Roy of the Rovers - Total Football

Part 8

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At last things were beginning to click; Johan Seegrun was enjoying his press conferences again, he could give positive answers to the questions offered up to him. “We have found the balance now. The wing-backs give both good attacks and solid defence. The sweeper, he is stopping attacks, sweeping and setting a nice tempo to the attack. But most importantly we are scoring goals.” However the negatives that arose from the poor start to the season had not totally evaporated. Richie Lyons and Drew Powell were both still excluded from the first-team squad. Seegrun was known as a stubborn man and he was not going to allow young players to undermine him.

Lyons still refused to embrace Total Football, he was grumpy, aloof, often falling into juvenile tantrums. Powell was backing his friend, he believed that Seegrun was treating Lyons unfairly. The Welsh midfielder’s stance had strained his relationship with his closest friend, Jake Cheetham, his captain. Cheetham considered Powell and Lyons’ behaviour to be childish and had called them out as spoilt brats during another heated exchange at training.

The fact that Melchester Rovers had finally found a winning formula without two of their most valuable players fully justified Seegrun’s faith in his system and his methods. The 3-4-3 formation remained, the slow build up play from the back remained, but just as vital was Seegrun’s decision to enforce his values on the entire squad. Discipline is essential in Total Football, an educated football mind should recognise that the freedom of movement evident within the system can only succeed if the individual has the self-discipline to balance defensive responsibility with attacking instincts. Seegrun believed that every footballer was a natural attacker, even great defenders like Lofty Peak or Johnny Dexter or Jean Grimond, could score great goals and show attacking nous. By embracing the desire to play positive football, at the top level, players should enjoy the game and a happy player who is at ease on the field will always outperform a more gifted yet nervous character. But without discipline a player given freedom will let down the side, he will not track back, he will not hold his position, he will break the system and the team will lose. Richie Lyons had been this player, he had not given up, he was running more than ever, but his frustrations at a lack of chances, led him into a downward spiral. He was playing well, but he did not see it, Seegrun would tell him that his performances were strong, but he did not believe his manager. Ratings of 4 out of 10 in newspapers and no goals did not reflect a good display from a striker. Before being dropped, Lyons would chase hard, drop deep, goal-hang, all good traits for a striker, but his timing was out, he had lost his discipline and the more he tried to find possession and create chances the less he did his job.

Johan had already decided to drop Lyons before the bust-up. Jake Cheetham would move forward into the false-nine role that Vernon Eliot had introduced him to in the second half of the 2013/14 season. Powell had been replaced by Danny Luik in the holding midfield position and the Dutchman, who was familiar with the role, excelled. Bobby Page came in at centre-back, ahead of Mike Burgess and Alex Fletcher, the youngster was strong and quick, a perfect complement to James Carruthers. Burgess had looked ponderous in his last first-team appearance in the 3-0 defeat at Kingsbay. Like Eliot, Mostin and Race, Seegrun too identified that Rovers lacked pace at the back. The mobile forward lines employed by the majority of Premier League sides really exploited the space between centre-backs and wing-backs. Page, despite his inexperience, worked well to reduce this risk.

Four league wins in a row saw Rovers leap up the table. But it was the manner of victory that most pleased the boss. Creative passing, solid defending, chance after chance created and crucially goals scored; eight goals in four games without an out and out striker on the field. To many observers it really was Total Football in action, to Johan Seegrun it was a start.

“Big strides? Yes!” another enthusiastic response to a journalist’s question, “Tommy Tonks in midfield is playing so well. He is comfortable on the ball, he gets his head up and plays quickly and accurately!” Another Rovers youth product, Tonks had a poor 2014/15 season (as had many of his

team-mates). His breakthrough year came in the previous campaign, in similar fashion, as Vernon Eliot moved Jake Cheetham forward, Tonks filled the central midfield creator’s role. “Tonks is our most improved player! He relishes the battle, he covers ground; is a fine athlete, strong in the tackle. I like him – a lot!”

Tonks’ emergence compensated for the continued exile of Drew Powell. The Wales captain struggled with Total Football, he could not find the mental balance between attack and defence. He was the perfect example of a supremely talented footballer lost in a tactical system that he could not adapt to. Probably Rovers’ most improved player and potentially world-class, the exclusion of Powell was a mystery to the public.

“Drew Powell? He is not in my plans at the moment.” The press obviously wanted to know why, “We are winning and there is no place in the side for him. I can say no more, why would I change a winning team?” Seegrun’s man-management style may be a weakness, but like other great managers, Roy Race, Freddy Sepp, Carlos Villar, he would never reveal dressing room secrets. It was his job as manager to deflect criticism from the individual to prevent a negative impact on the whole. No-one outside the first-team squad knew the true reasons for Powell and Richie Lyons’ exclusions. But Powell and Lyons would both return to the first-team, albeit in the League Cup 3 rd Round match at home to Championship side Holverton.

“Yes Powell and Lyons will both start tonight. I like this competition, I want to win it, but I also want to rest some of my main men. Luik and Cheetham, they don’t need to play against Holverton. I want those who do play to test me, to tempt me to pick them on Saturday.”

Another question followed, “De Loon, yes his form is great, he is a confidence player, so he plays too. I want him to keep scoring, keep creating. He looks good now, do you not agree? It is the same for the youngster, Page and Small, they will not get tired when they are playing so well. Besides it is good, too, for the reserve players who come in, to come in to a winning team. Then we win again and I have even more happy players, players ready for my Premier League team. It is a long hard season and we have the busy Christmas period too. I will be using all my players, so I need all my players fit and on form.”

Jake Cheetham, the Rovers captain, was at the press conference too. It was not normal practice, but he felt that it was good to show solidarity with his manager. Jake answered the next question, “I love it! I wear the number nine shirt and I’m playing in Roy Race’s position again. Is it my best position? I think so, I can run with the ball without fear, in this system someone will always be there to cover if I lose possession. I certainly score more goals playing further up-field and everyone loves scoring goals!”

The next question was more trying, “Is this the end of Jake and Drew, the new Roy and Blackie? Not a chance, Drew’s a super player, he’ll be back in the team in no time. We’re working hard in training and like any of us, Drew has to be patient, if I’m off form I’d expect time out of the team. He’s got a chance tonight to show the boss what he’s missing, hopefully he’ll put in a good display. What I am sure of is that Melchester Rovers are a better side with a on fire Drew Powell in it!”

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Melchester Rovers scored two goals in the last four minutes to overcome Holverton in the Capital One Cup third round.

Rovers' £18m summer signing Marco De Loon poked in before Robbie Fielden smashed home an equaliser.

Dan Markey latched on to a Trevor Stone through-ball to put Holverton in front but the tables were turned in a dramatic finale. Centre-half James Carruthers volleyed home an equaliser from 10 yards and Kelvin Dickson slotted the winner.

Drew Powell, Richie Lyons and Harry Jacobs all made their first team returns in a Melchester side showing several changes from the one that beat Redpool 2-0 at the weekend.

The hosts took the lead on 15 minutes when Powell's cross landed perfectly for Lyons. He was denied from point blank range by Brendan Jancker, only for De Loon to stab in from two yards. The Netherlands international injured himself in scoring the goal and had to be replaced by Dickson.

Holverton turned the game in the space of 10 minutes either side of half-time. Stone found Markey scampering down the right and he crossed for the unmarked Fielden to score at the far post.

Five minutes into the second half, Fielden wriggled inside from the wing and split the Rovers defence with a pass, which allowed Markey to collect and find the corner of the net.

Holverton were inches away from adding to their lead when Robbie Fielden's volley arrowed wide before Rovers began their late rally.

Jancker denied Jacobs and Dickson but could do nothing to stop Carruthers' crisp volley through a crowd after Holverton had failed to clear a corner. One minute later, Drew Powell slipped the ball through to Dickson and the England Under-21 squeezed it past Jancker from a tight angle to set up a last-16 tie away to Barmouth.

Melchester Rovers boss Johan Seegrun:"Marco De Loon has rocked his ankle when he scored so it was a bitter-sweet moment. On one hand he scored, on the other he had to go off. He'll be happier because the pressure goes on forwards when they don't score. He shows in training he's a good finisher and it was a shame he had to go off but I don't think it's too bad."

Holverton manager Viv Hamilton:"We are really close to having a really good team and a really good squad. It's frustrating, as you can imagine. With three minutes left you are thinking 'I'm going to leave this alone'. We were so comfortable you are thinking it's going to be us to score another. The third one is a lack of concentration and we were probably in a state of shock after what happened."

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Trevor Brinsden’s return to the boardroom had been largely welcomed by the Melchester Rovers supporters; however, the Basranians were less impressed with his reappearance. It was obvious to Brinsden and David Roth that BCIF would quickly discover that Trevor had not been as sick as his stories suggested. But they were not concerned, to publically challenge a cancer survivor would not be a good tactic, especially for an already unpopular and distrusted group. So the two Rovers chairmen went about business as usual; meeting fans, doing interviews with local journalists and drawing up plans for the near future, including the January transfer window.

Currently there was a nice balance between the supporter-elected duo of Roth and Brinsden and the financial backing that BCIF were still prepared to offer. Johan Seegrun had spent big on Danny Luik and Marco De Loon in the summer, but wanted to give first-team opportunities to many of the promising youngsters developed in Rovers’ famed academy. Seegrun was encouraged by the likes of Ryan Small, Bobby Page, Joshua Jordan, Jamie Marshall and Tommy Tonks. So in limiting his transfer expenditure, he already had a kitty exceeding £25million available to spend in the new year and it seemed likely that at least one marquee signing would be added to the squad.

Reports in national newspapers linked Rovers with a number of foreign-based players, as well as free-scoring Premier League forward Henry Birch of Portdean and the towering target-man Alan Carter of Gatesfield. “Unless the Basranians put up another thirty mill, we won’t be getting Birch – the boy’s awesome, isn’t he Dave?” Trevor and David were flicking through the pile of papers on the big boardroom desk as they did every weekday. “No chance, Trev! And Carter – he’s hardly a Melchester Rovers -type striker! We don’t like long-ball here, do we?”

Trevor had not attended any matches in the 2014/15 season, but had watched every minute he could on television, “Even Roy Race got booed for that last season, I never thought I’d hear Racey booed again, I’m the only one allowed to do that!” Roth was just as shocked when it happened, “But it worked, didn’t it? We didn’t go down!” Trevor shook his head, “But if we had played the Rovers way, who’s to say we would’ve been down there anyway? Race sold out, he’s not some sort of martyr – ‘poor old Roy, he’s finally given in to the long-ball devil’ – we would’ve stayed up playing the Rovers way, if we’d had a proper manager; Dexter, MacLaren, Terry Spring! They would’ve kept us up easily!”

“Terry Spring!” Roth said with more than a hint of doubt, “Springo’s been in Europe for over ten years, he’s out of touch with Premier League football.”

“And that’s why he should’ve been appointed – he’s travelled round the Continent picking up trophies; three Belgian Championships with FC Brulle, two Dutch league titles with Zeeden and now at Stahlberg he’s won the German cup and then the Europa League last season! Didn’t you even mention him to the Basranians? He’s the perfect man, former captain, a link to the glory days, respected by the fans.”

“But he walked out on the club! When we needed our captain and leader the most, he upped and left! I’ve never forgiven him for that, he bottled it big time at the end of the 1992/93 season. With Roy out of action, Terry Spring should’ve stepped up, but no, he didn’t fancy it. Others followed his lead, Gunn, Croker, Hardisty, future internationals that could’ve, no would’ve, kept us at the top! The man has no loyalty, he’s no Nobby Wootten!”

“I get that, Dave, but he’s a professional. Rovers were a sinking ship, why drown when you can take the lifeboat? Anyway, right now Terry Spring’s carrying bags of medals all around Europe, playing the Rovers way - Roy Race’s way - his sides are more Melchester Rovers than Roy’s was last season. Dave, why didn’t you even interview him?”

Roth had been instrumental in the appointments of Vernon Eliot, Derek Mostin and then Roy Race as interim manager, looking back, to not even think of Spring was a massive oversight. The Hitman was Rovers through and through and his record as manager in Europe was exceptional. Stahlberg were now top of the Bundesliga, with a one hundred percent record in their Champions League Group, beaten just twice in 2015. Terry Spring was now one of the most highly-rated managers around, reports linked him with all the giants of European football, Varagosa, Rassburg, AC Monza, whichever top side sacked their current boss first would be favourites to appoint Spring.

“We should be thinking about him, Dave, Seegrun never hangs about, he’ll be off in three years at the most. We’ve got to tap up Spring, get him to promise to come here!”

“Be honest, Trevor, if you were him, would you want to manage here? We eat managers now, he won’t consider it; Basranian owned Rovers or Real Varagosa? Face down the shadow of Roy Race or live it up in Italy? We’ll never get him, besides we’re not even supposed to be looking beyond Seegrun anyway; today was about sounding out prices for Johan’s targets! Where’s the list?”

The chairmen both switched their attention to their tablets, Roth read, “’Main priorities are a centre-back and centre-forward,’ that’s obvious I suppose, but these names, I’ve never heard of them, Trevor, please tell me you have!”

“Stefan Van Der Stroom from Spartadam, the internet says he’s a tall centre-back, 19, ten caps for Holland Under-21s, he’s been in a few senior squads but not played yet. I’ve never heard of him and I don’t want us signing nineteen year-old foreigners, we’ve got plenty of our own young defenders. How would Bobby Page feel if this Van Der Stroom arrived here for £12million? He’d be rightly peed off!”

Trevor was shaking his head and spluttering, “I’m sorry David, but has Seegrun gone nuts? These foreigners don’t even look good on paper. I know he knows more about Dutch football than anyone, but I don’t see how they fit into our squad. It’s like he wants to import Total Football and give up on some of our best players.”

Roth mentally ticked off the players he was familiar with; they were all Premier League regulars, but not even one stood out as outstanding. Valery Akale, the defensive utility player from Tynecaster United, Kingsbay’s Samuel Homme, a versatile forward or attacking midfielder and Modibo Delmotte, Portdean’s athletic midfield powerhouse. “I can’t see how any of these men will improve the quality of the squad!” Roth said, bemused. “I can, Dave, it’s obvious, he wants rid of Powell and Lyons. Drew can’t play like Delmotte, he’s not got the engine or the strength. Lyons can’t play like Homme, he’s not quick or agile enough. Akale is a genuine right wing-back. Those three fit the system, that’s what Johan wants!”

“And unless we can convince him otherwise, the Basranians will give it to him!”

Storky Knight

NEXT – The kids are alright!