Starting Over

November 28th 2017
So with a job underhand the club had asked me to draw up a summary of my skills. I didn't expect this to happen but went from the Football manager template.

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Heavily favouring my skills over experience I am going to have a lot of work to do to build up that side. I think what won me the job was my counter attacking style of play. Ideally I would like to attack and control the ball but it seems countering is the only thing that will work.

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So after 2 years of fighting for qualifications it earns me a 1 year deal at Northampton in a league 2 relegation battle. With just 7 months to right what Worthington wronged it will be a real prove it contract and this could be the make or break start which I hoped I wouldn't have.

A relegation battle isn't what I was expecting to walk into when I started but a job is a job and it will be the true test of whether the qualifications actually mean anything when things get tough.​
 
December 6th 2017
With a 11 day gap between being hired and having my first match I had a lot of time to look over the club and players. The key problem that I will have in terms of fighting for survival is the weak squad mixed with no budget being available as the board feel the club is destined for financial struggles.

Despite doing okay at the moment they are over £1000 p/w over the wage budget and this is tearing the clubs finances apart. In order to build the squad up I am going to have to get rid of a lot of deadwood in January, the only problem is that the board refuse to pay release fees.

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With key players D'ath, Maloney and Adams demanding transfers already that may be able to free up some room to work with but it also means losing 3 players who I feel could keep the club up. If I sold all 3 I would have an increased transfer budget but also it would turn me from being £1000p/w over to having a spare £3000p/w to work with.

Having that room to work with would allow me to work with rebuilding the squad. Having already scouted the free agency market there are a few good players out there that I can sign to sure up survival chances but the risk of selling 3 key players could cause problems.


​
 
December 9th 2017
First game of my managerial career and we hosted mid-table but inform Gillingham. We weren't considered as potential winners by anyone but I just wanted to see a solid display.

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After a strong start to the game we threatened the Gillingham goal several times but we struggled to build on the first 10 minutes and then in the 14th minute the Gills took the lead by capitalising on what is an obvious area of improvement for us in defending set pieces.

After that first goal went in the Gills took control of the game and although we pressed a few times and caused problems we couldn't create any real chances with Turton looking isolated upfront. Gillingham took the game to bed with a 2nd an hour in, once again through a corner.

After a disappointing start to my managerial career there is obvious room for improvement in the team but also there are positive signs showing. If I can find a way to build on today it could be easy to build up. None of the 3 "key" players were spectacular in todays game pushing me towards selling them in January if needs be.​
 
December 16th 2017
2 games, 1 win. Not too bad of a start. After a tough first team for me to face the team seemed to settle into the new regime heading into fixture number 2 of my career.

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Kenyon provided the winner and my first managerial goal for as we got the unexpected win. A solid defensive display was only let down by the supposedly "key" Maloney who continues to make me consider his position.

D'ath and Adams both put in better shifts than that of our last game but we still need them to improve. It was a solid defensive display lead by Banton. The wingers caused all the trouble for Morecambe's back 4 which opened up the space for our striker to cause trouble in the middle.

It was Kenyon in the end though who scored the decisive goal. Adams coming down the right hand side whipped the ball in, it evaded a number of people in the box but Kenyon awaited at the back post to smash home his second goal of the season.​
 
December 23rd 2017
After being on the high of a good win we have another tough game against a tough Yeovil side. The former Championship side have struggled to return to the heights they were once at but have been stringing results together as they look to push into the playoffs.

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It was an unfair result for us. We went 1-0 up through an own goal but could easily have gone up in the first half on several occasions. After taking the lead we were unfortunate to concede to what can only be described as bad luck, as Yeovil tried to switch play the pass took a deflection and looped over Montgomery from about 40 yards out.

During the process there was also an injury which saw us go down to 10 men for the remainder of the game after making all 3 subs prior to the goal. Yeovil took the man advantage and took the lead straight away from a corner before tearing through a tired defence late on to make it 3.

In terms of the 3 "key" players. D'ath was what can only be described as awesome, he controlled the entire team from the middle of the pitch and did work both going forward and defensively. Adams struggled against physical full backs whilst Maloney was injured for the game.​
 
December 26th 2017
A big game was here against Barnet. Just outside the relegation zone a win would see us move off of the bottom and out of the relegation zone. However a pre-game build up of injuries saw an already weak squad just get weaker. 10 of the previous starting 11 remained with the 1 change seeing a return from injury before he was fit. With a full squad to choose from I would be positive but the injuries put me on edge.

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The pre-game nerves were justified. A poor start set the tone for the game. We somehow equalised with Kenyon being the only scorer in the team under my reign with his 2nd goal in 4 games. A second half filled with tired players saw us lose control of the game though and players playing out of position caused problems.

In the end it was a tough defeat to take but we sit just 1 point from safety now and we will look to continue to build. Adams put in another disappointing performance whilst D'ath played well but made his intent of leaving clear post game.​
 
December 30th 2017
With just 1 game before the transfer window opens for business followed by a new year's day game I sat down to sort the transfer situation out. D'ath and Adams had come to me to express their interest in taking a new contract. For D'ath he wanted similar to what he was on whilst Adams was willing to take a wage cut as he nears the end of his career at 31.

Maloney hadn't impressed me since my arrival and with the need for depth to be added I am opting to sell the right back. Whilst I don't hope to get a lot for the full back I am hoping to get his £1500p/w wages off of the books to free up some space.

6 other players have been listed. Mostly failed youth prospects they will all add up in freeing the wage budget up once sold. All of their wages combine to almost £2000p/w which is way too high for their quality so I aim to get rid of them as quickly as possible, even if it means on free transfers.

I know the squad needs a lot of additions. With Maloney leaving I will need a starting right back in the squad which will be a number 1 priority. The second priority will just be to add depth. With the foundations of the squad in place I feel we just lack the depth to be able to rotate and stop fatigue. If I can get a "2nd XI" built by the end of January I feel I will be able to turn the fortunes around and push out of the relegation battle.​
 
January 1st 2018
A busy new year period saw a tired squad fighting against the odds of being in the relegation battle still on the turn of new year. Whilst we were tired so were other teams though.

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After a disappointing 2-0 loss away to Yeovil we sat bottom of the table and looked to be struggling to find any signs of fight that were shown in our previous win. A poor defensive display saw us struggle to get anything going on the break and it gave Yeovil control of the tie and a 2-0 win.

We then followed this up with our best performance of my reign. My first win came against Morecambe and we made it 2 from 2 against the Shrimps. After 2 minutes we were awarded a penalty but Adams couldn't convert from the spot, however he bounced straight back by slotting home Kenyon's cross to make it 1-0 after 10 minutes.

He then turned to the provider as he whipped the ball across the box for Tuton to get his first under me, his 7th of the season. He had struggled to get used to playing as a lone striker but he seems to be settling into his role now as he finished superbly to double our lead. We had more chances to add to our lead but a very tired team opted to control the game in order to keep the 3 points safe.​
 
January 3rd 2018
So big news coming out that we have managed to pen both D'ath and Adams to contracts paying them less than what they were already on. It frees up a bit in the wage budget but gives me some room to work with as well in order to sign what we need.

The two of them were willing to take the cuts after seeing the changes I was making. D'ath as captain is key as he not only is the key player on the pitch but he also is a key head in the changing rooms. Adams on the other hand is less influential off of the pitch but on the pitch he has the skill to create and score goals every game and now he is off of the mark under my reign I expect him to keep scoring goals.

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January 8th 2018
Just 8 days into the transfer window and we have had a lot of movements. Moloney left to Scunthorpe on a free transfer, I pushed the move in order to have the funds to bring people in. We also saw Gallagher leave on a free to Weymouth. He was a player I could've used throughout the season but needing to improve in other key positions forced me to move him on.

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We have also added 4.

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Luke Hendrie was a fantastic signing and will replace Moloney. The former Burnley youth product has failed to find a club after being released but will come straight in to sure up the right back position for us. The only problem is in his first training session the defender twisted his ankle and will be out for up to a month.

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Christie-Davies is a player I am excited about. He adds a strong central partner for D'ath allowing both to do what they do best. He will be the more attacking player of the two and I expect him to help us score more goals.

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Sion Morgan is a transfer that raised a lot of eyebrows around the club but people will be impressed by the 18 year old. He will either slot in at DM and CB and will help to sure up what has been a leaky defence so far. He is a player who has a very strong future and on a free transfer I cannot complain.

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Hudson will come in as number 2 keeper. I am still struggling to shift former backup O'Flaherty but he won't be playing a role with Hudson signed. The 19 year old has more future upside and will hopefully be a strong back up to Montgomery.​
 
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January 9th 2018
As we wait for players to gel together we have a tough game against automatic promotion chasing Stevenage, away. I don't expect to get anything out of this performance but a fighting performance and a good effort.

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The scoreline isn't fair in all honesty. After a strong first half we had several unlucky misses including deflected shots hitting the post but also a clear penalty shout turned down. Stevenage took advantage as we tired in the second half and noticed our weakness at right back with Hendrie injured and Moloney gone.

We will look to bounce out of relegation next time round as we currently sit just one point from safety but our goal difference is the worst in the league by 7 so we need to accumulate points quickly. I was happy with all the new players today and also with D'ath and Adams who signed new contracts and played fantastically.

We also lost our assistant manager the day before the game and had very little motivational support at half time after a fantastic first half showing. I am looking to replace him as quickly as possible and will push to improve the backroom if the board allow me to do so and add a fitness coach.
​
 
Great story so far! Tough start with Northampton, but given a chance to establish yourself and rebuild next summer I'm sure you can push for promotion. Good luck :)
 
Dooley1990 said:
Great story so far! Tough start with Northampton, but given a chance to establish yourself and rebuild next summer I'm sure you can push for promotion. Good luck :)
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm not confident of surviving at the moment, a lot of injuries have piled up and still without a right back. Will be playing through some more and updating a bit more later tonight.
 
January 13th 2018
With a new assistant manager to help out we head into this game hoping to get a point off of mid-table Wrexham. With injuries piled up though we have stop gaps all over the pitch which could easily effect our result negatively.

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All in all we weren't bad on the pitch but just couldn't take our chances. York gave Wrexham the win and it was a lucky goal as it bounced off of the post and off his leg without him even realising. Late on we were unlucky not to get the equaliser but Banton's header from a corner was saved brilliantly only for his rebound to hit the post.

We stay rooted at the bottom of the table and with Eastleigh being 3 points better off in 22nd it looks like we could be falling further from safety as they have a game in hand. We will need to start stringing results together in order to get out of this situation.​
 
January 27th 2018
After having a game cancelled we had a big break which gave us a chance to get some work in to fix previous problems. We worked a lot on fitness but also on finishing after poor shots had cost us chances in previous games.

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With the depth back at striker with a couple of injured players returning I switched to a 2 striker system and it paid off for Tuton. After going 1-0 down early on we took control of the game and before half time we had the lead. The second half saw a return for loanee Owen Powell who set up Tuton before getting a gashed head which could see him out of action for a couple of weeks again.

This system definitely gave us more threat going forward but I was worried it could leave us open at the back, today we did well to stay compact to stop that from happening though. With a game in hand we now sit 4 points from safety, if we can beat play-off chasers Blackpool though we can pull closer to survival.​
 
February 6th 2018
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Two big games in our fight for survival and we couldn't make the most of them. The Hartlepool game could've seen us move above them in the bottom 2 but we couldn't get any rhythm going against a side who had won 3 on the bounce.

Newport were 6 points clear of relegation but by no means clear of the battle. A win for us could've been massive in our battle for survival but Newport took the most of their home advantage and took an early lead and never looked back. Tuton brought us back into the game at one point but they grabbed their 3rd goal and all 3 points.

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So with a game in hand we lie 7 points from safety and with our awful goal difference I think the fight for survival is all but over. I am worried that I have wasted the last 2 and a half years as I sink a club that looked to be going places prior to this season.

The money, time and effort has all been wasted by the look of things and I feel like I've let all those down that supported me and as we come to the end of this season all I can do is promise myself and everyone else that I won't let them down. I doubt Northampton will renew my contract but I have confidence, all be it little, in getting a job elsewhere.​
 
Hey, I'm just wondering how people are finding this so far and wondering if anybody has any suggestions. I am enjoying writing this story so far, even if the game itself is frustrating, so any feedback to improve would be appreciated.
 
March 24th 2018
After a very tough 2 month period I have been sacked... It is a very tough pill to swallow as I had managed to get closer to safety before being plagued by 8 injuries in 3 days. The board weren't happy with the results and had set me a target of getting 12 points from 5 games, a stupid target.

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The Mansfield result was just a poor showing by the lads, whilst a draw against Blackpool was very unlucky. After going 1-0 down we forced our way back to 2-1 up and then with minutes left a deflected free kick found its way past Montgomery.

It was another poor showing against Exeter before we shocked everyone by coming from 2-0 down to get a draw against table toppers Grimsby. The draw injected confidence which lead to us winning 1-0 at Notts County. We then got back to back draws against play-off chasers Crewe and Wimbledon.

Southend showed a masterclass of passing football which we struggled to defend against before we were part of a record setting game against Cheltenham. After going 4-0 down we somehow brought it back to 4-4 before two late goals went past us with the team running on empty.

Oldham sealed my fate though. After going 1-0 down Oldham were very lucky to not get a red and it shot us in the foot when the player who should've been dismissed made it 2-0. We had a late charge to try get the point but were denied by the post with the last kick of the game.

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So 10 points from safety when I get dismissed but the odds were never in my favour. I took over a struggling club with a poor squad and an awful financial situation which was set up by the previous manager. I tried everything to bring life back into the team but there wasn't enough quality in the side to do so and not enough money in the club to add the quality.

A flood of injuries was visible throughout my reign with all but 3 players picking up injuries in my stint as manager out of a squad of 26. I was happy to give a lot of young players their chance and it paid off at times with fantastic showings from a few of them.

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So with my fate sealed I will be looking again and can't expect to get anything in the football league. I want to go somewhere I have the set up for success. Northampton was doomed from the beginning and the board never made it clear how poor the financial situation was stating that they were making a profit on the season.

Without the money to improve the squad success was never on the cards with 16 of the 26 players in the squad being rated poor for conference sides, the league 2 side were destined for conference and possibly worse.

I managed to win players over including D'ath and Adams who both took pay cuts in order to stay and fight for survival under my reign. The players were insistent they would never stay when I arrived but both signed 3 year deals prior to the January transfer window opening.

It was a mixed start but I know I have the basis of what I need to succeed, with some work on my tactics and a better set up there is no reason my next job can't be a successful one.​
 
April 6th 2018
So just 2 weeks after being sacked by Northampton and I was back in a job. It was clear from the moment I was sacked that I had impressed teams around England with Doncaster of league 1 and Guiseley of the conference north offering me interviews.

Doncaster in the end wanted more experience and you couldn't blame them for it. Guiseley on the other hand were happy with trying the untested.

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The mid-table conference north side were happy to hire me after being impressed by my Northampton reign. They sacked their previous manger after a run of 1 win in 7 which saw them drop from the play-off's to 13th.

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With 4 games left I will be expected to just get them into the top half or at least stay mid-table and this shouldn't be challenging at all. The club have done well all season and definitely have some strong players in the squad to push them further.

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Whilst there are areas for improvement they have a good basis including some strong strikers and defenders. One worry is the importance of loan players to the squad as the previous manager seemed overly reliant on them. I will look to build strength in depth in the summer by adding free signings.

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One note is the boards trust in me. They offered me a 2 year contract proving they trust me to lead the team forward. They also gave me double what their previous manager was on having originally offered just £150 they were happy to go up to £300, just £150 off of my Northampton wage at 2 tiers lower.​
 
April 28th 2018
So with just 4 games before the end of the season I couldn't really make any difference on the teams season but I was just given a chance to evaluate what was at hand and sort out some contracts and backroom stuff before the summer period started.

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Game 1 was a tough one to take. We played fantastically for 75 minutes but the first 15 minutes of the game cost us massively. Barrow were still chasing for the only automatic spot in the division and couldn't afford to slip up and after going 2-0 up they just sat back for the 75 minutes and held onto their 3 points, just.

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A battle of two strikers as our top scorer Reid added to his tally as he tried to get to 20 goals for the season, it was upsetting that he had declined a contract so I wouldn't have him next season. Their goals were both fantastic finishes that we could have done nothing about but we started to show signs of what was to be expected next season.

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Chorley had to win to keep in the hunt of a play-off spot and we were only just edged out as the goal came off of the post and in. We were strong defensively but couldn't get the supply from midfield for the two strikers. Another good performance but we just lacked the final ball.

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I knew the financial situation I was coming into wouldn't be great but this is worse than I expected. I seem to have just moved from one financial disaster to another as the board have had to cease bonus payments for half of the squad.

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So with the battle for 13th as our final game the winner took all, a draw saw us take 13th place. However the demotivation of no bonuses seemed to effect a few of the players and we didn't seem to have the fight to win the game and ultimately finished 14th.​
 
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