Pre-season 2009

The first pre-season consisted of the usual flurry of transfer activity, with plenty of bids and wage offers going out. There wasn't a wholesale revolution of the first team that is potentially needed, but those players who have come in will slot straight into the first team. There were some great friendly results too! (despite only being friendlies)


First signing... Willy Topp

It had to be. After seeing the magic he can create within a previous FM2010 game, Willy Topp (50k, Jumilla) was always going to be my first signing. Now, if only I can sign Michael Mifsud to play alongside him...

...damn, oh well!


Topp's first run out for us, along with Godwin Antwi (Free) was in a friendly against local side Hayes & Yeading. Normally I don't care too much about friendly results, but decided to watch this one to see how things looked.


Friendly: Hayes & Yeading 0 Brentford 11

Pretty much a master class from Topp. 6 great poacher goals, including a 3rd for his hat-trick which was just a joy to watch. A perfect 10 as a match rating summed up his performance.


New Parent Club I was keen to arrange a Parent club going forward, and am fairly happy with agreeing a partnership with Tottenham Hotspur

Summer Signings Fairly busy pre-season, with some important arrivals...

A bit of cash was switched from the wages budget to buy midfielder Manuel Pascali (35k, Kilmarnock) and winger Gavin Skelton (5k, Kilmarnock) to booster the midfield. Some great loan signings in Darron Gibson (Loan, Man Utd) and Ritchie De Laet (Loan, Man Utd) look to be a class above the regular League One player, and bringing Akpo Sodje (Loan, Sheffield Wednesday) was a coup as he was transfer listed at 140k and ready to move to new pastures. I'll be looking for him to play the target man role alongside Topp.

Nothing major happening with the outbound players, with no-one leaving for any transfer revenue. Ryan Blake has gone to Aldershot for 6 months, which should help him develop. Most of the free transferred players were youth team based. Looking forward to the first game of the season away to Carlisle. I feel there's an outside chance of a play-off position this season... let's see how quickly that fades!

Pre-season squad profiles (2009)

Goalkeepers

Something
blah blah blah 5*


Something else
blah blah blah 4*

Day one on the job...

Explain plan and steps. Consult bg


Select team

starting wage

1. Review expectations & initial budgets

2. Review team report

3. Set tactics


4-4-2, chelsea


Asked Assistant to pick
direct quick football always played
set wingers
target man and poacher

4. Move all reserves to 1st team
No intention of running a reserve team so the 5-6 players in the reserves are moved up

5. Unlist loan players and transfer listed
Like to start with a clean slate, so the 3 loan listed players have been taken off the list.


6. Create squad spreadsheet and write profiles
next post. screenshots of spreadsheets.


7. Pick first team



8. Go through backroom advice
Usual assortments of do's and don'ts. Recommendation to take on Jason Cundy as coach was accepted. Perhaps he'll teach our defenders how to score from 50 yards


9. Free transfer average youth team players



10. Adjust transfer/wage budget



11. Select a captain & vice captain


12. Assign team roles


13. Create buying list


14. Transfer list unneeded players


15. Offer to clubs unneeded players


16. Set retraining for positions


17. Set squad statuses


18. Set all values as 'undefined'


19. Set all loan listed as "no"


20. Understand right amount of staff positions


21. Create staff spreadsheet


22. Free transfer poor staff


23. Approach staff replacements


24. Import training


25. Assign training


26. Set-up scouts


27. View and analyse loan players


28. View and analyse transfer list


29. View and analyse free transfers


30. Something for 30!

Kicking things off

Background, objectives

johnny karp

brentford in the premier league
5 year plan

history and background. great madrid, chelsea and recently napoli teams.

Real Madrid (FM 2007)

Chelsea (FM 2008)

Napoli (FM 2009)

abc