Sergey's diary- Taking Southampton to the top.

Will Southampton be able to win the Coca Cola League championship

  • Yes

    Votes: 5 50.0%
  • No

    Votes: 5 50.0%

  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .
Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
44
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Do comment if you like it, and feedback if you want. Will update in monthly basis from the start of the next season, cheers!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IPrologue

May 26th 2006

The most horrible day of my life, when the doctors informed me its for the best I retire from my playing career, as the leg injury I received during a match, was career threatening, and it would take atleast a year to recover from this crisis.

My last match was against St. Johnstone playing for Rangers, when I broke my leg, and eventually was forced to retire from football at the age of 30.

Present day

I always wanted to do something great for my nation Russia. I thought I would lead them to a good world cup show in South Africa, but I never got the chance. My playing career was shortened, and my dream of leading Russia to glory, was over.

rfulogo.jpg


8th August 2008

I payed Guus Hiddink a visit after the Russian team had a good show in the European championship, and congratulated him on his success. He was a busy man, and soon enough his words encouraged me to start a managerial career of my own, since there isn't that many high profile russian managers. I was excited of the prospect of managing the Russian team to win the world cup, and I have a lot of time to achieve such a step.

guushiddink1.jpg


15th August 2008

It didn't take me long to get started, after hearing from Hiddink, I quickly moved back to England, and since I have been in Scotland playing for Rangers for 8 years, I already had a british visa. I started coaching an amateur club while I was working on winning a License that would help me coach the bigger teams in the league.

Personal Interest

I have always been a CSKA fan, and played for them in the beginning of my career before moving to Rangers. So I always wanted to manage CSKA since they have been struggling over the past few seasons. And I was prepared to move back to Russia after I finished taking my a year course building a solid reputation in Scotland, and my home country Russia.

cska_moscow_logo.png


5th July 2009

I still planned on staying in Scotland for another few months, even thinking of managing a lower division football club in Scotland, and there was a little demand, considering my playing career record. But everything was put to halt, when, one morning, a phone call came for me, asking me if I could manage sometime to visit the St.Mary's stadium. I didn't have any agents, so the man who called me was the Southampton's chairman himself Markus Liebherr. I was a little shocked at the offer, I have just applied a bio in England but wasn't really counting on it, but then, to get an offer from a club that has such a good training facilities, with good stuffs, and a very decent premier league record, I didn't want to turn it down. I soon teamed up with Markus, and signed a contract with the club.

sfclogo.jpg


7th July 2009

I was officially named as the Southampton manager and I was excited to manage such a well supported team.

I am excited, and looking forward to help the team get back to track.

I was also aware of the 10 point deduction, and when asked about it, I thought it wasn't any big deal

Its almost like, we already lost 3 matches, but I have seen teams winning the league even after recording three losses. The fact remains that we have to win, and our goal is to have a respectable league position, and that means to be in the play off, and I think its achievable despite the points deduction.

With that I left press conference, and made way to meet my staffs. I was happy to join the club, and kept a long term goal within me, which was to bring Saints back in to the premier league, and make them a safe mid table team.

widelanepitch.jpg
 
Last edited:
Just one thing to point out mate you forgot to hide where you are in the league. Youre 1st anyway which is good:D
 
And the good pre-season was followed by a good start in the league, and the league cup, but was knocked out of the league up after the fourth round.

View attachment 85386

I signed a few players at the start of the season, but no big signing or anyone in particular, except for the greek defender Traianos Dellas.

View attachment 85389
dellas345x468.jpg


And at the start of the January, the team is at the top, with 46 points.

View attachment 85390
 
Clash of the third and the first in the table, Millwall vs Southampton:

Football_League_One.bmp


Millwall vs Southampton

1-0

View attachment 85407

I am disappointed with the loss, but the next few fixtures are against teams fighting for survival in the league, so I am looking forward to it.
The loss has hurt Southampton, and they are now leveled with Colchester in the league.

View attachment 85408
 
Sergey's dairy
13th March 2010, clash between the two old greats
.


Leeds United certainly won more trophies then the Saints, but both of the clubs were were two of the most respected premier league club just at the start of the millennium. But they suffered heavily in the premier league and thus now are in the English league 1. I have seen Leeds struggle all around the season, never really maintaining a winning run and so never saw them snatching the first spot from my team. Still, I was aware of the quality they possessed and was looking forward to this match.

Ok, lot about United, my team was struggling as well, having just lost to Millwall, I was going through some rough time. I was unable to buy Prudnikov due to the FA ruling a work permit for him, so no signing in the summer break. And also, since I have been knocked out in the FA cup by Watford, I only had the league to concentrate on now.


Football_League_One.bmp


After the match against Millwall, I was to face off against teams fighting for survival in the league, so there was an obvious chance for me to make a gap between the first and the second spot. But not everything went as sound plan, as the team suffered to take their chances, and ended up with some scrappy wins, draws, and even home losses.

Southampton 3 vs Swindon 0
Southampton 2 vs Stockport 1
Exeter 1 vs Southampton 3
Southampton 3 vs Hartlepool 1
Norwich 0 vs Southampton 0
Wycombe 0 vs Southampton 2
Southampton 1 vs Walsall 2
Tranmere 2 vs Southampton 2


With my first choice defender, Jaidi, sent off from the team, I only had one choice, and that was to use my Manchester United loaned player, Da laet. ITs not as if he isn't good, but he did lack in fitness. But I head into the match against the Leeds United with my fingers crossed.

leeds-united-movin-on-up.jpg


81st minute, Mitea, my left winger, was in arcs of space, and had the chance to pass to Saganowski, who was eagerly hoping to score his second hatrick of the season, but Mitea decides to go on his own, and he scores! 5-1 to Southampton!

Final result Southampton 5 Leeds United 1
View attachment 85532


The fans were jubilant after the emphatic win against the Whites. No one was expecting such a score line, but the Saints were playing in another level, in the end proving too much for the United.

Championship-Southampton--001.jpg


The win now helps my team to create a 5 points gap between Southampton and the second placed Millwall and a 13 points gap between us and the United. The season looks good for the Saints in the league, and there is just ten more matches left. My target is simple now, to earn a automatic promotion to the championship.
View attachment 85531
 
8th May
My first ever trophy


It was all too easy after scoring an emphatic win against the United. There were some draws, one loss, but it never looked like we were going down from then, and we didn't. We even managed to create a bigger lead at the top.

Football_League_One.bmp


MK Dons 1 vs Southampton 3
Southampton 3 vs Oldham 0
Brighton 1 vs Southampton 2
Southampton 1 vs Leyton Orient 1
Southampton 2 vs Charlton Atletic 2
Bristol Rovers 1 vs Southampton 4
Yeovil 2 vs Southampton 2
Southampton 3 vs Carlisle 1
Gillingham 3 vs Southampton 2
Southampton 1 vs Southend 0


0,,10794~3735046,00.gif


So in the end, we round of the season with a solid 1-0 victory courtesy of Saganowski's 29th goal of the season. But the main highlight of all those fixtures has to be the match against Gillingham.

gillingham.jpg


View attachment 85830

We were 3-0 down at one stage, so certainly I was a little pleased, but then again, I have to be disappointed with my defence. My goalkeeper has been okay, but I do realize the necessity to replace him before moving into the next stage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Up Next...Season highlight, the players who earned it and a final look at the league table.
 
Season Summary for Southampton

So the season ended well for Southampton, we were crowned champions, my first ever trophy and it looked all so good. A commanding finish, and now eying for the same in the coca cola championship.

View attachment 85832

Some players have been very essential in my course of becoming the champion. Employing the 4-4-2 tactic suited the Southampton team pretty well as we scored 103 goals in the league, and I am quiet content to keep it that way in the championship. And these are some of the players who have been important, and been at the top of their form all through the season.

Kelvin Davis. Played 47 matches, and has kept 9 clean sheets, but he has made a lot of mistakes during the season. But being the captain has lead the team very well.

article-0-04CB4C37000005DC-842_468x507.jpg


Traianos Dellas. The greek defender was very cheap, and played very well making 42 appearances.

dellas345x468.jpg


Dean Hammond and Morgan Schneiderline have been fanstastic in the midfield, both playing side by side, and have 15 assists in between them. They have been solid, and looks good, and might as well keep the pair in the championship.

1081143


Morgan-Schneiderlin_1371255.jpg


I have to say, that I am very impressed with my strike force, who has been lethal all through the season, my strike force of Rickie Lambert, and Marek Saganowski. Both of them scored more than 25 goals, and in total has 56 goals in between them, also healthy number of assists, helping the team to win the league title.

Rickie+Lambert.jpeg


z4138945Z,Marek-Saganowski-po-strzeleniu-gola-dla--Swietych-.jpg


Team Formation, 4-4-2

View attachment 85891
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will update soon after the play off, and see how far England goes in the world cup. :)
 
Last edited:
Congrats on winning the league, could we see a few screenshots of your key players, or team?
 
As a Southampton fan, I will obviously be following, nice to see some pictures of the ground with fans in as well; keep it up.
 
Last edited:
Good story. But some very sloppy results jotted in-between some great results. You'll need to sort that for next season.
 
Leeds United gets promoted back to the championship. They won the playoff 2-1 beating Colchester, and now would be following the Champion Southampton and Swindon to the championship.

saints-logo-southampton-fc-798927.jpg


swindon_town_fc_2007_badge.PNG


Leeds-United-icon.png


View attachment 85895
 
Well setout, realistic, good read. Yeh, I'll be following.
 
Top