patrick917

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Prelude - Introduction

I'm Patrik Gregor and i was born in Hungary almost 24 years ago.
My past with football is really adventurous. I used to play on regional level, just like my father and many family members, but i wasn't so persistent. I started to play when i was about 5, but the coach wanted me as a keeper, so after a while i left, because i didn't want to be a keeper. A few years later i tried again, but on practices i played as a keeper, but on tournaments i didn't play at all, or i had to play as a striker, so that kind of inconsistency made me leave again. A few years later i was 14 and that team has a really good youth team, but most of the key players started to be too old for the youth team, so some addition was needed. The coach used to play on the highest level in Hungary, so he had some ideas about football. Here came my persistency, i missed more and more practices and i played only a few minutes in that season. I completely missed the next season, but in the next season i went back, i tried to motivate myself, with different goals and i played in the half of the season, after the winter break i had to concentrate on my studies so i left again. Next season was completely the same, played in the first half of the season, and after that i didn't step to the pitch again.

On the other hand i was always interested in managing a football team. I played with so many managerial games online and offline as well, and it was some kind of dream of mine to manage my favourite football team and lead them to glory.


I finished my studies on the university as an engineer, but i decided a few years ago that i save some money and try my luck in football managing. I was able to save 1 millon HUF what is about 3200 EUR, and that will be my personal balance as a manager. If i'm going to bankrupt, i'm going to retire and give up my dreams to be a football manager, but i really hope that won't happen.
 
The Beginning

The Beginning


So here i am, finished my studies, it's early June, and I'm about to dive a header into the world of football management. Fortunately one of my former classmates working for a sports agency, so i called him.


"Hello Mark! You still working for that sports agency right?"

"Hey Patrik! Yes, I'm still working for them, why?"

"I decided to try my luck as a football manager and maybe you can help me to find a job."

"Well, we have some managerial jobs on the market... Do you have any qualifications?"

"Nothing football related..."

"Uhhh, that won't be easy then, but i'll see what i can do, if anything comes by, i'll forward it to your inbox."

"Thanks mate, really appriciate it"


On the very next day, i had many job interview via skype, so my chances were really good to kick things off, and i was sure that i will accept the first offer that comes into my way.


Three days later i got 3 offers:
FC Höllviken from Swedish Division 1 Södra (third tier)
Ange IF from Swedish Division 2 Norrland (fourth tier)
Helsingbirgs IF Akademi from Swedish Division 2 Västra Götaland (fourth tier)


Höllviken is one division higher than the other two teams, and offered more salary, so i accepted their offer for 20k SEK (2000 EUR) per month. I booked my flight immediately, looked for a rent and i was ready to travel to Sweden. The journey starts...
 

It was 7th of June, when i arrived to Coppenhagen. I glimpsed a table with my name on it. He was my driver waited for me on the airport to take me to Höllviken. My first way led to Fredrik Bagger's office to sign my contract. He welcomed me, and handed me over to my assistant manager, Joakim Nilsson Ingves. We walked around the facilities and on the end we went to his office, where he handed me the team report, gave me a quick brief about the club's history.



When the meeting was over i went to rent, and moved in. On the evening i read the team report what i got from Joakim, so i had a concrete plan for the next day meeting with the rest of the staff.


"Good morning lads, and welcome everyone! Let me start the problems. We have only 11 players, no transfer budget, and no wage budget. As i saw we have two goalkeeper coach so we have to say goodbye one of them, and i already decided that Henrik Jönsson have to leave the club to make some space for the new playes's wages."

"Alright Boss, it's reasonable, i go and talk with Jerry Nilsson about the termination." - said Henrik and left the room.

I stayed with my assistant manager Joakim, who is also a player, and the goalkeeper coach Zlatan Azinovic.

"Well, we don't have any scouts, and we need at least two centre backs, two defensive midfielders and two strikers, so let's run through the scout reports and shoot me with your suggestions about who should we sign, or who should we scout a little bit deeper, and i will forward it to Jerry. We have 5 days until the next game, and i want a decent 11 to run out to the pitch so let's go!"


To be honest that five days was a really short time, and the transfer window opens on mid July, so i have to wait another month with the additions, so somehow, we will have to survive the next five games with 11 man, and some fans who got the chance as subs.


After 9 games, the team is dead last with only one point, and i have 15 games to save this them, and myself somehow. It will be challenging.
 
Round 10: Östers IF
Here it is, the first game of my managerial career, and i'm worried. I have just 11 players, one of them is suspended, and we play against 7th placed Östers IF.

I'm worried, but im hoping, somehow maybe we can save a point, and i feel our only chance if we park the bus.
Well, that tactic worked in the first 30 minutes, the guys showed some heroic defense, but after a low cross Johannesson scored, and Östers were up by one. A big defensive mistake needed for Östers to score their second goal. Joakim, my assistant passed back to the keeper but it was to short, Levi was quicker and doubled the lead. Persson scored from nowhere, in the 77th minute, what was quite surprising, because Östers controlled the game completely, but that goal gave us some hope. The rest of the game was really uneventful, so we had to walk away with nothing, and after that game the whole situation seems really hopeless.



Round 11: Husqvarna FF

One week passed, and i still didn't find anything positive in the last week game. Maybe the only thing is our defense, they were heroic, without Joakim's mistake we could save a point. 11 players, i have to work with them on the upcoming four games, and collect some points somehow if we want to stay in the third division. Today's game against Husqvarna FF, who are currently sit on 9th place, and a single point would make me really happy. The first 15 minutes passed without chances but after a foul the referee awarded a penalty for Husqvarna. Karlefjard shot it to the middle Tchouata Kamajou didn't move, and saved. We had some shots in the first half from long range, all of them missed. The second half was really uneventful as well, but in the 90th minute Hamidovic scored for Husqvarna and they grabbed all three points with that.



Round 12: FC Trollhattan

It's really demoralizing to lose a game in the last minutes, especially for us, we have only 1 point after 11 games, and we can't let those points slip away like we did it last week, i talked with the guys about that, i believe in them, and they start to believe that they're capable for better resuls. We're against 11th placed FC Trollhattan this week, and that seems a good chance to turn our fortune. We were able to sign a striker who joined immediately this week, and i hope he can help in the attacking third and we can create more chances and score some goals as well.


Here is he, Abubakar Dumbuya 22 years old Swedish striker, who came for free as he was a free agent. Last season Abubakar played in Kortedala IF in the Swedish fourth division, scored only 3 goals on 17 games, but he seems a decent finisher, and we need a player like that so let's hope.


We started the game better, the whole team looked better than the last two games. After 16 minutes Persson gave us the lead after a beautiful one-two with Abubakar, so the striker partnership looked good so far. Trollhattan made some good chances but our defense was able to stop them. In the 40th minute Henningson pushed down his opponent in the area and the referee awarded the penalty. Lundgren scored, and it was all draw again. In the second half Trollhattan was the better team, we had some chances as well, but the second half was scoreless. Joakim got his second yellow in the 74th minute and left us ten man, but we held out and secured at least one point.




Table:
Almost half of the season is gone and we have only two points so far. The 11th, relegation playoff spot is 8 points away, so we need really big improvement in the second half of the season if we want to keep our spot in the third tier.




Personal balance:
Income:
20000 SEK (2000 EUR) - Salary


Expenditure:
6000 SEK (604 EUR) - Apartment
8500 SEK (855 EUR) - Car
712 SEK (72 EUR) - Utilities
2600 SEK (261 EUR) - Food


All: 1775 EUR


Current balance: 3425 EUR
 
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