blake
School Cricketer
(Note - the currency in this game is AUD, and wages are listed per annum, rather than weekly or monthly. Just to get a rough idea of the conversion rate, 10000 AUD = 4725 pounds)
A young, unemployed Blake E today stepped into the spotlight, announcing his intentions to manage an English football side. He had no records of managing any teams or even playing at all and he seems to be a relative newcomer to the game. The Australian, who is now living in England as part of his journey to become a world-class manager has told the media that he would be glad to manage any club, to familiarise himself with the game and the role of managing, and to become known around the world. This is it - my managing career starts now.
July 4th, 2006
"Well, I'm not an American but I'm going to be celebrating this date," spoke out Blake E, newly appointed manager of Brighton and Hove Albion at a recent press conference.
Despite having virtually no managing and playing experience, league 1 outfit Brighton and Hove Albion have offered Blake E a contract after he applied for their vacant job. Considering Blake E has never managed a game before, it seems somewhat of a miracle that they have offered him a contract.
Some of the fans are doubtful at the signing of this new Australian manager, but only time will tell what will happen from here.
The contract will keep Blake E at the club until June 2009 earning $200,000 per annum, and offers a wage budget of 3.1M and a transfer budget of $125,000. Manager Blake E is set to be over the moon with these figures and whilst the transfer budget is a bit small he says he has a lot of space with the wage budget and will be looking to bring in young players and those on free transfers.
(Note - I'm in awe, on other FM games when I have started unemployed usually it takes me half a year to find a Conference team that actually doesn't reject me. A League one team that accepts me on my first offer? Unbelievable.)
July 8th, 2006
Today I would be managing my first ever game - a home friendly against struggling Championship side Sunderland. It was going to be a very tough first match and I would be very happy with a draw or better. I hadn't looked at signing anybody in the short four days that I had been at Brighton - rather I had spent it assigning training schedules, looking around the club and studying player levels. Our lineup for the friendly against Sunderland was going to be:
GK Wayne Henderson
DL Kerry Mayo
DC Adam El-Abd
DC Adam Hinshelwood
DR Joel Lynch
ML Alexandre Frutos
MC Dean Hammond
MC Paul Reid
MR Gary Hart
FC Alex Revell
FC Jake Robinson
S1 Michael Kuipers (GK)
S2 Doug Loft (AM LC)
S3 Maheta Molango (ST)
S4 Joe Gatting (ST)
S5 Georges Santos (D C, DM)
S6 Richard Carpenter (MC)
Injured:
Charlie Oatway (DM)
I had elected for a simple attacking 4-4-2, electing to run our wingers up the field. I was probably going to make a few changes along the course of the match and was just treating this as a match to get the players ready for the new season and to see how my team played unter certain strategies.
The First Half
05:25 - Jake Robinson had a golden opportunity to open the scoring for Brighton as he skipped through the defence thanks to a good through ball from Dean Hammond, but he just shaved it over the bar, resulting in a Sunderland goal kick.
Jake Robinson's shot skimmed the bar but just missed
15:19 - Our goalkeeper Wayne Henderson pulled off two great saves in a row, first saving an in-swinging long range penalty bomb, and then blocking a powerful shot from another Sunderland striker who had collected the rebounds of the first save.
Wayne Henderson removes a bottle thrown onto the pitch by an angry Sunderland fan after his two good saves
17:16 - Striker Alex Revell missed a 1 on 1 opportunity with the goalkeeper after a brilliant throughball from midfielder Paul Reid set him up in the box. Unfortunately he sprayed it high and wide to the left. Brighton had been playing well up to this point, but had been unable to convert so far.
Alex Revell with the ball for Brighton
25:01 - Dean Hammond had a chance to knock in a header after Kerry Mayo crossed in a free kick to the box, but he sprayed it wildly, the Sunderland goalkeeper not even needing to move to it.
Dean Hammond can afford to smile after his poor attempt on goal
46:01 - Sunderland's Liam Miller sends in a crashing long range shot, but it skims the bar and goes over, relieving the pressure for Brighton as half time approaches.
Liam Miller in action for Sunderland
47:21 - The referee brings proceedings to a solid first half. The half time score: 0-0.
Next Update: The Second Half, Team Profiles
A young, unemployed Blake E today stepped into the spotlight, announcing his intentions to manage an English football side. He had no records of managing any teams or even playing at all and he seems to be a relative newcomer to the game. The Australian, who is now living in England as part of his journey to become a world-class manager has told the media that he would be glad to manage any club, to familiarise himself with the game and the role of managing, and to become known around the world. This is it - my managing career starts now.
July 4th, 2006
"Well, I'm not an American but I'm going to be celebrating this date," spoke out Blake E, newly appointed manager of Brighton and Hove Albion at a recent press conference.
Despite having virtually no managing and playing experience, league 1 outfit Brighton and Hove Albion have offered Blake E a contract after he applied for their vacant job. Considering Blake E has never managed a game before, it seems somewhat of a miracle that they have offered him a contract.
Some of the fans are doubtful at the signing of this new Australian manager, but only time will tell what will happen from here.
The contract will keep Blake E at the club until June 2009 earning $200,000 per annum, and offers a wage budget of 3.1M and a transfer budget of $125,000. Manager Blake E is set to be over the moon with these figures and whilst the transfer budget is a bit small he says he has a lot of space with the wage budget and will be looking to bring in young players and those on free transfers.
(Note - I'm in awe, on other FM games when I have started unemployed usually it takes me half a year to find a Conference team that actually doesn't reject me. A League one team that accepts me on my first offer? Unbelievable.)

July 8th, 2006
Today I would be managing my first ever game - a home friendly against struggling Championship side Sunderland. It was going to be a very tough first match and I would be very happy with a draw or better. I hadn't looked at signing anybody in the short four days that I had been at Brighton - rather I had spent it assigning training schedules, looking around the club and studying player levels. Our lineup for the friendly against Sunderland was going to be:
GK Wayne Henderson
DL Kerry Mayo
DC Adam El-Abd
DC Adam Hinshelwood
DR Joel Lynch
ML Alexandre Frutos
MC Dean Hammond
MC Paul Reid
MR Gary Hart
FC Alex Revell
FC Jake Robinson
S1 Michael Kuipers (GK)
S2 Doug Loft (AM LC)
S3 Maheta Molango (ST)
S4 Joe Gatting (ST)
S5 Georges Santos (D C, DM)
S6 Richard Carpenter (MC)
Injured:
Charlie Oatway (DM)
I had elected for a simple attacking 4-4-2, electing to run our wingers up the field. I was probably going to make a few changes along the course of the match and was just treating this as a match to get the players ready for the new season and to see how my team played unter certain strategies.
The First Half
05:25 - Jake Robinson had a golden opportunity to open the scoring for Brighton as he skipped through the defence thanks to a good through ball from Dean Hammond, but he just shaved it over the bar, resulting in a Sunderland goal kick.

Jake Robinson's shot skimmed the bar but just missed
15:19 - Our goalkeeper Wayne Henderson pulled off two great saves in a row, first saving an in-swinging long range penalty bomb, and then blocking a powerful shot from another Sunderland striker who had collected the rebounds of the first save.

Wayne Henderson removes a bottle thrown onto the pitch by an angry Sunderland fan after his two good saves
17:16 - Striker Alex Revell missed a 1 on 1 opportunity with the goalkeeper after a brilliant throughball from midfielder Paul Reid set him up in the box. Unfortunately he sprayed it high and wide to the left. Brighton had been playing well up to this point, but had been unable to convert so far.

Alex Revell with the ball for Brighton
25:01 - Dean Hammond had a chance to knock in a header after Kerry Mayo crossed in a free kick to the box, but he sprayed it wildly, the Sunderland goalkeeper not even needing to move to it.

Dean Hammond can afford to smile after his poor attempt on goal
46:01 - Sunderland's Liam Miller sends in a crashing long range shot, but it skims the bar and goes over, relieving the pressure for Brighton as half time approaches.

Liam Miller in action for Sunderland
47:21 - The referee brings proceedings to a solid first half. The half time score: 0-0.

Next Update: The Second Half, Team Profiles
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