[Greenbeard]

St. Norling
A Tactical Mastermind

To whom ever this may concern.

My name is Rikard Norling; I’m born the 4th of June 1971.
If your reading this then you’ve decided to find out more about me and I hope you will continue to do so. In the future you’ll be reading about my life, as I grow older together with the passion of my life, the game of football.
Let me introduce myself, as you already know my name is Rikard or Richard if you prefer.

I’ve always had an immense passion for football, during my younger years I used to be a very skilful playmaker in the midfield for the Swedish club’s Bele and Brommapojkarna. But injuries forced me into an early retirement. I personally belive that the main reason was that I trained my upper-body and stomach but forgot the legs and back which caused me into all of those injuries. This was back in 1991, when I was only twenty years old.

As I no longer could take part of playing football on the pitch I began to take different coaching badges and it all paid off when four years later my previous club Brommapojkarna asked me to become their Academy trainer, this was the start of my managerial career which has had many turns during the years.
Two years after joining up with Brommapojkarna I changed club’s to yet another of my previous teams now with Bele.
But a great opportunity arose when a year later Aik Solna the so well known football club which I’m manager of today asked me to become their new Academy coach, which I of course accepted. I also became father the same year to my beautiful little daughter Evelina who’s now eleven years of age.
It wasn’t long before I was moved up in the ranks at the club in Stockholm as during the 1998 season whilst we were in the Champions League being assistant manager, to Stuart Baxter who was the manager during that era.

It was also during the Champions League campaign, which I have my best experience with football when best friend Nebojsa Novakovic scored 1-0, in the match against AEK Aten, which meant we were ready for the Champions League stages. Nebojsa and I go way back in time and still stick together as best friends do, he’s currently my right hand at Aik.

It was also during the 2000/2001 season which I made the decision to retreat back to the Academy in Aik, but felt that I needed experience from being a manager over a club’s first team and left Aik Solna. This was big risk as no longer had any secure financial support, I’m very thank full to this day to my wife Jeanette for staying beside my side during the following two years of unemployment which were the toughest years of my life so far.
But “Who ever waits a long time, waits for something good” happened to me as well and I have Nebojsa to thank very much for this as he was assistant manager/player as Väsby, he put in a few good words for me and the next thing I knew I was made manager over the club.

But as many other things in life, all good things come to an end as during the same year in 2002, now four years ago I lose my father Bengt, 53, to lung cancer. I was devastated and hadn’t it been from the massive support form my wife friends and specially Nebojsa Novakovic I don’t know what would of happened with me.

I then left for GIF Sundsvall two years later as they were in the Allsvenska before the year later I moved to a club, which I have near my heart, Aik Solna.
A year later from the appointment and I find myself together with Nebojsa in the top flank of Swedish football after a very successful year in the second tier which we concurred without to much trouble.

But I don’t know there’s something which is missing, and I really want to find out what it is, as the Swedish football season begins soon.

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[Greenbeard]

Chapter I - ‘Putting the past behind’

Moving Forwards

I continued to question my life to find out what was the missing part, which was causing this irritable feeling of uncertainness. During the past year with AIK we’d concurred the Superettan finishing nine points ahead of second placed Öster who also were promoted. We broke the record with the biggest gap between first and second placed teams since the beginning of Superettan.

My contract with AIK would expire just ahead of first match in Allsvenskan and the board were very favourable towards extending my contract, and that as soon as possible. I’d been with AIK during many years of my so far very short managing career, the years had been the best of my managing moments, but why did I still feel this feeling of something was missing? Was it that I needed a new challenge, or was it something else?
I decided to confront Nebojsa Novakovic and surprisingly enough he felt the same feeling, Nebojsa’s contract expired also during the same time.
He explained to me that he felt he needed to move on, and wanted to know my own opinions about the matter, seeing as I was one of his best friends and manager over the same club his was assistant manager over.
He said that he’d spoken to his wife, the so very kind Gordana and the oldest child Dejan about his feelings. He informed me that he had their full support on anything he chose to do, and replied the same thing.

It was roughly during the same moment that I finally understood what was missing in my life; I needed to move on, to leave AIK and possibly even Sweden. I needed a new challenge somewhere else, the standard of Swedish football isn’t really at all very good and the possibility of making a Swedish team into European giants was more or less impossible. There was no possibility of growing into that size, as there wasn’t enough financial support from playing football in Sweden. I was roughly making 60 000 kronor roughly around 4500 pounds per month after taxes which are very high in Sweden.
I’m really not a person whose greedy belive about this but during the two years which I was unemployed I had been forced to take big loans, and the possibility of being able to not have to worry about having enough money to survive the next day, in a standard I wanted my family to life in could at times be heart-breaking.

It was quite obvious what the outcome was going to be, we both decided that it was time in a life to move on, and that sadly AIK the club that has a big place in our hearts had taken us as far as it could. I know the fans would be very disappointed with us leaving, and would feel like we were backstabbing them but personally I feel that my own life is more important then that of the club. I’d probably regret that sentence in the future during an interview should I ever find another job wherever the future may lead me, and hopefully Nebojsa.

The conservation with Nebojsa finished as I returned to my house in Järfälla to tell Jeanette, Evelina and Emma of what I considering. They to backed me up fully which felt extremely important.
They did ask me a lot of questions, about what I was going to do in the future and if Nebojsa would be leaving the club as well, and if we were going to move. But I had no answers to those questions.

I phoned Nebojsa to tell him of the news, and we agreed to contact the board about not extending our contract, hence meaning that they would have to look for a new manager in time for the pre-season and the upcoming Allsvenska campaign. It would be a very painful moment for both of us knowing that we wouldn’t have the honour to manage at Råsunda in front of the mighty Black Army, to so very loyal fans of the club during the coming season. But a man has to what a man has to do, right?

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[Greenbeard]

Chapter I - ‘Putting the past behind’

Leaving Club & Country

I can’t say that it was one of my preferred moments, saying good-bye together with Nebojsa to the AIK board.
We had the meeting at the restaurant inside the AIK stadium, Råsunda. Director of Football Ola Anderson and Chairman of the club Charlie Granfeldt will have definitely presumed in advance that we’d extend our contracts during the meal.

But they took everything all right even though Charlie had a shock; they accepted our decision and respected it.
Many questions were asked during the meal, such as, was there something wrong? Which it of course hadn’t been, we had just both felt it was time to leave the club to continue our dreams.

The media flocked around the pressroom inside Råsunda, where the entire Swedish football nation was given the news. It came unexpected to everyone including the fans and the player’s.
Charlie had given Nebojsa and myself the permission to say our last good byes to the player’s before leaving the club, which we were of course very thankful for.
The player’s had meant a lot to the both of us during the previous season, and their were of course player’s that we’d miss more and other’s that we wouldn’t. I’d definitely Miss Wilton Figueiredo and Pierre Bengtsson two players, which I think have an excellent future ahead of them. I do hope that in the future I’ll get be their manager again.

After saying a final goodbye to the player’s and staff, Nebojsa and myself retreated back to my place in Järfälla where Nebojsa’s family and my own were waiting for our arrival.
The two family’s had decided that what ever would happen in the future we’d be doing it together, with Nebojsa being my best friend we spent many of moments together and our wife’s and children had got to know the other’s family very well and we were all good friends.

The decision about our future was made during this little meeting at my house, both families thought it was best to move abroad, and that Nebojsa and I should decide where to go, hence giving us the best possible opportunities to find a new club, to begin our new regime. Which country would be decided later.

[Greenbeard]

Chapter I - ‘Putting the past behind’

The Move

It’s strange how similar Nebojsa and myself can be. Yet again we seemed to agree entirely thank god, to which country we’d like to continue our careers in. Which country lives for the game, which’s known to have the largest amount of fans? Of course England, what other possible country would be as good as England?
None really, now that we knew which country we’re going to move to the only question now was where?

After looking after different areas we finally choose to move to Southampton, we found both two deceptively spacious four-bedroom houses beside each other. The property has been thoughtfully extended and refurbished by the present owners, and subsequently offers generous family accommodation in a location which is very convenient for local schools, shops and communication links. An internal inspection is essential as an appreciation of the accomodation on offer cannot be achieved by external assessment.
All in all for £ 600,000 for the both houses’ we were well happy. So are new address was to be 32 and 33 Bridge Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO31 7GF.
The price tag of 600,000 quid for the two houses wasn’t exactly what we could afford at the moment but with a small loan from the bank it wouldn’t be any trouble. The house was perfectly located with a school near by for the children and everything you could need near.
Though the reason we chose Southampton I still can’t remember. I think it was because we wanted to live near London but not in London.

The families were delighted with our choice of area, Jeanette had once been to Southampton before and she loved it. That was actually one of the main reasons I considered the area. Now having found a home in Southampton there would be a lot of opportunity for us hopefully with England’s capital near us and the possibility of finding a job during the summer would hopefully not be to challenging.

The seasons in England were coming to an end now and many managers were going under huge pressure from the board and the fans. Many would be sacked during the summer-break.
Somehow the media already knew about our moving plans, and speculation about which different club’s we could possibly take over was a hot topic in the Swedish media. Some of the articles thought we’d been idiots to leave Sweden and that we’d taken far too much of a gamble, but that was a risk I could take.

The Docks

[Greenbeard]

Chapter II - ‘Saint Norling’

A Saint in the Making


It was to both Nebojsa’s and my own astonishment that the English media knew who we were. Now, not only the Swedish media but also English media were discussing the possibilities of Nebojsa and my own future at a new club here in England.

We were both astonished about the current situation there were talks about us taking over a club in the Premiership, which we had never been able to even dream about. Middlesborough was probably the biggest club we were targeted to and to be honest we even did have a chat with the Chairman of the club Steve Gibson about a possible future at The Riverside Stadium. But that ended quite quickly when they appointed previous captain and player of the club Gareth Southgate to be come their new manager at the club.
Then there was the likes of Wolves, Reading and Southend, which we were all meant to be hot favourites for the job. But none of the club’s actually called us about their interest.

It was looking like it could be a very dismal year, as England now had to put up with the fact that they had yet again not succeeded in the World Cup during the summer in Germany. Were local boy Theo Walcott that had been sold to Arsenal just before the end of the season, for a few million pounds had taken a controversial addition to the nations squad ahead of the tournament. Hence casting Sven Göran-Eriksson into even more critics from the English newspapers.

Financially we weren’t in that much of a trouble either of the two families but we both wanted to find a job as soon as possible.
But as suddenly as we’d understood that we might be in big trouble with the job’s becoming very few that suddenly a big opportunity raised. It was that famous day that the Italians won against France that controversial match which Zinedine Zidane took farewell to football in a so modest way by head butting Materazzi that Michael Wilde Chairman of Southampton football club announced that they’d sacked George Elder Burley who had been the manager of the club during the past season. But finishing down in tenth place didn’t seem to please the Chairman enough and thought that it was time for a new man to take over the helms at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, home of The Saints.

It was then that the media out of nowhere said that we’d be the new manager’s and that the Chairman of the club had already contacted us. Of course for the both of us this would be a fabulous opportunity but it was nothing that we’d been expecting. By the time the sun had gone down the club’s Chairman had already got in touch with the both of us.
The negotiations proceeded as we hopped they would do simple and cleanly, and only two days after the World Cup Final, we were announced as the new trainer duo at St Mary’s Stadium.

I was offered a four thousand pounds a week contract at the club for a two year contract whilst Nebojsa was offered a 1,2 thousand pound a week contract as assistant manager.
The club’s fan’s welcomed us to the club and helped us feel at home in Southampton very quickly, none of us in either the two families could walk around town without people running up to one, wanting to shake hands and congratulate us on the appointment. It was all very friendly and welcoming.

During a meeting with the club’s board we decided all of the financial aspects, in other words the wage budget and transfer budget and different possible improvements at the club. I requested both the possibilities of linking the club up with a feeder and a parent club.
I had in mind a club in Belgium would be perfect for a feeder club, hence giving us the opportunity of signing foreign player’s who wouldn’t normally be aloud to sign for us and loaning them out for a three year loan spell to the Belgium club and after those three years the player could return to the club.
My Contract to Southampton and different goals:

Rikard Norling Contract

· Expires: 090630
· Wage: £ 4,000/week
· Wage Budget: £ 82,000/week
· Transfer Budget: £ 400,000
· Expected Performance: The board expect you to achieve a respectable league position within the Championship during this season.
· Goal Inside the Club: Due to the insufficient amount of money, we’d like you to cut down on the wage budget, and also promote players from inside the youth ranks to higher level, as we can’t afford to let you sign many players.

[Greenbeard]

Chapter II - ‘Saint Norling’

Showing who’s the Boss

It wouldn’t take a long time before; I’d shown the player’s who was the boss. With the wage-budget cutting off nearly all-possible chances of signing new player’s I’d have to do drastic changes to the team, either the player’s would down on their wages or they’d have to find a new club.

Marek Saganowski was on of these examples, the club had loaned him in during the summer-break before I’d joined the club and he was meant to stay here for the entire season, but with a wage of £15,000 a week I just felt that his ability wasn’t worth the amount of money we were spending on him and sent him back to France, and his current club Troyes.

Yet another polish star was costing the club a fortune, Rasiak but unlike Marek I felt the striker was worth those fifteen thousand we spent on him each week. I tried to have a talk with him during the first week about our financial problems at the club, but he didn’t seem to care less and even thou I faced him with the ultimatum of leaving the club he continued to disagree with my idea of signing a new contract with less of a loan.
The good news was though that when I did finally but him on the transfer list he came the following training an apologised for being so selfish and said that he’d agree a new contract for half of his current wage.
So with that done I’d cut down on the wage budget already by twenty-three thousand pounds a week, hence giving me the chance of getting to look for new player’s.

The board found both a parent and a feeder club for the team, as I’d hoped they’d found a club in Belgium willing to work out a deal as Wettern agreed a Feeder Club contract with us. Meaning that we were able to send players on loan to Wettern. During the loan spell Southampton will pay the player’s wage in full. Wettern have no obligation to play the player and Southampton may recall him at any time. This meaning that with Belgium having only a three-year for a work permit in Belgium we’d be able to sign foreign players and in the future have them playing in our starting eleven.
An immense chance was given to the club when the board explained to me that Chelsea had been interested in forming a link with us as our new parent club, just think of the possibilities and youth player’s we could loan in, such as Scott Sinclair and Ben Sahar with many other’s I thought. I didn’t take me long before I replied the club that they should set up a contract between the two clubs. And on the 7th of July 2006 the link between the two clubs were announced in the English media.

Now with the possibilities of signing new player’s and foreign ones as well I sent out the club’s scout who returned with impressive results. They’d contacted an Argentinean trio whilst away in the South of America. All three were promising strikers and attacking midfielders, and all three were signed to the club for very small fee’s during the next three year’s they’d be stationed in the Belgium feeder club Wettern waiting to get the Belgium work-permit allowing the to play for the club.

Pre-season matches had to be organized so I used my contacts and Southampton was signed down for a tour in Sweden, with matches against my previous club’s Bele and AIK and the semi-professional club’s in Uppsala, Danmarks IF and GUSK. Then finishing up with a tour in Scotland, against the likes of Aberdeen, Celtic, Gretna and Rangers.

I continued to make enquiries about getting new players and when the club’s scouts, who had been rooming around Europe, returned they’d brought back two new promising players. Borja Resurrecón was a promising Spanish defender who’d previously played for Rayo’s B team during last season, but hadn’t been given an extended contract; he was signed on a three-year deal.
The second European player was Alessandro Beschi, an Italian centre midfielder who’d for the last three years been stationed at Serie A team Chievo, but he to was released during the summer and snapped up by our scouts. Both the player’s joined the rest of the player’s in Southampton’s Under-18’s and were accompanied by my first signing Zac Barrett the promising English goalkeeper which I signed from Luton for £ 10,000. I’d been interested about him for the past year whilst managing with AIK, but never felt the club was prestigious enough to sign the youngster, but now I was given the chance and he joined us. And I was very pleased with my-self.

We’re now going to travel to Sweden for the tour there, both Nebojsa and myself are looking forward to our stay in Southampton, and were hoping for a nice welcoming at Råsunda when we face our previous club AIK.

[Greenbeard]

Chapter II - ‘Saint Norling’

Welcome to Paradise

Satisfaction is the word, I choice to use whilst summering up our pre-season football.
The lad’s had full understanding about the club’s current finical problems, and accepted that during this season we’d be concentrating about making it to the promotion’s and the play-off places. Making it would mean money in their pockets are a nice bonus should we be promoted.

I got rid off the greedy arse Jermaine Wright, who was the only player to disagree with getting a new contract, he was directly put up on the transfer list, and poor old Burnley from the same league decided to place a bid of 75,000 pounds on Wright. In my opinion a very good price to lose such as waste of money.
The opening pre-season matches went really good for us as we played against division five team Danmarks IF at the small football stadium Danelid and won 6-0, with an impressive six different goal scorers.

We continued the tour playing against my former club, Bele that we defeated 2-0 after goals from Rasiak and Bradley Wright-Phillips whom by the way in my opinion has as big of a talent if not even bigger then his older brother Shaun Wright-Phillips and father Ian.
Then it was time for the reunion at Råsunda, in front of the Aik Supporters who gave the team and myself a fantastic welcoming, in what was a very entreating match which polish international Rasiak helped us to win with two goals on the night, in a 3-2 win.
I got the chance to spend the nights with the AIK player’s who now are under the management of previous Swedish international under-19’s manager Jörgen Lennartsson.

It was during this night that my mobile phone called and Nebojsa Novakovic my dearest friend and assistant manager at the club informed me the Chelsea had offered us the possibility of loaning in their youngster Scott Sinclair for the rest of the season, without any costs to his wage. I was walking on clouds after that, and I might have drunken one to many pints of beers.

The following afternoon Scott Sinclair arrived at out camp in Uppsala ahead of the final match in our Swedish tour against division three sides GUSK, the young English striker made an immense impact on the player’s scoring a vital goal in the 6-1 victory.

IK Sirius a club in Uppsala which play in the second tier of Swedish football were playing the day after our victory at Stundenternas IP which is their home stadium, against Brommapojkarna in the Swedish cup. A young Sebastian Lindroth was to the left in the defence for the home side, and impressed during the entire match he also caught interest of a few scouts in the stadium including my self. Knowing that the youngster would get an offer quite soon from another club, I decided to take a risk and make an offer immediately after the match. A pathetic amount of only 1,000 pounds was enough to convince his club to let the player go, with one more thing on the deal. That we’d return next year to play against IK Sirius in a friendly game with Sirius getting all of the income from the match.

Sebastian wasn’t even a challenge to convince to move to England, and before he knew it he was travelling back with the rest of the Southampton team including my self and the rest of the staff team back to England. Where we were to build up for the final pre-season matches in our tour in Scotland.

Kelvin Davis was left outside the team which travelled to Scotland, as he was informed early during the day that he would be moving to Derby on a three year contract deal giving us 250,000 pounds, which isn’t really what I hoping for, after the club paid 800,000 pounds for him during the previous transfer window. But nevertheless he wasn’t included in my future plans, as I found him very inconsistent.

An excellent opening game in the Scottish tour saw us beat Aberdeen at the Pittodrie Stadium 3-1, with goals from Belmandi, Idiake and Scott Sinclair. We then surprised everyone when Scott Sinclair continued to make headlines around England after he scored a hattrick during the match against Celtic, which ended 3-3.
But if you think three goals from youngster Scott Sinclair was good then bare yourself to be surprised as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored four goals against like seasons Scottish shocker team Gretna in a 4-1 victory.

With very tired legs the player’s went out on the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow for the final match in our pre-season, Ranger’s turned out to be to much of a challenge as I faced my first ever defeat with Southampton, thanks to two goals from Dado Prso which could secure the victory for Rangers.

We returned home, and are now gathering strength and topping our form ahead of the first match in the Coca-Cola Championship against Hull City away. Which I can be honest to say that I’m very confident about.

Pre-Season Results

[Jonas]

Looong time since I've seen that great graphics. Loving the story too mate. :thup:

[Tarrantino]

Nice story Greenbeard, i'm liking your stories alot :thup:

[Greenbeard]

Tarrantino, on May 14 2007, 06:02 PM, said:

Nice story Greenbeard, i'm liking your stories alot :thup:

Thank You

Jonas, on May 14 2007, 05:45 PM, said:

Looong time since I've seen that great graphics. Loving the story too mate. :thup:

Nice, check my previous story. For even more graphical stuff.

[Greenbeard]

Chapter III - ‘Sea of Red & White’

When the Saints Go Marching In


It was the beginning of something big; it was the recreation of a beautiful club.
And I had the honour to be a part of it, and have my best friend Nebojsa Novakovic by side threw out the era.
August month had now dawned upon us, like the stars in the sky. The beginning of the Coca-Cola Championship’s was just around the bend and all the teams where firing up their player’s for the first match.

Our first match was far away in hull a somewhat 260 miles away from our home in Southampton, to be precise it would be around a four and half hour drive for our supporters to arrive to The Circle, home of The Tigers otherwise known as Hull City.

The week ahead of the match and the player’s were training hard ahead of the match, with the first match in my mind I had little space for other thoughts or ideas. But there was enough space somewhere in my head to pay attention to Nebojsa Novakovic my dear friend that he’d been talking with Swedish club IFK Göteborg and with their Chairman Stig Lundström together with manager Stefan Rehn about signing their goalkeeper Bengt Andersson.
Nebojsa had successfully negotiated a contract with the club from Gothenburg and the experienced goalkeeper who’s played eleven times for the Swedish national team was signed the day before the match against Hull. 50,000 pounds was the highest price I’d pay for any player during the summer transfer window, and it would also be my final transfer during the window.

It was a joy to see the travelling five thousand supporters, stand and cheer us on as we battled against Hull in the first match of the league campaign, both teams had their fair of opportunities Mario Licka was injured in the beginning of the second half and only minutes later Scott Sinclair scored the matches only goal when he slotted home with a header from Rasiak’s pass.

A sad trip to the Britannia Stadium ended in despair as we lost 1-0, with Bengt Andersson getting injured only seven minutes into the second half, giving Zac Barrett his debute for the club. He did an all right performance keeping a clean sheet, but that didn’t help us come back from the first-half goal.

Things then turned around when we played the following to matches at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton as we hosted Birmingham, all went well until the sixth minute when Bale tripped Gary McSheffrey, and was given a straight red card. This forced me into doing some changes, thankfully I had Nebojsa to help me out and he suggested replacing Östlund for Martin Craine to play a 3-4-2 formation for the rest of the game.
And only six minutes later it paid off when Belmadi’s free kick targeted Jhon Viáfara to give us the lead.
Yet another injury forced me into making another substitution Djamel Belmadi when he was injured ten minutes into the second half.
The change caused lack of concentration on the field as Damien Johnson was allowed to equalise for Birmingham. But the lad’s put their act together and Grzegorz Rasiak scored only minutes later to give us the three points.
Scott Sinclair and Idiáke made sure we had no problems defeating Burnley with two goals to nil as we moved up the league into play-off positions.
Torquay weren’t much of match in the first round of the Carling Cup away from home as Rasiak was the games only goal scorer. The month finished with a disappointing 0-0 match away from home against Q.P.R.
With all the player’s now forming a good bound between each other I’m looking forward to the next month.

[Greenbeard]

Chapter III - ‘Sea of Red & White’

Insufficient


It’s not only about getting three points, you need to entertain the fans, they’ve got to be pleased.
The player’s probably only care about winning the games, but the pressure on the manager and the club is humongous. I can’t say we’ve been all the good, I expect much better from a club of this standard, the fan’s have been amazing what can I say really.

Nebojsa and my own kid’s have finally started going to different English schools, whilst Nebojsa’s wife’s found a job with a PR company, who actually sponsor the club.
It’s a nice feeling to have finally settled in, in my opinion it’s an important part to be able to succeed at club.
Not once have I regretted moving away from Stockholm, Southampton’s been amazing so far.
So many new experience’s so many people and a totally different culture.

During the September month I contacted Wettern, our feeder club on how our player’s were progressing at the club. Their manager was honest with me, and explained from the start the club’s fan’s hadn’t been to pleased about the club loaning in foreign from another club, but they’d changed the fan’s opinions quit quickly with some excellent performance’s which delighted me of course.
Nebojsa took the opportunity to go and watch them live during one of their home games and he was mighty impressed by Daniel García who’d scored six times during seven appearances so far.

The club’s put up average performance’s, some that I can be very pleased about other’s which are pathetic.
Travelling to The Oakwell home of Barnsley Football Club after the Q.P.R match wasn’t one of my favourites as we lost the game 2-1. But then the lad’s but their act together as we slaughtered Ipswich and Southend, 3-2 and 4,2 at home. Before walking over opponents Millwall in the League Cup 2nd round 1-0, Leicester then took us back to reality with a 3 - 0 thumping away from home. After some average matches the team travelled to Preston and to The Deepdale, where we were humiliated 4-2 with our new signing Borja getting his first match.

Claude Lundekvam and my self haven’t got on very well, with our fare shares of fights and different opinions on matter’s has led to Claude being stripped of the captaincy with Baird replacing him as the new captain.
Youngster Scott Sinclair has continued to impress me, and has scored bucket loads of goals.

We travelled to Upton Park on October the 25th for the third round in the League Cup, a match we’d been looking forward to for ages. And I was overjoyed of having captured Chelsea striker Ben Sahar on a three month loan just ahead of the match, and been given the permission from Chelsea to allow him to play in our cup match.

The opening of the game was very uneventful with both teams just feeling out the other, with the fans behind the home side West Ham continued to mount on the pressure towards the final minutes of the first half and came really close of scoring when Tevez hit the post just seconds before the referee blew he whistle for the half time interval.
The lad’s continued to fight out playing their hearts out but Ashton and Carlos Tevez are deadly striker’s and giving them any space can be very cost full, which we sadly experienced when Ashton scored in the 56th minute to set the home fans into ecstatic chants. With only a few minutes left of the game Ben Sahar took the field replacing Scott Sinclair, and the Chelsea youngster game so close as one of his shot’s hit the bar before Anton Ferdinand could clear the ball.

It just wasn’t enough, the guys did their best but West Ham was the better side, as we crashed out of the Carling’s Cup at the hand’s of a defensive West Ham. The lad’s needed something to lift the moral, so together with Nebojsa I organized a big festive buffet for themselves and their families. It turned out to be a mega success, and their joy for football was back, in time for the match against Crystal Palace away from home.

You could feel the tension in the buss on the way to the match, the lads where all packed up for an action packed match, and were all-raring to go. We got off to the better start shocking the home fans, with a goal coming in the 10th minute, but alas it was called off for offside. But that didn’t stop us as minutes later Scott Sinclair elegantly took down a cross from Skacel and passed it to the right fooling nearly everyone as Rasiak easily could score the opening goal. The atmosphere in the changing was unbelievably pleasant, indifference to the previous matches. But Lady bad luck returned as Crystal Palace scored the equaliser ten minutes into the second half, their striker must have been like 5 or six yard’s offside but that didn’t seem to bother the referee as signalled for a goal.

I went crazy I couldn’t understand how the linesman could of missed it, I made sure the fourth official knew my opinion but that just gave the referee another reason to be against us, as I was sent into the stand. Minute’s later and the home side were yet again gifted another goal when they were awarded a blunder of a penalty decision.
The lad’s were really pissed after the final whistle, as we for the third game in a row had lost, but they all promised to play their hearts out for the match against West Brom the following Wednesday.

-------------------------------------------------

Quote

Rikard Norling’s had an average good start at the helm of Southampton Football club, as Southampton only find themselves two points away from a play-off spot. Chelsea duo Scott Sinclair and Ben Sahar who’ve joined the club, are impressing a lot at the club. But both insist that Southampton is the only thing on their minds, and neither of the duos want to rejoin Chelsea at the current time.

Rumours out that Craig David the famous singer who’s a Southampton supporter, might be helping the club financially during the transfer window, as he was heard commenting that Rikard Norling was the future of he beloved Southampton Football Club, and that he’d love to help the club forwards.

[Greenbeard]

Chapter IV - ‘The Comeback’

The Passion


I can’t find words to express how honourable it was to be the manager of the eleven Southampton players’, which walked out onto the field for the match against Wigan. With our current form being quite weak many journalist’s thought that we were going to have a nightmare against a strong-sided Wigan.

But the player’s didn’t seem to have any respect for the opponent team, as they ripped them apart with the final score at 2-1, a very convincing victory which any manager would be happy about.
There was more to come; with the moral high during the week of training the guy’s pushed forwards as you could see how much passion they possessed during training.
The wining streak then continued at home against Norwich as Scott Sinclair continued to show is ability firing home two goals, out of the three we scored, Polish national striker Rasiak mounted up the final goal.

We then travelled to Sheffield Wednesday for an entertaining match, in which six goals were scored, three each. The Owls manager, Brian Laws had their goalkeeper, Jimmy Walker to thank after the match as he saved them from losing the point during many times under the match.

With less then two month’s until the transfer window opened, the club had made a profit of 4 million pounds since my arrival during the summer, leading to me hoping for an extended amount for signing new player’s to mount a serious challenge for promotion. But time would have to show.
Meanwhile I continued to scout around Europe trying to find new talents but sadly most of them would require work-permits in Belgium. And the club’s chairman had informed that they wouldn’t let me sign anymore-unknown talents that needed to be sent abroad until the summer.

I had a talk with Chelsea about the possibility of loaning in the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Diarra and Hilario on a three-month loan deal each, the club accepted of course my offer, as Jose Mourinho didn’t want the player’s. But all three of the trio rejected the opportunity saying that they wanted to stay to try and get a place in the first team, a shame really they could have been a real asset to us.

In the mist of the all the speculation and financial questions which had been around the club and the transfer market, Leeds United had became the first club during the season to roll the first head of managers, as Dennis Wise was given the sack with Leeds United down in 20th position after nineteen matches. I remember watch the team a few years ago in the Champions League final, and now they were looking into being relegated, such a shame to see a club of that size fall down the English football leagues.

But not only had the sacking of Dennis Wise been given less attention to, but we’d totally crushed Colchester 5-1 at home, it was like watching the lad’s muck around during a training session. They looked like they’d never done anything else in their lives but scoring goals.

It was after this match that I had a very surprising phone call; the day after the match the famous singer Craig David called my cell-phone. I of course had no idea who he was, but given time he explained who he was and I was a bit embarrassed, but he said it was all right. Turned out he was a huge fan of Southampton Football Club and wanted to help us in our race towards promotion. He informed me that if we were still in the play-off spot on new years, he’d give the club a fee of 2,5 million pounds to spend on player’s during the transfer window.

I was startled and didn’t know what to say, I just murmured thank you, he then said he had to go and that he’d already spoken to the Chairman of the club. We hastily said good-bye and now I had yet another reason to spur on the player’s during the training sessions. With less then a month left to new years day we were in fifth place only five points behind leading side, West Brom.

[Greenbeard]

Chapter IV - ‘The Comeback’

Money, Money, Money


I don’t know what it was but the lad’s seemed far to bigheaded ahead of the away match against bottom of the league side Coventry. They shocked us during the opening minutes scoring two quick goals and that was it, our nice form streak without being defeated was over, the league’s worst current team Coventry 2-1 humiliated us. I was embarrassed with the words of Craig in mind; I gave the lad’s a real serious talk.

And again it seemed to have a big impact on the player’s as we played the next match at home to Cardiff, and slaughtered them 3-0, Scott Sinclair adding yet another two goals to his tally for this season. It’s unbelievable how Chelsea can’t play this player instead of paying thirty million for the likes of Shev.
I was delighted to receive the Manager of the Month award for November after leading my team into four of our latest six matches to victory.

Elland Road was our next destination and playing against Leeds United isn’t an easy task. With relegation becoming a reality the club’s players are fighting hard towards getting points in every match, with a very high defence the home side were able to take the lead in the 53rd minute, and then minutes later with a goal from David Healy. I really couldn’t understand why we were so bad against the weaker teams of the league it was really getting on my nerves. Gareth Bale set up Scott Sinclair for a goal but it was to late, as our final chance from Scott Sinclair hit the post and seconds later Probert the referee blew the final whistle.
To my own horror we were now outside the play-off spots in seventh place just a point behind Cardiff who where in sixth place.

I dreaded meeting our next opponents Derby County as they were down in twenty-first place know what we’d prestige during previous matches against weaker teams I was bloody nervous with the money from Craig David slipping away from me slowly into the mist. Two first half goals from Scott Sinclair was enough to let me take a few risks by replacing the striker duo for Jones and Wright-Phillips the two impressed me during the forty minute’s the were given as Bradley scored the third goal in our 3-0 victory. Very satisfying victory it was as it moved us into fifth position.

Only another four matches before we’d secure the 2,5 million pounds Craig David had promised me, if we’d keep in our current position now sixth place as Crystal Palace won their game.
It’s not every day that a manager at a new club gets approached after less then half a season, by a famous singer that he’ll be given an extended fee for the transfer window, because the person believes that you’re the one for the club. Thank god our next match was again at home this time to Stoke City another club which were underachieving in the Championship, the lad’s continued to show how much they loved the club as they outfield Stoke 3-1, in a game which looked like on the training ground. It’s always nice for a manager to see how easily your side beats another. With two away matches left out of the three remaining, next up was Burnley at The Turf Moor, a match which looked like it was going to end 0-0 until the 93rd minute when Nathan Dyer decided to hit a long range distance shot, giving us the three points. With little time to regain strength a somewhat over confidence Southampton failed to play the way, we’ve planned to and fell into Birmingham’s pace there for leading to a defeat 3-1 at St. Andrews.

All we had to do now was to win the final game, with three points down to the team in seventh place a point would seal the two and a half million pound fee that Craig David had promised. It was ahead of this match that I had a phone call from Chelsea’s chairman who told us that Hilario had been released by the club, and that he’d like to sign up for us. With Bengt Andersson starting to feel his age, now 40. Hilario was signed just in time for the home game against Hull City. And talk about joy and happiness as we won 4-1, with two goals from Polish international Rasiak. After the final whistle Craig David made an announcement with the stadium still packed of happy Saint’s supporters. He told the fans that I was given another 2,5 million pounds for the transfer kitty, and the cheers around the stadium could be heard hours after the match was finished.
This must have been like a big message to all the clubs around England in the Championship that Southampton were a club to fear, and that they’d be facing a nightmare when playing against us.

[Greenbeard]

Chapter IV - ‘The Comeback’

A New Year


After the match against Hull City, our Chairman informed me that Championship rivals Sunderland had made a 1,6 Million pound bid on our centre defender from Portugal Pelé. In my opinion that was a lot for a player of his standards and I told the chairman to inform Roy Keane that they could start the negotiating a contract with him.
I now needed a new centre defender, as most of youngster’s which I thought would become brilliant prospects for the club were either out-loaned or to young to take the step.
With Pelé leaving the club shortly, I took the opportunity to play Rui Marques the Angolan international that I’d signed during the summer transfer window; he’d yet to play many appearances for the club. But he would do, for the part time, as Pelé had already been told that he’d be leaving the club shortly.

The match against Q.P.R was a hard fought one, I remember the opponents having this young African American kid in the defence, I was later told that he played for Chelsea but was out-loaned for the season, his name was Michael Mancienne, and he’d be one of my main targets for the summer transfer I hoped. Drew Surman got the first goal of the match with ten minutes left but Q.P.R equalized directly by Adam Bolder as the match ended 1-1. And only a day after the match Pelé was sold to Sunderland, with Rudi Skacel not very impressed that I’d sold a regular starting defender, I had a talk with him in private explaining that if he had a problem he’d take it with me, before going public. I gave him a warning saying that next time, he’d be looking for a new club.
I was honoured to have the immense feeling of being invincible when we crushed Reading in the FA Cup 3rd round at home 3-1, as we mounted attacks after attacks towards their goal. The day after the English newspapers said, there was nothing that could stop Rikard Norling and his side from getting promoted to the Premiership.
The player’s were so happy and so were the fans, and yet I still hadn’t signed a player nearly a week into the transfer window.

On Friday 8th of January French International Lilian Thuram was released by Barcelona, club’s around the world started to try and convince the experienced French central defender to join their club, but he rejected club after club saying he wanted to step down. Out of total arrogance I decided to contact him telling him we’d be delighted if he’d join us on a three-year contract. Two day’s later and I was given the biggest shock of my life, Thuram had accepted our offer and was on his way to Southampton now with his family.
When the media found out, I was titled The Amazing tactical mastermind, having convinced Thuram to reject the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal for Southampton the club in third position in the English Championship. It was amazing and the fan’s loved him for the start, there was a lot of publicity and attention around the press conference where I revealed him as a new player at Southampton, and for free!
Thuram was to make his debute only the following day after the press conference as we matched Wolves at The Molineux away from home. You could really see what talented proportions he was a giant in defence together with Claus Lundekvam, the captain as we edged the hosts 2-0 with goals from Rasiak and Idiákez.
It was very appealing to watch the two very experienced centre backs work together, I knew now that I’d formed by far the strongest centre two in the Championship, and I was delighted.
Southampton now had a defence, which nearly any Premiership club would love to have. Yet another player left us, this time it was Nathan Dyer who left for Bristol City for a fee of 120,000 pounds, an inner feeling told me that the player didn’t have the capacity to become better, and that his time at the club was over. I’d realised that I’d yet to have spent the money which I’d been given, but for some reason I felt it wasn’t necessary as we have had an excellent formed team, which we yet again showed whilst concerning Barnsley 2-0 at home, moving us up only two points behind direct promotion place. We advanced through from the FA Cup 4th round after defeating Yeovil 3-0 away from home, which wasn’t much of a contest, but the next round would as we faced Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday the 17th of February 2007.

[MatiasInter]

i was born june 4th 1991!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, nice story

[MatiasInter]

double post oopw

This post has been edited by MatiasInter: 18 May 2007 - 12:34 PM

[Greenbeard]

Haha pleasent Nice to see you like the story at least somone comments

[Greenbeard]

Chapter IV - ‘The Comeback’

Shattered Dreams


The Three big matches follow next, Leicester City at home to then travel to play against money-spenders Sunderland to finally play against the mighty Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Two early goals put us 2-0 up front against Leicester City in the Championship match, many thought that match was over after the first twenty-five minutes but the opponents fought back thanks to a mistake by our captain Claus Lundekvam before they could pass the ball past our goalkeeper Bengt Andersson who’d replaced the injured Hilario for the past few games.
But thanks to some real good defending between the two centre defenders we were able to keep the match to our favour as we won the so prestigious match and moved into second place in the league, with Leicester City now moving down into the third position.

The off to Sunderland for the match against Coca-Cola Championship’s equivalent to Chelsea in the Premier League, who’d spent over 8 million pounds during the undergoing season leaving them only in seventh place, with a under pressured Roy Keane as manager. Whilst our Parent club Chelsea had spent over eighty million pounds to find themselves in third position in the League, and knocked out of the Carling Cup.
We scored the opening goal thanks to another amazing goal from Scott Sinclair, but within seven minutes Sunderland had equalised and scored the wining goal from their fantastic scorer Stephen Elliott.

With a week to the match against Manchester United at Old Trafford, the player’s were working their asses off during the training sessions, everyone wanted to play and everyone was giving their best. It was a true honour to see a pack of twenty-five lads sweating in the cold air of Southampton, for the cause of Football.

As the player’s stepped out on the green turf of the Old Trafford pitch, the sound speaker presented the away team Southampton, Hilario, Gareth Bale, Lilian Thuram, Claus Lundekvam, Chris Baird, Drew Surman, Jhon Viáfara, Mario Licka, Iñigo Idiákez, Scot Sinclair and Grzegorz Rasiak. These were the players which would try and full-fill the dream of beating Manchester United at The Theatre of Dreams.
As expected it was Manchester United which put the pressure on during the opening ten minutes, as Wayne Rooney had three opportunities in a row to score, but Portuguese goalkeeper Hilario had another thing in mind, then letting the ball into the back of the net as he pulled of three amazing saves after each other.
But eleven minutes into the first half and Paul Scholes dampened the dreams of wining when he scored an amazing goal from just outside the penalty with sheer strength to give Manchester United the lead.
The lads kept the defence up for the rest of the first half as we went into the half-time interval with the scoreline Manchester United 1 – Southampton 0. The lads ran onto the pitch determined to score an equalizer and only seconds into the second half, and we were awarded a corner Scott Sinclair’s header hit the cross bar and sent chills around the entire stadium showing that Southampton were going to fight to end!
Sadly Manchester caught us off-guard minutes later as Giggs scored number two, but quick passing from kick-off saw Scott Sinclair receive the ball just outside the Manchester penalty box and without considering his options the young Chelsea striker hit the ball goal bound, as Van Der Sar was caught off guard as we scored, to give us a goal back. Manchester were the strongest of the two sides, as Rooney and Ferdinand got the last two goals, as the match finished Manchester United 4 – Southampton 1, the dreams of beating Manchester United away from home had disappeared, it was heart-breaking to see how sad the player’s were as they walked of the pitch into the changing rooms, as I was congratulated by Sir Alex Ferguson for an amazing game, and that we’d put up more then a fight then most of the Premiership club’s had. He also told me that he thought we’d be up in the Premiership which as a very honourable thing to hear from a manager of such reputation.

We weren’t given much time to soften the disappointment of the exit from the FA Cup, as Preston were out next opponents in the Championship at home. And yet again the lads surprised me showing how much they love this club as during the first ten minutes they’d hit past two goals into the back of the Preston goal, and continued the hard work during the second half wining the match 4-0, now only a point behind second placed Crystal Palace who had played a game more then us, and only four points behind leaders West Bromwich.

[wimpy_dave]

Loving the story Greenbeard. Keep it up mate.