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The Notts County Story – December 2011

 Posted by Johnny Karp at 15:27  Uncategorized  Add comments
Dec 302009
 



Hello my dear friends, welcome back to my Football Manager 2010 story. Things were looking good for my Notts County at the end of November, despite having the first defeat of the season we were still top of the table. If you remember I complained about the pitch at Meadow Lane in the previous post, Kevin described it pretty well: “a mud bath”. I contacted the board and requested them to relay the pitch, the situation was outrageous.

They agreed that the current state of the pitch was awful but nothing can be done until the end of the season. Well, later is better than never…

fm 2012 1 pitch relaying 500x96

We’ll have to fight in the swamp until then, there’s nothing more to do about it. The first game of the month was at home with 18th placed Reading, a team that we demolished 4-0 in the Carling Cup back in August. The game started well for us, Alibec finished off a nice team move, more than 5 consecutive passes brought him in a perfect position to score. Centre back Ritchie De Laet doubled our lead with a fine header from a corner kick. Reading clawed one back when Ben Amos missed an interception but the three points were ours, we deserved to win it.

fm 2012 2 notts co vs reading championship 500x297

The next game was not going to be as easy, we were playing away at 3rd placed Derby County. We had a hard fought game with them in the Carling Cup in September, we won that one 3-2. This time we were playing for points, so I would have been quite happy with a draw. My lads started the game with great determination, we had no less than 4 corner kicks in the first 10 minutes! Despite our domination it was Derby who scored, they finished off a fast counter attack and took the lead. We continued to play pretty well and Tinga finally brought us back on level terms with a powerful shot from inside the penalty area. We could have won the game with a bit more precision upfront and maybe a bit more luck but I was satisfied with the team’s performance.

fm 2012 3 derby vs notts co championship 500x298

Back to the swamp, we had a home game coming up with 5th placed Doncaster Rovers. They had a very good start this season and I was expecting a tough game. And it was quite difficult indeed but with better concentration we could have made it a lot easier. We missed a truckload of chances and just when time seemed to run out Denis Alibec blasted one in. We should have won it with ease…

fm 2012 4 notts co vs doncaster championship 500x298

Next up, an away game at 17th placed Cardiff. The game started perfectly for us, we were 2-0 up in the 7th minute! First right winger Sam Hinshelwood scored with a corner kick header and three minutes later Alibec banged in his 10th goal of the season. What seemed to be a perfect dream turned into a nightmare though… Cardiff turned the game around with three goals in 8 minutes, I was absolutely shocked. It seemed like each of their shots was bound to hit the net! We tried hard to make things right again but we missed lots of chances again, it just wasn’t our day…

fm 2012 5 cardiff vs notts co championship 500x298

Go to the next page to read the rest of the story.


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  40 Responses to “The Notts County Story – December 2011”

  1. I Like How You Put In ‘Not For Sale Mate, Not For Sale!’ That Made Me Laugh A Bit For Some Reason :P
    Good Results For That Month Even With Your Awful Pitch :)

  2. You’re now top of the table, so well done. I see Forest have slipped a few places :)
    Good recovery to after the Cardiff defeat as that could have caused a major set back so “Kudos” to you for keeping the team morale up and relpying with some solid victories.
    Thanks for mentioning my “mud bath” comment as well.

    • @Kevin
      Thanks for the comment mate. It’s good to see Forest going down, our fans must be happy about that :)
      @Martin
      Thanks buddy, I’m trying to add some humor from time to time. I’m in a very good mood now for some reason so it comes out better and more often :)

  3. Off topic:
    >> Martin, just wondering if your mum has let you buy the game yet?

    >> Welcome ShrewsBuddy. You’re going to get hooked on this site real quick. I did, and enjoy the game now more than ever:)
    Hope you start a blog too.

  4. 5 points clear thats great and if a.c milan want one of your players then you must be doing well!

  5. Kevin. No Not Yet But We’re Going Shopping Tomorrow And I’ll Probably Be Able To Get It Then:P
    Johnny, That’s A good Idea :)
    I’d Like To Start A Blod If I Actually Knew How To Post Screenshots Etc.
    I’m Also Not Really An Expert At The Game But I’m Half Decent :P

  6. Kevin, No Not Yet But We’re Goin Shopping Tomorrow So I Might Be Able To Get It Then
    Thats A Good Idea Johnny :)
    I’d Like To Start A Blog If I Knew How To Post Screenshots Etc.
    Then Again I’m Not Really A Good Player Of The Game Lol

  7. Oops Posted Twice :P

    • @Martin
      I hope you’ll get the game tomorrow, good luck! ;)
      @Sonny
      Thanks mate, doing OK indeed :) There always is room for improvement but I guess we did pretty well so far.

  8. Great job Johnny. It’s jsut wonderful how you take a team from a lower division and get it promoted a few times and even after that you are first in a higher division. I don’t know how you do it but you do it well! :)

  9. I Agree With Radu :)

  10. One thing though. In my friendlies, my team played one game and then they were in the 30-40% condition. I had a game one week later and they were about 60%… But one week earlier when I saw them at 30-40%, I turn their training to 0%. Still didn’t really work… Any help please? :)

  11. Has Anyone Got A Suggestion For A Team For Me To Manage
    On The Demo I’ve Tried Luton, Chelsea (Because I Support Them :P )And Bordeaux
    Maybe Birmingham Or Notts Co. I Was Thinking
    2 Rich Teams ! :P

  12. I would suggest U Craiova, FC Arges or Stevenage! :)

  13. U. Craiova Have Some Good Players I Think ,Isnt That The Team That Johnny Supports? :P
    I Think Ive Got It Down To Luton, Birmingham Or Notts Co.
    I Am Kinda Getting My Hopes Up, I’ll Be Devastated If I Dont Get It :P

  14. Yes. Me and Johnny both support U Craiova. :)

    • @Radu
      Having condition down to 60 in pre season can be normal but it should go up after the first weeks in July.
      @Martin
      Brimingham seems like a nice challenge. And Luton too :)

  15. johnny what should i do ? man utd have offered me a job out of the blue and im 5th with notts in the championship?

    • It’s a tempting offer Sonny, it’s entirely up to you. I always stick to a single club in a career, unless I get sacked, but that’s just my way of seeing things. If you think that the Man Utd job gives you a step forward then take it. Are they in a good position in the Premier League? Still in the European competitions?

  16. Oh How Are They Doing In Their League In Real Life, Radu?:)
    I’ve Only Heard Of Them, Cluj And Unirea Urziceni From Romania :P
    Johnny, Yeah I Think Birmingham Is A Challenge And Obviously Luton Is A Bigger One But I Also Like The Idea Of Notts Co. Seeing How Good Youve Made Them

  17. So Good (Added To My Last Comment)
    Oh And How Do I Start A Blog If I Wanted To ?
    Or Do I Have To Be Over 18 Or Something ?

  18. U Craiova aren’t doing well this year…

    And you don’t need to be 18 silly… :p You just need to create one from a website that let’s you do so. You should try http://www.blogger.com/ or http://www.wordpress.com/ .

    If you have problems, ask Johnny or me or google it!

    While you’re at it, why won’t you take a look at my blog? It would be very appreciated!

    http://www.footballmanagerteller.blogspot.com/

  19. >> Martin
    Although you may not readily recognize the players I think you will find starting with a lower league team and trying to gain promotion more rewarding. I’ve played many versions of this game and to be quite honest a combination of “joining” this website and chosing Swindon has been extremely satisfying.Normally I get bored after a 4 to 6 month game time with bigger clubs.Perhaps Tranmere? They are in the Liverpool area as you know which has a strong link with Ireland

    If you want to start a blog it’s easy, if I can do it anyone can. All you need to do is go to blogger.com, sign up…it’s free, chose a template and start writing! I don’t think you have to be 18 but I’m way older than that so I didin’t check:)

    >>Radu
    I don’t know how Johnny does it either. I mean taking a team from the lowest league to the Premier League is just amazing especially as Johnny seems to use aggressive tactics. When I employ those tactics the opposition simply plays the ball over the top of the defence to create chnces:(
    Anyway, as I’ve said before. Well done Johnny!

  20. Oh, Thanks For The Help Kevin :)

    • @Martin
      I confirm what Kevin said, I don’t think you have to be over 18.
      @Kevin
      That’s the kind of football that I like, aggressive and attacking, similar to the Dutch type of football invented by Johan Cruyff. I use a different formation, 4-4-2 instead of 4-3-3 but the mentality is the same, put pressure on the opponents, get the ball back and go forward! You can’t use this type of tactic with any players though and I still don’t have the perfect players for it.

  21. @martin: i always love playing with lower league teams. In almost every version i start a career with shrewsbury and sometimes another lower team. If i choose a team in premier division, i also take a team that is weak there. It is just more satisfactory then taking on the big teams.

    @Sonny: In the beginning i played this game, i sometimes went to another team after 2 seasons. And a few months later i stopped playing. When you are doing good with a team, i feel linked to them, and i always regretted it to leave the team. But that’s just my opinion of course.

    @Kevin: i read your swindon blog, nice work there. I also have Fabian Brandy on loan for the season, he is absolutely awesome! I have a question for you guys: he is injured for about 4 weeks, and my physio says that i should let him go back to Manchester, so they can take care of him. But then i will not have him anymore, and he is a verry importent player. Should i let him go? and look for another striker (the date is 1 january 2010). The problem is that i have not a lot of money. I could take a look to loan a new player. Just curious about your opinion.

    I would also like to make a blog, but i don’t play that often (i have the game now for 3 weeks, and i’ve playe a half a season :-) I have my own business, so i don’t have a lot of time. But maybe i will have a look to start one up, because i had some really great games so far.

  22. i havent took the job thanks for the advice johnny

    • @Shrewsbuddy
      I’d say not let him go, he’s a good striker and he could help you once he’s back after the injury.
      @Sonny
      I’m happy to see your decision mate, take The Magpies to glory!

  23. >>ShrewsBuddy
    Don’t let him go if it’s only 4 weeks and there’s still plenty of season to play, he’s too good! Thanks for reading my blog.

    Note to all:
    Shortly after my last Swindon post I was hit by a malware called anti-virus live. It somehow by passed my “BellCanada” Security system and is a rouge program. If you have any ideas how to remove it kindly contact me at [email protected]
    I’m here to about 3.00pm EST or 8.00pm GMT
    Thanks

  24. Just found out from our IT people it’s some kind of annoying spam that can bypass Norton, McAffee security programs but not harmful to say confidential files or information like passwords.
    They’ve given me some info on how to try and get rid of it.
    Warning to all be careful with emails and attachments especially those that circulate amongst large groups of people.

  25. I Got The Game…Hooray!:P
    @Radu, Ive Read Your Blog Already And It Is Good, Unlucky With Chelmsford :)
    Can Someone Help Me On How To Do The Basics Of The Blog Eg. Screenshots Etc ?

  26. >> Martin
    Well done for getting the game. Looking forward to seeing who you choose. Send me your email address to [email protected] and cc to [email protected] and I’ll try an knock up a quick and easy “how to” guide for you.

    >> Johnny
    So are you trying to reproduce the old “Total Football” concept?
    If you are then that’s fantastcic! I remember it very well,just after the 1970 World Cup it started to take shape. Showing my age now.LOL!
    Many people on CM/FM have tried and failed so good for you.

    • Kevin, I’m sure I won’t be able to replicate “total football” as Mr. Cruyff intended it to be played, I’m doing my best to produce attractive attacking football, that’s what I want to see. The problem is that a manager needs good players to achieve that although some managers did succeed with “no-name” players once in a while.

  27. Happy New Year Johnny
    So, as Brian Clough once said “Players win games, not tactics” I wonder if that’s true. Just reading an autobiography of my footballing hero Gordon Banks. In his day they never worried too much about tactics, just put out their best eleven at club level. He played for Leicester and Stoke City

    PS Computer problem seems to be fixed. Caused by all those sentimental emails that my wife’s friends continually circulate.

  28. happy new year lets hope the new year brings you promotion

  29. also johnny will you be dipping your toes into the transfer market?

    • @Sonny
      I don’t have any transfer money left and I’m over the wage budget too, so I don’t think I’ll bring in any new players. I might consider some loans if I find the right players.
      @Kevin
      I think that players are more important than tactics but both factors can make or break a team. Football has changed a lot since Gordon Banks’ days, you can’t win anything now without good discipline and players willing and able to run like crazy for 90 minutes.

  30. Good results for you there.

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