Emm

I thought that was the case the FM World over.

retired_Doitforyou4

2009

Board Expectation; Mid-table finish

Transfers-IN - Took a gamble and signed permenantly the inconsistant young loanee i had at left back, a solid defensive midfielder from one of my league rivals, an expirienced attacking midielder, a solid left back and a keeper hopefully less prone to errors than my current one. - All for free as i had no transfer money still.

This season was to be my final attempt at promotion with Notodden. Allthough my board only expected a mid-table finish each season (as did the fans) they were clearly very unambitious, I was clear favorites form most games and I was clearly under achieving. This would be the first pre-season where I had the freedom to build my own squad.

I needed a good start to the season and this didn't happen, I drew the first game and lost the second. Both results were due to the usual arrogance/poor concentration at the back. In my third game I desperatly needed a win for my promotion push, I went behind to a early goal from a very poor team. I was so angry at this point and I decided I was going to resign if they result stayed the same at full time. At that point something seemed to click, my new signings suddenly found their role in my tactics, the defence and the goal keeper suddenly seemed to realise how nieve they had been the past three seasons, I turned the game around and won 3-1 then went on a massive run of form taking me to top of the table on goal difference just before the halfway point, this run of form was mainly led by goals from my 'attacking midfielder' and suberb assists from the 'left winger'

Then came the game against my main challenger for 1st place. In the last 2/3 seasons I had lost this game and It had sent my team into freefall. In this gmae I took an early lead but i was pegged back to 1-1 just before half-time, the players heads allready in the dressing room maybe.... The team looked up for it in the second half but couldn't find a break through. Late in the game 88th minute a superb low cross found my new 'Attacking midfielder' unmarked 6 yards out, he took a very poor first touch which sent the ball 1 yard out from the goal but very wide of the goal in a crowd of their defenders, he somehow got there first and stabbed the ball into the net! THe whole team charged towards the corner flag in celebration, even my goal keeper which i'd never seen before. Nottoden went clear at the top for the first time under my management.

Arrogance and lack of concentration started to surface again on rare occasions costing me points but luckily for me challenging teams slipped up on the same days, i eventually secured promotion with two games remaining.

retired_Doitforyou4

i forgot to say, player of the last season was the left winger i had on loan in the previous two seasons. He had a great season and was becoming a very consistant proformer by the end of that season

retired_Doitforyou4

2010

My first season in the dizzying height of the norweigan 1st division!

Board Expectation; Battle against relegation

Transfers In; an older expirienced DM - for cover (Interestingly this guy rejected a move to my club last season) a very promising young striker unnattached to a club and a central defendeer who i'd be after for some time but he'd been playing hard to get and another striker who seemed to have ability but no confidence in it. All for free once again

Out; A boatload of driftwood released, the majority of which failed to attract new clubs when i checked on a few of them

I had mixed feelings going into this division, i had no idea what the standard would really be like and i was initially pleasantly suprised with my team and found myself in a safe mid-table positon one quarter into the season. However i had a heavy injury crisis, my star man took a long term injury and this really showed on my attack as he was one of my better creative players, my defence also started to buckle and i slipped into a relegation fight. I stayed here untill there were 3 games left.

The place below me in the league table was the relegation zone, the next a game against a big relegation scrap against the team below me, i was 3 points clear of them before play, a win would leave me 6 points clear and surely safe, a loss or draw and it would be a tense end to the season.

Now cast your minds back to my first season and my first signing, a young centre back signed on a free transfer as he wasn't needed from the club i was about to play, he had come on leaps and bounds since then and he would feature at the heart of the defence.

The game started badly they took the lead, however we grabbed a deserved equaliser 5 minutes before half time, in 1st time injury time now not as young as he was back then centre back smashed home a header against the team that didnt need him from a corner to send Notodden 2-1 up at the break. Disaster struck almost immediatley, they equalised from a stupid defensive mistake by my right back. However late in the game i risked it and went more attacking, my low on confidence striker was put through on goal and calmly slotted it under their keeper 3-2 to Notodden! In the final minutes of the game my centre back came up for a free kick and headed a second past his former club to surely seal safety and condem the club that didnt wwant him 4 seasons ago to relegation.

I survived and look forward to my second season in the first division..

retired_meghsterz

KUTGRevenge!