Working My Way Up

Things were starting to heat up on and off the pitch. On it we seemed to be pushing forward and coming closer to finding that streak of form to lift us out of the hole we are stuck in. Off of it there were major issues between me and the board.

After the argument about me studying for my coaching qualification the board seem to be taking shots at me. First they lowered the wage budget meaning we are now spending more than our budget, this has affected my position at the club as they are using it as a reason they aren't happy. They then made comments in the media after the win stating we were lucky.

I am desperately trying to find a route out of here now but with limited roles with high prospects it's tough. I had applied to the Guiseley job in the conference and been rejected after an interview whilst being rejected by a couple of other clubs which were probably down to over ambitious applications. But anyway there were still games to be played...

View attachment 116593Now I am not going to lie, after the win last time out I expected another but we were poor. The squad just seem to be lacking confidence and effort to want to fight for the position we should be in. A Smith double ended the game after a fairly even affair throughout.

View attachment 116592I was furious after this game. Our inability to concentrate over a full 90 minutes, especially after taking a lead is beginning to infuriate me. We were by far the better team having 8 shots on target whilst they had just 1 shot all game. We had 2 goals disallowed for offside which didn't help but we should've still got the win.

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And if I was furious after the last game you should have seen me after this one. After going 1-0 up we had a 2nd disallowed for an unknown reason (seriously I have no idea why, I watched the replay 5 or 6 times and couldn't spot the "foul"). However once again it's a case of we fail to kill the game off when we can. After the disallowed goal they can straight back and whilst our players sat and looked sorry for themselves theirs fought back to grab the win.

View attachment 116588Then came this and I wasn't sure what to do. Part of me was tempted to just pack my stuff up and leave without saying good bye whilst part of me was wanting to hand in a resignation. However I decided to tell them that it's unfair on the players to sack me, they some how agreed and said they couldn't sack me.

Now I know I have been looking for a way out and this was probably a very easy way to do so but I refuse to be sacked. It doesn't look good on my CV and it doesn't help with future job applications. Now resigning was considered and I have decided this...

If we fail to win either of our next two games agaisnt Rhyl and Newtown I am resigning.

The reasoning for it is that as we head into November and December there will be plenty of jobs coming about. If we fail to win either of these games it makes it tough for me to even argue that I want to stay. The players are showing no sign of care, the board don't want me here and despite having built a strong squad and backroom we are failing to make the most of it on the pitch.

So there it is, 2 games; 1 win and I stay in Bangor but if we don't win it's bye bye Wales and it once again puts my managerial career in the balance.​
 
So with two games to decide my future and the board constantly on my back it was crunch time. There was still part of me that wanted to stay; I'd built a strong squad and felt I could still do well with what I had built.

View attachment 116582Another draw. This means the next game decides my fate. We dominated the tie but once again and brief lapse of concentration after scoring leaves us with a disappointing draw.

View attachment 116581Another draw... This ends my time in Wales as another Gray goal is cancelled out. We dominated and probably should have claimed all 3 points.

View attachment 116580And there it is. My time in Bangor is over and it hasn't been poor but it definitely hasn't been easy. I know we have been underperforming but with the lack of support from the board it will be tough for whoever comes in to bring success to the club.

I will continue to be looking for a job and push for another step up the league rankings. I have proven I can be quality as a manager but need somewhere with a board willing to invest in both mine and the clubs future.

Also, do you reckon they don't like me?
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So the question now is where to next. With 3 jobs behind me and a big challenge still ahead of me to work my way up to the top of football I started looking straight away and these are the 3 options currently possible which I have applied for.

View attachment 116566Possibility number 1 is League 2 side Accrington Stanley. After finishing 13th and 8th over the last two seasons they were forced to sack Mark Yates who took them to the 8th placed finish last season. Currently residing in 21st they are 4 points off of relegation spots occupied by Morecambe and Yeovil.

It would certainly be a challenge to not only keep them up but to actually get the job in the first place but with a young squad in place the key issue would be restoring confidence. Once that has been done the likes of Max Hazeldine and Chris Eagles could certainly help push up the table.

View attachment 116562Another league 2 side in Luton are next. Since promotion back into the football league Luton have finished 18th and 16th but have had 3 different permanent managers. The latest manager to get the axe was Steve Davis after the board declared a current 18th place in the league table not good enough.

The ambition to move forward is clear at the club and with players such as Jorge Grant, Craig-Mackail Smith and one of TNSs stand out players last year, Sean McConville they definitely have the squad to push forward. Again it would be a push for me to get the job but the application is in.

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And finally, yes a possible return to Margate is on the cards. My former club currently reside 7th in the league after a strong start to the season. However the good start left to my replacement being poached by 5th placed Dover, who had their manager was surprisingly sacked.

The key challenge here would be to win back the board but this is the most realistic of the 3 applications. If I can get the job back the bulk of the squad I built is still there and I still feel I could do well with it after an unfair dismissal last time round.​
 
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So my next destination is Guiseley. The board hired me in April already looking ahead to the new season after relegation from the Vanarama National had been confirmed for a month already after a poor campaign.

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So I had been given 4 games to try and scout out what is available for me heading into the new campaign. The squad isn't a bad with a lot of quality in defence and midfield but the issue is trying to keep those players. With 5 loan players who are unlikely willing to return to the next division down and our key players wanting to leave for the football league which is understandable.

View attachment 116224So our two best full backs (Williams and Brown) as well as our best central midfielder are amongst the list of players wanting to leave. I have continuously offered contracts to all 3 but there is no convincing them.

Before I got round to looking how to build for next season and replacing those players I had 4 games to go through first...

View attachment 116223The results look poor but they weren't. Woking were bang in form and to hold them to 1-0 was fantastic. We then faced a Barnet side chasing the title who eventually went on to win the play-off's before facing Halifax who required a win to survive and then we held a decent Torquay side to a point.

Heading into next season there are key issues which need resolving. We require a goalscoring striker, a lot of goals this season came from wingers and with potentially our 3 best wingers leaving we could be in a ton of trouble. We also need to look to replace the 3 players above whilst bringing in some more quality and becoming less reliant on loans.

I have one aim for next season and that is to finish in the top 6. Anything less and I won't be happy, we have quality to do so and I am already scouting out some more so I see no reason as to why we can't look to challenge for promotion at the first time of asking.
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Having settled in I have taken the chance to see what I have to work with and at the moment it isn't looking great. We have quality in the players we do have but with just 12 players heading into the new season we need to add to some key areas and massively improve depth.
Goalkeepers
At the moment we have one keeper and he could probably tide us over into the new season but we definitely need to bring one in whether it is as a starter or backup. Jacob Smith is currently down to start with Will Huffer's loan coming to an end and whilst he could be used I would like to improve.

Full Backs
With the imminent losses of Williams and Brown this is an area in need of improvement. Jack Bainbridge is currently a good option at RB but we at least need a depth option. At left back we currently have centre back Langford sketched down to fill in so we definitely need to improve there.

Central Defenders
We currently have RB Tom Paul and an early new signing sketched in at CB. If we can bring in some stronger options though Paul can be used at RB and the newbie can be a fantastic backup option. We could probably survive with just adding depth but if we are to push for promotion we need a strong back line.

Central Midfielders
The tactics I have drawn up currently use defensive midfielders, central midfielders and attacking midfielders so depth is needed. Currently we have a newbie, Crooks, Raggett and Pattison and whilst all of them are probably good enough to do a job at the 6th tier we need more improvements.

Crooks will be key for us whether he plays in the DM or CM role. Raggett is preferred as a CB and is better at CB so hopefully we can bring in the depth that we don't have to force him into the DM role unless needed. Pattison and the newbie are both good options but are both probably backup quality, albeit strong backups, so we need to bring in a starting quality DM, CM and CAM.

Wingers
I somehow, don't ask how, managed to get Oldham to agree to extending the loan of Ronaldo Brown and he should be fantastic for us on the right hand side. On the left hand side we have Bruna who agreed to a new deal when I first arrived despite probably being league 2 quality.

So on the wings we just need a bit of depth. I will look to bring in one player for each side who are capable of coming in and doing a good job to tide us over when fitness is low or the two above aren't available.

Strikers
This is an area which needs improving massively. With our only 2 strikers from last season leaving (who played 18 times and scored just 3 goals between them due to players out of position being favoured) we need to bring in quality.

I have already brought in one option who is a similar sort of player. He will sit deep and link up play but as mentioned before this season to many goals came from the wide areas so we need somebody to come in who can score 15+ goals a season.

I will look to bring in two more strikers. I want them to have pace, a bit of strength but most importantly to be deadly finishers. We need somebody to take chances when they arise and be the clinical finisher that I have lacked throughout my managerial career.

Round-Up
So to summarise: GK, LB, RB, CBx2, DM, CM, CAM, LM, RM, STx2...

Not much then. Our wage budget sits around £6k and we currently spend £7.25k. However the players leaving at the end of the month will free up £3400 of that meaning we should have around £2000 in the budget to bring in 12 players. Ideally we only use around £1200 to keep the finances afloat as they are currently looking a bit insecure.
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View attachment 116116
With a host of key departures as well as a lot of depth players departing we had to have a strong summer of signings. With the clubs finances in a poor state it was essential for me to not over budget but with the quality of player I need to bring in I have come very close with just £100 spare after making 13 signings to replace the 13 departures.

View attachment 116130Firstly came Luke Woodland who will look to try fill the void left by Zac Thompson leaving. At just 22 he will continue to improve but with decent physcials, good mentals and very strong passing he could be the creative spark we need in midfield.

View attachment 116129Signing number 2 is Louis Robles. Robles is very similar to what we previously had up top as he favours playing as a DLF but I feel his stats could work well with him being a poacher. Whilst he lacks in concentration when he is focused I hope he can use some decent pace and finishing to rack up a few goals.

View attachment 116128Kostas Pileas was the third of a trio of early signings and the 19 year old will be key to us this season as a backup. With issues bringing in a left back (due to all the decent ones wanting over £800 a week!) he will act as a backup to Langford but can also be a very strong backup in his preferred central role.

View attachment 116127Our starting keeper for the season has arrived in James Montgomery. He is a very good option in the 6th tier and will hopefully improve as he plays more. After leaving Guiseley in 2014 he went to Telford where he made close to 150 appearances in 4 seasons.

View attachment 116126Ryan Higgins is next and he gives us a good option at right back should Paul be needed at CB or injured. He will just be asked to do a good job defensively but should it be required he has the skill to provide something going forward.

View attachment 116125Next comes Paul Scott who was recently released from Manchester United. The left winger will provide strong support to Bruna and with his pace he could be a real threat in this league, especially off of the bench. His technicals are poor but that will improve with time as he is only 18.

View attachment 116124Former Salford CB Alex Evans then arrived and he should be a rock at the back for us. Mentally and physically he is very good for this level and he has the right attributes in order to help form a strong back line.

View attachment 116122Jordan Preston is a player I looked at whilst at Bangor and Margate. His £575 a week wages are a big risk as he could potentially be a bust but he is a fantastic option. He arrives already injured but should be available for the new season and possibly for a pre-season appearance.

View attachment 116121Another central midfield option comes in the form of Darren McKnight. He definitely needs improvement in some areas but he is a decent option to have. With the fixtures likely to come thick and fast and cause fitness options McKnight is a very good option for rotation and could possibly win himself a starting role.

View attachment 116120Another centre back option in Jamie Malone. He is a strong option already at CB and at just 18 playing time could see him massively improve. He is a real no nonsense defender and will likely win a lot in the air. He needs to improve on his marking and tackling but I like his attributes.

View attachment 116119I wanted to bring in another defensive midfield option and this is it. Henry Pollock at 19 years old is one of the most average players I've seen but it's a good thing. He will get a job done and with room to improve at 19 he will only become a fantastic player.

View attachment 116118With Scott coming in to add depth on the left wing, Nmecha comes in to do so on the right. Physically he is good, mentally he is good, technically he is okay. However like many of my other signings at just 19 years he can improve technically and with our starting right winger being on loan it's key to use and improve him.

View attachment 116117Then finally comes in a striker on loan. Shaquille McDonald comes in from Nuneaton on loan and whilst he isn't great we needed another striker in the depth chart. He is quick, has decent finishing and could provide some key goals for us this season.​
 
View attachment 116113
After a strong summer of signings and a bit of a rebuild at the club we had to focus on having a good pre-season to reinstall some confidence into players who were either relegated with us last year or released by their former clubs.

We had 5 fixtures in pre-season as we aimed to build up fitness, avoid too many injuries and find our best system.

View attachment 116112We started off with a superb win against Hull United. The amateur side were really just a warm up game but we got off to a running start. Centre back Sean Raggett opened up our pre-season scoring before newbies McKnight and Higgins gave us a 3-0 victory.

We then had a game where I expected to lose. It was a bit disheartening to lose 6-0 but the players understandably just gave up at the end of each half. With 4 of the 6 goals scored in the final 5 minutes of each of we didn't do too badly for the rest of the game. I just hope it doesn't kill confidence.

A tough game against a good Hull Under 21 side was next and it was a superb win. After taking an early lead we just controlled the game, ending with over 64% possession. The young Tigers did find a way back in but we then dominated the final half an hour. Harrison will be disappointed to be the man to give away the win but it was a forced error which would've been tapped in if he didn't attempt something.

We then hosted League 1 Doncaster who I expected to lose to. Our quality showed in the first half though as we went into the break 2-0 up thanks to Woodland and Brown bagging goals. A second half which involved 10 changes to rotate the squad saw us lose control of the game but we made it tough for Doncaster to even grab a draw.

Finally we hosted Brighouse. After a dull first half where we controlled the tie but made no real threat to their goal we came out with a purpose. Jordan Preston marked his Guiseley debut with a goal to prove his quality. However we failed to build on this as the players lost focus and began to focus on the Tranmere game which was just a week away.

August Preview
@Tranmere, @Stalybridge, Alfreton, @Kettering, Blyth

5 league games await us as we look to start of running. I am happy with pre-season as our signings settled in and we showed threats from all over with 7 different scorers including 2 strikers grabbing goals. Ignoring the West Brom game (which I arranged to try help out our finances) we finished with 2 wins and 2 draws, scoring 8 goals and conceding just 4.

According to the pre-season odds the hardest game we will have is Alfreton at home. Surprisingly Tranmere are penned down to finish in 19th with odds of 100-1 to win the league. At 20-1 we are expected to finish 4th with AFC Fylde favourites to win the league at 6-1.

I expect to hit the ground running and want at least 3 wins from our first 5 games. Whilst I know we can win all 5 I am a bit apprehensive of getting expectations too high too early with the team settling into a new division. The board have the same aim as me which is hitting the top 5. As long as we do that me and the board will be happy.

Just to let people know I am going to start doing monthly updates. I will keep the layout I have been using but I read over it last night and realised it's quite hard to follow how far through I have played so I am going to try bring more structure to it. I'm currently in August 2018 having played 3 seasons so far (18/19 will be season 4).

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So 5 games have passed and it has given me a chance to judge where we are in the league. It was a mixed month and we can definitely build on it but we need to focus on improving fitness which was shown in the results.

View attachment 115442So the team who dropped with us were first and we were superb. Tranmere created chances but nothing clear whilst we continually created good chances. It took until the 70th minute though for McDonald to come off the bench and score the winner.

View attachment 115441Another good result as the emphasis of fitness is made clear. After going 2-0 down Preston brought one back before becoming the 2nd striker in 2 games to go down injured leaving us without both him and Robles for the month. The issue is we only have McDonald left. Anyway, a goal from Nmecha swung the game our way and it was only thanks to the cross bar which we didn't get a winner.

View attachment 115440A really tough result to take as we had to battle the game with a new tactic to fit our strikerless squad as McDonald picked up a training injury for this game. Brown gave us hope but we just failed to really grab the game as Alfreton got a late winner.

View attachment 115439We were so unlucky not to get the win as an early own goal and a late deflected equaliser cost us the 3 points. Our wide play continued to be a threat as both Bruna and Brown tore the hosts apart for the game as well as the introduction of Nmecha to set up McDonald.

View attachment 115438We end the month on a high as a dominant performance is hurt by our lack of strikers. With Preston and Robles still out McDonald got the start and he played well but lacked the clinical finishing we needed in this game. Eventually though our back 3 linked up as Paul took a corner which Raggett flicked on and Evans headed in for the winner.
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There was some other news in the month though as a number of things happened around our games. Just after our second game of the season I received the news that a takeover had been complete.

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The new owner was looking to improve this club and was showing a TON of ambition though when the deal went through. He started by pumping £350k into the club to take clubs accounts into positive figures. They then backed this up by giving us £9k to spend in the transfer window, this was just shoved straight into the transfer budget though to make sure our finances stayed secure.

But he then did the following two things...

View attachment 115436Yup, he's known me for a day and he is paying for my next coaching course. He said he sees the benefits of not only sticking with me but also pushing towards my improvement.

View attachment 115435Then finally was the news that he was putting the money there to hire an extra coach. As of yet we haven't brought one in but I have placed an advert out there to try attract good candidates who actually want to work here. This is key for not only pushing the club forward but whilst I am studying for my license we need the extra man to help out.

So after the disastrous boards at Margate and Bangor I am so happy to be backed by a board who are showing ambition and faith in both the club and me to do well. I will look to improve on our mixed but good start which has us sat just outside the play-off's with 8 points from a possible 15 to repay the boards faith.
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