Intro
So, as an inexperienced manager who has never managed a non-league team before, and doesn't use any downloaded tactics or editing, surely theres no hope?
I, Robson Utting, signed a £325 a week deal at a club expecting to finish mid-table in Blue Square South, with £0 to spend, and a £4.6k wage budget when the team has a combined £4.61k in wages. Its time to offload some players. Not easy with such a small squad.
Transfers
So, I transfer list two squad players, worth a combined £225 in wages and £1k each in transfer money. I am currently chasing Phillip Green, a 20 year old talented free agent who plays in my problem position: Central Midfield, as well as on the left hand side.
So, I offer Green a £30 a week wage, and lets see what happens. With 5 or more clubs also apparently interested in the player, I'm hoping I won't miss out on him. Yes! He rejects the offer from Cowdenbeath and accepts Utting's £30 per week offer. The deal is finalised with haste.
Conference League Cup South Draw
Long subtitle. Anyway, hoping for an easy side, the draw is watched nervously by fans, players, and staff. Maidenhead draw Bognor Regis Town, a team whose squad is (hopefully) as terrible as its name. The second round draw will see the winners of this game face the winners of the match between AFC Wimbledon and Weston-super-Mare.
First ever match
Friendly vs. Shrewsbury Town
A tough first match away against a League 2 Side, hopefully we can hold our own.
We currently play a standard 3-5-2 formation.
Phillip Green starts in his first ever match, hopefully he can perform to expectations.
1 min: A good start for Maidenhead as Green's throw in from his own half culminates in some free-flowing passing and a Surey dribble and shot from outside the box. Sadly he skies it.
5 mins: Shrewsbury clear the ball and my defence is caught off guard as Walker finds himself in space. Thankfully, he volleys wide.
15 mins: A Shrewsbury throw-in results in a corner, which is headed away and cleared by Green, ends up at the oppostion keepers feet, and is cleared for a Maidenhead throw.
21 mins: The best chance of the match so far. Green throws to Surey, who passes it first time to Pacquette, who runs on and shoots straight at the keeper. It goes out to a defender who tries to clear it, but it ends up bouncing out for a corner.
22 mins: Smith's corner goes to Stirling, who heads it toward goal, and it is tipped over for another Maidenhead corner. The resulting corner is easily caught by the keeper and is cleared.
24 mins: Baptiste goes on a long jinking run, and ends up shooting from 25 yards. Although it goes wide, you can see that we are really piling on the pressure in my first game.
27 mins: Surey plays a brilliant ball out wide to Smith, who crosses for Pacquette to head it. The keeper makes a good save and a defender clears the danger.
29 mins: The same happens again, but at the other end. This time, the header results in a Holt goal. 1-0 to Shrewsbury.
31 mins: Maidenhead come so close to equalising almost straight away with Smith playing a great long ball to Pacquette, who scrapes the post with his shot.
39 mins: Behzadi plays a sweet through ball out wide to Smith, who cuts in and shoots... Straight at the feet of the 'keeper.
45+2 mins: Great passing play inside my box by Shrewsbury, Pugh finds himself with the ball 6 yards out, shoots, and my keeper pulls out a brilliant save to end the half.
50 mins: Surey plays a great ball to Behzadi, who is 12 yards out, he shoots with his left boot on the first touch, and the ball floats beautifully into the top left hand corner. A deserved goal for Maidenhead. 1-1.
52 mins: Shrewsbury responds immediately with a great cross to an unmarked Murray, who brings it down and shoots into the bottom left corner. 2-1 to the Shrews.
SUBSTITUTION: Hinds comes on for a tired Nicholls.
SUBSTITUTION: Surey off, Clarke on. Now 65 mins in.
71 mins: A terrible Pacquette pass nearly hands Shrewsbury a goal, and it would have been if Murray hadn't sent it flying over the bar.
SUBSTITUTION: Behzami and Green off, Binds and Hazell on.
74 mins: Shrewsbury's Davies hits the post from 25 yards.
81 mins: Murray skies another great chance to get a second.
SUBSTITUTION: Newman on for Baptiste.
84 mins: Hinds hits a looping shot from the edge of the box, and skims the bar.
The referee blows the full time whistle, end result: Maidenhead 1-2 Shrewsbury.
We held our own and kept our pride, and, surprisingly, weren't completely thrashed, and our goalscorer Behdazi even got the Man of the Match award. A good start to my Maidenhead career.
Next time...
Our next game is away against Eastwood, which I'll bring you news on soon.
If there is any advice you want to give me, whether its for who to sign, tactics, and any in game advice, or if its how I write this and its format, then I'll take any ideas into consideration.
Goodbye for now,
Robson Utting.
So, as an inexperienced manager who has never managed a non-league team before, and doesn't use any downloaded tactics or editing, surely theres no hope?
I, Robson Utting, signed a £325 a week deal at a club expecting to finish mid-table in Blue Square South, with £0 to spend, and a £4.6k wage budget when the team has a combined £4.61k in wages. Its time to offload some players. Not easy with such a small squad.
Transfers
So, I transfer list two squad players, worth a combined £225 in wages and £1k each in transfer money. I am currently chasing Phillip Green, a 20 year old talented free agent who plays in my problem position: Central Midfield, as well as on the left hand side.
So, I offer Green a £30 a week wage, and lets see what happens. With 5 or more clubs also apparently interested in the player, I'm hoping I won't miss out on him. Yes! He rejects the offer from Cowdenbeath and accepts Utting's £30 per week offer. The deal is finalised with haste.
Conference League Cup South Draw
Long subtitle. Anyway, hoping for an easy side, the draw is watched nervously by fans, players, and staff. Maidenhead draw Bognor Regis Town, a team whose squad is (hopefully) as terrible as its name. The second round draw will see the winners of this game face the winners of the match between AFC Wimbledon and Weston-super-Mare.
First ever match
Friendly vs. Shrewsbury Town
A tough first match away against a League 2 Side, hopefully we can hold our own.
We currently play a standard 3-5-2 formation.
Phillip Green starts in his first ever match, hopefully he can perform to expectations.
1 min: A good start for Maidenhead as Green's throw in from his own half culminates in some free-flowing passing and a Surey dribble and shot from outside the box. Sadly he skies it.
5 mins: Shrewsbury clear the ball and my defence is caught off guard as Walker finds himself in space. Thankfully, he volleys wide.
15 mins: A Shrewsbury throw-in results in a corner, which is headed away and cleared by Green, ends up at the oppostion keepers feet, and is cleared for a Maidenhead throw.
21 mins: The best chance of the match so far. Green throws to Surey, who passes it first time to Pacquette, who runs on and shoots straight at the keeper. It goes out to a defender who tries to clear it, but it ends up bouncing out for a corner.
22 mins: Smith's corner goes to Stirling, who heads it toward goal, and it is tipped over for another Maidenhead corner. The resulting corner is easily caught by the keeper and is cleared.
24 mins: Baptiste goes on a long jinking run, and ends up shooting from 25 yards. Although it goes wide, you can see that we are really piling on the pressure in my first game.
27 mins: Surey plays a brilliant ball out wide to Smith, who crosses for Pacquette to head it. The keeper makes a good save and a defender clears the danger.
29 mins: The same happens again, but at the other end. This time, the header results in a Holt goal. 1-0 to Shrewsbury.
31 mins: Maidenhead come so close to equalising almost straight away with Smith playing a great long ball to Pacquette, who scrapes the post with his shot.
39 mins: Behzadi plays a sweet through ball out wide to Smith, who cuts in and shoots... Straight at the feet of the 'keeper.
45+2 mins: Great passing play inside my box by Shrewsbury, Pugh finds himself with the ball 6 yards out, shoots, and my keeper pulls out a brilliant save to end the half.
50 mins: Surey plays a great ball to Behzadi, who is 12 yards out, he shoots with his left boot on the first touch, and the ball floats beautifully into the top left hand corner. A deserved goal for Maidenhead. 1-1.
52 mins: Shrewsbury responds immediately with a great cross to an unmarked Murray, who brings it down and shoots into the bottom left corner. 2-1 to the Shrews.
SUBSTITUTION: Hinds comes on for a tired Nicholls.
SUBSTITUTION: Surey off, Clarke on. Now 65 mins in.
71 mins: A terrible Pacquette pass nearly hands Shrewsbury a goal, and it would have been if Murray hadn't sent it flying over the bar.
SUBSTITUTION: Behzami and Green off, Binds and Hazell on.
74 mins: Shrewsbury's Davies hits the post from 25 yards.
81 mins: Murray skies another great chance to get a second.
SUBSTITUTION: Newman on for Baptiste.
84 mins: Hinds hits a looping shot from the edge of the box, and skims the bar.
The referee blows the full time whistle, end result: Maidenhead 1-2 Shrewsbury.
We held our own and kept our pride, and, surprisingly, weren't completely thrashed, and our goalscorer Behdazi even got the Man of the Match award. A good start to my Maidenhead career.
Next time...
Our next game is away against Eastwood, which I'll bring you news on soon.
If there is any advice you want to give me, whether its for who to sign, tactics, and any in game advice, or if its how I write this and its format, then I'll take any ideas into consideration.
Goodbye for now,
Robson Utting.
