The Life and career of a Football manager

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christophermcl said:
Well done - keep ut going. Try playing owen as Deep-lying Forward: Attachk. ;)
Click to expand...

Haha thanks mate, I'll give it a go. Played him as a poacher, with Zamora/Pizzini as deep lying. I might switch it see what happens :)

---------- Post added at 09:27 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 04:30 AM ----------

Chapter 24
Thursday 24th February 2011
Roma Vs. Lyon
​
“And there’s the full time whistle. Roma are through! 2-0 winners here tonight in Rome, 3-0 on aggregate!”​

I ran onto the pitch, and embraced Totti with a hug. We had just knocked out the holders and Champions League excites Lyon, we were into the next round of the UEFA Europa league.

We had gone to France and won after a solid defensive display was crowned by a beautifully crafted individual goal by Michael Owen. And now thanks to goals from Pizzaro (38) and Owen (59) we had beaten the favourites and were through to face German side Schalke in the next round. In the build up to this game we had beaten Ascoli 2-1 (Owen (54, 85)) and drawn with Bologna 1-1 (Pazzini (28)) meaning we were still in fifth, now seven points off of the lead and Inter. But despite falling away from the leaders in the league, I was happy we could still push for the title with eleven games left to play.

I was walking around the pitch, applauding our fans when I finally saw Sarah, in the entrance of the tunnel. She had a huge smile on her face as I walked over to her, shaking hands with a few players as I crossed the pitch.

We hugged before finally I was beckoned into the press area, where I faced pretty much the same question over and over.

“Having beaten the holders and favourites, could Roma really go all the way”​

Of course we could. I fancied us to all the way, and bookmakers had already halved our odds. We still weren’t favourites but we were amongst the favourites with Tottenham, Liverpool and Juventus. But I didn’t care about them, we had to get past Schalke first in the next round. And before then we faced Cagliari, Siena and Catania in the league. After the media had finished their pointless questioning, and I had finished my post match team talk, I headed to my office, where I found Sarah.

“You’re not spending all night in here, we’re going out for a decent meal”​

I apparently had no choice about the matter as she ushered me out of my office and down through the reception area and out into the cold Rome air.

“Shut up and let me go, This hurts I tell you so, For the last time you will kiss my lips, Now shut up and let me go! Your jeans were once so clean, I bet you've changed your wardrobe since we met!

No oh so easily you're over me, Gone is love it's you that ought to be, Holding me, I'm not containable, This time love is not sustainable

I ain't freaking, I ain't faking this... I ain't freaking, I ain't faking this... I ain't freaking, I ain't faking this... Shut up and let me go, hey!​

The Ting Tings, instantly blasted out of her car stereo, at least her choice in music was improving. We drove through down to the city centre and found a restaurant. I sat there as we ordered, and looked out at the street. Rome fans filing home from the bars and clubs around the city after our win. The Coliseum lit up in the Rome night. A beautiful woman opposite me, talking about the future. I suddenly realised things were moving far too fast with Sarah. It had only been two months since that night of the party and the discovery of Alice’s affair, and here I was with Sarah talking about her moving into my flat.

I smiled at her not really listening to what she was saying, when she asked me something, I have no idea what but it was a question. A question I didn’t answer, a question that suddenly snapped me back to reality as a short pause, suddenly became an awkward silence. Sarah asked me if I was ok, and suddenly I snapped out of it.

“Sorry I was miles away”​

I said, but before I had another chance to answer, the waiter turned up with our food. We sat, making a small talk, eating our food, when my phone started ringing. I looked at, it was my brother Neil. I didn’t answer it, put it on silent and carried on eating. Until my phone rang again, Neil again. This time I answered it. Was I free to talk.

“Yeah, whats the matter?.........................What! When!.................Why didn’t you ring me earlier.........................Look it doesn’t matter! Is she Ok............................right, right...............Yeah I can be there................ok..............yeah love you and see you in the morning.”​

I hung up and explained to Sarah I had to go, I had to back to England right then. My mum had been taken to hospital. She was being kept in indefinitely, but they wanted me there in the morning when she woke up. I was suddenly over whelmed by a fear and blackness. My mum had been hit by a car crossing Parliament square, whilst I was enjoying my team wining in Europe. She had suffered extensive injuries to her head and back, and was now laying in a hospital bed and doctors wanted me there when she woke up.

I left Sarah in the restaurant after I had paid for dinner, and jogged across the square, past the coliseum and hailed a taxi. I sat in the back and booked my ticket to Gatwick. Two hours after my team had progressed into the next round of the Europa League I was sat in the middle of rome Airport waiting for a flight to England. My joy of winning in Europe had been overwhelmed by the fear for my mother’s life. As I boarded the plane, I feared the worse for my mother, otherwise why would doctors want me there straight away?
 
Nice win, to go through to the next round in Europa Leauge, hopefully you can go on and win it.
Cant wait to hear what has happened to his mother.
 
Chapter 25
Tuesday 10th April 2007
West London​

I woke up in my west London flat and put Sky Sports news on and was greeted by the the news that Fulham manager and my boss for the past month had been sacked, with Fulham sitting four points outside the relegation zone.

I pottered around the house for a bit, with the TV still reporting my friends dismissal, when they showed a list of potential managers to take over. The favourite was Lawrie Sanchez, but surprisingly as they went down the list, my name appeared.

“The bookmaker’s outside choice is former Fulham Player and a member of Coleman’s backroom staff, Steven Curtis. Curtis has recently completed his UEFA pro licence after being forced to leave his playing days behind him in 2005 after an accident cost him his career.”​

I was in complete surprise that I was even being considered; I had only completed my UEFA pro license the previous month, and had no experience in managing anybody, let alone a Premier League club on the brink of relegation.

“Let it never be said, The Romance is dead, 'Cause there's so little else, Occupying my head!
There is nothing I need, except the function to breathe, But I'm not really fussed, Doesn't matter to me!
Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby........... Do you, do you, do you, do you............. Know what you're doing, doing, to me...............Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!”​

With the Kaiser Cheifs playing, I pulled into the Motspur training ground in South west London around two hours after first hearing of Coleman’s demise. And was met by a cameras from all the major British TV channels, and photographers from the papers. I drove past them and parked up, exiting my car I took a deep breathe and headed toward the facilities. A couple of cameras were trained on me as I entered, but no questions. I walked in and was met by Danny Murphy.

“You’ve still got a job then?”​

Unknown to me, several backroom staff had left the club, as Coleman left and the new man came in, that new man was Lawrie Sanchez. And he was already at the training ground about to take his first training session. According to a few people, Chris had been sacked late last night, and Sanchez was appointed first thing, they just hadn’t told the press.

I got changed into the training tracksuit, assuming I still had a job. That was the first time I had met Lawrie, He walked into the changing room, his hand out stretched and huge smile on his face.

“Ah Mr Curtis, a few people thought you were taking my job.”​

I laughed as me and Fulham’s new manager chatted and joked. And continued chatting as he conducted his first training session. To my surprise Lawrie was asking me for more input than Chris did, he asking whether we should change the system, who’s not been making ht grade and could we actually get out of the relegation problems. With his training session complete, he summoned me to his office.

“Mr Curtis, let me reassure you that you still have a bright future at this club, I will be bringing in my own staff but you my boy have a job here. In fact that’s why I wanted to speak to you. How do you fancy being my reserve team manager? You know, get some experience of managing and being my eyes and ears for the reserves?”​

I couldn’t say yes quickly enough. I enjoyed working under Chris Coleman, but I was being allowed to learn my trade under a manager who managed at international level. In fact at that point he still was managing Northern Ireland.

So at the start of the day, I was being considered by some as the next Fulham manager. Then I had feared that I might not have a job under the new regime. To getting my first chance to manage a side, whilst it was only the Fulham reserve team, It was still a team. A team that I could pick, choose it’s tactics and train the way I wanted. Whilst many would disagree, I thought I was finally on my way to achieving my new dream. To manage a Premier League Football Club. My life and my career were finally back on track.
 
Nice. You have to start somewhere lol.
Hopefully, you will do good in the reserves and prove yourself that your a good manager ;)
 
Hey guys, once again thanks for following.

My mate has been reading this, and he just bought me a cd round.

The Label on it said "the Life and Career of a football manager soundtrack"

Here the track list.

The Killers- All these things that I’ve done
Florence and the Machine- Dog days are over
James Blunt- You’re Beautiful
Oasis- Champagne Supernova
Coldplay- Fix You
Artic Monkey’s- I bet you look good on the dancefloor
Taylor Swift- Lovestory
Snow Patrol- Chasing Cars
Radiohead- Creep
Kasabian- LSF
Ellie Goulding- Starry eyed
Robbie Williams- Angels
The Ting Tings- shut up and let it go
Kaiser Cheifs- Ruby​

And I'm only about half way through. but that is a pretty **** good soundtrack lol

Anyway, the next update should be up soon, maybe later today if not tomorrow. Once again cheer Y'all for the support and for following.
 
just read ur story for the first time very well thought out look forward to next update
 
Wednesday 16th March 2011
Schalke Vs. Roma.​

I touched down in Germany, my team already having been at the hotel for a day. I on the other hand had been, in England as often as possible. My Mother’s accident had not been as bad as first thought by the doctors, whilst she was now in a private hospital recovering, she was recovering slowly. Her skull was fractured, her right leg and arm both broker and her left Achilles tendon torn, but she was expected to make a full recovery.
The travelling back and forth between England and Italy was taking its toll on me physically. After rushing to the airport straight after our last four league games, i was starting to grow tired and my ability to focus was starting to be strained. But that hadn’t stopped us winning our past four league games, beating Cagliari 2-0 (Pazzini (1), Owen (40)), Siena 3-2 (Baptista (5,26,35)), Catania 4-0 (Pazzini (16, 23, 27 pen, 89)) and Torino 2-1 (Owen (39), Zamora (89)) leaving us in fifth place on sixty two points, level on points with Juventus. Two points behind AC Milan in Third, Three points off Fiorentina in second and seven points behind league leaders, Inter on sixty nine.

I touched down in Germany a happy football manager, not only were we still in the league title race with seven games to play, and we were heading into our second leg of our Europa League game with Schalke, defending a 1-0 (Baptista (24)) lead after a great defensive display a week before hand.

I arrived at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen about an hour before kickoff, my team already out on the pitch warming up, quickly changed into my tracksuit and jogged out on to the pitch. I apologised to my assistant Brian Borrows, explaining there was delay with my flight, and got stuck in with the warm up. My team’s morale was high after having been unbeaten since February 5th in all competitions.

The game almost got off to a disastrous start as Doni was forced to save from Farfan after just one minute. The game was all Schalke for the first twenty minutes, Doni pulling off a string of saves from Forfan and Pozzi, but on the whole we were shutting Schalke out. Our first real chance came in the thirtieth minute when Pazzini’s header was cleared off the line. We started to take contraol, Pizzini going close again two minutes later, Gibson’s shot hitting the outside of the post and going wide and Baptista’s shot charged down by the Schalke defense. It took fourty four minutes before either team had the ball in the net, Michael Owen broke through the Schalke defence playing a one-two with Pizzini, he slotted the ball home. I jumped out of my seat celebrating, our fans going wild and my team celebrating when we all systematically realised the Ref had disallowed it for offside.


At half time the score was still 0-0, but we were doing what we needed to do. We were still 1-0 up on aggregate.

The game continued in much the same fashion in the second half, we had chances as Pizzini’s header once again was saved. Fifthy eight minutes in and I was forced to make to changes, Owen and Taddei both picking up knocks, so I bought on Zamora and Cerci. The change had an immediate effect, Zamora broke through, and was bought down by Prieto. The following freekick from Baptista, dipped over the wall and looked destine for the net until the out reached hand of Neuer saved it.

Gibson picked the ball up in midfield on sixty two minutes, he looked up and saw Bobby Zamora running past the slow Schalke defence, Gibson chipped a delightful ball over their heads, perfect for Zamora to run on to, he took two touches and was baring down on Neuer, Zamora slotted the ball home and we were 1-0 up. But more importantly we had an away goal and a 2-0 lead on aggregate.

We had three more chances before the game finished, Pazzini, Cerci and Baptista all going close. We limited Schalke to just pone more shot. The final whistle went and I found myself standing in the middle of the pitch, my arms around Owen and Gibson celebrating our 1-0 win. We went over to our fans who had travelled to Germany, saluted them before heading back to the changing room. I told my team it was great that we were into the next round, but we had to stay focused. In the league over the next few weeks we had seven must win games if we were truly challenge for the league. Over the next month and a half we faced Sampdoria, Udinese, Lazio, AC Milan, Napoli, Atlanta and Livorno. As well as facing one of Liverpool, Juventus, Sevila, Spartak or Genia in the Quater finals of the Europa League.

Suddenly I felt nervous, could we really do it? Could Roma really do a League and European double? As well as the nerves suddenly as the season headed to a point I was suddenly filled with self doubt. Could I really manage a team to glory? Was I really up to it?
 
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Great read mate, excellent story.
Looks like the jet lag has got to you lol.
Missing out the scores against Siena and Catania.
Or was this meant?

Keep up the good work fella!
 
BeadSTARR said:
Great read mate, excellent story.
Looks like the jet lag has got to you lol.
Missing out the scores against Siena and Catania.
Or was this meant?

Keep up the good work fella!
Click to expand...

It was a mistake...opps again. I'll edit it.
 
Owen seems to have been a good buy, make a great impact already.
Hopefully you can do the double. ;)
 
Chapter 27
Saturday 2nd April 2011
Udinese Vs. Roma​

I woke up mine and Sarah’s hotel room in Udine, at around midday, after only a couple of hours sleep. But I was getting used to it now. With all the travelling back and forth between England and Italy my body was starting to feel it. My knee was starting to ache again and the sleepless night were getting longer and longer.

At least I had, had a week off, a week that me and Sarah had spent in England, with my mother and brother. A week where once again I had been linked with the Barcelona post. A week which had been relaxing and invigorating, but I still wasn’t sleeping. The pressure of being a football manager, and son becoming too much.

Since the Schalke game we had played Sampdoria and blown them away thrashing them 4-0 (Owen (38), Pizzani (54), Van Der Vaart (56), Mexes (67)) but in truth it could have been at least eight. On the same day AC Milan and Juventus had both lost. Inter’s draw with bottom side Torino, meant we were well and truely in the title race, only five points behind Inter at the top and Fiorentina now just three points ahead of us in second, we now occupied third place going into the final six games of the season, and with a Quater final against Ajax to look forward to, life should have been great. But I couldn’t shift the self doubt, six games could now make or break my career.

I've exposed your lies, baby. The underneath is no big surprise, Now it's time for changing, And cleansing everything, To forget your love!
My plug in baby! Crucifies my enemies, When I'm tired of giving! My plug in baby
In unbroken virgin realities, Is tired of living!
​
The crowds were already flooding into the ground when I arrived, as Muse rang out of my iPod, the spring nights starting to pull and warm up the air as we moved into the final push of the season. With the Milan derby happening simultaneously the game against Udinese had become a must win.

With Mexes being booked against Sampdoria, I was forced into replacing him with Juan. That wasn’t the only change I had to make, for what was turning into a huge game for us, Michael Owen had come down with flu, so Bobby Zamora would start in his place.
Whilst I had confidence in my squad, they look nervous as the game kicked off, and allowed Udinese to take control having chance after chance, and finally after twenty four minutes, Asamoah’s shot flew past Doni from twenty five yards, making it 1-0 to them. There home fans jubilant as they chased a Europa League place. Five minutes later Udinese should have been 2-0 up as Asamoah’s shot rebounded off the post.
Half time we were still only one goal down, with Inter losing to Milan 1-0 in the Milan derby we were missing our opportunity to close the five point gap.

But we couldn’t break a stubborn Udinese side down, who were now sitting on a one goal lead, allowing us to come at them. But we just couldn’t break them down and going into injury time we still trailed 1-0. I marched to the edge of the technical area and told Motta and Riise to push right up, as the Fourth Official signalled four minutes injury time, we only had Doni in our half. Our corner came in and was met by Burdisso’s header, the ball cannoned off the bar. Knowing we couldn’t pass the opptunity to close the gap on Inter, even if it by a point I pushed Juan up front leaving Burdisso and Doni our only defensive players. But we were running out of time, and as the clocked ticked over to ninety four we still trailed. Riise launched the ball forward, but it was headed clear by their defence only as far as Motta but still clear. The ref looked poised to call time as Motta knocked the ball out of his feet, and struck it perfectly. The ball curled beautifully into the top corner of the goal. Suddenly I found myself running down the touchline, and celebrating our late equaliser with my team.

The Udinese players looked exhausted, I felt exhausted as they kicked off, only touching the ball once before the ref blew the final whistle. I jumped out of the technical area punching the air. Whilst we hadn’t won, I was delight with the fight my players had shown, gaining us a point and closing the gap on Inter to four points, with Fiorentina playing the next day, the title race was wide open again!

We returned back to the hotel after the game, some of team annoyed that we hadn’t won, other delighted we had comeback and shown fight. I was happy as we all gathered in the bar after the game. I told my team that Inter had indeed lost 2-0 in the Milan derby, whilst that meant AC were now above us in third by a point, we were just four points off the lead ourselves and well and truely in it. But at the back of my mind there was still doubt, mainly because not only did we face what was surely going to be billed as one of the biggest Rome derbys in recent years in our next league game, after Lazio came the team that had thrashed us at the San Siro some six months earlier, AC Milan. A game we now had to win more than any of our other fixtures. I was more than confident we could handle Naploi, Atlanta and Livorno, on the last day of the season. But Milan, Milan was where the problem could well lay.
 
Wow, what a great late goal. Sounded good.
A lot closer now in the title challenge, hopefully you will sneak into first in the last game ;)
 
Chapter 28
Thursday 7th April 2007
Roma Vs. Ajax​

I was back in the comfort of my own flat and the comfort of Rome. After the dramatic late equaliser the previous Saturday, against Udinese, Fiorentina had moved top of the league by one point and now had a one point lead over Inter and a five point lead over us.
But later that day, our game was about European glory, not fighting for the league title. That night we hosted Dutch giants Ajax. Going into this game, off the back of beating Lyon and Schalke earlier in the competition, I was more than confident we could get past Ajax and into the Semis where we’d face either English side Tottenham, or Italian rivals Udinese.

It took us just nineteen seconds to create our chance, Owen putting the ball over the bar after a powerful run by the Englishman. Just two minutes later, Owen was clean through on goal, only to put the ball just past the post with Stekelenburg stranded in the Ajax goal. Van Der Vaart went close, before Pizzani hit the bar in the tenth minute. We were dominating the game, Ajax only having one shot on target in the first half an hour, in the meantime we had hit the post through Owen and Pizzani had a shot cleared off the line. This game was ours for the taking. But at half time, despite our domination the score was still 0-0.

I told the team to carry on doing what we were doing, and eventually we would get the break through. I held Owen back, and just told him to take his time and the goal would come. He could well and truly be the difference tonight.

Ajax started the brighter side in the second half, a free kick clipping the top of the wall, and looping over the bar leaving Doni flat footed in the goal mouth. Doni was forced into making a save five minutes later as Ribeiro connected perfectly with a header. Motta was forced to head clear off the line from a Ajax corner. The crowd were getting restless as Ajax started to take control. Unfortuunatly for us, Owen was still suffering from his flu symptoms, so with half an hour left to play I replaced him with Zamora. And Replace Pizzaro with Gisbson to give us some fresh legs in the midfield, where Ajax were starting to boss the game. But neither change had any effect on the game.

As the ref blew the final whistle, I was happy that Ajax hadn’t got an away goal, but at the same time we hadn’t taken our chances when we had them. I told the team they were unlucky here tonight, before I headed to my office.

I turned the tv on, and watched the highlights from the other games in the Europa League that night, Liverpool and Juventus battling it out in a gruelling 2-2 draw, PSG annihilating Panathinakos 4-0 and Udinese and Spurs cancelling each other out in a 0-0 draw. I sat back, and had to admit to myself I was slightly disappointed byt the result tonight. It meant we had to go to Ajax and get a result, which wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but at the same time I was confident we could. For some reason, I was more confident we could win the Europa League, than I was about winning the Serie A title. But going to Amsterdam and getting a result, would be made easier by the fact that whilst Ajax faced Feyenoord, we had a week off before the second leg. A week I would spend back in England with Sarah, but this time there would be no rushing back to Italy, instead I would take the short flight to Amsterdam form London.

I sat in my office, as the lights around the ground were slowly turned off. I heard people leaving as I read emails, and text messages, before I finally left my office. I walked down the corridor, but instead of heading home, I headed down to the tunnel. The flood lights were all turned off as were the stand lights, the playing area only illuminated by the bright Spring moon. I walked out to pitch side, and looked around at the empty arena.

I slowly walked out into the middle of pitch, looking around at the empty stands and, once in the middle of the pitch, I looked up at the beautiful Rome night sky and the full moon. I stood in the middle of the pitch starring at the sky and talking to Hannah.

“Happy Birthday baby. I know you’re up there right now watching over me, I can feel your presents everywhere. I love you so much, and I miss you even more”​

A small tear rolled down my cheek

“I’m doing all this for you, I hope you know that. You are the source of all my strength. Everything is for you, I want to make you proud, I will make you proud”​

I turned around as Sarah walked out of the tunnel. She stood and waited for me, as I slowly walked across the pitch and over to her. I brushed the tears from my cheeks.

“you ok?” She asked me​

I explained to her what I was doing on my own in the middle of the pitch and talking to the stars, she instantly put her arms around me and hugged me. As she pulled away, I looked into beautiful eyes and stopped her pulling away. I took her by the hand and kissed her. I didn’t want that kiss to end, but as it did, I looked back into Sarah’s eyes.

“I’m falling in love with you” I whispered to her
“I know” she whispered back “I’m falling in love with you too”​
 
Chapter 28
Tuesday 13th April 2011​

Me and Sarah were sat in Gordon Ramsey’s Claridges eating our meal, before we headed to Amsterdam the following day. The couple of days we had spent in London had been lovely, my mother was on her way to a full recovery according to doctors, Neil had just got engaged to his girlfriend Claire. I had even managed to take in a game at Craven Cottage watching Fulham draw 2-2 wih Watford as languished in fourteenth place in the Championship.

Me and Sarah decided that we would back to our hotel opposite St Paul’s cathedral. It may have been a long walk, but It was lovely. Not many people can appreciate London at night, but the parks and landmarks are peaceful at night, beautiful lit up by the moon, stars and street lights.

It was around midnight as we entered the mall, Buckingham palace lit by the flood lights. Hardly any traffic, if any at that time of night. We walked down to Trafalgar Square, a few Japenese tourist and a couple of pigeons it’s only oppupants. I stopped Sarah in the middle by grabbing her and turning her round, I kissed her instantly.

“I really do love”​

We smiled at each other before she pressed her lips against mine again. The kiss was perfect, I loved being in London again, and even though the circumstances weren’t ideal, I had enjoyed coming back here more and more. The kiss was interrupted as my phone rang. It was Neil’s fiancé Claire.

“Steven, get to the hospital now! Its your mum, she’s been taken in again”​

Suddenly the mood changed, I let go of Sarah’s hand and ran to the side of the road, hailing a Taxi as I did. But there wasn’t any, So I started running toward the river, Sarah right behind me. Finally we found a cab and headed to the royal hospital in Chelsea. The last place I want to go.

I got out of the cab and ran into the building, suddenly overcome with the blackness and fear I had felt there once before, five years ago. But I had to be strong.We eventually found her room and walked in, to see Neil sat in chair at my Mothers bedside. A doctor entered the room after about ten minutes, after Neil had explained to me she had fallen in the shower and hit her head. The doctor explained to us that she, that her accident had caused a blood clot, which was then aggravated after the fall. Operating immediately was the only choice.

Four hours after I had arrived at the hospital, I was sat in a small family room, my hand softly on top of Sarah’s, who was asleep in the chair next to me. Neil was starring at the ceiling as Claire sat next to him, also a sleep.

“I’m going to get some coffee”​

I said to my brother as I got up and left the room. I wasn’t going for coffee at all I need some air. I walked around the floor of the hospital when I suddenly realised where I was. In front of me was the room I had lost everything I held dear to me five years previous. I was standing outside the room where Hannah had passed away. I took a deep breath and walked over to the closed door, I put my hand on the handle and went to open it, it was half way down when I realised that it was a private room, and who ever was inside probably didn’t want some nobody opening their door at 4am and waking them up. I don’t know why, but I lloked up at the ceiling and then back at the door. I kissed my hand and pressed it against the door, before I walked away, and started trying to find my way to my brother and await the news on my mother.

I walked round the corner near the family room, and saw the doctor about to enter. Somehow I knew what he was going to say. I walked toward the door, my hands now on my head. I entered and Sarah got up, she put her arms around me as I started to cry. My brother Neil in a similar state with his fiancé. Sarah kissed my cheek and whispered

“I’m so sorry”​

I looked at her through the tears, her eyes welling up as well. She kissed me on the cheek before burying her head in my chest. All four of us stood there for what seemed a lifetime, before finally I had to sit down, my legs had gone. I sat down, and just starred, into space. Sarah sat beside me, both shattered, both needing sleep but none of us could, how could we.

Chapter 29
Thursday 14th April 2011
Ajax Vs. Roma​

As the game kicked off I was still in London, after the death of my mother only twenty hours previous. My assistant Brian Burrows taking charge of one of the biggest games of our season, but I didn’t care. Part of me wanted to be in Amsterdam, but the rest of me, the majority of me wanted to be right there in London.

As I sat in Neil and Claire flat, on the sofa I had eventually got some sleep on, I didn’t even care if I watched the game. But Neil insisted I did watch. I couldn’t help but smile as I noticed that my team, the team I hadn’t spoke to properly since the first leg of the Ajax game showed there support, sporting black arm bands in respect for my mum.

I was forced to sit and watch as Ajax bossed the first home, but couldn’t score. Our best chance coming through Michael Owen’s right footed shot going just passed the post. At half time it was still 0-0.

I don’t know what Brian had said to the team at half time, but they came out in the second half fighting. Mexes hitting the bar, Pizzini the post and Gibson forcing a great save. It took just ten minutes of that half before we finally got our break through, Baptista’s corner met by Mexes and the ball flew past their keeper and into the net. As my team celebrated, I didn’t. I sat there, holding hands with Sarah watching in silence. Ajax got a goal back on seventy one minutes through Suarez. But they weren’t finished, and I was forced to watch from a sofa in London, as my team in Amsterdam conceded the goal that ended my European dream as Ajax scored their second goal, through Suarez again.

I sat on the sofa, as Sarah’s hand gripped my tightly. She looked at me, and placed her hand on my chin, before kissing me. But i hardly responded. I forced a smile and that was it. I sat on Neil’s sofa after the game, part of me devastated, the other part not thinking about football, and certainly not caring. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, so about an hour after the game, me and Sarah left Neil’s and headed to our hotel.

True to form, outside our hotel was photographer form one of the papers, but again, I didn’t care. I walked into the hotel lobby, tears rolling down my cheeks, and went up tp our room. Sarah tried to convince me to eat something but I didn't want anything, I didn’t even speak to her, instead I just walked into the bathroom and got into the shower.

The water felt good over my tired body, but it couldn’t remove the black, devastated feeling I had coursing through my veins. I stood directly under the shower head and looked up, the water pounding into my face, I stood there and broke down in tears.
 
spend an hour reading from page 2 to 4 as i completely missed ur story for a few weeks.I think that with more funds next season, you will definitely do better
 
Chapter 30
Friday 21st December 2007​

I was jogging back to my flat in South London, Pendulum’s slam blasting through my earphones. A sense of a achievement flowing through my body, for the first time in almost three years, I had started jogging again. And whilst it was freezing cold in London as the build up to Christmas was well underway. My knee started was aching, but the painkillers were defiantly helping.

I arrived back at my flat, and looked at the papers. All reporting that my boss, Lawrie Sanchez was on the verge of being sack, not even half a year into his full time contract. I flicked on the Tv, and Lawrie’s fear were realised as Georgie Thompson reported some breaking news from Craven Cottage.

“With Fulham in the bottom three, we are hearing that Lawrie Sanchez has had his contract terminated by the club, after just nine months in charge of the South London club​

Once again I watched as bookmakers, reporters, fans and pundits a like decided that I was amongst the favorites. But personally I didn’t feel I was ready. I had only had nine months experience with the reserve team, and whilst Lawrie had let me pick and choose my own tactics, it was still only the reserve team. I had stayed loyal to the club i learnt my trade at though, turning down offers from Gillingham, Notts County and the hardest choice of all, my local team back in Norfolk, Norwich City.

I arrived at the training ground and was met by a big group of reporters and photographers all asking the same thing

“Are you going to be the next manager of Fulham”​

I honestly had no idea. Nobody from the club had phoned me, emailed me or anything, I had as much idea as they did as to who was going to take charge of Fulham Football Club. I walked into the training complex and was met by somebody from the board, who shook my hand and took me into a small office.

“Steven, we’d like you to take charge of Fulham on a temporary basis, until a permanent manager can be found”​

Of course, being at the club I loved meant the world to me, so I snapped up the offer and was officially placed in charged until a new boss could be found, and I wouldn’t have much time to settle in, with the team welcoming to Wigan the very next day.

Saturday 22nd December 2007
Fulham Vs. Wigan​

My first game came round quickly being just a day after being appointed. And with twenty thousand, eight hundred and twenty fans packed into Craven Cottage the game kicked off.

I had told the boys to do it for the fans, the pressure was all on me today, the most inexperienced Premier League manager in history.

The game was a dud until the seventieth minute, when Marcus Bent’s shot cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and into the net. Their goal and lead sparked my team into life, and we created chance after chance. In the seventy eighth minute, we made our break through, Dempsey’s volley flying into the net. We should have won, by two or three, but we finished with a draw.

I didnt have much time to settle down after the Wigan game, being the hectic Christmas period, our next game would be just four days later when we travelled to Tottenham.

---------- Post added at 06:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:35 AM ----------

Hi people!

I've just been informed, by my flat mate that we're changing Internet suppliers tomorrow, so I maybe not have the web for about a week.

This means I won't be releasing anymore updates after tonight until u get It back. So tonight, I will try and get as many released as possible. It's all pretty much done anyway, just got to read through it all an check everything If I get the chance.

Thanks for following. If no updates are ready tonight it will return but may be up to a week away.
 
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