PowerPlay Magazín

After my last interview it was requested by manager scuff that I do another. This time with a little known manager by the name of tensor. And by little known, I mean the manager voted National Team Manager of the Season at the National Team Awards.

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Q. Can you tell everyone about yourself?
A. Hi, I my name is Tim and I live in York in the UK. I work with computers and have played quite a few manger games over the years! I started playing PPM Hockey a couple of seasons before Football started.

Q. So you were voted "National Team Manager of the Season" in the National Team Awards. How did this make you feel learning this?
A. It was great! I was incredibly flattered. England had a good run last season so I guess it was because of that! I think I was insufferable about it for a while with some of my friends :D

Q. Were you surprised by how well your NT performed?
A. Yes - In PPM terms we are a really small nation so I was just hoping to make sure we would qualify for the World Cup. In the end we had a 15 game unbeaten streak and didn't concede a goal for 13 games. I really didn't expect us to do that well!

Q. After last season. Did it increase how well you feel you can finish this year?
A. We are still a small nation and have the same problems. I think my plan for 2 seasons means we will be in a good position at the World Cup but we have to stay realistic. We are almost certain to qualify now but I am not expecting to win! I guess we will just take that one game at a time.

Q. Do you have much experience with football outside of the game? Do you think that it helps with how to manage your teams?
A. I follow football, but I don't think it is all that important to be an expert on the game.

Q. Your team "Eboracum United" are also quite the performers. Do you run the NT similarly to your actual team?
A. Again I think managing a PPM club side and an NT side are quite different. All of the building facilities and training side of the game are gone in the NT role but instead you need to scout and communicate with other managers more. Having a good idea about the way to train players helps you pick the best players for the NT, and having an idea how the tactics works helps too. Everyone makes mistakes though - there was at least one England game where I played my left and right sided players on the wrong sides!

Q. Do you think you will only run a couple terms for NT manager or will you keep going as long as you are voted in?
A. I think I will only do one or two terms. Its only fair to let other people have a try.

Q. What are your thoughts on the future of the England NT as the game progresses?
A. I think it will get harder and harder. As time goes on the pool of players to choose from for the big nations will increase further than we can keep up with. For now England's "OK" quality players are close enough to the big countries super-quality players that we can compete, but over time they will get better faster.

Q. Were you at all surprised by the workload that comes with being the NT manager?
A. I think the workload at first is quite high when it comes to scouting for players - although with England being small I knew who most of our first squad would be right away. Now its not so bad - it is mostly setting the team and keeping track of fitness and chemistry.

Q. If there is one thing you would like to see implemented into the game what would it be?
A. I'm happy to see the game keep progressing. If I said "Dropped Catches" some people will understand what I am saying :D

Q. Any advice you would like to give the readers?
A. All I did was copy what I had learned from Hockey and used that in Football when it started. I guess I would encourage new players to read the guide through, look at teams that are doing well, and ask questions in the forums.
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After the interview tensor also wanted to send a big thank you to everyone who had voted for him. He also wanted to thank Willy Pound for his 13 game clean sheet.

If anyone has any great English players; especially Side Midfielders, please post them here!