Jimmy Walker- Walsall Legend

[kmitchell96]

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In this post I will cover all the transfer news of the summer up till the first game of the season, in my next post I will then cover the preseason fixtures.

Transfer Window
It was a busy transfer window for me. As I said in the last post I wanted to conduct a full scale reboot on the club. I was forced into keeping most of the staff which I wanted to get rid of but that is fine, they aren't bad I just wanted to find better.

As I said I wanted to build a younger squad than what I already had so I was looking to build for the future as I had created the 5 year plan (in the last post). This year I was aiming for top half (although the board expected me to make the playoffs).

Outgoing Transfers
No sales but anybody who refused a new contract or just wasn't good enough was left for release. There were a few players I wanted who I managed to hold onto (including Reeves, Forde, etc.) but the bulk of the last squad were all released.

The released players are as follows: Cameron, Gilchrist, Cassidy (wanted to keep but refused new contracts several times), Beere, Bikey-Amougou (again, refused contracts), Jalal, Moore, Hawkridge, Woodward, Ranger, Bishop, Hamsher, Weaver, Woodward, Parris, Burke, Kastanas, Davis.

Only wanted to keep Cassidy and Bikey-Amougou but neither of them would go into contract talks due to the state the club was in financially (it has improved). Cassidy is still a free agent with nobody coming in for the 24 year old striker whilst Bikey-Amougou has gone to Fleetwood who I play first game of the season.

Incoming Transfers
This was always going to be hard because I had a smaller budget than what I had in the Conference with Lincoln! I had been given £19k which I had asked to be improved but they refused due to the lack of funds available (even though they were constantly pumping money into the team throughout the summer to keep people I didn't want).

Loans
Freddie Way - Midfielder L/R - On loan from Tottenham
I continued to use the link with spurs to bring in young talent, he added pace and a key left wing option which was missing at the moment. Had potential to get double digit assists as well as a few goals.

Dominic Ball - Defender R/C/L or Midfielder C - On loan from Tottenham
Another big loan trying to add stability to the back four by bringing Ball back on loan. Very good player at this level, can also play MC which could prove important for depth.

Nathan Oduwa - Striker or Midfielder L/R - On loan from Tottenham
One of my top two scorers from last season, spurs offered him to me again and I couldn't refuse.

James Errington - Defender R/L or Midfielder R or Striker - On loan from Crystal Palace
He was going to be a massive player for me this season with the potential to play all over the pitch he was going to be a plug a play player who one week would be scoring and the next defending hopefully. He is 4* 5* so a steal on loan without having to pay any wages. Potential to be transfer of the season!
Free Transfers
Henly is a keeper who has a lot of potential and will be my starter, the 23 year old is going to be here for a while rated at 2* 5*.

My next signing was Luke Wilkinson on a free, another player with potential to be a key player the CB will play a large part in a already strong back 4 for me.

A first midfield signing in Billy Clifford recently released from Walsall. He was a must to sign being able to play in CM or CAM meaning ease in switching formations for me.

Charles Dunne, a left back or centre back option who was 24 but still has 4.5* potential. Would play a backup role to a strong back 4 but would hopefully be a starter option by the seasons end.

Next was Jon Toral. Most exciting signing on a free being able to play anywhere across midfield the 22 year old Spanish midfielder would hopefully add a bit of flair to an otherwise stable midfield.

Matt Hinchcliffe was next. Definitely one for the future with the 19 year old being rated 1.5* at the moment but hopefully would be ready for next season and for a key role in promotion at some point in the future.

Jake Soutter was next and I was excited about his arrival. The 1* keeper would definitely be my starter in the future with the 19 year old having 5* potential but work permit issues have kept him away from the bench.

Due to Soutters work permit issues another keeper was brought in. This time another 19 year old in Joe Tupper. He is a 1.5* 4.5* keeper who would challenge for the starting position whilst also challenging for the future position against the other 2 future goalkeeping stars.

Final signing was Greg Craddock. The 18 year old striker wouldn't be ready for first team action yet but the current 4* (silver) striker has 5* potential and I had to sign him on a free from Worcester.

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[kmitchell96]

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So it was pre-season and I had a lot to do. I had to integrate the newest players into the old systems, the first of many challenges. I also had to try and get on a winning streak to get confidence up around the club, the existing players were still low on morale and I had to improve that.

The only change made to captaincy is that Anthony Forde one of my best players from last season and bound to be a star for me at this level was made vice-captain.
Dons 4-3 Barnsley
A tough first game against a league 1 side who would be one of the favourites for promotion this season after a disappointing previous campaign. I had gone 2-0 down within 17 minutes but went into the break at 2-1, Freddie Way with his first for the club. Duffus, one of the few remaining players brought it to 2-2 in the 71st minute. 4 minutes later new vice-captain Forde added to the scoreline to make it 3-2.

Going into the last 5 minutes it was tense. Barnsley managed a lucky goal to tie it at 3 before Duffus, a bench player at best for me last season added his second of the game in the 89th minute to win it.

Dons 5-1 Hayes Gate
A lot more straight forward this time in what I had set up as a fitness match. I was 2-0 up at half time thanks to goals from Oduwa and Becchio. In the second half Becchio won and scored a penalty to make it 3 just after the break with Chris Long and Neill Collins making it 5 with 10 minutes left.

Down to 10 men through injury Hayes pulled one back but nobody was caring at that point, a strong win though.

Dons 3-0 Cambridge
I had somehow been given a friendly against league rivals Cambridge. The first half was all about wing play with Forde scoring a goal set up by Way and vice versa. 2-0 up at half time I just wanted to hold onto it against a team I would have to face later in the season. It was a boring second half with the only strong attack coming from Oduwa who made it 3-0 in the 89th minute.

FC United 0-3 Dons
Another straight forward fitness test but wanted a similar result to the Hayes Gate game. They did well to hold me off until the second half when an own goal put me 1-0 up in the 50th minute. 5 minutes later Becchio made it 2-0 with nothing happening then until the 92nd minute when Charles Dunne made it 3. Another strong performance and win.

Dons 2-2 Swindon
Swindon are a championship side who were looking to survive as the newly promoted side. I went up twice in the game. First Oduwa in the 20th minute to make it 1-0 before Swindon equalised. Then Freddie Way again from the wing proving to be a worthwhile signing before Swindon equalised again.

A boring second half left the game at 2-2 with a result I was more than pleased with.

Dons 1-3 Tottenham
The only loss of pre-season and not a bad one. Spurs fielded 6/7 premiership starters for this game meaning there was nothing to be ashamed about. I had gone 2-0 down within 23 minutes, Duffus pulled one back seconds after they scored their second. Another goal in the second half sealed the win for them but it was a strong performance to cap off a strong pre-season.

Review
Loads of injuries would be leaving me with 5/6 players on the bench for the first few games of the season including an injury to Oduwa leaving him out for 2-3 months. A few injuries would cause players to be out for 2-3 weeks including Eustace but most of the starting 11 remained intact.

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[kmitchell96]

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BREAKING NEWS!
Jimmy Walker has been sacked by Wimbledon despite being 9th in league 2. He refused an interview due to the nature of his sacking. We are trying to set an interview up with the ex Sutton, Lincoln and Dons manager but he is refusing anything at the moment.

Wimbledon had a great pre-season only losing once and started the league with 1 win, 2 draws and a loss in the league whilst being knocked out in the league cup to a championship side.

Opening up with a 4-0 win then back to back draws against top 6 teams it was thought that the manager would be secure in his job but the board have decided to sack him without warning or explanation.

We will try to get more on this story soon...​

 

[kmitchell96]

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BREAKING NEWS!
Just 2 weeks after shockingly been sacked from AFC Wimbledon Jimmy Walker has once again jumped straight back into management but this time he has arrived in an unexpected managerial role.

It was announced early this morning that the ex Sutton, Lincoln and Wimbledon manager is now manager of Jupiler League side FC Den Bosch. It is reported that after a poor start to the season under the previous manager Walker will only be expected to be competitive in his first season with hopes of pushing to the top half next season.

When he left Wimbledon he refused interviews due to the nature of his sacking after losing just one of the first 4 league games and having the team sat in 9th place. He conducted two interviews including one with Sky Sports in which he has talked about his new appointment and his last sacking.

Interview 1- Holland
You sit here today taking over a struggling club, how do you feel about the team?
I have had a chance to look at the squad and don't see where the last manager struggled. It is a good strong squad with a bunch of young players who will definitely develop into key starters.

You have only ever managed in England, how do you expect to cope over here?
I have never struggled in England except for in my first season with Wimbledon and that was due to the lack of funds provided to me in order to change the squad and improve it.

You are yet to win anything, can you explain this?
I have taken over 3 teams mid way through a season and saved them from relegation to then convert them into play off hopefuls in the second season. I have never been at a club which I have had the opportunity to win a trophy.

The league system here in Holland gives 4 teams the chance to qualify for the playoffs by being the best form team in 9 games, can you do this?
As I said it is a strong squad and I expect to do well with what I have, I aim to try and qualify but there are a lot of strong teams in this division and it will be a challenge, especially with the squad having to learn new tactics.

You have a young squad, do you prefer this?
Well not only do I have a young squad but there is a lot of depth. The younger players will develop into future stars definitely and I expect that by the end of this year we will be a better side than earlier this season.

Last question, Marcel Jensen is expected to move to a French side with Monaco reportedly being interested. Can you give information on this?
Marcel is a bright young talent. He is only 16 and he will already challenge for the first team for me. I have only been here a day and I have been contacted by 3 French sides, including Monaco but as long as I am here I want him to develop into a key player.

Interview 2- Sky Sports
Jimmy we only have a couple of questions for you today. Firstly did you consider coming back into English management before going to Holland?
It was always an option, I had kept options open in order to get a job and I would've taken an English job had I been offered it but Den Bosch came to me with the offer and I couldn't refuse. I also think it is a good time to try something new after the last few years and am looking forwards to the new experiences.

Can you give more details on what went wrong at Wimbledon?
I don't know. I had a great pre-season and had done brilliantly with the rebuild I wanted to do. I brought in a strong young squad and managed to keep a few good players. After the strong start to the season I was ready to go and plan for the next game but the board thought differently as after that 5th game and the loss to Luton, which was my first loss in the league, they were in the dressing room and told me to leave and I was sacked as soon as me and the team walked in.

So looking at the manner you were sacked do you have hard feelings for the club?
I wouldn't wish any bad times on the club, I hope they do well and I hope the players that are there do well with their careers. I have fallen out with the board. I tried to speak to them about it but they refused any conversations and just demanded I left.

One last question, as I'm guessing you have to be somewhere at the new club. Have you been told about any interest in Jansen from English clubs?
I haven't heard of any bids or been told of anything coming in from anybody. Apparently before I came in here there were a couple of premier league clubs asking about him but I'm glad nothing was agreed. He will definitely be a key player for me and I will hope he can develop under me and become a great player.

Alright, thanks Jimmy we will let you off to do your work now...

So there it is...
Jimmy Walker is continuing his career in Holland and will have a tough start in a weeks time but is confident in his side.

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[kmitchell96]

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I have played a lot since the last update, from my first game in the middle of September I am now in the January break having played 19 games, I will just update what has happened.

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No it isn't transfer window but I have conducted a few free transfers to add to the squad. 5 players have arrived. The key thing all have in common is the potential. All 5 are backup players now with ratings around 2* but all 5 have 4.5*-5* potential which is why I signed them, I will do a squad update at the beginning of my second season with them.

Fixtures
September
FCDB 2-4 Sparta
Volendam 1-1 FCDB
De Graafschap 1-2 FCDB
FCDB 5-1 SC Genemuiden (Cup)
FCDB 1-1 NEC

A pretty good first month. I had advanced to the 3rd round of the cup with the 5-1 win and would play Eredivise side NAC Breda in October. On loan wonder kid Hamza Jonker scored 4 goals in 5 games to earn player of the month.

October
Jong FC Twente 0-0 FCDB
FCDB 1-2 Telstar
FCDB 1-2 FC Dordecht
FC Oss 1-0 FCDB
FCDB 0-2 NAC Breda (Cup)

Rough month only picking up a single draw but kept every game tight including a 2-0 loss to Eredivise side Breda. Not played badly this month just faced better teams. Player of the month goes to Zeinstra in goal who played 4/5 games and kept all games close.

November
Excelsior 1-1 FCDB
FCDB 0-2 Almere City
FCDB 0-1 FC Emmen
Achilles'29 2-1 FCDB

A big first goal for wonder kid Marcel Jansen (16 years old out of the youth system playing regularly as a 2* 5* player, trying to develop him early and already had offers of £1.8m for him from Monaco!) earns him player of the month. Only managed a point in 4 games but again kept games close just struggling for goals.

December
FCDB 1-0 Jong PSV
ADO Den Haag 4-0 FCDB
Willem II 2-2 FCDB
FCDB 1-2 Fortuna Sittard
RKC 2-2 FCDB

A tough month of fixtures playing 1st, 5th and 4th in consecutive games! Managed a win and two draws to try and start to build a bit of form. Drew with top place Willem II and 4th place RKC whilst keeping it close in a loss to Fortuna Sittard. Danso only played half the games but scored 2 times in a draw and in the win against PSV so big month as he earns POTM.​

 

[kmitchell96]

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Jimmy thanks for being with us here today. We would like to discuss life in Holland after moving to manage FC Den Bosch. How is the club?
I am loving life at the club, there are lots of great people and I am happy managing the club.

From reports you haven't settled very well over there?
So far, no I haven't. It hasn't been easy to transition from England to Holland and I am struggling to settle in to life abroad. I'm not saying that I'm not enjoying the challenge but it is tough.

Now there are jobs available in England coming up to the transfer window, are any of these interesting you?I am not going to lie, I have been looking still. It isn't easy settling in and I have looked a couple of times. I almost applied for Accrington the other day before stopping myself.

You said you stopped yourself, what does that mean?
Well I was about to call them up and apply but stopped myself. I have been to 4 clubs now in my 4 year career and I haven't had any stability. It is a good set up here and I would like to taste success with them before I leave. I also want to do the best for the players and team. It would be wrong to consider leaving just 4 months after taking charge.

The club took a chance on me and I owe them for that and I want to make sure I do the best for the players as well. The last manager wasn't making the best of his resources. Like I did at Wimbledon I want to build a young squad and focus on bringing talent through the ranks. Marcel Jansen is a brilliant talent, and I can confirm we have had offers of upwards of £1.8m for the lad. I am focusing on developing the squad and especially players such as Jansen.

So are you looking towards a younger squad and youth players then?
Definitely, a lot of clubs ignore their youth systems. You look at the likes of Chelsea and Man City who just seem to ignore the talents they are producing in favour of spending millions of pounds. This club has a lot of talent in the reserve and youth squad.​

 

[kmitchell96]

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Winter Break Update
A couple of things happening in the break.

The board have agreed to send me on a coaching course to develop coaching skills further meaning they must have some faith in me.

I am still stable despite a few unhappy players and not getting results in the league.

Oh and I am doing a complete rebuild!

Rebuild
The team isn't expected to do well so I am taking the chance over the rest of the season to develop young players. I have moved all but 3 players aged 26+ into the reserve side in order to make sure my youth players can develop properly.

I have also promoted any youth players who are rated with gold stars from my under 19's side and reserves side (other than those with very low potential).

Anybody in the reserve side is now transfer listed. I am going to try and sell them all in January, otherwise I will either sell in Summer or release them.

My squad now consists of:
10 players aged 16-19
5 players aged 20-21
11 players aged 22-25
3 players aged 26-29
0 players aged 30+

Average age = 21.48 years old

Hopefully I can develop a good young side ready for next season and move forward focusing on youth.


​

 

[kmitchell96]

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Now I was in the transfer window, I had already 6 free transfer signings since being in charge, all of which were young players who could be backups but with 4-5* potential. These were as follows:

Tigran Gazarjan - M/AM(LC) - 3.5* 5* - 23 years old
Enrique Karlsson - WB/D(L) - 1* 4.5* - 18 years old
Jake Charles - AM(C) ST - 3* 4* - 22 years old
Thomas Steinherr - M/AM(RL) ST - 3.5* 4* - 24 years old
Youri Schuur - M(C) - 2.5* 5* - 21 years old
Predrag Crepulja - WB/D(R) - 3.5* 4.5* - 20 years old

All of these are players that were offered to me by agents. The best signing for me is between Gazarjan and Crepulja. Both of them are good enough to be starters, they are both in tough competition for their places though. Youri Schuur is also a good signing as he is a backup now but by the end of the season he could be a starter.

I spent money!
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Now this was an easy signing to make. Jonker had gone down to a 3 month injury and may not be back before the end of the season and I had no real quality behind him so I looked around different top teams. Looking at the Dortmund youth system I found this guy.

Hayrullah Alici is a 21 year old striker who is currently 3.5* with 5* potential. He only cost £75k (£85k when he scores 10 goals in a season). He has played 4 games off the bench so far but in his first game he was injured and ruled out for 2 months.

Coming back though he is playing well. He hasn't scored but in 2 of his 4 substitute appearances he has come on to play on the wing due to injuries so it isn't a bad record.

When he gets back to full fitness I will definitely be playing him upfront. Jonker will be dropped to a backup when he returns as he will not return next season, unless Real Madrid let me have him on loan again.

Next time...
Again, I have played a lot of the season now so next time will be another quick update on all the fixtures from the winter break through to the point I am at when I write the post (I will probably finish the season off first).

I am definitely not applying for other jobs, unless the Walsall job comes up. They have been struggling at the bottom of league 2 all season and have been for 2 or 3 seasons now so if it becomes available I will apply for it. I would've applied elsewhere if it wasn't for the fact I wanted to see my best youngsters develop.​

 

[kmitchell96]

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January
FCDB 3-2 Helmond Sport
FCDB 2-2 Volendam

So after the two friendly wins I managed to close off January unbeaten with a strong win and a draw. Jonker scored 3 goals in the two games including 2 against Helmond Sport and then Thomassen and De Jager scored the one each.

February
Jong Ajax 1-1 FCDB
Sparta 3-1 FCDB
NEC 5-2 FCDB
FCDB 2-2 De Graafschaap

A tough month of fixtures but two draws and 2 losses isn't too bad. Went into half time in all 3 games having a scored draw but 2nd half collapses in the 2 losses were disappointing.

March
FCDB 2-0 Jong FC Twente
FC Dordecht 3-1 FCDB
Telstar 2-1 FCDB
FCDB 3-1 FC Oss
FCDB 3-1 Excelsior

I remained unbeaten at home since the break with 3 home wins in the month but also 2 away losses balanced it out. A big win against rivals Oss but more important was Marcel Jansen scoring 2 goals in the win against Twente.

April
Almere City 2-1 FCDB
FCDB 2-2 Achilles'29
FC Emmen 2-1 FCDB
FCDB 1-0 Willem II

So I ended the season with an impressive home record having not lost at home since new year! Big win against top of the table Willem who eventually fell to third cause of the loss! Two tough losses after great performances but questionable refereeing calls in which I got a warning for.

Summary
I ended the season in 17th after being strong after the winter break. A great home record was taken into the end of the season without a loss since new year at home. I am happy with the season as we are considered one of the worst teams in the league so a good end after a disappointing start but now onto next season.

Already been told next season they would've excepted the same sort of fight and to just not lose and be competitive but said I can better it and fight for mid table, tough challenge but I'll take it!​

 

[kmitchell96]

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Today Jimmy Walker, the current FC Den Bosch manager has released a statement regarding his current status at the club and his future:

"I would just like to clarify that my near future resides here with FC Den Bosch. I have built something here to be proud of in my eyes and that is a young talented squad which will look forward to a good season ahead.

Many people have questioned my intent to stay here and move the club forward but I would like to clarify that I am staying here with the intention of succeeding. This club gave me a chance when many other clubs were avoiding me due to my young career.

I hope to bring success to the club this season and possibly further onwards from that and hopefully when I do leave it will be the right time to leave the club in a strong state.

The youth players here have kept me in Holland as I feel I am the best manager in the development of their career. I have been linked with a large number of jobs back in English football but none of the rumours have had any facts to be based on.

I am willing to state now that at this current point in my career I would only be willing to leave to manage my former club Walsall FC. I feel I am ready to go back and try to bring the club back to the glories I went through with them when I was a player.

Current manager Paul Cook was given an extension for a reason and I trust the people in charge at the club and if they believe he is the man for success then I believe in him too and hope them all the best. But should things not work out then I will put my name in the hat for the position.

Until that happens I am happy to stay here and build the club up and move them forward. Last season I came in and was just expected to keep games competitive, this season the board wanted the same but I said no and challenged myself and the players to better. This season we will look for a midtable finish with a push towards the playoffs.

Many people have seen my short career develop and it is only getting better here thanks to a supportive board and backroom staff as well as a strong squad which is better than people think.

I am developing a young squad which by the end of the year I believe could find itself challenging for the playoff spots.

So just to clarify I have no intention of leaving but if the right job, the Walsall job comes up I will have to throw my name into the hat but I am currently happy to stop here and work with the club on moving forwards."

So there it is, Jimmy Walker has clarified his intentions to stay with the club despite rumours of him moving back to English football with his name being linked with a few open jobs this summer in League 1 and as far down as the Conference North and South.

He has declared his interest in the position at Walsall despite Paul Cook recently being given a contract but has also wished Paul and the club all the best as they aim for a good season after a couple of seasons of disappointment since relegation from league 1.
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[kmitchell96]

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Overall it has been a busy off season. With my name constantly being linked to jobs all around the lower divisions of English football it has been hard to focus on the ongoing situation I have in front of me.

Season Preview
Last season I did well. I had to come in and just compete in games, not much of a task but I managed to pick up a few very good results. Looking back I think the unbeaten record against Willem II and FC Oss were the best things to look at.

This season needed to be different though. The board came to me and said they just wanted the same but I expected more this season. With some strong developing youth players and some great new signings this season could only improve.

Looking at what I did last year I set myself the high target of finishing mid-table. It was the best the board offered me among being competitive and not being embarrassed. So with the goal in mind I looked towards my new signings.

Transfer News
5 players left on a free transfer after failing to impress in the first season and just not fitting the idea I am trying to put into the squad. The only one I can see myself missing is Kappel but he had his transfer set up from before I had become manager so there was nothing I could do about it.

Meanwhile coming in there was more going on:
Paco Deckers - WB/M(RL) - 3.5* 4.5* - 22 years old - Free Transfer
Andreas Paesmaens - D(RC) WB(R) - 2* 4.5* - 20 years old - Free Transfer
Illias Halhaft - AM(RL) - 2.5* 5* - 21 years old - Free Transfer
Mikayil Yaman - D(C) - 2* 4* - 20 years old - Free Transfer
William Jaaskeleinen - GK - 1.5* 5* - 20 years old - Free Transfer
Andrija Novakovich - ST - 2* 5* - 21 years old - Free Transfer
Jean-Yves M'voto - D(C) - 3.5* 3.5* - 29 years old - On Loan
Nagui Bouras - D(C) - 3.5* 3.5* - 25 years old - £13.25k

So only one paid transfer despite being given quite a large budget and that is og 25 year old Bouras who should instantly fit in as a starting CB. Had to bring in quite a few defenders after finishing last season with a few leaving either back to their parent club or on a free.

Looking at the signings I think the most exciting is Deckers but his biggest problem is finding somewhere for him to play. In the 4-2-3-1 system I play I don't use wing backs or wide midfielders and he doesn't like playing full back or winger so it is going to be a struggle unless I have to change to a 4-4-2 system.

Jaaskeleinen was released by Bolton after struggling to develop and is a great pick up. I already have a lot of competition at GK but if he can develop quickly he could be a starter by the end of the season.

The only payer who will consistently play without having to factor in other players fitness and injuries is Novakovich who will be a backup. Alici will be a starter with the on loan Jonker being a back up but due to injury problems Novakovich is likely to be back up. Jonker has had 9 injuries in his 2 years as a player with 5 of those injuries being longer than a month, he is currently out for 1-3 months.

Pre-season
I had a busy pre-season but also ended last season with a friendly in order to say bye to any of the outgoing players. In this friendly I beat my reserves 5-1 with Alici getting a hat trick and Kappel marking his transfer with a brace.

Then in the summer friendlies results were as follows:
FCDB 0-3 Zwolle
FCDB 3-0 FCDB U19's
FCDB 1-3 Millwall
FCDB 2-2 Brentford
UNA 1-4 FCDB
Elburger 1-4 FCDB
HCSC 3-5 FCDB
BVV 0-2 FCDB

So a good preseason saw me win all 4 away games whilst last seasons strong home form struggled with 2 losses in 4 home friendlies. All the new players saw a strong preseason and all the returning players continued some good form especially the likes of Thomassen and Alici who picked up 4 goals each.

Young Player Report
According to my reports Jansen has taken a step back over the summer whilst young CB Werner de Jager has improved. Other youth players have started to come through whilst many will sit in the reserve squads and go out on loan in order to improve. I am hoping by the break that many of my reserve youngsters will be good enough to be promoted to the first team squad.

​

 

[kmitchell96]

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August was a tough month. I only had a few games but I found out how the board were going to treat me going forwards and after a strong transfer window and seeming like I was in a good job I was starting to think otherwise. They started by telling me that all transfer offers would be sent to the director of football meaning I had no say in the outgoing transfers other than players being released. This isn't something I wanted to here before transfer deadline day.

But anyway how did the fixtures pan out:
FCDB 1-0 FC Oss
Telstar 3-0 FCDB
FCDB 2-2 Roda JC
Achilles'29 1-0 FCDB
RKC 2-0 FCDB

So after a brilliant first day with a big win over rivals FC Oss it fell apart and I came out of August with 4 points from a possible 15. After a big loss to Telstar I changed tactics to try and patch up a leaky defence but it didn't work. Goodish news was Alici scoring 3 goals on the month, goodish because nobody else scored. Jordy Thomassen is also out injured for a while. It could be a rough start to the season.

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It was a busy transfer deadline day. I had my eyes set on one player who could really help out (emphasis on the could) and no control over who was sold. It seems the board didn't trust me with my own squad and to battle this they decided to let somebody take over in the role of selling players.

As I said one player came in. 22 year old goalkeeper Hartl was the signing and he wasn't as good as he first looked but still a better second choice than what I already had. At 2.5* 4* he would probably be my starter soon but Gelios had a good month off the pitch and improved a lot to keep his starting job, for now.

But after just 3 days the new director of football had his sights on ripping apart the squad. Now if the right bid came in I would've sold players but he sold them off way to cheaply and it took some key figures out of my squad.

First he sold Karlsson, the 18 year old LB who had been here for less than a year and he did this for £40k, he was worth £67k. What makes it worse is that it is a possible £40k, I will most likely receive around £15-20k for him in the long run.

Next was Danso. A player who was definitely a plug and play guy and he could be a key part of my squad. He had improved over the summer and just coming back from injury he was doing brilliantly in short spells on the pitch. Worth £60k he was sold for a potential of £25k, most likely to be around £10-15k.

Finally and the worst of them all was full time starting defender Huijegvoort. The 25 year old 4* LB and CB would play every game after returning from injury but the director of football had other ideas. He sold the key man for £20k potentially when he was worth £50k. Like the others though the clauses were unrealistic meaning I could potentially only wind up with £5k for him! Making it even worse is he was sold to Willem II, division rivals.

So the best player at the club had been sold off the cheapest to division rivals and it was tough to take so I went to the board and asked them about it. They told me they thought it was for the best of the club financially (despite making a profit last season!) and said that they didn't think I was doing well with transfers!

SO!
I have completely reconsidered everything. After saying I would only leave for Walsall I have decided I just want a move. I don't have a board who trust me despite the forward progress I am making and I have little say in the transfers being made (I also had a transfer in for a young striker blocked off for wages despite having over £14k spare in my wage budget!).

Now moving forward I want a move back to England. I have enjoyed my time in Holland but it is obvious the board isn't ambitious as they have re-evaluated my goals and told me to be competitive again despite me thinking we can get mid-table. Without the backing and freedom at this club I am not going to succeed.

The Walsall job is out of question after a strong start to the season which sees them sitting in 1st having won every league game and scoring 13 goals in 4 games whilst only conceding 2. So I would look for league 2 or conference work.​

 

[kmitchell96]

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So it was all but confirmed that I was leaving now. Everything but a job was in place for my departure. There were a few likely to come up and they did. Sheffield Wednesday in league 1 were the first and I applied for it and got an interview. Norwich in the Championship were next and they gave me an interview.

Then league 2 teams Bury and Hartlepool both wanted me and I was favourites to take over but I rejected the offer of an interview from Hartlepool and took the interview with Bury.

I didn't want to go to another foreign country, I wanted to return to England but first things first I had to play out a few more games.

Fixtures
No full details as by the beginning of October I had a job but I ended on a good streak with 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss which saw me just miss out on a playoff spot. It was a strong end to a good run with FC Den Bosch but it just never seemed to work out with the board who eventually pushed me out.

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More breaking news here today after Norwich earlier appointed Steve Davis. Jimmy Walker has left FC Den Bosch to become the new manager at Sheffield Wednesday.

Sheffield Wednesday who had a disappointing start to the season and find themselves in the relegation zone of league 1 after relegation from the Championship last year will be looking towards a strong push for the playoffs under Walker.

Wednesday are reportedly paying somewhere in the region of £40k to FCDB for the services of Walker who has been praised by fans in Holland but disputes with the board drove him away.

He favoured a young squad and potential talent which saw him exceed expectations in his first season where he caused a few upsets and then so far this season he exceeded expectations pushing the club to the brink of the playoffs and leaving them in 10th place.

The disputes were over the sales of 3 key players for which he saw well below the value and then further talks saw the board anger Walker and push him away from staying after earlier saying this season he was in for the long haul.

He has also previously managed Sutton in which he had a strong start to a managerial career taking relegations fighters and missing out on the playoffs by goals scored on the last game of the season.

He then moved to Lincoln where he helped to secure safety after coming in when they were deep in the relegation zone and he is now favoured for his miracle works, he turned them into playoff contenders the next season before leaving for Wimbledon.

He got the Dons relegated but this was in the main part due to awful financial backing and a poor squad when he took over, he resigned due to the state of the club and lack of backing from the board on a financial basis which made the set goals seem unrealistic.

He then moved to FC Den Bosch where as mentioned he was largely successful. He now comes to Sheffield which will be his 5th club in as many seasons. Many worry about his longevity but he has reassured the board that he is in it for the long haul with this being his first stable club.

He will start off with the following fixtures:
SW - Preston
Bolton - SW
SW - Ipswich
Barnsley - SW (Rivalry)
Bradford - SW

He is expected to release a statement or join us for an interview in coming days but with fixtures coming thick and fast it may be up to two weeks before we hear from the new appointment.

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[kmitchell96]

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With very little time before jumping into his first few fixtures with Sheffield Wednesday Jimmy Walker has politely declined a chance to meet the media but has instead released a statement about his move to the club.

"With things quickly collapsing around me I had to make a decision which was best for my career. FC Den Bosch gave me an opportunity when few other people were willing to give me a chance after the mess at Wimbeldon so I am thankful for them taking the chance on me.

However I felt like after being in charge for so long the board didn't trust me enough for the amount of work I had done for them. I had a good first season and then I was pushing for the playoffs in my second season and building a brilliant young squad.

But unfortunately they didn't see it that way and seemed to pull out of the backing they had earlier promised me. I felt that with the board no longer backing me I had to make a move that would benefit my career.

I had been offered four interviews in England whilst in the argument with the FCDB board and Sheffield Wednesday were the first to offer me the job and I took it.

I am now happy to be here at a great club who have a brilliant set up and should look towards the upper reaches of the table. I am aware of the struggles the last manager had with the squad but I feel that was down to mismanagement which I will be looking to fix within the coming weeks.

I currently have 16 players who I would deem ready for first team action from first glance but due to 4 or 5 injuries within this 16 I will be looking towards the youth system for squad players who can offer something within the early weeks of my reign.

Regarding the announcement of the improvement to the youth facilities, this is something the board agreed with me upon when conducting the interview for the job as they feel moving forward they want to bring in youth players who can contend. I was very pleased they agreed and even more pleased when they announced it would all be started on the first day of my reign. I have been told that I can reveal the investment figure into the development of the facilities and it is likely to be somewhere in the region of £1.6m.

Moving forward I am looking at having a successful first season and really pushing for the playoffs and then staying in the long term and trying to take this club to the premier league again. I will be looking at the same sort of philosophies I have used throughout my career, so focusing on youth and bringing in young players.

Also as I have done with all my other clubs I am aiming to be financially sound with the club. They are currently doing well financially and I will avoid putting this at risk in an aim to improve the squad without risking the clubs future."

He also then added to the statement some information about the last statement released where he stated he was staying at FCDB for the long haul barring any openings at Walsall

"I know I said I was in the long haul for FCDB but the developments and lack of backing and ambition from the board forced me out. I was happy to stay up until they seemed to have backed away from me and handed over responsibilities that I believe should be taken by a manager to a Director of Football.

I would've gone to Walsall if given the chance but with them currently sat in the automatic promotion places of League 2 I am just happy to see them doing well after a few years of struggle in the league below."

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[kmitchell96]

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So the reign had started and I was back in English management after a stint in Holland. Sheffield Wednesday were a good team, just relegated from the Championship they were struggling to adapt to life in league 1 when I took over as they sat in the relegation zone.

General Information
It wasn't going to be easy. It was a small squad which I will talk about in a minute. The aim was to make the playoffs, it is doable but I find myself quite far off due to the struggles under the previous manager.

Since 2014 they had 4 managers prior to me. In the first season they finished 13th under Stuart Gray. Gray would then leave half way through the 2015/16 season to go to Hull where he won the Championship in his first season, only to be relegated in 2016/17, he still resides with Hull in the championship.

Russell Slade was then in charge for the second half of the 2015/16 and would get them to finish 15th in the championship. He would then last up until December 2016 when he was sacked. John Sheridan was next to take a turn and would finish the season he took over in 18th, narrowly avoiding relegation. Only then to be sacked in November of the following year after a poor start.

Andy Awford took over on the 8th of December 2017. He got them relegated with a bottom of the league finish which saw them 12 points adrift of anybody, let alone the 20 points away from safety.

For some reason though they decided to extend his stay until the 22nd of September 2018. I then took over on the 19th of October.

Squad Report
It was a small squad. As stated in my statement to the press I had 16 players who were good enough for the league. When I came in 4 of these 16 were injured meaning I had to promote a lot of youth players to bulk up the squad.

The starting 11 was strong but beyond that there was nothing to be confident with. Mainly consisting of youth players the squad overall was quite poor but if I could keep fitness high then I was confident of doing well with a starting 11 good enough to challenge for promotion.

I was going to have to add to the squad between now and January. I'd missed the transfer window so for now I would just be relying on freebies and loan signings.

Transfer News
My first signing wasn't exactly glamorous but it was one I would need for backup. Now 29 year old James McClean was signed on a short loan (3 months). Rated at 2.5* he would play as a backup but I was just hoping he could give me something extra off the bench in games with a very lackluster bench mainly made up of 16-18 year olds.

The only other transfer so far is CM Jack Evans from Norwich. The 20 year old was more promising and hopefully could push for a first team place in his 3 months here but at the moment he would just be backup to a strong midfield.

With no other signings all I have to report is the 5 scouts being sent out to look for something. I have 2 sent out looking for first team quality either on free transfers or on loan and then another out on prospect duty.

Review
So it was going to be tough but I knew I could do well. I would focus on keeping this squad together and adding youth quality throughout this season whilst also pushing for playoffs. Hopefully they won't react too badly if I just miss out on the playoffs but I am aiming to be here for a while.​

 

[kmitchell96]

It was not to be. I managed Sheffield Wednesday for 6 months but everything went against me. When I signed the contract the old board were behind me. A month into my reign the club was taken over and after already taking them out of the relegation zone within a month the new board expected automatic promotion. As soon as they came in my job became very insecure for no apparent reason. Moving forwards I lasted until the transfer window where I made some brilliant signings using money made from selling 1 player (signed 5 starters). The players became frustrated with me for not selling them despite no bids, many players came and asked why they weren't being sold among rumours when nobody had even declared interest in them. The board then took money away from the wage budget and decided to stop the project for the improved youth facilities. This lead to having no resources to work with to solve contracts. Hey eventually gave me the option to resign or be sacked, I chose to be sacked as I wasn't resigning despite a winning record (11 wins, 11 draws, 9 losses). Moving forward I have taken the option to retire from management and go into coaching due to the struggles.

Thank you to everybody that has followed this story but it just never seemed to work out with luck always going against me. At sutton and Lincoln there were always loads of injuries. With Wimbledon there was no money in the club which saw them quickly collapse with them now 23rd in league 2. At Fc Den Bosch the board just had no faith in me and refused to back me and be ambitious. Then finally a new board at Sheffield Wednesday saw me forced out of the club. Despite a great record.

I will be looking to start a new career soon and will update on it as soon as I have gotten into it and get the chanc. Thank you for following.​