In Pursuit Of The American Dream

29th March 2019



Nine matches gone and we sit 2nd in league behind Nigata who have won the league for the past 4 seasons. Weirdly, in this league you are only allowed 4 non Singaporeans however Nigata have a whole team of Japanese and no Singaporeans and get away with it which I really don't understand. There is also a team in Malaysia called Singapore Lions which is full of Singaporeans, it's f*cked up.

Despite a poor start to the season against Home United, we have started really well. The board want a title challenge and if the start of the season is anything to go by then a title challenge is what we will give them. My starting CB pairing of Nishida and Lele were both injured for the first five games so it was pretty much a second string back four. Tay Wing Hong twisted his ankle and was ruled out for a few months but 16 year old striker Chang Yong Jie has really taken his chance in the first team and has got 5 goals in only 7 appearances which is class for a kid of his age. The whole squad are performing really well, again Darren Teh has been my star man. Surely it won't be too long until he is called back up to the national squad, such a strange decision to drop him. I also anticipate that Chang Yong Jie will receive a call up for one of the youth sides if he keeps up his good form in front of goal.

Just realised, if I win the league this means that I qualify for the Asian Confederations Cup (The Asian Europa League). As Singapore's club sides are pretty poor, we can not yet qualify for the Asian Champions League but the ACC will definitely get me noticed as a manager. I do love it here at the moment but my end gain is to manage in the MLS at New York Red Bulls so performing well in Continental competitions is a must to get myself noticed.

Just managed to sign Chris Anderson down to a 4-year deal and also remove the minimum fee release clause he had in his contract. He now becomes our highest paid player but his form so far this year deserves it. I've been here about a year now and this is the time where the cup competitions seem to take over, I'm tempted to just play a weakened side and so we can fully concentrate on the league.

Darren Teh, Khalid, Chan and Zainal were all called up for the national side which I initially was really happy about. What I then noticed was that my game against Tampines was still scheduled to go ahead despite me having four first teamers out on national duty. Absolute joke... Just lost our first match in 16 because of it.

21st September 2019

So, a hell of a lot happened since I last updated you guys and I start off with the league.



In the league, with 5 matches to go we currently sit in 2nd place two points behind Nilgata. We have made it into the top 6 play off meaning in my last five games, I will play each of the other sides in the top 6. Pretty much, if we win against Nilgata we are still in with a chance, if Nilgata beat us then they will most certainly go on to win the league. In terms of results, I have been really happy with the lads. We only lost two matches and they were both due to stupid rules in terms of international matches. For both of the matches we lost, Darren Teh, Tay Wing Hong, Khalid and Zainal were all ruled out after receiving call ups from the Singaporean national team which is stupid.

All in all, a successful run in the league to date and with 5 matches to go, we still stand a chance.



Now, I go onto the Singaporean Cup where we have reached the Final and will face our league rivals: Nilgata.



To be completely honest, we had quite an easy run through to the final but I'm not complaining. This league final takes place after the season has finished so no need to worry about that until the league is over and done with. It would be great to get another trophy under my belt though.



Now, onto the Singaporean League Cup and we won it for the second season running!! I am over the moon to win the League Cup for the second season on the trot. We don't gain any sort of qualifications to any competition or anything but a little bit of prize money and another trophy in the bag is pleasing. We had quite a tough run before facing Tampines in the final with Tay Wing Hong stealing the show grabbing a brace.

Oh yeah, and finally... This happened:



I have made my first step into international football after being appointed the manager of China Under 23's at the upcoming Asian Games. I am absolutely delighted to finally make my way onto the international ladder and it's a competition I'm really excited for. As the Chinese Under 23's only played a tournament every few years, I will be removed from my job after the tournament which I am not too bothered about. I am just looking forward to seeing how I cope on the international stage. I had wanted to take over the Singaporean Under 23's but I was not offered the opportunity. Our expectation is to get through the group stages so we will see how that one goes.

Despite still having a chance of winning the treble, its still not guaranteed that I will be here next season.

Asian Games 2019 - Runner Up

After a brilliant run to final as manager of China Under 23's we were well and truly outclassed by South Korea in the final.



We did really well for side who were just meant to progress through the group stages and it was a great first step into international football for me. We were named the over achievers of the tournament so that should do wonders for my own personal reputation but we will have to wait and see. As the Under 23's have no more matches for a good few years, I have resigned from my post. I will be keeping my eye on any international jobs which come up as this was really enjoyable. The Olympic Games are next year so I will definitely be looking for a side to manage in that.

Couple of things:

-Niigata Unicorn are actually a feeder team of Albirex Niigata in the J-League (Unicorn due to licensing shit) so they only have Japanese players.
They're mediocre IRL though, shouldn't be dominating.

-Singapore Lions (Lions XII) are the de facto Singapore NT, our FA decided a couple of years ago to send them there presumably for them to train as a unit fr the benefit of the NT - arguably failed in that respect though.

-Lots of foreign teams past and present here - Harimau Muda are Malaysia's U19 squad, while DPMM (of Steve Kean fame) are from Brunei.
Used to have plenty of Chinese feeder teams (almost always controversial), a French team and even one exclusively African.

-Virtually no transfer fees IRL here.

-We're dogshit.

KUTGW though, let's see if you can leave even the slightest mark in the ACL

November 2019 - Season Finished



The season has finished and what a terrible end to the season it has been. We were in touching distance of first place until the play offs started and we were absolutely outclassed in the final four matches of the season. It has been no coincidence that our form has dropped at the same time of our top goalscorers goal drought. Darren Teh has now gone 13 matches without a goal, we really missed him come of the end of the season. If he had his scoring boots on, I guarantee we would of put up a bigger fight for that top spot.



Overall, second place is a feat that I should be very happy about. Last season we finished 8th so to come 2nd is pleasing but it's just a shame we lost our way so close to the end of the season. We do have the Singaporean Cup Final to come against Nilgata so revenge will hopefully be on the cards. There has been quite a bit of drama behind the scenes as well. Firstly, I signed a new one year deal at the club which I am happy about. Then, the Toronto job came up in the MLS and it was one I felt like I had to apply for. I was immediately laughed off and issued at ultimatum by the board here at Geylang. I apologised and it was all sorted but this has made me realise, it may be a few years until I am considered for jobs in the MLS.

For now, I am just concentrating on the cup final before assessing plans for next season in terms of the squad.

Thanks for that

I genuinely was so confused about some of the things in this league, glad you have cleared them up for me!

Singaporean Cup Final 2019 - Ouch



Wow. What an absolutely horrendous display from my lads and a performance that really sums up our end to the season. Again, I was missing 4 key players from my sides due to international call ups which was annoying but this was no excuse. Within 23 minutes, we were 6-0 down.



Jaspar Chan was away on international duty so Redzuan Hashim was given his debut for us in goal. Yes, its a big occasion for a young lad but he has been capped by the Singaporean national under 22l side so he has got quite a good pedigree. But no, we was sh*t, so very very sh*t.

Now, to start the process for building the squad up again for next season. I wasn't planning on too many changes but the last 5 matches have somewhat changed my mind in that case. We will see, going to spend a lot of time this Summer trying to bring the right players into the club.



F*ck Hashim.

Finally.

I have been asking the board to pay for my fees for the past year and a half but they said that they couldn't afford it. Only now do I realise that those fees were less than £500. Wow, f*ck the board.

Season 2019 - Awards

We actually won a shedload of awards.


Delighted to win my first award as a manager.


Please click HERE to see Anderson's profile.
Well deserved by our star man in midfield. Admittedly, he has been crap the past few matches but that was really down to a squad morale thing I suppose. Expecting him to kick on again next season and do even better.


Please click HERE to see Rajesh's profile.
Not the best stats in the world but popped up with some important goals for us as well as a good amount of assists. He broke his ankle and missed the end of the season, maybe that was why we lost our way. Who knows.

Season 2019 - Squad Review
(Screenshots taken before the Cup Final)

Goalkeepers


Jasper Chan was once again my starting goalkeeper. His stats aren't the best but he is probably the best goalkeeper in this league and is a regular for the national side. I just need to pray that he doesn't get injured as my three back up goalkeepers don't exactly fill me with confidence. Hashim will never play for me ever again after his performance in the cup final.

F*ck Hashim.

Defenders


Khalid was brilliant for me at right back pretty much all season and was definitely worth the fee we paid for him. At only 20, I expect him to be a key feature of the side for a good few years. Nishida and Lele were again my main partnership in the centre of defence. They both played OK but I was expecting more. I may move Lele into midfield next season but that will all depend on whether I can bring in a CB partner for Nishida. Milojevic and Sha'ban rotated in the LB position, I will be looking for an improvement in this position. Zainal once again played at LM but again, if I can bring in a quality player in that position, Zainal will become my starting LB.

Midfielders


My starting midfielder usually consisted of Rajesh-Anderson-Neto-Zainal and the rest played when they were injured. Rajesh was brilliant this season and kept Wee Seck Lye out of the side convincingly, the latter who I was expecting a big season of. Neto did OK alongside Anderson but if I am completely honest, I was expected a bit better from him. This is why, if I can bring in a quality CB, I will look to bring in Lele to play alongside Anderson. Serkan Ozcan has really good stats but due to the foreigner rule, I will look to sell him in the future.

Strikers


Up top, we were brilliant until Darren Teh lost his way. Darren Teh managed 20 goals in 34 matches but didn't score for his last 14 games. He had managed 20 in 20 until his goal drought. Due to this, I will be looking to bring in a back up for him in the Summer. Despite him needed some time off, I couldn't as I had nobody who could play in his position so this is a priority this Summer. Tay Wing Hong had another relatively solid season and I was very impressed with 17 year old Chang Yong Jie who managed 13 goals in his first full season as a professional which was pleasing. Fabio skipped training 8 times last season and will be sold as soon as anybody comes in for him.

Transfer Targets

- New LB to replace Milojevic/Sha'ban
- Or, a new LM to replace Zainal and he can move to LB
- A back up striker for Darren Teh
- A back up goalkeeper
- A new CB to move Lele into midfield
- A new CM as back up for Anderson in the Advanced Playmaker role

So, again I won't be making any drastic changes to the side. Overall, they did do really well last season and I trying to hardest not to let the last 5/6 games of the season affect my judgement.

Interesting career so far Good luck!

Just had this news come in before the new season gets under way. My captain at CB Taiyo Nishida has decided to gain Singaporean citizenship meaning we get another international spot. I've decided that this season I am really going to give Ozcan a good run of things on the left wing so he will take Nishida's foreigner spot. I've released Brazilian striker Fabio on a free transfer so there is another foreigner that I have got rid of.

Will update you on my incomings soon as.

So, above were the options that I decided I would need this Summer and to be honest, I think I might have got them all. As I said before, I plan on moving Ozcan to LM meaing Zainal can move back to LB so that's that sorted. I really think if these lads bed in quickly then this could actually be the season we win the league. We also have the Confederations Cup this season too so we will need to do well for that. In the Confederations Cup, there is no limit of foreigners which is a bonus for us.



Our Chairman was brilliant this season and gave us a huge budget to help me along my way. However, freeing up the squad of a few back up players and high earners such as Fabio who never could get into the team also helped. I've sent a few players into the reserves and my under 18 squad as they were taking up too much space. No major outgoings to inform really.



This guy was where the chunk of my budget went, joining from Singaporean rivals Tampines. I managed to snap him up for £60k upfront and then £40k over the next 48 months. At first, he wasn't interested in talking to me but after a brief chat I got him onto my side. He's only 18 years old and has some great stats in terms of his finishing, composure and acceleration. He will need to improve on his movement off the ball but he's definitely a great replacement for Darren Teh if he can't find his goal scoring form. I wanted a back up for Darren Teh, I hope I have found my man.



It was always my idea to bring in a new CB and move Lele into midfield to partner Anderson. I was planning on a Singaporean CB but then this guy popped up and I decided to take a punt. Unfortunately because of this signing Neto now becomes my foreigner number 5 and will only play if any of the other foreign lads get injured so he will be back up for now. Gaughan is an experienced CB and should be the perfect partner for Nishida. He becomes our highest earner which his stats probably do not deserve but I just couldn't find any good CB's from Singapore. Also good to have another Brit on board with me.



Back up for Jaspar Chan. This season I have made the decision to bring in an experienced keeper if Chan ever gets injured or is out on international duty. It would be nice to play some of my younger goalkeepers but as was shown last season, they just aren't very good.



Back up if Anderson ever gets injured. He's a bit small, dwarf like actually but he's a good back up. He's Singaporean which is a bonus and good vision and passing for an advanced playmaker role.



Finally, this lad has joined us and it's one I already regret. He becomes my 6th foreigner at the club meaning he won't get any game time for me really this season. I will be looking to loan him out and re-train him as a RB due to his size.

Overall, I've been very happy with our dealings this Summer. It's a very important season for us, especially with the Confederations Cup being available this season.

Happy days. Another incentive to do well this season.

Really good read mate! I liked the original concept shame it didn't quite work! Still had a good career in alot of different places. Keep it up!

Thanks George. It was a shame that it didn't work out, it sounded great in my head but it was actually terrible. I'm really enjoying my time at Singapore but the objectives I set at the start still stand. I want to be managing New York Red Bulls at some point within this career. Thanks to Johno for your comment also, there should be some more updates tonight.

Not a clue what any of these teams are like. Fingers crossed though.

Decided to give this guy a new deal despite only featuring four times last season. Due to the fact Nishida has now become a Singaporean national, Ozcan will take his place. I have needed a good quality LM and I'm confident that this lad fits the bill. I managed to bring him in on a free from Bursaspor at the start of last season.

His stats are pretty average but to have a 16 dribbling rating in this league is something special.

Season 2020 - League and Confederations Cup Review

11 matches gone in the league and once again, it's very tight at the top between ourselves and Nilgata.



On the goalscoring front we have been brilliant in the league bagging 31 goals so far. It has been pleasing to see Teh Darren returning to form after his blip last season which actually lasted 19 matches without a goal. Tay Wing Hong has been my star striker this season and has recently earned himself a call up to the national side for the first team in a year and a half which is pleasing. In terms of the national team, Singapore have been knocked out the World Cup qualifiers.

Not a clue how we managed to get battered by Hougang who would be bottom of the league if they hadn't of beaten us. In terms of players, Nishida had been ruled out and made his first appearance against Home United where he scored within 4 minutes which was pleasing. My star players so far have been Khalid at RB, Ozcan at LM and Tay Wing Hong up top. Chris Anderson, despite being brilliant last season hasn't really done the business.



Confederations Cup

We have one match remaining in this group and hopefully we can progress.



It's been really tough so far to be honest with you so I'm happy to still have the opportunity to progress. Persib have beaten us twice but it all depends on our final game. It's so tight at the moment.

14th May 2020 - Confederations Cup Progression



In what was my 200th match as a manager we convincingly beat Abahani to qualify for the second round of the Confederations Cup. For those who don't understand what this cup is, it's pretty much the Europa League of Asia.



We have been drawn against Hong Kong side Kitchee in the second round who won their group. Hong Kong is actually a playable nation in my game so fortunately I can get to know a bit about them compared to the group stages. Their season has actually finished and they finished 6th/12th in a league which is rated one below the Singaporean league. On that logic, it should be a winnable game but who knows. Unfortunately for me, Lele and Anderson have both been ruled out for 2 months each and will miss this game and some important league games for us, I hope we don't slip up now.

One of the craziest/weirdest things I've seen on this game. Look at my GK's positions on the right.Considering this guy has been my starting GK and is the Singaporean national keeper... He can also play upfont.

He is rated my fourth best striker at the club but I can't see his outfield stats. Mind blown.

22nd July 2020



Managed to bag my National B Licence and surprisingly I when I asked, the board paid for me to take my National A Licence straight away. The board had always been reluctant to spend any money on my coaching badges but I think our run in the Confederations Cup has helped the finances a little. We were getting around £6k a game which helps. On the topic of the Confeds Cup, we were knocked out by Kitchee but I will update that again soon.



In other news, along side Geylang it was always my ambition to manage a national side at the Olympics after my successful stint with China under 23's at the Asian games last season. The competition itself starts in two weeks time and thankfully I have found myself a job. This season is going really well with Geylang but managing at the Olympics is a great achievement and another platform to get my name known across the world.



France will obviously be favourites to progress from the group and I have experience against South Korea who beat me 4-0 when I was with China at the Asian Games. The board have given me no expectations so I am not expecting too much but you never know, we may just be the dark horses in the competition. All in all, I'm just happy to be managing at the Olympics Games.



On paper, El Salvador are the best team I have managed. They have some top class players so we could do alright. My highest valued player at Geylang is £30k... Below is El Salvador's highest valued player and probably the best player so I am looking forward to managing him. He plays for Dallas in the MLS so who knows, one day I could be managing him when I make it to the MLS (hopefully).

France have £65 million rated Paul Pogba, Kingsley Coman and some unbelievable regen striker in their squad. Damn.

August 2020



Unfortunately it just wasn't to be but I did really enjoy managing on the big stage against some world class players.



We were huge underdogs for every game we played so to even pick up one point was very pleasing. In the first match against France we actually went one goal up but they scored 4 goals in the second half to kill us off. Their team on paper was absolutely amazing and Pogba just ran the show and Theirry Ambrose, Manchester City's striker bagged a brace.

The second match we faced South Korea where we were again massive underdogs. I decided to play a 4-5-1 formation and try and defend from the off. Fortunately for us it worked and we managed to get a draw. France beat S.Korea in their final match meaning if we beat Senegal then we would progress into the quarter finals. They had a strike force worth £34 million and £17 million and they bagged two goals each. We did manage two late consolations but it wasn't enough.

So for now, it's back to Geylang. Hopefully one day soon I will be able to take over another national side but this time a senior squad and not a under 23 team.

Managed to bring this guy in on a free transfer as a back up LB for Zainal. He's a regular in the Singapore national side too which is a bonus. On the topic of the national side, despite Tay Wing Hong having his best season at the club, he's just been dropped. Weird.

The board pretty much begged me to stay and in the end I got laughed off but it's coming soon, I hope so anyway. I love it here in Singapore but I want to manage in the MLS so badly. My plan is to have a successful season this season and hopefully challenge for the Asian Champions League next season before moving on to pastures new.

19th September 2020 - League and Cup Update

S-League

So, we are down to the final stint in the league and it looks like we have it all wrapped up unless something goes horrendously wrong.



In the league we have been an absolutely unbelievable form and it's really fun to manage them this season. It all seems to have clicked this year compared to other seasons and with five matches to go we are so close to winning the league and my first league win as a manager. I knew the recruitment last Summer would be important and it really has worked wonders. The decision to bring Ozcan into the side has worked wonders as he has been an absolute superstar in LM and to be fair, is my POTY so far. Bringing in Salleh has allowed some of the pressure to be taken off Teh Darren and all four of my strikers this season have done brilliant for me.

The league isn't over yet but it already feels like I have won it. It's crazy to have played 22 games in the league and the only loss we have had has been against bottom of the league.



Singaporean Cup



For the second successive season we have reached the final of the Singaporean Cup. Last season we were battered by Nilgata in the final but now we face Yadanarbon who are from Myanmar which is really strange but yeah, I'm playing them. This match doesn't take place until after the league has finished so I will deal with that then. We had a great semi final against Tampines where Laurence Gaughan's last minute goal brough extra time where we went on to win.

Singaporean League Cup



After two seasons of winning the League Cup we crashed out in the Semi Finals to Nilgata. It's a shame because it would of been nice to win it for a third time but the league was always more important for me so I am not too bothered.

Asian Confederations Cup



Would of been nice to go a bit further in this but hopefully we will have the Asian Champions League next season so I'm not too bothered.