[FM 12] Cerud's Tale of Amazement and Woe...Likely more woe...

[cerud]

Alright, in beginning anew, I'd decided that I'm going to try something that I never have before. I'm going to try an build my own tactics rather than use various ones from this forum's tactic area that have been created by others. I love reading other careers where managers are more involved and I hope to emulate these.

Added Modifications

• FM12 Suzie Real Names for Clubs, Competitions, and Awards Fix plus real life media
• Metallic Logos Megapack
• taking care of those "other" fixes...the "I can't discuss here" fixes

Loaded Nations with all of their Leagues

• Argentina
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Brazil
• China
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• England
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Malaysia
• Netherlands
• Northern Ireland
• Norway
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• Scotland
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United States

League will change as the career progresses and likely shrink in size. The large number to begin with is to help facilitate an unemployed career beginning in smaller leagues.

Starting Date: July 2011

Beginning Manager Profile
Name: Cerud
Nationality: Canadian, with 2nd American (as Canadian and American sports are integrated anyways, makes for better reality)
Languages: English, French, and Spanish
Past Experience: Sunday League Footballer

[cerud]

Domestic Club History

Summary

Year   Country     Team            League                        Position   Other

2011   Norway      Frigg Oslo FK   Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2   5th        ---
2012   Norway      Frigg Oslo FK   Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2   1st        League Title, Promoted
2013   Norway      Frigg Oslo FK   Adeccoligaen                  5th        ---
2014   Norway      Frigg Oslo FK   Adeccoligaen                  1st        League Title, Promoted

Awards

• 2012 - Norway - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2 League Title
• 2014 - Norway - Adeccoligaen League Title

[cerud]

International Management History...

Updated as it occurs

[Buzzlightyear]

Good Luck on your new tale, Really enjoyed your past story!!

[cerud]

So, onto the job market! I'm applying for anything right now as my reputation is nothing, being a Sunday League Football and from the well known, dominating football nation of Canada I'm just hoping anyone offers me a job!

And they have! I have three offers.

From Denmark...



And from Norway...





In choosing any job, I approach it as I would if it were me in real life. This means asking questions such as, is the club offering a good wage? How are the club's current finances? Is there room for growth? How is the stadium and facilities? Even such questions as, where is the club? Would I want to live there? All such questions apply to my decision.

In examining these offers, one is easy to eliminate. The Danish off simply doesn't offer a living wage; not too sure who would be able to live off of $16.25K/year.

The other two are decent starting wages. Both have decent budgets adn have room within the current player budget to play around. Both clubs also have their current financial situations listed as "Okay". So, time to look at where they are.

Frigg Oslo FK is located in the Majorstua neighbourhood in Oslo. This is the western part of downtown for the Norwegian capital, trendy and vibrant. Skarp IF is located in Tromsø, far in the north of the country. It's a smaller city, less than 70 000 people. I think I've made my choice.

[cerud]

Good Luck on your new tale, Really enjoyed your past story!!

Thanks, Buzzlightyear! Appreciate the post!

[cerud]

14th July 2011

From the News Ticker...

Today, the Norwegian Post has learned that unknown football manager, Cerud, will by taking over the reigns of Frigg Oslo FK. While the club had started strong, their recent winnless streak of seven matches has led to the firing of the previous manager and the need for a fresh start in order to save what remains of the seaon. Arriving in Oslo from Vancouver, Canada earlier today, we caught up with Cerud as he made with way to Frogner stadion. "I know many see the hiring of an unknown foreigner as a sign that the Board has given up on the club. I don't. I view my unknown status as a benefit for me. No one knows how I will approach the squad or the matches and I can work this to my advantage." Cerud will have some time with the club to get aquainted as they are in the middle of the mid-season break. They resume play in sixteen days away against SK Herd.

Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2

While the Board offered me the job, it is only until the end of this year. Looks like they want to see how I do before really committing. Still, I was able to negotiate at $68 000/year contract for myself until December 2011. The squad, at first blance seems not too bad. The youth squad is severely lacking though. They are registered in the youth league and have no youth players! Was surprized to see that.

About the Club

Frigg has been around for a while, initially being founded on 17 May 1904. They were named after Frigg, a Norse goddess who was said to be the wife of Odin, the "foremost among the goddesses", and queen of Asgard. She was said to have the power of prophecy. Hoping that helps me out! The club was at one point a top tier Norwegian side, even playing in the 1966-67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup against Scottish club Dunfermline Athletic. I hope I can help them regain what they once had almost a half century ago.

The Stats

Year Founded: 1904
Status: Semi-Professional
Reputation: Regional
Nickname: Frigg
Fierce Rivals: None
Other Rivals: None

The Stadium - Frogner Stadion

Location: Oslo
Year Built: 1930
Capacity: 1 500 (500 seated)
Owner/Rent: $3K/year

Facilities

Corporate: Adequate
Training: Adequate
Youth: Minimal
Junior Coaching: Basic
Youth Recruitment: Basic

Here is Frognar stadion. So quaint!

Currently, the club has been struggling.

While the season is half done, the table is very close. I'm hoping that I can prove myself and win an extension to my contract beyond this year.

[cerud]

2011 Pre-season and Mid-season



Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2

Since I have just joined the club, I will combine these two as it actually is the exact halfway mark.

The Stats

Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling: Achieve a safe mid-table position (will not be judged this season)
Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup: Reach the 2nd Round (will not be judged this season)

Media Prediction: 8th of 13

Wage Budget: $212 576 (currently spending $208 166)
Transfer Budget: None

Kit Sponsorship: $124 138

Average Ticket Price: $13.60
Average Season Ticket Price: $91.20
Season Ticket Holders: 96
Estimated Value: $200K


Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Good start, but horrible slide into the mid part of the season. Here's hoping I can turn it around.

Players of Note

Bjørn Pickhardt - D C, DM - Leads the team in average rating. A decent centreback who has been with the club for 4 season.

Christoffer Kringberg - M L - Leads the team in assists. Kringberg has moved around a lot, playing for 4 clubs in as many years.

Kenneth Torvik Tønne - AM C, ST - Leads the team in goals. Has played the vast majority of years with the club, only having done his initial season of training elsewhere.


Goals

• Finish in the top 5
• Find a quality right back.

Not too many goals as I only have a half season, but should set up up for the next season.

[hursty2]

Frigging hell!

Good luck in Norway, if you start well there's no reason as to why you can't finish in the top four.

[B.W.G]

Good luck in Norway,hope you can turn things around.

[SRL88]

Damn you hursty....Frigging hell was going to be my comment .

Good luck with this Cerud . I will be reading!!!

[withnail316]

Best of luck, fella.

[AK22]

Damn, I really wanted you to take the Thisted job! (I'm assuming it is pronounced 'Fisted' )

But, good luck with Frigg. Hopefully, you can rival the mediocre success that deltablue achieved with them!

[rancer890]

Unlucky with your last save but good luck with Frigg.

[deltablue]

But, good luck with Frigg. Hopefully, you can rival the mediocre success that deltablue achieved with them!

Oi!

Looking forward to seeing how you do with a club I have reasonable memories of.

[cerud]

Frigging hell!

Good luck in Norway, if you start well there's no reason as to why you can't finish in the top four.

Damn you hursty....Frigging hell was going to be my comment.

Good luck with this Cerud. I will be reading!!!

Puns! Cheers, hursty2 and SRL88.

Good luck in Norway,hope you can turn things around.

Best of luck, fella.

Unlucky with your last save but good luck with Frigg.

Thanks guys!

Damn, I really wanted you to take the Thisted job! (I'm assuming it is pronounced 'Fisted')

But, good luck with Frigg. Hopefully, you can rival the mediocre success that deltablue achieved with them!

Oi!

Looking forward to seeing how you do with a club I have reasonable memories of.

Sorry to disappoint, AK22 Thisted was offering a horrible wage, so wasn't a good option for me. But I will try to have luck with Frigg, for both you and deltablue!

[AcidBurn]

Good luck dude.

Where I am from Frigg is a sexual term.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Go Frigg yourself Cerud.

I'll be more direct Acid.

[cerud]

Good luck dude.

Where I am from Frigg is a sexual term.

I guess it is here too. But not widely used much anymore.

Go Frigg yourself Cerud.

I'll be more direct Acid.

Already have Nobby. Twice.

And in other news...I don't normally put up stuff from teams I'm not currently managing, but I just noticed this from my real life team.



Not bad for a CONCACAF Champions League match!

[cerud]

2011 Tactical Update



Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2

Given that I will be building my own tactics for this career rather than using downloaded ones from the forums, I thought that I'd discuss a bit on my thinking as to what I settled on. My desire is to build tactics to suit the team and not to create a tactic and then bring in players to fit the bill.

So, my assistant manager initially stated that the best alternatives for a tactic in our squad were the 4-4-2, the 4-4-1-1, and the 4-3-1-2. I've decided on a 4-4-2 as my main tactic and will train to bring it up to fluid before considering anything else.

Here it is...

The Tactic

I have decided on a more rigid philosophy because there is very few players with any creativity of exuberant flair. We are also a lower league, semi-pro club, so I want my players to stick to the plan rather than inventing their own at this level. However, I also want to control the pace of the match while still being an attacking club. Therefore, a controlling strategy has been chosen.

I want my wingers to engage in the play so that each have attacking roles. As for other choices, since I have little creativity on the team as I mentioned, I have chosen a More Disciplined approach. While I want my players to control the pace of hte match, I don't want them getting cute with the ball, so I've asked for a More Direct passing approach. I want them to more the ball, but not to just play around with it. Marking is Zonal in order to ensure adherence to our rigid philosophy.

[SRL88]

Sounds like a good way to go forward tactic wise ..

[rancer890]

Solid, disciplined tactic and hope this works for you going forward.

[DanielCalter]

Going back to your job offers, was Skarp's wage budget 210k but their current total <30k??! That's some difference!

[cerud]

Sounds like a good way to go forward tactic wise ..

Solid, disciplined tactic and hope this works for you going forward.

Thanks, SRL88 and rancer. I've tried using the tactic creator before, but never for an entire save. Hoping it works out.

Going back to your job offers, was Skarp's wage budget 210k but their current total <30k??! That's some difference!

Welcome, Daniel Calter! A new face and poster! Yeah, Skarp's current wages were only $27.12K/year. They barely had any players actually on their team. That's what kind of scared me away from them.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Looks like Vancouver frigged Alpha United.

[cerud]

2011 Season in Review



Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2

5th Place

The League

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Wow, after the first two matches, I thought I was a latent tactical genius. 14 goals in two matches...did that all come crashing down in the end... When I took over, we went on a run, winning seven matches in a row. However, the next match saw our top centreback sent off for an ugly tackle and enabled the other team to win, a team that had no business winning. We lost the next four in a row. The sad part was that at the end of that winning streak, we were actually tied in points for first! We were promotion contenders! While a top 5 finish is what I hoped for in the beginning, it's a hard pill to swallow now.

The Cups

Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup - We were already out of this competition by the time I arrived.

The Stats

Goals Scored - 48 (1st in league)
Goals Conceded - 33 (8th in league)
Average Attendance - 232 (12th in league)

The Players

Squad | Transfers - I've gotten rid of a few players at the end of the season. Hopefully, this will enable to grow the squad a bit for next season by giving me some wage budget space.

Martin Vethe - D RC - Our top defensive player. However, he was the palyer who got the fated red card that led to our downfall. But our captain is one who can bounce back.

Christoffer Kringberg - M L - League leader in assists. Kringberg's crossing ability but seems to find our strikers with precision.

Kristoffer Eide - M/AM RL - Our top goalscorer and a significant part of our striking pair.


Finances - We're not going to make much moey staying at this level. Promotion is a must.

Facilities - Decent facilities for this level. We only sell an average of 17% of the seats, so there's definitely room to grow into it.

The Awards

• Top Goalscorer - Kristoffer Eide - 2nd Place
• Fans' Player of the Year - Martin Vethe

The Goals Revisited

• Finish in the top 5 - Achieved. However, we should have done better.
• Find a good right back - Achieved. Signed Jan Henrik Øverland. He's rated at 2.5 stars, but he's done very well for us and the Board is loving him as a new signing.

Around the World

MLS

Plans for Next Season

The Board for Frigg offered me a 1 year extension to my contract at the same wages, which I have accepted. I believe that promotion is close for this club and I want to get them there.

[cerud]

2012 Pre-season



Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2

The Stats

Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling: Achieve a respectable league position
Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup: Reach the 2nd Round

Media Prediction: 6th of 13
Betclic Promotion Odds: 25-1

Wage Budget: $298 106 (+ $85 530 from last year)
Currently Spending: $248 019 (+ $50 087 cap space available)
Transfer Budget: $10 920 (+ $10 920 from last year)

Kit Sponsorship: $124 138
TV Rights Deal: $$43.62K

Average Ticket Price: $13.70 (+ $0.10 from last year)
Average Season Ticket Price: $99.20 (+ $8.00 from last year)
Season Ticket Holders: 98 (+ 2 from last year)
Estimated Value: $110K (- $90K from last year)


Goals

• Fight for promotion.
• Make a profit.

Promotion should absolutely be possible. Nothing else matters.

[cerud]

African CAF Cup of Nations 2012

Group A: Morocco, Tunisia, Mozambique, Gabon
Group B: Togo, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana
Group C: Mali, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea
Group D: Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Angola, Libya

The Stats

• Orange Africa Cup of Nations Best Player - Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon
• Pepsi Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot - Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon
• Samsung Fair Play Award - Abdoul-Gafar Mamah - Togo
• Standard Bank Best Goalkeeper - Carlos Kameni - Cameroon

Orange Africa Cup of Nations Dream Team

So far, only one manager has lost their job due to poor performance in the Cup of Nations. That is Bob Bradley, who was fired from the Egyptian job.

[SRL88]

Good luck fighting for promotion .

[deltablue]

Excellent Vancouver result.

[Scarman]

Decent first season, hopefully you can build on that with a full season in charge!

[cerud]

Good luck fighting for promotion .

Decent first season, hopefully you can build on that with a full season in charge!

Thanks SRL88 and Scarman. Promotion is what I'll be aiming for this season. However, only one team goes up, so it will be a bit of a dog fight.

Excellent Vancouver result.

Surprizing indeed!

[cerud]

2012 End of Pre-Season



Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2

The Matches

Sweden - Carlstad United BK - won 2-0
Norway - Jevnaker IF - drew 0-0
Norway - Grue Idrettslag - won 3-0
Norway - Drammen FK - won 7-0
Norway - Brumunddal Fotball - won 4-0
Norway - Elverum IL - won 1-0
Norway - Korsvoll IL - won 4-1
Norway - Ås IL - won 5-0

The Players

Squad | Transfers - Definitely a stronger squad. Added speed to the wings and strength front and back. Also got rid of some more dead wood.

Magnus Ueland - D C - Ueland has spent many seasons in the Adeccoligaen, one level above us with Byrne and Hønefoss. Hoping that his years at a higher level rubs off on the squad as we fight to join it.

Fosu Boateng - ST - Boateng has spent years with various clubs in Denmark and has Denmark citizenship. A former youth prospect of FC København, he didn't quite live up to it. However, he's been nothing short of outstanding in our pre-season for our level.

Pre-Season Thoughts

A great pre-season for us. Our first match against Carlstad in Sweden was only meant to be a small cash run, so the win was definitely surprising. We also played a few matches against our own league: Korsvoll, Jevnaker, and Elverum. Hoping these translate into wins in the league. I'm also expecting good things from our squad, especially Boateng up front. I think he could really revive his career here.

[cerud]

OFC Nations Cup 2012

Group A: New Zealand, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia
Group B: Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Samoa

It doesn't look like there were any managerial casualties.

[SRL88]

The squad looks much better.

[AK22]

Good luck fighting for promotion this season. With a full year under your belt, I reckon you'll be frigging close!

[cerud]

The squad looks much better.

Good luck fighting for promotion this season. With a full year under your belt, I reckon you'll be frigging close!

Thanks, SRL88 and AK22. The squad is fairly decent; however, they are a littlle morale challenged. One bad game and they cry...

[cerud]

UEFA European Championship 2012

Group A: France, Ukraine, Montenegro, Germany
Group B: Portugal, Poland, Italy, Ireland
Group C: Slovenia, Spain, Greece, England
Group D: Croatia, Netherlands, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Sweden

The Stats

• European Championship Golden Boot - Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal
• European Championship Best Player - Juan Mata - Spain

European Championship Dream Team

Only one manager casualty, Germany. Joachim Löw Has been let go after failing to win a single match in the group stage.

[cswalk08]

When I look at most of those team names my mind freezes trying to pronounce them

Also, glad to see a fellow MLS follower!
Good luck with this career!

[cerud]

2012 Mid-season



Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - So far, so good. We're sitting in 1st place; however, I am a little worried about how our team handles adversity. Whenever we get behind a goal or lose a match, our morale tanks. I have a squad of bi-polar individuals. Either they're extremely happy or extremely sad. No middle ground.

Players of Note

Martin Vethe - D C - Our captain has continued with another great season. His defensive abilities have helped decrease our goals against greatly from last year and he's been contributing a few goals as well on the corner.

Sindre Marøy - M/AM R, ST - Our new winger on the right. Marøy is a consistent player and ever-present.

Fosu Boateng - ST - Our top goalscorer and 2nd in the league. Boateng has a sniper shot and has never really had an off game as of yet. He was a gamble as he is our highest paid player, but he's been worth it.

Change in Expectations and Budget

While there have been no changes in expectations, we have been given a higher wage budget.

Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling: Achieve a respectable league position

Wage Budget: $349 440 (+ $51 334 from pre-season)
Currently Spending: $260 832 (+ $88 608 cap space available)
Transfer Budget: $12 666 (+ $1 746 from pre-season)

Around the World

Barclays Premier League - Liga BBVA - Bundesliga - Serie A TIM - Ligue 1 Orange

[SRL88]

Boateng has been in fire for you. Hopefully you can continue your strong push going forward. Excellent start .

[deltablue]

You're still winning more than enough to go up.

[cerud]

Boateng has been in fire for you. Hopefully you can continue your strong push going forward. Excellent start .

Cheers, SRL88. He's definitely been our top pick up from the off-season.

You're still winning more than enough to go up.

Thanks, deltablue Here's hoping we keep our form!

[cerud]

Olympic Summer Games 2012

Group A: Mexico, Belarus, Australia, Ivory Coast
Group B: United States, Spain, Japan, Nigeria
Group C: Brazil, Egypt, Switzerland, Iran
Group D: Great Britain, Uruguay, South Korea, Fiji

Fairly straight forward. Not many surprises.

[cerud]

2012 Mid-season



Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2

Youth Candidates



Not a good crop this year. Although, my assistant manager does like Jon Eriksen given that he's the only player rated to amount to something. I also found it surprising to have a Canadian in my youth candidates!

Jon Eriksen - DM, M C - I can't see Eriksen ever playing for the top squad.

[hursty2]

Coming along nicely this season. And as for the Canadian, the nationality set in your profile determines some of your regens for some reason.

[cerud]

Coming along nicely this season. And as for the Canadian, the nationality set in your profile determines some of your regens for some reason.

Thanks, hursty2. Yeah, I've had Canadian youth before in save, just not at this low of a league. Usually I've had to be in higher leagues. But he has dual Canadian/Norweigan citizenship, so guess he decided to play here for me

[cerud]

2012 Season in Review



Frigg Oslo FK - Fair Play-ligaen Avdeling 2



1st Place - League Title Champions

The League

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - It's been a truly unbelievable season for us. I believed that promotion was absolutely possible; however, nerves started creeping into the squad around the mid-season. Thankfully we had a 3 week break where we scheduled a couple friendlies to regain confidence. I also introduced a new counter tactic modelled after the 442 controlling one we use against larger teams, which seemed to help balance us out.

The Cups

Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup - A great run for Frigg. Having only been asked to make the 2nd Round, a 4th Round appearance was great, especially since we took out two teams in higher leagues than us.

The Stats

Goals Scored - 67 (+ 19 from last year, 1st in league)
Goals Conceded - 20 (- 13 from last year, 1st in league)
Average Attendance - 291 (+ 59 from last year, 11th in league)
Prize Money Made - $165 000

The Players

Squad | Transfers - No new signings in the August transfer window. Will have a couple players leaving soon, but for the most part, the squad will be retained until I know what finances I have to deal with next year.

Martin Vethe - D RC - Our captain was brilliant on defense again this year. Contributed to helping lower our goals against as well as put a few in on the attacking corner.

Eirik Sebastian Sandstad - DM, M C - Sandstad took his game to a new level this year with 10 assists. A solid midfielder and consistent player.

Sindre Marøy - M/AM R, ST - Marøy was great on the right wing, contributing his fair share of goals. While not the fastest runner, his placement made up for it.

Fosu Boateng - ST - League leader in goals, assists, man of the match, best hair, and all round dapper young man. I will not be leeting Boateng leave anytime soon. Good thing we likes it here!


Finances - Our finances were actually doing fairly well...not great, but we had a profit. Then our Board decided to build a brand new stadium and take out a large loan. So long, debt-free...

Facilities - We have a new stadium being constructed for January 2014. It'll be nice to own our stadium; however, we may end up going broke before we get it. Not sure why they thought we needed a new stadium unless it is a league requirement for the Adeccoligaen. We were only selling an average of 19% of our current stadium.

The Awards

• Top Goalscorer - Fosu Boateng - 1st Place
• Fans' Player of the Year - Fosu Boateng

The Goals Revisited

• Fight for promotion - Achieved. We were promoted with 3 matches left to spare
• Make a profit - Failed. Should have achieved until our Board decided to build a brand new stadium. However, nothing I can do about that and it may benefit in the long run. We shall see...

Around the World

MLS

Plans for Next Season

I have signed a one year extension for $105 000 on my contract with Frigg Oslo FK. We're moving to the Adeccoligaen, a league with a mixture of semi-pro and pro clubs. It will be difficult, but I hope to solidify Frigg in the league.

[cerud]

6 January 2013

From the News Ticker...

Well, the Board wanted a new stadium. Now they have to pay for it.

Although, I guess this turns my failed goal of make a profit into Achieved

[SRL88]

Great season fella and brilliant work getting the new stadium .

[B.W.G]

Frigging good work on winning the title.Congrats on the new stadium,hopefully it will help in the long term and eventually expand into five figures.

[SRL88]

Frigging good work on winning the title.Congrats on the new stadium,hopefully it will help in the long term and eventually expand into five figures.

And the award for cheapest joke of the day goes to........ .

[AK22]

Well that went well then...

Hopefully Boateng can continue to find the net in the next tier up.

[deltablue]

Well done doing what I couldn't.

[cerud]

Great season fella and brilliant work getting the new stadium .

Frigging good work on winning the title.Congrats on the new stadium,hopefully it will help in the long term and eventually expand into five figures.

Thanks, SRL88 and BWG. Kind of scared the new stadium will make me go broke before we even get it. But we'll see

Well that went well then...

Hopefully Boateng can continue to find the net in the next tier up.

He did well in the 2 matches where we played higher level clubs for the Cupen. I think he'll make the transition well.

Well done doing what I couldn't.

Cheers, deltablue A little bit of luck at times helped.

[cswalk08]

Congrats on the Championship and Promotion and good luck in the next level up! Should be a fun challenge

[cerud]

2013 Pre-season



Frigg Oslo FK - Adeccoligaen

The Stats

Adeccoligaen: Stay clear of relegation
Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup: Reach the 2nd Round

Media Prediction: 16th of 16
Betclic Promotion Odds: 80-1

Wage Budget: $345 446 (- $3 994 from last year's mid-season)
Currently Spending: $279 219 (+ $66 227 cap space available)
Transfer Budget: $60 725 (+ $48 059 from last year's mid-season)

Kit Sponsorship: $124 138 (ends 2014)
Stadium Sponsorship: $292 560 (ends 2017)
TV Rights Deal: $314 000

Average Ticket Price: $18.80 (+ $5.10 from last year)
Average Season Ticket Price: $158.00 (+ $58.80 from last year)
Season Ticket Holders: 237 (+ 139 from last year)
Current Loan Debt: $4.5M
Estimated Value: $450K (+ $340K from last year)

National Club Ranking in Norway: 84th

Goals

• Do not get relegated.
• Do...not...get...relegated. So important, it needs be mentioned twice.

The wage budget is tight as I still need to hire backroom staff. Hopefully, the majority of our squad from last year can make the jump up.

[cerud]

African CAF Cup of Nations 2013

Group A: Nigeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Burundi
Group B: Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Zambia
Group C: Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, Sudan
Group D: Senegal, Algeria, Benin, Togo

The Stats

• Orange Africa Cup of Nations Best Player - Jeffrey Sarpong - Ghana
• Pepsi Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot - Agyemang Opoku - Ghana
• Samsung Fair Play Award - Mohammed Shawky - Egypt
• Standard Bank Best Goalkeeper - Vincent Enyeama - Nigeria

Orange Africa Cup of Nations Dream Team

Again, the only manager to leave is the Egyptian one. In 2012, the manager was fired. This time around, Hassan Shehata retired from management entirely.

[Scarman]

Great season, well done on promotion! Good luck staying up.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Well done on winning promotion.

[cerud]

Great season, well done on promotion! Good luck staying up.

Well done on winning promotion.

Thanks, Scarman and Nobby!


1 March 2013

From the News Ticker...

Every little bit helps. This will pay a player's wages for a year

[cerud]

2013 End of Pre-Season



Frigg Oslo FK - Adeccoligaen

The Matches

Norway - Strømsgodset IF - won 2-0
Norway - Grorud IL - won 3-0
Norway - Valdres FK - won 2-0
Norway - Jevnaker IF - won 6-1
Norway - Lyn Fotball - won 4-0
Norway - Holter IF - won 7-0


The Players

Squad | Transfers - I'm happy with our progress in the off-season in terms of building the squad. We didn't have much to work with, but we are stil under budget. Ideally, I'd still like a quality left back, but that might not be possible this close the the beginning of the season.

Tim Strøm Pedersen - D C, DM, M C - Pedersen was our most expensive purchase at $18K. He comes to us from Nesodden, still in the Fair Play-ligaen Adveling leagues. However, he is more than good enough for this level and the move up has been welcomed by the Frigg faithful.

Marcel Sacramento - M C, ST - Sacramento is a Brazilian native, but has played since 2008 in Sweden. He's a solid midfielder with an eye for goal as well.

Pre-Season Thoughts

The build up to our first year in the Adeccoligaen has gone well. I was especially happy with our win against Strømsgodset IF in the pre-season as they are our parent club in the Tippeligaen. We've brought in needed talent and will hopefully look to fill another one or two positions as well. I believe that safety from relegation is possible, but will require timed wins. I don't expect to win outright, but a finish in the top 10 would be amazing.

[cerud]

2013 Mid-season



Frigg Oslo FK - Adeccoligaen

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Halfway through the season and we've played all other teams once now. It's been a good showing for us. We are overwhelmingly expected to be relegated and finish at the very bottom. Sitting at the middle of the table in such a competitive group is great. We did got through a difficult spell of losses, but we're able to turn it around and persevere. I still believe that we will survive this year.

Players of Note

Marcel Sacramento - M C, ST - Sacramento has been playing well in the midfield, dictating much of the play. He also has an absolute brilliant long shot, which has led to 3 highlight reel goals so far.

Fosu Boateng - ST - I'm happy that Boateng has been able to make the jump into the Adeccoligean. He is 5th in the league in goals and leads in Man of the Matches. While his production is down this year, I expected it in having to compete against better clubs. I have also named him as vice captain for his efforts.

Around the World

Barclays Premier League - Liga BBVA - Bundesliga - Serie A TIM - Ligue 1 Orange

[Mike7077]

Love this club's name! I suppose I would...

Good thread, this. Nicely presented. Well done on you're success. There's Norway you're going to get sacked.

[cerud]

Love this club's name! I suppose I would...

Good thread, this. Nicely presented. Well done on you're success. There's Norway you're going to get sacked.

Thanks, Mike 7077! Glad you like the format. Although...what was it Oscar Wilde said about puns?

On another note, anybody notice where Chelsea finished in the BPL in my career? They staved off relegation only through a 2 goal difference! Definitely the mighty have fallen!

[SRL88]

Going well so far. Keep it up .

[B.W.G]

Good to see you've made the step up,hopefully you can maintain that sort of distance from the relegation zone.

[deltablue]

More great work, 4 relegation spots out of 16 has always looked scary.

[PaulHartman71]

interesting to see your progress in Norway, especially considering I'll be managing there soon and have no prior experience, looks like you're doing pretty well so far

[cerud]

Going well so far. Keep it up .

Good to see you've made the step up,hopefully you can maintain that sort of distance from the relegation zone.

Thanks, guys. So far, so good.

More great work, 4 relegation spots out of 16 has always looked scary.

Cheers, deltablue! Yeah, 4 relegation spots is daunting. Keeping above will be difficult, but achievable.

interesting to see your progress in Norway, especially considering I'll be managing there soon and have no prior experience, looks like you're doing pretty well so far

Thanks, PaulHartman. Where are you headed to in Norway?

[cerud]

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013

Group A: Jamaica, Canada, Costa Rica, Haiti
Group B: Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala
Group C: Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Panama, Cuba

The Stats

• Miller Lite Most Valuable Player - Javier Hernández - Mexico
• Texaco Top Goal Scorer - Javier Hernández - Mexico

CONCACAF Gold Cup Dream Team

Doesn't appear as though any managers have lost their jobs over the results of the Gold Cup.

[cerud]

Wow. I just pulled up the salary per annum differences in my league. I think my league position is very good seeing how little I'm spending compared to other clubs!

The only problem is that competing in the long run many be difficult...

[cerud]

Alright...this makes no sense. Yes, I have a loan that I'm repaying of about $4.5M. However, we are financially well off. We have over $700 000 in the bank and a profit so far this season of about the same. We are consistently turning a profit each month.

So...why this?

I'm not complaining...just curious.

[cerud]

29 September 2013

From the News Ticker...

With five matches left to go for all clubs in the Adeccoligaen, the title and promotion is still up for grabs. While current league leaders, Sandefjord, seem to have a hold on the top spot, nothing has been guaranteed. Others are looking to knock off the leaders as the top spot has bounced between Bode/Glimt, and Kongsvinger throughout must of the year.

However, it is fourth placed Frigg Oslo FK that has most football fans talking. Only given 80-1 odds at the beginning of the season and expecting not only to be relegated but to finish dead last, the upstart club finds themselves within the race for the finish, albiet on the fringes.

With a potential promotion spot only six points away and with five matches still to go, could we see an upset? This reporter may just have to make a last minute bet.

Never thought I'd be sitting here with 5 left!

[hursty2]

Congrats on promotion for last season and it looks as if you could sneak in to a spot this season!

Massive.

[cerud]

2013 Youth Candidates



Frigg Oslo FK - Adeccoligaen

Youth Candidates



Wow...I thought last year's candidates were bad. This is just absurd... My assistant manager likes Ståle Engh, but god knows why.

Ståle Engh - GK - Really? That's the best my youth coaching could do?

[cerud]

Congrats on promotion for last season and it looks as if you could sneak in to a spot this season!

Massive.

Thanks, hursty2. Unfortunately, I had a fateful week, which has completely ruined any chance of that... It will make for interesting year end reading, I'm sure...

[FMtillidie]

good luck with this

[SRL88]

'Love' the 'quality' coming through .

[cerud]

good luck with this

Thanks, FMtillidie!

'Love' the 'quality' coming through .

Yep...quality...

[cerud]

2013 Season in Review



Frigg Oslo FK - Adeccoligaen

5th Place

The League

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - All in all, we can be very happy with how we did. Our longest losing streak was only 3 matches, which for the second lowest payroll in the league, our players are to be credited by how they came out. However, with five matches left to go, I noticed just how close we were to a promotion spot, only 6 points.

Let me spin you a tale of woe (Hey! That's in the title of this thread! ). In that fateful fifth last match, I was handed down 4 suspensions. Yes...4 suspensions to 4 top XI starters. On top of this, Boateng, my top goalscorer was handed an additional two match suspension, which meant that he would only be back for the final game of the season. Apparently someone in the league hierarchy didn't want an upstart club with a funny name making a serious challenge. And then, to add to the ridiculousness, I had a player called up to his national team. Normally, that would be great for the guy. Unfortunately, it was my goalkeeper...of which I have no back up. I couldn't afford one because my wage budget is so low. So, I had to throw in a 16 year old whose skill suggests to me that he doesn't even know what a football is. After a 1-4 dubbing by the team in 2nd place, I think we'll be getting our goalkeeper back. Nope. He's from New Zealand and they have now qualified for the additional playoff for the World Cup Qualifiers. Great...

Funny this is, when I finally get my players back, we slaughter league title winners, Sandefjord and go on to win our final match as well. It leaves me wondering how well I could have done if I had those 5 players... Oh well.

The Cups

Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup - I was not happy to exit the cupen to a club in a lower league than me. However, Ull/Kisa did get promoted, so we'll be seeing more of them next season.

The Stats

Goals Scored - 58 (- 9 from last year, 2nd in league)
Goals Conceded - 47 (+ 27 from last year, 12th in league)
Average Attendance - 767 (+ 476 from last year, 14th in league)
Prize Money Made - $130 000

The Players

Squad | Transfers - Three signings in the August transfer window, a new goalkeeper and an experienced midfielder. We also brought in a young left back as our current one is retiring in a couple months.

Tim Strøm Pedersen - D C, DM, M C - Our most consistent player on the defensive line. Added more than his share of goals from corners and free kicks as well.

Marcel Sacramento - M C, ST - A great playmaker in the midfield. Not a stand out player, but consistent in his job.

Fosu Boateng - ST - Boateng was able to make the jump up to the Adeccoligaen, being the 5th best goalscorer in the league. If it wasn't for his 3 game suspension at the end of the season, it would have been much more.


Finances - Our financial situation is...odd. As soon as we took out our loan for our stadium that is being built, we have been listed as Insecure. However, we have made more money this year and are at the highest cash on hand that we have ever been. Yet, the Board still thought we needed a cash injection. Apparently, our $1M+ wasn't good enough.

Facilities - We have a new stadium that will be finished in January, so we will begin our season there. The new Frigg Stadium (yep...Frigg Stadium) boasts over double the capacity. Still not sure why we needed it as we are only selling out 51% of our current stadium. We're also getting an upgrade to our youth facilities.

The Awards

• Fans' Player of the Year - Fosu Boateng

The Goals Revisited

• Do not get relegated - Achieved. A 5th place finish was more than anyone expected.

Around the World

MLS

Plans for Next Season

Honestly, I don't know. I've been offered a new contract, but I've delayed it for now. I haven't been attached to any jobs yet in my career, but I'm wondering if it may be time to move on anyways. Frigg will be fighting in the Adeccoligaen for years as they just don't have the fan base or budget for anything more yet. Do I want to grow a club over the next five years and challenge for the Tippeligaen, or do I leave the club and see what job I can find on the open market?

[deltablue]

Nice, might have another promotion soon.

[cswalk08]

Nice work this season! You could feasibly get promotion next year.

Looking at the MLS, has Philadelphia fired Nowak like in my save?

[iHeadHunta x]

You can do it mate! Ive returned to the forum and just read the whole thread so far and youve done fantastic!

[cerud]

Nice, might have another promotion soon.

You can do it mate! Ive returned to the forum and just read the whole thread so far and youve done fantastic!

Thanks, deltablue and iHeadHunta x! Guess the concensus is to stick around

Nice work this season! You could feasibly get promotion next year.

Looking at the MLS, has Philadelphia fired Nowak like in my save?

Cheers, cswalk08. As far as Philly, yeah, Nowak was fired at the end of the 2011 season. After that, Dominic Kinnear was hired...then just fired at the end of this season. They have recently hired now Robert Warzycha.

[cerud]

9 November 2013

From the News Ticker...

Frigg Oslo FK have announced today the resigning of Cerud to a one year contract extension at $110 000. Cerud led the club to promotion a year ago into the Adeccoligaen. He has surprised many of the critics in propelling Frigg to a fifth place finish in their first year at their highest level. At a news conference this morning, Cerud stated, "I am happy to stay at Frogner Stadion, especially to see the club into our new home at Frigg Stadium in January. This club took a chance on me two years ago, offering an unknown Canadian a job to manage football in Norway, one of the lifebloods of the nation. I look to continue to repay that generousity as we grow the club."

[Mike7077]

Hats off to you, sir. Good work in Norway.

[cerud]

Hats off to you, sir. Good work in Norway.

Cheers, Mike7077


7 December 2013

From the News Ticker...

FIFA, the governing body of world football, has announced the groups for the 2014 World Cup set to take place this coming summer in Brazil. Canada, who came out on top of the CONCACAF Qualifying stages, has been entered into Group E alongside Portugal, Kuwait, and Uruguay. This will mark only the second time for Canada competing in the World Cup, their first time being in 1986 in Mexico.

FIFA World Cup 2014



The Group Stage Draw

Here are the groups...

Group A: Brazil, Cameroon, United States, Ukraine
Group B: Gabon, Syria, Russia, Italy
Group C: Spain, Ecuador, Japan, Czech Republic
Group D: England, DR Congo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Paraguay
Group E: Portugal, Kuwait, Canada, Uruguay
Group F: Australia, Turkey, Ghana, Croatia
Group G: Argentina, Slovenia, Jamaica, South Korea
Group H: Chile, Ireland, France, South Africa

Canada has a tough group. While Kuwait should be fine, Portugal and Uruguay will be the expected qualifiers to the later stages.

[cerud]

5 January 2014

From the News Ticker...

Frigg Oslo FK have announced a new kit sponsor, doubling their previous deal. It is believed that Frigg's promotion as well as general reputation increase enabled them a better bargaining position for their new deal.

[cerud]

2014 Pre-season



Frigg Oslo FK - Adeccoligaen

The Stats

Adeccoligaen: Stay a safe mid-table position
Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup: Reach the 3rd Round

Media Prediction: 12th of 16
Betclic Promotion Odds: 50-1

Wage Budget: $310 586 (- $34 860 from last year)
Currently Spending: $303 347 (+ $7 239 cap space available)
Transfer Budget: $85 075 (+ $24 350 from last year)

Kit Sponsorship: $248 275 (ends 2016)
Stadium Sponsorship: $292 560 (ends 2017)
Additional Kit Sponsorship: $16 728 (ends 2015)
TV Rights Deal: $357 000 (+ $43 000 from last year)

Average Ticket Price: $20.60 (+ $1.80 from last year)
Average Season Ticket Price: $173.00 (+ $15.00 from last year)
Season Ticket Holders: 334 (+ 97 from last year)
Current Loan Debt: $4.1M (- $400 000 from last year)
Estimated Value: $1.1M (+ $650K from last year)

National Club Ranking in Norway: 72nd (gained 12 spots from last year)

Goals

• Build a competitive squad.
• Finish in the top 5 again.

I'm kind of pissed off at the drop in wage budget, especially since we turned a profit last year and have received a better sponsorship deal and increase TV money. This is the kind of thing I was worried about at this club. I'm willing to stick it out, but we'll see how the competition is and where we fit in. I've got no problem jumping off a sinking ship!

However, with this in mind, I have moved some of my transfer budget into wages as I know I can sign quality free transfers. My new budgets are as follows:

Wage Budget: $357 760
Transfer Budget: $37 901

This should enable me to sign the players I still need to mount a good challenge to the season.

[hursty2]

Even though you were so close to promotion it's still a great season and not one to be blinked at!

Promotion could be on the cards next season with the right signings.

[cerud]

Even though you were so close to promotion it's still a great season and not one to be blinked at!

Promotion could be on the cards next season with the right signings.

Thanks, hursty2. Although if I get promoted, it'll be a miracle. The top clubs are outspending me almost 10-1

[cerud]

24 January 2014

From the News Ticker...

Today, the Board of Frigg Oslo FK opened the gates to the new Frigg Stadium. In moving to their new home, team manager Cerud stated, "We have been looking forward to this moment all year after the Board announced the construction. Not only do we have room to grow, this new home is also ours. Owning your home is always better than renting from others. This is a home that we can be proud of and that we can build a history within."

[cswalk08]

Frigg Stadium *giggle*

errr.....I mean congrats on the new stadium!

[SRL88]

Great work. Hopefully the money will flow in .

[B.W.G]

Good finish to the season,will be interesting to see if you can surpass that placed finish so god luck for the new season.

[Nobby_McDonald]

That's a bigger Frigg (Stadium).

[cerud]

Frigg Stadium *giggle*

errr.....I mean congrats on the new stadium!

Great work. Hopefully the money will flow in .

That's a bigger Frigg (Stadium).

Yeah, there's just no way around it. It's a funny name

Good finish to the season,will be interesting to see if you can surpass that placed finish so god luck for the new season.

Thanks, BWG! Here's hoping!

[cerud]

25 March 2014

From the News Ticker...

With the first match of the season just ten days away, Frigg Oslo FK have announced the completion of their new youth facilities. Club manager Cerud was on hand to discuss Frigg's youth ambitions. "When I first started here, Frigg didn't even have a youth system to speak of. When we finally brought in a youth squad, we knew that it would take time to develop. These new facilities will help us grow local youth talent and realize their dreams."

Our facilities have now moved from Minimal to Basic.

[cerud]

2014 End of Pre-Season



Frigg Oslo FK - Adeccoligaen

The Matches

Norway - Modum FK - won 3-0
Norway - Strømsgodset IF - won 2-0
Sweden - Norby IF - tied 1-1
Norway - Lillestrøm SK - tied 1-1
Norway - Elverum IL - won 3-0
Norway - Lyn Fotball - won 4-0
Norway - IL Runar - won 6-0


The Players

Squad | Transfers - We've brought in some younger players as well as tried to fill out positions that were lacking. I think there has been some modest improvements to the squad from last season; however, we will see how this helps us in the long run.

Shiva-Star Yves-Appolinaire - D LC - A quality left back was probably our main objective in this off-season. While Yves-Appolinaire is young, he is much better already than my two other options. This is mark his first play outside of Gabon.

Virgile Boumelaha - D RC - Two of our centrebacks were leaving as they just weren't good enough to start at this level. Boumelaha has experience and quality that we need. He played his youth football with Sochaux in France, but has spent his adult career in Switzerland, Finland, and Denmark.

Sami Sakka - M RLC, AM RL - Our left wing from last year is showing increasing signs of degrading skill. Sakka can play either side, but will spend most of his time on the left. He has played his entire career in Norway, most recently with Lyn in the lower leagues.


Pre-Season Thoughts

Last season, we had the second highest number of goals so I'm, not worried about offence. However, our goals against is much to be desired. We brought in our new goalkeeper in last year's transfer window, and I was sure to be have a back up this year! We have improved the defence mostly so I hope that will help us bring a greater goal difference in our favour and more wins in general.