mikenevo Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Around The World in 80 Days? Probably 80 Years! Hello and welcome to my Journeyman adventure! I'm Mike Nevo and I'm about to go on a long journey around the world to become one of the best managers of all time! I'm starting this journey with no previous experience as a manager, no qualifications and a hunger to find my first job! In this opening post, I'll constantly update to provide an overall look at how my career has panned out so far. I plan to stick with this save until FM2020 is released! If you have any constructive criticism on the format of my updates, please don't hesitate to tell me. It is my aim to provide less waffle and more pictures, but if that's not what people like, then I have no problems in changing my style! My Career In A Flash! Season 1 We headed to Wales in season one where we managed to begin our career in style with a league victory and double cup victory with Aberystwyth Town! Season 2 We decided to move on and try somewhere new and that took us to Ireland with Bray Wanderers who were fighting for promotion in the Irish First Division. They had been relegated the previous season and under-performing in the second tier! We managed to secure their promotion through the play-offs! Unfortunately the board weren't happy when we applied for another job and we were instantly sacked! Season 2.5 This brings us to the current day! We managed to finally find a job after over 2 months of searching and that brings us to Northern Ireland with Ballymena United who're in the Danske Bank Premiership! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 The hunt for my first job luckily didn't take very long, we head over to Wales to manage Semi-Professional side Aberystwyth Town My Contract In the past 3 seasons, the club has been in constant relegation battles and it appears the board have grown frustrated with how the club is performing. It is now my job to try and turn things around, although the expectation is that I avoid relegation. Having only just decided to record my progress, I have already played a decent chunk of the season already, so I will recap how things have gone so far. We had a brilliant pre-season which was led by my assistant manager and then came the first game Llandudno who we were favorites to win, but I could never have predicted the manner in which we did win. We followed that up with an expected victory over non league side Denbigh in the Nathaniel MG Cup 1st Round. I was over the moon with the form in August and September, especially a vital victory over TNS who have dominated Wales for the past 7 seasons, sealing the victory in the 89th minute! Unfortunately Geoff Kellaway picked up an injury which would keep him out for 5 weeks, one of our key performers in this run of form. This victory along with the rest ensured we finished the month at the top of the table and secured myself the manager of the month award for a second month running. October proved the be a poor month when you consider how well we'd done up until that point. However, the two blip did come in away matches, so I wasn't overly concerned. We then started off November with a very average display against TNS, an important match in which I felt we needed to win to assert our dominance at the top of the table, but it wasn't to be. We also had a very nervy ending to the match against Llandudno where they scored 3 goals in 10 minutes towards the very end of the match! We were extremely lucky in the cup tie against Cardiff Met Uni as we scored a late goal to keep us in the tie in normal time, and then had to repeat that in extra time. We almost lost on penalties, missing our first, but luckily they missed their 5th and it finally ended with a 9-8 victory for us. Unfortunately we ended the month with a very poor defeat at home to Carmarthen which means that if TNS win their 2 games in hand, they go level on points, although we do have a considerable goal difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 Overview Of Squad The two new strikers Marc Williams and Luke Busumbru have inspired the meteoric rise of the club this season, along with key performers Wes Baynes, Jack Fox and Geoff Kellaway. Transfers I can't take credit for much of this as I didn't join until the 30th of June, but 3 of the 4 signings I've made have proved vital to our form so far this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 December December has been a mixed month overall and has probably put us behind TNS considering we're now on level points with TNS and they have a game in hand. Our strikers Marc Williams and Luke Busumbru have been very poor having only scored 1 goal each over the 4 competitive matches. We played a friendly match early in the month to plug the 14 day gap between games to keep the lads fresh, once again facing off against Denbigh who we plays in the 1st round of the Nathaniel MG Cup. Talking of the Cup, we face off against TNS in the final... (what a surprise!) One thing that does worry me is that next month we only have the 3 games, so I may have to think about another friendly. Have to say, i was very confused about our performance at home to Newtown, having then gone on to beat them so comfortably away! I'm already planning to leave after this season with Aberystwyth as I can't say that I'm enjoying the Welsh league very much and I can't really see how I could improve them without doing it over several seasons (definitely not my cup of tea!). Hopefully I can beat TNS in the cup and have a good run in the JD Welsh Cup to hopefully boost my reputation a bit, but I can't see us winning the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 We're turning Professional! As I said, I don't plan on being here next season, so when the board came asking, I told them I think the money should be invested elsewhere. I never expected them to agree! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 January 2019 Despite the draw with Connah's Quay, we've had a brilliant month! I had to plug the gap again with another friendly and who better to play it against than the team you play in the cup final? We've had some poor games in the league where we haven't really dominated as I know we can, but in the final we were on top form, which to be honest we needed to be considering it was TNS. However, I've no idea how they managed to stretch us into extra time... They didn't look like scoring all match and we just couldn't finish them off, then they score in the 82 minute. Luckily Ryhs Griffiths managed to change things coming from the bench, something which he did in the previous round as well and produced a brilliant assist to put Marc Williams through. League Table We've slipped to three points behind TNS now and our form isn't great. The league has now split into top and bottom half, meaning we now play the better teams in the league for the remainder of the season and considering our form, I can't see how we're going to keep up with TNS unfortunately Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 End Of Season Review It's been a long season! We've had our ups and downs, but in the end I've managed to make something of these relegation candidates, although as I've said previously I don't take full credit, as I didn't make many of the signings myself! I decided to push on and complete the season as in all honesty, I wasn't enjoying my time with Aberystwyth anywhere near as much as I should have. Part of the reason was because the chairman wanted to sell the club and that was stopping me from making signings in January and also at the end of the season! Nobody could seem to agree on the sale and despite having second thoughts when the season actually ended, my mind was made up with the Champions League right around the corner, half my team moving on and nobody to replace them! Turning Professional We actually did end up turning professional which surprised me despite the board already agreeing. I expected them to back track, but this is definitely something for me to be proud of. They should now be able to keep up with TNS when I'm gone! Winning the Treble! We were so close at many points this season of drifting away from TNS, but just when they managed to get ahead, they also messed up their chances! In the end it came down to who dominated more with both teams on 77 points. We also won the JD Welsh Cup for the first time since the year 1900! Finances I kept a close eye on the finances all season and as we moved through the season, I sold or terminated contracts of those players who would never play for us. I think our success is also behind our decent finances as we gained 97k profit in this past month alone! About Me I've hopefully made a bit of a name for myself this season and I've also gained my first coaching qualification "National C License". It's time to move on, but who knows where i'll end up and when! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 Job Search Things aren't going well so far... I decided to look towards Ireland for my next destination, but I was too late to apply for Derry City who were currently bottom of the Irish Prem table, so I applied for Drogheda in the First Division, but despite liking my interview they didn't want me... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 The New Job I kept sending my CV across to Ireland and eventually one of them responded with an interview offer! 5th time lucky... However, the fans didn't appreciate my interest in the job... Five days later, after having a successful interview where I basically told them I was a risk, but they wouldn't regret it! Despite this horrendous run of form which ended with the manager being sacked, we're still in with a chance of reaching the play-offs with 5 games to go and only 4 points behind! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share Posted March 15, 2019 End Of Season Review Everything happens for a reason and Drogheda Utd turning down the chance of having me as their manager happened for a reason! We were meant to take over Bray Wanderers and take them to the next level! We some how breezed through the play-offs, although University College Dublin did give us two very tough games and it could have gone either way, but luckily we were clinical with our chances. Funnily enough, our two play-off opponents were the two teams we lost to in the league. Sweet revenge! To be honest, we were very lucky to even reach the play-offs because that loss to Galway Utd meant that we needed Longford to draw or lose. We got lucky! Our 3-0 victory over Wexford also proved vital as it boosted our goal difference, which is what it essentially came down to in the end. Finances This is a little worrying for me and something which I didn't take notice of when applying for jobs. We're basically moving up to the top league with no money to spend... Considering we struggled against U.C.D, we need major investment if we're to survive next season! Youth Intake Luck We got extremely lucky with our youth intake and we got a player who could jump straight into the team! He made a massive contribution at a time when we needed it and I definitely put this lad down to the reason we got promotion, scoring 4 goals in the play-offs! He's nothing special right now, but he's tipped to become a Premier Division striker. The Future To be honest, I'd like to stick around to see what we can do next season, but I'm going to keep my options open and if I see a job worth going for, I won't be held back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share Posted March 15, 2019 Budget Announcement I've just been given a major boost with the budget for next season. We probably won't be buying anyone, but we can take advantage of the free transfer market. They've literally doubled our wage budget and we also have 5 players leaving at the end of this season, transfers that were already completed before I joined. The one thing I have noticed though, we're at a massive disadvantage as every team has a Professional Status except us and Shelbourne who got promoted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share Posted March 15, 2019 Oops... I saw a job I was interested in, Solihull Moors in the Vanarama National League (24th) and as I promised, I wouldn't let anything hold me back. Unfortunately Bray Wanderers weren't impressed with me and instantly sacked me... Apparently getting them promoted means nothing... The Job Search Begins... Again... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share Posted March 15, 2019 The Search For The Third I've applied for many jobs over the past 2 months since being sacked. Unfortunately Solihull just weren't interested and didn't even give me the chance to give them my pitch. I've probably had 4 interviews which didn't lead anywhere, most notably Ards and Cliftonville from the Danske Bank Premiership in Norther Ireland. I really did feel Ards were going to give me the job, especially because they were bottom of the league and far from safety, but even they said no... In fairness, I've been looking for a step-up in terms of club reputation, having only been at 1 star clubs and I was applying for 1.5 star or above. Luckily, my job search seems to be coming to a close, we've had a job offer! However, I've also had an interview with Chorley in the Vanarama National League North and they're on course for the play-offs and considering there's still 17 games to go, challenging Darlington for top spot isn't exactly out of the question. On the other hand, Ballymena United can't challenge for top spot or anywhere close to that, with 7 games to go before the league splits. However, they can still challenge for a spot in Europe next season thanks to the rules of the league! They're also in the Irish Cup 5th Round, which means we would still be fighting for silverware. I may have to delay my decision to see if Chorley offer me the job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 16, 2019 Author Share Posted March 16, 2019 Welcome To Northern Ireland I decided pretty quickly that I'd be stupid to go to England right now, so I accepted the contract offer to join Ballymena United! They have given me a contract until the end of the season on £525 per week, so my earnings are on the up! I really do think I'll be sticking with Ballymena if they don't sack me and attempt to make them the real deal in Northern Ireland. To be fair we aren't a million miles away from the bigger teams, we have a decent squad which should be doing better than it is, we aren't in debt (£17k in the bank) and a decent reputation. The Squad They're definitely under-performing and it shouldn't take much to whip this team into shape! However, I use two strikers and Friel is the only decent striker in that squad, so I'll be looking for a partner for him straight away! It's January, so we can sign someone right now. The League & Cup Situation Our aim is 7th place which is an easy enough task really, although we do play Glentoran, Linfield and Crusaders within the next 4 matches, but I wouldn't say they have massively better teams and two of those matches are at Home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 The Unexpected Dominance What a start to bring the season to an end! I decided straight off that I needed to add something to this squad, it was good already, but it needed something extra to give us the edge. In came Jamie Ward, formerly of Nottingham Forest! We then managed to secure the loan signing of Tyrone Lewthwaite. Jamie was going to be used as a winger, although he could also fill in as a striker and Tyrone Lewthwaite was to be the second striker alonside Friel. I was appointed straight after the loss to Cliftonville and the players took to the tactics like a duck to water! We destroyed them in the cup and that was without our new signings. Danske Bank Premiership We ran riot in the premiership, causing upset after upset and we accomplished our goal with ease. The only blip in the 7 games before the split was against 2nd placed Crusaders, but considering it was 1-1 at the 90th minute when we scored the 2nd, I've no idea how it went from 2-1 to 3-3 before the final whistle! This has to be the craziest result right? Maybe you should keep reading... We finished 7th before the split, which meant we had achieved our goal and now we just had to consolidate this position. Considering the opponents we'd faced and beaten, I was in no doubt and we finished a massive 10 points clear of 8th! One thing you might have noticed is our friendlies. Again, just like in Ireland, I had to plug the gap with friendlies and I wanted us to face tough opposition. All friendlies are always played by my assistant manager, so kudos to him for beating West Ham and then drawing with Leicester! Northern Irish Cup We had 3 amazing fixtures in the cup after our victory over Cliftonville, facing 3 teams from the lower leagues. This was clearly an easy opportunity to win another cup in my early career! Although Queens University did nearly give us a scare and we had a red card against Sport & Leisure to give them their best chance of an equalizer. The All Important Fixtures! What an end to the season! We humiliated Glentoran not once, but twice! I told you to keep reading and this is the reason why... I'm lost for words with this one... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenevo Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share Posted March 18, 2019 We're playing in Europe! This was the aim last season and we made it! These are the matches we needed in order to take this club to the next level. The finances alone that would be generated were more than enough. It was probably the worst fixture list I've ever seen! I literally had to use youth players in half the matches, just so I could keep key players fit for the Europa League. Even then, we had unfit players playing in those matches. It was a miracle we even made it past the 2nd qualifying round! I was ecstatic when we destroyed EA Guingamp, especially in the away leg, because there players are at a much higher level than us. I knew it was the end of our Europa League journey when we were given probably one of the hardest teams in the draw A.Bilbao! We were destroyed in the first leg, I don't know how it was only 5-1, but then something crazy was happening in the return leg! I couldn't believe it because we were 4-0 up in the 70th minute and on course to win on away goals, but it wasn't to be as they scored the decisive goal in the 81st minute. That would have been a miracle if we pulled it off! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherwinriga Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 You're doing great in pulling off your opponents with your new team, although it will take a few seasons to win the league title! On the other hand, I don't know who are the new head coaches of your former teams and how they currently been doing right now? Looks like I'm going to follow along with your progress to see if you'll make it to the top! Good luck and keep up the good work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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