Football Manager 2017 action resumes right here on Fuller FM now, with November’s results from my Counties Championship experiment. By the end of today’s post, we’ll be about a third of the way through the league phase, and the division tables will be taking shape.
Staffordshire were among the big winners in the last chapter, but can they continue their October form and strengthen their lead in the West division? And what will happen in the South, where only six points separate the top five?
NORTH DIVISION
ROUND 13 (5 November)
No Danny Welbeck? No problem for Greater Manchester! Scott Hogan picked up the slack with a brace against Tyne & Wear, who produced a spirited fightback from 3-0 down but couldn’t quite take any points home.
GM went seven points clear at the summit, thanks to West Yorkshire’s 2-1 defeat to South Yorkshire. West Yorks midfielder James Milner had an early penalty saved by Joe Wildsmith before Lee Gregory scored the hosts’ winner in Sheffield. County Durham won their match 3-1 against bottom-three rivals Cumbria.
Merseyside couldn’t break the deadlock in Northumberland but managed to hold onto 3rd position. That’s because Lancashire only drew 1-1 at East Yorkshire – and Jordan Rhodes had to score in the 84th minute to save them from defeat. Cheshire vs North Yorkshire was a forgettable goalless dirge.
ROUND 14 (19 November)
Crikey, what happened to West Yorkshire? The 2nd-placed side were lethargic in a 3-0 home defeat against Northumberland. Sean Longstaff and Mark Cullen netted either side of the half-time break, and Luke James completed a surprise rout for Tony Humes’ men.
That result, combined with Greater Manchester’s comfortable 3-1 win in East Yorkshire, saw the Mancunians build a 10-point lead. Wayne Rooney strengthened Merseyside’s position with a hat-trick against Cheshire, who collapsed after Peter Crouch’s 2nd-minute opener.
Oliver Norwood scored and was sent off in Lancashire’s 3-0 thrashing of Tyne & Wear, who paid heavily for an early red card to right-back James Sinclair. Another aggressive contest ended in a 1-1 draw between Cumbria and South Yorkshire. Meanwhile, braces from Gary Martin and Marcus Maddison saw County Durham overwhelm East Yorkshire.
ROUND 15 (26 November)
Greater Manchester showed why they were the North’s dominant force by ripping Merseyside to shreds. Hogan scored another double before substitute striker Zach Clough and defender Ben Mee netted their first league goals of the campaign. Merseyside’s Joey Barton wasn’t available for comment on Twitter.
West Yorkshire returned to form as journeyman striker Cameron Jerome’s second-half hat-trick unravelled Cheshire. Merseyside’s slip-up saw Lancashire leapfrog them into 3rd, thanks to a quickfire start in a 4-2 away win over County Durham. Meanwhile, Tyne & Wear’s poor run was extended with defeat to North Yorkshire.
Northumberland were predicted to finish bottom, but their improbable play-off push continued as they battled to victory against Cumbria. South Yorkshire were also in the mix after Alex Mowatt’s first-minute winner against East Yorkshire, whose young left-back Josh Tymon suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
ROUND 16 (29 November)
When West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester collided in Leeds, one might’ve expected fireworks. This was actually a pretty tame affair, with the only goal coming 12 minutes from half-time. Clough strengthened GM’s hold on top spot from a direct free-kick after being tripped by Andre Wisdom.
Phil Parkinson’s Lancashire also took a while to take care of North Yorkshire, but a late winner from midfielder Jay Fulton pushed them ahead of West Yorkshire into 2nd. 4th-placed Merseyside drew level on points with Stuart McCall’s men after pounding Tyne & Wear. Just don’t ask Rooney about his penalty miss.
County Durham must have chatted s***, ‘cos they got banged by Vardy in a dominant second-half display from West Yorkshire. Speaking of s***, the bottom two lost again. Cumbria kept Cheshire’s lead down to a single goal, but whipping boys East Yorkshire shipped three against Northumberland.
Having won their last four games, Greater Manchester will go into December with an 11-point lead in the North. Though there’s still a long way to go, you must believe that Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Merseyside are just battling for 2nd now. It’ll be interesting to see if Northumberland can sustain their play-off challenge over the winter.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Gary Neville (Greater Manchester).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Marcus Maddison (County Durham).
EAST DIVISION
ROUND 13 (5 November)
When East division leaders Essex played host to bottom side Rutland, the outcome was never going to be pretty. Sure enough, Dwight Gayle’s hat-trick made it a comfortable win for Essex, even if captain James Tomkins did gift the minnows an own goal from Julian Bond’s free-kick.
Hertfordshire stayed in 2nd after a 3-0 win where Henri Lansbury made Nottinghamshire’s stars look like they had the football skills of Dame Angela Lansbury. It was also “murder, she wrote” in Luton, where Bedfordshire slashed nine-man Norfolk in a vicious assault.
Patrick Bamford scored two minutes from time against Cambridgeshire as Lincolnshire claimed just their second win – and their first away from home. Northamptonshire also won on the road to halt Suffolk’s good form, but Derbyshire vs Leicestershire was goalless.
ROUND 14 (19 November)
Ashley Hunter was a mediocre League One striker at Fleetwood last season, but the County Championship has brought out the best in him. The 21-year-old netted his third three-goal haul of the campaign as Derbyshire put four past a sorry Bedfordshire outfit.
When Cambridgeshire captain Alex Revell scored twice in the first 20 minutes, Norfolk fans must’ve thought, “Here we go again.” Then came an extraordinary comeback, with Louis McIntosh sealing a 3-2 home win late on. Hertfordshire also came from behind to win 2-1 against Norfolk.
Essex didn’t look like their usual selves in Lincolnshire, only winning the match through a Tyler Garrett own goal. Nottinghamshire didn’t need to be at their best to defeat Rutland, but a late push saw Sean Dyche’s Northamptonshire win at Leicestershire.
ROUND 15 (26 November)
Are you for real, Hamza Choudhury? Leicestershire’s overexuberant teenage midfielder was sent off for the THIRD time when they were outfoxed by Bedfordshire. Shortly after Choudhury’s dismissal, Lewis Baker scored his second goal in a 4-0 Beds rout.
After a disappointing first half, Essex showed their true class in the second to bring Norfolk back down to earth. Derbyshire also received a dose of reality from Cambridgeshire, losing 1-0 after striker Mason Bennett broke his ankle.
David McGoldrick was pure gold for Nottinghamshire, grabbing a couple of goals against Lincolnshire. Suffolk strolled to a 1-0 win over Rutland, who only had one shot on goal and gave the defence very little else to worry about. Neither Karl Darlow nor Lee Grant was seriously threatened when Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire drew 0-0.
ROUND 16 (29 November)
Cauley Woodrow didn’t score against Rutland, but the striker was Hertfordshire’s stand-out performer during an easy 2-0 win in Watford. Woodrow showed great awareness to assist goals for Switzerland right-back Scott Sutter and ex-Scotland forward Craig Mackail-Smith in the first half.
2-0 was very much the scoreline of the day. Robin Hood was no match for Hunter when Derbyshire’s master marksman put a couple of shots through the Nottinghamshire goal. In East Anglia, Chris Martin put a smile upon Suffolk faces with two goals in the first half-hour against neighbours Norfolk.
Essex barely got out of second gear against Bedfordshire as Gary Hooper’s 32nd-minute goal secured a sixth consecutive league victory. By contrast, Cambridgeshire had to sweat from 2-1 down against Leicestershire before Revell turned the game in their favour. Billy Mckay’s penalty miss cost Northamptonshire a couple of points as they drew with Lincolnshire.
Essex have dropped just five points from their first 16 games and are running away with the East division title. As ever, Hertfordshire are in 2nd, while 3rd-placed Bedfordshire are just about holding Suffolk off. The middle four are also in serious play-off contention, but the quartet below them have been cut adrift.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Chris Hughton (Essex).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Lewis Baker (Bedfordshire).
SOUTH DIVISION
ROUND 13 (5 November)
There were fireworks in Brighton, but it was North London who made the biggest bangs against East Sussex. Jermain Defoe had already completed a hat-trick by the 36th minute and would eventually finish on four goals in a 6-1 demolition. Strike partner Harry Kane got an equally impressive four assists.
South London pummelled the Isle of Wight 4-0 – with Jason Puncheon netting a brace – but ceded top spot to their North city rivals on goals scored. 3rd-placed Buckinghamshire also tasted victory, as winger Harry Forrester teed up goals for Simon Church and Rob Hall.
West Sussex’s recent woes continued as they were beaten by Berkshire. Craig Tanner’s double helped Surrey to defeat Wiltshire, and a late goal blitz saw a prospective 0-0 draw in Oxfordshire suddenly turn into a 3-1 Kent away win.
ROUND 14 (19 November)
The international break didn’t disrupt Defoe’s form. The evergreen poacher netted back-to-back hat-tricks, and also set up the second of Chuba Akpom’s two late goals, as North London dominated Surrey. Roy Hodgson’s visitors did at least return home with a couple of Jamie Mackie strikes to their name.
South London lost a couple of points on their neighbours, as Dom Dwyer’s counter-punch to Puncheon’s opener earned mid-table West Sussex a point. Alan Pardew’s side were also only two points ahead of Buckinghamshire following their four-goal crushing of East Sussex.
Kent kept themselves in 4th place by holding off Berkshire in a 3-1 win. Andrew Surman’s double saw Hampshire home against the Isle of Wight. Billy Bodin’s double clinched a second win for Wiltshire and significantly damaged Oxfordshire’s play-off prospects.
ROUND 15 (26 November)
South London had an early setback against Kent, falling victim to Luke Freeman’s 13th-minute volley from a Glen Johnson cross. 20-year-old midfielder Kasey Palmer equalised just five minutes later, though, before debutant striker Marley Watkins rounded off the comeback.
North London routed Oxfordshire 5-0, but Defoe could only manage two goals that time around before coming off with a hip injury. Instead, the master marksman of this round was Mackie, with the Scotland veteran bagging four goals for Surrey as they recovered from 2-1 behind to defeat Buckinghamshire 5-2.
Choudhury isn’t the only player in this competition with disciplinary issues. East Sussex midfielder Dean Hammond also received his third red card during their 1-0 home defeat to Hampshire. West Sussex won by the same score on the Isle of Wight, while Berkshire’s Charlie Austin was too strong for Wiltshire.
ROUND 16 (29 November)
Speaking of players with unwanted red-card hat-tricks… North London’s Mark Noble completed his treble with a two-footed lunge on South London’s Patrick Roberts in Charlton. Roberts had already put the hosts 1-0 up, and Joe Gomez and Harry Arter would also score later to reverse the top two’s positions.
Berkshire in 5th and Buckinghamshire in 3rd also exchanged places, as Austin’s penalty and Liam Bridcutt’s pot-shot gave Berks the points in Reading. Hampshire went up to 4th, courtesy of Sam Vokes’ hat-trick against a Surrey side who scored the first and last goals in a 4-2 home defeat.
Dwyer also took home a match ball for West Sussex against Kent, who fell from the play-off places into the bottom half. Wiltshire won on the road for the first time, albeit after a struggle against the Isle of Wight. 37-year-old Paul Ifill sealed a rare East Sussex victory against Oxfordshire, despite his midfield team-mate Solly March suffering a horrific Achilles injury.
As expected, the Londoners continue to rule this division, with the South a point ahead despite the North’s slightly better goal difference. Berkshire have come out of nowhere to return to the top three, and Hampshire are back in form, but play-off competition will surely remain fierce going into the festive period.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Alan Pardew (South London).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Luke Freeman (Kent).
WEST DIVISION
ROUND 13 (5 November)
Staffordshire hadn’t lost a league game since the opening day, and their impressive form showed no sign of abating in November. Striker James Wilson and winger Joe Newell were the Staffies’ scorers against Somerset, whose holding midfielder Jordan Tillson saw red after a couple of yellows.
The West Midlands were profligate once again, with Troy Deeney and co proving unable to cancel out Tyler Roberts’ 10th-minute opener for Gloucestershire. That wasn’t the only surprise home win in this round, as Shropshire’s seven-match unbeaten run was halted by Bristol.
Dorset sealed a dramatic victory against Devon through a 90th-minute penalty from Harry Cornick (it had to be him). Warwickshire netted twice in the closing minutes to beat Worcestershire, while Cornwall overcame bottom-two rivals Herefordshire by the same score.
ROUND 14 (19 November)
What a difference two weeks make for Herefordshire! In an incredible turnaround, the West’s bottom side produced a stunning counter-attacking performance to humiliate the West Midlands! Connor Wickham’s brace helped drag an out-of-sort WM side to a new low – 4th place.
Sam Allardyce’s were overtaken in the standings by Warwickshire, whose strikers Will Grigg and Gabriel Agbonlahor were in heaven against Devon. Also taking advantage of the pre-season division favourites’ latest slip were Shropshire, whose 1-0 win gave their opponents Gloucestershire a quick reality check.
Staffordshire tightened their grip on top spot after a confident second-half showing in Worcestershire. Somerset edged out their neighbours Bristol by the odd goal in five, and Adam Lallana’s 44th-minute goal for Dorset overcame a brave Cornwall defence.
ROUND 15 (26 November)
Staffordshire won their third game on the bounce after putting three goals past Devon. Joe Newell’s double was followed up by a rare goal from fellow winger Marc Albrighton, who ensured that it wouldn’t be Pimms o’clock for Devon goalkeeper Christy Pym.
Big Sam finally got another big performance out of the West Midlands, as Deeney and Craig Gardner snapped out of their rut to outclass Shropshire. They were now back up to 3rd, but Warwickshire stayed in 2nd courtesy of Grigg’s clinical penalty against Cornwall.
Herefordshire’s bewildering November continued when the giant-slaying Bulls were put to the sword by Dorset and their two-goal striker Sam Hoskins. A disastrous own goal from defender Ryan Burge meant Gloucestershire could only draw 1-1 with Somerset. Worcestershire’s first away win came in Bristol, where Jamie Insall clinically finished a second-half counter-attack.
ROUND 16 (30 November)
Wow. Herefordshire are nothing if not entertaining! The Warwickshire trio of Marvin Johnson, Peter Whittingham and Jordan Graham all scored in the opening six minutes before securing braces in a 7-1 Bull-bashing. Second-half red cards for defenders Tyler Weir and Shane Sutton only compounded the visitors’ misery.
West Midlands well and truly put their Hereford horrors aside as captain Deeney inspired them to a resounding triumph over Worcestershire. That helped them to claw a couple of points back on leaders Staffordshire, who threw away victory against Dorset after Jack Lee struck four minutes from time.
Shropshire stayed in the final play-off place, but only on goal difference from Somerset after losing to Jason Dodd’s visitors by an Ashley Barnes goal to nil. Bobby Reid grabbed a late winner for Bristol against Cornwall, but one goal wasn’t enough for Gloucestershire as they were pegged back by Devon.
It’s now 15 league matches unbeaten for Staffordshire, who now head the West division by five points. Warwickshire’s goal blitz and five-game winning streak has lifted them into 2nd, but the West Midlands will hope to catch them soon. An excellent month for Eddie Howe’s Dorset has given them fresh hope of reaching the play-offs.
MANAGER OF THE MONTH: Graham Potter (Warwickshire).
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Will Grigg (Warwickshire).
I’ll pick this up again next week, when we’ll roll into December and reach the halfway stage of the Counties Championship’s league phase.
Before then, however, I’ve got a new County Cup update for you. Please come back here on Friday, when I’ll give you Round 3’s results and reveal which eight teams have made it through to the Quarter Finals.
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