Anyone got a view on this job opportunity?

[anagain]

So I'm managing at Loughgall. I'm enjoying it but I don't feel like I'm going anywhere. I can't compete with the bigger teams in the NI premier and I'm not getting offers for bigger jobs. I have therefore decided I need to push the issue and have declared interest in a few jobs.

Now the Northampton job has come up after Emile Heskey got sacked. Northampton are in dire straights; bottom of the Conf N and insecure financially, but I can't help feel that if I can rescue them it'd do my reputation wonders. It's probably a huge risk, but you have to take risks sometimes, right?

So I turn to you lot. Would you take it if it was offered, or would you continue to try and improve Loughgall?

[Earnie is God!]

I'd switch but then again, I don't have any affinity or interest in the NI league(s).

I don't think it's a huge risk. Surely Northampton have to be one of the better sides in Conf N, although I don't know the situation or what year you are in, etc. I doubt you'd get any better jobs atm and it's not as if a big club is going to come calling so why not go for it?

If you are still in doubt, you could always save it before any job interview.

[anagain]

15 minutes ago, Earnie is God! said:

I'd switch but then again, I don't have any affinity or interest in the NI league(s).

I don't think it's a huge risk. Surely Northampton have to be one of the better sides in Conf N, although I don't know the situation or what year you are in, etc. I doubt you'd get any better jobs atm and it's not as if a big club is going to come calling so why not go for it?

If you are still in doubt, you could always save it before any job interview.

Hard to tell how good their squad is as I can't scout England and can't see the full stats of their players. The year is 2018/19 and Northampton got relegated from the Conf Prem last season, along with a 10 point deduction for administration, though they would have gone down anyway. From what I can see the players are reasonable though. They have a young midfielder that looks really quite good.

I'm actually thinking I will go for it if I'm offered the position, and I just got a news item to say I'm the leading candidate. I'll let them come to me rather than apply though.

Thanks for the advice.

[withnail316]

I'd wait for a League Two club, tbh. Northampton in theory are a big club, but I'm sure you could find something that isn't right at the bottom of the pyramid.

[anagain]

6 minutes ago, withnail316 said:

I'd wait for a League Two club, tbh. Northampton in theory are a big club, but I'm sure you could find something that isn't right at the bottom of the pyramid.

I've tried for that level before and they vehemently dismissed my interest. The best I've been linked with is the Irish league. I got offered the Sligo Rovers job.

There was some talk about me getting the Tranmere job after they got relegated to the Conf, but they turned around and said they didn't want me.

[withnail316]

8 minutes ago, anagain said:

I've tried for that level before and they vehemently dismissed my interest. The best I've been linked with is the Irish league. I got offered the Sligo Rovers job.

There was some talk about me getting the Tranmere job after they got relegated to the Conf, but they turned around and said they didn't want me.

Hmm. How long have you been in Northern Ireland?

[anagain]

32 minutes ago, withnail316 said:

Hmm. How long have you been in Northern Ireland?

I'm in season 18/19. I won the NIFL1 in my first season. This is my third season in the top division and I finished 5th in both previous seasons. It's hard to get the players to compete with the biggest teams in NI, but I feel I'm doing okay. I just don't get any improvement in reputation and won't unless I can get in to the European places. I was nearly there last season, but my record against the big teams inevitably told in the final table...as well as a poor run at the end of the season.

To be honest I am happier if I'm struggling to break through, because it's more realistic, but I feel I've done enough to have been looked upon a bit more favourably by now. I have had this problem before with smaller clubs in smaller leagues.

 

The one thing I think needs pointing out is that Loughgall are probably more at the level of the Conference N/S leagues, maybe even the regional leagues below. The reputation of the Danske Bank Premier is below that of the Faroes in my game. Northampton is a tasty opportunity therefore. Just a scary one being bottom of Conf N.

[Earnie is God!]

Go for it. Can't see the harm. Plenty of opportunity within the English pyramid system even if it doesn't work out.

[anagain]

Okay, so I applied and got offered the job. My Loughgall team was falling apart. I had a major injury crisis and my players just weren't performing. We'd gone from consistently performing in the upper half of the league to relegation fodder and nothing was going right...

...So I took the job.

The players aren't as great as I thought they might be. The squad is somewhat on a par with my Loughgall one, to be fair. I think we can stay up though. We have the potential to get in some much better loan signings too.

Like you say, the English pyramid has a lot more opportunity to it.

Let's see if I can get Northampton back where they belong.

 

[PleasedToMichu]

Sounds like a good little challenge awaits you, good luck! 

[anagain]

1 hour ago, PleasedToMichu said:

Sounds like a good little challenge awaits you, good luck! 

Thanks. Not a bad start. Goal in last 5 minutes to nick a draw at Telford, then the same player scored late again to get my first win at home to Lowestoft. I'm off the bottom.

 

I would have thought you'd be a Swansea fan with that username. 

[Earnie is God!]

Good start. Players should be easier to come by as well; not just because Northampton are a more attractive prospect but also because there will be plenty of unattached players who would eant to join an English club.

I think, at that level, you could pick up half a dozen decent freebies that might even get you promoted the following season.

[anagain]

On 05/08/2016 at 18:11, Earnie is God! said:

Good start. Players should be easier to come by as well; not just because Northampton are a more attractive prospect but also because there will be plenty of unattached players who would eant to join an English club.

I think, at that level, you could pick up half a dozen decent freebies that might even get you promoted the following season.

Can't afford any. I'm 2k above my wage limit with the players I had to start with. There are many a good player who would sign for me, but the loan players I was hoping to bolster the team with just aren't interested. I made an offer for a young Port Vale striker and he turned it down. I have players from Kidderminster and Nuneaton (both in Conf Prem) turning down the offer of a loan at Northampton.

I'm going to have to be ruthless and chuck out the dead wood in the new year.

It's very frustrating...but I'm still unbeaten since I started at Northampton.

[Earnie is God!]

Yeah it will be frustrating but you'll eventually get a few players who will join on loan. Your unbeaten start will obviously help.

I might be a slow process but you'll get there.

[anagain]

I just wanted to update this thread - if anyone is even interested - to say I staved off the threat of relegation.

I thought I was doomed with 6 games to go. I was bottom of the table (4 points clear at one stage), the players weren't playing well and morale was rock bottom. The press said that if I didn't beat AFC Telford then I'd be out of a job.

I said "what the hell", went attacking and made my team more fluid. We won 2-1 with a last minute winner. The change from a flexible shape to a fluid shape had changed our fortunes in the most dramatic manner. Moving my playmaker into a more advanced position certainly helped too. It's an eye opener when you realise exactly what was wrong with your team all season, but I am still not so sure what to think about such a little tweak changing our fortunes so radically.

I eventually took nearly bankrupt Northampton to 15th in the Vanarama North, after being in the bottom 3 since I took over. We're in big financial trouble, so hopefully we make it to next season. Talk of takeovers has me concerned, too. I think I can take this team up...if I don't get moved on.

What a season. What a game.

 

I know it's been nearly a month. I play this game slowly, and lost a week to No Man's Sky.

[-Ironhide-]

4 minutes ago, anagain said:

I just wanted to update this thread - if anyone is even interested - to say I staved off the threat of relegation.

I thought I was doomed with 6 games to go. I was bottom of the table (4 points clear at one stage), the players weren't playing well and morale was rock bottom. The press said that if I didn't beat AFC Telford then I'd be out of a job.

I said "what the hell", went attacking and made my team more fluid. We won 2-1 with a last minute winner. The change from a flexible shape to a fluid shape had changed our fortunes in the most dramatic manner. Moving my playmaker into a more advanced position certainly helped too. It's an eye opener when you realise exactly what was wrong with your team all season, but I am still not so sure what to think about such a little tweak changing our fortunes so radically.

I eventually took nearly bankrupt Northampton to 15th in the Vanarama North, after being in the bottom 3 since I took over. We're in big financial trouble, so hopefully we make it to next season. Talk of takeovers has me concerned, too. I think I can take this team up...if I don't get moved on.

What a season. What a game.

 

I know it's been nearly a month. I play this game slowly, and lost a week to No Man's Sky.

Well that's a nice turnout. Good luck in sustaining the club.

[anagain]

2 minutes ago, -Ironhide- said:

Well that's a nice turnout. Good luck in sustaining the club.

Thank you. It may be tough, but I'll see how it goes. It depends very much on those finances, replacing two of my best performers (both loanees) and securing the contract of my star man (19 year old midfield genius).

It's interesting to look back at this thread and see how concerned I was about taking this job. 

[Fer Fuchs Ake]

2 hours ago, anagain said:

Thank you. It may be tough, but I'll see how it goes. It depends very much on those finances, replacing two of my best performers (both loanees) and securing the contract of my star man (19 year old midfield genius).

It's interesting to look back at this thread and see how concerned I was about taking this job. 

You should consider posting your story in the FM Career Updates. It's an interesting story that you have.

[noikeee]

I managed Loughgall in my previous Career Updates thread. It was a disaster, they're awful and I was even worse at managing them.  You did well to get the hell out of there.

[chocolatecoatedballs]

Yeah, sounds like jumping from the frying pan, into the fire. if you want to move on, something will come up

 

[anagain]

On 29/08/2016 at 18:57, Fer Fuchs Ake said:

You should consider posting your story in the FM Career Updates. It's an interesting story that you have.

Thanks. I have posted in the story forum before, but I tend to either lose interest in the save or I find I'm spending too much time on writing up my save that I don't play enough game. I play very slowly as it is, so it takes me a long time to get through a season.

I'll have a look at the forum at some point. I have a creative side that I like to air from time to time. It is my most enjoyable save since I took Strindheim through the Norwegian leagues and eventually landed jobs at Hamburg (maybe not them, but certainly North German) and Chievo (at least i think that was the same save - they tend to merge in to one).

[-Ironhide-]

1 minute ago, anagain said:

Thanks. I have posted in the story forum before, but I tend to either lose interest in the save or I find I'm spending too much time on writing up my save that I don't play enough game. I play very slowly as it is, so it takes me a long time to get through a season.

I'll have a look at the forum at some point. I have a creative side that I like to air from time to time. It is my most enjoyable save since I took Strindheim through the Norwegian leagues and eventually landed jobs at Hamburg (maybe not them, but certainly North German) and Chievo (at least i think that was the same save - they tend to merge in to one).

I'm doing a save right now on FMM with Welling on the forums. I sometimes lose interest with writing up saves as well. It's really annoying when you have a good idea or a good save and you write it up then lose interest.

[anagain]

On 30/08/2016 at 00:36, noikeee said:

I managed Loughgall in my previous Career Updates thread. It was a disaster, they're awful and I was even worse at managing them.  You did well to get the hell out of there.

Thanks.

To be honest, and not intending to make you feel bad, I found the first season surprisingly easy without actually doing very much. I picked a simple 4-4-2 formation and just went for it. When I got promoted I expected to go straight back down, but again the lads performed so bloody well.

I'd agree with you that they're pretty awful though. That league's standard is only around L2/Conference level, but there's a big gap between the top teams and those fighting mid table. I was in the mid table bunch and really struggled to beat the top teams consistently (odd lucky victory). Part of the reason I wanted to leave Loughgall was because I couldn't break through in to that top bracket. To be damning to Loughgall, I think they'd struggle in the Conference...though I would like some of their players to join my Northampton team.

[anagain]

3 minutes ago, -Ironhide- said:

I'm doing a save right now on FMM with Welling on the forums. I sometimes lose interest with writing up saves as well. It's really annoying when you have a good idea or a good save and you write it up then lose interest.

Yeah, I just hate to be the person that cuts off a story  and/or goes missing. Even if I wonder whether anyone's interested, deep down I'm sure someone's reading it.

I do have a second monitor since I last tried my hand in the story forums, so I wouldn't have to keep tabbing. Might make it more of an option.

The more I think about it the more I want post my story though. Won't be till Saturday now though. The rise of the Cobblers: Financial Obscurity and back. I like that.