On A Mission To Become The Greatest Europe Has Ever Seen......The Hard Way!

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BallyC7

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Chris Ball Is On A Mission

And that mission, is to become the best manager in European history.

It will be no easy task, with Ball starting out his career in management with no experience, no qualifications, and at this moment in time, no job!

But the 32 year old Englishman is a determined geezer and once he sets his mind to it, that's it! Nothing but 100% effort to reach his goal!

So follow this story with me and see how I get on as I start my quest to become the greatest football manager Europe has ever seen!

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I will be measuring myself along the way against the FM hall of famers. Our current top 5....

Alex Ferguson - Hall of fame score: 4947
St Mirren, Aberdeen, Manchester United
17 domestic division titles
14 domestic cups
8 other club trophies
0 international trophies

Jose Mourinho - Hall of fame score: 2929
[FONT=&quot]Porto, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]8 domestic division titles[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]8 domestic cups[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4 other club trophies[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0 international trophies

[/FONT]Mircea Lucescu - Hall of fame score: 2630
[FONT=&quot]Besiktas, Brescia, Dinamo Bucuresti, Galatasaray, Rapid Bucharest, Shakhtar, Zenit[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]13 domestic division titles[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]8 domestic cups[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2 other club trophies[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0 international trophies

[/FONT]Giovanni Trapattoni - Hall of fame score: 2619
[FONT=&quot]Bayern Munich, FC RB Salzburg, Inter Milan, Juventus, Benfica[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]10 domestic division titles[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3 domestic cups[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6 other club trophies[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0 international trophies

[/FONT]Bob Paisley - Hall of fame score: 2601
[FONT=&quot]Liverpool[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6 domestic division titles[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3 domestic cups[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5 other club trophies[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0 international trophies



[/FONT]And then there's little old me (this is subject to change throughout my career....well hopefully anyway)

Chris Ball - Hall of fame score: 0
[FONT=&quot]No clubs[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0 domestic division titles[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0 domestic cups[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0 other club trophies[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0 international trophies[/FONT]

​
 
First Thing On The Agenda

The First Thing On The Agenda...

...is to bag myself a job.

And I won't be fussy as to where it is. Right now, I just need a step on the ladder. It will be the bottom step, a very small step in some ways as I know I'm going to end up at a tiny little club in one of Europe's lower ranked leagues to start. But in many ways it will be a massive step as one club out there will show faith in a man with no kind of CV to warrant even getting an interview.

The leagues that have been loaded into my game to start with include all divisions from Belarus, Bulgaria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Romania and Serbia.

I immediately send my CV out to three clubs who are all without a manager....

Brumunddal from the Norwegian Second Division
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Finnsnes from the Norwegian Second Division

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HK from the Icelandic First Division

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And to my surprise, all three come back and offer me interviews. I attend all three and anxiously await their responses.


And after some initial rejection and disappointment...

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There was some good news waiting for me in my inbox...

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New Club

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Welcome To Norway


I take over my new job with a measly weekly salary of £160 per week. Looks like I'll be looking for a part time job on the side to boost the income. My contract will only run to the end of the current season so I'll need to prove myself quickly if I want to stick around.

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Brumunddal Fotball are a semi professional football club based in Brumunddal in Norway. Formed in 1905, they have a history dating back well over 100 years. During that time, the club have won 10 trophies, with their highest honour being 2 times winners of the Norwegian Second Division - the same division they currently find themselves in. Brumunddal have not played First Division football since 1984.

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The club's estimated value is just shy of £400k, which isn't too shabby for a semi pro outfit. They have basic training facilities and a pretty poor youth setup, which is to be expected at this level.

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Brumunddal play their home games at Sveum Idrettspark, which offers a 5,000 capacity. It has a synthetic surface and is set amongst Norwegian mountains. We currently have a whopping 50 season ticket holders.

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The club's finances look to be in good shape with more than £150k in the bank.

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As I take over, Brumunddal are 9 games into their season. Currently sitting 8th in the Second Division Group 1 (which is the third tier of Norwegian football). The club are currently overachieving against a predicted finish of 14th - that's rock bottom! The previous manager did not leave the club but instead moved upstairs to become Director of Football. I have, of course, kept him at the club as he seems to be a bit of a legend here. I will look to continue his good work and keep this club progressing, whilst hopefully making a name for myself in the process.

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As far as the board go, their fully expecting a tough season and as long as I avoid relegation they'll be happy.

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The Squad

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[FONT=&quot]
The Squad


[/FONT][FONT=&quot]So let's see what I've got here. The squad has some decent players in it with no less than 6 of my players rated a a minimum of 4 stars for current ability by my assistant manager.

I have a half decent 17 year old keeper with plenty of potential, two strong centre backs to build my team from and decent depth in central midfield. I am, however, lacking numbers on the attacking front with a severe lack of strikers.

Overall, I'm pleased with the players currently at my disposal but it's clear I need to increase the size of the team this year as a couple of injuries right now would really hurt us.

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[FONT=&quot]As far as my best three players go...

Valentin Blaka
Striker

I might be lacking numbers up front, but my main man is very good and possibly the best player in the whole team. Blaka is only 20, has good pace and is a decent finisher. He's an exciting youngster with plenty of flair.

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[FONT=&quot]Rune Pettersen
Centre Back

Standing at 6ft 1", Pettersen is a decent sized centre back with good defensive qualities. He's a decent tackler with good marking and heading skills too. Very likely to be my captain.

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[FONT=&quot]Dardan Rexhaj
Central/Right Midfield

An attacking midfielder with some good attributes in this team. Decent passer of the ball with the ability to dribble and cross too. Takes a good corner and free kick too. His performances so far seem to have been largely below the standard I'll be looking for though and this is something I'll be looking to change.

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[FONT=&quot]The dynamics in the team look OK. We've got a fantastic dressing room atmosphere at the moment. Naturally, the players are sceptical about my appointment and it will be up to me to win them over.

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[/FONT]
​
 
June 2017

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Update: June 2017


Since taking over as manager, we've played 3 games this month under my reign, recording two wins. A pretty solid start. At this rate, I'll have the fans and players won over in no time!

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Matchday 10: Finnsnes - Away (7th vs 8th)
Formation: 4-1-2-3-0
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Karlsen, Solbakken, Andersen, Osmo, Frankmo, Abdillahi, Rexhaj, Rashid, Aasand

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It couldn't have been a better start to my career in football management. A great winning goal, a clean sheet and 3 points in the bag. And all against a side that I'd applied to be manager at which makes the victory that little bit sweeter after they ignored me following my interview. With my only out and out striker away on international duty, I opted for a strikerless formation for my first ever game in charge, and it worked a charm as my lads were brilliant defensively.


Matchday 11: Grorud - Home (7th vs 1st)
Formation: 4-1-2-3-0
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Karlsen, Solbakken, Andersen, Osmo, Frankmo, Abdillahi, Rexhaj, Rashid, Aasand

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A great game for us and the team turned in a really good performance. Another clean sheet and a comfortable win in the end. Despite there being 7 places between the sides at kick off, there were actually only 3 points separating us.


Matchday 12: Alta - Away (13th vs 7th)
Formation: 4-1-2-3-0
Team: Ulla, Ruud, Karlsen, Solbakken, Andersen, Osmo, Frankmo, Abdillahi, Rexhaj, Rashid, Blaka

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Losing to a side in the bottom 3 is not what I had planned. However, it was just a stark reminder that we're not a team that is expected to be challenging for honors this season and instead should be focusing our attention on staying in the division. A little wake up call here in my 3rd game in charge as I suffer defeat for the first time.


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Mahad Abdillahi
Centre Midfield

Appearances: 3
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Key Tackles: 9
Average Rating: 7.63

Adbillahi has played as a ball winning midfielder this month since I took over and it seems to be suiting him down to the ground. Not only has he been solid defensively, but chipped in with a couple of goals too.


League Table

We haven't moved up the league much, despite our two wins since I took over. But we have increased the gap to the bottom of the table, which is what we're trying to avoid this season.

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​
 
July 2017

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[FONT=&quot]Update: July 2017[/FONT]


Only three games this month as there was a two week break. I experienced my first thrashing but we did also record another win.

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Matchday 13: KFUM Oslo - Away (3rd vs 7th)
Formation: 4-1-2-3-0
Lineup:Ulla, Ruud, Karlsen, Pettersen, Andersen, Osmo, Frankmo, Abdillahi, Rexhaj (Nysaeter 70), Rashid, Aasand (Blaka 70)

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We were dominated from start to finish and probably lucky to only go down 1-0. Oslo moved top of the league with this win over us.


Matchday 14: Kjelsas - Home (8th vs 13th)
Formation: 4-1-2-3-0
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Karlsen, Pettersen, Andersen, Osmo, Frankmo, Abdillahi, Rexhaj (Nysaeter 70), Rashid, Aasand (Blaka 64)

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We were really good in this game and created 17 chances on their goal. Bagging 2 goals in the process and keeping a clean sheet ensured we bagged another victory! This was the first game since I took over that we were actually the favourites to win!


Matchday 15: Baerum - Home (5th vs 6th)
Formation: 4-1-2-3-0
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Karlsen (Ludvigsen 52), Pettersen, Andersen, Osmo (Ashby 45), Frankmo, Abdillahi, Rexhaj, Rashid, Aasand

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Worst performance so far and I was on the end of my first big defeat as a manager.


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Mahad Abdillahi
Centre Midfield

Appearances: 3
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Key Passes: 6
Average Rating: 7.00

Abdillahi bags successive player of the month awards. The whole team's performances dipped slightly this month and despite not being involved in any goals, Mahad was still the most consistent player across the three games.

League Table

Still mid table and well clear of those relegation spots for now.

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Transfer Window

The transfer window opened, presenting me with an opportunity to add a couple of new faces to the squad.

Tor Hakon Sveen
Midfielder (Centre/Right/Left)
Unattached - Signed on free transfer

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Tor was signed simply for his versatility and ability to cover anywhere in the midfield. Probably not good enough to be a regular first 11 starter, but could become invaluable if we suffer a bout of injuries.


Victor Ashby
Striker
Unattached - Signed on a free transfer

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One thing I was in desperate need of was another striker. I picked up Ashby for free and he offers me height, strength, a good first touch and decent finishing up top.



​
 
August 2017

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Update: August 2017


August was a tough month for us with only one win chalked up in four games. Funnily enough, it did come against the team that topped the table, but we'll have to look to improve this form if we're going to avoid getting pulled into the relegation battle.

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Matchday 16: HamKam - Away (3rd vs 8th)
Formation: 4-1-2-3-0
Lineup: Ulla, F.Andersen (Osmo 73), Karlsen, Pettersen, M.Andersen, Ludvigsen, Frankmo, Solbakken (Blaka 27), Rexhaj, Rashid (Ashby 64), Aasand

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F*cking embarassing. We were abysmal, managing only 3 shots on goal to their 28!! Disgusted and I can only apologise to the fans!

A nice gesture from the players as they offer to pay our travelling fans their money back.

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Matchday 17: Raufoss - Home (8th vs 1st)
Formation: 4-3-2-1 Wide
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Pettersen, Karlsen, Osmo, Solbakken (Rashid 74), Abdillahi, Frankmo, Rexhaj (Nysaeter 74), Blaka (Aasand 74), Ashby

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The perfect way to bounce back from the defeat against HamKam is to beat the team that currently tops the league. Big changes were made to the formation, lineup and team mentality/build up play and it seemed to have worked an absolute treat! New striker Victory Ashby bagged his 1st two goals for the club!


Matchday 18: Skeid - Away (10th vs 8th)
Formation: 4-3-2-1 Wide
Lineup: Ulla, F.Andersen, Pettersen, Karlsen, M.Andersen, Solbakken, Abdillahi, Frankmo, Rexhaj, Blaka, Ashby

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This was a pretty even game that could of gone either way but they took their chances better than we did. Gutted not to build on the win in the previous game though.


Matchday 19: Follo - Home (8th vs 12th)
Formation: 4-3-2-1 Wide
Lineup: Ulla, F.Andersen (M.Andersen 73), Pettersen, Ludvigsen, Osmo, Solbakken, Abdillahi, Frankmo, Rexhaj (Rashid 73), Blaka, Ashby

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We didn't get going in this one until the 70th minute (when we had our first shot on goal), but by then the damage was already done and this was a really bad defeat against one of the sides in the bottom 3.

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Victor Ashby
Striker

Appearances: 4 (1 as sub)
Goals: 3
Assists: 1
Shots: 12
Average Rating: 7.35

Victor has settled straight into the first team in his first month at the club, contributing to 4 goals in 4 games. As my first signing at the club, surely this has got to go down well with the fans and give them confidence I can bring the right players in?


League Table

The writing looks on the wall for the bottom two clubs, Valerenga 2 and Kjelsas. However, there is a whole host of clubs that could fall into that 3rd relegation spot and we're very much one of them. At the top of the table, HamKam seem to be running away with it.

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September 2017

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Update: September 2017

A really poor month with only one win recorded in 5 games. We struggled to find the back of the net this month and also conceded a lot of goals too!

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Matchday 20: Asker - Home (9th vs 8th)
Formation: 4-3-2-1 Wide
Lineup: Ulla, F.Andersen, Pettersen, Ludvigsen, Osmo, Solbakken (Rashid 86), Abdillahi, Frankmo, Rexhaj (Aasand 86), Hogset, Ashby

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A fair result in a very even game in this mid table clash.




Matchday 21: Nybergsund - Away (7th vs 9th)
Formation: 4-3-2-1 Wide
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Pettersen, Karlsen, Ludvigsen, Solbakken, Abdillahi (Rashid 66), Frankmo, Rexhaj (Nysaeter 66), Hogset (Aasand 66), Ashby

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A real open end to end game and to be honest it's gutting for us to come away on the end of such a heavy defeat as I don't think our play warranted it.




Matchday 22: Valerenga - Away (10th vs 14th)
Formation: 4-3-2-1 Wide
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Pettersen, Karlsen, M.Andersen, Rexhaj, Solbakken, Abdillahi, Frankmo, Hogset (Aasand 68), Ashby (Gwarda 68)

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When you're in a relegation scrap, it's always important to beat the teams below you and we gave the bottom side a proper thrashing here and turned in an excellent performance.




Matchday 23: Finnsnes - Home (9th vs 11th)
Formation: 4-3-2-1 Wide
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Pettersen, Karlsen, M.Andersen, Rexhaj (Nysaeter 62), Solbakken, Abdillahi, Frankmo, Hogset (Aasand 62), Ashby (Gwarda 62)

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I really hoped we could kick on following the Valerenga result, especially as we took on another team below us in the table. But it wasn't to be as the lads looked tired and uninterested and Finnsnes were the much better side as they beat us comfortably.




Matchday 24: Alta - Home (10th vs 5th)
Formation: 4-3-2-1 Wide
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Rognlien, Ludvigsen, Osmo, Rexhaj (Blaka 67), Solbakken, Abdillahi (Rashid 67), Frankmo, Hogset (Kristiansen 67), Ashby

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With both first choice centre backs out suspended for this one, I didn't hold out much hope for a great defensive performance. And we were completely dominated in this one with Alta having 13 shots to our 1! My goalkeeper, Andreas Ulla had a great game and kept the scoreline respectable as the rest of the team looked shocking.

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Christoffer Heier Solbakken
Central Midfield

Appearances: 5
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Key Passes: 9
Average Rating: 7.08

In a month where the whole team was pretty poor, Solbakken did still manage to keep a level of consistency about his performances throughout September.

League Table

With such a poor month, we've been pulled right into the relegation battle and find ourselves needing at least 1 win from our last two games to survive.

Our final two games will be against Grorud (5th) and Kjelsas (13th).

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Other News

Despite the team's poor run of form, September was a decent month for me on a personal level as I started my first coaching course and bagged a new contract which saw me get a £80 per week pay rise. The board must be pleased with what I'm doing here....even though I could still relegate this side.

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​
 
Good read so far! KIU. Ive got an icelandic save going at the minute with Breidablik, 2 young strikers which may do a job for you Hilmar McShane and Solon Breki Leiffson on smallish wages to! Also HamKam who you have played have some decent players, I got a young CM called Simon Nordli on a free from them and he is class! Good luck!
 
JamesScott2908 said:
Good read so far! KIU. Ive got an icelandic save going at the minute with Breidablik, 2 young strikers which may do a job for you Hilmar McShane and Solon Breki Leiffson on smallish wages to! Also HamKam who you have played have some decent players, I got a young CM called Simon Nordli on a free from them and he is class! Good luck!
Click to expand...

Cheers mate. I will definitely take a look at them.
 
October 2017

799



Update: October 2017

We end the season with a win and a loss, which is enough to keep us in the division and avoid relegation.

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Matchday 25: Grorud - Away (5th vs 10th)
Formation: Flat 4-4-2
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Pettersen, Karlsen, Osmo, Rexhaj, Rashid, Abdillahi, Blaka, Ashby, Gwarda

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What a second half comeback that was! We were awful in the first half as the team stuggled to adapt to the 4-4-2 that I'd set up. However, with a kick up the **** at half time and a more attacking style (still 4-4-2) in the second half, we turned the game on its head and grabbed the 3 points that sees us guarantee safety this season with a game left to play.


Matchday 26: Kjelsas - Away (13th vs 10th)
Formation: Flat 4-4-2
Lineup: Ulla, Ruud, Pettersen, Karlsen, Osmo, Rexhaj, Rashid, Abdillahi, Blaka, Ashby, Gwarda

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A really disappointing performance to end the season against one of the relegated sides. Maybe the lads were all hungover after celebrating survival in the last game....it's surely the only explanation for such a shocking turnout.

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Valentin Blaka
Inverted Winger

Appearances: 2
Goals: 2
Assists: 0
Shots: 5
Average Rating: 7.6

Blaka gets it as he was instrumental in our comeback over Grorud which eventually kept us up this year.

Final League Table

We finish the season in 11th place, which is enough to keep us in the division for next year...just!

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End of Season Awards & Stats

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End of Season Awards & Stats


Highest Average Rating

1st. Victor Ashby - Striker - 12 appearances - 6.98
2nd. Christoffer Heier Solbakken - 23 appearances - 6.90
3rd. Mikkel Frankmo - 16 appearances - 6.84


Top Goalscorer

1st. Victor Ashby - Striker - 6
2nd. Esben Rashid - Central Midfield - 4
3rd. Christian Hogset & Valentin Blaka & Dardan Rexhaj - 3


Most Assists

1st. Dardan Rexhaj - Winger - 7
2nd. Rune Pettersen - Centre Back - 3
3rd. Christoffer Heier Solbakken - Central Midfield - 3


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The media confirm that we met pre season expectations of avoiding relegation, despite a dreadful start (before my arrival) which left us rooted to the bottom of the table.

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The board are pleased that their decision to appoint me seems to have paid off after we went on to survive relegation.

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Pre Season 2018

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Pre Season 2018

I decided to use the time I had to play a number of pre season friendlies. There is a four month gap between seasons in Norway and with a large number of new arrivals at the club, it was important to give them a good number of games to gel together before the new campaign kicks off. We played some teams below us, some above us and threw in a mini tour of Sweden for good measure.

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I completed my first coaching badge between the two seasons...

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The club announced some good profits at the end of last season, and that leaves us with a decent bank balance.

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We'll also bag some money this season from a new kit sponsor and TV rights.

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With the club in a decent financial position, the board were generous with their budgets for the upcoming season.

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The dynamics of the squad look OK. We'll need to work on team cohesion but that's to be expected with so many new players joining the club.

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The media gave their predictions for the upcoming season and with the bookmakers giving us 100-1 odds of winning the title, it's clear everyone is expecting us to have a long, hard season.

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Transfer Centre

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I was keen to put my own stamp on this team at the end of last season, so new faces were inevitable. Here's a summary of who was brought in before the new season kicks off...

Christian Morch
Goalkeeper
Signed from Unattached on a free transfer

A new goalkeeper was badly required. It's not that I don't rate last year's first choice keeper, Andreas Ulla - I just felt we could improve in this area. Morch was available on a free and offers us a much stronger option between the sticks.

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Jusu Karvonen
Attacking Midfielder
Signed from Unattached on a free transfer

Again, in the centre midfield roles, I felt we only had two 'half decent' players last year so it was an area I was keen to strengthen. Jusu is an attack minded player with good technique, passing and vision, along with a really good first touch.

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[FONT=&quot]Tore Andreas Gundersen
Striker
Signed from Flisa on a free transfer
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
Gundersen is probably my marquee signing, immediately hitting the squad and being rated as a five star player by my assistant manager. A big strong striker at 6ft 3" and we'll certainly be looking for him to create as well as score goals. He could be pivotal this season if we're going to have a good campaign. Gundersen joins us having scored 25 goals in 45 appearances for his previous employers, Flisa.

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[FONT=&quot]Orjan Hopen
Left Sided Midfielder
Signed from Fu/Vo on a free transfer
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
Hopen looks like a fantastic capture for the club and offers some excellent stats, making him one of our strongest players in the squad. As well as the ability to whip in a great cross, he can certainly hit them from distance and takes a cracking corner as well!

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[FONT=&quot]Nicklas Raaholt
Right Back
Signed from Gjovik-Lyn for £2,500
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
I raided Gjovik-Lyn for two players during pre season and Raaholt was the first. He is an attack minded full back. He may not be my first choice down the right due to his defensive vulnerabilities, but he could be a great player to have on the bench to bring on when we need a more attacking approach.

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[FONT=&quot]Behajdin Celina
Left Back
Signed from Gjovik-Lyn for £3,500
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
Celina is the second player to join us from Gjovik-Lyn and is another full back, this time down the left. Celina certainly looks the better of the two players and he will likely be a first team starter with decent defensive stats, as well as good ability to get forward and whip in the crosses for the forwards.

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[FONT=&quot]Robin Daly
Central Midfielder
Signed from Unattached on a free transfer
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
Daly is a strong centre mid at this level and offers us a good option as a player that can play in almost any role through the centre of the park. I will more than likely by utilising him in a box to box role as he has good tackling and passing ability, combined with a decent work rate and determination.

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[FONT=&quot]Dennis Obeng
Striker
Signed from Unattached on a free transfer
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
Dennis was brought in to bolster the attack and I saw him as a fantastic option after he scored 34 goals in 68 appearances for KFUM Oslo who let him go at the end of last season. As their in our league, I'm sure he'll want to prove to them it was the wrong decision.

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[FONT=&quot]Lars-Kristian Eriksen
Centre Back
Signed from Tune on a free transfer
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
At 34 years old, the Norwegian veteran offers me some great experience at the back. Not only that, but he still maintains some excellent stats and is probably now my best player at the back on paper.

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[FONT=&quot]Mathias Kvalheim
Right Back/Right Midfielder
Signed from Lorenskog for £925
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
I needed another player for the right back role and Kvalheim not only plays there but can also cover in midfield if required. He might have played at a lower level last season, but scored an average rating of 7.26 in 29 games, so the ability is definitely there and I'm hoping he can transfer that level of performance up to this level.

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So here's the summary below, along with details of the players who left the club.

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​
 
Quite the influx of players, hopefully they can gel together quickly
 
ninjaskill said:
Quite the influx of players, hopefully they can gel together quickly
Click to expand...

Big changes were needed unless we wanted to settle for a struggle against relegation again. Normally I don't like to sign so many players, but I think in the Scandinavian leagues where you have such a long pre season and opportunity to train for nearly 3 months before the season kicks off, you can get away with it a bit more.....or that's what I'm hoping anyway!
 
April 2018

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Update: April 2018

Before the season kicked off, the board presented me with their expectations for the upcoming season.

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And the draw for the 1st round of the Norwegian Cup took place.

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A really solid start to the new season sees us unbeaten in the league and through to the 2nd round of the cup. Plenty of goals scored and a couple of clean sheets too!

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Matchday 1: KFUM Oslo - Home (5th vs 6th)
Formation: 5-2-3 Wing Backs
Lineup: Morch, Pettersen, Eriksen, Karlsen (Ludvigsen 59), Kvalheim, Celina, Hopen, Frankmo, Obeng, Gundersen (Ashby 26), Blaka

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Great entertainment for the fans on the opening day of the season and in the end we got the result to give us the perfect start against the pre season title favourites! It looked like it was going to be an easy day's work when we raced to a 3-0 lead. However, Oslo showed their credentials as they fought back to 3-3 before we bagged the winning goal to take all 3 points.




Norwegian Cup 1st Round: Ready - Home
Formation: 5-2-3 Wing Backs
Lineup: Morch, Pettersen (Ludvigsen 70), Eriksen, Karlsen, Raaholt, Celina, Karvonen, Frankmo (Daly 49), Rashid, Ashby, Blaka (Gwarda 49)

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We got the job done against weaker opposition in good fashion as we progressed to the next round of the cup. I took the opportunity to rest 4 first team players too. Victor Ashby bagged a hat trick after coming in for the injured Gundersen up front.




Matchday 2: Baerum - Away (10th vs 5th)
Formation: 5-2-3 Wing Backs
Lineup: Morch, Pettersen, Eriksen, Ludvigsen, Kvalheim, Celina, Hopen, Daly, Rashid, Ashby, Blaka

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A bore draw that was probably a fair result based on the balance of play. Baerum had a lot more possession than us but we created a couple more chances than them.




Matchday 3: Follo - Home (5th vs 13th)
Formation: 5-2-3 Wing Backs
Lineup: Morch, Pettersen, Eriksen, Ludvigsen (Karlsen 64), Kvalheim, Celina, Hopen, Frankmo (Daly 61), Obeng (Gwarda 61), Ashby, Rashid

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Follo had made a poor start to the season and we piled on the misery for them with an absolute thumping here. We were fantastic in every department, defending well when required and looking unstoppable going forward. Orjan Hopen was the standout performer on a day when everyone played well.

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Victor Ashby
Striker

Appearances: 4 (1 as sub)
Goals: 5
Assists: 1
Shots: 12
Average Rating: 8.20

Considering Victor didn't even find himself in the starting lineup for the opening game, he has stepped in for the injured Gundersen and been in sensational form this month!


League Table

Our unbeaten start to the season sees us top the table after 3 games!

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Other News

The opening month wasn't all plain sailing with a couple of our key players picking up early injuries.

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Following our win in the 1st round of the Norwegian Cup, we've been drawn against one of the best sides in the country in Round 2.....Rosenborg!

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The club announced the season ticket sales this month. We've gained 1 season ticket holder on last year!

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