Being Bastian... (A Bayern Munich Story)
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21st July 2009...
21st July 2009 -- or early morning on the 22nd if watches are adjusted...
The air was dry and tight in my lungs -- strangely, I felt out of breath despite taking only a few easy steps. Screams and flashlights echoed in my ears and blinded my path temporarily…
It had taken 21 hours, but we had finally stepped off the plane in Tokyo.
Japanese fans and media are crazy for European football stars. Indeed, I would say they are truly fanatical after witnessing them first hand -- calling out to our players like they are Hollywood icons.
We took an hour to negotiate our way through the masses in the airport -- signing autographs until our pens ran dry; posing for photographs until our smiles fell numb; shaking hands at least a hundred times; and bowing with the regularity of a mechanically hen. It was enough to last even the most fame-seeking individual a lifetime.
We can’t complain though -- they have waited patiently for our plane to land; waited patiently for a glimpse of Bayern Munich’s superstars.
“That was intense,” I sighed with slight relief as we finally boarded the team coach and headed to Saitama City.
Tokyo is beautiful, especially at night. It’s neon lights set the sky on fire -- entrancing ones imagination with fantasies similar to the Northern Lights. It’s difficult not to find oneself frozen to the spot, open mouthed and awestruck.
Unfortunately, we had no time to stop and stare at the many wonders on offer as the coach whisked us away to our next destination...
21st July 2009 -- or early morning on the 22nd if watches are adjusted...
The air was dry and tight in my lungs -- strangely, I felt out of breath despite taking only a few easy steps. Screams and flashlights echoed in my ears and blinded my path temporarily…
It had taken 21 hours, but we had finally stepped off the plane in Tokyo.
Japanese fans and media are crazy for European football stars. Indeed, I would say they are truly fanatical after witnessing them first hand -- calling out to our players like they are Hollywood icons.
We took an hour to negotiate our way through the masses in the airport -- signing autographs until our pens ran dry; posing for photographs until our smiles fell numb; shaking hands at least a hundred times; and bowing with the regularity of a mechanically hen. It was enough to last even the most fame-seeking individual a lifetime.
We can’t complain though -- they have waited patiently for our plane to land; waited patiently for a glimpse of Bayern Munich’s superstars.
“That was intense,” I sighed with slight relief as we finally boarded the team coach and headed to Saitama City.
*
Tokyo is beautiful, especially at night. It’s neon lights set the sky on fire -- entrancing ones imagination with fantasies similar to the Northern Lights. It’s difficult not to find oneself frozen to the spot, open mouthed and awestruck.
Unfortunately, we had no time to stop and stare at the many wonders on offer as the coach whisked us away to our next destination...
***
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Saitama City...
The next day…
We slept in late this morning -- on purpose, so no warnings or fines will be handed out. It’s hot here -- hotter than I've ever experienced in my life. I’m glad I don’t have to run around in it.
We put the players through their paces and then went for lunch. In the afternoon, I spoke to the players for an hour -- tactical discussions can be long and boring at times, but, if we want to reach our potential, they are a necessity.
In the early evening we gathered for a team meal. The local cuisine is fantastic -- the strangest mixtures, but the most exquisite tastes.
At 8pm, we took hold of our cameras and were taken on a marvellous guided tour of Kawagoe (or ‘Little Edo’ as it is affectionately known.) An amazing sight -- its main street lined by massive kurazukuri buildings.
There’s some great scenery here; friendly, welcoming people; and the brilliance of the architecture has to be seen to be believed -- this former castle town retaining a certain atmosphere reminiscent of past centuries.
We returned to the hotel in good spirits -- if not a little tired from our excursion.
It’s a shame I’m not sharing this experience with Anita. Perhaps, when I get a break from the hustle and bustle of senior management, I will treat her to a romantic holiday in this place? Our financial situation is much improved since I got the manager’s job -- I will be able to treat her often.
In other news, Franz has informed me that the club has signed a new contract with Deutsche Telekom -- they will continue to sponsor our kits for the next three years. Adidas, our kit manufacturer, have also improved their financial input into the club's coffers -- on the proviso the club promotes their new kit range. It will be an honour for us to take up this opportunity -- ahead of other great sporting institutions.
The club will unveil its new kits when the team returns to Germany.
23rd July 2009.
Another hot day, but we are beginning to feel better under the glare of the sun -- taking plenty of water on board is our best defence.
We travelled down to the Saitama Stadium in plenty of time for our match against Urawa Red Diamonds. It is a fine arena -- completed in 2001 in time to host four matches at the World Cup a year later, including Japan’s first match against Belgium. Although it holds 63,700 people, segregation regulations have reduced the capacity to 62,300.
A good crowd is expected today. Our hosts are one of the best supported teams in the J-League and boasted an average attendance of 47,000 last season -- the highest in both Japan and Asia. They are no strangers to success either and have challenged for major honours on many occasions, since their formation in 1950.
This will be no stroll in the sunshine, that’s for sure -- Urawa will provide stern opposition for my players in our penultimate pre-season match.
The next day…
We slept in late this morning -- on purpose, so no warnings or fines will be handed out. It’s hot here -- hotter than I've ever experienced in my life. I’m glad I don’t have to run around in it.
We put the players through their paces and then went for lunch. In the afternoon, I spoke to the players for an hour -- tactical discussions can be long and boring at times, but, if we want to reach our potential, they are a necessity.
In the early evening we gathered for a team meal. The local cuisine is fantastic -- the strangest mixtures, but the most exquisite tastes.
At 8pm, we took hold of our cameras and were taken on a marvellous guided tour of Kawagoe (or ‘Little Edo’ as it is affectionately known.) An amazing sight -- its main street lined by massive kurazukuri buildings.
There’s some great scenery here; friendly, welcoming people; and the brilliance of the architecture has to be seen to be believed -- this former castle town retaining a certain atmosphere reminiscent of past centuries.
We returned to the hotel in good spirits -- if not a little tired from our excursion.
It’s a shame I’m not sharing this experience with Anita. Perhaps, when I get a break from the hustle and bustle of senior management, I will treat her to a romantic holiday in this place? Our financial situation is much improved since I got the manager’s job -- I will be able to treat her often.
*
In other news, Franz has informed me that the club has signed a new contract with Deutsche Telekom -- they will continue to sponsor our kits for the next three years. Adidas, our kit manufacturer, have also improved their financial input into the club's coffers -- on the proviso the club promotes their new kit range. It will be an honour for us to take up this opportunity -- ahead of other great sporting institutions.
The club will unveil its new kits when the team returns to Germany.
***
23rd July 2009.
Another hot day, but we are beginning to feel better under the glare of the sun -- taking plenty of water on board is our best defence.
We travelled down to the Saitama Stadium in plenty of time for our match against Urawa Red Diamonds. It is a fine arena -- completed in 2001 in time to host four matches at the World Cup a year later, including Japan’s first match against Belgium. Although it holds 63,700 people, segregation regulations have reduced the capacity to 62,300.
A good crowd is expected today. Our hosts are one of the best supported teams in the J-League and boasted an average attendance of 47,000 last season -- the highest in both Japan and Asia. They are no strangers to success either and have challenged for major honours on many occasions, since their formation in 1950.
This will be no stroll in the sunshine, that’s for sure -- Urawa will provide stern opposition for my players in our penultimate pre-season match.
***
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Urawa Red Diamonds versus Bayern Munich...
Urawa Red Diamonds 0 Bayern Munich 2.
Today, I made a few changes to the starting line-up. Olic, who was unfortunately injured in training, will miss the match:
Bayern: Thomas Kraft, Andreas Görlitz, Danijel Pranjic, Christian Lell, Daniel Van Buyten, Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Mark van Bommel, Christian Saba, Miroslav Klose, Thomas Müller, Arjen Robben.
Substitutes: Michael Rensing, Holgar Badstuber, Hans-Jörg ****, Franck Ribéry, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Maximillian Riedmuller, Philip Lahm.
A bumper crowd of 51,990 turned up to cheer on the teams -- an astonishing number for a friendly. Of course, Bayern were massively outnumbered, but, in this type of showcase game, the fans are nowhere near as partisan as normal -- skills and goals are what interests them on days like this.
As expected, our opponents put up a great show -- resolute in defence and sharp in attack. We found chances hard to come by, especially after Pranjic gave us the lead on the counter after 14 minutes. Did we deserve the goal? I’m not convinced, but any goal, in any circumstance, is always welcome.
The score remained untouched at half-time. Substitutions were made on both sides, with ours being -- Lahm, Badstuber, Ribéry, and Schweinsteiger replacing Pranjic, Van Buyten, Saba, and van Bommel.
The second period became a more open affair. The mid-afternoon sun playing it’s part in the proceedings -- draining the energy levels far quicker than they could ever be replenished.
Despite this, attacking football came to the fore and both goalkeepers produced a spectacular save or two.
In the 80th minute, just as Urawa looked to be gaining an advantage, Thomas Müller stepped up and headed us into a 2-0 lead. It was a great goal and sealed the result in our favour.
---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------
25th July 2009.
Another day of travelling; another country.
“Welcome to Ciampino Airport,” the Captain announced as the plane touched down.
“Ah, Rome,” Andries sighed, “A beautiful place."
“Yes,” I replied, “It’s a shame we’re just skipping through.”
"You should consider bringing the wife one day.” he added.
It was well into the early hours of morning -- the arrivals area much quieter in comparison to our other trips. We walked to our waiting coach virtually unnoticed and unbothered by those about the airport. It made a nice change, if I’m honest.
140-odd kilometres later we arrived in Ascoli. Most of us fell asleep on the coach for at least an hour, yet tiredness remained rife throughout the camp.
“Ok,” I said as we stepped off the coach and collected our bags, “Everyone get themselves checked in and then get to bed. We’ll meet at 2pm for a light training session, no more than an hour. That’ll do us for the day.”
I could see a smile on some of their faces -- they’ve performed well on this tour, but the travelling is destroying their stamina. They need a relaxing day tomorrow.
25th July -- 2pm.
The players met for training. As promised, the session included only light conditioning work. We have all day tomorrow to train harder and prepare for the game. The trip to Japan has certainly taken a lot out of the players -- even the coaches are out-of-sorts, when they are usually a buoyant band.
Afterwards, I told the players to rest up. “Do some sight-seeing if you like, but not too much. Tomorrow we return to normal. Make sure your batteries are fully recharged.”
9pm.
“Hello,” I said, answering my phone.
“What the **** has been going on?” a stern, familiar voice bellowed down the receiver.
“Franz, is that you?”
“Of course it is! Explain it to me…”
“Explain what?” I stuttered, unsure of how to answer.
“The news Bastian,” he cried out, growing even angrier, “The ****** news!”
I fell silent. I hadn’t heard anything, though I suspected something unpleasant was about to hit the fan.
“Turn on your TV and flick to SSN…” he growled.
I did as he said. The channel played out in Italian, but the gist of the ‘Breaking News’ wasn’t hard to grasp hold of.
“O,” I gasped, recognising the face with microphones shoved in front of it.
“O?” he replied, “Is that it?”
I didn’t know what else to say.
“Pack your bags and get back to Munich by morning,” he ordered.
“What about the team? We’ve a game coming up,” I stuttered.
“Never mind the game,” he said, “It’s only a friendly. Your assistant can take charge of that."
A short pause followed, yet it seemed like an eternity...
"And bring ‘you know who’ with you,” he added, before cutting me off.
Urawa Red Diamonds 0 Bayern Munich 2.
Today, I made a few changes to the starting line-up. Olic, who was unfortunately injured in training, will miss the match:
Bayern: Thomas Kraft, Andreas Görlitz, Danijel Pranjic, Christian Lell, Daniel Van Buyten, Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Mark van Bommel, Christian Saba, Miroslav Klose, Thomas Müller, Arjen Robben.
Substitutes: Michael Rensing, Holgar Badstuber, Hans-Jörg ****, Franck Ribéry, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Maximillian Riedmuller, Philip Lahm.
A bumper crowd of 51,990 turned up to cheer on the teams -- an astonishing number for a friendly. Of course, Bayern were massively outnumbered, but, in this type of showcase game, the fans are nowhere near as partisan as normal -- skills and goals are what interests them on days like this.
As expected, our opponents put up a great show -- resolute in defence and sharp in attack. We found chances hard to come by, especially after Pranjic gave us the lead on the counter after 14 minutes. Did we deserve the goal? I’m not convinced, but any goal, in any circumstance, is always welcome.
The score remained untouched at half-time. Substitutions were made on both sides, with ours being -- Lahm, Badstuber, Ribéry, and Schweinsteiger replacing Pranjic, Van Buyten, Saba, and van Bommel.
The second period became a more open affair. The mid-afternoon sun playing it’s part in the proceedings -- draining the energy levels far quicker than they could ever be replenished.
Despite this, attacking football came to the fore and both goalkeepers produced a spectacular save or two.
In the 80th minute, just as Urawa looked to be gaining an advantage, Thomas Müller stepped up and headed us into a 2-0 lead. It was a great goal and sealed the result in our favour.
***
---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------
25th July 2009.
Another day of travelling; another country.
“Welcome to Ciampino Airport,” the Captain announced as the plane touched down.
“Ah, Rome,” Andries sighed, “A beautiful place."
“Yes,” I replied, “It’s a shame we’re just skipping through.”
"You should consider bringing the wife one day.” he added.
It was well into the early hours of morning -- the arrivals area much quieter in comparison to our other trips. We walked to our waiting coach virtually unnoticed and unbothered by those about the airport. It made a nice change, if I’m honest.
*
140-odd kilometres later we arrived in Ascoli. Most of us fell asleep on the coach for at least an hour, yet tiredness remained rife throughout the camp.
“Ok,” I said as we stepped off the coach and collected our bags, “Everyone get themselves checked in and then get to bed. We’ll meet at 2pm for a light training session, no more than an hour. That’ll do us for the day.”
I could see a smile on some of their faces -- they’ve performed well on this tour, but the travelling is destroying their stamina. They need a relaxing day tomorrow.
*
25th July -- 2pm.
The players met for training. As promised, the session included only light conditioning work. We have all day tomorrow to train harder and prepare for the game. The trip to Japan has certainly taken a lot out of the players -- even the coaches are out-of-sorts, when they are usually a buoyant band.
Afterwards, I told the players to rest up. “Do some sight-seeing if you like, but not too much. Tomorrow we return to normal. Make sure your batteries are fully recharged.”
*
9pm.
“Hello,” I said, answering my phone.
“What the **** has been going on?” a stern, familiar voice bellowed down the receiver.
“Franz, is that you?”
“Of course it is! Explain it to me…”
“Explain what?” I stuttered, unsure of how to answer.
“The news Bastian,” he cried out, growing even angrier, “The ****** news!”
I fell silent. I hadn’t heard anything, though I suspected something unpleasant was about to hit the fan.
“Turn on your TV and flick to SSN…” he growled.
I did as he said. The channel played out in Italian, but the gist of the ‘Breaking News’ wasn’t hard to grasp hold of.
“O,” I gasped, recognising the face with microphones shoved in front of it.
“O?” he replied, “Is that it?”
I didn’t know what else to say.
“Pack your bags and get back to Munich by morning,” he ordered.
“What about the team? We’ve a game coming up,” I stuttered.
“Never mind the game,” he said, “It’s only a friendly. Your assistant can take charge of that."
A short pause followed, yet it seemed like an eternity...
"And bring ‘you know who’ with you,” he added, before cutting me off.
***
GCFCconner
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just read through the whole thread.. loving the story mate!
NorthanMonkee
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just read through the whole thing and i am very impressed. A great read which has just demanded my 1st subscription. Eagerly awaiting the next update.
This is quite simply the best story on here, keep up the good work
This is quite simply the best story on here, keep up the good work
Cheers guys -- thanks very much for your comments. Great motivation to carry on
I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far Should be updates today hopefully 26th July 2009...
26th July 2009 -- 4pm.
“Gentlemen,” Franz said, his face distorted with annoyance, “Sit down. We have a mess to clear up.”
The offer of a chair to rest our weary limbs should have brought a smile to our faces (we’d travelled far and wide and all through the night to get here), but it didn’t. My stomach sank and I knew that Franck felt the same. We were in trouble.
“Well?” Franz asked.
Neither of us replied. Instead, we shuffled our feet and twiddled our thumbs like naughty children.
“Can either of you explain?” he added, throwing the daily paper onto the table in front of him.
The headline was not great -- ‘French ace threatens rookie manager.’
“Erm…” I stuttered, “It’s not quite as bad as it looks.”
“Isn’t it?” he snapped, “It looks bad enough from where I’m standing. Karl is furious.”
“It was just a disagreement,” I added.
“A disagreement?” Franz mused, turning to stare at Franck, “Do you throw drinks over everyone you argue with?”
“No,” he mumbled in reply.
“I didn’t think so,” Franz snapped, leaning forward onto the desk, “Now listen to me, I want to know the truth and if either of you are incapable of telling me then I will have no choice, but to sanction huge fines to you both.”
“It was about Manchester United,” I said, buckling under the pressure of his steely glare.
“Ah, the English interest,” he sighed, “So, you want to leave our great team?”
Franck didn’t answer -- he just stared at his hands.
“You are contracted to us. We treat you well, pay you on time, and provide you with one of the finest arenas to showcase your talents. You can leave for Manchester, but it will be on our terms.” Franz warned.
His words rang loud and clear in the Frenchman’s ears. We are not Galatasaray, and he has no leg to stand on.
“The girl has lost her job over this too,” Franz added, referring to the hotel waitress I had tipped in Belgium, “That’s what happens when people go running to the press over matters that don’t concern them.”
She seemed like such a nice girl, I thought.
“That hotel will never see our custom again,” Franz growled, “We have a great reputation and I will not have it tainted… by anyone.”
We understood. Bayern is by no means a two-bit organisation -- it is bigger than Franck or I will ever be.
“Right,” he added, “Get out of my office and prepare to meet the media. I want you two to make up in full view of the world. We have a kit unveiling tomorrow evening, a landmark day, and I will not allow this incident to overshadow it.”
We left with our tails between our legs in preparation of being thrown to the lions. The reports will blow over in time, but we must face the media; convince the fans; and keep our hands clean over the coming weeks. I’ve only been in the job a few weeks and I’ve already gotten a black mark against my name. All this could have been prevented, if only I’d spoken with Franz earlier.
26th July 2009 -- 4pm.
“Gentlemen,” Franz said, his face distorted with annoyance, “Sit down. We have a mess to clear up.”
The offer of a chair to rest our weary limbs should have brought a smile to our faces (we’d travelled far and wide and all through the night to get here), but it didn’t. My stomach sank and I knew that Franck felt the same. We were in trouble.
“Well?” Franz asked.
Neither of us replied. Instead, we shuffled our feet and twiddled our thumbs like naughty children.
“Can either of you explain?” he added, throwing the daily paper onto the table in front of him.
The headline was not great -- ‘French ace threatens rookie manager.’
“Erm…” I stuttered, “It’s not quite as bad as it looks.”
“Isn’t it?” he snapped, “It looks bad enough from where I’m standing. Karl is furious.”
“It was just a disagreement,” I added.
“A disagreement?” Franz mused, turning to stare at Franck, “Do you throw drinks over everyone you argue with?”
“No,” he mumbled in reply.
“I didn’t think so,” Franz snapped, leaning forward onto the desk, “Now listen to me, I want to know the truth and if either of you are incapable of telling me then I will have no choice, but to sanction huge fines to you both.”
“It was about Manchester United,” I said, buckling under the pressure of his steely glare.
“Ah, the English interest,” he sighed, “So, you want to leave our great team?”
Franck didn’t answer -- he just stared at his hands.
“You are contracted to us. We treat you well, pay you on time, and provide you with one of the finest arenas to showcase your talents. You can leave for Manchester, but it will be on our terms.” Franz warned.
His words rang loud and clear in the Frenchman’s ears. We are not Galatasaray, and he has no leg to stand on.
“The girl has lost her job over this too,” Franz added, referring to the hotel waitress I had tipped in Belgium, “That’s what happens when people go running to the press over matters that don’t concern them.”
She seemed like such a nice girl, I thought.
“That hotel will never see our custom again,” Franz growled, “We have a great reputation and I will not have it tainted… by anyone.”
We understood. Bayern is by no means a two-bit organisation -- it is bigger than Franck or I will ever be.
“Right,” he added, “Get out of my office and prepare to meet the media. I want you two to make up in full view of the world. We have a kit unveiling tomorrow evening, a landmark day, and I will not allow this incident to overshadow it.”
We left with our tails between our legs in preparation of being thrown to the lions. The reports will blow over in time, but we must face the media; convince the fans; and keep our hands clean over the coming weeks. I’ve only been in the job a few weeks and I’ve already gotten a black mark against my name. All this could have been prevented, if only I’d spoken with Franz earlier.
***
stupidmoose
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Just read through the whole thing, hands down the best story on this site as far as I'm concerned. Looking forward to more!
Cheers m8 -- thanks for the comment. Very much appreciated
There should be a couple of updates tomorrow if all goes to plan.The Press Conference...
The press conference was terrible. I felt uncomfortable and under pressure. They began by referencing the statement I’d made in my first meeting with them… Best manager ever?
“It doesn’t look like it from where we’re standing,” they mocked. In truth, they were right. I’m not the best manager ever. Indeed, I’m a lifetime away from earning such an honour.
Franck didn’t help much. He sat still and almost silent; answering their questions with little depth and even less clarity. Is he going to stay at Bayern? I don’t know, but his answers only stoked the fires of departure.
At least we managed to clear up the main issue of the day, sort of. “It was a misunderstanding, that’s all,” I answered, “There were raised voices, but no drinks were thrown.”
I get the feeling that no-one believed me. Franck’s reluctance to talk prevented any line being drawn under the matter, but, at least there’s no photographic evidence and the hotel’s sacking of the one and only eye witness has lessened her credibility.
Tomorrow’s print certainly won’t show us in the finest light, but they can’t blacken our image any further -- Franz’s letter, a stern warning to the media present, will see to that...
“If there’s no proof,” he had written, “Then the full weight of Bayern will chase down any members of the press who attempt to claim otherwise.”
"This should be the greatest job of my life," I thought, as the press conference came to an end. I’m doing something that thousands of others can only dream of. But the last few weeks have been a nightmare at times. First, the press announced me to the world as ‘the village idiot’; now my star player has gotten the hump; and, on top of all that, my closest ally has torn into me for my part in recent events.
At least results are going my way… which reminds me, I must call Andries and find out how our friendly against Ascoli played out.
The press conference was terrible. I felt uncomfortable and under pressure. They began by referencing the statement I’d made in my first meeting with them… Best manager ever?
“It doesn’t look like it from where we’re standing,” they mocked. In truth, they were right. I’m not the best manager ever. Indeed, I’m a lifetime away from earning such an honour.
Franck didn’t help much. He sat still and almost silent; answering their questions with little depth and even less clarity. Is he going to stay at Bayern? I don’t know, but his answers only stoked the fires of departure.
At least we managed to clear up the main issue of the day, sort of. “It was a misunderstanding, that’s all,” I answered, “There were raised voices, but no drinks were thrown.”
I get the feeling that no-one believed me. Franck’s reluctance to talk prevented any line being drawn under the matter, but, at least there’s no photographic evidence and the hotel’s sacking of the one and only eye witness has lessened her credibility.
Tomorrow’s print certainly won’t show us in the finest light, but they can’t blacken our image any further -- Franz’s letter, a stern warning to the media present, will see to that...
“If there’s no proof,” he had written, “Then the full weight of Bayern will chase down any members of the press who attempt to claim otherwise.”
"This should be the greatest job of my life," I thought, as the press conference came to an end. I’m doing something that thousands of others can only dream of. But the last few weeks have been a nightmare at times. First, the press announced me to the world as ‘the village idiot’; now my star player has gotten the hump; and, on top of all that, my closest ally has torn into me for my part in recent events.
At least results are going my way… which reminds me, I must call Andries and find out how our friendly against Ascoli played out.
***
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Calling Andries...
26th July 2009 - 9pm - Phone call.
“5-0? That’s brilliant!” I said in response to the Ascoli result.
“Yes, the lads played really well,” Andries replied, “In fact, they dominated from start to finish. Robben, van Bommel and Van Buyten scored in the first half. Klose scored either side of half-time.”
It sounded like a great performance from the team. It's such a shame I couldn't be there to witness it first hand.
“Good,” I sighed with delight, “At least something’s going right for me. Did you give the younger guys a game?”
“Yes,” he answered, “I brought on Sikorski, Ekici and Kopplin in the second half, just like we’d discussed. They played very well.”
I'm glad they performed. I helped develop them in the youth ranks and there's no better reward than seeing these players make the step up to the first team squad. I have big hopes for some of the younger lads -- perhaps they will save the club a few million in transfer fees?
“Brilliant,” I replied, “Well, say well done to the team for me. Enjoy your trip home and I’ll see you all in the morning.”
“I will,” he answered, “And don’t worry about the ‘situation’. I’ll back you up if Franz asks.”
“Thanks,” I sighed, it’s comforting to know I can rely on his support.
“I’ve sent a video of the game to your email too,” he added, “Be sure to check it out.”
“I will,” I answered -- though in truth I probably wouldn’t, not tonight anyway.
Tonight is the first time I will have seen Anita since the club’s friendlies began. I need to devote my attentions to her. An analysis of the game can wait for another day.
26th July 2009 - 9pm - Phone call.
“5-0? That’s brilliant!” I said in response to the Ascoli result.
“Yes, the lads played really well,” Andries replied, “In fact, they dominated from start to finish. Robben, van Bommel and Van Buyten scored in the first half. Klose scored either side of half-time.”
It sounded like a great performance from the team. It's such a shame I couldn't be there to witness it first hand.
“Good,” I sighed with delight, “At least something’s going right for me. Did you give the younger guys a game?”
“Yes,” he answered, “I brought on Sikorski, Ekici and Kopplin in the second half, just like we’d discussed. They played very well.”
I'm glad they performed. I helped develop them in the youth ranks and there's no better reward than seeing these players make the step up to the first team squad. I have big hopes for some of the younger lads -- perhaps they will save the club a few million in transfer fees?
“Brilliant,” I replied, “Well, say well done to the team for me. Enjoy your trip home and I’ll see you all in the morning.”
“I will,” he answered, “And don’t worry about the ‘situation’. I’ll back you up if Franz asks.”
“Thanks,” I sighed, it’s comforting to know I can rely on his support.
“I’ve sent a video of the game to your email too,” he added, “Be sure to check it out.”
“I will,” I answered -- though in truth I probably wouldn’t, not tonight anyway.
Tonight is the first time I will have seen Anita since the club’s friendlies began. I need to devote my attentions to her. An analysis of the game can wait for another day.
***
stupidmoose
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- 0
Beautiful (Y)
Thanks, glad you're still reading
Must admit though, I had to go and search what the (Y) meant, lol.
Should be at least one more update today after the Community Shield has finished.