Falling Upward in England

[IndyManager]

So I started with Nuneaton and was basically reacquainting myself with the game. I alternated between 4-3-3 and 4-5-1 and had to deal with a load of injuries and player unhappiness. I quickly dropped to next to bottom and got the sack before Christmas.

To my pleasant surprise, in just two weeks I was hired at Tranmere Rovers, thereby rising a level in the English pyramid. Results were iffy at first but in the ho me stretch I went on an 11-match unbeaten run, only losing my penultimate match and winning the season finale for a decent 11th-place finish.

i was able to clear out some dead weight and I had a transfer budget of 26K, but I spent most of it one player who turns out to be  backup. I loaned in three players from League One, but as I've mentioned on another thread, realized afterward that they are eligible to play for the parent club reserves and they usually do. That is one reason I fell into the drop zone fairly early. I had a showdown meeting with the board and basically asked for a month to get things right. I lost three consecutive matches after that but it appears they were giving me the entire month. I had been alternating between a 4-1-3-2 narrow, a 4-1-3-2 playing the midfielders wide, and a modified 4-3-3 with a dmid and the outside forwards out wide in attacking mid slots.

In my most recent match vs. Macclesfield (this is November 2017) I expected to get the sack if I lost, and maybe even if I won. I totally threw the dice and played a 3-4-2-1 which I suspect has never darkened the door of non-league football in England. I was 21st in the table and my opponent, with a new, first-time manager, was 22nd. I 60 minutes into the match and it was 0-0. I had used my two loan forwards, Jordan Young, James Roberts (for once they were not fatigued before the match even began) outside of Brandon Barnes, a goalscorer who either: 1) scores goals; 2) causes drama in the squad including earlier when he almost brought the whole thing down over his playing time; or 3) gets injured. This was his first game back save 45 minutes with the reserves, but given the circumstances I thought I'd try him. He wasn't doing the business however and with a rating of 6.3, I subbed him out for James Norwood, our top goalscorer the previous season who had since handed in a transfer request (I've tried but nobody is interested) and has been largely ineffctive.

Upon making this change we proceeded to score four goals in 30 minutes, with Norwwod, Young, Roberts and center back Steve McNulty all scoring. I stopped playing at this point, having moved to 19th. Looks like I have one match left until the Promise deadline is reached, so it is probably once a gain a win or else situation (and that may not be enough).

So now I'm wondering if I should try 3-4-2-1 for a second match or if I should find yet another new formation and throw that one out there. I'll give it a try tonight and see what happens.

I'm open to any suggestions.

[IndyManager]

As it turned out, the win described below was the first of a streak where I won went undefeated for 14 games, winning 11 of them. I climbed all the way to 10th place and was just six points out of a playoff berth with I think 12 or 13 to go. Then I made the mistake of following my assistant manager's advice and changing formation (influenced by banter on here about tactics only lasting for a set period of time. But when i lost the next match, I got a news article saying I had erred in changing tactics. So of course I switched back, but it did little to help me. I was splitting most of my matches and while I won enough to stay in the top 12, I was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with three matches to go. During that mostly-winning stretch, I had two more confrontations with the board, one over losing a couple of matches and another because some backup players were unhappy wtih playing time and decided I didn't do enough to sell/loan them, despite my offering them to every club. Some were only appeased when I managed to arrange a transfer, including the aforementioned leading goalscorer James Norwood (who just signed a contract extension IRL, by th eway).

But since I had promised a playoff spot it seemed best to resign before getting the sack. I had been approached by 5 or 6 League Two clubs during our good run, but I declined interviews out of loyalty. Upon resigning, I went on vacation for three weeks and next time I load the game I will begin looking for the right job for season three. 

Any veterans know how likely I am to get an offer in The Football League this time? I presume it will be managing a relegation battler if I do.

 

[IndyManager]

After remembering that I need to actually apply for jobs rather than just declare interest in them (when unemployed at least), I count myself very fortunate to have been appointed as new manager of Wycombe for the 2018-19 season. They are newly promoted to League One, but their title-winning manager was hired by a club in the Championship.

I took a lot more time on my scouting, transfers and trials, having learned with Tranmere that too big of a squad can be a real problem for a manager. I was hired in mid-July, a bit late really, so the squad was pretty thin when I came in. Still, I don't want to over-inflate, just meet the real needs. Looks like no U23 or U18 fixtures for the club this year, unfortunately. The chairman made it clear he's not that interested in youth development.

I scupper two transfers late in the process because it became clearer to me that the new boys would only give me more of what I already had quality-wise (and thus bloat the squad). I also had a good-looking midfielder, leave me at the lurch, signing for Luton instead of us just at the dawn of the new season. Another player failed to get a work permit and so I had to let him go. as we were up against budget restrictions anyway. I also got a good loan of a wide midfielder from Fulham u23s and am looking for a central midfielder from the same age group. An old-time 4-4-2 helped me nick a 1-0 result from newly-relegated Sheffield United in the league opener. I am not so naive to think this team is that good, but given the contributions of the new signings, I have reason for optimism re the goal of beating the drop.

More team, details next time.