Saving Newcastle United (with no coaching license) - Failed
A Football Manager Career by HeadCoachFM
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HeadCoachFM
HeadCoachFM
It was an optimistic beginning to the summer for most Newcastle fans, with talks of a takeover by the billionaire Bin Zayed Group circling after an exciting end to the season. The beloved Rafa Benitez had begun contract negotiations with the not-so-beloved Mike Ashley, and it seemed as though the goalscoring duo Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez might be reunited for the next season at St. James' with talks of a potential permanent move for Rondon.
The takeover talks stalled, however, and things began to fall apart. Rafa Benitez announced his departure following a breakdown in talks with Mike Ashley, signing a £12m per year deal with Chinese club Dalian Yifang instead. Salomon Rondon returned to West Brom once his loan ended (though he is transfer listed), and Ayoze Perez signed for Leicester City for roughly £30m. This situation would be difficult to handle for any manager; only a forward-thinking, experienced, and respected manager would be up to the task. Naturally, former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is the favorite for the job. Now I'm not really a Newcastle fan, but I can understand why this wouldn't be the most popular decision so I've taken it upon myself to save the club. I will start without any previous experience, any coaching licenses, or even any playing experience past Sunday league football. I'll also be using the live transfer update posted on this site as well as a database with updated ages/CAs/PAs for the next season because the premise of the save is for the 19/20 season.
Season Preview
The early season preview has us 60-1 to win the title, putting us in 11th in the prospective table. All things considered, this isn't a bad start. The bookies have us positioned closer to the clubs pushing for top 10 (Leicester/West Ham/Everton) than the clubs expected to be fighting for relegation (Brighton, Sheffield Utd, etc.).
Board Expectations
Mike Ashley's setting the bar pretty high with his expectations, considering my lack of experience and respect in the dressing room. My only real hope is the fact that we're expected to finish around mid table in the season preview.
Dressing Room
Winning over the players will be the main challenge in this save, so my first step will be starting my National C coaching license. A strong early run of form would go a long way to gaining their support so it's important to get my signings in fast and set up the tactics early.
HeadCoachFM
Following the sale of Ayoze Perez for £30m, and Mike Ashley's 10% (literally), the starting budget is £27m. The wage budget is set at £1.35m per week so there's some room for new players there.
Players to Watch
Miguel Almiron
Now that Rondon and Ayoze have left, Almiron's creativity could be the key in unlocking the oppositions' defense this season. Used mostly as a left winger by Rafa, Almiron failed to contribute any goals or assists in his 10 Premier League appearances during the tail end of last season. Used as a roaming playmaker (CM) in a fluid counter attacking 4-1-4-1, I think he could be more effective.
Jamaal Lascelles & Fabian Schar
Lascelles has been a fan-favorite and captain for several years now and he'll be important in providing continuity in the backline. Fabian Schar was arguably Newcastle's best defender last season so he will likely be Lascelles' partner this season.
Sean Longstaff
With Manchester United circling the young English midfielder, it's important to try and retain our brightest prospect to provide depth in the midfield for the upcoming season. Luckily I don't believe Solskjaer is actually interested in Longstaff in the game so this likely won't be an issue.
Dwight Gayle
Gayle didn't fit Rafa's style of play and ultimately hasn't impressed in previous Premier League seasons. However, he netted 24 goals in 40 appearances in the Championship for West Brom last season so he could provide some much needed goals in a side lacking in offensive depth.
Elias Sorensen
Sorensen is one of the brightest prospects at Newcastle United. He logged 14 goals in 32 appearances for the Newcastle U18s and he was joint-top scorer with 12 goals in the Premier League 2 (U23s) with Norwich striker Adam Idah, who is also highly rated.
Players to Sell
Rob Elliot
At 33 years old, with two years left on his contract, it's really now or never if the club wants to gain any money for Elliot. He's behind Darlow and Dubravka in the pecking order so there's really no reason to keep him on.
Achraf Lazaar
Lazaar is probably the weakest link in the squad. At 27 years old, he's not going to get any better and simply isn't good enough for this level. It might be difficult to find another club willing to take him off our books but hopefully I can recoup some of the £2.3m the club originally spent on him.
Javi Manquillo
Manquillo is another weak link in the side. In Rafa's system he was able to competently play a rotation role but in a back 4 I think he will struggle defensively and I'd be better off selling and reinvesting.
Florian Lejeune
Lejeune is a reliable backup option for CB, but he was already transfer listed when I took over. With interest from 15 different clubs and a value of £11m, coupled with the fact that I have Lascelles, Schar, Fernandez, and Clark at my disposal; it would be wise to sell.
Jack Colback
Colback had a solid season with Nottingham Forest in the Championship, so putting him on the transfer list will likely attract some interest from Championship clubs or potentially even other Premier League clubs.
Henri Saivet
Saivet spent the last season on loan at Bursaspor in Turkey, amassing 29 appearances in the Turkish Super Lig. He likely won't play a role in the upcoming season so I will try to move him on as well.
Christian Atsu
Atsu is very pacy which is essential for inside forwards (the type of winger I use in my system), but I just don't think he has the technical skills to be useful in my squad. He's also valued at nearly £10m so the funds I receive could pay for a significantly better inside forward.
Matt Ritchie
Ritchie is a difficult one. For some reason he was already transfer listed when I took over and due to his relatively high value (£17m) and the fact that he won't improve any further, I may sell him if I receive a reasonable bid.
Transfer Targets
Salomon Rondon
Rondon had a phenomenal season for Newcastle, amassing 11 goals and 7 assists in 32 league appearances. He's transfer listed in real life, though Mike Ashley seems reluctant to spend such a significant sum on a relatively old player (29 years old). In the game, however, he is not transfer listed and he is valued at £18m so he is an unrealistic target at this point.
Daniel Sturridge
After being released by Liverpool, the highly rated striker is a natural choice to be my first signing. As a free agent he would be significantly cheaper than Rondon, despite his high wage demands. He's a natural advanced forward which would fit perfectly into my fluid counter attack system, and he has experience playing as a pressing forward under Jurgen Klopp which is the role I often use in my Gegenpress tactic. His high wage demands and his injury proneness could prove difficult, though.
Mario Balotelli
Balotelli is also available on a free after being released by Marseille for financial reasons. He managed to net 8 goals in 15 appearances during the tail end of last season, so he could be another option for the advanced forward role. He is, however, notoriously difficult to handle and considering my lack of support in the dressing room already this might not be the best signing for me.
Jarrod Bowen
Bowen is one of the brightest young talents in the Championship, scoring 22 goals in 46 appearances for Hull City last season as a right winger. He is the ideal replacement for Ayoze Perez on the right wing, offering much-needed goals. He should also be relatively cheap as he is a Championship player.
Ismaila Sarr
Ismaila Sarr had a breakout season for Stade Rennes in Ligue 1, scoring 8 goals and grabbing 6 assists in 35 appearances. He can play anywhere across the front line but would ideally slot into the left wing as an inside forward, able to cut onto his preferred right foot.
Kalvin Phillips
One clear weak spot in my system is the DM position. Kalvin Phillips had a solid season for Leeds United which almost saw them gain promotion back into the Premier League for the first time since 2004. He could provide a relatively cheap option to slot into the deep lying playmaker role at the heart of my midfield.
Baba Rahman
One of the casualties of Chelsea's summer clearout, Rahman used to be a bright prospect in the Chelsea academy but has failed to impress due to injuries and is now transfer listed for the cheap sum of £4.8m. He could compete with Dummett for the starting role of LB.
Joakim Mæhle
Mæhle is a promising young RB for Genk and put in a couple of impressive performances in the EURO U21 tournament over the summer. He's better defensively and technically than Yedlin, as well as being over 3 years younger. He would be my starting RB with Yedlin providing backup.
HeadCoachFM
In
I managed to sign all of my major transfer targets for a total of £45.05m. Overall I think I made some decent business and strengthened all the major weak areas in the squad. I opted for Daniel Sturridge over Balotelli and Rondon, but unsurprisingly Sturridge has already been injured. Balotelli ended up signing for Fiorentina, while Rondon seems to be staying put in the Championship with West Brom.
Out
I also managed to sell all of the players I intended to move on, with the slight exception of Lazaar, who went on loan to Hull after being unable to find a permanent move. I decided to retain Matt Ritchie to compete with Jarrod Bowen for the starting RW inside forward role. In total I gained £31.05m for the sales.
Squad
This is my ideal starting lineup for the upcoming season, though Daniel Sturridge is already injured and some of the new signings are still blending with the team. I will be primarily using a fluid counter-attack style, with Almiron playing a key role as the roaming playmaker. Sarr and Bowen will ideally be my primary wingers, with right-footed Sarr play as the LW and left-footed Bowen as the RW so they can cut in and create goalscoring chances. Sturridge is a natural in the advanced forward role so he will fit the system very well. Shelvey will be my starting box-to-box midfielder while Longstaff will be his long-term replacement. Mæhle and Rahman both have good attacking stats and sufficient defensive stats so they will slot in as wing backs with the support duty, where they will overlap the wingers and hit early crosses to stretch the opposition defense. Schar, Lascelles, and Dubravka will remain starters following impressive performances last season. I also have a secondary tactic which is the Gegenpress preset with a similar 4-1-4-1 formation to the primary tactic. This will be for the home games against weaker sides when we should be looking to throw everything at the other team.
Pre-Season
We had a strong pre-season, but it's hard to tell where we really stand because we were facing much easier sides. I normally let my assistant manager takeover for friendlies but I wanted to be as hands-on as possible to start gaining support from the players. This didn't work, but our team cohesion has improved.
Season Preview
This is the season preview the day before the start of the season. Our title odds have improved from 60-1 to 55-1, but we have remained 11th in the preview table. Notably, Wolves' transfer activity saw them rise from 15th on the prospective table to 12th, with the clubs between us being shifted around.
First Game Preview
Our first game will be Leicester City at St. James' Park on the 11th of August. Leicester are favorites for the tie so it will be a difficult game, with Brendan Rodgers keen to get off to a good start in his first full season in charge. I will use the starting lineup pictured above with 3 changes. Sturridge is still recovering from injury so he will be unavailable for the first two fixtures (Leicester & Manchester United), therefore Muto will start ahead of Gayle as striker due to his slightly higher training rating. Bowen was injured when he joined and hasn't fully blended into the system yet, so Matt Ritchie will start as RW against Leicester. Mæhle had similar issues, so Yedlin will start ahead of him for the first game.
HeadCoachFM
It was an eventful first game at St. James' Park, securing a 2-1 win over Leicester after Harry Maguire was sent off in the first half. Dwight Gayle was the hero with an 89' winner after an assist by Sean Longstaff. There was, however, a huge setback.
Almiron suffered a calf strain early in the first half and will be sidelined for over a month. Sean Longstaff will replace him in the starting lineup over the next month, though I will probably move Longstaff into the box-to-box midfield role and put Shelvey in the roaming playmaker role.
From here on out I'll have significantly less detail, as I just wanted to paint a full picture of the scenario. My next update will probably be the start of January (in-game) so stay tuned!
KEZ_7
Good luck, will be following
SrWer
HeadCoachFM
Results
I was originally planning to update this once I got to January but having thought about it more getting sacked is a very realistic possibility so I decided to do monthly updates instead. The first month went reasonably well, with a 2-1-2 overall record so far. After grabbing a late 3 points from Leicester, we managed to hold off Manchester United at Old Trafford for a 1-1 draw, but we've struggled to score in the league since. Back to back (in the league) 0-1 losses to Watford and Sheffield United have seen us move down the table quickly as it's still early days in the season. I managed to beat West Brom 4-2 in the Carabao Cup with a significantly weakened side for rotation purposes, but we drew Everton for the 3rd round so it will be difficult to meet Mike Ashley's minimum expectation of reaching the 4th round. My main obstacle in this save is motivating the team. Normally, I'm great at motivating the team in the dressing room which can make all the difference in the big games; but due to my inexperience and lack of a coaching license the players tend to react negatively to my comments which I believe may be having adverse effects on the outcome of each game. Nevertheless, we are sitting perfectly in mid-table just as Mike Ashley requested, in 10th with 4 points.
Table
Standout Performers
Matt Ritchie
At 7.53, Ritchie has the highest average rating in the squad by far after he netted 2 goals and got an assist in 2(2) appearances.
Baba Rahman
Rahman has been my most solid defender so far this season, with an average rating of 7.12 in 4 appearances. He hasn't gotten any assists yet but he's been creating chances and his defensive work is very impressive. He's also beginning to show an improvement in his game so he may reach that potential before it's too late.
Sean Longstaff
Longstaff hasn't been consistent so far, with a 6.60 average rating in the league. He did, however, set up Dwight Gayle's last minute winner against Leicester City, and he scored a brace against West Brom in the Carabao Cup. These two performances are promising, and once he gains a little more consistency he could very well displace Jonjo Shelvey in the starting lineup.
HeadCoachFM
Results
Things are looking grim following 4 consecutive winless away games in the league and an early elimination from the Carabao Cup after a tense penalty shootout against Everton. This poor run of form has seen us fall into the relegation conversation, but I'm confident that a home victory could set us back on track.
Table
It's still early days but we're definitely not where I'd hoped we'd be at this point in the season. Our goal difference in relation to the other clubs around the bottom of the table is promising, however, indicating that once we start scoring again we should be able to steady the ship and pull out of the relegation battle. Unsurprisingly, Manchester City and Liverpool are at the top of the table, with significantly higher goal differences than the teams just below them.
Standout Performers
Nobody
Having only collectively scored twice in 5 games, nobody in the squad really impressed in terms of consistency or meaningful contributions besides one goal each from Sturridge and Muto.
Miguel Almiron
After recovering from his calf strain, Almiron managed to make one appearance as a substitute during our 1-2 loss at Southampton before sustaining another 4-5 week injury in the form of a sports hernia. I stated before the season began that Almiron was going to play the most important role in my system as the roaming playmaker, so his absence has undoubtedly made my job more difficult. We're massively lacking in midfield creativity and as a result we've struggled to score against teams that we could or should have beat.
Job Security
Board Confidence
Despite our poor form, league position, and managerial support, the board is satisfied with my management of the team. This could soon change, however, if we don't turn things around. My transfer activity went a long way in gaining the board's trust, with the preferred philosophy of signing young players being fulfilled completely.
Managerial Support
My support in the dressing room was "Very Poor" from the beginning, and actually improved to just "Poor" briefly after several successful team meetings and interactions. This changed following an entire month without a win, though, and it seems that this could ultimately cost me my job if I don't get a win soon.
Other News
ANOTHER Takeover Bid?
Mike Ashley is apparently looking to move on after a tumultuous reign as the Newcastle United owner. This time the bid is from a "consortium of investors, possibly involving a former footballer" which would be quite different from the vastly wealthier Bin Zayed Group that was rumored to be taking over earlier in the summer. If a new owner comes in, it's quite possible that they will realize how unqualified I am for the job and replace me with one of their own candidates, ending the save early. At this point I may be the only person associated with Newcastle United who doesn't want Mike Ashley to sell the club. Hopefully he kills the deal as he has done many times in the past.
More Injuries
I was optimistic that the worst was behind us following a difficult end to the month of September. October has other ideas, it seems. Jonjo Shelvey is now set for 3-4 weeks on the sidelines with an abdominal strain, further weakening an already struggling midfield. With Almiron still sidelined for another 2 weeks, our poor run of form may go on even longer.
tongey
You're really having no luck with injuries, Shelvey and Almiron both out, arguably your two best players at the club!
Let's hope for a run of good results!
SrWer
HeadCoachFM
Results
I finally managed to turn things around, picking up 7 points from 3 matches in the league. Two goals from Matt Ritchie and one from Daniel Sturridge as well as a solid team performance overall saw us breeze past Crystal Palace 3-0. Sturridge scored again in the following match against Bournemouth, and after an early equalizer by Joshua King we managed to get a 92' winner courtesy of Ismaila Sarr. This was a massive win because Bournemouth have actually been overachieving so far in the league, and beating them in their own ground shows real progress. This was succeeded by a 1-1 draw with Tottenham, with yet another goal from Daniel Sturridge. It was a hard fought tie and we ultimately deserved the 3 points on the day but it wasn't meant to be.
Table
October has seen us rise from the relegation zone back into mid-table, where we've been aiming from the start. Considering we're on even points with Chelsea I think we're in a decent position now. Hopefully we can use this as a platform to remain in mid-table or even potentially push for top 10. This will largely depend on injuries going forward, more on that later.
Standout Performers
Daniel Sturridge
With 3 goals in 3 games, Sturridge was the star of October. He's now got 4 goals in 7(1) appearances this season so keeping him fit is essential. If he can continue this run of form into November we could potentially keep climbing up the table.
Baba Rahman
Rahman put on some impressive displays, particularly our 3-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace where he managed to grab an assist with a beautiful cross from deep. He's proving to be the bargain of the season after being acquired for just £4.8m, with the highest average rating in the squad and a very consistent run of form since the beginning of the season.
Jamaal Lascelles
Lascelles has been really solid defensively for me this season, starting all 11 matches since August. Impressive performances against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth helped us secure 6 points across the two fixtures, and he will likely continue to be an important part of my squad for the remainder of the season.
Job Security
Board Confidence
Amazingly, my job security is actually "Very Secure," something I didn't think possible a mere month ago. Again, my acquisition of several young players went a long way in securing my job status with the board, so this good form has undoubtedly helped my position.
Managerial Support
Now that we've got a few more wins and improved our league position, the players are starting to come back around to me, having gained some support prior to the disastrous month of September. I should finish studying for my National C coaching license in November, so that could see my support level grow even further.
Other News
ANOTHER TAKEOVER BID??
At this point it seems as though Mike Ashley has put the club on eBay to auction off to the highest bidder. Rumors circled about a possible takeover by the Bin Zayed Group in the summer before dying down and being replaced by rumors about a "consortium of investors" buying the club last month, which has now turned into an official approach from a Kuwaiti businessman named Al-Hawasi who notably owned Nottingham Forest from 2012 to 2017. He was not a very popular owner and it seems like a takeover would see me lose my job. Hopefully his bid fails and Mike Ashley lets me continue my work.
Hayden's Leaving
Unsatisfied with his game time, Isaac Hayden put in a formal transfer request after I told him he wouldn't get the minutes he's seeking. I instantly received 3 £13m bids for him, and with my transfer budget already sitting at £10.4m I will have more than enough to find a replacement in the January window.
Almiron's Back!
Arguably my most important player, Almiron's been injured for the majority of the season so far. He's only managed to make 1(3) appearances out of 11 possible and it's been difficult without him. He's back now, however, and after 2 substitute appearances against Bournemouth and Tottenham, I think he's ready to start our next game against Chelsea. I'll be back later today with another update!
tongey
HeadCoachFM
Results
A tough run of fixtures throughout November halted the progress I began making in October, with games against Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City. We only managed to pick up 1 point from the 3 matches despite Chelsea underachieving massively under Frank Lampard so far this season. A relatively easier schedule lies ahead of us in December, but the fixture congestion and our collective susceptibility to injuries could further set us back.
Table
We're currently sitting in 15th after a difficult month, 5 points ahead of the relegation zone and 6 points behind the middle of the pack. I would rather not get drawn back into the relegation battle so we must improve our form soon. The bottom 3 seems to be getting more isolated as their negative goal differences continue to grow exponentially. This will definitely help me but ultimately if I fail to finish in a respectable mid-table position I could still be sacked.
Injuries, Injuries, and More Injuries
Injuries from Baba Rahman, Jarrod Bowen, Joakim Mæhle, and Jonjo Shelvey further hampered an already difficult month. Considering all 4 of them are starters, I was forced to field a significantly weakened side against some of the best teams in the league. Injuries have been a constant problem for me this season, with Almiron missing most of August-October among many others. To try and improve this going forward I've added a new fitness coach and a physio to the backroom staff which will hopefully prevent another injury crisis.
Job Security
Board Confidence
November saw my support in the boardroom fall from "Very Secure" to just "Stable" as the mood in the dressing room has faltered following the 0-5 thrashing by Manchester City. "Stable" is better than "Insecure" I suppose, and a strong run of form in December could secure my job.
Managerial Support
I actually managed to gain support in the dressing room despite the bad results against Arsenal, Chelsea, and City. Rather than "Poor" my support is now at "Average" so my team talks are much more effective than they previously were.
Hierarchy
When I first took over almost all of the players in the squad were opposed to me but this has changed significantly as you can see in the hierarchy dynamics table. Jonjo Shelvey is now the only remaining player to oppose me, while Rolando Aarons has been a loyal supporter for me for most of the season. I may start playing him more to increase his influence because his support could go a long way in securing more loyalty in the dressing room.
Other News
Takeover Collapses
Thankfully Al-Hasawi's takeover bid failed after being unable to agree a price with the board, so my job is safe for the time being. He's apparently still seeking to purchase another English club, so I'll make sure to keep an eye on that and update you about it.
I'M LICENSED BABY
Unbelievably, I made it 4 months into the season without getting sacked despite having no coaching or playing experience, or even the minimum qualifications of having a National C coaching license. I've now completed the first course and gained the National C license which went a long way in improving my support in the dressing room. My reputation and managerial attributes are still significantly lower than those of the players and the staff around me, however, so I'll need to continue working on the successive coaching licenses to improve my standing.
In a massive show of confidence, the board agreed to fund my National B coaching course so I can continue to improve my standing in the football world. I had to labor the point a bit in the boardroom to push it through, but it worked in the end and that's what's important. I should finish the course around mid-March, so hopefully I still have my job by then.
Fernandez's Leaving
Due to lack of game time, Federico Fernandez has decided to move on just a month after Isaac Hayden agreed to join Burnley in the January transfer window for £13m. It seems his preferred move is Lyon, where he'll link up with former teammate Florian Lejeune, who joined them during the summer. I need to begin scouting for potential replacements now because it's very possible that I will be shorthanded in early January if I don't sort out some transfer targets soon. Including the funds from Fernandez's sale, my budget for the January window will be around £45m, which is actually more than I spent over the summer.
HeadCoachFM
Results
Another long month without a win, and my job security is looking more precarious than ever. We only managed to score one goal throughout the 7 fixtures, it was a truly miserable month. I experimented with various tactics, moving Almiron into a more advanced playmaking role as a CAM and rotating my strikers reasonably, but nothing seemed to work.
Table
Having only gained 3 points from the 7 matches played during December, we've dropped into the relegation battle and we're now on even points with Aston Villa, who were 5 points behind us at the beginning of the month. Things could go from bad to worse if I don't turn things around soon.
Job Security
Ah, the message every Football Manager manager dreads. Mike Ashley and the board of directors told me in no uncertain terms that if I don't win the next match I will be sacked.
This is an incredible ultimatum, considering my opponents. The media is dubbing the affair "El Sackico," as Manchester United currently sit in 11th place under Solskjær so either or both of us could lose our jobs depending on the outcome of the match. Another defeat could see us fall into the relegation zone, in addition to costing me my job.
Board Confidence
As you could probably guess, my job security is "Very Insecure" now. We haven't won a match since our 2-1 victory over Bournemouth on October 21st, nearly two and a half months ago. Things are looking grim, to say the least.
Dressing Room Atmosphere
This poor run of form has understandably had a negative impact on morale, and I've held several team meetings over the last couple months to try and motivate the squad but it hasn't seemed to have a measurable effect.
Managerial Support
My support in the dressing room has fallen back to "Poor," but I still have more backing from the squad than I did when I first took over. That isn't much of a consolation, though.
Other News
Clark's Leaving
Following the trend set by Isaac Hayden and Federico Fernandez, Ciaran Clark handed in a formal transfer request after I failed to fulfill my promise of starting him in more matches. He wasn't training at the same level as Fabian Schar so at the time I didn't think he was worth the risk of 'downgrading' so to speak. Looking back on the last 11 matches, perhaps I should have given him more game time. He started 3 of the 7 matches during December, which I think is reasonable for his standing in the squad but clearly he's seeking more regular game time than I can provide. I'll receive another £10m for his sale, so the January budget is relatively sizeable now. We're severely lacking in defensive depth going into January, as I still haven't replaced Federico Fernandez after his sale to Lyon. I have a bid pending for Celtic CB Kristoffer Ajer who I believe could be a key signing for us if I keep my job, but it's unlikely he'll join before Clark leaves.
Pellegrini Sacked
Although I may be counting my last days as Newcastle manager, I outlasted the experienced Manuel Pellegrini in the so-called "Sack Race" despite having an inferior squad and being an inferior manager in terms of experience. This could unfortunately end up being my greatest achievement in this save, so I figured it was noteworthy.
HeadCoachFM
Despite having more possession and shots, we were unable to beat Manchester United in a dull 0-0 affair. Exceptional performances by Dubravka, Mæhle, and Lascelles ensured a clean sheet against a pacy Manchester United front line, but it wasn't enough to get the 3 points on the day. The result was followed by my immediate termination as Newcastle United manager.
It's an unfortunate end to my first sortitoutsi story, as things were looking optimistic at a couple points during the season. It was a challenging spell, with injuries hampering our progress towards becoming a more unified team, as well as my persistent lack of support from the squad throughout most of my reign. I asked before in the story description "Who's the best man for the job?" and clearly it wasn't a 20 year old college undergraduate with virtually no playing experience, coaching experience, or coaching qualifications. Perhaps Steve Bruce is the man for the job after all, but we'll have to wait and see about that. As for the remainder of this save, I will simulate the rest of this season and my next post will document how the club gets on without me.
Tommy Hughes
HeadCoachFM
Following my unsuccessful reign as Newcastle manager, the board went in the polar opposite direction in terms of manager profile, hiring the experienced 73 year-old Romanian manager Mircea Lucescu. His previous job experience boasts the likes of Dinamo Bucuresti, Inter, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit, and even the Turkish national team among various others.
It seems Lucescu was an unspectacular choice for the job, engineering safety by just 3 points and being unable to avoid the relegation battle in the tail end of the season. The overall atmosphere likely had a negative impact early on in Lucescu's term as manager, as the team saw a horrendous run of form under my management. Nevertheless, Newcastle United survived the season and I think my transfer activity set the club up well for the future.
Transfers
In
Prior to my dismissal, I was in advanced talks with both Kristoffer Ajer and Mohamed Elneny. They both ended up signing for the club despite my sacking and they both went on to play key roles in Lucescu's side. Ajer was going to play as a ball-playing center back but interestingly he was used as a defensive midfielder instead. After Ajer and Elneny signed, the caretaker manager at the time (Neil Redfearn) actually made 3 signings before Lucescu was hired. In a shocking move, he signed 37 year-old veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer following his release by LA Galaxy. Ibrahimovic went on to be Lucescu's preferred striker, making 14(2) appearances in the Premier League and getting just 4 goals and 2 assists. Redfearn then signed two relative unknowns on loan in the form of 27 year-old defensive midfielder Nemanja Gudelj from Guangzhou, and 30 year-old center back Daniel Carrico from Sevilla. Neither of them played much of a role in Lucescu's side, however. Lucescu only made one signing before the end of the January window, acquiring Omer Toprak from Borussia Dortmund who only ended up making 8(3) appearances in the league.
Out
Clark, Fernandez, and Hayden left under my watch when the January transfer window opened, leaving Neil Redfearn a nice sum of £36m to reinvest. Under Lucescu, Dwight Gayle was sold to Jeonbuk in Korea for £3.3m, where he has scored 6 goals in 6 appearances (a much better record than Fernando Torres managed!).
Despite Lucescu's preference to play with 2 defensive midfielders behind an attacking midfielder, Kalvin Phillips did not fit into his plans. Phillips made 17(2) league appearances out of a possible 20 under my management, yet only started once and made one other appearance as a substitute under Lucescu. This is astonishing to me because Phillips was one of my most consistent performers and has a lot of potential. However, he is now transfer listed and it appears as though he will move to Crystal Palace.
As a central midfielder and not a natural CAM or CDM, Shelvey doesn't fit into Lucescu's system and he's been transfer listed as well. Shelvey and I never really saw eye to eye, as he was the one player who opposed me throughout my entire reign as manager. It looks like he'll be moving on to Celtic in the summer.
Rolando Aarons was my one loyal supporter during my time at Newcastle, and it seems he hasn't enjoy life under Lucescu as much. He isn't transfer listed yet but he has formally requested a transfer and will likely move on in the summer.
Mason United v Lucescu United (v Redfearn United)
It's clear that the club did better under Lucescu than it did under Redfearn or myself, with his win percentage more than double mine and Redfearn having failed to win during his short spell as caretaker manager. I think if I started this as just a normal Newcastle United save without the added challenge of having no coaching qualifications that this team could have gone on to become a real force, but it was worth a shot. I highly recommend trying to beat my record, it was an interesting save to say the least!
HeadCoachFM
Thanks man I appreciate that! I'll definitely be doing more of these in the future so keep an eye out.
babyboy
tongey
I'll be keeping an eye out for more of your stories!
SrWer
Looch
HeadCoachFM
Thanks man I'm thinking about pivoting my YouTube channel towards Football Manager for FM 2020 so keep an eye out on here!