So our first season is at an end, and despite just missing out on the play-offs, we have had a very successful season. This is a quick overview of how the squad performed, and how the board felt about our performances.
END OF SEASON ITEMS
So we start with our club End of Season Awards, and it was very nearly a clean sweep for Jake Watkins! The only thing missing was a screamer, but he was undoubtably our player of the season with a massive 60% of the fan’s vote, as well as being named our signing and young player of the season! To pick him up on a free was a great bit of business, and he played so well as our Target Man that it’s easy to forget that it’s not even his most natural role. The Team of the Season makes for fairly standard reading, the biggest shock really is the inclusion of Jordon Copp, for as good as he was throughout the season, he was no more than a back-up in either of his positions, and Connor Riley-Lowe did very well in the wing-back role, learning it as he went.
The Season Review shows us as being where we were expected to be, but I think that comes from the consistent league position in the second half of the season raising our expectations, as we were predicted around 16th at the beginning of the season. We had a good season, and I’d say we performed above what was expected, even if the screenshot doesn’t show it! I was also surprised to see how few players we used during the season, although we don’t have a huge squad I felt there was a fair bit of rotation and not often a settled starting eleven.
SQUAD REVIEW
There was a fairly regular core side throughout this season, with 10 players starting more than 30 games. This could easily been a full starting eleven if it wasn’t for the long-term injury to Connor Riley-Lowe, which allowed Jordon Copp to get a run of games.
Three strikers hit over 10 goals this season, which I’m pleased with considering the amount of times I felt we were really struggling to create any chances. Led by Jake Watkins, my favourite performer of this season with 16, followed closely by Tyler Harvey who posted decent stats but I felt could offer so much more. Lewis Guy and Andrew Neal also bagged decent returns, and then the midfield chipped in with a few from River Allen and Ben Harding.
Truro City legend Cody Cooke lead the way for assists this season, playing as a supporting central midfielder, he was the closest we had to a real playmaker in the middle. Jake Watkins was not far behind, his flick-ons as the Target Man were made more impressive by the fact that he is an average height, quick poacher who I shoe-horned in and impressed so much he because our most effective player. Harding, Harvey and Racchi all clocked more than 5 assists, although I was slightly disappointed with the output from our wing-backs, our best play really did come through the middle.
Jake Watkins of course lead the way in average rating, playing consistently well all season as proving what a shrewd signing he was with our only rating over 7. Ben Harding was a solid presence in the middle all season, and young winger Harvey Moss played really well in the brief time we ran a 4-4-2, he was a big part in our good form with that system.
So the first season is over, and I look back at it with pride. I very rarely manage at a level this low, so to over perform at a level I know little about is pleasing for me. The aim next season is the same again, it’s going to be difficult to strengthen the squad but I’m sure we’re up for the fight.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and the season as a whole, I’ve really enjoyed writing about it. Future updates will take a different format, with updates coming at the end of every season, to allow me to make more progress through the save. Hopefully they’ll still be as fun to read! Catch you all in season two, thanks for reading.
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