treva

The story so far
Season 07/08
On 24th February 1989, a horrific challenge during a Bristol City U18's vs Cardiff U18's match ended my (Jack Teague's) career at the age of 17. Doctors feared it may be hard for me to walk again, but after numerous operations and intense training, I was able to run once again. With no chance of reviving my football career I decided to take the other route involved with football. Management. It took 10 years to gain the full qualifications needed, after a number of personal setbacks sidetracked me from my main goal. With the right qualifications it was time to enter the management world.

After 5 months of waiting I finally got the call from German club, SV Wacker Burghausen, after declaring interest in the vacant job. It was a big move away from my family, but it was one that I needed to be take to progress as a football manager. The Burghausen side were expecting promotion from Regional Division South, one of three lower tiers of German football. It would be a tough ask, with just the 1 team being promoted, but with a strong squad I was confident of making my 1st season in charge a good one. The board gave me a bit of money to spend, but I waited until the start of the league to see where we needed to improve.

After 1-2, 4-1 and 2-2 results from friendlies the league started, just 12 days after I had arrived. I could already see that striker Christoph Teinert needed some quality alongside him. I managed to loan Khaibar Amani from Mainz, in the top division. We faced an home tie against Siegen, who were blitzed aside by a quality performance from the boys. A late second half surge had secured us 3 points, but it was Ronald Schmidt, the skipper, who had enlightened me in our first game. He scored the winning goal effectively with a finely taken free kick, a sight that was common throughout the season. A Beckham like free kick taker with 'eye of the needle' accuracy.

Games started to come quick and fast. I brought in 2 new players after our 1-1 draw with Sandhausen, a striker and a defender. Christopher Kullmann, a 21-year old striker that was rated quite highly by my scouts. 22k seemed a good deal, especially after I had gained 17k from departures early in my reign. Denis Lapaczinski was part of a player exchange deal for Daniel Rosin, a like for like swap. My first full month in charge was a relatively good one, a record of 2 wins, 1 loss and 3 draws. The two wins were fantastic wins, one coming against German Third Division opposition Furth, in the German Cup 1st Round. The second a 5-nil whitewash at home to FSV Frankfurt.

The following 2 months were very successful, being beaten only once, and that to First Division side Dortmund in a game that we should have got more out of. 4 wins and 3 draws meant that we were right up there challenging for the title. The 3 draws coming in a row were a bit of a blow, especially in the manor in which we had played. Our first lost came in our first game of November. A dire performance, in which we deserved to lose, the final outcome being a humiliating 4-nil thrashing away at Aalen. We picked up and continued unbeaten until the mid-season break, with 2 wins and 2 draws. Draws were becoming a particular problem, especially the fact that we either didn't score or we lost early goals.

Signings were needed to bolster our side. After a meeting with the board my suggestion of a parent club was accepted. We soon came affiliated with FC Bayern, where we would be loaned players for free and play an annual friendly. Daniel Sikorski and Stefano Celozzi were two young guns wanting first team football under their belt. We returned from our mid-season break in fine style. Four wins back to back was a brilliant way to show the leaders that we were still in the hunt. A strong defence was the key, just the 2 goals that came in one game were conceded in those matches. Then came a crucial game against Ingolstadt. With Aalen and Unterhaching winning it was a must win against a side around us. We didn't take our chances. The ref hammered the final nail into our coffin awarding a ridiculous penalty to them on the stroke of half time. They scored and managed to hold on, effectively ending our chance of promotion.

We returned the following week to hammer Karlsruhe II 7-1, although they managed to win the second half 1-nil as we just stopped playing. A win against Unterhaching gave us a chance, if we managed to win a high percentage of our games and they dropped a few points. It wasn't to be as we could only manage draws against Elversberg and Oggershelm for the second time in the season, to end our campaign for promotion. After another 4-nil defeat and then 2 wins and a draw it was time up in Germany. I had been linked with taking over from Gus Poyet at Leeds for most of the season. With Leeds missing out on the play-offs by 1 point, including their 15 point deduction, he left. They approached me and I couldn't turn it down. A good salary and prospect of getting promotion with a quality side in my home country, was something that just couldn't be turned down. I bid farewell to Germany with a scoreless draw to Aalen at home, 2 games from the end of the season and nothing to play for. My journey in Germany will never be forgotten. My first crack at football management. Some highs and some lows. A great learning curve that I could hopefully take back to England.

SV Wacker Burghausen - Season 07/08
Days at Club: 308
Games Won: 19
Games Lost: 6
Games Drawn: 12
Money Spent: 22k (5 players brought/loaned)
Money Earned: 27k (3 players sold)

League Position: 4th (Burghausen finished 5th)
Points Scored: 62
Goals Scored: 59
Goals Conceded: 28
Top Goalscorer: Christoph Teinert - 17
Fans Player of the Year: Ronald Schmidt

Season 08/09 - Leeds, coming up...

BradHally

Leeds via Germany
A good switch if ever I saw one.
Hard luck on not getting promotion, but you have left the club in good condition with FC Bayern as a parent club and a good chance of promotion if the squad stays intact.
But well done on getting the Leeds job with a great chance of promotion.
KUTGW

Click my Sig to request any GFX :D

WozzaWolves

Fantastic start mate!

Hope to see more of this and good luck!

treva

Thanks guys. Already started a bit of the 08/09 season, so updates will be done quite soon.

For some reason it seems that a load of clubs from the German Regional Division South moved up into the German Third Division, including Burghausen. So it looks like I did a good job there after all, and it was definitely a new managing experience. Will try update tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Hartynips

Excellent stuff.

Love the idea for the story its looking superb

treva

The first things to deal with, after I was informed that the player shad left for their holiday's, was transfers. Who was staying and who was going. Who was coming in. Who wanted to leave and who wanted to come. All questions that needed to be addressed. My main concern was Tore André Flo. Top goalscorer last season with 24, and 'fans player of the year'. I wanted to offer him a new contract and asked his agent what he had in mind. But Tore had his mind set on leaving, and he wasn't to accept any offers sent his way. That was of course a big loss, and the fans would be devastated, but it just meant space for a new striker to come in and take his place. Scouts had been sent out to Scotland before I had arrived, so when they came back with reports I was obliged to take a look. One name that stood out was Jamie Adams from Kilmarnock. A young lad who has played for Scotland at U21 level. The defensive midfielder was looking for a new contract and so we managed to snap him up quite quickly.

We needed another couple of strikers, Jermaine Beckford the only stand out striker of note at the club. 22 year old Will Hoskins was picked up for 925k, a bargain considering his potential capabilities. On the same day Daniel Sikorski from FC Bayern was signed. A previous loanee at SV Wacker Burghausen whilst I was in charge after FC Bayern became our parent club. I was particularly impressed with his talent, so when I got into contact with the 20 year old's agent, they were 100% pleased with moving to Leeds. I continued the theme of signing young players by bringing in Tom Piotrowski after he was recently released by Reading. The young lad had no appearances with the Premiership side, and wanted a chance to play at least some part in a season. This meant we had signed two strikers and two midfielders. The defence and goalkeeping areas of the side didn't need improving, and so I left those well alone. My final signing of the summer was Michael Collins, another young gun who had been capped at U19 level with Ireland. The young striker was unlikely to play any part of the season in the 1st team, but after a few seasons with the reserve side I hoped he would turn into a fine 1st team player.

We managed to get 3 friendlies arranged at the start of the season. Although a few Premiership sides declined offers, we organised games with Peterhead, Mk Dons and Leicester. The later being at home whilst the others away. A good introduction as manager which would give me an insight into how each player plays and what are their main attributes. It was to be a fantastic season ahead of us...

Pre-Season Friendlies
Peterhead [A] - Sun, 13th July
MK Dons [A] - Sat, 19th July
Leicester [H] - Sat 26th July

Summer Signings
Jamie Adams, Kilmarnock - FREE
Will Hoskins, Watford - 925k
Daniel Sikorski, FC Bayern - FREE
Tom Piotrowski - FREE
Michael Collins - FREE

Summer Leavers
Gavin Rothery & Sam Tuttnot, Bathgate Thistle - FREE
Tore André Flo, Plymouth - FREE
Charlie Hutton - Released
Tomi Ameobi - Released
Ben Parker - Released
Jason Mycoe - Released

WozzaWolves

Nice installment to a great story there!

Unlucky on losing Flo but some good signings to replace him!

Keep it up!

busheyladd

This Is Looking Good Matee.

Good Luck Pushing For Promotion With Leeds.

KUTGW!!!

Hartynips

Nice start there mate and some good signings in Daniel Sikorski and Tom Piotrowski both should turn out good players later on.

Will be watching with interest!

treva

After the summer dealings were over it was off to Peterhead for our first game of the season and my first game in charge. An ease into managing for Leeds, but that still didn't mean I would let the players go easy. I wanted a win and I wanted a good performance. Away to Peterhead was never going to be that fun with a small pitch against a quite poor footballing side. Nevertheless we should've had enough to brush them aside. I went with a side that had played together last season, all my new signings on the bench. A bad start, Lee Collins picks up an injury just 11 minutes in. Leon Constantine had a few chances as did their strikers, but both keepers were up to the task. Things went from bad to worse injury wise, Frazer Richardson going off after 32 minutes. At least it gave me a chance to place Jamie Adams at centre back. Half time and it was 0-0. Daniel Sikorski replaced Leon Constantine. Again both sides had good chances but with a few good saves and some poor finishing it stayed at 0-0. 7 minutes from time we found that goal we wanted. Kennedy picked up the ball just inside their half and sent a through ball on to Sikorski. Sikorski took it past the defender and slotted it into the back of the net. A win in my first game was a big relief, no matter who it came against.

Peterhead 0-1 Leeds
Daniel Sikorski '83

Next up was to Milton Keynes to face the MK Dons. Collins kept his place after recovering from his dead leg, whilst Richardson stayed on the bench after gashing his arm against Peterhead. The other change was Sikorski in for Constantine. 14 minutes in and we had our lead. A good move finished off by Beckford after a pin point cross from Shuker. Pretty even from then on in, chances being missed left right and centre all game. After making a good account of ourselves, we deserved a victory, but that was not to be. With 2 minutes to go they got the equaliser. A counter attack, after we were pilling on the pressure to finish them off, was scored by Fardon from a cross that flew straight across the six yard box. A disappointing end to a good performance, but I was happy with the overall look of things.

MK Dons 1-1 Leeds
Troy Fardon '88 - Jermaine Beckford '14

Our final encounter of the pre-season was at home to Leicester. Leicester were promoted to the Premiership through the play-offs, so it would be a very tough game. Bit of a change up top with Constantine and Piotrowski partnering for the first time. The game started very badly for us, going behind after just 2 minutes. A poor kick from Ankergren gave Kishishev the chance to put a ball in to Fryatt. Fryatt was never going to miss 10 yards out and we were 1 down. Chances came thick and fast for the next 15 minutes, both teams having opportunities to score. Again it was Leicester to make the most of the chances, making it 2-0 after just 20 minutes. A good passing move was finished by Wesolowski from 18 yards who hit a cracking low shot past Ankergren. From then until the 50th minute it went quiet. Will Hoskins replaced Constantine at half time. They started to have some real good chances to finish the game, but we managed to hold them off. On 65 minutes the decisive point in the game came. Will Hoskins found himself in space in the box after a lovely ball by Howson, only to hit the base of the post. Hoskins did put the ball in the back of the net 5 minutes later, a counter attack that was set on it's way by Heath's clearance to Beckford. We pushed and pushed but North kept us out in the Leicester goal. It finished 2-1, but a performance like that against a Premiership side was delightful to watch. It had been a good pre-season, and hopes of making the Championship looked good for this season...

Leeds 1-2 Leicester
Will Hoskins '70 - Matt Fryatt '2, James Wesolowski '20

busheyladd

Unlucky against Mk Don's.

Anymore signings too come in ?

KUUP ( keep us updated please)

treva

None of yet. After a few games of the League 1 season I may have a look at some more players, but I don't think there is many players that don't want to stay at their clubs worth getting. ANother update tonight hopefully

Jonners71

This is excellent work mate, real effort and a good read...nice one

treva

adamjigey

lol mate great story gd luck with leeds

Big Thanks to Ru for a top sig cheers mate
Current Game on FM 08: Aston Villa (2009/2010)

Hartynips

Good luck with the luton game mate, nice update there

KUTGW!

jakielove

good luk do well with the mighty whites

liveru

Good story mate.

The layout itself makes it easy on the eyes.