Time To Take on the Special One

[ollieconnolly]

Jose Mourinho

A man loved by some, hated by others. Whatever anyone thinks, he's a character in our beloved game that will never go away. With his triumph in La Liga this year he is well on his way to being one of if not THE most succesful manager of all time. The man guarentees success, he does not build empires but where ever he goes he wins. In this story i will try to chase the man down. In terms of title wins and trophies, in as many countries and clubs as he does it, hopefully the same countries. The good part to this story is that Jose is still a young man in terms of football management so as i begin my career at the lower end of the Premier League he will still be crashing out title after title and acolade after acolade.

The Club i'll begin with will be Wigan Athletic.

The Latics

Leagues Loaded
Lowest league
England - League Two
Spain - Liga Adelete
Italy - Serie B
US - MLS
Germany - Bundesliga
Holland - Eredvise
France - National
Scotland - 2nd division
Portugal - 2nd division

Overall Goals
To Win a Trophy With Wigan
To Break The Top Four With Wigan
To Win the European Cup With Three Different Teams
To Win Two International Competitions
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This story is one ive been doing on another site for a while, i've done more immersive stories on FM-Base before which im sure people will remember, this started as a screenshot story, but as i want it too be more immerive i'm going to move it across too Fm-Base. Simply because its a much more interactive audience. It will take time to catch up to real-time as i play but i will move the story across as quickly as possible.
​

 

[ollieconnolly]

Season One - Ten Match Update
Summary
Overall not a fantastic start to the season, just look to avoid relegation with a very very below average squad. Looked to improve certain areas this summer but will shop more next summer. The league campaign began horrendously which was partly due to the first three fixtures draining us off confidence, but we've picked up towards the back end.
TransfersLeague TableFixturesSquad Performance​

 

[ollieconnolly]

Update two - twenty match update​

Summary
Another run that started diabolically, it seems as though the money spent on Jordan Rhodes could have been better spent somewhere else. An astonishing result away at the Arsenal, but its time to press on and try and keep this club in the league. We've really suffered from key injuries too Moses (torn calf) Figeuroa (broken leg) and Diame (damaged neck)
Need to start to strengthen the quality not depth of the squad. Will look to secure some bosnam transfers early on in January
League Table

Fixtures

Squad Performance

 

[ollieconnolly]

Update Three - Thirty Match Update​

January Transfers
In
Karim Ait Fana - £5m
Barry Bannan - LN625K
Danny Rose - LN
Out
Albert Crusat - Mallorca - £1m
Mike Pollit - Released
David Jones - Watford - £1m
Rob Kiernan - Luton - Free
Summary
An astonishing run of results that have really seen the team come together. A mixture of minor tactical tweeks and the summer signings settling in led to amazing results at both the DW and at places like Old Trafford and The Hawthorns. Gary Hooper has been on fire and two hattricks from defender Alex Pearce, with two penalties, were two more highlights. We now look all but safe which is all i wanted at the start of the season, we now aim to finish as high as possible and despite a tough run of fixtures we may even finish in the top ten.
League Table

Fixtures

Squad Performance

These fantastic performances have led to me being linked to a whole host of jobs very unexpectedly, nearly every manager that has been sacked in the Premier League. I've also been linked to the Chelsea job if Di Matteo is not kept on (however i dont see it) but the one job i have been continously linked too since January is the following.

 

[ollieconnolly]

Update Four - End Of Season Update​

Summary
Well we faded away towards the end of the season, with survival virtually secured after a fantastic string of results from January to March. The highlight of the end of the season being trouncing Liverpool 3-0 at the DW.
League Table


Fixtures

Squad Performance

A close season update to follow

 

[ollieconnolly]

[size=+3]End Of Season Summary​

[/size]

England:
League Champions - Manchester Utd
Champions League - Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham
Relegated - Newcastle, Norwich, Bolton
Overachievers - Stoke
Underperformers - Newcastle
Player Of The Year - Wayne Rooney (Manchester Utd)
Young Player of the Year - Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Manager Of The Year - Tony Pulis (Stoke)

Spain:
League Champions - Barcelona
Champions League - Real Madrid, Valencia, Betis
Relegated - R.Sociedad, Levante, Zaragoza
Overachievers - Betis (4th)
Underperformers - Sevilla (16th)
Player Of The Year - Cesc Fabregas
Manager Of The Year - Pepe Mel (Betis)
Italy:
League Champions - A.C Milan
Champions League - Napoli, Fiorentina
Relegated - Novara, Catania, Chievo
Overachievers - Leece (6th)
Underperformers - Palermo (16th)
Player Of The Year - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (A.C Milan)
Young Player of the Year - Alexandre Pato (A.C Milan)
Manager Of The Year - Massamilliano Allegri (A.C Milan)
Scotland:
League Champions - Rangers
Champions League - Celtic
Relegated - St.Mirren
Overachievers - Inverness CT
Underperformers - Dundee Utd
Player Of The Year - Lee Wallace (Rangers)
Young Player of the Year - Nick Ross (Inverness CT)
Manager Of The Year - Ally Mcoist
Holland:
League Champions - Ajax
Champions League - FC Twente
Relegated - RKC, Excelsoir
Overachievers - NEC (4th)
Underperformers - PSV (7th)

Germany:
League Champions - Bayern Munich
Champions League - Werder Bremen, HSV, Leverkusen
Relegated - Augsburg, Kaiserslauten
Overachievers - Hamburg (3rd)
Underperformers - Borussia Dortmund (8th)

France:
League Champions - Paris Saint-German
Champions League - Olympique Lyonnais, Marseille
Relegated - Stade Melberhe Caen, Stade Rennais, Dijon FCO
Overachievers - FC Lorient (9th, qualified for Europa League)
Underperformers - Stade Rennais (20th)
Npower Championship
Champions - West Ham
Promoted - Southampton, Reading
Champions League
Winner - Barcelona (Quadrouple winners)
Runner Up - Manchester Utd
Player of the Tournement - Lionel Messi​

 

[ollieconnolly]

[SIZE=+3]Wigan - End Of Season Review[/SIZE]

Overall it was for me a good season, the squad is deffinetley Championship standard but was able to punch above its weight in the premier league. For me the side was far too over-relient on Hooper for goals so will look to address that in the off-season, with more tactical changes and as many transfers as i can make. My tactic became alot more counter-attacking than controlling the play due to the poor nature of my squad, so next season i'll look to bring in players to impose myself on the opposition much more. (very hard to play this style with first XI players like Jordi Gomez!)
Player Of The Year
Gary Hooper
Top Five Moments
1: Away 1-0 win at the Emirates
2: Crushing Manchester City 4-0 at Home
3: 2-2 draw at Old Trafford
4: 7-0 away win at West Brom
5: Keeping our Premier League status.
Top Transfer Targets
Gylfi Sigurroson
Romario
Christian Tello
Yoann Cabaye
Hatem Ben Arfa
Stuart Holden
A pacey centre half

As i plot this off-season revolution at the DW, I have had an extremley tempting offer from down south.
​

Abit dissapointed with the money on offer, but in a Chelski revolution i could gain a lot of capital, would be a great feeling to make them 'Barcelona in Blue' and lead them too their first European Cup crown. But i feel as though there is unfinished business at Wigan. I could always return? I may not get a better offer for a while, what do you think?

 

[ollieconnolly]

[size=+5]Connolly Turns Down Chelsea Job![/size]


After staying at Wigan the loyal chairman Mr.Whelan has given me initial budgets off £16m which is generous, and should allow me to bring in Gylfi + maybe some others.​

 

[ollieconnolly]

Pulled off the big transfer off the summer! very much depleted the clubs finances which im now looking to balance! But im very very pleased with the big signing ....

Also managed to buy this lad from Southampton (a fantastic place to poach young talent) The coaches are very excited, a little dissapointed with his pace but i think he could be special

 

[ollieconnolly]

[size=+3]Off-Season of Upheaval at the DW[/size]
Firstly I signed a new one-year contract with Wigan - which would allow me to leave at the end of the season, if i decide too

Transfers

Other Out Transfers (missed off the bottom)
Shaun Maloney - Ipswich - LN525K
Roman Golobart - Bari - 625k
Mauro Bosseli - West Brom - £4m
Steve Gohuri - Blackburn -£1.6m
Nouha Dicko - Colchester - 250k
Jean Beausejour - West Ham - £5m
Transfer Summary
Barry Bannan - Good exciting, home grown, propect. He fitted well into the system last year so can just continue that form, and at 2m has plent of 're-sale' value
Stuart Holden - Became a target after Bolton's relegation. Can use the ball well and adds nice depth to the squad.
Pappis Cisse - The 'blockbuster' signing of the summer, fantastic predatory goalscorer who can play in tandom with either Holt or Hooper. Should bring goals,goals,goals.
Owen Hargreaves - great steal on a one-year deal. good tutour despite being injury prone will help nurture young talent.
Roysten Drenthe - Helps improve the squad, very versatile, will probally look to sell at the end of the year, as he has a huge yearly wage increase bonus.
Ryo Miayichi - Exciting Japanese talent. Nice to get him in on loan and take a look before looking to purchase next season.
Sasa Papac - Good experience again offers a different left back to Maynor, and good for young players again.
Mehemt Topal - a good coup for the club, we're getting more and more international players in, another versatile player to help bolster the squad.
Sam Walker - back up goalkeeper, with quite poor potential but enough to back up Ali who rarley misses a game (also a friend of mine)
Countinho - outstanding talent, lack of team ethic but a deffinte major target after his loan year this season.
Jerry Vandam - Desperatley needed a RB after releasing Boyce and losing Stam to gain money. Vandam was the cheapest 'steady' player all the others were boom/bust players. Still looking to bring in Romario next summer.
Juame Costa - just another face to the squad, who can play anywhere down the left side or in the middle of the park.
Gylfi Sigurosson - The top target this summer, and an absolute bargain at £6.5m initially rejected us at the start off the summer, but with no other offers he chose the DW as his new home and the team will be built around his creative brilliance.
Christian Tello - a big favourite of mine. Remember seeing him aged 15 and watch him progress vastly. Was going to sign him permenantly but with his contract up next season it was much cheaper to loan him now and then bag him for free on a bosman in January.
Grant Holt - Brought as a back up to Hooper and Cisse, very cheap transfer and wages, and will be as effective as Rhodes was (who was very dissapointing)
Overall
Very happy with my business, want to build a La Masia, at Wigan (I know) and to do that we first must boost our reputation. Signing so many internationals and great tutours was brilliant, some areas excell more than other but we assembled a great, great squad in my eyes.

Staff Additions
With Graeme Jones being out of contract i was able to bring in my trusty eight-hand-man in Ellio Carraveta.
Also drastically improved my youth coaches bringing in:
John Murtough
Dario Gradi
Mark Chamberlain (hopefully help me to bring in the OX!)
Pre-Season Frendlies
​

 

[ollieconnolly]

Season Two - Update One - Ten Match Update
Summary
An ok start to the year. eleven points from ten games, displayes how we are currently stuck between a very good team and a very poor team, as does the goal difference of plus one. The stand out performers so far have been Alex Pearce, who after a disaterous start to his career at Wigan is become a real rock at centre-half, and Ryo Miyachi who is proving to be a real game changer. Hoping for more firepower from Pappis Cisse after he returns from his injury so far he has been a little underwhelming but he still has to get use to the wave lengths of his team mates
League Table

Fixtures

Squad Performance

and the takeover at Leece did indeed go through. So i will keep an eye out for them and see if they become a dominant domestic or continental force.
​

 

[ollieconnolly]

Managed to bring in former Boca Juniors and Real Madrid player - Fernando Gago, always had so much promise but never delivered. Hopefully he can help us out

 

[ollieconnolly]

[size=+2]Update Two - Twenty Game Update[/size]
Summary
A good stretch of games all in all. We seem to have something over United at Old Trafford. We've made the move to the pass-and-move 'La Masia' approach of Barcelona, from our more counter-attacking style. It's worked a treat, Gylfi and Bannan have been Xavi and Iniesta esq. The stretch of 2-1 wins were all won by last minute winners and after going 1-0 down. simply brilliant!
League Table

Fixtures

Squad Performance

We've been creating so many chances and im so impressed with the pass and move approach generating around 60% possesion each game, this being my favourite match....
​

 

[ollieconnolly]

Just beat Fulham in a battlling display away at Craven Cottage, a great game!

For those wondering this is my current tactic
​

 

[ollieconnolly]

Update Three - Thirty Match update
Transfers
In
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas - LN225K - Versattile guy to fill a couple of holes after letting some players move on
Out
Joe Ledley - Blackpool - £2.5m - was being outplayed by Bannan and McCarthey alongside Gylfi, with 20k wages was moved on.
Royston Drenthe - Villareal - LN 1m - Very high wages and wasnt getting a game.

Summary
A run that has seen us dip in form, we seem to lack consistancy now, were looking good until the 4 game losing streak. Still aiming for seventh, and if things go for us we could even finish in the Europa league.
League Table

Fixtures

Squad Performance
​

 

[ollieconnolly]

Update Four - End Of Season Update
Summary
A good finish to the season after we got over our slump. Finishing tenth is a tad dissapointing after the way we started the season. I think i'll stay on for another year as there arnt too many jobs that are moves up out there. Delighted with the away wins at Southampton and Aston Villa.
League Table

Fixtures

Squad Performance
​

 

[ollieconnolly]

[size=+3]End Of Season Summary​

[/size]

England:
League Champions - Manchester City
Champions League - Manchester Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea
Relegated - Wolves, Blackburn, Reading
Overachievers - Fulham
Underperformers - Sunderland
Player Of The Year - Robin Van Persie (Arsenal)
Young Player of the Year - Gylfi Sigurosson (Wigan)
Manager Of The Year - Roberto Mancini (Manchester City)
Spain:
League Champions - Barcelona
Champions League - Real Madrid, Sevilla, Athletico Madrid
Relegated - Hercules, Deportivo, Granada
Overachievers - Espnayol (5th)
Underperformers - Malaga (7th)
Player Of The Year - Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Manager Of The Year - Pep Guardiola (Barcelona)
Italy:
League Champions - A.C Milan
Champions League - Genoa, Atlanta
Relegated - Bari, Brescia, Sampdoria
Overachievers - Genoa (2nd)
Underperformers - Napoli (16th)
Player Of The Year - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (A.C Milan)
Young Player of the Year - Steven Jovetic (Fiorentina)
Manager Of The Year - Stefano Colantuono (Atlanta)
Scotland:
League Champions - Celtic
Champions League - N/A (lost their 2nd place)
Relegated - Falkirk
Overachievers - Dunfermline (5th)
Underperformers - Hearts (8th)
Player Of The Year - Anthony Modeste (Celtic)
Young Player of the Year - Adam Matthews (Celtic)
Manager Of The Year - Neil Lennon (Celtic)
Holland:
League Champions - FC Twente
Champions League - PSV
Relegated - De Graaschap
Overachievers - Vittese (7th)
Underperformers - Ajax (8th)

Germany:
League Champions - Bayern Munich
Champions League - HSF, Frankfurt, Schalke
Relegated - Mainz, Freiburg
Overachievers - Frankfurt (3rd)
Underperformers - Borussia Dortmund (8th)

France:
League Champions - Marseille
Champions League - PSG, Olympique Lyonnais
Relegated - Monaco, AJ Auxerre, SC Bastia
Overachievers - Sochaux (5th)
Underperformers - Lille (9th)
Npower Championship
Champions -Cardiff
Promoted - Newcastle, Birmingham
Champions League
Winner - Real Madrid
Runner Up - Manchester Utd
Player of the Tournement - Cristiano Ronaldo​

 

[ollieconnolly]

This is the only concrete offer i was given despite being linked to a whole host of jobs, so i signed a new one-year deal to stay at Wigan. Been given a very poor initial budget of £9m which is a bit of a let down. wigan review to follow

 

[ollieconnolly]

Just be linked as the favourite to replace SAF, would be an honour, but i feel like there's unfinished business at Wigan, and im very excited by the summer dealings ive made so far

 

[ollieconnolly]

[size=+3]Wigan - Season Review[/size]

A season i'm very happy with, dissapointed with the 2nd half of the season. Which after the upheival in the summer was very suprising. We are going to press on next year after i signed a new one year contract.The goal for next season is to continue to increase the quality of the squad and make a push for European places, as well as a succesful cup run.

Player Of The Year

Gylfi Sigurdson

Top Five Moments

1: 2-2 Draw at Old Trafford
2: Sigurdson winning PFA Young Player of the Year
3: Having 70% of possesion away at Swansea
4: three, last minute winners in a row
5: Keeping our Premier League status.

Top Transfer Targets

Jordan Henderson
Romario
Steven Caulker
Christian Tello​