There rings the phone.
"Who is that?"asked Mrs Allison, "It's OK, I get it. Go on sleep, babe."said Ian Allison, the manager of Boreham Wood, which participates Skrill Premier now for 2014/15 season.
"What the f**k Myc? It's in the middle of the night!"
"I know, I just can't sleep. I need your advice." I said. Actually, I am shockingly sleepy, but I can't stop thinking the 2 consecutive lose in the openning of Skrill Premier.
"The 2 lose, right? It is just the beginning of this season. Besides you've proved yourself, you promoted Eastleigh." said Ian, patiently.
"I need your advise. I lost to Chester and Cambridge, they are not competitive in this division. And tomorrow we are going to face Aldershot, the 3rd of the league, what should I do? I don't think I can handle this. Maybe I'm not qualified for the Skrill Premier division."
"Mark my words. It's still early in the season. And you're a good manager, you brought Eastleigh from the bottom half to the 3rd of South, and made it to the Premier. You will never go back. Eastleigh will be at the top half at the end of this season. What you have to do now is to have a good sleep. Aldershot is not capable of bringing you trouble."
That's very nice of Ian. But I still can't sleep.
---
I felt a snooze in my pocket. After I got my iPhone 4 in front of my eyes, I found I did not recognize the number, actually, it belonged to another country.
"Hello?"
"Hello. Is there Mr......eh...Mycroft Z...Z...Zhang III?"
"Yes, I am. May I know whom I am talking to?"
"Good morning, oh, good afternoon there in China, Mr Zhang III. My name is Stewart Donald, the chairman of Eastleigh Football Club. I hereby make this phone call to inform you that our club have received your CV, and we want to have a interview to decide whether we can hire you as our next manager."
You must be kidding me. My CV is a bunch of Football Manager experiences, from 2002 to 2013. After graduating from BSU Management School, I worked for Esquire and FHM, I never touched sport since I left school. The CV I sent to them was just a joke to me.
"Are you still there? Mr Zhang III?"
"Just call me Myc, please." his voice brought me back to the reality, finally.
"OK. Let's start the interview."
"O...OK, no problem."
After the interview, I got the job. Lead Eastleigh to the 3rd from 13th at the end of 2013/14 season. What is amazing is that when we met the Boreham Wood at the 2nd last round, Ian and I just became best friends. We lost the game, and they got the trophy. In playoff, we knocked Dover and Ebbsfield out, making it to the Skrill Premier.
---
Memory is sweet, but still failed to help me fall into sleep.
"F**k."
It is dawn outside, I open the curtain of my room, starting to check the cars and people in the street.
"Scew that!" I am talking to myself again!
What a beautiful town Eastleigh is, I am going to bring this town glory.
It is noising on the bus.
We are on the team bus to Aldershot Town, players are fine, staffs are fine. I, despite all of that, am not fine.
“I think we should do it the old ways.” said Ben Cleverly, my new assistant manager, who is just 32, and played for League 1 before. This is his first managing experience. I picked him rather than former gunner Robert Pires, after sacking Guy Butters at the end of last season.”We started Sean last 2 games, but the results are not good enough. I know he is capable, that’s why we loan him, but he needs time to adapt. Yemi, on the other hand, I encourage you to put him back at right winger, he was brilliant there last season.”
Ben is sketching on the tactic board while making his statement. Yes, I can not deny that he is fair enough. Yemi was our best scorer last season, when he was playing right winger.
“And Ben Strevens, should we start him this time?” asked Cleverly.
Ben Strevens was a trouble in the offseason. His contract will expire after this season. Some other important players with 1-year-left contract all penned on the new deal, but this Ben officially turned down the deal and insulted me by accusing it is because he do not like my personality. Unfortunately, what he does not know is that I was reading Sir Alex Ferguson’s autobiography, in which he stated how extremely important a manager’s authority is. Therefore, I sent Ben to practice with under 18s, and kicked him out of all the friendly matches and the first 2 games of Skrill Premier.
And guess what? He apologized, although he is still not interested in a new contract, but considering his 34-year-old age and we have a lot of hot prospects at striker position, I decide not to be worried.
“I know. Maybe. Get him to me after we get off the f**king bus.”
“Get that.” And he just leaves me on the first row of bus with no one beside me, heading to the back rows with other staff.
--
“As you take your words back, I will start you tonight.” I tell Ben Strevens at the sideline while others are doing the last practice before the match on the pitch.
“Thank you. I will not let you down.”
After him, it is time for Yemi, “Hey, my best scorer, tell me, which position do you prefer, center striker or right winger.” I just make it frank.
“I feel winger is the best for me.”
“OK, go back join them, you are right winger tonight.”
“Thank you, Sir.” and there he goes away.
--
I can not believe it until the final whistle. We are 3-0 the 3rd of the current league table, at their home!
Yemi scored 2 times at the second half, both from Ben’s assists, what make me much more happier than the result is that after 2 lost, players started to find the rhythm of Premier. We got a cleansheet after losing 5 goals in 2 games.
After the post-match press conference, I call Ian to tell him the thrilling news and how unlucky he is, because 3 days later, he is gong to face the best Eastleigh.
Great start and great win to live in the Skrill Premier!
1
2013-11-29 11:41#146665 The Madridista :
Great start and great win to live in the Skrill Premier!
Thank you, Mad, it is tough in the Skrill Premier!
I called Ian in the empty club’s press room.
“What’s up, Myc?” it comes the voice of Ian Allison, manager of Boreham Wood, my good friend since we first met.
“Our press room has been empty since the pre-season press conference, I even prepared biscuits and drinks for them, why didn’t they come?” I am just talking sh*t, never mind.
“Ha,” an embarrassing laugh, “me, too. I don’t think they are interested in the fight of 2 boys, are they?”
Fair enough, that’s the awkward situation we are both in. Although we are better than the other 20 teams in Skrill South, we are green hand up here. No one cares 2 new comers’ games, it has little impact on the final league table, at least the media thinks so.
“We will prove that they are all wrong, right?” Ian is always so charming, that’s why I like him so much.
“You are right, Ian. See you tomorrow.”
“See you.”
--
“Here is the scout report of Boreham Wood from Gavin.” I am preparing for the game tomorrow with Cleverly, and he mentioned Gavin, who is our new chief scout this season. When I found out our former chief scout lacks basic judgement I was furious, I didn’t how it was possible that he had been here for so long.
“He thinks we should focusing on attacking movement in practice,” Cleverly continues his report, “I think we can win this match, we have improved a lot in pre-season, and since it’s just 3 days from our last match, I recommend you to have some rotation.”
“If that’s your judgement. We have dozen of prospects available. Let’s start Evans as center back, and Sam striker, Strevens is 34, we can’t start him every game.”
“And another interesting thing.”
“What?” he just got my interest.
“They signed Mike Green, but I don’t think he will play tomorrow.”
F**k! Mike Green, the one of the two most promising left back prospect last season in Eastleigh. He decided to leave before I came to the club, and I failed to persuade him to stay. I can’t blame him, he can be starter at any Skrill South teams, but we have better one, Benoit. I didn’t know Ian signed him for nothing!
“That is not what I concerned, what I concerned is Benoit’s situation, his performance was poor last 2 games, I think it’s too quick to put him in start XI immediately after recoverying from 1 month’s injury. Put him on bench. We will choose from Andrew and Josh on the bus.”
--
15 minutes left on the clock, the score is still nothing to nothing. What I want is a win here. So I used my last substitution, Sean up, Yemi moved to striker with Stevens, and down the attacking midfielder Robbie.
A long pass from Jail to the empty zone between Boreham’s keeper and defenders, Strevens gets the ball, all of the Eastleigh guys stand up. Strevens is on the left, he gets into the box, he fools the center back, cutting into the middle, put the ball into the rear corner as soon as he get off the defender! What a goal! It is like the Fernando Torres’ goal in his last game againt Chelsea before he joined the very club. I just cried out and about to rushing to my boys, when I saw the disappointing Ian standing shocked at the sideline. It is moral for me to go back to the seat peacefully, that’s my friend!
--
Thank goodness! Ian is still willing to shake my hands.
“What did I say? You are going to stay here next season.” he says.
Victory does not bring me happiness, we are 9th on the table now, but the Boreham press room is still empty. Life is tough here in Premier, a 2-0 win over another boy can not bring you media. Boreham is 23rd now, with 2 draw and 2 lost. I will I could see Ian here next year.
Morecambe guys are pushing, they still want miracle to come. But they get disappointed, there goes the final whistle, we beat the 1st on the table at home, oh, my fault, they are 2nd now, literally. And we are the 5th now, only 1 point from the top.
---
4 days earlier, we were holding a weekly backroom meeting. Our chief scout Gavin, advised me to scout more players, strikers and right backs.
“Come on! Gavin? We have no transfer budget at present, and we are 2,775 pounds over our weekly wage budget. We can’t sign any player now. What we can do is to loan players, which we have done perfectly, so, stop recommending me to sign any f**king player now! Let’s move to the preparation for the match with Morecambe.”
“Ok.” Gavin was trying to put his sh*t together, “Morecambe delegated from League 2 last season, they have 3 wins and 1 draw now, no defeat record, they are the 1st on the table and one of the promising promotion contenders by experts. So I advise we focus on defend positioning in practice.”
“Screw experts!” I shouted out, I never believe in experts, “Why don’t they buy football lottery? We can defeat the 3rd on table, we can also beat the 1st, if we make the right decision. We will work on attacking movement. OK, that’s it, the meeting is done.”
---
“This can stay between us for now but I need to go out on loan to get some game time.” It is Luke, midfielder, who just came back from a 3-week groin strain.
“You have no need to to hurry,” said I, softly, which I thought could make him more comfortable. “You just recover, your fitness is still not good enough. I’m prepared to give you a chance in the first team, but I expect you to work hard to stay here.”
“Okay then, I hope you keep your word. See you at training.”
---
We did a good job at first half, we even did better at stats than Morecambe, they barely had good chance.
It is a free kick about 35 yard on the left in the 78th minute, Strevens delivered the ball into the box. Referee’s whistle goes off, McLaughlin pointing at the penalty spot. The whole stadium goes into cheers.Our Silverlake is under expansion, we are now using Gosport’s Privett Park. I profoundly am grateful to the 747 kind people here to see our game, in which we are not projected to win.
Peter stand before the ball, who is our best center back. He strikes the ball to the middle while the keeper rushing left. One to naught now! After that I sub Sam up for Strevens and Luke for Jail, we need to control the rhythm of the game, and be sharp when counter attacking. It turns out Sam is not as fast as Strevens, but I don’t care, because we win the game.
Good start mate!
Will be following!
Your grasp of English and punctuation is very impressive for it not being your native language by the way
1
2013-11-29 18:52#146715 jason_connolly1987 :
Good start mate!
Will be following!
Your grasp of English and punctuation is very impressive for it not being your native language by the way
Thank you for positive reply. I'm flattered
I am planning to study for a master degree in England next year, Wish I could understand what the teachers say there
Several rapid knocks hit on my office door, must from someone in a hurry.
'Come in!' I said.
It is my assistant manager Ben Cleverly,'They eat up all the cookies! Move your bloody ars* to that damn press f**king conference room!'
Finally, journalists come to Privett Park to do pre-match interview. That's because since losing to Cambridge, we win 7 games out of 9, making us at the top of the Skrill Premier league table.
'I do not know what they will ask me, and I do not know what to say.' To be honest, I do not like these reporters, they are just like flies that fly around the most outstanding individuals. But I do not blame them for that, they just want their word to be read by more people.
Oh, WTF? John Magill is sitting at the first row, he, the most devious reporter from The Non-League Paper, will have all the questions this afternoon, no doubt.
'It's fairly to say Eastleigh didn't have the best of times agains Forest Green, so are you looking for a reaction from your players in this game?' Here he comes.
'The whole team wants to bounce back with a win.' said I, calmly.
'Salisbury have been performing above expectations in the Skrill Premier so far this season and find themselves in 5th place. Salisbury have won three out of their last five away games in the league. With Salisbury doing so well, surely there could be a danger they might match Eastleigh on Tuesday?'
He always asks these long stupid questions, let me deal with him, 'I would rather focus on the game itself than needlessly discuss it.'
'Who is Salisbury's weakest link?'
That is why I dislike this man, 'I am not prepared to answer that question.' finalizes this pointless conference.
I get a phone call when I step into my flat. It 's John Magill. F**k. What on earth does he want? I press the answer button.
'What is your reaction to Mikey Harris(manager of Salisbury) marking out Dean Beckwith as Eastleigh's so-called 'weak link' ahead of the upcoming match?'
What? Mikey must jump into his trap, I bet. He can not be a friend now. But I will show him my respect. 'He's entitled to his opinion, but I'm not commenting on it.'
---
Good news, the FA rescind Peter Murphy's two-match ban after my appeal, he received a red card last game, but he remains available!
---
John bloody Magill again!
'A quite incredible victory for your team today. Just how pleased are you by the result?'
'I thought we played very very well and it's very satisfying to be able to say that.' Actually I am not that satisfied. We scored four goals in the first half, Strevens had a goal and a assist, besides that he also created an own goal. Jail scored the fourth goal four us in the last few minutes of first half. But their performance was a disaster! We let Salisbury delivered two goals.
'Ben Streven had great game out there today. Do you expect that will increase interest for his services?'
What a sly fox. Of course I want to sell Strevens, he is 34, and he has no intention to sign a new contract, and the club's finance is at stake. But, I can tell the truth. 'I don't want to talk about that right now.' I remarked.
Things are different now. We are in the 1st place, which attracts media to come to our place. But I can see that our opponents in last 10 games are in the bottom half of the league table, Salisbury's 5th position is just out of their luck. Better contenders are on their way, only at that time can we know the true quality of our squad. Sit tight, roller coaster is ready to go.
You are reading "Rising From The Bottom".
