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Season 2018/19 - Senior Challenge Shield Final

The first cup final of the season comes round in Hong Kong, and it's ourselves and Sun Hei, a side struggling just above the relegation spots, fighting it out for the Senior Challenge Shield. Tai Po had lost the cup final last season, and many of the players in my side had played in that game, so we were determined to get our hands on the trophy this time around. We went into the game without Shojaei in midfield who was away on international duty and with Martinez unable to play due to not having been at the club when the competition started. We went into the game favourites, but knew it would be a tough game...





Or apparently it wouldn't. Yuto Nakamura is now n 19 goals for the season, and Darren Meenan had apparently been saving that performance for the right moment, as those 3 were his first goals for the club. Not a bad time to get them I suppose. One look at the stats below shows all you'll need to know about the game, we were pretty happy to let Sun Hei have the ball, but they never really did anything with it, while we were incisive, and clinical.



All in all, an absolutely brilliant way to get my first piece of silverware, and hopefully we can push on and grab a few more trophies this season!

Season 2018/19 - January

A pretty quiet month with no league business, just the two Sapling Cup Group games to occupy ourselves with. Up first were Fuli, who're currently bottom of the league with just 3 points from 9, and it was an absolute rout. Nakamura got 4, McFadden got his first and second for the clubs, with McKee adding the other. Was a pretty odd feeling being 6-0 up by half time, and all of this without some of our more important players who've been away on international duty. We then drew with Dream FC, who we've struggled against before, and we did again here so a draw Nakamura getting the goal was a decent result.



We're sitting second in our group, and have all but qualified from the group with just one game versus Eastern to go. Dreams could theorectically catch us, but I'd be pretty surprised if they managed to overturn our goal difference advantage.

With the 3 Brazilians finally leaving for a combined total of just over 130K, it meant that I needed to acquire a new striker, as McKee isn't really good enough to be first choice. With that in mind, we brought in a fair few players on trial and a young Paraguayan called Santiago Martinez came out on top...



He's not as good as the player he replaces, but he's a good technical player and should hopefully be a solid choice, and able to bang in goals on a semi regular basis. I really need some more depth, but the standard of local player available at present is generally pretty shocking, and I don't want to sign anyone just for the sake of it.

February looks to be a busy month, with our Senior Shield Final, the start of our FA Cup attempt (versus lower league Wong Tai Sin) before we get back to league business and conclude our Sapling Cup group.

Season 2018/19 - December

We only had one league game this month, and it was a disappointing and agonising loss against Southern District, whom we had thumped just a month earlier. Jaimes McKee got his first for the club and we looked good for the win when Sean Tse scored a rare goal from centre midfield, but we threw it away at the end with two very preventable goals. We're going to need to address this as our league form has been very poor since our blistering start to the season. We therefore find ourselves fifth, a fair bit clear of the teams below us, but with an awful lot of work, and realistically nowhere near enough games to catch the teams challenging at the top.

Cups

League Cup:


A draw was all we needed to progress straight to the semi final, and that was what we managed to get. An own goal was enough, and we held on despite some ropey moments. Unspectacular, but we got the job done.

Sapling Cup:



Gave a few of my players who aren't registered for the league a run out, and it paid off as we did a professional job in our opening group stage match. Two of our Brazilians soon to be departing gave us the win, which just left us with our senior shield semi final against the same opposition to play this month

Senior Shield:



What a way to sign off for Dhiego Martins, his final game for the club and he was on a one man mission to send us to the final. Citizen couldn't handle him, and it was, in truth, a rout. We'll face Sun Hei in the final, and will be Martins-less for that occasion, so we'll need to find someone to step up to the plate. But still, it'll be the first cup final of my career, and given Sun Hei's struggles should present a good chance to win a bit of silverware.

Season 2018/19 - October & November

The honeymoon is over. We really, really should have beaten Dreams FC, we had the better chances but were very wasteful with them and couldn't get back into it from 2-0 down. The next match against Kitchee was a pretty poor game, even but low on quality and decided by a goal from a corner. We should have held on for our win against Citizen but threw it away at the end, before managing to round off the month with a sensational last minute win away at Pegasus. Nakamura's goals have dried up a bit in the league, but hopefully that goal at Pegasus can get him back on track.



All of that means we've dropped down to fourth in the table, but again, we've been pretty good overall. and look like we've got more than enough to achieve our target of a top half finish.

Cups

Our League Cup group stage campaign kicked off with an emphatic win over Dreams FC, just a week after the loss to them in the league. We came back with a bang, Nakamura and Martins on form, and Shojaei pulling the strings in the midfield. Excellent start to the campaign, and with reigning league champions Southern District the other team in our group, it was important to get this win.



Boom. Being drawn away to the league champions in the quarter final of the Senior Cup looked a challenge, but apparently not. Nakamura is quickly cementing himself a place in my heart, 4 goals here takes his tally for the season in all competitions up to 13 in 9 games. We face Citizen, who we really should be beating, in the semi final but nothing is certain so we'll have to wait and see.

Overall a mixed couple of months, pretty poor in the league but outstanding in cup games. We only have one league game in December, but also have a league cup game, 2 sapling cup games and our semi final against Citizen, so still a busy month to come.

Season 2018/19 - September

Yuto Nakamura is the absolute boy. It's been an excellent start to the season, an 100% record so far, and 6 goals in 3 for the main man. Eastern were runners up last season, while Fuli and Yuen Long occupied the positions directly above ourselves, so great results. The first two followed the same script, we took the lead, were pegged back and then won it fairly late, while the 3rd was a first half rout and a solid display of game management in the second half. Great start to my reign, if the rest of it goes anything like this we'll be golden. All of that leaves the table looking like this...



Early days obviously, and we've played two of the weaker teams (I think) but that makes great reading. We've got a double header with Dreams FC next month, once in the league and once in the league cup group stage, before a much busier November.

In other news, I added a couple of players on deadline day.



Jaimes McKee probably isn't really good enough, but I desperately needed someone to cover as I play with two strikers, and had two strikers. He's experienced and should be capable of filling in when required. I'll need to reassess this in January as one of my strikers is heading to Brazil, but this'll do for now.



Apparently I'm allowed 5 foreign players, plus one foreign Asian player which allowed me to sign Masoud Shojaei. Looks like a great player, getting on a bit, but he'll be more than good enough for this league. I'm planning on him being a mainstay in my central midfield, but may also stick him up front when needed.

Overall, a great start to life in Hong Kong, and hopefully we can push on.

Season 2018/19

Well, my regime in Hong Kong is under way, and the first thing I noticed was that out of the 4 five star players in my squad, 3 want to leave immediately. They're all high earners, the clubs finances are poor and they can't be reasoned with, so I've let them leave. All 3 are heading to the Brazilian second tier, which should boost the finances and allows me to sign some foreign players as there's a limit on the amount I'm allowed in my matchday squad. With that in mind, I've made a couple of transfers after having every man and their dog in on trial...



Fabricio Lopes was arranged by the manager before me, a centre half who should be fairly alright. But my two signings are Darren Meenan, a Northern Irish winger who's been an Irish league journeyman, and James McFadden, the bloke who did this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nmtB7rBs3M

Pick it out Landreau.

Anyway, they'll both be good players for this season, McFadden is probably (definitely) on his last legs but still...





I'm still looking to add a fair amount of players, as we'll need a lot of depth. They'll need to be locals as we've used up our quota of foreign players.

In any case, with the season not starting until mid September we've had a busy schedule of friendlies...



All wins, but we've been up against total dross for the most part so can't read too much into it. The real stuff starts now, so hopefully they'll be up to the required standard.



Big expectations considering the season they had last time out, but we'll have to go for it. Hopefully get some silverware to my name. There's a tonne of competitions to be won, better get started.

Thanks guys, the Valarenga game was genuinely infuriating...

A new start

After 8 months, countless knockbacks without interviews and somewhere approaching 10 failed interviews, an opportunity to attempt to build something of a reputation, and maybe get some silverware under my belt...



The glamour of the Hong Kong Premier League, and the might of the team who finished one place above the relegation spots. It'll be a challenge, but I'm sure with a couple of additions, we can mount a better campaign than they managed last season, and that I can survive longer than in my previous job (which wouldn't exactly be much of an achievement, but still). My immediate problem is that 3 of my 4 star players want to leave, and I need to improve the rest of my squad pretty drastically, but I'm hopeful that I'm up to the challenge and we'll be fine.

Well done, even if you are managing Clyde!

Season 2017 - October

Well, we had two games left to try to save ourselves. First up was Grorud, a team who could still theoretically reach the playoffs, so I had my work cut out for me.



We got off to an appalling start, and then recovered and looked like we had a decent shot of holding out for a point before a bit of shambolic defending let them in for a winner win ten minutes to go. I didn't expect anything from this match, but to have been level for so long made it pretty difficult to take. Next up, bottom side Valarenga 2...



Sickening, Two penalties in quick succession had us in control, but we completely threw it away in the second half. An own goal, and a close range header were our downfall, and despite throwing everything at it we didn't manage to reclaim the lead that would have secured safety. This left us needing results elsewhere if we were to stay up.



Damn. Didn't quite happen for us, and we all know what that means...



Back to the drawing board only 7 games into my managerial career. There's not many jobs going at present, and none that I would think I'll have any chance of getting, so it'll be a wee wait to find out who I'll take over next, but we shall see where it goes.

Season 2017 - September

An excellent first month in charge, considering we'd only had 3 wins all season before I turned up. We started off with a 2-0 loss away at Asker, who were second in the table at that point, and were comfortably outplayed by a far superior side. We followed this up with a disappointing loss at KFUM Oslo having lead when Jonas Bergson got the first goal of my managerial career, but an own goal midway through the second half lost it for us. We then won 2 back to back, firstly through an early header from a free kick, and then through two excellent Orjan Hopen goals. These wins were both at home, and both particularly pleasing as they were against teams at the same end of the table as ourselves. The month ended with us taking a bit of a doing on the pitch if not the scoreline at Alta.



All of that leaves the table looking like this. We've managed to climb out of the bottom 3, on goal difference, with 2 games left. We face fourth place Grorud and then bottom side Valarenga 2, so hopefully we can stay up, and I'll try to build a decent team for next season. It all comes down to these two games. If not, it'll be back to the Job Centre for me...

Off to the Norwegian Second Division (Group 1), and I've taken the first job that was offered to me in Skeid. One look at the league table...



suggests to me that my reign will be a short one, as there's only 7 games left and we're 4 points adrift. My first game will be at home to second placed Asker, but we do have a couple of games against fellow strugglers so hopefully I'll be able to save this. I'm not holding out much hope though...

Every year on FM, I basically play the same save where I attempt to get Partick Thistle to the top of the Scottish game. I don't often deviate from this, and I'm starting to get slightly bored of it. Therefore, I've decided to give something entirely different, and travel the globe attempting to win everything and anything that I can. And I've decided to share it with you fine ladies and gentlemen. I'm starting unemployed with no qualifications and Sunday League experience, which will make it more challenging I'd hope. I've taken a bit of inspiration from Shedender's quest for World Domination, so props to him on that. Anyway, onto the important bit...



These are the leagues I've chosen to start with. That I can remember I've never managed in any of them before, bar Ireland, so I'm sure it'll be interesting, for me at least and hopefully for some of yourselves.



There's nothing available to start with that I either have a chance of getting (Penarol & Start) or an interest in (the international teams). Hopefully, something comes up soon. I'll let you all know what happens.

Managerial History

01/09/2017 - 21/10/2017 - Skeid (Sacked)
11/06/2018 - Present - Tai Po

Trophies Won

- Tai Po - Senior Challenge Shield - 2019
- Tai Po - Hong Kong League Cup - 2019