'Y Sialens Chweongl'

Good luck mate, you should win it.

Away from home and we have taken a big advantage into the second stage of the final. Boys just got to keep focused now, it's all down to them to ensure that we get the OCL Trophy.

Time is up ... time to move on.

China next destination?

Quick success amigo! Well done.

Not even the club close to my heart want's to touch me. Oh dear.

Close to a year applying for jobs ... sometimes it takes a while. Obviously my victory in New Zealand have not reached the shores yet and clubs are reluctant to give me a go.

So my next move is to Japan with the Hakodate Raiders.

Hakodate Raiders Overview:

The next part of the adventure takes place in Japan. It's been just short of a year being unemployed, a combination of things meant that I didn't get a job for some time. Was really fussy with where I wanted to go, who I managed, what league and I also underestimated how much my reputation hadn't advanced with winning the OCL. Even rejected by small clubs in the N-League in South Korea, what's up with that? I therefore took the first job in Asia that came my way after the period of drought.



So here is a brief overview of the club, due to licensing I don't have an information screen or previous history. So this is my first professional club on the save and this will be great for me as I will be able to mould a squad ready for a push for promotion in the future. I know really little about the club but I can gather from the fancy graph they have made a climb through the the leagues in Japan.



So nothing for 15 years. If I can at least move this club forward and progress my career here then I will be more than happy.



So it's not pretty viewing that table but there is a glimmer of hope here. I am confident that I can turn the team round and do it within the remaining part of the season and mount a serious push for the play off spot. Anything less and I will see it as failure.



It seems we are weakest at the back. Plans are a foot to sort that but with a limit of 5 foreign players already reached I need to ship the rubbish out. Time is of the essence now.

So 3 games and 3 wins. Beat 2nd place side Mitaka, something I could not believe.

There may well be a twist. A job with another club in the league has appeared and I have applied, no guarantee I will get it, but it's a team that some may reconsign from Pro Evolution Soccer and have appeared in other media things. Cannot reveal but after only 21 or so days in the job I have already upset the fans. Ouch.

What an absolute shambles ...



So pressure was on despite my public apology and the club in questioning refusing to pay compensation despite being interest in me. I felt it was best for both parties what I did next ...



As soon as I resigned ...



So the plot thickens ... I am now with a side that will get me to my target in theory quicker and I have a reasonably big club in my hands.

Sting Chiba Overview:

So the media circus I have created here in Japan will either boost me or be the creation of my downfall. So after something like 20 odd days I moved club, for the better? Who knows. But I want to manage clubs who have a little bit of history or something about them. I know Chiba or JEF United as they are known and it was a gamble to go for the job because in reality I should have been grateful to the Raiders for giving me a job after being unemployed for so long. However the time is now and the next part of the journey will take place with Sting Chiba.



Once a club that was a regular in the J1 league but in recent times have found themselves to be on a slight slump. We have been predicted to finish in the promotion places and the board have made this clear to me. The club has a similar reputation and facilities to that of the Raiders and as I have said earlier I hope to build on the foundations that are at the club and develop the infrastructure.



So there is the basic background about the club. What it doesn't mention is that the club did at one time have some links with Liverpool FC.



A competitive squad with the areas of address is to be between the posts and another center back. Could do with another quality forward but I cannot complain with what I have to work here with.



Not that far off the top and in the play off spot as it stands. It looks positive so just need to keep building on it.

So my ending to the month of June saw the team and myself go undefeated but not without some trouble. The defence is an area of weakness and with the transfer window open in a month or so I have to hold it out until then until I can strengthen it. Brazilian striker Jair is class, seems to score goals for fun at this level.



Breathing down the neck of the leaders. Still much work to do mind. Coming to the closing part of the season, and the board want promotion. Pressure is on to deliver.

So July was a solid month. Only dropping points to a tough opponent in Vortis. What is pleasing is the number of youngsters who are getting a run out in the squad. Part of the remit I have been given by the club as part of my contract was to develop within. So it's pretty pleasing to see these guys are prospering for the club.



Still keeping tabs up with Sanfrecce.

August saw us once again go unbeaten. One of the reason is down to this man HERE. Literally he's been outstanding and we got him for a bargain at £240k. He has made a massive difference to the defence.

The biggest game of the month came against second placed Sanfrecce, we managed a draw, some say we were lucky and others say we did as well as we could have done.



Top of the league. A small gap. No time to rest on our laurels.

Great start with the Chiba mate! Ha

Charlie M - Thanks pal, really enjoying my stint in Japan.
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A month where we went undefeated again. However in many of the games we sneaked victory so we got away with a few games. Jair is still scoring the goals and is a real handful upfront. Kei Yamaguchi is playing out of his skin, really is. Makes a difference when you get goals from midfield.



7 point gap at the top. Lucky to have it to be honest.

October was a bad month. Progressed in the Emperor's Cup but elsewhere we struggled. Need to improve quickly.



Despite a very poor October we still find ourselves top of the league. Really need to pick our game up to secure promotion.

November saw us start of very shaky. Two draws and it looked like the league would be slipping out of our hands and we would have to go into the play offs with no form at all.

Matters got worse when start striker Jair decided he no longer wished to be part of the club, as he felt he couldn't meet his ambitions at the club. I have managed to subdue him for the time being. But I will monitor the situation and look to offload for the right deal. His outburst did mean he finished the season not as strongly as he should and he should have finished with over 30 league goals for the season.

So victories in the last two league games ... but was it enough?

Good to see that this man ended up as league top scorer but as I mentioned earlier, he should have gotten over 30 but his attitude got in the way. Hopefully he will stick around and redeem himself.



Added some more firepower upfront in the vastly experienced Kanoute.



I have applied for the job, but I am unsure whether I now actually want to move. Melbourne are a big club but are not playing in the ACL so I don't really fancy the move in this moment in time. I think sticking about with JEF United for a bit longer and hope a big club comes my way and I get it then, still owe JEF for taking a chance on me.

So in the Quarter Finals of the Emperors Cup we played fellow J2 side Thespa. However it didn't go to plan and we were on the back foot all game. The squad is dealing with a few injuries and on top of that a lot are tired and when we went to extra time I feared the worse. However we sneaked the win in extra time.

Massive massive win. Unbelievable scenes. However a bit of controversy when Uwara were awarded their first penalty. It was never a penalty and I felt from then on any decisions were going to go in favour of Uwara. However we held on ... somehow.



Stats tell you, we were far more clinical in what we got. Uwara wasted. Got off lucky some say, clinical team I say.



A shot at the Champions League with JEF United. I look forward to it.

Bit of a rise in Japanese football. Still a long way off.

Offered a deal and accepted. However I have been given little or no money to manoeuvre in the transfer market. It could be a tough year. Lot of players have been released also.

Couldn't resist not signing this guy. On a free and will add valuable experience to the middle of the park.

A very tough group.

The Japanese Super Cup is now in our possession. We did ok, soaked up the pressure like a sponge ... don't believe me, check the stats.

This is brilliant mate. Kanoute is a top signing!

Fola - Well sad to say pal, we didn't get him in the end. As you may know 5 forgein player rule in the squad. I was selling one of my South Korean center backs to FC Tokyo. On the transfer window day, the deal to Tokyo got cancelled because they were over the quota which meant I was over and the deal didn't happen. Gutted.
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So this is a bit of a mix match of an update, got a little to engrossed in the game save ... sorry.



So in the Champions League we started off well. We are definitely a cup specialist team because we somehow play our best football in these games. We shocked a strong Adelaide United, I was proud of the team after this game. The game against Beijing I was really happy with the players despite the loss. We battled hard and unlucky to concede the goal. Just one of those things. Then the game against Suwon we managed to sneak a win, we took two early goals and then defended for the rest of the game and only managed to concede one goal.

In the league we have been punching above our weight and taking on the big boys. The win over Marinos and the draws against S-Pulse and Grampus were very important. Yes we were lucky to come away with points but sometimes you need that bit of luck to see it through. Hyodo despite his age is still running the show on the left wing and scoring a fair few goals. Jair is going around his business quietly and is being pushed hard by ex-Southampton front man Tandarai Lee and young starlet from the academy Sakai. Had Kanoute signed I think we would have seen him sold.



We have sold to make money. The players that left us I am extremely pleased to have received as much as we did. This has meant we were able to increase the wage budget to attract and get free agents of quality. 54 capped Japanese international Okubo at the age of 32 will provide much experience. I was dead pleased to get him along with Inamoto. Last season fans favourite Kawano signed on a free from FC Tokyo but only when his injury which he sustained playing for us cleared. We then had to compete with S-Pulse, Marinos and FC Tokyo for his signature but he chose us.



Second in the group and another win should see us through. To come out of this group would be some achievement.



Table looks positive for now. Amazing that Antlers has only 2 points, I'm sure they will be up at the top towards the end of the season.

April was a real busy month. Lot of fixtures and a lot of progression. The month saw us beat a struggling Antlers side and Reysol. Tandarai Lee despite what the stats show is competing and pushing Jair and at this moment in time Jair is struggling for game time. I did say earlier he was in danger if he didn't raise his game.



The Champions League drew to a close and it was brilliant to end the group stages strongly. We have qualified and in the next round we play fellow Japanese qualifiers Grampus. A side I have the utmost confidence in beating.



There or there abouts. Really happy with the squad, the fixture list is coming quick and fast but the improvement in fitness coaching and physio departments has meant the squad is far more looked after than ever before.

So the month of May was a kind one. Lot of wins and a few draws towards a tiring and busy month. The big game of the J1 campaign came quite early on in the month against Uwara. We are definitely their bogey team. The squad despite running on low energy are really producing the goods, each and everyone of the players are working for themselves and the team.

So the Second Round of the ACL took place and we managed the great escapes and the best use of the parking of the bus seen in the history of football. The stats will show you it was all Grampus and it was, we took the few chances we had and defended like men possessed to claim a priceless place in the Quarter Finals of the ACL. The dream is alive. If the squad has enough rest then I don't see why we can't go all the way.



Undefeated and second in the league. Will take that.