Toon: Thanks for the support ;P Newcastle will be next haha

Beany: Cheers mate - got a lot of work to do with the squad and need some money but might have to go first season without making any more signings

Dean: Thanks Dean

Louis: Cheers Louis hope you follow and thanks for the kits they look awesome! I was waiting for them haha

Stacey: Thanks Stacey hope it keeps you interested

Murtagh: Appreciate the kind words mate hope you keep following

A good start... and shock, Arsenal have bought a player from the French league! Will be following this with interest, loving your banner

2013-05-15 08:22#100992 ziechael : A good start... and shock, Arsenal have bought a player from the French league! Will be following this with interest, loving your banner

Haha I was waiting for someone to notice it was Arsenal :p thanks mate...I wonder where that awesome banner came from

http://oi40.tinypic.com/nmi7o4.jpg


With the game against Montpellier just a few days away I needed to get the team used to the tactics I wanted to use and this was going to be an ongoing process. I knew they wouldn’t be completely used to them for a good month but I joined so late and couldn’t do anything about this. I was already troubled with the decision about Lisandro but the tactics and match preparation were the important factors to focus on now.

My favourite tactic is one I haven’t really seen in use at other clubs but it is a very attacking tactic and I want to use this against teams that are much weaker than us where we can go out and score a handful of goals. I expected us to exploit the wings heavily using this while remaining solid through the middle of the pitch.


The 2nd tactic in use is a very stable 4-2-3-1 that I expect us to play when going up against those teams that are of a medium strength but ones that we can control the game with. We have the players to have an impact in all areas of the pitch as well as a few to provide good cover if anyone goes out injured.


The 3rd and final tactic is a rather defensive one that I will use when going up against big teams that are stronger than us, such as P$G and in Europe, especially away from home. It’s a pretty defensive and rigid formation but I think it gives us security all over the pitch.

Nice tactics, I especially love the 4-2-4.

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With tactics decided and training underway I went back to the team report my assistant had left on my desk. It was tough to see his input that Lisandro Lopez is the best player at the club, especially after he said he wants to leave. I had transfer listed him and automatically there was interest in him. But the first offer that came in was from Arsenal for a measly €7.75 million. No way was I letting him go for such a low amount. They came back with an increased offer of €11 million. So did Borussia Dortmund. I accepted them both. I needed the money and would be able to buy 3 young players that would be exceptional in a few years of development.


Two days later I pulled in to the training ground and saw a huge gathering of fans outside. They were all holding signs and I thought it was to welcome me. I got out of my car and walked towards the fences where they were standing. The signs got clearer and boy was I wrong. They weren’t welcoming me. This was a group of angry fans shouting and protesting against me. It had barely been two weeks and they wanted me out. I saw one banner say “LOPEZ STAY, GARDE GO”. It was clear to me that I made the wrong decision in accepting the bids. The fans wouldn’t let me live it down if I sold him, especially for such a low fee only 2 years after Lyon bought him for €22 million. I told my assistant to call Arsenal and Dortmund and tell them we’re rejecting their bids. They weren’t happy but Bruno told them if they wanted him, they had to up their offers.

I walked to my office, sat down in my chair and breathed a big sigh. Two minutes later I heard massive cheers from outside. The fans had been told the news. All of a sudden they were chanting my name. I liked that, it felt good. I was looking forward to getting more of this through the season as the club warmed up to me. Hopefully I could get them to start after our cup match against Montpellier.

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It was time. My first real game in charge. It wasn’t for anything special but it was still a cup we could win and I wanted to prove to the fans that I was tactically ready and motivated to bring them success.


Lyon starting XI – Vercoutre, Réveillère, Bisevac, Umtiti, Dabo, Gonalons, Grenier, Mvuemba, Briand, Giaccherini, López

Subs Malbranque, Benzia, Lacazette

GoalEmanuele Giaccherini (28)

I decided we would line up 4-3-3 against last seasons Ligue 1 champions. I wanted us to hit them on the counter and stop them from creating anything. Montpellier had a player sent off midway through the 2nd half but we were already 1-0 up by then. Unfortunately we couldn’t hold on to the goal and they equalised in the 80th minute. That meant we were pretty much heading to penalties and this shootout was really dragged out, going back and forth but Vercoutre was our hero. He kept us in the shootout when it mattered with some fantastic saves and we won it 8-7.

Credit to Devil for the match update style! Loved the way he's done his and wanted to use it in my story :p

http://oi40.tinypic.com/nmi7o4.jpg


I screwed up. I really messed up. I called Lisandro López in to my office to talk about the whole transfer saga and how I needed him to stay at the club. He had barely sat down and his phone rang. He looked at it and said it’s his agent and he needed to take it outside. I waited patiently and tried listening to him talking. He seemed happy and I heard him say to his agent “that it’s great news and hopefully is sorted quickly”.

He came back in and he was smiling. I asked him what the call was about. He said his agent had just gotten a 3rd contract offer from Arsenal and it was much better than any of the offers so far. I was gobsmacked, lost for words, shattered inside. What was this?! I immediately got on the phone and called in my assistant manager. He came in to the room and while López was still there I went ballistic.

Remi Garde: “I thought I told you to call Arsenal and tell them we’re rejecting the offer. Are you thick man? How could you screw this up?”

Bruno Genesio: “Boss I did what you told me as soon as you told me. I told both Dortmund and Arsenal he’s not for sale. What’s going on?”

Remi Garde: “I’ll tell you what. López has just got a 3rd contract offer from Arsenal and accepted it. He’s leaving and for a poxy €11 million.”

Bruno stood in shock and looked at López in disbelief. López was just as surprised to see an outburst like this. He didn’t know we had tried to reject the offers. He said he had got the first contract offer on the day the offer was made. By then it was too late for us to do anything. Now it’s too late for us to do anything. We were losing our star man and there was nothing I could do. I told them both to get out. I told López I never want to see him again. He didn’t care; he was off to a new club.


Bruno hesitated and I roared at him to leave. I sat down, pulled open my desk drawer and pulled out the celebratory bottle of scotch the chairman had given me the day I signed. I had a long night ahead of me finding a replacement and this bottle was going to be empty by the morning. I wasn’t going home tonight.

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Wow. My head was pounding like never before. There was a ridiculous bright light shining through my window. I slowly lifted my head and looked at the time. It was 6am and I was in my suit from yesterday. Oh man I was hung-over and felt disgusting. I found a bottle of water and finished it in one go. I needed to wake up, call my wife and explain. She knew I was in a demanding new job and accepted that I was stuck at the office. I looked at my email outbox and saw 50 emails I sent out last night making different offers for players after knowing I had the money from selling that Argentinian waste.

6 emails stood out. They had been sent back and marked important. I opened the first one and saw my loan offer for Eduardo had been accepted. At least this meant there was some experience in my attacking line now.


I opened the next one and it was another loan offer accepted for goalkeeper Dorus De Vries. Remy broke a finger and this was needed, even if he’s an average player.


As soon as I opened the third email I shouted “YES”. It was a striker I had admired ever since he scored 2 goals on his debut against Motherwell in the 2011-2012 season. Celtic had accepted my offer of €3.5 million and I called his agent on the spot and offered him a 5 year contract on €17,000 a week.


My head was screaming at me but I had to finish going through the emails. The next one was from Boca. I had just signed Nicolas Colazo on loan. I couldn’t even figure out who the hell he was but I figured it was my drunken intuition that I should sign him.


The fifth email was from Derby. I automatically thought it must be about Mason Bennett or Will Hughes and I was right. The transfer offer of €6 million (€4.5 million on the spot, €1.5 million over 36 months) had been accepted and again I called his agent and sorted a 3 year contract for €16,000 a week.


I looked at the time. It was 6.30am and I needed to shower and get ready for training. I had one more email and quickly clicked on it. It was a reply from Chivas USA about Carlos Fierro. They had accepted my mad offer of €2.5 million on the spot and €3 million after 50 games. I called the club as he had no agent and managed to get him as he had just finished playing in a match. I told him who I was and wanted him to join us and offered him a 5 year contract for €4,300 a week.


In one night I managed to spend €16.5 million euros on 3 youngsters but I was at ease. I knew these boys would be with us for years and years to come, eventually becoming legends at this club and I was ready to have them play in the first team. I knew they would all be able to contribute straight away. As soon as Carlos hung up I ran out of my office and into the changing rooms, showered up and went to the cafeteria to grab breakfast. By the time I sat down and was about to take my first bite I saw the players walking in to eat as well. I smiled and called a few over. I wasn’t ready to tell them about the new signings just yet. I decided I was going to do it before we started the first training session of the morning. I could finally relax after the draining and drunken night I just had.

2013-05-15 13:16#101066 k1rups : Dorus De Vries

Y U NO SIGN ANTONIO ADAN?!?!

2013-05-15 13:40#101075 Arvind :

2013-05-15 13:16#101066 k1rups : Dorus De Vries

Y U NO SIGN ANTONIO ADAN?!?!

He'd already gone to Man City :'(

Pretty good signings in Carlitos Fierro and Will Hughes! I have personal experience with them and they did very well for me.

2013-05-15 13:49#101081 Glenn T :

Pretty good signings in Carlitos Fierro and Will Hughes! I have personal experience with them and they did very well for me.

I'm going to introduce them very early on and will give them lots of game time from the start, especially as I am in the Europa League as well

What do you guys think about the writing style and the little bit extra in the story? Does it work/shall I keep it up?

Yes you should! It's great