Category: FM19

The Shrewsbury Town players have shaken off their post-season rust and are now raring to go for the 2020/2021 campaign. Having made significant changes to the side that I inherited two years ago, I’m feeling quite bullish about our chances of claiming promotion from League One.

We’ll play our first seven matches of the league campaign in this chapter, as well as beginning what will hopefully not be another brief run in the EFL Cup. Before all that, though, let’s have a closer look at the team… Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 3, Part 2” →

(No, this is not an April Fool! This really is a new chapter in my “Floreat Salopia” story on FM19!)

My tenure as Shrewsbury Town manager is having a bit of a Groundhog Day feel about it. For two seasons in a row, we have stayed primarily in the League One play-off places, only to falter in the Semi Finals. Another campaign like that, and we might have to adopt “Heartache Avenue” by Birmingham one-hit wonders The Maisonettes as our official club anthem!

Having consistently proven ourselves as one of the best teams in our division, surely we’ve got to take that next big step into the Championship sooner rather than later. Rest assured, I’ve been hard at work in the transfer market, looking for lower-league bargains who can turn this group of nearly men into… well, men.

So let’s not waste any more time. Here’s what we’ve been up to over the summer… Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 3, Part 1” →

I have now spent two years at the helm of Shrewsbury Town. While we didn’t exactly suffer from ‘second season syndrome’ in 2019/2020, it was perhaps a disappointment compared to what was such an encouraging debut campaign.

In this post, we’ll assess our fortunes in League One, as well as the domestic cup competitions (even though I’d rather not write any more about our Pointless Trophy debacle). Then we’ll have the usual awards, stats and youth development updates, as well as my provisional plans for what will surely be another busy transfer window.

Oh yes, and I’ll cap things off as ever with a general season round-up, looking at all the goings-on in the English leagues and beyond. If you’re a Chelsea fan, you will probably want to skim over that. Just a thought.

Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season Review 2019/2020” →

It’s fair to say I wasn’t a happy Easter bunny after the last chapter. Yet more dismal home form for my Shrewsbury Town side resulted in a miserable 30th birthday in-game, and a keyboard that temporarily lost a few keys in the real world.

You’ll be glad to read that I have now calmed down following that debacle. It’s full steam ahead as we try to launch one final push for the play-offs and chase that elusive promotion to the Championship. Will the Shrews be popping champagne corks come the final whistle, or will we have to ponder another year in League One? Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 2, Part 7” →

During these increasingly uncertain times here in the UK, there is at least one thing I can be sure of. My Shrewsbury Town team on Football Manager 2019 will always have the capacity to amaze and horrify me, often in consecutive games. Such is the life of a lower-league manager.

This chapter begins with the Shrews’ play-off challenge having hit the rocks again, following an encouraging start to 2020. Scoring goals hasn’t been a problem, but keeping them out of our net has. We also need to be more consistent at home if this season isn’t to end in a damp squib. Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 2, Part 6” →

A new year has dawned, and I’m hoping that 2020 brings Shrewsbury Town a change of fortune. We finished 2019 out of form, out of all cups, and out of the League One play-off places, prompting me to consider a change of tactic – and perhaps some significant changes in personnel.

In this chapter, I will take you through our January window business and introduce you to a future Shrews starlet. We’ll also play ten matches up until the end of February, including mouth-watering home ties against play-off rivals Milton Keynes and Luton – and local rivals Walsall. Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 2, Part 5” →

The last chapter had everything, didn’t it? Shock victories, even more surprising defeats, an orderly Brexit, a transfer-listing… and even some excitement in the Pointless Trophy! Believe me, though, when I say that we’re just getting started!

November and December 2019 will be jam-packed with games, as Shrewsbury Town open up their FA Cup campaign before setting out to maintain their lofty position in League One. There will also be a mid-season report, where I assess our strengths and weaknesses ahead of the winter transfer window. Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 2, Part 4” →

After a few days off from blogging following a family bereavement, I’m back with the latest installment of “Floreat Salopia”. Just to recap, Shrewsbury Town have made another strong start to a League One campaign, giving fans hope that 2019/2020 could be a season of promotion.

This chapter will take us through September and October 2019, which also includes our first couple of matches in the Pointless Trophy. But before we return to action, let’s have a look at my 11th and final summer signing, whom I got through the door just before the transfer window closed… Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 2, Part 3” →

Here we go, ladies and gentlemen. My second season in charge of Shrewsbury Town is about to kick off in earnest. After some encouraging pre-season results, we’re feeling confident of starting the 2019/2020 League One campaign just as strongly as the previous two.

In this chapter, I’ll assess my new-look squad before taking you through the first seven matches of our league campaign. We’ll also feature in Round 1 of the EFL Cup – the draw for which actually took place in a sensible location, now that the EFL’s chief executive Shaun Harvey has stepped down. There’ll be no more jetting Steve McManaman off to Vietnam and/or staging the draw at 4:00am UK time, thank you very much! Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 2, Part 2” →