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I sat in the sunshine in the beer garden of The Kingfisher public house slowly savouring my pint of Lees Bitter (Yes, I know, very much an acquired taste but one I have, sadly, acquired) and as I sat I pondered the situation I was in. In a word I was unemployed. Not that it was any surprise that I'd lost my job the previous February. Football teams that fall from 4th place to 17th in League 2, culminating in a run of six defeats tend to lose their managers, and that was what had happened to me.
For a football manager is what I am. Unemployed at the time I grant you, but that's what I do. I had, as I say, been manager of Chester. Manager there for three seasons of midtable mediocrity and then just as we looked like we were getting somewhere and the wheels came off. Our star forward broke his leg and the whole season went to pieces. The rest is, as they say, history.
Anyway there I was, contemplating my pint and my future when the phone rang. Obviously July is a time when clubs fill staff vacancies and I was eternally hopeful of a getting a call. Mansfield and Southend both needed managers, as did Forest Green in the conference. Rochdale needed a new First team coach and I wasn't being naive enough to think I could turn even a coach's job down. So, the phone rang and I briefly wondered which one of these opportunities was about to present itself to me.
The answer was...... none of them. A distinctintly Scandanavian voice spoke. "Mr Langley ?, Ahh good. My name is Pentti Kainulainen, and I am the chairman of Tampereen Peli-Pojat 70, or PP-70 as we are more commonly known. We are a team in the Finnish First division and we need a manager, and I hear you are looking for work. may I interest you in a job ? "
Pentti Kainulainen: "Mr Langley ?, Ahh good. My name is Pentti Kainulainen, and I am the chairman of Tampereen Peli-Pojat 70, or PP-70 as we are more commonly known. We are a team in the Finnish First division and we need a manager, and I hear you are looking for work. may I interest you in a job ?
Tristan Langley (that's me): "You have my attention Mr Kainulainen, tell me about the club."
I wasn't about to turn anything down out of hand. Granted it didn't sound too promising but you never know.
Pentti Kainulainen (PK): "Call me Pentti, We lie in 12th place in the division. I don't know if you know Finnish football but this is a place above automatic relegation and is one of the places for a relegation play off. The season is eleven games old, and lasts for 26 games. I can offer you a small budget for players."
Tristan Langley (TL): "It's going to be a tough job learning enough about the players in order to make a difference in the time available, and besides my Finnish language skills are not really up to scratch."
PK: "Don't worry about the language, the players will understand you, and yes I realise it is a tall order, but I only need to look at how you turned Chester around last season to know that you can do it. "
And here the bombshell hit.
PK: "And I can offer you a wage of £100 a week"
Now I've nothing against managing abroard but I had hoped for more than that. Even if I'd taken the vacancy at Lancaster City in the Conference North I would have got more than that. but the point was I hadn't taken that chance and now this was all that was on the table for me. So I said...
TL: "Give me 24 hours to think on it Pentti."
PK: "O.K. Mr Langley, 24 hours, we have a game on Sunday. I hope you can make it."
One hundred pounds a week was hardly going to keep me in the lifestyle to which I was accustomed, but it was better than nothing. I fervently hoped that something else would turn up in those hours, but nothing did, and so exactly one day later, I phoned the chairman back.
TL: "Mr Kainulainen, you have yourself a deal. Unfortunately I can't get a flight until tomorrow, so have the Assistant manager prepare the team and I'll try and make the game on time."
PK: "That's good news Mr Langley, I'll see you tomorrow."
BTW I know that 1st July should be a Friday. I'll catch up somewhere.
A Finnish game is something suggested to me by that nice llama program. Anyway it's FM2006, running patch 6.01 on an Athlon 2.4XP with 1MB of memory. Am running most Scandanavian leagues (but not Denmark) and England and Scotland.
Welcome to Tampere
I wouldn't be the first, and I sure as hell wasn't going to be the last, but here I was, 3rd July 2005, a failed English football manager, touching down at Helsinki international airport, looking to resurect my career. I, Tristan Langley, football manager, a failure in my own country had come to Finland to start again. Over the years a number of Englishmen have come here to try and make a name for themselves here, and I thought I might as well come and try my luck too. Of course all failure is relative, I'd not done that badly in my time in England, but the chairman's ambition had outstripped my ability to fulfill it and there I was out of a job. Out of a job and with nobody interested in taking me on. Not anyone, not for months. So in desperation, I'd come here. So here I was, travelling up country, to Tampere, Finland's third largest city, where I was to take over as manager of Tampereen Peli-Pojat-70 or as they were better known PP70.PP70 are Tampere's 'second' club, they are a semi-professional club with a 5040 seat stadium, the Tammelan Stadium. The city's 'first' club is Tampere Utd of the Premier Division, Tampere itself is an industrial city about 2 hours north of Helsinki and is known in the guidebooks as 'the Manchester of Finland', surely not. The board haven't got very high expectations and are looking at mid-table respectability. Given that we are a third into the season and lie 12th in 14 team league it seems like a tall order.
I already had a established backroom staff, not one that would need much in the way of additions by the look of it. My assistant manager was Miikka Nurmi, who's also on the books as a centre forward. He's good motivator, as every assistant should be, he's also my interpreter for all the lads who can't speak English (not that there's many of them here.). I have two coaches Erkki Niemenen and Topi Priha, Erkki is the goalkeeping coach and is also very good with the youngsters, whilst Topi is a respected former player who'll take the outfield players training sessions.Jani Helin is the physio, and not a very good one at that. The only scout I have is Juha Lund. He's an excellent talent spotter so I already have him out looking for young players. I may need another scout, we'll see.
The board had given me £14,000 as a transfer budget (I still deal in pounds, apologies for that) but I looked to have the basis of an average squad. Quite well balanced, a little light at right back, perhaps, but apart from that nothing to worry about, as long as we stick to 4-4-2 that is !
By the time I had arrived the team was all set to play it's league game againt OLS as Oulun Luistinsuera are better know. Miika Nurmi had picked the team and I saw an evenly fought contest which I thought we had just about the best of. It finished 1-1 with out goal coming from centre back Matti Kuusi, one of the better players in the squad. 431 people saw this one and as a result of the draw we slipped down into one of the relegation spots in 13th place.
Interview with Local TV
Hanna Ripatti (Local TV reporter) : "So, Mr Langley, an entertaining game, did you learn much about your new team tonight ?"
Tristan Langley (That's me): "Well, Hanna, it ceratinly has been a most encouraging start, there's obviously something I can work with here, and going forward we seem to have some very exciting options."
Hanna Ripatti: "Indeed, Jarno Eranen for example, looked very lively tonight, surely you can't hope to hold onto such a talent ?"
Tristan Langley: "I hope we can. It's true the boy has a big future, but for the moment, at least, it's probably best that he nurtures it here."
Hanna Ripatti: "Did anyone else stand out for you tonight ?"
Tristan Langley : "I thought that Jaakko Pasanen at left back and of course the goalscorer Matti Kuusi, were both excellent this evening, but on the whole I was pleased with the attitude of all the players this evening."
Hanna Ripatti: "A good peformance going forward , for sure, but were you happy with your defence tonight ?"
Tristan Langley: "As a manager, I'd prefer to see no goals against, but, you have to remember that it's even more improtant to win the game.
Hanna Ripatti: "Finally, Mr Langley, How are the players adjusting to an English manager ? Is it a problem for them, or you, to adjust ?"
Tristan Langley: "I can assure the viewers that, thanks to the excellent Finnish education system, none of the lads have any problems understanding what I say. English managers have traditionally done o.k. in this country so I think the players are willing to give me a go. I've told them, as I'll tell you now, I think that PP70 are capable of acheiving safety this season, and with a bit of hard work we can make that happen."
Hanna Ripatti: "Confident words indeed from Tristan Langley, new manger of PP70, after his first game in charge, a 1-1 draw with OLS. That's all from me, back to the studio."
At least I had a full week until my first game in charge, a bit of time to try and understand what are our strengths, and more importantly where the weaknesses lie. I took a long training session that first Monday morning and spent the afternoon pouring over whatever videos of the lads in action I could find, even old press reports. I was there until late that night, and the same for most of the rest of the week, in fact it was quite a while before I even got to see anything of the city to which I had just moved.
Whoever called Tampere the 'Manchester of Finland' must have taken into account even the regeneration of both cities for whilst Tampere certainly has an industrial heritage to be proud of it has now developped into a bustling commercail centre, much like the 'Manchester of England'. However the English Manchester can't boast the setting that Tampere has. Essentially it sits on an 'island' between lakes in the midst of Finland's beautiful Lakeland.
Nevertheless, and as I say, it did take me a while to notice all of this.
The squad - a copy of the notes I took that first Monday, July 4th
Part 1 - Keepers and defenders
Keepers
Two keepers at the club, 1. Pasi Laine is 25 and has been at the club 5 years. He's a good communicator but is weak coming out. Also at the club is 52.Antti Peltonen He is 21 and was a new arrival this season from Premier Division side FF Jaro. He commands the area well and is good in the air, but once again is weak when it comes to rushing out. He's the more agile of the two keepers and as such probably makes for the better first team keeper.
Defenders
4. Janne Hannula is a full back, happy on either side of the pitch, 23 years old and at teh club for three years. previously had been first choice but this season hasn't been in teh first team. 20. Jaakko Pasanen is another full back who can play left or right, and in this case is even quite comfortable in a more advanced position. Clearly one of the most talented players at the club this 26 year old has made the right back spot his own this year. New to the club he was a regular in the KuPS side that won the Fist Divison last year. 3. Timo Etelamaki is a 26 year old who can play centre back or left back. In his fourth year at the club, and has been a regular all that time. Is first choice left back this season. 5. Matti Kuusi 27 year old central defender in his fourth year at the club where he has been in the first team for all that time. One of the more dependable performeres at the club. 16. Markku Viitanen a 21 year old product of the Tampere Utd youth system this is his second year at the club. A centre back, and a good back up. 6. Aki Iso-Pietila is a right full back/wing back/winger and is 21 years old and is in his second year at PP-70. 2. Timo Valkeapaa is a versatile player who can play central defence or central midfield. Returning this year for a second spell at the club this 28 year old is now a regular in the first team, usually at centre back. and finally 12. Jarkko Riihimaki a left back who can push up this 21 year old is on the verge of breaking into the team on a regular basis.
The squad - a copy of the notes I took that first Monday, July 4th
Part 2 Midfielders and Forwards
Midfielders
10. Vesa Etelamaki is 24 years old and defensive midfielder with four years service at the club. He's good all-round and is a regular fixture in the first team. 18. Tommi Rajamaki a left sided midfielder, 22, with two years experience, both here at PP-70, is a flair player that hasn't yet broken into the side on a regular basis. 8. Joni Lehtonen is a 31 year old central midfielder who is a very influential player. Will feature quite extensively in first team action. 13. Juuso Ollikainen is a winger who can play on either side. 23 years old this is a very promising player who may be ready for first team action in what is his second season here. 14. Jussi Kotilahti is an attacking midfielder through right and centre, 24 years old and the product of the Tampere Utd youth setup. The best penalty taker and one of the better players at the club. 7. Juha-Pekka Torvinen a 22 year old right winger and product of the PP-70 youth team. He tends to be a backup to 15. Jaakko Laitinen who is another 22 year old right wing product of the youth system. Jaakko is a bit more imbued with footballing talent and hence tends to get the nod on the right. and finally 11. Samuli Laitila a 27 year old attacking midfielder on the left or centre, is a very experienced player who sees regular first team action.
Forwards
9. Jarno Eranen is the club's star striker and is already the leading goalscorer. This is his frist year at PP-70 having been an arrival from local non-league football. And last but not least 21. Samu Ruisniemi is the only other striker at the club and is only 20 years old and in his first season at the club. Given the run that he has been having in the side has only added to his confidence and though I will need to strengthen this area he still stands a good chance of retaining his spot.
It wasn't until I looked at the side on paper that I realised just how thin the squad is spread, especially up front. We need new players in, and to meet that need I took two steps in the couple of days that followed my managerial takeover.
The first was to sign my old friend Julian Carrera as a scout. I employ Julian to look for local talent whilst I set my other scoutJuha Lund to look out for the next opposition.
The second was to sign experienced striker 24. Miikka Nurmi, 37, as a Player/Assistnat Manager. More as backup for the first team than anything though his coaching qualifications will come in handy.
Pre-match nerves. An interview with Dag Hammerfest of Aamulehti
For those very few of you who don't know Aamulehti is the local paper in Tampere
In a continuing effort to smooth my path with the PP-70 supporter's I gave an interview to the local paper's PP-70 reporter Dag Hammerfest. Dag pretty obviously has ambitions to move on to being the Tampere Utd reporter but at the moment he's stuck on the 'lesser' sports beat.
Dag Hammerfest (DH): "So Tristan Langley, how are you settling in at PP-70 in this, your first week in charge ?"
Tristan Langley (TL): Actually Dag, I'm settling in very well. I was quite pleased with what I saw in last weekend's game and I'm looking to build on that. Number one priority is getting the lads to believe they can get the team to safety.
DH: "A big game tomorrow against VG-62, a difficult game to start with, are you planning any tactical changes for last week's team ?
TL: "Actually, no. I don't think my time is going to be best spent by trying to teach the lads a new way of playing. Instead we'll be looking to play the way we always have, only better.
DH: "Bold words indeed. But will the Englishamn be able to pull it off ? This reporter for one belives that VG-62 represent a mountain that's just a bit too big for a first challenge. This is Dag Hammerfest's weekly PP-70 report.
I need to PP ! PP-70 that is. 
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