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#384445 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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.
#384434 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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.
#384423 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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.
#384422 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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.
#384414 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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
#384411 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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!
#384400 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
I'm looking forward to your next large career! Always a great read and gets me into my careers when I try and emulate your success haha!
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!
#384190 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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.
#384163 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
#384161 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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.
#384151 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
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.
#384145 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
SEPTEMBER 2018 UPDATE
4 league games and 1 cup game this month. It's been an up and down month and one that I is much more what I was expecting when we came into the league. Moe defeats than wins and struggling for form.
Robert Dadic scored what proved to be the winner in our first game of the month against Zagreb. It was a tight affair but ultimately we won 1-0.
Istra 1961 are our senior affiliate team so to get a draw against them is seen as a big result. However, this game rankles with me a bit as they're struggling and we could've won it had we taken our chances. Antonio Pavlinovic scored our equaliser in the 92nd minute to gain a 1-1 draw.
Our first defeat of 2 this month came against Lokomotiva Zagreb. They dominated the game and scored 3 good goals. We were never in the game and never looked likely to score. We lost 3-0.
So after the heavy defeat, the cup came as a welcome distraction. We played Medimurje who play in our old league; the Croatian Second Division. Dadic and Tepuric scored the goals in a comfortable 2-0 win.
Last up, we played Rijeka. Another game where we didn't really play well and ultimately lost the game 3-1. As I said above, a mismatched month where we gained some points but lost a few that we could've gained as well.
So we're in 5th position. A solid start still, and hopefully we can kick on and consolidate our position in the league this season so we can challenge next year. The cup will probably be our aim this season!
#384021 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
So it's the end of August in my first season in the Croatian First Division and things are going pretty well if I do say so myself. We're 7 games in having played another 5 games this month and we are well placed in the league.
We started the month against the reputable Hadjuk Split who are one of the more well known teams in the Croatian footballing pyramid. I didn't expect much from the lads against these, and they didn't give me much. We got battered in every department and conceded the 3 goals that took them to a 3-0win.
Inter Zaperesic are a team that I haven't heard much about, so I didn't know what to expect. We went 2-0 down early on and did well to come back to 2-1, but we couldn't find the equaliser we needed. 2 losses on the bounce and things didn't look too good for me. 2-1
We then hosted Osijek who were flying in the league up to their visit. I didn't expect a brilliant performance but the lads showed up and performed remarkably well! A testament to their ability as we shocked them 3-1! Back to winning ways.
Probably the most well known team in Croatian football was up next: Dinamo. The giants of Croatian football and we held them to a 0-0 draw. Proud of the lads with this performance. I expected to get a tonking like most teams have this season.
Finally we played fellow newcomers to the league and old rivals Varazdin who came 2nd in the 2nd Division last season. It was a great game of end to end football. We were on the right side of the result in the end having scored 3 wonderful goals. 3-1 winners saw us gain the 3 points.
So after 7 games in the league, we sit in 4th position. This is way more than I could have asked for. Can we challenge for the league? It's unlikely but we willc ertainly give t a hell of a good go!
#384010 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
It's been a busy pre season in terms of comings and goings.
First of all, on the outgoing side of things, I decided to release 9 of my players who didn't really play a huge part last year and were on the fringe of things at the club. They were taking up my wage budget. The only one I wanted to stay was Danijel Romic but he had already made his mind up and wanted to leave the club. The Cakarun brothers were the most notable players to leave the club.
Now for the incomings. 7 players came into the club to help bolster the lines. A well known face returned to the club in the form of Ivor Ljubanovic who I had previously bought for 65k then sold for 100k then signed back on a free transfer. He's meant to have a big future but has yet to show me why. Mladen Matkovic is now my number one goalkeeper and strengthens the squad immensely.
Their was only time for 4 friendlies this pre-season and I opted for a mini pre season tour of the mighty San Marino. We played two teams there; Federazione Sammariniese and San Giovanni. We comfortably won both games and had a decent run out in both matches. The other two friendlies were a bit closer to home. One against my fellow first division club Istra and one against a lower league club. Again we won both easily which is really pleasing. 4 friendlies played, 4 wins. Shame there isn't 3 points on offer haha.
The league kicked off this month as well with 2 games being played. I'm not sure what to expect so far but I'm happy with the start we have made.
We kicked off the season away at Lokomotiva Zagreb and snatched a late winner through playmaker Filip Scrbec. A very pleasing performance and a win for us to start the campaign off with. 1-0
Our second game, and our first home game was against Rijeka. Another pleasing performance and a game that we should have come away with all 3 points, but for a late goal from the visitors who ruined a fine display. Our goal came through a lovely little own goal from their goalkeepers after fine work from Ivor Ljibanovic.
1-1 the final score.
So after 2 games, the league table is looking fairly promising. Unbeaten and sitting 3rd from the top. Very pleasing start to the campaign.
#383998 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
#383994 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
We had 3 games to go, 3 massive fixtures standing between me and my first trophy! What happened I hear you ask, listen carefully and you'll see.
The three games couldn't really have gone much better. We gained a massive 7 points from 9. I didn't expect this total and I'm over the moon with it!
Our fist game was against a club I didn't really think were going to be up there towards the end of the season but they were in with a shout, Varazdin. We really played well, and I mean really well! 2 unlikely scorers made the impact. CB Kristian Ipsa scored a fine header from a corner routine to make it 1-0, then DM Marin Pilj made it 2-0 right at the end to make sure of the 3 points. 2-0 the score, and 1 down, 2 to go.
Slaven Belupo were up next and arguably the easiest game of the 3 we had to play. This turned out not to be the case. We could only manage a draw with them. Arguably this was a fair result, although I think we just about edged it, but 4 points out of 6 is more than fine for me. 0-0 the final score.
We went in to our final league game against Dinamo II sitting top of the tree on the same amount of points as them. We had a better head to head record so a draw would be enough. I never expected what was to follow. A 5-0 thrashing...
WE ONLY WENT AND WON THE LEAGUE
MY FIRST TROPHY OF THE CAREER! I'm so impressed with this team and the resiliance they have shown. We went into the campaign as 4th favourites and ended up winning it!
Now it's time to make our mark in the Croatian First Division! A tough ask...
#383986 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
Just the 4 games this month, and what a month we have had. Much better than the last one and hopefully the form can continue onto the last 3 games of the season.
We faced Zadar at home in what turned out to be a pretty decent performance. It was a game that could have gone either way but the deciding moment came in the 41st minute when Batelic scored what could be the goal of the season from 35 yards. I'll take that everyday. What a way to turn our form around. 1-0 the final score and the 3 points belong to us.
Up next was familiar faces Rudes and another 3 points for the boys. 2 goals in the first half sent us on our way. The scorers being Dadic and the ever dependable Pavlovic. A pleasing 2-1 victory.
Our only loss of the month came at home against Solin. This defeat really aggravated me as we dominated the game. They had two chances and took them both. We have to start taking our chances. We had over 20 shots with 16 at goal. 2-0 being the final score!
Back to winning ways in the final game of the month. This time at home against HNK Gorica. This was a great performance and a great way to end the month! 2-1 being the score that gave us the 3 points.
Despite having a very productive month, we still lie in 3rd with Varazdin and Dinamo II sitting above us. With 3 games remaining, who will take the title.
These are our remaining fixtures. You couldn't ask for 3 bigger games. 2 sit above me, and 1 directly below me. I think I'll need to win all 3 to be honest, so let's see what happens. I'm quietly confident.
#383975 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
In the first month after the Winter Break, we had a total of 6 games to play. All 6 in the league. All massive games.
Dinamo II were up first, in what could be described as a clash of the giants. They sat in 2nd whilst we sat above them at the top. Points were shared in a 3-3 thriller. A 92nd minute equaliser for ourselves courtesy of new boy Prelcec who joined us on loan from 1st division side Istra. Our other new boy Franjo Tepuric also stepped up and scored 2 goals on his debut.
A win against Varazdin is always a hard fought one and this 2-0 victory was no different. It looks comfortable enough on the scoresheet but we ground out the result. I'll never turn down 3 points o matter how hard they are to come by. Tepuric got another in his second start.
A 1-0 win against bottom side Trnje keeps the points ticking over. Should've scored more but we waste a lot of chances each and every game.
Sibenik were up next and this was a shocking performance. We were never even in the game and they scored 2 good goals to gain the 3 points. 2-0 the final score.
When one bad results come along, another usually comes with it and a narrow defeat against Hrvatski Dragovoljac did nothing to improve my mood. We were once agains the worst team. We never performed and we're throwing points away to teams we should be beating. 1-0
I fully expected to turn things round when Cibalia came to town, however they had other plans. Another defeat makes it a horrible end to the month and we need to turn this form around. 1-0 loss again!
These 3 defeats on the run, means we have fallen behind in the title challenge. Dinamo took their chances when we didn't and now sit 5 points clear. THIS IS THE CRUCIAL PART OF THE SEASON AND WE MUST START WINNING CONSTANTLY TO HAVE A CHANCE!
#383970 The Journey of Dan Ong, The Singaporean Manager
tongey
#383890 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
MID WINTER BREAK UPDATE
5 games this month, and all of them in the league since we've been knocked out of the Croatian Cup last month.
Our first game to kick the month off was against HNK Gorica and we managed to draw 1-1. Again, another game in which all 3 points should've come home with us however we conceded late on. It's becoming a problem as we're dropping points due to this.
A win, and a fantastic performance at that. We beat Slaven Belupo who are our title rivals. A cracking 2-0 win with one from the sot from Pavlovic and a fantastic solo strike courtesy of Dadic.
A bit of form hit us, another great game and another 3 points. We scored early on and secured the win with a late strike after they had equalised. 2-1 the score against Cibalia
What was turning out to be a good month was ruined by the last two games. We started out with a 1-0 loss against Solin who dominated us to be honest and they deserved the 3 points here.
A disappointing 0-0 draw against bottom side Trnje who we really should be beating. It's an annoying end to the month and we should be clear at the top.
We're still top of the league courtesy of GD, however Dinamo are threatening as are Slaven Belupo. Let's hope we can somehow manage to stay here and put together a run of wins together. We're in to the mid season break now so a few months to get rid of the deadwood and get some better players in to help us with the title challenge.
#383886 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
OCTOBER UPDATE
Only the 5 games this month, 4 in the league and 1 in the Croatian Cup.
First up was a match against Varazdin who have quickly become my bogey team. A valiant performance from my lads and we were unlucky to not come away with at least a point. A late goal for the home team meant we lost the game 1-0
We were back to winning ways when Hravtski Dragovoljac came to visit us at home. 3 different scorers which is always pleasing. Hopefully they can start chipping in with a few more. 3-0 victory.
Sibenik were up next and we made it 2 from 2. A late Benic goal meant that we gained all 3 points and the challenge for the title continues. 2-1 was the final score.
It was the Croatian Cup 2nd round up next and we fully deserved more than what we got. A late extra time equaliser meant that the game went to penalties. I never had luck in penalty shootouts and it didn't change. Gutted to go out this way but we can concentrate on the league. 1-1(p)
Our final game of the month was against Zadar and another late heatbreaker goal meant that we lost the game 2-1. We really need to shape up at the back. I'll be looking at modifying the tactic and making us more sturdy in that department.
This meant that we were still top of the tree, however Dinamo have a game in hand and can overtake us. We're still there and there abouts.
#383866 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
SEPTEMBER ROUND UP
A total of 8 games this month. 7 league games, and one Croatian Cup.
To start the month off, we were at home against HNK Gorica who managed to steal a point from us. We played magnificently, but just couldn't find that goal to grab all 3. We move on after a 1-1 draw.
We then entertained HNK Cibilia at home. This time out, we were absolutely shocking. A game which we should have dominated and won easily but the 3 points went to the visitors. Ljubanovic with the sole goal for us early on. A 2-1 defeat.
Another home game, and this time against our old rivals Solin. We could only manage a 1-1 draw. This month we weren't getting the rub of the green we got in the first.
Our first away game of the month was against bottom club Trnje and mid way through the second half Belakovic popped up with a powerful header to make sure we gained our first 3 points of the month. 1-0.
The Croatian Cup came as a much needed distraction from the league. Something to clear the cobwebs out with, and we managed to grab an important victory against NK Opatija who play in the Croatian 3rd Division. I cant help but feel the result should've been better but a win is a win and we're through to the next round. 3-2 the score.
Back to the league and Dinamo II came to visit us. Kristian Ipsa scored the second in a 2-1 victory. Back to back wins in the league again.
The big game of the month was against the team sitting in second place Slaven Belupo. We dominated the game but couldn't take our chances. Nevertheless we gained a credible 1-1 draw.
Our last game of the month was against another of our favourite teams to play against. Rudes. Ljubanovic scored a dramatic late winner in a 1-0 well deserved victory.
Another month down, another month where we sit perched right at the top of the tree. Let's hope this can long continue...
#383760 Susie On Tour - #2 The Leverkusen Curse
tongey
Transfers:
So as Dan has stated above, no funds means no incoming transfers, there is enough quality in the team to get you by for a while anyway. Reinforcements may well be needed next season but I'm happy with what I've got at my disposal. As I play a narrow formation, I have no need for wingers in my squad so Bellerabi was deemed surpless to requirements so was sold for a very healthy £25m! I nearly got my hands on Ignacio Camacho in January for £15.5 but Man Utd got their first.
It all went well in the league this year. Hernandez got most of the goals and stayed fit all season which is a huge bonus. Bernd Leno in goal was a joy to behold and gained 16 clean sheets out of 30 games in the league. Volland nipped in with a fair few goals as well and Kai Havertz was my young player of the year! Only 17 years of age as well. What a talent we have on the books. As for points we got: 2 wins against BMG, 2 wins against Koln, and 1 win against Bayern in the league which gives us: 25 points.
This left the table to look like this:
WE ONLY WENT AND WON THE LEAGUE!! An unbelievable achievement for the club. We sat top for most of the season to be honest, and Bayern and Dortmund came charging back towards the end which was nerve wracking, but we held our own and won the league by 3 points. Massive!! This gives me a cool 25 points.
Cups wise, we did well in the first few rounds despite some ridiculously hard draws. Wins against Dortmund and Bayern (on penalties) were enough to get me into the Qtr Final, where we lost against a D2 team. Embarrassing really! Should've gone on to win this after beating the big boys early on. 5 points for beating Bayern though, and 10 for exiting at the Qtr Final stage.
Another hard draw in the Champions league left me in a group with: Real Madrid, Sporting and Roma and it all came down to the last game. We managed to beat Roma to set up a game against Tottenham where we ultimately went down 5-4 on aggregate which is a huge shame. Anyway, another 5 points here.
Manager of the Year award also gives me 5 points! Expected it as we won the league. It usually goes that way!
Points Total for Season 1:
League Finish: 1st - 25 points
Cup: Qtr Final Exit - 10 points
Champions League: 1st Knockout Round Exit - 5 points
Beat Bayern: x 2 - 10 points
Beat Koln: x 2 - 10 points
Beat BMG: x 2 - 10 points
Manager of the Year - 5 points
Total: 75 points
#383603 Susie On Tour - #2 The Leverkusen Curse
tongey
Anyway, here is my manager to take on this challenge.
#383450 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
Cheers @Jamie3. I'm feeling quite optimistic about the chance of promotion in my first full season. The team is playing very well.
AUGUST 2017 ROUND UP:
FIXTURES
A total of 5 games this month, 4 in the league, and 1 in the Croatian Cup.
We started off with an away trip against Rudes who we beat comfortably last year. The same result wasn't to be and the performance was shocking. We were lucky to come away with a point with our Matija Cakarun grabbing a late equaliser and his first of the season. 1-1 the score.
Our second game of the season was another away trip, this time against Hrvatski Bragovojlac. Our first 3 points of the season with a much improved performance.
We grabbed our goal via a penalty which was calmly slotted home by Bojan Pavlovic. 1-0 the score.
The first home match of the season was a tasty matchup against Sibinek. Another improved performance and our first 2 goal haul of the season. A 2-1 victory kept us ubeaten and we moved top of the league.
It was the cup up next for us, and against the team who quite comfortable beat us last season and the team who went up via the promotion playoff, Dugopolje. It was a tough match, evenly spread throughout the game. We grabbed a winner in the 84th minute viaMarin Pilj who scored his first for the club. 1-0the final result.
Our final game of the month was another away match against recently relegated Zadar This was a game we dominated from start to finish and Matija Cakarun
grabbed a hattrick. 3-0 the final score.
LEAGUE TABLE
Where did that leave us in the table? Right at the top of the tree. What a fantastic unbeaten month. Time to kick on and really put our foot down.
#383443 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
TRANSFERS
Nikola Rihtar came in on a free transfer. The youngster is regarded as one of the best upcoming keepers in Croatia so I'll be looking at bedding him in. A good backup to have for the season.
Lovro Benic has come in from Grobnican to replace Polic who returned to his club after his loan finished. It left us short in midfield so he's come in to start in the center. He's a solid addition and I'll be looking at his creativity to gain us some assists.
Ante Vukusic is an experienced defender who can play all across the back line. At 33 he is no spring chicken but his experience may be vital if we are to challenge this season. For only 2.4k this is a steal in my eyes.
Zdenko Bilac rounds the INS up for the season. He's an attacking midfielder who can score and provide assists. We needed bodies so he's perfect to rotate in and out all season.
PRE SEASON FRIENDLIES
A mixed bag of results here. A number of losses in the middles stages of pre season but all were close games. A lot of goals were scored but also a lot were conceded so we need to firm up at the back. A good win in the last friendly to set us up nicely for the league.
We've been made 4th favourites for the title this year. Not bad at all and I'm confident we can make a charge for that first piece of silverware.
#383439 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
@Dan you should definitely join in the challenge again, I enjoyed it last time, just a shame the database ended it all.
@Shedender it would be good to have you on board again, but it does take a lot of motivation. I'm hoping mine doesn't run out.
@DNZY good to have you on board. I hope I don't disappoint!
So last time you checked in, we were lying in 6th position on 34 points with 9 games left. We had a very small chance at challenging for the league. How did we do I hear you ask? I'll tell you after I've poured out this lovely glass of unbranded red Croatian wine (I can't afford the brands).
FIXTURES
As you can see, there is more green dots on there than red which is always a good thing. I'm really impressed with our form and it's something to be positive about for our title challenge next season.
Our first game of the month was away against league high flyers Dinamo II which resulted in us getting a battering: 3-1 being the result. Polic grabbed us our consolation goal, but we never really challenged them which was disappointing after our good form.
League leaders Zagreb was up next and I thought the worst when we were 3-0 down at half time. An uplifting team-talk fuelled my boys on to a tremendous comeback with our new boy Ljubanovic netting a hattrick with the final goal and equaliser coming in the 92nd minute. A superb fight back giving us a point: 3-3
A run of two games at home was a welcome sight, and against the team slightly above us in the table Rudes. A scintillating performance from the boys gave us a comfortable 4-2 victory. Nemanja Belakovic coming into the team for the first time and scoring 2 goals.
Bottom team Lucko visited us at home and we kept them bottom with another victory. We were never really challenged in this game and we scored our goals and defended properly. 2-0 the end result.
Our third victory on the bounce came next, after a close game against Sesvete. We managed to grab a goal half way through the second half and just about hang on to gain the 3 points. 1-0.
Our run of form had to come to an end at some point and we were truly outclassed by Dugopolje who showed their class by scoring 3 unanswered goals. I was quite disappointed with this performance but we can't win them all eh? a 3-0 loss was the result!
We needed to bounce back and gain some points again, so to see my team beat HNK Gorcia 2-0 was a great sight. Again, we were never truly bothered in the game and we won it comfortably. 3 more points.
Our penultimate game of the season was against struggling Imotski who we really should be beating if we want to challenge for the title. We were really poor, and ultimately lost the game 2-0. Not a good performance.
And so it came, the last game of the season. A wonderful performance against Hrvatski Dragovoljac led to a 3-1 victory and the final 3 points of the season.
LEAGUE TABLE
We had done a great job in the half season that I have been in charge. Some wonderful performances and some great victories. I've a lot to be hopeful about and I'm really looking forward to seeing if I can bring in some extra quality and to see if we can challenge for that Croatian Second League title and my first trophy of the career.
#383414 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
END OF APRIL 2017 UPDATE
I've been in charge of Novigrad for 108 days as of now and in that time, we've had a huge winter break. I've used this time to strengthen my squad in key areas which I think that I have done. Initially I thought I only had 3 games left in the league as that's all that showed, however after those 3, another half of the season appeared so the challenge is on:
Transfers:
Ivica Jurakic is a striker with proven goalscoring ability in the Croatian Second League and will bring some much needed goals if I'm looking to challenge for the league one day.
Luke Kotromanovic is a strong commanding center back who is strong in the air. Hopefully he can help provide some stability in this key position on the pitch.
Ivor Ljubanovic is a youngster who is the future of my strikeforce. He's got the ability to be a leading player in the Croatian First Division so at 65k this is a bargain.
He's slotted into my team straight away.
Fixtures
First up was an away trip to NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac and my first professional match in charge. A 2-2 Draw was the result and a pleasing performance with new boy Jurakic grabbing a goal on his debut for the club. Shame we couldn't hold onto the win after being 2-0 up but thats the beauty of this game.
Secondly was another away trip, this time against NK Lucko who sat below me in the league so was a real chance for me to grab my first victory. We managed this with style. A cool 6-2 victory gave me my first 3 points in Croatia. Jurakic grabbed himself a hattrick.
My first home game in charge came against Solin who also sat below me. A very impressive 2-1 victory with the winning goal coming in the 82nd minute from Dadic. 7 points out of 9 so far.
HNK Sibenik were up next. Disappointing result really with the way we played. We deserved all 3 points but a 1-1 drls better than losing the game. A point more to the tally.
The last game of the month came at home against Solin for the second time in 2 weeks. Another solid display and another 3 points. 1-0 was the final score with new boy Ljubanovic grabbing the winner.
League Table
Looks good already. When I came into the club, we were sitting just above the relegation zone. I'm now up into 6th having rose 3 positions in a short space of time. An unbeaten couple of months gives me hopes of climbing even further. Who knows? We may even challenge for the title if we can continue this form.
#383403 Susie On Tour - #1 Stop The Drop
tongey
#383331 Tonges' Journey Around the World [FM17]
tongey
I'd be travelling around Croatia for a couple of months having touched down back in August 2016. Soaking up the sun and exploring the islands off the coast I had taken my mind off the job at hand; which was to get a job in football management. I was in the town of Novigrad when I heard they had sacked their manager with 3 games to go. I applied instantly and the rest is history...
Sitting just above the relegation zone, I still had my work cut out to keep them afloat in the league. I had come in expecting to keep them up, can I succeed in this and set a platform for next season? Who knows? But I'm on the ladder now, it's time to climb it.
Next Post: End of Season Update 2016/17.