Eleventh day - The Queen of Cups

Right, life in the third division is like this, you do twenty things right and nothing improves, do one wrong and it's a disaster.

My players morale has started to plummet, the trend has changed. And in that moment I realize that I am not doing a very, very important thing. I am not getting ready for the calendar that is coming.

In this division, the calendar is quite easygoing, we play one league match per week and the two cup competitions in the mid week, but, as the cups are usually extremely short for the small teams, the calendar is not stressful. My objective is to do well in the league, so actually losing the two cup matches would be quite nice...

Except for the morale problem. I am going to play against stronger teams, first and second division right before starting the real stuff against Annan.

So I am really, really bummed. I could make an effort to improve morale by playing a great competition cup, but that would cost energy and would prevent me from trying tactics, I'd have to play a serious game.

So what do I prefer, to have morale or tactical cohesion?

I decide that in this level of football, morale is much more important than technical matters and I choose to use the two cup matches as morale boosters, if I can.

For the first time, I attend a press conference. Before the first round of the challenge cup and against a second division team, I answer cheerfully and expressing my confidence on my players.

As the match starts, I take pressure off them, choose my standard central attack tactic with very few extra cautions and let the Queen's Park 2010 season start.

We win.

We were not supposed to win...

The players play a tough match against a strong enemy who's a little bit better mentally and physically, but not tactically. My players are better placed and get a lot of loose balls. In minute 67, my captain, the one who was angry at me, forgets he's a defensive midfielder, picks the ball in the centre, does a one-two with a striker and presents himself alone in front of the goalkeeper... Unfortunately, he scores.

Everyone is happy after the match, the fans, the players and the directors. Some of the angry players change publicly their opinion and all is beer and girls for the boys.

But I'm bummed, I do not want to play a second round, specially when I learn that the next round is against Patrick Thisle, a first division team. I'm thinking that that match will be a great opportunity to see my under 19 team play...

East Stirlingshire has made the same mistake as me and won the round. Montrose however, has managed somehow to lose and is now out of this stupid competition. 

I envy him...

Anyway, next the Scottish cup begins. I am still on shaky ground on morale, some of the players are still not as I would want them, so I try to repeat the same trick, positive messages, encouragement, offense and a lot of luck.

It very nearly costs me the league.

In minute 8, the enemy shoots a free kick from far outside the penalty box, hits on the top post and goes in.

As I change tactic and try to control the ball, I suffer a counterattack, the first one in the last 7 matches, that finds space even though my line is defending deeper than normally. Minute 25 and I am losing 0-2.

In minute 38, a loose ball flies outside my penalty box, the enemy striker fouls my defender, the "referee" does not call it, the striker hits a header from outside the area, the goalkeeper deviates it and it hits the top post again and goes inside.

The other managers turn down the volume of their speakers, I am swearing too much...

In any case, this is a very difficult moment.

In half time I am completely torn. I do not know what to do. I know what I would tell my players in real life, that they are playing very well but Lady Luck is a bitch and jealous of the Queen.

So I choose to not make the same mistake again. I encourage the players and stay calm in a balanced attack.

With my words, the team improves mentally a little, enough as to hope for some respite.

In minute 70, my captain forgets he's a defensive midfielder, picks the ball in the centre, does a one-two with a striker and presents himself alone in front of the goalkeeper... Amazingly, he scores.

I lose 1-3 to a team two divisions above me and finish the game attacking and dominating.

I cannot ask for more, if you ask me, this team is already overperforming.

After the match in the press conference, when the idiot journalists ask me about that maggot that called himself referee during the match, I have to bite my tongue. Because of his incredible incompetence, my team has suffered the worst defeat in the last 8 matches and it was completely unfair. But I know that the referees like complacent sheep as team managers, so I decide to lower my tone and thank the gods for the blessing of having such a fair, handsome and intelligent referee. I am clearly not worthy.

So as we close the eleventh day, I think the mistake's effects have been more or less contained. Team morale has stopped it's decline, I still do not have the confidence of the players but the results are not bad for the team that we have and cohesion will grow from now on.
I have learnt a lot about my boys, specially that they are exactly that, boys, and I will treat them as such from now on.
I am going to become the Queen's Mother...