[FM17] Climbing Jacob's Ladder (Part Deux)

Hello fellow gamers, long time no chat eh? Let me take this opportunity to apologise for the lack of updates in regards to my story, I know some still follow it religiously or sit down to read it with a morning cup of coffee.

The truth is 2020 really did a number on me with my focus mainly being on my working career over my managerial career. I've not been as active on Football Manager over the last couple of months. Furthermore with my mental health being in complete limbo during these endless lockdowns, lack of energy and inspirations, I've been in a state of writer's block for quite a while. Almost to the point where the story is losing interest, going stale and even on it's deathbed.

To clarify, the story is not dead - not by a long shot.

With an extended break over the Christmas period, I've been working on updates in the background and will be shortly gush with new posts over the coming days. Lots of exciting new revelations and plot twists will be on the horizon (as much as a soap opera can bring...). Although progress has been glacial, I will not give up my dedication to keep you all entertained for what it's been worth.

Keep your eyes peeled for a new post in the next few days. Sorry to keep you all waiting.

Much love.

Look forward to the new instalments @DNZY mate, I'm still churning out updates as often as I can as well as working flat out.

As you can probably tell @DNZY I don't post much here nowadays due to being in the same boat as yourself - being flat out at work and enjoying my FM21 save game w/ Rangers.

But I am glad this career won't be petering out any time soon as it's been one epic career from the start, managing in such random Nations and I'm definitely looking forward to the next few updates and I'll try not to comment on this career once every six months. 😀

@HockeyBhoy - Thanks bud, I really need to catch up on your story too! My time has been scarce lately.

@Shedender - Should definitely get back into the story writing, your saves are always fun to read.





TRANSFERS


IN





Wasted no time to grab two newcomers under my wing before the window shut. One focused on improving our central core of defence, while the other is a plan B option should we mix things up and go full 'tactical tinkerer'. Both building our Ukrainian contingency.





Volodymyr Kovtun - D(C) - unattached free agent


Packing a pile of experience in the Ukrainian second tier, this sturdy centre back fills me with a lot of assuredness with his 91kg build and 15 jumping reach in the aim to win aerial battles. Physically well capable, mentally not too bad and has all the defensive technical tools at a respectable 12 each. Entering into this final primal years will no doubt create a beautiful partnership with either Nlend or Dopilka.





Andrey Martynov - M(R)/AM(R) - 4 month loan from Zorya


Rudimentary young winger to add some depth to the width. Although we're going for a 4-3-3 formation, having a few wingers to change the shape of the team can come in handy. Not expecting immediate fireworks from Andrey if I'm perfectly honest but its a low risk move to experiment with. Not bad on the set pieces either to perhaps punt in a late free kick.


UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE


THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND






Delirium in the stands as Tskhinvali stun the Romanians FCSB with a last gasp injury time strike! If our keeper retracted his mare of a performance in the first leg, we’d have sat comfortably on an away win in Bucharest. Two cataclysmic mistakes in two minutes relieved us of our advantage via Volodin's first half penalty. The cool headed Russian fought back with poacher instincts to wrap up the match at 2-2 heading into a tightly poised second leg.


Keeper certainly redeemed himself with a rock solid display for the home tie, making some key stops to maintain our status on aggregate. Chirilă decided to rain on the parade with a neat finish from a set play and leaving us to scramble for a goal. When hope was lost, the substitute striker Giorgi Janadze answered our prayers to stab home the decisive goal and send the Romanians packing.


PLAYOFF DRAW





To the land of waffles next, some might say a Standard Champions League draw for Liège. All whom stand between us and the group stages.





Lightning didn’t strike twice and were well beaten by the superior Belgians. Fairly competitive only trailing 2-0 by the 79th minute, however a late goal glut shifted the paradigm of the tie from close fought to a drubbing, despite an away goal scored by Onopko for pity’s sakes.

The damage couldn’t be undone in the second leg, yet again conceding three in quick succession to one another and all three coming from Standard counters. Denis Zhandov’s deflected free kick rattled their second half confidence, Volodin reducing the arrears to 3-2 and on the cusp of 3-3 with Anchabadze missing an open header from a corner.

Gracious in defeat, now let's bring on the Europa League group stage draw.

GROUP STAGE DRAW



UMAGLESI LIGA

MATCHDAY 19





Well…quite the way of introducing yourself domestically in a 4-1 drubbing. Rubbish throughout, Dila had us on toast on the short and narrow square pitch of ours. Every time they bobbed forward they looked like scoring, racking up nearly 30 shots on goal. Five without a win and lot of issues to iron out.

MATCHDAY 20





Things however improved with a bittersweet narrow win over Martvili. Baffling how we only came away with a single goal, end product lacked conviction apart from Volodin’s lovely drilled strike from the edge of the box. Visitors nearly smashed and grabbed us twice to our relief their finishing was as sharp as a butter knife.

MATCHDAY 21



Came from behind against brave Algeti who nearly put us in the ground, that was until Tsulaia’s equaliser to put their stem out. Business as usual in the second half with our strikers Tkachenko and Zhdanov getting on board and breaking us out of the funk we’ve been in.

RESULTS OVERVIEW



Encouraging opening month and a bit, domestically settling in and smeared the underdog status in Europe to advance to the Europa League group stages.
I do fear the Europa League will be an unneeded distraction but with money at stake its a good incentive.

LEAGUE TABLE



Another reason we might push on in Europe, chances of qualifying next season are looking bleak even with a game in hand. Suppose dangling six points above safety is the other side of the coin, however I don’t forecast it happening. If we do, I’ll end this save immediately.

KEY GAMES

UMAGLESI LIGA

MATCHDAY 24



Weathered a monsoon against runaway leaders Zugdidi whose gameplan simply consisted of kicking lumps out of the opposition. Three injuries didn’t stop us from frustrating the visitors, although being the home side you’re expected not to get completely outweighed in the amount of shots. Spoilers, it was just long shot fodder.




Sure the injuries may have been self-inflicted but I still blame Zugdidi.

MATCHDAY 26




Nice to see my Dinamo Tbilisi understudy already made a meal of his tenure, sacked after just 77 days in charge. Clear to see why for their defensive organisation for the first goal, almost inviting 19 year old hot prospect Beka Melikidze to score his first senior goal. Onopko’s deflected effort from range killed any hope of reprisal and a horrendous cross field ball from the back paved way for Tkachenko. Sadistic pleasure to a former team.

MATCHDAY 29



Lifeline in our bid for European qualification. A tremendous first half perhaps overshadowed by a sloppy flipside but with the goalscoring form Yury Orlov has been in, it was almost inevitable. A stonewall pen, a quick counter attack and an unfortunate own goal were on the menu for us, reeling Chikhura back into our field of vision with games in hand.

DAVIT KIPRIANI CUP

THIRD ROUND



Took a long time breaking down the door of our brave opponents Sulori from the second tier but the floodgates opened heading into the final quarter. Volodymyr Kovtun beat the keeper to head into an empty net before Zhdanov polished it off with a brace.

QUARTER FINAL



A late header from Dopilka deservedly nodded us into the semi finals to right the wrongs of Algeti’s harsh penalty. In fact every goal originated from a set piece, Denis Zhdanov curled in a sumptuous free kick only until the ref left his glasses in the dressing room to award Algeti a ridiculously soft penalty. Mattered not with Dopilka’s towering header to finish on a high.

SEMI FINAL



A painful experience to reach another cup final, second tier hopefuls Samegrelo made it very difficult for us. 37 shots, 18 on target, Samegrelo’s number one gets injured after 22 minutes and SOMEHOW we get dragged into the trenches of extra time. Zhdanov decisively managed to slip behind the Samegrelo defence and finish past their courageous backup keeper.

FINAL DRAW



If the semi final was anything to go by, I can only predict this final going one way. Zugdidi are in flying form and easily the pre-bookie favourites.



UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

GROUP E

MATCHDAY 1



Respectable start to the Europa League group stages with Joseph Nlend taking centre stage. The villain becometh a redeemed hero; conceding a penalty in the first 15 minutes but heading in from a corner moments into the second half. Both sides had decent spells of pressure, Zhdanov nearly pulling out a winner but an equal result was the right outcome.

MATCHDAY 2



Ah Besiktas, I never missed you while you were gone. Their counter attacking style absolutely perforated us to the point where it could’ve become a cricket score. Down and out in 35 minutes with Matheus, Sevindir & Klyukin all scoring similar one on one style finishes to devastating effect. Khachidze in goal stopped it from getting worse and did have a shot of reducing the damage but Tkachenko ballooned a clear effort over.

MATCHDAY 3



I hate to admit it guys, but I don't think we're going through. Yet another glaring gulf in quality with the French side dominating throughout. Tactics or style didn't even come into the equation, we were just bad overall. Looked extremely shaky from crosses where the first and third goals came from, the second was just poor marking and a soft finish. Despite our four shots, two of them were clear cut with Gaga Tsulaia and Nikita Volodin working the keeper to an extent. Don't think I expected any more to be honest.

RESULTS OVERVIEW



Taking the cup victories away, September wasn't the greatest month domestically. Scalped a draw with Chikhura in a game we really should have lost, the visitors missing a penalty. Galkin our saviour before his long term injury. The tale of the Europa League hangover influenced an unwelcoming gutless 2-0 defeat to former club Batumi.

October marginally improved but the draws are hurting our progress. An end to end affair with Dila, pressure ebbing and flowing between the two sides with Kovtun rescuing a point. The return fixture didn't go to plan three days after our triumphant 3-0 win over now managerless Dinamo Tbilisi, shooting ourselves in both feet and needing a defensive error from former signing Alan Kovalenko to gift us a late equaliser. Following the Saint Etienne defeat we drew yet another league game, this time to Martvili - both sides failing to make an impact.

Steadies the boat heading into the last portion of the season but league form is so disjointed at present, plenty of goals but plenty of frailties at the back. Cup run has been the only major plus reaching the final and the Europa League group stage form is, well, as expected for a club of our stature.

LEAGUE TABLE



While at face value it looks like a mountain to climb, fourth is still in reach especially after the crucial 3-2 win over Chikhura. Factoring in our three games in hand and Chikhura's wobbly form, it is entirely possible to scrape into Europe should the cup final end in disaster. Zugdidi are coasting to success while my two former clubs are poised for a double relegation.

I genuinely come on the careers thread just to see if there's been any update to this thread @DNZY 

This is still the best thread on the site! Hope you're well dude.