Take me on a journey, man

Kedah 2020 update

Here we go then. I'm starting in a new job, albeit 1 I never thought I'd be in but here we are. I look around the team and there's some quality here already. A good looking strike force, an improved defence but there's something missing, some creative spark and a bit of industrial steel in midfield yeah that's what's missing.

First up I'm bringing in another familiar face, Veenod who I had at Perlis performed well for me despite his stats screaming back up player. I'm thinking we're gonna need to be hard to break down, and there's not any decent wide players here so winning the midfield battle is going to be key for us. Next up another familiar face. I had to break the bank for this 1. Someone I've relied on at Perlis and Selangor. Someone who wants to leave Selangor. When I've needed a creative spark, when I needed someone to ping a ball into the box, I turned to Fontenelle, so once again I'm turning to him and this time, I'm spending just about every penny I've got for him.









This will be the first full season Fontenelle will play for me so I'm expecting big things. There was already Rosdin singed on loan from Johor prior to me joining and he looks decent enough



Pre season brought with it a couple of wins against smaller nearby teams. Season preview has us looking at around 5th, this is despite the club finishing 4th last season. Howver 5th gives us a good platform and anything better than 5th will likley be seen as over achieving.



Our first game of the season Kuala Lumpur was shown on TV and I'm expecting to get off to a good start. No excuses, no fear! This is going to be a good season, I hope!











We start off well and press forward straight away and get a free kick on the edge of the box. Me being the good manager I am (!) totally forgetting to assign free kick takers but up steps the young lad Youwarasan with a free kick taking of 8 absolutely buries the free kick home, 1 nil!! we controlled the game and got 2 penalties for our troubles which Darren Lok confidently buried home. Looking good until we gave away a sloppy penalty in the 65 minute which our keeper saved. We win a great game with a good scoreline.







All 3 goals here:-

https://youtu.be/7sLcyF-i_eg

Next up was Sarawak away. Not going into detail on this 1, we were crap, 2 goals flattered us really and I let the team know exactly how I felt.



Next up was the cup game and we rightly dominated the game against the lower placed Sungai Ara and won comfortably 2 nil. Next up in the cup are Police FA and we will look to win that too





Last game for February had us against another of our rivals Penang. A game I really could do with winning to get the fans on side





We start with the intention of winning and within 10 minutes we're 2 up. GAME ON! But they get 1 back straight from the kick off which just nicked the post on the way in, lucky I thought. I consider changing it up but nah sod it, we can get a few goals here today and we get another 2 before half time, this cold be a cricket score! We add another 3 and finish the game 7 -1, just the type of result I need to get the fans on side and something to build on.



We finish my first competitive month in charge, and apart from the 1 bad result it's been good, definitely something to build on. As there's no decent wide players I've had to use an unconventional 442 formation which has been okay really.








Aims for this season for me to give the cups a good go, I feel we could go far. Initially I only intend to stay at Kedah for 1 season, this is a 1 and done deal, that may change if I manage to win something, we'll see. Next update I'll go through how we get on in March and I've noticed a player in our reserve team that's actually quite good.....

Thanks for reading!

Kedah 2020 season update

So building on that 7-1 victory over Penang we move onto the cup game against Police FA. Nearly, very nearly a repeat of the Penang scoreline but we conceded another goal, still 7-2 against a lower placed team in the cup is a good result



As a result of progressing we get drawn against Felda in the quarter final



Before the quarter final first leg we had a game against Melaka. Not much to say really, we just about edged the game but conceded more, 3-1. We must play better in the next game in the cup



We didn't and ended up losing the first leg to Felda 2-1. We have to go all out in the second leg to stand any chance of going through.



Which we did, absolutely thumping them 4-0 to send us through to the semi final. We went all out attack in this one and it showed. Good performance, excellent result!



So what's our reward for getting past Felda.......



You couldn't write this! A big semi final against the team I relegated, my previous club. This has fireworks written all over it. I'm praying for a good performance against Selangor. how did we get on? Well we got smashed, badly. 3-0 flattered Selangor, we've got it all to do in the second leg.



The second leg was much of the same from the second leg against Felda. We went all out attack, route 1 football and we absolutely thumped them. All the goals were well taken especially the diving header. After that surely Selangor know what they're missing in not having me as manager? Well we're in the final.



https://youtu.be/GmwbCZL3fGA



But before we get the final we've got league games against Perak, Terrengganu and Felda. A win against either would work wonders for us and put us in good form as well. But it wasn't meant to be against Perak and we faded away going down 2-1 but managed to a big win against Felda and a disappointing hammering against Terrengganu









So here we are the final of the Malaysian cup against Johor. It's Kedah's first final since 2008 which they won, can I do the same?



We set up with the intention of taking it to Johor, I've won this cup with Perlis and I want to win it again! We may have won 2 nil but it wasn't plain sailing. Johor looked threatening and we responded well to going a man down. We absolutely dominated shots and deserved this win. Another trophy for myself, and Kedah are in the Asian Champions League next season!









After this cup win we've got the small matter of the league game against our biggest rivals Perlis, my former team. We need to make sure we press on from this cup win and take it to Perlis. A loss against them would be catastrophic.

Well we did the job, We took it to them. Perlis destroyed my Selangor team last season, my Kedah team repaid the favour!



Next up were games against Johor, Pahang and Kelantan to round off the last 3 months of this career. We lost to Johor without much of a fight, just narrowly lost to Pahang and got a deserved away win over Kelantan.







That does it up until June 2020. We seem to win a couple, lose a couple, win again lose again and so on. There's no consistency at all but leaves us 5th after 11 games. Definitely something we need to work on but I'm happy at the minute after the cup win.





I had seen this chap sitting in the reserves, the previous manager bought him and my god he's good! He's a starter for me and scoring goals



Also the club had singed Salim on loan from Johor who has been a good back up for me, nothing special just does what he does.



As always thanks for reading. Next update will be who we get drawn in the groups in the league cup and the run in towards the end of the season.

Kedah 202 season review

This season has just flown by. It seemed like only yesterday I signed for Kedah and here I am discussing the season and thinking about the future.

Malaysian Super League

Our league campaign the last 6 months have been full of ups and downs. We kicked off this period with a good 3 - 0 away win over Kuala Lumpur, with back to back losses against Sarawak and Penang before smashing Melaka 5-0, which was the start of a 3 game winning streak with 3-1 wins over Perak and Terengganu. A 3-0 nil loss to Johor was our last defeat of the season as we went on a run of 3 wins and a draw to close out our league campaign. The highlights of this period definitely the 5-0 over Melaka, and the 3-1 away win over Terengganu





We beat my old team Perlis 0-1 which just about confirmed their relegation. They sacked the manager after this game too





Wins against Felda and Kelantan sandwiched a draw against league leaders at the time Pahang closed out our season. I can't complain it's been a good season really.



Piala Malaysia 2020

During the league season was the Malaysian league cup. We were drawn in Group C alongside ATM, Penang & Police FA. We started the cup with an away loss to ATM who are in the league below. We managed to improve slightly with a 5-0 away win over Penang. Back to back losses to Police FA & ATM really put a dent on our hopes of qualifying. 2 big wins in the last 2 games over Penang & Police made sure we went through in second place.



We got drawn against Johor DT in the next round. The first leg was what I considered a good result, 1 all draw. The return leg saw us go all out and manage a well earned 2-2 away draw. We did however end up losing this tie on penalties. I can;t complain really they were the better team over 2 legs despite us drawing both games. No double cup success for me this season.





So we finished the season in third and won the FA cup whilst getting to the quarters of the league cup. This should be considered a good season for Kedah. I feel bad for Perlis as they've got relegated in their first season since I left but Selangor got promoted back. I will see what happens in the close season as I told the team we should be challenging for the title and they all disagreed, how can I try and compete if the full squad think's they aren't good enough? There's a couple of interesting clubs who's manager's job status is insecure and there's a few jobs already available, the ones catching my eye are clubs in Qatar and South Africa. We'll see how I get on in the coming weeks, but whilst I've maintained that this was always a 1 and done season for me here at Kedah I won't rule out staying for another season should I feel good about it.

Thanks for reading!

So following on from my season review above I wanted to post our end of season awards.

First up was the goal of the season that was awarded to youngster Ashok Youwarasan with a nice long range effort against Perlis. I don't agree with the fans on this at all. Firstly we've scored many batter than this this season, in fact a free kick in the SAME GAME was way better than this, but who am I to argue with the fans!

https://youtu.be/28Xo9KaKTew

Next up, player & young player of the season winner is Mohd Arif Tony Rosdin. Totally agree on this, he was signed on loan from Johor DT and banged in 12 goals to tie with the fans signing of the season Alieu Trey who again was signed prior to my joining.







Next award actually goes to Kedah as a whole as we win the club of the year award. I don't think this is anything other than cosmetic, I doubt it increases rep or anything and certainly doesn't go on my own achievements page, still nice little nod to our good season.

In preparation for the next season and to see where I'll be, I've tried to make some signings. Firstly I've tried to get Rosdin in permanently but Johor are pricing him out of a move, no surprise really as he's clearly got some skill and should go straight into their first team next season. Next I've tried to get some players contracts tied up but most of them are not interested or want too much money. Not a lot I can do here really but try and negotiate them down but it's not looking good.

Anyway I'm going to consider all aspects of the club, the expectations and decide what I'm going to do, whether to stay or leave. I've got a lot to think about, will I stay or will I go.....

'What would you do?' I asked.

'Well, we're in the Champions League boss, we won a cup and really the fans and board are on your side' my assistant Mohd Fauzie replied

'I know that, I just don't know if we're going to get anywhere in the Champions League, I mean this squad was literally the most inconsistent squad I've managed. Plus only a handful are willing to agree new contracts as it is'

'So? You're the manager, MAKE them consistent. Sign new players and build a team capable of competing. You've won enough things up to now so you know what you're doing'

'Yeah you're right Mohd. I've got some targets in mind already, and I think they'll join. We're in the Champions League, we're bound to be able to attract some decent players. Right first things first, I'm telling the board I'm here to stay'

Kedah 2021 season preview

Right now that's out of the way I can concentrate on building a team capable of competing in the Champions League. I had a half decent run in confederations cup with Perlis and I want a decent showing with Kedah in the champions league. My hand was forced last season in playing a 442 as we had no quality out wide, so my focus is going to be on trimming the squad and wage bills whilst bringing in wide players.

First up I go back to players I've managed before. Dawson D'Souza was unhappy at Pahang so naturally I go in for him. Kind of think I've overpaid here but as I need quality on the wings I;m prepared to pay. Next up was Zeus Arcos who was also with me at Perlis. He's been released by Pachuca and has improved slightly since playing for me and as we've no left midfielders he's going straight into the team. Fans seem happy enough with these 2 signings









Next up I'm thinking rotation options for these 2 and go looking for bargains..With that in mind we secure 2 free transfers. Ang Zhiwie from DPMM in Singapore and Kumaahran from Johor both on free transfers. Fans are content with these 2 and I think with these 4 out wide we've got a good chance to create things from the wing.







Finally I want to sign a center half. Again I look for a free transfer and Kenny Pallraj from my old team Selangor is brought in. He's got quality in a key area for me and I think he will impress ass I look to go back to 352 formation.







My strike force of Rosdin & Trye has gone as Rosdin won't sign for me despite me agreeing a fee with Johor. After looking at Johor he's not even in the first team there despite being our player of the year. I'll keep an eye on him but in the mean time my other main striker Darren Lok has signed an extension to ward off interest from Johor coincidentally.



In terms of outgoings quite a few back up players and guys that didn't play much have gone on free transfers. Biggest outgoing was Miro Fontenelle to Perak for 36.5k! Couldn't say no to this as they have overpaid and I had too many foreigners in the team. I'm disappointed to see him leave but as I;m going to be playing more wide players even if he did stay his time would be limited.





Last thing to point out is this guy sitting in the reserves. I hadn't even noticed him there until an inbox from the coaches saying he's improved drastically. Stats aren't the best but I think if he plays in the cups and comes on lat in games he may improve, definitely 1 to watch out for,



That's it for this update. My aims for this season are simple, give the Champions League a real good go and try to be competitive in the domestic cups. The league looks stronger this year as Selangor are back and Johor have made some big moves. Am I optimistic, yes. Am I excited at playing in my first Champions League campaign? You're damn right!

Thanks for reading!

Kedah season 2021 update

I'm quietly confident. Like actually really, REALLY confident. Why? Well the players we've got are good, they all on board and full of morale, they're picking up my 352 tactic and are nearly fully familiar with it. Plus we go into the Champions league with nothing to lose. I'm going into every game with the intention to win this season. I will win something else with Kedah. The relegation with Selangor is still fresh in my mind, and they're back in the Super League and will be looking to impress but I back my boys no matter what. We are Kedah, and we've got no fear!!

The season starts off early for us as we have the small matter of the champions League qualifying rounds. As we won the cup we got into the competition at this stage. I think we've got a good chance of getting through.







We kick off my maiden Champions League campaign with a tie against Vietnamese opposition Thanh Hoa with the next round already being drawn and the winners getting a massive test against South Korean team Seongnam.

We're not here simply to make up the numbers and I tell the team to go all out with nothing to lose. In the end it was a comfortable win for us





This next game will be more of a test. Seongnam are quite a considerably bigger club than us. They've won the Korean league as recently as 2019 (2 seasons ago) and they'll be expecting an easy passage into the group stages. Well we're Kedah FA and we've got a point to prove. All out attack, high defensive line and no fear is how we're setting up.

The game arrives and we take it to them. Then they take it to us. Then we repay the favour. This continues all game as we just about scraped an absolute thriller 4 - 5 with a late 87th minute goal. That means we're only in the bloody group stages!!!



The draw for the group hasn't been kind as we're drawn against 3 top teams, Perth Glory the current A League champions, Huanghai who are actually in the Chinese first division and Sanfreece Hiroshima. Most Japanese teams are full of quality so we're gonna have to play well and get a bit of luck if we're to progress. As I already said, I'm confident and optimistic.



Back to league action and the start of the season coming, we're expected to finish 6th despite a cup win and 3rd place finish last season.



Our first 2 games bring us big wins against Pahang and Penang to take us to 1st in the table after 2 games. After this it's the draw for the cup and would you believe it we're drawn against our biggest rivals and my former club Perlis, again!







Obviously in the build up to the Perlis game I get questioned about my time there.





The game arrives and we take an early lead before letting them equalise shortly after. we take the initiative and go in at half time leading. Second half was pretty much us dominating and doing everything but scoring again. We manage to see the game out as they had a man sent off and the result was never really in doubt. another victory for me over a previous club. Thanks to that win we get a draw against another lower league team in Sungai Ara, a game we should dominate and win.





Before the domestic cup game though we have our first Champions League group game against Hunghai of China.



I tell the boys to have no fear and to play thier natural game. This pays off as we dominate this team from start to finish. 5-0 flattered them really it could've been more! An epic perfomrance and we're looking good.



Back to league action and we got a draw against Felda. Not a lot to say on this really, we didn't deserve to win but neither did they. 1 all was a fair result



Back to the Champions League and the game against Japanese team Sanfreece Hiroshima



A massive point this. We were expected to get battered and came away with a big result! We're unbeaten so far in the Champions League and playing with confidence. This is going to be a good season, I hope!



It was the cu game next and we absolutely took the p*ss here, 8-0! The difference in quality between the teams was frightening!



The draw for the cup gets us games against Johor. Hopefully this good form we're in will see us through



Before we get back to Champions League action we played out a dull 0-0 draw against Kuala Lumpur. Nothing more to say really, we were poor.




Now a massive test for us, Perth Glory are in town so we've gotta be on our A game to get anything from this match



So normally I'd be backing my team no matter what, but as you can see from my team sheet 4 first teamers are suspended so we've got to try and control the game



We do actually start well and take the lead. They get straight back into the game though and have equalised before long. I think maybe we can hold on and get them on the break, NOPE! They dominate every area of the game and run out 4-1 winners. We've got a lot of hard work ahead to get out of this group.



Now we're back in domestic cup action with an away frist leg at Johor. A win here would put us in good stead for the return game. We didn't start well and ended uo beign 4 downa t 1 point. Managed to get it to 4-2 before half time and finishing the game 4-3. We're at least only 1 goal down going into the retunr leg at home. Nothing new for us as we've lost every first leg quarter or semi final we've been in during my time in Kedah



So the return leg is here and we have to win by 2 clear goals to go through, or 1 goal to take it to extra time. All out attack and route 1 football gives us a nice 2 goal lead within 15 minutes before conceding to make it 2-1. We take it to Johor and run out 3-1 winners meaning we go through 6-5 on aggregate.



The draw for the cup has us drawn against Terengganu, another game i'm confident of winning



We move on to my 200th game in management which is a home game against Kelantan



Which we lost, of course we bloody did!



Game number 3 of our Champions League season against Huanhai. Can we get a repeat of the result in our opening game....



You're damn right we can!!!



To bring a nice close to this update is a resounding 4-0 away win in the semi final first leg game to Terengganu. I can't see them getting back into this and we've got 1 foot in the final.



So that brings us part way through the season and we're looking good. I've had a good feeling about this season from the off with the players we've signed and am confident we can retain the cup should this form continue.

As always thanks for reading!!

Dear diary,

A few weeks ago I got a call from The Players Tribune asking if I'd like to write an article on what it is to be a manager. I was apprehensive at first but thought what the hell and gave it a go, it's actually been published on their website! They said it's getting rave reviews and a lot of positive feedback, they want me to do another at the end of this season! Also I didn't even realise but The42 actually did an article on up and coming managers and guess who was at number 1!! I feel really good with myself and how I'm being recognised in the footballing community. I can't wait to get back on the training pitch later, man I'm buzzing, number 1 on the best up and coming managers, well I best keep my head down and continue improving! Well gotta go we've got a big game against Sanfreece in the Champions League to prepare for!

Kedah 2021 season update

We start this update off with another of our Champions League group games, this 1 against Sanfreece Hiroshima. We need to avoid defeat to have a chance of qualifying from the group and the game itself was pretty even despite them having more shots and possession. We finish with a very credible 1 all draw which improves our chances of getting out of this group. Our goal some would say was lucky as it took a wicked deflection from one of the center halves on its way in which confused the keeper but whatever, we deserved the point!



After this game it was the return leg in the cup game against Terengganu, and we hold a very good 4-0 lead, which we definitely needed! We dominated shots and just about edged possession but they were the more clinical in front of goal and took a 2 nil. Very nervy ending to this game but we saw it through to the end.



Which means we’re in the final of the FA Cup. My second in a row with Kedah and third in a row as I won this cup with Perlis 2 seasons ago. It’s even more spicy as we are playing a rival team in Penang.





After that win it was a fairly easy away win in the league over ATM. Nothing else to say apart from we dominated and deserved the win.



Big game next against Perth Glory in the Champions League. A win here would certainly guarantee qualification from the group, a draw wouldn’t be too bad depending on how Sanfreece did but a loss and a win for Sanfreece would end our hopes of qualifying. Perth actually battered us 4-1 in the revers fixture so I wasn’t confident on this game at all. I set the team up to control the game and work the ball into the box with the hopes of catching them on the break. They took the lead with a quality header within 11 minutes but we responded well and got a very deserved equaliser with a nice finish just inside the area. Our winner came in the 67th minute and despite Perth dominating shots we actually had 50/50 possession and fully deserved this win. Sanfreece even won and Perth were knocked out of the competition which was a big surprise!



There was a few weeks before our next game which is the cup final but we had the draw for the next round of the Champions League to look forward to. Of all the teams still in I was hoping for either Al-Wahda of the UAE as they’re in poor form but it wasn’t meant to be and we got drawn against Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale. A tough test for us but 1 we’re looking forward to.



So here we are, my third FA Cup final and second with Kedah. Can I win this cup three times in total and back to back win it with Kedah?





A pretty drab first half was followed up with all out attacking from both sides. We took the lead in the 56th with a good strike inside the box. After that it backs to the wall stuff at times as Penang tried to get the equaliser, without really putting many shots on goal they did get forward a lot but we managed to nick a goal in the 89th minute. Back to back FA cups for Kedah and 3 FA cups for me!







After the cup success it was a league game at home to league leaders Johor. They were by far the better team throughout and some might say we didn’t deserve to draw this match but we did! That was followed up with an away win over Sarawak in a pretty even game all things considered.





Back to the Champions League after that and we’re away to Kawasaki Frontale. They’re heavy favourites for this match and rightly so, we’ve done extremely well to get this far. I set up with the intention to sit deep, standard mentality and short passing to try work it into the box as well as closing down often. The game itself was pretty much a training session of attack and defend. They dominated really and the 5 yellow cards we got more or less summed it up for us. We managed to hold on for a credible 0-0 draw, I couldn’t be happier as they were the better team and should’ve won really. It gives me confidence going into the return leg.



The next game was a real kick in the teeth though. We had the most possession and shots but despite dominating the match we ended up losing to a single goal from our former player and my right hand man Miro Fontenelle. Nice touch though as he didn’t celebrate the goal but we didn’t take advantage of our dominance.



Shortly after that match was the draw for the league cup and we’re in group B alongside Felda, Kelantan & Sime Darby. A winnable group on current form I’d say.



Now the big test for us, return leg against Kawasaki Frontale. We go in with an open mind, we took it to them and came away with a 0-0 last time so hopefully we can strangle the game an try and get a win here, anything is possible in knockout football. The game starts brightly for us and we take an early lead thanks to a fantastic free kick our hot prospect Xianjin, and what a free kick it was! They did equalise shortly after though that was a pretty sweet goal, which gives them the advantage due to the away goal rule. At the half I tell the team to continue playing as they were and the result will come, which it sure did! We regained the lead midway through the second hald and despite not having as much possession we held on for a valuable win! Not only that but this game we broke our gate receipts record too!









Before the draw for the next round of the cup we had 3 league games against Pahang, Penang and Melaka, with victories over Pahang and Melaka either side of a poor result against Penang. We’re still 3rd in the league though so not too bad losing to Penang.







During all this I see a come and get me plea from a centre half playing in Singapore. He’s transfer listed so I’ll scout him see what he’s like. I’m happy with my current defence at the minute plus he’s foreign so it’d mean having to sell someone to get him in the team.





Also before the draw for the Champions league was drawn PSG have signed an absolutle worldie of a defender from Werder Bremen and he’s certainly worth the money.





The draw we’ve been waiting and we’ve been given the toughest possible test against the big boys of China Guanghou Evergrande. Currently in 5th in the Super League and current champions this is going to be 1 hell of a test for us!



Thanks for reading as always. Next update will probably cover now until the end of the season.

Kedah 2021 season update

We kick off this update with a league cup game against Felda which we won comfortably really despite going 1 down after 18 minutes. We responded well and deserved the win, which was followed up by a 1-0 away loss to Kelantan.





Back to back league victories over Felda and my former club Selangor kept us near the top of the league going into the final round of cup games which was a 1 nil loss to lower league side Sime Darby and another win over Felda. The next group game saw us draw 0-0 with Kelantan. During training before the match with Kelantan a key first teamer Kenny Pallraj got injured and is out for the rest of the season, I just hope this doesn’t impact us too much.











An away win over Kuala Lumpur in the league followed up by another loss to Sime Darby in the cup. The loss didn’t matter as we held on to qualify out of the group stages, and we’re drawn against Perak.









Next up was the big Champions League game against Guangzhou Evergrande, a match I’ve been looking forward to. The first half was absolute madness of a half. WE were 3-0 down in the first 26 minutes before getting 2 goals to make 3-2 going into the half. We came out all guns blazing and got an early equaliser to make it 3-3. Brilliant I thought we might just nick this, but the game fizzled out despite us dominating shots. Definitely something to build on in the return leg despite those 3 away goals. Also we broke our attendance record again.





Quarter final first leg ended in a drab 0-0 which was followed by a league game against Kelantan which ended 1-1. We stay second in the league going into the return game in the Champions League.





Dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. We actually took the lead in this game but then Guagzhou turned up and just destroyed us. Not gonna lie we didn’t deserve anything from this game and we didn’t get anything.





Morale was low after that game and it showed, us falling 1-0 away to Perak in the cup which means we’re out of 2 competitions within a week





League games against Melaka which ended 1-1, Sealangor which we smashed them 5-1, Perak was another 1-1 draw & ATM which we won 2-0. A very forgettable game against Johor we lost 6-1 brought us up to the final game of the season with us actually top with a 2 point advantage.













So going into the game against bottom of the league Sarawak we had to be confident that a win here will land us the Super League! If we win this it will be a remarkable achievement!



I set up to go all out attack and win the game without any doubts. What happened I hear you ask? Well we lost obviously! Not happy with this at all, Sarawak for 1 have already been relegated and 2 had NOTHING to play for!! I can’t believe we threw that away, can not believe it!





So that brings us up to the end of the 2021 season and despite finishing second when the league title was in our hands it has to be considered a good season really. We were expected to finish mid table and finished second. We won the FA cup and made it all the way to the quarter finals of the Champions League. Now I have to ask myself if I want to stay here and build on this or do I want to leave.

There’s a few jobs of interest I’m keeping an eye on and I may resign and let someone else have a go at continuing with this squad. I’ve got a lot to think about…..

Next update will be about the season award winners and goal of the season. Thanks for reading!

Kedah 2021 season review

So here are the awards for this season.

Coming in at player & young player of the season and quite rightly so was Alieu Trye who managed 10 league goals in 19 games & a further 6 goals in 14 cup games. Can't agree more with this really he's been solid for us this year.



Signing of the seaosn was left midfielder Zeus Arcos. Nothing spectacular 3 goals and a few assists in 20 league games.

Goal of the season goes to Kumaarhans screamer against Pahang. I don't agree with this as there were plenty of better goals scored

Goal of the season:
https://youtu.be/YiYicivUlX0

Swirad's absolute worldie of a free kick. Remember this is a ceter half scoring this!
https://youtu.be/Vb9cKn6GK9U

Arcos thunderbolt
https://youtu.be/i0FgzBrqc68

Counter attacking football at it's finest and a brilliant finish to top it off
https://youtu.be/bu8kzb1OFZ4

That's it as far as awards go. The Kelantan manager got manager of the year for winning the Super League. I'm keeping an eye on a couple of precarious jobs so the next update will be what my next steps are.

Thanks for reading!

Dear diary,

Well we got to the end of this season with Kedah, and it's been a good 1 really. We were top going into the last game only to stutter at the last hurdle, we had a really good showing in the Champions League as well as winning the cup. There's a good vibe around the place, the squad really is 1 of the strongest in the league, I reckon with 1 or 2 additions we might just be able to take that extra step, but there's this feeling inside me of i want to explore the world. There's a massive opening in Uruguay at Danubio, they've been relegated and are struggling as well, also there's 2 teams in the UAE at the bottom of the league that need a manager, but my abysmal showing in Selangor may put teams in a relegation battle off me. Speaking of Selangor that went straight back down this season and Perlis didn't come back up either. I've got some serious thinking to do about my future.

Decisions, decisions decisions. After declaring my interest at a few clubs no one wanted to offer me even an interview. This is despite me winning cups and going far in the Champions League, maybe my rep isn't all that much anyway. Well I've made my feelings known to the board and have decided that I will give it 1 more year in Kedah. We're on a roll really and I can't complain, we've got a good team, I know who my main targets are and we're going to go all out this year. I don't tell the board but this is definitely my last season here, 3 years and by the end of this season hopefully more silverware will be added and I can leave on an even higher note. The 10% release fee is there just in case a decent job opening comes up during this season.







Right lets get into it. Johor have released 2 of their biggest players this off season, for reasons unknown to me but you bet I'm going to go in for both of them. I know they're foreign but these 2 have been immense for Johor last season.

Ernandes averaged a goal a game last season



Claudemir got into the team of the season





Signed on a free is Robbat Gary Steven, he'll mainly be used as a back up player.






In terms of departures in the lead up to pre season, another player I didn't want to sell but the offer came in and was too good to turn down was for Zeua Arcos to Johor for 42k. He was our signing of the season but as soon as Johor delcared thier interest his head was turned. It's not the end of the world though as I've made an offer for Ernandes to join and it's 1 foreigner out and 1 in. A couple of fringe players leave on free transfers too. Next update will be if we sign Ernandes or another player, how we line up and the start of the season. As always thanks for reading!

**On a side note, in a previous post I said I wasn't going to add Brazil as it put the star rating down but I've removed Uruguay and added Brazil and it's put the star rating UP! So my initial goal of managing Internacional in Brazil is now back in place. My aim is to finish this season in Kedah and go to either Brazil, Qatar or the UAE.

So this is it, the start to my third and final season in Kedah. It's been a good run. We've had some great performances, finished 3rd then second in the Super League, had an incredible Champions League run, seen some amazing goals and really looked good on occasions. I want to make a statement this season and go out with a bang.

In the last update I tried to sign Ernandes and Claudemir who were released by Johor but neither wanted to even Discuss a deal. I did however sign a former player in center half Saidin who is going straight into the first team.





Season preview has us at third. Happy with this even though we should be higher just based on our second placed finished last season



Before the season starts we get drawn against Super League holders Kelantan in the FA cup. Can we win the cup for a third season in a row?



We start our league campaign off against Johor. We batter them and 3-0 flattered them, it could've been more. A great start for us. Next up were ATM and another good result sees us win 3-1. Then the cup game against Kelantan and we aren't going to threepeat as we lost 2-1.







After the cup game we made another signing in Brazilian midfielder Finazzi. We then went and absolutely destroyed Terengganu 7-3 to send us to the top of the league.





Player of the month for Darren Lok and a cheeky little manger of the month award for me. Very much deserved these!





Bad news followed as Finazzi gets injured, hopefully this doesn't disrupt us too much though.



League victories over Perak, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur & Pahang keeps our momentum going and keeps us top











So due to us winning the FA cup last season we're in this season Confederations Cup. This is due to the league winners getting Malaysia's only Champions League place. I'm quite excited and optimistic about this as we pushed the very ebst last season in the Champions League so hopefully we can replicate that in this competition.

We're drawn against Cambodian team Boeung Ket, Vietnamese side Ha Noi & Thai team Chonburi



First up were Chonburi at home. Really pleased with this as we went all out and actually took a 4-0 lead. I was expecting them to FM us when it got to 4-2 but we pushed on and got a 5th goal meaning we start off with a resounding 5-3 win



Away to ha Noi next and they showed how good they are with a comprehensive 3-1 victory. Not much else to say but the better team won



Next up we were away in Thailand to Chonburi. 2-2 was a fair result really as we kept at it and a draw suits us both really.



Another draw followed as we were held at home to Boeung. Hopefully these 2 draws don't come back to haunt us



Guess what, another draw! This time at home to Ha Noi. We need to be more clinical if we're going to progress out of the group.



Going into the final group game we sat third and needed a win against Boeung and hope Ha Noi didn't win as they had a 1 point advantage over us. Remember when I said we need to be more clinical if we're to progress? Well we certainly were and absolutely destroyed them with a 5-1 away win, which means we top the group!







Our reward for topping the group? A home time in the next round against a team from China Taipei called, weirdly National Sports Training Center. That's the clubs actual name



Closing out this update sees me in my 100th game in charge of Kedah against Melaka



A win would be nice here to mark the occasion. Which of course we get in great fashion



After this I get this bizarre question in the post match press conference



Is this journalist having a laugh? We're top of the league and unbeaten so surely our continental hopes are very much in tact? Anyway I didn't even answer him. Our young player Youwarasan gets the goal of the month award for his goal against Perak. Not the best goal I've seen from him (see the free kick he scored a few posts back) but still a nice little bit of praise for him and really the keeper should've done better



https://youtu.be/ThQxeoeWRiQ

Up last is weird news update of the season award and it goes to Inter Milan for their new boss:



As always thanks for reading!

We start this update straight into Super League action. We’re looking to continue our good form in the league. First up is an away trip to Terengganu then home to Felda, with wins coming in both games. After this the groups for the league cup are drawn and we’re in Group B alongside the 2 teams we just beat in the league Terengganu & Felda as well as lower league side PKNS. Also I’m awarded the manager of the month award and Yaacob is given player of the month.











Back to the league and it’s a victory over rivals Penang and a bore draw against ATM.





A while ago I applied for the vacant Al-Ain job in United Arab Emirates. I forgot about it actually but attended the interview



An away win over Persatuan in the league despite a red card for both teams mean we’re still top.



I didn’t get the Al-Ain job but that was followed up by the absolute battering of Johor and a deserved 1-1 draw against Perak and an unfortunate loss against Penang and a 0-0 draw with Pahang.







Going into the last few fixtures we only need a draw against current champs Kelantan to secure the title.



We start off badly and go down after 5 minutes. Then we get a red card and that was pretty much game over. Oh well the title challenge can wait a little while longer.



So the next game and a win will secure the title. We play Melaka who are looking over their shoulder at relegation. Surely this is the day we win it?





Nope!

In between the games in the league and Confederations cups (see below) I attended the Kelantan game which if they didn’t win means we would win the league. They drew 1-1!! We are the champions!







Our final games in the league saw us beat Felda, Kulala Lumpur & Terenggaun comfortably







Darren Lok gets the golden boot award and I am given manager of the year to round off a great league campaign. Definitely felt like an unexpected league win but definitely deserved as no other team came close to matching us really.







We started off the league cup with a home win over PKNS, which was followed by wins over Felda & Terngganu







A disappointing loss to Felda, a 0-0 draw at home to Terengganu didn’t hamper us too much as we qualified from the group to be drawn against Penang in the quarter final







We went into the game full of confidence and set up to attack from the start. We got found out early on and ended up losing the first leg 3-1.



We need to overturn a big deficit in the return leg but ended up losing to the same score line. No league cup success for us this season.

Asia Confederations Cup 2022

Following on from the last round of games in the Confederations cup saw us drawn against National Sports Training Center at home. A game we won quite comfortably.



We get drawn against Vietnamese side DT Long An in the next round. Fun fact, I actually spent a few season at DT Long AN on an older save.



We went all out attack and came away with a well earned 4-2 win to take into the second leg.



Second leg was another good performance and we came away with a 4-3 away win, 8-5 on aggregate






We’re drawn against Indonesian side Arema Cronus in the semi final



First leg we drew 0-0. Not a bad result really as we didn’t concede an way goal which definitely helps. Second leg we dominated and deserved the 3-1 away win. The result never looked in doubt really.





We get Uzbeki team Paxator in the final. This is both teams first ever Confederations Cup final so hopefully we can do ourselves justice. It’s going to be tough but you never know in knock out football.





The game wasn’t that exciting and we went down to an early goal just on the half hour mark. We matched then for shots but just couldn’t get that equalising goal.






Despite the narrow loss in the Confederations Cup I think we can be proud of our performance in that competition. We dominated the league all season long and deserved to win it. Next update will be end of season awards and goal of the season for us as well as seeing what my own future holds. I’ve maintained that this will be my final season in Kedah but we’ll see what happens.

Thanks for reading.

End of 2022 season

So here I am, sat in my office, the office of the Malaysian champions Kedah. Confederations cup finalists as well as the highest rep team in the country. What do I do? I never set out to achieve anything specific, I just landed on my feet here really. We've had some incredible times here and part of me thinks we could go on and create a dynasty, but the other side of me, the cynic in me says we've done as much as we can. I'd like to think we didn't over achieve in continental competitions but really, deep down I know we did. I know we were lucky on occasions and if we went at it again, the results possibly, probably wouldn't be the same.







After thinking it through in my head over and over I decide to pull the trigger. I said all the way through this season that this would be my last here in Kedah. I hate going back on my word and now is no different.



I feel down about this. Sad even. But it is what it is. The next manager inherits a championship winning squad with a winning mentality. In terms of finances he's got a lot of money to play, well a lot in Malaysian football terms. He's in the Champions League again and I leave with a heavy heart, but a clear conscience. I have completed 1 part of my initial aims when I set out on this journey by winning the Super League. I've won cups in both of the countries I have managed in and my rep is now 2 stars. I am going to have a bit of time away from the game, how long I don't know. But I will only look for jobs that I feel I can win something with. Ideally I don't want to go back to Malaysia or Singapore (yet) and if possible I want to manage in another Asian country, I'm not ready to return to Brazil and I'm not ready for Europe yet either.

After leaving Kedah I felt I had to get things off my chest, so I sat down with the Players Tribune again and I pen an open letter to the great fans of Kedah. Hopefully they understand why I did what I did, hopefully I can get some closure on this and hopefully, when the time is right they'll welcome me back......





Win at least 5 top divisions - 1/5 Malaysian Super League
Win at least 1 cup competition in each country I manage in - Cup wins in Singapore & Malaysia
Win the Asian Confederations cup & champions league at least once
Win the Copa Lobertadores and Copa Sudamerica at least once
Become a club icon at a minimum 2 clubs
Manage each of the following in no particular order at least once:
Internacional
Villarreal
Mallorca
Real Madrid
Barcelona
Sporting Lisbon
Manage the following nations at least once:
Brazil (managers nationality)
Spain
Portugal

‘Hi, is this Sergio Camacho?’

‘Depends, who’s calling?’

‘My name is Raul Lopez, I’m a Brazilian reporter currently with the Al-Khor football paper. I just want to get your thoughts on the current managerial merry-go-round in Qatar, as well as being linked to the Al-Khor job if you’ve got a minute?

‘Well yes I’ve got a minute, what do you mean managerial merry-go-round?’

‘Okay, so the manager of Stars league team Al-Gharfa has left to take over the Qatar national team, the manager of Al-Khor has left for the vacant job at Al-Gharafa and your name has come up as the hot favorite to take over at Al-Khor. Surely you’re aware of this interest?

‘As it happens no I’m not aware of that at all. Whilst it’s nice to be linked to other top division jobs I won’t be making any further comment until the club either contacts me directly or publicly makes their interest know. Thank you for your time’.



So after being seen as the number 1 favourite for the Al-Khor job in Qatar I was invited for an interview and I think it went well.



After having the interview I waited a short while to hear back from them. It wasn't long until I got the nod to take over

2023 season update
Al-Khor FC

A club that screams mid table with back to back 8th placed finishes, a decent wage & transfer budget, I might be able to alright there. I take over in January and the transfer window is open until the end of the month. The squad is okay with Susic, Allan & Yessoh the stand outs. Susic repalces Allan as club captain as well.







I decide to complement these 3 by adding Australian winger Tommy Oar to the team. He's my biggest transfer to date costing 950,000 and will rotate between LM & RM in my 352 favoured formation



Only 1 game in January sees us got up agaisnt bottom of the table Al-Shahaniya. A win here would do wonders for me in not only my first game at Al-Khor but my 279th overall



I tell the team to go out and dominate which we did. A good result and a few goals is always a great start, I can see something good happening here I can feel it



After my first game here came the end of the transfer window and my 1 and only signing made headlines in Qatar



So here I am in Qatar. A country known for it's rich clubs and owners that throw money around like it's nothing. I'm excited by the prospect of managing here, I did say I wanted to stay in Asia and that's exactly what has happened. Al-Khor aren't the richest by any stretch of the imagination but if I can do well enough here then maybe, just maybe 1 of the bigger richer clubs in Qatar, or the UAE for that matter may take a chance on me. I don't see this club as threats for the Champions league or Confederations cup, but then again neither were my Kedah sides of 2021 & 2022 and we did really well there. Speaking of which here is my replacement at Kedah P. Maniam, he was actually at Pahang who are a rival of Kedah so they're not afraid to keep hiring their rivals former managers. I'll keep an eye on things there and see if they can replicate my Super League success.



I'll see how this season pans out. There's 12 league games from February to April then the Qatar FA cup after the league season has finished. My aim is to try and better the last 2 8th placed finishes whilst being competitive in the cup, after that we'll see what happens.

Thanks for reading!

2023 season update
Al-Khor FC

Moving on from our good start we face a top team in Qatar in Al-Jaish. They’re 1 of those teams that always seem to challenge for things but never quite get there. I’m expecting a tough game so I tell the team to go out and play without any pressure, and boy did it work!! Al-Jaish had most possession but we dominated when we had the ball and the score line reflects that!



We then came crashing back down to earth with a disappointing loss to Um-Salal. Not much to say apart from they were the better team and deserved this win. After that we manage to make amends and destroyed Qatar Sports club 6-1. If I've learnt 1 thing from this team in my first few games is that it’s got goals in it!





The unfortunate part of things is that my captain Mateo Susic is out injured for a couple of months. Hopefully this doesn’t affect the team too much.



But of course I can’t use Susic’s injury as an excuse as we lose our next 2 games. They’re both against top teams in back to back Stars League winners Lekhwiya and third place Al-Gharrafa who's manager is the guy I replaced.





Another tough game at home against league leaders Al-Arabi and we managed a credible 1-1 draw which means they drop to second. We’re then away to another top side in Al-Sadd and come away empty handed with a 3-2 loss. We played well really but this is a top team and this type of result whilst disappointing to lose we did play well which bodes well for us.





Rounding off this update are back to back victories over Al-Wakrah and Al-Sailiya which keeps us in 8th place in the league with 2 games remaining.





Next update will be our final 2 games of this season and our cup campaign. Thanks for reading!

2023 season & cup review
Al-Khor FC

We’re heading into the final 2 league games of the Stars League season and hopefully get a bit of momentum behind us as the cup starts straight after the league season finishes. We’re up against Al-Kharitiyath first who despite us beating the 2-0 stay up due to other results going their way. Final game of the season was an away trip to Al-Shahaniya who beat us 4-3 with 2 late goals. Oh well managed to finish this season 8th, which is Al-Khor’s third straight 8th placed finish.





Lekhwiya have won the league for a third time in a row.







The cup is up next and we’re playing Al-Wakrah who narrowly avoided relegation from the league.



I tell the team to go out and dominate and that’s just what we do, coming away with a massive 6-1 victory



Our reward for that win is an away tie against current holders Al-Arabi.



We go in full of confidence and somewhat surprisingly we come away with another 6 goal win! We absolutely dominated this game, I want to believe it’s because Al-Arabi were complacent but a win is a win.



Semi final time now and we’re up against another top team in Al-Rayyan who battered us 4-0 in the league.





We set up to play a controlled game and end up playing really well and get a deserved 2-0 away win to send us to the final!









We’re up against back to back to back league winners Lekhwiya in the final. Massive test for us this as they beat us on their way to the league crown. They’re overwhelming favourites but that suits us as we can go out and play our natural game.



As I mentioned we set up to play without fear and no pressure. 2 early goals before they got a couple of red cards and the cup is ours!!











A nice and unexpected cup win for us and we’re in the Champions league next season. I feel good about this team and maybe with a few good quality signings we might be able to challenge at the top end of the league.



Closing out this update is me passing the next coaching course and I now have a national B licence. Next update will be our close season signings and the start of next season.



As always thanks for reading.

2024 season
Al-Khor FC

So here we are, a new season approaches in Qatar and I am quietly confident. Okay so the first 6 months here we didn’t set the world alight in the league but we did boss the cup meaning we’re in the Champions League next season, and that’s bound to attract some quality. My aim here is to compliment the cup winning squad with some decent rotation options, and if possible sign a certain Brazilian that’s been signed by me 3 times already….

My own profile going into the season. Not too bad but the 2.5 stars rep is growing



I wanted a new assistant manager as the guy that was here wasn’t the best and only really had okay at best stats. Meet recently retired as a player Nikola Matas



Between agreeing terms with my new assistant and now I was at it non stop with looking for players to sign that will fit into my 3-5-2 system. I wanted to bring more home grown players in to help with the squad selection rules in the league and Champions League.



Ahmad Doozandeh



Othamn Al-Yahri



Miro Fontenelle, my main man again! It's becoming a habit that I sign this guy every time I move on.



Salem Al-Hajiri



Liridon Osmanaj



We sold Abdullah Alahrak to Al Sadd for a tidy sum, he wanted to discuss terms with them and really we’ve got enough depth now so not too concerned with this departure.




The board reckon we’re good for mid table again, I think we should be challenging for the top end of the league so if we over achieve that can only be a good thing





Before the Charity cup game we signed an up and coming full back in Ahmed Nasser who won’t play too much but I’m keen to try and develop him more



Due to us winning the cup we get to play the league winners in the Qatar equivalent of the Charity Shield as long shots which is fine as I tell the team to go out and enjoy the game.





We were easily the better team and deserved this resounding victory



That victory adds a new trophy to both my own and the clubs list of competition wins and gives us a platform to build on for the league campaign. I am definitely confident we can go on and do well this season. Thanks for reading!

Great work so far, always nice to see some of the more unusual leagues being played!

2024 season update
Al-Khor FC

We start the new season off with 2 big wins over Al-Mesaimeer & Al-Wakrah which just shows that this team has goals in it, with target man Olurundare getting 4 over the 2 games.





Next up is a big game for me personally as I celebrate 300 games in management and it’s a game against a fairly big team in Al-Gharrafa. I say big team as on a previous save they dominated Qatar and went on to win multiple Champions Leagues. So how did we do against these guys…..





Outstanding. Breath-taking. Unbelievable. This is the biggest win of my career to date and a perfect 10 for Yessoh. We are a force to be reckoned with, I said it before I have high hopes for this team.

Another game against a big team in Al-Sadd, these are competing for the league title and I kind of feel after that 8-0 victory over Al-Gharrafa a 1-1 draw could be seen as a bad result really.



Back to winning ways with another game full of goals from the team, this time an away win over Qatar SC. 50/50 possession but the all important stat of 1 more goal for us then they managed sees us come out on top.



A home game against current Stars league and top of the table Lekhwiya next. We beat this lot in the charity cup match but we went down to an early goal and never managed to score despite having more shots than they did. Not the best result but we’ve been good so far.



We managed back to back wins over Al-Arabi & Al-Shahaniya to keep us near the top of the league before a defeat against Al-Kharitiyah threatened to derail our momentum.







We managed a set of back to back to back wins over Al-Shamal, Al-Jaish and Al-Rayyan before the Al-Gharrafa manager, who if you remember I replaced at Al-Khor got the sack as well as the Al-Jaish manager.













So I’m the favourite for both jobs and I get asked about both in the press, to which I give the same answer in both, I’m happy at being linked to big jobs as it means we’re doing well. I’ve not declared my interest in either job as I’m happy where I am and how we’re performing. Despite this I’m summoned to an emergency board meeting where I said I’m not considering leaving and the board sacked me anyway….







So that's that, the end of my time in Al-Khor. I am disappointed to have been sacked for simply saying I am happy to be linked to other jobs, but it is what it is. My next steps? Well I'll see if this interest from either team comes to anything. I leave the club in third place and looking good but they'll move forward without me. On to the next one......

Hey man thanks for reading!!

Some good work buddy, shame about the sacking but 9 times out of 10 these things come back to bite them in the arse

Cheers mate, well on the next update that might just be true.....

I can't believe they sacked me, ME! I won them the FA Cup the ungrateful twats! They're in the Champions league because of 1 man, ME! Well I'll tell you what, I wanna have the last laugh. To hell with it, Al-Gharrafa declared their interest in me and that's why I got sacked well I might as well go and put myself forward for that job, it's their fault I got sacked anyway.



There's 3 reasons I want this job. First is they're quite a big club really. They won the league 3 times in a row not so long back and they've been in and around the top of the league for the past few seasons. Second is it's due to their interest I got sacked from Al-Khor and lastly well I need a job.




Right, they wanted me and now I'm here. If for nothing else there's 1 massive thing that's brought me here and that's who we play in my first game in charge. That's right we've got my old team Al-Khor and I tell you what, (a la Kevin Keegan) I would love it, LOVE IT if we beat them!





I think the team here is okay, they're struggling but a bit of hard work and maybe a signing or 2 and we'll be alright. I make 3 key signings in the back room first, my old head of youth development Veenod comes over as does my assistant Matas. Joining them not long after is my coach Yaha, 3 trusted colleagues who I know will help me get this team where it needs to be.








I see a good if aging striker I want to tie down to a long term deal and do so quickly





Right that's that sorted. My back room team in place and training sorted. I'm not looking at new signings just yet, I want to get this first game out of the way and then I will see exactly where this team is at. It's only the first game of my time in Al-Gharrafa but the feeling is it's make or break for me. Beat this lot and their decision to sack me will come under scrutiny, lose and they look like the hero and have done the right thing. 1 massive thing is my Al-Khor side beat my new side 8-0 at the start of the season, that's something that is going to be in the mind of everyone involved. I won't lie I was absolutely buzzing at the time of that result. But things have changed, I've changed clubs and I think long term if we can get out of this slump then the sky may just be the limit for me and this team. But for now I've got to take it just 1 game at a time....

No fear. No excuses. Remember this team beat YOU 8 nil last time, get out there and get revenge!! My attempt at a rallying cry. I won’t lie, I’m nervous about this, more nervous than I was in the Confederations cup final 2 years ago, wow that seems so much longer ago than 2 years. But things have changed, things are constantly changing.

We set up to take it to them. I just want the team to put in a good shift here really. As long as we avoid defeat, I know that’s a bad way of looking at it but that’s how I’m feeling right now. Despite the stats saying otherwise this really was an end to end game, Al-Khor wanting to put 1 over on me and me desperately wanting to beat them. 0-0 is a fair result and 1 I must build on to make sure Al-Gharrafa are a force to be reckoned with.



Next up is a home game against Al-Rayyan. It’s game like this that question your mental health. We were all over this team and going into the final 10 minutes we were 6-3 up and they got it to 6-5 into the last minute, they even had an absolute sitter in the final moments of the game to draw. I feel for them as scoring 5 in an away game and still lose it must be awful, but I’m only concerned with my own team. We're looking good in my first 2 games.



Which brings us to Umm-Salal. Not going into detail on this one at all. Pathetic. The players quite rightly giving out refunds to our travelling fans too.





A game against Al-Mesaimeer who are in the relegation zone next and I swear to god it’s things like this that make me want to give up some times. Morale is quite low and it’s going to be hard picking the team up after this.



But saying that a well earned win away to Al-Wakrah has lifted spirits slightly. Don’t want to get carried away but hopefully this win gives us some momentum to crack on push up the league.



Or not! Can’t lie Al-Jaish are a big enough team and with a new manager they’ve completely dominated us here



As did Al-Sadd. This is even more embarrassing as they had a man sent off and still scored 3 more goals.



This run of form can’t continue. I’ve got to sort something out, the team are haemorrhaging goals left right and center. I’ll change to a more structured set up and hopefully something changes.

We’ve got Qatar Sports Club next and we really, REALLY need a good performance here.



We start the game well enough and keep them at bay really. Most of their shots are half chances and they never really threatened, until the 85th minute when they managed to get a cross into the box that found their man unmarked to bury it home. We didn’t look like equalising in the last 5 minutes and this has really put a damper on my short time here, it’s not looking good.



My job status is undeniably insecure but at least my friend Abdul Yahya has got my back, I just wish the team would pick some points up and not let us get dragged into a relegation battle.



League leaders and back to back to back winners Lekhwiya rolled into town, scored 5, didn’t break a sweat and moved on. Nothing to see here, just a team low on confidence getting spanked by the champs to be.



At least against Al-Arabi we looked like getting something from the game. Going into the final 5 minutes we’re 3-3 in a very even game we let our concentration slip and Ezekiel completed his hat trick and they went away with a 4-3 win. Whilst we lost the game at least we looked like taking something from it. It's made me even worse as if we had got even a point from this game we wouldn't go into the last game of the season with relegation a possibility.



Judgement day is upon us. A day I never thought I’d see again. Al-Gharrafa are a big club, just like Selangor were when I took over there. Selangor went into the last game of the season needing to avoid defeat to stay up, Al-Gharrafa are the same. Al-Shahaniya have to win to stay up, we just need to not lose and we stay up. I’ve got everything crossed and hope this team don’t bottle it. This is a massive day for me, lose this game and I take another big club down, and I don’t know if I’ll ever recover from it, stay up and maybe, just maybe I can create something here…….

Well I’m glad that’s out of the way. We never looked in danger of losing this game but my question is why has this performance been so long coming? Not to worry, we’re safe and if this performance is anything to go by we should be alright going into the cup and something to build on next season.







Well as it turns out we start our cup campaign against the team we’ve just battered 4-0. Hopefully a repeat of that scoreline will be coming

Well not quite 4 but I’ll take this victory. Wonder who we’ll get drawn against in the next round? Not too concerned who really as I think we’ll have a good shot against most teams.



You really couldn’t write this could you! My former team are what stands in our way of progressing. Well in no uncertain terms we NEED to win this match!




It wasn’t a masterclass by any stretch and most of the chances we had were half chances really. We got a penalty which was a bit dubious but I don’t care, we beat them and that’s all that matters!





We get drawn against Umm-Salal next and another game I feel we can win.



Which we do comfortably really. The semi final waits for us.



We get a big test now against 5 times league winners Lekhwiya. A win here would see me in my second final but it’s a big ask to get passed this club



But we did it, a good finish in a pretty one sided match for us. A slight concern maybe that we’re not being clinical with our chances but the only thing that matters is that we won.



Al-Jaish in the final. Champions league awaits the winners as well. I’m confident we can keep up this momentum but we’ll see. Knock out football can be unpredictable at the best of times…..









2 late goals see us win the cup! I couldn’t be prouder of this club, we looked doomed right up until the last game and from then until now we looked unstoppable. With the right signings I think we can definitely do something special here!







Last point on this update is I've got the next licence. Profile is looking better too.





My aim is for next season not to be dragged into another relegation battle. There's a good squad here, we've got a bit of money to play with and we're in the Champions League. Next season is going to be a good 1, I can feel it.

Just a quick update to run through the end of seasons stuff. For some bizarre reason Kim Seung-Dae got the fans player of the year, this is despite making a total of 1 appearance under me. Collins Fai would’ve been my choice and not sure why the fans think Alvarez in goal deserved to be third choice there he was terrible for me! Also it’s showing we used 4-2-3-1 but in all my games here I’ve used the 3-5-2 I’ve always used throughout this save, weird.



Goal of the season as shown, can’t complain at this as it was taken well.

https://youtu.be/ZGLKSU7P-To

Signing & young player of the season goes to Amer Hassan. He was signed by my predecessor and I wasn’t impressed with him really. He played most of the games for me but the way I see it is he’s maybe the best of a bad bunch.Season review doesn’t make for a good showing apart from the cup win. 12th in the league for a team looking to challenge the top 4 is pathetic. Moment to forget was actually at the hands of me and my former team so there’s that. This team also definitely earned the underachievers award.







Despite the cup win my job status is still insecure. Aims for this season are simple, we will not be dragged into another relegation battle. We’re going to make the most of the Champions League and you can bet I’m going to be targeting some big name players this close season. In an ideal world I’d like to stick at Al-Gharrafa for this season and see how we do then maybe I’ll move on. We’ll see what happens.

Next update will be on who we’ve signed and how the team is going to be shaping up next season. This season I stuck to my favoured 3-5-2 formation, however I’m going to be using a 4-2-3-1 next season, you’ll see why 😉

Thanks for reading!

‘Boss, why you asking for a scout report on HIM?!? I’m sure you know enough about him already’ my chief scout asks

‘Nope, I’ve never heard of him, but I do need a player in his position’

‘You’re having me on, you don’t know anything about him?!?’

‘Nothing’

Off he goes to get me a scout report. Of course I know who he is, I’ve not been living under a rock for the past few years. The report is basically to see what chance I’ve got of signing him. He’s on the realistic players list but I want to know roughly what his wages are going to be. Not only that but I’ve made an offer, a big offer for another player who is going to be expecting a handsome contract to come here. On top of that deal I’ve made a move to sign a defender on a free transfer, if I can pull these 2 other deals off then mark my words Al-Gharrafa are going to be a force next season! I’m getting ahead of myself here, I’ve also managed to secure deals for 4 Qatari players that are going to come in and hopefully sort this team out. I’ve had to move a couple of players on but I’ve done this on the assumption I’m going to be getting these 3 big name players in. These signings are going be a massive factor in what happens next season, get these 3 in and they gel early then we’re going places, if not, well the thought isn’t worth thinking about…..



Well lets get the big ones out the way first shall we. When I said I wasn’t going to get dragged into another relegation battle I meant it! Stephan Al-Shaarawy is a name most football fans know. I remember him from his Milan days as an incredible player. To say I’m delighted is an understatement. When I realised his contract was coming to an end I went in with the offer only to find out Monaco, Fiorentina and Genoa were all interested as well. When the news came in that he’d agreed to sign with us I was buzzing!





To complement El-Shaarawy I went in with an offer £8.75 for transfer listed Ryan Gauld. Another top quality player and we were the only team interested in him. Creative players were missing for us last season so getting these 2 in I am sure we will dominate midfield next year.





Coming in also on a free transfer is Ryan Nyambe form Blackburn. An Namibian international player and someone who will be a top player in this league I’m sure he will win us points on his own. Fair to say the fans are happy with these 3 signings!











Coming into to complement the team are center halves Boudiaf, Al-Hajiri & Belraysh who will actually play right back for me and goalkeeper Naim Hussain. So the fans aren’t too strung up on these 4 but I’ve signed these guys for a reason. The goalkeeper I signed because my current keeper, Peruvian international Alvarez wants to leave and with the 3 players coming in are foreign means the foreign player limit has been filled. The center halves are in because our defence sucked last year. My thinking is hopefully we can simply outscore other teams next season and not rely too much in defence, we’ll see though. Also going into the team will be youth player Mbega. His stats aren’t anything to scream about but I want to give him game time, his development depends on it, plus playing alongside Ryan Gauld can only be a good thing and I’m thinking of having Gauld tutor Mbega. We’re breaking records all around with this deal too.











Before the season kicks off proper I wanted to make another statement signing. Step up Omar Abdulrahman. I’m transfer listing last season’s player of the year South Korean Kim Seung-Dae and Abdulrahman is taking his place. He is half Qatari so doesn’t go against the foreign player quota and despite his physicals I’m thinking of playing him as an enganche behind a lone striker. Fans are happy with this signing too.





Just when things were going well this happens in a meaningless pre season friendly



My own personal record signing, the clubs record signing & the league as a whole's record signing injured before the seasons even got underway, I’m disappointed with this injury but hopefully it won’t affect us too much. We’ve still got the best player in the league in Al-Shaarawy, Abdulrahman will be key for us anyway but I’m still looking forward to the new season, bring it on!

Last point on this is I went in for Miro Fontenelle as I usually do when I move clubs except this time he went to Al-Mesaimeer as we couldn't agree a fee with my old club Al-Khor, not too disheartened as our midfield is pretty much incredible this season.



Next post will be how we got on in our first few games of the new season, our new formation and just generally how we're doing. Thanks for reading!

‘Who here remembers that time Leicester nearly got relegated from the Premier League and then won it the year after?’

Puzzled looks all around the room staring back at me. Eventually Ryan Nyambe, who has been at Blackburn all his career until now raises his hand.

‘I do boss, it was massive news. They were bottom of the league in the December then exactly a year later were top, why do you ask?

‘Thanks Ryan, I ask because that’s our inspiration. That’s our motivation. And I need you all on board to achieve not only a top half finish but I’m aiming top 2’

‘Yeah, the boss is right. We can definitely achieve that target if we all give 100%’ . In truth he’s the only 1 on board in my pre season team meeting, the others think I’m being too unrealistic. Always aim high is my motto.



So we start with a tough game against Lekhwiya in the Sheikh Jassem cup, the Qatar charity shield. A win here would set us up just right for the league season.



A win is exactly what we got. El Shaarawy making a goal scoring debut and we dominated and deserved to win.

Despite beating the current champs Lekhwiya we’re still predicted to finish 4th. This suits us fine as I’m confident we can better that.



First up are home games against Muaither & Al-Wakrah. We’re heavy favourites for both and live up that to as we come out as 3-1 winners over Muaither and 2-0 over Al-Wakrah.





End of the transfer window and all 3 of our big names make the headlines.



A tough away win over Al-Rayyan was overshadowed by an injury to our main striker Rashidov. Whilst I’m disappointed with this injury hopefully someone else can step up and fill the void.





A big win over Al-Jaish was followed up getting brought straight back down to earth by Lekhwiya. Not too much to say other than they rightly deserved the big win but we’ve been playing well so I’m not too disheartened at this loss.





Despite me saying I’m upbeat about Rashidov’s injury, his replacement Al-Ali hasn’t scored in all the games he’s featured in. He’s definitely got the ability it’s just not happening for him right now. I tell him I do have faith in him though and his place is secure for now.





Possibly the best win for us so far came against Al-Sadd at home. El-Shaarawy dominating and the whole team looking good.



So a good win against Al-Sadd brings with it 2 unfortunate injuries in training after that game. Al-Aqib is my first choice left back and only player natural in that position. Muhannad Hussain is my first choice keeper and I’m praying it doesn’t hamper us too much.





A disappointing loss to Al-Mesaimeer was followed up by a routine 2-0 win over Umm-Salal. Our first draw of the season came away against Al-Sailiya in a game we dominated really. Massive wins over Qatar Sports Club, my old team Al-Khor and Al-Arabi bring us to the half way point in the league campaign.













At the halfway point we're looking good. Top of the league winning 10 of the 13 games so far and 4 points clear we're in pretty good form. As long as we don't hit a massive loss of form or injuries don't pile up I think my prediction of top 2 will definitely come through. Board are happy as well.






Thanks for reading.