[FM16] If Sam Can, I Can

[nastymiller]

So 'Big Sam' has been given the nod, and he has come a long way from his start in management. 1991 saw him as a player manager at Limerick over the water in Ireland, and this is where I am going to start my career off.

No coaching qualifications and just Sunday League football will see me try and work my way to the top job in English football within 25 years.

Not knowing much about football in the Irish Premier Division I decided to have a look at the rules, 33 games will be played meaning each team plays each other 3 times. The bottom team goes down to the first division and the team in 11th will play the winner of a 2nd/3rd place play off match.

Having just £493 a week to spend on wages, I decide it's time to hit the loan market and try to snap 5 season long signings before spending anything on wages. I will also push to bring in a decent back room set up.

My loan targets are as follows:

18 year old Defender

who is currently in the Liverpool U18s.

18 year old Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder [Right/Centre] who is currently in the Bournemouth U18s.

18 year old Midfielder [Centre] who is currently in the Crystal Palace U18s.

[nastymiller]

Manager Notes Jan 2015

After meeting the chairman and staff I was to attend the first board-meeting of the season, agreeing with the men in charge that I would go on a National C Licence coaching course. The board was also going to try and find a club wanting to use us to develop their players - hopefully bring in much needed revenue and a couple of gems we could help shine up.

A few days later and the first meeting with the players, which went really well - we all agreed that a good solid mid-table finish would be what was capable from these players.

First chance to watch the lads was a training match between the first team and the U19s, finishing in a 3-1 win for the senior side and no injuries is a really good bonus!

Off the field and things are starting to take shape and first in is Director of Football Eddie Wallace, it's Eddie's first DoF roll after Assistant Manager and Under 18s Coach appointments. Second in is Assistant Manager Phillip Coffey, Phillip's previous rolls have been those of Under 18s Coach, Coach and Assistant Manager at various clubs. Rachel Skeffington is the third back-room member of staff to join the club having previously been physio at Sligo Rovers, Gerry Kelly also joins the club as a coach, having previously been fitness coach at a couple of clubs. The back-room team is taking shape nicely. Finally a scout by the name of Mick Kearns joins the club as a scout with his previous non-playing role that of goalkeeping coach.

One of my season long loan signings came off with young Sam Hart joining from Liverpool, Sam joined Liverpool after 1 year at rivals Man Utd. No senior football anywhere in the world as yet, he should see plenty of game time at the club during the season.

Never realised, but the club is in the Quarter Final of the Munster Senior Cup! Drawn away at Cork City a club the media are expecting to finish in 3rd place this season - and should be a very hard-fought match against a local rival.

Really happy that another of my loan targets has decided to join me and my club for a year. 19 year old Elijah Gabsi has joined from Crystal Palace where he has spent all his career, I expect Elijah to cover for injuries and come off the bench quite a bit.

And then bosh, 3 out of 3 targets aquired....Ben Whitfield has joined for the year from Bournemouth who started life off at Bradford before joining Guiseley and then Bournemouth, again yet to make a senior apperance, Ben should play plenty this season.

[nastymiller]

Manager Notes February 2015 Part 1

Gary Dempsey joins the club as the Under 19s Assistant Manger, this is his first non-playing role and a few days later Alex Kavanagh joins as Under 19s Fitness Coach. An addition to the scouting team with Kevin Ferguson joning the club who like Alex takes up his first back-room role. Cian Levingston is another back-room staff memeber to join the U19s as a physio another who starts his footballing career off with the club. Darren Bell joins as a scout and will enjoy as many others including myself, his first oppurtunity in football. Head of Youth Development is now filled with John McGrath joining the club helping what we hope will see a few good youth players come through the ranks in years to come. Possibly my final back-room sigining is another physio, this time a gent called Colm O'Neill with this being his second physio appointment.

An amazing oppurtunity has arisen to sign club affiliate terms with Chaves from the LigaPro, the team from Portugual will pay us £36,060 a year and I have eyed up a striker and 2 attacking midfield players that can play on either the left or right as year long loans. Very excited about this oppurtunity to blood some of their players and in turn help our team achieve what the board have asked for from me, I have left it to the club to decide which 2 of the 3 players come to join me.

My only signing unless I move a few players on and comes with a bag load of experiance, 35 year old Greek player Christos Patsatzoglou joins the club on a free transfer from Greek non-league side AEK Chalkidas. With 278 senior league apperances and 20 goals and 45 International caps and 1 goal, Christos can play Defensive Midfield / Defence or Midfield [Centre] and as long as he stays fit will play every game and would be a star player for any team within the league, 1 year contract for this veteran midfielder.

An away 2-0 defeat against U.C.D. was a game we dominated but just couldn't score in, one more friendly before the season starts will hopefully see the young lads from Portugual rock up and help in that final third. A gashed head for the young lad on loan from Crystal Palace is the only injury picked up from the match will see him on the sidelines for around 13 days.

Aliu Ronaldo is the first of the three possible season long loans from Chaves, the 18 year old can play as an attacking midfield player and on either side and will play as much as possible if he stays fit.

A day later clubmate Perdigão joins the club on a year-long loan, the Brazil born can play as an Attacking Midfield on the left or right and also as a striker. He has 9 goals in 105 games, so not one to set the world alight but then this is Irish football so who knows he may end our top scorer. Looking to play him as an attacking midfielder.

[nastymiller]

Manager Notes February 2015 Part 2

With recruitment all done and dusted, it was a final friendly and the cup match to finish the month off.

A 1-1 draw away at Dungannon meant no wins for the club during pre-season, which means one of two things - we are rubbish or poor pre-season followed by a cracking season - time will tell.

The away Munster Senior Cup Qtr Final finished in a 3-1 away defeat, setting up in a 4-4-2 formation just 1 loan player made his debut - Perdigão playing on the right side of midfield as a winger. The match started well for us, going 1 up but it all went wrong at the match carried on. Garbhan Coughlan finishing off a decent cross from John O'Flynn.

The board were not happy as they felt we had a chance of winning the cup!

6 games coming up in March, 2 cup games and 4 league games would tell me more about what the chances of the mid-table finish would be.