Pre-season review
Keeping with tradition, I holidayed through January, (somewhere hot I think!) and got back in time for pre-season. My Assistant Manager's contract expired and I took the chance to hire someone new with better coaching credentials. I also brought in another new coach, a new scout and and physio.
My new AM was much more organised than his predecessor and got us 6 friendlies sorted straight away. The step up to the First Division is quite a jump and given my bad start last year, I was keen to properly bed in my new recruits and create some squad harmony, while also testing ourselves against some decent opposition.
The teams we played were a mixed bag of similar and higher reputation and so I was pleased with our record of 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses, a particular highlight being the 6-1 drubbing away to Almhults IF. By this point, the team were well versed in our tactic and seemed to be making friends. It's fair to say i was optimistic we could survive a relegation battle and stay in the division.
In complete contrast to last season, we managed to take 7 points from our opening 3 games which rocketed us up to the dizzy heights of 4th in the league. Don't worry though, we were promptly brought back down to reality with 2 successive defeats which put us in mid table, albeit the bottom half.
These opening games sum up our season really. A couple of wins, marred by the occasional draw or loss. I became so centred in how we did game to game that I genuinely didn't notice our gradual rise up the league until mid-way through the season when we sat comfortably in 2nd place.
Barring 2 consecutive defeats in mid-July, the second half of the season would see us lose just once more alongside 3 draws and a staggering 9 wins. Despite our impressive form in a division where we were expecting to struggle, we entered the final game of the season on level points with 2nd placed Mjallby AIF, ahead only on goal difference.
Our final game had us pitted away against mid-table Skovde AIK while Mjallby would play away to 3rd placed FC Trollhattan. We played a blinder in the first half, and most of the second too with the score at 3-0 on the hour mark. A goal for them in the 63rd minute, followed by another in the 83rd made for a stressful end to the game but we hung on and ran out overall winners. Meanwhile, Mjallby ultimately lost 1-0 and so it was official, we were First Division South Winners and were going up to the big time, the First Division Elite!
We are the champions!
To round off an unexpectedly great year, i was also to be crowned Manager of the Year by my peers, and given the honour of managing the First Division South Rookie team in their annual friendly match again the First Division North Rookie team. I employed my usual tactics and was pleased to see a couple of familiar faces in the squad as my Poacher and Advanced Playmaker both made the side as well. Unfortunately though, it wasn't to be me and we succumbed to a lacklustre 1-0 defeat. Not my proudest day but not something I was too hung up about.
MOTY
Squad Rebuild
Like a ships sail tacking into the wind, I swung my attention to planning for next year. If i thought the step up from Second Division to First Division was big, the climb to the Elite League was a quantum leap. The only similarity i can really use to describe it is it feels like taking a League Two team straight into the Championship and bypassing League One.
The board granted another increase to my wage budget which gave me an extra £2k p/w to play with. For reference, most of my players earn less than £100 p/w with a handful on around £200 - £300 p/w. I immediately relegated 4 of my starting 11 to my reserve 11 as i didn't believe they would cut it week-in-week out at this level. I also had a couple of retirees and two backups unhappy at the lack of first team football.
All told, i was on the hunt for a new BWM, a left winger, striker and right wing back for the first team, along with a couple of reserves to ensure squad depth. It was important the new players complimented what i already have in place. For example, I've hung on to my star striker, who notched up 18 goals last season (more than anyone else int he division), and i wanted a big target man that he could play off as i'm sure it will lead to more chances.
As I've discovered in the past, the vast majority of players believe our rapid rise up the leagues will be short lived and it won't take long for us to slide our way back down again. As a result, convincing quality players to join has proved extremely difficult which is frustrating to say the least. I have the budget to buy them and to pay them well but they won't give me a chance to even negotiate with them!
This conundrum has led me to two solutions. The first, i will hire good quality (as opposed to exceptional quality), hard working players for the first team - think 3 starts rather than 5. The second, is i need to invest in some youth prospects. My thinking is if (or 'when' hopefully) i stay up, i'll likely continue to have the same problem, but with some good young players coming through, hopefully i can blood my own superstars instead.
I manged to secure the services of a good quality left winger, a decent target man reserve centre back, reserve BWM, and best of all, a highly rated 19 y/o full back. My only gap that needed filling was my starting BWM. My new reserve player was ok and will come good for future years, but for now i need something that can compete at this level.
Now that the team is starting to settle, i don't see the point in signing someone unless they're exactly what i need so i'm biding my time and waiting for the right man. The search is still on, with every recommendation coming from my scouts turning out to be lower league level, or severely lacking in the key attributes i need. I'm sure he's there, skulking in the shadows, waiting to be discovered!
Staff changes
Unfortunately for me, my AM got offered a managers position at Hogaborgs BK in the Swedish Second Division and who am i to stand in the way of his career progression. I sent him on his way with my good graces and promptly began searching for a replacement. Unlike the rest of my staff hires, my new Assman came by way of recommendation from one of the coaches, and he's proven to be quite the upgrade. Defensive coaching attribute at 15, good with the kids and JCA and JPA both at a respectable 7 (which is good for my regional reputation team!).
With most of the squad assembled and my new staff in place, i noticed the days shortening as the nights drew in and before i new it, another Christmas morning dawned and i was relishing my annual holiday in January...