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Cup Final Glencoe re-interviewed

Written by Fooster

Hertfordshire based side Glencoe Rovers have made it to the English Cup Final for the first time in their history. Manager Fooster took time out to answer a few more press questions in the pre-match build up.

Your team, Glencoe Rovers is meeting Matt-'s Vince Hilaire's Afros in the English Cup Final this week. You must be delighted. Matt- told us that his team is 4-5 seasons off its peak, and with your key players Nappi and Napoli already at their peak age (31) you are clearly under a bit of pressure to win, and delay his era of English domination for at least one more season?

I'm certainly delighted, and surprised to be in the final. I can think back to a couple of matches where i've ridden my luck - but then that's what HT is all about at times isn't it ?

Matt- is building a really good side there, and if it's still 4 to 5 seasons away from it's peak then serious success will be coming his way. My lot have taken a long time to get this far and I'm very happy with the way they've turned out. Realistically I've got 2 seasons with the current crop before i'll have to start supplementing them with new signings.

As for pressure to win, there always is when your in the mix for honours.

Last time we spoke with you (17797), you had a second team in Angola, and were pretty non-specific about your plans for that team. You now have a second team in Ireland. Your sacked Angola coach told us that you wanted to be a big fish in a small pond, but that Angola was more of a murky puddle. You are already a big fish in the English pond, so please could you explain your change of heart and your new plan?

The reason for the change was a simple one - I get fed up with not being able to engage with most of what was placed on the forums. My mother is Irish and I spent many holidays there as a kid. (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MwxI7_RghBU/T2JhWk5xpCI/AAAAAAAAANw/bi969vjUD1I/s1600/inistioge+bridge1.jpg) Inistioge is where my late Nan was born. She lived there for most of her life so it seemed only fitting to locate the new side there. So far, I'm very happy with the decision and am already much more attached to my second team than I was before. In terms of Glencoe it's nice to be rubbing shoulders with the upper tier of teams, and even more rewarding to be getting the better of some of them. Long may it continue !

Have you discovered any top tunes to recommend since we last spoke to you, or are you still re-discovering old favourites that you haven't listened to for a while?

The Royal Blood album is awesome, and is on my car stereo most of the time at the mo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhgVu2lsi_k). Waves by Mr Probz was a personal favourite this summer. (ed. link to this in last week's interview)

Did you for vote Darth again, and what do you make of Posti's 2nd stint in charge. Do you think we will get out of Q1?

I did vote for Darth again, but Posti seems to be making a reasonable fist of it. The luck really has not been on side at all, and that will need to change if Q2 is on the cards. I don't think he can do any more than he has already.

More importantly, is there any chance that you'll throw your hat into the election ring at the end of next season, seeing as you've trained a solid leadership player into the NT and turned him into a coach for us, already ?

Never say never I suppose, but there are several managers out there i'd much rather see have a go than me. He'll be more than a little embarrassed by this but my choice for NT boss would be Lovatt of Daves Donkeys (61756). He's well informed, level headed and a really good bloke (ed. he's quite well connected as well). I'm very happy to have Napoli (280385228) in the England set up and the decision to turn him into a coach to help the side out only took seconds to make. He was a fairly average teenager when I bought him and the purchase was totally down to the age and spec. It just goes to show that anyone is a viable NT player is trained consistently and for long enough. In my opinion there's no need to get bogged down looking for the "perfect" trainee ( whatever that is ) and paying through the nose for them.

I'm also a fan of both "Moon" and "Into the Wild", the movies you mentioned last time we spoke. Is Alaska on your bucket list of places to visit then, and are there any other beautiful but desolate places you've visited already or that are on your list?

I think Alaska may be a bit remote for me when it comes to travel to be honest ! I do love a holiday though. Over the past three or four years I've been to Thailand twice, once for 5 weeks, Mauritius, Egypt, Vietnam and quite a few more besides. Mexico and Cambodia are among the choices for next years trip.

We must congratulate Malk77 on his victory in the Masters, emulating our only former winner Bud. As cup winner you or Matt will be eligible to play in that, and we reckon you probably have more flexibility to adapt your team to the demands of the Masters, so have you given it any thought, and how on earth would you even begin to plan out your strategy for such a tournament?

Malk's victory was superb, a huge achievement. I haven't thought about the Masters at all, but I'd love to have a crack at it. If I do I'm lucky to be in a Fed (TeaBags society (101672) ) with several superb managers who will all be on hand to help me negotiate my way through the extra fixtures.

Matt- reckons the choices we have to make over the level/expense of assistants in the new staff system is one of the only areas left in HT where there is a chance to be slightly different. He think a lot of top teams (top 3 divisions) have the levels all wrong. So what are you doing, what levels of staff do you use in the first team, and which ones are you using, and how does this compare to your Irish 2nd team ?

Well, the set up in the second team is completely dictated by cost, as I barely have any cash there at all. Once it's up and running properly I'll be going for 3 lvl 5 assistants while the club is finding its feet. In the first team I've reached the point where I don't really have any trainees - so have the luxury of making choices that give me the best chance to keep my players fit and injury free.

Matt- also told us his stamina % is 20%. Can you use this information to your advantage at all, or do you think he's upped it since then?

Anyone's outlook on a season can change in heartbeat in HT, especially if a beer or two is involved! So, I don't really take too much stock of what others do most of the time.

Lastly, you are currently on track to win the title in II.4, but are below the auto-promotion line. Can you get promoted into the Prem as well as winning the cup, or will the effort in trying to win the cup pretty much ruin your chance to auto-promote leaving you needing to PIC the rest of the league games to raise TS for a qualifier?

I'll just drag the old cliche out here to say that I'm taking it one game at a time. Ultimately, getting to the Prem is my priority. Time will tell if I can make it happen.