You Have To Have Passion!!

[Telstar]

Why did I do it?! Why DID I do it!! What is wrong with me. Why am I like this. I saw their last game, didn't I? It wasn't just a dream? Oh, I hope it was. Otherwice I am as stupid as Balotelli trying to put on a bib. Grr, god **** it, i really have out done myself this time, haven't I..


Why I accepted the contract, I do not know. Probably the non-existant respect, the falure rate and most likely the hatred of the whole nation. Yeah, like that. I think i'm a *********.

Anyways, I'll introduce myself to you now. My name is Konstantin Vasja and I am a young manager. I have great passion for football and winning. The latter, I don't do very often. You will see that in the future. Alright, you have most likely heard of the DESTRUCTION that Germany laid on Estonia. So almost a week later, on 17 they will announce that Martin Reim has been fired from Head Coach position, and I am there to replace him. I signed the conract on 15th but announcement will be delivered on monday, cause the want Reim to have a good weekend. He does not yet know that he will be fired.

I gotta say, I did not like his management, too **** defensive. And luckily they also fired Aivar Pohlak, Estonian Fooatball Association president. We need some fresh blood. Tasty.

 

[Telstar]

(I failed to get real International results to FM19, I'm going to use the 5-1 loss against Sweden and 2-0 loss against Romania as the reasons Reim got fired.)

When they announced that Reim left on his own volition, I was surprised. But then I thought more about it and it made sense. Reim had been one of the best midfielders we had in his time. They probably wanted to keep his public image even thought it had already been tainted by his time as manager.

They even thought that Janno Kivisild (Estonia's assistant manager for the longest time) will be the new manager. But what they don't know is that I am going tocompletely overhaul the backroom staff, because like yo need new, younger players in the field, you also need to update your staff. People get too frienddly and stop trying, they feel too comfortable.



Atleast they got one thing right, I AM HERE TO BUILD A TEAM FOR THE FUTURE, PAST AND PRESENT.




Now I only have to see If we have any players who show enough passion for their country to actually represent it!

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[Telstar]

As my first managerial career game approaches, I have decisions to make. Who to choose to represent my and our Nation. I decided to go for a bit more experienced squad with 16 out of 23 players are over 25 years old and none under 20.

I chose my team according to my tactic, as an international team manager it is easy to put players into a tactic you like. In club football, most of the time you have to make your tactic around the players. Cause you cant start selling and buying the players ewverytime you might change the tacktics.

I goal I chose a more experienced Mihkel Aksalu, who has proven himself as the finnish club SJK captain. I opted not to pick Sergei Lepmets as he had not been good enough for his club. Vaikla and Igonen are both good youth prospects and we have easier games ahead in September, so they might get some game time.

In defense we have the usual Raku Klavan, the cornerstone of Estonian defense. Taijo Teniste on right and Artur Pikk on the left. Youngster Vihmann will most likely also make an appereance and Kulinits might make a debut game.

In midfield we have a bit more experimental squad. Ainsalu, Roosnupp havent made many apps for the mens team (around 4), so I will be checking if they have the passion or not. Kostja Vassiljev will be the creative outlet and Käit is the most promising player in the whole squad.

In attack I chose to bring back Kaimar Saag, whose last name in english means "saw", so I hope he will saw through enemies defense.




SEPTEMBER

Our games will be against Luxembourg and Gibraltar. Both should be hard wins, but with Estonia, you never know. We haven't been playing like we want it since Tarmo Rüütli was fired as manager.

vs LUXEMBOURG

This is the formation and squad we are going into the games with. I absolutely expect Vassiljev (from now on Kostja) to score at least one goal. I know it is a lot of pressure to put on one man, but I have to do it as there isn't a lot of talent going around in Estonia.


Andthis is it!!! Kostja scoreeeees!!!!! A free kick was all it took!
30th min - 0-1 to estonia

Aaaand ****, Luxembourg ties on 71st min, goal by Dany Mota. Things are not looking great.

Kostja has done a few great runs, but failed to score. I am changing to a more attacking tactic.

Kaimar saag does a woderful header, but LUX goalkeeper Weber had faster reflexes.



A draw is not the worst result, not great, not bad. One positive thing we can take from this match is that we were attacking and we were better than we had been the previous 3 years.

vs GIBRALTAR

Against Gibraltar I am going with a bit more attacking squad with both wingers being more attaacking than the half time defender-wingfers I used last game


And we got our first shot on target in frst minute. That's good, however I am still mad I accepted the conract. But if you want to be great you have to do thigs you do not like (like managing not so good nations).

We had been piling on pressure the whole first half and Gibraltar finally cracked. Kaimar Saag grabs his 4th goal for Estonia on 27th minute.

It's a penalty on 35th minute. Kaimar Saag's shirt was being pulled. Taijo Teniste takes the ball given to him by Vassiljev. He starts his run aaand ITS IN!!!!!! 0-2 to EST.

Saag scores, but its offside (45th min)

I love the passion at the moment, Everyone is fighting for whats theirs. No one will go down without a fight.

Gibraltar just wont give up, and I feel my players have become complacent. Casciaro scores, 1-2 (83rd min)

Karol Mets scores after a corner, 1-3 (95th min)




Okay, September was good, zero loses. Let's see if I have to resign anytime soon.


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[Telstar]

OCTOBER
Estonia is in 4th place in European Championship Qualification Stage



Before I called everyone to Estonian national team, I got exactly 2 bad news. Siim Luts and Sergei Zenjov had been injured. Both would have appeared in my squad. Instead of them I had to call up Rauno Sappinen and Maksim Gussev. It's time for them to prove they have what it takes.
Only one without a single appearence for A-Team is Kevin Aloe, a left back. It is unlikely he will make an appearence unless Artur Pikk gets injured. I chose him becaouse absolutely all other left backs had been playing abysmally.
The oldest player in the squad is none other that Estonian national treasure Konstantin Vassiljev. He is probably still the best player in the squad despite his age. Youngest is Mattias Käit at 21 years, who spends his time in Fulham youth team, still without a single game for the men' team.
There have been some questions, why I have picked Kaimar Saag before Henri Anier. It's simple, one (Anier) might be his teams top scorer, but other (Saag) has impressed me in club matches and national team games.


vs Sweden
pre-match - 2nd in group
SQUAD

Liivak in front for his speed. If Sappinen was just a bit faster he would have featured. Raudsepp, cause we need to be a bit more defensive.

KICK-OFF

26th - Sweden gets their first dangerous attack, which is foiled by Vaiklas save. It's followed by 2 corners, both saved by Vaikla.

45th - Estonia makes tactical formation change
47th min - ESTONIA SCOOOOOOOORES!!!!! - Superb long pass by Teniste to Saag, who takes the shot with his second touch. It hits the keeper, but fast Liivak scores the rebound. FANTASTIC

48th - SWEDEN scores - Isak scores from a cross
Estonia reverts back to original tactic.

80th - Sweden changes to 2 attackers and 2 attacking wingers - 4 attackers

93rd - SWEDEN scores - Rohden scores after a perfect counter attack (two passes and a goal)



Heartbreaking result. Would have at least wanted a draw from that game.

BEST PLAYER - ANDREAS VAIKLA - kept us from losing even bigger

post match - SWE 2nd, EST 4th


He can lick my lollipop.


vs Romania
pre-match - 1st in group

Ats Purje got injured in SWE game - called up Hindrek Ojamaa, a more defensive RM for a tough game with Romania.

SQUAD

Not many changes. Put on a more defensive Hindrek Ojamaa. Replaced tired Teniste with vetaran Jääger and put on a better Antonov.


4th - ROMANIA scores - Andone seizes Klavan's mistake to stay with him and scores

27th - ESTONIA scores - Vassiljev takes a short corner, pass to Artur Pikk, who kicks it on to Frank Liivak. Liivak takes a shot with his first touch, but it hits a defender. Rebound bounces back to his feet. HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES!!! THE REBOUND MAN!


54th - ROMANIA scores - Ball bounces to in front of Vaikla from defender deflection and GOAAAAL!!! Andone scores! Vaikla makes a mistake and fails to pick up an easy ball. Romania punishes Estonia.

83rd - Andone's hat trick was in the air. Luckily the bad air was blown away by the winds of Baranov's block.


I have to say I am dissappointed, because both goals were from our mistakes. Truthfully, Romania was playing better, so good for them for capitalising on our mistakes.

BEST PLAYER - FRANK LIIVAK - scored in both games, would have been Vaikla if not for his mistake.

Post match - EST - 4th, ROU - 1st



TABLE


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[Telstar]

Flag of Tartu

26th OCTOBER
It had been a bad month for me, as I had lost all my matches and did not get a single **** point. So I decided to visit Tartu, my hometown with my girlfriend. She was originally from Narva so you can guess she is half russian. I myself don't speak a lot of russian, which makes it a bit challenging, cause when she is mad, she screams in russian.

I decided to go watch a few games, one was Tammeka' and other Welco' game. I left Natasha with my family, cause she absolutely hates football. I took my Volvo and drove to the Tamme stadium. Maybe 100 people had come to the stadium. Ahh, it was football day, nice easy day. Tammeka was playing Tallinna Kalev. Kalev was 8th and Tammeka 9th position in Premium Liiga (top leagu). There are 10 clubs in the league. So yeah, it was gonna be interesting.

I really had no expectations, i just came there top relax. Football is the best thing for relaxing. Alcohol nor massages and all that does not work on me. Only football. The atmosphere, the smell of beer and garlic bread. The stupid managerial decisions and even more dump players. It all just comes together.

The game finished 2-0 for Tammeka. Striker Albert Prosa really impressed me. He might feature in the game against Gibraltar.

The next day was Welco' game. Welco was third in the Estonian Esiliiga (second league). But right now I had to go home. I also got a text from my mother to bring milk and onions. She was probably putting vegetables in the oven or making some delicious meat.

I parked my vehicle in the parking lot, walked up to the nine-story apartment complex, opened the door, walked up 4 flights of stairs. It smelled awful, the alcoholic who lives one floow down from my mother had ****** in the corridor again. Disgusting. I opened apartment door and I was greeted by my mother, who had a sad face. She said that Natasha had had enough and had left me.
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[Telstar]

NOVEMBER

SQUAD


I decided against inviting Prosa as other strikers had ben playing better. Even though I called up Vassiljev and Mets, they most likely will not play any games, as they have been poor for their clubs. But there is not a lot to choose from if you are a small nation. Kulinits to make his debut, if all goes well.

This time we have a really hard game against Switzerland and then a bit easier one against Gibraltar. Both are home games so that should give us a small advantage.

We are going to take it easy these 2 games as we have absolutely zero chance of qualifying for the final championship.

vs. Switzerland
pre-match - 3rd in group


I decided to go with a more attacking squad. Attacking minded wingers Subbotin and Luts. And of course a leg breaker Artjom Dmitrijev. Reasons: home game, nothing to lose, possibly give a good viewing game.

48th - Dmitrijev gets a ssecond yellow - 10 man Estonia

51st - SWITZERLAND scores - a very good counter resulting with a goal by Seferovic

79th - SWITZERLAND scores - Free kick is taken with a cross, Elvedi scores a header

84th - SWITZERLAND scores - A beautiful free kick goal from Shaqiri


Even though we had nothing but pride to lose from this match, it is still disappointing, because we played really well the first half. They had basically zero chance. We also had zero, but thats cause SUI had Lichtsteiner. But yeah, everything fell apart after the two yellows Dmitrijev got. Honestly, inflicting fouls was the main reason I put Dmitrijev on, but daaaaamnn! I am mad.

Post match - EST 4th, SUI 3rd

vs. Gibraltar
pre-match - 6th in group


I just put more fresh player in first team.

6th - ESTONIA scores - superb long shot by Enar Jääger

18th - GIBRALTAR socres - Casciaropunishes Jääger' mistake and scores

26th - ESTONIA scores - Saag scores from a rebound

29th - ESTONIA scores - Puri scores penalty

36th - ESTONIA scores - Vassiljev scores a wonderful long shot

70th - ESTONIA scores - Jääger scores a free kick to make mends after his mistake

70th - GIBRALTAR scores - Caetano scores after he receives a wonderful long pass from his defender




At least we got one win in the autumn.

Now lets go on and see what 2020 brings.

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[Telstar]

MARCH
friendlies

SQUAD


There are some managers, like Jonathan Diaz, who try to use youth players and try to win competitions with them. I believe that you absolutely need older players. You need them, especially in the national team. In clubs, ok, use the youth, but in national team, you have to use the absolute best players to represent your nation. And more often that not, the absolute best are the older players.
And that is why 12 players, more than half, are 30 or over 30 years old. Average age is 29.

vs GREECE




Honestly I'm just so mad that I dont feel anything anymore. You just lose and lose and lose. It's your main job. This is what it feels to be the manager of Estonia at the moment.

vs SYRIA

Against Syria I decided to implement a tactical change, to see if we would play better if we threw more men to the midfield.

7th - ESTONIA scores - Zenjov rises from the rigt wing, crossses to the center, where Albert Prosa is waiting. Prosa volley the ball in!!!!!

12th - ESTONIA scores - Antonov loses the ball after a tackle, Zenjov picks the loose ball up, passes back to Antonov. Antonov crosses it to Sidorenkov, who heads in in by the back post!!!!!

15th - Long throw in to the box by Teniste fails to produce anything but a rotten cabbage.



Atleast we got something positive out of this. 1 WIN.
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