FM18 - The Rise of Sepsi: Romania Strong - FINISHED!!!

[Abe Sargent]

Quick full stats:

These include Cups, EURO, and Liga:


Colombi – 56 games, 22 clean sheets, 58 goals allowed. 7.03 rating

Strobl – 52 games, 2 goals, 2 assists, 7.18 rating

Mitrea – 55 games, 5 goals, 10 assists, 7.21 rating

Riojas – 40 games, 1 goal, 4 assist, 7.16

Stoian – 42 games, 7 goals, 10 assists, 7.34

Petre – 50 games, 4 goals, 7 assists, 7.40 rating

Tandia – 21 games, 2 assists, 6.82

Traore – 27 games, 3 goals, 3 assists, 7.10 rating

Cartagena – 46 games, 7.01 rating

Eckhardt – 28 games, 1 goal, 3 assit, 6.81 rating

Etebo – 53 games, 4 goals, 12 assists, 7.26

Gimenez – 56 games, 49 goals, 37 assit, 7.99 rating

Kubik – 33 games, 1 goal, 7.09 rating

Schlocobiert – 57 games, 68 goals, 26 ass, 8.08 rating

Lupu – 53 games -12 goals, 15 assists, 7.32 rating

Margeman – 46 games, 4 goals, 9 assists, 7.27

Viveros – 16 games, 6.93 rating

[Abe Sargent]

We are losing: Tandia, Traore, GK Fejer,

I am okay losing Petre. He rating was good, but near the end of the regular season he just had 2 goals and 2 assists. His rating is higher than his production his year, and next year he wouldn’t count as my U22 ROM starter anyway as he turns 22. Meanwhile I can move Schlocobiert I suppose….

I was impressed at how quickly and totally he got goals, and never had a dry patch, like STs are wont to have. He could play up and down.

But he isn’t that good:



Does he look like the terror of the EURO or others? I don’t think so. He’s not like someone set a Messi or wonderkid loose in Romania for a couple of years. He was just an advanced forward, nothing special or modern. But, dang, did this guy sink. And the Schlocobiert you are looking at there isn’t the one that started for us initially, but it’s closer than you might think as he hasn’t grown much.

[Abe Sargent]

Alright!

Thoughts for my squad for next year?

GK Colombi was the best pickup last year, to my mind. His international play wasn’t great, but domestically he shut folks down. No major changes in GK next year.

DC – I am happy to sell Riojas and bring in DC competition. I did have my rotation guy who I signed and then was injured twice. Riojas takes up a precious Non-EU spot. I love Mitrea’s ability to add to my attack, but he’s 32 and not great elsewhere. He hasn’t stopped dropping yet, but he’s also my worst DC of my starting three outside of his set piece majesty.

This is a spot for improvement, likely, and more so if Riojas heads out.

DMC – set with Cartagena and Viveros


AMC – Set with Lupu, Eckhardt, Margeman and Etebo

MR/ML – With Tandia and Petre heading out, and my newer signing, Osario, not being super-ready yet, we likely would need at least one person here for Stoian and Etebo to have helping.

MC – Set with all of my many middles

ST – If I let Schlocobiert head out, then I need a new ST. Do I already have him? Is his name either Gabriel Dodoi or Raul Cobarzan? I believe that Cobarzan could be my next ST starter. But bringing in someone to push or start over him and give him some subs would strike me as valuable. Both of those are U22 Romanian players, so they would give me another starter other than Lupu to have meet that qualification.


I offer to sell Petre and Schlocobiert.

[Abe Sargent]

I look into some strong options at ST, winger, and elsewhere:


There are some good players coming free, like DC Tonelli, from Italy or middie Schmid, 29, French. I am scouting about 10 ST. From nearby youth to older starters.


I found someone I love at ML, we’ll see if he wants to join us. He’s an Ivorian who strikes me as a wonderkid.

I make him an offer. We agree to 600k with his local club there on the Ivory Coast. We make Boka an offer to come to Sepsi.


Apparently in this dynasty I have pushed for African midfielders, Euro Defenders, and South America attackers:


Schlocobiert, Gimenez – S. America; and my DMCs have been S America as well. Viveros and Cartagena.

Mid – These Africans – Traore, Boka, Etebo, Margeman, Agu, etc.

Defenders – Only Riojas wasn’t Euro, of those that I signed


I get my captain o talk down Lupu from wanting to leave when the latest transfer rumor hits the pipelines.


Now I could Cluj a team. I could put Mitrea, Stoian, Margeman, Riojas, Cartagena, Gimenez, etc on sale, and bring in a better team overtop of them, keeping Colombi, Strobl, maybe Etebo, as my young wonderkids like Lupu and my Colombian youth and Eckhardt and such. That would be interesting, for me to become Cluj. But that’s not what I want to do. I just smashed Romania my way. I don’t want to sell out now.

I am being offered job interviews all over Eastern Europe -Poland, Czech, Ukraine, for some big names.I just turned down interviews with Croatia and a club in Poland – Legia Warsaw. They are one of the two heavies of Polish football. No thanks!

We are not successful at Zenit with the job interview.
.

Mohamed Boka is coming to Sepsi!



Let’s take a look! Okay, dude’s fast. That’s important. 18 years old, already has 6 caps for the senior team. Good work rate, etc. I saw we had some competition, so rather than wait for my scouting, I went ahead and made the deal, but everything here shouts “WONDERKID” to me from the high deter/work rate to the solid skills everywhere else. And if I am wrong, it was just 600k. But I don’t think I am wrong.

[Abe Sargent]

I am counting this as my 3 mill this year I had left before the 100 ill extra I got from my baron. I want to spend without it, like it hadn’t happened.

My first major club makes mean interview, Bologna in Serie A. Maybe they want me to bring Maio with me? No thanks

I make an offer to lock in my DC target of choice, for free - DC Tonelli. I have offers for Riojas, and I will look to sell him. He’s good! He’s just not someone I need to invest one of my precious non-Eu spots too. I’ll look to keep Cartagena and Gimenez.

Our U19 club won the top table.

Talks fall apart for a few people I’m chasing, like French wonderkid ST Elliot Pages out at Nice. Well, I could use Cluj oil-blood money for 17 mill, but nope.




Relegation table

Iasi and Hermannstadt are heading down. Medias is in a playoff.

Tonelli agrees to join us. I finish the move on Riojas.

[Abe Sargent]

I get a job interview opportunity for Atalanta but I turn it down.

Man Utd won the Champions league. A good year for the city Manchester!




If wanted to use my Cluj/oil money, I’d go grab Ivan. He’s happy to come back to Romania, and a complete forward next to Gimenez would work. Spend around 18 mill, and get my Schlocobiert replacement. We need to bring in the occasional Romanian, as a reminder, and he would help. We agree to an offer with Leeds of 19.5 mill. Do I want him enough as my new Schlocobiert, I do. I consider it my “this is where my Schlocobiert money” would go guy.

You can see how good Ivan is. Flair of 16? Determination of 18? 15/16 speed? Jump 15, vs head of 13? Fin of 15? You get the idea.

Gimenez is worried about being replaced, but Ivan is being brought in to work with Gimenez, not replace him. He drops his concern.

I accept an offer for 2.3 mill from Lokomotiv Moscow for Petre

Ivan is also an ideal target for me because him and Lupu are actually really good friends on the national squad. He’s also arguably the best young, developed option at ST, in case neither Dodoi nor Cobarzan work. I’ll keep one on my squad under Ivan.

[Abe Sargent]

I accept an offer for Schlocobiert for 12 mill.

Eckhardt has just been capped by Slovakia. I send him a congrats.

[Abe Sargent]

Sepsi – End of Season Awards:


Fans Player of the Year: #1 Schlocobiert; #2 Gimenez; #3 Petre


Goal of the Season: Stoian vs Craiova in October.

Signing of the Season – Etebo (I think it was Colombi)


Young Player of the Season – Schlocobiert




Who’s jersey did you buy this past year, Year Three of the Sepsi Juggernaut? Schlocobiert? A middle like Lupu or Etebo? Margeman or Petre?

Or did you go old school with a Gimenez jersey?

[Abe Sargent]

I’d like to see us just buy the stadium.



Ongoing improvements! Got to turn St. George and Sepsi here into a Transylvanian Castle of Footballing Majesty!

[Abe Sargent]

Now I’m just getting annoyed…





As a result of that, the EURO quals are now all in the 1st round and you have one more play-in round to go.

[Abe Sargent]

I sell Riojas to Toulouse FC for 1.5 mill

Yay, one of my old squads has offered me a job interview – Slavia Prague. No thanks, but I appreciate the sentiment!

Andrei Ivan has signed with us

Basano Awards:


Schlocobiert won Basano of the Year. Gimenez was 2nd

Schlocobiert won Young Player of the Year. Lupu was 2nd.

Gimenez won Most Assists Award

Schlocobiert won Most Goals Award, and G got 2nd

[Abe Sargent]

Margeman wants to head to Germany after rumors link him with BMG in the press. Petre talks him down.

Schlocobiert is heading to CSKA Moscow for 12.5 mill.

Petre is heading to Lokomotiv Moscow.


To be fair, this is the sort of normal turnover one expects at a bigger club. Losing a young starter or two, and then bringing in new talent as well. We have begun to achieve equilibrium. I think.

Our departures:


DC Riojas – 1.5 mill
ST Schlocobiert – 12.5 mill
MR Petre – 2.6 mill


Our three injections:

DC Tonelli – Free
ML Boka – 600k
ST Ivan – 20 mill

For a total of about 21 mill spent and 16.5 received.

[Izulde]

[Abe Sargent]

I have a thought…


In 2022, several nations, such as Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia/Herzegovina are joining the EU. That means their players should count as EU then. Now Serbia has one of the fast ways to get nationality. I was surprised when one of my youth, Emil Abaz, got it quickly just by being on loan there. If I were to set up a linkage with a Serbian team, then I could send some non EU players I have there for loan for a few seasons, and then at the end they would be Serbian and EU. That sounds like a strong plan.

I don’t know if it would work, but it seems like it should. That would give me a fasttrack to EU-ness


I ask for another club to link to. They agree. Who do I like that are my options?


Got it, there is a Serbian club in the First Division (their 2nd division after their Superleague) that doesn’t have anybody around to feed them cash or personnel. 1924 Smederevo. I will send loaners there who need EU-ness. We set up a 35k a year offer of cash to them.

Speaking of which, I offer Osorio for loan. If I can get him two years in Spain, he’ll be Spanish and then I won’t have to worry about him counting against my non-EU number when he ages. I do like Viveros enough right now to keep him though, so that won’t be happening.

Actually, now that I think about it, that’s not bad for any future S. American youth I bring in.


My board accept another link proposal. UD Melilla in Spain. It’s one of my previous dynasties –

FM2016 - From Africa to Europe - ALL DONE!!!!! - Front Office Football Central

They also don’t have a parent helping them out. We’ll pay them 50k.year.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Izulde

[Abe Sargent]

I make offers for three good, young, Eastern Europeans that I like:

ST Miroslav Timko, Slovakian
DC Miroslav Petrovic, Serbian
DC Zoran Batina, Croatia


Our training camp has begun




Champions drawing has arrived. We are seeded. We get Zrinski. From B/H




As a thought experiment, I decide to go on holiday for a year. What would happen if I let my AssMan take over for a year?

I return June 15, 2021. What would happen?

FCSB wins the Liga with 47 points, we come in 2nd with 45. Ivan led the Basano with 25 goals.

We win the Super Cup against Timisoara 3-0. Ivan led the Cup with 11 goals and was it’s highest rated player at 8.12

We win the Romanian Cup against Astra 1-1 on pks.


In Champions play, they made it through the various intros into Group B and lost and came in 4th in a group with Man Utd, Leverkusen and A. Madrid.



Back to the dynasty, already in progress!

[thehitcat]

Originally Posted by Abe Sargent

Who’s jersey did you buy this past year, Year Three of the Sepsi Juggernaut? Schlocobiert? A middle like Lupu or Etebo? Margeman or Petre?

Or did you go old school with a Gimenez jersey?

Nearly bought Schlocobiert but since I really enjoyed what I saw out of Etebo in this world cup I went with him(third Fan's Day special jersey ) to go with my Lupu (Away)and Margeman (Home) jerseys.

[Izulde]

Picking up a Gimenez jersey to go with my Schlocobiert one. Also ordering a CSKA Moscow Schlocobiert one.

[Abe Sargent]

My U19 manager just retired so I need a new one

Our goals are to win this league, make the 3rd round of the Champions, and reach the final of the Cup.

I have aGerman club, Darmstadt, offer me an interview. It just returned to the Bundesliga after getting knocked down in 2017. No thanks. Hamburg also offered me an interview. No thanks. (Not that Hamburg, another one – Hamburg St. Pauli) This is their first time in the Bundesliga in decades and decades. I like the challenge, but no thanks. Bochum were just promoted. They offer me one, no thanks.

After losing all of their games in the Euro group, Romania have let go their national manager.




June 30 arrives. Goodbye Tandia and Traore. So long Fejer.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by thehitcat

Nearly bought Schlocobiert but since I really enjoyed what I saw out of Etebo in this world cup I went with him(third Fan's Day special jersey ) to go with my Lupu (Away)and Margeman (Home) jerseys.

Nigeria for the win! That sounds cool.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Picking up a Gimenez jersey to go with my Schlocobiert one. Also ordering a CSKA Moscow Schlocobiert one.

Yay, because he;s Schlocobiert!

[Abe Sargent]

Oh, and I will be on vacation from tomorrow through 8 or 9 days later. I'll play some more tonight, and then when I leave, I won;t be back for a while, just as an FYI.

[Abe Sargent]

July


July 8 – Home vs Zrinjia, 1st Leg, Champ
July 12 – Supercup vs Timisoara
July 15 – Away vs Zrinja, 2nd Leg, Champ
July 18 – Away vs Concordia
July 22 – 2nd Round, Champ
July 29 – 2nd Round, Champs

That’s a busy July!


Hmmmm. I apply to be the National Manager of Romania.


Today leave players like Schlocobiert, Riojas, and Peter. Good luck!


Today arrive some youth that don’t matter much, and then my three big additions at DC, ST, and ML.

[thehitcat]

Enjoy it for sure! Hopefully you'll have the same interest in picking back up when you return because this has been really fun. So much so that I picked up FM 18 on the World Cup sale and started messing about.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by thehitcat

Enjoy it for sure! Hopefully you'll have the same interest in picking back up when you return because this has been really fun. So much so that I picked up FM 18 on the World Cup sale and started messing about.

Awesome!

[Abe Sargent]

Today arrive some youth that don’t matter much, and then my three big additions at DC, ST, and ML.

Here is Tonelli:




Tonelli is my new starter at DC for me, replacing Riojas. He has everything you would want in a 3-5-2 DC. Speed? Head/Jump? Your typical 15 mark and tack? There is nothing here not to like. He’s a savvy veteran DC who should provide a reliable stopping power in the back. I’m not upset that he’s here.





Who’s happy to join us?

How about Ivan?



Welcome back to Romania buddy!

[Abe Sargent]

Margeman is called up for Bafana Bafana for the Olympics. South Africa are in Group D with China, Argentina and Portugal. That means I won’t have Margeman for July and early August. Their first friendly is on July 11th.


July 4th - I am hired as the manager of Romania!

This feels like a good segue and you and I already know many of the squad:

Lupu, the potential Messi of Romania

ST and AM LRC Andrei Ivan, who just joined my club

DC Mihai Balasa, on my club

M David Farcas, a wonderkid who has just about gotten to good

ST Dodoi and Raul Cab, as potential youth or rotation players plater


Of the current senior squad, only 7 play in Romania. 4 play for me! (Lupu, Balasa, Ivan, Farcas)

Their current U21 squad includes Petre, Dodoi, Cab, and some of my youther such as Daniel Muntean, Cosmin Tina, and Alezandru Dumitru. Three more on the U19 squad.

[Abe Sargent]

In case you forgot, here’s Farcas, one of my strong Romanian youthers I’ve been developing, and I purchased two years ago, as of today:



Here’s Farcas after loans and development. He was raw but my scouts loved his potential. He’s currently on the team, but hasn’t been capped as he’s a sub. I agree with that sentiment.

Here are my best Romanian players on my squad:




Florin is the best Romanian player, and he is playing at the top of his attacking prime. He’s a savvy, strong, and powerful ST.

Our third best player is my new pickup for Sepsi, Andrei Ivan. Our 2nd best player is Lupu. So my goal is to get all three on the pitch at the same time. That will require a 1 AMC and 2 ST layout.



Lupu’s history for me. I picked him up when he was 16 for 4.5 mill and then started him, and he has grown. Is his first year at the AMC spot for me, he wasn’t amazing, but he worked. 10 goals and 4 assists in the season as a 16 year old starting with a 7+ rating is pretty saucy. Last year, he raised those numbers to 9 and 7 respectively and his rating as well. Now he is 18 and my coaches say he still has a lot of development available to him.

Lupu today:



Nicely done.

Lupu’s current assessment – and I ran out of space for the good stuff –




He is currently the best player at Sepsi and the 2nd best for Romanian, and “could improve a lot” Let’s see!

Romania’s best defender:



Another strong youth prospect



Another great youth:



Our best GK




Another great youth




And one more:




Now I just showed you the best Romanian players on my squad. Notice the injection of youth? Romania is growing into this generation. All but the ST, DC, and Gk are 23 or younger. Lupu is the youngest at 18.

[Abe Sargent]

Here are other youth of value:



Not currently on the squad:



Currently injured, but another strong youth prospect:



Or him, currently not on the squad due to a lot of other middies there, but he’s solid. I remove an older ST who’s not that great on rotation, and call up Hagi so he’ll be there when I need my next call up. Let’s get him a cap and start his international career with us.



Are there any players I want to add to this squad? I have some savvy vets like Romaria Benzar who is pretty good, but I also have some weak backups and such in their 30s.

I like this guy more than some others:





I know he’s slow and such, but he’s better than a lot of other DL/DCs out there.

Do you remember my loanee, Constantin Dima, from a few years ago that I liked enough to make an offer to but we didn’t get it?



I am calling him up to the Senior squad soon and get him some caps. He has developed nicely in the last three years. I call him up and replace a backup I have that ain’t much. I remove an older fullback and call up Petre. I was shocked during his good form to never see him get some play. He was a young, Romanian player getting Basano Player of the Year, and not getting called up the senior squad. That made no sense to me.

So the good of Romania is her youth. That means she is set up nicely to grow into a stronger force moving forward.

Romania was playing a 3-5-2, simple. My initial starters are I decide to go with the style I am used to and move Lupu to AMC. Andone is a ST with defensive forward, Ivan complete forward, at DC Chirches, Screciu, and Balasi from my team. ML is Dragus; MR is Man, at MC Hagi and Nedlecu.

[Abe Sargent]

I am enjoying seeing these youth develop and come back, like Dima.

Here is one of my youth acquisitions you should take a look at, by the by, take a look at that finishing….





NINETEEN finishing! I moved him to my main squad because I feel he has outplayed my U19 said last year when we signed him at 14, he was unsigned and unchased by anyone. He has been a strong ST on my cup winning and division winning U19 squad. Frankly, he’s good enough to get some looks, as is:

Competition:







And one more




All are good. All could do some damage in the Basano. Not Schlocobiert levels of damage, but I think all have value.

[Abe Sargent]

Cough cough...

[Abe Sargent]

I don’t think that this Romanian club is good enough to win the Champions League, or elsewhere. Give me the best XI players from my Romanian nation and I am not going to produce major results. But it’s nice to know that most of these folks are getting older, and better and will have worked together longer than other nations in a few years.


I loan Esario to Melilla


Tactics?

Gimenez remains on Trequarista. Why would I want to mess with that?

Ivan is a Complete Forward

Lupu is moving to an enganche role from his previous ADP one. I have been working on training him for that role for about a half year now.

Margeman is moved to a Mezzala role at Middle at MC.

Cartagena remains a ball-winning role on support at DMC.


At MR I have Winger, support, with Etebo in it right now and Stoian in the same role on the ML. I’ll ease in Boka.

I will start, initially, Strobl, Mitrea, and Tonelli at DC. I expect to rotate in Balasa and Kubik at DC for Mitrea in particular, as he is much worse than the other two at DC. I have Tonelli and Strobl locked in, and I doubt I’d slid ethem around.

I am training DMC Viveros to have a better role as a Regista at DMC than Cartagena’s

I name Cartagena my Captain and Strobl as my vice captain.

Andrei Ivan is my main PK taker with his great PKs (15) as well as good composure and finishing. Mitrea moves to #2. Ditto DFKs from close range that can sink.

[Abe Sargent]

I reject some offers for Etebo and one for Margeman.

I have some big name clubs offering to loan some of my youth. Such as AC Milan for Viveros.

Training Camp ends.

CHAMPION, QUALS 1st LEG -Home vs Zrinjski – I start Balasa today for Mitrea. At the 1:34 mark Etebo finds Lupu for goal. Margeman hits a lethal ball to Ivan on an attack run, and he feeds Gimenez for goal in the 2:51 mark. They get a yellow in the 7th. In the 16th minute, the first attacking move by Zrinjski is turned as aside. Then they score off a corner. WHOOOOOOOAAAA. Sick goal by Gimenez in the 23rd with an assist by Lupu. It was created by an interception by Cartagena who found Lupu. They lightly injure Ivan in the 38th, but I leave him in. Ivan finds Lupu in the 40th, so that was the right call. Ivan to Lupu in the 44tn, and that’s Lupu’s hattrick. I pull Ivan for Raul. Half. We are ahead 5-1. Eckhardt heads in. Then Viveros. In the 86th, Cabrazon intercepts the ball and scores. He scores on his debut with us. Lupu to him in the 89th for another goal. We win 7-1, MOM is Lupu with 3 goals and 2 assists.

Clearly Lupu is enjoying his role thus far as an Enganche.

I reject a PSG offer for Farcas.

[thehitcat]

Nice to have you back and what a start!

[Abe Sargent]

Players in the last year of their current deals:

Mitrea
Dodoi
Ekhardt
Farcas
Raul Cabrazon
Kubik


I offer a deal to Ekhardt for a few more years, hot prospect deal. Ditto Farcas, Kubik, Dodoi and Cabrazon.

Belgium wins the 2020 Euro

Supercup vs Timisaora – I start Mitrea at DC today. This is the club that stopped us from winning both the Basano and the Cup last year! Let’s take them down! Margeman’s international duty with S. Africa has started, and Eckhardt is in the MC spot. Eckhardt finds Lupu for goal in the 6th. A quiet half follows with no side really having any major activities. Half. We have 6 shots, 2 on target to their 3 and 0. Don’t get complacent out there! In the 53rd, Stoian hits a IFK to Lupu who kicks it to Strobl for goal. In the 56th, Eckhardt to Ivan for goal. I send in Boka and Mitrea. They grab a goal in the 77th. In heads Dodoi. Boka feeds Lupu a goal. Mitrea hoofs a deep ball for Dodoi in the box and he grabs it and scores in the 85th.





We win the Super Cup 5-1. MOM is Lupu again.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by thehitcat

Nice to have you back and what a start!

Thanks!

[Abe Sargent]

I make an offer to extend Mitrea for another year with a backup/coach option.

CHAMPION, QUALS 2nd LEG - Away vs Zrinjski – We are down by two goals early in the 16th, then we score two back with assists by Gimenez to Ivan. Half 2-2. We send in Viveros, Kubik, and Boka. We hold and tie 2-2 and win, aggregate, 9-3. MOM is Ivan.


We have Jagiliona next in the QUALs.

About four of my players have just been targeted by bigger clubs – GK Ivano by Juventus, Liverpool for Raul, Benfica for Lupu and a few for Etebo. No thanks. Now Heracles for Dodoi. Now BMG for Margeman.

Etebo comes to me and wants to move. I have our captain, Cartagena, talk to him and he backs down.

Ivano isn’t happy because going back to Italy would be great for him, and I stopped the offer. His agent wants a bigger deal and we negotiate one.

Basano, Game #1 – Home vs Concordia – We win 2-1, goals by Stoian and Lupu, Stoian is MOM. Yellows by Cardagena and Strobl.

[Abe Sargent]

AC Milan offered, first team, for Boka to come to them on a loan.

CHAMPION, QUALS 1st LEG - Away vs Jagiellona – They have some early pressure, Colombi stops the shot, jumpstarts an attack, and Lupu to Ivan for goal in the 2:14 mark. Ivan to Gimenez for goal a few minutes later. In the 14th, Gimenez to Ivan for goal. Etebo gives up a PK in the 22nd and they sink it. Ivan to Eckhardt in the 34th for a goal. Etebo to Ivan, goal, 43rd. Half. At the 45:15 mark, Gimenez feeds Lupu goal. I send in Boka early. David Farcas replaces Lupu. Raul for Ivan. Farcas to Rual for goal, and then they score a CK. We win 7-2, MOM is Ivan’s hattrick and two assists. The game was closer than the scoreline. They had 15 shots and 8 on target to our 20 and 13. They had 54% of possession. But we only held them to one goal from the field and then scored a ton on them ourselves.


A lot of youth I’ve been developing for a while now are getting their first games for us, like Farcas and Raul. After injuries struck the Olympics squad, Boka is heading to help out the Ivorian Olympics squad.

[Abe Sargent]

Basano, Game #2 – Away vs Craiova – Due to the seriousness of this game, we begin with my core players. Gimenez to Ivan in the 5th. In the 22nd, Stoian sinks a DFK. Our foes have more shots on target (6) than we have shots (5). But at the half, we are winning possession and the goal. Don’t get complacent. They injure DC Tonelli, but we’ll keep him in for a while. They score in the 58th. I send in Kubik for Tonelli. Gimenez to Ivan for goal in the 63rd. Etebo to Ivan called offsides in the 66th. Farcas heads in. Dodoi as well. They score in the 82nd, which makes the last ten minutes finger-biting. We win 3-2, mom is Ivan’s 2 goals. That was a real Jekyll and Hyde performance.

Dodoi heads out on loan.

CHAMPION, QUALS 2nd LEG - Home vs Jagiellona – Today I start GK Ivano Maio, Farcas, and DC Kubik. We win 3-1. I pulled Stoain early when he was injured for Adrian Prodan, on my youth team. He got an assist to Gimenez. Goals by Lupu and another by Gimenez. He is the MOM and we win 10-3 aggregate.

We draw Partizan next in our QUAL draw.

South Africa lost in the Olympis, and Margeman is going to return. The Ivory Coast won their group, one with Germany in it. They face France in the QF.

[Abe Sargent]

August

Aug 1 – Home vs Cluj
Aug 5 – Away vs Partizan
Aug 9 – Home vs Dinamo
Aug 12 – Home vs Partizan
Aug 15 – Away vs Astra
Aug 18 – First Leg, Champion’s Playoff
Aug 22 – Away vs Viitorul
Aug 25 – 2nd Leg, Playoff
Aug 29 – Away vs Botosani

Good Training – Maio, Eckhardt, Margeman

The Ivory Coast barely lose to France, 1-2 in ET and are out. Boka will return soon.


Basano, Game #3 – Home vs Cluj – Colombi, Balasa, and Margeman are back. This is my first game with any sort of weather. It’s raining here in Transylvania today. In the 24th, on a dribble, Etebo sides the ball past Cluj to Lupu who finds Ivan for goal. Ivan to Gimenez for goal a few minutes later. We bang up one of their defenders, and they get two cards. Half. Don’t get complacent! They do. In the 51st, Cluj nets a goal. WHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoaaaaaaa. That was a goal. Cartagena with a long shot after a deflection by a defender falls to him. Ivan picks up a knock. I send in Raul. I send in Viveros when Card-agena strikes. I pull a tired Margeman for Farcas. Two more yellows for Cluj arrive. We win 3-1. MOM is Ivan.

Ivan is out for 2 weeks.

[Abe Sargent]

Earlier in this dynasty, a away goal against Craiova followed by Cluj would have been a rough start. Here they were just speed bumps to the Sepsi Juggernaut!

I have to rest Margeman. He’s getting jaded. I’ll start Raul until he returns.

I am getting my first real offers for Lupu at 8.5 mill.

CHAMPION, QUALS 1st LEG - Away vs Partisan – Welcome to Serbia! Very quiet early, an then on a counter, Etebo finds Gimenez for a score in the 29th. They grab a goal back in the 32nd, and then the next minute Stoian hits Raul Cobarazon and he feeds Strobl on a CK for goal. Cardagena strikes again. Half. Don’t get complacent! Off another corner, Raul to Tonelli, goal. I send in Mitrea for Cardagena and move Strobl up to the DMC spot. He is carded too. Viveros heads in. Farcas for Lupu. We win 3-1, MOM is Etebo.


Cartagena is banned for the next Champions match

I accept a first team offer to loan Farcas for the year by Astra. He’s still just a little on the green side. I link up Gimenez and Petr Adam.

I am rejecting more offers for Maio and Margeman. Sometimes the player isn’t interested, like Margeman for Ajax.

[Abe Sargent]

Basano, Game #4 – Home vs Dinamo – I start Boka at ML and Mitrea at DC today. I leave in Eckhardt at MC for Margeman to get him some rest. We win 3-1. Goals by Gimenez, Stoian, and Adam in extra time after I send him in for an injured Gimenez. That’s Adam’s professional debut for us, with a goal scored. MOM is Etebo with 2 assists. Gimenez is injured for a month.

I’ll start Adam and Raul until Ivan returns. Farcas heads out on his loan to Astra.

[Abe Sargent]

CHAMPION, QUALS 2nd LEG - Home vs Partisan – Today I start Balasa, Viveros for a suspended Cartagena, Stoian, Margeman, Adam and Raul. Partisan? Welcome to Castle Transylvania! You will not stop us from getting to the next level! You cannot besiege our castle! Don’t get complacent out there, this is another game, and they can win this. We have to be professional. They score first in the 9th minute. Then the game calms down. In the 26th, Lupu to Etebo for goal. Card to Margeman. Light injury to Lupu. Half, 1-1 tie. They control possession 55% to our 45% and have 5 shots, 4 on target to our 4 and 1. Alright, let’s get out there and remind Europe who Sepsi is. Etebo finds Raul for goal in the 50th. I don’t want to pull my major scorer in Lupu but with his injury, I send in Eckhardt now that we are up. I send in Kubik for Margeman with his card. I move up Viveros to MC and Strobl to DMC. They claw one back and score in the 66th. I send in Ivan late to spell Adam. Etebo charges the flank hard, jukes two players, feeds Raul a dangerous ball, and Raul puts it away in the 88th. That was all Etebo. We hold and win 3-2, and are through with a 6-3 aggregate MOM is Etebo. Lupu’s injury is just a few days.


We draw Celtic in the knock out Playoff Champions round.

[Abe Sargent]

Romania dropped to 28th in the World Rankings after their embarrassing Euro fallout with zero points against teams like Bulgaria, Denmark, and Germany. I create Friendlies vs Uruguay and USA.

I found a Barty!

I had this studly young newgen from Poland in my Crewe game in England, named Bartlomiej Szewczyk

FM2012 - 2 Live Crewe (And US Too!) - Front Office Football Central


After we have rejected more and more bids, the agent of Etebo wants me to upgrade our contract, and we almost double his salary to 25k from 14k. He’s playing well, there’s no reason not to extend him.

Basano, Game #5 –Away vs Astra – I keep Lupu out to keep him for the Celtic match next. Staring today is Boka, Eckhardt, and Kubik. Cartagena is back as well. As in Ivan from his injury. Raul to Eckhardt for goal in the 22nd, yellow by Cardagena. Quiet half. 1-0 us. Don’t get complacent out there. Let’s finish this. I send in Balasa for Cartagena. I send in Adrian Prodan at Ml. Then Viveros at MC. Kubik a yellow. In extra time, off a corner, Ekhardt finds Balasa for goal. We win 2-0. MOM is Eckhardt with a goal and an assist. Cartagena is banned for the next Basano match. Already.

[Abe Sargent]

CHAMPION, Playoffs 1st LEG - Away vs Celtic – I start, as well as possible, my best XI. Raul for Gimenez, and the rest of the club. They score a goal in the 11th, and then another in the 18th. Strobl gets a card. In the 33rd, Ivan finds Raul for goal. They score in extra time, and it’s 3-1 them at the half. Show me something else! In the 48th, they score again and it’s 4-1 Celtic. Then in the 52nd, Raul to Ivan for goal. Cartagena is carded. In the 58th, we score again, with Etebo to Ivan. Now, in just 7 minutes, we’ve gone from 4-1 down to 4-3 and much closer. I’d be happy with a 4-3 loss on the road as it has the potential for an Away goal tie if we win by a goal at home. I send in Eckhardt for an underwhelming Lupu. Boka for a frustrated Stoian. I’ve had two great chances turned away by good Celtic GK. A strong header by Etebo and a powerful shot by Ivan. Colombi snuffs out some of their attacks (they have had 14 shots on target today thus far entering the 81st). Mitrea for Balasa. They have dominated us on the scoreboard with 61% possession and a ton of shots. I would feel lucky to have a 4-3 loss at this stage, when I was staring at a 4-1 game earlier. Lots of Celtic pressure ensues. Then at the 89:02 mark magic happens. On a counter started by a Tonelli interception, Boka feeds Ivan for goal, and that’s his hattrick. BOOM! Can we hold for a 4-4 draw? Nope. They score in the 92nd. We lose 5-4. Ivan is MOM. Whew! This was our first loss on the season, by the by.

Again, if we win by 2, or by 1 and allow fewer than 5 AGs, then we can get out.

I talk down Eckhardt after an offer comes in and I rejected in.

Basano, Game #6 –Away vs Viitorul – I don’t think it matters much anymore, but we have had most of the big name clubs in the Basano now – everyone but FCSB. I hand out some rests. We win 2-0 on the road, Mom is Strobl with a goal off a IFK from Eckhardt, and Ivan the other goal.

I confirm my Romanian squad for two games next month in early September.

I have 25 call-ups, including 3 for Romanian, 5 for their U21 squad and 3 for their U19 one.

[Abe Sargent]

CHAMPION, Playoffs 2nd LEG - Home vs Celtic – If we had held onto the 4-4 tie, then we could advance with a tie today, but a narrow one-goal loss with that many goals isn’t bad. We have a chance here today. Gimenez is back from injury and is starting for us. Can we hold them off? Get that victory? Win and in. I’ll take it, at home, and with ourselves doing well. Vengeance! It’s a dish best served Transylvanian. In a corner in the 1:35 mark, Stoian lifts it, it’s headed away by their defense, Lupu leaps on it and scores kicking it while it is in the air, no getting it bounce and giving the defense time to calibrate. We have a few more pressures in the next few minutes but nothing comes of it. We injure one of their players badly and they head off in the 9th. We’ve had two great opportunities from direct, deep, balls. One from Tonelli and the other from Colombi. Can we hit them hard that way? On a powerful breakaway, Stoian finds Gimenez for goal in the 16th. The MAN IS BACK LADIES AND GENIES. In the 38th, they score back. We lightly injure another Celtic player. Etebo finds Gimenez for foal in the 40th. Lupu has a nasty drive in the 44th and finds Ivan for goal. We are up 4-1 at the half, an identical score to Celtic’s over us early in the 2nd before we clawed back a bunch. Will they do the same back to us? Don’t get complacent out there. We have two strong chances turned away. They score in the 59th. I send in Raul for Gimenez to spell him on his first start back after injury. I send in Mitrea. In the 77th, they score and now, just like last game, it’s 4-3. We force an OG from their keeper after four shots are on target in the 84th. Eckhardt heads in. Here comes a Celtic wave. We hold and win 5-3 here, MOM is Gimenez, and we ae through 9-8 aggregate. Whew!


We get some crazy Champions cash for making it to the Group Stage!

Etebo signs his new deal.

CHAMPIONS GROUP DRAW

We are seeded fourth.

I would consider this the toughest group for a 4th seed:

Group A:

Man City
Dortmund
Valenica
OM got 4th

And Group B is rough too:

Barcelona
Paris
Leverkusen
Stoke


We are in group c

Group C:

Juventus
Benfica
Sparta Prague
Sepsi

That’s not too bad all things considering. That’s not easy. But no games at this point are “easy” you have to earn these wins. Just five Eastern European teams made it to the Group Stage:

Sparta Prague
Sepsi
Galatarsaray
Shaktar
Spartak Moscow

So we are just one of five remaining heading into the Group Stage. We have a chance to do some damage, maybe.

[Abe Sargent]

I consider this a decent draw. If I could get three points from Juve like I did Celtic, and then 4 from Prague and three from Benfica, then 10 points is solid. But if we got trounced then no one would be surprised either. We could either be the plucky underdog that does well or the beefsteak. (Autocorrect changed that from a misspelled beat stick, but it’s funnier that way, so I kept it.)


I get an offer for Gimenez that’s close to his min-release fee of 5 mill from Getafe.





Basano, Game #7 –Away vs Botosani – I rotate in Kubik, Viveros, and Boka. We win 3-0; MOM is Gimenez. He scored twice, and Lupu the 3rd. Cards by Lupu and Cartagena.


Another offer for G comes in from Getafe. And it’s closer.

[Abe Sargent]

September

Sept 3 – Romania vs Latvia, EURO QUALS, Group D
Sept 6 - Romania vs Kazakhstan, Euro Quals, Group D

Sept 12 – Home vs Medias
Sept 15 – Home vs Benfica, Champ Group Stage
Sept 18 – Home vs U. Cluj (was promoted, also from Cluj).
Sept 26 – Away vs Arad (also promoted)
Sept 30 – Away vs Sparta Prague


Good Training – Gimenez, Prodan, Raul C.

Strobl is the Player of the Month. Cartagena is 2nd in Goal of the Month.


ROMANIA VS LATVIA – For today’s match, I am starting the expected players – Lupu, Ivan, Balasi, Hagi, Man, etc. At Gk is Tatarasanu, I have my Captain at DC Chirches, Nedlecu, Andone and such. And one is my Vice. Alright, here we go. In his first game for Romania, Hagi finds Andone for goal in the 29th. Half. Quiet half thus far. Don’t get complacent. I send in Petre after we keep screwing up. We can’t get shots off on target today. 16 shots and 4 on target thus far. I send in Benzar for the MC spot. On a corner in the 77th, Hagi finds Ionut Nedelcearu, one of my subs at DC, for goal. That’s his first goal for Romania, by the by. In the 86th, Dragus feeds Balasa for goal. Mom is Dragus.

Our first international win!



I pulled Lupu cause he wasn’t giving me anything. We managed to pull back with shots on target later. Hasi was almost MOM n his first game with me.

[Abe Sargent]

ROMANIA VS Kazakhstan – I start Petre today. He was playing well, and I want to give him a start with the rest of the squad. I also massage my tactics a little here and there. My middies were wasting shots. I don’ want Man, with his 12 finish and 9 long shots taking long shots. I move Nedlecu to his natural DMC spot, and then Move Hagi to MC. I have given Lupu his Enganche role back. We score early with a Lupu to Ivan goal. Then nothing…..half. Quiet again. Don’t get complacent. Kazakhstan hit an equalizer in the 47th. I send in Man, then Tiru at the DC. Cards to Lupu and Balasa. I send in Cicaldau at DMC for a tired Nedlecu. We score in the 79th with Ivan finding And one for goal. Can we hold? A desperate cross in the 93rd minute finds goal as the GK wasn’t there. They equalize. We tie 2-2.

I loan Elliot to Cluj.

Basano, Game #8 –Away vs Botosani – I start Boka, Mitrea, and others are back into their normal starting roles. We win 3-0 with Ivan MOM with 2 goals, Etebo another score, and they got a red and a bunch of yellows, and we had just Cartagena with a card.

[Abe Sargent]

CHAMPIONS GROUP STAGE GAME #1 – Home vs Benfica. This is our best chance to display that we have a shot at getting out. Defeat Benfica here and we can get three points from the #2 seed from the first gun. I come out attacking. They almost score in the 13th off a nice counter, and I ease back to standard. I learned my lessen. Then in the 18th, Gimenez to Ivan for a goal that’s called offsides. A few minutes later, Margeman finds Lupu on an attack, and he put sit away. And…..that’;s going to be the game. Quiet, boring, no one really does much. We win 1-0, and MOM is Margeman.

I will take a win all day long.

Etebo is jaded and needs some rest. I’ll start Stoian at MR for a few games.