In Pursuit Of The American Dream

Glad to see this one is still running, had an interesting few seasons especially with the small international roles! keep it coming atey

Signed a new one year deal here at Geylang. Next season will be my last season at the club even though I am really enjoying it here at the moment. I need to gain more exposure on a personal level to ensure I get noticed by the sides in the MLS. At the moment, I am getting laughed off from all of the jobs that come available.

November 2020 - Champions

Finally in my third season at the club we have managed to overthrow Nilgata and win the S-League and my first title as a manager.



When I joined the club two and a half years ago after some horrendous managerial stints in South Africa and Portugal I really didn't know what to expect. In my first season we finished 8th so to win the league this convincingly in something I am very proud of. On paper, this side is brilliant and it all really seemed to click for us this time round. Our success was helped massively by the form of Teh Darren who was once again our top goalscorer this time with 27 goals in all competitions and he's 100% a player I will want to bring with me when I move on.



In the final 5 matches of the league, like last season we were terrible if I am completely honest. The league was wrapped up after the win against Woodlands but we really took our foot off the gas but who cares, we won. I declared interest for the New England job and was laughed off but that may of also been a factor of the club's poor form. Overall, a brilliant season in the league and we will still have the Singaporean Cup final to play in a few weeks time. As I said previously, this next season will be my last season at the club. I am really excited about playing in the Asian Champions League so lets hope that can be a success.

I still haven't thought about the squad next year in terms of recruitment but I will decide on that after the Cup final has taken place. We've been set an initial budget of £15k wages (currently £10k) and a capability to have a transfer budget of around £300k which for this league is enormous so there's definitely resources there if I want to re-shuffle the pack. I will hopefully gain my National A Licence soon and I will be applying for my next badge straight away, just hope the board can afford it.

Not a particularly hard feat but a feat I am proud of nonetheless. We still have the Singaporean Cup final to play so hopefully I will be adding another Domestic Cup to that list in a few weeks time. I also won Manager Of The Year in the S-League for the second season running which is pleasing. I just hope bigger clubs will start noticing me soon.

Thanks Dan, just waiting for the right job to come along for me now. My overall objective is to manage the American national side and New York Red Bulls in the MLS so hopefully one day.

Sounds good mate, hopefully a few more trophies and impressives runs and one will come knocking!

Congrats on the league title, mate! Hope you can get a MLS job and bring Darren with you over there.
Great reading so far.

November 2020 - Singaporean Cup Final

Terrible performance topped by a terrible result.



Battered throughout by a team which we should be beating. I'm not sure why the lads took their foot off the gas come the end of the season. At the end of the day, today was a cup final and they bottled it. Yes, winning the league was a great achievement but the double would of been much better. This is the second season in a row we have lost in this final, lets hope next season is third time lucky.

November 2020 - Squad Review

Goalkeepers


In goal, once again Jaspar Chan was my starting goalkeeper. Adiman Mansor is more than an adequate back up. I would love to have a top class goalkeeper but with the foreigner rule that is pretty much impossible. For next season Chan will stay as my number 1.

Defenders


In defence we were actually quite solid this season. The back 4 of Khalid - Gaughan - Nishida - Zainal was only ever changed because of injuries or tiredness. Hamid and Sha'ban are retiring at the end of the year and Milojevic and Singh's contracts run out so I will be looking to bring in some back up players to take their places. The defence did well and I doubt I will be making any changes- I might look at bringing in a new RB to replace Khalid but it's unlikely. Lele played at the back now and then but was my starting CM or CDM depending on who we were playing.

Midfielders


Adding Lele to the above list and that was our midfield options. Limited yes, but more than did the job. Samad has recently made his first appearance for the Singaporean national side but was mostly used as a back up for Lele. Neto was the unfortunate one who took the 5th foreigner spot so had to make do with playing only when injuries occurred to the other foreigners. Rajesh was my starting RM and did well to keep Wee Seck Lye out of the side on a regular basis. I was expecting more of Wee Seck Lye, next season will be a big season for him. Ramli was initially brought in as a back up for Anderson but went on to have a great season and come the end of the season, he kept Anderson out of the side. He has also just received his first call up to the national side at the age of 26. Chris Anderson did well, no where near as good as his previous seasons but he's still a key player for me. However, two goals is not good enough so that will need to improve. Finally, my POTY Serkan Ozcan with a overall rating of 7.34 which is brilliant for his first proper season as a professional. He joined us last season and only played 4 times last season. I gave him a chance this season and he managed to chip in with 12 goals and 21 assists from LM. Ozcan is definitely another player I will looking to bring with me to my next club.

Strikers


I play with two strikers and it mainly consisted of Teh Darren and Tay Wing Hong, much like the past three seasons. Darren Teh and TWH had their best seasons at the club and formed a great partnership. It was really pleasing as if they ever needed a rest or some time off, Chang Yong Jie and Jaslee Salleh were more than adequate replacements. Jaslee Salleh went on to make his international debut for Singapore last season as well which was pleasing.

Recruitment

3/4 x Back up defenders to replace Hamid, Sha'ban, Milojevic and Singh.
Back up LM for Ozcan.
New RM to replace Rajesh
New RB to replace Khalid.

The 3/4 defenders are a priority the rest are not. Hopefully my last season at the club will be a good one.

1st December 2020

My assistant manager has just come to me stating how impressed he has been with Lele. He has been a great player for me since joining the club and excelling in CM last season after spending the previous two seasons playing as a CB. He's 100% another player that I will looking to bring along with me to my next club. Lele, Teh Darren, Tay Wing Hong and Ozcan will be my first targets at my new club when I move on.

My ambition is to get to the MLS but if I get offered an opportunity where I feel I can progress quicker I will move on. I currently have the following nations playable: Australia, China, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and USA. A move to Greece or Australia definitely interests me. Also, a move across to South Korea is definitely appealing. The South Korean top league is the highest rated in Asia and even their second division is rated 9th in Asia in comparison to Singapore's top league which is currently ranked 21st.

Lele - Year 2018


Lele - Year 2020

Thanks for the comment Itchy. Hopefully it won't be too long until I am in the MLS, we'll just have to wait and see. I need a good season in the Champions League if I am to get noticed by the bigger clubs so we will see.

13th December 2020



Buzzing. Over the moon with this as it's another qualification that will hopefully stand me in good stead for future job applications. It's brilliant that the board are able to fund me so easily but I feel that's partly down to our qualification for the Champions League this season. The finances have improved dramatically over this past year and for the first time at the club under my tenure we are out of the red which is pleasing.

15th December 2020 - Singapore National Side



This is a feat that I am very proud of. When I took over at the club three seasons ago it was only Zainal that was getting call ups. Joseph Yoganathan was a player who came up from my youth team and spent last season out on loan. He will be given a chance in the first team next season. Teh Darren has now managed 6 goals for Singapore and was recently the top goalscorer in the South East Asian Football Championships. Tay Wing Hong is also in the squad but on the bench. The future is bright at this club and hopefully we can do well this season, especially in the Champions League then it will be my time to move on. I have loved my time here though.

10th January 2021



Brilliant news as we top the sponsorship table which will do wonders for our finances. Winning the league last season has rapidly increased the stature of the club and long may in continue. The Champions League this season is massive for us. If we can do well or at least reach the group stages it will be a great success for a club the size of ours. We start off in the first qualifying round but I am confident.

12th January 2021 - 2020 POTY



Massively deserved and I expect him to have a huge career in the game. I gave him a new four year deal a few months back which I now regret as I will be looking to buy him when I move on to another club. For now, he's still here and I'm still here and I'm hoping he can have another big season. If he impresses on the Champions League stage he could attract some big interest.

15th January 2021



The media are expecting big things from us again this season and once again, they have predicted a three way battle between ourselves, Tampines and Nilgata. I am confident that we can do well and another league title will be nice in my final season at the club. Singapore's rating has dropped down to 22nd in Asia meaning the league lose out on a Champions League spot for next season. This news 100% confirms that I will be moving on next season and highlights the importance that we do well in the Champions League this season.

20th January 2021 - Transfer Round Up



Before the transfer window started I stated I wanted 3/4 back up defenders as priority and a LM and a RM as back ups if I could find any. I couldn't find any RM or LM that took my fancy and in the end only brought in 2 players. I had 4 experienced players leave the club in Singh, Milojevic, Hamid and Sha'ban so the two players I brought in are to replace the experience that we lost. I will be giving Yoganathan a chance after his impressive loan spell away from the club so he will become my other back up player. We have 10 games until our Champions League qualifier and I can't wait!



Capped regularly by the national team and a player who can provide cover at CB and at CM. He's a very solid player and actually turned down a new deal at our rivals Tampines to join the club. He had been at Tampines for the previous four seasons and played every game for them last season so he's a player of good pedigree. Bit small for my liking to be a CB but if needs must, he will play there.



Another experienced Singapore international has joined us after he was released from Tampines, another player to join us from our rivals. Halim is a regular in the Singapore side and can play in a number of positions. I am hoping his experience can help the younger lads within the squad.

I hope my decision to keep faith with my players will pay off. We still have a healthy transfer budget available so I can dip into that if needs be. Bring on the Champions League.

30th January 2021 - Knocked Out Of The Champions League

Absolutely gutted. I have been going on how important that this competition will be not only for the club's progression but also my own and now it's all gone.



I just can't believe our luck. All of our hard work last season has come undone and due to the changes in rankings, Geylang may never have the opportunity to play in the Champions League ever again. My starting GK Jaspar Chan was ruled out through injury meaning I had to play my second GK. Lele was also ruled out meaning Sulaiman was given his first appearance at the club. It was quite a close encounter but I really thought we were going to break them down in extra time. I pushed the lads forward for the winner as I didn't want penalties. More fool me as we were caught on the counter attack and knocked out of the Champions League. This is a massive low point of what has been a great few years at this club.



100% this will be my last season at the club. The Champions League was the only reason I was staying here, I will be on the look out for new job opportunities from now on.

3rd February 2021



Even though we were knocked out of the Champions League fortunately we do in fact drop down to the Confederations Cup so we still have some continental football to play for. It's not what I wanted but it will do. Last season we progressed through the group stages, just hope we can do better than that this time around. As you can see, the board are expecting massive things from me this season which puts a lot of pressure on myself. For the past few seasons I have been over achieving which has made me look good as a manager. If I get the sack that could ruin all of that hard work. Pressure is on!

Jaspar Chan, my starting GK has been ruled out for two months so I have dipped into the transfer market. Tristan Prendergast joins us from some lower league Australian team for a fee of £2.5k. Unfortunately though, he is classed as a foreigner so I will have to shuffle the pack there and figure something out. Even though this guy's stats are better than Chan's, Chan will still be my number one due to the fact that he is Singaporean. As I am looking to move on after this season, I am not too fussed if this guy isn't happy being a back up GK.

10th February 2021



After the disappointment of being knocked out of the Champions League I needed something to cheer me up and this was definitely it. I have taken over the Senegalese national side after applying when I saw the job come available. The move will do wonders to my reputation which is brilliant for my aspirations in getting to the MLS. My reputation has since moved up to 'Continental' from 'National' so I'm definitely getting noticed. Strange thing is though is that I haven't been given a contract length, which I don't really understand.



It's not like Senegal are a poor side either. They are ranked 17th in the world and have some great players at their disposal, or should I say 'my' disposal. It is such a huge step up from Geylang in terms of the player quality. I thought the players at El Salvador were good, these are on another level compared. Balde Keita is Senegal's star man and a player I cannot wait to manage.



The last manager was sacked due to the countries poor showing in the African Cup Of Nations where they were knocked out in the quarter finals. I am still pinching myself into how I got this role to be honest. One thing I do find a bit strange though is that I am only earning £475 a week which is lower than I am getting an Geylang but never mind. We are currently sitting top of our World Cup Qualifying group and are expecting to qualify with ease. I have two matches next month and then two more matches in June. How exciting.

21st February 2021

Really weird what has just happened. It's not even been two weeks since I was appointed the Senegal manager and I have just been approached to take over the Ghanian and Egyptian national sides. I turned them both down but it's really nice to be getting offered these job roles now, it's showing that my reputation is growing.





I currently have no staff at Senegal, I think they must of all left when the previous manager got the sack. Due to this, I have to appoint a whole new backroom staff as well an under 23 and under 20 manager. As we are 17th in the world I thought we would have quite a pull but that doesn't seem the case as everybody keeps turning us down. I have appointed this guy as my assistant manager who has much better stats than anyone I have worked with before. His Man Management, JPA, JPP and Tactical Knowledge really caught my attention so I decided he was the best man for the job.



Fola and Fall's Senegalese Army.

22nd February 2021



The Asian Confederations Cup groups have been announced. Last season we progressed through the group and were knocked out in the next stage. I would of loved if we could of progressed further in the Champions League but it just wasn't to be. I don't have a clue about any of the teams in this group, we'll just have to wait and see.

This is awesome! Keep going

Thank you for the comment mate. Glad to know people are still interested in this career as it's one I'm really enjoying at the moment.

25th March 2021 - The New Captain Of Senegal



I have decided to remove Abdoulaye Ba as captain of the Senegal national team and give Khouma Babacar the armband. At 27 he still has a good few years within the national fold and he's a player that I am a big fan of. He's currently plying his trade for Sampdoria after joining them from Serie A rivals Fiorentina a few years back.



I have also played my first two matches as Senegal manager and I'll tell you something, this international management is f*cking easy.



We face Morocco in a few months time but we should easily progress through this group. We actually have a really strong squad at my disposal, Sadio Mane and Balde Keita are my star man but to be honest every player in the side is a class above compared to Geylang.

13th April 2021

S-League



Eleven matches in and it's we've followed on from last season's title win and not are still to lose a match. Nilgata are challenging with us up their at the top of the table but I am confident that we will be able to take over the top spot soon. It's been a great start to the season for us and it's great to see us doing so well. Darren Teh has been my star man again. Yes, he hasn't been getting the goals but his all round play has been superb. Chang Yong Jie had been keeping Tay Wing Hong out of the side and had also been getting his fair share of goals.

We are coming for you Nilgata...



Asian Confederations Cup



We are currently unbeaten in the Confederations Cup also and have qualified for the next round with a game to spare. I really hope we can do well in this competition, a good run here would really help improve my reputation as a manager.

15th April 2021 - Wow



After two and a half hugely successful seasons at the club I have been sacked as manager of Geylang International. After 1 league title, 4 cup finals and 2 cup wins I leave the job which I have enjoyed so much. The Toronto job came available in the MLS, I thought that I would at least apply due to my increased reputation thanks to the Senegal move and bam, I get sacked. I really wasn't expecting it to happen and the board didn't even call me in for a meeting. I was sacked the second I applied for Toronto. Lets hope I get offered the Toronto job now after all of this.

Back to the job centre I go. Thanks for the memories Geylang.



Teh Darren, I am coming back for you one day.

Wow thats a massive shock!

29th April 2021 - China Is My New Home

It was always my plan to leave Geylang at the end of the season in attempt to enhance my reputation in another country so when I got sacked I was shocked but not too disappointed. Less than two weeks and no, it's not the Toronto job but it's a massive step up and a great move for me. The Chinese Super League is ranked 7th in terms of Asian competitions in comparison to the Singaporean league which is ranked 22nd.



I have been appointed the manager of Fuli. I have never heard of them if I am completely honest, all I know is that Yakubu used to play for them. They currently sit bottom of the Chinese Super League and are on a really poor run of form. However, it isn't all doom and gloom for myself. They are predicted by the media to come 3rd in the league and have the 3rd highest salary per annum in the league of nearly £12 million which is crazy money compared to what I am used to.



I have had a quick look at the squad and to be honest, it looks very poor. This club needs a whole rebuild and it's definitely a very exciting project. I have been given a two-year contract here so my initial plans are to keep the team in the league this season and really push on next season. The transfer budget and wage budgets are massive compared to what I am used to. I have a transfer budget of £4 million and a wage budget of £400,000 a week. In China we are allowed 5 foreigners in the squad and 4 not including Asians. The first thing I will be doing as Fuli manager is making offers for Darren Teh, Tay Wing Hong, Lele, Serkan Ozcan and Taiyo Nishida from Geylang- they will fill my five foreigner spots, obviously if they agree terms.

I have a little bit of knowledge of the Chinese game from my brief time in charge of the Chinese under 23's so hopefully I will adapt well. I am so excited to be here and can't wait for the rebuilding process to begin. I have two months until the transfer window opens so until then I will just have to make do with the players I have got.



Above is Fuli's form this season and as you can see, I have a very big job on my hands. However the money is there and Fuli are a very big team in terms of Chinese football. I have had the Chinese league available since I started the game and look at their league finishes over the years: 6th, 8th, 4th, 2nd, 7th, 3rd and they came 5th last season. This is obviously a team with potential and a presence within Chinese football, I just need to find it. Looking at the side, it's pretty much full of young Chinese lads who are no where near good enough for this league. The wage budget is huge but that is 100% down to these two guys: Abderrazak Hamedallah and Aaron Samuel. Behind these two guys the highest wage is a mere £3k, it's unbelievable. Unfortunately, these two have a year and a half on their contract and I can't see anybody paying their wages. They will have to be in the squad for the next two months before the window but I will look to sell them when it comes, maybe try and loan them out if I can't sell them.



So, what do you all think of my move to Fuli... Right move? Wrong move? Let me know. I hope I have people enjoying this as much as I do.

I really like your career!
I'm curious if you get to the MLS. I do not know much about that league.