From literal rags to worldwide fame. Yelizaveta's rise from the mud.

[Death Ball]

October 2017.

Getafe have been top team for most of the start of the season, they're second now. I decide to start defensive with a little rotation.
The first half is very good. They barely get to our area and we get to them, with very accurate shooting, pity their goalkeeper is looking like a top division one.
Second half was almost as good, they lost a man to a red card, but still their goalkeeper was excellent, as were some defenders putting in last ditch tackles when the goalkeeper couldn't have saved them.
This is a good result given the opposition and a performance to be optimistic, but given our form up to now it feels so disappointing.

Jesús Pastor got his nose broken and it will take up to three weeks, but I'll ask him to play with protective equipment. At least I want him to be available.

We're back to matches that people expect to be easy for us and we're back to the 4-2-3-1, as the defensive version isn't as strong against weaker teams.
The first half is almost a copy of the previous match, but with many more shots off target and Álvaro scoring from a free kick at the end of it. Both midfielders have picked a card and I don't want to go down to ten men, so they're both being substituted. If they show more attacking play I may go to the 4-1-4-1.
They don't immediately; but when they change to a 4-3-3 I'm confirmed in the idea to keep things the same way. But this wouldn't be Alcobendas Sport if somebody just didn't sabotage the win. In what is not a disproval of the correctness of my decision, as it was in a free kick, Raúl Díez, who is told to man mark, decides to stand in no man's land, all by himself, allowing their winger to pick the ball and cross it with no opposition. Murci had the clearest chance to get us the win, but Puñal did a good job saving it.

Yedra is in for Llorente. Raúl Diéz starts, though perhaps I should have given his place to de la Rosa.
First half is like a full match. We go 1-0, change to 4-1-4-1, go 2-0. Then centrebacks sabotage it with some help at times. So first three defenders are pressing a player with a second close enough to keep it. Parla, who is in the other side, then decides he has to be a fourth looking at them and abandon the striker, so when the ball carrier passes to the second man, he has just the time for an easy pass that ends on the striker having a no brainer. Then three press their right winger, if you understand pressing as "look at them from afar while forgetting their marks" and Yedra steps back away from his as he sees the ball coming to him.
Murci sets it right in the second half, after they get a red card and I change things to a 4-2-4. Right at the end a deflection goes in for the final 4-2 when playing a 4-3-1-2.
Again, good result, very disappointing performance.

Jony hurt his wrist and will be playing with protective equipment. Domínguez is training normally so we'll see how we line up.

Domínguez starts, Pablo Iglesias starts instead of Álvaro as this is considered a high rivalry match and he's prone to pick cards too easily.
First half is unlucky. We seem the better, but players keep missing the last pass and they get the one counterattack chance we let them have. This looks like it will be our first defeat.
The second half is a small improvement and should have given us the draw with Jony's late goal, but it was to be a defeat as the referee made sure allowing them an offside goal at the start of the second half.

Quique is back in full training, but still tired, so I'm not risking it. Domínguez starts and Jony has earned to start too, so he's moved to the right and Navarro to the back, dropping de la Rosa.
The first half is balanced. We look the more dangerous more often, but they get the more shots, with a good chance exploiting out high defensive line and a second from a corner after I took it deeper; but we also had one good chance in play and a second that was almost a goal.
Despite that woodwork and post hit from a corner, making the defensive line deeper proved the right decision and Parla didn't threaten our goal again. On the other side, after a change to 4-5-1 to make our defence more solid, Domínguez got the goal from a Navarro cross and later Nevado was a tenth of a second too slow to double the lead.
Good win to move back up to seventh place. Still beyond a match from play off positions.

Surprisingly, given I was asked to win the league, the board is still satisfied with my work.

 

[Death Ball]

November 2017.

De la Rosa wants more first team football and I was planning on give him some, so I'll agree.

What the...? So I promise him more first team football and right away he decides to leave the club.

Quique returns to the bench. Álvaro is suspended and Iglesias takes his place.
We have a strong first half with plenty of great chances, but we waste all of them, including a penalty.
Second half is a copy of the first. More great chances that are thrown off target. So much for making them train attacking movement before the match.

Quique is still very bad in fitness but he starts anyway,. Nevado is the other rotation introduced.
Good first half in which we dominate and turn it into goals. Though it could've been more, it's two goals. Worryingly, though, many players seem complacent. Quique is given the first goal after a fre kick hits him in the way in.
We keep it in the second, after I tell the players not to think all is done and remind them of past matches. Acha is given a goal even if it was an own goal by their defender and at the end we concede one. This time it wasn't a big defensive mistake so I've got no problem with it.
This result gets us again within touch of promotion places.

Quique had just come back and now he's again out for a month and a half.

Lorente is the rotation in this match, apart from Jony returning to start and Abel González to the bench due to Quique's injury.
We start with a great chance created by Acha that Joan sends to the post in a very poor finishing act, to just after Muñoz giving out a goal by coming out completely not to the ball. We are creating some more good chances so I keep things as they are, but they stop as after half an hour players begin to try dribble through rivals all the time.
The second half opens with another gift by Muñoz, who's earned the bench for a while, going to pick the ball from the striker's feet waddling like a duck with his legs wide open for an easy goal. Since chances dried up, I changed things to a 4-2-4 with Murci and Acha up top. The change worked wonderfully and between them we got back to win the match, creating as many chances in the last thirty minutes as in the previous sixty.
With this we draw level points with fourth place.

We face off against fourth placed team. A win puts us in play offs, but I don't want to lose ground and they're a strong side, so we're going with the 4-1-4-1.
In the first half they have more shots, but they're controlled shots with no big chance. The best is ours, but Óscar gets his shot at the keeper. The bad thing is all central midfield picks cards.
The second sees their only great chance sent to the crossbar at the end of the only counter attack they achieve. We get some more too, but are saved. This second half, seeing how we weren't getting to their area I chose to ask the players to shoot from distance, which gave us a fair number of corners, though our good chances didn't come from them.
Problems were how our right side did nothing in attack and Acha picked a knock.

 

[Death Ball]

December 2017.

Just before the last month of the year some players come unhappy with the underperforming. Maybe they should take to the defenders that have kept disconnecting so many matches. Starting by Raúl Díez.

I calm them down telling them I'm not giving up.

No rotaton this time, other than Nevado in Óscar's place.
We control the first half and get one goal, the disappointing thing is it came from a rebound of a poor chance after missing two great ones.
We start the second half conceding a goal, because this is Alcobendas Sport. But not really. It was a offside that player out the most threatening player but it was the rival's good pick of a pass, not really a mistake by our defence. I guess you might blame Lorente, but that would be stupid as it would mean judging a Tercera team with the standards of Liga Santander.

With Nevado up behind the striker, a small change of roles is made, given Nevado's poor dribbling skill.
The first half is what was to be expected when a top half team faces the bottom one. We dominate them completely and get three goals.
The second half is changes for fitness. They score one through one big mess up in defence, but nothing else happens other than a couple decent chances we miss.
The only real concern is our aim seems off and so many shots go off target, though not all are to be blamed on the shooters, like that cross Domínguez sent too high for Acha so he couldn't direct it.
And we're finally among the top four if Alcalá loses their match. Still nine points off the top.

Raúlz Díez asks for more first team football. Considering I've not used him in a long time and he's first team status, it's an understandable reaction. He had a bad match but generally has not played badly, so I'll give it some time to prove himself.

We face Móstoles, who are in second place. I would be tempted to be defensive, but I have the feeling the usual system may work better.
We've done less than with the 4-1-4-1 against the leaders. However, we've had a number of good plays that missed on producing a chance very narrowly, so I'll leave things for the second half as they are.
Things remain the same nearing the hour of play, but my decision is just to change players: Joan in for Nevado and go attacking for him, Murci in as supporting target man for Acha. It worked and Joan scores two goals from two good plays.
We move definitely into the play offs with this. We're up to third place.

Quique is in the bench, back from injury but still far from being fit. Jesús Pastor starts, that's all the rotation.
Perhaps the best first half yet. Good plays and a result to reflect it. 3-0 up, seems unlikely they'll make a comeback.
The second half has a goal by Nevado being called off for Acha's offside, that didn't distract any defender, didn't touch the ball, didn't obstruct the keeper's sight of the ball. Ridiculous. Then they had a bit of luck from a free kick and then we again.
Every starting player rated over 7.0. First half of the season ends with us in play off places.

Same team as before, but with no keeper in the bench.
The first half is poor, though we are better than stats suggest. Only three shots, but a few plays that missed the last pass for dead easy tap ins.
Second half begins with Parla and Díez being idiots again. The run together chasing the point the ball will land, not caring an enemy is right there in front of them in the path to head it in. Acha later gets the equalizer, but we don't get any more goals so it ends in another disappointing draw.

Almost a perfect month, at least it's the best month so far.

No coaching course in sight.

 

[Death Ball]

January 2018.

Muñoz is now asking for more first team football. I'll give him the chances, but his squad status is down to rotation.

Álvaro is out because he earned his tenth yellow card of the season during past match. Navarro starts due to his need for fitness. Quique will still be in the bench.
A good first half gives us just a one goal lead, with a second wonderful chance saved by the goalie.
Second half keeps the total domination, but with no second goal there was no stopping the draw, as in injury time, Navarro pushes a rival in a corner.
Another two points thrown away that mean we've dropped out of promotion play offs. But the worst is Domínguez picked up a knock.

Domínguez will be almost a month out.

Muñoz will have his chance to impress. Aliaga's not in the bench because I wanted to have Iglesias but not leave Pastor out.
Mediocre first half. We are clearly the better team of the two, even on this sand surface, but we don't do much with it and, although we could have gone ahead with a couple of shots, it's not like they were that good.
Second half was the same until the defence once again went nuts and everyone moved out of position and gifted them an easy goal. From there, changes had already been done, the players arrived to the match and we began to create chances and do things, but only one goal could be scored.

We come next against the team right above Internacional. Minimal rotation. Some news have popped out suggesting I may be sacked, though last time I talked to one of them the board was satisfied, so getting a win is more important than usual.
This time the players get down to business right away and make a great half, finishing it with a three goal lead. It wouldn't be the first time they throw such an advantage away, though.
And they almost did it. They disconnected at the start of the second half and conceded two goals; but then Domínguez got a long ball and sent it to Acha for our fourth goal and from there things remained in our control.

Navalcarnero is a few places ahead of Adarve. Domínguez is back to fitness and starts the game, Álvaro also starts again.
Poor first half. We do nothing in attack, so changes are needed, but I don't want to miss the chance to play with both Acha and Murci up top, which is why I've been waiting to half time to decide on what to do.
In the end, the decision is to start with a small change of roles to Joan and Acha.
After a quarter of an hour and no result, I choose to make the change to 4-2-4 and see how it goes. It works a treat and we get two goals in a couple of minutes. A little later I decide to defend the result and change to a 4-5-1, but right before the changes are done, Murci scores the third. We get very close to his hat trick in the closing minutes, but it ends like that. For once, after so long, we get a win with a clean sheet.
Alcalá drew their match so we're back among play off positions. So did Getafe B and we're again nine points behind, which are likely too many.

See? They're not unhappy.

 

[Death Ball]

February 2018.

The wage budget has been reduced.

Yedra had asked me to get him a coaching course. I told him I would so I've fulfilled my promise. The board has agreed. But one for me is too expensive.

We begin the month against the second placed team, before we go against the first. We've trained defensive movement but play the usual 4-2-3-1. Lorente starts because both Parla and Yedra are one card away from suspension and I don't want to be forced to play only one natural centreback against Getafe B.
We create a number of good chances, but they get a counter with the striker just in line and, though the defence sends him to a narrow angle, Muñoz ruins the job letting it slip between him and the post. Given the chances created, I give the system the rest of the half to get the equalizer; but failing that at the end of the half, I will change to a 4-4-2. Also, De Pedro will be suspended against Getafe B, which is a problem as he's our only left fullback.
The 4-2-4 does nothing so I change to a diamond. It gets us some nice chances that are saved. Muñoz makes a great save to claim he deserves his chance after all; but later he just lets another ball go within his reach into the net. The shot was a world class strike worthy of Real Madrid, but still not something he couldn't have saved with a display worthy of our division. And just before the end, Yedra just pushes the offside trap way too much and lets their striker free. Muñoz doesn't do well, but not too bad either.

We face the top team with de Pedro suspended. Lorente takes his place as he's the one defender I feel can be trusted the most. Díez starts at the other side because in this system he fits better than in the usual, while Navarro will be at the wing. Defensive central midfield as I'm aiming more at not losing. Murci up top because he's a bit faster than Acha and also stronger.
We hold them nicely during the first half, even get to be the team that has been the closest to get ahead, though it's not too close that we got to be. Parla hasn't played very well, though.
In the second half we get some real high quality plays, but twice the ball is intercepted right before Murci can apply the easiest finish. We're the only team threatening the other, but we are the ones that lose because the idiot referee refuses to call the clear offside Guito was in. On top of that he booked both Yedra and Parla, the first was justified but the second was no way a card, so he's screwed this match and the next.

With only one decent centreback to use next game, losing one more may actually put my job at risk, so I'll start looking at other choices. The only two jobs that at the moment might have some interest would be Linares in Andalucía Occidental group and East Fife in Scottish League One. The former is third of their group and likely to end in the promotion playoffs and the later, as the former, has okay finances. The problem with them is I don't know how long I can wait to file an application and sending them now may lose me the job right now for nothing.

East Fife is expected to finish in play offs, they've trailing fifth by more than ten points but there's enough season left that coming back into the fight would noe be impossible. The squad, however, is poorly build with no wingers and a huge lot of strikers. They've been using a flat 4-5-1 whioch explains how they are underperforming that much and provides an argument to go for this job.

I applied to Linares, but their interview process is finished. So I guess I'll try East Fife.

Raúl Díez got a flu. Hopefully he'll accept he can't play while he's got it.

East Fife has offered me the interview.

Pozuelo is in the lower half of the table. With not enough players to fill the bench between suspensions and injuries, we start with the 4-2-4 and the youngster Moreno at the back.
We start poorly and concede from a corner, a melee with one rival ends in a weak clearance by Acha that is picked by a player that shoots with Aliaga unable to do anything. I keep the system and we get back into the match with three goals by Domínguez, Murci and Acha, though before half time we concede a second time from a counter. Pedro Moreno is given a bad rating, but he's not been that bad.
Second half is slow until the hour is played, then we get again into it, Acha scores one more and Murci completes his hat trick. Good win, our best so far, even though it's not against a top half team.
Pedro Moreno was given a poor rating until we went 5-2 up, but he's done very well, intercepoting passes and generally making life difficult for the opposition strikers.

A few days later, East Fife comes with an offer. €125 more per week, which is a nice bonus.

 

[Death Ball]

New club, East Fife.

I negotiate the contract, though I don't insist, as soon I get a raise, even if small, I take it. It's already more money than I was getting here.

Salary: 475€/week = 1900€/month
Food: 24x30
Bus: 3.20x30
Apartment: 600€
Electricity and so: 200€
Monthly total = 1616
Remaining: 284€
Family contributions: 284€
Total savings per month: 0€


Now that I could watch the players in the first training session, I'd say in average they're a bit better than at Alcobendas. The worse are not as bad but the best are not as good. One bad thing is our weakness is in goal, with neither goalkeeper being in level to Muñoz.

Severn will be our first choice keeper. I think he's what one can expect for this league, so it's not that bad.

Our key player will be one of two midfielders: either Kevin Moon to start in the middle or Kyle Wilkie in the advanced midfield:

Kevin Smith has been the main striker for the team so far, with only seven goals. He'll be starting in my system, but I would consider Gordon Smith to be our best choice.

Just two other coaches to work in training with me.

Our system will be a 4-3-1-2, which I feel is the most suited to the team. As I promised to play direct football, we'll be using long passes, though I don't ask them to be hasty. We're not going to train another system for now.

Oh, come on! "Okay finances". They're in debt. I changed job not just because Alcobendas was too close to go south for comfort without having any economical buffer to take unemployment, but because their debt level was too high. For this I would've stayed at Alcobendas, where I was close to promotion places.

I'm not hiring new staff then. With all this my preparation is done for the next.

 

[osullm]

Congrats on the new job. Love the detail on the breakdown of your salary!

 

[Death Ball]

Congrats on the new job. Love the detail on the breakdown of your salary!

I wanted to avoid past careers happy job hoping, I keep track of it so while there's no savings for Yelyzaveta to feel comfortable about the chance of losing a job just because some vacancy she has a chance to get she'll be applying, and keep applications to when she's just been sacked or sacking feels too close for comfort. In this case, though I've not taken screenshots and forgot to add it to the narration, job security was on insecure; though the next matches for Alcobendas were looking easy and that 4-2-4 had got a good result, the squad had given up too many winning positions so it's not a given that because it scored six goals against a team, it would be as productive in future matches. Looking at available jobs at those moments, there was only Linares and East Fife as teams with okay finances and doing fairly decent in their leagues.

Now, since Tercera is 18 groups and I'm still not installing those extra RAM, I'm considering deactivating it, as that would save a lot of processing time and many teams I found didn't have squads filled, some had many greyed players.

 

[Death Ball]

March 2018

Uhm, why are they making the question about women in football the main of the presentation press conference? Nobody should give a **** about it.

We're level in points and they're the favourites. However I'm not making any change to the system I thought best fit for the squad.
We started polaying better, we should be ahead; but Severn proved the point goalkeeper is our weaker position. It started because Lithgow was too forward without real need; but he herded the striker nicely to a tight angle, it was Severn who didn't save a goal despite not being in a bad position.
Second half is more active and we both do more, but the score doesn't change. Severn however redeems himself from his mistake, as he saves two or three great chances they have.
The result isn't good but the performance has not been as bad as the ratings say. It's mostly a matter of tweaking the system. To start, I think our defensive line was too high and was ultimately what allowed the play of the goal to happen. Despite the many shots conceded, including three great chances, the feeling of this defence is better than I had at Alcobendas. We'll have to see, perhaps it is worse and they just had an okay day. Another change to the tactic is to swap both strikers and possibly give Ross Smith preferrence over Kevin Smith.

We have the youth intake. No great prospects, though some deserve to be signed to the young team. I'll let the staff deal with signing them.

Ayr are third and favourites. Despite iot also being away, I'm not changing from the main system I think fits us better.
Again we are the team that creates more during the first half, but the strikers lack the quality to take the created chances and keep sending everything off target. Severn makes a good save for their only real chance.
Second half followed the same pattern, just until I ask to bring in Kevin Smith in for Sheerin. Just before Sheering shoots and it rebounds off a defender to get into goal. We start to get shots on target after that and Orr completes the score with a header.
With this we break a ten run of matches without winning, in which all but two were defeats.

This match will be what shuts down any chance to come back to the play off positions or leave the chance inside the edge of our reach. I repeat the side, as looking at them training, I'm not so sure Kyle Johnson is really our best defender. He's slow to get running.
We make an excellent first half with great attacking play, however finishing lets us down. That makes it clear what is that we need for next season.
Second half is the same story, changes not being enough. Scott Robinson got injured and that's the worst part of the match, as we don't have midfielders for the bench other than youth players.
The result means play offs are too far and there's no hopes to get there. It's not a big deal, as I don't think it would've happened anyway. What is clear we need for next season is to bring some back up midfielders, if one starting creator can be found the better and new strikers.

Three months will Robinson be out.

We lose Ross Smith, back up centreback / right fullback for the rest of the season to an injury during a U20 match to recover his fitness.

This one is a team behind us. Losing may mean getting too close to relegation play off spot. With Gordon Smith not being too fit, Thomas Orr takes his place, as Gordon hasn't played too well and Orr's done better from the bench.
They get a few attacks that look dangerous but end in nothing and we get ahead with two goals, with several more chances to increase the advantage. Though he's the key piece, Brown is going off as he picked a yellow card and I don't want to have him suspended next match.
We control the match even better during the second half as they don't even once do anything close to threatening even before the red card they picked, though we just score once.
This seals we don't have to worry about the bottom of the league.

Another match against a team behind us. No changes to the starting eleven.
We controlled the match again, going two goals up, but Lithgow almost costs us a goal and a red card and causes a free kick that ends in a goal, so he's out for the second half.
Second half is perfect, though, we completely shut their offensive play and continue creating, getting a goal with excellent play by Orr holding his space against the centrebacks to receive a long pass and score.

This good set of results leaves me wishing they had hired me much sooner.

Severn's third most clean sheets. Half of them with me. I'm certainly happy with the solidity this defence is showing.

 

[Death Ball]

April 2018

March manager of the month is a robbery, they give it on same score to Alex Rae because he's at the team at the top. I've got the same with a team that's in the lower half and has just being promoted. I'd say I had it tougher to get those results.

McAuland comes into midfield, where he had a good match recently. Clearly everyone expects us to lose, they're second in the league and that's underperforming for them.
They show their superiority in the first half, with Severn keeping us in the game, though he can't avoid conceding one goal.
After Brown picks a card, I change to a 4-2-4 that works to get us level, but no more. For the later minutes I change to a 4-5-1 to defend the result, but they get an unmarked man in a corner and so we end losing.
The result everyone expected, but I'm not unhappy as the defence has shown to be up to the task, it's not them switching off or doing stupid stuff that we conceded.

This is the team just four points ahead. I would very much like to finish ahead of them and we need a win. Assistant says Kyle Johnson is training well and, after Lithgow's poor match, he's having a chance. Gordon Smith will have his goal rewarded with a start.
We got ahead with a good goal by Sheerin, then Kyle Johnson seals his fate. His place is with Alcobendas Sport, he first mistimes a run to pull an offside trap leaving his man alone and at the end of the first half he scores a ridiculous own goal with no pressure on him whatsoever.
For the second change, I change both centrebacks as they are booked, plus Kyle not playing again. Gordon Smith shows him how to take the opportunities doing his joib, scoring in the opposition's goal to set us level and seal the win Slatery had provided with our third goal. Forfar makes nothing in this half.
Two matches left to get ahead of Forfar, one point ahead of us, ver nice.

We visit the bottom team of the league. McAusland starts in midfield, otherwise unchanged. Jonhson is back to the bench because the twoe extra players who could take his place are injured.
We go ahead and they begin to get into the match, so changes seem necessary to keep the score.
The changes, merely standard mentality, work and Gordon Smith scores a second time and they get no more chances.
Stranraer won their first match in a long time, against Stirling, meaning mathematically is impossible to get ahead of them.

Last match of the season. We face the top team, which have the title in play, so this will be a tough match. Forfar behind us are facing the second team so it's not very unlikely, though still possible, we'll finish ahead.
Livingston show that thing people say about champion teams, we do better attacks and better play, but two decent attacks they get to shoot and two goals they get.
Second half I change to the 4-2-4, I want goals even if we take risks. But it didn't work and they got one in a counter attack. To make things worse, St. Mirren just screwed their game so Forfar will end ahead.

St. Mirren messed the wrong match.

Yes! We got money to get balance in the positive. Time to ask for a coaching course.

What the ****? It's the end of the season, holidays are just a few weeks away.

 

[osullm]

Great job so far with East Fife. You should have gotten manager of the month. If you can keep this sort of form a promotion is on the cards next year. You are unlucky with not being allowed to go on a coaching course. Hopefully they will allow you at the end of the season.

 

[Death Ball]

Great job so far with East Fife. You should have gotten manager of the month. If you can keep this sort of form a promotion is on the cards next year. You are unlucky with not being allowed to go on a coaching course. Hopefully they will allow you at the end of the season.

If only the move had happened a few weeks earlier, the way Stranraer dropped so many points along the way had it possible until the penultimate match to get into the play offs. Alas it couldn't be, so next year. If the core of the team keeps the level of this end of season it should be possible.

 

[Death Ball]

Postseason 2018

The first thing to do as the season ends is to look at the contracts. All the players that have been first choice with a contract running out will be offered a new one. The same for those in the bench that have come in and performed well. Any others will have their contracts run out or offered to other clubs, for free if necessary. To begin with, what I know is we can use a centreback to replace Kyle Johnson and we need at least one striker, also some central midfielders are needed, though we have a versatile squad with players who can pley more than one position.

Kevin Smith and Crawford are doubtful. Smith has not been bad and can play in midfield, which means he's more likely to receive a new contract, but I'll see what I find in the market before. Crawford isn't much worse than Severn and with Severn proving himself I can as well wait out to see what we can bring in that position.

Offered new contract to all except Crawford. Scott Robinson asked for too much and Curran doesn't want to hear about coming permanently. Most of them have accepted some pay decrease.

Next is to try set up some friendly cup or league to get money into the club, though with how in the last day Alcobendas lost a lot, I'm not sure about doing it. I'll decide in may.

The first player we go for is Scott Agnew from Stranraer. I'm going after players ending their contracts, as our finances aren't too healthy and from what my time here we have a good base to build for a better season.

Season's club awards have been published:

So much for friendlies: the players have been given holidays until mid of June. I've not even been asked about when I want them back. I will take mine as soon as I get the initial signings made. Loan work will begin in July.

The new budgets have been announced. It's just about what free signings will require in fees.

Agnew has signed.

Our scout tells me of Allison having a lot of potential and asks me to offer him a new contract. I am definitely about to do that.

We find a young and very promising goalkeeper to take the place of Crawford. He's already as good as him, if not better.

Conor Quigley will be our next target to strengthen the defence. He can play centre and left.

We lost our fitness coach so I'm looking for coaches. Also others, not just fitness.

Quigley signs. It's important as he already looks our best defender.

Only one coach has been accepted to be signed. The fitness one, who is very good.

Ferrie also signs the contract we offered. We now need the striker and some back up midfielders. The later will be looked for in the loan market.

Bonuses for the squad have been paid out.

We got Slattery in the team of the year.

Our sponsorship for next year has gone up, which is always good news.

From the list of strikers I've made, the best choice doesn't want to come, the second best signed a contract before I got the scouting of the players finished and the others don't quite convince me of their worth. There are two, however, that the scouts rate very highly. One asks for perhaps too much, I don't know if going for the other or perhaps wait to see if I can loan the second choice.

In first of June the three signings join:

Though in the end we proved capable of scoring regularly, I still think bringing a better striker is a good idea, though I need to find the right one. We can use also a couple of signings for the midfield. Maybe one starter and one back up.

 

[Death Ball]

Summer 2018

Our offer to loan Curran again was rejected.

We've offered a contract to a young out of contract and a loan offered for another from Dumferline, both midfielders. Andrew McCarthy is the first to confirm his arrival signing his contract.

And next is Brandon Luke accepting his loan.

And finally, to complete this season's team, David Hopkirk signs a contract to join on a free transfer to act as a very versatile player for midfield or striker position.

I still can't have her ask for a coaching course.

 

[Death Ball]

Preseason 2018

Just after I prepare the friendlies for the preseason, I'm asked about the season goals. I choose the minimum they are willing to consider, as I don't want to make the players feel much pressure.

On an interesting piece of news, the squad can use two players on trial.

Looking over what has gone on in Alcobendas Sport, they've been in a very good form with a lot of wins after I left, but failed in their final two matches to miss the play offs.

Among the friendlies I miss one more central midfield, with Slattery being moved to left back position; but a scout of our parent Dundee shows they have a very good leftback available for loan we can get without paying anything, so he'll be our last addition.

I can choose the pitch size for this next season and I decide for a narrow pitch, since we're going to stick to the 4-3-1-2.

Our last friendly provokes the only preseason injury so far. Luckily it's not serious and we just lose Ross Smith for less than a week.

The competitive season begins with the League Cup; but with two teams from divisions above in our group I'm treating it as mere friendlies so the rotation of the side will be maintained.

I can't pay high bonuses so I leave them at middle.

The bet companies say we should make it to the play offs.

The preseason ends with two defeats because the league cup made us face the higher division teams later, but it's been quite a good preseason regarding play. We lost against top division Falkirk but it was after being ahead and having chances to get level and win, while against Hibernian we came back twice immediately after the first two goals but it was some bad refereeing that made the defeat by two goals. We've been competitive against top teams. I'm still using just the 4-3-1-2 system. The only downside is not everyone has got to be match fit yet.

The best about the league cup has been finances, we were just in debt and the end of our participation has given us a positive balance. Enough time has passed to request a coaching course again.

And this time it's granted! Now I need to find the time for a part time job as I need an extra 250€ as moving here dropped the money I could send home. Maybe sharing my house with someone, but I don't like that and besides it's already quite small house I'm in.

They're happy with me, which is nice. They only disapprove of our style; but when I promised them direct football I didn't know well the squad and thought I could use a system better suited for that.

Reputation has increased a little, it's now almost a full star instead of a single spike.

 

[osullm]

That is great they finally approved your coaching course. As for having less money, seduce one of the youth team and get them to move in and pay half your rent!!

 

[Death Ball]

That is great they finally approved your coaching course. As for having less money, seduce one of the youth team and get them to move in and pay half your rent!!

LOL. Then all the press screaming favouritism when he makes a debut. She better moonlight as a thug to beat the journalist some mafia boss dislikes.

 

[Death Ball]

August 2018

We start the season against one of the promoted teams and we'll follow next against the other. That is a very good thing as it improves our chances of a good start when we still have many players who've not got up to match fitness. Then again, it's bigger chances to lose against a team we should beat.
Unlucky first half in which one of their strikers unleash a curled ball even if our scouting of him says he can't do that, but we go level quicky. Referee is being too happy showing cards.
Second half is just a series of wasted opportunities. The lack of on target shows shows its consequences but I've allowed it because the proportion of on target shots that end as goals has been pretty high so it balances out, however that was not the case today.

First home match of the season in which we make a good deal of rotation for fitness purposes.
Oh, come on! Referee is against us. He doesn't call clear offside for a couple of their attacks and then sends Luke off for two tame fouls that could never be a card and everything we do is yellow card.
Second half and he proves his partiality: Quigley gets clotheslined by Rennie and not even a foul is called. It's the second game in a row referee shows favoritism to the opposition, though in the past it was meaningless. But this ruins out match and hands them the win.

I've changed nothing, but since the 17.3 patch at start of friendlies it's raining yellow cards like this was FM11. Mind you, I liked FM11's high card count that was more realistic and I wanted a change back to that, but what I don't like is if it's been changed and they just omitted all documentation in the changelog.

With the last two matches, the first choice team for this season starts to take shape. Huet and Ferrie have always been nervous or uninterested, Slattery will have his last chance to be composed or lose his place to Agnew.
This first half looks like an improvement over the past matches, past a weak start. We end up with the best chance, sent over by Orr, who may be losing his place as starter.
We had started to control the match so they had not made a shot since the twentysome minute and that kept being so in the second half until twenty minutes were left, when Slattery had already opened the scoreline and Gordon Smith proved bringing him for Orr was a good decision. Seeing as they were more aggressive in their attack, I changed to a 4-1-4-1 in order to have better cover of the flanks without losing numerical advantage in the middle. They scored once from a corner but that was all.
Quigley was looking complacent for most of the match, so he's a candidate to lose his spot to Lithgow. Sheerin also is looking complacent so he may join the players losing first choice status.

We start another cup against the team that's third in League Two. The team is completely rotated because of fitness issues and that it's too close to the next league match.
It seemed to start very well, with some nice chances wasted by Gordon Smith, then Ross Smith shows his lack of fitness being caught off position and Ferrie doesn't do his part of the job. The rest of the match goes on with Gordon Smith throwing away any claim he could have for first choice wasting chances, going as far as getting in the way to block a shot by Kevin Smith that was going to be a goal.

The transfer revenue we'll keep has been increased. It's just 30% and I plan no deals so it's not very relevant.

We're back to the fist choice back, with Kevin Moon and Slattery exchanging their usual roles.
What the stupid idiots! We control the match, get all the chances, but Orr and Sheering just turn into jelly and just make a pass for the keeper and then two attacks they have the defenders turn into Alcobendas. First they get the idiotic idea that they have all to close down the man in the wing when there's two players in the centre and Quigley can't deal with them both. Then Quigley just don't think needed to keep up to his man to cut a cross and Severn that a cross to the near post is to be dealt jumping to the far post.
Second half we change to a 4-2-4 just to see the strikers keep unable to hit a barn. At least no more mistakes in defence. Not if we don't count that idea making a deeper defensive line is put two on the ball carrier to follow him all the way to his half without doing anything to get the ball, just lose position by miles.
In the up side, while the result is worth beating the **** out of the squad, the performance outside those two goals have been much better than in past matches.

After that match I commented about the yellow cards, it's been back to normal few cards, so it seems it might have been just coincidence of preseason lack of fitness making them pick more and the patch coming live.

 

[Death Ball]

September 2018

They are just behind us, so coming out with a win is a bit more important. Lithgow is not fully fit, but he starts to remake the partnership that past season worked so well.
We have a first half that is as good in our playing as the past, but even with Lightgow not in good form the defence doesn't make any slip, so we reach half time ahead.
Second half is Wilkie's turn to sent a wonderful chance at the keeper, not that Gordon Smith or Orr didn't have good chances of their own to waste. But no matter how low fitness he has, Lithgow has no excuse to be by the striker receiving an aerial ball and not even jump. Which is repeated by Sheerin, Ross Smith and Slattery in a corner, forcing a change to a 3-4-3 to chase the goal to level the match, which comes and then we're close to the win in injury time.

Agnew wants more first team football. Fair request that I will grant him.

We've been through a two week break due to international matches, so various players are lacking fitness, despite making them available for the U20 matches and friendlies. Agnew starts, Wilkie is moved ahead and Slattery takes his place. Some other tweaks are used: fluid strategy and lower defensive line with higher closing down.
We keep them into their area the full first half, they only get three shots from bad positions at the start.
In the second we get two goals ahead, after wasting two onderful chances, because being in the 6 yard box with nobody ahead is when you got to just tap the ball so it rolls superslow that the keeper can reach it. But we finally score. Then defence says it wants to be the Scottish Alcobendas and first concedes from a good corner play, with Severn weirdly moving out of the only possible path to goal ((Before the new ME and those long hours improving GK animation I never saw these ridiculous animations of GKs impulsing their jump left but sliding right instead)) and then they decide the right answer to a long ball behind the defence is to stop and watch.

Orr will be three weeks out with the injury he picked. I'll send him to a specialist.

After the failures against bottom teams we visit the second one. Same starting eleven with a little of a shuffle in which we exchange the position between the box to box and the advanced play maker.
After most of the first half being level, we begin to impose ourselves and we do get some good chances, but everyone misses by shooting at the keeper. Hopkirk, however, in his first match as striker from the start has proved to do a lot for the team there. With a yellow card for MErcer early on, I move Slattery to fullback and bring Kevin Moon to the midfield.
We get our goal in the second half and then I change to a new formation in which we shuffle the front three into winger - striker - inside forward to have some control of their fullbacks. They begin to have lots of shots but of very low quality, so it's all under control. But since they want now to be Alcobendas all over again, Quigley decides that when nobody else is trying to make an offside trap, as keeper sends the ball all the way long, he'll just leave his man and run into space, empty no men to mark in acres space to give them an easy chance finished with quite skill but still should never happen if Quigley had a neuron in that skull of an idiot he has.
Lithgow will return to first choice as soon as he's fit.

Ayr are favourites despite being visitors and just ahead in the table. Same starters than previous match.
After a few minutes I have to change to the wide formation, given Brown's problems to defend the flanks and things start to look good. Their defence makes a pair of blunders but we don't take them. Rose then feels it's unfair so he intercepts a ball and then can't think that keeping the ball is needed, he just touches and leaves it behind for the striker. They do take their chance.
So with card to Quigley, Lithgow has the second half. A cross is coming to him and a runner is between? My God! Let's avoid going for the ball, let's stop and back away least the runner doesn't get the ball. I go back to the usual narrow system, get one back, but they get one good counter and then I have to take risks and that costs the four from a side free kick.

Remove the goals conceded by stupid mistakes by defenders who seem to have been possessed by brainless dogs and this would've been such a good month. That makes it specially annoying, because only a few have come from playing a formation weak at the flanks. Next month should see some further tweaks to the system, specially focused on the defensive line: regardless of my complaints one individual mistakes, it all is consequence of my instructions.

We'd be third or fourth.

 

[Death Ball]

October 2018

Wilkie broke an arm in training and I'll send him to the specialist. He's out for a month.

He should be speaking about the idiotic moments of defenders ruining all my plans.

McCarthy makes a return to replace Wilkie and Gordon Smith starts in place of Sheerin. I'm tweaking yet again the defence, stay a bit deep and not close down as much, and set McCarthy to man mark their leftback and Slattery their rightback.
We have a good first half in which the tweaks seem to work very well. The man marking instructions help getting the fullbacks proper help. Offensively Hopkirk confirms what he showed assiting Gordon Smith.
Hopkirk continues his good performance in the second half, creating chances, assisting McCarthy and then finishing a pass from Slattery. Slattery then fails to intercept a corner and we concede, but later he'll score our fourth to make the win almost a sure thing. There is a second goal, but that one was not from any mistake but good play by Albion taking advantage of what their 4-3-3 can use against our 4-3-1-2.

The only bad from this past match is Agnew picked a knock and he'll be out for almost a week. It's doubtful he will start next match.

Scouts said they would use a 4-4-2 but they use that. I repeat starting team. It's been two weeks with no matches, but friendlies have kept most of the squad fit.
We control the first half, with the only issue being Luke shows sign of fatigue, so he'll be off at half time. We also get a goal from a rebound picked by Gordon Smith.
Second half they go defensive and it turns much quieter, though we still get some chances. We don't score any more and neither do they, so we end with the win.

Gordon Smith is there in the fight for top scorer.