The Phantom German

Around December, I was picked up by Dutch club sc Heerenveen. They had been doing well, until their manager Marco van Basten left to manage Wolfsburg and they were left without a boss. I was approached for the role, and thus began my journey, with the aim of a top half finish being the expectation for the year. Because I will only be at every club for one year only, I do not bother with training schedules and developing youth and reforming the coaching staff. Also, I will have to be much more flexible tactically, as it would be very unlikely for me to buy enough players every year that fit my scheme

So the 2013-14 season comes to an end, and I finish 4th in the Eredivisie, much higher than the top half finish I promised the board upon taking the job in December. We were right in the mix for Champions League spots all year long but individual mistakes at the back cost us a lot of points. I also ended up winning the Dutch Cup, beating favorites PSV on two late, somewhat fluky goals. This was only sc Heerenveen's second trophy in their entire history, so I feel quite accomplished.

The board keep trying to extend my contract, but I'm going to be off somewhere else the coming season. Hopefully this successful season in Holland has improved my reputation so I can manage a strong team.