The A-Z of football management: Part 34

The A-Z of football management: Part 34

Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash

We start the new season with a win against Lleida. A narrow victory, but a win nonetheless. It’s then a two-week wait for our second game, another home tie against Betis that ends goalless.

We then beat Bilbao comfortably, before suffering a defeat at home to a managerless Rayo. Conceding a penalty in the fourth minute proved costly, but the result still leaves us in the top half, having played a game less than most of our rivals.

There are a few managerial changes elsewhere: Martin Keown leaves Spurs to take the Liverpool job — both clubs I wouldn’t have been able to apply for anyway.

After a decent start, we keep picking up results in October. Wins away at Oviedo and at home against Barcelona are the pick of the month, leaving us sitting pretty at the top of the league as the month draws to a close.

After offering me the job a few seasons ago, Unión de Santa Fé have approach me again for the manager’s role. It’s a chance to tick off a less common letter on my list, and the allure of South America is too strong to ignore. So, it’s goodbye Spain and hello Argentina.

I take the job with only days left before the Opening stage concludes, so there’s little time to have any real effect on this phase of the season.

The Argentine Premier Division features 20 teams, split into two stages — the Opening and the Closing — each consisting of 19 games. A winner is crowned for each stage, while the two stage champions plus the two best-performing teams across the entire season qualify for the Copa Libertadores.

With just three days to prepare, it’s time to assess the squad. We have only one coach and a full complement of scouts. The team itself isn’t too shabby, though we’re a little light on midfielders for the 4–1–3–2 formation. We’ll just have to make it work.

Two of our “star” players are out of contract this summer. With only £1 million to spend on transfers, I need to keep hold of what I have. I’ve offered the contract rebels two-year deals to stay, and now I just have to hope they sign!

As the scouts are dispatched to scour youth academies and clubs throughout South America, a few loan deals have been submitted. I’ve also made an offer for a free agent I was tracking at Zaragoza, though he wasn’t originally interested in moving to Spain.

I only managed to get one signing in before my first game. Midfielder Damian Jurez. The match itself was a fairly even affair, and a 1–1 draw wasn’t a bad result considering I’d only been in charge for three days.

Ultimately, Estudiantes (LP) clinched the Opening Championship. We finished sixth, but it’s still a respectable finish that nets us some prize money.

The transfer window has opened, allowing me to make two signings before the end of February. Easier said than done, though. Fortunately, with the Argentine league’s Closing stage not kicking off until the end of January, I have plenty of time for scouting to see who’s available.

I attempted to sign de Jesus, but the system flagged that I’d already reached my two-signing limit, and the transfer was cancelled. I’m not entirely sure where the other slot was filled, but we’ll just have to see how we fare in the second half of the season.

We get the Closing stage underway with a win — the best result of the weekend fixtures. The victory pleases the board and gives us a positive platform to build on.

An encouraging draw at home to River Plate is followed by a lacklustre midweek performance against Belgrano. With only one shot on target, it highlights just how much work the team needs, especially as we haven’t scored in consecutive matches.

The goal drought stretches to four games as we face league leaders Independiente. But we pull off a stunning upset, winning by a single goal and propelling us back into fourth place.

The win is short-lived. We can’t even beat the bottom sides like Gimnasia (LP) and Chacrita — both of whom haven’t won a game in the Closing stage — yet we manage decent draws against Vélez and Huracán. We’ve drawn seven of the eleven games in the second half.

I’m quite surprised the board is happy with my general performance, though I won’t hold my breath. There is some good news, however, we’ve secured some player sales for the summer and are expecting around £2 million to come in. That cash will be crucial for bringing in strikers who can actually find the back of the net.

After a six-game run without a victory, we finally get one! A 1–0 win over Español leaves us in eighth place with six games to go.

I watch in amazement as we beat the four teams directly above us in the table. We nick two wins over Boca and Newell’s, then put four goals past Racing and three past Estudiantes (LP).

Independiente win the league at a canter, but we cap off our winning streak with a draw against San Lorenzo. A win on the final day seals third place overall, bringing in a nice payout of £2.3 million.