June 2012:
June saw no friendlies being played, although the Steaua team did go away on a training cam for a week or so. June was all about evaluation planning and then action:
My plan of action is obviously to eventually win the Champions League as this is the focus of the challenge. Unfortunately due to the 3rd place finish Bucharest achieved last year my first season in charge will see me competing in the Europa League. Therefore my targets for the coming year are:
1. Win the League
2. Win a domestic Cup
3. Avoid a bottom place finish in the Europa League group
I have inherited a squad that overall is not too bad.
Ideally I would like a new GK, RB, CB, CM and one top quality marquee signing on which I would spend the majority of my budget. Whether or not this is achievable remains to be seen.
With a budget of £1.1 million in return for the league title I set about finding my players:
I brought in 3 free transfers, Luigi Bruins, Bobo Balde and Habib Beye:
Luigi Bruins was one of my favorite players on FM10 if I remember correctly and so when I noticed he was a free transfer I just felt the need to sign him. Technically he is very astute, and I have high hopes for him. He will certainly be capable of picking apart many Romanian defenses.
A very experienced player who will certainly do a job this season, he might need replacing next year. In terms of short term relief he is an excellent acquisition.
Two reasons for this signing really, the man is an absolute tank and even at 36 I think he will be able to put in an excellent shift as a cover defender, the one who sits deeper. Furthermore as a die hard Celtic fan I have some fond memories of this man so I thought I should sign him.
So far I have acquired good players, nothing special. I said I wanted a marquee signing and I am happy to say I got one in the form of Brazilian wonderkid Adryan. It has been well documented by many people that this boy turns into a world beater and having him is a huge boost. He will certainly be able compete in the Romanian league immediately and his potential resale value could be crucial further down the line.
There you have my first month in the job and I am very happy with my signings, and I am looking forward to the coming season. My hopes for July are to sign a few more players and to have my tactics all at 100% familiarity for the start of the League.