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Smart Hits 4000 Not Out For Rennes

By Jon Smart - Wednesday, June 10, 2020 - 9:01:06 AM

Todays league games against Ricky Graves West Ham will see Rennes one and only manager to date,take charge of club game numbers 3999 and 4000.In a career officially going back to September 2003 and unofficially to 2002 the manager is one of only four managers at ITN at the same club they joined way back then. He doffs his cap at Dave Lockhart (Ajax),David Gilbert (Ipswich Town) and Ozer Terim (Leicester City).It needs to be said that there are a whole host of managers who have been at their clubs for nearly that duration too.Not that the game is about staying at one club of course,some managers enjoy moving around clubs and the buying and selling part of the game and helping a club out of debt.Including International appointments the games tally hits 4758 in total with the World Cup win being the high point on the international scene with minnows Scotland in season 15.

The journey has had it's highs and lows along the way,with the high of six promotions there has been the lows of four relegations,one of which saw us again floating around the bottom of a B league where we started life, prompting one manager to ask the question 'Are you doing this on purpose!'.I laughed at the suggestion but after falling from the Premiership to the B's it looked like a complete collapse and it felt like one,we had already won the Premiership title plus three ITN cups,two Prem cups and two A cups but to stay in the top flight you need to have a future proof team to compete and this is alongside the teams around you constantly improving their skills and staff.We rose from the ashes,to again lift the Premiership title in season 36,23 seasons on from our first Premiership title,after twelve major finals we had won seven along with the first ever Champions League.Thirteen trophies is a decent haul although we came close to more,having been runners up in the Premiership four times,the A's twice and the B's once and losing five cup finals,but losing is part and parcel of ITN.I've been a frustrated loser but never a bad loser I hope,there's far more to this game than winning trophies.

We have saw the era's of dominance by some great managers over the years,Andy Summers,Steven McCarthy,Ricky Greaves,Andy Waring,Obay Eid and Ben Hutton,just to name a few have blown us away over the seasons with the teams they have assembled,getting anything from these teams felt like winning a trophy at times.There are many managers in this game who have won trophies and put together fine competitive squads,the toughest part is sustaining that level of achievement. Only 19 managers have won the Premiership at 20 different teams out of 37 seasons.

It's well known I've supported the added friendly comps over the years,Dave Lockhart is the most recent manager to run the twenty season old famous U21 competition and has done so well in his role,giving time and effort with top game round-ups after each match-day,short or long they are always well received ,Kevin Beck has also started the U25 comp giving managers another great competition to enjoy.

How I've played this game over the years has changed,my ethos is partially in development although I'm not adverse to bringing in already established players or players I think are close to making the grade.My reserve team after just two games this season contains eight players that at some point played in the U21 competition for us,they sit top for now and I'd hope for a top five finish.

We've all been frustrated at times,with the game,with other managers and of course with ourselves.Although I honestly believe we do learn something from playing ITN about ourselves,how we react to situations and how the game can make us feel reflects life,a learning curve for all of us.It's a game,some see it as a puzzle,it's puzzled me plenty of times,we shouldn't take it too serious but serious enough to get some satisfaction for our efforts,be it winning a league or a cup competition,winning promotion or avoiding the drop,a top five finish or reaching the last four in a competition.

Andy Farmilo was the gamesmaster who started the (foot)ball rolling all those years ago,in a time when online management games were in their infancy before Ian Foletto picked it up,he has had a long learning curve in his development of the game and has been through some testing times,sometimes we managers have given him a headache I'm sure but I'd also like to say we appreciate his time and efforts,also his fairness and patience with us.

I wanted to celebrate the milestone of 4000 games in charge of Rennes but also to celebrate the game of ITN and the managers here now and managers from the past,I want to mention the new and younger managers in the game who I hope stick at it and fit in ITN with life and the new experiences of life and give a big nod also to our gamesmasters without who there would be no ITN.If you combine a top management game like this with great people of all ages from around the globe we do end up with something special.

Long live ITN.



Comments about this article

DateCommentAuthor
11/6/2020 11:08:16 PMCongrats on the 4,000 Jon. Great achievement and nice article.Matt Sanders
10/6/2020 11:22:08 PMFantastic words Jon, and an even greater achievement making 4,000 games - congratulations! 👏👍🏻Kevin Beck


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