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| Friends and foes |
We are past the half-way mark of the season now and, despite famed pundits suggesting otherwise, Stegger Athletic continue to sparkle in Division 7:35 of the Golden League. It may be this continued fine form which has prompted Athletic manager Soloman84 to accept a offer for a friendly match against Ninja Chihuahuas FC, though fans have raised questions around the timing of the friendly, with a match up against second place FUT 16 next up in the league. Soloman took some time out of his busy day-drinking time to explain why the friendly was agreed and what his hope are for this young club.
"I understand their concerns, but listen, ultimately it comes down to one thing: I'm the boss."
Taking a moment to explain this dictator-like attitude, the manager added, "I get it. They're worried about injuries or form or whatever. But I do what I want. If I think it's appropriate to play a friendly match before we face-off against our biggest challenger for the league, then it's exactly what I will do, and have done".
"I want to focus on the league. It is my priority. But we have a large squad in place at the moment. Now I could cull half the squad and everyone will get the playing time to develop to their maximum potential. But I don't want to do that. I want to give these young lads a development window to show me that they have what it takes to take this club to the next level".
Ninja Chihuahuas FC represent that next level. Athletic may be a couple of seasons off, but it is clear that they are working to a model that Soloman84 is looking to emulate.
"I didn't know the club beforehand but since agreeing to the friendly at Wombledon, I've been pretty impressed with their set up. They have a strong eleven without compromising on youth development. It's where I see my team in a couple of seasons time, if not a couple of division higher."
Asked if he expects a hang-over for the league match with FUT 16 FC, the gaffer remained bullish about taking the friendly: "I don't know how many times I have to repeat this before it sinks in to the thick heads that pretend they are listening to what I am saying. WE. HAVE. A. BIG. SQUAD. We need more games. It will be a completely different team who face FUT. We need to remain focused on a league title but we will hopefully be making cup runs in the next couple of seasons. We need to be able to balance and shuffle this team around".
So a meaningless friendly game followed by what could end up being a season defining league match against top two rivals. It's all or nothing for Athletic right now.
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2017-08-16 16:53
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2035 Views |
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Reporter:
Gago_94
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