Entering The Unknown

[kmitchell96]

Wracks Writings
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This weeks program sees the first of a new column which will be written once a month. "Wracks Writings" will give the managers perspective on how your Tykes are doing and the inside perspective will allow the fans to learn more about the club.

So, how do you feel about how we have started off this season?
"Well I think it has been a tough start. The first couple of league games were fantastic and I think going into the later league games we seemed to have been riding on a high and it left us open. I am happy to be sat in 10th at this stage and we have a platform to build from but I feel we could be sat higher."

How disappointed are you to be knocked out of the League Cup?
Honestly, I am not too bothered. I know fans and the board want to do well in all competitions but the squad and staff and I have set our sights on league and JPT success as well as a good run in the FA Cup. The league cup is something which the smaller premier league clubs relish in having the chance to win with the prospect of European football and I don't think we had a chance so ranked it at 4th in the competition importance.

You say you ranked the competitions in order of importance?
Yes, I did it when I first arrived and we made sure everybody was happy to stick to this. The league of course is most important. Everybody at the club wants to be playing in the championship and this is something we will aim to do this season as we can.

The JPT is next as I think it is the most realistic cup to win and I know many don't rate the competition as important but if we were to get to Wembley I am sure everybody would think differently. I then want a good run in the FA Cup, get to the third round and get a big draw and hope to go as far as we can in the competition.

The Tykes have suffered a lot of injuries so far, what is your view on that?
Well yeah it has been tough so far. I think losing Winnall and Cranie are the biggest losses. Both are still expected to be out for 3 or 4 months at least still. I am hoping we can fill the gap at right back with Cranie out as well as we have with Winnall out and Lita coming in and scoring 5 goals in the league so far.

I also think that the injury to Holgate is a big one. It will hopefully not stunt his development and he can come back and help out as cover or possibly starting if Cranie is still out and the right back position is still up in the air.

You mentioned Bree there, what made you promote him?
Well he is only 16 but he already has the talent to provide cover. I think it is unfortunate that he has had to come in so quickly and start as I was hoping he could play behind Cranie and learn from Cranie but the injury to the captain has left Bree to fill in and so far he has done well. He has tons of potential and I promoted him, along with a couple of others, on the basis that they could develop into key players.

You also demoted players and one of those has headed out on loan?
Yeah Brad Abbot was demoted as he had been struggling in training and with the depth at CM I feel he would've been better off in the reserves. I then heard my hometown club Grimsby were interesting in Brad on loan so offered him to them. He was unfortunate to get injured in his first game for the Conference side but he has recovered well and could be in the team for their next game.

Final question. Player of the month?
I think that it isn't an easy decision because a lot of players have played fantastically. The name that most will expect to hear is Lita. Whenever you lead the goalscoring charts you are seen as the most important player and whilst he has been fantastic I don't think he is player of the month.

Player of the month goes to Turnbull. He has been fantastic in goal and there have been several games where he has earned us points. You see against Crewe when he kept Dalla Valle out several times and Gillingham when he kept us level in the closing moments. Even against Coventry he kept us in the game before they ended the game in the closing minutes.
​

 

[kmitchell96]

It was bound to happen...
The draw was being made for the JPT today and I was hoping for a league 2 side at home. Hopefully we could advance and keep getting drawn against league 2 opposition on our way to success in the competition.

As I sat down to watch the draw with the squad I had seen who we could get and thought the best draw would be someone like York or Tranmere.

But I should have guessed what was going to happen...
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Walsall.

My ex-club, a place where many would consider me a legend. It had to be Walsall didn't it! I just wanted a league 2 team to make it easier to progress but instead to have any success in the competition I am going to have to knock out the team that I love.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 7: MK Dons (FL1)
Another tough game to start of September. MK Dons sit a place above us with an extra point. They have won 3 on the bounce in all competitions including a shock win against Championship side Derby (although 2 of the 3 wins have been won on penalties). They have a lot of attacking threats including former Saddler Will Grigg who has already got 3 goals to his name this season.

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After a couple of weeks break for international games I had the option to play our strongest possible team and that is what I did. With Cranie injured I have settled on Bree being the strongest option at right back at least until Holgate returns from injury.

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A loss that sees us drop from 10th to 17th and knocks confidence again. MK Dons were shocking at the back but our problem today was that we didn't create a single chance in the first half. MK were constantly pressing and keeping the ball in our half and didn't let us play how we wanted to.

With a poor first half showing I made the changes to the back up tactic, which is likely going to be the starting tactic soon. This allowed us to create more chances but MK changed their system and played with 3 up front against my back 3 and it caused problems again.

I feel sorry for Bree as he will likely be dropped to the bench after poor showing defensively but it is Dudgeon who seems to be the problem. He gets caught out of position way too often and was to blame for the first goal as we cleared a corner he went rushing forward despite the ball getting no further than the edge of the box.

The change of system saw us create more chances but the only real threat was Jennings who had a couple of chances pushed around the post. Lita seems to have lost his touch in front of goal as he wasted an easy chance when 2-0 down which could have spurred on a come back but when he was playing as a lone striker he couldn't do anything.

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The only positive to take from today is that nobody was injured or sent off. Lalkovic looks low on fitness after the international break and he will have to be assess before our next game. But we were lucky not to be playing the last 20 minutes with 10 men after Ramage hacked down Grigg who scored the penalty. In my honest opinion it was a straight red; he was the last man and it was not only a dirty but also unnecessary challenge with Grigg outside of any scoring position.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Tactical Tinkering
Since the first couple of games the tactics seem to be struggling. Lita always looked isolated up front alone whilst whoever plays in the anchor man role seems to look lost and struggles to find anyway to break up play. With this problem I would be using my backup tactic for our next fixture against Fleetwood.

Tactic 3
However due to the struggles I have created a 3rd tactical option. I won't be focusing on using it soon unless the 2nd choice tactic doesn't work as well as I hope it does. We need to focus on controlling games and creating chances, especially at home where we shouldn't be losing any games 3-0.

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This tactic is one I have looked at creating for a while. Using a man behind the striker could be one method of creating chances more often but also creating more clear cut chances for Lita who has struggled in recent games. With Lita playing as a poacher he will look to pounce on any half chance that arises and hopefully this will see him return to his scoring ways.

Another key to this is the two midfielders. With the man behind the striker there is no need to have advanced playmakers so I have opted to play a deep lying playmaker and a box-to-box midfielder in the hope that it will help to bring structure to the back line and quickly create chances going forward.

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As I said we need to control games and to do this I want to keep the ball and be patient in our movements. We often try to rush a move in the hope we can quickly score a goal and in recent games it has seen our oppositions win the ball too easily and create their own chances.

By keeping the ball and pressing we can look to keep teams pinned back and not allow teams to make us play defensive. The aim of this is to make sure we can limit the amount of chances other teams have as we seem to be constantly defending in recent weeks and there is only so much Turnbull can do before teams break through, as shown against MK.

There are 2 problems with this tactic in my eyes. The first is that the best option we have to play in the number 10 role is Ian Vicars. I am confident the youngster can step up like Bree has but at the same time I am not sure how he will cope with the importance of his role. With great physicals and good mental attributes he can hopefully do well and he will only improve with time.

The other problem is that we will often be left open on the counter. We have been strong against the counter in the past but with confidence and form dropping along the back line I am not sure how we will cope with it now. In the games we have failed to win (Chesterfield, Coventry, Yeovil, MK) we have been pinned back and had to counter ourselves and we seem to struggle when defending for long periods. I am just hoping that a young back line without captain Cranie can cope with the counter attacks.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 8: Fleetwood (FL1)
A big game as we look to bounce back and move on from a bad run in form without a win in 4. Fleetwood on the other hand currently sit in 7th and are unbeaten in 4 (2 wins, 2 draws). Defensively in recent games they have been strong and haven't conceded more than 1 goal in the league since their first game and they just aim to score 1 more goal than their opposition.

Before the game there was even more reason to switch systems to the back up tactic as left back Joe Dudgeon was ruled out for 2 weeks with a damaged heel.

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So for the first time this season I would start with tactic number 2. I was hoping that the complexity of the tactic would give us an advantage against teams, even if it just early on so we can start well and pick up a lead or confidence boost.

Hemmings would partner Lita and after reviewing both players we decided it was best to play Lita as the target man. Although he isn't as good at getting up to high balls he has better heading and is the stronger of the two strikers whilst Hemmings will play in a poacher role and look to clear up any half chances.

I was hoping that having two up front would allow us to create and finish more chances and would leave Lita with more freedom and allow him to hit the form he had in the earlier games. By leaving him less isolated it may benefit his game.

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That was a tough result to take. In the first half we were shocking. That was mainly in part to Lita and Lalkovic who were awful and both earned themselves early baths with subs at half time. The two substitutions worked fantastically. Waring made his first appearance of the season and Lameiras came on allowing me to shift Jennings to the right wing.

Both goals were all about Waring and Lameiras. Both worked fantastically with eachother and worked to set up Jennings for the first who finished fantastically and then both threatened with fantastic efforts which allowed Hemmings to tap the second home.

However M'Voto got injured in the build up to the second goal and was taken off and with no subs left to make we were down to 10 men for 20 minutes and it meant playing Bailey at CB for 20 minutes. This allowed Fleetwood to control the game and push us back and they instantly equalised as Bailey settled into his new role.

We continued to threaten however and Waring forced fantastic saves as he definitely earned himself a start in the next game whilst Jennings hit the post with an identical chance to the first. With 5 minutes left it was then Lameiras who was taken off with an injury and with 9 men and 3 midfielders instead of 5 we struggled to create anything.

The defeat leaves us in 17th still but with injuries piling up I am hoping the 2 gained in today's games are not serious as they were both fantastic in their roles in the back up formation today.​

 

[kmitchell96]

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Barnsley duo ruled out as injury troubles pile up

Darren Wrack who has been in charge of a Barnsley side who have failed to win in 5 for little over 2 months now has today announced that M'Voto and Lameiras are both going to be ruled out for a while after picking up injuries in their last fixture against Fleetwood.

M'Voto was the first casualty of a fantastic game as Fleetwood prevailed in the end to win 3-2. The central defender was substituted after Barnsley had pulled the game level with what appeared to be a knock. However it has been confirmed the defender has pulled his hamstring and will be out for between 4-5 weeks with the injury.

Lameiras was key to what was almost a remarkable come back but the Tykes winger left the game in the 88th minute after coming on at half time in a game in which he got an assist and constantly threatened the Fleetwood back 4. The winger, on loan from Tottenham has been ruled out for over 2 months with strained knee ligaments.

Both of these injuries are not the news that the club wanted with injuries already piled up. M'Voto is the 4th defender with an injury for the Tykes now with Cranie and Holgate already out injured long term and Dudgeon out for 2 weeks. Lameiras joins Winnall in terms of attacking players out.

With these injuries the Tykes are now up to 6 players out which is tied for the most in the league. The defensive injuries are the biggest worries though with just as many injured defenders as healthy. Their defensive woes have been highlighted since the injury to Captain Cranie and now with only 2 central defenders and 2 young full backs to choose from Wrack is limited to how he can play. ​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 9: Port Vale (FL1)
This is a game that comes at a good time. Port Vale sit below us in the league but level on points but they still hold the record of the lowest scorers in the league with just 4 goals in 8 games. With a good performance that was hankered by injuries against Fleetwood I see this as the perfect chance to bounce back and earn our first win in 5.

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However it won't be as easy as I would have liked it to be with injury and fitness problems forcing me to make changes. Jennings, Hemmings, Waring were all dropped to the bench after fantastic performances in the last game due to fitness. Whilst injuries to M'Voto and Lameiras meant a change in tactics and who could play.

It did allow some younger players to come in though. Vicars will come into the number 10 role as we change to our 3rd choice tactic whilst Esteban Lopez will start out wide on the left with Jennings unfit and Lameiras out injured. Bree and Smith start at full back with no other options and will be supported by Ramage and Nyatanga as we have no other options at centre back.

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Another game and another loss as we now drop down to 20th. The starting midfield were poor and Lita was poor again whilst a make shift back 4 played well. There was a worry after 20 minutes as Nyatanga caught a knock but the defender had to carry on playing as I couldn't play with a midfielder at centre back for 70 minutes. He was eventually taken off in the 55th minute along with Lita and Bailey and the changes made all the difference as Waring hit the post and Vicars and Lopez finally came to life as attacking threats.

The worst thing about the game though is that after the game the announcement was made that centre back Nyatanga would be out for 2-3 weeks with a damaged elbow. This leaves us with 3 fit defenders and 5 injured. I would have to promote from youth to fill in as we cannot play Bailey or Reilly at centre back for 2 weeks.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Transfer Shock
This is something I wanted to do because I was set on keeping to my budgets but desperate times call for desperate measures so I had to make a signing. I had looked at the loan options but with nobody good available I had to explore the free agent market.

I looked for a strong option and there were a couple. I had spoken to one player who would have been fantastic but he wanted over £6000 a week in wages plus bonuses! So instead I went for my second choice.

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Yup former England, Real Madrid and Premier League defender Jonathan Woodgate. The 34 year old would bring experience to the back line which now consists of two full backs who are under no older than 18 (Bree 16, Smith 18).

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I am hoping he can lead the team by example using his mental attributes and he is going to be set as our Vice-Captain ahead of Hourihane meaning that the central defender will captain the side until Cranie returns. The leadership and determination will be key to keeping the side focused on bouncing back from our poor form.

I also had to promote 21 year old George Williams from the under 21's squad to provide back up to the squad. I had looked at recalling Cowgill from Barrow but it would have been pointless with the defender out between 4-5 weeks with an injury.
​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 10: Doncaster (FL1)
Originally lined up for television before it was moved because of the international break this is a big game in terms of it being a local game but also for us bouncing back whilst Doncaster will look to push closer to the playoffs. Donny have only won 1 of their last 8 in all competitions whilst we are without a win in 6.

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Despite the extra 2 defenders brought into the squad we have had to make do we 3 defenders at the back with Woodgate making his debut and Williams playing out of position in CB. With fitness problems for Smith and Bree we couldn't afford to play 4 defenders because fitness levels could cost us.

Lita is dropped to the bench for todays game after being poor recently and Waring starts alongside Hemmings up top as we revert back to the formation we used against Fleetwood which would've won us at least a point if it wasn't for injuries.

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What a shocker that was. We were dreadful. Woodgate looked as if the best team he had ever played for was Lincoln whilst our midfield 5 couldn't create a chance if they were playing against a team of pigeons.

Theo Robinson killed us in this game. He had 3 shots, 3 goals and an assist. What makes it worse is that every single goal they scored came from a corner! It was dreadful and I was honestly worried I was going to be sacked after the game.

Luckily I wasn't sacked but I was greeted to the news that Waring who had been fantastic for us since Fleetwood would be injured for 5-6 weeks with a twisted ankle. I have lost count of how many players are injured now and we seem to be picking up a new injury every game. The press and constantly asking about how much money we are spending on contracts because of the size of the squad but what they seem to forget is without the size of the squad we wouldn't have enough players to fill the bench.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Transfer News
Amongst all the bad news we needed something to happen to keep things from getting to depressive quickly. After holding a meeting to get morale up I went to my office to find that a transfer had been complete.

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Ryan Seager was brought in on loan from Southampton. Nearly every team in the league was chasing the signing of the forward on loan but for some reason Southampton saw us as the best place for him to develop.

I am hoping that the introduction of the striker will pull morale up around the place a bit more and that he can provide more goals for us as we are now on a run of 7 without a win and have only scored 2 goals in 5 games. ​

 

[kmitchell96]

Tactical Tinkering Part 2
This isn't something I wanted to do but the lone striker seems to have stopped working and we don't have enough depth at centre back to play with 3 central defenders so I have had to alter our number one tactic in order to fit in 2 strikers and play a back 4.

I would have preferred to play with a 5 man midfield but with injuries and Lita being in poor form we don't have a striker who can play alone up top and we don't have a strong enough selection of defenders to play a back 3.

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It is the same tactics as what the number 1 tactic was and we will look to attack, keep the ball and move quickly using short passing moves. We have sacrificed the anchor man in order to play the second striker and the roles of different players have changed.

The two central midfielders used to be ball winning and advanced play maker roles but they will now play as a deep lying play maker and a box to box midfielder. Up top we will look to get Seager to play a false 9 role to try and create space for Hemmings who will play a poacher role. The wingers will no longer just attack as they will have to support play and get back to help out the young full backs whilst acting to be a part of the passing midfield we aim to create.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 11: Swindon (FL1)
Before the game there was more bad news. Seager wouldn't be declared fit as he returns from an injury he picked up at Southampton meaning he would have to sit it out today and Woodgate picked up a knock in training and had to have injections meaning he would be playing with pain for today before being rested next week.

Swindon are currently 6th in the league and have only lost 1 game in the league all season. It was going to be another tough test for us as they would look to pick up 3 points to push for promotion. Andy Williams would be a handful having scored 6 goals so far whilst they have 3 other strikers who have scored 2 or more goals meaning they wouldn't be short of attacking options.

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A limping Woodgate would lead the backline whilst Lita would play in Seagers role for todays game. Lalkovic would be given one last chance to earn his spot after being terrible since the international call up he got.

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The game was going well. The first half was poor for both as neither could create chances. The first 5 minutes of the second half were dreadful for us as we conceded and saw Woodgate pick up a knock.

Just before I made the 3 subs and was about to take Lalkovic off because of fitness he proved why he deserves to be in the team by equalising. However we were tore apart in the last 10 minutes on the counter and couldn't win the game and ended up losing it.

Since the injury to Cranie we have had one big problem. Defending corners. The most annoying thing about today is that they scored all 3 of their goals from corners. That makes 7 goals in 2 games scored from corners which is awful and this is despite the training being put in to counter this problem.

Sitting 22nd in the table now we were struggling to do anything. Defending was our biggest problems with the injuries but our strikers had no confidence and couldn't finish at all which left us with an awful goal difference as well as points tally (we have won 2 points in 8 games after 6 in the first 2).​

 

[kmitchell96]

BREAKING NEWS!

Barnsley have sacked manager Darren Wrack after going 8 games without a win. The former Saddler gave out a statement:

"I would like to apologise to the fans and players of Barnsley for the failings of my management. It started well as we were unbeaten in our first 2 league games and pre-season but results were hard to find after that.

Whilst I do take some of the blame I also think it is down to the injuries within the squad. As of today we have more injured defenders than healthy and consistently have key players getting injured. The defensive struggles were our biggest problem however after a fantastic scoring start we struggled to finish off our chances.

I would like to state that whilst the board were helpful during my stay HOWEVER they were very stern in their decision today. They failed to see that we were working with a squad full of big injuries and have had a lot of tough games and when I tried to argue they said the only way to keep my job was to win each of the next 6 league games which is unachievable with the injuries and oppositions we have to play with.

I would like to thank the fans, players, staff and board for their support during my stay and I hope the next manager can turn around the struggles I had as fitness picks back up. I have built a strong squad and I know he will have the opportunity to work wonders and be successful with the Tykes."

The Barnsley board, who wrack deemed as stubborn also released a short statement on the matter:

"We would like to announce that manager Darren Wrack has been terminated from his role with immediate effect. The former midfielder was poor in the role and failed to bring any success to the club. Whilst he managed to go unbeaten in pre-season we are a big club and should be at the top end of the table."

When asked about his next move the manager stated that he will look to get back into management as soon as possible and hopes to be successful with another club however he said he will have to work at a lower level where he can be allowed time to learn the ropes of management without the large amounts of pressure.

The odds for the next Barnsley manager are as follows:
Jamie Carragher- 7/4
Steve Lomas- 5/1
Jim Magilton- 10/1

​

 

[kmitchell96]

Where next?
Well with the unexpected (sort of expected) sacking I was left unemployed again. I thought I was in a good place with Barnsley with expectations not being too high, a great squad and a supportive board but they proved differently.

Notts County have offered me a job and said they would love me to join but they aren't willing to play to my philosophies and want to play the opposite style to what I like. I put the job offer on delay in case of other offers having applied elsewhere.

I was also in the running for the Macclesfield job. The conference side were struggling and I feel that I could do a good job there so put my name in. They were "flattered" that I had applied but wanted to consider all options.

Yeovil also offered me an interview but they were a club on a downward spiral. After being promoted to the championship they dropped straight back down and with the squad and set up they have now they look set for back to back relegations and that isn't something I want to be a part of.

I had also applied for a couple of jobs abroad. Italy, Spain and Holland all had a couple of openings and it could be interesting to see how I fair abroad even if I have no experience outside of English football.

I had also applied for the Exeter job as much to everybody's surprise they had sacked long time manager Paul Tisdale! It was another attractive job in which​

 

[Nnicod55]

Sad to see you got fired But luckily in FM your (and our) opportunities don't never end and there is a new "second chance" every time

 

[kmitchell96]

Sad to see you got fired But luckily in FM your (and our) opportunities don't never end and there is a new "second chance" every time

Yeah was annoyed I got sacked so soon, the day I got sacked there were enough injuries to create a starting 11 and it would probably be better than what I had to work with.

I am about to reveal the next move in a few minutes....

 

[kmitchell96]

The next move is...
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Yes Macclesfield!

They had the best offer in terms of what they wanted me to do. Currently in a relegation battle they wanted me to just avoid relegation and after looking at the squad that is more than achievable. The owner was willing to make any philosophical changes to the way they play and run the club and this is what made me move as other offers didn't let me play the way I wanted to.

They have decent training facilities but the youth facilities will have to be improved. The club are wanting to move forward from where they are and they are willing to invest if I can do well this season.

I do see this as my final chance. After struggling at Barnsley I feel like this is a make or break job. If I can't do well here in the conference then where is the next step? Not many people will be willing to hire me if I can't have success here.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Tactics
With very little time to settle in once the welcome meetings were done and dusted I had to create the tactics using the assistant managers reports. We seemed to have strength down the middle of the pitch so I would look to create tactics that would make the most of a strong spine.

The key player in everything would be Turnbull who would look to operate and control the middle of the pitch at all times. He is way too good to be at this level and the staff believe he is already good enough to play in league 1 so it could be tough to hold on to him in January as he has also been a bright spot in a poor season.

With the club struggling down in 21st and with just 3 wins in 17 games we would have to start strong under new management. Due to this any backroom alterations or transfer deals will wait until after Christmas leaving me to focus on our on the pitch form and our tactics.

Tactic 1
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One simple goal with this tactic. Work the ball down the middle quickly and keep possession. Press the opposition when we aren't on the ball and make the most of the strength in the spine of the team. It seems to be the favourite option for the players long term with the squad knowing we have very little out wide and once the tactic has been learned it will be our number 1 tactic.

Tactic 2
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Again there is one main goal in this. Make the most of the spine of the team. This will look to stretch play a little using the wingers and the central player will be the core of the team as he will support play wherever the ball is on the pitch. The aim is to keep the ball and wait until there is an opening and just frustrate teams and slowly create chances.

Tactic 3
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The final tactic and one that I didn't like drawing up. I cannot stand 4-4-2 formations but I feel for the short term it will give us the best chance of bouncing back. Looking to exploit the spine and just play simple football. Sit back, press the ball and get the ball up quickly and counter. This will rely on the wingers a lot which is something I am not confident about with our quality out wide but in the short term it should create a solid back line and give us a few chances each game to win the game.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 18: Wrexham (FA Cup Qualifier 4th Round)
So my first game as Macclesfield manager. It wasn't going to be easy as we come up against Wrexham who currently reside in 9th in the Conference. The board want to get to the first round and that means winning this game. Wrexham are hard to play against by the look of it as they are inconsistent but one thing we do know is that they are good at the back and good going forward.

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Like I said before we need to keep it simple short term and aim to just stay in games and create chances to win it. Today the assistant manager chose the team as I still hadn't had much of a chance to review the squad for myself.

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It was a very promising performance against a stronger side. Wrexham could have been down to 10 men 10 minutes in but somehow Storer avoided a booking and then he went on to double their lead. He was eventually sent off in the second half after we had pulled a goal back.

We were very unlucky as we played fantastically but were denied by last ditch defending and on one occasion the cross bar. If the Wrexham red card had been 10 minutes earlier I would've put us down to win 3-2 because they were awful once their key man was dismissed.

Going forward we created chances and we also controlled the ball for the large part despite being instructed to play counter attacking football. We played fantastically and there is a lot of talent in the squad and for now it is just finding a way to use the talent that is there in my first league game.​

 

[kmitchell96]

Game 19: Nuneaton (VC)
Nuneaton currently sit in 23rd place and a win is a must in this game. Defensively they are woeful having conceded 2 or more goals in 11 of their 18 fixtures so far this season. Going forward they rely on Andy Brown who has scored 4 of their 13 goals so far this season.

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So after a strong first showing I decided to move ahead with the main tactic rather than the 4-4-2. It was in my opinion our best way of attacking and this is a weak defensive side we are playing against today so a few goals to boost morale would be fantastic.

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The first 10 minutes were dreadful. 41 seconds in Andy Brown, the man I highlighted as a large threat ran straight past everyone and scored. However once we had settled things in proved and it showed in the end. With patient passing play we managed to control the rest of the game and we were fantastic. We almost made it 3-1 in the last minute but the shot was tipped wide.

The stats prove how well we played though. 58% possession, 12 shots (compared to Nuneaton's 4) and 0 fouls! We need to work on our defensive display but as long as we attack and control the game as we did today it should be a case of just having to score 1 more than whoever we play.

This was an important win as it meant we closed the gap on safety, built confidence and got some fantastic play going. If we can get another couple of wins in November we can start to push for mid-table.​