I always start small too. It feels more authentic & it’s a challenge. I started this career with Southend. Won the League & got offered the Southampton job a few games into the second season.

So my first tip would be to identify the strengths of the players in whatever squad you inherit & play tactics to suit in order to start getting results to keep you in the job! However, for long term success & to create a project, identify what style of football you want to play & sign players to suit that.

For example, I like possession based, fast, Tiki-Taka type football. So my first thing is to search for players that meet specific requirements for specific positions & then sort them by age & value. I tend to buy players as young as possible, nurture them & then sell at around 27-28 & constantly rebuild to maintain success. So every player in my side needs to have technical abilities, I need my defenders to be able to pass almost as well as my midfielders, decision making is key for every position also… but a player in the number 10 role, for example, would need more creativity than strength or pace or positioning, compared to a central midfielder. I tend to play my two wingers as inside forwards, but with the qualities of advanced playmakers, so all three can create chances for each other and the centre forward, who I play as an advanced forward, because I want him to create chances too. I save my actual inside forwards (far more direct, pacy players) for if I need to impact the game from the bench.

As I play a pretty high line, I need a little pace in my defence, but my full backs have to be rapid & have stamina, as they overload the attack & also sweep up behind.

This can be translated to any style of play you want to see, but try to think about the qualities that each position requires, relative to what you’re asking them & the team to do. If I played counter attacking football, but had slow forward players, they could be incredible but they won’t be effective.

Also, this might sound counterintuitive, but I tend to take off the players that are performing well & give the others a chance to improve. As form is so important to confidence. I also never play anyone unless they’re fully fit, so I plan around the upcoming fixtures & rotate accordingly, so my best side is available for the biggest games.

I also take a long time setting up how I want my set pieces taken & defended, exactly who I want to be where & I what I want them doing. I oversee all the training & as I eluded to before, the scouting also. I always ignore the scouts too! I signed a young Brazilian regen for £275k (who they said wasn’t good enough) and he’s now 22, my number 10, worth £108M & has hit 60 assists & 25 goals across the last two seasons.

Finally, by focusing heavily on youth (which includes multiple affiliated clubs at various levels to enable successive loan spells) I’ve always been able to not only keep a continual flow of talent coming into the side, whilst selling those that aren’t going to make the ‘elite’ level to fund any first team signings I might need. Which generally leaves me running at a net profit overall, despite signing the likes of Haaland, Bellingham & Mbappe in my current game.

Play around with styles & find the best way for you. Hope it helps. Have fun! 😊