Pre-season Results

I have now completed four out of seven of my pre-season fixtures and I have learnt quite a bit about my new squad. For the first two fixtures I just wanted to see how my players did, so I stuck them in a simple 4-4-2 formation, with tactics as such:




I played with two completly different line-ups in my first two fixtures so I could get a look at as many different players as possible.

Ashton United 1 - 4 Oldham

This clash against local rivals was a comfortable afair and can be seen as just a fitness and morale builder along with an opportunity for me to see the players, not a competitive fixture however due to the weakness of the opposition. The line-up shown in my example of the tactic is the one that played this match. Lee Hughes scored once, Alessandra scored twice and one goal was an own goal. I was impressed with Alessandra who got MOM and has gone up in my estimations, will need to prove he can score against tougher opposition but this is a good start. In the 58th minute, after our four goals so maybe we were sitting too comfortable, we conceded a long range goal from the edge of the area into the bottom right corner, I was dissapointed that Supple could not keep a clean sheet against Ashton United. Eardley missed a penalty in the 60th minute so I have learnt to let someone else take them! I made no substitutes because everyone was not that tired as its the first game and also they don't need to be fit for the next game anyway. The best performers this game were Hughes, Alessandra and Babayaro (my new signing - on a free). The worst performers were Supple, Eardley and Ferriera.

Stalybridge 0 - 5 Oldham

The next performance was even more emphatic than the last. The entire line-up changed except Hughes and Hazell remained, that is because I have 3 CB's and 3 ST's so I had nobody to rotate in. This time around I was impressed with another young striker, Matty Wolfenden scored twice and got MOM with a rating of 8.7, of course these are weak opposition but their are promising signs that the two youngsters can provide good back-up to my main strikeforce in the league campaign. Alessandra scored again after coming on late sub. Experienced Lee Hughes scored a brace. Lomax got a good rating at right back, showing he is up for staying at the club - we shall see. This game was Fleming's chance to play in goal and he didn't let me down, the clean sheet puts pressure on Supple's place as first choice currently. The wingers impressed me also, experienced Liddell played well as did Fabrice Fernandes who has been brought in to fill the left midfield gap.

Oldham 0 - 0 Barnsley


The next game was against Barnsley, as they are a league above I predicted it to be a difficult fixture. I was not so bothered about the score as I experimented by trying out the diamond formation, this formation would have been more effectively tested against weaker opposition as it is an attacking one, not against a tough team, but it was interesting to see. It resulted in my side having 13 shots in comparison to Barnsley's 10. I know what Hughes can do so I started with Alessandra and Wolfenden, unfortunatly Wolfenden had to leave the field injured and was replaced by Hughes. The strikeforce did not score but I am not that bothered as we were playing a tough defensive unit. I am however really pleased with my defence, and in particular Crossley who's turn it was in goal. The other two keepers played much weaker teams and he played better, good shout for the place. With a weakened side (rookie Black at LB and full-back Jones on the wing) I was pleased with this result. The MOM was their RB (van Homoet) which shows we gave their defence something to do, our best performers were Hazell, Greegan and Crossley.

Oldham 0 - 2 Derby

The unbeaten run was ended, but I feel no shame in losing to a team that played Premier League football just months before this fixture. The main problem was that it was our 4th game in 8 days and therefore the whole team was shattered and had little fitness. They did well to only let in two goals considering, and one was considered late on becuase I sent my team out attacking after the break. We started the game with the original 4-4-2 and at 70 minutes when we were losing 1-0 (Kazmierczak '34) we switched to a 4-3-1-2 and attacking tactics, this could of led to victory has a GK and CB not been in CM positions, we conceded as we were left open at the back when attacking. The defence (Supple-Lomax-Hazell-Stam-Jones) were ok but not that stable and due to fitness the attackers did not perform as they should. I ended up having to make lots of substitutions to be able to finish the game, fitness even led to Crossley playing 20 minutes at LCM. In hindsight maybe it would have made sense to cancel or relocate this fixture as game congestion leading to poor fitness made it pointless. Not a performance against a better side though.

After more than 50% of the pre-season games I am fairly pleased with my side, I have certainly learnt a lot. The next games as Ipswich and Man City I expect to lose as they are big clubs, but opefully we shall learn from the experience. The games just then showed me that there are areas that definatly need bulking up as there is no strength in depth.

I will report back soon.

Pre-Season

The pre-season schedule is about to begin. I will play all these fixtures and then report back what happened in each game and what I have learnt. Because what I believe, and this is important, the results in pre-season do not matter it is learning what works in time for the season. If somebody comes out after pre-season and says "5 wins out of 5, great pre-season" but learnt nothing, then they are wrong pre-season was pointless. Of course winning is important, they need to get into form and get a taste of success ... but for me learning who plays well together and which tactics and formations work best is key.

The pre-season schedule for Oldham is as follows:
Friday 18th July - v. Ashton United (A)
Sunday 20th July - v. Stalybridge (A)
Tuesday 22th July - v. Barnsley (H)
Thursday 24th July - v. Derby (H)
Tuesday 29th July - v. Ipswich (H)
Saturday 2nd July - v. Man City (H)
Wednesday 6th July - v. AFC Telford (A)

The first thing I set about doing when I took over as manager is sorting out the staff. Some FM'ers don't bother with this and leave their staff as they are but I think that it is just as important because how do you expect your players to perform well and improve if they aren't being tutored well.

I started by sacking 3 coaches:

Graham Brown - Scout (His scouting attributes weren't good enough) cost: £7k
Mark Hilditch - Youth Coach (poor stats, wouldn't improve my youth) cost: £24k
Tommy Wright - Assistant Manager (I want a talented assistant) cost: £26k

The process of releasing three members of staff by mutual termination cost me £57k, that was all my transfer budget. I feel it is worth it though. Im going to have to sell to buy now. To replace them I brought in coaches with much better stats. The new coaches are:

Jean-Claude Laulhe - Scout (was unattached, better scout than Brown)
Dave Barron - Fitness Coach (a position we never had before, I feel its needed)
Gordon Cowans - Assistant Manager (Villa youth coach with great stats)

For some strange reason the club won't allow me to have more than 3 coaches so i had to release 1st Team Coach Lee Duxbury so that Barron could arrive, this meant another £60k cost cutting further into my budget. The only positive is that it is my own coaching team now.

I will now begin pre-season. A result summary and a transfer summary will come later.

Season Begins

On the 8th July 2008 I signed a one year contract to manage Oldham Athletic and the chairman Simon Blitz is paying me £1,800 a week. The last time Oldham has seen success was when they won the Championship (formerly Division 2) in 1991, taking them to the Premier League. The long-term aim ultimatly has to be for me to do the same, but this may take some time. I have set my aim for this season as top-half finish as it will take me a little while to build my squad and get ready to make a promotion push next year. Any success that comes is just a bonus.

My assistant manager Tommy Wright feels we have quite a strong squad and that it is capable of finishing in the top half of the table. He feels the weakest area of the squad is defence. A concern of mine is that we are currently relying quite heavily on loans, maybe the answer is to push hard with them and deal with the issue next season when hopefully we are in a finnancial position to be able to sign people.

The first step before I begin pre-season is to assess my squad.

Goalkeeper

Mark Crossley - At the age of 39 it is clear to me he is going to have to perform a role as back-up, especially as he has little movement now. He is also a goalkeeping coach so I plan to keep him on in that role in the future.

Greg Fleming - He was brought to the club to become the successor to Crossley but I am unsure whether he has the required quality, if we reach the Championship in the next few seasons he would need to be replaced.

Shane Supple - Due to this position being vulnerable I feel loanee Supple may have to fill the position, at least until I find a replacement.

This is a position that is definatly up for grabs, I shall give them all a try in pre-season as im undecided.

Right Back

Neal Eardley - A Welsh international, at the age of 19, I see Eardley as a player with good potential. He is my first choice right back.

Kelvin Lomax - Lomax does not appear to be very talented. I would look to offload him but due to the lack of numbers in defence he may survive as a back-up for a little while.

Centre Back

Sean Greegan - Club captain, Greegs is a powerful defender. The problem is that his age (34) has led to him having little pace.

Reuben Hazell - A solid defender, can definatly do a job at this level.

Stefan Stam - League 1 quality, fine as a back-up in my opinion.

Centre defence is definatly a position I am worried about, three centre backs is not enough and with an average age of just over 30 the three of them are a weak link. I will look to strengthen here.

Left Back

Paul Black - The only registered Oldham left back. He is 18 and clearly not ready for this level of football.

Daniel Jones - This loanee from Wolves clearly has ability and it is fortunate I have him this season otherwise I would have a problem.

Stam can play left back also if required, but that would mean only two centre backs. In summary we need more defenders.

Right Wing

Chris Taylor - The best player at the club. In the only position with more than enough options, he is the best. Good, young winger.

Kieran Lee - Former Man United reserve team Captain, Lee has ability and he can play 5 different positions making him a very useful player. Injured for 3-5 weeks.

Andy Liddell - Experienced Scot who's physical condition will limit appearences but quality can be of use. Great at penalty taking, crossing and can play up front.

Deane Smalley - Aged 19 Smalley needs games so he can develop. Equally capable of playing right wing or up front. Potential to be loaned out for experience.

Fabio Ferriera - On loan from Chelsea, bring pace but little else. Merely a squad player.

Centre Midfield

Mark Allott - In the words of Sky Sports commentary "A stylish midfielder", I wouldn't go that for, but he can cope with League 1.

Kevin Maher - The defensive one of the group, playing Maher gives the other centre mid the opportunity to get foward, act playmaker and attack.

Danny Whitaker - An attacking midfielder who can support my strikers, will remain in my squad.

Dale Stephens - Doesn't look like he will turn out great, he's only 20 but I may have to get rid.

Ian Westlake - Not the required standard. Poor signing by my predecesor Joe Royle.

Left Wing

A major problem for me is that I have no natural left midfielders. Ferriera, Taylor and Lee can all play there but it is not their preferred or natural position.

Striker

Lee Hughes - My favourite Oldham player. In my experience Lee Hughes can guarentee you goals. He is 32 though so I cannot rely on him for long.

Lewis Alessandra - Like Smalley he is a young player who needs games but is not really good enough for my team.

Matty Wolfenden - Good finishing, not mush else to offer it appears.

Steven Kabba - On loan from Watford. With his pace, acceleration and finishing he could be the strike partner Hughes so needs, for this season at least. He is injured for 4-6 weeks.

This is another area which needs strengthening, two senior strikers is not enough if I want o push up the table. An injury to a striker could ruin the season presently.

Clearly I will have to work on my squad, this may take more than one transfer market to sort out. Strength in depth lacks in many areas and more worryingly quality in some places. Now I have assessed my own squad I can look at making some transfers. I will start by using a simple 4-4-2 and so I will be looking for players to go into this formation

My Club Has Been Decided

I have been staggered by the overwhelming response to my first poll, and I would like to thank everyone who has taken time to consider the options and vote which team I should embark my next managerial mission with. Hopefully many who have voted will keep on viewing and keep an interest in what happens me, after all it is down to you im doing this. My poll for who I should manage had 83 votes for the candidates. The results are as follows:

1st - Oldham Athletic 36 votes
2nd - Queens Park Rangers 31 votes
3rd - AS Roma 16 votes

I expected the competition to be between Oldham and QPR, because they are more challenging than leading a succesful club like Roma. This vote means that I am now manager of the mighty Oldham and will be competing in Leauge 1. I created the save on wednesday night (the same time I posted the poll and my first posts) and used the 9.0.3 database, I have however edited some changes as I wanted the squad to be accurate of the time. I have made the following changes to Oldham to make the team like in real life:

Shane Supple <- Ipswich (loan) Daniel Jones <- Wolves (loan) Ian Westlake <- Cheltenham (loan) Fabio Ferriera <- Chelsea (loan) Steven Kabba <- Watford (loan) Dean Windass -> Hull ~(loan termination)

This means Oldhams squad on FM was the same as in real life on wednesday (since the creation of the database Lee Hughes has gone on loan to Blackpool but that is too late to effect this save). My new career is now ready to begin, let the fun start! I will report back what is happening.

I wouldn't let you vote without the information !

Deciding which job to take on a Football Manager game is a very difficult process as players would know, the problem is that there is just too many interesting prospects! The way to chose is to have a think about the clubs and in my case I will just tell you a few things to help.

Oldham Athletic

The clubs value is £1.9m and has a regional reputation, it has adequate training facilities and average youth facilities. The media prediction is 9th place.

I have chosen the club as an option as it is the town where my family are from and therefore I have an interest in the club and when I play with them the cause will matter. Oldham are a club that are not happy with where they are, being in the first two Premier League seasons they feel League 1 is below them.

Finances is the major issue. Oldham is by no means a rich team and if I was to set my expectation to top half finish I would only recieve a transfer budget of £50k and the wage budget would be set at £29k p/week - of which £28.3k is already being used!

I think managing Oldham would be of interest to you as you can see what it is like to manage a lower league club.

Q.P.R

The clubs value is £35m and has a national reputation, it has good training facilities and has average training facilities. The media has predicted they will finish 12th.

Queens Park Rangers is an interesting proposition, they have owners with big money but they won't give me that much as they want to do it properly, sustainably. I do not support QPR but I feel it will be interesting to see what I can do with the money. QPR is on a barren run of 25 years since they last won a trophy so to bring success to the club is the challenge.

Finances is QPR's strong point. Finnancially it is the richest team in it's division. If i was to take over an I set an expectation of a top half finish I would recieve a transfer budget of £9m and the wage budget would be set at £185k p/week - of which £160.35k is in use now.

I think me managing QPR would be interesting as there is the challenge of handling the money and pressure along with the fight for promotion.

Roma

The clubs value £176m (but has a loan to repay worth £11.25m) and it has a continental reputation, it has top training facilities and excellant youth facilities along with a youth acadamy.

I have thrown AS Roma in as a different option as big club management is a whole different challenge. Roma have big expectations and I would have to handle the responsibility to bring some trophies to the club. They are considered a big club but I feel a lot of work can be done to bring them on par with the Manchester United and Barcelona's of world football.

Finances are not really an issue for Roma, but they don't aimlessly spend lots of cash. If I was to set my expectation at qualifying for the Champions League they would give me a budget of £4.5m and a wage budget of £750k p/week - of which £749.15m is being used.

Some people may wish to see me manage a team on the fringes of greatness.

Lets have a bit of background information ...

Im creating the save on the 9.0.3 database and the game details are as such :

I have also created myself as a manager and my profile and am now anticipating your decision on where I am to go !

And so we begin

Firstly I need to decide which team to manage, the options are:

Oldham Athletic, a team that needs a real push to get it out of League 1 and to where it belongs

QPR, an interesting proposition as you have the money to spend but not the quality for sucess yet.

Roma, the final option, a different challenge as they are a big team; strong starting 11 but no strenght in depth.