Uh oh! The transfer deadline is in 1 week! Worse still is the fact that I don’t have a scout in place to help identify some transfer targets and it will likely take me all week to find one anyway. My Assistant Manager (with a score of 1 for JCA and 1 for JPA) does his best to help and suggests half a dozen youth prospects. I sign them all up to a trial so I can assess them better over the coming week.
Meanwhile, I have my first game in charge later today - away against Osterlen FF - and in the absence of a scout (did I mention I don't have one!), I can’t get an opposition report to look at. Instead I look at what the media can give me which isn’t much to go on. They were predicted a mid table finish and are punching above their weight in 4th. They are unbeaten in 4 games and have only lost 3 all season– this will be tough.
I set the team up using the default templates, but switching the wide midfielders to supporting wingers and the two striker roles to a Pressing Forward and a Poacher as these better suit the players I have. I have a solid back 4, a good goalkeeper and two decent strikers so am hopeful of a good result.
First game in charge
After going down a goal in the 3rd minute, I thought I was in for a hiding, but I stuck with the tactic and trusted the team to rally. They left it late but with 2 goals of our own in the 73rd and 81st minute I was delighted to see us recover.
As it turns out, the win against Osterlen FF would prove to be the start of us going unbeaten for the rest of the season. A total of 5 wins and 4 draws saw us climb from 12th up to 9th place in the league, closing the gap to our target of 7th to just 3 points in the end. I was surprised to see such a quick upturn in our performances. Prior to me taking the job, Nosaby had managed a meagre 3 wins in 17 games.
First season remaining fixtures
End of season overview
With the first season completed I turn my attention to rebuilding the squad for next term. Out of the youth prospects my assistant suggested, I signed four of them up as cover for the first team before the window closed.
Our last game was end of September and the window doesn't reopen until end of November. With no money, and nothing but time on my hands I set about assessing the the team and identifying the areas that needed strengthening. The key area that needs improvement was in central midfield, but I also wanted a backup DR, GK and ST.
Meanwhile, some of my key players were becoming frustrated with our underachievement and were threatening to go elsewhere so I had that to contend with too. I also had some staff vacancies that needed filling.
My assistant continued to suggest potential signings which i was able to give trials to. I eventually got myself a scout and filled the other open staff roles as well. This helped a lot, particularly on the recruitment and training side of things. I was able to scout some of the players who were set to be released by other clubs and managed to utilise the free transfer market to make some good signings.
A couple of goal keepers, a few central midfielders and a reserve full back all came in, but the one that really excited me was my new central defender, Joakim Hall, a young and talented defender with great mental attributes. He was a perfect replacement for my ageing veteran centre back.
Incredibly, i had the team assembled a month before the window reopened. I had half a dozen players that I wanted to move on and so promptly put them on the Transfer List and offered them out to clubs. They were taking me over my wage budget but i knew once they were gone things would be back under control.
Before i knew it, the Christmas festivities were upon us and then a New Year dawned. My first match of the season wouldn't come until 17 April so i took January off, ready to come back and get the team in shape and ready to go again. Let's hope for a continuation from last season this year.