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Background
(Yes this is a Football Manager story, not a real story) \\(^_^)//
When coming from a club like Manchester United it is quite the change to arrive here at Park Hall Stadium. Chairman Mike Harris, Director of Football Stuart Edwards and Head of Youth Development Martin Barton met me by the entrance to the ground.
This was going to be some important people to me in the years to come.
On my travels with Manchester United I had met a representitive from The New Saints. I believe it was at one of the draws for the Champions League Qualification rounds.
I was intrigued by the stories he told me. They have won their league the past 4 years and now it is about trying to grow outside of Wales. As a swede I understand the difficulty of coming from a small league and entering the early qualification rounds to the Champions League.
In recent years Malmö FF have been a great story of success but before that I belive it was as long ago as 1999 that we had a team in the group stage.
All of a sudden, a few years had passed since I spoke to this guy from The New Saints, I get a phone call. They are intrested in me for a job at their club. My ultimate mission is to make the club a part of the group stages of Champions League on a regular basis.
And with teams like Basel etc, why can't a welsh team manage that? Challenge accepted. I felt that the work I had done at Manchester United was completed now anyways.
Taking over the reigns
My first meeting with the team was at a late night training session. I did not want to interfere with their session so I arrived late to watch their training session first and then talk to the guys in the dressing room.
The atmosphere was great. I love when I get to stand on a pitch all lit up by big lights when darkness swallows the surroundings. And as the night comes the grass becomes a little wet and that adds to the smell of 'football'.
Scott Ruscoe was in charge of the training session. As assistent manager he would be my man during my mission to lead this team. When arriving I did not want to rock the boat so I decided to keep all the staff members at the club.
I stepped in as manager just after a two leg defeat against a team called Crusaders in the first round of champions league qualification. It was the champions from the Northern Ireland league.
Now we would focus on winning the Welsh Premier League again this season to earn ourselves a spot in the next years Champions League Qualification rounds.
The guys came into the dressing room after training and I had a word with them. It was an unusual way of taking over as manager. This team was not in any kind of crisis like teams usually are when appointing a new manager. These guys have won the league four years in a row!
I explained that in the beginning I would most likely struggle a bit when getting used to how everything works in a new league but this is a long term project.
The goal is to get a chunk of the Champions League money, to be able to take this club to the next level.
The guys responded well to the thought of aiming even higher. They are professional athletes. Of course they want to achieve the highest goals possible.
Pre-season 2015/2016
After the meeting with the board I was told that there was no expectations other than to win the Welsh Premier League and the Welsh Cup.
For a club that has had success like The New Saints, there would be no other goals for the upcoming season.
When taking over as manager there were not very long time to prepare for the season. I decided to have two pre-season matches. At first I scheduled a game against Millwall at our home stadium Park Hall Stadium. Millwall is normally playing in Sky Bet League One, so it was meant as a treat for the fans.
I wanted to show them some entertaining football. I used 3-4-3 as a tactic. 1574 was in the stands to see the game.
It started out great. We got the first goal of the game, Adrian Cieslewicz. The crowd went wild. A happy start of the season. Then Millwall took over the game and in the end it was 1-5. But it was entertaining for the fans and that was what I was going for, attacking fun football.
The second game to start the season was against a more local club, Rhos. They play in the Welsh National 1 division. I wanted to try a tactic that might be working out for the competitive games during the season. I went for a formation I would call 5-3-2. The defense is just 5 defenders in a straight line. In the midfield there is only one in the central midfielder and a winger on each side.
Yes it will not win a battle in the midfield. But it will however work out well with the tactic I am using, pump that ball into the box!
We beat them 6-0 in front of a small crowd of 94 people. The guys were having some fun out there and it worked out perfectly. Getting a positive feeling when we enter the real season!
Captain
Paul Harrison, has been at the club since 2007 and our star goalkeeper.
Vice Captain
Steve Evans, played his first game for the club back in 1999. And has had some adventures but is back at the club again.
For a club that has had success like The New Saints, there would be no other goals for the upcoming season.
When taking over as manager there were not very long time to prepare for the season. I decided to have two pre-season matches. At first I scheduled a game against Millwall at our home stadium Park Hall Stadium. Millwall is normally playing in Sky Bet League One, so it was meant as a treat for the fans.
I wanted to show them some entertaining football. I used 3-4-3 as a tactic. 1574 was in the stands to see the game.
It started out great. We got the first goal of the game, Adrian Cieslewicz. The crowd went wild. A happy start of the season. Then Millwall took over the game and in the end it was 1-5. But it was entertaining for the fans and that was what I was going for, attacking fun football.
The second game to start the season was against a more local club, Rhos. They play in the Welsh National 1 division. I wanted to try a tactic that might be working out for the competitive games during the season. I went for a formation I would call 5-3-2. The defense is just 5 defenders in a straight line. In the midfield there is only one in the central midfielder and a winger on each side.
Yes it will not win a battle in the midfield. But it will however work out well with the tactic I am using, pump that ball into the box!
We beat them 6-0 in front of a small crowd of 94 people. The guys were having some fun out there and it worked out perfectly. Getting a positive feeling when we enter the real season!
Captain
Paul Harrison, has been at the club since 2007 and our star goalkeeper.
Vice Captain
Steve Evans, played his first game for the club back in 1999. And has had some adventures but is back at the club again.
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