Stories > CM Schoolboys > Background and Pre Season

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Rules:

- I will be playing as Chelsea, without benefactor.
- The English, Spanish and Italian leagues are running, with simulated world ‘on’.
- I am only allowed to sign players aged 18 or under.
- In the absence of an editor - the current Chelsea squad will be demoted to the reserves or sold off.
- There are no limits or permutations to the type of staff or tactics I choose to use.

Objectives:

- To avoid the sack in the first season - the Chelsea board are expecting me to deliver the title, so this will not be easy.
- To nurture the players who are under 16, and therefore not able to play yet, so that they are ready when they turn 16.
- If the first objective is achieved, then I will hope to improve year on year and eventually build a team capable of dominating Europe.

Factors

- Rebuilding the low squad morale that will inevitably occur as a result of the demotion and sale of Chelsea’s established first team players.
- Compensating for the lack of fitness that will come as a result of such young players playing a lot of games

Background:

Shockwaves reverberated around the football world today, as Roman Abramovich wielded the axe on his latest manager Avram Grant and replaced him with the unknown Jonathan Wolstenholme.

The first team squad, lead by captain John Terry are threatening to walk out over the treatment of Grant. This will be terrible news for Chelsea fans who had been expecting the team to regain the title from Manchester United this season.

Chelsea now face an uncertain future and are clearly a club in turmoil.

Upon my arrival at Stamford Bridge, I was immediately escorted to a meeting with Roman Abramovich. Once inside his office, an ashen faced Abramovich said that he would not tolerate failure. He said that his previous managers had spent vast sums of his money on proven players, yet the side still did not play with the attacking fervour which he expects. Whilst he was willing to give me funds for new players, it was made abundantly clear that he no longer wanted to spend twenty million on one player. He wanted me to bring in top quality youth players, building for the future, to create a dynasty at Chelsea.

Pre Season:

As far as first days go, I’ve had better. In protest at the sacking of previous manager Avram Grant, the entire first team squad are refusing to train. Mr. Abramovich has responded to this by telling them that they can all leave the club if they wish.

The exodus begins with the sales of Michael Ballack (14m), Joe Cole (25m) and Paulo Ferreira (8m). In turn my scouts are dispatched to the four corners of the globe in order to search for talented youngsters to fill the void.

Three weeks down the line and the squad is beginning to take shape. A few players have been promoted from the reserve and youth team and the rest of the players have been signed for a combined total of 58.2 million pounds.

Here is my squad in full.

Goalkeepers: Manuel Riemann, Viktor Noring

Defenders: Slobodan Rajkovic, Armand Traore, Patrick van Aanholt, Jeffrey Bruma, Jack Hobbs, Krystian Pearce, Jack Rodwell

Midfielders: Javi Martinez, Sean Highdale, Fran Merida, John Bostock, Nuri Sahin, Rodney Senijder, Victor Moses, Giles Barnes, Theo Walcott, Scott Sinclair, Jacob Mellis, Sergio Tejera, Thiago, Michael Woods, Miroslav Stoch

Strikers: Ben Sahar, Craig Lindfield, Richard Sukuta-Pasu, Carlos Vela

The right back area could prove problematic but Slobodan Rajkovic is currently being re-trained to play this position.

Due to the squad overhaul that has taken place, I have had hardly anytime to arrange friendlies. Just one has taken place, a morale boosting 7-0 demolition of non-league Droylsden.

Currently in our final week of pre-season, with Manchester United at Wembley looming on the horizon. The squad are performing well in training, I’ve chosen a tactic - were going to go with an attacking 442 formation and the starting eleven for the new season has been chosen.



With the new league season only two weeks away, I have made it clear to Mr. Abramovich that it may be a long process in getting this squad to compete for the title. However, he has stated that he wants results straight away and will not tolerate failure.

I am going to have to put my faith in a team of schoolboys, with an average age of just 16.9, to mount a challenge for the title in one of the most competitive leagues in the world.

Part One >>