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Author's Note
This is my story 100th reply! I never had a story who's gone so far as my Paris FC one stopped at 97 replies. Since last Wednesday and my October update it has been an incredible week for me. My story passed 2000 views, I'm top poster of the week for the fourth day running, I also passed the 500th all-time posts and now this story come to 100 replies!
Thanks for all the support guys! 
November - Very Inconsistent
Part Two: Sonwild come back on the start of the season
Alex Sonwild who don't speak a lot to the medias outside of press conference as accepted giving an interview to our fans. He will come back on the club performances so far and his first months as a manger.
Alex played at Dartford for 10 years before taking the manager post, leaving the fans uncertain. Was it a good choice appointing a rookie, even thought he was a club legend?
But now everyone at the club are sure that it's the good choice. Sonwild's team is leading the Blue Square Bet South by six points and have created a 15 points gap with Bromley, 7th and first not qualified for playoffs.
The questions that we will ask to Alex are send by Dartford's fans from all over the world. Here we go!
Alex Sonwild
Our Journalist (Glenn Tham)
- You've ended your player career at only 25 to take the manager job. At the end of last season, did you already plan the end of your manager career. (Question send by Jeremy, Bolivia)
- No I wasn't planning it. I didn't intend at all to end my career, football is my life and I didn't expect becoming a manager, stopping playing wasn't an option for me.
- So why did the board offered you the post?
- The first offer I received from them was a player-manager role. They knew I was interested in coaching, I passed my coaching course, and I've joined the club 10 years ago in youth teams so I knew everyone and this was one of the reason.
- The club offered you a player-manager contract, why didn't you take it? (Kane, Kazan in Russia)
- Since a few years managing was becoming a passion. A series called Football Manager put me in it and I became an addict. I can't say I was really a good player, even for Blue Square Bet South, and I thought that if I become player-manager I could make me play too much, this wouldn't have been good for the team. I also wanted to concentrate fully on my new job.
- When the contract talks were on, did your team-mates knew that you could become their manager? (Dartford's Toon, Newcastle)
- No it stayed secret. And the talks were quick so I didn't have to wait a lot before everyone knew it.
- What was the players reaction about you being their manager? How did they learn it?
- Their all learned by the papers. When they all come at the club on my first day it was quiet weird. was waiting for them in the changing room. Everyone congratulated me but didn't say more, they were all waiting for me to speak, to do something. The only time I remembered the changing room so silent was after big defeats. Tom Sinclair [the previous manager] used to look at us without saying a word, each of us, in the eyes, this could last for 10, 15, 20 minutes.
- Isn't it special for you when you do team-talks? Are the players treating you differently than passed managers? (Justice, Ellesmere Port)
- Yeah, very differently. Our first talk was the only one who was quiet, now it's hard for me to speak because of the noise. Tom had an authority that I haven't, probably because everyone treats me like a friend. But I don't mind, the team morale is high and this is a very important factor, Football Manager proved it!
- And on the team-talks? How did you first feel?
- Oh yeah. Hum, it was quit weird first. I remember in the preseason, I prepared a text of what I would to them before games and learned it but when it was time to say it all, I just couldn't remember a thing!
- Was it hard telling to some players they were just rotation for the team? (Jason, Turin)
- I think it would have been hard even if I didn't knew them before and finally it wasn't a problem because I told that to nobody. I think that every player in the team is important and as you can see everyone played is part since the start of the season.
- Last year, we finished second of the league but lost in the playoff final and didn't access too Conference Premier. At the start of this season we were tipped in the promotion favourites but did you expect we would be leader in November? What were your expectations? (James, Huddersfield)
- No I didn't expect at all. Last year was a good year and it was disappointing finishing second and losing the Blue Square Bet Premier Place to Welling who finished third. As we manage to keep nearly all the squad from last year and add a bit more quality me and the board decided that promotion was our aim. But what we are accomplishing is incredible, especially the two awesome months we had in September and October.
- The season began with three victories before losing 3-1 to Bath in a very disappointing performance. Did you feel that it will be harder after that? What did you tell the team after the game? (Chris, Newcastle)
- I remember that the second half wasn't so bad. We were outrageous in the first one and I clearly told it to the players. In the second one we dominated Bath but it wasn't our day. There was just this outstanding goal from Moore.
- Do you consider this goal as the greatest scored by Dartford so far this season? Do you think Moore can score others like that or was it pure luck? And did he intend to score?
- Yeah, it was our greatest goal this season and I don't remember seeing better than this one since I'm at Dartford. Can he score others? Probably but it was luck. This day was just luck for him, except the score, he should never been here at this time. He started the game as a left back and because of injuries he became a wide midfielder on the right side. Then he had this ball, did he intend to score? Everyone asked him but I think he isn't sure himself.
- By mid-September, our team was already well settled in the table [first since the 20th of September] but the first real win come on the 17th against Eastleigh (6-0). We scored 21 goals in the 5 league games who followed, how do you explain this sudden change in our performance? (Ben, Split in Croatia)
- I think it's the amount of confidence we gained helped us a lot. By September we were on a good form and the mentality changed. When the players scored one or two goals they didn't try keeping the score and taking the three points like they did before but score more and more.
- But usually the players don't want to score more goals once they leading?
- This is a very good question. Yeah they want too, but they take less risk, they just try to keep the ball, to build something. I noticed a big change, now they play more freely and attempt more. This lead to more misses but also to more goals.
- You expressed a lot of disappointment after going out of the FA Cup to Hitchin. How can you explain this lose? Did this made you change your approach before the FA Trophy game at Chipstead? (Joe, London)
- I can't explain this lose. It was unacceptable and I don't want to come back on it. No I didn't change the approach for the FA Trophy game, I just told the player that we really need to win this game.
- After winning our first seven home games, we lost 1-0 against Chelmsford. This was also the end of a height straight league victories record. After the game you said that you couldn't really blame your players for that, as Chelmsford played incredibly well this day. Can you explain their performance? (Louis, London in Belarus)
- I can't really explain it. They well prepared the game, and I was talking earlier of confidence. This was the key of their game, as they were dominating they gained a bit of confidence, then a bit more, and again...and before we knew it they were playing like Barca.
- Derek Dixion is 19 but has already scored 10 goals and made 7 assists in 17 games. Last year he was in the youth team, did you already know him? When you became manager was he in your first-team plans? (Neal, Milan)
- Yeah I knew him. I meet Derek a several times but I didn't think he would be in the first-team plans because when I took control of the team I didn't know he will be in it.
- And after the preseason? Was he in your plans?
- Yeah he was. He scored a couple of goals and performed well. But I didn't expect he would have scored 10 times by the end of November.
- Spring, our captain for now the 4th season running and one of your best friend, had a hard start this season. But now he seems to be back to his best level. Did you always believe in his capacity to come back? Was his place put in question? (Jynx, Reading)
- Nobody in my team have a reserved place and I believe in everyone. But I know Spring for so long, we were at school together [I noticed he was my age when writing the update], we played in the youth team together and we were brought in the first team by Tom [Sinclair] at the same time. I knew he will come back and he did.
- When I look at your squad I can't find a player who top the lot. I could say ten of them and it's the first season I have this feeling. What did you change to bring all the team to this level? (Khejan, England)
- I don't really know what I've changed. This is quite a hard question. Hum, maybe it's just the players who changed. After last year success then disappointment they want to bounce back and get this Blue Square Bet Premier place.
- Since your arrival you bring several free players in the team and they all seemed too settle well. Do you work closely to you scouts? Do you intend bringing more players in? (Sam, USA)
- Yeah I work a lot with them. And they did good work so far. I don't want to sign to much players but if there is a good opportunity we won't ignore it. We just missed closely a defensive midfielder. All seemed good and then Accrington Stanley [Npower League 2] come and caught him just under our eyes.
- Which players is the most annoying of all? (Tellak, Constanta in Romania)
- Haha, I wasn't excepting that question now. Hum, I would say Simon [Knock]. He is always late at training and never serious. I remember last season he was a very shy and quiet lad but since I'm manager he completely change. But everyone loves him, he help all the new players in the team and can make smile everyone. Teams won't be the same without players like that.
-Which player do you admire? (JK the Nomad, somewhere in a B nation)
- At Dartford?
- I don't think so. He can be from any club.
- Hum, [long hesitation] Carlos Hernandez. I'm not a Villa fan but he is great. I think he will move quickly to a top club.
Star Question: - Which manager inspire you? (Or Dabool, Boreham Wood manager)
- Ralf Wagner! What he is doing with Dortmund is amazing.
- After the game against Boreham Wood, despite the 5-0 defeat you seemed very close to Or Dabool. What is your relation with him?
- Or is a great guy and a great manager. If Boreham smashed us 5-0 it's because they perfectly prepared the game. I think they had a lucky start but after that they just dominated us. Not in a Barcelona way like Chelmsford did but more in a...Bayern way.
- I really admire your man. You're doing great, you're a real inspiration! But we all want to know: what is your project with Dartford? Bring us to Premier League or let us down when you won the Blue Square Bet South for a Npower League 1 or Championship club? (Akash, India)
- Hahaha, thanks mate. I can't tell. Only time will let us know. But for now my project is to do the best I can for Dartford. And if we win promotion to Blue Square Bet Premier I won't let you down but I will build on our success.
- It's all for today Alex. Thanks accepting this interview.
- It was a pleasure Glenn. See you soon!
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