The diary of a football manager (from unemployment to...)

In this story I'm using the FM Transfers & Data Update Packs by pr0. I'm planning on bringing out an update every day or two and if anyone has anyways I can improve this story I more than happy to take on board any suggestions. Hopefully you enjoy my style of writing (I tried to make it unique) and the story in general :D.
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16th of July 2012, 09:46

Lying in bed last night I thought how about how it used to be. At the age of 16 I was a ambitious, young man who believed at the age of 25 he would have recently graduated in medicine. Unfortunately this isn't the case.

Instead I'm currently unemployed and since leaving school I've jumped between various part time jobs. This isn't how I expected or wanted my life to be (it's all about to change!).

The one thing I have a driving passion for is football coaching. Currently I manage my local U18s team. They're a good bunch and since I've taken over they have started to improve, in terms of results and ability.

This brings me to why I'm writing this. Later today I will be awarded with my continental pro license which means I have the necessary coaching qualifications to manage a senior team. I will apply for any jobs that interest me but I do understand that someone with no real playing history and currently no senior management history may not be a particularly attractive choice for bigger clubs. Therefore I will start low, even if the pay isn't great, because I know I have the potential to be a legend in the management world. The journey starts here!
http://i41.tinypic.com/x2a2dt.png

A good start, good luck with the story, i'll be interested to see how it pans out

2013-08-07 23:57#126148 ziechael : A good start, good luck with the story, i'll be interested to see how it pans out

Thanks mate

This'll need to interesting to top the other "unemployment to stardom" ones. Nevertheless I shall follow it, see how it goes. Good luck

2013-08-08 08:56#126194 tokenginge : This'll need to interesting to top the other "unemployment to stardom" ones. Nevertheless I shall follow it, see how it goes. Good luck

This is only my first story but I've tried to make it as unique and interesting as possible. Hopefully it can compete with the other similar stories

2013-08-08 08:58#126195 CRW5252 :

2013-08-08 08:56#126194 tokenginge : This'll need to interesting to top the other "unemployment to stardom" ones. Nevertheless I shall follow it, see how it goes. Good luck

This is only my first story but I've tried to make it as unique and interesting as possible. Hopefully it can compete with the other similar stories

I'm sure it will Every story has potential, unless you start of as United or something

25 March 2013, 22:11
http://i42.tinypic.com/33jo5ec.png
It seems like years since I last wrote in this diary but finally I've managed to find a suitable job. I couldn't be more ecstatic, today has to be the best days of my life. It signals the start of a new, exciting adventure into the world of management. Although there's a lot of work ahead there isn't anything else I would rather be doing.
http://i39.tinypic.com/2w2j674.png
So I guess I should get to the good stuff and discuss my new club. They're a club called HNK Sibenik ,from Croatia, and they play in the second division. I've signed a contract worth £1,200 a week and the deal expires in just over 2 years. Currently they lay in 13th, in the relegation places. Pre-season they were predicted 2nd so you can see why Goren Tomic was sacked.
http://i44.tinypic.com/w6qo3r.png
http://i40.tinypic.com/2z9h18l.png
Sibenik were relegated from the first division only last season and Goran Pauk (chairman) is desperate to avoid back to back relegations, understandably . In the 09/10 season they finished 4th in the first division and since then they have been in free fall. Mainly due to financial difficulties. Unfortunately this means the club is well over their wage budget so many players will have to leave. I will try avoid too many players leaving before the end of season to make sure we secure second division football next season.
Here's a few files I have to summarise the club:
http://i39.tinypic.com/2wlrkg8.png
http://i43.tinypic.com/2ueo86x.png
http://i42.tinypic.com/28ul72s.png
Also I quick show of the odd league rules (7 relegations!):
http://i40.tinypic.com/2ldftih.png
After being appointed I was told that I would start the job today. Goran Pauk organised a 'welcome meeting' where I discussed with the board the direction I believe the club should be going in. We both agreed that the short term goal is to stay up. Then next season I will help to bring back financial stability to the club whilst pushing for promotion. Also, we discussed transfer budgets and wage budgets. He has given me a transfer budget of £0 (which is expected) and a wage budget £2,678 a week. Currently we're spending £5,890 a week on wages! You can see why the club is in debt...

Before I headed home I decided to evaluate my backroom staff. Eventually I decided it was best to bring in a fresh set of faces and I'll be searching in the next few days who that will be.

A paragraph on the media before I get some sleep for another big day. Disappointingly the Croatian media are labeling me as a somewhat bizarre and lacklustre appointment, highlighting the facts I don't speak Croatian and that I'm not proven. Some even going as far as saying I was only chosen as I would accept a lower wage than other candidates. Therefore many pundits and newspapers are stating we're set for the drop. All I can say is I'll be delighted when I prove them wrong!

Tomorrow I'm going to attend my first training session where I will begin to evaluate the squad and see who deserves a spot in my team and who doesn't. Also I'll begin to think about what tactics I'm going to play in the upcoming match. Lastly I may look identify a few transfer targets, although it's more likely I'll be releasing and selling players instead.

It's a challenge for sure, but I think you can do it. You can ask Timmy for some help with playing in Croatia. :p

2013-08-08 18:52#126282 Arvind : It's a challenge for sure, but I think you can do it. You can ask Timmy for some help with playing in Croatia. :p

It certainly is and hopefully I save them... I just need to get a run going to increase morale as we have a pretty good squad for the league we're in. Plus just read Timmy's story, he's done ridiculously well :o great story

29 March 2013, 22:00

It's been a very interesting few days and I'm starting to settle into my new club. The language barrier, unsurprisingly, does have its difficulties but soon I'll be starting Croatian classes and hopefully I'll be able to speak the basics in a few months. Despite this I've had a great welcome from the fans and players. I hosted a team meeting to introduce myself and it went done well with the team. All the players seemed to react positively and seemed genuinely pleased to meet me.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2iar2ft.png

A few days back I had my first press conference, what an experience... I've never been brilliant at speaking to large crowds and when I first entered the room I was shaking with nerves. As I started to face a few questions I settled down and got into my stride. During the conference I expressed my delight at being appointed and stated that I'd be bringing in some new staff. At no point did I discuss transfers, in or out. Generally facing the press went well, I believe I came across as professional and ambitious.

As I said before I was going to get my own set of backroom staff in, which I've now done. I won't bore you by going through each staff member but I will show my assistant manager who I'll be working with for the next few years. I would also like to note that I decided against hiring a director of football as I feel it's not worth the money when a team is in financial difficulty, like we are.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2qnaw51.png

Squad Review

Now onto my squad. The first thing I realised when viewing the squad is how young it is. The oldest player being 30 and an average age of just 21. This is certainly not a bad thing as it means most of players can only get better but we do need a few more experienced players to help lead the team. Here's the squad report Dinko compiled:

http://i41.tinypic.com/148q22u.png

As you can see we have a good 'spine' but we lack any depth. I feel we need a RB as currently I'm playing Blaic out of his natural position (he's a LB) and a ST because Vuk is injured for 3 to 4 months therefore we lack a poacher. Obviously there are many more areas that could do with improvements but in our current financial position we simply can't afford it.

Top 5 players:

http://i41.tinypic.com/29atvnp.png
My best player, he is a great target man due to his strength and height. A former U21 international for Croatia and has already scored 7 goals in 17 appearances this season, which is respectable considering our league position. Hopefully he can fire us out the relegation zone.

http://i43.tinypic.com/2hf89i1.png

Tank. He's a massive 6ft4 and weighs 12st10. I'll be looking for him to organise the back line and use his experience from first division football to get us out the relegation zone.

http://i44.tinypic.com/30uv0r6.png

The most creative player in the squad. He will be my main playmaker for this season and I will be looking for him pick up a high amount of assists whilst chipping in with a few goals.

http://i39.tinypic.com/351g1t0.png

The kind of player I love. Very hard working and never gives up. He more than makes up for his poor defending by constantly being a threat to the opposition with his forward runs. Unfortunately he was transfer listed by request before I joined, hopefully I can convince him to stay (although his wage may be an issue). Despite all this I named him vice-captain due to his great determination.

http://i41.tinypic.com/qqwc5e.png

Made captain by me at the tender age of 23. Despite this he does have the leadership skills that you would expect from a much more experienced player. Not only is he a great leader, he's a brilliant keeper. One of the best in the league and he needs to show that in the last 12 games of the season.

Another thing I'm excited about is the fantastic youth prospects. Here's the top 3:

http://i39.tinypic.com/15nlhtg.png

No doubt a future star, will look to start to give him the odd appearance in the league although his game time will be limited this season. He has almost all the attributes to be a great CB, although he does lack strength which I will look to improve in the next few years.

http://i44.tinypic.com/29zol1c.png

Definitely our most technically gifted youngster. As he gets older he should develop mentally and become a more all rounded player. He will be getting the odd game this season, although more likely to be in ST than AML. If he performs well then he may earn a starting spot.

http://i39.tinypic.com/6xuvww.png

He's already a brilliant shot stopper and will develop mentally with experience. I'm going to sell my current back up keeper and Ivan will be promoted from the youth team to fulfill that role.

Like I said before getting players in will be very difficult so I'm looking to thin down the squad and get rid of deadwood. Who I will be selling/releasing is still to be decided.

Tactics

I have three tactics I've designed. Two will be used depending on the opposition and one is a 'Mourinho style' hold the lead tactic.

The 4-2-2-2

http://i40.tinypic.com/9tphzd.png

I noticed our squad lacks quality wingers so I decided it may be good to produce a tactic that works around that. The great thing about 4-2-2-2 is that it's very balanced, in terms of attacking and defending. It requires hard working wing backs who are capable with the ball at their feet and CAMs that are willing to push out wide to make space for the STs. Ultimately this tactic is a possession tactic where the team aim to keep the ball on ground and wait for a space to exploit. Another thing I've tried out is the sweeper keeper type role for Radosevic, as we play a high defensive line he will push up and look to clear any through balls from the opponents. This will normally be used against weaker opponents.

The 4-1-2-1-2

http://i44.tinypic.com/2mhbton.png

This tactic is a more direct, counter attacking tactic. A good name for it would be the 'smash and grab' tactic as we aim to soak up pressure then hit the opposition on the counter. It also plays to the strengths of Tepuric who is a strong in the air so will be able to knock down any long balls.

The 5-1-3-1

http://i44.tinypic.com/sff6z9.png

A contain tactic which I may employ when in the lead against a strong team. This will normally be used in the last 20 minutes of a game. All we will do is sit deep and try to avoid giving the opponent any clear cut chances.

Tomorrow is the big day, my first match in management! Excited but very nervous, wish me luck...

Nice start and good luck with this

Goood luck with this!

Thanks guys, I'm going to need it!

30th March 2013, 19:32

Shocking. That word sums up how we played to today. From start to finish we were dominated. So how did it go? Well here you go:

Sibenik 0-2 Zelina

Simik 57min
Medved 82min

There's a lot of work ahead, I really don't have anything else to say.

2nd April 2013, 23:34

I'm writing this on the bus back from the Zagreb game, fantastic atmosphere! The lads have been chanting and signing the whole journey. Morale has gone from rock bottom to sky high, this exactly what we needed.

Zagreb 0-1 Sibenik

Tomic 48min

That's right we beat first, away from home! Everyone worked their hearts out today but there was one exceptional player, Tomic. Not only did he score a fantastic close range volley, he also made a vital headed clearance right at the games death. We rode our luck at times but you have to against the bigger teams. They had 16 shots, we had only 7 but were just more prolific. Hopefully we can push on from here.

5th April 2013, 20:38

Early today I received some great news. Blaic has declared he would like to stay thus be removed from the transfer list. He submitted a transfer request before I joined but I must have changed his mind!

http://i43.tinypic.com/29wr594.png

6th April 2013, 19:12

I came into this match knowing we needed a win. It was a very tight game but in the end I felt the result was fair.

Sibenik 1-0 Vinogradar

Tepuric 40min

We played some great passing football and put in a good all round performance. The defence were solid and the attack looked dangerous the whole game. Once again Tomic was named man of the match with a fantastic defensive display. What a vital player he's turning out to be!

13th April 2013, 21:15

Another tight game where it could of gone either way. Under normal circumstances I would have been happy with a draw against 4th in the league (especially away from home) but if we want to stay up, we need to win matches like these.

HNK Gorica 1-1 Sibenik

Tomic 5min
Jankulica 75min

We had a decent game but never did enough to win. Tomic was man of the match yet again with another goal and a brilliant defensive performance.

20th April 2013, 18:32

Another top half side today and yet another close game. The result was gutting and is not what we needed.

Sibenik 0-1 Dugopolje

Vitinho (pen) 92min

A last minute penalty to lose it... I feel very deflated, as do a lot of the team. Our strikers were very wasteful today, especially Tadic. Since I've started the job our strikers have been poor but unfortunately there's no way of signing replacements due to our poor financial position. We need to pick up all 3 points against HASK or it will take a miracle to survive.

22nd April 2013, 17:40

Early today I went public about my disappointment with Tepuric's performances, hopefully he will respond positively and start scoring a few more goals as we desperately need it.

http://i42.tinypic.com/ht7ec5.png

23rd April 2013, 22:13

I went into this telling my team it's a must win. We haven't really picked up any real consistency yet so we're still in the relegation zone and not looking like leaving it any time soon.

Sibenik 2-0 HASK

Pehar 66min
Tadic 68min

Thankfully a quick fire double has clinched a vital win! Bicanic, who recently came back from injury, picked up man of the match after a great attacking display. He played a fantastic pass to Tadic to assist for our second goal.

27th April 2013, 20:00

We must win games like these! Playing against a team who are bottom of the league and nearly mathematically relegated.

Sibenik 1-1 Primorac

Pekas 39min
Vukic 60min

We dominated from start to finish. Our 19 shots to their 6 but we just didn't take our chances (surprise, surprise). Vukic's goal was shocking goalkeeping by our captain Radosevic. He attempted to head the ball out, after leaving his box but misses it completely. This gives Vukic an empty net to tap the ball into.

1st May 2013, 10:09

Summary

Not a great month for us as we still lay deep in the relegation zone. We're going to have to take at least 10 points from our last 5 games or we're down. A positive is the fact that our fixtures are not overly difficult (on paper) so we still have a chance.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2njk4uw.png

http://i44.tinypic.com/wv5vz9.png

Player of the month

http://i40.tinypic.com/5zgx1y.png

He has been our best player by a distance this month. Defensively he is outstanding and he managed to chip in with 2 goals. Not only did I recognise his brilliant performances as he was named player of the month for April.

http://i40.tinypic.com/10xhtl1.png

Transfers

In

Two signings who will join at the end of the season. They are on very low wages so should be good players to have if we stay up and need to start to rebuild.

http://i40.tinypic.com/qx9z75.png

http://i40.tinypic.com/1589mhs.png

Out

All three players where deadwood and were a waste of wages, so I got rid.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2ik5r0l.png

http://i44.tinypic.com/69ncrq.png

http://i39.tinypic.com/242fksk.png

What do you guys prefer, a summary of each match separately, like this one, or a summary of the months results (I'll still do transfers, POTM etc... of course)?