Stuartini Clarketti season one

The press were very sceptical of the appointment of unknown Italian manager Stuartini Clarketti to the position of manager at lowly 2nd division Bristol Rovers.

The bookies tipped Rovers to a mediocre mid-table finish, but Clarketti knew better. He knew that if he could instil the right belief in his players, then they could accomplish anything.

With nothing in the way of transfer funds Clarketti needed to bring in much needed talent. He aimed his sight towards Italy. That's the game he knew well and he began to search the lower divisions for a free transfer.

He knew too that loans were the way forward in this league. If Bristol could entice some rising young players with the promise of regular first team football, half of his job would be complete.

Next to the tactics. Looking at the players available, there was only one real option. That of the tried and tested 4-4-2. Not having the flair of teams such as AC Milan and Real Madrid, Clarketti deployed a different way of playing the beautiful game of football.

Fitness and toughness. Instead of concentrating most of the training schedule on skills and passing, the coaches were instructed to place more emphasis on strength and physical condition. This would lead to tiring out the opposition and enabling Rovers to dominate in the final third.

Three key things enabled Clarketti to get what he wanted from this Bristol side. The signings of Harpel Singh on Loan from Leeds, the free transfer of talented young Italian winger Tolle and the injury free season of top striker Agogo (43 goals in 46 games (44 starts).

For most of the season Bristol were in the top three and looking good for promotion. There was a slight dip in form over the hectic Christmas period, but with a bit of luck and lot of hard work the lads regained top spot and stayed there for the remainder of the season.

Finishing the league with the best goal difference 4 points clear of there nearest rivals. 114 goals, 53 conceded in 46 games.

In a board meeting with the chairman, it was decided that Rovers would once again have no transfer budget. A harsh decision had to be made by Clarketti, and with a sad heart he decided to apply for the vacant manager’s position at Italian Seria B side Treviso.

Still having a job to do with the newly promoted Bristol, Clarketti set about improving the squad for the up and coming season. Having enjoyed his season in Bristol, newly released Singh was snapped up by Clarketti. Stuartini knew a player of this quality only came along once every so often so offered the young lad £1,300 a week for his services. This made him one of Bristol’s most paid players, and the hopes of a small city rested on his shoulders.

The only way to get a much needed transfer kitty was to sell. Clarketti decided to accept reasonable bids of some of his old timers and looked to the future by bringing in some youth.

Bad news was waiting for Clarketti when he returned home that night. Unfortunately his application for the Treviso job was unsuccessful. The decision was made for him. He would have to battle it out once more with Bristol Rovers.