County League - Animo et Fide
Forum Discussion
Congratulations on the cup final. Finally shaking off of the Merseyside demons and winning a final, though against the blue side. It does seem like your shootouts always go long, at least recent ones. Those have to be nerve-racking.
Only 10 games left, a trophy has already been won but it would be nice to see a +10 GD and more wins than draws. Just to make the season really special for Stockport. Finishing top 10 might be too greedy to ask.
@LABoog4 wrote:Congratulations on the cup final. Finally shaking off of the Merseyside demons and winning a final, though against the blue side. It does seem like your shootouts always go long, at least recent ones. Those have to be nerve-racking.
Only 10 games left, a trophy has already been won but it would be nice to see a +10 GD and more wins than draws. Just to make the season really special for Stockport. Finishing top 10 might be too greedy to ask.
Long shootouts indeed, both ending 8-7, but still quite different from each other. In the one vs Villa I only missed one attempt, compared to the Everton final, where I missed four. The latter would also have been a short one, if Hakimi had taken the opportunity to win the game with Everton's fourth shot.
Very difficult run of matches. Trying to find the good news in this, you were close in every match. The margins are slim and a little improvement over the summer and you can be competing with these sides more consistently.
@LABoog4 wrote:Very difficult run of matches. Trying to find the good news in this, you were close in every match. The margins are slim and a little improvement over the summer and you can be competing with these sides more consistently.
Thanks, yeah close margins indeed. That's definitely a positive, plus soon being done with these challenging opponents. Brighton are next, still a reasonably tough team, and then Man City away to end the difficult streak. After that it's bottom 6 opponents in the remaining four games.
A great run to finish the season. Over ten wins on the year and the goal differential is looking better and better.
I can see you winning out and finishing on 58 points which would be an incredible season considering how bleak things looked in stretches.
@LABoog4 wrote:A great run to finish the season. Over ten wins on the year and the goal differential is looking better and better.
I can see you winning out and finishing on 58 points which would be an incredible season considering how bleak things looked in stretches.
Thanks man. I kind of predicted the same end with the soft schedule in the final three. But it appears it wasn't meant to be that easy. Still end it with a six game unbeaten streak, so at least that's something.
That is awesome to see players at the World Cup. Shows how far you have built this club up. Multiple promotions, making the Premier League, winning cups and making finals. Now players making the World Cup, that is awesome.
what has been your favorite achievement with the club so far?
@LABoog4 wrote:That is awesome to see players at the World Cup. Shows how far you have built this club up. Multiple promotions, making the Premier League, winning cups and making finals. Now players making the World Cup, that is awesome.
what has been your favorite achievement with the club so far?
Thanks, yeah I've quite enjoyed this journey up through the ranks. Especially since there's also been a few disappointments and struggles along the way, for instance the two lost Playoff finals. I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much, if it's just been success after success.
Hmm, favourite achievement? That's got to be winning the League Cup, so I'm about to embark on the club's first ever European campaign with the UEFA Conference League.
A new world for County. The squad will have to be bigger to compete on both fronts. It will be exciting to see how Ethan Price develops this season.
@LABoog4 wrote:A new world for County. The squad will have to be bigger to compete on both fronts. It will be exciting to see how Ethan Price develops this season.
Yes, it will be. It's funny cause I hadn't expected this Price fellow to be part of the squad just yet. I noticed a pretty high potential on him, but he was only 63 OVR, when I loaned him out last summer. But come end of season I suddenly noticed he had a +15 growth over a season, now boasting a 78 OVR, effectively being my joint best player... So his 2 year loan needed to be cut short now, otherwise he would probably outgrow this team too quickly...
Additional fixtures this season but more departures than arrivals. Do you see any issues with fatigue coming up?
@LABoog4 wrote:Additional fixtures this season but more departures than arrivals. Do you see any issues with fatigue coming up?
I know it's kind of a gamble. I had a number of these players around 30, who'd stayed with me for a long time, most since playing in League Two. But they'd just stalled around the 70 OVR, and they hardly played anymore. Just the occational cover in the most busy periods. I know they could probably get a few more games with European midweeks coming up, but felt their time was over. Except I would have kept Ethan Pye (County since 2021) as a backup, if I'd known that Niall Huggins was going to leave. That one came out of the blue and was an offer too good to refuse.
So I went from an overflow of left backs to suddenly feel a bit short in that area. I did consider bringing a new one in or just to recall James Dennis, who's away on a 2 year loan. But I was also intrigued by this opportunity to provide more game time for another academy player, Lewis Osborne, who's been out on loan until now. My squad is rather thin now, but many of the players are quite versatile and able to cover several positions. And that is actually quite fun, moving players around so much. One starting a game at left back, but finishing it on the right wing, for instance.
A good draw, it is always going to be difficult but you did not receive any of the favorites. Getting out of the group would be a great step. Playing Aberdeen is a nice throwback to one of your previous careers in Scotland.
@LABoog4 wrote:A good draw, it is always going to be difficult but you did not receive any of the favorites. Getting out of the group would be a great step. Playing Aberdeen is a nice throwback to one of your previous careers in Scotland.
Haha, yeah that's right. I have enjoyed a few stints in the Scottish league from time to time. I remember three careers in particular; One with Aberdeen a very long time ago - even before I started to write these CM stories, if I remember correctly. And then there was one with St. Mirren before my most recent one with Rangers.
I did grow up with a Rangers side that consisted of Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup, so I've had a soft spot for them ever since.
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