So here i am, sat in my office manager of Seattle Sounders. I cannot describe how shocked how was when i received that phone call from the club. I've been applying for vacant managerial positions left, right and centre since leaving FM Scout. Every time i checked up on my applications i was always faced with rejection. And that was from clubs like Corby! Heaven knows why i was accepted by Seattle, but i'll do my best.
I was that excited i used Football Manager to check how good each player was (i lied about following the club, the only player i know is Eddie Johnson), and if that's anything to go by, we should have a good season. As long as i keep hold of Eddie Johnson and Osvaldo Alonso, i don't see why it wouldn't be a good season.

For someone who's never only been Germany and France, America is such a change. It'll take some time to get used to, but i'm sure i'll enjoy it. It's the geography of America that i'll need to learn, i barely know any of the states, let alone what places are in there. The only thing i know is that Seattle is in Washington, and i only know that because i Googled it.

I needed to impress here, i needed to bring in that respected and well known player. That's when i here news that Robert Pires is currently without a club. This could be the big signing that i need. Granted he is getting on a bit, but i play him as a holding midfielder, it'll be perfect.
For those who aren't aware of who Robert Pires is, you may know him as part of the Arsenal invincibles. He's a French midfielder who started his career off at Stade de Reims back in 1989, before moving to before moving to FC Metz in 1992. After having a good 6 years there, scoring 43 goals in 162 appearances, he switched to Olymppique de Marseille for just 2 years before Arsenal noticed him. For 6 years, Pires occupied the midfield at Highbury and contributed with 62 goals. 2006 saw him move to Spanish side Villarreal, where he stayed until 2010 before moving back to England and for Aston Villa. His career has seen him play 545 games with 126 goals.

His is a clinical finisher, a good passer and a wise head. He knows exactly what it's like to win trophies. It's the experience we need.

So without further ado, let me announce my transfers;

In -

Having joined mid way through the season, i needed to make an immediate impact. With Seattle sitting second from bottom in the Western Conference i can't slip up. My first game was a Champions League game against Isidro Metapa and i'll admit i've never heard of them. Still, i prepared myself and the team for the trip away.

NACL Group C

Isidro Metapa - 0

Seattle Sounders - 3
"32 "88 Christian Tiffert
"70 Sammy Ochoa


I couldn't complain with a first game win, but the focus was mainly on the MLS season, and LA Galaxy were my next opponent. Galaxy have won the MLS for the past two years and are a strong force with players like Beckham, Keane and Donovan.

MLS Regular Season

Seattle Sounders - 1
"58 Eddie Johnson

LA Galaxy - 1
"13 Robbie Keane

Again, i couldn't complain. I would have prefered a win, but at least we didn't lose. Promising signs from players like Johnson and Ochoa. I was yet to wait for the fans for chant my name, but i was going the right way about it.

San Jose Earthquakes - 2
"61"66 Steven Lenhart

Seattle Sounders - 2
"74 Eddie Johnson
"83 Lamar Neagle

We came back from 2-0 down, and for me i thought that was the best performance of the month. Yet again Eddie Johnson had impressed me, but i enjoyed watching Chris Wondolowski, he was someone i wanted to watch in the future.

Seattle Sounders - 4
"17 Eddie Johnson
"41 Christian Tiffert
"47 Mauro Rosales
"82 Brad Evans

Vancouver Whitecaps - 1
"70 Camilo

This was the first convincing league win of my tenure. I simply couldn't ask for much more. Eddie Johnson was the one to watch.

NCAL Group C

Seattle Sounders - 6
"18 "57 "81 Sammy Ochoa
"21 Alex Caskey
"26 Mauro Rosales
"55 Robert Pires

Chorrillo - 1
"29 Ariano Espinoza

We had continued with our impressive Champions League start. This was looking easier than i had expected. It was good to see Sammy Ochoa stake a claim for first team football.

MLS Regular Season

Chivas USA - 0

Seattle Sounders - 3
"47 David Estrada
"62 "67 Eddie Johnson

Ending a preety hectic month with another win was a good end. Plus it was good to see Gspurning get a clean sheet. The crowd were smiling, the board looked happy. I was home.

It was the best possible start, unbeaten in that month,my new signing had gotten onto the score sheet, the board loved me. It seemed that everything i touched turned to gold. All i needed now was to carry on that way, i give that club what it deserved.
However, off the field i was still finding it difficult to adapt to life in America. I wasn't used to it, and it took me by complete surprise. Still, the fan base is helpful. I have had to ask fans many times for directions and help, and they had been more than happy to oblige (my good start is probably why).

In terms of the set up at Seattle, there is not much that i would have changed. The backroom staff were brilliant, and players were performing well. I just needed to keep grinding out those result, pleasing the fans and board alike.

This was my second month is charge, and i knew i had to continue the same way i started. So a trip down to struggling Dallas seemed like the ideal way to get this month going. I kept the same team i started against Chivas USA, and i expected the exact same result.

FC Dallas - 0

Seattle Sounders - 0

I expected fireworks, and all i got were sparklers. The game and panned out to a rather dull 0-0 draw. For anyone who has seen the Simpson where they watch Soccer, it ended up a lot like that game. Still i had a return to Century Link Field against Chivas USA to look forward to.

Seattle Sounders - 1
"63 Eddie Johnson

Chivas USA - 0

Another win against Chivas USA, but this time it wasn't as convincing. We had to battle hard, and it ended up being a really good game of Football. Coming home from that one, i was hoping that our derby match away at Portland would be a bit easier.

Portland Timbers - 1
"13 Jack Jewsbury

Seattle Sounders - 2
"31 Sammy Ochoa
"74 Eddie Johnson

Ah, the sweet smell of a rival away win was something that could never be forgotten. Admittedly, the game wasn't as easy as i hoped for, but you couldn't argue with an away win. The victory feeling couldn't last long though, as we had to turn our attentions back to the champions league.

Seattle Sounders - 3
"17 Jhon Kennedy Hurtado
"21 "74 Eddie Johnson

Isidro Metapan - 0

Okay, maybe the sense of victory could hang around for a little longer. The champions league was going better than i expected, we were top winning all of our games, and only conceding once. Our attention, however, had to move back to the league, and San Jose. They gave a tough game last time, and i knew it was going to be difficult again.

Seattle Sounders - 0

San Jose Earthquakes - 1
"12 Chris Wondolowski

My perfect streak was at an end. But i actually didn't mind that much, because it was ended by Chris Wondolowski. I knew he was a good player, and the next time the window opened, i was going to move mountains to bring him here. Trying not to dwell on defeat too much, we moved onto an encounter against Vancouver, whom we had beatn 4-1 last time.

Vancouver Whitecaps - 2
"7 "62 Leandre Griffit

Seattle Sounders - 1
"77 Alex Caskey

This wasn't on the cards, a defeat in Vancouver. I needed to seriously re-evaluate my starting line up so we didn't lose 3 on the bounce. As much as i was impressed by Vancouver, i knew we were capable of much more than that. That defeat also pushed us back out of the wild card space.

After losing to Montreal in the last game of the previous month, i knew that we had to avoid a third defeat in a row. Especially as it was against Portland. Before the game i decided to remind the players that, these fans have paid good money to watch you run around. The last thing they wanted was to go home after losing their rival.

Seattle Sounders - 1
"43 Sammy Ochoa

Portland Timbers - 1
"5 Ryan Johnson

A draw was good enough i suppose, we should have played better, but at least we didn't lose. Our attention then turned to the next home game against Real Salt Lake, i real contender this season.

Seattle Sounders - 0

Real Salt Lake - 1
"90+3 Robbie Findley

It was such a disappointment going home knowing we were so close to a draw. Hapless defending and sleeping goalkeepers cost us that last second draw. It also meant that it was our 3rd lose in 4 games. I knew we had to pick up form if we wanted to proceed.

Seattle Sounders - 2
"40 Steve Zakuani
"90+2 Eddie Johnson

FC Dallas - 0

It was a win, and more importantly it was a clean sheet. This was the Seattle i remembered from my first month, and it's the Seattle i hope to see for the rest of the season. Champions League came up next, and i hoped it will regain our confidence.

Chorrillo - 2
"23 Robert Murillo
"64 Angel James

Seattle Sounders - 4
"16 Sammy Ochoa
"32 "38 Eddie Johnson
"81 Jhon Kennedy Hurtado

It was exactly i was hoping for. Despite conceding two goals, it was the target practise i wanted, and it meant we qualified without losing a single game. However, it was the league that i was more focused on, and we needed a win against LA Galaxy to go through to the wildcard round, no exceptions.