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

[thehitcat]

Interesting I'll be on the lookout this fall. The A group is ridiculous.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by thehitcat

Interesting I'll be on the lookout this fall. The A group is ridiculous.

Yeah!

And by winning our group Romania is promoted for the next season.

Other promotees are Georgia, Lithuania and Estonia from Division d. Romania had been relegated from their initial Group C under their previous manager.


Relegated from A:

England
Russia
Denmark
Czech Republic

Relegated from B

Ireland
Israel
Slovakia
Sweden

Promoted from B

Croatia
Iceland
Norway
Ukraine


Promoted from C

Austria
Hungaria
Scotland
Turkey

Relegated from C

Finland
Belarus
Macedonia
Armenia

[Abe Sargent]

Isai is Here, 2nd Leg – No major changes to my squad, I left in Dima, Maio, Viveros, etc. We win 2-1, Mom is G, him and Ivan each scored.


Basano Quals, Home vs Astra – I give Mitrea a start for our final game. We win 3-0, MOM was Lupu with 2 goals, Lupu the 3rd, and a card for some folks.



Final Quals:





Sepsi for the Win-si!

Can we finish with the Romanian Cup? Craiova is the last obstacle in our way!



Paris-SG won the Champions Cup and defeated Chelsea to do so.


With the end of the season approaching, many clubs are coming and letting managers go. This is a good time to try and find the next spot for Dr Surubaru. I do sort of like the idea of trying out the UK after the hard Brexit has concluded. Huddersfield was the best team to have a vacancy after their manager went elsewhere. They went to 12th. They were promoted a few years ago, hit 10th their first year in the EPL, and then 15th last year, and now 12th. Their manager was a hot commodity and was hired elsewhere as the national manager for Greece. I apply for the position for a mid-table EPL squad.

[Abe Sargent]

The CUPA FINALS

Your #1 Division Winner Sepsi

Vs

Your #2 division Craiova


I start Colombi and the rest of my best XI.

Here we go!

In the 9th minute, we hit the ground running with a goal by Ivan who grabs a loose ball and we head up by one. Then they ratchet back a goal a few minutes later and it’s quiet. Momentum shifts and each of us has some. In the 44th, Craiova pull forward and score. Half. They are ahead 2-1. I’m disappointed, but the stats are pretty even with possession us 51% to their 49 very similar numbers of shots, fouls, etc I send in Stoian because this could be our last game with him on my team. I send in Dima. Lupu gets a card. We lightly injure one of their player but they stay in. Viveros heads in. I try everything, then in the 85th, Stoian finds an amazing long shot and sinks it deep and he rewards me subbing him in. Good job Stoian! We hold and move into extra time. I start accidentally humming Maybe Tomorrow in my head without realizing it. We are not losing this last game of the season. Maybe tomorrow, but not today.

Half time in extra time hits, and my guys are gassed, but you know these players. I know these players. We all know what is going to happen:




How could it not be? Lupu finds Gimenez for goal at the 117:43 mark. How could that NOT HAPPEN? This is Sepsi. We are Sepsi. We might lose sometime. But it’s not going to happen today.

NOT TODAY ROMANIA. NOT TODAY!

But the magic wears off, and they score again in Extra time off a goal that some think was really offsides. And now? It’s PK time:




Ivan and Gimenez sinks the first two PKs, and then our foes run into Colombi. Stoian sinks it and we are up 3-2. They sink their third, and then Eckhardt steps up and drops it into the net as well, and now we are up 4-3.




They step up, blast a shot at the corner hard, and it’s on target, but Colombi dives and blocks it. Tonight, Sepsi, we have a different hero, as Colombi blocks two PKs and gets us that COPA VICTOIRE!!!


What does this mean?

1. We have won the Cup
2. We have won the Super Cup
3. We won the Basano
4. We won every game in Romanian football.

Great job Sepsi!



Enjoy the moment

The MOM is, fittingly, Stoian.

Alright!

[Abe Sargent]

BASANO STATS:


Cartagena’s 14 cards led the league by 4. But, he never had a red, and I think that was often more a result of his role as a Ball-winning DMC. When Strobl or Viveros rotated into that role, they had similar results, but had few by themselves.

Ivan’s 9 MOMs was 2nd most in the league, Gimenez 8 was 3rd, and Lupu’s 6 was tied for 5th.

At 7.75 rating, Gimenez led the league in rating. At 3rd was Ivan’s 7.53, and then Boka at 7.50 and Lupu at 7.39. Other than 2nd, no other non-Sepsi player is in the top ten ratings until 9th.

Strobl was 4th in headers

Ivan led the league with 27 goals. Gimenez was 2nd with 24 goals. Raul’s 15 goals were 5th most and tied with a few other folks there. Lupu was 9th in the league with 13. Lupu was the highest non-ST scorer in the Basano.

Ivan’s 15 assist was tied with another for the most. Giemenz was 3rd with 14. Boka was tied for 4th at 12.

At 92.89, Ivan was the fewest minutes/score. Gimenez was 2nd. Ivan was also 7th in % of shots on target and Lupu was 9th.

We scored 102 goals and allowed just 25.

Ivan was 4th in key headers. Strobl 7th.

Strobl was 3rd in picks.

Colombi allowed 24 goals (Ivan Maoi allowed 1 in the last few games).

Colombi had 14 clean sheets, Maio 2, and they combined for 16, one fewer than the #1 in the league.

[Abe Sargent]

Total Stats:

Colombi, 56 games, 6.96 rating

Balasa, 38 games, 3 goals, 3 asssits, 6.99 rating

Dima, 13 apps, 2 goals, 7.16 rating

Strobl, 58 games, 8 gaols, 3 ass, 7.26 rating

Tonelli, 58 games, 3 goals, 2 ass, 7.12 rat




Boka, 36 games, 3 goals, 16 assists, 7.32 rating

Cartagena, 44 games, 1 goal, 1 ass, 20 yellows, 7.08

Christiano, 8 games, 0 goals, 4 ass, 6.95 rating

Eckhardt, 37 games, 3 goals, 4 assists, 7.10 rat

Etebo, 54 games, 3 goals, 18 assists, 7.30 rating

Lupu, 56 games, 26 goals, 17 assists, 7.46 rating

Stoian, 26 games, 5 goals, 8 ass, 7.33 rating

Viveros, 33 games, 1 goal, 1 asst, 6.88

In the U19 Cup, Petr Adam scored 22 goals in 8 games, and also was MOM in winning the U19 Champions league in their final.


Ivan, 50 games, 51 goals, 28 ass, 7.69 rating

Gimenez, 54 games, 35 goals, 22 ass, 7.95 rating – he had better ratings in the Cup and Champion’s campaign than the Basano.

Raul Cobarzan – 32 games, 23 goals, 8 assists, 7.58 rating




Starting for others on loan:

Dodoi, 27 apps, 12 goals, 4 assists, 7.13

Farcas, 29 apps, 3 goals, 2 ass, 6.89

Osorio, 30 games, 9 asists, 7.09 rating - now has one year of Spanish eligibility, just one left to count as EU moving forward.


This was the year that Lupu came on and put it all together. He’s become a dynamic force of footballing greatness. He played well with the fancier engache role I had prepared him for. Can you wait until I get Ivan/Gimenez/Lupu together as my key strike force at the international level?

[Abe Sargent]

My EIGHT Goals for Sepsi:


• Create a powerful U19 squad. At the beginning of this game, we didn’t have a youth squad, just three players of note and value. Youth are the lifeblood of any team. I need to go out and sign out and jumpstart a new squad. CHECK
• To do well enough this year to not get relegated. CHECK
• Ideally, to do well enough this year to have a winning record. CHECK
• Next year, to move Sepsi up to the Top 6, to qualify for the Romanian Champions Playoffs. CHECK ONE YEAR EARLY
• In following years to increase Sepsi’s chances to make it out of Romania. CHECK
• Build a roster that can reliably defeat Cluj. CHECK
• To turn Sepsi into an Eastern European Powerhouse like Dynamo Kiev, Sparta Prague, and such. CHECK
• So secure financial footing to cement Sepsi into that role after I leave, so that Sepsi will not fade but will remain strong. CHECK


We are all done. My U19 squad grew so powerful it won local Cups and such, was loaning players on first team deals to places like AC Milan, and won the Champions League U19 league, so that’s something.

My first year goals of not having a losing record and avoiding relegation were on point.

We qualified for the Champions league in back to back years, and are set up to win and continue that dominance moving forward.

We build a roster that can handle Cluj easily.

We secured strong financial footing

We also turned Sepsi into an Eastern European Powerhouse. We got out of a group that Sparta Prague didn’t. We were the only Eastern European team to get out of the group stages. We have arrived on the European stage. Last year, in the EURO, we had the player with the most goals and assists across the entire tournament.

This year,



Ivan led in goals and assists, and Gimenez was 2nd in assists, and Etebo 3rd therein.

That’s an arrival. Sepsi is here.

This is Sepsi’s 10 Year Anniversary! What a way to celebrate!

[Abe Sargent]

Here are my votes for my best signings my four years here:

Year 1 – Gimenez
Year 2 – Lupu (Schlocobiert is 2nd)
Year 3 – Colombi (or Strobl, I’m not 100% sure)
Year 4 – Ivan

This is the perfect place to leave Sepsi. And perhaps this dynasty. There is, literally, nothing more than I can do in Romania.

Let’s check in with the job stuff. I think that makes sense. If I take on the job somewhere else, I don’t know that I will be taking up that mantle anyway.






Enjoy it Legion!!!

[Abe Sargent]

Because the next day…





For now, I take a break. I am content if this is the end of the dynasty. But there is a lingering hint. What happens next? Can I take my Romanian/Russian wiles and unpack them in the Post-Brexit world of the EPL? Can I take Huddersfield to the next level? Get them to the European qualifications that they deserve?

We might find out!

But for now, it’s time to say good-bye to Sepsi and the Legion.

[Abe Sargent]

Goodbye Sepsi!!!!!!!!!!!!!











Goodbye Legion




Goodbye Sfantu Gheorghe

[thehitcat]

WE ARE THE INVINCIBLES!!! Undefeated in the League and Cup! Amazing season. Sad to have you leave but understand why. The Legion salutes you, you will always be one of us (and you'll never pay for another drink or meal in Transylvania Dr Surubaru.)

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by thehitcat

WE ARE THE INVINCIBLES!!! Undefeated in the League and Cup! Amazing season. Sad to have you leave but understand why. The Legion salutes you, you will always be one of us (and you'll never pay for another drink or meal in Transylvania Dr Surubaru.)

Nor do I wanna pay for a hotel room, B&B, meal, etc...

[Abe Sargent]

[Abe Sargent]

For now, I take a break. I am content if this is the end of the dynasty. But there is a lingering hint. What happens next? Can I take my Romanian/Russian wiles and unpack them in the Post-Brexit world of the EPL? Can I take Huddersfield to the next level? Get them to the European qualifications that they deserve?

We might find out!

But for now, it’s time to say good-bye to Sepsi and the Legion.

[Abe Sargent]

These are the post-Brexit rules for the EPL.

This replaces the Work Permit system of before.

I have several players on my old Sepsi squad that I think are better than the best player on Huddersfield – Lupu, Christiano and Viveros all come to mind as a few notes that sing above the rest. But they have a very powerful, strong, even keeled squad. Everybody is on the same level, and they have a ton of depth to work with. Their worst squad rotation and such are better than ours. So they are deeper.

Right now, we only have 8 players that are Foreign Born on the Senior Squad and registered.

[Abe Sargent]

This is the current Huddersfield squad:




This was your typical squad before Brexit. Lots of people from Europe. Very few from the isles. Just four England, 1 Wales and 1 Scotland. Two of my Englanders are loaners. So I really have fewer.




I do have a healthy budget to chase folks down. We are spending around 300k less than my weekly budget, and three years of EPL play have flushed Hudderstown with cash.

[Abe Sargent]

I have one request from my board, to play possession football.

You might be tired of this, but we are still in 3-5-2 territory:



Their tactic last year.

We need some power on the team. Some sexiness. Some players to develop.

[Abe Sargent]

Right now, here is my early choice at my starting XI, assuming I move to a 4-4-2 of some sort.




GK Darlow is fine, but not sexy. He was their most in-form player last season and had the most Man of the Matches with 6.



Schindler is good. He might not be EPL good with his technical meh-ness, but he’s fine.



Ristovski is not bad. He has some skill, with solid crossing and such. I’d like a little more at this level, but he ain’t bad.



He’s old, but still good enough to run out there at DL.




Yuck! I can see why they loaned a young DC for a year to spell Milos. I don’t like him anywhere.



Not bad.




Striker partner of Jorgensen. With that jump/head, an ideal target man.




Mooy is the best player on my club right now. I love his passing and such and I see him as doing some good stuff for us in the middle.



This is Mooy’s partner in the middle, Loftus-Cheek. Again, not bad, but I’d like better technical stuff.



They were idiots and gave Felice a first-team status even when they didn’t need to, as hot prospect would have fit him better. He’s not as good as Mooy nor is he useful in the MC area at all. I do like his dribbling and his potential.



My MR is Berghuis. Although Steffen might be better.



Steffen.

I do not have a natural ML at all. Odd.

[Abe Sargent]

Which players on my main squad are considered “foreign”?

D’Amico
Insua
Milos Velkjovic
Backup GK Vannucchi
Ristovski
20 year old Serbian Armin Djerak at AM RLC, ST
Lezcano
Backup and transfer listed Middle Thievy Bifouma


I add these Sepsi folks to my shortlist so I can follow them:

Lupu, Gimenez, Ivan, Viveros, Cartagena, Boka, Eckhardt, Etebo, Colombi, Maio, Raul Cobarzan, Osario, Tonelli, Balasa, Dodoi, Stoian, Petr Adam, Farcas, GK Voinea, GK Senol, Dumitru, ST Elliott

I have scouted a few of my youth, and prospects, to see what Hudders’s scouts think. I am not above poaching some of these great folks out there.

I add Vannuchi to my transfer List.





Here’s why! Uck. When starting for 13 games, that is a horrible result.


By comparison Darlow



Much better. In fact I would argue that Vannuchi spelling for Darlow in injury likely led to Huddersfield’s poor year. 26 goals in 23 games at the EPL is great results for any GK. 27 goals in 13 games is horrible.

If I am going to invest a precious foreign slot into my backup GK, he needs to be better than this.

[Abe Sargent]

Huddersfield has not invested in youth, but older, bigger names. I want to change that.



As you can see, we have poor junior coaching and youth recruitment for this level of play, but are fine elsewhere.






We are going to have to work on this. I don’t need Strikers with 5 goals a season in the EPL. Last year, in 38 games, Huddersfield won 14 games, and tied 2 more. That can’t be where we are,

They have been content to spin their wheels, get mid-table from 15-10 each year, and get that EPL cash, but for what?

They have been making bad deals:



They bought the young Schrijvers for 18 mill three years ago and only sold him for 3 mill later after he busted.

You can’t rely on this too much.

[Abe Sargent]

I think Huddersfield have probably been playing defensive possessive football. I want to see what I can do on offensive, controlling football instead. Something dangerous.

I look for some youth to bring in, and well as some English players.

Here’s one:



He wants to leave as the Wolves were just relegated. I am scouting him now to see if his cost is feasible and if he wants to come and play back in the EPL. Clearly a younger DC that’s English, won’t count as foreign, is exactly what Huddersfield needs to go.

I think the addition of Boka, Lupu, and Viveros would make sense. All are developed enough to contribute immediately, all have bigger expectations and I would expect all to make some noise. I could see Eckhardt, who is still getting better and better or Osario as my new Fullback. I also like Farcas or Raul as solid long-term project.

Wouldn’t it be fun to sign Ivan, Lupu and Gimenez and bring them in to be my new goal-scoring tandem?

I like my two loanees and I make inquiries to see if they are available

I’ll like try to cut bait of my foreign players whom I am not a big fan of.

I move to transfer list Milos Velkjovic. I am not interested in him anywhere.

[Abe Sargent]

My Goals for Huddersfield

1. To secure their poor youth system and strengthen their youth squads heavily.
2. To remain in the EPL.
3. To play attacking, possessive football that is meant to score.
4. To finish in the top ten teams this year by adding the right talent.
5. To push youth in my first team which I can actively develop and grow.
6. To finish high enough to get Huddersfield their first European campaign
7. To successfully navigate the post-Brexit world of English football.
8. To return Huddersfield to pertinence in English football, as they have been in the past.

[Abe Sargent]

What tactic would make sense for me moving forward?

I do like fullbacks in a possession game, with two people on each wing. I am not normally a fan of fullbacks, I think they can do better things on the pitch. I could do wingbacks instead?

Maybe a 5-3-2 with the two fullbacks as wingbacks? Nope, I don’t think that’s what I need.

I don’t like the one-striker system of scoring. I know it’s the modern “Way of doing things” but I don’t like it that much. I feel like a striker duo can get more accomplished than a one striker. Consider Sepsi as a good counter example of that.

The 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 just isn’t that common anymore. You see 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1 or 4-1-4-1 or 5-4-1, or 4-5-1 all over the place. We live in the era of the midfielder. And to compete, you need to have a strong midfield, preferably in numbers,

I take a quick gander at the other, current, main tactics in the EPL:

4-2-3-1, x12,

4-1-2-2-1, x3 (A different, modern version of the 4-3-3 with a DMC, 2 MCs, and two AMRL, and then ST)

5-2-2-1

4-4-2

4-4-1-1

4-5-1

Notice how no one has a 3 set up? Everyone, save one, has 4 in the back. That might be to deal with the expected pace of opposing teams.

So the 4-2-3-1 with 2 MCs, 3 AMs in the RLC spots and one ST are the most common in the EPL, with 60% of teams using it. Also note that just one team has two STs.

Now, could I use a 4-2-3-1 myself? Let’s commit to it. When in doubt, don’t over think it.

So what would my early 4-2-3-1 look like?

GK Darlow, DC Burghuis, DC (probably open), DR Ristovski, DL Insua, MC Schindler with a defend role or Loftus-Cheek, MC Mooy, AML D’Amico, ST Jorgenson, AMR Mounie, AMC Loftus-Cheek.



I update my scouting packages from the Isles to the world.

[Abe Sargent]

From St George to Huddersfield Town.


Now I don’t want to hurt Sepsi too much, but they gots money now. And tons of depth. So my rule is this – only target big profile players that I turned down offers for. Those are Osario, Viveros, Eckhardt, Lupu, Giminez, Ivan, Etebo, Maio, and Boka.

So those are the 9 people I want to target, I don’t want to bring in the entire youth squad, and I’ll leave Sepsi their potential GK wonderkid they just brought in, as well as great Romanian talent like Farcas, Dima, Cobarzan and the U19 middle I loaned to AC Milan. I’ll also leave behind people that I don’t want. Gimenez is older, Ivan is great but I don’t need him, and such. So these are the ones I like the most, in the order I like them:

#1 Target - Lupu – I will make an offer to bring over Lupu. He’s grown into the best Romanian player, he would be the best player on my team currently, and I checked out a general search just now, and he’s the best player that would be interested in joining me.

#2 Target – Osario – You might not have expected this as my #2, but he’s grown very good. I sort of signed him to go with Viveros, but he’s good. He’s a strong fullback, and would give me a good rotational option at FB, and do do without hurting Sepsi at all. I like that.

#3 Target – Viveros – I’m sure they’ll be fine with Cartagena at DMC as their captain and Eckhardt as their MC. Viveros hasn’t had great numbers, and isn’t worth a lot, but he just oozes talent. This won’t hurt Sepsi.

#4 Target – Boka – If I decide I want a natural ML in my formation rather than a wingback or AML, then Boka is great for me and he’s already played well. The best player on Sepsi right now is not Lupu anymore, but Christiano at ML. And I’ll leave them him. Also, Etebo is not a bad option either, but I want to dig into youth and I just feel this cool connection with Boka.

These are all four wonderkids that I found and am developing actively still. The last three aren’t going to hurt Sepsi, and it wasn;t like Lupu was going to play for them much longer anyway.

I know what Lupu is worth.

I make an offer of 12 mill, which is his min release fee.

I joking called him the Romanian Messi a long time ago. I am unsure that is a joke anymore.

I also offer the other three as well. Viveros has 4.7 min release, I negotiate 2.5 mill with Osario, and 3.5 mill for Boka.

I’ll leave them Maio and such.

[Abe Sargent]

We need some more coaches and we have three open spots. I place ads for them and include another GK coach, fitness coach, and real coach.


Let’s begin with a controlling 4-2-3-1 formation to see what damage I can unleash.




Huddersfield was one of the most successful clubs in English football in the 20s, as they won the top division three times in that decade. Back to the top, let’s go!



We have tons more weaknesses than strengths, by the by.

[Abe Sargent]

I’ve decided that I really, really like my loanee Chris Hughes and if he wants to come to us from Man City after our enquiry permanently, I’ll make an offer for him. I also like my English DC target and make an enquiry to the Wolves for him.

I finalize offers for Osario, Lupu, and Viveros. Boka wants to stay with Sepsi as he just signed a new deal with them. With Boka out, I scout Denis Dragus, another of my Rominian team youth that is getting better and better and plays for AC Milan and is 21. After Lupu, Dragus is now the best player on my Romanian squad.

I sign a youther, Terry Hutchins, to a hot prospect deal

[Abe Sargent]

June

Jun 9 – ROM Friendly vs Uruguay
Jun 12 – ROM W. Cup Quals vs Kosovo
June 15 – Friendly vs South Korea



Some good news from May. I congratute D’Amico

As expected, my bid for Chris Hughes didn’t go anywhere.

I select my Romanian squad. Ivan is tired and jaded so I keep in Gimenez and Raul C but it gets a little heated in the media.

Jhon Osario is my first major signing.

We agree for 13 mill with Tootle from the Wolves

Tootle signs the next day on June 5th

One of my players, Chris Lowe, has taken up English Citizenship.

[Abe Sargent]

Viveros joins his countryman Osario to come to Huddersfield. Just one holdout from Sepsi left….


Our youth movement begins




Note the media’s description of Tootle.

Time for some Football!!!!!!!!!

[Abe Sargent]

ROMANIA VS URUGUAY Friendly – I start Man at the MR spot for Petre. And leave in Gimenez for Ivan. Lupu to Gimeenz for goal in the 26th. DC Balasa is injured in the 33rd and I send in Dima. 5 minutes later, Dima is concussed and I send in Bogdan Tiru. They bang up Man and Tiru before the half. We are ahead 1-0 at the half.



I know this is just a friendly and it won’t likely last long, but there you are thus far. In the 88th, Lupu to Raul C for goal. In extra time, Gimenez finds Raul for goal and we win 3-0.



I know it’s just a friendly. But that’s nice. MOM was Lupu. I think this was a good match to see how we’d do against a team with a big name player in Suarez.

I call up Ivan and an up-and=coming DC who’s just 21 named Alex Pascanu

[Abe Sargent]

We have signed Lupu!

Welcome!

Those signings will leave me around 8 mill in transfer cash.

I agree to a 1.1 mill deal with my other loanee from Tottenham. He’s okay, not amazing or anything. I wish it was Hughes. Badly.

I head out and introduce my four new signings. Tootle, Lupu, Vieros, and Osario.

Here let me give you a few quick pics on them now:



Here’s Osorio, who I am hoping will be a great future FB for us. A full year of starts last year in Spain helped his growth.



Here’s Viveros today. And both still have lots of room for growth.



Oh Lupu, My Lupu!

[Abe Sargent]

Another sign of the Rise of Romania:




(the actual high was 7 set by Alan Shearer in 1991, and tied in 2012 by Marco Fabian)



See D’Amico? He won the away last year, by the by. And Loftus-Cheek did in 2016.


My director of football has been signing a bunch of free talent.

[Abe Sargent]

ROMANIA VS KOSOVO – For today;s away game, I am starting DC Tiru and ST Ivan. In the 15th, Ivan scores with an And one assist. Hagi with an amazing assist to Ivan in the 34th. Don’t get complacent! They actually have more shots than we do (9 oro 7) just we have more on target by far. But we are on the road with a sub DC, so I don’t want to take anything for granted. Man is getting lazy on the ball and an interception off a lazy pass almost led to goal, so I send in Petre. Holy crap Petre just drove the entire length of the field on the ledge and crossed deadly yo Ivan but the Gk pushed it asside, great stuff. I send in DC Pascanu for Chirches. In the 74th, off a IFK, Pascanu scores from a Dragus assist. I pull DMC Nedlecu when he acquiers a card. I wish Petre had the skills of Man. He plays better on the pitch, he just doesn’t always finish stuff off. Dragus is MOM isn our 3-0 win. We lost possession (44%), shots, etc. But we won on the goal.


In a lot of ways, Alex Pascanu is interesting to me. He grew up here in England, so he’s local and homegrown. He’s on transfer by Leicester. He’s listed for 950k and I make an offer for him.

Michal Hipp is named as the new Manager of Sepsi. Long may he reign.

[Abe Sargent]

ROMANIA VS SOUTH KOREA – I send in Petre for today’s friendly at MR. We allow them to score in the 9th and 16th. Then we go back and forth and it’s the half. Show me something else! Petre is horrible so I send in Benzzar, one of my DRs who can play MR as well for him. And one is playing horribly at DLF, so I pull him for Man. Ivan with an assist by Dragus for goal in the 69th. They bang up Ivan and I send in Gimenez. In the 77th, Man to Lupu for goal and we have tied it! Then in the 83rd, they foul Gimenez in the box, and up steps our best PK still there – Benzar, and he puts it away. We hold and win 3-2! MOM is Lupu. Coming down from 2-0 vs South Korea is special. This is the sort of class you want to see.

I still haven’t lost as the Romanian Manager, by the by = just have one tie.

[Abe Sargent]

We have sold Renato Steffen for 5.75 mill to Derby; we sell GK Vannuati to Derby as well for 1.2 mill.

We actually doubled our GKs price we brought him in for last year, and we made 2 mill on the Steffan deal, technically, although we brought him in years ago. I am still trying to find a home for Milos.






Enjoy!


I might make an offer for one of the Sepsi youth. They had a huge amount of quality in their youth GKs from Maio to many others I showed you. I like Sener Senol, the young Turkish GK I showed you once, and I he won’t be counted as a loss by Sepsi.

[Abe Sargent]

There are two major reasons why I haven’t made an offer for my ML spot yet. The first is that I might be running a tactic where I have an AML mot a pure ML. The second is that there is a big name, 36 year old guy who plays on the left side and is coming free in a few days. He does appear to be willing to come to the EPL and he’s a major class upgrade. But he “Still wants to play at a first team level, and at his age, is unsure he can do so.” But I am holding out hope, and I can go with Boka or another later if I need to.

Here is last year’s season in review, in case you care:

[Abe Sargent]

Pascanu has agreed to join us on a hot prospect deal.

Here let me show you to him:



I’m sure you can see what I like about him. He’s an English, homegrown, Romanian Defender. Plus he ain;t bad. Speed? Head/Jump? Mark/tack? He even has a random good long throws capability. I’d like a better dribbling from my FB if I play him at the DR/L spot, as well as crossing, but he’s still swell, and growing.

[Abe Sargent]

The Romanian season cap.

June 30th arrives, and this is a big day to slow down and take a look around and see if I have missed anything. I offer Milos for a cheap 1 mill just to get him off our books as no one has come down the pike yet.


I leave Schindler as my captain and name Mooy as my vice.





I’m spending today reviewing all of my scouting reports over the last month, such as Pavel, whom my scouts would consider a “superb” signing.




Here’s Pavel. I could bring him in, he looks good, but right now I don’t need more Strikers that would want to play immediately on arrival, as I have currently dropped my ST to 1 ST and that’s Jorgenson. I could make a play for Pavel, but why? That would likely be my last move this year.

[Abe Sargent]

Alright, let’s move to July 1st.



For some reason, he has gone on a free. He was on my radar before, but he didn’t want to come here. This is not the big name that just went free, but he is a big name, playing for Real Madrid and others. I make him an offer.

I accept a first team loan offer for Pascaru from Aston Villa.

On July 4th, we beat out COR, West Ham, and Kaiserslautern for Junior. Two of those, WH and K-town were just relegated from top flight competition. I spent 3 mill on signing bonuses and such for Junior, but it was worth it. We got him for 140k/week, key player.

Junior is instantly my best player, even better than Lupu. I don’t even have to worry about following that big name player anymore to see if he wanted to come here (Ronaldo).

This is a guy who Real Madrid liked enough to invest 40 million to bring to them from South America but who never caught on there. He will with us!

[Abe Sargent]

July 5th arrives and with it the beginning of our season. We have the first friendly on the 10th.

I tell my lads that I don’t want a mid-table finish like we are expecting, but more. My new players , like Junior and Lupu like it, and about 15 on the squad don’t care, but a few, like Mooy, think I am being “too ambitious.” No Mooy, I am not.

Ronaldo wound up at Porto just making 50k/week. We would have paid him a lot more and he wouldn’t have had to slum it back in Portugal, where he started.

I sell backup middle Jordan Lassiter, for 6 mill, he was on my U23 squad and was transfer listed by my predecessor and I agreed and pushed to move him to Middlesborough.




Do I want to replace my AssMan?

Buhler isn’t bad. I just have him for one more year. This is him after finishing his continental pro licensure.

Sepsi’s new manager let go my AssMan,



Here’s my old man, free for a signing.

I mutually terminate Buhler and then make an offer for Akaki.

I sign 21 year old Trevoh Chalobah to a hot prospect deal. I hook up him and Schindler with a tutoring arrangement.

I loan out Pascanu to Roma on a first team deal.

[Abe Sargent]

Friendly #1 away vs Zenit St. Pete. – This is my first chance to see my players in action, barring the three from Sepsi I signed. I thought it would be fun to set up a game vs my favorite team in this dynasty. For my initial match I chose to have Mooy at MC with Advanced PM, MC Loftus-Cheek with DL Playmaker, defend role, Inside Winger for Junior, Lupu engance, compete forward for Jorgenson, and then normal wingers, fullbacks, DCS for the others. Mooy grabs goal in the 19th. D’Amico injured. I send in Berghuis for him. Half. In the 2nd half, Lupu to Berghuis for goal at the 45:40 mark. I send in Mounie at ST. I swap my two fullbacks as well, and then a few more. In the 71st, Mounie to Junior for goal. We win 3-0 on the road, dominated possession 62%, and played good football. Huddersfield for the friendly win! MOM was Mooy. D’Amico is out for a few days only.

I have sold backup Thievy Bifouma, also in the list when I arrived for 5 mill to Granada. I sign some coaches who are coming in and taking pressure off the training staff. My best signee is a 5 star GK one with a great training there.


Friendly #2 – Home vs Zwole – I’m not sure why my old AGM wanted this as my friendly they scheduled, but okay. D’Amico to Junior for goal in the 4th. I really like these kits:



We are the red/black. I hope we can keep them for most of our home games. Loftus-Cheek booked early. Ristovski with a card too. I send in Viveros and Osario for them both. Half. I pull an underperformed Jorgenson for Mounie. We finish 1-0, with 68% possession, and we had some strong shots turned aside or blocked. All credit to their GK for keeping the scoreline respectable.

[Abe Sargent]

Romania moves up to 21st in the world. Koln signed Eckhardt from Sepsi for 10 mill.

Friendly #3 – Away vs Shef. Wed. We win 2-1

Sepsi have been blocking my attempt to bring in GK Senol, which makes no sense. They have Colombi and Maio, Maio is starting this year, and their wonderkid Voinea. Why would they want to hold onto Senol? So I go public with my desire to want to bring him in. See if I can lodge him loose from Sepsi.

I increase our win bonuses to their max.

Friendly #4 – We defeat Buraspor on the road 3-2, MOM is Junior with two goals.

For three of my friendlies, Jorgensen has been one of the worst players on the pitch by form.




As one example, recently. In the 2nd game I pulled him when he was 6.0. It’s possible this is just some combination of wrong tactic, role, position, etc. It could be learning curves, or just a player who plays down in friendlies. So far in friendlies, he has 6.45 rating, and only once, when he scored against Shef. Wed did he look like he wasn’t lost on the pitch. I am massaging his role a bit to see what I can do, and move him from attack to support the others. Because I think Lupu, Junior, and D’Amico are good at the AM spots and can do fine with the goal scoring.

[Abe Sargent]

A bid for GK Senor is rejected.





I have finally sold Milos, he is heading to Mainz for 1 mill.

[Abe Sargent]

August


Aug 2 – Friendly #5
Aug 9 – Fr. #6
Aug 14 – Home vs West Ham
Aug 21 – Away vs Man City
Aug 28 – Home vs Middlesbrough


Good training by Skinner, Nelson and Hutchins, not that you know who they are. I don’t even know who they are!

We have sold 21k season tix



My scouts are continuing to rave about Romanians

We agree to a 2.5 mill deal for GK Sezer Senol.

Fr. #5 – We win 4-0, MOM is Mooy

Senol has gotten better since he joined us. I want to develop him and grow him into a nice GK.

[Abe Sargent]

Sepsi sold Christiano for 8 mill to Tottenham. That was stupid.

Friendly #6 – We win 1-0 on the road vs Zaragoza

The transfer deadline passes





In case you care

[Abe Sargent]

EPL Game #1 – Home vs West Ham – This is a good time to start our campaign off well. We are going to start by playing controlling and positive possessive football and get a result. For today I am starting my expected best XI – Jorgenson, Lupu, D’Amico, Junior, Mooy, Loftus-Cheek, Insua, Ristovski, Schindler, Tootle, and Darlow. We all start slow. We have some shots but they are stopped early. They bang up Jr, but I leave him in. Half. Quiet. We have been better statistically. Keep playing your game! In the 61st, they give us a OG and it seems to settle the game down. I send in Berghuis for JR, and then a tired Loftus-Cheek for Lezcano, one of my backups. I pull an underperforming, 6.3 ST Jorgensen for Mounie. In the 89th, Lezcano finds Lupu for goal. We win 2-0 and MOM is Insua. We stopped them from even getting a shot on target all day long, and finished with 62% possession.

Jr is injured for three days.

I am going to change Jorgensen’s role to a deep-lying forward rather than his natural one of a complete forward.


That was a good way to get started because I doubt we’ll do well against Man City.

[Abe Sargent]

One of my U18 youthers that I inherited just broke their back for a year

EPL Game #2 – Away vs Man City. I will begin standard in lieu of controlling. Otherwise, no changes in tore. I gave rests to Junior to ensure he was ready to go. It’s driving rain here in Manchester today. It’s not good game for us, nor is it our coming out party. We lose 2-0, and Darlow had TWELVE saves despites giving up two scores. That was the sort of day it was. I am not happy with that.

I name my Romanian squad – no major surprises.


Carabao Cup Round #2 – Home vs Sheff Utd – Jorgensen feeds D’Amico in the 10th for goal. Tootle and then Ristovski with early cards. Junior to D’Amico for goal in the 31st. Half. I send in Berghius and Osario. On an IFK, D’Amico feeds Loftus-Cheek for goal. I send out Mooy for Lezcano. We win 3-0, MOM is D’Amico. Nice win!

[Abe Sargent]

EPL Game #3 - Home vs Middlesborough – I make no major changes for today’s game other than putting in Mounie to sub in for Jorgensen. In the 21st, Insua feeds Mounie for goal. Tootle with a card-atle. Then they answer back in the 28th. Card by Insua. They score in extra time, and we are down 1-2 at the half. Show me something else! In the 59th, they score. I send in Osario and Lowe for people in the back with cards. In the 77th, Lupu feed’s Mounie for goal and we claw one back. In the 83rd, D’Amico drives and finds Mounie for his hattrick and we are tied! Then in extra time it happens….



Magical stuff. We win 4-3, MOM is Mounie. To be fair, we should have won the match as we won all of the various stats like shots, possession shots on target, and more. Great comeback!

I am leaving Mounie out at ST for a bit to see if this was a one-of or a trend. Would we have won this game with Jorgensen at ST?

Dima heads to AZ from Sepsi for 5.5 mill.

[Abe Sargent]

September

Sept 2 – ROMANIA vs N. IRELAND, World Cup Quals
Sept 5 – ROM vs Denmark, WCQ

Sept 11 – Away vs Liverpool
Sept 18 – Away vs Arsenal
Sept 22 – Away vs Brighton, Cup, 3rd Round
Sept 25 – Home vs QPR

Good training for Skinner, Nelson and Watkins again

Going into our Group, we knew that Denmark was going to be or toughest challenge and both of us have won all of our games. So this is going to be a big month for national football.

D’Amico got 2nd for young player of the month




ROMANIA vs N. IRELAND, World Cup Quals – I leave in Petre, keep in Ivan, and then let’s get this thang underway!!! Petre to Ivan for goal in the 7th. Petre crosses deep to Hagi who feeds And one for a goal in the 34th. They fire back on a counter a little later. Half. Don’t get complacent. Petre to Ivan, goal, 66th. I sub in Man for Lupu and Dima for Balasa. I send in Tiru later. We win 3-1, MOM is Petre.

[Abe Sargent]

ROMANIA vs DENMARK, World Cup Quals – Are you ready for the big one? I make no changes to my roster. At the 0:29 mark, Ivan intercepts a bad pass in the back, finds Lupu for goal at the 0:34 mark. That was amazing by Ivan, he outran two defenders to a “safe” backpass. That’s probably my favorite goal of the Romanian Campaign thus far. In the 35th, they hit us back with a score after things settled down a bit and it’s 1-1 tied at the half. You can still win this! We head out. I send in Matan for a tired Lupu after he is knocked around and then collected a card. In the 68th, Petre feeds Matan for goal. I send in Raul Cab. For Andone after he gets a card. They get a red card in the 88th for a professional foul to keep Dragus, free on goal, for getting a shot, and that’s game. We win 2-1, MOM is Petre.

Lupu is banned for the next Romanian match for too many cards.





Here is the current table for the World Cup Quals. Our win over Denmark gives us a a good shot of closing the group with three games left. Denmark does have a game on us, and assuming that they win, then they are really at 12 points, but we have three games remaining. And we aren’t in a bad place to collect that victory. Our final match is away at Denmark on November 15th, and we’ll see what happens then! Only two other nations haven’t drop any points in qualifying thus far – France and Belgium. Everyone else has a loss or more. Spain had dropped 6 points, Norway beat Portugal, England, Italy and Germany have each dropped games (England and Italy are in the same Group) or in Germany’s case, a tie. Etc.

[Abe Sargent]

I want to pause for a moment to look at Sepsi.

This is who Sepsi has sold already – GK Senol, Cristiano, Balasa, Etebo, Lupu, Eckhardt, Viveros, Osario, Dima, Elliott. That’s a lot fo folks, for around 61 mill.

I heavily disagree with the Cristiano sale, he was very good. You don’t sell someone of his class for 8 mill, that was a horrible piece of business.

That means Sepsi has gotten 61 mill in cash from selling these players.




Here are their new acquisitions.

So I take a look at these. You are flush with cash, and that’s it? I think Ion was great, young Romanian up and comer at 19 who is playing for them. That was a good choice. Goncalves is fine, a bit older, not growing, but he’s good enough to do some stuff with, and he comes in with roughly the same experience and quality as Cartagena. Ditto Hyndman. Many of these players just aren’t that good – Kostas for example or Diagne for another. They are youth who are almost developed but aren’t that good, like Zdravko, etc. There’s no sexiness here. They aren’t pushing themselves. Etc. They sold Cristiano for just 8 million, but there is nothing here that they benefitted themselves by. I am vey side by this lack of insight and quality the new management is doing with the newer players arriving – other than Ion, and to a lesser degree, Goncalves and Hyndman.