| Newb
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 0
Rep Power: 0 | 
Fourth season: 2008/2009 - The professional job
-----------------------------------------------
The Conference was an all-new universe - transfer window, squad numbers, awards, reserves and sub'18 leagues, some televised matches!... and bets about possibilites of promotion: we were 40-1. The board was even less optimistic, and as in the first year in Nationwide South, they simply wanted to battle bravely against relegation.
The fact is that I had hopes of something better: all my players and almost all my staff were working for the club at full time - professional footballers and staff. But the rivals were too - and more experienced, and used to break defences. So, our defence recovered old sins, and we were easily goaled again. But at least our identity mark, our attack, was there.
Thanks to this, the season was in fact almost a replay of the first one - we never were in real danger, but we never were real promotion contenders. And also combining losing rows with winning rows, one of them made me third placed manager of january (oh well...). In match 38 (of 46 - we were 24 teams) we were saved, and a couple of matches there was no mathematical chance of get promoted. An almost boring season... except for the cups.
Not the FA Cup, of course - we fell in first round against an upper division team, doing a correct job. But in FA Trophy the upper division teams were from conference, as us, and we had real chances of do a good job. Things went easy until quarters, when we had to face Wycombe. It was a real tough team and a previous league match was almost embarrassing (for us, of course). The only good point is that it was at York Road, our home. We played, and of course... we won. 5-0. Maybe the best Maidenhead United match with me as manager, and one of the clubs' history. Later, we won the semifinal by away goals... and we were at the final.
Wembley, May 10th 2009. Yes, Wembley. Well, maybe not the good old'Wembley, the one of WC1966 and the first Barça Champions League, that was destroyed - but is the rebuilt one, and Wembley after all. 'Only' 14526 persons - probably the most people that has been watching a Maidenhead United match in the field. Heck, we are playing at Wembley. And of course, we aren't alone - Shrewsbury, the second placed in conference, is our rival. We lost their two league matches, and they are simply better. But it is not only the first final of this team - it is the first final in Maidenhead United story. Not only the first FA Trophy fonal - the first final of ANY competition. And we wouldn't go to the match as losers. We could lose - but we would fight.
At 4th minute, we conceded the first goal. Shrewsbury was a vendaval, and we were glad on go to half time losing only 1-0 (we were the away team to vestuaries and formal stuff). My players tried and tried, and finally in the 51 minute we get the 1-1. With the end of the match approaching, we conceded the 2-1. Minute 79, and we had barely a quarter to al least get a draw. Quickly I made enter the two most offensive players of the bench - in exchange of two tired defenses. I risked to a embarrasing score, but after all what's the real difference between losing by 2-1 and losing by 3-1 or 4-1? Honorable losses are losses too.
The final quarter was a heart-stopper. Chances here, chances there, the draw or the sentence goal going here and there. But there wasn't the finish - the on targets were stopped by two goalkeepers doing one of their best matches. The referee added only 2 minutes... but it was enough. In minute 91, with only a few seconds left, we get the 2-2 that lead us to extra time.
At 105, half of extra time, we conceded the 3-2. My players did their best - but this time it wouldn't be enough. We lost, yes, but we had fought to the bitter end, and I was proud of them... but it wasn't enough to get success at this level. I had trusted on the same block and almost all the players were of the Nationwide South age, and in fact the most of them had made a good season and deserved to continue. But some of them, that at the final weren't nor called to the 16 to the glory, simply weren't good enough. Sadly, I moved to the transfer list an important number of players, most of them having me as one of their preferred staff, and combining with new signings (all at full time, of course), I prepared the club for a new phase. Yes, it was the professional job, and this meant more than ever to take professional decissions.
I renewed my contract with the team, for three years and with a clause for improve training facilities, and I was decided to bring Maidenhead United to the upper heights we could achieve... even although less and less of the original 2005/2006 players would be in that team.
The season in facts:
Conference -> 11th (of 26 teams)
FA Cup -> 1st Rnd
FA Trophy -> Runners-up (vs Shrewsbury)
|
Linear Mode
