The Football Managing Mercenary

[TheBattman]

It feels like I'm reading a series of unfortunate events. Still my favourite story to follow

 

[osullm]

Going from Dortmund to Bournemouth would have been a big fall from grace. Let's hope a top 6 team decide they want a multiple Belgium league winning manger to bring them to a new level...

 

[Nnicod55]

Been away over a month cause just moved in mine first own home(well with GF) and my mom decided to keep laptop cause she needed that... Well I'm so happy to see you struggle continues! Just kidding try win something! ( I try keep Boro up in FM Whizzkidz database)

 

[DerbyJack]

Thanks Battman, I'm starting to lose hope of finishing this before the new FM!

It sure would have Osullm. I can only hope that the Chairmen across Europe feel the same!

Oh nice nnicod! Thanks for popping back, hope the move goes alot better then my own hopping around the continent! I have much more faith in you then I do in myself! Thanks again!​

---

Having opted to hold out for a new bumper contract and rejecting bids from two Premier League clubs I went into the new season without a club but with pride in-tact...

...that lasted for all of about one month.

With a number of jobs popping up with European clubs wasting little time in putting their manager on the chopping block a host of deflating rejections left me quickly realizing that my very career was in the midst of a very dramatic nose-dive.

Approaching the half-way point of the season, I finally received an offer that gave me a glimmer of hope.​

The Bundesliga lifted me to the highest point of my entire career but the brutal German top flight certainly left me on one almighty low.

With my career languishing, job offers seemingly few and far between and my managerial reputation very much on the slide, it seems I only had one option. Having been left bruised and broken, with my complete failure at the helm of Dortmund it seems I'm going to have to face my humiliation head one.​

It's time for revenge.​

I couldn't leave Germany thinking they had crushed me.

Borussia Mochengladbach ended last season in better form then my struggling Dortmund side but it seems the Bundesliga stalwarts have finally come undone.

With pressure mounting, the half-way point of the season approaching and a down-trodden time-travelling manager desperate for an opportunity, BMG made a bold move...​

With a wage less then half of what I was receiving in my brief spell with Der BVB, it seems my hopes of holding out for a similar wage in my next job were...well...foolish.

With the sixteen grand on offer from the Cherries now a distant regret I head into Mochengladbach with a lighter wallet but a renewed sense of purpose.

With just a season and a half on my contract, it's time to make an instant impact with The Borussians. Guess I should see what I've got myself into...​

Well its not hard to see why the board opted for a manager on the cheap.

The club are in severe trouble. Sitting marooned near the bottom of the table, the club currently occupy a shock relegation spot, whilst their former glories last season now server as an unwanted distraction in a sloppy Europa League campaign. With both competitions in dire straits, its clear why the board are not willing to spare with their cash.

I need to save this club from a devastating relegation and provide them with an instant return to the all important European competition.

It seems both me and the club need to rise from the ashes.

Let's do this.​

 

[Nnicod55]

Oh Gladbach nice one!

 

[DerbyJack]

Cheers Nnicod, hoping for a glorious honey-moon period!

---

With my pockets feeling noticeably empty and the Bundesliga fully expecting my return to culminate a disastrous season for Gladbach, I head into to meet a team with heads stooped nearly as low as my own.

As a club steeped in impressive history and with their setup heavily reliant on the big money to be found in the German top flight the pressure on these young men is immense.

If I am to save the club, save their reputation and most importantly save my own career, I'm going to need to get all of these men performing at their best.

For the second time in a row i inherit a team in Germany with a defence that is held together with rubber bands and duct tape. Looks like I'm going to be busy in the transfer window again.

Despite the back-line being thin on the numbers the rest of the squad certainly gifts me with a strong line up. With an extremely defensive midfield my attacking Christmas Tree formation is certainly going to be pushed on the sidelines for now but given how much it failed at Dortmund that might not be such a bad thing.

With a new formation to be built and a club legacy to be salvaged its the perfect time to take a glance at two men who could provide me with a solid foundation for a hopefully bright future in Mochengladbach...

A fine example of BMG's strong dependence on defensive minded midfielders, David Richter has been brought up through the ranks to become one of the most promising ball-winning midfielders in the country. Able to play in almost every position through out the middle of the field we will be looking to make the most of his passing ability and pace to drive the team up the pitch.

Having operated extremely narrow formations in my last two clubs, Gladbach gift me with the perfect opportunity to exploit the flanks that proved to be so successful with Club Brugge back in my glory days in Belgium. A neat first-touch, nippy agility and the work-rate of a coked up sheepdog he should create us some much needed opportunities down the flank.



This should be an interesting season.

With a **** of a lot on the line and a brand new tactic to be setup on the fly it's certainly going to be a testing season.

It's time to show Germany how a manager abused by the Premier League, gifted titles in Belgium and thus far broken in the Bundesliga proves their worth.

Brace yourselves Deutschland!

​

 

[DerbyJack]

December 2029​

16th December 2029
Bundesliga

First game of my tenure in Gladbach and it could not have been a more tougher reintroduction to life in the Bundesliga as we go toe to toe with a Schalke side determined to re-enter the title race following a poor season last year. The title racing side gave me no time to ease back into life as a first half demolition job ensured a comfortably victory. Welcome back I guess?


23rd December 2029
Bundesliga

The league finally give me a much needed break as a return to the club that lifted my reputation so high in my first taste of German football once again did me a much needed favor, gifting my new charges with a three goal white-wash. Turkish born finisher Murat Avci's neat brace showed glimmers of his impressive potential as we destroyed Koln with ease.


December 2029
Bundesliga

Thanks to that impressive victory in the last game, I make another immediate impact to the relegation dog-fight clawing Gladbach out of the drop-zone and back into safety. With the clubs at the bottom of the table looking to be in for one **** of a battle, this early break away could make all the difference come the end of the season. Time will tell.

​

 

[DerbyJack]

Just two games in and with the relegation battle now behind us, it's time to build on our early work and continue our escape into mid-table obscurity.

With Gladbach managing to hold on to nearly nine million pounds in the transfer budget, the board have finally loosened the purse-strings as we look to make a quick escape.

Time to bring in the reinforcements.

Before I make any additions to the squad, it's time to clear some space.

With just one permanent departure from the first-team we send Marcus Breme packing to fellow strugglers Hoffenheim for nearly two million pounds. With an unnecessary six defensive midfielders in the team already, the young ball-winner deserved a shot at first-team football elsewhere and gleefully snapped up the opportunity with bottom of the table Hoffenheim.

Now it's time to make the difference...

From: Melbourne City
Cost: £850,000

​

Found thanks to Gladbach's scouts placements in the outer reaches of the globe, Australian prodigy Billy Tinker is a bargain signing for a future dominant right-back. At just nineteen years old he might not be about to break into the first-team just yet but with blistering pace and quickly developing defensive abilities he could be a revelation in the Bundesliga.

From: Bayern Munich
Cost: £2.9 million​

Transfer listed by last season remakable title-winners Bayern Munich, Argentinian centre-back Antonion Fernandez makes a superb addition to a back-line in desperate needed of strenghtening. With superb defensive attributes and the physical strenghts that will make him impassable at the back he could make all the difference in the rest of the season.

From: Angers
Cost: £4.5 million​

Rounding off my defensive signings comes French left-back Cedric Rodrigues. The Twenty-Four year old has yet to reach his fill potential but with some game-time under his belt the rapid wing-back will already prove a handful for wingers throughout the league. With a reformed defence we will hopefully continue with the performances that saw us destroy koln.

From: Leverkusen
Cost: £3.6 million

​

Completing my January arrivals comes another bargain signing in the shape of German wunderkind, Marcel Weikl. The nine-teen year old is a star in the making with abilities that far surpass his age. Having grown frustrated at a lack of opportunities at his former club a quick swap to Gladbach see's us bring the playmaker in as he look to increase our attacking options in the middle of the field.




All-in-all a strong window for a club near the foot of the table.

With just nine-million to spend in the window we certainly made the most of our opportunities spreading the cash to bring in four bargain signings. However in what is becoming a worryingly frequent tradition the transfer window refused to go smoothly...

With our Argentinian brick-wall ruled out for essentially the entirety of the second-half of the season, it looks like I'm going to be reliant on the three centre-backs that struggled so much in the early part of the season.

Not ideal.

​

 

[DerbyJack]

January 2030​

17th January 2030
Friendly

The mid-winter break is something I honestly will not miss should I ever make a return to my home country but non the less the break gives me a great opportunity to blend in my four new signings and lowly Aachen are dispatched with ease as we claim a comfortable one goal victory.


20th January 2030
Friendly

Rounding off the break comes another short trip across the country as we go up against Wegberg-Beeck. Our plucky neighbours put on one **** of a show in the first-half but a quick change of personnel soon had us mount up the pace as we eventually found a deserved break through to pull off a comfortable win.


27th January 2030
Bundesliga

With the break done and dusted its a quick return to league action and a potential relegation six-pointer is put to bed as we pick up a vitally important three points courtesy of our in-form striker Murat Avci. The young finisher is one **** of a striker and his impressive strike-record certainly doesn't deserve to be stuck with a club this low.


30th January 2030
Bundesliga

We fail to build on our earlier victory as we narrowly claim a point against a feisty Kaiserslautern. The usually struggling side have done well to distance themselves from the battle at the bottom and certainly showed us how it should be done as they secured a two goal lead but an impressive fight-back saw us ****** a point as we look to join them in the safety of mid-table.


January 2030
Bundesliga

With four points in the new year we continue to do our up most to escape this brutal fight at the foot of the table but despite our solid performances we are unable to put any distance between ourselves and the relegation spots as we maintain our precarious position in fifteenth place. Its going to be an uncomfortable run in to the end of season.


​

 

[Death Ball]

One day, you'll get to a country with great police and you'll receive a news item saying "Arrested stalker of Jack who kept assaulting his signings and beat them until being unable to play for the rest of season".

 

[DerbyJack]

Its a solid theory Deathball. However it seems you know too much! I'm watching you sir!

---

February 2030

2nd February 2030
Bundesliga

Giving us some brief breathing room comes a comfortable victory over a mid-table Hannover. With our attempts at reaching their own safety falling flat, a Murat Avci inspired victory saw us finally claw ourselves away from the narrow race towards the foot of the table. The comfortable victory however only gave us a moment of relief.


9th February 2030
Bundesliga

Kick-starting what would prove to be a frustrating remainder of the month comes a one-goal loss to a strong Stuttgart side. Conceding a goal after just five minutes certainly knocked the boys confidence but an encouraging fightback saw us eventually unfortunate to end the match without a single point. The disappointment was only set to grow...


16th February 2030
Bundesliga

Welcoming a troubled HSV side to Borussia Park should have given us the perfect opportunity to re-start our escape but only served to fling us back into danger. Another early conceded goal ensured we were up against it but a second-half red card should have got us back into the game with ease however it only served to complete our humiliation.


22nd February 2030
Bundesliga

Rounding off a horrible month comes a narrow defeat to a European chasing Augsburg. A horror show of a first half had the fourth place club shoot into a three goal lead but a morale boosting half-time team talk brought about a second-half come-back. With ears still ringing, the boys narrowly missed out on dragging us back into the points with Augsburg slumping over the finish line.


February 2030
Bundesliga

Following a disastrous month, we wind up fortunate to have not dropped any further into the mire. With time ticking down and the club now just one solitary point away from being dragged into the relegation zone, it is going to take one impressive turn of form to keep the club from being embroiled in an unwanted end of season battle.

​

 

[DerbyJack]

March 2030

2nd March 2030
Bundesliga

We bring a halt to our losing streak with a goalless draw against 1860 Munchen. Despite the result leaving the entire crowd essentially dead in the stands, the life-less game was exactly what we needed. A brief pause to our disappointing points record and just in time for the one game that matters most to me since my return to the Premier League. Revenge awaits...


9th March 2030
Bundesliga

...Maybe not. Making a quick return to Westfalenstadion my chance at retribution in Dortmund got off to a perfect start when Murat Avci smashed home the opening goal but I was quickly reminded just what I had lost at one of the strongest clubs in Europe. A five goal thrashing soon followed as I was once again sent packing from the stadium with my head held low.


16th March 2030
Bundesliga

The recent dismantling by a title chasing Dortmund was a minor set-back. With the clubs either side of the league the result was somewhat expected. A three goal white-wash from fellow strugglers Leverkusen was not. Leverkusen's Aussie striker, David Turner took us to pieces in style as the home crowd rightfully booed us off the pitch.


31st March 2030
Bundesliga

With the pressure mounting a well earned victory on the road gave me another welcome moment of rest. The ever reliable Murat Avci continues to defy the teams form as he continues to remain in the race for the golden boot. The clinical strikers first half brace was enough to get us back into some much missed winning ways.


March 2030
Bundesliga

The club should be on the slide, however with all three teams below us struggling to scoop up any points our nervy place just above the drop zone keeps me just about sane. With the pressure mounting, just seven games remaining and a team devoid of morale, I'm really not looking forward to the end of this season. If this club goes down, my career is all but dead in the water.
​

 

[Nnicod55]

Well luckily at this point in the season you need just keep winning teams who are close to you. When promotion battle is hot what matters is take the points against other strugglers. I think you can do that cause there is 2 point gap and you have much better goal difference

 

[DerbyJack]

Very true Nnicod but a club of this stature really shouldn't be scraping points from the bottom of the barrel. I guess it's going to take a bit of getting used to. I hope you are right! Thanks again!

---

April 2030

6th April 2030
Bundesliga

With the season just one month away from coming to a close we nearly pull off a massive upset at either end of the table as we are cruelly robbed of a victory over a title chasing Wolfsburg. With Murat Avci breaking the deadlock late in the first-half we seemed to be holding off for a huge three points until a cruel deflection saw goalkeeper Taddei fire into his own net.


14th April 2030
Bundesliga

The cruel draw did little to stop an apparently resurgent squad as they tore Freiburg apart. The ever reliable Murat Avci guided the club to a comfortable victory with a goal just minutes after the opening and final whistle, with frustrated winger, Ronald Jager joining him on the scoresheet with a screaming effort from the right flank.


20th April 2030
Bundesliga

With the emphatic victory under our belts I fully expected the boys to romp to the end of season before another devastatingly late goal threw the club back into peril. Our fellow relegation candidates, Nurnberg have been in impressive form of late as they look to cruise their own way out of the dropzone and a goal just seconds before the final whistle ensured they remained well on course to avoid danger.


28th April 2030
Bundesliga

With the crushing defeat bringing an abrupt end to any hopes of a late winning spree, the boys responded in style with a well earned victory over a troubled Darmstadt. With their own Bundesliga status very much in the balance it seemed they were about to leapfrog us out of trouble with an early goal but a superb response saw us glide to a comfortable three points.


April 2030
Bundesliga

Some last minute goals might have cost us a host of points but non the less it has been a rather successful month for Gladbach. Picking up a much needed seven points has seen the club fly up the table with the drop-zone now hopefully just a distant and unwanted memory. With just one solitary month remaining all we need to do it seal the deal.

​

 

[DerbyJack]

May 2030

3rd May 2030
Bundesliga

A tough run in give us little hope of ensuring a comfortable end of season and Bayern continue to remain in the title race with a comfortable victory at the intimidating Allianz Arena. With the Munich giants opening the scoring within just eight minutes we didn't get a single look in all game. We seem to be a world away from those fighting at the head of the table...


11th May 2030
Bundesliga

...Or maybe not. Schalke pulled off one **** of a comeback last season to fly into the Champions League spots and the club seem determined to re-enter the title race this time of asking but despite gifting Bayern with another three points to their tally we denied Schalke the opportunity courtesy of a Murat Avci hat-trick. The boy has almost singlehandedly saved the club this season.


18th May 2030
Bundesliga

Rounding off the season comes a game which could have given us the opportunity to finish in the top half of the table but the club are denied a chance at capping a monumental escape as my former club FC Koln pick up a well deserved victory to claim their own place in the better half of the table. I'm not sure I've ever beaten a former club in this entire career?


May 2030
Bundesliga

A stressful but successful season has the club finish in a comfortable thirteenth place. Despite pulling off another relegation escape in the Bundesliga, next season could prove to be the first real chance at restoring my pride in Germany. Gladbach's lowly position is way below what a club of this stature and background should expect. It's time to put them back among the likes of Bayern and Dortmund where they belong.

​

 

[DerbyJack]

Once again half a season of football in the Bundesliga leaves me back on the road to the top of the footballing ladder.

Having turned Gladbach's season around my career has made a much needed u-turn.

These gents best be worried...

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[TD]

[/TD]
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[TD]Diego Simeone[/TD]
[TD]Roberto Martinez[/TD]
[TD]Hamit Altintip[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Chelsea[/TD]
[TD]Manchester United[/TD]
[TD]Real Madrid[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]£91,000 per week[/TD]
[TD]£91,000 per week[/TD]
[TD]£84,000 per week[/TD]
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For yet another season, Simeone, Martinez and Altintip remain rooted to the top of the standings but following a season of missed opportunities last year the trios massive earnings have never been under such scrutiny.

For Diego Simeone it was another season to forget. The Argentinian was nearly untouchable at one stage of his career but another dubious fourth place finish leaves Stamford Bridge growing increasingly impatient with their luxury manager.

For Roberto Martinez it was another unfortunate season in the North West of England. Having led the Red Devils to runners up places in two competitions last season, the Spaniard bettered his misfortune with three runner up spots in the Premier League, Charity Shield and most heart-breaking of all the illustrious Champions League. Behind that smile he must be a broken man.

For Altinitip it was another surprisingly steady season in the Spanish capital. The Turkish manager once again failing to return the club to European glory but back to back domestic doubles atleast ensures the Galacticos hold bragging rights in their home country.

​

With Diego's very career under threat, it could be the perfect time to re-emerge on the footballing scene...

​

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[TD]Derby Jack[/TD]
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[TD]Borussia Mochengladbach[/TD]
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[TR]
[TD]£10,500 per week[/TD]
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...For now its a return to a demoralizing low.

Not since my time in Tranmere have I earned such a low wage.

With just one season remaining on my contract with Gladbach and money still very much up for grabs throughout the footballing world, a season of rejuvenation could soon have back in familiar territory.

I'm not out of this yet!
​

 

[TheBattman]

still loving this story, can never update fast enough. surely you're due a successful season in a top league soon!

 

[DerbyJack]

Thanks very much Battman. I seriously hope so! My hopes of finishing this career before the new release are fading fast.

---

With the club's blip in form hopefully being put far behind them we head into the next season hoping to make a quick amends for our lowly finish last year.

With the team forcibly molded into my preferred Christmas Tree formation its fair to say that last season was somewhat of a tactical nightmare. With a much needed transfer window upon us it gave me the perfect opportunity to form a team that suites my needs.

The only small problem in my plans is that despite having dragged the club into mid-table the board show a distinct lack of belief in the clubs reformed status as the clubs transfer budgets fail to even top one million pounds. Disappointing.

With money clearly not exactly flowing through-out Gladbach I opted to cash in on some of the clubs deadwood picking up a decent amount of cash in the process.

A quick quintuple of sales saw the club quickly ship out some of their surplus players, picking up nearly five million pounds in the process with a big money transfer coming from Premier League side Brentford as they splash the cash to land left midfield Akif Polat as they look to ensure their top flight status.

With over ten million flooded into the club I fully expected to have the cash available to strengthen the squad...

From: Marseille
Cost: Free​

...Apparently not. With the transfer budget barely increased despite my best efforts I was forced to to do something I had not done since the early days of my career. I turned to the free-agents. First of my bargain signings came in the shape of Kim Sang-Yoon. The Korean playmaker will fit perfectly in behind my frontman as I look to reform my two man attacking midfield partnership.

From: Tottenham Hotspur
Cost: Free​

Bolstering my attacking midfield options further comes Brazilian veteran Caio. The Thirty Three year old has made a strong name for himself being part of the Brentford side that have established themselves in the Premier League but a disastrous switch to a free-falling Spurs saw him caste to the side with a quick switch to the Bundesliga giving him one last shot to relive his glory days.

From: Manchester United
Cost: Free​

Last of the free-agents see's me land England International, Danan Lund. In a bizarre set of circumstances the exciting winger somehow ended up walking out of Old Trafford without so much as a second glance from Roberto Martinez. We gleefully gobbled up the Twenty-Five year old to replace the recently departed Polat down the left. Bargain signing.

From: Manchester City
Cost: £31.5k per month​

I think this might be the first time I actually used the loan market? With no goalkeepers available that could make any form of impact in the first-team I turned to the ranks of Manchester City to add their young Austrian stopper Michael Lenz to the team. Having stalled following his big move to the Citizens the former Red Bull Salzburg prodigy will be keen to restart his flagging career.




With three transfers and a season-long loan all ensured early in the window the only thing I'm left wondering is why I have never turned to the free-agents sooner?

A solid trio of additions all arrive into Gladbach for a knock-down fee as the club somehow manages to bolster its ranks, mold into my formation and emerge stronger all without spending a penny in the entire window.

For once I actually can't see a downside to my transfer dealings...

...Other then the boards worrying lack of ambition.

​

 

[Godfish93]

Gladbach just won their first title since 1977 on my file. I fully expect that it won't take you til 2039/40 though, show the future Gladbach of a different universe how football should be played.

 

[DerbyJack]

I think another decade might actually be enough time for me to finally work out what the **** I am doing Godfish! Your career however is nothing short of immense.

---

Preseason
2030/31

27th July 2030
Friendly

In what proved to be a massive preseason of football I've opted to show you just the final four games of the set. There is only so many times I can speak of my pride when thrashing a German minnow. With the formalities in our own country taken care of we set off on our travels stopping off with my former club and recently promoted Newcastle for a one-all draw.


31st July 2030
Friendly

From the northern drizzle in Newcastle to the sunny shores of Northern Greece as we pick up a convincing victory over top flight side Panthrakikos. Joining Sang-Yoon on the preseason score-sheet Danan Lund showcases his potential talents for his new club following his free-transfer with a opening goal before youth product Timo Boss and the ever present Murat Avci join him in a first half demolition job.


3rd August 2030
Morris Testimonial

Making the long and extremely wasteful trip back to England we head back up north to take part in the testimonial match for Liverpool stalwart, Michael Morris. The winger played out his entire career at Anfield becoming a home-grown icon in the stands but the boys forgot to read the script as they cruised to a comfortable victory in front of a disgruntled home crowd. A quick exit from the country soon followed.


7th August 2030
Friendly

Back to the Homeland and we invite Manchester City to Gladbach for our final and most testing preseason game. The Citizens might still be unable to reach the heights their riches desire in the Premier League but they certainly showed a gulf in class between our two sides as they picked up a deserved three goal victory. Not the best way to head into a league campaign.




In the end not a bad pre-season for Die Fohlen with the club losing just the one solitary game of the entire warm-up campaign.

More important then the results however, all three of our outfield arrivals all managed to find the back of the net as they instantly gel into the squad following a lengthy pre-season.

With the squad now fully formed and my tactic raring to be truly unleashed on the Bundesliga I'm genuinely excited to get things underway!

​