FMSaddler96

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Hi, I'm FMSaddler96 and this is my first story on here and hopefully it will be the first of many. This story will follow the career of an unemployed nobody as they hope to work their way up into a managerial great.

Exploring Unemployment
Here I was, mapping out what I wanted to do. Day 1 on the hope of becoming a manager. It was my last chance to resurrect what looked like I could've had a great career.

As a 15 year old I was one of the greatest prospects in English football. About to be promoted up to the first team for Walsall once I hit my 16th birthday I was prepared to be launched into an exciting career which I had always envisioned would end with me being an all time great.

But that's when it all went wrong. At 15 years old, just 3 months before my birthday, in a reserves game I was hit hard. We had travelled to Wolves and it was a bitter, bitter rivalry and the tackle was apparently one of the worst my manager had seen as he watched. A broken leg and a torn ACL left me out for almost 2 years...

When I came back at almost 17 years old I was ready to make up for the time I had lost. After a month of reserves games I was ready to get my first call up to the team and it was almost here. Just a week was between me and my introduction as a Saddler.

But once again there was a spanner in the works. A nasty slip in training saw me tear my ACL for a second time in 2 years and this time it wasn't recoverable. After all these years of being ready to make a name for myself as a player I was stuck.

And here I was 5 years later, 20 years old and with a playing career out of question. The club had been fantastic and had helped me on to a different career path. They had funded my coaching qualifications and without them I had no other career hopes after a poor education out of hope of becoming a footballing great.

My life had been torn apart but now it was time for me to do something that most 20 year old's had already done. Now it was time for me to explore unemployment.
 
Managerial Style
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As I said before after an injury took my playing career off path the club I played for were fantastic and did everything I could to give me hope of a career in football. Having never made the first team I can only really class myself as a semi-professional footballer, but boy I could’ve been so much more…


The coaching license (Continental C) is what I would hope would push my career forward. With no experience and an abruptly ended playing career it was the only hope of getting a job to start with and it could be tough.

I always wanted to have a footballing career and this was my only hope now so I was determined to move forward with it and succeed.
 
Unwanted News
"Hi, it's Dr.Rob. We ran your test results on your leg and there is still a re-occurring problem with your ACL. It hasn't fully healed and any stress could cause further tears or problems for your health so we recommend you take time off of whatever you are doing till new year"

"But I was just about to start my management career, I had started looking to apply for jobs to get into it as quickly as possible"

"I highly recommend you don't do that till new year. The travel and training over the next 6 months could cause a lot of problems in your leg and like I said it could tear again"

"Fine, I'll stay off of it and wait another 6 months to start my career... Bye"

...

So there it was. Another 6 months in waiting. I would have to wait until new year to get anything because of the "stresses" of management. All I wanted to do is dive head first into management as soon as possible and I wanted to get into the game as soon as possible.

I had already applied to Cambridge who had offered me an interview which I had to reluctantly decline and now it'll be a long wait until new year. Hopefully 2016 will be nicer to me than what the last 5 years have been...
 
1st January 2016
After getting the all clear to start my career over Christmas I was ready to dive in head first and there were a few options to go for in search of my first managerial job.
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I wanted to be in England. I spoke no second languages and had no experience abroad. The conference clubs were options. Weston were a good side who were bouncing around mid-table and it would be a good role to settle into and set my ideas out. Gosport is one I would try if I had the experience but they were smashing expectations as league leaders.

I didn't want to go any higher than league 2 due to expectations. Accrington seemed the only option in league 2 that I feel I could work well with. Morecambe and Hartlepool were expected to be in mid-table and they were both adrift at the bottom of the table. There was also Notts County and Stevenage but they were expected to get promoted and neither were doing fantastically.

I applied for the Accrington and Weston-Super-Mare jobs in hope that I could begin managing sooner rather than later. I had already lost 6 months and wasn't prepared to wait any longer.
 
Weston appoint Saddler!
Weston-Super-Mare have today announced that they have appointed a new manager. Former England propsect, 20 year old FMSaddler has signed a 1 and a half year deal with the club leaving him in charge till June 2017.

The managers first game will be at home on Tuesday where the Seagulls will take on 8th place Hayes & Yeading. With a slip in form seeing the club drop from midtable to a relegation battle in the previous 2 weeks the newbie manager will be hoping to get off to a good start.

Saddler released a short statement:
"I am proud to be here today in charge of what is a good club. They have been unfortunate this season in regards to league position but I believe that we have a good chance to move forward and improve. We have a strong squad at our disposal and there is no reason we cannot succeed."
 
Great read so far. Hopefully Saddler has more luck as a manager then he had as a player!

Good luck, will be following. :)
 
Tactics
With a game in just 2 days I had to settle in quick, with no time to mess around I had to settle on some tactics and I had some in mind which I had always used playing football manager. It was something we always did travelling to away games in the Walsall youth team and this was my chance to test how they'd work in real life.

Tactic 1- 5-2-1-2 Defensive
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This was a tactic I would hope I won't have to use much, it goes against all my footballing beliefs but it is one that could be needed from time to time. The idea is to sit back and frustrate opponents and just hoof the ball up quickly. It won't create many chances in a game but it will give us a good chance of keeping goals out.

Tactic 2- 4-2-3-1 Attacking SS
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This is more my style. We will look to control the ball, move it round quickly and use the wingers. Attacking is the key but the key player on the pitch is the number 10 who will either score the goals or give space to the striker to do so. The wingers will stretch play and the middle of the pitch will open up to create space for the spine of the team.

Tactic 3- 4-2-2-1-1 Counter
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This is about pumping the ball through the middle and crowding the middle of the pitch. By hitting it down the middle the back 4 just have to win the ball back and hit it up. Dealing with teams who use width could be one problem but the key to the whole tactic is keeping it in the middle of the park. One thing about this is that a couple of changes can alter the entire tactic from a counter to control tactic in seconds.
 
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