Community » Hattrick Press

‘’It simply isn’t an adventure worth telling....

Written by GALINMG

... if there aren’t any dragons’’

We last spoke (19990). Since then you've won the EPL in s75 and made the Cup semi-final twice in s74 and s77. You must be delighted to have finally made the final?

I am delighted and nervous at the same time. I have lost two Finals in the Bulgarian Cup in the past and I won’t probably surprise anyone by saying that this will be The Match of The Season, The Match of All Seasons.

You're currently ranked 9th on the Prem historical standings list having finished as runner up in 4 of the last 5 seasons. You're the highest ranked '2nd team' on that list, and highest for any manager whose primary team is not in England. It's tough to stay competitive with an ageing team in the top Division for any extended period, have you any tips for other managers reading this, about how you've managed it?

This is my sixth season in the Premier if I am not mistaken and my players are 33-34 yo. A tip-try to get Queen RNG on your side as early as possible and promote with 27–28-year-old players with enough money to replace them when the time comes. Good Luck! :)

Dylan Chapman (422179648) and Cornelius Ashworth (423743649) were both once touted as potential NT prospects, but you preferred to stick with the club-centric build you'd planned. Please could you tell us a bit about that, and is this a decision process you'd likely repeat for your next rebuild?

Club-centric builds always! I usually plan for promotion when the core players are 27-28 year old which requires higher stamina share, less assistant coaches etc. , and that compromises their chance to make it to the NT unless it is a smaller HT country.

If I fail- I prefer to start a new project. It is very unlikely to work if you keep competing with a core of 30-31 year old players while still in the second division or lower.

When we last spoke, Jose Mourinho was Man Utd manager. You said he needed time at the time, but it was not a good fit in hindsight. As we speak today, patience from some fans and ex players has run out with Solskjaer, your current manager. With Spurs recently hiring Conti, it seems he didn't consider United an option. What's going on, and what do you make of the current situation?

I believe more time will pass until Man Utd are successful again and start to win titles. The success under SAF will not be repeated soon. Universal RNG balance.

Please tell us a little about how you and your family coped with the pandemic, the lockdowns and the social distancing we've all experienced over the last 18 months or so?

Me and my wife worked during the lockdowns, not being able to socialise with our friends however was hard. We were lucky not to lose anyone we know to the disease.

Back in 2017 you suggested that player specialities needed a review, and that the reliance upon quick and head spec players must change. The quicks and heads are still popular but powerful and unpredictable have also become interesting. What are your thoughts about these speciality changes to the ME?

The game is more balanced now than in 2017 in my opinion, and I personally like these changes. The PDIM and the PNF are my favourite type of players and I build my teams around them. The tech players unfortunately are close to useless, I personally find them a magnet for MM and it is very unlikely I'll have them in my teams.

The latest changes have dealt with storing liquidity in players that don't play for teams, and next up are some changes planned for AIM/AoW and improving pressing vs long shots teams. What impact do you think all this will have on future team builds?

The AOW/AIM tactics changes were long overdue and hopefully will be worth playing- we will have to see how all works after implementation. In my opinion, more options to counter the LS tactics- the better.

Please tell us a little about Carlisle and Cumbria, your chosen location in England for DRAGONS, and how this came about?

I moved to Carlisle many years ago and what better place for the team than the City of Dragons? It was meant to be. :)

You said back in 2017 that you hoped that you would manage to achieve at least a quarter of what you had achieved with your Bulgarian team. Job done? What's next and what's happening with your primary and hti teams at the moment?

It is a job done, yes…

Winning a major Cup however is a priority of any team I manage. So no, I take it back-It is not done!

What's the last book you read and would you recommend it to your fellow managers?

I am currently reading The Prometheus conspiracy which was a gift from its author- Carl Richardson.

Derim's team FC Nowhere man (56027) has been one of your biggest rivals over the last few seasons, beating you in one Cup semi-final & winning two Prem titles. You're currently 4th and 5th on the Prem table with 3 to play in s79. Please tell us a little bit about any memorable moments on or off the pitch you've experienced with/against Derim and his team?

They've been very strong team at its peak with a decent manager, who is always a pleasure to play against.

The title in s75 was sweet considering that I suspected and believed that there was a MOTS conspiracy against the Dragons, lol. In s76, I was unfortunate to finish second on goal difference. I remember that I underestimated his approach to our first game that season and got really frustrated with myself...

Finally, Dragons. Do you have a favourite Dragon whether that be a picture or in a book or film, and please explain why?

Why dragons? Well, it is a long story. When we were kids (long, long time ago), me and my brother used to play war games. There were these two rival empires that were constantly at war. The house of the dragons came to be after one of them was defeated. I believe it all goes back to Falkor and The Neverending story.

‘’ It simply isn’t an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons’’ :)