Welcome back to the Netherlands as FC Emmen prepare for the 2027/28 campaign in the Eredivisie as we look to build on two 12th place finishes, with a twist to the season mid-way through.
The Journey So Far...
If you've missed any of the previous updates, you can read a quick summary on how it's gone so far here. The Board have proposed we avoid relegation for the third consecutive season but i firmly believe we are a mid-table team now, even knocking on the door of a top-half finish if things go well. In the Cup, we're expected to reach the Third Round and i believe we s'r capable of achieving that.
Preseason
Another preseason upon us and yet more changes to personnel as i had a bit of a reshuffle with the backroom team, bringing in a few new faces including a better qualified Assistant Manager to help me out.
There was also great news for my own professional development as news came in that I'd completed my Continental Pro Licence which i was thrilled about.
As for the playing staff, just £1M in the transfer budget, supplemented by £800k from selling some transfer clauses meant we'd have a tough time bringing in anyone who could set the world alight. That said, we've a number of youngsters who have been out on loan last year and are deserving of a place in the First Team Squad now.
In all, three were promoted and the only real vacancy in the squad was an improved Roaming Playmaker. Keita has been playing the role since he joined but he'd be much more suited to being our main Mezzala and so i wanted to find someone he could play alongside.
I was adamant not to sign someone for the sake of it so i painstakingly reviewed countless candidates to compare their attributes, form and traits with Keita so as to make sure we were improving, not going backwards.
It took all of the Transfer Window to find him but in the end we got our man as 26yo Italian maestro Diego Pedretti signed as an improvement on Keita.
In terms of friendly performances, we upped the ante in terms of who we played and were scheduled against some stiff opposition. Comfortable wins against our affiliates book-ended defeats to Sunderland, Brighton and Chelsea's U23's, but ultimately should better prepare us for the season ahead.
Competitive Performances
We were off to a flyer, securing three straight wins from our opening few games, but our success hit the buffers as we lost at home to FC Twente in a dismal display. A short lived recovery saw us collect 5 points from the next three games before we were taught another lesson at home, this time at the hands of Vitesse.
It's a slippery slope from here, as with just one win among 4 defeats in October, among which was a 6-1 demolition at home at the hands of Feyenoord, we slid down to 9th place. We approached the Winter break having picked up 2 wins, a draw and 2 more losses through November and early December, and valiantly held our position in the league - just.
As for the Dutch Cup, comfortable victories against lesser teams GVVV and then DOVO saw us secure a third round tie against VVV-Venlo.
FC Emmen 2027/28 - League Performances
FC Emmen 2027/28 - Cup Performances
With a cup game sandwiched between two more league games before the New Year, news began to circulate that Hibernian Manager, Derek McInnes, had taken the Scotland job and FM Athlete was touted as the favourite to replace him.
I'd had numerous interview offers in the last few years, mainly from other Dutch clubs and the English Championship. With each opportunity i attended the interview, but with no strong desire to leave, other than my longer term ambition to eventually manage a top Premier League club.
This was no different, in fact i was so convinced i wouldn't get the job offer that i was very carefree in my responses to the interview questions, which apparently is a great technique because...
So, decision time. Emmen are now an established top flight team, and i've got a great squad of young talent that could help take us to the next level. But, on the other hand, Hibernian presents a chance to compete in Europe, and to potentially challenge for silverware as well, helping me to reach my ultimate career goal.
So after yet more deliberation...
I leave Emmen with a heavy heart, but i believe i have to go for the good of my career. Hibernian have a few really talented young players, as well as some old heads so a good base squad, but something to build on, but I'll give a more in-depth update in the next post. That's all for now.
Thanks for reading the blog, i hope you enjoyed this update. You can follow me on Twitter @fm_athlete and in my FM Slack channel #fm_athlete for more updates throughout the season.