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Manager Spotlight - nobbyiscool

Written by nobbyiscool

This week, we caught up with the newly elected National Team manager, nobbyiscool, and he was kind enough to take a break from his busy schedule to answer some questions in our new and improved Manager Spotlight.

What was it that brought you to the world of Hattrick?
It was a mad long time ago! Back when the game was so popular that you had to sign up then wait 1-2 weeks for a team to become available and for you to actually get hold of it! I first saw the game mentioned on SBS’s old “The World Game” forum. It was an awful forum, completely unmoderated, full of racism and rubbish. But at least this one good thing came of it!

What part of the game keeps you logging in regularly?
It’s the training and development of players; it’s the community element; as I’ve become more and more involved in scouting and now managing for the NT, it’s wanting to be part of something bigger – that is, improving the level of involvement and the level of success that Oceania has experienced.

Have you got a goal that you are aiming to achieve while playing Hattrick?
It’s changed over the years. It started off wanting to achieve ultimate Pacific Premier success. Then it became wanting to win the Cup, cos it seemed a little more achievable. Now? It’s just wanting to train the best players that I can and hope they can assist in improving Oceania. From an NT perspective, my aim has always been to try and get us towards a medal – it’s been way, way too long!

What would you say is the greatest thing you have achieved since joining Hattrick?
It was being voted NT manager. I know that this was due in large part to me being in the right place at the right time – but there was a time (that was even mentioned during my ultimately successful campaign) that I would’ve been seen as too grumpy, too abrasive, too unpopular, not a good enough communicator, and frankly not a good enough manager to receive that support from the community. It’s extremely gratifying and humbling that, over the last 2 seasons, it’s become clear that I’ve successfully changed those perceptions of me as a Hattrick manager.

I want to mention the Oceania Monster Project here too though. Scouting, tracking and advising a group of players aged 17-18 right through to an imminent NT career for many of these players was a great suggestion from mastercyb - but in Oceania, it was tough. I never actually intended to head up this project or to be the central figure in scouting and providing advice on players... I think I was just the person who believed in it the most and committed the most to it. (With no disrespect intended towards some other managers - I hope they know who they are - who have also committed a hell of a lot.)

This isn't an achievement as such. But I think/hope that in the next couple of seasons, as they form the bulk of the Oceania NT, it will become an achievement. And even if they don't win anything? Changing the way that Oceanian's view the NT, involve themselves in the NT, and contribute to the NT is by far and away the greatest, proudest thing I could ever accomplish in this game.

More than any single result I could ever achieve, I'm very proud of the the role I've played in the OMP, the amount of advice I've provided to other managers, and the strength of the group that we have coming through (despite the HT Supporter price increases resulting in a lot of 2nd teams going by the way side.)

What is it that you think you do differently to most other managers?

I think the extent to which I’ve dedicated not one, but two teams almost entirely to farming players for the NT is something that I do differently to most other managers. In the NT space, I think something very positive that I’ve done differently to a lot of other managers is the extent to which I want to help, provide advice to and encourage managers of good Oceanian players from around the world. This is undoubtedly the biggest surprise of being NT manager – the extent to which managers HT-mail you out of the blue suggesting players and asking for training advice. But again, being able to help people like that and to get them interested in and involved in the NT is very gratifying.

How much time would you spend on Hattrick in an average week?
Too much! I’ll check it most mornings, most nights I’ll spend at least an hour on Hattrick, Hattrick Portal, Hattrick Youth Club and the Oceanian Slack Group. Then depending on how my day goes I’ll log in once or twice during the day. And that’s without even getting to the weekend! All up, I reckon I spend 12-15 hours a week on various HT activities for my 2 clubs, my 2 youth teams and the NT.

What made you decide on the name Launceston Celtic for your first team?

I grew up in Launceston, so that bit is easy. Celtic just came from a Catholic upbringing where Celtic were not just the only team that mattered – they were the only team that existed.

My second team, Capital Punishment, came from the fact that I was living in Canberra (Australia’s capital) at the time, and I thought Capital Punishment was a snappy name.

The only regret from not being involved in Hattrick International was not being able to come up with a fun name related to Melbourne, where I now live.

Are there any managers in Hattrick that have helped you get where you are?
Sadly, I don't remember the managers who helped me during the first couple of seasons, which I would feel bad about… except they are all long-since departed from the game and no longer viewable on my supporter list.

From the NT perspective, it’s been the most pleasant surprise seeing how many people were/are prepared to spend an hour or two (on Slack) on a Friday night discussing tactics, reinforcing my thoughts or challenging them and changing my mind.

I’m reluctant to name names cos I know I’ll forget some great, extremely helpful managers – but I’ll take this opportunity to invite all Oceanian managers to contact me for access to the Oceania Slack channel. Not only have the managers there been an enormous help, but they have taught me an extraordinary amount about the game.

Who is your favourite player to have ever played for your Hattrick team?
It would be one of the players coming into National Team contention now for Capital Punishment. Gough Te Onui, Alexander Alura and Vinko Lambic are the 3 I’ll mention, cos not only are they in NT contention having done all the training myself – but these 3 also came from my Youth Academy. (They won’t all make the NT, but they’re in contention.. Te Onui is already in the NT squad, and I think Lambic will be at some time in the future.)

Being able to build amazing players that came from your own YA takes the excitement and gratification of long-term training to a whole other level.

Is there a match in Hattrick you have been involved in that you are most proud of?
I have 2 answers to this question. The first, for Launceston Celtic, was way back in season 42 when I had embarked on a Cup run, and I managed to beat Kab’s Mangrove Managers who were flying high in div II at the time. I am proud of this one because I scouted MM well, I used my resources to the best of the ability, and I won a match that I was a rank outsider in. It was a coin toss, and I was lucky – but definitely not outrageously so. (To this day, I still regret not MOTSing Candy the next week, cos I still think I could’ve beaten her!)

The second was the first game of the last World Cup campaign – Oceania vs Moldova. We had a game at 4am on the Saturday, and because of the circumstances around that re-election I only got the team at about 2pm on the Friday. I was working with a team that someone else had chosen, I had no idea what I was doing, our Team Spirit was already behind the 8-ball, and I spent hours working with a few managers (Seb deserves a personal mention here) on how to approach the match. I decided how we’d play it…

And then in the final hours I threw out everything that I had decided upon after those conversations on the Friday afternoon/night. It was Leeny who made some fantastic points, prompted me to have a complete rethink, and we ultimately won a game (albeit luckily) that my first line of thinking would probably not have won. I am proud of this one for many reasons – it showed that I was adaptable, it showed that as NT manager I was happy to be challenged and to change my thinking if someone made a good case, and in the weeks following this game, it showed that Oceanian managers will get interested in and involved in the National Team if you make it accessible and make them feel valued.

Do you have any other hobbies that occupy your spare time?
My dog is my best friend, so a lot of my time is spent with mates (dogs and people) at the dog park 100 metres from where I live. I have a group of mates that I go to the A-League, AFL and cricket with. I have other mates that I go to galleries, museums and vegan restaurants with. (Yes, my love for animals makes me one of the “them” – don’t judge me, and I won’t judge your support for the needless slaughter of animals :P )

I used to play quite a bit of sport, but I had to “retire” from playing cricket, hockey, and golf because I got old, fat, and injured, and my bad back would ensure that I can’t walk for a week if I embark on any of these activities :(

In six words or less… give us your secret to success in Hattrick?
Let’s assume (incorrectly!) for a moment that I’ve had any success in HT!

“Love the forums = love the game.”

Lucky 13!
The question is:
Congratulations on being elected as the National Team manager for the next two seasons! We've heard on the forums that you have some plans for this group of players that you have been tracking. Looking at our qualification group and our squad, what are you looking to try and achieve during this qualification phase?
Thanks for the congratulations!

In some ways I think hedging your bets in NT management is a quick way to achieve nothing – but that’s what I want to try and do in the imminent World Cup. I want to build the squad around a group of very good players (aged 28-29) surrounded by some young players from the Oceania Monster Project (aged mainly around 26-27.) We would need a lot of luck to go beyond the first group stage of the impending World Cup, but given the group that Oceania drew I don’t think it’s impossible.

And even if we don’t qualify? We will have gotten some invaluable experience into a group of players who will still be the core of the NT for the 2 World Cups following the impending one. Those are the World Cups I would like Oceania to be looking towards more than the one starting next week – in 2-4 seasons (assuming the managers that I've spoken to remain committed) I believe we will have the best NT squad we have had in the 12 years that I have been playing the game for. So we’ll be trying our best for some great results in the coming season – but if we don’t, it’s absolutely not the end of the world. It’s still a great, very young squad who I believe can achieve some great things going forward.

Thanks to OrangeStar for the invite to be involved with The Oceanian and for the very fun set of questions :)