[FM09] Chilean Hoops?

I commit myself to the cause. I will take you all, step-by-step, through my managerial bout at Parkhead, as the Chilean manager that is Luis Orteaga. Excitement seeps through my veins, and I want to share the excitement with you, the people who read this.

As much as I understand it's easier said than done, I am sure I can come out of this season having sweeped the floor on the domestic front, and gave it a really good go in Europe, that for me is a successful season.

Names clutter my head, potential signings who can strengthen the squad as a whole. I haven't yet spoken to the chairman about transfer and wage budgets, but as soon as I have, I will inform you all.

Wish me luck!

01.07.08

£9m put on the table, I duly accept, and I must admit, the half-hour talk with Mr. Reid, our chairman, went smoothly. He seems level-headed, and I believe he understands what is best for this club. We spoke about personal expectations and club expectations, he says he is excited by the fact that I am as hungry for success as he is.

A press conference later on will be my first taste of the British media, something that I've been told not to look forward to, I will keep my guard up for now.

Journalist: Luis, having been unveiled to the public as the new manager of Celtic, please, tell us how you're feeling at the moment?

Luis: I'm relieved more than anything. We have been in discussions now for a while, and I'm just glad all that is over. I can now relax in that respect, but I also now have control of a squad bursting with quality, and that has got me really excited.

Journalist: I'm sure you will have an understanding about Celtic Football Club and their illustrious past. Do you believe you can continue the tradion of success?

Luis: I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could. The board had many, many names, men who they would like to manage the team, and I was one of them. They believe in me, and I believe in myself. I am hungry for success, I can't wait to get started now.

Journalist: Last season, despite winning the SPL, Celtic were criticised for not having too much strength in-depth. Is this something you would like to address during the transfer window?

Luis: Absolutely. You always need a back-up plan, and we may well have been lucky in recent seasons, because we didn't need to use it, but I'm not going to take that risk. The squad as a whole will improve, the budget given to me is more than enough in my opinion, a couple of tweaks here and there and we'll be fine.

Journalist: Will any of the current squad be leaving the club this summer?

Luis: I cannot promise anything at the moment. I haven't got hold of my squad yet, there may well be players there who no longer want to be at the club, but it's obvious that we need to keep every player, secure their futures at the club if needs be, if we want to improve the team.

Journalist: So what are your aims for the upcoming season?

Luis: Knowing all too well that this squad won the title last season, we must look to retain the SPL. I want us to go into every game with a winning attitude, as I believe, on the domestic front, we can win the lot.

Journalist: And what about in Europe?

Luis: For now, our aim is to qualify for the Champions League proper. One thing that I need to address is the team's poor away form in European competition, but I'm not afraid of anybody, at any level of football. I want my players to think this way also.

06.07.08

Six days into management at Parkhead, and already, I'm feeling a bit of pressure. Manchester City have rejected two bids from me already for one of their players. I am extremely interested in Kasper Schmeichel, but they're refusing to budge. I've offered an unhappy Bobo Balde in part exchange, and that's failed to interest them, and I'm seriously starting to consider looking elsewhere.

Our left-back problems seem to be over though, with Udinese's Aleksandar Lukovic flying into Glasgow in the next twenty-four hours to discuss terms and have a medical. Exciting time for us, especially for Simon Ferry and Ryan Conroy, who are heading on loan to Livingston and Queen of the South respectively. They will benefit from the advantage of playing first team football, and I hope they come back here in January having learnt alot from their time away.

Very Good start Champ....nice clean layout and easy to read. Not sure if you've thought of it or not but how about doing your updates as 'in game' weekly summaries. That way you will cut down on your posts and keep the thread flowing nicely.

I will follow this with interest.

I agree with owen10ozzy here. A nice style of updates as owen said.. My mind is failing me of ideas

13.07.09

Two days away from the first friendly of pre-season, I am on the verge of making my third signing of the summer already. Florentine Petre is close to agreeing terms, and will join both Aleksandar Lukovic and Blackburn goalkeeper Jason Brown (who has arrived on loan) at Celtic Park.

Two more players have went out on loan deals. Mike McGinchley and Niall McGinn have agreed to join Livingston and Leeds United for six months, and I wish them luck.

I'll take that into account. Say every Sunday "in-game", I can post about the week just gone. It just so happens that I'm at a Monday in the game now, so expect an update later on. Thanks by the way

I'm really enjoying this so far, keep it up!

15/07/08

Matchday, maybe not a big day for many, but for me this was absolutely massive. We were invited to Spotland after lunch to inspect the pitch, and then we were taken to private land, where I put the lads through their paces, jogging, sprinting, the usual pre-season work.

We then went and dined, a pre-match meal, a bit of energy, before we headed back to the ground.

When we arrived back at Spotland, there were already fans arriving. Dressed in blue and white, under the floodlights, this game to the Rochdale fans simply wasn't a friendly. Whilst in the coach, I sat at the front, scribbling away at the teamsheet. It would have been unfair to deploy any other formation than 4-4-2, the side I had picked where players who were in my opinion, performing well in training, but maybe not used to eachother just yet...

--------------------------------------------------J. Brown-------------------------------------------------

----M. Wilson----------S. McManus----------------------D. O'Dea-------------M. Misun-------

----B. Robson-------------W. Flood----------------------M. Donati--------------P. McCourt---

-----------------------------K. Cawley----------------------G. Samaras-----------------------------

Bench: M. Brown (GK), A. Hinkel, A. Lukovic, G. Caldwell, G. Loovens, P. Hartley, S. Brown, S. Nakamura, A. McGeady, S. McDonald, J. Venegoor of Hesselink, A. Boruc (GK)

The coach stopped, and I delayed the players movements for a few moments as I read out the team.

We made our way into the ground, a small venue, but the atmosphere building. I found their manager, Keith Hill, waiting in the players tunnel, we shook hands and wished eachother the best of luck. I then ushered the players into our changing room.

As they got ready to go out and warm up, I reminded them of how important it was to keep the reputation we had fought for intact. I ordered them not to allow any room for the Rochdale players to move, let's make this as hard for them as is humanely possible.

I got a hold of Rochdale's teamsheet, they'd opted for 4-5-1, full strength side, no messing about. Our midfield had to up their game tonight, knowing very well that there are alot of Rochdale bodies in the centre of the pitch. The lads knew about all this, we made sure they knew, then the referee's bell rung and the players made their way out of the dressing room. Out into the tunnel, and down onto the pitch. We were ready for battle.

Kick off

We started slow. It was as if what I'd just told them was still waiting to be instilled. Rochdale were aggressive, they went out looking to win every ball and we had no answer to that. Their first corner ended in an almighty goalmouth scramble, mainly down to a poor, poor headed clearance by Wilson. The ball came back out to a blue body, and was tossed straight back in. Fair dues to Jason Brown in goal though, he stood his ground, and the ball went out for another corner.

Then we began to turn it on, especially the two wide-men, delivering a couple of pacey balls into the box. Rochdale were now aware of us improving as the game kicked on. Then in the 17th minute, the breakthrough. A free kick, far right, just inside the opposition half, was floated into the area by Wilson. The 'keeper came out, looking to punch it away, but Samaras got their first, leaping to head it out of his path, but into the path of Cawley, who showed real composure in putting it away first time. 17 mins - Rochdale 0 - 1 Celtic

They began to tighten up, we struggled to get the ball through them, or over them for that matter, but the possession was promising. We knocked it about with confidence, struggling to lose the ball. If Rochdale were to gain possession, we'd win it back within seconds, the defence pushed upfield, wanting a bit of action themselves.

The second goal came just after the half hour mark. We'd had the ball for long enough, a blue shirt had to come, and when it did, it was our chance to open them up. Flood the orchestrator, found Cawley, twenty yards from goal, who knocked it out wide, hoping to find Robson. He wasn't there, Flood had arrived though and without any hesitation drove the ball into the area, where Robson had found himself. His touch was sublime, not taking the ball to far away from himself, before he powered an unstoppable effort past the keeper. 31 mins - Rochdale 0 - 2 Celtic

The floodgates were now open, and although we didn't score again in the half, we always looked threatening. The players now had the right to try out some new things, a couple of moves used on the training ground perhaps. Not many of them worked, but it was early days, and Rochdale were just waiting for the whistle to go for half-time.

They were lucky, Samaras' flick around a central defender left him goal bound, his strike was lacklustre, but the keeper spilled and was lucky when a defender intervened, sticking it out for a throw-in. By then, the referee thought best to call it a half, we went back into the dressing room very happy indeed.

Half Time - Rochdale 0 - 2 Celtic

Eleven changes at the interval, left my side like this:

--------------------------------------------------M. Brown-------------------------------------------------

----A. Hinkel----------G. Caldwell----------------------G. Loovens-------------A. Lukovic--

--S. Nakamura--------S. Brown------------------------P. Hartley--------------A. McGeady--

--------------------J. Venegoor of Hesselink-----------S. McDonald------------------------------

The only thing I asked of them was to go out there and maintain the performance that the first XI gave in the opening forty-five.

Second half commences

One word... perfect. The football that we played was that of a team six months into their season, not forty-five minutes. Just minutes after the restart, some really quick, crisp build up play led to Hinkel playing a first time, high ball into the penalt area. McDonald rose highest to get a touch on it, directing the ball, up and over Fielding in the Rochdale goal and into the back of the net. 48 minutes - Rochdale 0 - 3 Celtic

Lukovic looked comfortable. He wasn't put under any intense pressure, but when called upon he would do his job with minimal fuss. He in fact played a part in the fourth goal, taking the ball on the left flank, cutting in side and knocking one ahead of him to Venegoor of Hesselink, who had his back to goal, but shielded the ball from a pressing defender. Jan flicked the ball up, many expecting a lob over the defence's head into space, but he let the ball drop before backheeling it through the players legs and into the path of McDonald, who coolly slotted under the keeper.

60 minutes - Rochdale 0 - 4 Celtic

After that, it was just like the first half, trying out different things, adventurous football knowing that the game was won. Hinkel should have made it five with twenty minutes to go, given a back garden of space inside the box, deemed to be onside, he struck it back across the Rochdale keeper, but it cannoned off the post, before being headed to safety.

Boruc was brought on for Brown for the last ten minutes, meaning that all twenty-four players had been used today. Rochdale had a chance before the end for some sort of consolation, but Lukovic read the ball well and prevented the forward from making a free run into the box. The referee finished it off almost straight after this, and a first win for me as a manager was under the belt.

Full Time - Rochdale 0 - 4 Celtic

16/07/09

Florentin Petre's decision to stay in Bulgaria has truly hurt me. I thought he would add experience to the squad, aswell as a bit more quality coming off the bench. His reasons for not signing are simply because of his urge to stay at Terek and fight for his place in the first team. And fair play to him for that...

Do you still have artur boruc, just wondering because he wasnt in your friendly

He came on in the 74th minute, this allowed me to use all twenty-four players as I said. I've just realised that my second and third choice goalkeepers are both called Brown, as is one of my midfielders, pretty bad eh?

Good read and I'm liking the style your using.

Looking forward to seeing this progress.