Classic FM: Tales From Davy Jones Locker

by Chappers  9/07/2013 | 10:07 0 Posted in Other Stuff, Tactics 

Welcome to the sea bottom, no better than ocean-deep tadpoles we are, attempting to swim against the current; the rip-tide and the sharks as we attempt to rise, rise from the murky depths of League Two, rise to the topper-most of the top pinnacle.

Its Football Manager the 2011 version and my friends, yes I am afraid, it is a struggle.

Rooney!  Ronaldo!  Messi!  Van Persie!

The dream names any Football Manager would want in their side. Alas ! Dream names they shall always remain when you begin your managerial life at the bottom.

Yes. Down here, below the star-studded sky, below the waves, below Atlantis, below the Titanic, there is no worry about meeting Wayne Rooney’s demands for £211,000 per week. No. But rather, at the bottom of the sea, we worry about staying within the Board’s budget of £21,000 per week – for the entire 45 man squad !

FINANCE – BOARD SUMMARY

Welcome to life at the fourth level of the English League (aka League 2).  Welcome to a club just relegated after a single season in the heights of League One, after five years of huffing and puffing to advance. Welcome to the Board’s demands of promotion, straight back up in your first season, and generously giving you a £5,000.00 transfer war chest.

Welcome to Wycombe Wanderers.

And as the chairman welcomes you to Adams Park, you already find the Board wishing to reduce the wage budget !

START OF SEASON EXPECTATIONS

If you believe all the pressure is so very great to be the biggest and brightest shining star in the premiership heavens, have a thought for those of us in the depths. Our twin goals, to avoid being crushed and ground into the sandy bottom, yet at the same time, to rise and rise and rise. And to rise with little money, little support, and no player of middling stature worth their salt even daring to glance in our direction.

On the plus side, Adams Park is fairly new, though 10,000 capacity is not very much if we aspire to move up through the divisions, and generally we will be lucky to draw 50%. So, essentially, similar to many struggling clubs, results will be paramount in order to reel in the spectators.

INFO – FACILITIES

Yet another plus, is our good training facilities, however, our drawing power for youth, the life-blood of tomorrow, should certainly be ear-marked. One of the routes to success is youth  recruitment, and once settled in at the club, we have one of our first requests to the Board – upgrade those youth facilities and place a priority on coaching. For the present, of course, we need a good balance with experience to ensure no back-sliding, as I feel the Board may not be very forgiving if they see no advancement fairly sharpish.

But yet, as we take a tour of Adams Park on our first day of employment, acclimatizing to our station in life, we need to familiarize ourselves and look into everything,  even before we settle into arranging a training schedule and booking friendlies. Firstly, we are already over budget in wages, and with the Board reducing funds already, we need to adjust. How scary is it, upon discovering  fully 32 of our 45 man squad, have entered the final year of their respective contracts !

INFO – CONTRACT EXPIRY DATES

Ouch !! Having watched the top leagues in England; Spain; Germany; Holland; and viewing all those amazing players – what a shock to find employment in England’s League 2 !! … Who the hell are these guys ?????  … Can Jean-Paul Pittman score ?? … is Kieran Murtagh any good ?? … Leon who ?? …isn’t Gareth Ainsworth about a hundred years old now ?? … and just what is a Leika-Manu Saku ?? …

Who to keep ? Who to let go ? Who to promote ? Who to demote ? Oh, what to do, what to do ??  And so the managerial headaches begin.

First, keep breathing , then, take the time to take the tour – it is only your first day on the job, remember ?

Here, at the very beginning, it is wise to consult with the hold-over coaches and see what they have to say. Go slow, if no teams are looking at anybody on your roster, why not take some time with the players you have. Set training routines, and arrange some friendlies and see how they perform. I find with friendlies, try a balance – not too easy from non league and not too hard from the top leagues. One does not wish to destroy morale immediately with booking in the big sides, but absorbing big beatings from them as well – but not too easy either, we don’t want the lads to become complacent at all. But challenging matches and challenging training. You have five weeks prior to the start of the season, use it wisely and don’t dump everyone because they do not play as well as Lionel M.

… and … ahhhhhh … the first cup (of hopefully many) coffee in the office ! And now, opening the lap-top on my new heavy glass desk – and here is my assistant manager knocking on the door already, wanting to introduce me to the staff and players. Ouch, he nearly caught me taking out my Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus from my bag. That will never do around here !! … must remember to cover up the ‘Oxford’ with a Wanderers club logo sticker !

And do the tour begins. Hmmm .. not too much staff here, hardly any coaches, only one scout , and it seems my assistant earns more money than I do !!  And he is good friends with the previous manager who was just sacked !! .. well they were together previously at another club too … must take note, can I win him over … we’ll see …..

INFO – STAFF

So, it looks as if another priority is to upgrade and obtain more coaching and scouting … should perhaps approach the Board straight away …

BOARDROOM – OVERVIEW

Well , hey , looks like the Board already have made allowances for some extra staff and coaching … good … good … so already we can advertise a few jobs and stand back for the applications to come ringing in !

Of great import, I believe, is to look for a parent club. This will be an immediate help. Ask the Board to sign one up straight away ! Perhaps you will be fortunate and get a big league team, but more than likely, a club from the second tier will be the realistic goal for the Board. Whoever they sign, the benefits will be apparent. Firstly, they will pay a yearly fee for the agreement, and will play a friendly each year at your ground. In addition to generating some badly needed income, your parent club can and will send some players on loan to you, and pay their wages in full ! So you reap the benefit both ways.

Okay, let us at long last have a look at the team ! Being new to the job, and the situation here at the club, we pretty much have to work with what we have, change slowly, perhaps looking to free up some funds, reduce wages a bit .. and still keep the ideals of what is wished for. I like a team with good aggression, stamina, technical ability … but one must make allowances according to one’s level. Therefore, I feel, here in League Two, the watch-words in regards to the squad : be lenient, and open-minded (at least at the start J )

It looks as if we have fairly good aggression, and work hard for each other .. so that is a good starting point.

Let us have a quick look at the defenders … I do want defenders with good heading ability; marking; tackling; really good concentration and composure .

As a group they score okay marks for determination and aggression – but very weak on composure, and their minds seem to wonder at the best of times. (maybe they need a good talking to!)

PLAYERS – FILTERS – DEFENDERS – VIEWS – ATTRIBUTES – MENTAL

But, in the group, only Chris Westwood is over 30 years of age. So, perhaps we can mold the younger lads. In fact, Mr Westwood deserves a closer look.

CHRISWESTWOOD

On the positive side, he has high concentration; composure; experience, an okay work rate … but he is very slow and not very mobile. Furthermore, he is on £2,000 per week – far and away the highest earner on the team – and now also in the final year of his contract. He could be one to jettison, save all that quid, and go searching for a much younger, promising defender at a much lower cost.

Meanwhile, Dave Winfield has just come over from Aldershot, just prior to my arrival, signed on a two-year deal at less than half  the wages. He is 11 years younger and already a better header of the ball, though he does seem to get rattled. But he could be a good stop-gap whilst looking at the transfer market and letting Chris Westwood leave.

DAVE WINFIELD

At least it is something to build on.

In the middle of the park, captain and elder statesman, Gareth Ainsworth at 37, still has the goods for another crack. He is a good leader, should be able to offer loads of help and tutoring to the younger lads, and is well respected and looked up to within the club.

GARETH AINSWORTH

The rest of the  midfield , at least, are hard-working, play for each other, and so therefore, the thought is perhaps to have one midfielder play very defensively to help out the defenders.

And what of up front ? Of our striking options, only Ben Strevens is over 30, and we do have a wee bit of height (though really not that much L )

PLAYERS – VIEWS – GENERAL INFO

PLAYERS – VIEWS – ATTRIBUTES – ATTACKING

However, their overall marks for being on the attack (including finishing; first touch; off the ball) are all appallingly low. It really looks as if we may struggle for goals this season – must scout around for some LOANS and FREE TRANSFERS who will be able to help our cause.

Which brings us to the crux of the matter. Here in League Two, we are on the bottom rung of the transfer market – the low-rent district – the Boot Hill of the Old West – picking over the bones of the once magnificent leading lights – dimmed by age; cracked by injury; flicked off by blown talent.

Yet another area we will target is loan signings. We can ask the assistant manager to scout around the big clubs and compile a listing of young lads they wish to earn their salt by lending them out for a season. More than likely the big clubs will even pay their wages – a very good way to bolster your standing for minimal fuss.

WYCOMBE BACKROOM ADVICE – LOAN REPORT

In preparation for the first friendly in only four days time, I wish to try out a 4-1-3-2 formation; with practice on a flat 4-4-2; and a 5-3-2 with wing backs. At the beginning the focus would be on the side blending together and I also want a very high work rate. (as I want a high pressing game) This is to be stressed in training as well, with emphasis on stamina; strength, and aerobics in pre-season.

WYCOMBE – MATCH PREPARATION

In summation, here are the immediate items to consider when you find yourself marooned at the bottom of the sea ….

1. Coaches : hire more coaches if the Board will allow it, which they certainly should. Look for specialists, according to your desires … ie technical; attack; tactics; mental strength etcetera , also look for and hire some good youth coaches
2. Scouts: hire a couple of good scouts. You cannot look around the world all by yourself, you have far too many pressing items already on the agenda ! Get the scouts looking for that tall target man on the cheap who is willing to take a low weekly wage in exchange for game time !
3. Affiliated Clubs: get your Board right away to find you a ‘parent club’ pronto. You receive an injection of much-needed cash, and will more than likely able to obtain one or two loans without paying the cost of their wages from the parent club as well.
4. Youth: look to recruit and nurture all those precocious naïve youngsters and turn them into world beaters. Hire good coaching for them, and ask the Board if they will upgrade your youth facilities to attract a better crop each succeeding year.
5. Friendlies: try arranging a few home friendlies even for your reserves and youth side. They will not only all receive valuable match practice, but home friendlies will generate needed income for the club
6. The Board: do not be afraid to ask the Board for more money for transfers, they just may loosen up the purse strings, and drop some hints about upgrading your stadium and facilities as well. They may just surprise you.
7. Loans: you are allowed five loan signings – make the most of them, and do not be afraid to approach any big teams. They just may surprise you and be more than willing to let you have some of their promising young starlets and pick up the tab for their wages at the same time ! Loan signings can help your club immensely, and many just wish to gather playing experience rather than sit on the bench or rot in the reserves with their own side. If treated correctly, they could even favour you, and you just never know what that will lead to in the future – you just may be able to recall them again the following season.
8. Tutoring: approach your club’s senior players and ask them to be a mentor to some of the younger players. They will very much appreciate being asked, especially the lads who are pushing to go into coaching once they finish their playing careers. They will appreciate the offer and you can bring them onside . Much better to have happy players at the club, than grumpy lads against you and pining for a transfers !

Just how did we perform in 2011? Were we blown away tactically? or did we make good on our own summary points?

Stay tuned, same bat-time, same bat-channel.

Until then,

Eamonn O’hanlan