Ryan Ferguson: The Unorthodox Approach

09/05/2028

Whitehawk Stadium today said goodbye to Ryan Ferguson as the Englishman took charge of Whitehawk at home for the final time. Whitehawk marked the occasion with a 3-0 victory over Huddersfield Town, as Kingsley Osagie scored a superb brace.

3-0 Win vs Crystal Palace - Premier League

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Whitehawk remained without a number of key players, with Anton Nyman, Kylian Mbappé and Jason Coffey all still out of action. Miroslav Novakovic continued to stay in the starting eleven following a return from injury, while Tomas Mrva held on to his spot in the starting side.

Whitehawk's high-press game had unsettled Huddersfield early on, and Osagie got himself on the score sheet after seventeen minutes. Gradimir Lucic peeled away from his marker on the left wing and his near post cross was volleyed in to the goal by Kingsley Osagie, who looked very lively.

Osagie was running the show and was proving too hot to handle for Huddersfield. With five minutes to go in the first half, Osagie burst down the left wing, evading four challenges, before firing a driven cross in to the box. His cross took a slight deflection off the post before landing at the feet of Miroslav Novakovic who obliged to scoring in to an empty net.

Osagie added his second, and Whitehawk's third, goal just after the hour mark. Stephen Lacy cushioned the ball with a header in to the path of Osagie who needed two efforts to beat the defenders on Huddersfield's goal line to score. It was a goal which sealed victory.

Kingsley Osagie (Whitehawk) - 9.3/10

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Ryan Ferguson's Reaction

Ryan Ferguson:

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"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't an emotional game for me. It was my last time as manager here in front of these fans, after twelve long years here. I had to make sure I remained professional, however, and we got a very positive result. We have some big games left this season and we need to remain focused throughout."

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Comment Section

De Magere, yeah I'm hoping we can add the FA Cup and Champions League to our tally for this season!

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Previous Update: #114 - Whitehawk Dig In To Earn Final Passage
Next Update: #116 - Whitehawk Held In Premier League Finale

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14/05/2028

Ryan Ferguson's final Premier League game as Whitehawk manager ended in a bore draw as Southampton came from behind to draw 1-1. Kingsley Osagie had continued his superb goal scoring form with an opener just before half time, but Adrian Simmonds struck back in the second half for a share of the spoils for Southampton.

1-1 Draw vs Southampton - Premier League

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It was to be Ryan Ferguson's Final Premier League game as Whitehawk manager, and crowds gathered at St. Mary's Stadium to bade him farewell from the Premier League.

Kylian Mbappé was back in the starting eleven, and it took him no longer than thirteen minutes to create the first scoring opportunity. His deep cross was connected by a Martin Ødegaard header, but the Norwegian saw his effort crash off the crossbar.

Kingsley Osagie was set to be the star of the shot, and he showed his quality with a superb goal late in the first half. Martin Ødegaard fired a low cross towards the penalty area, and Osagie connected with an acrobatic volley to fire Whitehawk in to a deserved lead.

Southampton fought back in the second half, however, and it was not to be a perfect farewell to the Premier League for Ryan Ferguson. Alejandro Pozo's near post cross was met by the flying foot of Adrian Simmonds, and the ball ended up in the bottom corner of Whitehawk's goal.

Alejandro Pozo (Southampton) - 8.1/10

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Ryan Ferguson's Reaction

Ryan Ferguson:

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"It perhaps wasn't the best way for us to finish the league campaign but a lot of credit has to go to Southampton for the way they played. It was a magnificent performance from both teams and I felt both teams deserved to win the game. In the end, I think a draw is a fair result."

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Comment Section

Da Magere, we're now just two games away from winning two major trophies! I'm filled with excitement, hopefully we can do it!

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Previous Update: #115 - Whitehawk Stadium Says Goodbye To Fergie
Next Update: #117 - Premier League 2027/2028 Review

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15/05/2028

In August, the greatest league in world football kicked off. Manchester United versus Everton was the opening fixture, on Friday 6th August. José Mourinho's men looked to send a signal of intent towards their title challenge, and a 2-0 victory did just that. 283 days later, and the season's close saw Whitehawk lift the trophy yet again. For three unfortunate teams; Crystal Palace, Huddersfield Town and Bristol City, relegation to the Sky Bet Championship awaited.

Premier League Review

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Ryan Ferguson and Whitehawk, once again, lifted the Premier League title. They matched their points tally from last season of 98 points, having earned a 30-8-0 record. It was Whitehawk's second consecutive unbeaten season in the Premier League, something which had never been done before.

This season saw a change in emphasis from a total defensive style of football to a fast and furious high-pace attacking style from the champions. Whitehawk scored a superb total of 87 goals throughout the league season, and could have had more had key attackers Jason Coffey, Miroslav Novakovic and Kylian Mbappé not suffered the injuries they had. This was complimented by an excellent defensive record, having conceded just 16 goals all season.

Manchester United finished in second place, 15 points behind Whitehawk. They, alongside Chelsea and and Manchester City, made up the top four. These four clubs would participate in next season's UEFA Champions League. Arsenal, Everton and Stoke claimed the three UEFA Europa League qualifying positions, completing the full set of clubs who will compete in European competition for England next season.

It was doom and gloom for Crystal Palace, Huddersfield Town and Bristol City, who were relegated from the Premier League. Palace had just been promoted the previous season, but finished in 18th, missing out on survival by goal difference. Huddersfield Town were also promoted the previous season, and were condemned to return to the Sky Bet Championship. Just like the other two, Bristol City were also promoted the previous season and would return to the second flight.

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It was no surprise as Ryan Ferguson won the Manager of the Year award yet again as he guided Whitehawk to an incredible 98 point haul. It was the fifth time, in just six seasons, that he won the award, and the Premier League will not be the same without him.

Kylian Mbappé of Whitehawk racked up the awards, being named as the FWA Footballer of the Year and also the PFA Player of the Year. The Frenchman was incredible in his debut Premier League season, scoring 15 goals as well as recording a league best 17 assists.

Whitehawk team mate Jason Coffey was named as the PFA Young Player of the Year, despite missing a large chunk of the end of the season through injury. The Irishman looked set to win the Golden Boot, but ended the season with 17 goals in just 26 appearances, having missed the final few months of the season.

Manchester City's Damir Sipus won the Golden Boot, having scored 22 goals, while Whitehawk's Predrag Rajkovic won the Golden Glove, keeping 29 clean sheets.

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Comment Section

mgriffin2012, more silverware is definitely the target!

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Previous Update: #116 - Whitehawk Held In Premier League Finale
Next Update: #118 - Ferguson: We'll Fight For Our Lives

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19/05/2028

Firstly, Ryan, another unbeaten Premier League season! It is the first time a club has achieved two back to back unbeaten seasons in the Premier League, just how proud are you of your players?

Ryan Ferguson: "We have a lot to be proud of. That's seventy-six games unbeaten in the league in the past two seasons, which was previously unthinkable. The players and the coaching staff have been nothing short of sensational in preparation and in performance, and I am so proud of what we have achieved together as a football club. It is another huge step forward for Whitehawk."

Tomorrow is the FA Cup final against Chelsea. How difficult a game are you expecting?

Ryan Ferguson: "We know just how threatening Chelsea can be at their best. They didn't have a great season last year, but John Terry came in and he's done a terrific job as manager there. They finished third in the league which is an incredible achievement when you consider the mass changes they've had to undergo in coaching staff and playing staff in the past year. We're ready for a tough challenge and we will have to give our all to beat them."

You won't have too much time to rest after that final, as your side will then head to Russia to face off against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final! Anything to say about that one?

Ryan Ferguson: "Slaven Bilić has been a terrific manager for Arsenal and he'll have them psyched for a big final. They finished fifth in the league this season, so they'll be desperate to win this competition and secure a Champions League spot for next season. It'll be a tough game, for sure, but one we will be ready for."

Your team has been very unlucky with injuries in recent months. What's the situation now?

Ryan Ferguson: "(Kylian) Mbappé, (Stephen) Lacy and (Miroslav) Novakovic have played a good bit in the last few weeks so they'll be ready for the two finals. Anton Nyman has also been back in full training again so he should be ready for tomorrow and for next week too. Unfortunately, (Jason) Coffey and (Rasmus Nissen) Kristensen don't have any return dates just yet."

You've shown a lot of faith in playing teenagers Tomas Mrva and Chavez Miller as your sole striker. Are they your go-to strikers now in Jason Coffey's absence?

Ryan Ferguson: "We have a squad of players where everybody is very important to us. Everybody has played a massive part in our success so far this season, and in previous seasons, and we will continue to rely on every single player. Unfortunately, Coffey is absent so our striker options are that bit more limited. Mrva and Miller have done well when given their chances, so I will continue to show faith in them, no matter what their age is.

We're under no illusion that Mrva and Miller lack experience. But what they have is a hunger an appetite. You have to remember that there are a lot of other young players involved in our squad regularly, and they've all been fantastic too. It may be more difficult for us without Coffey, who has been a crucial player for us in recent seasons, but we'll fight for our lives ot make sure we get the results we want."

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Comment Section

ScottT, it does seem Ryan is looking for more than trophies in the future, but hopefully he will have similar success!

De Magere, still got plenty of years in the tank.

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Previous Update: #117 - Premier League 2027/2028 Review
Next Update: #119 - Whitehawk Lift FA Cup After Extra Time

20/05/2028

Whitehawk once again lifted the FA Cup trophy as they defeated Chelsea at Wembley. Both sides battled hard to deliver zero goals in the scheduled ninety minutes, but Whitehawk's teenage striker Tomas Mrva scored the winner in extra time to deliver another trophy for Whitehawk in a trophy-laden season.

e1-0 Win vs Chelsea - FA Cup Final

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Whitehawk's trusted cup competition goalkeeper Daniel Bentley kept his place in Whitehawk's FA Cup side, and had a full strength defence in front of him. Anton Nyman returned from injury to partner Franco Díaz in midfield, while Martin Ødegaard, Kingsley Osagie and Kylian Mbappé tarted behind Miroslav Novakovic in attack.

John Terry opted for an unorthodox 5-3-2 formation to counteract Whitehawk's attacking press. Goalkeeper Jack Butland had Andreas Chritensen among the five defenders in front of him, as captain Guillermo Almazán partnered Will Hughes and Stuart Smith in midfield. Walter Ronzitti partnered Stéphane Brun up front.

It was a true clash of the titans as Whitehawk and Chelsea tugged and pushed and raged in to war against one another. Yellow cards were shown to a number of players on each side. Neither side could break down the other as both teams battled for a firm foothold.

Kylian Mbappé tried to be inventive and creative as he usually is, but even he could not create a clear chance for himself or another. His first real moment of magic came on the half-hour mark as he glided away from two Chelsea players before seeing his weak long range effort easily claimed by Jack Butland.

Unfortunately, the rest of the ninety minutes was really really really boring. So, I'll just talk utter shite for this paragraph. At the time of me typing this, Éderson just had a very questionable moment in his Manchester City debut in real life. Another goalkeeping flop, or just a slight blip on the road to greatness? Who knows.... Chelsea losing to Burnley AND getting two players sent off? LOLerpool not being able to defend set pieces.... well, just the usual really.

Okay, back to the save...

Teenage striker Tomas Mrva had come on as a second half sub for Miroslav Novakovic for Whitehawk in order to attempt to find the back of the net. In extra time, he did just that. Kylian Mbappé's deep free kick was expertly flicked on by Kingsley Osagie, and Mrva was unmarked to send a looping header beyond the reach of Jack Butland, and fired Whitehawk to FA Cup victory. Hoorah!

Facundo Foti (Whitehawk) - 7.8/10

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Ryan Ferguson's Reaction

Ryan Ferguson:

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"We've done it! We've won the cup again! I'm so proud of my players for fighting hard and keeping their concentration over the course of a difficult 120 minutes. We deserved to win it in the end and we didn't let ourselves down. We can't celebrate just yet, however. We still have one big game left this season. When that game is out of the way, then we can party."

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Previous Update: #118 - Ferguson: We'll Fight For Our Lives
Next Update: #120 - Play For That Moment

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27/05/2028

Ryan Ferguson: "We've done all our preparation work now. We know exactly what we have to do tonight. I'm not gonna tell you again about what needs to be done tonight, you all know the drill at this stage. Let's have a chat, instead.

We've come a long way together, haven't we? We've been a part of this team for different lengths of time. Some have come here a few months ago, some a year ago, some a few years ago, and then there's Anton (Nyman) who came over half a decade ago! But we're all here now, and that's what matters.

When I first came to this football club, there really wasn't much to it at all. We were a semi-professional side just looking to fulfill dreams by making it to professional football but, most importantly, just looking to have fun. We were lucky that we could receive some sort of payment to be involved in a sport we all loved. Never could we have imagined we'd end up here, about to play in our fourth Champions League final in a row!

We didn't have as big a squad as we do now. We didn't have as many different nationalities and cultures among us, that's fore sure. The fans didn't come in their thousands, and we weren't playing the best teams around Europe week-in-week-out. We could only ever dream of that happening.

There's one game that we played that will stick with me forever. Back when we were still climbing the leagues, and we were in League One at the time, we had an FA Cup quarter final fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford. I remember arriving there to find the best stadium in world football with the biggest crowds imaginable, and some of the greatest players of all time. They were a serious team, and still are to be fair to them!

Were we phased? No. We were delighted to be involved in that kind of game. I remember looking around during the warm up as Danny Mills, Andrea Punzi and Harrison Dunk were laughing and joking around. Minutes before the biggest game of their careers to date, and they were joking about!

But you know what, I was delighted for them. They were living the dream and they knew it. They didn't have the wage or the reputation that the likes of Paul Pogba and Domenico Berardi, their opponents that evening, had but what they had was much more important. They had heart. They loved playing football, and they showed that as we fought back from a goal down, against the odds, to claim a penalty shootout victory over the best team in the world, at the time.

And that's what I want you guys to remember tonight. I want you guys to go back to your roots today. What made you love football? Do you remember what it felt like to play as a youngster with no pressure on you at all? To just be able to run, to kick and to keep going, with no consequence. Do you remember winning your first game in football? That feeling of elation as the full time whistle was blown, but still having that same yearning to keep playing after. Because, for the football-loving child in all of us, football didn't end once the whistle was blown. Our job may be done, but our passion never ends.

Guys, I look around here and see you come here from all over the world, united by this sport. England, Argentina, Sweden, France, wherever you may have come from, we're here now. And I could not be more proud of you for coming this far. You've become fantastic footballers but, more importantly, you've become fantastic people. It's been a true privilege to manage you and I, even though I won't be here next season, I hope to have the opportunity to manage some of you again.

Be proud of what you have become. You're at the pinnacle of world football right now and you should be delighted with the way you reached his stage. But, while you celebrate who you are now, I ask you to remember, and to celebrate, who you used to be. I want you to remember all of the work you put in to come this far, because of your love of the game.

When you step out on to that pitch today, I want you to remember why you love football. I want you to enjoy tonight, no matter what the result is. Win, draw or lose, enjoy the ninety minutes and whatever follows, because you're living your dream right now. So, while you have the chance, play for that moment that made you fall in love with football, because there's no better time or place to do it!"

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Comment Section

mgriffin2012, indeed it was the biggest goal of his career.... so far
De Magere, yeah it was an unusual set up, but one that nearly paid dividends for Chelsea!

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Previous Update: #119 - Whitehawk Lift FA Cup After Extra Time
Next Update: #121 - Whitehawk Crowned European Champions

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27/05/2028

Whitehawk, once again, lifted the UEFA Champions League as they defeated Arsenal at Luzhniki, Moscow. Arsenal took the lead through a disastrous own goal, only for Whitehawk to equalise late in the first half. The game was poised to go to extra time, until Tomas Mrva popped up to score the winning goal in the dying minutes, as Whitehawk were 2-1 victors.

2-1 Win vs Arsenal - UCL Final

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Whitehawk manager Ryan Ferguson made just once change to the side that started in their FA Cup final triumph in the previous week, as regular goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic replaced Daniel Bentley between the sticks. Despite scoring the winner in the FA Cup final, teenage striker Tomas Mrva had to settle for a place on the bench as Miroslav Novakovic kept his place up front.

Arsenal manager Slaven Bilić opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with many big names in his side. Right back Jesús Vallejo was the Arsenal captain for the day, while Anthony Martial started on the left. January signing Paulo Rodríguez, who had scored 7 goals in 14 appearances previous for Arsenal previous to the final, started up front.

Just as in the FA Cup final, the Champions League final was a tense and a tight one. Both sides were getting stuck in, and Whitehawk picked up two yellow cards in the opening six minutes. Neither side were looking like giving up ground early in the first half as tensions built.

Arsenal were the team to take the lead in the eighteenth minute. Anthony Martial fired a low cross in to the box, and Amund Gyøsdal-Sandberg's shot took a major deflection off Stephen Lacy before looping in to the goal. It would go down as an own goal by the Whitehawk skipper, as Arsenal were in the ascendancy.

Whitehawk nearly struck back immediately, from a Kylian Mbappé set-piece. The Frenchman's initial delivery was cleared back to him, but his second cross was spot on as he picked out Kingsley Osagie in the six yard box. However, Osagie's first time effort was blocked well by the scrambling Jesús Vallejo, who certainly kept Arsenal in the lead.

Antony Martial very nearly doubled Arsenal's lead on the half-hour mark, were it not for the woodwork. The Frenchman connected a header with Nadiem Amiri's near post corner but his powerful effort rattled the top of the crossbar before flying away to safety.

Whitehawk would equalise late in the first half, with Miroslav Novakovic providing the goal. Facundo Foti was allowed a free run down the left wing, but delivered a poor cross. However, Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Meret fumbled the ball on to the post, with the ball then running through his legs along the line where Novakovic was on hand for the simplest of tap-ins. It was game on.

The second half didn't bring too many highlights, as neither side looked willing to break shape to take a risk. Dwayne Wright, Josh Pilkington and Paul Miller came on for Arsenal throughout the half to try change something, while Sergi Samper and Tomas Mrva looked to make an impact off the bench for Whitehawk.

With minutes to in the ninety minutes, both sides were looking for a hero to step up and be counted for. For Whitehawk, teenage striker Tomas Mrva did just that, as he did in the FA Cup final. Martin Ødegaard picked out the young Slovakian on the edge of the area with a drilled cross, but Mrva had all the work to do. He took one touch to take Elidon Progni out of the equation, and another to leave Marcel Kemajou on his ass, before drilling a low shot in to the far corner. Euphoria erupted as the ball hit the back of the net, it was a winning end to Ryan Ferguson's reign!

Stephen Lacy (Whitehawk) - 7.3/10

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Ryan Ferguson's Reaction

Ryan Ferguson:

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"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

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Comment Section

InfraRed, <3
ScottT, WE DID IT!

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Previous Update: #120 - Play For That Moment
Next Update: #122 - The End Of An Era