A Job Offer From West Africa

By: Daryl | January 19th, 2009

Bit random this, but I just got my first international job offer. From Ghana.

Seems the Black Stars weren’t too happy with the job Milovan Rajevac did, and so he got the boot. Don’t blame them either. Ghana finished third in their group at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations (Cameroon won, beating Mali in the final) and also failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Which is pretty much a disaster.

Had a bit of a think, and going to say “thanks, but no thanks”.

It’s definitely nice to be wanted, and to be honest I considered putting this to an online poll – “Should I take the Ghana job, yay or nay?”

But the truth is I don’t really want it.

Would be exciting to work with the likes of Michael Essien and up-and-comer Andre Ayew (son of Abedi Pele, I believe). But there’s no World Cup, and no Africa Cup of Nations until 2012, so I’d basically just be in charge of a lot of friendlies.

Plus, it’s my experience that this game deliberately makes your domestic trials tougher when you take an international job, possibly in a computery attempt to replicate the pressures of doing two jobs at once. Has anyone else experienced that, or is it just me?

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Category: FM09

Tags: Andre Ayew, FM09, Football Manager 2009, Ghana, international management, Worldwide Soccer Manager 2009

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Comments  

• George |  January 19th, 2009 at 11:21 am

  
  
  

  I remember trying to coach the U.S. national team in the demo version, but it was so boring since we never had any games. So I think you made a good call.

  Posted from United States

  

• Wayne |  January 19th, 2009 at 11:22 am

  
  
  

  Good decision me thinks, Daryl. And your right, in my experience, when you manage on both the club and international fronts one or the other, or both become far more difficult. Pretty much why not many managers do it in reality..

  Posted from United States

  

• The Special One |  January 19th, 2009 at 11:23 am

  
  
  

  During m second season at Man City I was offered the Ireland job and turned it down. After being fired from City and forced to return to MLS I was never offered a international job again lol.

  Posted from United States

  

• Tommy Wong |  January 19th, 2009 at 11:24 am

  
  
  

  One thing though, it made it a -lot- easier to sign players from that nation. Essien to Newcastle?

  Posted from United States

  

• mele419 |  January 19th, 2009 at 11:27 am

  
  
  

  Can’t you tell the ass man to handle friendlies? I thought you could… Cause if that was the case I’d accept, tell the ass man to deal with everything until there were WC qualifiers or whatever. But that’s just me.

  Posted from United States

  

• Alex |  January 19th, 2009 at 11:47 am

  
  
  

  I didn’t think you had an assistant manager for international teams? Or was that just in older versions of Champ Man…

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• shivam |  January 19th, 2009 at 12:06 pm

  
  
  

  yeah i was in my second season with man u when nigeria came knocking. they also finished third in their african cup of nations group, but they did qualify for the corld cup that summer (although they drew a group of death- argentina mexico and ukraine). i took the job, won a friendly against ghana, lost a friendly against chile, and then managed nigeria in the wc, losing to argentina on an 88 minute messi goal, losing to ukraine although i led at the 80 minute mark, but then i won in my final match against mexico, which made me pretty big in nigeria. i promptly resigned after the world cup. if i was in your situation though, with no imminent world cup, i would have made the same decision that you did.

  Posted from United States

  

• Wayne |  January 19th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

  
  
  

  @Alex: I think you can have assistant managers in FM08 and FM09. I’ve done international management a few times on it and I’m fairly sure they’re there..

  Posted from United States

  

• james |  January 19th, 2009 at 1:52 pm

  
  
  

  im in my third season as newcastle manager, qualified for champions league last season. i have been offered quite a few international jobs, and have turned them down for the same reason, i dont want the club games to get harder. but now copello has retired, and they want me for england, now thinking i may just leav newcastle and become england manager.

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• shivam |  January 19th, 2009 at 5:18 pm

  
  
  

  so… when does capello retire?

  Posted from United States

  

• Corey |  January 19th, 2009 at 5:56 pm

  
  
  

  In last year’s version of the game I coached France after 3 years at Lyon, and it became a nightmare. I was at a match every day watching a player and when I tried to introduce a little youth to the national team (mostly Lyon youth, whatever) I got lambasted by the press for loosing a pointless friendly to Uruguay with a young squad. At the same time, my Lyon team, who had more trouble loosing then winning were slipping in the league, loosing 2 of 5 games, with 2 draws in that run too. I got sick of the double job, but this was about the time the new game came out so I switched over and got out of my nightmare.

  Posted from United States

  

• Colin |  January 19th, 2009 at 9:26 pm

  
  
  

  I’m not too sure on the whole club games become harder but I know for one thing that managing an international team (for me at least) is really fun. Even if it’s just friendlies, which you can organize against big teams like Brazil or England (for the lulz), the process of selecting players is great.

  Also your profile as a manager will go up so signing players in general (not just from Ghana) will be easier.

  I can see why you would reject it with no international tournament forthcoming but keep it it mind from the future. I have coached big teams like Switzerland and Wales and even that was really fun.

  Posted from Singapore

  

• mele419 |  January 19th, 2009 at 10:01 pm

  
  
  

  
  Man City’s twenty-three games unbeaten from Wednesday 23rd September 2009 is a new record.

  Posted from United States

  

• mele419 |  January 20th, 2009 at 9:14 am

  
  
  

  So, I need some help…
  Chelsea are making some good bids for my young keeper, Joe Hart, and he’s pretty keen on moving. Real Madrid are making moves on my R/WB Zabaleta, and he is determined to move. So I’m thinking that to replace Joe Hart, I want Iker Casillas. I’m going to offer a large sum of money(he’s valued at 39m) and Zabaleta to Real Madrid, accept Chelsea’s Hart bid (~13m). I’ll have a fantastic new keeper to replace Hart, Hart will be happy, Zabaleta will be happy, everyone will be happy. Now I just need a replacement for Zabaleta… Anyone know a good right defender/wingback?

  Posted from United States

  

• The Special One |  January 20th, 2009 at 10:39 am

  
  
  

  word of warning mele, you might want to think twice about selling Hart and trying to get Casillas. I also have a file with Man City and have found it extremely difficult to attract world class talent already at top clubs. Players like Casillas at Madrid will generally turn down contract offers even if you offer them absurd amounts of money. A good way to guage if a player is even remotely interested in joining your squad is to get multiple scout reports and read their opinions on the likelihood of him signing.

  Posted from United States

  

• mele419 |  January 20th, 2009 at 10:58 am

  
  
  

  Thanks The Special One. It’s looking like you’re completely right. Good thing I’ve been stalling Chelsea’s offer for Hart. Looks like no one is going anywhere in this window.

  Oh, by the way…
  2nd leg of the quarter final of the LC against ‘pool (1st leg ended 2-2)
  90th minute 0-0
  Arshavin on for Pogrebnyak
  90+3 Arshavin goal
  1-0
  Semi finals

  Posted from United States

  

• mele419 |  January 20th, 2009 at 11:02 am

  
  
  

  wait.
  scratch that.
  that was the semi final
  going to the final v Chelsea

  Posted from United States

  

• James |  January 20th, 2009 at 11:22 am

  
  
  

  Just realised theres another james on here! (N).

  Capelleo didn’t retire on mine until after 2014 world cup! So I toko over as manager of the mighty Russia . Got them to 3rd in 2014 world cup, won Euro 2016 and 3rd again in 2018 world cup – Thinking of quiting so have more chance of joining England though!

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• James |  January 20th, 2009 at 11:27 am

  
  
  

  Mele419, if you want a goalkeeper I suggest Akinfeev, signed him when I was man city, he hasnt left yet (unlike me) and description is ‘legendary keeper’. One of my best buys I reckon, cost about £20million in 1st or 2nd season I think

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• mele419 |  January 20th, 2009 at 3:53 pm

  
  
  

  Thanks James, I’ll look into him in the future, but at this rate if I can hold onto Hart I figure I might as well because he’s 22 and he’s done a really fantastic job between the pipes for me so far.

  Posted from United States

  

• Colin |  January 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pm

  
  
  

  Akinfeev is probably the best keeper that’s buyable in the game. I’ve never really seen the likes of Buffon and Cech move and he becomes as good as them in almost every incarnation of football manager. I highly suggest anyone that has the opportunity to get him take the plunge

  Posted from Singapore

  

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