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#734077 An American Journeyman
Arden Patoot
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.
#733216 An American Journeyman
Arden Patoot
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.
#733212 An American Journeyman
Arden Patoot
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.
#733020 An American Journeyman
Arden Patoot
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.
#733012 An American Journeyman
Arden Patoot
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.
#710899 The Leftist Football Manager
Arden Patoot
FC Saint Pauli
About
FC Saint Pauli are a professional team based in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, Germany. They currently play in the second tier, 2. Bundesliga and last played in the Bundesliga in the 2010-11 season. While not renowned for their success on the pitch, St. Pauli has gained a noteworthy reputation for the political activism of their supporters. Their supporters are famously and unabashedly anti-fascist. The club as a whole has taken an outspoken stance against racism, fascism, sexism, and homophobia.
History
The club was informally founded in 1899 by a group of soccer enthusiast's, but the club played its first match in 1907. They were officially established in 1910 and they were a relatively undistinguished team until making their first appearance in the top flight in 1934 after the reorganization of German soccer under the Third Reich. After World War 2 the club played in their regional league where they frequently finished second to city rivals Hamburger SV. When the Bundesliga was created in 1963, Hamburger SV was a member but St. Pauli was placed in the second tier. Notably, it was at this time that St. Pauli signed Guy Acolatse, the first black professional soccer player in Germany. The team made their first appearance in the Bundesliga in 1977, but were immediately relegated.
The famous fan culture the club is known for began to blossom in the mid 1980s. Supporters of the club adopted a skull and crossbones emblem that is still flown at games today. During this time the club went from crowds of less than 2,000 to regularly drawing 20,000 fans to home games. Since then the club has maintained a cult-like following despite being a yo-yo team that spends most seasons in the 2. Bundesliga.
Expectations
The board expectations are for a top-half finish in 2022-23 with aims to reach promotion by the end of the 2024-25 season. The media projects the team to finish 8th in the 18 team division. However, in real life the team is currently sitting in 16th after 15 matches.
Rivals
The club have two main rivals: Hamburger SV and Hansa Rostock. Hamburger SV is the biggest club in the city of Hamburg where St. Pauli is located and, despite spending the past several seasons in the second tier, has traditionally been one of the most successful clubs in Germany. Hansa Rostock is a fierce rival of the club due to the right-wing nature of their supporters.
#710494 The Leftist Football Manager
Arden Patoot
The Leftist Football Manager
The Concept
The primary goal of this save is to win the top 5 European Leagues with clubs known for having leftist or left-leaning fan-bases. To add an additional challenge I will be trying to institute a club culture at each save that prioritizes determination, teamwork, and work rate. Additionally, my teams will avoid signing players who previously played at traditionally right-wing clubs and favor players who previously played at left-wing clubs.
The Clubs
Since I can only specifically pick my first team, I'll have a couple options in the other countries that I could choose, but I'll highlight which clubs I would prefer if given multiple options. My priority will be the top 5 leagues, but I'll also list other clubs around the world that I may prioritize acquiring players from or creating affiliations with. I came up with list just by google searching which came up with a few articles and a reddit post, so hopefully these classifications are generally accurate.
Germany - FC Saint Pauli (Starting here)
France
Spain
Italy
England
Other - Europe
Other - Americas
The Enemies
These are the clubs that we will look to avoid signing players from, and will certainly try extra hard to beat if we ever come up against them. Again, this list was curated via google search so hopefully it is accurate….
Italy
Russia
Spain
France
Other
Going Forward
I intend to start this save as soon as the full release of FM23 comes out. I'll start with a preview post for FC Saint Pauli and then I'll probably do a write-up for every season that I play. I'm mostly doing this just for myself, but if anyone else enjoys the concept or reading about it then that's great too!