Here be DK's answers. I'm posting because I want to read it but I have a tough time reading in the conference and in case other folks want to read it for reference.
Let me know if this clutters up your dynasty too much and want me to delete this post, DK.
1. Why do you want to be the US U-20 coach?
The national teams are one of my favorite aspects of Hattrick, and I have been following them pretty closely ever since I first started playing. I love the fact that the game is able to simulate the real World Cups that exist in soccer, where each country takes the “best of their best” and plays them against the others (even if the Swedes keep winning everything).
I think it would be an enjoyable challenge, as well as a good deal of fun, to follow in the footsteps of Indy and Apoc and try to improve upon the fantastic groundwork which they have laid. I want to do my part to keep the U.S. as one of the premier leagues in the game, as well as try to improve our international standing even more than it already has been.
2. Tell us about your most notable HT accomplishment (teamwise or otherwise)
As many of you know, I have just completed my second season in Hattrick. I think my most notable accomplishment is the track record that my team has shown within those two seasons. I won automatic promotion out of Division V with a record of 13 wins and 1 draw. In Division IV this past season, I had a record of 11 wins and 2 draws going into the last week of the season. That last match was a 1-0 loss for my club, where a 1-1 draw would have earned us a series title and a qualification match. A win in that match would have given us automatic promotion to Division III. This was my first ever league match loss.
It is true that there is a lower higher percentage of inactive and semi-inactive teams in the lower leagues than there is in Division III and higher, but my team had its fair share of difficult matches along the way. In some of those matches, my club had a lower talent level than the opposition, yet we still managed to find a way to win or draw. I should also point out that this was accomplished without the “star player” and bigger stadium that some of the older teams out there began with.
3a. If a US team requested you not play their player for a US team friendly, what would you do?
I would try to convince the team owner to re-consider, but if they remain steadfast, then I would honor their decision.
3b. What if it was a Swedish coach?
No different.
3c. What if it was a US coach asking you to rest his US player for the World Cup final?
Assuming that the player would be a starter for the World Cup final, I would play him, no matter what the team owner asked. Friendly matches are one thing, but the Cup final is a different matter entirely. I will put the best team possible out on the field, and will do my best to help the team owner understand the reason for my decision.
3d. What if it was a Swedish coach asking you to rest his US player during the World Cup final?
4. A U-20 player gets hurt for 4 weeks. The player’s owner asks you to PERMANENTLY remove him from the U-20 team. The player is your best midfielder. What do you do?
Hmmm…good one Billy. I think it would depend on both the timing of the injury as well as the available alternatives. If the World Cup was starting in just a few weeks, then I would be very hesitant to honor the request of the owner. However, if it was early in the “U-20 Season”, if you will, then I would be more inclined to honor the request, as there would be a great deal of time available to find an alternative.
The alternatives available would also play into the decision, naturally. If there was another player available who had very close skill levels to the player in question, then I would be more likely to honor the request. If the player was, bar none, the best American U-20 midfielder, then I would be unlikely to do so.
5a. If a US team bought a U-20 player and stopped training him in his main area, what would you do? (ie. A team bought a 19 year old world class striker, but is training playmaking). If he was the best US player in that position, would the player stay on the team?
Obviously, I would try to convince the player’s new owner to re-think their decision, and either start training the player or re-sell him. If they were unwilling to train, I would try to convince them that they can get “more bang for their buck” by re-selling the player and buying an alternative, but older player, for less money.
Again, timing would decide whether or not the player remained on the team. If there was an alternative that would meet or pass that player’s skill level by the time the U-20 Cup rolled around, then the player would be removed from the club, or possibly kept on board as an alternate. But if the Cup was right around the corner, there would be little choice in the matter. Whatever decision was made, it would need to be made quickly, in order to get an alternative player (if necessary) as much experience as possible before the start of the U-20 Cup.
5b. Same question, but a Swedish club team.
No difference, although appeals to national pride and such naturally would not work with a Swedish owner in this case.
6. What are your feelings on formations? Would you plan on running a 3-5-2, experiment with different things, or have some other views on the nature of basic formations?
In my opinion, the 3-5-2 remains the overall strongest formation in Hattrick, and there are a number of ways to run it. Offensive wingers, pinching wingers (towards the middle), symmetrical and asymmetrical defenses, etc. 3-5-2 would remain the staple, but in group play I think there is the possibility of running a 3-4-3, against a team with a weaker midfield and when goal differential can come into play. This would be the exception, rather than the norm, however. I do not feel that U-20 players have enough experience, generally, to run “unorthodox” formations without the danger of confusion out-weighing any possible benefits.
7. Who do you view as the US’s biggest rival in HT? Why?
The first thing that comes to mind is Sweden, naturally, but they’re the “big dog” that everyone is trying to take down. I think that the other two teams from this year’s quarterfinals, England and Denmark, are significant rivals for the U.S. Both have significant Hattrick populations, and should remain U-20 contenders.
The other nation that has to be mentioned is Canada. But I see that as more of a friendly rivalry than anything else.
8. Is winning the HT World Cup a realistic goal? If not, what is? Either way, how do you plan to accomplish this goal?
I have never been one to set unreasonable goals, and I do not think that winning the U-20 World Cup is realistic. It would be a nice surprise, but would not be an expectation of mine for whoever wins the election. Sweden’s massive population within the game means that they are practically guaranteed numerous 17 year old excellent pulls every time a “lottery pull” like this weekend comes around. Without a significant amount of luck, the U.S. cannot hope to have as many 1st-week 17 year old excellent players.
That being said, I think what is a realistic goal is taking the next step for the U.S., which would be to reach the finals. Using the current U-20 Cup as an example, both England and Denmark look “beatable,” and reaching the finals would be my goal. No small task, to say the least.
9. What are your long term goals for your OWN club? How do you plan on accomplishing this?
I imagine my long-term goals are the same as for most clubs; to get to the Major League and to win a ML title. It may take five years to accomplish that, but so be it.
To accomplish this, I have established what I feel is a pretty solid training program, as well as fiscal responsibility with my club. I do not allow me team to go into debt, and I keep the long-term future of the club in mind. I am not keyed on “immediate success.”
I like to think of myself as a “plugger.” I keep plugging away at my club, using my training program, the transfer market, and smart tactics to make my team as competitive as possible. Eventually, I’ll get there.
That’s what I love most about Hattrick. It never ends. In theory, I could play the game for 20 years, and still be running the Screamin’ Seamen.
10a. As a “public figure” in US HT, the U-20 coach can expect to receive a large amount of HT mails, many of which aren’t remotely relevant to your job. How will you handle this?
As far as the time commitment goes, I have plenty of that. No wife, no kids, no serious constraints on my free time aside from a job and friends.
10b. How about emails from newbies asking for advice, or about basic questions?
I answer a lot of questions about Hattrick on the FOFC board, and would continue to do so. If I saw that the player was relatively new to the game, I would refer them to the rules as well. It is very likely that they would find answers there to questions that they hadn’t even thought of yet.
11. What are your views on wings, specifically “well-rounded” wings (good wing, good playmaking) versus “pure” wings (great wing, mediocre playmaking)?
The ideal situation would be to have some of both. If some help for the midfield were necessary in a match, then I would want to play a pair of “well-rounded” wings, but if the midfield could hold its own against the opposition, then the “pure” wings would be preferential. If I had to choose between the two, I would prefer “well-rounded” wings. Even better, I think, would be to have one of each.
12a. During the first week of the season, a coach pulled a 17 year old excellent playmaker. You find out he’s training playmaking, but only has an inadequate coach. What do you do?
If a team only has an inadequate coach, than they are most likely a new team. I would explain to the owner that by selling the player (presumably to a team with a good staff that is training playmaking), they will make a significant amount of money which they can use towards improving their entire team, as well as putting a good training program together.
12b. Same question, but he has a solid coach and is NOT training playmaking. However, it’s his best midfielder by far and he doesn’t plan on selling him.
This really amounts to about the same situation. The financial benefits of selling such a player would be huge to any team where an excellent playmaker could be a starter.
13. Many teams don’t have solid coaches and/or a lot of assistants. How important do you think this is to the U-20 team and what do you propose doing about it?
I would be the last person in the world to preach fiscal irresponsibility to a team owner, just to benefit a single player. I would suggest to such an owner that they sell the potential U-20 player they have in their possession. Given the large price of such players, the buyer would almost certainly be a well-established team with the means to train the player properly. The original owner, in turn, can use that money to improve their club, as well as afford the high-end coach and numerous assistants necessary for a good training program. The next time that owner gets a high-end youth pull, they will be equipped to train the player properly.
14. Many teams don’t put the max. 20k into their youth squads a week. How important is this to the U-20 team and what do you propose doing about it?
I think that owners putting 20k into their youth squad is very important, not only to the U-20 team but for their own club as well. Whenever I am asked for advice from a new player (which happens frequently on the FOFC board), I always recommend a 20k investment from day one, and will continue to do so. The investment is a big one at first for a new team, but the long-term rewards will generally pay for the initial investment and then some.
15. Unless you’re KC Wizards, there’s teams (in some cases, MANY teams) that are better than your own. Explain your views on upper level versus lower levels (versus your own team) as far as experience/playing time/success compared to managing.
Obviously I do not have the amount of playing time and experience that some of the other candidates have, and I suspect that this is where I will fall short in some people’s eyes. What I can say is that I have become quite a “student of the game,” if you will, since I began my Hattrick career, and I have learned a great deal about the game and its mechanics. The success that I have had with my club thus far, due in large part to the tactics that I have employed, speaks for itself. My club was unbeaten in its first 27 league matches (24 wins, 3 draws), and our first loss did not come until the very last match of this past season.
The “lower levels,” which I guess I represent, are becoming more competitive with each new team that signs up. The skill levels may be different (solid/excellent versus world-class/supernatural or whatever the case may be), but the desired effect is the same; find a way to beat your opponent. In two short seasons, I feel I have become quite good at scouting out the opposition, identifying tendencies, and then placing my own players in the best possible position to take advantage of the opponent’s weaknesses, while minimizing their own.
16. You have a personal emergency and will not be able to be online for a week. What do you do?
A very unlikely scenario for me, since I have a laptop and remote access. But, if I were in a situation where it would be impossible for me to go online for a week, I would do all that I could prior to leaving to set the team up as best I could during my absence (scheduling a match and submitting a line-up if possible). I would then ask one of the previous U-20 or National team coaches to “hold down the fort” during my absence. They are the only ones with experience running a national team, and would be the likely candidates to take care of things during the absence. I would also send a message to all U-20 team owners and post to the conference informing everyone of the absence, so there were no surprises.
17. What is more important: the US U-20 team winning or you helping other owners or having fun or something else? Explain.
Having the U-20 team enjoy as much success as possible is, in my mind, the most important thing for the U-20 Trainer. The whole point is to put together the best team possible, and give all of the American Hattrick players something to take pride in.
That being said, I think that having fun goes hand-in-hand with this. What’s the point in playing a game if you aren’t having fun?
The way that I make games more entertaining for myself (and for others as well, I hope), is what are called “Dynasty Reports,” which a number of people post on the FOFC board. I have one there that is based on the Screamin’ Seamen, where I detail the exploits of my club, and occasionally write little articles and side-stories to make things more entertaining. If I were elected U-20 coach, I would certainly continue with this, either working it into my pre-existing dynasty report, or starting a separate one just for the U-20 team. I think this sort of thing makes the game itself a lot more fun, and more immersive.
18. The US is being passed by other countries in amount of users. Do you view this as a major problem, and what do you plan on doing about it?
The existing and growing disparity between the number of active users in different countries is naturally a concern. More team owners means more youth pulls, which in turn means more U-20 and National team candidates.
I like to think that I have already done a small part to help recruit new team owners for the United States. The dynasty report that I mentioned earlier, along with the dynasty reports of others, have acted as a good recruiting tool within the FOFC community, and we have had a number of members start new teams. (I think we’re approaching 100 teams within the FOFC community).
Pre-existing online communities are, in my opinion, the best way to go about finding new players for Hattrick, especially those (like FOFC) that are based around test-based simulation games. These are people who already have an affinity for this sort of game, and it is natural that some of them would enjoy Hattrick as much as we all do.
19. What are your views on daytrading?
Personally, I do not like daytrading. I never have day-traded, and I never will. To my mind, it goes against the “spirit” of the game, even though it is not expressly prohibited within the rules, and would be rather difficult to enforce even if it were.
I tend to look down on day-traders personally, but I prefer to keep my opinions to myself on the matter. For me, it is that much more satisfying when I beat a day-trading club with my “honest” team.
20. No one likes a loser, and not everyone wins all the time. How do you handle criticism?
Constructive criticism is a good thing. No matter how good a manager someone is, mistakes and errors in judgment will be made, and a hundred minds are better than one. Constructive criticism often leads to new ideas, and can only serve to make the manager, and therefore the U-20 team, stronger.
Negative criticism, on the other hand, is something I do my best to ignore. It does not add anything to the situation, and usually comes from someone feeling the need to “vent,” or just plain mean-spiritedness. Neither adds anything to the situation, and is best ignored.
21. A potential long-term problem for US national and US U-20 teams is teams selling their young stars and teams buying them not training them (for example, a team might sell their 19 world class keeper. A team buying him might buy him because he’s a super keeper, and not plan on training him further). How would you plan on dealing with this problem?
I think this was at least partially touched on earlier, but I think I can add something here. I would hope (through a dynasty report, regular posts on the conference, or any other means) to create a more immersive atmosphere surrounding the U-20 team. This would hopefully lead to owners being more hesitant to sell their young stars, and more pride in having a U-20 player on one’s team.
In the end, though, whether or not to buy and/or train a player rests with the team owner and no one else. I would hope to help make the problem a smaller one, but I think it is something that will never go away completely.
22. All-out coach or defensive coach? Why?
I think that an all-out coach is preferable to a defensive one, but the difference is not as great as some people might think. I have a defensive coach on my team, but I have yet to have it “bite me in the butt” like some people have mentioned. I think where it makes the most difference is in group play, where goal differential can make a difference. Whatever sort of coach you have, you want to play to his strength. My defensive coach is a part of the reason I decided to train defenders with my own team. Give the coach the best possible talent to take advantage of his strength. By the same token, if you have an all-out coach, then playing an offensive game is important.
23a. How important do you view the passing attribute? Would you prefer a midfielder with one level less playmaking, but two levels more passing than another?
This is very similar to the winger question earlier, and my answer is pretty much the same. The ideal situation would be to have both types of players available. If the opposition has a midfield advantage, then higher playmaking ability would be more desirable. But if the team already has a midfield advantage, passing would be more desirable to spur the offense. If I had to choose one, I would rather have the player with the higher midfield rating. Without ball possession, the offense will not have that many opportunities, and your defense will be tested that much more.
23b. Same question, but this time, a striker. World class scoring/excellent passing or titanic scoring/passable passing?
I would rather have the titanic scoring/passable passing player. Passing has some effect on a striker’s ability, but I don’t believe that it is at a 2:1 ratio.
24. Do you use any external programs (HAM, etc) to help you with your current team? Which, and how?
I do not use HAM or any of the other “out of the box” programs available to help manage my team. I have never been a fan of these sorts of programs, because they never seem to do exactly what I want them to do.
Instead, I have a (rather large) excel spreadsheet that I use to track my players progress, team ratings, and all the rest. I prefer this sort of thing, because I can set it up exactly how I want it set up. Also, I find that entering the necessary information manually means that I pay closer attention to my players’ progress.
25. How important is form to you? At what point would you bench a “better” player than a worse one, due to form. (Let’s say, you have a titanic striker and a world class striker. How much worse form would it have to be for you to use the world class one)?
This gets a little tricky. My general rule of thumb is that (very roughly) two levels of form equals a level of skill, but that is variable. What I mean by variable, is that it depends on “how titanic” or “how world-class” a players skill is. A titanic striker who has received six weeks of training since going “titanic” will have a lot more “form leeway” over a striker who just “popped” to supernatural last week.
26. What are your views on player specialties, and how do you view them in the context of the U-20 team?
Player specialties are definitely something to consider when selecting the players for a match. Obviously, if we’re playing in the rain, and two players (one technical and one powerful) are of roughly the same skill level and form, I’m going to play the powerful player.
The one specialty that I will pay particular attention to is Head. I have found that a head specialist and a good set-pieces player can be a lethal combination. I am particularly fond of having a head-specialist defender. Not only do these players score some header goals off of corner kicks, but they also lower the likelihood of the opposition scoring a header goal against the team. I have a head-specialist wingback on my team, and I have had great success with him.
27. What are your views on secondary skills? (Ie. a midfielder’s passing or D; other skills for a defender besides D, etc)
I think we’ve pretty much covered the wingers and midfielders in previous questions. As far as central defenders go, while some playmaking ability would be a nice bonus, it is not a major concern for me. Obviously, if two players are identical except that one has better playmaking ability, then I will choose that player, but it is not a big concern. Central defenders are there to sweep.
For wingbacks, I look for defending and winger ability at a ratio of about 3:2. Also, I prefer defenders with at least inadequate stamina. Below that and you run the risk of the “tired defender” event goal.
28. How can Hattrick be improved?
Oh boy. I could probably write ten pages on this, but I don’t think you folks would want to read all of that.
As far as the match engine goes, I am pretty happy with the way it works, but there are two things that I would like to see. First, I would like to see midfield made a little less important for match results. Yes, the midfield is an important part of the real game of soccer, but I feel that it is a little over-powered (though not to the extent that some seem to think).
The other thing that I would like to see happen to the engine is for there to be less scoring. I would prefer for the scores to be a bit more realistic. You hardly ever see 5-4 matches in the EPL and other professional leagues, yet these sorts of matches seem to be rampant in the Hattrick engine. For me, it takes a way a bit of the realism when the final score of a match is 8-0.
Outside of the match engine, I think there are a number of things that could add to the “immersion factor” of the game. Things like official cups (set up a cup, have teams sign up for it, and then the engine schedules those matches in lieu of friendly matches) along with medals and trophies, more player statistics, more options for kit design, having the team logos displayed in the match report, and a place for short player biographies. The word limit on press releases and HT-mails is a personal pet peeve of mine, as I am always having to shorten what I write. As you’ve probably guessed by now, I can be rather long-winded.
But the single easiest way to make Hattrick better is to get more people involved. More team owners mean more participation, which means more fun for all.
29. What are your views on how a U-20 coach should (and shouldn’t) communicate with all US users?
I think that the U-20 coach should communicate general information regarding the team on a regular basis. By “general information,” I mean information that could be found out by anyone who cared to go and look for it anyhow (roster decisions, team spirit, that sort of thing). What should not be communicated, at least prior to 15 minutes before match time, is specifics regarding tactics that will be used, and the line-up. I have seen coaches post this sort of thing prior to match-time before, and I have been irked by it. What is to stop the opposition coach from looking at this information, seeing the lineup and tactics that they will be facing, and adjusting their line-up accordingly?
30. How would you work together with the national coach?
It is important for the U-20 and National Coaches to work closely together, for a couple of reasons. First and most obvious, is that the U-20 team is really a “training ground” for future National Team players, so it is important for the U-20 coach to keep the National coach up-to-date as far as player training and performance.
There are also some situations where a player is good enough to play for both the U-20 and the National team (Jude Sutherland anyone?). The U-20 and National team coach need to work together to determine who gets priority over these players at different times. Obviously, a player like Jude, as the best American keeper in the game, needs to be made available for whichever team needs him the most at the moment. I believe that it is the responsibility of the U-20 coach to keep the player’s owner informed as to these decisions.
31. Uh, anything else?
I would like to say that I hold the opposition in the highest esteem, and am honored that I am considered (at least by some) as a viable candidate for the U-20 coaching position. I am sure that whoever is elected will do a fine job in keeping the U.S.A. as one of the premier national teams in Hattrick, despite our numerical inferiority to some other nations.
I would also like to ask something of everyone who reads this. I urge you all to vote, even if it is for one of the other candidates. The percentage of those who vote, compared to the active U.S. population in previous elections has been rather disappointing. Urge the other teams in your series’ and federations to vote as well. I would really like to see a record turn-out for this election.
And remember, if you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain when you don’t like the results.
Thank you.
Edit: To format. Ow.