[FM13] One man, one continent, and a backpack full of dreams..

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."

Bill Shankly

"Football.. bloody hell!"

Sir Alex Ferguson

"Stupid game. AI cheating again!"

Mike7077, frequently

Welcome to Mike7077's second ever career thread!

You may remember my FM2012 career thread. I started off unemployed with the intention of embarking on what so many of you mistakenly refer to as a "journeyman" career (journeyman implies something negative rather than simpply someone who moves around a lot, but that's okay). I landed the manager's job at the now defunct Australian club Gold Coast Utd and, in two seasons, led them to a level success beyond anything I could have expected. On the back of that, I moved on to Sheffied Wednesday, who were floundering in League One. In my two seasons there, I won League One at a canter, before finishing 3rd in the Championship, losing the Play-Off final to Bolton Wanderers. Sadly, the thread died somewhere around the halfway point of that season. The save lives on and may continue at some point, but now I fancy a bash at FM2013, and will hopefully get a bit further than four seasons.

Intention

I have no set targets. The premise is simple, to start unemployed, get a job and try and move up the scale. I don't know what the journey will bring, but I hope it's fun. I hope I can stick with it! It's possible I could stay with the club that first employs me, or I may find myself leaving early on. The possibilities are endless.

Leagues Loaded

I wanted plenty of leagues loaded to engineer these possibilities, but I couldn't see me wanting to manage outside of Europe. So I've only loaded European leagues. I won't bother stating exactly which divisions in each country I have loaded. Suffice to say that I've loaded at the very least the top two tiers of football in the following countries:

England, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

(NB - There might be one or two others. I'll check when I get home from work.)

And now the all important manager's profile. As I said last time, please do not contrue my age as an accurate reflection of my age in real life. I'm not quite there yet!

As you can see, I am still to make any enemies. I'm sure this will come with time. I selected Southport as my preferred club, which means all those who like me are current or former Southport players or managers. Exquisite.

My starting reputation is "professional footballer".

So, with the pleasantries out of the way, all that's left to do is apply for some jobs and see what comes my way...

The Job Offers

I quite fancied managing in Israel and there were jobs open there, so I was disappointed that they did not acknowledge my application. I was, however, offered plenty, many of which will be familiar to those starting unemployed. I dismissed those I didn't fancy and have narrowed it down to the following four:

This one is definitely appealing. I like managing in Greece, although I've only ever managed Panathinaikos before. It's also a top-flight position. Veroia are among the favourites for the drop, so it would be an interesting challenge. On the other hand, I'm not sure I want to start at the top. Still, I'm seriously considering this.

IK Frej are about halfway through the season in Sweden's third tier. They are in the relegation zone, which means I'd be hitting the ground running - no irritating friendlies, just straight into the immediate challenge of keeping a side up. I have to admit, I'm very tempted.

The Portuguese minnows offer the best prospect of building something. Unlike Veroia, they're not already well established. Unlike Frej, they're not battling to stay up. If I want the chance to become a club's first real legend, Mirandela could be the one.

But so could Santa Clara. Here we have another Portuguese minnow, offering a similar challenge to Mirandela.

Wherever I go, I won't have much money to play with, either for transfers or wages. Whatever I choose, I'll be up against it. But adversity is character-building. Decision time...

If it was me, I'd take the Frej job a challenge that starts straight away.

I agree Frej would be a good challenge from the off.

Great to see another one of your threads in here, good luck wherever you go.

I like the thought of managing in Greece.

A Done Deal

So I've made my decision. I am the new manager of IK Frej of Sweden. I couldn't resist the lure of getting stuck in right away. It's going to be tough keeping this little club up, especially as it is already spending at the limit of its budget for wages. The board have told me they expect me to keep the club up. I'll my best.

Welcome to Vikingavallen, Täby. Welcome to IK Frej.

IK Frej is clearly a tiny club. It's hard to find out much more than what FM tells you. It's only been operating at this level for a couple of years and it battling to stay there. The club is from the small town of Täby, which is effectively now a suburb to the northeast of the Swedish capital, Stockholm.

Frej's home ground is called Vikingavallen and has a capacity of either 3,000 or 1,250, depending on whether you believe Football Manager or Wikipedia. As you'll see below, it really doesn't look much more than an average Sunday League playing field. In all honesty, I've played at better grounds than that in real life (Southport's Haig Avenue). If I was to take the club much higher, we'd need to either develop the ground or move to a new stadium.

Next up, I'll introduce you to the squad and lay bare exactly what situation the club finds itself in. I'll talk about expectations and what I think I can achieve. Then it will be time to get playing.

If it was me, I'd take the Frej job a challenge that starts straight away.

That was my thinking, and it's what I've gone for.

I agree Frej would be a good challenge from the off.

Great to see another one of your threads in here, good luck wherever you go.

Thank you. I'll give it my best shot.

I like the thought of managing in Greece.

I did, too. I've enjoyed managing Panathinaikos in the past. Veroia are playing a bit higher than I wanted to start, though.

SEASON 2012

Finances

Finances are clearly tight, as you would expect, and we made a small loss last month. However, they're not too worrying and I would argue are generally positive. We're not rich but I wouldn't want to jeopardise what looks like a sustainable club by overspending. Whatever I can achieve, will have to be achieved on a shoestring.

Squad

It's clear that some of the club's struggles this season must be down to injuries and suspensions. It's a small squad and plenty of players are currently out. Judging from the star ratings, there's enough in the squad to do okay at this level. I especially like the look of Bulgarian striker Dragomir Dragonov, who has spent most of his career in Sweden and scored goals at this level before. We'll need him if we're to stay up.

Expectations

Well, the board want me to guide us to safety. Looking at the snippet of the table below, we're not in a desperate situation, but clearly we have a fight on our hands. My personal expectations this season match those of the board. If I can't keep this club up, I'll accept that I wasn't good enough and understand I would deserve the sack.

Good luck with your career , hopefully you don't get any more bad luck at Frej with any more players becoming unavailable.

SEASON 2012 - JULY

This Month's Fixtures

Just the one game in July, but I do enjoy a monthly update. It won't be easy. Luleå are in decent form lying in a respectable 7th place in the table. I don't expect to go away to Luleå and get anything, but at the same time, we do kind of need to. A point would be a well-received.

This Month's Results

Saturday July 28th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Skogsvallen, Luleå

IFK Luleå 2-0 IK Frej

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The first goal we concede under my management came from a free-kick taken near the corner flag by my goalkeeper which landed at the feet of a Luleå player who prompty scored with a first time strike from 50 yards. Unbelievable. Even after they had a man sent-off, they managed to score again as we failed to land any real blows. We also lost yet another player to injury. A terrible start, although I didn't fancy us to win.

att: 809

League Table

What worries me most is just how bad we were. We created absolutely nothing. Very disappointing. It's going to be very hard indeed to keep this team up, especially with all the injuries. The team had gone seven games without a win before my arrival and it's not hard to see why. I'll do my best and keep plugging away, but this could be a short tenure! It's not that we lost our one match this month that bothers me. It's how poor we were. I can't adequately describe it.

SEASON 2012 - AUGUST

This Month's Fixtures

The month kicks off with a game in the Swedish Cup that I could really do without. With injuries and suspensions afflicting the squad, I could do without these type of games. I really want to focus on the league and trying to dig ourselves out of the hole we're in. Our first league match of the month is away to Syrianska who are top of the league and flying. Not expecting much from that. But my eyes are drawn to the matches against Eskilstuna and Vasalund. These games really are six-pointers, if ever I've seen one. Defeat in either game is unthinkable.

This Month's Results

Wednesday August 1st, 2012

Swedish Cup: 1st Round

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 2-0 IF Sylvia - after extra time

The brilliantly-named Sylvia, from the Southern section of the same level as ourselves, were dispatched in the end, in extra time. And in doing so, we have reached the board's aim, which is pleasing. Naturally, given our predicament, I'd swap this for three more league points, but a win is a win and always pleasing. Hopefully we can take this form into the upcoming league fixtures.

att: 227

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BREAKING NEWS - IK Frej, having eased past IF Sylvia in the first round, will face a tough game at home to former champions Halmstad in the second round of the Swedish Cup. Halmstad have fallen on hard times of late but will expect to progress with relative ease at Vikingavallen.

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Saturday August 4th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Swedbank Park, Västerås

Syrianska IF Kerburan 3-0 IK Frej

League leaders Syrianska had little trouble in dispatching my Frej side here. I actually felt that, when in possession, we looked half decent, but there was a gulf in class in terms of creativity in the final third and the better side won on what can only be described as a formality. Two league games in and my record stands at two defeats, five goals conceded and none scored. This is a huge challenge and it's a good job the sides around us haven't picked up much in the last couple of games, either.

att: 923

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Saturday August 11th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 2-2 Eskilstuna City

So we have our first point in the bag from this crucial relegation clash, though in truth, it's a result neither side would have wanted. I really hoped we could win this one but I have to admit that a draw was a fair result. It's nice to have scored a couple of goals but we don't look right at the back. I'm particularly concerned about our right back, David Higgs (he's Swedish, despite his name making him sound like a builder from West Bromwich). He gets skinned too often and dwells on the ball constantly. It might be wise to seek out a replacement now that the transfer window is open.

att: 296

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Sunday August 19th, 2012

Swedish Cup: 2nd Round

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 1-4 Halmstads BK

Halmstad may have fallen far from their heydey chasing a place in Europe and winning Swedish championships, but they are still operating on a level way above our own and simply brushed us aside here. Again, I did feel we were doing okay when we had the ball, but we couldn't get near them when they had it. Our tackling has been a massive disappointment ever since I took over and we never seem to win second balls. Still, I can't be too harsh, especially as I rested on or two players.

att: 312

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Wednesday August 22nd, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 2-0 FC Väsby United

I'm not sure where our first half performance came from! For 45 minutes we were excellent and Väsby had no answer. Two goals in seven minutes gave us a commanding and thoroughly deserved lead. The second half was a different matter, though. I tried to keep us on the front foot but Väsby came onto us and we had to defend stoutly to hold out. I was pleased to finally see us win and defend well, but a bit disappointed we could push on in the second half and ended up hanging on.

att: 359

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Saturday August 25th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Skytteholms IP, Solna, Stockholm

Vasalunds IF 2-2 IK Frej

Another relegation six-pointer ends in a 2-2 draw. We had to battle hard for this point and I suppose it's better than a defeat. I hoped we might have found some momentum after our win over Väsby, but we continue to yield possession too easily and don't do enough to get it back, either. Thankfully, we took our chances and even had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside. But the draw was probably fair in the end.

att: 332

League Table

The points we picked up this month have helped move us two positions clear of the relegation zone, with the final two months of the season to come. However, the bottom five is really bunching up and one defeat could even see us slip from the safety of 10th place right to the foot of the table. It was a mixed month in terms of both results and performance, but if we can finish where we are now, it would feel like a huge achievement.

It's been a long time since I was involved in a relegation battle on Football Manager, probably owing to the type of teams I tend to choose to manage. What's surprising me is how much I'm enjoying it. It's really tough, and the my squad is rubbish, but I'm enjoying the tension of the whole thing. Really hope I can keep them up.

I'm about to embark on a relegation fight myself and looking forward to it. It would be a great achievement to finish outside of the relegation places, good luck dude.

Good luck surviving.

I'm about to embark on a relegation fight myself and looking forward to it. It would be a great achievement to finish outside of the relegation places, good luck dude.

I think what's adding extra spice to this is that I know for certain that I'll be sacked if we go down because it's the lowest tier playable. In reality, I thinking sacking me would be harsh, but there's not much you can do if you're relegated from the lowest league playable. All I can do is try everything in my power to keep us up.

Good luck surviving.

I thank you.

Good luck, dude. Me thinks you might need it.

Good luck dude.

SEASON 2012 - SEPTEMBER

This Month's Fixtures

A relatively tough month sees us taking on some good sides, not least high-flying Akropolis. But the standout fixture is our trip to face Enköping in a game that could have massive consequences in terms of the battle for survival. I wouldn't fancy the side that loses that match to stay up. We need to do everything in our power to consolidate our position outside the relegation zone. It will be a tense September.

This Month's Results

Saturday September 1st, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Studenternas IP, Uppsala

IK Sirius FK 2-2 IK Frej

For 60 minutes, we were the better side and played as well as I've seen us play so far. After a goalless first half in which we looked the more likely to score, we had an eight minute spell early in the second half that saw us go 2-0 up. But I can't deny Sirius their point because, following our second, they launched an onslaught and laid siege to our goal. We just couldn't hold out. It's not a bad away point, but the circumstances left me deflated.

att: 973

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Saturday September 8th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 0-0 Västerås IK

Västerås are much higher up the table than us, but this turned out to be an even game. Frustratingly, we couldn't make anything of the chances that came our way. The point is enough to keep our heads above water, but the sides around us are picking up points, so we need to do more than what we're currently doing. We're not winning matches, but I've not tasted too many defeats yet, either.

att: 325

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Saturday September 15th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Enavallen, Enköping

Enköpings SK 3-1 IK Frej

And so, this crucial match goes comfortably against us, but we played a big part in our own downfall. We were deservedly 2-0 down at the break, having struggled to get a foothold in the game. But we came out after half-time and immediately set about Enköping, eventually pulling a goal back. Imagine my fury when, a minute later, our right-winger Mikael Erstadius gets a second yellow card. Just as a bit of momentum was swinging our way, we went down to ten men. Not long after that, we gave away a daft penalty and perhaps, with that, we may have kissed goodbye to our place in this league. Back into the relegation zone we go.

att: 501

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Saturday September 22nd, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 0-2 Akropolis IF

Desperately needing a win, you don't want to have to face the league leaders, and Akropolis were bang in form. But for 45 minutes, we dominated them. I watched as we created and spurned chance after chance after chance. You couldn't escape the feeling that it would prove costly, and so it did. The second half belonged to Akropolis, who turned on the style and scored two very good goals. This results leaves us second-to-bottom and in real trouble with five games to go.

att: 353

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Saturday September 29th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Jämtkraft Arena, Östersund

Östersunds FK 1-4 IK Frej

Remarkable! I did not see this coming at all. After 14 minutes, it felt like the game was going to form as we got nowhere near Östersund and rightly fell behind. But then it became all about or Bulgarian striker Dragomir Dragonov. This is the lad I mentioned at the start as looking like he could be key. Since then, he has failed to impress me and struggled to get in the team. But, following recent poor results, I decided to throw him back in and he repaid my faith! The result was very harsh on Östersund, who created plenty of chances and had more possession. But we played well and perhaps deserved a bit of luck at last.

att: 858

League Table

Well, we're in a worse position than we were at the end of last month. Back in the relegation zone, we have four games to save our season - and my job! I thought after the Enköping and Akropolis results that we were finished, and I considering early resignation when Östersund took the lead. But then Dragonov took control and suddenly we have something to fight for again. Unfortunately, most of our final four games are against better sides in the league, but we'll give it our best shot. September was largely frustrating, but we're still hanging on in there...

Good luck, dude. Me thinks you might need it.

Thanks man. It's looking like you might be right!

Good luck dude.

Cheers, ears.

SEASON 2012 - OCTOBER

This Month's Fixtures

Staying up comes down to this. Four games to see whether I'm the hero who rode to the rescue to keep the side up, or a flop who must collect his P45 (or whatever happens in Sweden). It's a tough ask: three of the four matches are against sides who go into October in the top four. Only the home match against bottom club Sandvikens offers much hope. But three points alone probably won't be enough. I'm prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best.

This Month's Results

Saturday October 6th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 4-2 Dalkurd FF

A massive, massive win secured over a side on a long unbeaten run, and it was thoroughly deserved. We controlled this game, although our slackness in the back made sure that Dalkurd were never out of it, and I was nervous when they pulled it back to 3-2. But the best team won on the day and, with this result, we have pulled ourselves back out of the relegation zone. Are we going to do it..?

att: 287

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Saturday October 13th, 2012

Swedish First Division

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 5-3 Sandvikens IF

With Sandvikens struggling so badly, this was always a game we simply had to win. And we did. But this was not good for my health! We were great going forward again, but couldn't keep them out at the other end. Nevertheless, I was happy to be going in at half-time at 3-1 up, believing we were doing enough. But then we conceded straight after the break, and soon found ourselves staring at 3-3. Once they equalised, I thought we were more likely to end up losing, but, with Sandvikens pushing forward, we were able to strike twice in stoppage time and claim a crucial win that further increases our chances of staying up.

att: 318

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Our captain trying to do his bit. As stated, one win from two games will guarantee our survival, although it will take less if 12th-placed Vasalund drop points from their last two fixtures. Tense...

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Saturday October 20th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Trängens IP, Örebro

BK Forward 2-0 IK Frej

This was our one away game of the month and, with Forward lying 2nd and in scintillating form, I was prepared to accept this as the one game of the month we could afford to lose. In the end, we were well beaten by a much better side. I couldn't begrudge Forward their victory and, having seen them play such good football, would be pleased to see them go up. As for us, we were left to bite our nails and see what the damage was.

att: 333

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BREAKING NEWS: Results elsewhere mean that IK Frej have stayed up with a game to spare! We've done it! I've done it! Pheee-ew!

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Saturday October 27th, 2012

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 1-1 Syrianska IF Kerburan

Despite the fact we now knew we'd survived, I still wanted us to do a professional job against a very good Syrianska side who'd beaten us comprehensively in my second league game in charge of the club. For Syrianska, this was a big game - they needed a win to try and finish second, which would have set up a play-off against a side from the league above, and possible promotion. You could tell they needed it when they went 4-2-4 as soon as we equalised. Syrianska missed some great chances and had a plausible penalty appeal turned down, while our goal came from a horrible error by their 'keeper. He slid out to claim a standard through ball, appeared to grasp it, suddenly slid past it, and then comical tried to reclaim it, succeeding only in rolling it to Draganov, who just isn't missing at the moment. Despite our luck, I was pleased with how we battled for what counts as a very good result and pleased with our overall performance. The only disappointing thing is that a win would have meant a 9th-placed finish - very respectable. Substitute striker Mikel Söderström missed a golden opportunity to win it right at the end. But I'll take a hard-earned point.

att: 429

League Table

A full season review will come later, so all I will say here is that I'm so pleased and somewhat relieved that we did enough in October. That little run of three wins in a row made all the difference, and we managed to beat some good sides. Got to feel a bit sorry for Vasalund, who go down despite a positive goal difference, but it's points that count! Deep breaths needed all round...

Well done just making it.

Well done just making it.

Cheers.

If it wasn't for that late flurry in the 5-3 win over Sandvikens, I'd have finished level on points with Vasalund and been relegated on goal difference. Talk about tight.

Brilliant stuff, must have been a great relief to stay up with a game to spare. I look forward to seeing what happens next season.

Congrats on surviving,hopefully you can start building up the team.

Brilliant stuff, must have been a great relief to stay up with a game to spare. I look forward to seeing what happens next season.

Certainly thought it might go down to the last day. I hope I can avoid such a tense season next time round.

Congrats on surviving,hopefully you can start building up the team.

I'm not sure I want to build a team here at Frej. I'd like to move on, but you never know. If I develop enough of an affinity...

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May as well. Lots of people are getting sacked but nobody's showing any interest in me. May as well tie myself down for a bit longer.

SEASON 2012 - END OF SEASON REVIEW

SWEDISH FIRST DIVISION NORTH - RESULTS (NB - includes only results since I took over)

SWEDISH FIRST DIVISION NORTH - FINAL STANDINGS

You shouldn't underestimate how tough this league is for IK Frej. The 2011 season was their first at this level, and they finished a respectable 5th. I took over in mid-2102 to find a club struggling to retain its place in its second season in Sweden's third tier. Resources are thin, and I knew I faced a battle. Fortunately, I was able to scrape together enough points to survive.. Just. I actually felt that a number of players showed flashes of quality during my time. I'm surprised they were in such a poor position when I took over. We definitely look better going forward then defending. Perhaps it's an area I need to think about bolstering. Still, the board gave me the remit of keeping the club up and I've done it. I'll take that.

SWEDISH CUP - RESULTS

Again, I achieved what the board asked of us in reaching the Second Round. The extra time win over Sylvia in the First Round was my first win in charge of Frej and came as a surprise - it was thoroughly deserved. We were well beaten in the next round by fallen giants Halmstad. That's a job I'd fancy, actually - restoring Halmstad to former glories.

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END OF SEASON FINANCES

This has to be bug, doesn't it? It's the Swedish third tier, for god sake, and at the end of the season, I get a message telling me we've made a profit of something like £300,000, and that it's mainly from TV revenue!! For a minute I thought about quitting the save. I don't want to feel like I'm cheating. But at the same time, I'm enjoying it and I don't want a bug to spoil that. So I'm going to carry on. In any case, it hasn't translated into any kind of a budget for transfers and wages. Not at all, in fact.

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Key Players

You'll have to forgive me, but I mistakenly didn't take these screenshots until the season changed, so you can't see their stats for the season just gone. But I'll provide the key details here.

12. Dragomir Draganov (Striker; Bulgaria)

Apps: 17 -- Gls: 8 -- Avg Rating: 7.15

Draganov had an interesting season. Prior to my arrival, he was fluttering in and out of a struggling team and not scoring. I immediately identified him as a key player on my arrival, having looked at his history and seen what he has done in the past. However, he made a woeful start on me and found himself dropped. Our struggle for goals meant he earned himself a second chance, and he most definitely took it, including a crucial hat-trick against Sandvikens. Must be one of the best strikers in this league on his day. His late flurry of goals probably kept us up.

24. Ivan Tedengren (Striker; Sweden)

Apps: 21 -- Gls: 7 -- Avg Rating: 6.71

Like Draganov, Tedengren wasn't pulling his weight up front before my arrival. Unlike Draganov, he seemed to spark quickly following my arrival and became a really dangerous-looking striker. I rate Tedengren and expect big things from him next season. His partnership with the Bulgarian could be devastating if they carry on in the same form next season.

14. Mikael Erstadius (MR/ML/AMRL; Sweden)

Apps: 25 -- Gls: 6 -- Avg Rating: 6.91

Erstadius plays on the right wing and proved himself a very useful player. Although he blotted his copybook with a red card in a crucial game, his six goals were a welcome supplement to what my strikers did and I'm sure several opposition full-backs would attest to his being unplayable at times when really on his game.

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Plans For the Future

I don't see myself staying too long at Frej. There's no chance of building them up to be much more than they are, even with the extremely healthy financial situation. It's a small club at the level it's already at, and I anticipate another season of struggle to come. My contract allows for another two season and I'm happy to see those out. I will, however, be on the look out for opportunities to move on and would struggle to turn down an offer that was good enough. One thing I will say is that I do find myself liking this little club, and some of the players appear to have a bit of quality about them. Maybe we can do a little better next time out.

Timeline

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| Season   | Team              | League             | Country   | Pos.   | Cup      | Notes                                       |
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| 2012     | IK Frej           | First Division Nth.| Sweden    | 11th   | 2nd Rd   | Took over mid-season; saved from relegation |

My Managerial Record

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|             | Clubs Managed    | Pld | W  | D  | L  | F   | A  | [b]Pts[/b] | GD |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| M. Kobylko  | 1                | 16  | 5  | 5  | 6  | 26  | 29 | [b]20[/b]  | -3 |

Sadly, this save has had to go on a slight hiatus due to a computer issue. My laptop suddenly lost the ability to start up (something about a corrupted file - my dad's computer has had the same thing happen to it so I wonder if it's been caused by a Microsoft update or something) and I stupidly didn't back the save up. If the computer can be revived without losing the data, this will be back!

Board Expectations

Swedish First Division North: "Stay clear of relegation".

Swedish Cup: not set yet

My Expectations

Swedish First Division North: The board have asked us to achieve the minimum that doesn't see us relegated, and I'd be thrilled with that. Realistically, I think relegation is a big possibility. A season of struggle lies ahead. I'll settle for anything that keeps us up.

Swedish Cup: Doesn't start for a while, but I won't be too bothered when it does.

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Transfers

The players who left the club barely warrant a mention as they weren't much involved last season. The exception would be David Higgs, our right-back who I thought looked well out of his depth even at this level. The biggest losses are not on that list. Trimi Makolli and Robin Palacios were midfielders on loan from clubs much higher up the pyramid who did well, but weren't interested in another season on loan at little Frej. I have failed to replace them with similar quality.

Players In:

Alexander Jansson (ML/AML; Sweden) - FREE

Finding quality at this level is tough and Jansson doesn't look much of a player. But he adds a bit of much needed depth. Looks more like a back-up option than anything else.

Alexander Alan (Striker; Sweden) - FREE

Alan isn't rated by my assistant, but I wanted a back-up striker and he impressed me against us last season while playing for Enköping. At 27, I'm surprised they chose to release him.

Sebastian Lindgren (MC/DM; Sweden) - FREE

Another back-up midfield option, I'm just taking a punt on Lindgren. Looked a load of rubbish in pre-season.

Daniel Sundgren (MR/AMR; Sweden) - LOAN (AIK)

Young winger Sundgren signs on loan from top flight side AIK and, on paper, should looks one of our better players. I'm not totally convinced, though. Hope he has a little touch of quality.

Robin Larsen (DR; Sweden) - LOAN (Eskilstuna City)

A right-back was an essential signing. Larsen comes in on loan from Eskilstuna, who play in our league. Nothing special but looks like he could do a job. Needs a chance somewhere.

Mattias Floren (DC; Sweden) - FREE

Teenage centre-back Floren will act as a cover for my more experienced defenders. I will see if there's anything there that can be developed.

Fabian Sequeira (MC/AMC; Sweden) - LOAN (Akropolis)

At 29, Sequeira has a bit of experience to offer in the middle of the park. Another player who doesn't blow me away, but one I really need to perform.

Overall, I'm worried about our business. I managed to get rid of some dead wood, but I'm hardly satisfied with what I've brought in. There wasn't any money to spend, so I've just taken a punt on a selection of journeyman and youngsters in need of a chance. I foresee a tough season.

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Pre-Season Results

Pre-season was a modest success. We beat all the teams from below ourselves, as I believed we really needed to. Top flight side Gefle made short work of us, but we worked hard and didn't let ourselves down. The defeat to Sylvia, who play in a different section of the same level as us, was frustrating and doesn't bode too well. But against the more meagre opposition, we looked to have an eye for goal and for taking advantage. Whether I can read anything into this remains to be seen.

Good first job and I especially love your presentation style. Good stuff mate.

Good to see this back up and running, a decent pre-season back to back wins can only be good for morale heading into the season.

SEASON 2013 - APRIL

This Month's Fixtures

Despite going into the season feeling apprehensive and lacking belief in my squad, April nevertheless offers us two games that I think we can win. We begin with a trip to Piteå who are newly-promoted to the league. We follow that up with a home fixture against Östersund, who struggled last season and are certainly beatable. Four points would represent a strong return for the opening month.

This Month's Results

Saturday April 20th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

LF Arena, Piteå

Piteå IF 0-1 IK Frej

What I liked about our opening fixture was that we looked like the side who'd been in the division longer. It was very satisfying to watch us dominate a young side who clearly need time to adjust to the step up. At 0-0, Piteå did create the odd decent chance and my goalkeeper Marco Atanackovic made some good saves, but we dominated possession throughout and once we scored, any belief seems to drain away from Piteå and we should have won by more. It's nice to see Draganov getting on the scoresheet so soon. His form will be so important this season.

att: 368

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Saturday April 27th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 2-0 Östersunds FK

The only downside to our superb start to the season is that we're picking up injuries. Our small squad can ill afford to lose players like this. But as for the match itself, I couldn't believe how in control we were. I doubt I'll have many easier wins managing Frej. We were in total control throughout, our passing was crisp and accurate and both strikers got in amongst the goals, which is great. A very positive start!

att: 345

League Table

Take a long hard look at that table, because it will probably be the last time you ever see Frej anywhere near second place under my management! Two wins and no goals conceded make it a perfect start. We've played some really nice stuff and deserved both our wins. The only downside is that players are already succumbing to injuries, which I don't need. Next up, a trip to face Dalkurd in an early-season table-topping clash.

Good first job and I especially love your presentation style. Good stuff mate.

Thanks, mate. The presentation style is a conglomoration of various things I've seen in other people's threads over the years. I'm entirely derivative!

Good to see this back up and running, a decent pre-season back to back wins can only be good for morale heading into the season.

Yep, we booted my computer with Ubuntu, rescued the data, then rolled my machine back to factory-fresh settings. It's like having a new computer. I'm just glad this save is..er.. saved.

SEASON 2013 - MAY

This Month's Fixtures

I make no bones about it, this will be a tough month. First up is Dalkurd, with a one hundred percent record and going very strong. Away from home, I'd have to consider a point to be a very good result. The three remaining sides we face during May are all capable of beating us and I would predict at least one of them will be involved in the upper reaches of the table come October time. If we're still in the top half at the end of the month, we'll be doing okay.

This Month's Results

Saturday May 4th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Domnarvsvallen, Borlänge

Dalkurd FF 1-0 IK Frej

For much of the game, we lived with Dalkurd, but it would be churlish not to admit that the better side won. We had one or two chances we probably should have taken, but Dalkurd are in form and they controlled much of the possession. Our first dropped points of the season nevertheless left me with things to feel positive about. I'm sure Dalkurd would admit that they were made to work very hard for their win.

att: 332

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Saturday May 11th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 2-0 IK Sirius FK

We're doing well on our own patch at the moment. I believe Sirius will end up having a good season, but they weren't really in this match. It was all about us and, in truth, it wouldn't have flattered us had we won by three or four. An early first club goal for Alexander Alan and a late strike from substitute Mikei Söderström meant that it was my back-up strikers who did the business for us on this occasion. Back up to 2nd we go!

att: 444

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Saturday May 18th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Tunavallen, Eskilstuna

Eskilstuna City FK 1-0 IK Frej

Despite both sides' lofty league positions, this was being painted as a crucial relegation clash. Both sides struggled last season, and it would not be a surprise to see both struggle again. For us, I was left with a feeling of great frustration. Eskilstuna passed the ball much better and won the fifty-fifties. Despite their overall dominance, we mostly contained their attacks and it was deeply frustrating that, when one or two really good chances came our way towards the end, we couldn't take them for a decent-looking away point. We're not conceding many or being played off the park, and I shouldn't be too critical given how tough this league is for us, but we could have taken something from here, even if perhaps we might not have deserved to.

att: 453

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Saturday May 25th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Swedbank Park, Västerås

IK Frej 2-2 Västerås SK FK

It's always deflating when things work out like this. We got ourselves 2-0 up and could scarcely have deserved it more. Västerås were nowhere. It was such a shame when Sebastian Jurell, my attacking midfielder, turned the ball into his own net to get them back into it. His all-round performance was superb, and there was nothing he could do as the ball came back off a post. That seemed to spur Västerås on and they ended up equalising and the spoils were shared. Every point is welcome because we are simply trying to stay afloat in this league, but we really should have come away with all three from this.

att: 404

League Table

If we finish where we are now, I'll be doing somersaults. Although we only won once during May, I still feel that we're doing okay. We look like we have goals in us and, for the most part, we've been defending quite well. I don't want us to make a habit of throwing away two-goal leads, though. But I can really fault how hard the players are working and, for now, things are going well.

Not a bad position to be in, pretty sure you're going to improve on last season.

Not a bad position to be in, pretty sure you're going to improve on last season.

It's hard to know at this stage. I think we're more likely to go on a poor run than we are to string a load of wins together.

SEASON 2013 - JUNE

This Month's Fixtures

The month begins with two away games, and then a run of three games at home. If we can take at least two points from those away matches, it will give us a decent enough platform to go into the home ones with. First up is a match against Forward, an in-form team who just missed out on promotion last season. The rest of the sides we face are all struggling early on. This month has the potential to tell me where we are in terms of what we're going to be able to do this season.

This Month's Results

Saturday June 1st, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Trängens IP, Örebro

BK Forward 2-4 IK Frej

I honestly couldn't believe my eyes at this. We went into this game having lost our last two away games without scoring. And yet here we were, three goals up before HT! Dragomir Draganov was in devastating form, bagging himself a first-half hat-trick. It set the nerves jangling when Forward got one back in the very first minute of the second half, but once we went 4-1 up, I knew we'd see it through. It didn't matter too much when Forward pulled one back again. Arguably the best Frej performance under my management. Marvelous.

att: 300

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Saturday June 8th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Midgårdsvallen, Märsta, Stockholm

Valsta Syrianska IK 1-5 IK Frej

Valsta Syrianska (if you click the link, the lower case "s" at the start of "Syrianska" is a typo by SI) are newly-promoted and could be said to have made a decent enough start, lying above the relegation zone. But they were absolutely demolished on their own patch by us today. The first half was relatively even. We probably just edged it and deserved to go in 1-0 up. I anticipated a tight second half, but I hadn't reckoned on Dragomir Draganov bagging his second hat-trick in a row. When he's in the mood, he's unstoppable in this league and Valsta were simply ripped to shreds. A sensational away win.

att: 501

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Saturday June 15th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 3-2 Umeå FC

I didn't expect this to be a straightforward game. Umeå are in terrible form, but they were also playing a division above this one last season, and I expect will sort themselves out eventually. I was actually a bit worried today could be the day they start to get back on track. But they were second best for long periods as we eased into a 3-0 lead. I was purring at the thought of another comfortable win, so it was a tad disconcerting and disappointing when they grabbed two goals in the last ten minutes, which took a bit of the gloss off. Still, I doubt we'd have won this game last season, so it still has to count as progress.

att: 397

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My back-up right-wing loan signing Daniel Sundgren returned to his parent club after the Umeå match. He was just a short-term loan and, with the transfer window shut, it was impossible to renew, apparently. But my scout managed to find the unattached Robin Bornehav who he seems convinced would be a good player for us. I need another option on the wings and Bornehav should fit the bill.

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Saturday June 22nd, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 2-1 IFK Luleå

Luleå have made a dreadful start and have been leaking goals like sieve. But they won their last match 4-1 and must have discovered a bit of confidence because this was the first game in a while in which we were truly tested. Indeed, we probably didn't deserve to win. Luleå took the lead in the second minute and we spent much of the rest of half looking like we wouldn't know how to break them down. Meanwhile, their breaks always looked dangerous. Draganov's goals just before half-time was a huge relief, and I found myself thinking that a draw would actually turn out to be a decent result from a fairly shabby performance. We got lucky in the second half when Luleå's keeper abandoned his station to make a clearance over on the far flank. His attempt was, unfortunately for him, directed straight at our central midfielder Sebastian Jurell, who launched a first time volley at goal. It was a sublime piece of improvisation, but it was also a gift. From then on, we just about kept them at bay. If Luleå play like this for the rest of the season, they'll be fine. As for us, this win sends us top of the league. Astonishing.

att: 400

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Saturday June 29th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Vikingavallen, Täby, Stockholm

IK Frej 0-0 Nyköpings BIS

Perhaps we're just starting to lose a little of the momentum we built up, because we were not great against Luleå in our last match, and we were insipid here today. Nyköping are another newly-promoted side, and have made arguably the best start of the three sides to come up, but they're still well down the table. Perhaps I'm being harsh, having watched us make such an unexpectedly good start. Maybe I've gotten a bit carried away and should realise that a point against Nyköping is fine for a club like Frej. Maybe. I just didn't like watching us be second-best on our own patch. Because we were second best today. Still, it was nice to get our first clean sheet in a while, at least.

att: 388

League Table

There's no getting away from it. That was a ridiculously good month. We even topped the league at one point, albeit briefly. To lie in third place at this stage is a superb achievement. We're already edging towards the goal of safety. A poor run of form can come at any time, but these points we already have will serve us well in making sure we stay up. If we can keep adding to them here and there, it's hard to believe we won't be fine. And just a word on Dragomir Draganov - the Bulgarian striker has been on fire and is doing everything I hoped he would. Ivan Tedengren is also playing a fine role as his foil. Let's hope we can keep this good run going.

Got a big gap from relegation after a great month. Not confident of challenging for promotion?

Could I be on the move?

It's not that long ago that Hammarby were winning the Swedish title. They now find themselves struggling in the second tier. It would be a fantastic job to get at this stage of my career. Let's see what happens.

Got a big gap from relegation after a great month. Not confident of challenging for promotion?

Assuming I stay, my entire focus is on staying up. We're a long way from promotion material as far as I'm concerned. By strongest starting eleven is made up entirely of players who were with us last season, when we finished one place above the relegation zone.

They couldn't do it fast enough, it seems...

Now I have a decision to make...

(Interesting that my own board didn't even get their knickers in a twist. Perhaps they understand me on this?)

It's a step up I'm pretty surd I'd accept it.

It's a step up I'm pretty surd I'd accept it.

I'm 99% certain I'll take it. The only slight doubt is that I wanted to see what I could do with a whole season at Frej. But, you know, I suppose that's not that important.

Decision Made

Full introduction to follow...

SEASON 2013 - JULY

Before posting a full introduction to my new club, here's a quick update detailing the final match of my IK Frej career.

Saturday July 6th, 2013

Swedish First Division North

Swedbank Park, Västerås

Syrianska IF Kerburan 1-1 IK Frej

I had no idea I was about to apply for another job when this match rolled around was therefore as heavily involved as you would expect. Syrianska are one of the strongest teams in the division and were top of the league for much of last season. They have made a terrible start to this season but a couple of good results had gotten their confidence going and they took a very quick lead here. They played a brand of passing football that we struggled to contain and I quickly gave up any hope of trying to control the match. My solution was to get in their faces and be more physical. While that resulted in a red card in the second half, it also helped get us an equaliser and the gutsiness of the performance was encouraging. Syrianska would no doubt feel they should have won, but we clung on. It's a measure of our steady progress that we lost this fixture 3-0 last season with eleven men on the pitch for 90 minutes.

att: 915

League Table - Snapshot

Looking at the situation, it's clear that I'm leaving Frej in a vastly improved position on where I found them. We're just ten days shy of my first anniversary in charge, but, quite simply, a better job has come along. Hammarby have a top-flight pedigree, even if they're nowhere near that right now. I can look forward to home gates of around 7,000 instead of 300. But I've enjoyed my short spell at Frej and I hope the new manager can maintain an unlikely play-off push.

A Fresh Challenge

When I saw that the Hammarby job had arisen, I applied immediately. It took very little time for them to make me an offer. I enjoyed my time at Frej, but it was never intended to be a long term position. Not for me, anyway. Similarly, while I do want to try and get Hammarby back to where I think they should be, it's really just a platform to better things.

Welcome to Tele2 Arena, Stockholm. Welcome to Hammarby Fotboll.

Hammarby is a genuine full-time football club with a history they should be proud of. They've played plenty of top-flight football and were the Swedish champions as recently as 2001. They were in the Swedish Cup final in 2010, which they lost. It's up to me to try and restore a bit of pride to a club that's fallen on hard times, and out of the top flight.

In a mostly affluent city, the club is based at the Tele2 Arena in Johanneshov, a relatively gritty area of the capital just to the south of the city centre. I certainly haven't moved far! The Tele2 Arena is a brand new stadium and is shared with arch rivals Djurgårdens IF. (In real life, they haven't even moved in yet). Wikipedia says that the capacity is to be 30,000 for football, and the game agrees. Given that we average less than 10,000, I doubt the atmosphere will be much to write home about in this place.

Next up, an introduction to my squad, finances and a look at the league table to see what the situation is. Then we get playing.

SEASON 2013

Finances

The finances are a bit of a mess really. I don't know if this explains why the club has been sliding backwards. Still, they're not too bad. Evidently the club does make a profit from time to time. The budget I've been given is decent and it appears that, if I had come in during the close-season, I'd have gotten a very healthy budget to work with indeed.

Squad

The squad is way too big. It's much bigger than I like to work with, and I will be looking to address this. Given the parlous financial state the club is in, I really don't think we can afford to carry so many players. It looks as if we have a core of decent players, and plenty of guff as well. There's work to be done here.

Expectation

The board want us to finish in midtable. Looking at the table below, that doesn't seem unachievable. A good run of results could even propel us towards the play-off positions. But I shouldn't get carried away. We're also not far off the relegation zone. Relegation would be unthinkable for this club. I really feel that I can achieve the board's aim. I almost never find myself expecting to do better than what the board require, and I won't be doing that here, either. Let's just give it a go and see if we can't improve things a bit.

Stop... Hammar-by time!

Stop... Hammar-by time!

Thank you for your contribution..

Mid-table should be achievable, obviously it's about getting as high as possible then looking to hopefully challenge for promotion next season.

Mid-table should be achievable, obviously it's about getting as high as possible then looking to hopefully challenge for promotion next season.

Such is my negativity, the only thing I ever really strive to do is avoid the sack!