And now for something completely different - toiling in Eastern Europe and Beyond

Evening all.

After succumbing to buying FM13 before Christmas, I've decided I'm going to play a completely different type of career this time around. I've always had a bit of a phobia of playing FM at an Eastern European side, largely because of the length of the winter breaks, but like any phobia the best way to beat it is to immerse myself in it! I've seen a few interesting looking careers in Ukraine and Russia on here already which have given me inspiration, but I'm going to try somewhere a little different and start in Poland. The lack of money at the start appeals to me, but unlike my previous careers in smaller leagues, I'm quite hopeful Poland will give me the longevity I need to make this a long and interesting career, but if I feel the need to move on then I'll try and stick in the region.

Thanks to my job it's a league I know a little bit about, so I've been itching to get going on this career. Firstly though before I reveal my club, the details:

FM13.1.3 with no edits

Leagues loaded from Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine (to lowest in game options)

Large database, 40,000 players

As far as ambitions are concerned, I've got to aim as high as I can and say I want to make my new club the biggest side in Europe, let alone Poland. Whether I can achieve that or not is another matter, but you have to try! Right then, onwards and upwards - club details to follow shortly.

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Klub Sportowy Lechia Gdańsk Spółka Akcyjna

(with thanks to Wikipedia)

Lechia Gdańsk is a Polish football club based in Gdańsk, Poland. The club's name comes from Lechia, a poetic name for Poland. The club was founded by people expelled from Lwów, who were supporters of Lechia Lwów. The club won their only major trophies in the 1980s, winning a Cup of Poland & a Super Cup, and taking part in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup. In May 2008 the club was promoted again to the Polish top division. Despite the club being founded in 1945, Lechia have never been champions of Poland. Their best ever finish was in 1956, when the club finished in 3rd place. The club's biggest rivals are second tier Arka Gdynia, whose home is 20km to the north of Gdańsk.

However, what the club lacks in trophies, it certainly makes up for in infrastructure. The home of Lechia is the 43,615 capacity PGE Arena, which was built for the European Championships of 2012.

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A ground like that is just begging to be filled, but before that I'll have to overthrow Legia Warsaw, Wisła Kraków, Lech Poznań and more. Looks to be a decent challenge, similar to my FM05 game where I overthrew the Old Firm with Hibs.

In a change from my normal games, I'm not going to start with a Sunday League Footballer reputation as I'd probably get sacked straight away! Having said that, this is Poland so a sacking is ALWAYS just around the corner, so who knows? Instead of that, please meet journeyman Italian midfielder Alessandro Albertini, a 32 year old whose playing career never took him higher than the Italian third tier. His first management job has come in the city of his mother's birth.

Good luck with this, from my very limited knowledge of Poland i don't think they are a bad side, certainly an impressive stadium!

Good luck with this, from my very limited knowledge of Poland i don't think they are a bad side, certainly an impressive stadium!

Cheers fella. Yeah, the ground is immense, and this season they've been pretty good, certainly away from home. They aren't really what you'd call a 'big' club though, which is why they appeal to me.

Looks like they have good potential.

Looks like they have good potential.

Very much so. I'm hoping I can get cracking at some point tomorrow, so hopefully my first update will come tomorrow night.

Friendlies

My squad's not the biggest, so despite the 6 weeks before the start of the new season I decided I'd only play 5 friendlies. Most of them were games that were already in place, although I did have to move a couple which were a little close together.

Lechia Gdansk 4-1 Bałtyk Gdynia

A decent display in my first friendly, although it should be against a semi-professional side. Goals from Pietrowski, Surma and De Zerbi (2) ensured things started off with a win.

Lechia Gdansk 0-0 Cartusia Kartuzy

I tweaked things a little for this one so we could see a bit more of the ball, but sadly we barely had a shot on goal. Still, solid defensively at least.

Olimpia Elbląg 1-1 Lechia Gdansk

Again, another tweak, but still a bit of a struggle. A poor goal conceded from a corner, but De Zerbi levelled with a thunderous free-kick. This was another side we should have hammered though, which was a tad concerning.

Lechia Gdansk 2-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv

A first game against a side bigger than us, and a much better display. Young striker Antonin Fantis and Pietrowski with the goals.

Lechia Gdansk 4-0 Atlético Baleares

A great way to end pre-season. Things are beginning to click, and De Zerbi looks like he'll be my main main. He scored another, while Fantis got two more and defender Sebastian Madera nodded home a late corner for the icing on the cake.

I also brought in veteran Italian midfielder Christiano Zanetti, who gives us extra numbers in midfield. Sadly, in his first training session he injured both my keeper and winger Ricardinho, so he'll have to settle down a little! Still, he should be a good addition in Poland.

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Great start, nice little signing with Zanetti. Shame he went mad in training!

August 2012

Górnik Zabrze 2-3 Lechia Gdansk

A magnificent first half, and an awful 2nd, but points in the bag in our first game. Sebastian Madera scored after just three minutes, drilling home from a corner, before Machaj made it two on a fantastic counter. De Zerbi made it three before the break, firing home from 10 yards. In the second half, Gornik rallied and by the 90th minute we were clinging on, but a win is a win.

Lechia Gdansk 3-0 GKS Bełchatów

A much better all-round display against the real-life bottom club. Machaj again on the score sheet, he smashed home an early cross, before we settled back a little for the rest of the half. A few choice words at the break worked a treat, with Piotr Grzelczak tapping home from a great move just into the second half. A late counter attack saw another goal for De Zerbi.

Pogoń Szczecin 2-1 Lechia Gdansk

We were dreadful, quite frankly. The first half Pogon over-ran us, but we somehow went in level. In the second, they scored with 20 minutes to go, and so I changed our system to 2 up front. We grabbed a lucky equaliser through Andreu, but in the end we couldn’t hold out for a point.

Zagłębie Lubin 2-1 Lechia Gdansk

The honeymoon period is over, and we were dire again. We’ve suffered an injury to our right back, and it looks as though his stand in is simply not up to the job. Hopelessly exposed, we continuously got caught out. Grzelczak got our goal, but we deserved the defeat.

Lechia Gdansk 2-0 Piast Gliwice

A home game brought us another three points, and again De Zerbi was key. He created the first for defender Jaroslaw Bienuik, before smashing home himself in the second half to seal the points.

All in all, a decent start to life in Gdansk.

Great start, nice little signing with Zanetti. Shame he went mad in training!

Yeah, I was delighted to get him.... but not so pleased with his first couple of days!

Weirdly the other day i was wondering where Grzegorz Rasiak was playing if at all these days? It is the one who played in England right? would it be possible to see a screenshot of his stats?

Weirdly the other day i was wondering where Grzegorz Rasiak was playing if at all these days? It is the one who played in England right? would it be possible to see a screenshot of his stats?

Yep, that's him fella.

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September 2012

Lechia Gdansk 2-1 Widzew Lodz

A decent win at home, although not the best performance. Sebastia Madera scored at both ends (the OG a ridiculous gaffe) and Piotr Grzelczak scored the decisive goal against his former club.

Polonia Warsaw 2-1 Lechia Gdansk

A disappointing display against the league leaders as our poor away form continues. Polonia were much the better side for 90 minutes, and despite us pulling a goal back 10min from time through Petrowski, we were never going to do enough for a point.

(Polish Cup) Bogdanka 0-2 Lechia Gdansk

A good win against the lower league side, and despite playing for an hour with 10 men, we were dominant throughout. Goals from Madera and Grzelczak.

Slask Wroclaw 0-2 Lechia Gdansk

Without doubt the best performance of my short spell at the club, a comfortable win at the home of the champions. Piotr Grzelczak with a brace, and he was unlucky not to have more.

October 2012

Lechia Gdansk 1-3 Jagiellonia

An absolute disgrace of a performance sees the end of our unbeaten home record. We simply can’t put two league wins together. Dreadful, and even our goal was an OG in stoppage time. Awful.

Lechia Gdansk 1-0 Korona Kielce

A fairly average performance, but our consistent inconsistency continues. Ricardinho with his first goal for the club, but we should have had at least a couple more.

Wisła Kraków 2-2 Lechia Gdansk

Another good performance away from home, but if not for a missed penalty we would have won this game too. An OG and another from Grzelczak at least gave us a point against one of Poland’s biggest clubs.

(Polish Cup) Okocimski 0-2 Lechia Gdansk

Another good performance in the cup ensures we avoid the banana skin and safely progress to the quarter final. The first 2 goals for big-money signing Antonin Fantis were the difference, although we did suffer a couple of injuries, including Łukasz Surma for the rest of the Autumn round.

November and December 2012

Lechia Gdansk 3-2 Ruch Chorzów

Not a great performance, but enough for the points. Grzelczak, Petrowski and an OG ensured we got the points, although we were quite suspect defensively.

Lechia Gdansk 1-1 Podbeskidzie

An incredibly wasteful display, and we were punished in stoppage time for our profligacy. Grzelczak again on the score sheet, but we should have had four or five. Really disappointing, as a victory would have seen us move up to third in the table.

Legia Warsaw 2-2 Lechia Gdansk

A similar result to the last game, but a very different feeling after grabbing a point against the title favourites. Zanetti and Petrowski with our goals, but we were clinging on by our finger-tips by full time.

Lechia Gdansk 2-0 Lech Poznan

A great way to go into the winter break (the REALLY long winter break, at that) and a thoroughly deserved win. An OG and a first goal for young striker Adam Duda ensured that we’d go into the break unbeaten in 6, and in 4th place in the Ekstraklasa.

Just noticed that the winter break is actually a month longer on the game than it is in real life. Fingers crossed when this gets sorted it's save compatible, as my second half of the season is absolutely ridiculous! A game every three days without fail from April through to the conclusion in June. Have a look at this:

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Nightmare!

Hope if doesn't cause too many problems. I'd have said that the break looks reasonable for Poland but don't know what it's supposed to be.

Hope if doesn't cause too many problems. I'd have said that the break looks reasonable for Poland but don't know what it's supposed to be.

In real life, the league starts up on 22nd Feb, not 20th March. Basically, in real life there isn't a single league game that needs to be played midweek, which is reserved for cup competitions, so it's very different to how it currently is in the game. It worries me that in later years if I succeed and do well in Europe I could be playing every 2 days or something. It's at least been reported, so hopefully SI come up with a workable resolution.

As a Lech fan I can't be happy with your choice of the club, but I'll still be following this. Good luck.

As a Lech fan I can't be happy with your choice of the club, but I'll still be following this. Good luck.

Heh, cheers fella. It could be worse though, I could be Legia!

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Mid season report 2012/13

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It's been an enjoyable first few months in Poland, and although I'm not getting ahead of myself, being up in 4th place at the half way point is a pretty decent place to be. There have been a couple of disappointing results (the thrashing at home against Jagiellonia in particular was dismal) but we're in with a shout of a Europa League spot if we can keep this up. Most of my signings have settled in pretty well, although the lack of goals for Antonin Fantis is a little concerning. Having said that, I've not signed him for this season really despite the heavy outlay, so I'm sure he'll come good eventually.

In this transfer window I've looked to address my weakest areas, which are at right back and on the left wing, and thankfully the board made a bit more money available when January came around. Coming in for £100,000 from Ruch Chorzów was full back Igor Lewczuk, which will allow me to move young defender Rafał Janicki into centre-half, and Piotr Ćwielong came in for £35,000 from Śląsk Wrocław.

I've made both Grzegorz Rasiak and Deleu available for transfer, while veteran midfielder Paweł Nowak's contract expired, so he was allowed to leave as well. I'm quite hopeful that I'm now stronger than I was at the start of the window, so hopefully we can push on in the second half of the season.

Right, back to a few friendlies in this mammoth winter break, and I'll hopefully be back with an update after work this evening.

Good first half to the season, i'm having the same problem with the Bulgarian winter break. The 2nd half of the season is 2 matches a week for 3/4 months, completely ruins the team.

Good first half to the season, i'm having the same problem with the Bulgarian winter break. The 2nd half of the season is 2 matches a week for 3/4 months, completely ruins the team.

Yeah, it looks a bit mental. I'm looking forward to SI's work-around.

Rather than write the details of my irrelevant winter friendlies, I just thought I'd leave this here...

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Made a good start to the season,hopefully the incoming fixture pile up doesn't mess you up too much.

Made a good start to the season,hopefully the incoming fixture pile up doesn't mess you up too much.

Fingers crossed. I can see me having to integrate a few of my youth team into the first team squad though in the coming weeks and months.

March 2013

(Polish Cup QF 1st Leg) Lechia Gdansk 1-0 Zagłębie Lubin

An incredibly tight first leg, but Antonin Fantis' late goal was enough to give us a really slender lead for the second leg.

(Polish Cup QF 2nd Leg) Zagłębie Lubin 2-4 Lechia Gdansk

A completely different type of game, and absolutely any score was possible by full time. We took the lead early on through Pietrowski, only to be pegged back pretty much straight away. Ricardinho put us back in front after an hour, striding in to the area and smashing home from 12 yards, and again we conceded straight after. Young striker Duda then put us back in front on the counter attack, before a late De Zerbi free kick ensured we'd progress into the semi finals.

GKS Bełchatów 0-1 Lechia Gdansk

A really tight affair as the league resumed, but Piotr Cwielong grabbed the winner on his first start for the club. It was only our third away win in the league this season, and it theoretically keeps us in the title picture. Very unlikely, but you never know…

Lechia Gdansk 3-1 Pogoń Szczecin

A brilliant first half largely inspired by Cwielong ensured our unbeaten run continued. He made the first for De Zerbi, before Surma scored a screamer from 30 yards. Grzelczak scored his 10th of the season just before the break, and the points were in the bag. The second half was a little disappointing, but the points are what matter.

Good start to the spring ahead of the pileup.

April 2013 (1 of 2)

Because I’m playing so many games in April (NINE in total, including 4 in a week) I’ve split this month’s update in two.

Lechia Gdansk 1-0 Górnik Zabrze

A really tired display against Górnik, but we ultimately did enough to take the points and move within 7 points of leaders Korona. Once again it was De Zerbi who made the difference, finding space in the area and drilling home from 10 yards. He’s going to be tough to replace when his contract expires, but that’s not for 18 months yet.

Widzew Łódź 1-3 Lechia Gdansk

The perfect start to the Spring round continues, but we had to do this the hard way after falling behind early on. Sebastian Madera celebrated signing a new contract with the equaliser against his old club, before De Zerbi curled home a peach of a free kick. Pietrowski sealed things late on, following up after their keeper blocked Zanetti’s long range effort. We did however lose Grzelczak to injury, but that should only be a week or so (or two matches).

Piast Gliwice 1-0 Lechia Gdansk

All good things must come to an end, but what was most obvious here is just how much Grzelczak leads the line for us as a target man. Young Duda came in as he is a similar player, but he had very little joy, so I might have to reconsider while our main number 9 is injured.

Lechia Gdansk 1-0 Zagłębie Lubin

A really tired performance again, but we did just about enough to get the win. The only goal was scored by on-loan midfielder Dalibor Stevanovic.

Lechia Gdansk 3-2 Polonia Warszawa

Despite us being the home side here, Polonia dominated possession yet couldn’t take advantage. Paweł Wszołek (who I’m a big fan of in real life) tore us to pieces on the right hand side, yet a double from De Zerbi and one from the returning Grzelczak ensured we moved 9 points clear of 4th placed Polonia.

April 2013 (2 of 2)

Jagiellonia Białystok 2-2 Lechia Gdansk

This was nothing but a robbery on our part! The hosts were on top for most of the game, but we came from behind twice to pick up a valuable point. Piotr Ćwielong grabbed the first equaliser on a lightning-quick counter, before Adam Duda poked home our second. We looked a little shaky at the back though as our right back Igor Lewczuk was missing with a knock from the Polonia game. Time for a little tweak until he’s back…

(Polish Cup SF 1st leg) Lechia Gdansk 2-3 Lech Poznan

Just two days after the league game at Jagiellonia, we were in action in the cup against one of our biggest rivals. (It gets worse, the second leg is on Wednesday, meaning we play Saturday/ Monday/ Wednesday/ Saturday this week! Please sort it out soon SI) I had to make 6 changes for the game and it really showed, defensively we were a shambles. Grzelczak and Duda have at least given us hope, but it’ll be tough…

(Polish Cup SF 2nd leg) Lech Poznan 1-1 Lechia Gdansk (4-3 on aggregate)

So it wasn’t to be. Despite a valiant effort, we’ve fallen at the final hurdle, and at the hands of one of our biggest rivals too. Grzelczak again with the goal, but despite throwing numbers forward at the end (I was playing with 4 strikers by the whistle!) we have to settle for making the semis.

Korona Kielce 4-1 Lechia Gdansk

A dismal way to end the month, we were totally outclassed by the leaders and probable champions Korona, although things were pretty even until Grzelczak’s red card. We also had three players pick up knocks in the game and finished with 9 men after I’d already made changes. That defeat ends any faint hopes I had of the title, too. Grzelczak got our only goal, his 14th of the season.

May 2013 (1 of 2)

Lechia Gdansk 1-0 Śląsk Wrocław

A much improved performance, and having a week between games meant the squad had their first little break of the Spring round. Adam Duda was the difference here, he slotted home after great work from De Zerbi.

Lechia Gdansk 4-1 Wisła Kraków

A really good all-round performance. We simply ripped Wisła to pieces, with Piotr Ćwielong, De Zerbi, Grzelczak and Ricardinho grabbing the goals.

Podbeskidzie 2-2 Lechia Gdansk

After a dreadful first half, I lost my rag at the break and told the players they were a disgrace. Luckily, they responded brilliantly and fought back to 2-2 after being 2-0 down. Grzelczak and Ricardinho with the goals.

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May 2013 (2 of 2)

Lechia Gdansk 1-1 Legia Warszawa

This was 2nd against 3rd, not to mention the fact it was a game against one of the club’s biggest rivals. Legia dominated the first half and deservedly took the lead just before the break. The second half was much more even, and we took control after about an hour. Cristiano Zanetti grabbed the leveller 5 minutes before full-time, and we should have won it in stoppage time only to be denied by a dodgy offside flag.

Ruch Chorzów 1-2 Lechia Gdansk

This was a back-and-forth game, although all 3 goals were scored in the final 10 minutes. Ruch took the lead after a woeful pass back, only for Machaj to level instantly. Machaj won it in stoppage time after another quick counter from a Ruch corner, rounding the keeper and rolling the ball home.

Lech Poznań 1-3 Lechia Gdansk

The season was to finish then against our biggest rivals, so despite the fact we had very little to play for (2nd and 3rd carries exactly the same entry into the Europa League- both places mean a spot in the Second Qualifying Round) I had my team riled up and ready to go. Or so I thought! In the first half we had a shocker, we could barely put two passes together and found ourselves behind early on. It took an aggressive team talk to turn things around, and two Grzelczak goals plus one late in for Pietrowski ensured a degree of revenge for the cup semi defeat.

Below is the final table:

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Klub Sportowy Lechia Gdańsk Spółka Akcyjna: Season Summary 2012/13

League

Media prediction: 8th

Finished: 2nd (qualified for Europa League)

Cups

Puchar Polski: Semi finalists (Cup winners: Ruch Chorzów)

Top scorers

Piotr Grzelczak: 33 apps (30 starts) 18 goals (15 in the Ekstraklasa)

Roberto De Zerbi: 35 apps (33 starts) 10 goals (9 in the Ekstraklasa)

Positives

It's been a fantastic year all-in-all. I would have been happy with finishing in the top half, but to qualify for Europe at the first time of asking was pretty special. 2nd place is actually a record for the club, so I have to be happy with that. The vast majority of the players I brought in settled quickly and really made a difference, although I do think I need to have a little look at squad depth next year, especially now I've experienced just how mental the Spring round is. There's a bit of money in the bank too thanks to finishing second, and Europe can only help that.

Concerns

My biggest concern is the recent news that the chairman is looking to sell the club, although finishing higher than the club has ever done before has to leave me in a fairly strong position. My next concern is that after my top 2 goal scorers, nobody else managed double figures, so I'll be looking to address that in the window, as well as trying to bring the average age of the side down a little.

Ambitions

My ambitions depend on what happens at boardroom level, really. The club is haemorrhaging money despite the positive outlook the stats seem to show, so I might have to address that a little if I can. Obviously, making some headway in Europe will help that, but that will be very tough as I don't expect to be seeded in the draw. If I get to stay at Lechia, I'd like to qualify for Europe again, but I think the title will be harder next year as Wisła Kraków and Legia Warszawa are likely to be stronger, but you never know. I have 2 or 3 areas I need to strengthen, but I'm hoping I can find some gems in the window.

Surprise of the season

I certainly didn't think I had a chance of qualifying for Europe, so I'll take that.

Player of the season

Roberto De Zerbi

Average attendance

19,294 in the Ekstraklasa

19,718 in all competitions

My largest attendance of the season was 31,682 for the Cup semi final.

Give me a shout if you have an idea how I could improve my thread, folks. I'm open to ideas.

Cheers.

Good start to the spring ahead of the pileup.

Sorry Delta, didn't see your comment earlier. Was a pretty good year in the end.

Korona winning the league is... surprising, to say the least. Well done on your 2nd place.

Korona winning the league is... surprising, to say the least. Well done on your 2nd place.

Yeah, I certainly didn't expect it either. They were top all year though, so no complaints. And thanks, finishing higher than the club have ever done before at the first time of asking is a pretty decent start to my career. Hoping for more of the same next year.

Congrats on the second placed finish,very good start to your career.

Congrats on the second placed finish,very good start to your career.

Cheers fella.

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Interesting. No comment as to whether I'd get to keep my job or not yet though...

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A draw against either Estonian or Armenian opponents for the Europa League. Could have been much worse.

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Well, I'm still under embargo 3 weeks later so I've already missed out on several targets, but this is a decent looking budget for the new year. I'm hoping the takeover will be resolved in the next few days.

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GET IN!!!!!!

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Klub Sportowy Lechia Gdańsk Spółka Akcyjna: Season Preview 2013/14

Media expectation: 5th

Board expectation: Respectable league position

Well it's been an interesting few weeks then in my second summer at Lechia. After all the excitement of finishing in the European spots last year, I was amazed to see the club taken over in such a spectacular manner. Make no mistake about it, having £7m to spend in Poland is absolutely massive, and with the board also investing in both the youth and training facilities, I've got a good feeling about the new chairman at the club. I hope to reward him with some silverware, and I'm quite hopeful I can do that this year now, too.

The takeover also completely changed my mind about what I was going to do in the transfer window. I was going to have a look at free transfers and maybe sign one player for a fee, but with £7m burning my back pocket I went out and spent a good chunk of it, while also showing the door to a couple of first team squad players from last year. Perhaps the biggest casualty was Cristiano Zanetti, who I decided had to go after a relatively average season. My coaches all told me he was on a rapid decline, and considering club captain Łukasz Surma is also 36, I decided one of them had to go. Also leaving were Grzegorz Rasiak and full back Delue on pre-arranged Bosman deals. Legia Warsaw are also sniffing around Krzysztof Bąk, and if they make the right offer I'm prepared to let him go.

I am really excited about some of my signings for the new season, so I'll post a couple of screen shots below. My biggest concern was in midfield, where I felt we were really lacking in numbers. I've perhaps gone to town a little in that area, but considering I play 5 men in midfield (1 DMC, 2 CM, 2 AW) I think I can justify it. It's not like signing 5 strikers when I play 1 up front! I've also allowed my head of youth to spend a little money, so my current transfer spending for this year is up to £4.2m, with another possible £1m to come.

Here's a quick screen shot then of my ins-and-outs:

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The players I'm most excited about are the two big money signings, Rafał Wolski and young Belarussian Pavel Savitskiy. Both of them are fairly versatile, as you can see from the two screen shots below:

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I also have my eye on a youngster who can play in midfield and up front, but I'm still waiting on news for that deal. As a result, I'll have to play my European games without him.

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UEFA Europa League- 2nd Qualifying Round

1st Leg- Lechia Gdansk 4-0 JK Sillamäe Kalev

A very comfortable first leg by all accounts, we dominated pretty much from kick-off against the Estonians, and thankfully got the rewards. Rafał Wolski put us in front early on, driving home from 18 yards, before Grzelczak got the second just after. Substitute Piotr Cwielong made it three after an hour, and Pavel Savitskiy grabbed a debut goal in stoppage time.

2nd Leg- JK Sillamäe Kalev 0-2 Lechia Gdansk

A relatively comfortable tie in the end. Another strike from Grzelczak had us in total command before Savitskiy sealed things late on. Not a bad way to go in my first European tie. The next round however looks a totally different kettle of fish...

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GET IN!!!!!!

What is "ka-ching" in Polish?

That's one of the best takeovers that I've ever seen. Congrats on that!

Cheers lads, I was chuffed to bits with the takeover news once I knew I was keeping my job!

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UEFA Europa League- 3rd Qualifying Round

1st Leg- Lechia Gdansk 2-0 Heerenveen

Absolutely delighted with the first leg, we looked far stronger than our opponents in most areas of the pitch, and we certainly deserved our win. The goals came from Grzelczak and Rafał Janicki, and fingers crossed for a similar performance in the Netherlands. Grzelczak has been brilliant, I've no idea how both him and new arrival Michał Żyro will fit in the same side, but I'm excited about it!

2nd Leg- Heerenveen 2-4 Lechia Gdansk

An absolute blinder of a performance, despite the fact we fell behind twice. Grzelczak continued his fine scoring habit, levelling with a powerful header before Andreu levelled with 12 minutes left to play. Heerenveen went all out attack and we caught them on the break, with Cwielong and Wolski also getting in on the act. A great win.

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