Welcome back to the Counties Championship – a new blog series on Fuller FM. I’m using Football Manager 2017 to find out what would happen if the 48 English counties took part in a national competition using only the best footballers they have produced. You can read more about it right here.
Ahead of the first matches, I’ll be previewing every team, assessing their strengths and weaknesses to predict who has the best chance of claiming silverware. In this article, I will look at the 12 teams that make up the South division.
BERKSHIRE
STADIUM: Madejski Stadium, Reading (24,197).
PREDICTED FINISH: 5th.
Berkshire thrive at the back, where they have plenty of strong aerial threats, though they are short of quality in goal. A lack of leadership is another serious concern, while their midfielders can be blinkered in their passing. Mind you, their attacking options are potent enough to perhaps get them into the play-offs.
CAPTAIN: Sam Hutchinson
Tough-tackling midfielder Hutchinson is a true inspiration, and not just because of his endeavour on the pitch. After initially retiring with a knee injury aged just 21, the ex-Chelsea youth showed great determination to come back better than ever.
KEY PLAYER: Theo Walcott
Walcott hasn’t quite fulfilled the promise he showed when making his Arsenal and England debut aged just 17. Nevertheless, this explosive right-winger with great dribbling abilities has still carved out a successful top-flight career.
MANAGER: Paul Clement
Former PE teacher Clement ditched the classroom for coaching, assisting the great Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. He’s now striking out on his own with his brand of adventurous passing football.
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
STADIUM: stadium:mk, Milton Keynes (30,582).
PREDICTED FINISH: 7th.
This technical Buckinghamshire team is one of the youngest in the competition, so expect the unexpected. While they’ll probably endure through the effects of a long, hard season, they could crumble under pressure without many wise heads in the ranks. They’re also weak in the air, where more physical sides can capitalise.
CAPTAIN: Sam Baldock
Baldock may not be a tall centre-forwards, but he’s a hard-working one who scores goals and sets them up as well. Sam knows his Buckinghamshire vice-captain very well, for it’s his younger brother and former Milton Keynes team-mate – right-back George.
KEY PLAYER: Dele Alli
Once the jewel of MK’s impressive academy, Alli has since become a vital midfield cog for both Tottenham and England. The 2016 PFA Young Player of the Year is a flashy playmaker with impressive technique and finishing ability.
MANAGER: Sam Ricketts
A nephew of ex-champion jockey John Francome, Ricketts never horsed around during his career as a defender with Wales, Hull and Bolton. The 34-year-old recently hung up his boots and has now been thrown into management at the deep end.
EAST SUSSEX
STADIUM: American Express Community Stadium, Brighton (30,384).
PREDICTED FINISH: 9th.
East Sussex’s defensive players have been through plenty of battles before and won’t be fazed by tougher opposition. It’s when you look further up the pitch where the technical and mental deficiencies of this team become clearer. Erratic and low on depth, they might struggle to make much of an impact.
CAPTAIN: Tommy Elphick
Elphick has a fine captaincy CV, leading Brighton into the Championship before taking Bournemouth into the Premier League. The centre-half has a professional attitude and stays on his feet when tackling.
KEY PLAYER: Gareth Barry
Only two players have made more Premier League appearances than former Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton star Barry. A pivotal link between defence and midfield, he can calmly dictate the tempo of matches.
MANAGER: Steve Brown
Formerly a defender, Brown made close to 250 league appearances for Charlton between 1990 and 2002. He later managed lower-league Ebbsfleet and Lewes but most recently was assistant manager at Margate.
HAMPSHIRE
STADIUM: St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton (32,505).
PREDICTED FINISH: 3rd.
The famed Southampton academy has served Hampshire very well and given them one of the South division’s more exciting teams. Dominant in defence, skilful and creative in midfield, and prolific up front, this is a very well-balanced outfit. If they can hold their own against more rugged rivals, watch out.
CAPTAIN: Andrew Surman
Surman’s excellent passing skills will be vital if Hampshire are to achieve their goals this season. The South African-born midfielder was ever-present as Bournemouth retained their Premier League status in 2015/2016.
KEY PLAYER: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Fitness pending, Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to become one of England’s star players for the next decade. His dribbling skills are best utilised on the wing, though he also has the versatility and intelligence to play in midfield.
MANAGER: Kit Symons
Ex-Wales defender Symons featured in over 100 matches for Fulham, where he later had a brief spell as manager a couple of years. A strong motivator, he expects his players to close down the opposition quickly and forcefully.
ISLE OF WIGHT
STADIUM: St Georges Park, Newport (3,200).
PREDICTED FINISH: 12th.
Like the island they represent, the Isle of Wight may find themselves cut off from their mainland contemporaries. Despite having two fine goalkeepers to call upon, their outfield is dominated by part-timers. And if you’re having to fill your 32-man squad with 15-year-old schoolboys, your prospects really don’t look good.
CAPTAIN: Lewis Buxton
Buxton is an experienced right-back who won’t let his advancing years stop him taking the ball up the wing. He was previously a crowd favourite at Sheffield Wednesday, staying for six-and-a-half years before a brief stint at Rotherham.
KEY PLAYER: Simon Moore
Agile goalie Moore began his career with local team Brading before embarking on a professional career with Brentford and Cardiff. Please don’t confuse the islanders’ de facto number 1 with their de jure number 1 – ex-Reading keeper Stuart Moore.
MANAGER: Lee Bradbury
Bradbury was a professional for 16 years, playing as a striker and occasionally at right-back. He recently ended a lengthy spell as Havant manager, having previously kept the Bournemouth hotseat warm during Eddie Howe’s sojourn at Burnley.
KENT
STADIUM: Priestfield, Gillingham (11,440).
PREDICTED FINISH: 4th.
Kent is the ‘Garden of England’, and their midfield is blooming with technicians and creators. As a collective, the team works well together and has enough depth to last the pace in the Counties Championship. Even in such a competitive South division, this is a formidable outfit with title potential.
CAPTAIN: Chris Smalling
Smalling overcame a difficult upbringing to establish himself at centre-back for Manchester United and England. His aerial strength and tactical understanding of the game should make Kent’s defence very solid indeed.
KEY PLAYER: Ryan Bertrand
Another valuable asset at the back is Bertrand, who is one of several quality left-backs at England’s disposal. Tenacious in defence and dynamic in attack, the erstwhile Chelsea youth earned widespread praise during his two years with Southampton.
MANAGER: Andy Hessenthaler
Hessenthaler is ‘Mr Gillingham’, making 300+ midfield appearances over a decade before having three separate spells as manager. Andy’s son Jake – also a midfielder who played for the Gills – is part of his Kent squad.
NORTH LONDON
STADIUM: Emirates Stadium, London (60,432).
PREDICTED FINISH: 1st.
Many bookies have made North London favourites to win the Counties Championship, and with good reason. No other side has more international experience to call upon, and that’s just in defence. Add some of England’s top young attacking talents to the equation, and you’ve got a fearsome unit.
CAPTAIN: John Terry
Though not without his faults, Terry is undoubtedly one of the greatest leaders English football has ever seen. A four-time Premier League champion with Chelsea, the ageing legend remains a daunting and commanding presence at centre-half.
KEY PLAYER: Harry Kane
22-year-old Kane has exploded over the last two seasons, netting 59 goals in all competitions for Tottenham. A resolute and powerful striker with the finishing ability of a master marksman, he is a future England captain in the making.
MANAGER: Harry Redknapp
Redknapp is a charismatic Eastender with over three decades of managerial experience under his belt. Sadly for Portsmouth’s 2008 FA Cup-winning coach, wheeler-dealing won’t get you anywhere in the Counties Championship.
OXFORDSHIRE
STADIUM: Kassam Stadium, Oxford (12,205).
PREDICTED FINISH: 8th.
Oxfordshire’s players are generally fit and agile, not to mention dangerous in dead-ball situations. They also pose a fair bit of danger in midfield and out wide, but their backline is compromised by the lack of an experienced professional in goal. This team really is too top-heavy to be considered serious contenders.
CAPTAIN: Alex Pearce
Ex-Reading and Derby defender Pearce is a brave tackler who doesn’t take prisoners but also marks opposing strikers tightly. Born in Wallingford, he played youth football for Scotland but now represents the Republic of Ireland at senior level.
KEY PLAYER: Garath McCleary
Tricky winger McCleary can control the ball sweetly with either foot and knock it past an opposing full-back with ease. He started out in non-league football before getting his big break at Nottingham Forest.
MANAGER: Kevin Wilson
Wilson scored 149 Football League goals during a career which ended at Northampton, where he was player-manager for a while. He has spent the past 15 years managing several non-league clubs across the country.
SOUTH LONDON
STADIUM: The Valley, London (27,111).
PREDICTED FINISH: 2nd.
Truth be told, South London probably don’t have the same depth and experience that their neighbours north of the Thames do. What this team does have, though, is an unbreakable camaraderie fostered by similar upbringings. They also play with a level of vibrancy that can rattle any opponents they come up against.
CAPTAIN: Rob Elliot
Elliot is a vocal and reliable presence in goal, and he also has a powerful throw in him. The Irish international spent years patiently waiting to break into Newcastle’s regular starting XI before an injury to Tim Krul gave him his chance last season.
KEY PLAYER: Nathaniel Clyne
Spirited right-back Clyne settled seamlessly into Liverpool’s first-team last year, after a high-profile transfer from Liverpool Reserves (aka Southampton). Now back at home, his abilities at both ends of the pitch will be key to South London’s title hopes.
MANAGER: Alan Pardew
Pardew almost won the FA Cup Final at his third attempt last May, only to wreck Crystal Palace’s dreams with some awful dad-dancing. A divisive presence amongst fans, he is assisted at South London by former Palace and West Ham colleague Chris Powell.
SURREY
STADIUM: Kingfield Stadium, Woking (6,036).
PREDICTED FINISH: 6th.
They’ve got an accomplished manager at the helm, and Surrey’s squad isn’t exactly in a sorry state either. Their midfielders are crafty and hard-working, though their strikers probably don’t have the potency they need at the highest level. With enough work, they might surprise a few onlookers in this competition.
CAPTAIN: Mark Hudson
After making over 100 appearances apiece for Crystal Palace and Charlton, Hudson is now winding down a lengthy league career. Nothing fazes the 34-year-old defender, whose concentration and heading ability are to be admired.
KEY PLAYER: Luke Shaw
With his speed, spirit and decisiveness, Shaw has been tipped to become one of the world’s leading left-backs. A double leg fracture sustained on Manchester United duty last September stunted his development, but now he’s back.
MANAGER: Roy Hodgson
Affable sexagenarian polyglot Hodgson began his coaching career at Halmstad in 1976 – long before any of his Surrey players were born! Just don’t mention Nice… or Iceland… or ask him why Marcus Rashford was kept on the bench for 87 minutes.
WEST SUSSEX
STADIUM: Checkatrade.com Stadium, Crawley (6,134).
PREDICTED FINISH: 10th.
West Sussex have a very young side (their oldest goalkeeper is 20), and there’s a fear they could be bullied out of this competition. Getting the most out of their attackers – who especially thrive from long range – will be vital to avoiding total humiliation. Otherwise, their prospects look rather bleak.
CAPTAIN: Matt Smith
He’s not Doctor Who, but Smith is a former Portsmouth youth defender who emigrated to Australia in 2007 and later played for the Socceroos. The valiant stopper won two A-League championships with Brisbane.
KEY PLAYER: Joel Ward
Ward also has Portsmouth roots, having started at Fratton Park before moving on to Crystal Palace. An energetic player who crosses the ball very well, he’s mainly a right-back but can be used anywhere in defence.
MANAGER: Gareth Southgate
Former England Under-21s boss Southgate is the archetypal new-age coach, mixing modern training drills with a humanistic man-management approach. At West Sussex, he is the ‘good cop’ to Aussie hardman assistant Kevin Muscat’s ‘bad cop’.
WILTSHIRE
STADIUM: County Ground, Swindon (15,547).
PREDICTED FINISH: 11th.
Unglamorous and old-school, Wiltshire are underdogs whose playing style may only appeal to a certain type of spectator. There certainly aren’t many familiar Premier League veterans here, though there is a wealth of Football League experience. If they can avoid finishing in the bottom four, it would be an achievement.
CAPTAIN: Matt Mills
He might have the middle name Claude, but Mills is not exactly the most sophisticated centre-back around. Aggressive and argumentative, expect the old-fashioned ex-Bolton destroyer to collect plenty of cards over this season.
KEY PLAYER: Nathan Dyer
If you want to watch a more graceful Wiltshire player in action, turn your focus to Dyer. The rapid winger, who loves to cut aside, played a major role in getting Swansea promoted to the Premier League in 2011.
MANAGER: Brett Angell
Angell was a prolific lower-league striker who peaked in the 1990s and was especially loved at Stockport and Southend. He later moved to New Zealand and managed Hawke’s Bay, where he favoured a surprisingly cautious, defensive approach.
So, who do you fancy to be the cream of the South? Feel free to let me know below.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a preview of the West division. Until then, thanks for reading.
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