I used to be a football manager like you...

[iHeadHunta x]

Unlucky start mate!

[Jason the Yank]

There were a couple of sackings there I see .

was 2 months worth instead of the usual 1.

[Jason the Yank]

January 1, 2013

Received $12,240 payment from Audax Italiano as part of affiliation agreement.

January 4, 2013

Announced losses of $300,000, 72% of turnover. Includes cost of sacking previous manager.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Magallanes 0-0 Colo Colo Reserves (Friendly)

Because of outgoing players and a tightened wage budget, I can field only four substitutes. We dominated play, and sure it's against a reserve side, but it's the reserve side from the biggest club in Chile. We did everything except hit the back of the net: 59% possesion, 3 of 10 shots on target, and held them without a shot. Unfortunately the punters weren't interested in seeing us face a reserve side, even Colo Colo's.

Attendace: 45

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Agreed a loan-to-buy deal with First Division side Santiago Wanderers for youth player Mario Maira. He's the only one of my youth contract players rated higher than 1 star, and projects as a key member of our squad. But being deep in the red means I have little choice but to accept the deal: $40,000 up front, with a future fee of $160,000. And Wanderers will pay 100% of his wages.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Palestino 0-0 Magallanes (Friendly)

Maybe not the wisest idea playing a club in our division in a friendly. But Palestino are paying us the princely sum of $500 to turn up, which is more than we made in gate receipts from our first friendly. I used the match to test out a new, flat 4-4-2 formation. I'm slowly coming around to the idea that forwards at this level aren't good enough to play up front on their own and need a strike partner. That said, both teams definitely looked in pre-season form: We put only 4 of our 11 shots on target. Palestino were even worse, getting just 1 of 11 shots on target.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Union La Calera 1-2 Magallanes (Friendly)

A good win over a top-flight side in which I took a look at some trialists. Only bad parts were us skying a penalty, and one of my players inexplicably dropping off his man in the 6-yard box on a corner, giving him a free header.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Magallanes 1-1 Audax Italiano (Friendly)

Match against our parent club. We were under pressure most of the game, and we were pretty fortunate to get out with a draw (Audax hit the post once and the bar twice). Still, we finish a tough pre-season (2 top-flight sides, a team that just got relegated from the top flight, and the reserve side of Chile's biggest club, while experimenting with a new tactic) with a very credible 1-3-0 mark.

Attendance: 969

Managerial changes of interest

Rubin Kazan's Dan Petrescu leaves to take the QPR job

Colorado's Preki leaves to take the Seattle job

Sheffield Wednesday's Gareth Southgate leaves to take the Birmingham job

Sheffield Wednesday sack Erwin Koeman

Gold Coast United sack Henning Berg. They hire Ken Cresswell, a Wellington Phoenix youth coach

Colorado hire Dave Dir

Al-Sadd (QAT) hire Trond Sollied

Magallanes expectations

Board

League: Reach the promotion playoffs (I think. It says "semifinal")

Cup: Reach the Third Round

Media: 2nd

Bookies: 5-1

Yeah, don't be betting on us.

The wage budget has been cut, and I'm having to name youth players to the bench because we can't meet the demands of 19-year-old unattached Brazilians. Those trialists I mentioned in the friendlies. I really wanted to sign Titinho, an MC/MR from the Palmieras system, on the back of an all-action 45 minutes against Audax. But we're far apart on the wages, so it won't happen. And we're $750,000 in the red (though we did make a $15,000 profit in January, thanks to the Maira deal).

The fans don't seem to expect much either. We sold 110 season tickets, down 1 from last season.

[Jason the Yank]

Sunday, February 10, 2013

San Luis 3-2 Magallanes (First Division B, First Phase North)

The season started off well, as we took the lead in the 5th minute only to go into halftime on level terms. We gave up way too many opportunities as San Luis had 7 shots on target. But in the end it was an own goal that cost us points.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Magallanes 4-1 Melipilla (First Division B, First Phase North)

Our home opener moved for live television, facing the new boys who had to play on Wednesday. We'd better win this. And we dominated the match (67% possession), taking the lead after 25 seconds and going into halftime with 3-0 lead that probably should have been 4- or 5-0 but for some selfishness. Some of that was David Cordova, who wants out of the club. He even came to me a couple days before the match offering to terminate his contract for $3,000. I said no, and instead stuck him up top in the starting XI. Made me look like a genius by bagging a brace. Melipilla managed to pull it back to 3-1 with a 30-yard screamer that my keeper had a good look at but couldn't get to. No matter, as we restored our 3-goal advantage late as Melipilla tired and sliced a clearance into their own net.

Attendance: 444

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Santiago Morning 2-0 Magallanes (First Division B, First Phase North)

A tough game against a side coming down from the top flight. We stayed in it until our defense was breached in the 61st minute. Conceded a second one in the 75th on a bit of a cheeky play: Santiago Morning had a player in an offside position. Their central midfielder sent a through ball past my defender into the penalty area, then chased after it and beat my keeper at the near post. ********.

1. Santiago Morning 9 (4 GP)

2. San Luis 9 (4 GP)

3. Cobresal 6 (3 GP)

4. Palestino 6 (4 GP)

----------------------------

5. MAGALLANES 3 (3 GP)

6. San Marcos de Arica 3 (3 GP)

-------------------------------

7. Melipilla 0 (3 GP)