Day 290

We held the last backroom meeting of the regular season today. I had to take striker Matthew Barnes-Homer off his composure training—an individual regime intended to improve his effectiveness in front of goal—because the workload was too high.

My staff recommended several potential signings. I was not familiar with any of them, so I told them to write up reports. Three of these were on my desk by the evening, alongside a scout report on veteran Maltese striker Daniel Bogdanovic. At 32, Bogdanovic is past his prime—but he’s still much better than any of the forwards at the club at the moment. I’m told his only real weakness is a lack of pace, and with his Blackpool contract soon to expire I might be able to sign him on a free transfer.

He’s unwanted at the club, too—listed for both transfer and loan. I put in a somewhat cheeky bid of £0.

The other reports left me unmoved, but a scouting update from Mark Bradshaw caught my notice. Laurent Hervé and Juan Carlos—both veteran (35-year-old) players with pedigree in the top leagues of Europe—have been playing in Scotland and will soon be in need of a new club. I asked Bradshaw to take a closer look, since his early impressions suggest they could be great signings.