Accrington Stanley: Wrapping up 2012

After the drama of the Carling Cup, the rest of 2012 was kind of a let-down. Not in results, but in pure entertainment. Sure, we were locked in a battle for first place with Coventry, but even by December, third place was so far behind that promotion seemed like a pretty sure thing. I was looking forward to tussling with Coventry, but there were some other issues to deal with first.

 

We had a patch of spotty results around this time, not enough to unsettle us from second place, but enough that I entertained some other formation options. Our trusty 4-3-3 needed some tweaking — I played one game at 4-5-1, then another at the old 4-2-3-1, but nothing was really clicking. In the end I went back to 4-3-3, but adjusted some roles to make it even more attacking. Soumah pushed ahead from the CAM position, so that in effect we had 4 forwards. This left us somewhat susceptible to counter-attacks, but fuck it. I don’t mind winning 3-1.

 

Wide play has always been a thorn in the side of this team. I’ve tried converting some center-forwards to the wings with mixed success (Alvarez does well there, for instance), and over the summer I signed Joufreau (who’s been decent, I guess), but I needed more help. Enter Alfie Potter.

 

 

This little dude can fly down the wings. He’s not a great crosser of the ball, and his size/strength might be an issue as time goes on, but for now he’s just what we needed. Plus just look at that little guy. This guy will sell some shirts.

 

One of the CFs I tried playing on the wings was the restless Brazilian, Adi. When I signed him, the papers said he was ‘rated decently, but may take time to adjust to the English game.’ Well, he never adjusted. In fact, he was a constant pain in my ass. So in January, I sold him and spent the money on a similarly-rated-but-hopefully-better-suited player, the South Korean Kang Soo-Il.

 

 

On Wikipedia, I learned that:

 

His childhood nicknamed made by his peers was “Maicol (마이콜)”, taken from a popular 90s Korean cartoon, “Dooly the Little Dinosaur (아기공룡 둘리).”

 

Alright then. Maicoi it is.

 

 

I also signed another (5th? 6th? 12th?) German defender, Toni Leistner. Seemingly comfortable at all backline positions, Toni slots in naturally and is rated amongst my best defenders. An easy signing.

So coupled with my summer activity, the other owners must be seeing me as a kind of Steinbrenner of League 1 (For those playing along at home, that’s 10 new signings this year). Some fans are complaining that the team isn’t English enough anymore either, but to them I say ‘Fuck off — I promoted this team from mid-League 2 and we’re going to get promoted again and it’s not because of your dumb English players, xenophobic small-minded scum.’ But of course I won’t say that. I’m going to keep my head down, do what I think is best for the team, and come gunning for Coventry with everything we have.

Measuring Up

It’s sometime in roughly mid-November, 2012. Accrington Stanley has started out life in League 1 rather well, near the top of the table and firing on all, or at least most, cylinders. Lindfield, the striker that gave us so many problems with his contract over the summer, is leading the league in goals. Soumah is captaining our team with the confidence of a player twice his age. Our German back line is finally solidifying into a cohesive unit. Then we drew Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup.

 

I truly relished the chance to play a five-star team this early in my time at Accrington. We breezed through the first season so easily, and things were off to such a smooth start in the second season, that it had become difficult for me to accurately gauge how good this team was. A test like playing Arsenal would definitely provide some clues.

 

I rested nearly all our top players the game before the Carling Cup match. The team I fielded was the strongest I could muster. We scored first, in the 19th minute. Arsenal quickly pulled one back, then another. At halftime it was 2-1.

 

Arsenal was just so much faster, cumulatively, than us. They fielded mostly reserves, as Arsenal tends to do in these kinds of competitions, but among the starters were Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Miyaichi, three of the fastest players on their roster. They were mercilessly shredding my defense. I resorted to leaving the wingers almost completely alone on the wings, letting them pour in crosses at will, just so they couldn’t beat my fullbacks 1-on-1 and shoot uncontested at my poor keeper. We were keeping them at bay with this tactic, but just barely.

Then, in the 63rd minute, Lindfield got free in the box and scored the same goal he always scores — back to the defender, hold your ground, suddenly turn on a dime, and fire into the bottom corner. Cheers erupted from the home crowd at the sold-out Crown Ground. The last half hour came and went, and we were headed to extra time.

 

Almost immediately after the re-start, Arsenal scored. We pushed forward with everything we had, but I couldn’t help but get flashbacks of the Sunderland game the year before.

 

Then the clouds parted, Lindy got the ball in some space again, made the exact same move again, and in the 96th minute it was 3-3.

 

Then, with just a few minutes on the clock, Ian Craney found a loose ball inside the box.

 

He didn’t miss.

 

 

We lost in the next round to Swansea, but I didn’t really care. We beat Arsenal. A second-tier Arsenal, to be fair, but I’m ok with that.

 

We beat fucking Arsenal.

…and the living is easy

After a spectacular debut which saw Shrewsbury Town F.C. gaining promotion to League One, all eyes are on mercurial manager Greg Heaney. At a recent pre-season press conference, we were able to hear what the manager had to say about the past season, as well as what might be in store for the team in the upcoming season.

On whether he was surprised the team was promoted:

Of course I wasn’t. Any manager who is surprised by his club’s success shouldn’t be drawing a paycheck, plain and simple.

On changes he’s made to the team:

I think the most critical decision was to play Lionel Ainsworth and John Taylor out on the wings together instead of leaving them deeper in the midfield. They’re two of the fastest players I’ve ever worked with, so not having them in a more advanced position just seemed like a colossal waste of their time and my wage budget. Now both of them are scoring freely and improving, as well as setting up lots of opportunities for James Collins, who has been phenomenal since taking over in the middle of the attack while [Marvin] Morgan has been injured.

On new signings:

We’ve got a handful of new additions to the dressing room that I think are going to really help us make our presence felt in League One. It’s important at this stage that we create depth. Without it, we’re never going to have the energy to push deeper into cup play, and the players won’t have that sense of competition to keep them working for their spot. No one is important enough to my plans to be guaranteed a starting place, they all need to fight for their supper, so to speak, and I think that gives everyone a winning mentality.

On Guillaume Lacour and Youssef Adnane

I had been watching both players, and when I saw that Évian [Thonon Gaillard FC] had let them both go on a free, I was ecstatic. Lacour is a terrific holding mid with great vision and positioning who has a wonderful feel for attacking football. Adnane is a striker who will definitely make his class apparent on the pitch this coming season. He plays with a lot of flair and is a fantastic finisher.

On Fabrício

The lad is a fantastic attacking mid, and at 22 his career is really just getting going. I scouted him out of Botafoga de Futbol e Regata in Brazil a couple of months ago and knew almost immediately that he would fit into the side. He’s barely been here and he’s already settled in quite nicely. Him and John Smith seem to be getting along quite nicely. They must’ve bonded over being from the same hemisphere pr something.

On Przemyslaw Kazmierczak

Kaz is just a battle tank of a midfielder, and he brings a lot of experience to the side that I think will help out some of the younger players. He’s played for Porto and seen European action, and to top it off he’s got an absolute cannon of a left leg. He’ll definitely add a more dangerous element to our set pieces, both as an aerial threat and as a free kick taker.

On departures from the club:

In order to generate funds, I’ve had to let some players go who just weren’t fitting into the system I have in place. Players like [Luke] Male and [Steven] Leslie are both great guys, and it’s not always fair, but that’s football. I’m sure that they’ll land on their feet.

On Nicky Wroe:

We hadn’t planned on losing Nicky, especially after the long battle we had to keep him over the season, but the when someone comes in and offers you three times what a player is worth, you’re kind of put in a position where you have to sell. Generating funds at this level is difficult, and we kind of have to take our money where we can find it, even if it means we have to part ways with a faithful servant to the club.

On the youth program:

The youth program is coming along nicely and has already paid for itself. Expect to see Piet Toornstra playing in the side this season, while Tim Stam will most likely head out on loan for the season.

On an aging defense:

This is something we’re looking into, but for now we have to work with what we have, which fortunately is a promotion winning defense.

On expectations for next season:

The Board has asked for a solid finish in the upper part of the table, but I never plan to lose, so I’m personally aiming for promotion and at least one cup victory.

Accrington Stanley Goal of the Season from 2011/12 as voted on by the players — former captain and perpetual overachiever Andrew Procter gets the ball at the edge of the box, leaps over a sure penalty-inducing slide tackle, and cooly blasts the ball into the top corner of the net. Scorcher.

Accrington Times Off-Season Guide: Summer 2012

Soumah-ny Moves Your Head Will Spin

by Will Fink

 

The busiest off-season in recent memory just came to an end, and boy was it a doozy. Second-year manager Logan Walters let all the loan deals expire, and came up with more than ample full-time replacements at every position. Here we’ll break down all the comings and goings, including the shock eleventh-hour sale of Charlie Barnett.

Soumah: (Pictured) Easily the most gifted and promising signing the team made (perhaps ever?). A 25 year old CAM from France, Soumah is a natural playing right behind the forwards in Accrington’s current 4-3-3 system. After the sale of Schindzielorz (see below), Soumah was a natural choice to take the captain’s armband. By our numerical talent rating system, Soumah rates a 72, by far the highest on the team. The future.

 

Adi: A somewhat-enigmatic Brazilian striker. Rated decently, but may take some time to adjust to the English game. Signed on a free, like all but one player (Navarro) in this off-season, Adi will fit in naturally as a replacement for Padraig and back-up to Lindfield. Given time he may supplant him as the starter, but in truth we don’t think anyone at Accrington should be holding their breath.

 

Alvarez: A supremely-gifted German CF, Alavarez prefers to play slightly behind the striker, but will likely feature on the wing due to need. A fantastic dribbler and all-around skill player, Alvarez should have no trouble finding playing time among the forwards on this squad. Definitely one to watch and one for the future.

 

Joufreau: The only natural winger on the whole team, Joufreau from France should find significant playing time. Unfortunately for someone in his position, he’s a terrible crosser of the ball, but should be able to beat most fullbacks one-on-one. Hoping he links up well with fellow countryman Soumah.

 

Ferradj: The third and final Frenchman signed in this offseason, Ferradj is a natural CDM who should see significant playing time. Probably won’t produce anything spectacular, but should be solid at the back. Rumored to be somewhat-difficult off the field, especially if not given enough playing time, but that shouldn’t be a problem here.

 

Navarro: English CDM signed at the 11th hour to effectively replace Barnett, who was surprisingly sold just an hour before. The only player not signed on a free, he was still a bargain at $90K. Also the only signing not under 26 years of age, Navarro may offer a pinch of leadership and experience to this suddenly very young squad.

 

Mockel: German CB expected to lead the defense, on paper he’s the best defender Accrington has seen in years. Rated a 65 at only 25 years of age, there’s room for this player to improve over team. Rumor has it he’s already a leader amongst the new German contingent in the locker room.

 

Casper: Another German CB, Casper is a little younger and little greener than Mockel, but could learn a lot being paired with him. Definite potential, just needs the starts to improve his game.

 

Schindzielorz: In a move that had been hinted at around the Crown Ground for weeks, Walters finally unloaded Schindzielorz and his $6K/week salary this off-season on a free. ‘Schindzy’ played well for us last year as captain, but at 32 he wasn’t getting any younger, and Accrington were able to spread that $6K/week amongst three new players. Schindzielorz will be missed, but not that missed.

 

Barnett: (Pictured) The story of the transfer window for Accrington Stanley fans. After refusing to be sold at the beginning of last year, then playing great for us all year, Barnett was sold to Barnet (the team — confused yet?) for an incredible $600K. They came in out of nowhere with the offer, everyone quickly agreed to terms, and the deal was done. To put that in perspective, Accrington was asking for $200K at the beginning of last year. We spent $90K of that on Barnett-replacement Navarro, and pocketed the rest — rumor has it that Walters is already eyeing new youth players to sign, with one report suggesting he has scouts working overtime in Sweden as we speak.

 

Murphey (loan) & Taylor (loan): Two players were sent out on season-long loans to work on their skills. Both are youngsters that may figure into the team in the future, but for now are low enough on the depth chart that their time is better spent playing elsewhere.

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Hey old man,

 

What an end to the season. I honestly didn’t think we’d win the double in my first year. I mean, we had the league pretty much wrapped up with a month left to play — pretty unbelievable at the beginning of the year, but the lads really stepped it up and in the end we finished with a remarkable 102 points. Lindy led the league in goals with 24, and yeah, I won Manager of the Year.

 

The real surprise to me was the J Paint Trophy. I was worried about some of the League 1 opposition, but in the end we beat Huddersfield pretty comfortably, 4-1. Lindy had a brace and has to be considered our player of the year.

 

He was really problematic off the field though, way more than I was prepared for. Re-signing him was a nightmare, but we finally did it, right at the end of the season. $2,500/week is a little more than I wanted to pay, but we got some money from winning the tournament, and I figured we might as well re-invest it in what got us there.

 

We let all of our loan deals expire without resigning anyone. It was important to me to send a message that Accrington Stanley could be a Big Club, the kind that loans out players instead of taking them in. It was kind of a risky move and left us paper-thin at the end, but obviously we got through it ok. Still, I’m hoping this will be the busiest off-season in club history. I’m having a hard time justifying Schindzy’s $6,000/week contract, for example…

 

One player I want to specifically call out though is Andrew Procter. He was captain when I took over, and I immediately stripped him of that to give it to Schindzy. He responded by quietly having one of the most productive years for us, and I feel like I owe him something to say thanks. I’ve been gushing about him to the press, hopefully that makes up for my early rash decision in some small way.

 

Well, I’m off to prepare for the off-season. I have no idea what to expect from League 1. I’m eyeing a number of players, mainly from Germany and France, to inject some youth and worldliness into this aging, mostly British team. Also looking to bolster the youth squad, having just sent my scout to Sweden to see what he can find. I have a feeling next year’s team is going to look quite a bit different than this one.

 

See you later old man,

Logan Walters

A Letter Home

I hope this letter finds you and the children well.

I’ve been here about a month and a half, and, well, things could be better. In case you haven’t heard, we’re sitting 17^th in the table after a run of four draws and a home loss to Hereford, who replaced us in the 14^th position. Attendance is low, even by League 2 standards and the few that do come out are a bunch of jobless drunks.

The flat that the chairman has set me up in is less than ideal, above a curry shop and across the way from a rail station. Gajandra, the Indian gentleman that owns the curry downstairs has never heard of Alexandra, so I suppose it could be worse (though certainly not as bad as the smell coming through the vents).

Ran into trouble at a local pub a couple weeks ago after another dreadful practice. The Yelp reviews read along the lines of ‘if you want cheap beer then this is the place, rough n ready don’t take the wife, more idiots in here as already pointed out than your average boozer.’ Seemed like the type of place you go when you don’t want to be recognized.  

And then I saw them. Two of the tanked-up losers that come to heckle us on game days. Older gentlemen, but you can never tell in these parts. They noticed me immediately, set down their pints and strolled over. Knew this wasn’t going to end well.

‘You come from America, yeah? Fancy yourself a football coach?’

‘That’s what my visa says, what can I do for you?’

I’ll spare you the language, but suffice it to say it was most colorful (biscuit tube?)

I’ll continue to stick it out as long as they’ll have me. We’ve had a tough time with injuries, but Phillips has been stellar in goal. With any luck, we’ll turn a couple of these draws into wins. If not, I may be seeing you sooner than we had planned.

Have you considered what I said before I left? About getting back together? That Brad guy is bad news and I don’t want him spending too much time with the kids. I said I was sorry and would do anything to fix this marriage. Send my best to the kids.

Your (ex?) Husband,

Travis

Interview with the Accrington Times

An Update with Accrington Stanley Manager Logan Walters

by Will Fink

 

I recently got the chance to sit down with first-year manager Logan Walters for a quick chat. He’s guided the ‘Owd Reds to an unimaginable 20-point lead in League 2, and it’s only March. We talked about the league table, re-signing players in the summer, the possibility of doing the double, and a mysterious young Russian prodigy…

 

It’s only March and you’re up 20 points. Did you ever expect this kind of success?

 

Well sure, I mean, eventually. Most pundits were picking us for a mid-table finish, but I was always gunning for promotion. This team had improved each of the past few seasons, and I didn’t want to be the one to ruin the streak.

 

If you could credit your success on the pitch to one single player, who would it be? Lindfield? Maybe Schindzielorz?

 

Schindzy has been big for us for sure. So has Craney. Our midfield is solid. Obviously when your two strikers are 1-2 on goals in the league, you have to look there first. We’d love to sign Paddy to a permanent deal at the end of the season, but as with all things financial, the future is murky. As for Lindy, well…

 

There’s been some trouble there, hasn’t there?

Well I don’t think the lad knows what he wants, to be honest. One day he wants to stay, the next he’s demanding a move. I think he’s got some people in his ear that maybe aren’t looking out for what’s best for him long-term. We decided to ride out January and keep him. Maybe he re-signs in the summer, maybe he doesn’t. So it goes.

 

Are you worried about what might happen in League 1 without either one of them?

 

If that happens, we’ll sign someone else. Taylor and Guthrie have shown promise at the striker position as well.

 

The J Paint final is coming up on April 1st. Do you like your odds? Will winning this trophy erase some of the sting of losing to Aston Villa in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup?

 

Well there wasn’t much sting, really. We did better than anyone expected us to do, and the winnings we pocketed allowed us to finally sign a couple players we desperately needed. Not having those extra games allows us to rest a bit and focus on the J Paint. I like our chances there, and it would be great for the lads to win the double this season. That’d be just the momentum we need going into the summer.

 

We’ve heard rumors about a 14 year old Russian prodigy you’ve signed to the youth academy — care to confirm or deny this?

 

Well, not sure ‘prodigy’ is the right word. He’s a promising young kid. Plays wide and fast. We’ll see what happens, but yeah, we like him. Not going to say much more at this point.

 

Well, thanks for your time. Good luck in the final.

Thanks Will.

Carl’s Juniors

SCOUTING REPORT: Netherlands

In my time here the Netherlands, two things have become clear:

1. If the Board recommends a place to check out in the Red Light district, stay the fuck away.

 2. This country eats football and shits playmakers.

So far I’ve found a couple of young prospects for the midfield who, and my Dutch is a little, should be willing to come out to Shrewsbury to play for us. First is Tim Stam, a sixteen year-old who is on roughly the same track as Ryan Woods; good, but with lots of potential. A good loan spell should make him a decent cup player, two loan spells and he’ll be fighting for a first team spot. Either way, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a suitor for him if you decided to just sign him up and send him off to an even more God-forsaken part of England. Using the arcane point system you told me to use for these things, I’d rate him at about a 55, with the potential to get upwards of 80.

The other prospect is the young Piet Toornstra. The kid is only fifteen, and it’s already clear that we’ll be able to build a team around him in a year or two. He’s got a leg like a cannon, a mind like Sun Tzu, and the vision of a sniper. It’s as if Wesley Sneijder knocked up Jason Bourne.

This kid is ready to fight for a place in the first team, which I’m sure Nicky Wroe will be less than thrilled with. As soon as this kid turns 16, he’s gonna put our whole midfield out of a job. Right now I’d rate him at a 62, and I could see him getting all the way up to 91 with the right training.  

When I wrap up here, I’ll be heading to France for a few months, then I’m of to Japan and possibly Germany. Let me know how the lads work out, and tell the rest of the boys I said good luck. 

Cheers,

Carl Atkins