Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]

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OCTOBER 2018 UPDATE





Just the 4 games this month. A nice rest for the players in between games seems to have worked out well for me as we've gone unbeaten this month.

Hadjuk visited us at home first, and we managed to come away with a 1-1 draw. Pavlinovic with the goal that got us the point. A quite stunning striker from the edge of the area.

Another game, another point as Inter Zapresic were next up. We were unlucky in this game to not score a third but I'll take another draw. A point is always better than none. 2 defenders with the goals this time round; Pavlovic and Vukusic. 2-2 the final score.

We grabbed our first victory and only one in the league this month against a team expected to qualify for Europe; Osijek. What a game this was, it had everything.
Goals, big meaty tackles, and a lot of action. 4-3 the final score going in my favour.

The Croatian Cup 2nd Round was my final game of the month. We played another Second Divsion team this time around and managed to come from behind to win 3-2 and progress into the Quarter Finals which will be played next month.



Despite having an unbeaten month we've dropped a position but I'm still confident we can rise slightly in the table come the end of the season. Plenty more points on offer.

NOVEMBER 2018 UPDATE





A short month with only 3 games being player. All 3 being in the league means that we can just concentrate on trying to move up the league table.

We travelled to league leaders Dinamo first and I didn't expect anything from this game so to shut them out and gain a point is a wonderful achievement. They've still to gain 3 points off me this season which I'm amazed about. 0-0 the final score.

We welcomed Varazdin to our stadium and I fully expected a win against the league strugglers. My team played really well, controlled the game and got the goal that gave us the win. Robert Dadic with a wonderful header from a well worked corner. 1-0.

We went on our travels for the last game of the month against other strugglers Istra 1961 and once again controlled the game. I've not seen us dominate a game like this from start to finish for a while and to score 2 goals is a great achievement. 2-0 giving us the 3 points.



Another unbeaten month and we're now 6 unbeaten in the league. A wonderful season it's turning out to be and we're up to 5th in the league. I'm convinced we can go higher and maybe sneak into European Qualification which will bring in some much needed money.

DECEMBER 2018 UPDATE



So we're at the mid season break which I'm start to really think is a good idea. My players can rest up before a hard slog towards the end of the season. We played 5 games this past month, 4 in the league and 1 in the Croatian Cup Qtr Final.



Zagreb were up first and I'm disappointed with how we played. We didn't turn up and didn't really cause them any problems. They scored 2 good goals and took the win 2-0.

We turned things round in the next game against Varazdin. It was a much better performance. Not perfect, but a lot better than last time out. Pavlinovic and Vukusic grabbed the important goals either side of their equaliser. 2-1 winners and into the next round of the cup: the Semi Final.

Lokomotiva Zagreb who sit just above us in the league seem to make us struggle every time we play them. We got a good draw this time out though and what an exciting game this was. 3-3 with plenty of chances for more goals. I'll take a point.

Rijeka, another team who sit above us in the league were expected to beat us comfortably, but we turned the tables on them. A very possession hungry performance for us and 2 good goals gave us the win 2-1. This could turn out to be an important win come the end of the season.

Unfortunately, we bookended this month with losses. Hadjuk took all 3 points in a game they dominated once again. It's a disappointing way to go into the winter break. 2-0 the final score here.



Mid way through the season, we sit mid way through the league in 5th place. A very pleasing first half of the season in my first season at the top end of Croatian Football. Who knows where we may end up. Fingers crossed for European Qualification.

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MARCH 2019 UPDATE



The winter break has come and go. Usually I'll try and sign a player or two to strengthen the squad but I left it this time round. The only notable addition that I've not informed you about, is one player you'll definitely know about. The man, the myth, the legend of Croatian football: Niko Krancjar. Unfortunately he got injured for 6 months after a few games, and is coming back to full fitness at the moment.



We played a number of friendlies to keep the lads fit in the winter break. 1 loss, and the rest were wins. A great mid season set of results and against some big teams in the Czech league: Viktoria Plzen and Sloven Liberec. Very pleasing to see us competing well against these types of teams.



We've had a busy month after coming back from the break, mainly because we had 2 extra cup games to play. The semi final of the Croatian cup is played over 2 legs and I'll tell you more about them later on.

Our first league game back was against Osijek who have always provided us with one hell of a battle. This match was no different and we shared the spoils. A 0-0 draw gains us an extra point.

Inter Zaperesic were next up, and thanks to a last gasp winner from Batelic who has just come back from injury helped us on our way to 3 big points. Good performance and one that can hopefully provide a bit of momentum.

It was time for the first leg of the semi final of the Croatian Cup next, and we played this one away from home meaning the deciding leg would be played in front of our home fans. After going 1-0 down, I didn't think we would come back because Lokomotiva Zagreb are usually a very good team defensively, but we battled back well and managed to score a fantastic team goal through our center back Novakovich. This away goal could be massive. 1-1.

Back to the league and Varazdin were the team that we faced. A very dominant performance where we never really looked troubled. 2 good goals from Tepuric and Barisic gave us a 2-0 win. 2 wins out of 2 in the league.

League leaders Dinamo were our next opponents and once again we bothered them like no other teams in the league seem to be able to do. We put up a wall when we play them and once again got another draw. 1-1 the final score. Impressive performance.

The biggest game of my career so far had arrived. The second leg of the semi final of the Croatian Cup. Going into the game level on 1-1 on aggregate, it was all to play for. The boys battled hard and managed to come out with a very impressive 3-1 win in front of our home fans. One for them to savour I'm sure. Into the final we go!

Our final game of the month was against Istra 1961. Another win for us after another fine display of football. We're starting to click now and I'm excited about where we could end up eventually. 2-1 with Pavlinovic grabbing both goals.



After this impressive month of results, we've climbed up the league to 3rd. Let's hope we can stay here as its the European Qualification spot!

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APRIL 2019 UPDATE



Another month down, and only one more to go until the end of the season! Things are going well, and I'm really positive about our chances to at least challenge for the league next season!



We started off the month against Zagreb and we started things off with a win! Another good performance and a belter of a goal from Batelic. Hopefully we can continue this form to the end of the season. 1-0.

Arguably the best game of the month ended up in a 3-3 draw. A fantastic performance although we only just found an equaliser in the 88th minute to gain a credible draw against Lokomotiva Zagreb.

A narrow loss against Hadjuk left me feeling disappointed. We deserved more from this game after having the lions share of possession and plenty of shots and shots on target. We just couldn't defend which is a shame. 3-2 to them.

Rijeka were up next and we've always had some good match ups. A well earned point in an even game. Possession was shared and both teams probably did enough to win the game, so a draw was a fair result. 0-0.

We ended things this month on a high note with a 2-1 win against Osijek. A fine way to end the month. We played very well and deserved to score more. A win is a win though.



With one month to go, things are very close at the top behind Dinamo who have already won the league. We're in 4th only 2 points from 2nd. Who knows where we will end up!

END OF SEASON UPDATE 2018/19.





5 important game, 1 month, European football on the line. So how did we do?

We started off against Inter Zapresic who I expected to beat and we fully deserved to do so. Pavlinovic scored a well worked goal and we never looked like conceding. 3 points to start the month off. 1-0.

Up next were the Champions, Dinamo. Our run of great form against them came to an abrupt end. They were way to strong for us and comfortably won the game 3-0. I didn't expect to get anything from the game so we move quickly on to the next game.

Varazdin, a team that I expected to beat as well were up next. We played magnificently, an all round team performance as we grabbed 3 goals through Vukusic and Tepuric (2). 3-1 the result.

We played Istra 1961 next who put up more of a battle than Varazdin did. It was a comfortable win again though as we turned on the style to outscore them 2-0 to recieve all 3 points. Niko Krancjar was immense in this game. I hope he stays.

Our final league game of the season was against Zagreb. What a disappointing way to end the season. A boring 0-0 draw with not much inspiration from either team.



WE FINISHED IN 2nd. WE GOT EUROPEAN FOOTBALL. I'm so immensely proud of the boys and what they've achieved. Oh and there is the small matter of a cup final to play, so what happened there?



A result I always expected. Dinamo were way to strong for us again, and they took the spoils. A 16th Croatian cup for them and although we didn't win, we played fairly well. We will bounce back though. Maybe even win the Euro Cup next season

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PRE SEASON & JULY 2019 UPDATE





It's not been that busy in terms of transfers the past off season. A fair few players left the club as they weren't needed anymore. The only one I'm sad about is Ivan Aleksic as he played a big part in the winning of the Croatian Second Division title, so it's a shame to see him leave the club. In terms of players coming in, we didn't have any transfer budget as the club has been losing money big time. Two loan players have come in: Amer Gojak, an attacking midfielder who comes in from Dinamo, and Vladamir Djordjevic, who a young right back from Crvena Zvedza and has just won the European Under 21s Championship player of the tournament award.



We could only fit 4 pre-season games into our schedule and it was more to help the lads gain some fitness. We bookended the friendlies with 2 wins and in the middle we had 2 unfortunate defeats, but it's not the results that matter here.



We player 3 games in the league this month and what a month it turned out to be.

Our first game of the season was against newly promoted Krk. They played pretty well but we played even better. A game we dominated and managed to score 2 goals through Franjo Tepuric who started his season well. A lovely little 2-0 to start the season.

Rijeka were up next and our first game at home. They provided a sterner test than Krk did but we still managed to get the win. We played really really well, passing the ball around nicely and getting our goals on the counter attack. Kristijan Batelic got the first goal and Franjo Tepuric carried on his good form by getting the winner. 2-1 the score.

We travelled to Inter Zapresic next and once again we dominated proceedings. New boy Amer Gojak grabbed our first goal with a lovely chip over the keeper and last years top scorer Robert Dadic sealed the win late on. 2-0.



A fantastic month of football lead to an unbeaten month as well. This means we sit pretty at the top of the league. Dinamo seem to be struggling but its very early on so I won't curse my luck too early on. Let's hope the form can continue and they continue to stumble.

Finally, I had to get serious with them and threaten to leave before they finally decided to allow me to gain my first coaching qualification. THE JOURNEY STARTS HERE.

AUGUST 2019 UPDATE



We've had such a busy month, we've played a total of 8 games this month and tiredness may start to kick in already. I've only a small squad and injuries are already starting to crop up, but thats what we have to contend with since we're in Europe this year. It's a good thing and a bad thing at the same time.



Kicking things off with the league fixtures for the month: 4 of them.

We started off against Zagreb where we played fairly well with no reward. Our strikers just couldn't score and neither could theirs. A 0-0
draw is a fair result and another point gained.

The other Zagreb team were up next, Lokomotiva Zargreb and what a game this was. End to end action, full of goals and we were on the right side of the result. Franjo Tepuric was on fire and led the team with a hattrick and Robert Dadic slotted home the winner from close range. 4-3 the final score.

It was 1st vs 2nd next as we were at home against Osijek who had been playing well. We put a stop to that as we controlled the game from the off until the 84th minute when we took the lead through Ivor Ljubanovic who gave us the win 1-0 along with the 3 points.

Our final league game of the month was against Istra 1961 and to be fair, it as our most disappointing result of the month. A 1-1 draw where Ivor Ljubanovic made it 2 from 2 for him. We struggled to really get into the game but a point is a point and we will take them anyday of the week.



This second unbeaten month in a row for us means that we still sit top of the tree. We lead Osijek by 2 points, and Dinamo have improved slightly and now sit only 3 points behind us. It's going to go down to the wire isnt it?



We kicked off our European campaign with a difficult draw I thought. Augsburg who play in the German First Division. Away from home we managed to gain a credible draw through a late equaliser from Franjo Tepuric. A crucial away goal maybe? 1-1.

The second leg kicked off at home, and what can I say? We absolutely dominated them. A total of 37 shots for us alone. Crazy! Amer Gojak scored an asbolute screamer to get things started and Robert Dadic scored a brace as we eased to a 3-1 victory and into the Playoff round.

If I thought Augsburg was a tough draw then we faced the impossible in the next round. Giants of the Italian footballing scene Lazio were up next and once again we played away from home first. A 1-1 draw is what we achieved somehow. What a result we had just secured as well as gaining that vital away goal.

Lazio came to town probably thinking they were in for an easy game. We went 2-0 up through goals from Amer Gojak in 38 seconds and then an own goal from Parolo. I thought we had done it, brought some extra defenders on to sure up that defence and it backfired. We conceded 2 late goals and they went through on away goals. AWAY BLOODY GOALS! 2-2 the final score and we were out of Europe. A valiant campaign though.

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SEPTEMBER 2019 UPDATE



So now we're out of the the Europa League, we can get back to concentrating on 'realistic' trophies: the league and the Croatian Cup which both featured in this months fixtures.



Hadjuk managed to inflict our first defeat of the season on us. We were really unlucky but I guess it had to come sometime. They managed to grab the winner in the 82nd minute after we had equalised through Luka Lucic. The match ended 2-1.

Back to winning ways when Krk came to visit. A solid 3-0 victory. Strong upfront, and strong at the back. A pretty perfect match for us. Franjo Tepuric, Filip Scrbec and Ivor Ljubanovic with the goals!

We finally got our first win against the mighty Dinamo. I'm so proud of the lads here as it's a monumental task to beat them really. A Franjo Tepuric goal gave us the lead and then Amer Gojak scored a penalty to give us a 2-0 lead. We held on after they scored to take a 2-1 win in what could be an important match in the title challenge.

It was the Croatian Cup up next and we played lower league team Bjelover. I rotated the squad to give some of the regular starters a rest and also give a chance to the ones on the fringe of the squad. They did just that. Mateo Stepcic became the youngest scorer at the club. Marian Pilj and Franjo Tepuric also scored in a 3-0 win.

It was an away game to end the month as we travelled to Rijeka. They managed to hold on to a 1-1 draw as we dominated the game. We were unlucky to not to take all 3 points but I won't complain with a point again.



We still sit top of the league in what is turning out to be an amazing season so far. Osijek sit behind us by 3 points and Dinamo the same.

OCTOBER 2019 UPDATE





05.10.19 - Lokomotiva Zagreb (A) - 4-2
Another cracker of a game against them. There are always goals in the game and it's always an exciting 90 minutes of football. This game was no exception and I'm happy we were on the right side of the result. Robert Dadic got us off to a flyer by scoring a well rounded team goal. MOM Amer Gojak grabbed a hattrick to make sure we got over the line and gain the 3 points.

18.10.19 - Inter Zapresic (H) - 2-1
We continued our run of good form and once again showed why we deserve to be top of the league. Franjo Tepuric also continued his good form in the league by scoring 2 goals in the game. He was unlucky to not collect a hattrick as he had one cleared off the line as well. Another great performance and another 3 points.

25.10.19 - Zagreb (H) - 1-1
Vladamir Djordjevic grabbed an early goal in the game to give us the lead in what was to be a close affair. Zagreb pulled it back later on in the first half to gain a point when they really didn't deserve to leave with any. We had the better play and should've taken one of our many chances but didn't. A point is a point.

30.10.19 - Sibinek (H) - Croatian Cup - 2-0
Another easy'ish draw in the Croatian Cup and we easily progressed to the next round. Once again I rested players to give others more game time. It payed off again as we comfortably won the game 2-0. Robert Dadic scored a beautiful team goal after most of the team had touched the ball in the build up and then Ante Vukusic popped up with a penalty to make sure of the win.



So after 14 games in the league, we are sitting at the top still by 4 points. I'm so happy with whats been going on and I really can't wait to see where we end up. We're going well in the Croatian Cup again and I hope to go one better than last year and to win it!

NOVEMBER 2019 UPDATE





03.11.19 - Osijek (A) - 2-0
We kicked off the month with an away trip to Osijek. Another match up where it's either hit or miss for us. This time it was definitely a hit! We hit the ground running and played really well and its so satisfying to say so. The man with the golden boot Franjo Tepuric scored the first and then his strike partner Ivor Ljubanovic popped up late to grab the second. A great way to start the month

09.11.19 - Istra 1961 (H) - 3-0
If I thought we played well last time out, we played even better this time. A home game against Istra 1961 turned into a one sided affair. A good defensive performance with no goals conceded and 3 goals for us meant that we gained the 3 points. Robert Dadic kept his scoring record up with a lovely solo strike from just outside the area. Ivor Ljubanovic made it 2 from 2 for him when he scored in the 14th minute and then Vladimir Djordjevic the right back grabbed the 3rd goal in a comfortable win for the club.

24.11.19 - Hadjuk (A) - 2-1
This had the potential to be a banana skin for us. Hadjuk are a very good team and have the ability to beat anyone in the league and when they went 1-0 up in the 19th minute after some shoddy defending I thought the worst. The boys battled back superbly and Franjo Tepuric equalised with a slightly lucky finish from 3 yards out. Robert Dadic grabbed the winner in injury time in the 1st half to make sure we went into the break 2-1 up. Luckily we weathered the storm in the 2nd half and held on for the 3 points.



3 wins out of 3 in the league this month means there is no change in the top of the league. We still sit there on 40 points with Dinamo sitting 4 points behind us. We're still holding them off and I'm confident we can still be here at the end of next month.

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DECEMBER 2019 UPDATE





01.12.19 - Dinamo (A) - 2-1
The first game of the month is probably the biggest game of the season. Last time round we managed to grab a win over the Croatian giants. This time around we weren't so lucky. A narrow defeat means that they clawed points back in the title challenge and the lead sits at 1. Robert Dadic grabbed our goal before they got the winner.

04.12.19 - Lokomotiva Zagreb (A) - Croatian Cup - 4-0
A repeat of last years semi-final but this time at the Quarter Final stage. What a performance we put out. We dominated from minute one to minute 90 and played some wonderful possession based football. Kristijan Batelic got us off to a flyer by scoring in the 3rd minute. Robert Dadic continued his goalscoring form by netting from 8 yards out into an empty net. Amer Gojak scored the 3rd from outside the area before an own goal made it 4-0.

07.12.19 - Krk (A) - 2-0
Bottom of the league Krk have been performing a lot better recently but we put a stop to their good form. 2 unlikely scorers popped up with the goals through the form of; Stjepan Stubican and Filip Scrbec. A game we took control of and didn't let them have a sniff at our goal. Impressive from the back forwards.

15.12.19 - Rijeka (H) - 2-1
Amer Gojak scored what could be goal of the season. The loanee scored from 35 yards out from a free-kick which whistled into the top corner. A delightful striker form the young loan star. An own goal made sure of the win against a spirited Rijeka team. Another win for us keeps the pressure on at the top.

22.12.19 - Lokomotiva Zagreb - 1-1
A disappointing end to the month and to the first half of the season. We head into the winter break having drawn with a team we should be beating. Filip Scrbec scored a last minute equaliser. It was such a disappointing performance and one that has been rarely seen this season. We were lucky to escape with a draw to be honest.



Luckily Dinamo didn't make the most of my dropped points this month and the gap is at 2 points. It's getting a little bit to close for my liking though. To make things worse our top scorer Franjo Tepuric is out for 7 weeks having got injured against Zagreb in the last game which is a little annoying. Let's hope we can rally around him and do him proud.

WINTER BREAK & FEBRUARY 2020 UPDATE





So the winter break has come and gone and the board gave me the choice of where I wanted to go on our winter break tour. I had the option of staying in Croatia, visiting Bosnia & Herzegovina or taking a trip to Slovenia. I've heard Slovenia is lovely in January so opted for there. I also fancied a little trip to Lake Bled. We also had a great match up against 1860 Munich which was probably the biggest game of our friendlies. We had a great winter break winning all 6 of our friendlies and the boys having a good workout to keep their fitness up.



14.02.20 - Inter Zapresic (A) - 1-0
The first of 3 games this month, and all 3 are away games. Inter Zapresic are a team we should be beating and we just about got away with it this time round. A lovely little goal from Kristijan Batelic got us into the lead and we held on to take a 1-0 win and the 3 points home. We didn't really play well but after a winter break, I can't complain too much.

22.02.20 - Zagreb (A) - 1-1
Zagreb sit 3rd in the league, someway behind Dinamo and ourselves but that doesn't mean they were going to be a pushover. They are a very decent team and showed this by taking the lead within the 1st minute. We weren't shocked by this and showed our composure by equalising in the 29th minute thorugh Ante Vukusic. The score stayed the same and I'm happy with a point away from home here.

27.02.20 - Istra 1961 (A) - 1-0
Another 3 points from a game we are expected to win. We were impressive for the first time this month and since the winter break. We really dominated and Robert Dadic scored a delightful chip from the edge of the area. A sublime finish from our striker. 3 points which makes it 7 from 9 this month.



Dinamo couldn't quite take advantage of us slipping up against Zagreb and are still 2 points behind us. I'm ticking off these months one by one and I'm hoping to still be at the top come the end of the season. We got a fantastic draw in the Croatian Cup Semi Final as well as we play Varazdin who got relegated last season. I won't count my chickens just yet though.

01.03.2020 - Osijek (H) - 1-0
A late penalty gave the win to Osijek. A disappointing way to start the month but we didn't really deserve to get anything from the game and they were unlucky not to have scored from open play earlier in the game. Although I didn't think it was a penalty, I'll let them have it as they deserved the win. Improvement is needed this month.

04.03.2020 - Varazdin (H) - Croatian Cup Semi Final Leg 1 - 1-0
As heavy favourites for this tie, we did what we had to and got the win in the 1st leg. Although I'd have liked more goals, the win is the main part and they didn't grab an away goal so that's good news. Franjo Tepuric back from injury scored the goal in the 81st minute to give us the win. 1/2 the job complete, time to finish it off.

08.03.2020 - Hadjuk (H) - 3-1
As I've said before, Hadjuk are definitely a team that can beat you and have done in the past. We did well to avoid this happening and to pick up some much needed points.
Robert Dadic grabbed a brace and was MOM after a remarkable performance. Franjo Tepuric also grabbed a late goal to boost his tally. A solid 3-1 win.

14.03.2020 - Dinamo (H) - 4-0
This was not a result that I wanted to see. Dinamo who are pressuring us at the top of league came to visit and played us off our own pitch. A 4-0 hammering is embarassing to say the least but we have to move on quickly. I cant really say more about this as they dominated us in every aspect. Could this be the turning point?

18.03.2020 - Varazdin (A) - Croatian Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg - 4-4
A game that sent me to the edge with nerves. What a ridiculous game. I didn't expect the kind of performance that they turned out and it shocked me. We were lucky to come away with a draw to be honest, and we were lucky to progress. We can count our lucky stars. Franjo Tepuric has been in fine fettle recently and scored 2 goals with Ivor Ljubanovic and Robert Dadic grabbed the others.

21.03.2020 - Krk (H) - 4-0
This was the kind of result we needed. A confidence builder after the battering caused by Dinamo. 4-0 and it could have been more. Filip Scrbec opened the scoring with a good header. Robert Dadic then slotted past the keeper from 12 yards out, followed by Kristijan Batelic blasting home from the edge of the area to make it 3-0. Goldenboy Franjo Tepuric finished things off to make it 4-0. To make things better, Dinamo lost at the same time.



We're still top. 2 months to go. I'm still nervous. We're only 4 points clear at the top. I can't help but think that it's going to come down to the last game of the season which is against...? You called it. Dinamo.

APRIL 2020 UPDATE





03.04.2020 - Inter Zapresic (H) - 2-1
We seem to play Inter Zapresic every month, I'm not quite sure how many times we actually play each other but it's a fair amount of times. We got the win once again and haven't lost against them in a long time. We went down early but our super right back Vladimir Djordjevic grabbed two goals in a superb performance to take the win. Brilliant start to the month.

12.04.2020 - Rijeka (A) - 2-2
Franjo Tepuric and Robert Dadic both scored in a fairly equal game against Rijeka. Both teams could have taken the 3 points but it was 1 point for each as we cancelled each other out. We were 2-0 up but switched off immediately as they rescued a draw by scoring 2 quick goals.

19.04.2020 - Lokomotiva Zagreb (A) - [/i1-1]
[i]Another draw helps us keep the month unbeaten. I can't help but think we should have got all 3 points but couldn't take our chances once again. A statement I've been putting too often this season. Kristijan Batelic grabbed the equaliser after a poor bit of defending let them in to slot home. Another point closer to the title?

22.04.2020 - Zagreb (H) - 0-0
Make that 3 draws from 3 games. We were lucky to escape with a draw in this game after they had dominated the match. We were really poor and I'm counting my blessings here. They could've won the game 5-0 was it not for our superb keeper Matkovic who had a blinder. Points mean prizes right?

25.04.2020 - Osijek (A) - 4-3
An absolute corker of a match which ended in a 4-3 thriller. Luckily we were on the right end of the score. Our scoring prowess is something to behold as Ivor Ljubanovic,
Kritijan Batelic and Antonio Pavlinovic were all amongst the scorers. It was Pavlinovic who grabbed the all important goal with 18 minutes to go to give us all 3 points.



It's oh so close at the top with one month to go. Only a point clear of Dinamo. I'm nervous.

On the plus side, I've started my second coaching course so that should help get some better jobs in the future.

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END OF SEASON UPDATE





01.05.2020 - Istra 1961 (H) - 2-0
A great performance from the lads at a time where we need good performances. We took control of the game early on and went from strength to strength. Two quick goals just before the half time whistle meant that we went into half time in the lead and we didn't falter from there. Hrovje Barisic with a rare goal followed by Ivor Ljibanovic a minute later grabbed the goals for us in the win.

09.05.2020 - Hadjuk (A) - 2-1
What a performance. What a result. We were excellent against a tough team. Kristijan Batelic put us ahead on the 9th minute as he raced through 1 on 1 and didn't let us down. He got his 2nd in the second half to put us back in the lead after Hadjuk has equalised midway through the first half. I was so relieved to win this game and take it down to the final game.



2 CUP FINALS: One in the league, One in the Cup.



As you can see, we have 2 games to go. The first is in the Croatian Cup final against Istra 1961. Can we win our first Croatian Cup and tick off another trophy on my hunt for all of them. The second game is the title decider. Novigrad vs Dinamo. What a spectacle. Whoever wins takes the title. If we draw I win the league. I'm excited. Let's see what happens.

13.05.2020 - Croatian Cup Final - Istra 1961

Show Spoiler

WE WON IT! In our 2nd appearance in the final in 2 successive years we have won the Croatian Cup. I'm so proud of the lads. We did it the hard way and took it to penalties to decide who won but we held our nerve and won 6-5 on penalties. We made it really hard for ourselves when Toni Borevkovc got himself sent off for a shocker of a tackle. Things got worse when Istra 1961 took the lead. Luckily Antonio Pavlinovic equalised with 14 minutes to go to take it to extra time. Penalties were up next and Kristijan Batelic composed himself after other had missed and slotted home to cue celebrations from the Novigrad boys.

16.05.2020 - Dinamo (A)

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All we needed was a draw, and thats what my players delivered. I thought it wasn't going to be our day as they piled on the pressure. We were under the cosh for about 85 minutes, and the other 5 minutes was just us running around like headless chickens chasing the ball. It was actually like we hadn't played football before but we managed to grind out a 0-0 draw. What a result and what a day!

WE WON THE LEAGUE!

END OF AN ERA



[i]After the joy at the end of last season, I had ticked off 3 out of the 4 trophies available to me in Croatia. I had one more to go: the Croatian Super Cup of which I have my chance before the start of next season. I've already decided that whatever the result, I'll be resigning from NK Novigrad.
The club will have a special place in my heart forever now, I have thought about staying and seeing if I could break them into the top team in Croatia and to see if I could make them into a Champions League winning team, but this career is about winning all the trophies available to me and it'll be bye bye to Croatia for me.

Anyway lets see what happened in the Super Cup:



As you can see, as we won the league and the cup last season there was no one for us to play so they just awarded it to us anyway. I'm not sure whether to count this but I think I will for now. Any objections?



And with that, I was gone. I had resigned from my post as Novigrad manager and was on the job hunt once again. I'd packed my bags, moved out of my smart apartment in Novigrad town centre and headed for the airport, but where was my next destination? You'll find out in my next post...

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MY NEXT JOB...

So I'd packed my bags and left my apartment after resigning from NK Noivgrad after 4 fantastic seasons in Croatia. I'd won the lot in my time there and it's time to move on. I arrived at the airport and booked the cheapest flight that I could. It was to...

ROMANIA!


Romania is a place that I've never managed in before so should be an interesting one for me. It's time to test my best in Bucharest. The job offer had to be right for me and I want to win trophies. The club that offered me a job is well known to football fans across Europe and I'm positive it's the best move for me. Where is it I hear you ask?

STEAUA BUCURESTI CLUB INFORMATION



I've taken charge of Steaua Bucuresti who are one of the more well known teams in Romania. They have a proud history and my targets have been set. The board want me to win the title. Simple as that. I've got win and I that's perfect for me. The previous manager was struggling to make them challengers and ultimately got fired so I put my name into the pot and they chose me: an relatively unknown Englishman.

CLUB HISTORY & FACILITIES



[i]Steuaua Bucuresti have won the Romania First League on 30 different occasions showing they are a powerhouse of the country. They've also won the Romania Cup 24 times, the Romanian League Cup on 4 occasions, and most notably they've won the European Champions Cup the once which is quite an achievement for a team from Romania. I'll be looking to add to this impressive haul.



They play their home games at the National Arena in Bucuresti which is quite a stadium. Certainly one of the biggest I'll take charge in during my career. They have good training facilities, below average youth facilities and average junior coaching. which I'll be looking to improve over my time at the club.



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CLUB SQUAD & PERFORMANCE SO FAR...






This is the squad that I've got available to me at the start of my role here. It seems to be a decent squad for the Romanian First League. Of these players Fali the holding midfielder looks like the pick of the bunch, and will be crucial to my title challenge this season. Robert Vilceaneu is the main goal threat and has scored recently in the league. Players that you may have heard of are limited, but the one that stood out to me was: Bernard Parker, the South African player. He's getting on a bit but I'm sure he will play a part here.



You can kind of see why the previous man got fired, his results weren't good enough for a team like Steaua and I thank him for his job as it's given me a chance at this great club. They got knocked out in the Champions League 3rd Qualifier against Hapoel Be'er-Sheva who they should really be beating. I can concentrate on the league this season anyway.



Without playing a game, we currently sit 5th in the league with the club having played 7 games already. I'm happy with this and can start my job knowing I'm not too far off the leaders and can claw them back in. I aim to get off to a quick start and really dominate the league.