It's All A Load of Balls - The European Journeyman! (FM18 Edition)

13 New Signings!



13 New Arrivals In Two Months!

So when I took over this job, I said there would need to be new arrivals at the club, as the squad was thin on the ground with only 11 players in the first team. Well, in just two months before pre season kicks off, I've added another 13 so far. Here's the lowdown...

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My first signing as manager of FC Rosengard is 31 year old centre back Henrik Holmstrom. The 6 foot Swede joins the club on a free transfer from Riala GoIF, where he made 28 appearances last season. Henrik offers us an experienced head at the heart of the defence, with good tackling and marking skills. With decent ability in positioning himself in the right places on the pitch too, I think he could be a decent asset in the squad this coming season.

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My second signing for the club is Swedish right back, Isaac Wigermo. Another player that will join on a free transfer and bolster the defence ahead of the new campaign. Wigermo, 20, joins us from Vastra Frolunda IF. He has only made 1 competitive appearance in his career to date and will be looking to establish himself here at FC Rosengard. The young full back offers decent pace and acceleration down the right side of the pitch, with decent tackling ability.

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I've added another centre back to the ranks with Aram Abed who joins us on a free transfer from Stromsbergs IF. Abed is a 24 year old Swedish defender with good heading and marking ability. He has some pace about him and consistently makes the right decisions on the pitch, crucial for any centre back.

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I've signed a new goalkeeper for the squad in Nicolas Sharro. The 30 year old Swede joins on a free transfer from Swedish Division 2 side Assyriska BK, where he made 23 appearances last season. In 2016, Sharro was awarded the Swedish Second Division West Gotaland Goalkeeper of the Year.

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My fifth signing for the club is central midfielder Jonas Crona. Crona is a 22 year old Swede who joins us from Division 2 side Karlbergs BK where he made 12 appearances last season. Crona offers some pace through the centre of the park, with decent concentration levels, work rate and teamwork. He joins on a free transfer.

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I've secured my first new striker at FC Rosengard. That man is 26 year old Karlos Touma who joins on a free transfer. Touma joins the club from Sodertalje FK, where he scored 9 goals in 21 appearances last season in the Division 2 Sodra Svealand. He will offer us some good pace up front.

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My first loan signing for the club is 17 year old winger Bilal Smajic. The youngster joins us for the season ahead, from IFK Goteborg. Playing down the right side of the pitch, the talented teenager has fantastic pace and acceleration combined with some decent dribbling skills, so I'm hoping he can cause havoc down the right wing for us this year.

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Another player to bolster the centre of the park in midfield is Jonathan Hall, who joins us on a free transfer. Hall is an attacking midfielder and joins from Division 1 side Vasteras SK where he made 9 appearances last season in the higher division. The 23 year old Swedish playmaker has good passing ability with decent vision, so I'm expecting him to be able to spray the ball around the pitch for us from the central position.

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Isac Eklof is my second loan signing for the upcoming season and has initially joined with a view of staying the whole year. The 18 year old Swedish striker is a welcome addition, adding more pace to the front line which is already pretty quick. He has decent finishing ability and makes good decisions on the pitch too. I've got a feeling this kid could come really good for us. He joins from Orebro SK.

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I've broken the club's record transfer fee by paying £4,000 for left winger Haytham Chebil. The 23 year old Swede has a great first touch, can really cross a ball, makes good decision and is composed in what he does. I think he is a fantastic signing for the club. Chebil joins from Karlstad BK, who were promoted from our league last season.
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Pierre Tillman is incredibly my 11th new signing since taking over as manager at FC Rosengard. The 31 year old Swedish midfielder joins us on a free transfer and adds some good experience in amongst the younger players in the squad. He is pretty consistent across all his mental attributes, has decent pace and can pass and tackle. All round, he's a decent player at this level. Tillman joins us from Varberg GIF who were relegated from our division last season. He played 25 games and contributed 1 goal and 3 assists.

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Viktor Alexandersson has joined the club on a free transfer from fellow Division 2 side Lindome GIF. Alexandersson made 21 appearances for them last season and the 19 year old central midfielder adds more cover to those positions in the middle of the park that will no doubt be crucial to our campaign. He works well in a team, had good work rate and decent passing ability.

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I've added another full back to the team, this time down the left side. Welcome Daniel Thulin who joins us from Torns IF. Thulin is a decent full back offering good crossing ability and good leadership skills. He anticipates the play well and makes good decisions. Thulin joins on a free transfer.

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Wow

Wow great story, loved reading it and cannot wait to read more, good luck
 
Pre Season Roundup



Pre Season Roundup

Friendlies


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The pre season fixture list has now been completed and overall, I'm pretty pleased with how its gone. I set up a mix of home and away friendlies, mostly against teams of a slightly lower ability level than ours. I was hoping we could get some decent wins under our belt and build confidence prior to the start of the competitive campaign. And we did exactly that, 5 wins from 6 games with a total of 21 goals scored and only 7 conceded. Our only defeat came at the hands of Goteborgs AIS from the Superettan division, 2 tiers up from us in the Swedish football system. And even in that game we only lost 2-1 and were dominant for large parts.

Pre Season Top Performers

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Adnan Gerzic played 4 of the pre season fixtures before picking up an injury. He was solid at the back with 3 match ratings over 7.5, picking up a man of the match award along the way.

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There is going to be some competition for the striker's role in my team this year, but Karlos Touma has made an excellent case for himself during pre season, scoring 5 goals and picking up 2 assists as well.
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Jonathan Hall was the highest rated player from the pre season campaign, making 4 appearances and receiving match ratings in excess of 8.6 in 3 of those games. He excelled from the central midfield role and was a catalyst in most of our attacking moves. I've been very impressed with the new signing and hope he can carry this form into the start of the league campaign.

Formations

So throughout the pre-season campaign, I have been playing around with formations and settled on 3 setups that I'll be aiming to utilize throughout the coming season. Let's take a look...

View attachment 77360The first and probably going to be the most commonly used formation is a 4-3-2-1. I'm using 3 central midfielders to pack out the midfield, all standard central midfielders, one with support, one with defend and one with attacking duty. We'll have a winger down the right side and an inside forward down the left with the main aim of getting into the box to support the lone striker.
View attachment 77359Our second formation is more defensively minded with a flat back 5. The full backs will push on down the wings to support the midfield, but I'll be using this to hold onto slim leads towards the end of games or when we are up against better opposition. We'll sit tight at the back and attempt to use that centre back three to act as a blockade for oncoming attacks. I've stuck with the flat 3 in midfield but this time with two Carrilero roles to encourage the midfield to bridge the gaps between defence and attack.
View attachment 77358Our final formation is a flat 4-4-2. I'll probably use this mostly when we are in need of a goal. It will use a more direct style of football rather than my usual preferred mixed passing game. Encouraging the players to move the ball forward quickly and seek out goalscoring opportunities. With the extra man up front too, this is definitely a formation for when we need goals, rather than looking to control the game as with the 4-3-2-1.

Gerzic Handed Captain's Armband

Adnan Gerzic has been given the captain's armband for the upcoming season. The 30 year old centre back is one of the best players at the club and is seen as a natural team leader in the dynamics hierachy of the squad.

Left back Daniel Thulin has been given the vice captain's responsibility.

Dynamics

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Looking at the dynamics, following pre season, things haven't yet got much better in the team cohesion side of things, with the team still struggling to operate as a fluid unit. The dressing room atmosphere is OK, but we know that can quickly be improved with a good start to the season, as can my reputation amongst the players which is currently still poor.


I expect the social groups of the team to take a while to sort themselves out as we have had such a high number of players join the squad over the last 3 months.

Finances

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Going into the new season, the finances look OK. We still have £11k in the transfer budget and are only utilising £2,600 of our £4k wage budget too.

Medical Centre

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Looking at our injuries heading into the first game of the season, we've got four players currently out. Karlos Touma is a big loss for the opening couple of games following his impressive performances in pre season.

The Board Expects...

The board have given me their expectations for the upcoming season. For the league campaign, they have demanded a mid table finish. Pretty leniant I think, considering we are predicted to finish 2nd by the media. But I'll take that all day long....maybe the board are going easy on me as I'm still so new to the management game.

Media Predictions

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Prespa Birlik have been made the bookie's favourite to win the Division 2 Sodra Gotaland title this coming season, at odds of 4-1. They are however, closely followed by ourselves at 5-1! IFK Malmo are also expected to be in the top 3 and have been made 6-1 to win the league.

The bookies clearly don't feel we should be worried about relegation this year as they have priced us at 85-1 to go down. Bromolla IF seem to be a sure thing to be relegated at odds of 1-5 for the drop.

New Coaching Course For Ball

The board have shown faith in me and agreed to fund a new coaching course to continue my development. I will spend 4 months studying for a National C License.

One Final Signing on Deadline Day

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Mathias Redsted joined the club on transfer deadline day to complete my squad before the season kicks off. The Danish centre back joins the club on a free transfer from Holbaek B&I where he has made 28 appearances over the past 2 seasons. Although Mathias probably won't be a first team starter, he'll provide good cover within the squad.

The Month Ahead...

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Looking ahead this month, we will kick off the league campaign with a busy schedule, playing 4 games in the opening 2 weeks of the season. We'll start with a home game against Lunds BK, before playing our first away game of the season at title favourites Prespa Birlik.

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April 2017 Review



April 2018 Review

Results

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Hassleholms IF 1 - 1 FC Rosengard

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We start the season away at Hassleholms IF who have been predicted by the media for a mid table 8th place finish, so this should give a good indication of where abouts we are as the season begins.

We start the game with the 4-3-2-1 formation and a lineup that I feel is my strongest available. No chances taken as I'm keen to take 3 points on the opening day of the season if we can.

It only takes 4 minutes of the new season for my new team to score their first goal. Smajic gets down the right wing, fires in a cross which fizzes right across the box and Chebil is there at the back post for a simple tap in. 1-0 and a dream start for my lads! Pre season star performer Jonathan Hall picks up an injury midway through the first half and has to be subbed off....lets hope its not too bad. I replace him with Viktor Alexandersson. On 34 minutes, I found myself jumping around the touchline again like a mad man as Isak Redzic hammers home a goal to make it 2-0....only for the referee to rule the goal out for offside. Half time arrives and we take a 1-0 lead into the break. I'm pleased with the performance so far as we've limited our opponents to only 1 shot in the first half. I tell the lads to keep up the good work and send them back out for the second 45! Eklof was having a bad day up top, so with half an hour to go I introduced 18 year old Isac Eklof, on loan from Orebro SK. I could sense the pressure mounting from Hassleholms as the second half went on and became nervous that we may not hold onto this lead. Our opponents created a few chances in the final 20 minutes of the game and we looked up against it. Eklof was looking lively up front though when we tried to catch them on the break, but inevitably the equalizer did come from our opponents with only 3 minutes left on the clock.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 2 - 1 Lunds BK

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Lunds BK were another team with a predicted mid table finish of 7th and they'd be our opponents for our first home game of the season.

Captain Adnan Gerzic returns to the squad following his injury, Linus Fridolf comes in at left back and Marcus Horten comes into the centre of midfield.

This time it was our opponents who started fast and furious, taking an early lead in the opening 10 minutes through Madamud Abdi, who found himself clean through on goal after a good pass from Overgaard. Following that early goal, it was us who created all the chances for the remainder of the half but with no joy. I told the boys I expected better in the 2nd half and it wasn't long into the 2nd 45 minutes that we were on level terms. Bilal Smajic scoring a placed effort low into the bottom corner of the goal. After that equalizer, we were simply all over them and went on to create 4 clear cut chances, finally taking one on 74 minutes when substitute Eklof hammered home a powerful shot from close range. Smajic and Eklof were looking deadly together going forward and it was pleasing to see their excellent link up play throughout this half. The score remained 2-1 and this was a good solid home win in a game where we looked very strong, dominating in every area of the pitch.


Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Prespa Birlik 2 - 4 FC Rosengard

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Next up was a tough away game at league favourites and local rivals Prespa Birlik. Today's opponents had opened their campaign with a draw and a loss.

Our lineup today was the unfamiliar 5-3-2 formation. Away from home against supposedly the best team in the league, I felt it important to focus on the defensive side of our game and if we could come away with a draw I'd take it.

The first half was close and tightly contested, with both teams scoring a first half goal each, taking us into the break at 1-1. We definitely came out stronger in the 2nd half, but against the run of play, it was Prespa who took the lead in the 58th minute through Mohammed El-Kayed. With half an hour left on the clock, I made some changes, switching it up to a more attacking 4-4-2 lineup and introducing wingers Chebil and Smajic to the game. Almost immediately, it made the difference as Chebil set up striker Redzic for the equalizer....a tidy finish from inside the box. There only looked like one team who was going to go on and win the game from there and that was us. And it took us a while but in the final minute of the game, we secured the 3 points with a cracking goal from substitute Smajic. Chebil then chipped in with the icing on the cake scoring with one of the last kicks of the game to give us an excellent 4-2 victory. Our first away win of the season comes against the team expected to win the league...well played lads!

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 2 - 0 Torns IF

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Our final game of the month is at home to Torns IF, who come into the game without a win in their first 3 and find themselves 11th in the table at this early stage.

I decide to pick up where we left off with the 4-4-2 formation which turned the game around in our previous fixture against Prespa Birlik. Chebil and Smajic come back into the starting lineup on the wings. Wigermo is given his first start at right back for the rested Kalisiak. Alexandersson and Cascalheira come into the centre of midfield offering fresh legs.

We'd looked good from the off in this one and really did pick up where we left off. Dominating majority of the play, we made the breakthrough on 35 minutes, Isac Eklof scoring the opener. At half time, I ensured the team knew they were doing well, but reiterated that I know they're capable of better to try to ensure they keep their focus and desire. I got the perfect response when only 8 minutes into the second half, central midfieler Philip Cascalheira put us 2-0 up. After a scramble in the box, the ball fell nicely at his feet, he whipped his foot back and struck a powerful effort through a crowd of players and into the back of the net. The score remained 2-0 and this was another very strong home performance. In two games at home, we'd managed to limit our opponents to only a couple of shots a game, whilst dominating the possession. I was starting to get a feeling that our home form could be key to a successful campaign this year.

League Table

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After our unbeaten start to the season, we find ourselves top of the league after the opening 4 games. Only ourselves and BK Olympic retain unbeaten records. Pre season favourites Prespa Birlik are struggling down in 13th position with only 2 points from a possible 12.

Player of the Month



Jonas Crona
CM
Appearances: 3
Goals: 0
Assists: 2
Key Passes: 10
Average Rating: 7.67

A great start from Crona who has dominated the midfield play and controlled the tempo of games this month. 2 assists ain't too bad either.

Medical Centre

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Jonathan Hill finds himself out for a couple of months with a torn hamstring. Gutted for the lad who'd made such a promising start for the club during pre season, standing out as one of our best players.

Dynamics

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The dynamics within the club have improved after our strong start to the league campaign. Match cohesion still needs some work, but the atmosphere in the dressing room is on the up, and although my managerial support within the squad is still poor, it has improved and I now have strong relationships with a number of my players.

Financial Update

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£23k losses this month leave us £18k in the red.

Season Tickets

The club have announced that we have sold a total of 117 season tickets for this season. This is a drop on the 143 tickets sold last year. However, this was expected, with us having played in the higher division last season.


Chris Ball Runner Up in Manager of the Month Award

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I came 2nd in the Swedish Second Division Manager of the Month. This award incorporates all the teams from all four second division leagues, so it's not an easy one to even get a nomination for, let alone land a spot in the top 3. A fantastic achievement for me in my first month in charge.


The Month Ahead...

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We'll play another 4 games in May but they're a bit more spread out leaving us more time to train and prepare for each match in between. 2 home and 2 away games again, against a mix of teams in the top and bottom half of the table and our league position at the end of May will give more of an indication as to the type of season this might be for us.

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May 2018 Review



May 2018 Review

Results

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 1 - 4 Eskilsminne IF

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We kicked off May with a home game against Eskilsminne IF who sat in 4th, having started their campaign with 2 wins, a draw and a loss.

We reverted back to our 4-3-2-1 formation for this one in an attempt to control the game through the midfield and exposing the wings in attack. Theo Ankraw came into the starting lineup and April player of the month Jonas Crona was also in.

The first half of this game told two different stories from the stats. We had the lion's share of possession with 63%, whilst Eskilsminne had more chances with 6 to our 2. They also had the extra goal and took a 2-1 lead into the break. Our goal had come from the in form Crona, his first for the club since I brought him here. We came out for the 2nd half and completely dominated, with relentless pressure on the Eskilminne goal. So when it was our opponents who scored completely against the run of play in the 72nd minute, it's safe to say I felt pretty deflated. We looked like we wasn't going to get anything out of this game but we deserved to take at least a point on the state of play. To stick the boot in further, Eskilsminne grabbed a 4th in the final minute of the game to inflict a pretty heavy defeat on us. Our first loss of the season comes and now I've got to pick these lads up for the next game in the hope we can bounce back quickly.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
IFK Trelleborg 0 - 1 FC Rosengard

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IFK Trelleborg were sitting 13th coming into this game, with only 1 win from their opening 5 games.

Despite the poor scoreline in the previous game, we didn't play badly and certainly didn't deserve to be on the end of a 4-1 thrashing. So I stuck with the same formation and starting lineup here to give the players a chance to gain some redemption.

The first half was a relatively dull 45 minutes with neither team creating any significant chances and both teams only actually mustering up 3 shots on goal each, none of which were on target. The first 20 minutes of the second half were just as boring, until all of a sudden IFK had a man sent off. Melander saw red for his second bookable offence and I sensed the opportunity, switched to the 4-4-2 and introduced Karlos Touma for his first competitive minutes of the season as he returns from an injury picked up in pre season. The change in formation spurred the team on and when Crona scored on 78 minutes to put us in front, I didn't see us dropping any points from here against the 10 men of Trelleborg. My confidence was justified as the lads went on to see the game out and I'm pleased we have bounced back with a win immediately after our first defeat of the season.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 3 - 2 Bromolla IF

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Our next game would be against bottom of the league Bromolla IF who have only scored 2 goals in their opening 6 games, clearly finding it tough to find the back of the net.

We'll be starting with an attacking 4-4-2 setup, with the view that if we score first, we will go on to win the game, based on the fact that our opponents simply can't score. Karlos Touma comes into the starting lineup up front alongside Eklof. Marcus Horten comes into the midfield in place of Cascalheira and Henrik Holmstrom is given a start at centre back in place of Aram Abed who's form has dipped slightly over the past few games.

We were definitely the better side throughout the first half, and although we created 6 chances, 2 of which were clear cut, we were unable to find the opening goal. I felt that if we continued playing this way though, it would be only a matter of time and wasn't going to be forced into any panic changes at half time. My decision turned out to be right, as it only took 7 minutes of the second half to get our noses in front, Isac Eklof scoring from close range after a headed knock down in the box from Touma. About 10 minutes later, Touma himself was on the scoresheet as he scored his first goal of the season with a lovely placed effort into the bottom corner from just outside the box. Eklof added his 2nd of the game with 10 minutes remaining - after Crona had hit a long ball over the Bromolla defence, Eklof raced onto it and slotted past the stranded goalkeeper. I was disappointed not to keep the clean sheet as Bromolla came back with a couple of late consolation goals (one of which was a penalty), but I'm pleased to secure another 3 points at home, which sees us go back to the top of the league.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
IFK Hassleholm 4 - 3 FC Rosengard

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The game against IFK Hassleholm would see 3rd vs 1st, so would see us finish the month with a tough away fixture. Hassleholm had only lost 1 of their opening 7 games, and had only conceded 6 goals, so they'd be tough to break down.

My scouts had reported that Hassleholm generally do well against a 4-4-2 formation, so we wouldn't sticking with that for this game. Instead, I'd be going with the defensive outlook of my 5-3-2. We stick with the two lads up front who scored the goals in the last game. Ankraw came into the centre midfield alongside the in form Crona and Cascalheira. I'd spoken to my full backs during the week whilst preparing for the match telling them to get forward as much as possible in this game and fire in as many crosses as they can.

We started extremely brightly and very nearly found ourselves in front inside 40 seconds, when Touma fired a curling effort inches past the post from about 20 yards out. On 22 minutes, IFK were awarded a penalty by the **** of a referee! There was no foul in my opinion as Gerzic shielded the ball to allow it to go out of play for a goal kick, but the ref blew up and gave a pen for obstruction! What a ****! Said stepped up for Hassleholm and made no mistake in putting them 1-0 in front. For the rest of the half, they were dominant and we simply wern't in the game. Things had to change at half time before this slipped away from us, so I reverted to the 4-3-2-1 formation and introduced wide players Smajic and Chebil. Despite my changes and motivational team talk, it was Hassleholm who came out all guns blazing in the 2nd half and were 2-0 up within minutes of the restart. And it went from bad to worse as only a couple of minutes after that the referee awarded them their 2nd penalty of the game - Said stepped up and scored again with a virtually identical strike to the first. I thought we were dead and buried, but only 5 minutes later we had a lifeline. Ankraw slotted home a first time effort to get us back in it at 3-1! But the hope was all but shattered only a minute later as Hassleholm went straight back down our end to restore their 3 goal lead! The game had gone nuts all of a sudden as pretty much straight from the restart, we scored again making it 4-2! What a game this was for the fans...end to end stuff and 3 goals in 4 minutes! Both teams continued to attack, with no regards for defending in this game at all, and a goal either way could be huge - for them it would seal the win, for us it would give some slight hope at salvaging a draw! And the goal did come and it was us who scored it, through a powerful top corner strike from Chebil! 4-3 with 10 minutes to go!! We piled everyone forward in search of that equalizer, but unfortunately we'd run out of steam and just couldn't muster up that one final chance to grab ourselves a point! Gutted, but what a game!

League Table

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Despite losing 2 of our 4 games this month, we still managed to retain top spot in the league. Our losses look credible as they were to the teams in 2nd and 3rd in the competition.

Player of the Month
Jonas Crona
CM
Appearances: 4
Goals: 2
Assists: 2
Man of the Match: 1
Average Rating: 7.58

That man Crona gets the player of the month award again as he continued his fine start to the season and life with FC Rosengard. Two goals and another two assists contributed in 4 games this month.

Medical Centre

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Jonathan Hall continues his recovery from a pulled hamstring and should be back in training by the end of the month :)

Dynamics

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The players are starting to rally behind me and gaining a bit more respect for their manager following our decent start to the league campaign.

Financial Update

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More losses this month of around £20k. Nothing I'm doing wrong though as I'm well within my budgets.

Ball Completes Coaching Badge

I completed my National C License coaching badge this month and thus my stature in the game has gone up very slightly. My coaching stats have also slightly improved.

The Month Ahead...

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Five league games ahead of us in the month of June. But again, they're nicely spread out with a full week between games for training and match prep. We'll play the sides currently sitting 4th, 6th, 7th, 11th and 12th. Three home games in a row will hopefully give us a platform to build a good run and stay at the top for another month.
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June 2018 Review



June 2018 Review

Results

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Hogaborgs BK 3 - 2 FC Rosengard

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Hogaborgs BK are probably one of the most consistent teams in the league. They've played the past 18 seasons in division two, without promotion or relegation, tending to finish between 5th and 10th every year. And thus far this season, they were sitting 6th as we went into this fixture.

We lined up with the 4-3-2-1 formation that we'd finished with against IFK Hassleholm. I may have gone for a 4-4-2 but being away from home I felt it was too attacking to kick off this game. My captain and key centre back Adnan Gerzic was suspended for this one, so we'd have to make do without him. Eklof is handed the lone striker role.

It proved to be an inspired decision from the manager to give Eklof the front man responsibility as he rewarded my faith by giving us the lead just before the half hour mark with an excellent half volley followed by a Smajic cross. However, only a few minutes later, Hogaborgs levelled it up through Akerman after a good passing move. Just before half time and they were in front, this time I'd say a lapse in concentration from our defence let them through with a simple long ball over the top and with our centre backs switched off, Akerman was able to get on the end of it for his 2nd of the game. I ensured the lads knew I expected better in the second half and within 4 minutes of the restart I got the response I was looking for when we equalized through Theo Ankraw. 62 minutes down and we found ourselves behind again when Hogaborgs scrambled the ball over the line after we failed to clear a hopeful cross from the right wing. As the game went on, I encouraged the team further and further forward in search of the goal that would earn us a point, but the team just couldn't find it. They did try and we played some good stuff, but all in vain as we kicked off June with a loss.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 2 - 2 IFK Malmo

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IFK Malmo would be the next visitors to Rosengards IP, sitting in 7th place, 4 points behind us.

We stuck with the 4-3-2-1 from the last game but with a control mentality rather than the standard we'd used in the last game. Marcus Horten comes into the centre midfield role, in place of Cascalheira, and Gerzic is back in the side following his suspension.

We made a decent start to this one and when Chebil played a perfect through ball in to Smajic on 12 minutes, he cracked home a low effort to give us a 1-0 lead. But it only lasted about 40 seconds as Malmo hit straight back to level things up. The game had started at a frantic pace and less than 2 minutes later we were back in front again, this time Smajic turning provider for Eklof. With half an hour gone, we were in front but certainly wasn't the better side with our opponents playing a very attacking game and our high defensive line struggling to cope with their numbers in attack. So I tweaked the tactics slightly, asking the lads to sit a little deeper, and leave less space in behind the defence. Tactically, it was a fantastic change as we limited Malmo to only 3 shots for the remaining hour of the game. Unfortunately for us, one of the chances did find the back of the net as late as the 89th minute which meant the game ended in a draw. On the face of it, probably a fair result for both sides, although disappointing for us to drop points so late in the game.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 2 - 1 BK Olympic

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BK Olympic came into this one in last position, with only 2 wins from their opening 10 games.

I wanted to capitalise on our opponents poor form, and get the lads out there grabbing some goals and hopefully getting a decent win under our belt after 2 losses and a draw. So we setup with the attacking 4-4-2 formation which had already produced a couple of decent performances at home this season. Redsted came in at centre back for this one and Redzic joins Eklof to make up the 2 man strikeforce.

We were literally banging the door down in the first half with all the possession and all the chances. All that domination did result in one goal from Eklof, giving us a 1-0 lead at the break. I was keen for the lads to keep the pressure on and get a 2nd, as a 1 goal lead always makes me nervous in the latter stages of games. 63 minutes into the match, we've had 14 shots and BK Olympic have had 2!! And guess what, the score is f*cking 1-1! I'm livid as they get a penalty and level it up. Three subs were made as Touma, Ankraw and Holmstrom all entered the field of play, with strict instructions to give it everything and win this game for us! Touma clearly got the message as he'd been on the pitch less than 5 minutes, when he headed home a Thulin cross to put us back in front. It was enough to give us the win, but I'm disappointed to have only won this by 1 goal, having dominated so heavily for the full 90 minutes!

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 2 - 0 Rappe GOIF

View attachment 77160 View attachment 77159

Rappe GOIF would be our opponents in this one, our 3rd home game in a row and I was hoping we could get another win against another team stuck in the bottom 3.

With home advantage and Rappe lumbering at the wrong end of the table, I stuck with the attack minded 4-4-2 formation that had seen us dominate against BK Olympic in the previous game. Redsted has been pretty awful at centre back in the previous match, so he was replaced by Aram Abed and match winner Karlos Touma was rewarded with a start in place of Isak Redzic.

The first half was simply a bore, and to be fair we were pretty poor, only creating 1 chance in the whole half. Our opponents were only slightly better, creating 3. The 442 formation simply wasn't working for us today so I decided to changed things up at half time and switch to the 4321, in an attempt to pack out the midfield which we so far had failed to control. The tactical change definitely worked and we were noticably more competitive in the midfield areas in the second half, taking control of the possession stats with more than 55%. We also created more chances and were finding the spaces inside Rappe's half. Our increased pressure and change of style carved out 2 second half goals from Eklof and Ankraw to give us back to back victories.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Osterlen FF 2 - 1 FC Rosengard

View attachment 77158 View attachment 77157

On the final day of the month, we'd go away to Osterlen FF, who were sitting 7th in the table. Osterlen had slipped down the table a little this month, having lost 3 of their 4 games.

Our scouts had done their homework and we expected Osterlen to lineup with a defensive formation with 2 defensive midfielders. I therefore felt that a lone striker would be completely outnumbered and we'd struggle to create chances with such limited options up front. So I decided to stick with the 4-4-2 as I felt it gave us the best opportunity to get more men forward to support the two guys up front too. No changes to the starting lineup but I was pleased to have Jonathan Hall back on the bench for the first time this season!

Both teams had success with their tactics working in different ways in the first half and it was pretty tight. But it was us that had the lucky break and scored an opening goal through the in form striker Isac Eklof to take a lead into the break. No changes were made at half time as I wanted to see how the second half began before making any big decisions that I didn't feel needed making at that stage. We started brightly and in the 59th minute it looked like we'd extended our lead when Karlos Touma found the back of the net, only for the linesman to rule the goal out for offside. Then on 65 minutes, we came very close to scoring again, as Gerzic went up for a free kick and headed his effort against the post. It was then Osterlen's turn for a spell of possession and they made it count, equalizing through Johnsson on 71 minutes. Jonathan Hall was introduced with 13 minutes remaining to the delight of the away fans who seemed happy to see the player back from his pre season injury. The suckerpunch came late on in the 93rd minute as Osterlen managed to squeeze in a winning goal just before the final whistle to send us home with no points. Gutted as we definitely deserved something from this game. Conceding late goals was becoming a habit this season and I'd need to work on that, and quickly!

League Table

View attachment 77156

2 wins, 2 losses and a draw sees us lose top spot this month. We've dropped to 4th, but there is only 4 points seperating the top 6 as things tighten up in the top half. Pre season favourites Prespa Birlik are starting to hit form and with 4 wins and a draw this month, they've entered the top half and are now looking a genuine threat this season.

Player of the Month



Isac Eklof
ST
Appearances: 5
Goals: 5
Assists: 0
Shots on Target: 9
Average Rating: 7.08

The young loanee has to get player of the month for June after finding the back of the net in every single game. The 18 year old striker has been on cracking form in front of goal.

Medical Centre

View attachment 77155

No current injuries in the first team squad.

Dynamics

View attachment 77154

Match cohesion still needs some work. I had hoped we would have a better 'on pitch' understanding by now, but I guess I have to accept it will take some time with the amount of new arrivals I brought to the club.

Dressing room atmosphere has now changed from average to good, so pleased to be seeing an improvement here. Also my managerial support from my players is on the rise and I now seem to have a strong influence over a number of the players too.

Financial Update

View attachment 77153

We didn't lose as much money this month, I'm guessing because we played an extra home game so gained some extra revenue that way. But we have now tipped over the £50k mark into the red.

Adnan Gerzic Commits Future To The Club

I've managed to tie down our captain and key centre back Adnan Gerzic on a new 3 year contract. Gerzic is the most influential player at the club, with a lot of the players looking up to the 30 year old Swede so it was important to secure his signature on a new deal. Gerzic will earn £275 per week and has a promotion pay rise of 10% written into his deal.

The Month Ahead...

View attachment 77152

July will see us play 4 games, 2 home and 2 away. We'll kick off against Hassleholms who we started the season against with a 1-1 draw. We'll then take on Lunds BK, Prespa Birlik and Torns IF, three teams I have already recorded victories against this season. July will also see the Swedish transfer window open.

​
 
European Competition Winners

e7495427d9945d7901fa7c5ce28f9b57.jpg

European Competition Winners 2017/18

Here's the update from around Europe as the major competitions have now come to a close for the 2017/2018 season...

English Premiership Winners: Manchester United
English Premiership Runners Up: Liverpool
English FA Cup Winners: Manchester City
Carabao Cup Winners: Chelsea

Spanish La Liga Winners: Real Madrid
Spanish La Liga Runners Up: Sevilla
Copa del Rey: Real Madrid

German Bundesliga Winners: Bayern Munich
German Bundesliga Runners Up: Borussia Dortmund
DFB-Pokal Winners: Bayern Munich

French Ligue 1 Winners: Paris Saint Germain
French Ligue 1 Runners Up: Olympique Lyonnais
Coupe de France Winners: Paris Saint Germain
Coupe de la Ligue Winners: Paris Saint Germain

Italian Serie A Winners: Roma
Italian Serie A Runners Up: Juventus
TIM Cup Winners: Juventus

Holland Eredivisie Winners: Ajax
Holland Eredivisie Runners Up: PSV Eindhoven
KNVB Beker Winners: Feyenoord

Portuguese Primeira Liga Winners: Benfica
Portuguese Premier League Runners Up: Sporting Lisbon
Taca de Portugal Winners: Benfica
Taca da Liga Cup: Benfica

Scotland Premiership Winners: Celtic
Scotland Premiership Runners Up: Rangers
Scottish Cup Winners: Celtic
Scottish League Cup: Celtic

UEFA Champions League Winners: Chelsea
Champions League Runners Up: Atletico Madrid

UEFA Europa League Winners: Olympique de Marseille
Europa League Runners Up: Athletic Club Bilbao

UEFA Super Cup Winners: Real Madrid

UEFA Youth League Winners: Dinamo Zagreb Under 19s
UEFA Youth League Runners Up: Manchester City U18s​
 
Struggling first job it seems, superb form to turn around your luck this time out though, keep it coming man, very well written.
 
dani3w said:
Struggling first job it seems, superb form to turn around your luck this time out though, keep it coming man, very well written.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate, much appreciated. I didn't know whether I was putting in too much detail from the matches and whether I should shorten the match reports slightly. Was worried it might put people off the read if there was too much.
 
July 2018 Review



July 2018 Review

Results

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 2 - 2 Hassleholms IF

View attachment 77102 View attachment 77101

Our first match in July would be at home to Hassleholms IF, who we'd kicked off the season against with a 1-1 draw at their place. Since then, we'd maintained a spot in the top 4, and they'd slipped to 10th in the table. They came into this one in a pretty poor run of form too, losing 3 straight games and conceding 9 goals in the process.

With home advantage and better form, I felt confident enough to kick off with the 4-4-2 formation that had served us well in our home games so far this season. Linus Fridolf and Henrik Holmstrom come into the back 4, in place of Abed and Thulin. I left the remainder of the team unchanged.

The game didn't get off to the best of starts for us as we gave away a penalty within the opening 10 minutes, which was duly converted by Gazmend Xhemajli. That's the 5th penalty we've given away this season already and our discipline was starting to become a concern for me as we were clearly lunging into too many tackles inside our own box. The first half was pretty close with both teams having decent spells, and we did manage to get an equalizer through winger Bilal Smajic with his 4th goal of the season. Only 2 minutes into the second half and our star man Isac Eklof has to come off with an injury....I'll be hoping it's not too bad and won't keep him out for too long as his goals have been crucial to our season so far. Hassleholms went on to get another and it took us until the 94th minute to get a last gasp equalizer through substitute Isak Redzic. We should have won this one today and the main reason we didn't can only be put down to a bad day in front of goal. We created and missed some glaring clear cut opportunities today and should of been well out of sight by full time.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Lunds BK 0 - 2 FC Rosengard

View attachment 77100 View attachment 77099

Our next game was away at Lunds BK and would actually see 4th vs 5th in the table. Lunds could go top with a win here, so they had plenty of motivation.

We set up with the 5-3-2 formation, looking to sit deep, soak up pressure then counter our opponents quickly. Jonathan Hall comes into the starting lineup for the first time since the opening day of the season. Thulin comes back in at left back. Eklof is able to play through his broken cheekbone injury with a face mask fitted, but I've decided not to start the injured striker for this one.

A goal in each half gives us a big away win, in a game that was fairly even. It's clear both our sides are pretty evenly matched, which is reflected in our close proximity in the league table. So I'm really chuffed to have come out on top in this one today. Goals from Touma and Eklof, who replaced him from the bench, secured us the 3 points. Jonathan Hall put in a man of the match performance!

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 2 - 2 Prespa Birlik

View attachment 77098 View attachment 77097

Prespa Birlik were the pre season title favourites and they'd really started to show their credentials over the last few games, uneaten in their last 7 and winning 6 of those!

We started the game with the 4-3-2-1 lineup so wide men Chebil and Smajic come back into the team. Touma starts up top with Eklof on the bench again.

We were the better team throughout the first half and thoroughly deserved the 1-0 lead we took into half time, a fine finish from Haytham Chebil putting us in front on 28 minutes. And 11 minutes into the first half, Holmstrom had bundled home for our 2nd of the game, after the ball landed at his feet from a corner. It looked like we were cruising to a comfortable home win against one of the best teams in the league, until my team completely fell apart in the last 15 minutes, conceding two goals and only taking 1 disappointing point from a game we should have won!

Svenska Cupen First Round
Eskilsminne IF 3 - 2 FC Rosengard

View attachment 77096 View attachment 77095

We'd drawn Eskilsminne IF away in the first round of the Svenska Cupen. A team that had already thrashed us 4-1 in the league this season, so I was a little aprahensive as we went into this game.

When we lost 4-1 in the league to this lot, we'd actually outplayed them on possession and chances created, so I was putting the big loss down to us being poor in front of goal and them just having an exceptional day taking chances. So I stuck with the same formation for this one in the hope we could control the play again, but have a little more luck on our side with the chances taken on the day. We made no changes from the game against Prespa Birlik.

After making the perfect start and opening the scoring in the first minute through Karlos Touma, things went downhill from there. Again this was a pretty even game, with us slightly the better I'd say and certainly creating the better chances. But clearly Eskilsminne have put together a team that are experts in riding their luck and rely on excellent finishers to win games for them as you can't fault the way they take their half chances. That's twice now that we've played these b*stards and been the better side, to find ourselves on the end of defeat! This time, it cost us a place in the 2nd round of the cup.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Torns IF 3 - 0 FC Rosengard

View attachment 77094 View attachment 77093

Only 3 days after the cup game, we had another league fixture, this time away to 12th placed Torns IF.

I kept the 4321 lineup with a couple of changes, mainly due to tiredness in the squad from the midweek cup game. Hall was replaced by Ankraw, Touma made way for Eklof and Thulin came in at left back for Fridolf.

Well that was nothing short of f*cking awful. We just weren't at the races today. Nobody turned up and put a shift in. I'm bitterly disappointed in the lads for this performance against a team we should have beat pretty comfortably.

League Table

View attachment 77092

We remained 4th despite winning only 1 game this month. However, we do now find ourselves 6 points off the top and with Lunds and Eskilsminne IF hot on our tails, we could easily drop down the league with a couple more bad results.

Player of the Month

Jonathan Hall
CM
Appearances: 4 (1 as sub)
Goals: 0
Assists: 3
Key Passes: 13
Average Rating: 7.87

Jonathan made his way back into the team this month, following the injury he picked up on the first day of the season. And he has been nothing short of superb, grabbing 3 assists and also picking up a man of the match in his first start in 2 months!

Medical Centre

View attachment 77091

The only player with a current injury is Isac Eklof with a broken cheekbone. However, with the assistance of a protective mask, he is still able to play.

Dynamics

View attachment 77090

Only one win in our last 6 games was bound to effect the atmosphere in the dressing room. However, I'm pleased to say that the players are still showing me a decent level of respect and haven't just turned their backs on their inexperienced manager after a few bad results.

Financial Update

View attachment 77087

£16k losses this month. I hope the club has some form of cash windfall coming in at the end of the season to compensate for these losses every month.

Milestone For Gerzic

Adnan Gerzic made his 100th league appearance for the club in the home game against Prespa Birlik.

The Month Ahead...

View attachment 77089

A tough game against Eskilsminne kicks off next month, who have already beaten us twice this season. We'll follow that up with the teams currently sitting 9th and 13th. Then we'll finish the month against top of the league IFK Hassleholm.

​
 
August 2018 Review



August 2018 Review

Results

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Eskilsminne IF 2 - 0 FC Rosengard

View attachment 77004 View attachment 77003

Our first game in August was away at Eskilsminne who had already beaten us twice this season, smashing 7 goals past us in the process.

I persisted with the 4321 formation that had lost us the previous two games. Call me mad, but we were the better side in both matches with that setup and in my stubbornness I believed we could beat this lot with it.

Yet again, for a third time against this lot we dominated the possession, having nearly 60% of it. But again, we found ourselves on the end of a defeat. I'm massively ****** off but concede that maybe I only have myself to blame for not trying something different tactically. To make it even harder to take, both their goals were soft and my keeper should of saved both efforts with considerable ease.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 3 - 2 IFK Trelleborg

View attachment 77002 View attachment 77001

IFK Trelleborg came into this game in 9th position in the league, but in 4th in the form table, so they were a team on the up. We, on the other hand, were a team on the way down, and I needed to turn that around quickly.

We were on a **** run of form, so it was time for a tactical shake up, in the hope it could inspire the lads to produce a better and winning performance. I opted for a 4-2-3-1 lineup, rather attacking, with a more direct passing game about it.

Initially, the response I got from the lads with the new tactics was immense and we found ourselves absolutely running away with it and 3-0 up at half time. We'd looked entirely on top, with no threat coming from our opponents at all. However, it seems nothing is ever plain sailing at this club and the second half was a completely different story. IFK came back at us hard and we seemed to go into complete meltdown. They got two back and it was backs against the wall for the final 10 minutes. I was nervous due to the amount of late goals we've let in this season, but today we held on and took a crucial 3 points, which keeps us in the top 5.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Bromolla IF 2 - 4 FC Rosengard

View attachment 77000 View attachment 76999

Bromolla IF came into this one rock bottom of the league table and I therefore expected a win from my lads!

I stuck with the new formation that was utilised to good effect in the previous game. The only change to the starting lineup was Philip Cascalheira coming into the centre midfield role.

When you look at the final result here, you wouldn't believe that we went in at half time 1-0 down. Yep, it was looking like a shock defeat was on the cards after 45 minutes, but with a firm bollocking at half time, the lads came out with the bit between their teeth in the second half and played very well. Karlos Touma was the pick of my players, scoring a second half hat trick!

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 2 - 0 IFK Hassleholm

View attachment 76998 View attachment 76997

When you get down to the final 6 games of the season and a fixture comes up that pits 2nd against 3rd in the league, it's a pretty big deal. And that was exactly the case here as we took on IFK Hassleholm. Our last encounter with them had been an epic game for the neutral finishing in a 4-3 win for our opponents.

I couldn't justify dropping the new 4231 formation that had earned us back to back victories in the previous games, so I stuck with it again, with no changes to the starting lineup.

Considering the magnitude of this game, the stage of the season and the quality of opposition, this was probably one of our performances of the year! We were fantastic in every department. Going forward we played some fancy stuff and scored 2 really good goals through Smajic and Crona. In defence we were strong and solid, not allowing IFK through for any clear cut opportunities. I'm proud of the lads today and with 5 games left now, I'm starting to wonder if we can mount a late title challenge. Certainly if we perform like this in every remaining game, we have to be in with a shout!

League Table

View attachment 76996

3 wins from 4 games this month has seen us improve to 3rd place. With only 5 games left, we've put ourselves in position to have a shot at the title.

Player of the Month

Haytham Chebil
AML
Appearances: 4
Goals: 2
Assists: 4
Key Passes: 9
Average Rating: 7.55

Chebil has come into his own this month with fantastic attacking contribution of 2 goals and 4 assists. He's looked a real threat cutting in from the left wing all season and fully deserves this award.

Medical Centre

View attachment 76995

Karlos Touma will probably miss the remainder of the season :-(

Dynamics

View attachment 76994

A run of 3 wins has improved the dressing room atmosphere and the squad looks generally pretty happy going into the final month. Yes we have a few players wanting to leave the club still, but that's been the case all season and I've kept those players on the fringe of the first team squad only really utilising them when I really need to.

Financial Update

View attachment 76992

The board have injected £45,000 into the club this month to help with the running costs. It means that on paper, we're showing a profit for the month of £29k.

New Contract For Ball

I'm delighted to have signed a new contract with the club, keeping me here for another year. I've also been given a £25 per week pay rise as part of the deal. I'll receive a 15% pay rise on top of that if I can achieve promotion with the club!

Senior Affiliate

View attachment 76993

I went to the board early in the month and asked them to seek out a club for us to set up an affiliation with. Ideally, this would be an opportunity for us to get some good youngsters in on loan, from a top team in the country. I am pleased to report that they came back with a couple of suggestions and I now have a senior affiliate in Allsvenskan side, Djurgardens, who currently sit 2nd in the top tier of Swedish football. They are also the reigning champions, having won Sweden's top league last season.

The Month Ahead...

View attachment 76991

It's the final run in at the end of the season. The last 5 games and we have some big fixtures against teams in the top half of the table, before finishing the season against 2 teams in the bottom 3. If we can pick up a couple of good results early in the month, we'll set ourselves up to finish strongly against the weaker sides hopefully.


​
 
September 2018 Review



September 2018 Review

Results

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
IFK Malmo 0 - 2 FC Rosengard

View attachment 76773 View attachment 76772

Our first game to kick off the final month of the season was against IFK Malmo. They were sitting just behind us in 4th place and also had an outside shot at promotion, especially if they could record a win here.

Due to the fact we were away from home and playing a good side on good form, I decided the new 4231 formation was a bit too attacking. Instead opting for a 4123, wit a defensive midfielder to provide some extra cover for the defence.

What another cracking performance from the lads. They're really digging deep at the end of the season against the other top sides in the division. Two first half goals from our wide men Smajic and Chebil seal a massive 3 points and we manage back to back clean sheets for the first time this season.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FCRosengard 2 - 3 Hogaborgs BK

View attachment 76771 View attachment 76770

Hogaborgs BK came into this one in indifferent form, having lost 1, drawn 1 and won 1 in their previous 3 games. On the other hand, we were on a run of 4 straight victories, so I was hoping we could carry that momentum into the match.

We reverted back to the more attacking 4231 formation, as we have home advantage and are heavy favourites to take all 3 points here. I'm forced into a couple of changes though...Crona is suspended, so makes way for Alexandersson, Smajic is on international duty with Bosnia U19s, so Amiri is given a start on the right wing.

This was a good entertaining game for both sets of fans. Both teams showed spells of excellent attacking football, creating more than 10 chances each throughout the game. We edged a little more control over possession with 56%, but on the day it was a pretty even game and a draw would have been a fair result for both sides. Unfortunately for us, that's not the way it worked out as Hogaborgs came from 2-1 down in the final 10 minutes to score 2 goals and ****** a 3-2 win taking all the points home with them. Gutted that we let this one slip, as even a point would have been massive in our current situation fighting for a place in the top 2.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
FC Rosengard 4 - 1 Osterlen FF

View attachment 76768 View attachment 76769

The game against Osterlen would be our last against a team in the top half. We had every reason to feel that if we could get a result in this one, we'd be able to mount a serious challenge to the top 2. However, lose and it could be all over before the final two games.

Being at home, and needing a win, I stuck with the 4231 setup. Smajic came back into the starting 11, along with Holmstrom, Horten and Crona.

We started the game on the back foot and before long we actually found ourselves behind in this game. However, the boys (without even needing any encouragement from me) snapped out of it and turned on the style almost like at a click of the fingers. From that 19th minute, we were extremely good, entertaining to watch with some fantastic passing and movement off the ball. Our improved play was rewarded with 4 very good goals too, a cracker from outside the box by Crona being the pick of the bunch. This is a very impressive win going into the final two games of the season, against (on paper) much weaker opposition.

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
BK Olympic 1 - 4 FC Rosengard

View attachment 76767 View attachment 76766

BK Olympic came into this one having already been relegated last week, so they had nothing to play for except pride....but we all know pride means a **** of a lot in football.

I stuck with the same formation as the previous two matches, with no changes to the lineup from the team that beat Osterlen 4-1.

This one was never really in doubt. Another brilliant performance as we made it back to back 4-1 wins and the goal difference of +6 over the past two games has brought us up to scratch with the top 2, which could be crucial on the final day of the season. Goals from Eklof, Chebil, Smajic and Hall sealed the points for us today in exceptional style.

Final Day Scenario

View attachment 76776

So, the situation going into the final game of the season. Prespa Birlik sit top of the table on 49 points and a goal difference of +14. IFK Hassleholm sit 2nd on 47 points and a goal difference of +18, and we sit 3rd on 46 points with a goal difference of +13.

Basically, 1st wins the title and automatic promotion, and 2nd makes the playoffs. 3rd gets nothing. So it's pretty much out of our hands....we need to win and hope that either Prespa Birlik or IFK Hassleholm lose.

Final Day Result

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland
Rappe GOIF 1 - 2 FC Rosengard

View attachment 76775 View attachment 76774

Our final game of the season was against 12th placed Rappe and we must win and hope other results go our way to at least make the playoffs.

I stuck with the same formation and team that had earned us two 4-1 wins in the previous 2 games. How could I possibly justify changing anything after our two biggest wins of the season?

Well we did our bit. We really dug deep today to grind out a 2-1 win and keep our end of the bargain in the push for a top 2 place. We've finished the season winning 7 of our last 8 games which has pushed us into contention. At full time, I rushed to check the scores in the other games, Prespa Birlik had drawn, meaning they'd won the league title, but there was still a playoff spot up for grabs.... I checked IFK Hassleholm's result and saw they'd suffered defeat, and we had successfully leapfrogged them on the final day of the season to earn 2nd place in the table and make the playoffs! Promotion was still within reach!

Final League Table

View attachment 76765

We secured a playoff spot for finishing 2nd on the final day of the season!

Player of the Month

Bilal Smajic
AMR
Appearances: 4
Goals: 2
Assists: 3
Dribbles: 8
Average Rating: 7.63

The young winger has impressed me all season and finished the season in fantastic form.

Medical Centre

View attachment 76764

No injuries heading into the playoffs :)

Dynamics

View attachment 76763

What a difference a season makes! I have a much stronger relationship with my players, and a lot more respect from them as individuals too. Team cohesion is still pretty average, which surprises me considering how well the team have been playing.

Finances

View attachment 76762

Still in the red by about £60k.

Ball Ties Down Two Key Players

Jonathan Hall has signed a new deal with the club which will keep him here for another year. The deal is as a key player on a salary of £130 per week.


Inside forward, Haytham Chebil has also signed on for another 2 years with the club. His deal is also as a key player and he will now earn £190 per week.

​
 
Nice! Well done mate, bring on the playoffs - surely your team will be the favourites on form if you're up against a team that's been struggling all year in the league above...
 
Sammuthegreat said:
Nice! Well done mate, bring on the playoffs - surely your team will be the favourites on form if you're up against a team that's been struggling all year in the league above...
Click to expand...

This is what I thought...however, it turns out I have to play a group stage first with 2 other teams that finished 2nd in the other division 2 leagues! Winner of that group then gets a shot at promotion against one of those clubs from the league above I believe.
 
Ahhh yes, I remember reading that now. Blimey, promotion is no mean feat in that league... Well, I still find it hard to imagine there's a team on better form than your lot, so you should be confident.
 
Promotion Playoffs



Promotion Playoffs

We were drawn against Grebbestads IF and Gunnilse IS in the playoffs group draw.

Grebbestads finished runners up in the Division 2 Norra Gotaland with 49 points, only losing 3 games all season! Gunnilse were runners up in the Division 2 Vastra Gotaland with 48 points, losing 6 games throughout the season but only conceding 19 goals in 26 matches.

Only the top team from both groups will go through to the playoff finals for a shot at promotion.

Results

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland Promotion Playoff Group 2
Grebbestads IF 1 - 3 FC Rosengard

View attachment 76427 View attachment 76426

Division 2 Sodra Gotaland Promotion Playoff Group 2
FC Rosengard 1 - 2 Gunnilse IS

View attachment 76425 View attachment 76424


Group Final Table
View attachment 76423

Gunnilse IF progress to the promotion playoff finals as they defeat both Grebbestads IF and ourselves. Disappointed, but we'll come again next year with a big challenge to win the division so that we can avoid this tough playoff situation again.

​
 
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