2013-09-12 03:30#134602 a_esbech :
2013-09-12 07:45#134598 edu1878 :
Good choice of club to sell to. What is that money going to go towards?
Players that won't come.
That's the spirit!
Really, though, that's a lot of money, use it well!
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2013-09-12 12:12#134614 Neal :
2013-09-12 03:30#134602 a_esbech :
2013-09-12 07:45#134598 edu1878 :
Good choice of club to sell to. What is that money going to go towards?
Players that won't come.
That's the spirit!
Really, though, that's a lot of money, use it well!
As I don't think it'll be part of the story, I'll confirm that it'll be used to improve training and youth facilities, as well as making the team go pro.
I've made a managerial history on the front page. Check it out.
Part 4: Incoming
Alan had a funny feeling in his stomach, this didn’t seem like the right thing to do, but Alan had seen the DVDs he wanted, no he needed that player. However this transfer was different, to the others. Johan Holt the new 19-year old Danish goalkeeper was brought in for £80,000, it was straight forward and was handled by Jens Forsberg-Högberg, similarly was the free transfer of Arslan Tefvik, the 17 year old Swedish winger, whom the chief scout had watched a couple of times. It still felt a lot different for Alan from the phone conversation with Nickolas Ledgerwood, who had called and said that he wanted to come back and play at Hammarby.
Eventually Alan picked up the phone and pressed the number. Alan sat drumming his fingers against the living room table. The call connected.
“Hallo?” The timid voice said on the other end so Norwegian that Alan could only guess that it was what was being said. Alan had been assured that these things happen all the time. He took a deep breath.
“Hello my name is Alan Thompson, I’m looking to talk to Martin Thuen” Alan had had enough of anonymous phone calls and usually strived to introduce himself thoroughly. This time he didn’t mention that he was the manager of a football club.
“That’s me” said Thuen sounding a bit perplexed.
“I’m the manager of Hammarby IF. I saw a DVD of you and would really like you to come to Stockholm and play with us for a bit.” Alan had rehearsed this line a number of times, but as it came out it just sounded cheesy.
“Stockholm? That’s far away. I’ve just started High School” Thuen replied.
“It is far away and I know we don’t have the same pull as Real Madrid or Tottenham, but we want to help you in any way we can. If you come to Stockholm we will find you a flat, alone if you want or we can find a family you can live with. Perhaps one of your schoolmates. We will find you an international high school where you can finish your exams. On top of this we wil be paying you, of course. So if there’s anything let us know” Alan really did the sales pitch. Then again he had at one point been a telemarketer until that was outsourced to India.
“How about my parents?” Thuen asked, his English was almost perfect which impressed Alan.
“Whenever they want to visit we can get them on a plane, we will find a hotel for them and they can get the amount of tickets they’d like.” Alan was really trying to impress this youngster and continued. “What about you? I’ve only seen you on a DVD, how do you prefer to play football?”
The conversation livened up, Thuen talked at lengths about where he enjoyed playing on the pitch, how he liked short passing and some of the games he remembered fondly. The amount of footballing knowledge this 16 year old contained surprised Alan. The conversation lasted about a half hour and as they were ending the call Alan said:
“Right, we’re going to call your club and put in an offer of what we think you’re worth. They will say that they’ve received a bid for you and want to know how you feel about this. All you have to do is say that you’d really like the chance to play for such a big team, and hopefully you’ll be on a plane to Stockholm by the end of the week.”
Thuen understood and they said their goodbyes. Alan leaned back, remote in had, turned on Sky Sports News and breathed a sigh of relief. Tapping up a young player was easier than he had hoped.
2013-09-16 06:33#135061 Walter :
2013-09-16 06:26#135059 a_esbech : we don’t have the same pull as Real Madrid or Tottenham
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At this point, Spurs have been champions 3 years in a row and they've won the CL twice.
And Bale is still there
Nice signing, hope he does well for you. Screenshot please?
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How can build up a player so much and not even give us a screenshot?
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2013-09-16 09:10#135085 a_esbech :
2013-09-16 12:27#135077 Neal :
Nice signing, hope he does well for you. Screenshot please?
Here He is:
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He looks top notch. The Teamwork and Work Rate are a bit...eh...but otherwise he looks like a brilliant capture for the future
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Part 5: The Winner Takes It All
Michael Thuen had joined a week later and had immediately made an impact on the team. Alan had decided he would be used as a sub for the midfield in his first season, but gave him a few starts in some of the friendlies. The friendlies hadn’t been kind to Alan and Hammarby had only achieved a single win against TPS from Finland, the rest of the warm up competition had been provided from Sweden. It boiled down to one draw, against Syrianska from Superettan and two losses against Assyriska from Allsvenskan and Varberg Bois from Superettan.
Alan had just finished another argument with Nickolas Ledgerwood over the reverse sweeper position Alan wanted to utilise. Nickolas had a hard time grasping why he should go backwards when the entire team was moving forwards and vice versa. Alan was considering giving up this tactic as it seemed to be a concept too hard to grasp. He let his mind wander to the preseason games and the defensive issues they had there and how those issues seem to have gone in the cup.
Hammarby had qualified for the group stages at the end of last season, with Alan in charge. It wasn’t completely unfamiliar territory playing a group stage in a cup. Alan had been seated at the Swedish FA’s headquarters watching the draw. Hammarby was put in the group which already had Ljungskile from Superettan. 5 minutes later and IFK Göteborg had been drawn from the bowl and put into Hammarby’s group, this didn’t excite Alan at all as IFK had always been a powerhouse in Swedish football. The last team to be drawn from the pot was Assyriska. The team which had just beaten and completely dismantled Hammarby in the friendlies. At that point Alan sighed and almost gave up hope of progressing through the group stages.
“You need to get further up the pitch” Alan yelled at his wing backs “I want the anchorman to cover for you.” The two players looked confused at Alan.
“And Nick! For the last time get back in between the two defenders when we’re attacking!” Alan shouted a little louder than he had to as he was getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of tactical understanding this team had. In the months since the team returned from their christmas holidays tactics was the only thing being worked on. The only player looking to understand the reverse sweeper role was a young foreign looking youngster, whom Alan hadn’t learned the name of yet.
The reversed sweeper had been abolished for a short while as Hammarby entered the cup group stages. They had played a standard 4-2-3-1 with the most basic of assignments. This tactic wouldn’t out-smart anyone, so they’d have to rely on sheer luck. Whether it was luck or the defensive players more relaxed attitude to the more familiar tactic Alan couldn’t say, but at the end of the first game, Martin Thuen had clinched a 1-0 victory against IFK Göteborg, with a 40 yard stunner. As the team was walking of the pitch Alan wondered whether it was luck or skill that have led Assyriska to miss all those chances and give Hammarby a 2-1 victory. As the last game against Ljungskile had ended Alan thought they had been lucky to get through with 9 points, but he couldn’t point out where they have gotten lucky.
“THREE in the backline when going forward, FOUR when we’re defending, is it so difficult to understand!?” Alan cried as there was a gaping hole in the defense yet another time. “For fuck’s sake! How can I be any clearer!?”
Well.. you get what you deserve for accepting Hammarby's offer
Only kidding, nice update and hopefully they can adjust under tactics.
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Part 6: Semi Rivalries
Alan stood on the sideline biting his nails. Adrian Wallgren had been looking tired since the 80th minute and now he was standing at the ball ready to take Hammarby’s third spot kick. The game had started two and a half hours ago and both the players and Alan was feeling the fatigue.
It was the Swedish cup semi-final, the opponent was AIK Stockholm, one of the arch rivals of Hammarby. On paper they were the better team, by far. It was a fully professional team who had represented Sweden in Europe for the past 15 years, with only a few exceptions. Alan had thought that Hammarby now resembled the role of West Ham, a team that has rivals all over town but are expected to lose every single one.
As Adrian Wallgren was placing the ball on the AIK keeper, Viktor Noring drew out his little piece of paper where he possibly had written the stats of every Hammarby player and how they liked to take their penalty kicks. The referee blew his whistle. Wallgren looked at the ball, then at the keeper who was setting the crossbar into motion by repeatedly grapping on to it as he was jumping up and down on the goal line. Wallgren started his run up. As Wallgren connected with the ball, Noring jumped to the left. The ball flew right and continued so until it went wide of the post. Wallgren fell to his knees.
Alan cursed inaudibly. It had been quite a struggle getting here. They had beaten Halmstad in the quarterfinals, narrowly. Hammarby had been 2-0 up before half time. Just as well as they had played in the first half, just as bad did they play in second. It seemed more like attacking v. defending training. Hammarby ended up with 5 men in the backline with the two central midfielders acting like anchormen, the two wingers provided the wide front cover and Adrian Wallgren was standing on Hammarbys own half for the best part of the 45 minutes. Halmstad cut Hammarbys lead in the 65th minute and continued their siege of the Hammarby goal. When the ref finally blew for full time, Alan burst onto the pitch to congratulate his players for a massive defensive effort.
At that moment Johan Holt got his fingertips to the ball, but couldn’t divert it enough and the ball ended up in the net. Alan looked at the scoreboard, 3-2 and Hammarby were to take their 4th penalty kick. Alan regretted his decision to let Erman Toraman have the 4th, an 18 year old who was playing his first season with the first team. Alan was considering the lack of composure this kid had. “He should’ve kicked first”, Alan thought to himself. Toraman placed the ball on the spot as Viktor Noring was standing only a few feet away from him trying to psych the young winger. As Toraman ran up to the ball his entire body seemed to shift its weight as Viktor Noring was dancing on the goal line. The penalty what hit with no real power and no accuracy and Noring slid on his knees and caught the ball.
2 minutes later the entire AIK bench ran onto the pitch in sheer jubilation. The stadium erupted with joy. It was as if a weight was pulling the face down of every Hammarby player. Alan now had the tough task of getting these kids back on track and getting them focused on the league again.
Alan had thought that Hammarby now resembled the role of West Ham, a team that has rivals all over town but are expected to lose every single one.
How nice, Andreas :P. Anyways some great updates, and I love them, all of them! I would do the Mou way and let Toraman go on loan XD!
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2013-09-23 12:46#135608 Pauker :
Alan had thought that Hammarby now resembled the role of West Ham, a team that has rivals all over town but are expected to lose every single one.
How nice, Andreas :P. Anyways some great updates, and I love them, all of them! I would do the Mou way and let Toraman go on loan XD!
The state of the team simply doesn't allow me to send him out on loan. He's my 1st back up on the wings and right now my LW is injured.
Oh and thanks. I think this is only my third dig at West Ham
