[Brian Swartz]

OFFSEASON

** Facilities: the board announces they are building ground for a new stadium at a cost of 5B(2.69B loan). July of '15 is the expected completion. With our 19 average attendance(second-worst in First Division), we haven't exactly outgrown our current run-down pitch ...

The Persigubin board is possessed. But they are still paying me, and I don't know that anyone else would be willing to. So ...

YOUTH PLAYERS

We haven't got the time or money to invest in youngsters who can't contribute right away. Fortunately, however, there are a couple who we think can.

DL Widodo Faizal -- Depth at the left side right now, and in terms of potential he becomes the new most-talented player at the club. We think he is capable of being a Super League(Indonesia's top tier) player eventually.
DC Jaenal Moefid -- Similar to Abidin, just good enough for a deal.
DC Endra Abidin -- Emergency backup at best, he's not quite ready for First Division but good enough that he's worth giving a youth deal.
DM Taufik Amzi -- We didn't use a DMC last year, but if we decide to go that route he could be a serviceable backup.

Each is given a 150k deal, expiring in three years(2017).

TRANSFER GOALS

Then began a critical moment in my career. Over the next few months, I needed to find players good enough to allow us to have a better team next year, and of course to get off to a decent start and save my job. This would be a major test of my ability to form a quality squad for the first time, and under considerable pressure. Fail here, and it could be the end of my career.

My primary goal was to increase depth and coverage of all positions. We need to have some form of remotely competent backups. Most matches last year we were forced to play guys in unfamiliar positions, creating huge weaknesses as they weren't capable of being effective without being familiar and trained in the needs of those positions. The aim to is to have 18-20 players and cut down dramatically on this issue.

**Note: It can be much easier to read a synopsis, but I find that sometimes -- and this offseason was an example -- the process of when things occurred is important and not just what happened. The struggle of the journey, the day to day process of fighting in matches, offseason signings, etc. is central to effectively telling the story IMO.

5.16 -- Landon Donovan is one of six who will miss the World Cup for Team USA.

5.19 -- Adding to the sting of his departure, Fabian Yogi was named in the First Division Team of the Year, and his goal against Persemalra in the season finale was named the second-place goal of the year.

5.23 -- DR D.T.Saragih(25, 2.2M) signs. He can actually play all three back-line positions but isn't nearly as good in the center or left. Also DRLC A.E.Prasetyo(1M). His Second-Division club had him transfer-listed, and we like him as cheap depth, the versatility to play all three spots and price were the key selling points.

5.24 -- MC Herlan(1.5M) signs, having been released by Premier Division side Perssin Sinjaj after not getting any time on the pitch for them.

5.25 -- MC Dodi Saputra(1.4M) signs today.

5.26 -- DC Iskandar Muda signs for 1.3M. We like him to be a new starter in the middle of the defense.

6.14 -- 1-1 draw with Brazil in the first group match of the World Cup.

6.21 -- US crushed 5-1 by England.

6.27 -- US beats Australia 2-1, but still fails to qualify. Everybody in the group had a win a loss and a draw, but a -3 goal differential sunk the USA to last while England and Brazil move on.


July

The transfer window begins officially, and we're down to about 4.5M in budget(including Yogi and Uropmabin, whose contracts don't expire until the end of August). I like what we have added, but it's notably that we couldn't find any attackers which are vitally needed, or any wing midfielders. The situation is still far from optimal. Meanwhile, I'm now on a month-to-month contract. The fans won't miss Fitriandi much(56% approval) but they're not as positive about losing Sutiono(41%). Neither am I, he was our most important defender last year. Of the first five signings, the fans have no particular opinion of them until they see them in action for us.

We still have work to do.

7.6 -- DL Ferry Kombo is potentially a big coup for us. He's got a reputation as an inconsistent player, but should have the ability to be a significant contributor and has Premier-division potential in the opinion of our staff. Kombo refused to resign with Second-Division club Persebi, and we get him for 2.75M plus our first transfer fee paid out ever, 74M+.

This leaves us with really the ability to only go after maybe one more quality player. As it is we now have 17 players, 2 more than last year.

7.7 -- Sutanto turns pro, and gets a raise to 900k.

A crisis is clearly becoming apparent in finding quality attacking players. With the relationship with Uropmabin unrepairable, it was decided that every effort should be made to change Yogi's mind and get him to stay. We started with a 4M offer, a small raise over his current pay, and a doubling of his current bonuses, also throwing in an additional 21M if he could get 10 goals this next year(he had 8 this season). However, he wasn't willing to even discuss anything less than 6.5M, which is simply more than we can afford.

This leaves us with a real problem. The only quality forward we have coming back is Ewangin and who knows how age is going to affect him.

While they were perhaps overpaid, the only two possible signings I could reasonably describe as quality were Imam Bayhaqi and Haris Tuharea. Tuharea wouldn't accept anything less than 13M a year, a laughable amount. Now, he's good(10 goals in 11 matches last year in our Group) but it really doesn't matter how good he is when he wants a third of our budget. It was a simple thing. Either Bayhaqi signed or we were going to be laughably short of talent up front(we'd still be short with him).

7.19 -- Ludovic Magnin(35), is the new coach of the US national team as Klinsmann is fired in the wake of failing to get past the qualifying stage of the World Cup.

7.23 -- Gresik Utd wants to sign Roni Setia. I tell them they can shove their offer(which is nothing but a sell-on fee). However, later in the day Bayhaqi signs. The 21-year-old can play both AMC and ST, and will give us at least something to put on the pitch.

7.30 -- Surprising absolutely no-one, Fabian Yogi was named the Player of the Year by our fans.

Meanwhile, we will remain in Group D. Some of our foes will be new: some familiar(Persemalra, Persebangga, Yahukimo FC, Persenga, PSKT, and Persipon). I'm really not sure how they decide who stays and who goes in each Group.

The board's minimum expectation has been lowered to staying clear of relegation. A mid-standing finish would give us no more room in the budget ... 2M more would be allotted for a top-half finish but that is probably unrealistic.

Avoiding relegation it is. I'm confident we can achieve that. I think.

8.2 -- Faced with the prospect of leaving, Yogi is ready to consider a reduced contract all of a sudden! It would keep us modestly over-budget(which I didn't intend, I try to be very careful about such things). However, I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Compare being less than 10% over budget to letting the fans player of the year go and our weakened state in attacking ... hmm ... yeah not a tough choice.

He initially wants a raise to 4.5M, but I get him down fairly easily to another year at present wage(3.75M) with an increase in his bonuses. Heck yeah!! I wish I knew what changed his mind, but far more important is the fact of having him back.

He's 'delighted to be staying due to a long-held passion for the club'. Really? Then why the heck did he refuse to discuss a contract/insist on an enormous raise for most of the last year?!