Started from the bottom now we're ...

BREAKING NEWS: Eastleigh sign Mul



Eastleigh sack Hill. In a shocking turn of events the Eastleigh board have announced that Richard Hill will be leaving the club in the summer. After taking the reigns in 2012, Hill led his side to a respectable 4th position in the league and the playoff semi-finals. It is understood that the failure to clinch promotion was the deciding factor in Hill's abrupt departure. With the season fast approaching the Eastleigh board have wasted no time drafting in a replacement for the outgoing manager.



The financial muscle of Eastleigh make them a team to be feared in the Skrill South. It is understood that the incoming manager will be handed a generous transfer budget of £50k and a sizeable wage budget of £20k p/w.



Eastleigh haven't experienced much success in the way of silverware and fans will no doubt be wondering if an unknown manager has what it takes to fill the trophy cabinet. Speaking to the press outside Silverlake Stadium one fan had this to say: "He's never managed a club before! What makes the board think he's the right man for the job!? If I knew they were going to appoint him I would've applied."



Want to take the challenge yourself?

http://speedy.sh/yFUQ5/new.fm

Talking tactics

Speaking to Spitfire TV, new manager Mul has announced his tactical plans for the season. Wanting to move away from the route-one football synonymous with the lower leagues, Mul has announced he will be using the tactical systems of Jurgen Klopp and Diego Simeone.

Klopp's Gegenpressing

Based on Klopp's Gegenpressing, this tactic will certainly require discipline. It's a big ask for players at this level but Mul is convinced that he can pull it off.



Simeone's stubborn 4-4-2

The second tactic in Mul's armory is the narrow 4-4-2 currently adopted by Simeone's Atletico Madrid. With it being slightly more defense-minded, Mul will no doubt employ this tactic for matches he expects to lose.



At the very least it's an exciting experiment. For these two managerial masterminds money isn't everything, Mul will no doubt hope to emulate their success on a shoe-string philosophy.

The Bus

The last tactic at Mul's disposal will be "The Bus". This tactic, largely a last-resort, will only be used in games Eastleigh are expected to lose. The philosophy is to park the team bus in front of the goal and hope for the best - the best being, snatching a goal on a counter-attack.

I'd be interesting to see whether the first tactic will work, historically in FM teams at the very bottom struggle with tactics that require high work rate and fitness and that have a lot of specialised roles. If you get the right players for it though it could work, and that's part of the fun, doing things a little different tactically.

3 for the price of 1

Eyebrows were raised this morning as Eastleigh decided to cash-in on their first-choice goalkeeper. It is understood that Ross Flitney has put pen-to-paper on a one-year deal with Championship side Barnsley. Sources close to Mul understand that the new manager sanctioned the move largely because of the fee involved - believed to be in the region of £18k.



Mul has wasted no time spending his new-found wealth as he welcomed four new additions. Given that all the new recruits are just 16 years of age Eastleigh fans will be somewhat dubious over their arrival. Speaking to the press Mul had this to say: "We're delighted to welcome these players to the club. Yes they're young, but they're very talented - this really is an exciting day for Eastleigh Football Club!"

Among the new arrivals were Austrian U-19 internationals Sascha Horvath and Dominik Baumgartner.




Although the new signings arrive with very little experience, expectations will be high. Of all the new arrivals it was Jordan Larsson who had fans talking the most. Given the reputation of his father, Jordan has perhaps received an unfair burden. His new manager was quick to quash expectations, telling fans: "Jordan is a terrific talent but he will need time. We can't expect him to reach the level of Henrik without a lot of support and patience. He has the ability but it is my job to keep his feet on the ground and ensure he works for his place in the team. Reputation counts for nothing here, players win their place on merit!"



Taking into account the relevant compensation fees, it is understood that Eastleigh have spent somewhere in the region of £17.6k, whilst managing to recoup £18.5k from the sale of Flitney.

Cheers. Hopefully it will work. I''m looking to do a complete overhaul (player-wise). Although I signed four youngsters (paying compensation fees), I'm looking to fill my team with decent free agents. It will be interesting; ultimatley, I want my team playing a certain way and a certain brand of football long before we are in league football. Watch this space!

Counago training with Eastleigh

Journeyman striker Pablo Counago joins Eastleigh on trial. The Spanish free-agent, formerly of Ipswich and Palace has joined up with Mul's side in the hope of securing a full-time contract. Fans were excited to see such a stellar name on the training ground and will be hoping that Mul can make the deal a permanent one.

Be a hell of a signing if you nail him down buddy! Good luck with this!

Bernardo Corradi on trial

Eastleigh, continuing their search for the perfect striker, have announced the trial signing of Bernardo Corradi. The former Italy international brings with him a wealth of experience, and will no doubt be seen as a real transfer coup should Mul manage to agree terms. Competition for a place is fierce as Corradi joins Counago, Fleetwood and young Jordan Larsson in the fight to be Eastleigh's lone striker. The former Montreal hit-man will undoubtedly be determined to prove his worth and secure his long-term future at the club.

Cheers mate. Surprisingly, there is no shortage of options available to me. He really is going to have to prove his worth in the up-coming friendlies to secure a contract. Still, he's miles ahead of anything I have at the team right now, and I'm sure he would tear apart teams at this level. Exciting stuff!

The challenge is open

If anyone is interested in taking this challenge, I saved the game (with no manager) before I started. I did it because my brother was going to play as the same team so we could see who does better (ultimately, see who is a better manager). Anyway, the download is below and also in the first post should anyone else want to try it.

Just remember to keep me posted with how you get on

Good luck!

http://speedy.sh/yFUQ5/new.fm

Caleta-Car comes in

Austrian side FC Pasching were left fuming as Mul pinched 16 year-old Caleta-Car for a mere £350 compensation. Eastleigh manager Mul has managed to convince the Croatian U-19 international to move to the Hampshire-based side on a two-year contract.

Gardner on trial

Former Bolton winger Ricardo Gardner has joined Eastleigh on trial. With interest high in Gardner, doubts linger over whether Mul will be able to secure his signature long-term. Gardner joins up with his new team eager to show his worth in up-coming friendlies.

Eastleigh sign Santangelo

The former Manchester United and Reading man has signed a one-year contract with Skrill South side Eastleigh. It is understood that the goalkeeper had impressed whilst on trial, putting in a number of good performances. With the season fast approaching Mul was determined to finalise the deal before the big kick-off.



Having lost Flitney earlier in the window, it has come as no surprise that Mul felt the need to strengthen his options in goal. With Jack Dovey the only other recognised goalkeeper at the club, it seems Mul placed an emphasis on fixing the keeper crisis before addressing other areas of the squad.

David Healy on trial

In other news, Eastleigh have announced that Northern Ireland's all-time leading scorer David Healy, has joined on a 4-week trial. Healy joins a long list of strikers vying for a place in Mul's side - the competition is fierce and Mul is left with a dilemma most in this division could only dream of.

Pre-season done and dusted for Mul

After a somewhat successful pre-season, the focus for Mul turns to the Skrill South. Eastleigh ended their pre-season with a dire performance, resulting in a 1-0 loss to Southern Football League Division One side Northwood F.C.



Speaking to BBC Sport, Mul shared his views: "Obviously we're upset we couldn't finish pre-season on a high - it would have given us a lot of confidence going into the new season. In an ideal world you want to stay unbeaten, but our main focus during the off-season was always going to be team cohesion and gaining a familiarity with tactics, etc. We're doing things differently to a lot of sides at this level, and whilst it is exciting, we're very much in unknown waters. After a dismal performance in what was our last warm-up game, the players know they must knuckle down and improve if we're to stand any chance of success this term."

Gardner not good enough

After some disappointing pre-season performances, Eastleigh have decided against signing Ricardo Gardner. Gardner who had been on trial at the Hampshire-based side will now be free to complete his move to Ekranas.



Speaking to fans, Mul had this to say: "In an ideal world Ricardo would have been a perfect fit for us, but it hasn't worked out that way. We wish Ricardo all the best with his new club. It's a shame because Ricardo is a top player with a lot of experience, but we simply couldn't accommodate him in our system."

For their home match against Farnborough, Eastleigh adopted their familiar Gegenpressing system. Perhaps the one surprise before kick-off was the absence of Damain Batt. Signaled as one of the "key" players upon Mul's arrival, Batt was overshadowed by Dan Spence who enjoyed a succession of good performances in pre-season. As the first game of the season can sometimes throw-up intimidating atmospheres from excited fans, Mul decided against fielding some of his younger players; 16 year-olds Sascha Horvath and Jordan Larsson were left out of the starting eleven as Mul opted for experience over youth.



Despite a shaky start, Eastleigh came from behind to secure a 2-1 win. After a dissapointing first half, Eastleigh came out firing, grabbing an equaliser to minutes after the restart. Just ten minutes later, on-loan striker Akwasi Asante popped up with goal to give Mul's side a hard-earned 3 points.

Another victory for Mul as his faith in youth pays off. Despite going behind yet again, Eastleigh showed great courage and determination to come back and win the game. 16 year-old Caleta-Car was enormous in defence, making some crucial last-ditch challenges. He capped off a wonderful MoM performance with a towering header to give the Spitfires the lead. Mul's substitutions made the difference as 16 year-old Jordan Larsson came off the bench to grab a brace and ensure the 3 points returned to Silverlake.

Eastleigh 2 - 1 Bishop's Stortford

Another victory for Mul as Eastleigh charge toward the top of the table. In the end, first half goals from Jordan Larsson and Romone Rose were enough to see off a stubborn opponent.

Eastleigh held as strikers fail to deliver in Larsson's absence. With Jordan Larsson missing through injury, Eastleigh turned to Stuart Fleetwood as the principle goal-threat. Fleetwood, failing to make an impact, was substituted on the hour mark. His replacement Asante, couldn't get into the game and Eastborune held out for a bore draw.

It was a productive August for Eastleigh, as Michael Mul saw his side pick up 10 points from a possible 12. Eastleigh's fine form has propelled them to third in the Skrill South, two points behind league leaders Ebbsfleet.



The stand-out performer this month was Jordan Larsson. The young Swede picked up 3 goals in one start and one substitute appearance.

With Caleta-Car, Baumgartner, and Santangelo away on international duty, Mul was forced to make drastic changes to his first-choice back four. Filling in for the absentees were Jack Dovey, Dean Beckwith, and new-boy Yado Mambo. With Larsson still injured, the responsibility of lone striker fell on the shoulders of Akwasi Asante.

Eastleigh welcomed a Hayes & Yeading side low on confidence. With the visitors rock-bottom in the Skrill South and yet to register a point, the result seemed a foregone conclusion before kick-off. Eastleigh duly delivered, picking up a vital 3 points in a 5-2 thriller. Sascha Horvath was in fine form, grabbing two assists and a goal; on that showing, the young playmaker will have Austria U-19's wondering why they left him behind.

Transfer Update

It has been a busy few days for Eastleigh as there have been a number of moves in and out of the club. In a bid to lower his overall wage bill, Mul moved to release a number of senior players this month including, Ben Strevens, Craig McAllister, Chris Dillon, and vice-captain Chris Todd.

The incoming players included, Yado Mambo, Adam Nkusu Landu, and Christopher Missilou. It has been evident in his early transfer dealings that Mul is placing a considerable emphasis on youth. Only time will tell if you can win with kids.





However, it wasn't all good news for Mul, as long-time target Bernardo Corradi put pen-to-paper with Hungarian outfit Lombard-Pápa TFC. Speaking to Spitfire TV, Mul had this to say: "Look, obviously we would've loved to have brought Bernardo in, but sometimes it's just not that easy. We couldn't come to an agreement that suited both parties, it's as simple as that."

Bath 1 - 0 Eastleigh

Bath in snatch and grab win as Mul's boys lose their first game. In a game in which Eastleigh dominated, Bath somehow emerged victorious, winning the game by a slender margin. It was head in hands time for the players and their manager as they lost a game they really should have won comfortably.



The press were quick to point out that Mul's change of tactics (reverting to the Simeone tactic) cost his side the game. Speaking to fans, Mul had this to say: "We were all over them. There was nothing wrong with the tactic or the selection. Today was just a case of rotten luck. Make no mistake, we will learn from this disappointment and bounce back stronger than ever."

Eastleigh show great bounce-back-ability as they beat Weston-super-Mare 3-2. After a disappointing loss against Bath, the Spitfires unsurprisingly came out firing on all cylinders. Eastleigh were buyoed by the return of Santangelo, Caleta-Car, and Baumgartner, with the latter two returning to the starting XI.




Speaking to Spitfire TV, Mul shared his thoughts: "I'm delighted with the win - it was very important to get back to winning ways quickly. Fans need to realise the enormity of the challenge here; we're revamping the entire team. Sure, up till now it's been gradual, but in terms of a one-year project this must be seen as drastic. It will take time for the players to get used to one another, and the in which way we play. When it's all clicking it will be a very good time to be an Eastleigh fan."

Decent start here mate, well done

Cheers mate, unfortunately I had a crash dump on the file and couldn't load my game today

I was really enjoying it though, so I might start another story on Eastleigh. Might focus mainly on youth players this time - as I had A LOT of success with Larsson, etc.

If i do another story I might write in 1st person - I didn't get much feedback with this, so I don't think many people liked 3rd person narrative.