danjames101
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I've been contemplating writing a story on here for a while. Whilst slightly intimidated by some of the author's on here, I'm going to give it a go anyway!
The big decision I had to make now was - just who would I take over? I toyed with the idea of taking a lower league team to the top flight in their leagues, but that's been done a fair bit. I wanted to manage a team i've never managed before on FM. After much deliberation (5mins or so) I decided on going to Serbia and picking Partizan.
View attachment 47640
Now for all the cynics out there, yes i know Partizan are one of, if not the best team in that league. I've done this as I want to build this club to a european contender and this will be my main goal. Right now Partizan are so far away from that, compared to the infamous European powerhouses of Barcelona, Man Utd etc. Yes domestic success is always nice and I'm confident we can achieve domestic dominance, with Red Star our main competition. The biggest draw for me regarding managing in Serbia, is that Serbia produces so many quality youngsters! The list of amazing Serbian wonderkids throughout the years on FM has been vast, and hopefully we unearth a few here!
The big day is finally upon me, as i back my bags and head to Belgrade!
View attachment 47639
It's official, I'm the new manager of Partizan Belgrade. A club with a rich and distinguished history, I hope to add to the crowded trophy cabinet in my time here.
View attachment 47638
1966 - What a year for football! Partizan finished runners up in the then, European Cup. Oh and some fella called Geoff Hurst scored a few for England, who knew?!
View attachment 47637
Apparently we're not favourites for the title! Our nemesis Red Star were always going to be our biggest threats jostling for position as the country's best. Fingers crossed by the end of the season the media will be made to eat their words as we prove Red Star aren't even the best team in Belgrade, let alone the country!
Now i'm here I'm keen to review what kind of talent i have at my disposal.
View attachment 47636
Having a good goalie is always a nice bonus. Stojkovic has great experience and his attributes are very good for this standard of football. Will definitely be my 1st choice keeper for this season.
View attachment 47635
Probably the only player in the squad I've heard of before, that being said my knowledge of current Serbian league players is...well shocking at best. Tosic was a fine example in his younger days of the kind of young talent Serbia is famous for. He showed that much promise during his first spell at Partizan (2007-2009) that he was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Things didn't work out for Zoran in Manchester and was shipped off on loan to Koln before moving to CSKA Moscow in 2010, where he spent 7 years, scoring 37 goals in 182 games. Not bad for a winger! He rejoined Partizan in 2017. I hope he will help lead this team.
View attachment 47634
This is the player I'm most excited about. Seydouba is an extremely gifted AMC who will be the primary creator in our side. I hope to build the team around his skills, and hopefully he can carry me to success. For this league, he's a real special talent.
Pre-Season Friendlies
View attachment 47633
Wow what a poor set of results. I let my Assistant manage the friendlies, as I was still undecided on a formation/system we should play. Safe to say I won't be putting too much trust in him going forward, but that's the beauty of friendlies...they mean nothing but a fitness exercise.
Budget
I was given just over 1Mil in transfer budget, with a spare 13.75k a week for wages. I'm the type of manager who always to spend whatever budget available to improve the squad. You'll see from the majority of the signings below, I'm keen to build a young team with a strong Serbian core. Although not many will be first teamer's this year, i hope they develop into that going forward. Here's who I've brought in :-
View attachment 47632
200k (250k with add-ons)
Ok Jovancic isn't a spring chicken, but at 26, he's hardly over the hill either. A good passer of the ball, I envisage him being a vital part of the possession based football i plan on bringing to the club. If it all goes wrong, i'm sure i can shift him on to another club and not lose too much on him. A gamble worth taking.
View attachment 47631
275k
A young and versatile midfielder who can play on either wing or through the middle. At only 18 and with some of his stats already, I feel we can bring his game on a lot. It may not be his breakthrough year this season, but if he continues to develop, i see him being a starter for many years to come.
View attachment 47630
250k
Naturally a centre mid, Petrovic can also naturally play as an AMC or AMR. Like Mesarovic, he's made great strides in his young career and with the right guidance, will be a vital part of the clubs future.
View attachment 47629
145k
Another teenager through the door, this time Milos Zlicic. At 17, he's already a good player, but he'll have to wait for his time to shine, as there's an array of players in front of him. He would eventually be sent out on loan to gain first team experience.
View attachment 47628
50k
This to be honest was a bit of a punt. Sormaz has some good attributes for a player of his age, and believe my coaching staff can bring his game on. At only 50k, I'm sure we'll make a profit on him regardless.
Now onto the important stuff. Having finished last year as Champions, we were set to compete in the Champions League Qualifying Rounds. We would enter at the 2nd Qualifying Round, and were matched against Hungarian side Honved, with the 1st leg being played away in Budapest.
View attachment 47627
A good solid away performance, and a clean sheet to boot. Got to be happy with that start. I started using a 4231 formation as I was keen to utilise the 3 behind the striker, as that's where a lot of our talent lies. This proved to be the case as Tosic (AMR) opened the scoring in the 7th minute. Not to be outdone though, Soumah (AMC) doubled our advantage in the second half. However Man of the Match went to Jankovic (AML) who created both goals from the left flank.
View attachment 47626
View attachment 47625
Having lead 2-0 from the first game, and with one foot in the next round, I decided to try a tactic I've used before. 3421. No this isn't a 3 with 2 wingbacks, it's a flat midfield 4 with 2 AMC and 1 striker. It was ballsy to say the least, but I want Partizan to be a passing possession side, certainly against an inferior team. It worked wonders, we were rampant! Naturally i was pleased with the tactic and another Soumah goal but 4 goals from Ozegovic (deputising for the injured 1st choice striker Tawamba) were the icing on top of the cake. 64% posession made me extremely happy too! A 9-2 aggregate win ensure's we're in the draw for Qualifying round 3.
View attachment 47624
Hmmm this isn't exactly the ideal draw for us. Olympiakos are season Champions League go'ers and have some real talent in their ranks. This is certainly going ot be a test.
View attachment 47623
Mixed Emotions really. We competed against a stronger side really well for the 90 mins, though none of my players really stood out, performance wise it was fairly average . Whilst we failed to score at home despite having 8 shots on target from 18 shots, we didn't concede either, and limited them to 1 shot on target! This was even more pleasing when you consider I went very bold and stuck with the 3421 formation I used in the second leg vs Honved. A big 2nd leg coming up!!!
View attachment 47622
Radnicki were tipped to finish 3rd, so i knew this wasn't going to be a walk over, especially following a tough midweek game in the UCL. Whilst the 0-1 scoreline flatters them, I was pleased to keep naother clean sheet, and dominate possession again. 3 points is all that matters!
View attachment 47621
Probably our most dissapointing performance since I've been in charge. Borac are a team who shouldn't pose a huge threat to us, and many would argue they didnt, as they failed to register a shot on target. However, with key man Soumah being poor for the first hour, maybe fatigue was finally settling in for a number of the lads. Ozegovic with the important goal, sealing back-to-back 1-0 wins in the league. I will demand more goals of this team going forward but right now, 1-0's will do.
View attachment 47620
Very early days yet, but 2 wins from 2 is all that matters. Once this team becomes comfortable with this new system and the high intensity i demand form them, then hopefully we won't continue to make such hard work of our dominance in games.
Tune in next time for the all important away leg in Greece. I'm off to catch the plane with this lot...*gulp*
View attachment 47616
The big decision I had to make now was - just who would I take over? I toyed with the idea of taking a lower league team to the top flight in their leagues, but that's been done a fair bit. I wanted to manage a team i've never managed before on FM. After much deliberation (5mins or so) I decided on going to Serbia and picking Partizan.
View attachment 47640
Now for all the cynics out there, yes i know Partizan are one of, if not the best team in that league. I've done this as I want to build this club to a european contender and this will be my main goal. Right now Partizan are so far away from that, compared to the infamous European powerhouses of Barcelona, Man Utd etc. Yes domestic success is always nice and I'm confident we can achieve domestic dominance, with Red Star our main competition. The biggest draw for me regarding managing in Serbia, is that Serbia produces so many quality youngsters! The list of amazing Serbian wonderkids throughout the years on FM has been vast, and hopefully we unearth a few here!
The big day is finally upon me, as i back my bags and head to Belgrade!
View attachment 47639
It's official, I'm the new manager of Partizan Belgrade. A club with a rich and distinguished history, I hope to add to the crowded trophy cabinet in my time here.
View attachment 47638
1966 - What a year for football! Partizan finished runners up in the then, European Cup. Oh and some fella called Geoff Hurst scored a few for England, who knew?!
View attachment 47637
Apparently we're not favourites for the title! Our nemesis Red Star were always going to be our biggest threats jostling for position as the country's best. Fingers crossed by the end of the season the media will be made to eat their words as we prove Red Star aren't even the best team in Belgrade, let alone the country!
Now i'm here I'm keen to review what kind of talent i have at my disposal.
View attachment 47636
Having a good goalie is always a nice bonus. Stojkovic has great experience and his attributes are very good for this standard of football. Will definitely be my 1st choice keeper for this season.
View attachment 47635
Probably the only player in the squad I've heard of before, that being said my knowledge of current Serbian league players is...well shocking at best. Tosic was a fine example in his younger days of the kind of young talent Serbia is famous for. He showed that much promise during his first spell at Partizan (2007-2009) that he was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Things didn't work out for Zoran in Manchester and was shipped off on loan to Koln before moving to CSKA Moscow in 2010, where he spent 7 years, scoring 37 goals in 182 games. Not bad for a winger! He rejoined Partizan in 2017. I hope he will help lead this team.
View attachment 47634
This is the player I'm most excited about. Seydouba is an extremely gifted AMC who will be the primary creator in our side. I hope to build the team around his skills, and hopefully he can carry me to success. For this league, he's a real special talent.
Pre-Season Friendlies
View attachment 47633
Wow what a poor set of results. I let my Assistant manage the friendlies, as I was still undecided on a formation/system we should play. Safe to say I won't be putting too much trust in him going forward, but that's the beauty of friendlies...they mean nothing but a fitness exercise.
Budget
I was given just over 1Mil in transfer budget, with a spare 13.75k a week for wages. I'm the type of manager who always to spend whatever budget available to improve the squad. You'll see from the majority of the signings below, I'm keen to build a young team with a strong Serbian core. Although not many will be first teamer's this year, i hope they develop into that going forward. Here's who I've brought in :-
View attachment 47632
200k (250k with add-ons)
Ok Jovancic isn't a spring chicken, but at 26, he's hardly over the hill either. A good passer of the ball, I envisage him being a vital part of the possession based football i plan on bringing to the club. If it all goes wrong, i'm sure i can shift him on to another club and not lose too much on him. A gamble worth taking.
View attachment 47631
275k
A young and versatile midfielder who can play on either wing or through the middle. At only 18 and with some of his stats already, I feel we can bring his game on a lot. It may not be his breakthrough year this season, but if he continues to develop, i see him being a starter for many years to come.
View attachment 47630
250k
Naturally a centre mid, Petrovic can also naturally play as an AMC or AMR. Like Mesarovic, he's made great strides in his young career and with the right guidance, will be a vital part of the clubs future.
View attachment 47629
145k
Another teenager through the door, this time Milos Zlicic. At 17, he's already a good player, but he'll have to wait for his time to shine, as there's an array of players in front of him. He would eventually be sent out on loan to gain first team experience.
View attachment 47628
50k
This to be honest was a bit of a punt. Sormaz has some good attributes for a player of his age, and believe my coaching staff can bring his game on. At only 50k, I'm sure we'll make a profit on him regardless.
Now onto the important stuff. Having finished last year as Champions, we were set to compete in the Champions League Qualifying Rounds. We would enter at the 2nd Qualifying Round, and were matched against Hungarian side Honved, with the 1st leg being played away in Budapest.
View attachment 47627
A good solid away performance, and a clean sheet to boot. Got to be happy with that start. I started using a 4231 formation as I was keen to utilise the 3 behind the striker, as that's where a lot of our talent lies. This proved to be the case as Tosic (AMR) opened the scoring in the 7th minute. Not to be outdone though, Soumah (AMC) doubled our advantage in the second half. However Man of the Match went to Jankovic (AML) who created both goals from the left flank.
View attachment 47626
View attachment 47625
Having lead 2-0 from the first game, and with one foot in the next round, I decided to try a tactic I've used before. 3421. No this isn't a 3 with 2 wingbacks, it's a flat midfield 4 with 2 AMC and 1 striker. It was ballsy to say the least, but I want Partizan to be a passing possession side, certainly against an inferior team. It worked wonders, we were rampant! Naturally i was pleased with the tactic and another Soumah goal but 4 goals from Ozegovic (deputising for the injured 1st choice striker Tawamba) were the icing on top of the cake. 64% posession made me extremely happy too! A 9-2 aggregate win ensure's we're in the draw for Qualifying round 3.
View attachment 47624
Hmmm this isn't exactly the ideal draw for us. Olympiakos are season Champions League go'ers and have some real talent in their ranks. This is certainly going ot be a test.
View attachment 47623
Mixed Emotions really. We competed against a stronger side really well for the 90 mins, though none of my players really stood out, performance wise it was fairly average . Whilst we failed to score at home despite having 8 shots on target from 18 shots, we didn't concede either, and limited them to 1 shot on target! This was even more pleasing when you consider I went very bold and stuck with the 3421 formation I used in the second leg vs Honved. A big 2nd leg coming up!!!
View attachment 47622
Radnicki were tipped to finish 3rd, so i knew this wasn't going to be a walk over, especially following a tough midweek game in the UCL. Whilst the 0-1 scoreline flatters them, I was pleased to keep naother clean sheet, and dominate possession again. 3 points is all that matters!
View attachment 47621
Probably our most dissapointing performance since I've been in charge. Borac are a team who shouldn't pose a huge threat to us, and many would argue they didnt, as they failed to register a shot on target. However, with key man Soumah being poor for the first hour, maybe fatigue was finally settling in for a number of the lads. Ozegovic with the important goal, sealing back-to-back 1-0 wins in the league. I will demand more goals of this team going forward but right now, 1-0's will do.
View attachment 47620
Very early days yet, but 2 wins from 2 is all that matters. Once this team becomes comfortable with this new system and the high intensity i demand form them, then hopefully we won't continue to make such hard work of our dominance in games.
Tune in next time for the all important away leg in Greece. I'm off to catch the plane with this lot...*gulp*
View attachment 47616
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