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Diary Entry – September 12, 2005

I was always wondering in the back of mind about cup competitions, but hadn’t thought much about it until today. We had the draw for the Portuguese Cup 2nd round. There appear to be a lot of non-league teams involved, and we drew one of them, Olivais. I’m happy that we have a seemingly easy opponent, but I have no intention of taking them lightly. The game will be played at home, so hopefully we get a good crowd out to support the team. We play this Sunday, which ends up pushing back our league home opener to Wednesday. I’ll need to be a little more careful with squad selection this game as I don’t want to be depleted for Wednesday’s game.

Media Release – September 16, 2005

Futebol Clube Pampilhosa is pleased to announce the signing of 25 year old goalkeeper Marafona. Marafona has been signed on a free transfer, with his last professional football being played with Torres Novas in the 02/03 season. He will bring much needed depth to the goalkeeper position, and will have every opportunity to establish himself as a regular on the first team.

Diary Entry – September 17, 2005

It’s nice to see we finally have a goalkeeper that is under contract and not on loan. It wasn’t cheap, but I don’t doubt Marafona will be a valuable asset to the club. I’ve initiated contact with another player as well. A left-side midfielder, Riccardo Perreira has expressed interest to join, but again does not come cheap. He has solid skills, so I’m willing to pay a little extra for him if required, but I will still try to negotiate a cheaper deal for the club.

2nd round cup tie is tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to it. I would expect there to be a couple changes in the starting eleven, but tactically, we will remain in our 4-4-2. Though I don’t expect us to challenge for the cup, it would be nice to get a couple rounds deeper, as the revenue is always a bonus.

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Pampilhosa vs. Olivais (Portuguese Cup – 2nd Round) – September 18, 2005

As we waited in the locker room to come out for the game, there was a sound in the stadium to which we were unaccustomed to. When we made it out to the pitch, we looked around and were amazed to see the stands well filled. The team was pumped and ready to go. The starting eleven was as follows:

GK – Bruno Sousa
DR – Vinagre
DL – Ricardo Correia
DC – Luis Miguel
DC – Vicente
MR – Hugo Paulo
ML – Pazito I
MC – Sergio Grilo
MC – Vitor Corvilha
ST – Helder Garcia
ST – Ricardo Quieros

This game should have been over early. We absolutely dominated them from the opening whistle, but as has been the case in previous games, our finishing was terrible. Chance after chance did not land on target. Meanwhile, despite signing Marafona, I decided to give him another day or two to get ready, and started Sousa again. He came up big when he had to, and kept us in a scoreless draw at the half. I took the team in at half-time and told them to get the job done out there.

The second half started out much like the first. More opportunites, more missed targets. It was looking more and more like we were headed to extra time, which was something I really wanted to avoid. As the game wore closer to the end, Olivais began to push forward. We were quick to pick up on it, and launched a great counter attack that sent Helder Garcia in the clear. He bore down on goal, and calmly put it past the keeper, and we were up 1-0 in the 88th minute. This time, I was determined to keep pushing, and not risk a late equalizer. It worked very well, as we maintained the pressure to the end, and squeaked out a 1-0 win.

With 16 shots, but only 3 on target, it was pretty easy to pinpoint the reason this game stayed so close. Nonetheless, a win is a win, and Pampilhosa is through to the 3rd round of the Portuguese Cup.

Pampilhosa – 1 (Helder Garcia 88)
Olivais – 0
MOM – Luis Miguel (Pampilhosa)
Attendance – 1510

Diary Entry – September 18, 2005

Well, we are through to the 3rd round, which is great, but again, the way that we finished our chances, we were fortunate to come out with a win. We can’t afford to miss that many chances in league games, or we just aren’t going to win. Ball control was fantastic again though, and I can’t complain through both games we’ve played how we have dictated most of the tempo. The back four was much more solid this time around. Vicente looked very good in place of Marco Bras. Nice to see I have some solid depth at the centre back position.

I plan on giving Marafona the nod in goal next game as well. He could be a very solid addition. His work ethic looks very good so far, and despite those bitter negotiations on his contract, he looks to be a major team player.

Best part of today was seeing those fans in the stands. The announced attendance was just over 1500, and I could tell the team was fired up as a result of that. Lets hope that trend continues the rest of the way, because these guys deserve it.

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Pampilhosa vs. Fatima (Second Division – Group C) – September 21, 2005

It is our first league match at home, and only 3 days after the cup match, so there were going to be a few changes again in the starting eleven. 4-4-2 tactics as usual. Here is how it looks:

GK – Marafona
DR – Vinagre
DL – Ricardo Correia
DC – Luis Miguel
DC – Vicente
MR – Bebe
ML – Pazito I
MC – Miguel Tomas
MC – Vitor Corvilha
ST – Toninho
ST – David

To say we were fired up was understatement. These guys came out inspired, and we immediately reaped the rewards. In only the 2nd minute, Toninho broke on a poorly timed back pass, and was off to the races with only the keeper to beat. He made no mistake, and put us on the scoresheet, 1-0 up. Right off the following kickoff, Miguel Tomas made a great tackle, and turned out a counter attack. Toninho got in the clear, and unselfishly crossed it over to an unmarked David, who buried the easy chance, and we were 2-0 up only 3 minutes in. We weren’t done there. In the 9th minute, it was almost a perfect replay, as Toninho broke in the clear again, and again sent a ball to David instead of shooting. David knocked it in for his 2nd, and a commanding 3-0 lead. We were having so much fun, we couldn’t even resist putting the ball in our own net. In the 33rd minute, Luis Miguel was a little too aggressive attempting to clear a pass attempt, and he knocked it past an unsuspecting Marafona into our own net. The gap was closed to 3-1. The boys weren’t content though ending the scoring before the half was done, as in injury time, Bebe launched a fantastic counter attack, and David was at the end of a brilliant pass, putting him one on one with the keeper, and he blasted it top corner to restore a 3 goal lead, 4-1. That was his hat-trick in his debut game with the club. We went into the half absolutely delighted with our play.

Because we had a lead to play with, I elected to switch to a 4-5-1 for the second half. I wanted to see if we could play a strong defensive 2nd half. Again, the boys didn’t disappoint, as they shut down any opportunities for the opposition, while still creating some chances offensively. The second half went without significant incident, and when the final whistle blew, 959 fans were delighted at the clinic put on by the Pampilhosa squad.

David was most impressive, scoring the trick on his debut, but equally impressive was the unselfish play of Toninho, who quite easily could have scored on the two goals he set up. It showed his 'team player' attitude, and his ability to not only be a scorer, but also a playmaker.

Pampilhosa – 4 (Toninho 2, David 3, 9, 45)
Fatima – 1 (L. Miguel og 33)
MOM – David (Pampilhosa)
Attendance – 959

Diary Entry – September 21, 2005

Wow! What a performance by the boys today. They dominated from start to finish, and only an unlucky bounce kept us from keeping the sheet clean. David and Toninho worked incredibly well together, and I can forsee the two of them complimenting each other for many games to come. That was just fantastic. I don’t know what else to say. If we can keep up that level of play, we stand a very good chance this season.

In other news, we will be having a press conference tomorrow to announce the signing or Riccardo Perreira. I’m excited to get him into the action, as I think he can contribute a lot to the club. He’s a little pricier from a wage standpoint, but I’m confident that the price will be worth it.

…And finally, I was paid a little visit after the game by Chairman Duarte. He told me how the board was thrilled with the result, and hope that results like this continue. I was glad to receive recognition for the result we just had, and it left me with some optimism as to the board’s commitment to the club. Things are looking good these days.

Media Release – September 22, 2005

Futebol Clube Pampilhosa is pleased to announce the signing of 23 year old left-central midifielder Ricardo Perreira. Perreira has been signed on a free transfer, after spending last season with Belgium amateur club Nieuwkerken. Perreira is a solid midfielder with great playmaking abilities, and stands to feature in the starting eleven for a long time. We look forward to the skills he will bring to the club.

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Tourizense vs. Pampilhosa (Second Division – Group C) – September 25, 2005

Another match day has arrived, and we are looking to build on our fantastic result from Wednesday. Due to fitness issues, I was forced to play some of the backups today, and showed. I was missing David and Toninho up front, as both were still tired from the previous match, and I elected to go back to Sousa in goal. Joao Pinto also made his debut with the club this season. I stuck with the 4-4-2 formation that has worked so well for us thus far. Here is the starting eleven:

GK – Bruno Sousa
DR – Vinagre
DL – Ricardo Correia
DC – Marco Bras
DC – Vicente
MR – Hugo Paulo
ML – Riccardo Perreira
MC – Joao Pinto
MC – Carlos Miguel
ST – Helder Garcia
ST – Miguel Tomas

With such a different lineup, we struggled early to find any continuity on the pitch. That, coupled with an injury to Pinto in only the 3rd minute meant we were more or less down to two subs for the rest of the match. We kept things pretty uneventful for the first 30 minutes, with neither side really generating much in terms of offense, but it was mental breakdown that led to the first goal. Sousa came out of his crease to collect a ball, and passed it to Correia. He tried to get fancy only to see the ball stripped from him, and Vasco had a wide open net from 30 yards out to put Tourizense up 1-0 on the 32nd minute. We were on our heels, and weathered a flurry of chances from Tourizense before breaking out right before the half. Vinagre found himself with some space to run, and took it down the byline and crossed it to Helder Garcia, who headed it into the goal from 6 yards out, evening the score at 1-1. We were very much in the match heading into the break, but we were quite fortunate to be even at this stage.

The second half saw us come out rather defensively, and I think the players out there lacked the confidence we saw in the previous match. It was a great chance thwarted by Helder Garcia that saw a counter attack go against us. Again, Correia was the man to be beaten as Vasco timed the offside trap perfectly, and scooted in on goal, only to dish it off to Andre Costa at the last second. Costa made no mistake and buried it past a helpless Sousa to make it 2-1 Tourizense on the 54th minute. I subbed on David hoping he could create some offense, and he almost evened it up again on the 72nd minute with a great chance, only to see it clip the bar on the way out of play. That was the last of the offense from our side, but Vasco was left to make us pay once more. Again, he broke through the offside trap, and this time put it away himself in the 85th minute to seal the victory, putting Tourizense up 3-1. The final whistle blew, and the Pampilhosa bunch left the pitch a dejected group.

This was a frustrating loss as it was a totally different look from the team we saw on Wednesday. Granted the lineup was quite different, I was still disappointed in the fact that we were beat soundly in today’s game.

Tourizense – 3 (Vasco 32, 85, Costa 54)
Pampilhosa – 1 (Garcia 45)
MOM – Vasco (Tourizense)
Attendance – 174

Diary Entry – September 25, 2005

Quite a difference from Wednesday’s game. There is no question we have to be better when we are away from home. We seem to lack the confidence that we can win in someone else’s stadium. The worst part about it is, both away games have been in front of crowds less than 200 people. The whole aspect of the away game shouldn’t bother us if there are hardly any fans out there to cheer on our opposition. I would expect that once we can muster an away win, the confidence will be there for our players.

Correia had a terrible game today, and I didn’t hide the fact that I was not happy with his performance. He was solely responsible for two of the three goals, and there is no question that the game could’ve ended up differently if not for his mental errors. I told him I expect much more from him in the games ahead, and he agreed that his performance was very sub-par.

In cup competition news, the draw for the 3rd round took place, and we ended up drawing Oliveirense away from home. They are a fellow Division 2C rival, so I know we at least stack up on even terms with them. That is exactly the type of game that could really boost the confidence of these players.

On a final note, I have a press conference scheduled tomorrow to discuss the team thus far. While I expect to hear some harsh questions thrown my way, I am glad that there is enough interest in the club to conduct these press conferences.

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Pampilhosa Press Conference – September 26, 2005

“Welcome everyone and thank you for attending today. I don’t have anything specific I want to say before I take questions, so I will open up the floor to you.”

“Sitting at two wins and two losses, do you still feel that this team is capable of winning the division?”

Chomos: “It’s still very early into the season, and the issue with the two losses is just a matter of staying composed on away games. I am confident that we can carry the same form to our away games as we do at home, and the winning results will follow.”

“You’ve made a number of signings this season, but you have concentrated more on staff than on players. How do you expect the team to be significantly better when the caliber of players does not increase?”

Chomos: “That seems to be a major misconception among many of you here. These players are very talented, and their potential is quite evident. With the staff we had on my arrival, we did not have enough man power to work enough with the players on specific areas of the game. We would more or less just generalize, and try to achieve our training goals through observing scrimmages. That is not sufficient to develop these players. So I essentially doubled our staff, which will allow for those players to get some one on one work, or at the very least get grouped with players of the same position. Although adding players is always nice, we are really only looking to add depth to the squad. Should injuries arise, I want to make sure we have enough people to cover those spots, but I don’t expect too many signings to replace our current lineup on the starting eleven. Next question.”

“Speaking of signings, you have made three that are all featuring in the starting group. Watching yesterday, Riccardo Perreira had a terrible debut, and it has to be questioned as to his ability after seeing him play yesterday. What do you make of what you saw on the field from him?”

Chomos: “I think that your comment is very unprofessional in singling out a player who has just joined the team. To be fair, the majority of our team played substandard football…not just Perreira. I think if you asked him this question, he will tell you he was disappointed with his play, but that this isn’t the player you will see in the games to come. For me, I signed him because he is a strong player, who will better our club. For me to make an assessment after one game, while he is still trying to regain match fitness is ridiculous. Come and talk to me again when we are ten games further into the schedule, and we’ll see if you still think he is a sub-par player.”

“Thank you all for your time, but I must get back to the facility and continue working with the squad.”

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Training Regiment – Late September 2005

I decided that enough time had been spent getting the players up to a solid match fitness that I could start splitting up some training schedules for the players. I felt it was necessary to focus on the requirements of the position and not just generalize for the whole team, so with the strikers, I placed more emphasis on the attacking aspects, with midfielders, I focused more on set pieces and ball control, while the defenders of course focused on defending. I still addressed the other areas of the game, but just not as heavily.

The coaching staff agreed that this was a great idea, and we began to split up the squad accordingly. I hoped that this was going to get us playing tighter as a team, and avoid the sloppy play that cost us the game last week.

Diary Entry – September 30, 2005

It has been a few days since my last entry, but really, there hasn’t been much to write about. Training is going well, and the players seem to be responding to the more specific training routines. There are a lot of players out there looking for a new club, but frankly, they just wouldn’t serve a purpose within our squad. I have elected to transfer list three of our players, as there really is not going to be an opportunity for them to play. Rui Almedia, Joao Pinto and Felix have all been placed on transfer. I don’t really expect to get anything for them, nor do I really care. They are just wages I would prefer to have off the budget.

They announced the manager of the month, and player of the month today. I guess they take all four groups from the second division, and just pick one player and one coach. I would love to receive an honor like that some time within my reign here, but with all those teams, it’ll likely be pretty tough.

I have decided that it would be worthwhile for the club to look for another keeper. I get the feeling that Marafona feels he is entrenched with the starting job now, and I still want someone to push him. I’m going to send out the scouts again, and hope I can find someone to force him to work harder out there. We’ve a game in a couple days again, here at home, and this is the one I need to get the boys back on track, and really start a good string of results.

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Pampilhosa vs. Nelas (Second Division – Group C) – October 2, 2005

A week after our last game, the boys were refreshed and ready to go. I was excited to see how the training would take effect out there, and was feeling pretty confident that we would come out the victors. 4-4-2 as usual, here was the starting eleven:

GK – Marafona
DR – Vinagre
DL – Ricardo Correia
DC – Luis Miguel
DC – Vicente
MR – Bebe
ML – Pazito I
MC – Miguel Tomas
MC – Vitor Corvilha
ST – Helder Garcia
ST – Toninho

We started the match very convincingly, and dictated the play right from the opening whistle. For some reason our defenders felt as though they suddenly had the power to pop the 35 yarders past the keeper. Of course, they were either well wide, or 20 rows into the stands. I wasn’t very happy seeing scoring opportunities wasted, and made note of it. I would address that later. The pressure continued though, and we got the scoring started on the 22nd minute. Vicente played a great long ball up to Toninho, and he juked past Alex, and ripped it home from 20 yards out. We had the lead 1-0. We continued our assault and almost added another just 2 minutes later, only for it to hit the bar and bounce harmlessly away. Nelas however was not coping well with the pressure, and began to get overly aggressive. They paid for their aggressive play in the 38th minute when Bebe was elbowed in the face by Fernando in the box. The referee pointed to the spot, and gave Fernando a yellow. I thought it could have been a red, but in any case, Luis Miguel stepped up to the spot and drilled it into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead. As the whistle sounded to end the first half, we had maintained total domination of the match, and looked good heading to the locker rooms.

The second half was riddled early with great chances for our squad, but again, poor finishing kept us from extending our lead. We began to really push forward trying to keep scoring, and that was our undoing in the 80th minute, as our defenders were caught out of position, and Araujo lobbed Marafona to cut the lead to 2-1. We were undaunted and continued to take the game to Nelas, and in injury time Nelas broke down completely. First, an ill advised challenge by Fernando earned him his 2nd yellow and subsequent red card. Off the free kick, Pazito I found some room only to be cut down from behind in the penalty area. The referee had no choice but to point to the spot, and Luis Miguel knocked in his second of the game, giving us a 3-1 lead. The final whistle blew, and we had earned a deserved 3 points.

Solid game all around, although I was unimpressed with the long shots attempted by the defenders. That is something I haven’t seen in previous games, so I’ll be making sure that those ideas get quashed pretty quick. Again though, many shots off target, and we need to correct that if we want to keep winning.

Pampilhosa – 3 (Toninho 22, L. Miguel 38, 90)
Nelas – 1 (Araujo 80, Fernando sent off 90)
MOM – L. Miguel (Pampilhosa)
Attendance - 955

Diary Entry – October 2, 2005

A good result that was today. We definitely had the bulk of the play in their end, and we maintained solid pressure on them. I talked to the guys after the game, and told those defenders to keep their goal scoring aspirations in check. They agreed that they were a little overzealous in trying to get on the scoresheet, and will focus on setting up good scoring opportunities. Still disappointed with the number of chances that went unrewarded. The guys are working really hard up front, but I would much rather see those chances force the opposing keeper into making a save. It will come…just have to maintain my patience.

Had some great news on the player front. Campkin found a keeper playing for an amateur club in Holland, Groene Star. Sven Van Ommeren is only 21, and all Campkin said was I had to sign him. I have put in a transfer bid of 5K to the club, and hope to hear back soon. The only catch with this is I will have to wait until the next transfer window opens, which will be January 1st. From a timing perspective, that will be almost perfect, as Bruno Sousa’s loan will have just ended. If I can have two capable keepers on the squad, that are not on loan, we will be in very good shape.

In the meantime, I’m still looking for depth players, but would also love to find some young guns that could get some work with Rossi. He’s doing a great job with the Under-19’s having progressed them into the 3rd round of the U-19 Cup, with a huge win on penalties over Sporting’s U-19’s. That’s great for those kids, and should continue to build up confidence for them.

Our next fixture is our 3rd round cup tie with Oliveirense. It’s away from home, and could be the confidence builder we need to set this division alight. I’m concerned about the fitness of some of these players right now though, especially up front, and I’m leaning towards running a 4-5-1 to try and keep things in a defensive battle. We’ll see come matchday.

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Oliveirense vs. Pampilhosa (Portuguese Cup 3rd Round) – October 5, 2005

I have elected to go with the 4-5-1 we used earlier this season. My guys up front haven’t responded in training this week, and I don’t know if they have the legs to give a 100%. So, here is how we lined up for the game:

GK – Marafona
DR – Vinagre
DL – Ricardo Correia
DC – Luis Miguel
DC – Marco Bras
MR – Rui Almedia
ML – Pazito I
MC - Bebe
MC – Miguel Tomas
MC – Vitor Corvilha
ST – David

Oliveirense came out right off the opening kick and pressured us for every ball. We were on our heels and looked rather disorganized, and it didn’t take long for Oliveirense to capitalize. Some fine passing led to a fantastic left-footed volley by Borges, and we were 1-0 down only 6 minutes in. We withstood another good chance just 5 minutes later, and broke away with one of our own. David created some good pressure on their defenders, and forced a turnover which he converted in the 13th minute to even the score at 1-1. Marafona then stole the show for the remainder of the 1st half, turning away chance after chance. We were being badly outplayed, but had managed to keep the score even at 1-1 going into the break.

The second half started as the 1st half ended, with Marafona bailing us out a couple more times. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop them all, and in the 63rd minute, the constant pressure was too much, Silva outjumped Marco Bras and headed it past Marafona to give Oliveirense the 2-1 lead. At this point, I elected to switch to our 4-4-2 in the hopes that we could generate the equalizer, and eventually go ahead goal. It worked rather well as we began to generate chances, and in a rather lucky break, David was the beneficiary of careless back pass, and found himself with only the keeper to beat, and tapped it in to put us back on level term at 2-2 in the 76th minute. We continued to push the issue and were unlucky not to score again before full time was blown. We were headed to two 15 halves of extra time.

The choice of trying to preserve some stamina had paid off, as we came out the much fresher of the two teams, and we immediately took the game to them in extra time. In the 95th minute, Vinagre made a long run unopposed down to the 18 yard box, and feathered a beautiful cross into Miguel Tomas. Tomas climbed above the defender, and headed it home to give us the 3-2 lead. Oliveirense came storming back, but were denied again by Marafona. We were forced to play with 10 men on the 100th minute as Tomas had to leave the field due to a knock, and we had already used our 3 subs. The team however pulled together, and defended our goal soundly, and when the final whistle blew, we were the victors 3-2.

The boys are an exhausted bunch, but they are thrilled with the result, and are looking forward to a deserved break before their next match. We were outplayed for the most part, but Marafona had his best game since joining the club, and was my pick for man of the match, although it didn’t end up that way.

Oliveirense (Borges 6, Silva 63)
Pampilhosa (David 13, 76, Tomas 95, inj 101)
MOM – Ricardo Correia (Pampilhosa)
Attendance – 1029

Diary Entry – October 5, 2005

What a game that was. For sheer entertainment, that is the best game we have been a part of this season, but it is also one that makes me proud to be managing this club. I knew I was taking a risk with the tactical change, but I wanted to make sure we could play a solid 90 minutes. Marafona was awesome in goal, and I’m quite confident that he can be a mainstay in the goal for some time to come. The best part about this win is that we are through to the 4th round of the league cup. This means extra revenue for the club, and perhaps the chance to sign some bigger names down the road. The guys are riding high after this game though. I can see a sparkle in their eyes, and I know that this is going to be a game that really turns things around for us.

Doubly good news is that Groene Star has accepted our offer for Sven van Ommermen, and we entered into contract negotiations. His wage demands were fairly reasonable, so I didn’t try to dicker with him, and offered him 850/month. Because it was what he asked, I expect he will agree to terms, but I he won’t be eligible to join the club until January 1, 2006.

We now have eleven days until our next match, and I intend to give the boys a couple days off. Despite being so upbeat, they are tired, especially after needing an extra 30 minutes to win. I’m going to sit back and enjoy the victory before getting back to business.

retired_ms.lisa

:thup: Really well told , and very enjoyable to read. It reminds me why I love managing little teams (and why I sometimes hate it ). Keep it up .

retired_aldo chella

Thanks Rob Roy...Glad you are enjoying it. Little teams in leagues you haven't managed in before definitely keep things interesting

Unexpected Visit - Early October 2005

As I was at my desk reading the local paper’s write up on our fantastic win in the Portuguese Cup, I received a knock at the door. It was Chairman Duarte. I invited him to sit down and chat.

Duarte: “I just wanted to let you know that we are very proud of the result on Wednesday. You have done this club proud.”

Chomos: “Thank you. I am really happy for the boys. There worked so hard out there, and pulled out a fantastic result. You know…while I appreciate the thanks, I’m not the one who deserves the credit. The players are making it happen out there. I think they would be very grateful if you were to pay a visit to a training session and thank them for the job they are doing. Hell, it might even inspire them.”

Duarte: “I’ll keep that in mind. Why I came here though is for an entirely different reason. I wanted to talk to you about your guarantee you made to the media. The season is a long one, and I think it is still a bit rash to expect so much from this team. I wouldn’t want you to jeopardize your career for a statement I’m sure you regret. I’m giving you an opportunity to take back…”

Chomos: “Hang on a second. Did you see what made the local paper? A story on the club and the big win this past week. People are talking about this team, and more importantly, the players are starting to believe in themselves and what they can do out there. The second I take back my statement, the players will think I’ve lost faith in them, and the media will jump all over it. Besides that, I still think this team can get the job done. If you wouldn’t be so tight on the budget and allow for a little…”

Duarte: “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but our stadium only seats 2500 people, and right now we aren’t even filling it to half capacity. We can’t afford to increase spending when we don’t have the money coming in. It just isn’t in the budget. I’m sorry.”

Chomos: “Well I’m not backing down on my previous statement, increased funding or not. We will win this division, or I will resign.”

Duarte left the room without anything else being said. I don’t think he had intended for the discussion to turn a little sour, but I needed him to know that I was serious about what I had said. While I hadn’t really planned on requesting more funds, the discussion seemed to permit for such a request. The quick denial though showed me just how unwilling the board was to invest further into the club. It was good to know, but it was also something that I was hoping I could readdress if we were contending for the division title.

Staff Meeting – Early October 2005

While I had some down time, I decided it was time to hold a staff meeting and get some assessments of the squad. While Rossi only had a month or so to really assess the squad, I felt that he was in a position to make some suggestions. The other new signings had been here slightly longer, and had worked with the team a lot closer than I had as of late, so I valued their opinions on the squad we had.

Chomos: “So…what are your thoughts on where we stand so far?”

Rossi cleared his throat and began, “Geoff, we really think you should reconsider your previous statement about winning the division or quitting. This team just doesn’t have the depth right now. There are too many holes in too many positions, and we just don’t have the means to fill them.”

Chomos: “Our scouts are out looking right now for a free transfer here and there that will add depth to the squad. You guys have seen it yourself…the games we have lost have been due to some mental errors and unlucky bounces. Once we clear these things up, there is no reason why we can’t win game in game out.”

Maia: “Geoff, I’ve been here with the team longer than you, and I don’t know where you are hoping to find the missing pieces….”

Chomos: “I don’t think there are missing pieces. I think the squad we have is capable of winning. We just have to get them to believe. They played unbelievably last week. You all saw it, and you were equally proud as I was about the job they did out there. If they can put out performances like that on a regular basis, we are going to beat a lot of teams.”

Jansson: “We have already dropped two games out of four in league play. We can only likely afford to lose two more if we want to win the division. We all just think it is too big a hill to climb.”

Chomos: “Look…none of you needs to worry about your jobs if we don’t win the division. You are good at what you do, and that’s why you are here. If we don’t win, and someone else comes in to replace me, they will need you here to help them along. All I’m asking is that you show these guys that you believe they can do it. You don’t have to agree with me, but just play along. If they don’t have the confidence, then we don’t stand a chance.”

Chomos: “From an injury perspective, how are we looking right now?”

Santos: “The guys have stayed healthy so far. There haven’t been any injuries of significance to report. The odd cold here or there, but they’ve been at times that we could send the player home to rest and not lose him to a match. It’s unlikely that it will stay this way though, so be prepared for injuries to set in an some point.”

Chomos: “That’s fine. I’ll worry about that when the time comes, but for now, we are healthy and morale is high. Don’t let doubt set in to your faces and actions, or it will spread to the players, and we can kiss any chance of a division title goodbye.”

Chomos: “Next game is in a couple days and the squad is well rested. I want to really focus on our finishing before we travel for the game. I don’t want to see wasted opportunities like we have been seeing the previous games. And tell our back four to curtail their highlight reel goal aspirations. That makes things too easy for the opposition. Thank you gentlemen, and please keep my words in mind.”