It's All A Load of Balls - The European Journeyman! (FM18 Edition)

[BallyC7]

Running Story Achievements

Career To Date

03/01/20 - Present - Clyde FC (Scotland)
29/12/17 - 03/01/20 - FC Rosengard (Sweden)
27/08/17 - 21/10/17 - Follo FK (Norway)


Job Statistics

Clyde FC (Scotland) (to end of 2019/20 season) - Played 17, Won 7, Drawn 6, Lost 4, Win Ratio 41%
FC Rosengard (Sweden) - Played 56, Won 32, Drawn 10, Lost 14, Win Ratio 57%
Follo FK (Norway) - Played 7, Won 1, Drawn 4, Lost 2, Win Ratio 14%


League Positions

2019/20 - Clyde FC - Scottish League Two - 5th
2019 - FC Rosengard - Division 2 Sodra Gotaland - 3rd
2018 - FC Rosengard - Division 2 Sodra Gotaland - 2nd
2017 - Follo FK - Norwegian PostNord-ligaen - 13th (relegated)


Running Trophy Count

None


A Previous Story

I've been a fan of the Football Manager series for a number of years now and to say that I'm addicted would be a massive understatement, racking up well over 1000 hours on last year's FM17 version.

I'd never written a story before until only a couple of months ago when I was looking for some inspiration, as for the first time ever I'd become slightly bored with the game. I was one of those players that continuously started new saves, generally in England, working my way through a number of clubs and trying to take them as far as I could. However, what I found is that I'd get bored after about 2-4 seasons, end up quitting and starting another save.

So a couple of months ago I tried something completely different and new for me. My first ever journeyman save and to accompany the journey, I wrote a story along the way. I was hooked again and I've got to say it was by far the most enjoyable game of football manager I'd ever played, and I really enjoyed sharing it with my story on here too. The story saw me start out at a lowly Swedish club called Ange, moving to Premier Division side IFK Norrkoping, before swapping Sweden for Italy as I joined Sampdoria. I ended up in Portugal managing Vit.Guimaraes after that.... The full story can be seen here: It's all a load of balls.... The Rise Through Europe


A New Beginning

So I've been out and bought the new FM18, on the day of release of course, and I plan to start a new journeyman save. I will start as an unknown manager, with no qualifications and no previous experience. The plan will be to start from the very bottom and work my way up to become a world class manager.

There is no specific plan on the agenda. I don't have a target club I want to manage, I don't have a league I especially want to manage in. I'm playing this one with an open mind and seeing where the world of FM takes me.....and do you know what.....I can't ****** wait!

Also, I'd like to note that every decision I make in the game is my own. I do not download or copy other people's tactics, training schedules, or players shortlists etc... I'd rather fail but know I've done everything off my own back, than be a very successful manager but using someone else's expertise - personally I just wouldn't feel like I've achieved anything. I want to be fully responsible for my success or failure at each individual club I end up managing.

I'll be sharing all of my achievements here and I hope you enjoy following my story along the way. As always, your comments and feedback will be greatly appreciated.​

 

[BallyC7]

European Leagues

Loaded Leagues

So as I start my FM18 journey into football management, the first task in the game is to choose the countries and leagues I wish to load at the start of my journey..... I will play this game only with European leagues as it's what I know best, being from England myself. I'll try to work my way around the smaller nations first to build a reputation, before hopefully winning major titles with teams in the more reputable European leagues....That's the plan anyway!

The leagues I'll be kicking off with are....

Bulgaria - Vtora Lega & above
Croatia - Druga hrvatska nogometna liga & above
Czech Republic - Fotbalova narodni liga & above
Denmark - 2.division & above
Finland - Ykkonen & above
Hungary - Nemzeti Bajnoksag & above
Iceland - 1.deild karla & above
Republic of Ireland - Airtricity First Division & above
Northern Ireland - Belfast Telegraph Championship 2 & above
Norway - 2.divisjon & above
Romania - Liga II & above
Scotland - Scottish League Two & above
Sweden - Division 2 & above
Wales - Corbett Sports Welsh Premier Football League


As I start to search the open job market, I wonder where I'll end up to start my career in football management.​

 

[BallyC7]

I Have A Dream

'I Have A Dream'


So, where do I start. I sit here on the 29th May 2017, with no job, no money coming in to provide for my family and I feel pretty sh*t about it all to be honest. I contemplate whether or not I'm chasing a dream that will never come - that dream, the life of a football manager.

But the truth is I just don't want to be anything else. Football is my passion, my life, and to become a proper football manager of an actual club is all I aspire to be. Without that dream, I fear I'll live a life of miserable workplaces, hopping from one to another, never actually fulfilling any sort of ambition I might have in me.



But above all else, I want to be a football manager because I'm convinced I'd be ****** good at it! Yes it may sound big headed, but some of the best football managers in world football today have the biggest egos going, so why shouldn't I, just because I'll be starting out at the bottom.

And the bottom is exactly where I was looking for a job....I have no qualifications, no experience, nothing to offer apart from my word that I'll give it my all and do the best I can. Who the **** is going to give me a job based on that?! Well, my best shot was going to be the lower leagues of the less reputable leagues in European football - if I could just get a shot, then I'd have something to work with, something to build upon and from there the sky's the limit!

So I've signed up to a couple of very specific job agencies who focus on sports management roles. Although they both pretty much laughed in my face when I applied to be on their mailing lists, I have started to receive the weekly updates with the available jobs and I'm invited to apply for as many as I like....which to be fair is going to be my best bet right now....play the numbers game and hope someone bites!

As I search through my emails with the links to the job boards, I notice a few available positions at the moment. Now the thing I need to remember is to be realistic in my approach to this. I see the Glasgow Rangers job is available and yes that would be great but I'm not even going to put an application in and embarrass myself for such a high profile job. Nope, I'll be looking at clubs with a 1.5 star or less reputation....and there are a couple available as I start my search.

CS Balotesti in the Romanian Liga II stands out as an attractive proposition and I fill out my application and send it off.


​

 

[BallyC7]

Missed The Boat

Missed The Boat

So only 1 day goes by and I login to check the emails to see if I've had a response from CS Balotesti, following my job application. To my surprise I do have an email at the top of my inbox entitled "Your Recent Job Application"....

I open the email with excitement - 'this is it' I thought....'my first interview'...

But it wasn't to be....the email was simply thanking me for my interest in the role but unfortunately on this occasion they have already completed the interview process.

The very next day, I saw the news that they'd gone with ex Dinamo Bucuresti player, turned coach, Daniel Timofte.


​

 

[BallyC7]

Still No Job!

Down In The Dumps

Two months had passed and I'd only applied for two more jobs during that time. The first with Idrottslaget Hodd from the Norwegian 2.Divisjon Avdeling 2, and the other with Levanger Footballklubb, also playing in Norway in the Obos-Ligaen. Neither team had warranted me good enough to even invite for interview.

To say I was feeling dejected was an understatement. There had been a number of other jobs come up but nothing that had took my fancy....and by take my fancy I mean that I either didn't like their club badge or kit!! Not much to go on, but give me a break - I know nothing about these countries, leagues and teams so its pretty much all I have to go on at this stage!

Maybe I was being too fussy....if I went on like this I felt I'd never get a job! I figured I'd see what comes up over the next month and if by the end of August I don't have something, I'll apply to absolutely everything and take the first thing whether I like their kit or not!
​

 

[BallyC7]

Job Offer

The Job Search Goes On...

I'd reached mid August and although I'd been frantically searching job market for a while now, opportunities that interested me had been few and far between.

After a few failed job applications which hadn't even resulted in interviews, I finally had my first stroke of luck. The job had come up that very day as a brand new vacancy....it was Follo Fotballklub (better know as Follo FK), a Norwegian club who play their football in the PostNord-ligaen league. They'd sacked their manager Anders Saervold after 5 and a half years in charge. It wasn't too clear why as the club had been predicted a 10th place finish prior to their season starting, and they currently sat 11th. I'm guessing there was some disagreements between the board and the manager and they'd decided to terminate his contract. Either way, it wasn't my problem as I sensed the opportunity and sent in my application.

I guess they had a lot of interest in the role as it took a few days to come back to me, but when they did it wasn't a rejection this time. It was an invite to meet and interview for the role! I was buzzing with excitement....I'd never failed to secure an offer for a job in my whole life to date and that gave me confidence I could pull this off!




The interview took place and seemed to go really well. There were lots of smiles and positivity in the room was at a high, despite the obvious language barrier. We talked about the club, what they were looking to achieve (which first would be avoiding relegation this season), and they were up front and honest with me about the club's financial situation being pretty poor and wanted to ensure I was happy working on a tight budget!

Overall, I walked away happy. They said they'd be in touch and I felt good. My mind was made up and I knew I'd be taking this job if they offered it to me!



Every day for the next 2 weeks, the first thing on the agenda was checking the emails. I'd roll out of bed, the laptop would go straight on and I'd feel physically sick like an expectant mum with the worst bout of morning sickness, as the laptop loaded up every morning.

And for 2 weeks it had been to the disappointment of sh*tty junk mail, mainly about ***** enlargement pills and ******....I'm sure in no way a reflection of what I'd been looking at on the internet in my boredom over the past couple of months.

But then it came....one morning I awoke and as I opened up my email account, there it was, at the very top of the page. An email from Leif Gromstad, chairman at Follo FK, with the title 'Job Offer'.

I opened the email, barely able to control myself as the excitement took over. I was shaking. As I read down the page, it was there in black and white. My job offer with a contract attached, asking me to take over as manager of Follo FK with immediate effect. The contract would initially be for 1 year, with a salary of £350 per week. I'd get a 15% wage rise with promotion too!

I gladly replied...

Hi Leif,

Thank you so much for your email.

I am delighted to accept your offer of the manager's role at Follo FK and I look forward to getting started. I'm confident I can achieve great success with the club and appreciate the opportunity you are giving me.

Speak soon,

Chris Ball

​​
​

 

[BallyC7]

The Norwegian Football Structure

Relocation To Norway

The first thing on the agenda was to look at where I was moving to. I'd accepted this job and knew nothing about Norway or where I was going to be living....

So Follo Fotballklubb are based in a town called Ski, which is just south of the capital, Oslo. Ski is apparently the largest of the towns in the Follo District in the county of Akershus, although the population is still estimated at only around 30,000.

View attachment 78198


The Norwegian Football League Structure

The other thing that needed some very quick research before I arrived at my new club was the league structure in Norway. I had no idea how it worked or even what level my new club was really playing at. So here it is...

The top tier of Norwegian football is Eliteserien. There are 16 teams in the division. The top team qualifies for the Champions League Champions First Qualifying Phase. Teams finishing 2nd-4th qualify for the Europa League First Qualifying Round (dependant on the winner of the NM SAS Braathens Cup). The bottom two teams in the league are relegated. The team in 14th position goes into a playoff with a team from the second tier to either stay up or go down.

The second tier of Norwegian football is OBOS-ligaen (also known as 1.Divisjon). There are 16 teams in the division. The top 2 teams are promoted to Eliteserien. Teams in 3rd-6th qualify for playoff semi final. The bottom two teams are relegated to 2.divisjon and the team in 14th qualifies for the OBOS-ligaen/2.Divisjon playoff to either stay up or go down.

The third tier of Norwegian football is split into two groups. These groups are known as Postnord-ligaen and 2.Divisjon Avdeling 2. Both groups have 14 teams in their league. The top team wins automatic promotion to OBOS-ligaen. The team in 2nd position from each group qualifies for the playoff to get promoted. The bottom 3 teams from both groups are relegated.



My new team Follo FK are currently playing their football in Postnord-ligaen, so the 3rd tier of Norwegian football.

​

 

[BallyC7]

Follo FK

Year Founded: 2000
Country: Norway
City: Ski

Professional Status: Semi Professional
Training Facilities: Average
Youth Facilities: Adequate
Corporate Facilities: Fairly Basic
Reputation: National (2 Stars)

Stadium: Ski Stadion
Owned By: Council
Year Built: 1956 (Rebuilt in 2006)
Capacity: 6,000 (1,600 seated)

Fierce Rivals: Drobak L (local), Moss FK (historic)
Other Rivals: Kolbotn (local)
Derbies: None

View attachment 78159 View attachment 78157 View attachment 78156

Previous Honours:

PostNord-ligaen; Third placed (2002)

2.divisjon avdeling 2; Winner (2004, 2009)

2.divisjon avdeling 4; Winner (2012, 2014)

3.divisjon avdeling 2; Winner (2001)

NM SAS Braathens Cup; Runner up (2010)



So my new club are a relatively new team, only formed in 2000. During their 17 years they have enjoyed decent success in the lower leagues winning promotion to the 2nd tier of Norwegian football (OBOS-ligaen) on five occasions. However, every single time they have been relegated the following season, so it's clear they struggle to sustain that level of football. Back in 2010, they were shock runners up of the NM SAS Braathens Cup, Norway's major cup competition.


Current Position & Target

As I take over my new role, the club find themselves in a precarious situation. They are currently sitting 11th of 14 in the league, only 1 point clear of the relegation zone. They are one of five teams that look likely to be fighting it out in the relegation battle. With only 7 games to go, the board have given me one target - avoid relegation at all costs!

View attachment 78195


The team have already exited the NM SAS Braathens Cup at the second round stage. They were knocked out by Odds Ballklubb.



​

 

[BallyC7]

Follo FK Squad/Club Evaluation

Squad Evaluation

I have decent height throughout the team.

I have a good base of players all from Norway.

Only 4 players in the squad are not Norwegian, 1 from Cuba, 1 from Macedonia, 1 from Iraq and 1 from Albania.

I have a number of players all over the pitch rated as 3.5 stars or above for this level.

My strikers have massively underperformed this year - the top goalscorer at the club only has 4 goals!

Generally, the squad are all pretty happy at the moment.

Both my goalkeepers are decent, but not great.

Lacking decent cover at both RB and LB.

Work rate is pretty low in this squad.

According to my assistant manager, there are some talented youngsters coming through the club's ranks.

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Dynamics

The players are blending well together, although team cohesion could be better.

The dressing room atmosphere is pretty good, with most players content.

My reputation compared to the players is poor and it will take some convincing to get them on board.

Hassan Rahmani wants to move to a bigger club.

Willian Pozo wants more chances in the first team.

Vestvatn is clearly a leader in the team and his opinions will carry some weight with the rest of the squad.

Most of my players seems to be in the same core social group.

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Best Players

View attachment 78187

Name: Hassan Rahmani
Nationality: Norway
Position: DM/MC
Age: 21

The young midfielder looks a quality player at this level and with him itching for a move to a bigger club, it may be hard to keep hold of him.

View attachment 78186

Name: Oystein Vestvatn
Nationality: Norway
Position: AMRLC
Age: 25

Vestvatn is a talented attacking midfielder who can play down either flank or through the middle. With a good first tough and passing skills, I'll be looking to him to kick start attacking moves for us.

View attachment 78185

Name: Espen Roisland
Nationality: Norway
Position: DL/WBL
Age: 31

The experience full back has good tackling skills and can use his pace and acceleration to get up and down the wing.


Finances

View attachment 78180

Financial situation doesn't look great with the club nearly £80,000 in debt.


​​


​

 

[BallyC7]

September 2017 Review

September 2017 Review

Results

PostNord-ligaen
Nybergsund IL-Trysil 0 - 0 Follo FK

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Due to the timing of my appointment, I actually had a good 2 weeks leading up to my first game in charge. It gave me an opportunity to put in some work on the training ground with my players and get to know them a little. Our first game saw us take on fellow relegation candidates Nybergsund Il-Trysil, who sat 1 point and 1 position below us in the table, so this was a huge fixture to be kicking off my managerial career with.

Looking at the team, I felt that the best formation to suit our current crop of players was a 4-1-2-3. The anchorman role I felt would be pivotal in breaking down opposition attacks as we try to keep a tight defence for the remaining 7 games of the season. I'd decided this was our best chance of picking up points as the team hadn't been great all season at getting forward and scoring goals.

The first half was a tight affair with both teams seemingly keen not to lose the game rather than trying to win it. At half time it was 0-0 and I wanted to change that mentality amongst my time, getting them out there for the second half fighting hard to win this game. To be fair to the lads, they did come out better in the second half and were on top for most of it, but without reward as they struggled to find the back of the net. On a positive note we kept the clean sheet I was looking for a secured a point in my first game in charge.

PostNord-ligaen
Follo FK 1 - 0 Grorud IL

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My second game in charge and my first home game would be a much tougher game as we took on 3rd placed Grorud IL. However, our opponents hadn't won in 3 games and I hoped we could capitalise on their slight dip in form.

I stuck with the same formation for this one, with two changes to the starting lineup. Dalseth up front had taken a knock in the previous fixture and to give him a chance to rest it, I brought in Ahmadi into the striker's role. Vestvatn had been suspended for the previous game, but returns to the starting lineup on the right wing in place of Pozo.

Both teams created half chances in the opening 25 minutes and it looked a good end to end game. It was us who then made the breakthrough when Simen Olafsen headed in from an Alkanany free kick on the right side of the pitch. That goal was the only one of the half and we took the 1-0 lead into the break. I tried to keep the lads focused as I knew this could be a huge win for us should we keep this up. The second half was close, but neither team really created anything of note, which suited us just fine with the one goal lead. We held on for a massive 3 points and our second clean sheet in two games since I became manager.

PostNord-ligaen
Follo FK 2 - 2 Brumunddal Fotball

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Another home game up next, this time against Brumunddal Fotball who sat 9th and only 3 points above us in the table. If we could beat them here, not only would it drag them into the relegation battle, it would see us move further from it.

I couldn't warrant any change to the formation as we'd taken 4 points from my opening 2 games with it, but I did make a couple of changes to the lineup. 19 year old Norwegian striker comes in up front for Ahmadi who has struggled in front of goal. Also, Imad Ouhadou comes in a centre midfield for the tired Anthonessen.

It took 25 minutes for the first real chance in this game and in all honesty it should have been 1-0 to us as Julius Skaug shot from close range, but straight at the goalkeeper when anywhere else would have resulted in a goal. Towards the end of the half, Skaug was involved again, this time racing into the box before passing the ball neatly across the goal for Vestvatn to finish off a nice move with a cool and easy finish. 1-0 up at the break and we'd looked good with 62% possession in the first half. We continued to apply the pressure early in the second half and were soon rewarded on 51 minutes when Rahmadi converted a penalty after Vedvik had been brought down in the box. Just as I was hoping we might run away with this one, Brumunddal hit back only a couple of minutes later to make it 2-1, Lehne Olsen with a close range effort. And on 77 minutes, our opponents had completed their comeback when they were awarded a penalty of their own and Lahne Olsen scored his 2nd of the game. Both teams had chances to win the game in the final few minutes, Dalseth coming closest for us with an effort that lobbed the goalkeeper but was denied by the crossbar. 2-2 it finished and I'm pleased to remain unbeaten after 3 games.

PostNord-ligaen
Valerenga 2 1 - 0 Follo FK

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Our final game of September would be a huge one in the current circumstances. We were away at Valerenga 2 who sat in 13th place in the table, only 3 points behind us. A win would put us in a great position going into the final 3 games, a loss would put increased pressure on us!

No changes to the formation for this one, but I did make a couple of alterations to the lineup. Anthonessen came back in for Ouhadou and Dalseth was back in up top in place of Vedvik. Olafsen had also picked up an injury, so Omoijunafro was given a start at centre back.

The first half was pretty uneventful with both teams looking nervous, which was understandable with what was at stake. When Alkanany was sent off for his second bookable offence early in the 2nd half, it was a massive kick in the teeth and I felt we might struggle to even get a point out of this game now. Valeranga 2 did pile on the pressure as the game went on and just when it looked like we might hold on for the draw, they scored with one of the last kicks of the game...I'm gutted and I hope this doesn't have too much of a negative impact going into the final 3 games of the season.

League Table

View attachment 78107

5 points from 4 games added this month leaves us 11th in the table just surviving relegation on goal difference. Only 3 games left!

Player of the Month



Rune Gravdal
CB
Appearances: 4
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Key Tackles: 11
Average Rating: 7.20

Rune has been solid at the back since I took over, continuously putting in decent performances in my first 4 games in charge. I'm impressed with my captain!

Medical Centre

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A fully healthy squad which is what we need going into the final 3 games of the season.

Financial Update

View attachment 78103

£50,000 losses this month take the club further into debt.

Backroom Staff Added

There were a few holes in the backroom staff setup when I took over, which I have quickly addressed by adding my own personnel. I added a new director of football, head of youth development and a new manager for the Follo FK 2 side.

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October 2017 Preview

View attachment 78099

A huge month ahead of us with the final 3 games of the season and a massive effort required by all to keep us in this league. Two of our three games will be against teams in the top 4, so we're up against it. We'll finish the season against the team that is currently bottom of the league and it could be a must win game!
​

 

[BallyC7]

October 2017 Review

October 2017 Review

Results

PostNord-ligaen
Alta IF 5 - 2 Follo FK

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Alta IF came into this game off the back of 3 straight wins and confidence was high for the home team, who were sitting 4th in the table at the start of this one.

Same formation as before. Simen Olafsen returns to the side at centre back and Ouhadou comes into the midfield in place of the suspended Alkanany.

Well the first half can only be described in one word for us....awful....actually, no, two words....f*cking awful! We were dominated from start to finish in the first 45 minutes and found ourselves 3-0 down at the break without even registering a shot on goal. Needless to say the boys got the bollocking of a lifetime from me at halftime and I told them that although they'd probably already f*cked this game, don't let it get embarassing. Now to be fair to the lads, they did give me a response and were a **** of a lot better in the 2nd half, and managed to draw the second half 2-2, but the damage had already been done in the firs 45 minutes and we suffered a 5-2 loss and were bang in trouble as we dropped into the relegation places with this result!

PostNord-ligaen
Follo FK 2 - 2 KFUM Oslo

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KFUM Oslo were 2nd in the table and needed to beat us to keep their hopes of winning the league alive. If we lost and Nybergsund IL-Trysil win then we'll be relegated. Talk about pressure only 6 games into my managerial career.

I've gone with a 4-4-2 formation today with a counter attacking mentality. We'll be focussing on wing play and exploiting those flanks as much as possible.

Oslo opened the game looking fast and slick with good attacking play, coming close to scoring a couple of times in the opening minutes. But it was us who took a shock lead with our first attack of the game, Havard Dalseth getting on the end of a through ball from Vedvik before slotting home past the onrushing goalkeeper. That goal seemed to give us a confidence boost as all of a sudden we looked to be in the game and were giving Oslo as good as we got for the remainder of the half. Two minutes into the second half and the roles reversed as this time Dalseth played the through ball and Vedvik was on the end of it to slot home for 2-0. I was ecstatic but was soon brought down to earth as less than a minute later, Oslo got a goal back and it was game on again. On 60 minutes, Oslo completed the comeback and I feared that there would only be one team that went on to win it from here, with all the momentum being with our opponents. But they didn't as neither team could find the net again and it remained 2-2. That draw sees us stay in 12th but it does mean we still have the slightest tiniest chance of staying up on the final day.

PostNord-ligaen
Follo FK 0 - 0 Kjelsas Fotball

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So our final game of the season would be against bottom side and already relegated Kjesas Fotball. The scenario going into this game is Valerenga 2 in 13th with 26 points and a goal difference of -15, us in 12th with 26 points and a goal difference of -13 and Brumunddal Fotball in 11th with 29 points and a goal difference of -11. So basically, I had to win by 2 or more goals and hope that Brumunddal lose. Brumunddal were playing Valerenga 2 in their final game!

I stuck with the 4-4-2 formation that got us the draw against Oslo, but changed from a counter to an attacking mentality as we needed goals in this game no matter what happens!

The first half was not good enough from our point of view at all. In a game we had to win at all costs, we created only 3 chances on goal in the first 45 minutes. I kicked the boys up the **** at half time and sent them back out with a more familiar 4-1-2-3 formation in the hope it would get them playing better! I checked the half time scores and Valerenga 2 were beating Brumunddal for us, so we just needed a couple of goals in this second half....it was still possible! But the longer the 2nd half went on, the less likely we looked to score. The game ended 0-0 and we were relegated... Inevitably, I knew this meant I'd be getting the sack too only 7 games into my managerial career!

Final League Table

View attachment 78089

Well with the 7 games I had, I only managed one win and wasn't able to keep Follo FK in the league. We are relegated.

​

 

[BallyC7]

Sacked

Fired After Only 7 Games

It was inevitable....I was fired after only 7 games in charge.

Ultimately, I have to take responsibility for it - I was brought in to do a job. To keep Follo FK in the Norwegian 3rd Tier, and quite simply, I failed miserably.

I have no excuses....I only have questions I need to answer in my own head before I take another job. Was the damage done before I took over? Was the squad just not good enough? Was my tactical decisions all wrong? Did my lack of experience play a factor?

So many questions and probably questions I'll never find the answer to. So rather than dwell on it, I'm not wasting any time in looking for a new job. Only 2 months after taking my first role at Follo FK, I was back searching the job market.

But this time it was different...I had experience now! Not a lot of it and not very good experience but it was experience nonetheless....and that my friends is progress!
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[Sammuthegreat]

Whoof. Baptism of fire. I wouldn't be too downhearted though - a couple of results were so close to going differently, and just one of them going your way would've kept you up.

Onwards and upwards!

 

[BallyC7]

Job Hunting Again

Two Months Down & A New Job Up

Two months passed by and it seemed my poor performance at Follo FK was holding me back. Maybe I was a little naïve in thinking I could just walk straight into another job now I had a little experience behind me.....How wrong I was!

A load of jobs came along and fell by the wayside. I was showing my interest in a lot of clubs, and many of them took the time to interview me, but ultimately the same question (in some shape or form) came up in almost every interview; "Why do you think your record reads 7 games played, 1 game won, 1 team relegated?"

And to that I had no real answer. Even after practicing answers time and time again, it still didn't flow and I had no confident comeback to it, and it just killed every interview I had!

I'd interviewed with a large number of clubs, all of which had thanked me for my time but they'd chosen to go in another direction. To name a few, I'd met with the likes of Carmarthen Town (Wales), IFK Lulea (Sweden), Drogheda United (Republic of Ireland), FC Arges (Romania), Dungannon Swifts (Northern Ireland) and Oborishte Panagyurishte (Bulgaria). As you can see, I wasn't being fussy about which country and which league I managed in.

Just as I was feeling pretty down on my luck, there was finally a change in fortune. One of my interviews had paid off....a club had come forward and offered me a position as their new manager....I was back in the game with a point to prove!
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[BallyC7]

FC Rosengard

Year Founded: 1917
Country: Sweden
City: Malmo

Professional Status: Semi Professional
Training Facilities: Basic
Youth Facilities: Basic
Corporate Facilities: Fairly Basic
Reputation: Below Average (1 star)

Stadium: Rosengards IP
Owned By: Council
Capacity: 2,000 (1,000 seated)

Fierce Rivals: Prespa Birlik (local), Kvarnby IK (local)
Other Rivals: IFK Malmo (local), IF Limhamn Bunkeflo (local), Malmo City FC (local), Malmo FF (local)
Derbies: None



Previous Honours:

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland; Winner (2007)

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland; Runner Up (2006, 2013, 2014, 2016)



My new club have been one of the better sides in the Swedish 4th tier over the last few years, claiming the runner up spot on 3 occasions in the past 4 years. However, this only gets you a playoff place to get promoted and twice they failed to gain promotion. In 2016 they did however get promoted to the 3rd tier. The 2017 season has recently finished and they finished 13th of 14 and find themselves relegated straight back down again. So I'll take over in the Swedish 4th tier again, the Division 2 Sodra Gotaland league.


View attachment 77955


My Contract

I have signed a 1 year contract with the club worth £350 per week, which matches the contract I was on at Follo FK.


Finances

View attachment 77946

For a small semi professional club, the finances are actually pretty healthy with nearly £100k in the bank.....if they'd just give me half of it I could probably build a whole new squad at this level!
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[BallyC7]

Squad Evaluation

Squad Evaluation

My squad is very thin on the ground with only 11 official players.

All except 2 of my squad are Swedish.

The remaining two players represent Afghanistan and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Having just been relegated, I have some excellent players in my squad at this level.

Because we've just been relegated, a number of players want to leave for bigger clubs and it will be hard to keep them here.

There needs to be a large number of arrivals before the season starts.

There are no youth prospects coming through the ranks.

View attachment 77953 View attachment 77952 View attachment 77951 View attachment 77950


Dynamics

The team's collective state is awful.

The dressing room atmosphere is average.

My reputation compared to the players is poor and it will take some convincing to get them on board.

Four of my best players want to move to a bigger club.

One of my best players wants to leave due to us being relegated.

The core social group is made up of everyone in the current squad.

Adnan Gerzic is the clear team leader amongst the group.

View attachment 77949 View attachment 77948 View attachment 77947

Best Players

With the amount of change likely to happen within the squad over the coming 4 months before the new season starts, I see no point running through my best players. Most of this squad could leave as they are all relatively unhappy and generally too good for this level.


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[BallyC7]

The Swedish Football League Structure

The Swedish Football League Structure

The top tier of Swedish football is Allsvenskan. There are 16 teams in the division. The top team qualifies for the Champions League Champions First Qualifying Phase. Teams finishing 2nd and 3rd qualify for the Europa League First Qualifying Round. The bottom two teams in the league are relegated. The team in 14th position goes into a playoff with a team from the second tier to either stay up or go down.

The second tier of Swedish football is Superettan. There are 16 teams in the division. The top 2 teams are promoted to Allsvenskan. Team in 3rd qualify for promotion playoff against the team finishing 14th in Allsvenskan. The bottom two teams are relegated to Division 1. Teams finishing in 13th and 14th qualify for the relegation playoff.

The third tier of Swedish football is split into two groups. These groups are known as Division 1 Norra and Division 1 Sodra. Both groups have 14 teams in their league. The top team wins automatic promotion to Superettan. The team in 2nd position from each group qualifies for the promotion playoff. The bottom 3 teams from both groups are relegated to division 2 and the team finishing 11th qualifies for the relegation playoff final.

The fourth tier of Swedish football is split into four groups. These groups are known as Division 2 Norrland, Division 2 Vastra Gotaland, Division 2 Norra Gotaland and Division 2 Sodra Gotaland. The top team from each group is automatically promoted to Division 1 Norra or Division 1 Sodra. The team finishing 2nd in each group goes into the promotion playoffs. Bottom 2 teams in each group are automatically relegated and the team finishing 12th goes into the relegation playoffs.


The team I have taken over, FC Rosengard, are currently playing in the fourth tier of Swedish football, in the Division 2 Sodra Gotaland group.

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[TheBattman]

enjoyed your 17 story and following this keenly. just need to get the first good run sorted and it should, hopefully, be all up from there!

 

[Ashleigh1984]

Im so jealous my PC is F****d or i'd be playing FM18 now

I'll keep reading to fill my void

 

[BallyC7]

Swedish Newspaper Article

CHRIS BALL BUILDS NEW BACKROOM TEAM AT FC ROSENGARD

New FC Rosengard manager Chris Ball, has only been in the job a matter of weeks, but has wasted no time in putting together his own backroom team.

Ball has added no less than seven members to his staffing team, stating that he wanted a fresh start for the recently relegated club. When asked at the training ground today about his motivation for such an overhaul, Ball said "In my last role at Follo FK, I came in with only a number of games to go. I didn't have the opportunity to make major changes like I'd wanted to. This is a perfect opportunity here to make my mark, bring in my own guys and stamp my authority on this club. Simply, the club's performance last year was not good enough, but you can't just put that down to the players on the pitch. It's important that everything behind the scenes is right too and with the team I've brought in, I'm confident we are on the way to moving in the right direction".

Stern words from the inexperienced manager, who has a point to prove here at Rosengard, after being fired in his previous role after only 7 games in charge.


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