This is a bit of a follow up note before I move onto the next team. A sort of confession too (not that anyone is reading at the point of writing).
I messed up. My initial save that is. I left Leeds under a storm cloud and went into the U19's qualifying stage, just as in the previous posts. Except originally I had two different results before the England game. I beat Estonia 2-0 and I beat Denmark 2-1, setting up a decider against England. A draw would have sent us through.
As I set up the match against England FM crashed. I occasionally get an odd crash when the match set's up/warms up where the RAM used for FM shoots up, it freezes and the entire computer slows down. Normally happens during the off season so I've gotten into the habit of saving on a regular basis and at the end and start of every season. So I don't lose too much.
I wasn't as up to date as I needed to be and ended up having to go back before the Estonia match. This time I lost the match 3-0 and in something of a hissy fit just resigned. I wasn't going to get qualification, why bother with two dead rubber games?
So I then went on holiday after resigning and told the game to bring me back when I had an offer. I wasn't fussy and told it to apply everywhere. I'd sort it out. I was hoping for Scotland, USA or England (Championship or L1 for revenge!). I felt pretty hopeful that I'd get something, after all I had championship experience (and a reasonable win rate at that level), lower league titles (very low league) and some minor international experience. Whats more leagues like the SPL and the MLS were rated at the same level or lower rep wise than the championship.
I was on holiday for over a season. Every MLS, Championship, L1, L2, Scottish, Swedish top tier etc job I failed to get. I was laughed off from many of them. I got offered some newly promoted sides in Sweden, and I got offered a few struggling L1 or L2 Northern Irish sides. That was it really.
After the Leeds debacle apparently my stock was so low I had to start again. I decided at this point to swallow my pride and go back to the save before I left Leeds. Not something I did or would do lightly. I just felt a little peeved that I wasn't at least getting considered for say Swedish Elite or North/South jobs - even though I had a good record there.
I went back to my save and...it was after I'd left Leeds but before I left the U19's. So I played the tournament (see previous post) and stayed with the U19's. Hoping that being an employed manager would carry a bit more weight. Essentially is it easier to get a job if you have a job sometimes?
Yes. A week after the U19's group stage I applied for two jobs. Aberdeen and Werder Bremen. Both had just been relegated from their respective top flights. One of them said they were flattered by the offer....
I won't say which I went for yet but I found this really interesting (and irritating). All that differed from when I holidayed here is that I'd played two more matches (had two more international U19 draws basically) and was still in the job. I don't think the extra matches mattered but being employed did.
It doesn't make a great deal of sense to me. I know current U19 manager sounds better than former U19 manager but there would only have been a weeks difference between the current and former in the previous holiday attempt. I know for a fact I'd applied to those same jobs in the holiday session.
So, another lesson learnt - stay employed!
As a result I'm not giving up my U19 job. They can sack me but it's too useful a lifeline to get rid of.
No comments:
Post a Comment