Chapter 18

"I see myself as an attacker first and foremost, I want to dictate the play and help my team in offence so for that I want to play in attacking midfield." Jobe replied to the question of how he saw himself as a player.

"You've mentioned two different thoughts there which sound similar but don't actually mean the same thing. In this team, we have a lot of midfielders who are specialists at attacking and all of them offer slightly different things. Tactically as the manager, it is my duty to find the best way to make the most of all these very different individuals. If you look at the last two line-ups, can you work out what my biggest problem is?"

He took a moment to think before answering the question. "It isn't the formation, though that did change it seemed like you were just experimenting. I'm going to say it is who should partner Andre in the double pivot" he said somewhat uncertainty.

A thin smile crossed the managers mind as he saw that Jobe had a good understanding of the situation and he decided to be realistic with him on the opportunities he would have.

"That's precisely correct, the double pivot is crucially important to the team I am trying to build. The flexibility afforded to us with having two players in complete understanding of each other is massive. Tactically, Andre occupies the role of breaking down attacks and supporting the defence, his partner on the other hand has a much more nuanced role. The deep lying playmaker role is a technically difficult one that requires you to dictate the tempo of the game, switch the play to the flanks frequently and play the killer pass to break the lines whenever the opportunity arises. A level of ball retention is required as losing the ball in that area will be very risky and likely result in a goal conceded. The players we have attempted in that role so far are too high risk for the position and that is why I have turned to you"

"I've never played so deep even throughout my entire youth career and aren't players in that position usually veterans."

"Those are fair concerns, and you would without a doubt be the youngest player in that role as it usually requires a lot of experience to play it securely. The reason I believe you have what it takes is that you are very efficient in possession and a mature passer. We would provide all the support you need but the decision must come from you, and you would need to work harder than you've ever worked."

If I make that position my own, does that mean I've secured a starting position" the young player asked while staring into the eyes of his manager. The level of intensity hidden behind his eyes almost being scary to see.

"Make that position your own and you will be the first name on my team sheet"

A small smile crossed the face of the young player as he thanked the manager while leaving the office. The shake of his shoulder betrayed his excitement as he walked out. The young man sufficiently drawn the attention of the manager and he couldn't tell if he was young and excitable or if it was something more. He presumed he would find out in the near future.

The conversations continued with many of the other players discussing their progress so far and his main takeaways from their performances. The discussions were very fruitful, and each player walked away with a clearer understanding of their roles in the team.

It was later in the day when he gathered all the players for a team talk, he had started this team talk to get important concepts across to the players. It also served as a chance to simply talk to the players. The players filtered in as a horde; the younger players who had become quite close already sticking together. The more senior players gave them a bit of a wide berth as they couldn't keep up with the energetic conversation. They quietened up when they took their seats, and he took that opportunity to begun speaking.

"Today, I wanted to discuss something which is slightly away from the pitch but still directly affects it. That would be the media surrounding the sport we play. I can tell many of you are sceptical so I would like to bring a few things to your notice. The passion for the support we play is all consuming, that means fans and interested parties want to know everything they can possibly know. This doesn't stop at statistics but bleeds into the personal life of players as well. The majority of you are young and talented, in this country you are still relatively unknown, so you likely haven't had to deal with it to a huge level yet. This club is ambitious though and I plan for us to achieve success, that success will come with media scrutiny. Every move you make will be judged and potentially criticised. The PFA has found that two in five players have faced online abuse. This is the inevitable downside of the increased connection we can have with then fans. The way in which we engage with social media must be very managed as it can directly take a player to a very bad place. The best thing you have on your side is each other and this club which will always support you. For that reason, I thought it would be a good time for us to have a lesson on internet safety and fan engagement. I've bought in an expert to present to you and a short workshop which I hope you make the most of."

The players seemed very agreeable and listened in closely to the guest, while considering the level of influence that media could have on their life. The session had made the manager feel relaxed, he felt a duty of care towards these young players, and it was important to prepare them in whatever way he could. The season would soon be upon them, and media fallouts had been known to derail hard work on many different occasions.

He returned to his office afterwards to finalise the team sheet for the upcoming match against Brentford who were in the Premier League and would be a serious test for his team. He looked through the tactical information he had on the opponent and attempted to devise a strategy that would lead to success.