Actually that is a little harsh. This season just hasn't been going very well. It's been very hectic but not positive for 'Tuna. I was actually getting to the point where I was counting down and thinking, "...at game X if the table looks like this then I'm off." And other variants. I just wasn't enjoying things. I was enjoying FM but it seemed like things were getting a little stale at 'Tuna.
Part of this was down to some terrible form in the league...
...that lead to us being here after 10 games.10th with 12 points. Not great, but not terrible either.
...I know it's only 10 games in but there's not a lot of goals there, and that's part of the problem. We don't look like scoring anywhere near as many as we did last season and we look pretty limited in what we can do on the pitch. Totally down to not having a decent left back I think. I know I said I was eager to recruit because the team was good enough but I was wrong. Horribly wrong.
Svennson on the right is playing amazingly well. Last season he only played a little there and moonlighted as an emergency left back (though not very effectively). This season he's at right back and he is just marauding down that wing. In a similar style to Molder. He's carving space open, getting involved and is a really attacking threat. All whilst staying secure at the back.
On the left....well Nino Johnasson is okay defensively but isn't offering anything going forward. Wallinder likewise, and when I play Manns there I get a little more out of the DL position but then I leave a huge hole in the middle of the defence, that my other DC's don't fill very well. I don't gain enough in attacking threat by moving Manns to offset the loss in security at the back.
The knock on effect of this is that who ever is playing as AML is having to do pretty much all the attacking work down that side. Which gets tiring and predictable. The left back will move forward and be a passing option but they won't run and attack with the ball, they won't run without it and open up space...they just sit there for the back pass from the tired and frustrated AML.
So I need a DL. Problem is no one who looks half decent wants to come. I don't want to panic buy so I'm not going to rush but it leaves me with two options really.
1) Change the formation so attacking from the DL/R positions is less important.
2) Retrain Wallinder a little for the wingback role and hope that he improves. This option also involves crossing my fingers that I can scrape by this season if he doesn't get more attacking.
Ideally there would be that extra option of bringing someone in but that's not working. As I mentioned nobody wants to come and I think I know why. We're still semi pro. I want to ask the board if we can go pro but I don't even have the option - apparently even with no debts and 1m in the bank it is still too expensive. I then asked, well can we at least scout a little bit outside of Sweden then to try and recruit? I thought maybe Finland and Norwary might be a good place to get a few less fussy players. The board said no, apparently Sweden is good enough for us...
Another issue (I know, moan moan moan) is that squad morale has plummeted. A few squad players want to leave because they want to play more, a few want to leave because they think they've peaked here (may be some truth to that), a few in the reserve team are sick of being there and others are just a bit down because of our form.To the point where the board are paying attention to squad harmony.
My plan to deal with this has two parts. Part 1 has been implemented. Every complaining player in the reserves was released on a free. Part 2 is a work in progress...just play better and get some results. We're still doing better than the 15th predicted by the media but the players are unhappy all the same (as they should be - we're better than 10th).
The poor form, moaning, lack of turning pro and general board arseyness left me wanting to leave but two things have happened that mean I'm not going to make a hasty exit. I'm going to hold on. So long as I'm not in the relegation zone at one of the key points in the season (15 games, 20 games and 25 games), and even then I might hold on for a while if it's only a few points, then I'm staying.
So what has changed my mind and staved off my general 'Tuna weariness?
First of all the board did agree to this...
...I know I won't see the benefits for a while but at least they're willing to invest. My youth products are already pretty good, this would be a step towards maximising the potential of them and maybe progressing (or making money).
Second I got this...
...oh yes. I know it's not the most glamorous role but it is a stepping stone and I like the (semi) realism of it. I'm not jumping straight into international management. I've earnt some kudos domestically and now my half Mexican-half Irish manager gets to cut his teeth with the youth team. I would have preferred the Swedish youth job but because the Swedish league is active I just can't compete with all the Swedish staff for the job. Not yet. So Ireland U19's it is. They have no competitive fixutures to speak of after being knocked out of the Euro Qualifiers so that gives me plenty of time to sort the team out.
Anything else to report? Well I did add the MLS, which will become active in December. Mainly because I was reading a chapter from Soccernomics and a quote stood out in it - 'The MLS is crying out for a dynasty'.
I might give creating one a go in the future. I know the plan is to stay with 'Tuna for now but if a job in the MLS came up then I'd be off. Building a real dynasty there is too tempting. Likewise a move to Scotland to break the Old Firm completely. Kilmarnock won the title this year, and Dundee Utd the year before, but no other team in recent memory in the game (or real life I guess) has put together a run of titles like Rangers or Celtic.
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