On the first day of training, Loew arrived early, only to find the club's chairman, David, standing on the training ground in sportswear, complete with a whistle hanging around his neck. David's outfit looked strikingly similar to Loew's own.
"My sir, is this the first training session? Are you planning to fire me and take over as coach?" Loew joked, but there was genuine concern behind his words.
David shrugged, pretending not to understand the meaning behind Loew's remark, his face feigning confusion.
"With an outfit like that, are you sure you're not planning to replace me as coach?" Loew asked, though he still kept his tone light, as if making a joke.
"I never told you I would be an assistant coach for any team," David replied, keeping up his innocent act, even though he hadn't actually said anything to contradict Loew's comment.
Loew's expression darkened slightly. He had hoped for more control when he took on the role of manager at Notts County. All his authority seemed to be centered on training and match tactics, but now, even the chairman seemed to be getting involved as an assistant coach. How much power would he actually have left?
Seeing the slight unease in Loew's face, David understood his concerns and placed a friendly arm around his shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, my friend. I'm not here to take over. You know me—I'm a huge fan. Even as chairman, I don't want to sit behind a desk all day. I want to be on the sidelines, watching the team, cheering them on. Being an assistant coach is the perfect role for me."
Loew's concerns began to ease, though he couldn't help feeling a little regretful about his decision to take the job.
David, sensing Loew's continued hesitation, added, "Honestly, you don't need to worry about anything. I'll clear the path for you. If the team ever faces some injustice or the emotions run high during a match, I can step in and deal with it. You focus on the tactics. Leave the protests to me!"
Loew could only laugh at David's well-meaning but somewhat naive suggestion. This chairman was really unreliable—or perhaps just a die-hard fan who had no concept of the managerial role. Still, Loew decided to relax. With a grin, he nodded, accepting David's offer of help, though he remained silent.
To David's surprise, after their discussion, Loew actually delegated some of the assistant coaching duties to him. While it wasn't about tactical training, the responsibility still excited David. His new role had real potential.
Indeed, Loew had made him the team's psychologist.
The role of a team psychologist had become increasingly important in modern football, where stress and pressure were constant. Not every player had the mental resilience to handle the high demands of the sport. A player's mental state could significantly affect their performance—if their mind was in a good place, they could exceed expectations; if not, their game could suffer.
David, now unexpectedly part of the coaching staff, found himself thinking about how to approach this new role. He could feel himself slipping deeper into the assistant coach persona. He was, after all, a fan first and foremost, and now he was becoming more involved than he had ever expected.
As the players began arriving for training, it became clear that this was a brand-new team. The squad barely knew each other. Players from different countries stood together, unsure of how to interact. With only two English players in the first team, Notts County had truly become a mercenary force, with only a few familiar faces.
But there was no requirement for local players at the moment, and David was confident that the Notts County youth academy would one day become the best in the world, producing top talent for years to come.
Loew, despite having had some time off, had not been idle. He had already studied the transfer list, familiarized himself with the strengths of his new players, and began working on tactics for the upcoming season. Though he had only recently joined Notts County, he was already fully immersed in the work.
Loew brought his trusted assistant, Buchwald, along to help with the physical training sessions. While Buchwald worked with the players, Loew and David stood on the sidelines discussing the next steps.
"David," Loew began, "we have 21 players in the first team, which is barely enough for each position, but it's just enough to handle the league. If we want to compete in the cup, we need to strengthen the squad."
David nodded, but his face showed a hint of surprise. This lineup was built according to his vision, and it seemed more than capable of handling the demands of the league. If they added a third goalkeeper, the squad would be complete, and with 22 players, they could handle the 46 games of a season in League Two.
He hadn't expected the team to make much of an impact in the cup competitions. The League Cup and the FA Cup were prestigious, but for a team in the second division, winning either of those seemed out of reach. Their main goal was promotion.
But Loew, it seemed, had bigger plans.
"Yu Ahim," David said, choosing to speak frankly, "I know better than you the potential of these players. They're young and haven't had much experience, but our goal this season is clear—promotion. The cup is secondary."
Loew shrugged, not deterred by David's caution. "Sure, promotion is our primary goal, but with such an excellent lineup, shouldn't we aim higher? Winning the cup, even if it's just the League Cup, would be huge for a team like ours in League Two. Imagine, a second-division team representing England in the UEFA Cup—wouldn't that be an incredible achievement for Notts County?"
David was momentarily speechless, his eyes widening at the thought. A third-tier team winning a cup and making it to the UEFA Cup? It sounded absurd, but the idea was undeniably exciting.
Loew saw the shock in David's face and quickly added, "Even if we don't win the cup, just imagine the growth of our young players. Facing Premier League and League One teams in the cup will give them invaluable experience, far more than they would get in the league. Their potential is limitless."
David, still caught off guard, could only nod in agreement. Perhaps Loew's ambition wasn't as far-fetched as it seemed. The possibilities were starting to seem endless.
"I don't think I have any reason to disagree. Let's work together to create a miracle!" David and Loew exchanged determined looks, both seeing the same fiery fighting spirit in each other's eyes.
"Since you feel this lineup is a bit thin, let's go over it together and figure out which positions need reinforcement. While we've just started training, we can quickly finalize suitable players," David said, showing the decisive leadership expected of a club chairman. With a wave of his hand, he made the decision to strengthen the squad immediately.
Loew pulled out a tactical board, already prepared for this meeting. It displayed a 4-4-2 formation, with some positions having two names, while others had only one.
"In my opinion, the main forwards should be Hubuner and Di Natale, with Villa rotating in. However, we need a backup forward for insurance," Loew began.
"For the left-wing forward, Iniesta will start, with Ribery as a substitute; on the right, Kuyt will play, with Marcho as backup. These two positions don't need reinforcements," Loew continued.
"In the midfield, we have Missy and Sneijder, and Alonso and Merelles as central midfielders. However, considering the possibility of changing formations, we may use two defensive midfielders to better counter tough opponents in cup games. So, we still need a defensive midfielder," Loew analyzed further.
"As for the center-back positions, four players should suffice. On the right-back, we have Ram and Bosingwa, but the left-back is just Grosso. Although Ram can cover both sides, it would be best to add another left-back," Loew pointed out.
"For goalkeepers, Diego Lopez and Ben Foster are enough. We should promote a third goalkeeper from the youth team to complete the squad," Loew concluded.
David nodded as Loew analyzed the lineup. The lack of reinforcement in certain positions was a clear issue. If they wanted to make an impact in both league and cup competitions, these gaps needed to be filled. Without hesitation, David switched from the role of assistant coach back to club chairman and began the necessary steps to bring in new players.
During Loew's early season physical training sessions, David quickly moved to address the most pressing gaps in the team.
First, he turned his attention to the Altentop brothers, who were playing in the German regional league for Wattenscheid. The elder brother was a midfielder, while the younger brother played as a striker. David moved quickly to secure both players, solving two problems with one deal.
For the left-back position, David had a clear target in mind: 17-year-old Leighton Bynes from Wigan Athletic's youth academy. David offered Bynes a professional contract, bringing him to Notts County. Finally, the first English player had joined the team.
With these signings, the first team was finally complete. The squad now numbered 25 players, sufficient for handling the demands of both the league and cup games—barring any major misfortunes.
David and Loew were content with the squad, but the work wasn't over. The club still had to deal with the players who were no longer part of their plans from the previous season.
David had no intention of entertaining players who had used their position to demand higher wages. For those who were unwilling to accept their place in the squad, he had a simple response: "Find your next home."
For these players, who had come to Notts County at a high price only to see their futures dimming, it was a cruel reality. The club was not in the mood for negotiations. The transfer income from the 20 players leaving the team amounted to just £1.2 million, a far cry from the £3 million the club had spent on their signings in the past seasons.
David's stance was clear: if players wanted to leave, they could—provided they brought in an acceptable transfer fee. If not, they would be stuck in the reserve team, with no chance of first-team action. It was a tough stance, but David believed it was the only way to maintain the club's discipline and focus.
For those players who were left behind, the reality was hard to escape. Having failed to secure transfers, they were left to play in the reserve league, clinging to their hopes for future opportunities.
David, though, didn't spare a second thought for their misfortune. He had no time for sentimentality. His focus remained on the future and the task at hand. As far as he was concerned, what he was doing was in the best interest of the club.
With the squad now nearly complete, the next step was preparing for the season ahead. The warm-up matches before the season were crucial to building team cohesion and getting match fit. According to Loew's plan, after the physical training was complete, the team would start the warm-up matches. Ideally, they would play 4 to 6 matches before the season kicked off.
The challenge, however, was finding the right opponents. Weak teams were easy to find—there were plenty of professional and non-professional teams in England willing to play for a friendly. But David needed a mix of opponents: teams with similar strength, and of course, some stronger teams to truly test the squad.
David reached out to Manchester United and Arsenal, hoping to secure a warm-up match with the top Premier League clubs. Unfortunately, both giants politely declined, citing that they had no plans to warm up against a second-division team like Notts County. In their eyes, despite Notts County's heavy summer signings, the club was still a small-time team with little history—hardly worth their time.
David, upon receiving the rejection, felt his anger rise. Notts County was being dismissed, just as a country bumpkin might be mocked when entering the city. No matter how much money the club had invested, it still wasn't enough to be taken seriously by the elite.
David's frustration boiled over. He couldn't tolerate the way the big clubs looked down on Notts County, despite all the effort the club had put into strengthening its team. He had a suitcase full of ambition, but it seemed to mean little when facing the entrenched snobbery of the top-tier clubs.
Determined not to let this setback affect him, David knew he had to focus on other tasks. The team was being built, and now it was time to prepare for the future—no matter how much the established elite tried to dismiss them.
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GOT IT