Recent content by fmzor

1.July.2014, Berlin, Germany - The Beginning As the Assistant Manager for Union Berlin, I was helping the squad prepare for the players' arrival for the new season. The previous campaign saw us finish a disappointing 9th. The coaching staff had largely survived, but the board was expecting...

23.March.2015, München, Germany - a preview I sat in my office in Allianz Arena (my office is decorated in 1860's light blue, rather than the galling red of our Continental giant landlords), when a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Please come in," I called out. The door opened, and...

Time seemed to stand still, as my body moved forward. Somehow, miraculously, my hand made contact with the Old Fashioned glass. I grasped it tightly, and dumped its whiskey into my mouth. "Right then!" I bellowed, slamming the glass on the table, "where to next, lads?" "Mate, I think..."...

My pulse raced as I stood, feeling quite alone, while the deafening roar of the crowd battered my eardrums. I wouldn't call it nerves - I had prepared for this very moment all night. If I were honest, I'd say that I visualized this moment all week: for what other result could there possibly...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning" the captain started, startling me out of my sleep. "We're making our initial descent into Dusseldorf - we'll be on the ground in 30 minutes." As the flight attendants began the usual routine about tray tables and seat backs, I began to gather my thoughts...

Thanks, man :) My interaction with the club is of course fictional, but I've tried to keep the names of the other principles - and the backstories - as close to reality as possible.

Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying it. I've actually played ahead a bit, so the story thread is catching up to where the save is. It's oddly tough to go back and write about what happened, so I'll get caught up (4 more matches), then post as the save progresses.

2. Bundesliga, Week 5: 1860 @ Union Berlin "Gentlemen," I opened, "obviously, I know this team well - I know this Manager well. They're at home, and will want to show their fans a good time. They're going to try to turn this into a goalfest and simply outscore us. This leaves them vulnerable...

Back in Berlin: the day before the match The sixth game of our season found us traveling to Berlin, and I arranged to arrive two days earlier than the rest of the squad. I was quite nostalgic walking around the city that I used to call home. I'd have plenty of time to see my old grounds on...

Monday morning at Allianz Arena, and a letter had arrived for me. I opened the envelope to find a card: (Once a Unioner, always a Unioner) Inside, I instantly noticed Uwe's (my former boss, not my current fitness coach!) handwriting: "David - I look forward to your homecoming on Sunday...

Before the season, I completed an analysis of how many points we'd need to snag an automatic promotion spot. A lot depended on the relative balance of the League, of course, but in digging back 10 years of 2. Bundesliga history, I found that 66 points would always win at least 2nd place. I...

2. Bundesliga, Week 5: Dusseldorf @ 1860 Another big test for my squad early in the season - and yet another scoreless half! We had played pretty much even. Dusseldorf was a talented side, but were somewhat helpless up front if they couldn't find Charlison, and we had done well to shut him...

After several weeks of trying, I finally got a nibble on Ott: To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Mike Ott transfer David: Congrats on your string of success! I look forward to seeing you in the Bundesliga next season. So much so, that I want to help you get...

"Markus, tell us about Dusseldorf," I opened the meeting. "12 points in 4 games, just like us. The media has them slotted for the promotion playoff spot. As you know, they were promoted two seasons ago, but finished 17th in the Bundesliga last season. To try to get back up, they've loaned a...

2. Bundesliga, Week 4: Aalen @ 1860 "OK, boys, we're facing a lower-half team this time out, but they'll be gunning for us. Don't take it easy on them. We've been working on attacking all week, and I want you to go out and bring it to them. I still want you to watch your passes, but pass...