Introduction

Manager

Arden Patoot is a 24 year old manager hailing from Arlington, Virginia. After playing a few seasons of Sunday league soccer he has decided to try his hand at managing a professional soccer team. With no experience and no coaching badges he will have to start from the very lowest levels of the game and work his way up the ladder. A native English speaker with some German knowledge, Arden will search for a position in an English or German speaking country to start his career.

Save Goals and Setup

The goal of this save is to be as immersive as possible, making decisions based on wages and living conditions as well as personal career goals. Ultimately the goal is to rise to the highest level possible in the game. The save is set up with playable leagues in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, USA, and South Africa. The database is set up with as many players as possible to achieve greatest immersion. 

Next Steps

The first goal for Mr. Patoot is to find his first job. The save will first be simulated until the world cup break, at which point there will hopefully be openings available.

Prestatyn Town

Intro

On November, 11, 2022 Arden Patoot accepted his first managerial post at Prestatyn Town in Wales. He has agreed to a 7 month deal paying €7,750/yr. Patoot takes over a team that is winless halfway through the year and sets out to avoid relegation.

Team

Prestatyn Town is a team in the Welsh Second Division, JD Cyrmu North, based in Prestatyn, Denbighshire. They were founded in 1910 and in their history the team has won one Welsh Cup and several lower-division championships. They play in the Bastion Gardens stadium which holds 2,300 fans and was built in 1969. The team is currently sitting in last place with just 8 points, 6 away from safety. 

Living Situation

Given a meager budget, there weren't many options for accommodations, but Arden was able to find himself a 1br flat about 45 minutes away from the ground. For just £400/month he will be living in the beachside town of Rhyl, where he can easily take the bus to Prestatyn.

Looking Ahead

Next up for Patoot and the Seasiders is 14th place Conwy Borough at home in what figures to be a crucial game if the team wants to move up the table. From there the fixtures will keep flowing as the season ends in early April.

Really like this career already. Looking forward to more.

2022-23 Season

Summary

The 2022-23 season with Prestatyn Town was an unsuccessful one for Patoot and he was fired with two games left in the season following confirmation of the team's relegation. In 14 games the team won 4, drew 2, and lost 8 games. For a period it looked like there was hope for the team as they won 4 and drew 2 in a 7 game span, but 3 consecutive losses following that run sealed their fate. In hindsight, Patoot should have picked his job more carefully as the team simply did not have enough talent or time to stay up. 

Key Players

In a team without much talent there were a few players whose quality stood out above the rest. Holdovers John Stewart and John-James King were important figures in the midfield, while striker Paris Locke made an impact with 3 goals and 4 assists in 7 games after coming in on loan from AFC Wimbledon. New signing George Thomas also made positive contributions at center back with 2 goals, an assist and an average rating just over 7 over the course of 10 games.

Looking Ahead

The next steps are an unknown for Patoot as he seeks his next job. It is currently March 25th so there may be some time to find a new job before the end of the season. With no coaching badges and now a relegation on his record, it will be difficult for Patoot to find anything that may be considered an upgrade over Prestatyn.

Ruthin Town

Intro

On May 17, 2023 Arden Patoot signed on to his second team, Ruthin Town in Wales. The deal is for 1 year, paying €9,500/yr. The team is coming off a 10th place finish in the JD Cymru North division and is seeking a top half finish next season.

Team

As mentioned in the into, Ruthin Town are a Welsh team currently playing in the JD Cymru North; they are based in Ruthin, Denbighshire. The team was founded in 1949 and do not have much history in the game having only won a few minor cup competitions in their history. They play at the Memorial Playing Fields, a ground which holds about 2,000 fans.

Living Situation

Since Ruthin is less than 1.5 hours away from Rhyl by public transportation, Arden has decided to stay at his current home rather than moving locations.

Looking Ahead

Patoot has taken this job at the beginning of the offseason. Moving forward there is likely to be lots of work in turning over the roster to give the team the best chance possible to succeed. Luckily for Patoot, Ruthin has a much larger budget than Prestatyn which should make it much easier to build a competent roster.

2023-24 Season Review

Intro

The 2023-24 season was a massive success for Patoot and his Ruthin Town team as they lifted the trophy in the JD Cymru North division on the final day of the season. This result has earned them promotion to the top flight for the next season. The team was projected in 5th place at the start of the season so this result is a testament to the hard work of the team and the coaching acumen of Arden Patoot. 

Results

It was a very interesting season for Ruthin Town. They began the year with a win and followed that up with 5 consecutive draws. A few tactical tweaks saw those draws turn into wins and before long Ruthin were flying up the table going unbeaten through the first 22 games. A rocky stretch in February and March saw the team lose their first two games of season and fall down to second in the table. However, three consecutive wins to end the season saw the team overtake title rivals Airbus UK on the 2nd to last game of the season and the championship was confirmed in a 5-1 drubbing of Conwy on the final day.

Tactics

At the beginning of the year Patoot planned to play a simple 4-4-2 wing-play style. After having difficulty winning games he switched to a simpler system more akin to a Route-one style a play, focusing on direct attacking play and an intense high press. Additionally, Patoot moved the left winger higher up the pitch to get the best out of star man Willis Baur. This tactical style resulted in Ruthin leading the league in chances created and proved effective at maximizing the talent available.

Key Players

Many of the primary starters for Ruthin proved their work week-in and week-out but there were a few particularly notable performers. First of these is the 17 year old Scot Willis Baur, the youth academy product who broke into the first team last season and blossomed on the left wing to the tune of 11 goals and 16 assists in all competitions. Baur led the JD Cymru North with 15 league assists. Joining him in the attack were the dynamic forward pairing of Eli Phipps and Courtney Perkins. The 6'6" Phipps arrived on a free transfer from Llanelli Town and put in 24 goals and 7 assists in all competitions. Perkins, in on loan from first division Newtown, provided 24 goals and 4 assists in all competitions. Also notable this season were defenders John-James King and George Thomas, both of whom were poached from Patoot's previous club Prestatyn. King provided 8 assists from the left back spot and an average rating of nearly 7 while Thomas manned the middle with an excellent 7.1 average rating, also provided 2 goals and an assist.

Moving Forward

Patoot's contract is currently set to expire in a few months, but he hopes to sign a new one and lead Ruthin Town in the JD Cymru Premier League. The board have tripled the wage budget going into next season which should help the team stay in the top flight. Additionally Patoot hopes the board will help him completed another coaching course having acquired his National C license this season.