Tag: Football Manager 2019

(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” →

July is always an exciting time in British football. A new season gives everyone a chance to forget about the past – whether they won the league, claimed promotion, suffered relegation, or were Everton – and look ahead to the future.

I for one am completely over last season’s last-minute Play-Off Semi Final defeat to Oxford. Every now and then, I wake up from a nightmare in a pool of sweat after imagining Gavin Whyte running into our penalty area. I’ve also occasionally wandered the streets of Shrewsbury carrying a club and looking for a Northern Irishman to attack out of revenge. Other than that, I’ve entirely forgotten about it!

With my first year as Shrewsbury Town manager now in the history books, I now have the freedom to assemble my own team. Established Shrews favourites (such as Messrs Colkett and Angol in the title image above) are being joined by a bunch of new signings, who could turn these play-off contenders into promotion material.

But before we welcome those players who have arrived, we must bid a final farewell to those who have moved on… Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season 2, Part 1” →

My first season in charge of Shrewsbury Town is in the history books. I arrived at New Meadow in the summer of 2018, inheriting a team that had changed dramatically since losing the League One Play-Off Final just weeks earlier. Mounting another promotion charge would be a big ask for a rookie manager like me.

This post will recap how the Shrews got on over the course of the 2018/2019 season, tracking our progress in League One and the three domestic cups. I’ll also provide some statistics, as well as a development update on our younger talents, before laying out my plans for the upcoming transfer window. Finally, we’ll trawl through the various leagues and cups in England and elsewhere in a general season round-up. Continue reading “Floreat Salopia: Season Review 2018/2019” →