Beggars can't be choosers!

I managed to get 3 WPs on appeal, one for a Senegalese player with one full international cap, and two from Cameroon, who interesting enough have U-20 caps.

My parent club is the Chiefs, who are the "current" SA National First Division Club holders, and are putting up a good fight in the Prem League with the Pirates. I am hoping for it to be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship with the Chiefs.

Dynamos would be the first club that I have managed which has a reserve and U-19 squad, but no actual players in either of my reserves teams, so I did find that a bit odd.

I've just had a quick look and there are some real gems at Ajax CT, so I'll try for at least one of those on loan - need to save my pennies before I can look at anything quite that expensive in the open market. Thanks for your insight Sniper99!

Review for Aug 2013
Highlights

- Profit of 28K;
- Board approval rating of 50%, but satisfied with management;
- Currently under wage budget;
- Transfer budget remains GBP10,300;
- Three games, three wins;
- Grid tactic working well;
- Only one back room vacancy to fill (physio)

Backroom staff

It's hard to get quality staff on a tight budget, and I would have preferred to tie them to one year contracts only, but they all wanted two years. I'm hopeful I'll have enough reputation to attract a better calibre of staff next year, but for now something is better than nothing...although only just as the training rating is only, at best 2.5 stars and at worst 1.5. Here is hoping it is a short term problem.

Ass Man: Lindani Ngobe (RSA)
Best rating: Discipline and motivating 13

Coach: Edzai Kasinauyo (ZIM)
Best rating: Tactics 14

Coach: Innocent Chikoya (ZIM)
Best rating: Determination 15

Goalkeeping Coach: Aime Kitenge (BIR)
Best rating: Goal coaching 15

Youth coach: Neil Winstanley (RSA)
Best rating: Adaptability 15

Scouts are disappointing, but are Ghanaian national Razak Pimpong, who has knowledge of Africa, an equally suspect regen, Leroy Mashaba and Ernest Marumo.

I did find it suspicious that while Dynamos have a reserve side and a U-19 side, ours it one of the few sides which doesn't have any players in either of the two reserve sides.

After quickly assessing the squad, and the financial constraints we were operating with, some common sense was applied:

- There was no superstars in the side that I was desperate to keep hold of; which meant
- Accept all offers on all players, and where possible;
- Accept loan offers for fees, or where the club was at a higher level.

I was desperate for transfer funds and any wage budget that could be squeezed out of the existing roster.

Players out

Segoale (ST) to Santos on loan - no fee
Zungu (DC) to Platinum Stars on loan - upfront fee 14K, future fee 22K
Shabalala (ST) to Platinum Stars on loan - future fee 2K
Modiadie (GK) Sundown 6K

There is currently interest in another six players, but the transfer window has closed and it will be interesting to see how many have interest when the window reopens!

A unique story, I like it, I'll be following for certain

My style has always been to be money conscious and not to chase the stars, pay over the odds and end up with egg on your face. This career is no different, and it may be because I don't have the money to throw around, or the reputation to attract the big names.

To counter the small squad size - and the inability to at a pinch promote from your reserves or U-19 - I signed thirteen players. Bear in mind that the maximum wage currently is GBP550 payable to two strikers whom were inherited, and the maximum I have been able to offer ranged from GBP625 for an exceptional player, to GBP220, which was standard. I was also conscious of the number of injuries I may get, which was coupled with my inability to engage the services of a descent physio!

With a career in England or Spain, if the wage demands weren't met within two or three attempts, the player would withdraw, the contract negotiations in South Africa resembled ping pong, and more often than not (a couple of coaches being the exceptions that prove the rule) the player would accept the offer eventually and say he was "very happy with it." So it pays to be extremely cheeky.

Good to see you had some success with getting your WPs.
I never managed to sign foreign players with just U20 caps in my SA saves.

A parent club is always great. Chiefs were my parent club as well when I managed Thanda.

Make sure you have enough youngsters in your team to deal with injuries and suspensions.
You need to have at least 5 U23 players in your match squad for league matches.

That's were a U19 team would have came useful.
You could have spent more on established players and just used your youth as fillers.

Can you post your current squad and transfers in so far?

Of my thirteen transfers in, six were free transfers, four from ASD Cape Town, two from Kadji Sports Academies in Cameroon and one from the Stars of Africa Football Academy.

Thanks YoungOwl, it is challenging and exciting at the same time. I have all the challenges of LLM and a limited base of clients to sign, which means I need to be picky.

Roster is 25, with three foreigners allowed in one comp (league) and five in the cup, providing they have WPs and as Sniper99 has said above, you need 5 U-23 players in your match squad, but with a seven man bench, it is no real problem.

#58666 YoungOwl : A unique story, I like it, I'll be following for certain

I was surprised with the WPs being approved on appeal, and the players will certainly strengthen the squad, I had a Nigerian striker lined up on a free as well, but decided not to appeal the first time it was turned down, but that was based on the fact that I had my three for the league already, and the strikers I have seem to be doing the job so far.

The Chiefs have some great players which I would love to have run out for me, but I have never been one to build a team on loan players, purely because I wouldn't see any of the advantages in term of resale value, but they do serve a purpose...I'm in it at the moment for my 10K per year! :-)

I have 5 players who are over thirty, and as a rule I only buy players who are between the ages of 16-22, or 18-22. With the lack of options, I have signed some cheap young players, and in one case I was desperate for a defensive midfield to allow me to test the grid tactic.
But point taken, injuries and suspensions do take a toll, and I currently have ten, but if I can offload some more of the older players, I will look to replace with younger, cheaper, better models.

I'm looking to write up some information about each of the transfers in, post the screenshot of the net movements and then leave it to the audience if you want to see individual players.

Thanks for your comments though Sniper99, your knowledge of the SA game has been very helpful!

#58668 sniper99 : Good to see you had some success with getting your WPs.
I never managed to sign foreign players with just U20 caps in my SA saves.

A parent club is always great. Chiefs were my parent club as well when I managed Thanda.

Make sure you have enough youngsters in your team to deal with injuries and suspensions.
You need to have at least 5 U23 players in your match squad for league matches.

That's were a U19 team would have came useful.
You could have spent more on established players and just used your youth as fillers.

Can you post your current squad and transfers in so far?

No probs Kiwi
I just pleased to see someone tackling a different challenge.

I'm still surprised with your WP success .. especially since you in the NFD.
I did find it strange though that most of my WP trouble was with African players.
I managed to sign players with less caps from India, Panama, North Korea, Honduras and even nations like Turkmenistan without much hassle.

A screenshot of the net transfers would be great.

How far in the league season are you at the moment?

Inspired choice by accident

I knew I was going to struggle for a physio, but I did have a few options for goalkeeping coach. I have a new recruit who I believe will develop well if his current stats are anything to go by, a journeyman keeper for the bench, and the Malawi National keeper, Sanudi. I was impressed by Kitengi's Goalkeeping score of 15, and his relative young age. I did not click at the time, but he had been on the playing roster of Dynamos between 2002-2004, so he was welcomed back by the club like the prodigal son returning.

Taking a punt to free up my third foreign slot, I de-registered Sanudi, knowing it would cause him to ask for a transfer. He's 29, but I backed myself to find a local product who offered better prospects. Sanudi didn't disappoint and did ask for a transfer, so - and this is terrible - I am looking forward to him leaving so that it is money in the clubs back pocket.

I identified two successors to Sanudi, one was an Australian goalie with dual nationality, but he soon grew tired of my GBP220 ceiling, and that left me to pursue Tebogo Mabaso, who came on a free from Home Defenders. He is locked into a three year contract for GBP220 per week, and will be captain in waiting, with an influence score of 16 as a nineteen year old.

I am also at a loss too, because I know how difficult it is to get WPs (in the game) for some clubs in the EPL. Nothing was more painful than finding a cheap little gem only to fail at the hurdle and then not have a feeder club for them to sit in and get EU nationality. Spain is straightforward in comparison, three foreigners, no WPs though.

And I only when to African Nations (Nigeria, Cameroon and Senegal) because I had a scout who had some knowledge of the area, but they are not way good enough for me to take their word as gospel.

Another question, is it unusual for a team not to have players in their reserve and u-19 leagues? I don't understand it because other teams have their second and third elevens populated. Do you know whether it is something specific to the club, or just my bad luck?

EDIT: I'm only three games in (two cup, one league) and at the end of the first transfer window.

#58677 sniper99 : No probs Kiwi
I just pleased to see someone tackling a different challenge.

I'm still surprised with your WP success .. especially since you in the NFD.
I did find it strange though that most of my WP trouble was with African players.
I managed to sign players with less caps from India, Panama, North Korea, Honduras and even nations like Turkmenistan without much hassle.

A screenshot of the net transfers would be great.

How far in the league season are you at the moment?

Deals done in the August 13 transfer window.