The Cherries on top: Episode 13 – The summer rebuild.
Now that the summer is here the attention turns to building for next season, there are a fair few players I would like to move on in order to get in some quality. In terms of budget we have around £1.5 million to spend at the minute and that will hopefully be boosted by player sales (especially Elliott) and in a few weeks time, the all important TV rights money!
Before I can even get started deciding which players to put on the transfer list, Gareth O’Connor takes the first day of the window to inform me that he wants a new contract. His request is obviously denied and he’s first onto the transfer list, along with the inherited youth players and the deadwood.
The first arrival through the door is Scott Huckerby, he joins from Hucknall Town for just £35k, the lower league legend of Championship Manager should help us with our squad rotation.
Slight spoiler as I forgot to take screenshots when signing the players and only remembered when playing a friendly ;)
Elliott agrees his move to Hull and a million pounds drops in to the transfer funds, he decides to use his unveiling at Hull to have a dig a me as his reason for leaving. He might have a point to be fair, but he was the clubs best player when I took charge and I wasn’t going to let him go on the cheap – but good luck with the injury table Wade!
With the money ready and waiting I start to draw up a shopping list. A backup keeper is top priority and I am also looking to add depth and quality to the squad – I need improvements in every area really.
I submit bids for Clint Hill, super Greeks Alexandros Papadopoulos and Stillianos Doukas and the one that got away at the start of my tenure, Fredrick Risp. I also want to make sure that I get a quality midfielder and after missing out on Justin Walker, Mark Kerr would be the preferred option but despite throwing in a bid he’s off to Partik Thistle for a steal at £750k.
The transfer list is doing its job as Cheltenham submit a bid for Karl Broadhurst. With only 3 appearances this season I am happy to accept the bid, the deal progresses surprisingly quickly and he’s out the door. They then return a few days later with a £100k offer for Gary O’Connor he accepts their terms and he joins Karl – best of luck lads.
My initial four targets have decided that Bournemouth is not for them, Risp has signed a new deal and is no longer interested. Clint Hill has decided to go to Gillingham as I opted to offer him squad status, Papadopoulos and Doukas opt to stay in Greece joining PAO and PAOK respectively.
As the 2002 World Cup kicks off in Korea and Japan, we get our first problem sorted with arrival of a backup goalkeeper. Ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Tony Warner joins from Millwall for £150k. He was searching for first team football so we were able to get him fairly cheap.
The £1 million pounds from the Elliott sale has been burning a hole in my pocket and after a few weeks of negotiations we finally get in a quality replacement, 17 year old Eldar Hadzimehmedovic from Lyn. He should be a very good investment and as a forward he will be able to fulfill roles both in midfield and up top.
With Hadzi now in, I’d still like another top forward so I submit a bid for Cherno Samba. His squad status is currently unknown and with the 16 year old having two years left on his contract I might be able to get him.
With the summer rebuild in progress I’m hoping to get rid of the deadwood, there was immediate interest in Tindall, but it’s Darlington who submit a bid for Steven Fletcher. I accept and this is swiftly concluded for £160k. Crewe submit a cheeky £150k bid for Eddie Johnson from nowhere but I can’t let too many strikers go and leave me short.
The pennies roll in with the all important TV money. This will give us a boost in our bid to get a competitive squad for next season as we are awarded £2.5 million for the 2002/2003 season!
We now have a flurry of signings coming in, first it’s the young mercurial talent (and another CM0102 hall of famer), Tonton Zola Moukoko. He comes in from Hammerby in the Swedish league on the .68 update, a bid of £200k plus £250k after 30 international appearances was the price of doing business.
Millwall don’t want to part with Samba and as I need to bring in some more players I don’t want to spend my budget going over the odds for one player. So I keep looking for other interested strikers as well as welcoming Defensive signings through the door.
Mike Duff should need no introduction but for those not in know, there shouldn’t be any save from this game that doesn’t include him. We were able to get in Mike for £300k, a little high but it will be money well spent.
Gasperoni joins Duff a few days later with some decent attributes and at 18 years old he already has 2 international caps which gives us a strong back up compared to Maher or the departed Broadhurst.
As we move into July, England fail to record a win at the World Cup and are knocked out of the tournament at the group stage. England (as usual) were left at the mercy of results going their way, but even when they got that from Sweeden they still squandered a 3–0 half time lead against Nigeria. Not the best start to life under Sven!
With the TV money sitting there nicely, I have decided to add Abgar Barsom to my midfield rebuild for a cool £1 million. He hasn’t been called up by the national team in a while and was deemed surplus to requirements at Heerenveen, only playing once last season. Their loss is our gain as he can play right across the midfield, as well as being quick he is a good crosser and set piece taker.
Brighton submit a bit for Tindall, I decide to haggle a bit for a bit extra cash and fortunately the Seagulls take the bait and we settle on £300k – ha suckers!
Just as I thought that the midfield was sorted, Peter Grant decides to inform me that at 37 his playing days are over and he is joining the coaching staff. I have to tell him he won’t be but this now leaves me without a regular defensive midfielder, so it’s back out into the market to see who is interested.
The initial search starts off with two defensive midfield giants, Ze Elias at Olympiakos, who has no idea who Bournemouth are and is on a whopping £20k a week till 2007 anyway and Assane N’Diaye of Nantes has a similar opinion of us.
The more modest targets are Ibrahim Said and Nottingham Forest’s David Prutton, unfortunately Said is ruled out due to the save having work permits active meaning I would need to give him £40k to get him. Prutton unfortunately commands a £2.5 million price tag which is a hefty portion of the budget.
However a bid is submitted for the Bartman, Chris Bart-Williams. He has handed in a transfer request at Charlton and they value him around £700k. I submit a bid of £500k but Charlton immediately come back with a counter offer of £575k, terms are agreed and we have our man within a few days.
France are winners of the World Cup!
Even though both finalists did not make it far in the real life tournament, ten man Argentina managed to take the game to extra time with Thierry Henry grabbing the winner for the French to win back-to-back World Cups.
As the tournament ends, the FA have made a decision following the abysmal performance of the England team and give Sven-Göran Eriksson the sack.
Now that the World Cup is over and we are in decent position playing wise, I need to see if we are able to attract some better coaches.
Peter Grant is given his P45 and Alan Reid comes in to replace him. Thanks for the memories Pete.
Another departure now as Swindon table a bid for Shaun Maher and again, I haggle a bit but £250k is the figure we decide on and I feel that is very good business.
As Maher travels for his medical to wrap up his transfer, there is big news! The FA have wasted no time in appointing Sven’s successor and it’s an English manager (as is normally the way the game engine works).
Roy Hodgson is appointed, 10 years before his real life appointment.
With the squad almost where I want it, it’s time that they had a run out. QPR have been in touch regarding a friendly at home so I accept and see how we fair.
Most of the new signings go straight into the XI. Hadzi is up top, Moukoko and Barsom on either side of the midfield, Mike Duff will partner Lucic in the centre of defense. Huckerby is on the bench and will get a run out at some point but Boyle-Renner has a knock so misses out. It is nice to be able to field a strong XI despite a few absentees.
Despite a positive start we found ourselves 2–0 down at half time. Inevitable half-time substitutions are made so that all the new signings get a run out and thanks to a fantastic second half display by the Bartman we were able to level the game. Moukoko nabbing a goal on his non-competitive debut.
With Maher now gone, I need to get in another replacement so that I have some depth in defence. After spending big in the window this has started to attract other players on the watch list and another young defender is snapped up for just £40k
Nikos Andrielos is everything you want in a defender, heading, balance, marking, positioning and aggression all 16 or more and all for £1400 a week!
The hunt is still on for another striker, Tommy Smith at Watford looks a beauty but he isn’t interested in dropping down a division. Jay Lucas is on the radar and I test Southampton with a bid, hoping they are looking to release players following their relegation.
They aren’t, I try a couple of bids but they are reluctant to sell. I stop at £1 million up front and for now I will keep the pennies and see if getting a good start attracts some talent.
We are now approaching the start of the new season and fingers crossed the squad is good enough for another promotion?
Thanks for reading this season, please clap if you have enjoyed it. Perhaps leave a comment about the season?
