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Congrats on the new job. Hope the season is able to be turned around
Congrats on the new job. Hope the season is able to be turned around
Jul/Aug 2024
Dnepr Mogilev 4-0 BATE (HL)
Our chances at Dnepr Mogilev vanished as soon as the 7th minute as they got their second goal in 2 minutes to go 2-0 up. We had the occasional chance, but otherwise we were up against it. They missed a penalty, but in the second half got another pair of goals, and many chances to repeat the 5-0 from the opening day.
Dinamo Brest 4-0 BATE (HL)
Going to Dinamo Brest, things didn't go much better. At least we had brief periods of fight in earlier games, in the first half there was none as they went 2 goals up. After a penalty gave them a 3rd, Zen'ko got a goal back but they comfortably got a 4th, and we were getting to the point where after each match I was thinking 'Have I still got a job?'
BATE 2-3 Gomel (HL)
Champions Gomel weren't a side I'd expected to get much from, but while they pushed early on, they soon ran out of sparkle. Even so, Radzkov giving us the lead at the end of the half was a bit of a surprise. Early on the second half we made a bit of a push for another, but while an equalizer was far from inevitable, they got one in the 67th minute, rocking us by heading in a corner to take the lead 5 minutes later. That completely threw us leaving us open for them to eventually get a 3rd. A Malofeev penalty in stoppage time at least gave us a second. It was by far the closest we had come to getting something for a while, but still left us with 7 defeats in a row.
Gomel-2 0-2 BATE (Bc)
From the first team, we went to Gomel's 2nd team in the cup. The board expected us to reach the final, so even though it carried minimal rating, we'd probably fall that far short for it to be another issue, and even if it did, the latter stages being in the spring meant that a good run wouldn't change much. After a lacklustre first half, we got some sort of uneasy control in the second. Lukashevich gave us the lead 10 minutes after the break, followed shortly by Dubovik making it safe.
Torpedo Zhodino 1-2 BATE (HL)
We had a good chance to get another win when we went to Torpedo Zhodino, who had been even worse than we had. Radzkov giving us the lead in the 7th minute set us on our way. We continued to batter them, eventually getting another from Zen'ko in the 78th minute, shortly before a consolation.
BATE 1-1 Dinamo Minsk (HL)
We struck early at home to Dinamo Minsk, who were up in second, with Malofeev giving us the lead, though he had to go off later. We lucked out a bit when they had an equalizer disallowed 5 minutes before half-time, as they had a rather slow response. They did level it in the 50th minute, and pushed pretty hard but we still managed to get a good point.
Partizan Minsk 1-1 BATE (HL)
We were unlikely to get much at leaders Partizan Minsk, but Dubovik gave us a surprise lead. That was about as much as we managed, though we were only a minute or 2 away from getting the win when they got an equalizer.
Belshina 1-3 BATE (HL)
We were on a minor roll, and kept it up at Belshina. Dubovik struck in the first minute, and Zen'ko just over 10 minutes later. Dubovik's second made it safe even well before half-time. They got one back, but after going a man down, that was all the challenge they gave.
BATE 0-0 Naftan (HL)
We stood to close to within 1 point of Naftan if we beat them at home. Polyakov had a goal disallowed in the 4th minute, but we kept probing for most of the first half, quieting down somewhat in the second half to only get a draw. However we were now 5 league games without defeat at least.
League Table
Sept 2024
BATE 1-3 Neman Grodno (HL)
A reasonable summer ended with a crash against Neman Grodno. We had a brief early burst but that was all we did as we opened up to give them a 3-0 lead at the break. Radzkov's headed midway through the second half gave us a consolation, but otherwise we were easy meat.
Vitebsk 1-3 BATE (HL)
We went to Vitebsk ahead of a cup tie against the same side, and surprised ourselves. Polyakov gave us the lead in the 7th minute, but facing a lot of pressure, we were able to keep them at bay until the second half. When they levelled the scores, we started pushing again. Zen'ko has a goal disallowed after an hour, but we wouldn't be denied. Dubovik put us ahead in the 79th minute, before Zen'ko got his deserved goal.
Vitebsk 1-2 BATE (Bc Leg 1)
We beat them in the cup as well but it was tougher going. Siby gave us the lead in the 37th minute, but that was in between both Dubovik and Tret'yak going off injured, leaving an anonymous Zen'ko as our only front man. They equalized from a header in the 57th minute, but 8 minutes later Hulk restored the lead, giving us a strong advantage in the tie, though at the end we had another injury with one Molchanov having to replace the other, though only Tret'yak had a problem beyond the game.
BATE 2-1 Dnepr Mogilev (HL)
We had a run of home games, starting with Dnepr Mogilev in the league, but were behind after 10 minutes. This was one of our weaker showings in a while, but a defensive mess allowed Zen'ko to bundle in an equalizer midway through the half. It looked only a matter of time until we went behind again, but instead Zen'ko's second goal gave us the advantage before half-time, and we were able to keep it in a tough second half.
BATE 2-0 Minsk (HL)
I was still under great pressure (and with chairman meddling about to deprive me of Siby), but we were on the verge of climbing out of the bottom two when we faced Minsk. We exchanged chances for quite a while, but later in the first half a couple of Dubovik goals gave us a clear lead. They pressed very hard in the second half, but the upside of the fit striker shortage was a 5-man defence that held firm, and the win meant we were out of the bottom 2 for the first time since early on in the season!
BATE 1-1 Dinamo Brest (HL)
We had the chance to cement that, as we next faced Dinamo Brest, the side we had moved above. It looked good when Zen'ko gave us the lead after half an hour, but it didn't last long, and admittedly as we both did a lot of pushing 1-1 was fair, and suited us.
League Table
Oct 2024
BATE 3-1 (5-2) Vitebsk (Bc)
We had high hopes for the home leg against Vitebsk, though they put up stiff resistance. Zen'ko gave us the lead after half an hour, and they had an equalizer disallowed. They eventually got one in the second half, but despite a lot of chances, we took control again with a goal from Dubovik in the 64th minute, and with a minute left they turned a corner into their own net to finish it off.
Gomel 0-0 BATE (HL)
The run of home games ended with a trip to Gomel. We had managed to match them for chances in the first half, but in the second half they took far greater control. We still managed to resist and get a point.
BATE 0-0 Torpedo Zhodino (HL)
We were also goalless at home to Torpedo Zhodino though this time we were expecting the win over this season's no hopers, and while they were better than in previous games, we still had enough dominance to be annoyed not to win.
Dinamo Minsk 0-0 BATE (HL)
We got a 3rd 0-0 in a row at Dinamo Minsk, much like Gomel, we broke enough that the first half was fairly even, though they still had it better, but with a far quieter second half as we faced a lot of pressure.
BATE 4-0 Partizan Minsk (HL)
We couldn't afford a repeat against Partizan Minsk, runaway league leaders or not, as Dinamo Brest overtook us on goal-difference early on in that match. We came up with the goods from Korchevsky and Soroka before half-time. Korchevsky got a second 5 minutes after the break, and finished off a hat-trick with minutes to spare. Like a lot of results against the strongest sides, this one really showed what we could do, now that we were definitely clicking, and had been for a while now.
Naftan 2-0 BATE (HL)
We had also climbed above Naftan, but were up against it at theirs in the next game. They had a goal disallowed after a few minutes by way of warning, and half an hour later they had two. Even going down to 10 men didn't stop the pressure, though they didn't get any more in what was only our second defeat in 15 league games.
League Table
Nov 2024
BATE 0-0 Belshina (HL)
Belshina also had an early goal disallowed against us. This time we weren't beaten, and it was mostly one of those draws where we very much survived, but had a very strong late burst that could have seen a winner. However Dinamo Minsk were ahead again.
Neman Grodno 1-1 (HL)
We were just about on top at Neman Grodno, until they scored a penalty in the 34th minute. However we still had fight, with Radzkov heading us level in the 51st minute, and we did enough afterwards to earn a point that put us in 10th again.
BATE 1-0 Vitebsk (HL)
Our last home game was against Vitebsk. Zen'ko gave us a deserved lead in the 34th minute, and that was enough to get us a vital 3 points. The last 2 games were both away, to the top 2 sides (though the top 4 were covered by 2 points), Dnepr Mogilev and Minsk.
Dnepr Mogilev 3-1 BATE (HL)
Not for the first time, we were never really in the game at Dnepr Mogilev. They took the lead in the 14th minute, made it pretty safe in the 55th, and Paulo Roberto's own goal in the 81sr made things even worse. A few minutes later Zen'ko got a consolation, but results elsewhere kept us in 9th, and were almost entirely safe.
Minsk 2-0 BATE (HL)
Right-back Razmyslovich got sent off halfway through the first half at Minsk, but even facing a lot of pressure we held out until near the end when they got a pair of goals. However we remained 9th, and they secured the title so we were both happy.
Final League Table
It had not been an easy season. I didn't expect European qualification like the board did, but still top-half, and instead until August we were a complete mess, however taking a 'while there's life, there's hope' approach paid off, as it appeared that as insecure as my job was, it was enough to get another chance. Thankfully Torpedo Zhodino had the only automatic relegation spot claimed very early on, and when we hit good (but not spectacular) form we were able to claw back a large margin to safety (though we'd only have faced a relegation playoff at worst), and despite a late dip, being reasonably comfortable about it in the end. The form we did put on for a lot of the second half of the season, and the cup win (and we had last season's relegated side, Veras, in the quarter finals in the Spring), promised quite a lot better (though it remained to be seen how much) next year, and if I was to manage something eventually it would feel amazing having endured this tough start.
Squad Stats
Didn't realise you had a career thread, very enjoyable read
I had a great spell in FM11 in charge of the Belarusian national team - Rudenok is a beast!
Unbelievably tight finish at the top of the league... at least if you can improve the form a bit there isn't a behemoth of a team to overcome. The fact that Gomel somehow contrived to drop from 1st to 7th shows what a volatile division it is.
Tough season,hopefully you can turn it around next season.
Ouch. Had a very tough season.
Just about survived then! I'm a bit surprised that you weren't sacked!
What a Bizarre table. 2nd through 5th all finished with 58 points!
What a difference a year makes, so far.
Winter 2025
The good news was that having done quite a few 'expiring contract' deals in June, we had a decent influx of locals this time, which was lacking last time, though having broken tradition and not scouted beforehand, I was punished by the limited use of quite a few of them. Plus there were vacancies in the foreign players slots. The bad news was that the board expected European qualification again (though board confidence resetting spared me the prospect of an early sacking. However the sides's least 5 league finishes (all out of 12) were 9th, 7th, 9th, 10th (just after I arrived), and 9th again last year, so in that respect they weren't doing that much worse under me than recently, making such high expectations odd, and while I felt we could do a lot better this year, I didn't expect to do that much better. Budgets were slashed to 10kpw wages and 600k transfers, but for me that seemed to be a shift to something more sensible, not a harsh shrinking of finances. Thankfully the paid-for transfers gave us a bit of a boost.
Apr 2025
BATE 1-1 Veras (Bc QF L1)
The season started not in the league but at home to Veras in the first leg of the cup quarter finals. It took just 5 minutes for new Czech forward Kaplan to make his mark and give us the lead. However they equalized 10 minutes later, and having previously been comfortably on top, we only had patchy attacking phases after that, failing to take an advantage into the other leg.
Veras 2-3 (3-4) BATE (Bc QF L2)
The return was my 400th career game, and going out of the cup to a lower league side wouldn't be a good way to mark it. They took the lead after 20 minutes, and we thought we had responded a few minutes later only to see it disallowed. However we quickly made up for it as Radzkov and Kaplan gave us the lead. They scored a penalty before half-time, but away goals were now in our favour. It didn't come to that as in a dominant second half, Kaplan's second goal, in the 78th minute, sent us through to the last 4.
Vitebsk 1-1 BATE (HL)
With that behind us we went to Vitebsk for the opening league game. Not a lot had happened by the time Korchevskiy gave us the lead midway through the half, and while the first half had been patchy, in the second they were stronger, and while they equalized, we were able to resist enough to hold on to a point.
BATE 3-1 Dnepr Mogilev (Bc SF L1)
Back in the cup, we were at home to Dnepr Mogilev first in the semi finals. Zen'ko gave us the lead after just 21 seconds, followed by another Kaplan goal after half an hour. They quickly got us back on our toes with a goal, and came close to equalizing before half-time. In the second half we were back on top, pushing to get a 3rd goal that would give us a far more comfortable margin, and just as we were slacking, Zen'ko got that goal a few minutes from time.
Dnepr Mogilev 2-3 (3-6) BATE (Bc SF L2)
We went to the away leg very excited about the prospect of reaching the final. Kaplan (who had made quite an impact, at least in the cup) put more pressure on them by giving us the lead after 10 minutes, knowing a second (away) goal would really give them a mountain, we chased another, Tret'yak had a goal disallowed a few minutes before the break, though he finally got one on the hour mark, after they had equalized in a half where they gave us a lot of pressure. They equalized again with about 20 minutes left, but by this point things were fast getting beyond them, and Kaplan secured our place in the final with a winner. What was even better was that First League side Lido had beaten champions Minsk in the other semi, making for a far more beatable opponent.
BATE 3-1 Partizan Minsk (HL)
We built on this back in the league at home to Partizan Minsk. Goals from Tret'yak and Kaplan gave us a comfortable 2 goal lead at half-time. They quickly got a goal back in the second half, but in the 69th minute, Kaplan wrapped up a 3-1 win, which actually put us top on goal difference after 2 games, a far cry from a year ago.
BATE 1-0 Gomel (HL)
We were up against it a lot more against Gomel, but were now capable of surviving pressure. In the second half we came out of our shell a bit, but especially after forward Hleb got sent off, it looked like we weren't going to get any further than Gomel had in the first half, but midfielder Markov (one of by unimpressive frees) proved be happily wrong as he gave us a slightly lucky win with 7 minutes left.
Naftan 1-1 (HL)
After another first half of surviving at Naftan, we couldn't turn the tide of the match, and they soon took the lead. Another goal would take them above us, and as hard as they pushed, they somehow couldn't get one, and were punished when Tret'yak got a goal right at the end to give us a very unlikely point, which meant we'd stay second at this stage, much better than second from bottom, I'm sure you'll all agree.
League Table
Last edited by deltablue; 20-03-2012 at 11:04.
A much better go this time around! Crazy how a single off season can change things. Looking good!
Great start, hope you can sustain it
Excellent start to the season,hopefully you can have a more successful season this time around.
May 2025
BATE 1-1 Dinamo Minsk (HL)
We had lucked out a bit so far, and it looked like we had run out at home to Dinamo Minsk, as we were outplayed yet again in the first half, this time going behind. We pushed and pushed in the second half, but it looked like we would draw a blank until Malofeev rescued the latest of a recent run of late points. T
Dinamo Brest 6-0 BATE (HL)
he luck ran out at Dinamo Brest, who struck twice in the middle of the first half, and again before the break. They had even more of a party in the second half, quickly getting a 4th, then another mid-half double, delivering a defeat down there with the worst of last season, indeed it was a club record defeat.
Cup Final: BATE 3-1 Lida
I wouldn't have minded too much if it hadn't been too heavy, as next was the much-anticipated cup final. What made it more interesting, aside from how much difference it would make for me, was that BATE hadn't won it for 24 years. Kaplan's 7th cup goal in 5 games (inspired signing that kid) gave us a 6th minute lead after a few early chances. The game quietened down a bit until they woke up midway through the half, equalizing and having some good chances to take the lead. However we retook control in the second half. Spasic heading us into the lead a few minutes in, and as we kept attacking, the 67th minute saw Dubovik secure it. After 15 years (I'm long used to waiting a while) I finally had a trophy, and would enjoy a little European trip! Not for the first time, FM proves that patience is a virtue, as the cup run was one of the main reasons why I decided that staying on was worth it despite how bad things have been. The cup win would open (admittedly not very big) doors for the first time, so its value, along with anything else I might be able to win here, hopefully with a bit more time to do so, should not be underestimated.
SKVICh 0-1 BATE (HL)
We hoped to restore league form at the promoted side, SKVICh. Frustratingly Tret'yak had a goal disallowed in the 20th minute. Even more frustrating was how hard we pushed to no avail until Tret'yak deservedly got his goal with 15 minutes left.
League Table
Cup Final
June 2025
BATE 1-0 Neman Grodno (HL)
A busy summer started (with internationals getting in the way) at home to Neman Grodno. We showed flashes of being on top in the first-half, deservedly taking the lead early in the second from Dubovik, and just about doing enough to be the better side and holding on to win.
BATE 4-1 Minsk (HL)
We were deprived of more players before playing Minsk. However we started well against the champions (who weren't playing like it this season, which isn't new around here), Kovalevich giving us the lead after 15 minutes. They equalized but we soon regained control, Kovalev restoring the lead, and a Zen'ko penalty just before half-time making it 3-1. The forward, breaking a goal drought, finished it off 10 minutes into the second half.
Dnepr Mogilev 1-0 BATE (HL)
We were very much on the back foot at Dnepr Mogilev, eventually conceding just before the break, and while we improved a bit later in the second half, it wasn't enough, though we might have got something anyway with a missed penalty.
BATE 3-0 Belshina (HL)
We benefited from a missed penalty at home to Belshina, and took advantage when Zen'ko scored in the 34th minute. He continued in the second half, bagging a hat-trick with goals in the 59th and 86th minute. Zen'ko was on a goalscoring roll, getting another early on against Vitebsk, and a penalty making it 5 in 2 games before half time. Markov came on at half-time and joined in the fun by wrapping up a 3-0 win.
Partizan Minsk 2-3 BATE (HL)
The board had let Paulo Roberto go to Hungary for 1M before we went to Partizan Minsk, departing too soon to be able to get a replacement in yet. The retiring Scherbakov had to play in the meantime which didn't go very well last time. We were able to keep the pressure off him but couldn't grab the lead in the first half. With 10 minutes left, Zen'ko's double suddenly gave us a strong lead. It wasn't over yet though, and 5 minutes later they got their own quick double, the first from a penalty, to level the scores. It looked like we'd missed the chance to go level at the top of the table, but right at the end, Kovalev headed in a winner, ending a very exciting climax.
League Table
Great work again, hope you can keep this form going.
Congrats on the Cup final victory
What a drastic improvement this season! Well done on lifting the cup too
Jul 2025
Gomel 2-3 BATE (HL)
At Gomel, Markov gave us the lead after just over a minute, however new Bosnian keeper Mesic wasn't having a good debut, and shipped an equalizer, later being taken off. Kovalev headed us into the lead from a free-kick just before half-time, and as the second half wore on, it was clear that we stood to take top spot if we held out. We didn't as they drew level with 8 minutes left, but in the 88th minute Dubovik got the required winner. Plus after the match we were able to use the remaining Paulo Roberto money to secure the signing of the best young forward in the country.
BATE 0-0 Naftan (HL)
We were fortunate at home to Naftan, as with the exception of early in the second half, they had us on the ropes all game, not only did we hold out, but maintained the 2 goal lead at the top, though I knew that we'd need all we could get so still wanted to extend it.
We faced our first European game in Cyprus against APOEL, not a good draw, even though we weren't expecting to get far anyway. As I thought, they were just too much, though throughout we pushed them very hard, something not reflected by the 3-0 defeat.
BATE 1-2 Dinamo Brest (HL)
At home to Dinamo Brest, we hoped to avoid another 6-0. Kovalevich gave us a 6th minute lead, but after that they started to give us a lot of pressure. It was a 68th minute penalty that gave them an equalizer that was long coming, and while I'll have settled for that, in the 81st minute they grabbed a winner that allowed them to retake top spot, plus as out third and final game with them was away, I felt that the scales were balanced in their favour a bit.
We didn't expect to be able to overcome the deficit in the APOEL tie, but Kovalev headed us into the lead. They equalized from a penalty, but we kept pushing. At half-time I brought on the new 17yr old Korol, and it looked like he'd scored 10 minutes into the second half only to see it disallowed, and while Dubovik gave us a winner on the night, it wasn't enough.
Dinamo Minsk 1-1 BATE (HL)
We went to bottom side Dinamo Minsk needing a win to get back on track, Brest having already won the previous day. We hammered away, with no luck until a corner was bundled in got an own-goal that gave us the lead with less than 10 minutes left. They grabbed an equalizer 5 minutes later to deny us the win.
League Table
Aug 2025
Minsk 1-1 BATE (HL)
We went to Minsk (just plain, simple 'Minsk'), hoping that the city wasn't turning into another bogey city like Sofia was. We pushed again like we did against Dinamo, and late on in the first half, Radzkov gave us the lead. The tide turned after the break, and we nearly held out, but couldn't quite and again had to settle for a point.
****sk 0-1 BATE (Bc)
We started our cup defence at ****sk. There was a déjà-vu feeling as continuous attacking didn't yield results, but we got through with a 79th minute goal from Dubovik. We struggled to get doing at home to SKVICh, and had to settle for yet another draw.
Neman Grodno 4-1 BATE (HL)
We looked to break the cycle at Neman Grodno, and took the lead from Panteleev in the 7th minute. They equalized after half an hour but we kept playing well enough, however they surprisingly took the lead after 68 minutes, and after that any sense of solidity fell apart as they racked up a 4-1 win, and it had been 6 games since we last had one. We seemed to have difficulty holding a lead against anyone whether they had genuinely been pushing hard or not.
BATE 2-2 Dnepr Mogilev (HL)
Lo and behold it happened again at home to Dnepr Mogilev, who were now 2nd. Dubovik gave us a quick lead, as we looked to have raised our game, but another loss of defence occurred and we were 2-1 down at the break, and I expected it to get even worse. In a pleasant surprise, we fought well and got a 2-2 draw thanks to Dubovik, but still no wins or cigars. I think the Soviets were in charge the last time we held a lead.
Belshina 3-1 BATE (HL)
We weren't catching much of a break right now. At second-bottom Belshina we wasted a number of first half chances, then in the second half they cruelly took control with a pair of early goals, and though Dubovik got one back, they finished us off with a third.
League Table
Sept 2025
Vitebsk 4-1 BATE (HL)
We didn't even have the lead at Vitebsk, unless you count an early disallowed goal, and we went behind instead. Thanks to Malofeev we were level for just a few minutes, but they retook the lead before the break, and we crashed to another 4-1 defeat.
BATE 1-0 Partizan Minsk (HL)
When we finally got a break it was at home to Partizan Minsk, the bottom side. We didn't get very far until the beginning of the second half where Panteleev gave us the lead. The game might have been more interesting if we hadn't got a second goal disallowed and it was a pretty dull win all told, but I'm so very glad we had a first one in 10 games!
Slavia Mozyr 2-4 (Bc)
The next round of the cup saw us play Slavia Mozyr, my only other Belarus club, away at first. We didn't get off to a great start, going behind after 10 minutes. A corner led to an own-goal for a quick leveller, and shortly before the break, Kovalevich gave us the lead. In the second half they broke through our attacking to equalize, but in the 70th minute, Korol's first goal for us put us ahead, and he got a later second to wrap it up.
BATE 4-0 Gomel (HL)
At home to Gomel we had the sort of game that we'd been waiting to have for some time. A 21st minute own-goal set us on our way, followed by Korol 10 minutes later. In the 73rd minute, Korol set Dubovik up for the third, and Markov finished things in added time.
Naftan 2-4 BATE (HL)
We followed this up at Naftan. Dubovik gave us the lead, but they equalized 15 minutes in. We pushed to retake the lead, and Panteleev got it just before the break. They equalized again a few minutes into the second half, but Kovalevich restored the lead 5 minutes later. We had a lot of resisting to do, and Mesic in goal did a great job, and we were rewarded by another Kovalevich goal right at the end.
BATE 4-2 Dinamo Minsk (HL)
It was like we had turned a corner as we also put in a great showing against Dinamo Minsk. A Panteleev penalty set us on our way in the 18th minute, Dubovik getting a second 10 minutes later. A quick double (which included an own-goal) in the second half allowed them to come back, but we weren't going to let them do this to us. Korol restored the lead with 15 minutes left, and a Spasic penalty at the end made it safe.
League Table
Is it only the top team that goes up? no playoffs?
sorry i was reading through from the beginning when u was still in the norwegian league
Oct 2025
BATE 0-0 (4-2) Slavia Mozyr (Bc)
The return leg against Slavia Mozyr looked like it had goals in it, especially from us, but Hulk going off injured (one of three we had during the match, and by far the worst as he'd be out until just before the start of next season) to leave us down to 10 fit men looked like it would give them a look in, though 0-0 was easily enough to send us through to the quarter-finals in the spring.
Dinamo Brest 2-1 BATE (HL)
I was rather worried about going to Dinamo Brest after what happened last time we went to theirs, but we did rather better (not difficult as that was a record 6-0 defeat), and might have got something if we hadn't been caught napping in the 12th minute. We were exposed again before half-time, then mounted a decent fightback. Molchanov the lesser got a straight red, but surprisingly that was followed by Tret-yak getting a goal back, and he could have levelled it. As it was a game that even as early challengers I knew we'd lose, I wasn't too unhappy.
BATE 2-0 Minsk (HL)
We managed to bounce back against Minsk. Kovalevich gave us an early lead, but the rest of the half was a very tense affair indeed as they had a number of chances to equalize. They eased off a bit in the second half, which allowed Tret'yak to make it much more comfortable.
SKVICh 1-1 BATE (HL)
We wobbled a bit at SKVICh. Belov gave us a deserved lead in the 32n't minute, but it didn't last long. We threw ourselves at them in the second half, but couldn't get a winner.
League Table
Nov 2025
BATE 1-0 Neman Grodno (HL)
Neman Grodno proved to be a very tight game. Kovalevich gave us the lead in the 33rd minute, but the rest of the match was very much 'looking through fingers' stuff as they pounded away but we managed to get the win that just about kept us in 3rd (which would guarantee European qualification) with 2 games left.
Dnepr Mogilev 1-1 BATE (HL)
We were a point ahead of Dinamo Brest (despite losing all three league games to them), both of us facing a tricky away game and an easy home one. Our trip was by far the worse, at new champions-elect Dnepr Mogilev, and we just wanted to be ahead of Brest. We got very lucky when they had a goal disallowed after a minute. On a very rare break, Belov headed us into the lead in the 34th minute. The rest of the game was intense Dnepr pressure, and while we couldn't secure European qualification by holding out completely (with Brest losing to Minsk), a 77th minute equalizer was all we restricted them to.
BATE 1-0 Belshina (HL)
The last game against Belshina was a bit trickier than I imagined. We were just about the better, the game reflected by the fact that we won 1-0 through an own-goal. Instead what was notable was results elsewhere, which meant that not only would a draw have been enough, but we were able to go above Vitebsk to finish second!
League Table
From the start, the phrase 'what a difference a year makes' seemed to apply. As amazing as it was that I survived (or didn't get fed up) last year, the improvement seemed to show the value of patience in this game. The cup was a great early triumph among a good start, though a massive mid-season slump put paid to ambitions of the title, which would have been amazing (and which I think is a realistic aim for the next season or two), though didn't result in dropping down the league as much as I feared, and we really showed our potential, hitting a very strong run for the rest of the season. The result was by far the club's best league finish for 6 years, European qualification, and a good shot at retaining our cup in the spring. The fact that the side was still coming together and growing added to the potential for league glory soon.
Squad Stats
Last edited by deltablue; 24-03-2012 at 09:46.
An incredible turn-around this season. Well done!
As you yourself said,what a difference a year makes.
Winter 2026
The close-season was a quiet one, partly helped by the fact that I thought we were maxed out on foreign players, plus a surprisingly small transfer kitty. The result was no transfers in (until late on when I realized Dalla didn't count as a foreigner any more, though not sure why as he was still nowhere near citizenship, and I decided to take advantage), and no one who was ever really of any importance released in the 'out' tray. It helped that there were a few fairly good players promoted from the youth team, including a couple of excellent prospects indeed. The board expected a title challenge (though not necessarily a title win), and this time I agreed with them. I felt we could win the title this year or next, and felt we were in with a strong chance, even if we didn't quite do it now.
The youngsters
From last summer but enough of a prospect to be worth featuring.
The sole late signing.
Mar/Apr 2026
BATE 1-0 Dnepr Mogilev (BSC)
A month before the main season start, we played Dnepr Mogilev in the Super cup. We got off to a great start with Tret'yak giving us the lead in the 3rd minute. We didn't quite retreat into our shell after that but had to contend with numerous periods of pressure for the rest of the match. We held on though, and while I don't consider it a trophy, it was a strong gesture of intent and ability against last season's runaway league champions.
Rudensk 2-4 BATE (Bc QF))
The proper season started in the cup, at Rudensk who were just promoted through the playoff. We had the upper hand from the start, and Korol gave us a 34th minute lead. They had a few chances, including a disallowed equalizer just before the break, and we kept on top in the second half, Korol getting a deserved second on the hour, putting us in a commanding position in the tie.
BATE 1-0 (5-2) Rudensk (Bc QF)
We finished them off at home with the minimum of fuss, and minimum of spectacle, Korol grabbing the game's only goal in the 38th minute, as we were comfortable throughout.
BATE 3-3 Vitebsk (HL)
The league started at home to Vitebsk, who weren't expected to be easy. We managed to have a good early burst which saw Zen'ko give us the lead with a penalty in the 22nd minute, though they quickly equalized. Zen'ko scored again a couple of minutes into the second half which met with the same response, but he was a man on a mission, getting a hat-trick in the 62nd minute. We held out a lot better, but a few minutes from time they got another equalizer to grab a point which, given they had the upper hand, was admittedly the least they deserved.
BATE 0-4 Dnepr Mogilev (Bc SF)
We had another challenge in the cup, facing Dnepr Mogilev, though aside from the Super cup win, we had beaten them at this stage last year, so while they were a side I wanted to avoid, there was hope. That hope didn't last. We had an early burst to try and get in before they got going, but when that ran out of steam, they got 3 goals in 7 minutes, and had a 4th disallowed before half time, but got one in the 77th minute anyway, wrapping up a very bad day at the office for us.
Dnepr Mogilev 1-1 (5-1) BATE (Bc SF)
I doubted we'd get anywhere near coming back at theirs in the second leg, and was proved right as an early bit of ambition was blunted when they scored in the 7th minute. We were back on the pace in the second half, and Dubovik gave us a goal, but that was all we would get. Revenge had very much been served on us.
Gomel 2-2 BATE (HL)
We hoped for better back in the league at Gomel. Zen'ko gave us the lead after half an hour, but we slipped a bit in the second half, allowing them to take the lead with a quick double in around the hour mark. Zen'ko managed to give us a point in the 76th minute.
BATE 2-1 Dinamo Brest (HL)
Dinamo Brest were a pale shadow of the team that beat us all three times last season, and Tret'yak gave us the lead after 25 minutes, in a comfortable first half. In the second, they were far stronger and threatened to take points away. While they equalized in the 72nd minute, Lukashevich gave us a late winner in the 85th minute.
Khimik 0-5 BATE (HL)
We next went to promoted Khimik, who had no points so far. Dalla headed us into the lead in the 9th minute, but while we were comfortable for a bit, as the first half wore on they became more of a threat. That ended in the second half, Dubovik extending the lead in the 56th minute, a Zen'ko penalty making it 3, 10 minutes later, and the final 10 minutes saw Dalla and Dubovik get another goal each.
League Table
Last edited by deltablue; 25-03-2012 at 16:54.
Decent start with some high scoring games!!
Catching up with this page and the one before - very enjoyable career to read as the clubs you've been through are quite exotic! Norway to Bulgaria to Belarus is a very atypical career path, specially since you've done well at all jobs. Still sticking with the U21 only policy?
Quite weird to see you having to build BATE into a force, I thought they were by far Belarus' best side in real life? Those Dinamo Brest folks seem a lot more competitive there, hammered your side a couple times already... You're pushing the club forwards though.
I am still doing U21, with the exception of 2 21yr olds I mentioned after promotion in Bulgaria, and accidentally getting one of my BATE players just beyond their 21st birthday. Actually not thought about it much, as I've had my filters set accordingly for so long that it feels normal, especially as after the poor start, my fortunes haven't been that different to normal. However, I have found at a few places that its been a bit restrictive in terms of good available players (At my first club I only had 100 or so in player search to begin with, only one being good enough), especially after a season or 2 or grabbing those that are out there, less so as I actually move up, and really going to enjoy being at a big club when I get there when there'll be a treasure trove of talent I can get. That said recently been looking at a few over-age free agents to see what I'm missing out on. No reason to change the policy, as I'm doing alright, and going to keep it, but won't be doing it again in a future career.
Good job with the Europa League qualification. Do you know which round of the qualifiers you are entered into?
Great start to the season, with some nice high scoring games aswell! That right back looks good, just need to focus on his pace in my opinion. Best of luck for the rest of the season.
I have a very bipolar team.
May 2026
BATE 2-1 Rudensk (HL)
Rudensk had made a good start, and showed it as they took an early lead, pushing hard afterwards. We gathered ourselves before the break, and Korol equalized late in the first half. We took control in the second half, and managed to get a winner from Bakhno with 15 minutes left, which felt a long time coming.
Naftan 3-1 BATE (HL)
A trip to Naftan was an early top of the table clash, and not one that went well. They scored around 20 minutes, then followed up with another couple in the next 5. We staged a bit of a second half fightback , only getting a Kaplan goal later on, as we sunk to a first defeat in 11.
BATE 2-0 Neman Grodno (HL)
Kaplan struck again after 28 minutes against Neman Grodno, and having kept up the pressure, and avoided slipping up, Dalla scored another right at the end.
BATE 1-2 Minsk (HL)
Bakhno gave us another early headed got at home to Minsk. We had a chance to get very close to the top, but we lost it as they equalized in the 69th minute, and hit us with a very late winner.
League Table
Jun 2026
SKVICh 1-0 BATE (HL)
SKVICh was the first of 4 away games in a row. International call ups (always a greater threat with a young squad) caused a number of changes. We pushed with plenty of effort but little efficiency for most of the game, but in the 77th minute they made the winning breakthrough, and aside from the fact that it was a poor defeat, it ended a run of scoring in 22 league games in a row.
Dinamo Minsk 3-0 BATE (HL)
We were never even in the game at Dinamo Minsk, conceding 2 early goals, plus a third early on in the second half from a penalty. Later, an injury to Kovalev was quickly followed by Dalla getting sent off, reduced us to 9 men but they failed to get more.
Dnepr Mogilev 3-0 BATE (HL)
Dnepr Mogilev were the first champions in a while putting up any sort of a defence, so going to the 3rd away game wasn't what I wanted from my 100th game in charge of BATE. They scored after 15 minutes and I'm glad it wasn't worse before half time. However they seemed to have a thing for 15 minutes, getting another that length of time after the break, and a third 15 from time. That put us down in a lowly 8th, and I was getting job insecurity feelings again after a 5th defeat in 6.
Vitebsk 0-3 BATE (HL)
Vitebsk was mercifully the last of this run of trips, the players agreed as they put in a great performance. Panasyuk gave us the lead after 12 minutes, and though they threatened to fight back, Dubovik put paid to their ambitions with a goal early in the second half, and in the 72nd minute Panteleev finished things off.
BATE 1-0 Gomel (HL)
We built on that, albeit in unimpressive ways, when we were finally at home again against Gomel. We were just about on top in an even first half, and the beginning of the second saw Zen'ko give us the lead. They had an own goal equalizer disallowed soon after and the game was quiet after that.
Dinamo Brest 1-2 BATE (HL)
After a long time goalless, and on the sidelines, Zen'ko was making up for lost time, though at Dinamo Brest he was helped by a goalkeeping fumble that gifted him his first goal in the 3rd minute, getting another midway through the half, and we were comfortably on top, despite gifting them a goal back in the 77th minute with a Drozd own-goal. We were back to 4th, though with a large gap to the teams above, and the Europa League draw was much kinder, either the Icelandic Fylkir, or Lithuanian outfit Suduva, both I could expect to beat.
League Table
Some frustrating resuls in there but nice to have 3 wins back to back.
Jul 2026
BATE 3-0 Khimik (HL)
Khimik at home should have been an easy win, but we didn't play like we realized that. We eventually took the lead midway through the first half from an own-goal, the Panteleev made it pretty save a minute or so before half time. Ironically we finally ramped up the pressure in the second half with little further progress aside from a 73rd minute Panteleev penalty.
BATE 3-0 Fylkur (EL Q2)
We started off in Europe at home to Fylkir. It took just 27 seconds for Zen'ko to open our account, followed by a Panteleev penalty 10 minutes later. Dubovik made it 3-0 just before half-time, and despite getting no more goals, we never let off the pressure.
Rudensk 3-2 BATE (HL)
We were knocked off our perch at Rudensk when they scored after a few minutes. Panteleev soon equalized, and it looked like we were taking control, but they suddenly turned the heat up late in the first half and went ahead again. Korol scored early in the second half but that was as good as things got and they comfortably grabbed a winner.
Fylkir 1-2 (1-5) BATE (EL Q2)
Unsurprisingly things were rather more comfortable in the return against Fylkir. We didn't need to try too hard, and we sat back after Panteleev gave us the lead (and a 4-goal advantage in the tie) midway through the half. They took advantage to get a second half equalizer, but we avoided embarrassment with a Dalla header 10 minutes from time to grab a win in this leg as well, though Espanyol would be several times trickier in the next round.
BATE 1-0 Naftan (HL)
We had a massive gap to close to the top three, and would at least go some way to doing so at home to Naftan, in 3rd. Korol delivered the goods with a 5th minute goal and we were good enough that we should have had more against the side that so easily tore through us in our last encounter, but even then we were still 5 points behind them.
Espanyol 2-2 BATE (EL Q3)
I wasn't looking forward to a trip to Espanyol, which would probably yield a heavy defeat. They weren't quite as strong as I expected, but still didn't expect to compete after they took the lead in the 7th minute. However the game was surprisingly even and Zen'ko levelled in midway through the half. Both sides really went for it after the break, and Panteleev gave us the lead with 5 minutes left! They levelled the scores in stoppage time, which was a fair outcome, but it was still a very good result for us.
League Table
Aug 2026
Neman Grodno 0-1 BATE (HL)
Dalla gave us the lead in the 23rd minute, but going down to 10 men soon afterwards just spurred them on to fight back, and while we got the win it was far from comfortable.
BATE 0-0 (a2-2) Espanyol (EL Q3)
We went into the home leg against Espanyol with the scores level and 2 away goals, which was better than I was expecting, but it ended up being the uphill struggle that I expected the tie to be in the first place. Our chances were limited as they came close to scoring on many occasions. A 0-0 draw was enough to see us through but it was very much a case of holding on tight and surviving the storm, Bordeaux awaiting next.
SKVICh 1-1 BATE (HL)
Yet again we got off to a bad start returning to the league, this time at SKVICh. Zen'ko equalized in the 12th minute but we looked vulnerable for the rest of the half, managing regular but sporadic attacking phases in the second half and having to settle for a point.
Minsk 3-1 BATE (HL)
I'd have been happy to settle for that at Minsk, who were over their 'champions curse' from last season and top right now this time. They just about had the edge in the first half, taking the lead early in the second, but bringing on Kovalevich at half-time made an impact for us and he equalized in the 58th minute. The game then turned on two incidents. The first was another Kovalevich goal being disallowed, then Drozd being sent off for two yellows, and they were free after that to finish us off with 2 more goals.
Bordeaux 4-0 BATE (EL Q4)
We didn't improve at Bordeaux, going behind after 16 minutes, and conceding another couple shortly before half-time. The 78th minute saw them get an expected 4th.
BATE 1-2 Dinamo Minsk (HL)
Tret'yak gave us an 18th minute lead against Dinamo Minsk, and things looked to be improving, but it wasn't. They were able to grab an equalizer before half time, and took the lead in the second half. We finished pretty strongly, but with no end result.
Orsha 0-1 BATE (Bc)
Squeezed in between that and the second Bordeaux game was a top to Orsha in the cup. In the first half we played like we weren't too bothered with this game. In the second we ramped up the pressure, though had to wait for the 76th minute to grab a goal from Zen'ko.
BATE 0-4 (0-8) Bordeaux (EL Q4)
He was suspended for the home Bordeaux game, not that we stood much chance to go through, and even less when the game kicked off and they grabbed 2 further first-half goals. The 71st minute made it three on the night (and 7 on aggregate), followed shortly by another as we were well and truely smashed. Mogilev didn't have things much better, going out 10-3 to RB Salzburg. Not a great night for Belarusian football.
BATE 2-2 Dnepr Mogilev (HL)
As it happened, our fellow European failures were also our next league opponents. They were all over us from the start, eventually getting a goal in the 20th minute when Mesic put the ball into his own goal, then went another goal up. In the second half, Panteleev scored to give us hope, and after considerable pushing, Malofeev rescued a point deep in added time.
League Table
Overall, been a much better past two seasons. This year looks a bit more competitive.
Sept 2026
BATE 2-0 Vitebsk (HL)
Malofeev also made the difference against Vitebsk, scoring in the 34th minute, with Tret'yak joining him on the scoresheet 10 minutes later. They threatened a lot in the second half but couldn't even get a consolation.
Gomel 4-1 BATE (HL)
Aside from moments like that, the season had long descended into regular mediocrity, and it was business as usual at Gomel when they got easy goals in the 14th and 18th minutes to go 2 up at the break with no resistance at all. They got a third before we finally got something from Malofeev in the 72nd minute, but that was all we got in what turned into a 4-1 defeat.
Smolevichi 0-4 BATE (Bc)
We had non-leagie Smolevichi in the last 16 of the cup, away at first. On top from the start, Malofeev (the latest of a long trend of forwards who had strong runs in the first team while being out of it for large parts of the season) gave us the lead. The floodgates opened in the second half. Spasic getting a second goal for us a few minutes after the break, and later on Kaplan got another before Malofeev's second gave us one foot in the quarter finals.
BATE 2-1 Dinamo Brest (HL)
Dinamo Brest were 11th and there for the taking. Certainly we looked by far the more likely to score, at least until they did in the 51st minute. This wasn't a wasted game though, for Kaplan hit back 5 minutes later, and our pressure was rewarded with a deserved winner from Tret'yak a few minutes before the end.
Khimik 0-1 BATE (HL)
We were also on top at Khimik, however while they didn't threaten to get a surprise goal, we didn't get anywhere ourselves until Malofeev came to the rescue near the end.
BATE 2-0 (6-0) Smolevichi (Bc)
In the home leg against Smolevichi, we were very casual in the first half, but decided to go for it in the second half. Malofeev's penalty extended the lead in the tie, and the veteran Soroka sealed the deal in the 76th minute.
League Table
Oct 2026
BATE 3-1 Rudensk (HL)
Korol gave us the lead after 90 seconds against Rudensk, and while they equalized, Spasic and Korol quickly restored control before half an hour was up, and the rest of the game was all ours despite no more goals.
Naftan 0-0 BATE (HL)
At Naftan, another chance to close on the top three, we pounded them for a lot of the early stages. They hit back just as hard in the second half, but it turned into one of the most unlikely 0-0's for a while.
BATE 0-2 Neman Grodno (HL)
Bottom side Neman Grodno hit us early on, which was a bit of a shock. We went on a continuous offensive, but in the second half a penalty allowed them to extend the lead, and all the pushing in the world couldn't give us anything.
SKVICh 1-3 BATE (HL)
We made a deserved breakthrough at SKVICh from Dubovik, it looked like we'd wasted it when they equalized in the 79th minute, but Malofeev got a late goal to restore the lead, and stoppage time saw Dubovik get his second.
League Table
Nov 2026
BATE 1-1 Minsk (HL)
I was worried about the visit of Minsk, who were looking like they'd take the title, but Spasic heading us into a 7th minute lead was a nice surprise. We remained on top until they suddenly hit an equalizer in the 39th minute. We kept pushing for a while, but admittedly they considerably out-pressured us for most of the second half, so keeping the scores as they were was definitely something I was happy with.
Dinamo Minsk 4-3 BATE (HL)
We had two away trips to finish the season off with, starting at Dinamo Minsk. We were as soft as I feared we'd be, conceding 2 goals in the first half, and a 3rd right at the beginning of the second. However we weren't done yet, as 10 minutes into the second half it was 3-2 thanks to Malofeev and Lukashevich, and Spasic levelled the scores just a couple of minutes later, taking us from 3-0 down to 3-3 in 9 minutes! Understandably they were rather eager to restore the lead they had just completely thrown away, and after a lot of pressure (with only occasional breaks from us) they did get a winner 5 minutes from time, but it had been great giving them a very unexpected fight.
Dnepr Mogilev 4-1 BATE (HL)
The season had saved the worst until last, while they had lost the title to Minsk, I still regarded Dnepr Mogilev as my arch-rivals. There was a brief bit of hope. After half an hour, Dubovik cancelled out the lead they had taken 6 minutes earlier. However they restored the advantage before half time, and had complete control after that, getting a couple of later goals to sweep us aside. ONORE, MOGILEV!!!!
Final League Table
It was a bit of a disappointing season, after a reasonable start we fell so far away not just from a title challenge but from the top 3, though were still strong enough to be far ahead of everyone else, at least on the table, with a lot of annoying exceptions on the pitch, so it wasn't too terrible all things considered. It was nice to have a bit of a European run this year as well, though whether we'd have another go next year still remained to be seen until early next season and the later stages of the cup.
I was having conflicted feelings about BATE, hope for a successful future around the corner on one hand, and a frustration about potential underachieving (which after last season's second, was seemingly bountiful this year). The season structure didn't help matters, I can only really leave on good conscience at the end of a season, without being sacked or offered a job (and then, there was often a time and a place for the latter, which still wasn't happening despite the cup win which should have opened up interest at least), though running my contract out (with 2 years left) was a viable third option, but neither would I feel like leaving while we were in the cup, which would mean staying on until the beginning of the next season, effectively meaning I would stay, which made planning for the future a bit tricky.
I did say at the end of last season that I felt we were capable of being champions in a couple of years, so I was definitely going to see the remainder of that two year 'wait and see' period over next year at least, but after that it would definitely be a very open question indeed. Certainly with trophies being the best way to progress, the frustration was neatly countered by the fact that my chances of them were far better here then they would be at anywhere I could go if I left, even I was thinking of going for a slightly longer term 'second level club in big nation' approach next if I left before that happened to let me try and do better. I must admit I'm all over the place in this issue, but the 'end of contract' option gives me a way out I can be comfortable with, plus 2 years to keep having a go and see what happens.
Squad Stats
Oh dear, that could have gone better!
How everyone's done so far
Returned after 5 years to a decent 6-year spell of mid-table and survival back in the Second League before going down again in 2022
Finished with just 9 points after I left, but had a good future since. Had a brief 2 year spell back in Div 1 (2015/16) before going back down again. Returned in 2020 and took just 2 years to get promoted to Div 1 Elite, then reached the Premier League 2 years later, and now beginning their 3rd season at that level.
Had a couple of top-half/distant challenging seasons after I left, quickly dropping off and being relegated for a few years in 2020. Got promoted to the First Division immediately on their return but went back down after finishing bottom, and had a couple of mid-table seasons since.
Struggled for a couple of seasons after I left, being the Bulgarian Wigan in surviving after looking like doing down for most of each year, though did reach a cup final. Returning to 'just off European places' now
Deltablue, you've done really well so far, but that last season was unfortunate I hope that if you move, you find the right club Keep up the good work!
Last edited by deltablue; 28-03-2012 at 22:20.
Winter 2027
This season had a good chance of being my last. I had an unhappy board, little chance of reinforcements, I entertained thoughts of leaving before, and just reasonable cup and league challenging chances made me feel I'd be a little impatient if I did. There were no transfers in, a couple of backups going out the door for small sums. A few reasonable youngsters, but no one too exciting. With only one signing in the past two winters this was as strong as we'd ever be.
Apr 2027
Dinamo Brest 2-2 BATE (Bc QF)
Dinamo Brest were rather less daunting opponents in the cup quarter finals than they would be a year ago, such do fortunes change so much here. However in the away leg we didn't so much make a slow start as no start at all. Going behind after 22 minutes without having made so much of a peep. We woke up a bit after going another goal down in the second half. Tret'yak showing life with a 61st minute goal, but a Kovalevich equalizer in stoppage time was more to do with them going to sleep themselves for the last part of the match other than anything else. However it did give us a strong position going into the second leg.
BATE 0-1 (2-3) Dinamo Brest (Bc QF)
It was one that we threw away, as they scored 10 minutes from half-time, and were very much on top until we had a half-hearted surge late on, and deserved to go out.
BATE 0-2 SKVICh (HL)
The league began at home to SKVICh, having sustained three injuries in the last game. We were on top for most of the first half, but as things so often happen, they grabbed a goal just before half-time, and another just after for good measure, beginning a second half that was just as fruitless as the first.
Dinamo Minsk 1-0 BATE (HL)
The first trip was just a few days later, to Dinamo Minsk. They scored in the middle of the first half, and much like the Brest trip, we did have some second half life but not before and unsurprisingly went down to a defeat.
BATE 2-2 Vitebsk (HL)
We were behind again after 4 minutes against Vitebsk, however this time our pressure paid off and Zen'ko equalized right before the break. They retook the lead in the 67th minute, but Tret'yak's 84th minute equalizer meant we'd get a first point of the season (as did they).
Rudensk 0-5 BATE (HL)
We took the lead for the first time this season at Rudensk, when Zen'ko scored in the 7th and 9th minutes. The middle of the half saw another quick double, from Tret'yak and Malofeev, and Zen'ko wrapped up a hat-trick in the second half, leaving me thinking 'where did that come from?'
League Table
May 2027
BATE 4-0 Minsk (HL)
Wherever it came from, there was a lot more to come. The 18th minute at home to champions Minsk saw Soroka's shot give us an own-goal lead. A couple of minutes later Panteleev extended it. Malofeev got a pair of goals in the second half as we remained on top.
Naftan 1-2 BATE (HL)
Zen'ko struck again to give us the lead at Naftan, in the 5th minute, and we were mostly comfortable, with Malofeev's 38th minute penalty making it 2-0, and a 79th minute consolation being the only trouble from them. I was starting to wonder what on earth the players had been doing before Rudensk.
BATE 2-1 Neman Grodno (HL)
The first half against Neman Grodno saw Dubovik and Zen'ko give us a 2 goal lead in the 9th and 16th minutes respectively. The 24th minute saw then get a goal back, but aside from a penalty claim turned down it was one of those deserved 'comfortable but unspectacular' victories, and it took us to 3rd.
League Table
June 2027
Dinamo Brest 2-0 BATE (HL)
A trip to Dinamo Brest would be interesting after what happened in the cup. We made a better fist of it, but still went behind 5 minutes before the break, and conceded a late penalty to lose 2-0, which was slightly harsh.
Partizan Minsk 0-1 BATE (HL)
Dubovik gave us the lead in the 9th minute at Partizan Minsk. We really fired up after half time, but couldn't get more despite the pounding ,and at least a few rare chances for them didn't result in an annoying equalizer.
BATE 1-3 Gomel (HL)
Gomel at home would be my 500th career match. Unfortunately the players had celebrated a bit too much the night before, and we were 2-0 down after 10 minutes. It was as collectively awful a performance as we had since Vitebsk. They got a third goal a couple of minutes into the second half, though Zen'ko did get a 75th minute consolation.
Dnepr Mogilev 3-1 BATE (HL)
It didn't bode well for a trip to Dnepr Mogilev (then again, would anything?). They scored in the 5th minute, then retook the lead after Dubovik's 12th minute equalizer. We were surprisingly lively in pushing, but unsurprisingly inept in doing anything near the goal and a 3rd Mogilev goal in the second half was apt punishment.
SKVICh 1-2 BATE (HL)
We recovered at SKVICh. Korol gave us a second minute lead, and despite having a 10th minute goal disallowed, Zen'ko gave us the second in the 21st minute. They hit back hard in the second half, but a 63rd minute goal was the worst they could do.
BATE 3-0 Dinamo Minsk (HL)
We kept it up against Dinamo Minsk. Dubovik eventually giving us a 41st minute lead. Before they could come back, Korol extended it in the 54th minute, and though he limped off injured later, Dubovik finished things off with a few minutes left.
League Table
Let's hope this year is better than the last. The league is definitely becoming more competitive!
Jul 2027
Vitebsk 1-3 BATE (HL)
At Vitebsk, they had the better of things early on, but that changed when Dubovik gave us a 26th minute lead followed by Korol 8 minutes later. They got a goal back 30 seconds after half-time, but we were on top and clinched it with a late Zen'ko penalty.
BATE 2-2 Rudensk (HL)
Bottom side Rudensk at home weren't expected to be a problem, and thanks to a Korol brace in the 19th and 22nd minutes, they weren't in the first half. That didn't look like changing in the second, but they woke up a bit. Getting a goal back with 4 minutes left wasn't expected to be enough but we managed to concede an equalizer in stoppage time as well, leaving me fuming.
BATE 2-0 Naftan (HL)
We managed to avoid a repeat against Naftan. Korol scored in the 1st and 24th minutes. While they still had their moments of threatening, we were able to stop them in their tracks before we had a repeat of Rudensk.
Minsk 1-0 BATE (HL)
We attacked for most of the first half at Minsk, but had ran out of steam after half-time, and they were free to push just as hard, getting a 61st minute goal, and another disallowed 10 minutes later, as the only goal of a wasteful game from both sides.
Neman Grodno 1-0 BATE (HL)
We were pounded from the start at Neman Grodno, eventually conceding before the break. We managed to relieve the pressure in the second half, but getting anything was never going to be likely.
League Table
Aug 2027
Slavia Mozyr 1-2 BATE (Bc)
We went to Slavia Mozyr in the cup. We didn't get off to a good start when we went behind after 15 minutes, though as we gradually roused ourselves, a Zen'ko penalty levelled it shortly before half-time. The 55th minute saw a Korol header ruled out, but soon Panteleev scored the goal that ended up sending us through, though the latter stages were more tense then it should have been.
BATE 3-0 Dinamo Brest (HL)
Having struggled against them, we easily put Dinamo Brest to the sword at home. Dubovik gave us the lead in the 3rd minute, Korol added to it 10 minutes later, and Dubovik's second after half an hour made it safe.
Gomel 0-3 BATE (HL)
A trip to Gomel was just as comfortable. Dubovik gave us the lead a few minutes in, the elderly Soroka adding another after half an hour. They threatened to come back in the second time, but their chances were limited, and Korol secured it anyway with a third in the 82nd minute, so no issues there.
BATE 3-1 Dnepr Mogilev (HL)
For once I was reasonably optimistic ahead of a Dnepr Mogilev game. Sure enough, Korol scored after 20 minutes, Panteleev adding another 8 minutes later. Korol got his second just before half time, and they weren't going to come back from that, just a late consolation.
BATE 3-1 Partizan Minsk.
Partizan Minsk looked like ending our run when they took the lead in the 7th minute. Zen'ko soon equalized, in the 13th minute, and we really chased the game after that. Dubovik finally gave us the lead in the 64th minute, but we really took the foot off the pedal after that. After facing considerable pressure, Zen'ko wrapped up the win in the 84th minute. Could a surprise title challenge be on the cards? The answer was almost certainly 'no', but it was getting exciting for now. Does complicate the 'stay or go' question though.
League Table
It is very close indeed,my only answer would be go with your gut instinct.
Farewell Belarus
Sept 2027
BATE 3-0 SKVICh (HL)
After easily overcoming a few trickier opponents, we had a theoretically easier pair of home games, starting with SKVICh. For once it was that easy, with Spasic giving us a 10th minute lead, having already established ourselves on top, Zen'ko adding to it a few minutes before the break, and Korol getting the last goal in the 64th minute.
BATE 1-3 Vitebsk (HL)
Vitebsk were rather more of a challenge, though Korol gave us the lead after 14 minutes. However a penalty a few minutes later levelled the scores, and they resumed their bombardment of our defence. They broke us early in the second half, and we were helpless as they kept on, getting a 3rd in the 69th minute. A win would have drawn us level with Minsk at the top, but as it was we were well beaten.
Granit 0-1 BATE (Bc)
We went to Granit in the cup. They weren't as tough as Slavia Mozyr were in the last round, and Korol comfortably gave us the lead 5 minutes before the break. We very much quietened down in the second half, but they weren't much threat as we took a lead to the home leg later.
Dinamo Minsk 0-4 BATE (HL)
We completely put Dinamo Minsk to the sword in front of their own fans. Zen'ko got a hat-trick in the first 33 minutes. Korol was unlucky to have a goal disallowed at the end of the half, and Spasic gave us the deserved 4th in the 65th minute, and it could have been many more.
Rudensk 1-3 BATE (HL)
We also cruised home to the win at Rudensk. Dubovik and Panteleev scored in the 5th and 8th minutes, the latter getting another from a 37th minute penalty. They got a goal back in first half stoppage time, but a red card early in the second half put an end to their challenge.
BATE 2-1 Minsk (HL)
Minsk was a key top of the table game. The first half was pretty dull, but a Panteleev penalty early in the second half gave us the lead, followed by an own goal on the hour mark. They gave us a load of chances to face, getting a goal back with 7 minutes left, but we survived to get a lucky win that took us top on goal difference.
BATE 2-1 (3-1) Granit (Bc)
We hoped to finish the job off against Granit. Zen'ko set us on our way after a few minutes, getting another half an hour later, and a second half consolation from them was irrelevant.
League Table
Oct/Nov 2027
Naftan 2-3 BATE (HL)
Naftan away was one of the trickiest games we could have right now. As I feared, we did not start well. They got a very quick goal, and restored the lead after Korol's 31st minute equalizer. Hulk's 64th minute penalty took us level, but it looked like that was all we could hope for until he repeated the trick with a few minute left to give us an unlikely win.
BATE 2-2 Neman Grodno (HL)
That put Neman Grodno, up in 3rd, and that was who we played next. Like Naftan, they took the lead, in the 22nd minute. Dubovik equalized in the 41st minute, and in the second half we both had a good go of taking the lead, which they managed to get in the 70th minute. We really threw everything at them, and Bakhno gave us a really late point, heading in a corner.
Dinamo Brest 1-3 BATE (HL)
There was a tough run in, with 3 away games starting at Dinamo Brest. They battered us for the first half an hour, so it was great when Korol and Dubovik gave us a pair of goals within 5 minutes, having been on the receiving end of similar shock goals so much. Dubovik got another early in the second half, while they woke up a bit later on, getting a consolation, but thankfully nothing more.
Dnepr Mogilev 1-2 BATE (HL)
That was just the first of a few hurdles, as the accursed Dnepr Mogilev was the next trip. Much like at Brest, we were up against it in the first half but Panteleev gave us the lead right before half time. We were much more confident in the second half Korol extended the lead, before a brief late surge from them saw a consolation, but I was delighted to get the last laugh against them.
Partizan Minsk 2-0 BATE (HL)
Partizan Minsk was the last away trip. They broke us early, which the other two sides didn't. We couldn't rouse ourselves in the second half, eventually conceding another goal, and the title went to Minsk for the second year in a row.
BATE 3-1 Gomel (HL)
We (and my time at BATE) finished at home to Gomel. It was a great farewell party. Zen'ko gave us a deserved 24th minute lead. Korol added to it in the 33rd minute, and a penalty gave Zen'ko his second goal shortly before half-time. We sat back more in the second half, conceding but still strolling to a win.
Final League Table
I wouldn't have imagined the season would be like this after an awful start, and if only we hadn't struggled to 1 point (which we were lucky to get) in the first three games (and we were merely holding onto the top half midway through the season) we could have done it. As tough a decision as it was, even the title wouldn't get me to stay. A good season had enough for an extra year in Bulgaria, but I'd spent so much time wishing I was somewhere else, and wondering when a good time to go was, that this time I felt I might as well go. Budgets had shrunk a lot more than balance, the lack of changes the past couple of years since we finished 2nd hadn't brought the progress it should have done. In return higher squad status' needed to be offered to keep players even without pay-rises, plus an overabundance of forwards had led to a lot of morale problems, so I wasn't short on reasons to want to go. It wasn't all bad, I had a cup, a couple of European campaigns, and for the most part far better finishes than the club had for a while before I arrived, so it was better than it felt a lot of the time.
As for what would come next, for a year or so I'd been intent at trying a long term project at a Championship level (Serie B and Liga Adelante counting as well) club, where (especially in England), the potential glory (three times have I taken Ipswich to a league title at least, once from mid League-1) plus back-to-back for Verona once in FM07) was considerable, though a few failures like West Brom last time or limited PL progress meant it was far from assured. It was still what I decided I'd try next, wherever specifically that would be. I know people sometimes moss the fact that I leave clubs, hope this is unambiguous enough.
Squad Stats
Last edited by deltablue; 30-03-2012 at 21:44.
I'd be determined to keep trying to get the league title there at BATE after coming so close, but it's your game, good luck wherever you go next.
Frustratingly close!
So close. Good luck with your next challenge.
So close to winning the title,good luck with whoever you manage next season.
Very unlucky not to win the league.
Coventry City
Summer 2028
I wasn't in a rush, not liking too much joining during a season which still had ages to go. Decided to forego France and Germany at the start or I'd have probably got Arles Avignon shortly after leaving Belarus (though might have considered it after), rejected a Bolton side in an awful financial situation, and declined to go for Peterborough for the same reason, but in April got an offer from Coventry, which I decided to accept at the end of the season, despite how singularly unimpressive being manager of Coventry sounds.
The situation wasn't great, they were a bit in the black but with massive loan debts, which very nearly scuppered the deal for me, the squad was pretty old, and with a few pretty high earners, and unfortunately the only couple of players coming to the end of their contracts were neither. On the pitch, they had been in the PL for a year at the beginning of the decade, and been 'there or thereabouts' regarding playoffs ever since, which was slightly better an on-pitch situation as I expected to be able to get. Promotion for the PL would be tough, but the future didn't look promising if I didn't get it in a couple of years unless I was really able to tackle the finances through a considerably slashed wage bill 190kpw was fairly high for the Championship, (though not terribly so) and I felt it needed to quite a bit lower.
Thankfully my first move was to grab a couple of players, (including possibly the first Kazakh I've ever had) just before the end of their contracts (with an older player already set to arrive at the same time), which was surprising as I thought that I was a little late to that party this year, but felt it was worth a go, and their very low wages were a good sign that I could manage to get a strong side together for relatively little wage cost, once I shipped out the high earners (with quite a few on over 10kpw, up to 19kpw). I decided to spare a couple who weren't too old in order to avoid getting too weak, compensating by going quite a bit further down than just the 10kpw+ players.
By early July the wage bill was almost halved, but while squad size wasn't really a problem, there was still a lack of potential new recruits to build a newer, younger, and better value side from. Plus while an initial 1M for transfers was a reasonable amount, I wasn't massive and I was going to have to wait for January for one player in order to save a decent chunk of that budget. A bit of adjustment made things a bit easier later on I was able to push the price boundaries a bit further to get a few more of those I was interested in. I had probably slashed our chances for a quick promotion, though that was a tough enough project in itself that I felt it wasn't worth keeping a lot of the high-cost veterans. The board were only interested in a top-half finish anyway (which was roughly what I felt as well).
However far I could take them (which could be all the way) the point about going to somewhere like here was that it (all going well) was going to be a long-term thing anyway, and one I was very much looking forward to. Even if it was Coventry.
Coventy is definitely a move I wouldn't have thought of, but all the best in England
Almost went out on a high then! Not sure that you deserved to be sent to Coventry, though
Aug 2028
Coventry 1-1 Portsmouth (CH)
My first game in England was at home to Portsmouth. We faced a lot of pressure at first, and even after we started getting chances, they deservedly took the lead in the middle of the half. We gradually got better as the game wore on, and just about deserved something, and we got point from sub forward Elliot (who only survived my cull of the higher earners as no one wanted him) in the last minute. It was a sign of tricky times to come.
MK Dons 2-1 Coventry (LC)
We went to League 1 MK Dons in the League cup. After hectic opening exchanges, we had a bit of a nightmare as they took control and soon went 2-0 up. We were lucky it wasn't worse by half-time. In the second half, we tried to come back, but when Spanish star forward Rovira gave us a goal back in the 67th minute, we ran out of steam somewhat.
Crystal Palace 1-3 Coventry (CH)
We thankfully improved at Crystal Palace, despite a tricky start. We gradually came out on top later in the first half Rovira (who soon went off injured) giving us a 39th minute lead. They attacked hard and we were lucky to still have the lead at half-time, but in the second minute afterwards, Sandjong extended the lead, and the Cameroonian made amends for a poor debut against Portsmouth (as it was he who was taken off for Elliot) by making it 3-0 after 80 minutes. They got a goal back a few minutes later but it was a relief not to be struggling to get results.
Coventry 0-0 Nottingham Forest (CH)
Nottingham Forest were a little tricker. They just about had the better of the first half pressure, we managed to make it more even in the second half, on balance just about being the more relieved with a draw.
Wigan 2-2 Coventry (CH)
We were becoming used to facing a lot of early pressure, and did so again at Wigan. That made it all the sweeter that Schadlich gave us the lead in the 18th minute, Elliot following up a few minutes later. They got a goal back before the break, and the onslaught we faced was immense, our forwards could have gone to the pub and I wouldn't have noticed. We very nearly managed to hold on to what would have been an incredible, but I couldn't begrudge them an equalizer (or even a winner, had it come to that), which they got practically with the last kick.
League Table
Sept 2028
Fulham 2-2 Coventry (CH)
We faced a painful trip to Fulham, relegated last year, and early-table toppers. They scored in the 6th minute, and looked like getting a few more before right-winger Kok equalized in the 23rd minute, and somehow we kept the scores level to the break. We found ourselves in the lead in the 52nd minute when defender Mihci headed in a corner. Kok went off injured in the 62nd minute to leave us a man down, and surprisingly they didn't pressure us too much until late on, though they did already have an equalizer, and perhaps should have got a winner. It may have been our 4th draw in 5 games so far but it was one I was very pleased about, especially as admitedly I'd given up on anything other than a heavy defeat early on.
Coventry 2-0 Brighton (CH)
As undefeated as we were, more than 1 win would be nice, and we hoped to get a second one at home to Brighton, who were just above the drop zone. A first start (after a sub debut against Fulham) was given to a forward I promoted from the youth team when I arrived, Devlin, and he rewarded me by giving us a 17th minute lead. It was nice to be comfortably on top in a match, Rovira extending the lead in the 54th minute, and while they had a few little patches of threat, they didn't do so seriously until late on, when they couldn't even get a goal, let alone a point.
West Ham 4-0 Coventry (CH)
A West Ham trip (they were another relegated side, and looked like a PL team) would be far tougher. They took the lead in the 4th minute, and we had to weather one heck of a storm to keep them from getting another in the first half. We weren't so successful in the second half, and they got another couple of goals within 20 minutes, stomping all over us as we lost 4-0 (with another disallowed). I knew we'd lose soon, and this game was a good bet for it, but not that we'd be rolled over so completely.
Coventry 1-4 Bristol City (CH)
Bristol City was a rather less expected setback, the usual early pressure led to an own-goal in the 7th minute, followed by going another goal down. Walker, the guilty own-goal player, gave us a goal back but it all went horribly wrong in the second half. They got a third goal in the 62nd minute. We went a man down when Jones went off injured, a hole in the defence when Knox got a second red card, and with such defensive holes, they couldn't fail to get a 4th.
Ipswich 0-0 Coventry (CH)
At Ipswich, we kept finding it difficult and survived with a point partly thanks to them easing off for a lot of the second half. At Villa, we probably thought we were playing West Ham again. We were on the back foot from the start, went behind in the 6th minute, and though Rovira equalized, they retook the lead very deep in stoppage time, which completely destroyed us as they went on to win 5-1.
League Table
Oct 2028
Coventry 2-1 Huddersfield (CH)
We had a 2 week break until we played 4th placed Huddersfield, and it did us the world of good. After the poor recent form, my reaction to Kok giving us an 11th minute lead, and Rovira extending it 5 minutes later, was genuinely 'What! Really?' They had a surge of pressure in the first half, but never really stopped after that as we were free to have more chances of our own, and they grabbed a very late consolation.
Coventry 3-1 Plymouth (CH)
We took advantage of a game against struggling Plymouth to get back-to-back wins for the first time. Elliot set us on our way in the 4th minute, but after we kept pushing in the first half, I was worried when they equalized at the beginning of the second, Elliot (ably assisted all the way by left-back Wilkinson) grabbed a double in the middle of the half, giving him a hat-trick and giving us a comfortable win.
Middlesbrough 5-3 Coventry (CH)
Interestingly enough, before we went to Middlesbrough I was favourite for the newly vacant job, and I must admit if it wasn't for my personal rules, I might have been interested, especially after the game. They suddenly quietened our decent start with a 12th minute goal, we brightened up after Rovira's penalty equalized after half an hour, but they silenced us again when retaking the lead before half time. We looked like getting a hammering when they made it 4-1 in the second half. Umoh got one back shortly after, and when they got 5th, an Elliot penalty capped off a defeat in a crazy game.
Coventry 3-6 Millwall (CH)
Hoping to get back on track against Millwall, we instead served up one of the worse first halves I have ever endured. They were 3 goal us up in just over half an hour, and got a 4th when Elliot got one for us. Elliot got another after the break but that was just met by a quick double from them. Elliot (who today was a god among a team of footballing amoebas) later got his hat-trick but that didn't stop us going down 6-3. In fact I think I've just been unfair on amoebas as 10 of them would have been better teammates for Elliot today.
League Table
This is going to take even longer than I thought, if I last that long. The truth is we've faced players and sides who have been far stronger on the field in most games and it could be a lot worse than it is now.
Some tough games there. Looks hard to get any sort of form going.
Nov 2028
Notts County 5-2 Coventry (CH)
If it was possible to be even worse, we were at Notts County, being 4-0 down before Kok scored just before the break, and even then they got a 5th before the whistle blew. Costa, our keeper seemed for have completely forgotten how to do his job. After an hour, Elliot got another back in an otherwise quieter second half.
Coventry 1-1 Leicester (CH)
After 16 goals conceded in the last three games, we needed to shore up better against rivals Leicester. We were reasonably on top in the first half for once, getting the lead in the 41st minute when a Schadlich shot was deflected in for an own-goal. We were rather less comfortable in the second half, and they kept pushing enough that, not for the first time, I couldn't complain when they got an equalizer in the 84th minute.
Peterborough 3-2 Coventry (CH)
Villa were the latest 'Championship job I'm linked to that I'd rather have', just before we went to Peterborough. We conceded in the 6th minute, but determinedly fought back. Elliot equalized in the 26th minute, before Rovira gave us the lead in the 42nd. However in the second half they really took control. Within 15 minutes they were 3-2 up, and kept at it so we hardly had a chance to come back.
Coventry 1-1 Sheff Wed (CH)
Sheffield Wednesday were rock bottom with just 3 points from 17 games when we played them at home, and if we couldn't beat them... They took the lead from a 15th minute penalty, but otherwise were worryingly on top anyway. We woke up in the second half, Schadlich equalizing in the 51st minute, and we kept pushing enough that we should have got a winner, especially with a rejected penalty claim with 5 minute left.
Rochdale 2-2 Coventry (CH)
Going to Rochdale, I was aware that this was another side we shouldn't lose against. We looked shaky to start, but Rovira gave us a 32nd minute lead, which lasted just 3 minutes. In a scrappy second half, the Spaniard did it again in the 87th minute, and it looked like we'd sneaked a win, but lightning struck twice with the 'equalizer after 3 minutes thing', which was probably offside, and yet again we fell short of three points.
League Table
Dec 2028
Coventry 2-4 Watford (CH)
My job was very insecure, unsurprisingly so, when we faced Watford next, at the beginning of a busy month I may not survive, the plus point was how far behind points-wise the bottom three were, to dropping into the relegation zone wasn't a worry. They gradually took control and the lead, in the 18th minute. We managed to get some spirit into our game, and Elliot was very unlucky to have an equalizer disallowed 10 minutes from the break. Rovira gave us one finally in the 65th minute, after a lot of trying, and 7 minutes later Elliot finally got on the scoresheet to give us the lead. However they battered us from the point, grabbing not just an equalizer and a winner, but another for good measure.
Derby 1-2 Coventry (CH)
The trip to Derby started out in a painfully one-sided way, until Jackson gave us a shock lead in the 18th minute. As predictable as ever, we conceded an equalizer before half time. We tried gamely to retake the lead early in the second half, but ran out of steam and started getting pounded again. We were reasonably good at surviving that sort of pressure, though not in some games, but that hadn't been enough due to a lack of wins. This time Rovira struck in the last minute to give us our first one in 9 games. 'Relieved' doesn't really cover it.
Coventry 4-3 Reading (CH)
We were next against Reading , the third relegated side, whose forward pairing were together on about as much as all our squad. It showed when they soon took the lead, and got another just before the break. They got it to 4-0 before Rovira gave us a goal 10 minutes from the end. However that was followed by another from him, and from Umoh, making the score surprisingly close at the end.
Final Coventry League Table
After that they sacked me, and I'd be the first to say 'quite right too', though I had hoped I could weather the storm (like I unexpectedly did at BATE) to see things come together. Sadly it wasn't to be. Speaking of BATE, they won the title this season, but I had no regrets about leaving to pursue a longer-term project in a bigger nation, and I intended to continue doing so. As much as it seemed that defence was the problem (and at times it was), we were on the back foot so often that we actually survived to get a point (though never three) quite a lot of times, and the rest of the games saw us genuinely being that overwhelmed rather than letting the opposition score with fairly few shots.
That also highlighted the toughness of the Championship. Some leagues are tough to survive in after promotion, some to get out of, and some to be challengers in, but the Championship couldn't be beaten for a tough ride throughout the table. This made the 3rd time in a row that I had taken a Championship job that it hadn't gone well, though I seemed to do rather better after being promoted from League 1, with 2 promotions to the PL as well out of 2, including West Brom in the last career.
Tough sacking. What was the predicted finish for Coventry?
Argh, hate it when that happens. I'm sure you could've built on that but clearly the board aren't patient enough. What are you thinking of doing next?
Tough break with the sacking,thought the board would have been a bit more patient.
Harsh season there, I'm sure you can bounce back at your next job though.
Bad luck there, the Championship is indeed a harsh mistress! I don't think I've ever really enjoyed managing in that league the way I have the others in the English pyramid - it's a bit too much of a mad scramble to the finish line (no matter what your aspiration, as you said) for my liking!
Unexpected move to to Coventry, I hope you can work up the table through to promotion soon. You take each club as far as reasonably expected, great job
Delta do you have any idea how to not concede so many goals from corners? It's driving me insane :|
Hoping to see something crazy like Finland next haha
Not quite like London buses, this was followed by a vacancy at St Pauli, but more stable finances got me chosing Spain despite far smaller budgets (just 9.5kpw, using a relatively massive 12.66kpw and nothing for transfers) and greater distance from promotion, a place of perhaps better stability rather than potential admitedly. I had been in the Second Div B way back in FM05, and I must admit I had been interested in returning for a while. With 3 games to go in this season, Ferrol were 10th, and about as mid-table as you could get. Still, being described as 'relatively unknown manager' I had a bit of a way to climb back up before being able to push on, and I was happy to have somewhere again.
Last edited by deltablue; 02-04-2012 at 19:59.
I completely expected you to show up at somewhere like Uzbekistan, but interesting move. Bit of a slight step back from Coventry tho? It's one league further down the ranks in a similar pyramid.
Didn't expect you at Coventry!
Plus I'd spent a day of real time and 15 in-game months in my longest unemployed spell ever in FM so anything that wasn't too small or financially unstable (Midtable constitutes underachievement for a Ferrol side predicted 4th so they're not too bad, despite the budgets, and Coventry have barely been keeping afloat in the Championship since I left so he gap isn't that massive) was something that would suffice for now, even if I'm unsure about what I can do in the short-term.
Last edited by deltablue; 02-04-2012 at 20:13.
Never been a huge fan of Segunda B. It's one of those league when you can finish top and still not get promoted due to the stupid playoffs!!
But, good luck!
Good luck at Ferrol
Feb/Mar 2030
Ferrol 1-3 Guadalajara (D2B)
The first Ferrol game was at home to Guadalajara who were just above us. We took the lead after 6 minutes, then just sat back, which was a bad idea given we were weakened by a few defender suspensions, and were caught out, when they equalized late in the half, took the lead just before the break, and were free to get a third afterwards.
Ferrol 2-4 Zamora (D2B)
Zamora was a similar level game. We were on the back foot for a while, and they eventually grabbed a pair of goals to get a 2-0 lead at the break. Admitedly I wasn't expecting this mess of a side to rouse themselves for the rest of the season, and in the second half Zamora proved that point. They went to 4 goals up before we grabbed two goals in as many minutes around the hour mark to make it look more respectable.
Real Alcala 4-0 Ferrol (D2B)
The first away trip was at Real Alcala, just below us. That changed when they took the lead shortly before half-time. We mounted a decent second-half effort, but collapsed in the last 10 minutes with 3 more goals conceded.
Ferrol 1-1 Pontevedra (D2B)
We were back at home against holders Pontevedra. We got a little lucky as they had a goal disallowed before we took the lead late in the first half. We would have been really lucky to hold on to it, and I was just glad for a first point despite their 70th minute equalizer.
Montaneros 2-0 Ferrol (D2B)
A trip to Montaneros was a survival mission from the start, and we managed it for a while until they broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, and again 10 minutes later.
Ferrol 1-1 Ourense (D2B)
Ourense were a couple of places below, in the relegation playoff place (thankfully we had far too much of a cushion to worry about the 4 automatic relegation spots). The only good thing footballing-wise in the first half was their taking the lead. We improved to 'average' in the second half, and grabbed an equalizer from a penalty with a few minutes left, which kept us 7 points above them with as many games to play, meaning we didn't need to worry too much about facing a playoff.
Apr/May 2030
Gimnastica 4-0 Ferrol (D2B)
I wasn't awash with confidence when we went to table-topping Gimnastica. They were 2 goals up after just over 5 minutes, but surprisingly failed to pile on the goals. We made a pretty good go of coming back in the second half but veteran Argie keeper Medina just gave up and conceded a 3rd after 70 minutes, and a 4th in stoppage time, which stopped us looking respectable.
Ferrol 0-1 Burgos (D2B)
From 1st, to hosting 2nd placed Burgos. We were actually reasonably good in an even and goalless first half, but slipped up when we conceded the only goal of the game at the beginning of the second half, in what otherwise had looked an alright performance.
Ferrol 2-0 Ponferradina (D2B)
We made up for it against Ponferradina, though it looked like we'd blown the chance again when they had a goal that was disallowed. Hungarian forward Czegledi gave us the lead before the break instead, and before we could ruin it, sealed it in the 77th minute for our first win in forever!
Amurrio 1-2 Ferrol (D2B)
We took the lead again after 7 minutes, at relegation batting Amurrio. While we kept pushing in the first half, we were quieter in the second, at least until we extended the lead in the 70th minute. They got one back 5 minutes later, but thankfully we didn't throw away the win.
Salamanca 2-1 Ferrol (D2B)
The last trip of the season was a tough one to Salamanca. Czegledi gave us the lead again in the 12th minute, but it wasn't going to be as easy this time, and 28th and 33rd minute goals gave Salamanca a 2-1 lead that we couldn't take away.
Ferrol 5-0 Cultural Leonesa (D2B)
The other forward, Brunet, scored twice in the first 7 minutes against Cultural Leonesa, and we were soon 3 up after 12 minutes. 5 minutes into the second half, sub Juan Carlos got in on the action, and in the 62nd minute we had a fifth. This (like the maiden win against Ponferradina) was against a side just outside the playoff places.
Ferrol 1-2 Fuenlabrada (D2B)
Relegated Fuenlabrada were the last opponents of the season, and we didn't seem too bothered with them. They took the lead midway through the first half. Brunet equalized just before the break but we couldn't do much more, and conceded again in the second half to fall to a disappointing defeat to end the season.
Final League Table
Experience has taught me that taking over a side mid-season often leads to continues mediocrity at best until the following year, so I wasn't too bothered with how poorly things went for so long, especially with a lot of changes already confirmed, already done deals, and wage demands ensuring a lot of departures, with a decent amount of pre-contract replacements.
That said this lot were probably the most spiritless shower that it's been my misfortune to manage thus far, even my '1 point' Hogaborg side looked like they'd get something in quite a few games. However their only rivals for that 'honour', BATE, proved themselves after a while so there's hope. If it wasn't for the '1 year minimum rule' I'd probably decided to leave before things really perked up near the end (making what went before rather mystifying).
True judgement could only be made from next year, I wasn't expecting a playoff challenge but was now rather more confident than I was of an improved season. Looks like things won't be as much of a disaster in Spain as I feared for a while.
How the past teams did.
Krsko haven't reappeared in the Second League.Hogaborg's 3 year run in the PL ended and haven't been close to returning since. Frigg continue to be mid-table in the Second Division. Sportist had a struggling season before returning to be a good top half team over the next 2 years. BATE won the title the season after I left but have been struggling since then, just like when I found them. After struggling for the rest of the season they sacked me, Coventry recovered from a bad start to be mid-table.
Last edited by deltablue; 04-04-2012 at 15:36.
Sounds like that was an underwhelming half-season, albeit looking more positive towards the end, hopefully with a full summer to plan things and build the squad properly you'll turn Ferrol back onto the right track.
Summer 2030
This wasn't going to be a vintage season. I had achieved a reasonable wage bill saving (which didn't do me much good at Coventry), and was rewarded by a budget increase giving be a few thousand spare, some of which was turned into 120k for transfers which I hoped would be enough for a few decent players despite keeping a strict wage filter in place. We had already lost a majority of the first team, had to lower the bar for promoting youth players (but they were still at least of reasonable potential) to get a decent squad size, and even then we were woefully short on defenders. That meant a lot of scouting, and looking through a list of over 2,000 free agents (not kidding, and that's with the tremendous player search list streamlining benefits of the U21 thing) for anyone that might look decent enough.
As it happened there was still plenty of quality available, German central defenders seemed to be a particular speciality this year, bargains galore (though relatively high wages promoted more budget balancing) and I lapped them up. There were a surprising English bunch as well as I rarely have any on my radar when abroad (and even when as a strong PL club in England, native signings are thin on the ground) I was already going to have a much-changed and unsettled squad even had I done very little this summer, so I decided if I was going to take a big stability hit, I might as well have a strong squad (or at least a lot of potential) while I was doing it. In the short term, that stability might be very damaging. Plus the budgets had been balanced all the way back and I was just over a maxed out wage budget. The board expected a top-half finish. Achievable, but very uncertain, and the future might be more fruitful than I expected (which when I arrived, wasn't very) but whether I would get that far remained to be seen. However my attitude toward Ferrol had very much changed from 'this'll do, but not getting my hopes up' to a far better 'Excited to see how things go'.
Last edited by deltablue; 04-04-2012 at 20:36.
I check in to see how you're doing in England and you're already gone! Now Spain has to deal with you Always love seeing where you're going next.
Mixed season, but something to build on.
Sacked from Coventry? Oh dear
Sept 2030
Zamora 3-2 Ferrol (D2B)
We started with a tough trip to Zamora. Left-winger Agirre was the only player in the starting lineup who wasn't making his debut, but we showed promise when one of the new forwards, Jorge, had a goal disallowed after 2 minutes. We kept pushing and Argie defender Garcia soon headed us into the lead. The other forward, Perez, also had a goal disallowed after half an hour. I had a feeling the disallowed goals would be costly, and they equalized in the last minute before half time, which seemed to knock the wind out of us completely. They got two further goals in the second half, before Jorge got a 75th minute consolation in what was a very unlucky defeat, and a good sign of the side's potential.
Ferrol 1-0 Lemona (D2B)
We were on the back foot much more at home to Lemona, but Jorge gave us a 34th minute lead, and we managed to keep it in a far more confident second half.
Candas 2-4 Ferrol (D2B)
We had a pair of promoted sides next, starting with a trip to Candas. We were reasonably good in the first half. Jorge and Agirre got a goal each in the lst 5 minutes to give us the lead. They looked like coming back, midway in the second half, getting a goal, but Jorge put them to the sword with a pair of goals in the 71st and 78th minutes, and they got a consolation in added time.
Ferrol 3-0 Lealtad (D2B)
Lealtad at home was the other one. However they had done much better so far, and they took a 19th minute lead. We could have fought back but they hit us with another a couple of minutes into the second half which silenced us.
Gimnastica 3-0 Ferrol (D2B)
Gimnastica was always going to be a tough trip, as much as the holders were only having a mid-table start. They had a goal disallowed but took the lead anyway in the 26th minute. We went all out in the second half, but a couple of injuries weakened us and they grabbed a couple more in the last 10 minutes.
Ferrol 3-1 Pontevedra (D2B)
Agirre gave us the lead after just a minute against Pontevedra, and it was followed up by Czegledi just over 20 minutes later. However they had a massive second half comeback, more than deserving to turn it around, especially as they had a goal disallowed, before they had a late goal back, and in the last minute Czegledi got a second goal that made it look a lot more confident than it deserved.
League Table
Oct 2030
Cultural Leonesa 2-4 Ferrol (D2B)
Czegledi gave Leonesa a Cultural experience when scoring a 4th minute goal at theirs. Bermudez's first Ferrol goal extended it after 20 minutes, and things got better when they had a goal disallowed 7 minutes later. They made a particularly strong fightback in the second half, eventually scoring in the 64th minute. 10 minutes later, Wanchope scored to make it much safer for us, and just as well as they got a deserved second at the beginning of stoppage time, with enough left for Gonzalez to wrap our victory up with our 4th goal. They were 2nd before the game which made it especially pleasing.
Ferrol 0-4 Ponferradina (D2B)
It was our turn to be hit at home, against Ponferradina. We made a bright start but the sky fell in after they took the lead after 20 minutes. They followed it up before the half-hour mark, and again before half time, with a 4th after as we just fell apart.
Ferrol 3-1 Guadalajara (D2B)
Battered, we were relieved to have Gonzalez give us the lead after half an hour against Guadalajara. They quickly levelled it, but we were much improved for a lot of the second half, Gonzalez's second header restoring the lead in the 58th minute. They had a strong finish, and were very unlucky to have a goal disallowed just before Czegledi put it beyond them in the 85th minute.
Univ Oviedo 5-0 Ferrol (D2B)
Unfortunately our form was flip-flopping like mad, and we were capable of making even struggling Univ. Oviedo look like giants in front of their fans, as they got three goals in the second 10 minutes, and we gifted them an own goal before the break. They completed the humiliation (as that's definitely what it was) with a 5th goal in the 58th minute. If there was a 'storm out in disgust' option I'd have definitely used it during the match.
League Table
Nov 2030
Ferrol 1-2 Arandina (D2B)
We even messed up a simple home game with Arandina, this after Czegledi gave us 10th minute lead. They quickly equalize, and we were much more likely to make something happen, but their early second half winner rocked us too much.
Arenas 3-4 Ferrol (D2B)
We went to the once proud Arenas (one of the strongest sides from the early years of Spanish football), who were bottom with just 4 points, and found them tragically easy going. Czegledi and Oscar scored between the 20th and 30th minutes to give us a comfortable lead. 5 minutes later a goal gave them hope, but Garcia restored the 2-goal margin in the 40th minute. They got a second goal early after the break, but it was a fairly quiet half, punctuated at the end with an own-goal in our favour and a third for them.
Ferrol 1-3 Lugo (D2B)
Lugo was a far tougher game, and they took the lead almost instantly. Szegledi equalized after half an hour, but that was the sum total of what we managed and coupled with a weak defence meant they quickly returned to the lead, and surprisingly just got one more in the second half.
Llanes 1-4 Ferrol (D2B)
A trip to Llanes was an easier game. Cipriano and Agirre gave us a 2-0 lead within the first 15 minutes. A bad error from Gonzalez gave them a goal back, but they weren't too much of a threat and a second Cipriano goal in the 41st minute put us in a stronger position. The second half was quieter for the most part, but Oscar gave us one more in the 78th minute. Their manager praised our defence after the game, which earned him a comedy award, or at least should have.
League Table
Dec/Jan 2030/1
Ferrol 1-0 Salamanca (D2B)
Advent started with a game against table-topping Salamanca. Surprisingly Oscar gave us the lead in the 12th minute. Even more surprisingly was the relative lack of pressure, though they had enough that we could have thrown away the win on another day, though thankfully not this time.
Ferrol 1-1 Montaneros (D2B)
Montaneros were another tricky visitor to Galicia, and again we took the lead from Szegledi in the 27th minute, we did let the lead slip soon but after a quiet second half I was pleased with a point from this, which actually our first draw.
Palencia 4-1 Ferrol (D2B)
A trip to relegated Palencia was yet another tricky one. Again we had the lead, in the 11th minute from Gonzalez, and while they equalized we were still level at half-time. Not so much in the second half when 10 poor minutes saw them get 3 goals.
Ourense 2-1 Ferrol (D2B)
The last game before the festive break was at Ourense. Disappointingly Oscar's 7th minute goal was cancelled out just 2 minutes later, and much like against Palencia, we went on to lose but only by a goal on the hour mark.
Ferrol 0-1 Langreo (D2B)
I had a pretty short return, as we were starting to sink down the bottom half of the table, which I had feared, but were looking like avoiding. The straw broke after we played Langreo, a fairly even game where both side had decent chances, but it was they who scored late on to deal us the blow that got me fired.
Final Ferrol Table
However while last time I was out for 15 months, this time it was just 4 days. I already knew roughly where I would go, having been courted by Championship clubs, and reasonably big League 1 names since I joined Coventry, of a far higher calibre than I could expect in any other nation. The very latest link had been just before my last Ferrol game, as it happened it was still vacant when I was given my marching orders from Franco's hometown club. Sure enough I got it, straight into the League 1 promotion race. Farewell Ferrol, Hello Brighton, out of a very packed playoff zone on goal-difference (and one of a few teams with a game in hand), 5 points off 2nd, and I am definitely going for promotion, especially automatic. Hopefully it would we 3rd time lucky with this 'long-term in a big nation' thing. Might seek another 'Sportist' if this fails.
A couple of other points. 1) I do seem to be moving a lot recently (though you hardly have a choice when fired), seems odd thinking that at the top of the page I was having a rather bad start with BATE, and 2) just noticed my 'Youth team' forum title, rather apt really.
Last edited by deltablue; 06-04-2012 at 20:38.
I'm sure Brighton has a nicer pier than Ferrol, anyway!
Good luck at Brighton A good move.
Jan 2031
The situation when I arrived at Brighton was like this...
First Brighton Table
They had been relegated from the Championship a couple of years back, and lost in the playoff final last year. I was blessed with a strong set of loans (though not all were until the end of the season) supplementing an already good squad, though we were short on forwards, especially fit ones. The financial situation was pretty good. 94kpw was one of the more reasonable wage budgets (especially when we were in the Championship) I'd seen. Plus there was 17kpw spare and just over 500k for transfers which I was looking to make use of, though unsurprisingly the fact that we were such a strong side for a fairly low and unattractive level meant that I ended up not doing so.
Brighton 1-0 Stockport (L1)
The first game was against relegation candidates Stockport. A very new tactical setup (not helped by the injured forwards) plus low morale meant it wasn't as comfortable as it looked on paper, but we managed to be reasonably strong on the pitch, our lone frontman Robinson scoring in the 15th minute after we had been on top from the start. The second half was less comfortable, though we still had our chances, and they came pretty close to getting an equalizer. However we deservedly got the narrow win, only the second time in the career that I've won my first game with a club (Sportist being the other), and from the club's point of view, it was a good start to my reign having won just one of the previous 6 games.
Brighton 2-0 Gillingham (L1)
Former landlords Gillingham were next, and expected to be only a little tougher. Robinson scored again in the 12th minute, but they were quickly on the offensive and there were some hairy moments before a 34th minute own-goal extended our lead, and in the second half we were far more on top.
Cardiff 1-0 Brighton (L1)
The first away trip was to Cardiff, a far trickier test against a side just below the playoff places that we were now sitting comfortably in. Even opening exchanges died down, but suddenly they struck 10 minutes from half time. They kept pushing too much for a lot of the second half for us to have a shot at equalizing, until we had some late chances. As much as it was a pity to lose I knew it didn't matter too much if we could consistently beat most of the other sides, and indeed we had a good run of far more manageable games for a while.
League Table
Feb 2031
Brighton 1-0 Lincoln (L1)
We were expecting to get back to winning ways at home to Lincoln, and got a deserved 16th minute lead from a header from defender Pitman. We surprisingly ran out of steam and they were free to attack pretty strongly in the second half, but we held out.
Brighton 3-2 Dagenham (L1)
Things looked more comfortable against Dagenham (our 4th home game in 5) when one of the loanees, winger Etchebarne, gave us the lead in the second minute. A woeful defence put paid to that idea when they gifted Dagenham two quick goals to take the lead. We chased them in the second half, an own goal levelling it 10 minutes in, and there was much relief all around when Robinson gave us a winner 5 minutes from time.
Doncaster 1-2 Brighton (L1)
We faced a pair of trips to the north, starting at Doncaster. A hectic start saw them go ahead in the 20th minute, but we pushed back immediately and more than deserved our equalizer from right-back Lucas a few minutes from the break. We were on top enough to deserve a winner, but when we got it in the 81th minute it came in admittedly controversial style, when an alleged handball from Lucas assisted fellow defender Salemme.
Accrington 0-3 Brighton (L1)
We went over to Accrington (who are they?), and they frustrated us for a lot of the first half. We sped out of the blocks in the second half, and eventually took the lead in the 69th minute from Etchebarne. Pitman got a deserved second with a minute left, and there was even a third in stoppage time from an otherwise disappointing Robinson. That result took us to within a point of Newport in 2nd, and just 3 from top. I also became Ghana manager after the match.
Brighton 2-0 Charlton (L1)
We were at home again against Charlton, just below the playoffs. It was pretty tight, but thankfully Robinson was on form hitting a pair of goals, in the middle and end of the first half The second half was quieter, with the few chances going to them but they didn't get anything. At the weekend a defeat for Newport meant confirmed our position 2 points ahead of them in 2nd.
League Table
Mar 2031
Wrexham 1-0 Brighton (L1)
We went to Wrexham and were very unlucky. We had a goal disallowed in the 7th minute, and they soon took the lead. In the second half we went at them enough that we really should have had an equalizer at least.
Brighton 2-2 Crawley (L1)
We struggled a bit at home to Crawley, shipping a goal late in the first half before Robinson equalized on the stroke of the whistle. We pushed in the second half, but they retook the lead in the 73rd minute, and we at least managed to grab a point, though it should have been all three, a couple of minutes towards the end.
Watford 2-3 Brighton (L1)
It would only get trickier as next we went to Watford, who were promotion rivals. Surprisingly Pitman gave us the lead in the 26th minute, but they hit us with a force that shattered the defence and they were ahead at the break. They kept on battering us in the second half, but amazingly sub Rose equalize in the 65th minute, and an own goal gave us the lead in the 72nd minute, which we somehow kept to record the most important win of the season. We remained in 4th, 1 point behind 2nd, but were well placed to take an automatic promotion if we had a strong late run.
Brighton 7-0 Southampton (L1)
The home game with Southampton was a great chance to state our intentions, and boy did we ever! Robinson set the tone by giving us the lead in the 6th minute, and we didn't let up in the first half. The 21st minute saw him get another, and within 10 minutes, Etchebarne added a pair of goals of his own. Robinson finished off his hat-trick in the 34th minute. We spared Southampton any further humiliation until late on when Robinson got his 4th of the day in the 84th minute, and a few minutes later, a penalty secured Etchebarne's hat-trick. Talk about winning in style.
Shrewsbury 2-2 Brighton (L1)
We attacked just as strongly at Shrewsbury, but met with strong resistance and they held firm in the first half. They headed in a corner at the beginning of the second half, which is the closest I've ever come to having an 'It's not fair!' tantrum. More pressure from us came to naught and I was starting to curse Shrewsbury very loudly. First they kick start Grant Holt's rise to glory and now this! At least out other 2 promotion rivals were losing as well. We were sort of saved by right-winger Duxbury who got two goals, in the 72nd and 79th minute, but they denied us a win with a late goal. Results elsewhere meant it didn't cost us too much beyond a missed opportunity.
League Table
Excellent start with Brighton,the game with Southampton looks to be a very impressive showing.
Apr/May 2031
Brighton 3-0 Plymouth (L1)
Plymouth were just below us and gave us a very tough time for a lot of the first half, Robinson giving us a 40th minute lead was a massive relief. The 52nd minute saw Salemme (in the last game of his loan) head in a corner to give us another. The second half was surprisingly easy, and a Taylor freekick in the 65th minute wrapped up a 3-0 win. Amazingly we were now in a 3-way tie at the top with Newport and Bury (who we played at home on the last day), with Watford just a point behind. This was quite a promotion battle.
Wycombe 3-1 Brighton (L1)
We let ourselves down very badly at Wycombe, going behind after a few minutes. We equalized 20 minutes later from Roberts but were just a mess from that point, as they regained the lead, and comfortably got a third.
Brighton 1-0 Stevenage (L1)
Stevenage was a fairly comfortable game we couldn't afford to mess up. Regular periods of pressure in the first half were wasted, and the second half started off even, then became worryingly quiet indeed. A win would put us back into a three-way tie at the top (with Newport as the team 2 points behind), so it was quite a relief when Robinson scored 6 minutes from the end. Had that been disallowed it would have been such a blow. That was our last game that looked that easy on paper, it was 3 mid-table sides (2 away) followed by rivals Bury at the end, what a game that would be!
Sheff Wed 3-0 Brighton (L1)
Things did not go well at all at Sheffield Wednesday. They scored twice in the first 15 minutes, and added another shortly before half-time. If it wasn't for Smits in goal it would have been a complete humiliation and we survived the second half without any further goals conceded, as the only positive.
Brighton 3-0 MK Dons (L1)
Thankfully things were far better at home to MK Dons. Etchebarne scored in the 10th minute, followed 8 minutes later by Robinson, who added a second in the 72nd minute, which took us to a point off Watford, but worryingly 3 behind Bury, given I very much hoped it would be in our own hands on the final day.
Yeovil 1-4 Brighton (L1)
If we slipped up at Yeovil our automatic promotion dream would be all but over, and despite good having a good recent playoff record, I would never be too confident about them. We didn't do too much in the first half, Robinson grabbed the lead right before the break though. In the second half we really let fly, Robinson scoring just after the restart, followed by Taylor and Etchebarne within 5 minutes of each other in the mid 60's. They finished the game very strongly, though far too late, getting a consolation in the 75th minute, and could have had more. Results elsewhere weren't so favourable. Bury coming from behind to stay 3 points clear was as much of a blow as a Yeovil comeback would have been, the goal-difference gap being far too great (we would need to win by 8 goals, not going to happen in a month of Sundays) to be able to overhaul them even if we beat them, plus Watford remained a point ahead and if they won at Crawley (who were 14th, so far from certain but still pretty likely) it would be the playoffs for us.
Brighton 3-0 Bury (L1)
We did our part splendidly, Robinson gave us the lead in the 27th minute, while the scores were still level for Watford. However they took the lead before half-time, and I knew the game was up. Duxbury extended our lead in the 67th minute, and Robinson scored in injury time, but as great as the win was, it wasn't enough to avoid the playoffs. Shrewsbury were relegated, but if we failed to go up I would forever curse their name, as that was where the most disappointing dropping of points was for me.
League Table
So so close in the league. Good luck in the playoffs.
ONORE, SHREWSBURY!!!!!!!!! (And you too Newport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Playoffs 2031
Cardiff 1-0 Brighton (Playoff Semi)
My 600th career game was the away leg against Cardiff, and given we were rather unreliable away I was a bit worried. They scored in the 15th minute, but we had a few chances before the break. They came our much stronger in the second half, and I was very relieved not to concede another.
Brighton 3-1 aet (3-2) Cardiff (Playoff Semi)
Inspired by Taylor on the left wing, we tried to overcome them at home. Roberts scored in the 3rd minute, but late in the first half they had a strong period of pressure and restored the aggregate lead. We had it all to do in the second half, Etchebarne scored in the 53rd minute, but we couldn't get a winner, at least until defender Rosso headed one in during the first half of extra time. They did have a bit of a threat afterwards but we survived to make the final.
Newport 1-0 Brighton (Playoff final)
In the final we'd face Newport, who had easily cast Plymouth aside, and had been table-toppers in early spring, and fellow challengers before form dropped off at the end. I was hoping to avoid a second playoff final defeat in a row for the club. Amusingly the ref was called 'Nick Knock'. The game itself was reasonably quiet in the first half, but they took the lead after half an hour. We were able to claw back some balance in the game, but had limited chances to equalize, and being just about second best, we went down to a second final defeat.
It was utterly devastating, while we had been outside the playoffs when I arrived, the fact that we were soon in the automatic playoff mix meant that the playoffs were a very unsatisfactory resolution to the regular season, especially given how much I was engaged in the promotion race, with all its joys and frustrations. With Newport given the home team weighting that occurs even in 'neutral' games I knew that would be a hurdle too far. I hoped I could find a bit of reinforcement for the side in the summer, and would at least have a full season to go all out for promotion next year, though it would always feel a year too late. I choose Shrewsbury as the costly result as they were who we should have most beaten both on paper and on balance of play yet only just missed out on doing so, a plague on their house to be sure. However if I was able to take Brighton places I would definitely look back in a 'see how far we've come way', just like after a defeat to a similarly relegation-bound Charlton in my first game for an Ipswich side I took from League 1 to ultimate glory, as well as in a 'let's see whose laughing now ********!' way, even in the short term they had league 2 to look forward to. Newport may well get the comeuppance one day as well. Yes I was rather emotionally involved in this.
Such a shame, sounds like a close final. Theres always next year
So unlucky missing out on promotion.
Unlucky on missing out,hopefully a full season will be more beneficial for you.