Welcome back to the Netherlands where Frank Athlete’s FC Dordrecht are about to contest their first season in the top flight since 2015 following their promotion to the Eredivisie last term. As you’d expect, this update is full of all the usual up’s and down’s that go hand-in-hand with a relegation battle, but stay tuned for a plot twist at the end as well. Let’s get to it shall we?
Season Summary
Team: FC Dordrecht
Division: Eredivisie
Season: 2024/25
Players in: Mehmet Ozcan, Free Agent (€0); Jesse Bosch, Holstein Kiel (Loan); Kalidou Sidibe, Lugano (Loan); Kenny Coker, Norwich City (Loan); Maxime Esteve, Montpellier (Loan)
Players out: Tim Holscher, MVV (Loan)
As soon as promotion had been confirmed, Frank huddled together with his backroom team to ascertain what changes would need to be made so that FC Dordrecht could give a good account of themselves next season. No one expected the Sheepheads to survive relegation, but if nothing else this presented a great opportunity to reward the loyal fan base that had supported the side over the last few years.
Since survival would be a big ask, the recruitment team opted for loan signing where possible, so as to avoid the commitment of 2 or 3 year long contracts which could prove costly if things didn’t work out. The team had become incredibly dependent on Pascu and Miceli in the middle with no one really offering competition for places and so this was identified as a primary position to strengthen. Frank had been studying tactical theory of late, and wanted to apply some new thinking to the CM-A role after reading an article from fellow manager, Rensie. With this in mind, Mehmet Ozcan joined to challenge Pascu for a starting place after he demonstrated great composure, decision making and off the ball movement to the scouting team.
To provide depth for the more defensive Ball Winning Midfielder role, Frank brought in Sidibe and Bosch on loan from Lugano and Holstein Kiel respectively. Both would provide competition for Miceli but would also offer the team the flexibility to play three in the middle against some of the leagues better opposition. Rounding out the rest of the signings, Esteve joins on loan from Montpellier to give depth in central defence while Norwich City’s Kenny Coker will be an alternative striker option when Hansen is in need of respite.
One other area the backroom team identified for improvement was the coaching qualifications among the staff. Frank immediately approved the request from his team to study for their next badges, but for Frank himself he would need approval from the Board, something he’d been unsuccessful in gaining on the last two times of asking. This time was no different either, with the directors promptly declining his request to study for his Continental A Licence, citing their primary concern as the fact that if he is better qualified then he is more likely to attract job offers from other clubs. Frank was both angered and dismayed, and left the meeting abruptly.
-
Back on the training ground preparations were going well with the side bagging two draws against Fortuna Sittard and ADO Den Haag alongside two defeats against Go Ahead Eagles and, as had become an annual tradition, Feyenoord. Despite the results, Frank and his coaches felt suitably prepared for what lie ahead, but in fact the start to the season would be even harder than anticipated.
sc Heerenveen were their first opponents who scored early on and then again before half time, despite Dordrecht equalising for a short while. It would be over a month before the Sheepheads could find the net again, notching up back-to-back defeats against Sparta Rotterdam, RKC Waalwijk and Feyenoord before eventually scoring in a 2-1 loss away against Heracles Almelo.
Despite being rooted to the foot of the table, September would end with a win, a surprise victory at the hands of AZ Alkmaar which was enough to see the side climb to 16th in the league. In the next tie, Ajax would have the team firmly back in it’s place after comfortably dispatching the boys 4-0 and reducing their goal difference to -12 after just seven games. The loss prompted a rethink in terms of tactical approach with Miceli dropping deeper as a DM, Schuurman pushing wide as an Inside Forward and that AM role being swapped out for a second CM alongside Mehmet.
The change in approach looked to have been a failure in the next game as Willem II held a 3-1 lead in the latter stages of the match. Last season’s star man Sontje Hansen had other ideas though, scoring his second goal of the game in the 86th minute and then rounding off his hattrick in the 90th to secure a hard fought 3-3 draw. What felt like victory was enough of a lift in the next fixture too where the boys earnt another draw, this time at the hands of N.E.C. Nijmegen. Despite the up-turn in results, wins were what was needed if survival were to be a realistic proposition, but relegation rivals Excelsior quashed any thought of securing victory in the next tie as they won 4-2 in the last league game of October.
Before the month was out, Dordrecht had the small matter of the First Round of the Dutch Cup to navigate, and for the first time under Frank’s tenure they were playing a side from a lower division. Frank spotted an opportunity to rest a few tired legs and build some confidence in the process and so played a strong side against Groene Ster, notching up a superb 6-0 victory to set up a Second Round tie against Feyenoord.
Seven league games remained before Christmas and the winter break, the first of which was against Europa League hopefuls PSV. If the cup game was intended to be a confidence booster, the PSV match had the complete opposite effect. 5-0 the final score but it could have been more and morale in the dressing room was at an all time low. A quick team meeting was called to encourage the lads to keep their heads up, and miraculously things did start to improve. A win and a draw against Groningen and Twente in the next two games was enough to see Dordrecht climb to 15th in the league and outside of the relegation spots for the first time this season.
An away defeat to Vitesse gave way to a brilliant 1-0 win against FC Utrecht as we headed into December, but perhaps the most disappointment was to come in the next fixture, a crushing 2-1 loss to recently promoted, VVV-Venlo, who secured victory late on and sank the Sheepheads back down to 18th. While Dordrecht had been yo-yoing between 15th and 18th, the rumour mill had been in full swing, after Sparta Rotterdam and Excelsior had both sacked their managers earlier in the month and were on the hunt for a new Head Coach. Frank’s name had been bandied about on social media but as yet, no formal offers had come in and so he kept his focus on Dordrecht’s survival hopes.
The Second Round of the Dutch Cup would be played in mid-week, with Dordrecht hosting Feyenoord at the Riwal Hoogwerkers Stadion where almost 2,000 fans would be in attendance. The atmosphere was electric under the lights and Dordrecht found their groove early on with goals in the 21st and 35th minute from Hansen and Sidibe respectively. Feyenoord got one back just before half time but an expertly managed second half was enough to see the Sheepheads progress to the Third Round against VVV-Venlo in January.
Impressed by what they’d seen in the cup, first Excelsior and then Sparta Rotterdam offered interviews to Frank for their vacant manager positions in the days that followed. Frank found himself in a tricky predicament. On the one hand, results on the pitch were proving that Dordrecht still had a decent chance of engineering an escape from relegation, while selfishly he had an eye on furthering his career and knew that Dordrecht wouldn’t be the club to get him there, especially with their reluctance to let him study for his next coaching badge. He attended both interviews, but saw Sparta Rotterdam as the only real choice in terms of furthering himself and matching his footballing philosophies.
Before either club made any further contact, Dordrecht would battle against Roda JC in their last game of the year before the winter break ensued. The away tie was televised and the Sheepheads really put on a show despite the cold and the rain, scoring three first half goals and securing a 4-1 win in the process to take them back up to 15th to end the year strongly. The win had given Frank even more to think about, with the side now half way towards their points target of 30 which should be enough for survival.
The weekend drizzle had given way to snow flurries as the temperature dropped further into the next week, but the short rest had given Frank some much needed thinking time as he pondered his next move. On Christmas Eve, Frank finished his breakfast of porridge and honey before the quiet of the holiday season was interrupted by his mobile ringing at 8.52am. It was Leo Ruijs, the General Manager at Sparta Rotterdam, calling to discuss a contract offer and to request whom among Frank’s backroom team he would like to bring with him to Het Kasteel.
Frank afforded himself a wry smile as he finished his conversation. He had accepted the job offer, and while he would be disappointed to leave FC Dordrecht after what he and his team had started to build there, the possibility to manage a club that had won the Eredivisie six times in their history was too great an opportunity to pass up. It would not be without it’s challenges, especially given that Sparta Rotterdam were currently a place below Dordrecht in the league, but the potential to restore the club to it’s former glory was a mouth-watering prospect. As Frank sat back, clutching his lukewarm cup of coffee, he looked out at the cloudy sky and gave a curt nod to the big man himself, who had clearly begun his delivery of Christmas presents a little earlier this year.
Results Overview
Dutch Cup
Prediction: Second Round
Actual: Third Round (as of 24th December 2024)
Summary: It was nice to be handed a slightly easier tie in the first round for once, and the team took full advantage to then progress to the Second Round for only the second time under Frank. To then beat Feyenoord was an absolute delight and suddenly Dordrecht find themselves three games away from a cup final.
Best moment: It wasn’t just a win against Feyenoord, this was a convincing victory and a deserved progression to the next round.
Low moment: In truth, the only real disappointment in the cup will be the fact that Frank won’t be around for the Third Round tie against VVV-Venlo. The fixture presents a really good opportunity for both teams to progress and Dordrecht should fancy their chances.
Eredivisie
Prediction: 18th
Actual: 15th (as of 24th December 2024)
Summary: After a tricky start, the team finally got going towards the end of September with their first win coming against AZ Alkmaar. Progress was slow but by the end of December they were up to 4 wins and a pleasing 15th place in the league. Frank leaves the side in a strong position and with every chance of surviving the drop.
Best moment: Securing that first win restored hope in the team Frank had put together, and gave them some optimism that they might yet compete at this level.
Low moment: Losing to the likes of Excelsior and VVV-Venlo were particularly hard to take, especially at home where you’d expect the team to do better. This was six points dropped without a doubt and could have seen Dordrecht up in 10th place if they had won.
Welcome to Rotterdam
With Rotterdam a mere 30 minute commute North West of Dordrecht, Frank would retain his existing accommodation and will journey in to the city each day instead of having the hassle of finding somewhere new to live. A number of his backroom team would be joining him at Sparta Rotterdam as well, chief among them is his Assistant Manager, Gert-Jan Westerhout, who’s people management skills and ability to spot talent would be very handy indeed.
With a few essentials packed, Frank took Christmas Day to wander round the streets of Rotterdam and get to know the city he would be representing. Rotterdam is the Netherland’s second largest city and is situated at the mouth of the Nieuwe Maas channel leading into the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. The city was established in 1240 when a dam was built here across the River Rotte, and has eventually led to it becoming Europe’s largest seaport today. As a result of it’s connection to the rest of Europe through railways, roads and of course the waterways, Rotterdam has gained the nicknames “Gateway to Europe” and “Gateway to the World”.
As for the football, there are three professional clubs based in Rotterdam, the other two being Excelsior and of course Feyenoord, and both of whom are fierce rivals of Sparta Rotterdam. Sparta were formed in 1888 and according to Wikipedia are the oldest professional club in existence, however you may recall that according to my research, Dordrecht are in fact the oldest professional club having been formed five years earlier in 1883.
Sparta Rotterdam play their home games at Het Kasteel (The Castle) in front of a capacity crowd of 11,926 and are affectionately known among the fan base as De Kasteelheren (The Castle Lords) and De Rood-Witte Gladiatoren (The Red-White Gladiators). Frank Athlete becomes the club’s 49th manager, replacing Freddie Ljungberg who lasted less than a year in the post.
The 2024/25 season has not been kind for Sparta, despite a strong start to the season where they amassed seven points from their opening three games. Since then it has been a poor return with their only other win coming at the start of December against FC Twente. They currently find themselves in 16th place with 13 points and a goal difference of -25, by far the worst in the division.
The club are predicted to finish 13th which suggests there is quality at the club, but that it’s not being utilised. Frank is full of belief and optimism that he can quickly turn their fortunes around.
Around the Grounds
In this section we share some of the other stories from elsewhere in the FM universe that have caught the eye this week…
Never Give In - Chapter 1 - FMBeats presents his new blog post through the eyes of Trent McCrimm who reports for The Asthmatic as he interviews Dan Beaton on his appointment as Dumbarton’s new manager.
“Angels Are Terrifying” - La Plata: Vice - FM Grasshopper returns with the latest update from Miami as Ángel Bastardo prepares to face Ruslan Chepiga in their upcoming MLS clash.
FM22 | Long Throw-In Routine. Yes or no? - FMRensie returns with yet more tactical insight as he explores the validity of long-throw routines in FM22
PAS Lamia 1964 - 1.6: Small Steps - It was more heartbreak for the fans at the end of last season as PAS Lamia failed again in their bid to reach the top 5, but can DGear86 go one small step further this year?
Ternana Calcio: 2023/2024 – Part 1 - See how FM Youth Intake builds on last year’s success as he prepares to go further still with Ternana in Serie A
The Nordic Journey | #6 | Third Time Lucky? - Can Oaky-FM’s Jens Richter go one better in his third season as he looks to surpass back-to-back second place finishes from the last two campaigns.
The 2023 Season - more success is on the cards for the Black Crow Corporation, but there’s a plot twist that could have long lasting repercussions in Seoul.
Do you have a blog that’s missing from the above list? Please send me the link on Twitter so I can have a read.
Thanks for reading this update, I really hope you enjoyed it. You’ll find more updates from me, as well as blogs from some other fantastic writers at CoffeehouseFM so make sure you check them out. Feel free to leave a comment below, or you can message me @fm_athlete if you feel like getting in touch.
Thanks for coming. I've been FM Athlete. You've been ‘found underneath the Christmas Tree’. See you next time.