Yeah feck off you cnut, I've just seen the other post for the one Sharky's setting up
The RedCafe FM Experiment
- Thread starter nimic
- Start date
Sadly i believe that is only for the Aussie contingent. You'll have to start every post with G'day and somehow get the phrase "flamin' Gallah" into it as well.
For aussies and those who missed out on the first one
"Alright, after receving niMic's blessing I'm doing one of these for the Aussie lads, and anyone else that missed out on the first round and wants a turn. "
"Alright, after receving niMic's blessing I'm doing one of these for the Aussie lads, and anyone else that missed out on the first round and wants a turn. "
I still think that mentioning BBQ's at some point during your application will help.
Any news...
It'll be out tomorrow, promise 
Bump!
kinell, I bet I've already played, retired and died, in the game
there is a giant, walrus shaped statue outside old trafford by now, i reckon.
sorry, sorry....i meant new trafford.
Okay, it will definitely be out today. I'm working on it right now, and will continue after the match
There's just so fecking many of you
There's just so fecking many of you
Heh, nice one niM, we know it's a lot of work for you and we're really thankful that you're doing this but could you please just HURRY THE feck UP.
/lolz
/lolz
Your PA just got 25 points lower, somehow.
Just kidding.
Or am I?
I am.
PS: I tried editing Spammy in, in place of some random named Aaron Dillon at Derby, but I ran into some difficulties. Namely, I couldn't fix his name to just anything. I couldn't not give him first and last names, and they had to be from a pre-made list of a lot of common names.
Year 2 - 2009/2010, Post 1 of 3
Alex Hemming (Sheffield United)
Having just joined a club that was relegated the very same season, Alex Hemming had high hopes of getting more first team action than the previous season. And he did. He wasn’t quite a first team regular yet – he played more games for the youth sides than the first team – but 20 league games and 5 cup games wasn’t all too shabby at the age of 16. His Sheffield United underperformed quite a bit in the league, only finishing 7th, after having been expected to bounce right back up. Hemming did see some success that season, though, as he was in the squad that beat Yeovil on penalties in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Final. Granted, it was a cup he wouldn’t even have had the chance to win unless his side got relegated the previous season, but it was a start. Hemming was a bit more unlucky with injuries this season, having to spend 3 weeks on the sidelines for a twisted knee, and then another 3 weeks for a damaged foot just a couple of weeks after he got back from the first injury. All in all, a solid season.
Alwyn Payne (Fulham)
Alwyn Payne’s side didn’t get relegated, so he didn’t really expect to see a whole lot of action. The end result was still a bit disappointing, though, as he only played 5 league games and 1 cup game all season. 5 Premier League games, mind. He didn’t play very well, but then giving a 16-17 year old games at that level is more about giving them good top level experience than about having them running the team. As the season progressed, Payne lost his England U19 captaincy. It was for a good reason though, as he was called up to the U21 side.
He was yet to get a game at that level, but had high hopes of having his debut during the summer. At the end of the season his personal lessons with teammate Clint Dempsey finished up, and were obviously successful. Payne thought very highly of Dempsey at the end of it, and even adopted Dempsey’s “get forward whenever possible” style. As well as being a fan of Dempsey, he also found himself quite liking the style of his manager, Roy Hodgson. Injury-wise, a strained wrist was all for the season.
Chris Searl (Stoke)
Chris Searl was another who now had the opportunity to ply his trade in the top division. Like Payne the chances were few and far between at that level and at that age, but also he got 5 games for the season. His versatility continued to serve him, and he got an almost equal number of games at both central and right midfield position. His personal skills were definitely more suited for the center, but if he could continue to get good experience in such a Fletcher-esque manner, he’d be well happy with that.
Other than that, not much happened to Chris Searl for the season. Except for the injuries. Oh yes, the injuries. He “only” suffered 4 separate injuries, compared to the 7 of last season, but a damaged achilles tendon that kept him out for a whole 3 months meant that the end result was exactly the same, 19 weeks out. Hopefully he wouldn’t take his Fletcher-esque tendencies as a young footballer too far.
Cinadine Cidane (Derby)
With his club playing at the Championship level, Cinadine Cidane was possibly at the best level for striking a balance between quality and actually getting to play. While he still played more youth games than first team games, 29 to 25, he wasn’t really out of his depth at the higher level. At the youth level, he proved himself too good already, as the young attacking midfielder scored 20 goals and laid up 14 more in his 29 games at that level.
At the Championship level, he scored 5 goals in the 23 league games; not a bad tally at 16. He was also appointed captain of the Derby U18 side, though he only had 4 influence. He didn’t receive an injury this season either, though he probably inflicted some on other players, as he received 8 yellow cards and 1 red for a grand total of 8 tackles attempted. He also continued to play in the Irish U21 side, now having played 8 times.
Cristiano Lazytov (Aldershot)
As Cristiano Lazytov’s contract was quickly running out at the beginning of the season, he was still looking for a suitable club. That club turned out to be Scottish top side Celtic, who were apparently impressed by the 1 game he got for Aldershot before they signed him, where he scored 2 goals and became the Man of the Match. Though he was still only 16, and still incredibly lazy, the Celtic style of play apparently suited him very well.
He didn’t play a single game for the youth teams, though he still only appeared in 7 first team matches. He did very well in those though, scoring 4 goals, and earning his first England U21 cap. He always seemed to be at the right place at the right time for his club, which might be because he didn’t really move away from the scoring positions very often. His average distance run was only 4.9km per match; not very far for a professional footballer.
Cw1984 (Crystal Palace)
Having already established himself as at least a first team substitute in the Crystal Palace side, cw1984 probably expected he’d be getting quite a bit of first team Championship experience this season, and so he did. For the first half of the season he featured 11 times in the league and another 2 in the cup. What he probably didn’t expect, was the sort of attention this good run gave him.
He was pretty content with life in the Championship, but Premier League side Middlesbrough thought differently, and laid out £3.8 million for the 16-year old. It came as no surprise that he signed, as he had been offered a £31K p/w wage as soon as he hit 17, less than a year to wait. Once there, he was quickly put under the tutelage of Frenchman Didier Digard, and again upped his first team tally, featuring a further 13 times in the league until the end of the season.
Dennis Law (Darlington)
While Dennis Law had stayed the entire first season at the club that brought him through, he was still a very ambitious player. So when promotion-tipped Championship side Bolton came calling, he didn’t hesitate, and was quickly signed for free. Since his team were embroiled in a promotion battle all season long, he didn’t feature a lot in the first team. He got a total of 4 league games, scoring 1 goal, but his general level of play in the first team was very good.
His general level of play in the youth sides was even better, though. He played 34 games for the Youth and Reserve teams, providing just 2 goals. That wasn’t really his task though, and the 57 goals he scored probably made up for it, as he became Man of the Match in a full half of the matches he played in. He also became top scorer in both the reserve and youth leagues, as well as the player with the highest average rating by a huge margin. In his case, at least, it seemed the relative lack of first team action wasn’t a hinder for his development.
Diver (Rangers)
Though he had just arrived at Rangers, it quickly became apparent to Diver that he would be doing more than just sitting in the reserve team. He wasn’t quite a first team starter yet, at the age of 16, but he certainly featured enough to be called a good member of the squad. Over the course of the season he featured in 14 league games, as well as 4 continental games. He played a small part in Rangers’ Champions League campaign, and then played both games as his club dropped out of the UEFA Cup to Genoa. He also continued to feature in the English U21 side, playing a further 2 by the end of the season.
As the season came to an end, he was flattered by the immense amount of interest in him, and hoped to impress some of the visiting scouts. The number of interested clubs was too big to list, but among them were Boro, Sunderland, Bordeaux, Nice, Frankfurt and Köln.
Ed Weatherall (Notts County)
Ed Weatherall was one of the few who had been true first team starters in the first season, and he carried that into the second season, as he had helped them to promotion from the League 2. The League 1 was on a whole different level, though, and things took a turn for the worse. He was still a first team starter, playing a full 43 league games that season. The Notts Co team as a whole wasn’t really ready though, including the defense.
He got no protection to speak of, and conceded a total of 63 games that season, only managing the clean sheet 10 times. In the end it was just enough to avoid relegation, his team ending 2 points above the drop, but Ed Weatherall had had enough of Notts County. He was still only paid £55 per week, and why settle for that when a team such as Dutch top side PSV were interested?
Alex Hemming (Sheffield United)
Having just joined a club that was relegated the very same season, Alex Hemming had high hopes of getting more first team action than the previous season. And he did. He wasn’t quite a first team regular yet – he played more games for the youth sides than the first team – but 20 league games and 5 cup games wasn’t all too shabby at the age of 16. His Sheffield United underperformed quite a bit in the league, only finishing 7th, after having been expected to bounce right back up. Hemming did see some success that season, though, as he was in the squad that beat Yeovil on penalties in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Final. Granted, it was a cup he wouldn’t even have had the chance to win unless his side got relegated the previous season, but it was a start. Hemming was a bit more unlucky with injuries this season, having to spend 3 weeks on the sidelines for a twisted knee, and then another 3 weeks for a damaged foot just a couple of weeks after he got back from the first injury. All in all, a solid season.
Alwyn Payne (Fulham)
Alwyn Payne’s side didn’t get relegated, so he didn’t really expect to see a whole lot of action. The end result was still a bit disappointing, though, as he only played 5 league games and 1 cup game all season. 5 Premier League games, mind. He didn’t play very well, but then giving a 16-17 year old games at that level is more about giving them good top level experience than about having them running the team. As the season progressed, Payne lost his England U19 captaincy. It was for a good reason though, as he was called up to the U21 side.
He was yet to get a game at that level, but had high hopes of having his debut during the summer. At the end of the season his personal lessons with teammate Clint Dempsey finished up, and were obviously successful. Payne thought very highly of Dempsey at the end of it, and even adopted Dempsey’s “get forward whenever possible” style. As well as being a fan of Dempsey, he also found himself quite liking the style of his manager, Roy Hodgson. Injury-wise, a strained wrist was all for the season.
Chris Searl (Stoke)
Chris Searl was another who now had the opportunity to ply his trade in the top division. Like Payne the chances were few and far between at that level and at that age, but also he got 5 games for the season. His versatility continued to serve him, and he got an almost equal number of games at both central and right midfield position. His personal skills were definitely more suited for the center, but if he could continue to get good experience in such a Fletcher-esque manner, he’d be well happy with that.
Other than that, not much happened to Chris Searl for the season. Except for the injuries. Oh yes, the injuries. He “only” suffered 4 separate injuries, compared to the 7 of last season, but a damaged achilles tendon that kept him out for a whole 3 months meant that the end result was exactly the same, 19 weeks out. Hopefully he wouldn’t take his Fletcher-esque tendencies as a young footballer too far.
Cinadine Cidane (Derby)
With his club playing at the Championship level, Cinadine Cidane was possibly at the best level for striking a balance between quality and actually getting to play. While he still played more youth games than first team games, 29 to 25, he wasn’t really out of his depth at the higher level. At the youth level, he proved himself too good already, as the young attacking midfielder scored 20 goals and laid up 14 more in his 29 games at that level.
At the Championship level, he scored 5 goals in the 23 league games; not a bad tally at 16. He was also appointed captain of the Derby U18 side, though he only had 4 influence. He didn’t receive an injury this season either, though he probably inflicted some on other players, as he received 8 yellow cards and 1 red for a grand total of 8 tackles attempted. He also continued to play in the Irish U21 side, now having played 8 times.
Cristiano Lazytov (Aldershot)
As Cristiano Lazytov’s contract was quickly running out at the beginning of the season, he was still looking for a suitable club. That club turned out to be Scottish top side Celtic, who were apparently impressed by the 1 game he got for Aldershot before they signed him, where he scored 2 goals and became the Man of the Match. Though he was still only 16, and still incredibly lazy, the Celtic style of play apparently suited him very well.
He didn’t play a single game for the youth teams, though he still only appeared in 7 first team matches. He did very well in those though, scoring 4 goals, and earning his first England U21 cap. He always seemed to be at the right place at the right time for his club, which might be because he didn’t really move away from the scoring positions very often. His average distance run was only 4.9km per match; not very far for a professional footballer.
Cw1984 (Crystal Palace)
Having already established himself as at least a first team substitute in the Crystal Palace side, cw1984 probably expected he’d be getting quite a bit of first team Championship experience this season, and so he did. For the first half of the season he featured 11 times in the league and another 2 in the cup. What he probably didn’t expect, was the sort of attention this good run gave him.
He was pretty content with life in the Championship, but Premier League side Middlesbrough thought differently, and laid out £3.8 million for the 16-year old. It came as no surprise that he signed, as he had been offered a £31K p/w wage as soon as he hit 17, less than a year to wait. Once there, he was quickly put under the tutelage of Frenchman Didier Digard, and again upped his first team tally, featuring a further 13 times in the league until the end of the season.
Dennis Law (Darlington)
While Dennis Law had stayed the entire first season at the club that brought him through, he was still a very ambitious player. So when promotion-tipped Championship side Bolton came calling, he didn’t hesitate, and was quickly signed for free. Since his team were embroiled in a promotion battle all season long, he didn’t feature a lot in the first team. He got a total of 4 league games, scoring 1 goal, but his general level of play in the first team was very good.
His general level of play in the youth sides was even better, though. He played 34 games for the Youth and Reserve teams, providing just 2 goals. That wasn’t really his task though, and the 57 goals he scored probably made up for it, as he became Man of the Match in a full half of the matches he played in. He also became top scorer in both the reserve and youth leagues, as well as the player with the highest average rating by a huge margin. In his case, at least, it seemed the relative lack of first team action wasn’t a hinder for his development.
Diver (Rangers)
Though he had just arrived at Rangers, it quickly became apparent to Diver that he would be doing more than just sitting in the reserve team. He wasn’t quite a first team starter yet, at the age of 16, but he certainly featured enough to be called a good member of the squad. Over the course of the season he featured in 14 league games, as well as 4 continental games. He played a small part in Rangers’ Champions League campaign, and then played both games as his club dropped out of the UEFA Cup to Genoa. He also continued to feature in the English U21 side, playing a further 2 by the end of the season.
As the season came to an end, he was flattered by the immense amount of interest in him, and hoped to impress some of the visiting scouts. The number of interested clubs was too big to list, but among them were Boro, Sunderland, Bordeaux, Nice, Frankfurt and Köln.
Ed Weatherall (Notts County)
Ed Weatherall was one of the few who had been true first team starters in the first season, and he carried that into the second season, as he had helped them to promotion from the League 2. The League 1 was on a whole different level, though, and things took a turn for the worse. He was still a first team starter, playing a full 43 league games that season. The Notts Co team as a whole wasn’t really ready though, including the defense.
He got no protection to speak of, and conceded a total of 63 games that season, only managing the clean sheet 10 times. In the end it was just enough to avoid relegation, his team ending 2 points above the drop, but Ed Weatherall had had enough of Notts County. He was still only paid £55 per week, and why settle for that when a team such as Dutch top side PSV were interested?
Year 2 - 2009/2010, Post 2 of 3
George Worst (West Brom)
Having made his way over to Premier League side West Brom last season, this one was somewhat less eventful for the creative winger. Though he had managed to get 2 league appearances after being transferred in January the previous season, he didn’t feature in a single first team game this season. That meant he had a lot of time to shine in the lower levels of the youth and reserve leagues, and over the course of 42 games he scored 10 goals and laid up a further 25.
He continued to feature for the Belgian U21 side, though, and at the end of the season his appearance tally sat at 5 youth caps, and steadily rising. Though he was considered more similar to Christ Brunt than anyone else in the West Brom side, the manager tried pairing him up with winger James Morrison for some private lessons. Unfortunately the two players had too different personalities, and George Worst was not at all happy with how the tutoring went, and felt he got very little out of it.
Flawless Thaw (Blackburn)
Last season had been a good one for Flawless Thaw, as he managed to secure a transfer to Blackburn. This season he tried to build in that, and did indeed feature a few times in the first team, 8 league games and 2 cup games. His general level of play had improved from last season, and though he was still quite far away from being a regular starter, he was becoming a reliable substitute. He appeared by far the most for the youth and reserve teams, though, and certainly impressed at that level. In 40 games he scored 3 times, as well as providing 18 assists.
He continued the trend from last season of small and short injuries, being out a few days with a concussion and a dead leg respectively. It had been a pretty good season for Flawless Thaw personally, though he played little part in it as his Blackburn completely defied pre-season expectations to get relegated, by a handsome margin. Whether he would stay or not was still unknown, but he would almost certainly see more first team action in the Championship.
Hassan Emirati (Sheffield United)
Before the season had even started, Emirati found himself included in the UAE U20 squad for the 2011 Under 20 World Cup. There he featured in every game, helping the UAE team qualify for the 2nd Round, where Ukraine were too big a challenge. Though he played as many as 37 youth and reserve games for his recently relegated Sheffield United this season, scoring 21 goals with 14 assists, he also found the time to appear in a full 21 League 1 games, scoring 7 goals and providing another 7 for his teammates to score. During the season he also struck up a friendship with winger/striker David Cotterill, who was assigned to him as a sort of mentor.
The mentoring apparently went very well, and as well as having found a new friend in the team, Hassan Emirati had picked up a thing or two, most notably his new tendency to run with the ball down the left flank. That would come in handy, as though he could play centrally as well; Emirati was used by far the most on the left, either as a left midfielder or a left winger.
Jacob (Sheffield United)
Like Hassan Emirati, Jacob wasn’t sure about how to feel about Sheffield United’s relegation to the League 1. It was a lower level, but then that might be just what he needed to get enough first team action to keep growing as a player. And his situation turned out very much the same as Emirati’s, as well. He played more games at a youth level, 36 in total, but the 22 league games and the 6 cup games gave him some much needed experience at a proper level.
Though he didn’t get to play as an attacking midfielder, his central midfielder role still allowed him to bag 7 first team goals, as well as help his team to another 3. Though he wasn’t on any clubs direct shortlist at the end of the season, the signs that he had been were there, not least of which was his appreciation of Crystal Palace manager Peter Taylor’s praise of his potential. He also found himself as the Sheffield United U18s captain, despite his influence stat of 2.
Karan Mittal (Dag & Red)
While Reading and Rangers had been the two front runners for the signature of Karan Mittal, it was the newly relegated Bolton which won out in the end. Though they had just been relegated, they were aiming to bounce right back up, and consequently Mittal didn’t expect to see much first team action. And he was right. He only appeared 2 times for the Bolton first team, while he appeared twice as many times for the India first team, upping his number of caps to 5, getting 4 assists and becoming Man of the Match twice.
He impressed equally for the Bolton youth and reserve teams, scoring 20 and providing 29 assists in 41 matches. Though he had yet to break into the first team, which might be even harder considering Bolton easily won promotion to the Premiership, he was optimistic about his future at the club. During the second half of the season Russian midfielder Dinijar Bilyaeletdinov was set to tutor him, which could ease his passage into the first team.
Legold Legster (Bradford)
Though he had been loyal and stayed at his club for the entire previous season, Legold Legster was beginning to feel the level of ambition in him rise, as the level of interest in him did. Though he was only 16, recently relegated Bolton still felt he was worth a fee of £800k, hoping it would pay itself back in the future. If Legold Legster thought that the fee meant he would play straight away, he was mistaken. Like new teammate Karan Mittal, he played the vast majority of his Bolton action in the youth/reserve teams.
He did get 4 league matches and a cup match, though, and didn’t fall through at all at the higher level. He had still only played the one game for the Serbian U21-side, but he was a regular in the squad itself, and the player who permanently occupied his spot at left back was weeks away from turning 22. Though he would obviously miss the 2010 World Cup, he had some hopes that he could make the full national team squad by 2012. Not an impossibility.
niMic (Rangers)
Having just received one appearance at Rangers following his mid-season transfer last year, niMic wasn’t too optimistic about appearing a lot this season either. He was right. He didn’t get to play in any league games, though he played a part in 3 continental matches. What he hadn’t counted on, though, was his chronic non-appearance at the youth and reserve levels. Despite his full 3 appearances for the first team the whole season, he only appeared a further 2 at the lower levels, suggesting he spent the whole season sitting on the bench for the first team.
What this would do to this development as a player was anyone’s guess, but it would have been even worse if he hadn’t had a fairly safe spot in the Norwegian U21-team. At the end of the season, a number of clubs were interested in him including Wolfsburg, Heerenveen and Hull, so he was hopeful that one of them would “rescue” him from his Scottish nightmare.
George Worst (West Brom)
Having made his way over to Premier League side West Brom last season, this one was somewhat less eventful for the creative winger. Though he had managed to get 2 league appearances after being transferred in January the previous season, he didn’t feature in a single first team game this season. That meant he had a lot of time to shine in the lower levels of the youth and reserve leagues, and over the course of 42 games he scored 10 goals and laid up a further 25.
He continued to feature for the Belgian U21 side, though, and at the end of the season his appearance tally sat at 5 youth caps, and steadily rising. Though he was considered more similar to Christ Brunt than anyone else in the West Brom side, the manager tried pairing him up with winger James Morrison for some private lessons. Unfortunately the two players had too different personalities, and George Worst was not at all happy with how the tutoring went, and felt he got very little out of it.
Flawless Thaw (Blackburn)
Last season had been a good one for Flawless Thaw, as he managed to secure a transfer to Blackburn. This season he tried to build in that, and did indeed feature a few times in the first team, 8 league games and 2 cup games. His general level of play had improved from last season, and though he was still quite far away from being a regular starter, he was becoming a reliable substitute. He appeared by far the most for the youth and reserve teams, though, and certainly impressed at that level. In 40 games he scored 3 times, as well as providing 18 assists.
He continued the trend from last season of small and short injuries, being out a few days with a concussion and a dead leg respectively. It had been a pretty good season for Flawless Thaw personally, though he played little part in it as his Blackburn completely defied pre-season expectations to get relegated, by a handsome margin. Whether he would stay or not was still unknown, but he would almost certainly see more first team action in the Championship.
Hassan Emirati (Sheffield United)
Before the season had even started, Emirati found himself included in the UAE U20 squad for the 2011 Under 20 World Cup. There he featured in every game, helping the UAE team qualify for the 2nd Round, where Ukraine were too big a challenge. Though he played as many as 37 youth and reserve games for his recently relegated Sheffield United this season, scoring 21 goals with 14 assists, he also found the time to appear in a full 21 League 1 games, scoring 7 goals and providing another 7 for his teammates to score. During the season he also struck up a friendship with winger/striker David Cotterill, who was assigned to him as a sort of mentor.
The mentoring apparently went very well, and as well as having found a new friend in the team, Hassan Emirati had picked up a thing or two, most notably his new tendency to run with the ball down the left flank. That would come in handy, as though he could play centrally as well; Emirati was used by far the most on the left, either as a left midfielder or a left winger.
Jacob (Sheffield United)
Like Hassan Emirati, Jacob wasn’t sure about how to feel about Sheffield United’s relegation to the League 1. It was a lower level, but then that might be just what he needed to get enough first team action to keep growing as a player. And his situation turned out very much the same as Emirati’s, as well. He played more games at a youth level, 36 in total, but the 22 league games and the 6 cup games gave him some much needed experience at a proper level.
Though he didn’t get to play as an attacking midfielder, his central midfielder role still allowed him to bag 7 first team goals, as well as help his team to another 3. Though he wasn’t on any clubs direct shortlist at the end of the season, the signs that he had been were there, not least of which was his appreciation of Crystal Palace manager Peter Taylor’s praise of his potential. He also found himself as the Sheffield United U18s captain, despite his influence stat of 2.
Karan Mittal (Dag & Red)
While Reading and Rangers had been the two front runners for the signature of Karan Mittal, it was the newly relegated Bolton which won out in the end. Though they had just been relegated, they were aiming to bounce right back up, and consequently Mittal didn’t expect to see much first team action. And he was right. He only appeared 2 times for the Bolton first team, while he appeared twice as many times for the India first team, upping his number of caps to 5, getting 4 assists and becoming Man of the Match twice.
He impressed equally for the Bolton youth and reserve teams, scoring 20 and providing 29 assists in 41 matches. Though he had yet to break into the first team, which might be even harder considering Bolton easily won promotion to the Premiership, he was optimistic about his future at the club. During the second half of the season Russian midfielder Dinijar Bilyaeletdinov was set to tutor him, which could ease his passage into the first team.
Legold Legster (Bradford)
Though he had been loyal and stayed at his club for the entire previous season, Legold Legster was beginning to feel the level of ambition in him rise, as the level of interest in him did. Though he was only 16, recently relegated Bolton still felt he was worth a fee of £800k, hoping it would pay itself back in the future. If Legold Legster thought that the fee meant he would play straight away, he was mistaken. Like new teammate Karan Mittal, he played the vast majority of his Bolton action in the youth/reserve teams.
He did get 4 league matches and a cup match, though, and didn’t fall through at all at the higher level. He had still only played the one game for the Serbian U21-side, but he was a regular in the squad itself, and the player who permanently occupied his spot at left back was weeks away from turning 22. Though he would obviously miss the 2010 World Cup, he had some hopes that he could make the full national team squad by 2012. Not an impossibility.
niMic (Rangers)
Having just received one appearance at Rangers following his mid-season transfer last year, niMic wasn’t too optimistic about appearing a lot this season either. He was right. He didn’t get to play in any league games, though he played a part in 3 continental matches. What he hadn’t counted on, though, was his chronic non-appearance at the youth and reserve levels. Despite his full 3 appearances for the first team the whole season, he only appeared a further 2 at the lower levels, suggesting he spent the whole season sitting on the bench for the first team.
What this would do to this development as a player was anyone’s guess, but it would have been even worse if he hadn’t had a fairly safe spot in the Norwegian U21-team. At the end of the season, a number of clubs were interested in him including Wolfsburg, Heerenveen and Hull, so he was hopeful that one of them would “rescue” him from his Scottish nightmare.
Year 2 - 2009/2010, Post 3 of 3
Paz (Bury)
At the end of last season, Paz had been on the shortlist of quite a few clubs up through the divisions. In the end it was Rangers that won out, a club who had already bought some of the promising youngsters earlier. While he didn’t have quite as big a problem getting fixtures at Rangers as niMic, Paz was hardly spoiled. In the entire season he only played 6 times for the first team, and only 3 times for the reserve team.
That was hardly positive for his development, and though he was still optimistic about his future at the club come the end of the season, there were a number of clubs interested in him; French, German, English, Dutch and Italian. None of the clubs were among the top in the world, but they were good, solid clubs. And they just might let Paz play more too. Despite the lack of first team action, or any kind of action, he was called up to the English U21 squad, and made his debut there.
Psmith (Rotherham)
Psmith had stayed at his original club for the entire last season, and it had served him very well. Possibly for that reason he decided that he didn’t need to look for another club during the summer, and again he had a good spell in the first team. By Christmas he had played 11 times, got 3 goals and 3 assists, and his overall level of play had been very good. At that point he decided that he had done all he could do at that level, and when Premier League side Hull City came calling, he was ready and willing.
There he didn’t get to play quite as much, but still made a good showing of himself in the 8 league games he got, scoring 3 goals. Though he could also play as an attacking midfielder, he only played striker at Hull. He also played striker when he made his full Indian national team debut, scoring 4 goals in the 3 chances he received. With Karan Mittal and Psmith in the team, the odds were on that India was going to have a bright future.
Rasmus Nilsson (Morecambe)
Rasmus Nilsson was another who had stayed the entire previous season at the club where he came through, and that had paid off in how well he had progressed. Now it was time for a change of venues, and he was quickly snapped up by newly relegated Championship side Wigan. There he got 13 league games and 3 cup games, showing a level of play one could expect from a 16 year old playing in the Championship.
The big majority of games came for the Wigan reserve and youth teams, though. 37 games he got there, scoring a full 18 goals and providing another 6 assists. Though Wigan failed to bounce right back, he was optimistic about his future at the club. He was also optimistic about learning a thing or two from teammate Kris Commons, who had been assigned as his mentor. He was also optimistic about his future for the Swedish national team, where he made his U21 debut, and followed it up with 2 more games.
Sam Stock (Shrewsbury)
While he had been on the shortlist of Scottish club Rangers at the end of the previous season, who were already known for picking up promising youngsters, Sam Stock didn’t end up there. Instead he opted for Championship side Bolton Wanderers. There he immediately took a liking to manager Alan Curbishley, who he was sure would help him reach his potential. Even though the club were embroiled in a promotion battle, Stock received 15 first team league games, scoring 4 goals and providing 4 assist.
Both for the reserve and first team he split his appearances almost equally between striker and right midfield, his versatility no doubt helping him get games when at all possible. As the season progressed he was also assigned a mentor; striker Fernando. No doubt that would be to his benefit, as Fernando ended the season as the player with the highest average rating in the Championship. Also positive was the £19k p/w professional contract he was only a week away from signing.
Shorty Phelan (Chesterfield)
While other players had stayed at their original club for the entire previous season, and some had left during the January window this season, there weren’t many who had stayed both full seasons. Shorty Phelan was one, though. He had been given ample first team opportunities last season, so why leave now? And again he was given a chance, playing 28 league games and scoring a very impressive 27 goals. He was some way off the top scorer trophy, but was still the player with the highest average rating in the entire League 2.
His performance was good enough to ensure 2nd place and promotion for Chesterfield, who had been tipped to finish around 15th, and indeed finished 20th last season. All the while doing that, he still managed to play 38 non-competitive games, scoring 48 goals and finishing Man of the Match an incredible 19 times. Though he wasn’t the League 2 top scorer for the season, he was exactly that for both the Reserve and Youth leagues. A busy season, in other words.
Ubor Skolskov (Exeter)
Ubor Skolskov was another who had been in the spotlight of Rangers for some time. He was one of the few who resisted, though, and instead decided to sign for newly relegated Championship side Portsmouth, where Steve Bruce had just taken the reigns. No doubt Bruce had been impressed by Skolskov’s showing during the summer, when he had taken part in the Under 20 World Cup, where he came on as a sub 5 times as the Russian side just lost to eventual winners Italy in the Semi-Finals.
Beating Portugal in the 3rd Place Playoff meant a good tournament for Russia and Skolskov. There he received a fair number of first team chances, appearing in 16 league games and 2 cup games. Still, his main source of games was the reserve and youth teams, where he scored 14 and got 24 assists in 34 games. He also featured for the first time for the Russian U21 side, and quickly cemented his spot in the team by playing well in the 7 caps he got.
Walrus (Birmingham)
Right after he had been signed by Birmingham previous season, he had been set James McFadden as a mentor. He didn’t gain a whole lot from that, and didn’t consider McFadden one of his favoured personnel at the end of it. He did gain one thing though, the propensity to argue with the officials. After that it didn’t take long before he was being touted as the new Wayne Rooney. Coincidence?
He only made 5 appearances for Birmingham that season, and in January Premier League side Sunderland came calling. £2.1 million he cost them, and strangely he made more appearances there, 15, despite going up a division. There he was again set a mentor, Kenwyne Jones. That went better, and he picked up Jones’ habit of trying to round the keeper. He also considered him one of his favoured personnel, something McFadden never managed.
Paz (Bury)
At the end of last season, Paz had been on the shortlist of quite a few clubs up through the divisions. In the end it was Rangers that won out, a club who had already bought some of the promising youngsters earlier. While he didn’t have quite as big a problem getting fixtures at Rangers as niMic, Paz was hardly spoiled. In the entire season he only played 6 times for the first team, and only 3 times for the reserve team.
That was hardly positive for his development, and though he was still optimistic about his future at the club come the end of the season, there were a number of clubs interested in him; French, German, English, Dutch and Italian. None of the clubs were among the top in the world, but they were good, solid clubs. And they just might let Paz play more too. Despite the lack of first team action, or any kind of action, he was called up to the English U21 squad, and made his debut there.
Psmith (Rotherham)
Psmith had stayed at his original club for the entire last season, and it had served him very well. Possibly for that reason he decided that he didn’t need to look for another club during the summer, and again he had a good spell in the first team. By Christmas he had played 11 times, got 3 goals and 3 assists, and his overall level of play had been very good. At that point he decided that he had done all he could do at that level, and when Premier League side Hull City came calling, he was ready and willing.
There he didn’t get to play quite as much, but still made a good showing of himself in the 8 league games he got, scoring 3 goals. Though he could also play as an attacking midfielder, he only played striker at Hull. He also played striker when he made his full Indian national team debut, scoring 4 goals in the 3 chances he received. With Karan Mittal and Psmith in the team, the odds were on that India was going to have a bright future.
Rasmus Nilsson (Morecambe)
Rasmus Nilsson was another who had stayed the entire previous season at the club where he came through, and that had paid off in how well he had progressed. Now it was time for a change of venues, and he was quickly snapped up by newly relegated Championship side Wigan. There he got 13 league games and 3 cup games, showing a level of play one could expect from a 16 year old playing in the Championship.
The big majority of games came for the Wigan reserve and youth teams, though. 37 games he got there, scoring a full 18 goals and providing another 6 assists. Though Wigan failed to bounce right back, he was optimistic about his future at the club. He was also optimistic about learning a thing or two from teammate Kris Commons, who had been assigned as his mentor. He was also optimistic about his future for the Swedish national team, where he made his U21 debut, and followed it up with 2 more games.
Sam Stock (Shrewsbury)
While he had been on the shortlist of Scottish club Rangers at the end of the previous season, who were already known for picking up promising youngsters, Sam Stock didn’t end up there. Instead he opted for Championship side Bolton Wanderers. There he immediately took a liking to manager Alan Curbishley, who he was sure would help him reach his potential. Even though the club were embroiled in a promotion battle, Stock received 15 first team league games, scoring 4 goals and providing 4 assist.
Both for the reserve and first team he split his appearances almost equally between striker and right midfield, his versatility no doubt helping him get games when at all possible. As the season progressed he was also assigned a mentor; striker Fernando. No doubt that would be to his benefit, as Fernando ended the season as the player with the highest average rating in the Championship. Also positive was the £19k p/w professional contract he was only a week away from signing.
Shorty Phelan (Chesterfield)
While other players had stayed at their original club for the entire previous season, and some had left during the January window this season, there weren’t many who had stayed both full seasons. Shorty Phelan was one, though. He had been given ample first team opportunities last season, so why leave now? And again he was given a chance, playing 28 league games and scoring a very impressive 27 goals. He was some way off the top scorer trophy, but was still the player with the highest average rating in the entire League 2.
His performance was good enough to ensure 2nd place and promotion for Chesterfield, who had been tipped to finish around 15th, and indeed finished 20th last season. All the while doing that, he still managed to play 38 non-competitive games, scoring 48 goals and finishing Man of the Match an incredible 19 times. Though he wasn’t the League 2 top scorer for the season, he was exactly that for both the Reserve and Youth leagues. A busy season, in other words.
Ubor Skolskov (Exeter)
Ubor Skolskov was another who had been in the spotlight of Rangers for some time. He was one of the few who resisted, though, and instead decided to sign for newly relegated Championship side Portsmouth, where Steve Bruce had just taken the reigns. No doubt Bruce had been impressed by Skolskov’s showing during the summer, when he had taken part in the Under 20 World Cup, where he came on as a sub 5 times as the Russian side just lost to eventual winners Italy in the Semi-Finals.
Beating Portugal in the 3rd Place Playoff meant a good tournament for Russia and Skolskov. There he received a fair number of first team chances, appearing in 16 league games and 2 cup games. Still, his main source of games was the reserve and youth teams, where he scored 14 and got 24 assists in 34 games. He also featured for the first time for the Russian U21 side, and quickly cemented his spot in the team by playing well in the 7 caps he got.
Walrus (Birmingham)
Right after he had been signed by Birmingham previous season, he had been set James McFadden as a mentor. He didn’t gain a whole lot from that, and didn’t consider McFadden one of his favoured personnel at the end of it. He did gain one thing though, the propensity to argue with the officials. After that it didn’t take long before he was being touted as the new Wayne Rooney. Coincidence?
He only made 5 appearances for Birmingham that season, and in January Premier League side Sunderland came calling. £2.1 million he cost them, and strangely he made more appearances there, 15, despite going up a division. There he was again set a mentor, Kenwyne Jones. That went better, and he picked up Jones’ habit of trying to round the keeper. He also considered him one of his favoured personnel, something McFadden never managed.
A move to Wigan and 18 goals from midfield in all competitions, I'm pleased with that.
Nice one niM, they seem to be coming along well!
fecking hell, how on earth do i play that many games, score that many goals that i finish top scorer for youth and reserve team, come very close for the first team and not go into the premier league!
Awww man i feckin hate Gareth Southgate.
Need to bulk up tbh
Next update almost ready then?
cheers fella, ah I'm still on 16, big things to come from me, mark my words....
Ok, slow and steady wins the race. I see a big move in my future, hopefully sooner rather than later! I could do with some training from the big man (tm).
I'm never underestimating the importance of work rate ever again.
Great update, would be nice to have some info on the kinds of fees players are moving for
3 Premier League goals...that's not that bad for a 17 year old.
I seem stuck in the WBA youth team, hope that doesn't stop my development.
That'll come, trust me. It's just that by now not a lot of us have even cost any fees. In a season or two, when I reckon we'll all be regulars at some level, I'll have more stats to do.
Bump
I think my sum of stats on the technical side are too low somehow.
Uh oh!
nimic, if it's too much work, just post screenshots of our stats and history. Maybe just write a summary after 5 seasons or something.
I might need someone to simply take it over, at least temporarily. Uni just started, and it's a lot of work.
niMic, I'm back from holidays on Tuesday and will have SFA to do for a bit so I'll happily take the database and save game temporarily!
news?
Bumpage.