CM9798 Academy – Part 30: Casualty

Hello! Welcome to that awkward mid season update. Season 10 started really promising, I thought corners had been turned and a new era of domination was here. Then we lost a few times are it was soon apparent that I am a fool. That said, there’s still a lot to play for and if we can finish higher than 12th, it’s progress.

Naturally we set about doing that with a heavy home loss.

3-0 everton home

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CM9798 Academy – Part 29: Decade of destruction

Hello! It’s the tenth season of this idiocy and season 9 ended on the highest of highs. The Cup Winners Cup was retained and we added the FA Cup to a hastily assembled trophy cabinet. How do you top that?

We finished season 9 with the disappointing news that club legend Gareth Billing would be departing. Italian Frederic Morello will also be missed. Once again we face a summer of rebuilding.

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CM9798 Academy – Part 28: Cup Winners Cup winners win cup

The end of season 9 already. Where does the time go? Even if our league form is…patchy at best, we are still in the FA Cup and the Cup Winners Cup. In a season where we lost little Dunc (Ferguson) and Gilberto Landonio (Mancini) we’ve somehow cobbled together results. There are some options in the squad – not many, but some. We have £88m in the bank which will never be spent. In many ways, we are blazing a trail for the modern game. In many other ways, we are 16th and wasting our lives.

Here’s a reminder of where we pick up.

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CM9798 Academy – Part 27: Book a Rest

Well hello there. You would think after winning the Cup Winners Cup that the Academy would be, you know, better. But last week we found out we were the same terrible outfit we’ve always been and once again find ourselves in the bottom 3. Getting ourselves out of that is the priority this week, but first, we need to ensure we’re playing European football after Christmas…

The first leg in Norway was 2-2. We’re heavy favourites to go through and despite an early goal, we’re immediately pegged back and spend the next 72 minutes spraying shots high, wide and straight at the keeper. Away goals are our friend.

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CM9798 Academy – Part 25: Marseille Roulette

Welcome, welcome. Today we celebrate a quarter of a century of Academy updates. If you’re new to this, the challenge began 24 episodes ago where the newly formed CM9798 Academy took their place in division 3. Owner Ike Mashley wanted to build his dream club and put in a blueprint. Only players under the age of 23 and available on a free transfer could be signed, whilst all offers to buy players would be accepted. It has aged me terribly. Nevertheless, progress through the lower leagues was relatively easy but the Premier League has seen us scrapping for survival every year. Here we are in season 8, our first in European competition (via a losing FA Cup final appearance) and yet again we’re in the bottom half. Now, let’s get back to it. 13 games to go and this is the table:

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CM9798 Academy – Part 23: European break

Hello! Season 8 is here and not only have the Academy got another season of Premier League football to look forward to, they will also play in Europe for the first time. This might be as good as it gets.

For such an occasion, we’ve added a massive 1348 new seats. There’s over £50m in the bank, we may as well spend it on something.

How do you ready a squad for a European campaign? Well…

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CM9798 Academy – Part 22: Passport to Relegation?

Hello hello. As 2019 continues to rattle along, we’ve reached the end of another season. The Academy, as usual, are battling relegation. Things are actually bleaker than normal as we are in the bottom 3 with 14 games to go. One positive though is that we’re still in the FA Cup, though Derby is not a happy hunting ground for us. That’s where we start today’s update.

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CM9798 Academy – Part 21: A change is as good as a rest

Hello and Happy New Year! I hope 2019 is full of great things for you all.

Here in 2004, things are a bit tetchy down the Academy. We’re struggling to make much of an impression on the Premier League and find ourselves down in 16th. I keep telling myself the team can only get better but the reality is, they will probably leave when that happens. Nevertheless, let’s see how we get on.

Here’s where we re-join the action:

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