w
Ahmet is a guy who could really challenge for the starting right midfield spot. He also can back up in the center. He is a good crosser, dribbler, crosser, and finish to boot. He has average speed. He is a good option to give us off the bench.

-Michael O’Leary: 21, $48k, $600 p/w
O’Leary is a younger player who could back up in the defensive midfield position. I am skeptical of his future. He is listed for loan and I may or may not allow for him to go out on loan. We are really lacking in depth in the midfield position.

[GoldenEagle]

Strikers

-FC Steve Howard: 28, $130k value, $550 p/w
Steve is a veteran who is good in the air and is a very strong player, meaning he can hold the ball to allow us to get numbers in the attack. He is an ok finisher and works with his teammates very well. I define him as a holding/ target stirker.

-FC Rowan Vine: 21, $1.650k value, $3.6k p/w
Rowan is on loan from Portsmouth of the Premier League. He will be here for the entire season. He is very talented, as his value would suggest. He is good dribbler, good finisher, and can crank long shots. He is good at concentrating as well. He looks to be a very good player.

-Matthew Blinkhorn: 19, $20k value, $550 p/w
Matt is on loan from Blackpool, another League Two team. His loan contract expires pretty soon, at the end of October. He is fast and good in the air. He will provide some depth for us up front until he returns to Blackpool.

-Enoch Showunmi: 22, $56k value, $1.4k p/w
Enoch is fast and a good dribbler. He can hit some long shots. He will see some reserve work this season. I hope he will be up to the task of giving us depth. Either way, we have a long term issue of depth. He is pretty fast as well.

[FrogMan]

hmm, very, very interesting. I'll try not to interrupt too often, so as to not skew your decisions, but wanted to say I'll be reading

And Luton is in League One, formerly known as Division 2...

Good luck!

FM

[GoldenEagle]

July 18th, 2004

-Friendly Match vs. Bolton
I forgot to switch my manager options over so my assistant was in charge of the squad again for this game. Let’s just say I was out of pocket? Bolton is in the Premiership, and they flat showed it against us. They routed us 4-0.
Goals - Kevin Nolan (7), Gary Speed (32), Khalilou Fadiga (49), Rob Beckwith (50) og
Man of the Match - Jay Jay Okochoa
Venue - Kelinworth Road, Luton
Attendance - 9,873
Final - Bolton 4, Luton 0

[GoldenEagle]

July 20th, 2004

-Friendly Match vs. Northampton
Northampton is a League Two team, one notch below us. I decided to urn a 4-1-3-2 formation with my normal starters out there. We had a man sent off right after halftime which allowed Northampton to get a couple of goals on counter attacks. We are just getting into the groove of everything and waiting for things to click.
Goals - Mark Richards (83), Mark Richards (90)
Man of the Match - Chris Carruthers
Venue - Sixfields Stadium, Northampton
Attendance - 489
Final - Northampton 2, Luton 0

-After the game we get word that starting striker Rowan Vine will miss 4 weeks with a sprained ankle. Ouch.
-Midfielder Ahmet Brkovic separated his shoulder and will be out for a week.

[GoldenEagle]

July 25th, 2004

-We here that Millwall is interested in our starting defensive midfielder, Kevin Nicholls. No offer has been made yet but the media is speculating that one will be made soon.

-Looking to shore up some depth up top after the injury to Vive, we make an offer to Manchester United to loan French striker David Bellion for 3 months.

-We also look to loan in a midfielder, and approach Paris-SG about a full season loan for Selim Benachour. I think this loan will not come though, but I give it a shot anyway.

July 27th, 2004

-Word comes from Paris that they have accepted our loan offer for Benachour. It will be interesting to see if he is willing to go on loan.

-Friendly Match vs. Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Welsh team and one we expected to be quite easily. We are stilly mingling with some tactics and what not and getting everything ready for the season. Still, we expected a confidence booster in this game. Steve Robinson laced in a free kick in the 45th minute and reserve player Peter Holmes scored in the 64th minute. They would challenge and even score but we walked away with a win.
Goals - Steve Robinson (45), Peter Holmes (64), Mark Peters (81)
Man of the Match - Steve Robinson
Venue - The Oval, Caernarfon
Attendance - 85
Final - Luton 2, Caernarfon 1

-Our loan deal for David Bellion hit a bit of a rock as French club Stratsbourg made a $3.2 million offer for him No word on rather Man Utd will accept the offer or even loan him to us.

July 31st, 2004

-Man Utd has accepted the loan offer for David Bellion.

-Benachour has decided against going for loan to Luton Town. No surprise there and we will go back to the board looking for midfield depth.

-St. Albans, a Conference South team, has made a loan offer for young right mid Stephen O’Leary. We accept the deal and it will be up to O’Leary to go to the club.

-Friendly Match vs. Chelsea Reserves
We clashed with the reserves of a powerful Chelsea squad today and held our own with them. I used mostly a second string team sprinkled with some reserves. The exception was the two outside starting midfielders, who need work. We did not manage much offense, but played good defensively Unfortunately they snuck one past us and we lost. Still a spirted performance.
Goals - Anthony Grant (54)
Man of the Match - Paul Underwood
Venue - Kenilworth Road, Luton
Attendance - 399
Final - Chelsea Reserves 1, Luton 0

[GoldenEagle]

August 2004

League Position: -
Record: 0-0-0
Active Tournaments: None
Wage Total: $42,542 p/w
Wage Budget: $40,000 p/w
Transfer Budget Available: $37,825
Transfer Budget: $37,825
Balance: $239,895

August 1st, 2004

-The Luton directors are still sure they made the right choice when they hired me as manager. Cool.

August 3rd, 2004

-David Bellion rejects the offer to go on loan to Luton. Not a big surprise.

-We make an offer to loan Liverpool’s Danny Potter. He is not a great player but he will provided needed cover on the first team.

-We get the League One odds this season and we are placed at 20-1 odds to win the league. Bristol C is first with 6-4 odds.

-Friendly Match vs. Bradford PA
With this match being just four days before the start of the season, we send a 2nd string/reserve squad into the game. We need to rest our starters before the big kick-off. The lone exception was keeper Rob Beckwith, who was playing in just his second match of the pre-season. This match was just an ugly showing, luckily it is a friendly or I would be upset.
Goals - Allan Pearce (23)
Man of the Match - Rob Beckwith
Venue - Horsfall Stadium, Bradford
Attendance - 78
Final - Bradford PA 1, Luton 0

-Stephen O’Leary accepted a 3 month loan contract with St. Albans.

-Matthew Blinkhorn was injured and will miss two weeks with a sprained ankle leaving us with only two healthy strikers.

August 5th, 2004

-Millwall, a Championship team, make a $60,000 offer for Kevin Nicholls. I respectfully decline the offer and am will not let him go at that price.
-Liverpool accepts our loan offer for David Potter. It will be up to him to join us.

August 6th, 2004

-The English League Cup 1st Round draw was made today. We will play at League Two Bristol Rovers on August 25th.

August 7th, 2004

-League One match at Hartlepool
Preview: It is the day we have all been waiting for. The big kick off! We played at Hartlepool. We go with a 4-4-2 with th following personnel: Beckiwth-Davis-Coyne-Bayliss-Hiller, Underwood-Nicholls-Robinson-Brkovic-Showumni-Howard.
1st Half Notes: They hit us very quickly in the first half when Bayliss lost his mark and they scored in the first half. They scored in the 5th as Davis tried to get cute the back and dribble which led to a breakaway in a goal in the 5th minute for them. Nicholls put one in for us in the 7th minute to bring us back to a goal. Bayliss was injured and replaced by Perrett.
2nd Half Notes: The second half started off just as bad as the first as Perrett scored an own goal in the 47th minute. We brought Hughes for Brkovic to try to give us more speed in the attack. The got a PK in the 79th minute thanks to Coyne pulling on the jersey of an opposing player. They converted it.
Goals: Riche Humphreys (1), Adam Boyd (5), Kevin Nicholls (7), Russell Perrett (47) og, Gavin Strachan (79)
Man of the Match: Richie Humphreys
Venue: Victoria Park, Hartlepool
Attendance: 5,594
Final: Hartlepool 4, Luton 1

Pos	Inf	Team		Pld	Won	Drn	Lst	For	Ag	G.D.	Pts
1st		Hull		1	1	0	0	5	1	+4	3
2nd		Hartlepool		1	1	0	0	4	1	+3	3
3rd		Oldham		1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	3
4th		Tranmere		1	1	0	0	3	1	+2	3
5th		Walsall		1	1	0	0	3	1	+2	3
6th		Wrexham		1	1	0	0	3	1	+2	3
7th		MK Dons		1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	3
8th		Swindon		1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	3
9th		Brentford		1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	3
10th		Huddersfield		1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	3
11th		Bournemouth		1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
12th		Port Vale		1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
13th		Sheff Wed		1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
14th		Stockport		1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
15th		Doncaster		1	0	0	1	0	1	-1	0
16th		Torquay		1	0	0	1	0	1	-1	0
17th		Barnsley		1	0	0	1	1	3	-2	0
18th		Bristol C		1	0	0	1	1	3	-2	0
19th		Chesterfield		1	0	0	1	1	3	-2	0
20th		Bradford City		1	0	0	1	0	2	-2	0
21st		Colchester		1	0	0	1	0	2	-2	0
22nd		Luton		1	0	0	1	1	4	-3	0
23rd		Peterborough		1	0	0	1	0	3	-3	0
24th		Blackpool		1	0	0	1	1	5	-4	0

[GoldenEagle]

August 8th, 2004

-Bishop Stafford have offered to loan reserve midfielder Peter Holmes for 3 months. We accept the offer.

-Darren Potter of Liverpool rejects the loan contract to Luton.

August 11th, 2004

-League One Match vs. Hull
Preview: Hull dominated their first game of the year with an easy 5-1 thumping of Blackpool. We start out with the standard line-up. Steve Howard is only at about 80% after suffering a dead leg in training. Stuart Richardson, on a youth contract, is on the bench and could come in if needed.
1st Half Notes: Walters scored for them in the 14th minute in a goal where Coyne was there but just did not stop the shot. Paul Underwood was injured. We had to bring Pertett into the game and move Davis up to the left mid.
2nd Half Notes: We are failing to generate offense and our defense is really not playing well, particularly in the center. They scored a couple of goals due to mistakes in the center portion of the field and we could not get any offense.
Goals: Jonathan Walters (14), Ryan France (68), Aaron Wilbraham (85)
Man of the Match: Nick Barmby
Venue: Kenilworth Road, Luton
Attendance: 9972
Final: Hull 3, Luton 0

-After the match we learned of two injures. Chris Coyne will be out for a week with a separated shoulder and Paul Underwood will be out for four weeks with a sprained ankle.

August 13th, 2004

-Peter Holmes has agreed to go on loan for 3 months to Bishop Stafford.

August 14th, 2004

-Barnett have made an approach to loan reserve midfielder Lee Mansell. We accept the offer.

-Rowan Vine has returned to full training but is not ready for a match yet, still only at about 75%.

-League One Match at 16th placed Sheffield Wednesday
Preview: We are going into this match short handed. We make some changes tactically. We switch to a 4-1-4-1. Howard is the lone guy up top.Sol Davis moves to left mid. Mike O’Leary starts in the center. Leon Barnett starts at left back and Kevin Foley starts at right back. Perrett starts for the injured Coyne.
1st half Notes: Steve Howard scored in the 22nd minute off of a cross from Davis. We played very well on defense, holding them off the board. Hopefully the trend will cotinue in the second half.
2nd Half Notes: Curtis Davies replaced Bayliss in the center back at half time. I also brought in Hughes for Leary. Sheffield Wed. Would even things up in the 74th minute when Davies seem to have lost his man. It would end in a draw.
Goals: Steve Howard (22), Steven MacLean (74th)
Man of the Match: Russell Perrett
Venue: Hillsborough, Sheffield
Attendance: 16,698
Final: Luton 1, Sheffield 1

Pos	Inf	Team		Pld	Won	Drn	Lst	For	Ag	G.D.	Pts
1st		Hull		3	3	0	0	11	1	+10	9
2nd		Oldham		3	3	0	0	6	0	+6	9
3rd		Swindon		3	3	0	0	6	0	+6	9
4th		Tranmere		3	3	0	0	6	1	+5	9
5th		Huddersfield		3	2	0	1	4	2	+2	6
6th		MK Dons		3	2	0	1	4	2	+2	6
7th		Chesterfield		3	2	0	1	7	6	+1	6
8th		Hartlepool		3	1	2	0	5	2	+3	5
9th		Walsall		3	1	2	0	4	2	+2	5
10th		Port Vale		3	1	2	0	2	1	+1	5
11th		Blackpool		3	1	1	1	4	7	-3	4
12th		Bradford City		3	1	0	2	5	5	0	3
13th		Wrexham		3	1	0	2	4	6	-2	3
14th		Torquay		3	1	0	2	2	4	-2	3
15th		Barnsley		3	1	0	2	4	7	-3	3
16th		Brentford		3	1	0	2	2	5	-3	3
17th		Sheff Wed		3	0	2	1	2	3	-1	2
18th		Bournemouth		3	0	2	1	1	2	-1	2
19th		Stockport		3	0	2	1	0	1	-1	2
20th		Peterborough		3	0	2	1	2	5	-3	2
21st		Doncaster		3	0	1	2	1	4	-3	1
22nd		Bristol C		3	0	1	2	1	6	-5	1
23rd		Luton		3	0	1	2	2	8	-6	1
24th		Colchester		3	0	0	3	0	5	-5	0

[GoldenEagle]

August 17th, 2004

-We get word back that Newcastle has accepted our loan offer for defender/midfielder Lloyd Dyer. I think I forgot to mention this, so I am mentioning now.

-Lee Mansell, a young reserve midfielder, has agreed to a loan contract with Barnett. He will report back to us in three months time.

-My assistant reports that Sol Davis. I issue a warning to Davis for his unprofessional behavior and will suspend him for the next match. Apparently, Davis feels he is not being played in his strongest position. I think he began complaining when he was at left defender. He has started the last couple of matches at left mid.

August 18th, 2004

-Davis feels his warning was harsh and unfair. However, I can not have my players just skipping practice/ It was just a warning, I did not fine him.

-Fulham has accepted our loan offer for Adam Green, a left midfielder. With the Davis fiasco, I am guessing we are going to need some depth.

August 19th, 2004

-Davis commented today that he has no qualms with me as a manager. He is willing to work in whatever position I put him and become more of a team player.

-Dyer and Green both refuse loan assignments to my team.

August 21st, 2004

-League One Match vs. Blackpool
Preview: With the suspension of Sol Davis, we had to call up young Richard Mansell to take the place of Davis and start on the left side. Mansell is 18 and is lacking in the fitness department, as he is yet to play much this year. Rowan Vine made the sub list, and I have pledged to play him in the second half. We stick with 4-1-4-1 that I talked about last game.
1st Half Notes: They scored in the 22nd minute as they once again exploited our center defense. I think the problem may be that they are winning headers over our middle guys. Mike Leary brought us back even though, with a strike right before halftime.
2nd Half Notes: Paul Hughes replaced Mike Leary at halftime as did Rowan Vine for Steve Howard. Hughes struck gold in the 64th minute when he scored off of a free kick. We were able to hold them off of the board and I get the first win of my coaching career.
Goals: John Murphy (22), Mike Leary (44), Paul Hughes (65)
Man of the Match: John Murphy
Venue: Kenilworth Road, Luton
Attendance: 8,788
Final: Luton 2, Blackpool 1

Pos	Inf	Team		Pld	Won	Drn	Lst	For	Ag	G.D.	Pts
1st		Hull		4	4	0	0	13	2	+11	12
2nd		Tranmere		4	4	0	0	9	1	+8	12
3rd		Swindon		4	4	0	0	8	1	+7	12
4th		Oldham		4	3	0	1	6	1	+5	9
5th		Huddersfield		4	2	1	1	5	3	+2	7
6th		MK Dons		4	2	1	1	5	3	+2	7
7th		Hartlepool		4	1	3	0	6	3	+3	6
8th		Port Vale		4	1	3	0	3	2	+1	6
9th		Chesterfield		4	2	0	2	8	8	0	6
10th		Barnsley		4	2	0	2	6	7	-1	6
11th		Bournemouth		4	1	2	1	6	3	+3	5
12th		Walsall		4	1	2	1	4	5	-1	5
13th		Doncaster		4	1	1	2	4	4	0	4
14th		Torquay		4	1	1	2	3	5	-2	4
15th		Blackpool		4	1	1	2	5	9	-4	4
16th		Luton		4	1	1	2	4	9	-5	4
17th		Sheff Wed		4	0	3	1	3	4	-1	3
18th		Stockport		4	0	3	1	1	2	-1	3
19th		Bradford City		4	1	0	3	5	8	-3	3
20th		Colchester		4	1	0	3	1	5	-4	3
21st		Brentford		4	1	0	3	2	7	-5	3
22nd		Wrexham		4	1	0	3	5	11	-6	3
23rd		Peterborough		4	0	2	2	3	7	-4	2
24th		Bristol C		4	0	2	2	2	7	-5	2

[GoldenEagle]

August 22nd, 2004

-No Luton players were named to the team of the week.

August 23rd, 2004

-I learn that Kevin Foley and Keith Keane have been called up to the Irish U21 squad. Keange is a young defensive midfielder with a promising future.

August 24th, 2004

-The transfer deadline is in a week. This does not apply to us though, I do not think.

August 25th, 2004

-League Cup Match at Bristol Rovers
Preview: Despite Bristol being a league below us, we are being cautious and sending in our best team to the match. We expect a tough match on the road. I am hoping our defense will be able to hold down the fort and not give up any goals and our offense will find some firepower.
1st Half Notes: Paul Hughes was injured early and was replaced with Richard Mansell. We pushed Nicholls up to center mid. Steve Howard scored in the 30th minute. He scored a minute later but it was called back do to an offside call. Bristol would tie it up a minute later.
2nd Half Notes: Hiller was brought on to replace Brkovic in the second half. They scored on a ball that was brought down to the left flank and flicked in. They also added goals from the spot and a free kick. In the span of four minutes.
Goals: Steve Howard (30), David Savage (32), Craig Disley (64), Richard Walker (71 - PK), Ali Gibb (75)
Man of the Match: Richard Walker
Venue: The Memorial Stadium, Bristol
Attendance: 9,668
Final: Bristol Rovers 4, Luton 1

-After the game, we know that we have to address the issue of a left back. We submit a bid for veteran Darren Barnard of Aldershot. We offer $16k.

August 27th, 2004

-Aldershot wants $61k for Barnard. We are desperate, but not that desperate.

August 28th, 2004

-League One Match vs. Bournemouth
Preview: I tweak the tactics a bit. Here is the revised starting line up:
GK: Beckwith
D: Davis/Perrett/Coyne/Foley
DM: Nicholls
RM: Brkovic:
AM: Robinson
LM: R. Mansell
F: Howard/Vine
1st Half Notes: We played lovely, fluid attacking football this half. It was much better than what our fans usually see. We scored one, by Steve Howard but Bournemouth was equal to the task, noting things up at 1. Actually, they scored first.
2nd Half notes: Blinkhorn came on to replace Vine at the half. Vine had a good match but is not yet match fit. Perrett got forward and scored on a rare shot for him to give us the lead. Hughes was brought on to replace a tired Robinson. Everything that we did right before this went was replaced by us doing everything wrong. Our defense is slow and the other team snuck behind us and got two goals off crosses to a target man.
Goals: Dani Rodrigues (20), Steve Howard (43), Russell Perrett (57), Steve Flecther (61), Flecther (72)
Man of the Match: Neil Moss
Venue: Kenilworth Road, Luton
Attendance: 9,186
Final: Bournemouth 3, Luton 2

Pos	Inf	Team		Pld	Won	Drn	Lst	For	Ag	G.D.	Pts
1st		Hull		5	5	0	0	17	2	+15	15
2nd		Swindon		5	5	0	0	12	2	+10	15
3rd		Tranmere		5	4	1	0	9	1	+8	13
4th		Oldham		5	4	0	1	9	1	+8	12
5th		Huddersfield		5	3	1	1	10	5	+5	10
6th		Bournemouth		5	2	2	1	9	5	+4	8
7th		MK Dons		5	2	2	1	6	4	+2	8
8th		Hartlepool		5	1	4	0	7	4	+3	7
9th		Port Vale		5	1	4	0	4	3	+1	7
10th		Sheff Wed		5	1	3	1	5	4	+1	6
11th		Colchester		5	2	0	3	3	5	-2	6
12th		Chesterfield		5	2	0	3	10	13	-3	6
13th		Barnsley		5	2	0	3	7	11	-4	6
14th		Doncaster		5	1	2	2	5	5	0	5
15th		Walsall		5	1	2	2	4	7	-3	5
16th		Blackpool		5	1	2	2	6	10	-4	5
17th		Bradford City		5	1	1	3	5	8	-3	4
18th		Torquay		5	1	1	3	3	8	-5	4
19th		Brentford		5	1	1	3	2	7	-5	4
20th		Luton		5	1	1	3	6	12	-6	4
21st		Wrexham		5	1	1	3	5	11	-6	4
22nd		Bristol C		5	0	3	2	3	8	-5	3
23rd		Stockport		5	0	3	2	1	6	-5	3
24th		Peterborough		5	0	2	3	3	9	-6	2

[GoldenEagle]

August 29th, 2004

-For some reason, I can not view team of the week. Maybe a bug?

September 2004

League Position: 20th
Record: 1-4-1
Active Tournaments: None
Wage Total: $40, 356 p/w
Wage Budget: $40,000 p/w
Transfer Budget Available: $37,825
Transfer Budget: $37,825
Balance: $774,607

September 1st , 2004

-The board is still confident they appointed the right guy for the job.

-Stuart Elliot of Hull won the League One Player of the Month award. That guy is a hoss.

-The young player of the month was Sean O’Hanlon of Swindon.

-The manager of the month was Andy King of Swindon.

September 3rd, 2004

-Sol Davis was again absent from training. However, knowing I need him for the match I decide that fining him for 2 weeks would be more of a punishment. This way, the team is not hurt and I dip into his pocketbook, which should get his attention.

September 4th, 2004

-Davis feels his fine was unfair. He has now requested a transfer which I have granted him. I do not expect anyone to be interested in a whiny bitch who skips practices.

-We make an offer to loan Man Utd’s Mads Timm. We need the depth up front and in the midfield.

-We drew Rushden in the first round of the Vans Trophy. We will play on the road. The match is scheduled for September 28th.

[GoldenEagle]

September 5th, 2004

-Paul Underwood resumed full training today. That is good news.

September 7th, 2004

-Man Utd’s has accepted our loan offer for Madds Timm.

-My assistant manager informs that Kevin Foley picked up another cap for the U21 Ireland team. He came on as a substitute and did well according to reports.

September 9th, 2004

-We finally get some good news as Madds Timm has decided to join us on loan. Hopefully he can make an impact for the three months he is here.

September 10th, 2004

-Craig Davies, who was set to make a start this Saturday, suffered a knee sprain and will have to miss a week.

-Sol Davis was again absent from training. I fined him for a week and he will not play in this Saturday’s match.

September 11th, 2004

-League One Match at Bristol C
Preview. We get Paul Underwood back to the pitch at full strength. He will start at left midfielder. Leon Barnett will also start at left back for us which is a bit of a liability. Marlon Beresford also earned his first start in the goal. Bristol C is 22nd in the league position so we may be able to get some points out of our road trip.
1st Half Notes: Well, our defense was terrible giving up nine shots on goal and they managed to convert two of them. They just seem to be better than us. We got nothing going on offense except a few chances.
2nd Half Notes: Madds Timm and Paul Hughes came on in the second half to try to give us more offense. Well we played a much better second half that gives me hope. We even scored a couple of goals. However, we could not hold them off the board and they scored one more to give them the win.
Goals - Bradley Orr (2), Christian Roberts (27), Steve Howard (48), Steve Brooker (52), Steve Howard (89)
Man of the Match - Steve Howard
Venue - Ashton Gate, Bristol
Attendance - 11,457
Final - Bristol C 3, Luton 2

Pos	Inf	Team		Pld	Won	Drn	Lst	For	Ag	G.D.	Pts
1st		Swindon		6	5	1	0	13	3	+10	16
2nd		Hull		6	5	0	1	18	5	+13	15
3rd		Oldham		6	5	0	1	10	1	+9	15
4th		Tranmere		6	4	2	0	10	2	+8	14
5th		Bournemouth		6	3	2	1	13	6	+7	11
6th		Huddersfield		6	3	2	1	11	6	+5	11
7th		Chesterfield		6	3	0	3	13	14	-1	9
8th		Hartlepool		6	1	5	0	9	6	+3	8
9th		Doncaster		6	2	2	2	8	6	+2	8
10th		MK Dons		6	2	2	2	6	5	+1	8
11th		Walsall		6	2	2	2	6	7	-1	8
12th		Sheff Wed		6	1	4	1	5	4	+1	7
13th		Port Vale		6	1	4	1	5	6	-1	7
14th		Colchester		6	2	1	3	5	7	-2	7
15th		Brentford		6	2	1	3	6	9	-3	7
16th		Barnsley		6	2	1	3	8	12	-4	7
17th		Bristol C		6	1	3	2	6	10	-4	6
18th		Peterborough		6	1	2	3	7	10	-3	5
19th		Blackpool		6	1	2	3	7	14	-7	5
20th		Stockport		6	0	4	2	1	6	-5	4
21st		Bradford City		6	1	1	4	6	12	-6	4
22nd		Luton		6	1	1	4	8	15	-7	4
23rd		Torquay		6	1	1	4	3	10	-7	4
24th		Wrexham		6	1	1	4	7	15	-8	4

[GoldenEagle]

September 13th, 2003

-Sol Davis has gone to the media with his latest complaints. He says that I am not understanding him and he wants to leave the club soon. I understand when you skip practice I am going to fine you and sit you out.

-Paul Underwood and Steve Howard were selected to the League One team of the week. I did not know I got a message, cool.

-We begin scouting four players on the transfer list who are listed/or advertised for a loan. We desperately need a new left back.

September 18th, 2004

-League One Match vs. Peterborough
Preview: I once again decide to experiment somewhat with tactics. Our weak point has been our defense this year and the ability to get burnt on the counter attack. So I have decided to do a bit of a weird tactics, its sort of like a 4-5-1 but not really. Here are the starters:
GK - Beckwith
D - Davis/Coyne/Perrett/Foley
M - Keane/Nicholls/Hughes
RM - Robinson
LM - Underwood
F - Howard
1st Half Notes: The defense I thought would not get scored gave up a goal in the 3rd minute of the game. It was sort of unfortunate, someone just lost their man. Luckily Steve Howard equalized for us and we went into the half tied up.
2nd Half Notes: Brkovic was brought in for Hughes, who seems to be a bit unfit. The second half would prove to be scoreless and we would end with a disappointing 1-1 draw giving us only one point.
Goals: Leon Constantine (3), Steve Howard (33)
Man of the Match: Curtis Woodhouse - Peterborough
Venue: Kenilworth Road, Luton
Attendance: 5,762
Final: Luton 1, Peterborough 1

Pos	Inf	Team		Pld	Won	Drn	Lst	For	Ag	G.D.	Pts
1st		Hull		7	6	0	1	21	6	+15	18
2nd		Swindon		7	5	1	1	13	4	+9	16
3rd		Tranmere		7	4	3	0	12	4	+8	15
4th		Oldham		7	5	0	2	11	3	+8	15
5th		Bournemouth		7	3	3	1	15	8	+7	12
6th		Huddersfield		7	3	3	1	13	8	+5	12
7th		Chesterfield		7	4	0	3	15	15	0	12
8th		Hartlepool		7	2	5	0	11	6	+5	11
9th		Doncaster		7	3	2	2	10	6	+4	11
10th		MK Dons		7	2	3	2	7	6	+1	9
11th		Walsall		7	2	3	2	7	8	-1	9
12th		Port Vale		7	1	5	1	6	7	-1	8
13th		Barnsley		7	2	2	3	9	13	-4	8
14th		Sheff Wed		7	1	4	2	5	6	-1	7
15th		Bradford City		7	2	1	4	8	12	-4	7
16th		Bristol C		7	1	4	2	8	12	-4	7
17th		Colchester		7	2	1	4	6	10	-4	7
18th		Stockport		7	1	4	2	2	6	-4	7
19th		Brentford		7	2	1	4	6	11	-5	7
20th		Wrexham		7	2	1	4	8	15	-7	7
21st		Peterborough		7	1	3	3	8	11	-3	6
22nd		Luton		7	1	2	4	9	16	-7	5
23rd		Blackpool		7	1	2	4	7	15	-8	5
24th		Torquay		7	1	1	5	3	12	-9	4

[GoldenEagle]

September 21st, 2004

-We decide to submit an enquiry about Bury left back Brian Barry-Murphy. He was listed, but not anymore. Hopefully they will be willing to sell him. My scout did not like what he saw, but I did. He is also been playing with the U21 Irish team.

September 22nd, 2004

-Keith Keane, who made his first start on Saturday, will miss 2 week with a knee injury during training.

September 25th, 2004

-League One Match at Stockport
Preview: We switched back to the normal 4-4-2 for today’s match. Craig Davies, a young defender gets the start in the back. He is back there for his speed. Other than that, we send in our normal starting line-up.
1st Half Notes: We applied a ton of pressure but could not get one to fall. We turned the ball over in our half and a Stockport player hit a bullet and made us pay for it. We are going to break through eventually, or at least I hope.
2nd Half Notes: Timm replaced a tired Vine at the half. We gave up another goal by Bridge-Wilkinson, who just dominated the entire pitch. Howard managed to get a goal late but we could salvage a draw.
Goals: Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (3, 75), Steve Howard (90)
Man of the Match: Marc Bridge-Wilkinson
Venue: Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 6,663
Final: Stockport 2, Luton 1

-Sol Davis strained his neck during the game and will be out for five days.

Pos	Inf	Team		Pld	Won	Drn	Lst	For	Ag	G.D.	Pts
1st		Hull		8	6	1	1	21	6	+15	19
2nd		Swindon		8	6	1	1	17	7	+10	19
3rd		Tranmere		8	5	3	0	15	5	+10	18
4th		Oldham		8	5	1	2	13	5	+8	16
5th		Bournemouth		8	4	3	1	19	10	+9	15
6th		Chesterfield		8	5	0	3	17	16	+1	15
7th		Doncaster		8	4	2	2	13	7	+6	14
8th		Huddersfield		8	3	4	1	14	9	+5	13
9th		MK Dons		8	3	3	2	10	6	+4	12
10th		Hartlepool		8	2	5	1	11	9	+2	11
11th		Bristol C		8	2	4	2	10	13	-3	10
12th		Colchester		8	3	1	4	7	10	-3	10
13th		Stockport		8	2	4	2	4	7	-3	10
14th		Walsall		8	2	3	3	8	10	-2	9
15th		Barnsley		8	2	3	3	11	15	-4	9
16th		Port Vale		8	1	5	2	7	10	-3	8
17th		Wrexham		8	2	2	4	9	16	-7	8
18th		Sheff Wed		8	1	4	3	5	7	-2	7
19th		Bradford City		8	2	1	5	11	16	-5	7
20th		Brentford		8	2	1	5	8	15	-7	7
21st		Peterborough		8	1	3	4	9	13	-4	6
22nd		Luton		8	1	2	5	10	18	-8	5
23rd		Torquay		8	1	2	5	3	12	-9	5
24th		Blackpool		8	1	2	5	8	18	-10	5