Leeds: "A City Built for Top Flight Football"

ScottT: Cheers man, good to have you reading along

I got home from my first day full of new thoughts in my head to mince over. We jet off to France on tour soon, so I need to have a firm idea in my head of how I wish to mould this team.

The high-tempo 4-3-3 worked a treat against the reserves, and I've been thinking that ought to be my primary tactic, something I can work my transfer policy around. I have £150,000 to spend on transfers plus a £10,000 p/w wage budget, so my dealings must be shrewd.

We'll be fine for keepers. Marco Silvestri impressed for the club last season and my staff seem to think he'll be able to do a job again this year. As his backup, we have experience in Ross Turnbull, signed from Doncaster Rovers in the summer.

We're fine at right-back as well. Sam Byram looks like he'll be my first choice, and having come through the academy, I'd like to see a youth product excel in my team just like he has in the teams of many other previous managers. We also have Gaetano Berardi, a feisty Swiss right-back who plays with his heart on his sleeve and fire in his belly. He impressed last season and the fans seem to like him, so it'll be good to have him step in for Byram when necessary, especially if we can't get Byram's contract sorted and he leaves us.

Realistically, I have three centre-backs. Sol Bamba is the club's captain and rightly so. He's a born leader and a fine centre-half. Giuseppe Bellusci isn't exactly a popular figure with the fans at the moment, given his role in the 'Sick Note Six' incident towards the end of last season. He still has bags of ability and now he has a point to prove, and I'm willing to give him that chance if he can step up to the mark. Liam Cooper is our vice-captain. He's strong, brilliant at timing a tackle, and for someone as young as him, can lead by example. I'm hoping he'll be giving me a selection headache all season long. I did say I realistically have three centre-backs, and that's because if push comes to shove I'll have to play Scott Wootton. I've seen footage of him from last season and his game is riddled with mistakes. He can also play right-back or as a holding midfielder, so I'll have to see if I can give him a chance in the first team. If not, he'll go out on loan, it'll give me a bit more room to manoeuvre in the transfer market if I can get someone to contribute to his wages.

At left-back, my only real option is Charlie Taylor. Don't get me wrong, he's a cracking young player- he came through the academy and played very well last season. However I am a firm believer in having two players for each position and if possible, I'll need to look for backup in this area of the pitch.

Tom Adeyemi is who I would prefer having in defensive midfield. His breakup play is second to none and he can also pick a pass which is a handy extra to his game. I'm also told Lewis Cook can play here. He is a very talented young player who my staff reckon could easily adapt to a defensive role in the middle, but I'd rather have him as a playmaker, so he'll be used in this position sparingly.

The aforementioned Lewis Cook is the best midfield player we have at this club, bar none. He's currently being tipped to play for England in the not-too-distant future, so he should quite easily be able to do a job at this level. We are only a Championship club however, so we need to either hope for a promising season ahead of next year, or a hefty over-achievement to get into the Premier League as soon as possible, otherwise he'll be gone. Alex Mowatt was last season's Fans' Player of the Year and it's not hard to see why. His link-up play is terrific and his left foot rivals some of the very best (for examples, see his YouTube reel). Luke Murphy is another option we have in midfield. He was the club's first 7-figure signing since Richard Cresswell in 2005 when he signed from Crewe two years ago. He burst onto the scene midway through last season with a string of impressive performances, and I'm hoping he can continue that form into this season and give me something serious to think about. Tommaso Bianchi, Chris Dawson and Kalvin Phillips are all players that don't quite have the ability (at least not yet, in some cases) to fit into my first team plans. Their game time will either be with the reserves or elsewhere on loan this season. Rounding off the midfield we have Casper Sloth. The young Danish international was signed last summer but made very few appearances. The short-lived reign of David Hockaday was the only time he got regular football, but according to my staff he does have talent. He has a point to prove this season for sure. As for Alex Purver- who impressed in the intra-squad friendly- he will be drafted into the first team and train with them. The experience will be valuable and he may be sent on loan, if I can find somewhere that will provide him with adequate development.

We lack depth out wide which is something I need to address. Stuart Dallas is our strongest winger. He has a great technical ability and reminds me of the long-awaited replacement of Robert Snodgrass, who left in 2012 and is a similar type of technical winger with bags of ability. Jordan Botaka is our only other winger. He is talented though mind, he's great a running at full-backs and getting crosses in, and should be problematic for most defences in this division.

Up front, our strongest player- or at least my first choice- is Chris Wood. He arrived from Leicester City this summer for £3m and is a proven goalscorer, with Millwall being another team to have enjoyed his goal grabbing antics. It's difficult to decide a hierarchy for the next two, with Mirco Antenucci and Souleymane Doukara both being perfectly adept strikers. Chances are, one of them will- perhaps unjustifiably under normal circumstances- be left out of the team. It remains to be seen which one of them impresses most to warrant the most first team action. We also have Lee Erwin, but I see him as more of an option for the future, so he'll either spend time with the reserves or be sent on loan somewhere.

There will be a break in this story until the 11th May (real life date). This is due to commitments with exams. After my exam, I have the whole summer to deliver this story. Thanks to everyone who has read along so far

Great update mate, keep it up! And good luck with the exams!

Another well-written update for sure.... good luck in your exams, I hope to see you back writing on this story straight away after them!

Great update and good luck with your exams man!

Thanks everyone, the exams are over so let's get this show back on the road!

What football fans see is a former England international, now in charge of the club he's supported since he was very little. What the people who know me see is the lonely half of a brotherhood.

My brother is still alive, but he's long since been estranged by our own parents, who until they deemed me old enough to make my own mistakes, blocked communications between the two of us. This doesn't mean they are bad people, to paraphrase Sirius Black from the works of JK Rowling, they are good people that very bad things have happened to.

Martin is four years my junior, but it didn't take him long to fly off the rails. At the age of 10, he was caught smoking by his headteacher, and he was expelled. Four years later, he landed himself a 6-month sentence in a juvenile detention centre, after he was caught dealing Cannabis at school. When he was released, he was on his final warning.

He blew this final warning almost instantly, when him and four other boys his age beat up a 25-year-old man, leaving him critically injured, in an incident linked with yet more drug crime. This time, he was given a full year in a juvenile detention centre and Mum and Dad decided enough was enough.

They were very loving parents. They supported me throughout my dream to become a professional footballer and I'll forever be in their debt for it. They tried their utmost to get the best out of Martin, but in a battle between nature and nurture, nature was winning comfortably.

Although he seemed like a complete 'wrong un', he did love us all and like me, he held a passion for football. He was a very feisty and in-your-face kind of player. This got him a lot of stick from opposing players and referees. He just had a very abrasive nature and found it very difficult to make friends at school. The combination of the two had a snowball effect and whilst he always showed his own family love and respect, his indifference to the world would continuously take its toll.

I had been in contact with him ever since our parents said we were free to communicate as we please. It felt like I was his only real friend in a world where his own cynicism and actions were getting in the way of him making friends with those who weren't blood related. That was until I took the move to Atletico.

He didn't take my move to Atletico particularly well, as he felt as though his last friend had just ditched him. He told me to never contact him again, and despite efforts to do so since I returned to the country, I've had no contact with my own brother.

I didn't know if he was alive, whether he was in or out of prison or even if he had been a reformed person. That was until the morning of our flight to France for our pre-season tour. I was browsing WHSmith for a book or a newspaper to read when a headline on the front page of the Daily Mirror caught my eye. It read:

FOOTBALL BROTHER DRUG CRIME SHOCKER

-Police raid the property of drug lord in Yorkshire

-£5m in cash found plus 5 tonnes of cocaine and 3 tonnes of crystal meth

-Drug lord identified as brother of ex-England midfielder

Really cool update mate, hoping the exams went well too!

mgriffin2012: Cheers mate, pretty sure they went as well as could be expected!

Our pre-season tour of France starts in the Northern town of Beauvais. Our base camp for the two-and-a-half weeks would be Paris, where we would fly to from Leeds/Bradford Airport.

Nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught of press as we got past the arrivals gate at Paris' Charles-De-Gaulle airport. Standing behind a barrier fighting it out for the best positions was a sea of journalists, photographers and cameramen with only one topic of conversation on their mind- my brother.

I knew that if I wanted to keep them at bay so that our coach could pull out of the airport, I'd have to answer a few questions. So I stopped right in front of them, held one hand up and addressed them.

"I will take a few questions, after that it would be greatly appreciated if you could let us out of here" I said to them, before turning to my players and saying "Get on the coach, I'll be a few minutes"

I pointed out one journalist for a question, who asked me "Did you have any knowledge of your brother's dealings?"

I replied honestly, saying "We haven't spoken in 11 years, I had no idea he was still alive, so no, I didn't"

Another journalist asked me "Will this recent family crisis affect your position at Leeds United?"

I told him "I was the only one in the family he still contacted before 2004, so unless he contacts me, this situation is none of my business. It won't stand in the way of my job, that's why you have a professional life and a personal life. I'll take one last question"

The last journalist asked me "Does it concern you that this revelation will affect the reputation of both you and Leeds United Football Club?"

I said "I see this in two ways. He's innocent until proven guilty, so until a verdict has been given, it would be unfair label myself or this institution negatively because of allegations brought against a relative I haven't seen for 11 years. If he's guilty, like I've said before, we haven't spoken for 11 years, so its hard to see how the actions of a man I barely know any more would reflect on me or my employers. Now if you don't mind I have a coach to catch"

The whole drug crime allegations played on my mind throughout the coach journey to the hotel. I took advantage of the hotel's spa facilities to clear my head, and it worked. At least until I returned to my room and my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I bit my tongue and took a deep breath before answering the phone...

"Hello?"

"Josh, it's me, Martin" came the reply.

"How did you get my number?" I asked.

"The guards said they'd look for your number and give it to me. I have something important to tell you" he said.

"That you got busted for dealing a shit tonne of coke and meth? I know. The media know. They won't leave me alone"

"It's not like that" he told me. "It was a setup"

"What do you mean?" I asked him in an irritated tone.

"I had a debt to pay to this Russian gangster. I had no money to pay him. He said I had to do some drug peddling for me or else he'd track my family down one by one"

I mentally questioned the credibility of this story, but I wanted to know more. "Your family as in me, Mum and Dad or do you have a wife and kids?"

"None of that" he said, "They said they wanted you and our parents. I need you to help me find evidence that can send this guy down"

This concerned me. I said from the off that it's none of my business and that it wouldn't affect my job. If I was to go missing for a few days to undertake a daring mission in which I uncover evidence against an unnamed Russian gangster, I'd be out of the job and my reputation would be in tatters.

"Don't you have any evidence already?" I asked him.

"No" he said. "There were cameras with microphones at the place he beat me and told me I had to do it, but his security guard owns the tapes"

I thought for a while. I knew my brother was a bad egg but would he really rise to the top of the drugs trade of his own accord? I spent a few moments trying to come to a solution and then, it came to me.

"I'll hire a Private Investigator. He'll go to the address of this guy and try and recover the tapes from that night. When was this night?"

"Can't remember the exact date, but it was November 2008" he said.

"Right, ok. I'll get onto a PI and we'll discuss details in due course. Where are you being detained?" I asked him.

"HMP Bramley" he replied.

"Ok" I said "I'll visit some time when I've found a guy. Until this case is closed, we've never spoken. Understood?"

He understood and we hung up. I wanted to help my brother if he had no other choice but it had to be kept under wraps. I didn't a scenario where he gets convicted and it turns out I tried to help him get away with it by snooping.

With that put to rest, I could put together another plan. My plan for the season ahead.

I've always been an advocate of high tempo attractive football. Sometimes, there's just nothing more satisfactory than an attacking move made up of several neat passes in the middle before the ball goes out to wide areas, rounded off by a cross and a neat finish in the box.

With that in mind, I decided to set out my footballing philosophy based on this high-tempo attacking style of play. We'll set out as a 4-3-3 with a holding midfielder and wing-backs as opposed to full backs. We'll play short passes with a focus on keeping the ball as we move forward, with the more creative players running at the opposing defenders.

We'll whip in fast crosses into the box from overlapping support, coming from either wing backs overlapping the wingers or vice versa. The man up top will play a target man role as opposed to the more conventional goal-grabbing forward's role, either getting up to head a cross at goal or holding up the player and allowing his team-mates to come forward in support.

The high energy doesn't stop when we lose the ball. When we have it, the back line will be pushed up to the halfway line, which is fine because we have pretty fast centre-backs, so tracking back shouldn't be a problem. By doing this, we press the opposition as high up the pitch as possible, with the aim being to win the ball back as quickly as possible.

Our men in the middle will mostly be at the centre of every move we make. One of them will sit deep, in a more static role, ready to intercept stray balls that come back out to kick-start a move. The other will play a more active role, moving forward with the play and giving us more numbers going forward.

One of my wingers will play an inside forward role, although this is more to achieve space creation for the wing back rather than making an immediate threat on goal. This inside forward has two options once he's cut inside- either play a killer ball into the box from an early cross, or outwit the opposing full back by laying off our onrushing wing back.

With respect to the players I have at my disposal, my initial line-up looks something like this:

Marco Silvestri will be my first choice keeper. Sol Bamba and Giuseppe Bellusci will play in front of him. These two are not only our fastest centre backs, but they are our most technically proficient ones. Charlie Taylor and Sam Byram will play as wing backs, playing left and right respectively. They both have proven ability at going forward and creating chances in the final third as well as being more than useful in defence.

My only fully capable holding midfielder is Tom Adeyemi. He is a solid choice and is very capable of winning the ball, but I need an extra man here if we're going to compete. Alex Mowatt and Lewis Cook will be given the task of running the midfield playing deep and advanced roles respectively. They both had a terrific season last year and I expect them to pick up where they left off. We also have very capable backup in Luke Murphy and Casper Sloth.

Stuart Dallas will be my winger, playing on the left. He can run at defenders all day long and can pick out a cross like no one else. Jordan Botaka will be my inside forward on the right. His quick feet can leave some defenders on the floor and he definitely has a knack for exciting a crowd. I need to invest out wide however, as these are our only wingers, which will create problems for us should one of them be unavailable.

Chris Wood will be my man up front. He's big and strong, and well capable of holding up the ball. He's also a potent threat in the air which can make him unplayable some days, like a poor man's Mark Viduka.

Liking your layout mate, keep it up, and hope the results are as good as the updates!

mgriffin2012: Cheers mate, let's hope so eh?

Pre-season friendly fixture 1: AS Beauvais Oise vs Leeds United
Venue: Stade Pierre Brisson, Beauvais
Thursday 16th July 2015 KO 19:00
Weather: 27C calm
Referee: Benoit Millot

The first thing I noticed as I first walked out onto the pitch at the Stade Pierre Brisson was how heavily restricted the away fans' numbers was. In a ground that can hold 10,000 the away fans are tucked in one end of the Oeste Tribune (West Stand) in a block that can accommodate roughly 500.

Not that our fans were looking for an excuse, they rarely ever need one. They'll follow us all over the globe in vast numbers and make more noise than you'd ever imagine possible. True to form, they filled the block they were given, and chants of "All Leeds Aren't We" rang out loud and clear from the tiny away enclosure.

We had a player on our radar to add some steel to the midfielder. I sent out Terry Potter- my Chief Scout- to take a look at Belgian midfielder Gaby Mudingayi, formerly of Serie A outfit Cesena. I got positive reviews, but Bournemouth sneaked in completely unnoticed, and signed him up.

We still have Tom Adeyemi, and for now, that will do.

For the benefit of those who have never been to or seen the Stade Pierre Brisson, it is a ground with just two stands, one on each wing. They are similar in height and capacity and are oh-so-originally named the Oeste Tribune and the Est Tribune (West Stand and East Stand). The dressing rooms and dugouts are in the Est Tribune, and the away fans are opposite to the left.

As for the team news, Luke Murphy was still out injured and Jordan Botaka was away on international duty. To kickoff our pre-season campaign, I set out the following lineup:

Leeds United starting XI (4-3-3): Silvestri, Taylor, Bamba, Bellusci, Byram, Adeyemi, Mowatt, Cook, Dallas, Erwin, Wood

Leeds United subs: Turnbull, Cooper, Sloth, Doukara, Berardi, Bianchi, Antenucci, Dawson, Phillips, Purver. Wootton

It was the hosts who had the first major breakaway. An Alex Mowatt free kick was headed clear and Beauvais broke. Claude Bouchet- a striker- beat Sam Byram and took the ball towards the edge before firing a shot that was closer to the corner flag than the goal.

Two minutes later, we had our first shot at goal. Lee Erwin picked out Wood with a brilliant diagonal ball. He took a touch before firing a few inches wide- a damn-sight closer than Beauvais came previously.

On eight minutes we broke away again. Some brilliant play in the middle of the park between Erwin, Cook and Byram led to a Byram cross being swung deep into the box. Their centre half could only head it as far as Alex Mowatt, who was lurking on the edge of the 'D' before he thundered a first time effort into the top corner. 1-0, and the travelling supporters were sent into pandemonium.

It didn't take long for us to double the lead. Cook found Taylor on the left hand side. Taylor swung in an awesome first time cross which was gracefully tucked into the corner by the head of Chris Wood. 2-0.

Although we were expected to dominate the game, it was still an commendable effort to be two to the good away from home against such an unknown quantity. I relayed this message to the players, telling them to keep their foot on the gas.

After 21 minutes, it was three. Erwin played a short ball back to Adeyemi who picked out Byram in space first time on the right. With his first touch, Byram swung a cross into the box which Wood nodded into the far corner. 3-0.

Beauvais had a rare attack on 25 minutes, which could have well led to it being 3-1. Bellusci was caught pushing too far up and Bamba was too far away to cover, as Claude Bouchet was played in one-on-one. Silvestri was straight off his line to block the effort before Bamba scrambled it behind for a corner.

The home side finally started to get a grip in the game, and had a spell on top in the possession statistics. Although they were having very few meaningful attacks, they were also limiting ours and this brought a more competitive edge than what we had seen in the opening 20 minutes or so.

The first half ended with goals being the only statistic that swung heavily in our favour. Otherwise, we had four shots to their three and 51% possession to their 49%.

I opted for the as-full-rotation-as-possible approach at half-time, with only Dallas and Taylor retaining their places as there was no one to replace them. Otherwise, Turnbull came in between the sticks, Cooper and Wootton were our new centre-back pairing, Berardi came in at full-back, Bianchi became our new holding midfielder, Purver and Sloth paired up in the middle, Antenucci came on at right wing whilst Doukara replaced Wood up top.

Our first decent chance of the second half came four minutes after the break. Doukara dropped to a deep position and played in Dallas on the left. The Northern Irishman was one-on-one, but could only put his shot wide of the goal.

We had another half chance three minutes later. Antenucci swung in a cross towards the far post from the right, but it was too high for Dallas to get any real guidance on it and he headed over from point blank range.

Particularly impressive in the early stages was Alex Purver. His breakup play was good, he linked up well with his more experienced team mates and was spraying some decent balls out into wide positions.

Just after the hour mark came Beauvais' best chance so far. Thibaud Garnier played in Mourad Rousset. Rousset found himself in acres of space on the edge of the box, but screwed his shot wide of the left hand post.

Dallas was tiring and I needed to switch things around. I brought on Kalvin Phillips and switched to a diamond. Antenucci would join Doukara up front, Sloth would go forward and play in the hole, Purver and Phillips would play in the middle and Bianchi would play the holding role.

The 76th minute saw our best move of the game that didn't produce a goal. Some intricate one-touch play between Berardi, Sloth and Phillips released Berardi who swung in a dangerous first time cross which Doukara could only head past the post.

We carried on pressing and a minute later, we threatened again. Surrounded by opposition defenders, Antenucci played the ball out to Berardi on the right. Berardi's short ball in found Bianchi, whose effort was parried by the keeper and cleared for a throw in.

With just over two minutes plus stoppages remaining, we finally found the fourth goal we had been threatening to score. Antenucci found Berardi on the right-hand side. Berardi dribbled a few yards with the ball before whipping in a brilliant cross which was found by the head of Doukara at the far post. Berardi had been playing a blinder since he came on at half-time, so this assist was the very least he deserved.

Shortly after, we had another. Charlie Taylor received the ball on the left, before whipping in a superb cross from the corner of the box which Douakara met at the near post with his head. The rest was history. 5-0.

The game ended shortly after the kickoff that followed. Although we were more clinical in the first half, the second half team played some excellent football and thoroughly deserved the two goals at the end, if not more.

Final score: AS Beauvais Oise 0-5 Leeds United
Scorers: Mowatt, Wood (2), Doukara (2)
Attendance: 1,984
Man of the Match: Charlie Taylor (9.2)

Great start to pre season!

Great win albeit against nobodies