The Joys of (Amateur) Football Management….

Going into the game, I was happy, I was confident. I had 13 players, including 2 subs that I knew were decent at football.

Kick-off was looming, I gathered the players round in a circle and started telling them how I wanted us to play. Utilise the wings, let our wingers use their pace. Hit the channels and use the speed of the striker to get onto the ball over the top. Keep it on the deck when we can to bring their defence out and then hit it over the top. In my head, it all sounded good, the players looked like they had taken it on board.

Again, I won the coin-toss and I wasn’t allowed (apparently it is a rule) to opt to kick-off, so I stayed as we were, knowing that we’d have the slight slope in the 2^nd half.

The game started and we didn’t switch on. Straight from kick-off a ball was played down the right which was flicked into the striker who’s first time shot beat the keeper and we were 1-0 down with around 10 seconds played – shocking. I tried my hardest to shout encouragement at my players, telling them to get stuck in and switch on.

My mind was racing and thinking about what I could do to change the situation. It was too early and would have been to knee-jerk to change anything after such little time.

We got the ball down and passed it around. But were hit twice in quick succession and I found my team 3-0 down with 10 minutes to half-time. It appeared everything they struck was going in. The half-time whistle blew and I couldn’t wait to get the lads around.

If this was Football Manager, my team-talk would have been “aggressive – I want to see something different from you”. I lay into my players, saying how we had discussed before about what we wanted to do, and that no-one was doing it. I ended with some encouraging words about how even if we lose, we need to go back to the changing rooms and say we gave it our all. I handed over to my vice-captain, who again, re-iterated the points that we hadn’t shown up, we had shown nothing that we were capable of – “everyone needed to step up”.

 The "Aggressive"teamtalk.... It didn't work for Phil Brown and it didn't work for me.

We went out for the 2^nd half and immediately put them on the back foot. Camping in the opposition half, we pummelled them with long throws and corners, with the ball always just falling out of reach of the striker.  I thought to myself “That’s done the trick, the lads have listened”.

A few minutes later, due to some shoddy defending and bad luck, we were 4-0 down. I subbed myself off and brought a substitute.

From the sidelines, I tried my best to encourage the team, but to no avail. 5, 6, 7-0 down. I tried to get the lads to play for some pride and encouraged them to attack. We got a goal back, a scrappy tap-in from a throw in. But, heads were down. The game finished as a 9-1 loss. I felt terrible. This was shocking. The opposition weren’t anything good, they didn’t really out play us. I was gutted. On basis of play, we deserved to lose, but not that heavily.

The lads all came in after the game and we spoke for a few minutes about what had happened. “We didn’t show, we had no heart, we let them bully us”. After speaking to them sternly and honestly, they all agreed that must do so much better next week. I finished off with “Right, we sweep this under the carpet and learn from it. We have to play better next week”.

The lads trundled back to the changing rooms miserable, I hang around with my vice-captain to discuss which lads we wanted to keep, what we were going to do next week and what formation to play.

In the pub after we literally dissected everything about the game. Tactics will change and the lads have to work harder. We need to stop trying to play football and clear the ball when it is needed. Get more shots of, utilise the wingers, play an out and out holding midfielder to help the defence.

Anyway, after a spanking like that, I just wanted to get on to the next match and put it right. Unfortunately for the guys, I’m taking the next training session and they are going to have to work very hard to make up for that performance.

So, still looking for that first legitimate win, and hoping to not get another drubbing. 

Cup game next week, and we have been drawn against the league champions of the division above us..... Brilliant.

The Joys of (Amateur) Football Management

Dave Nicholls

I've recently been appointed as the 4th team player-manager for my Saturday team. We play in the 4th division (of 4) in Bristol and this will be my weekly (maybe fortnightly) blog to let you see what its like to be a Saturday team football manager. I will state one thing though, this blog will not be talking about my players in a sense of who was good/rubbish.

Ok, so we are 3 games into the season, and so far my record is Played 3, won 1, lost 2, scored 1, conceded 6.  So, it hasn't been the best of starts, and did I mention that the win was because the opposition couldn't get a team together, meaning we got a 0-0 win (figure that out). I put this down to numerous reasons. 1) Not having a settled side. 2) Not really knowing anyone. 3) Not being sure of who plays best in what position.

A little note: There will be more structure and managerial insight in my  future blogs, I just felt that I had to fit both previous games into this first post to give you an insight into my team.

The first week I think I'll remember for a while, and I know I'll use it as a motivational team talk in the future. After the selection meeting on Monday, I had a team lined up, there were 11 players (a good start) and no subs. By the time it got to Thursday, I was down to 9 players and was texting everyone I knew that could kick a ball relatively well. By game time on Saturday I had 12 confirmed players, with a goalkeeper saying his was available that morning.

Come game time and I had 10 players kitted and ready to go. We trundled over to the pitch and I got one of my more senior players to put the others through, what actually seemed like, a vigorous warm up whilst I frantically tried to phone any stragglers. After none of them picking up their phones, I joined in the warm up and got the lads doing the classic amateur football team warm up of piggy in the middle.

The ref called me into the centre circle for the coin toss and I won..... a good start to my managerial career I thought. just before kick-off an injured spectator (who played for the team last year) said he would be happy to stand up front and be a man for them to mark. Bonus, that gives me 11 (10.5) players, he quickly got changed and stood (literally, as he had an ankle injury) on the edge of the opposition area.

The game started well, we kept the ball and cleared it when necessary, created a few chances and pretty much stopped them from attacking. We went in at half time 1-1 with our injured 11th man scoring a tap in from a few yards. I was delighted and told the guys that if we can keep going, we can win this game. We had the better players.

The 2nd half was a mixed bag. The players put all their effort into the game, but with my injured team-mate going off and then my left winger pulling his hamstring 5 mins after the 2nd half start, it was always going to be tough. Down to 9, we battled on and defended solidly. A very dodgy linesman decision put the opposition striker through 1 on 1. He was fouled by the keeper and tucked away the resulting penalty. We lost the game 2-1, but I was very pleased with my team, especially as we ended with 9 men and hit the bar in the last few minutes.

After the first game, I thought I was in for a torrid time selection wise and although I was happy with how the team did, I knew that those players who had played well for me were probably going up to the 3rd team for next week game.

The mid-week game on Thursday was called off, and we secured an infamous 0-0 win, and gained 3 vital points.

I went to the selection meeting preparing for the worst. And low and behold, for the game on the next Saturday, I lost my attacking creative midfielder (called to 3rd team), both full backs (called to 3rd team), my goalkeeper (back to uni), my right and left winger (called to 3rd team and injured respectively) and my centre forwards (Injury and holiday).

Still, I left the selection meeting on Monday with 11 players in a standard "keep it simple" 4-4-2 formation. I was happy. Come Saturday, I wasn't. I was on my 5th centre back pairing since Monday and had lost another winger to a higher team.

          "Lets keep it simple" - Your bog standard 4-4-2        

However, with other players returning from holiday and what-not, I was able to put out a full 11 and even have 2 subs (both players new to the club). My problem this time was I had no strikers. Meaning that I had to play myself, a centre back by trade, up front as an emergency centre forward, being supported by a guy that normally plays left back or left midfield.

We started poorly and went down 1-0 straight away to a very flukey freekick goal. No one was to blame. It stayed this way to half-time after I had squandered a few chances with my shovel of a right foot.  During the break I said how well we were doing and we just needed to keep going. I mentioned things that, looking back, I probably picked up from football manager, like "hit the channels a bit more" and "lets try and play the ball into the space". I felt like I was getting through to the players.

After another freak wonder goal for the opposition, a blistering shoot from just inside out half, I switched formation to 3-5-2. We were dominating them and creating plenty of chances. However, we were very vulnerable on the counter and got beaten by 2 long balls. We ended up losing 4-0, which was a very flattering scoreline for the opposition.

I gathered the lads in after the game and said the scoreline was unfair and undeserved. I was proud of all of them and we were the only team trying to get it down and play football. Our keeper got MoM on his debut after he had kept us in the game at 2-0 down when were hit on the counter a couple of times.

I knew that it would be tough when I agreed to take the role as player-manager of the 4th team, I mean after all, my job is to get new players playing for the club and get them moving up the teams if they are good enough. Or, if they aren't destined to go up the teams, then keep them in the 4ths and get them enjoying their run out. Hopefully picking up some wins on the way.

At least, after the selection meeting this Monday, I had a set 13 players for Saturday's game. It is now Wednesday and I have 14 confirmed players. Here is hoping they all show up and I get my first legitimate win as a football manager!