[FM14] Call Me Stan - Adventures in Central Asia... and beyond

[sherwinriga]

Looks like going to Armenia was a good choice, but save for Kazakhstan later.

[EvilDave]

Yes, Kazakhstan remains unconquered for now - and Stan may need a better club than Turkistan to do it with!

Call Me Stan Part 5 - Hayastan

Pyunik Yerevan - Midseason 2022/23

Good start?

Surprisingly so, actually - and full of goals! A 0-0 draw with Ararat in my second game in charge remains the only time we haven't hit the net, and one of only three clean sheets so far. After the majority of our signings proved to be squad players, I've been very surprised by how well the team have performed so far, and after taking on every other side in the league twice, I'm quite satisfied with just the three defeats.

It also means that we're right up there in the title fight - although we had to claw our way back from 2-0 down against leaders Mika in the last game to stay four points back. Alashkert are awful, Shirak are a shadow of the side that have won seven out of the last nine titles, and everybody else seems happy to take points off each other every week.

So, can you win it?

We can - whether we will or not is another matter. Banants seem to be our bogey side at the moment, having handed us two of our three defeats, but if we can perform against the other top sides we have every chance. On the one hand, we're the top scorers in the division by some way (38 goals to Mika's 30) and have the second-best defence (19 conceded to Gandsazar's 18) so we're obviously good enough - my concern is that the goals we ship tend to come in twos and threes as much as in 4-1 wins.

So, can we win it? Yes. Whether we do or not will come down to both consistency and luck, which in my experience is a dangerous combination to have to rely on. I'd still take top four and Europe for this season, but it's going to be close.

[tyler16]

Not a bad start at all. Could see you sneaking up on Mika considering the superior GD.

[EvilDave]

So, one set of fixtures to go, and the table looks like this:

Oh, and our final game of the season? Mika at home. It's showtime!

[EvilDave]

So, about that last game...

Not the ideal time to fire just your second blank of the season. Has that cost us everything?

[EvilDave]

Call Me Stan Part 5 - Hayastan

Pyunik Yerevan - End of season 2022/23

Go on then - did the Mika game cost you the title?

Patience, dear friend. The second half of the season was mildly more consistent than the first, which was satisfying, and the goalscoring ability in the team was simply incredible at times. We also proved ourselves capable of grinding out narrow wins, but more often than not these were 3-2 and 2-1 rather than 1-0 - our defence could still do with some work.

Perhaps the finest example of this came in the cup semis - a 4-1 lead over Shirak was the first leg was frittered away in some style in the away game, going down 5-1 and therefore 6-5 on aggregate in what was undoubtedly the worst performance of Stan'sshort career with Pyunik, and one of the worst in his career full stop.

You still haven't shown us the table!

Ah yes. We were neck and neck with Mika after 21 of 28 games, and after 26 were still level on points at the top of the table. We raced into a 3-0 lead at Ulisses and failed in our attempt to throw it away, while Mika were turned over 3-2 by Gandsazar at home. 

That put us three points clear going into the crucial final fixture, but all of it sudden it mattered not - the first tiebreaker in the High League is head-to-head, and with two wins and a draw in our previous three meetings, we couldn't be overtaken even if Mika were to beat us 10-0. We were champions with a game to go, to the delight of everybody!

For the record, goal difference and then goals scored are the next two sorting rules, so even a 10-0 defeat would have been OK on those fronts too. Look at Alashkert down at the bottom though - that's got to hurt.

So, who were the stars?

To be honest, it was hard picking out just a handful from such a successful squad - it seems setting them up to play fast, attacking football flicked a switch in all of them. Our top performer, with 19 goals and 14 assists from the right wing, was undoubtedly Valter Poghosyan, who was simply stunning. Tied on goals at the top of the board, and claiming the league's Golden Boot was captain Aram Petrosyan, while raiding midfielder Hakob Aslayan topped the assist leaderboard. At the back, our rock was named Karen Yeghiazaryan, the centre-back letting very little past him all season.

What sort of shape is the club in?

It's hard to say. Financially things don't look great, but this is a club that can actually sell players, and we've got the Champions League to look forward to as well. There was a lot of potential in the youth intake, and the squad as a whole is only going to get better - aging players have understudies coming through beneath them. Stan still has a year on his original two-year deal, and with the board only wanting a title challenge - I'd guess top three - next season, there's no reason to assume expectations will go mad. The finances aside, Pyunik like to be in good nick.

So is Stan sticking around?

For now. The Champions League should provide a nice boost to his rep, as there isn't a huge amount in Central Asia that appeals. One job offer did arrive, completely unsolicited, from Rotor Volgograd, which for the sake of the challenge I turned down but really wanted to take (my avatar is the Rotor badge - I spent a semester living in the city and watched them semi-regularly, plus they have a great history), so we at least know there's interest out there. There's also the domestic cup to have another run at - a knockout competition with eight teams shouldn't take too much effort. So, unless something spectacular emerges, Stan will stay the season.

Stans conquered: 3/5 - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Bonus Stans: 1/3 - Hayastan (Armenia), Talyshistan (in Azerbaijan), Dagestan/Tatarstan/Bashkortostan (in Russia)

[tyler16]

Geez, those players are really good. A huge step up from any you've managed before. Are a majority products of the youth academy? Hopefully you can keep hold of them.

Agree with sticking around, the Champions League and *hopefully* another league title should be great for your rep.

[EvilDave]

34 minutes ago, tyler16 said:

Geez, those players are really good. A huge step up from any you've managed before. Are a majority products of the youth academy? Hopefully you can keep hold of them.

Agree with sticking around, the Champions League and *hopefully* another league title should be great for your rep.

Yes, considering Stan got this gig on the back of some real dross in the Kazakh second tier, it's nice to have players can execute the basics! Of the first team, probably half are Pyunik born and bred, with two or three other academies - Shirak, Banants and Mika - all featuring as well. It really has highlighted the gap between the bottom of Europe and the middle of Asia though!

European competition should do the rep a lot of good - and if nothing comes up midseason, then title retention is a distinct possibility if by no means assured.

[EvilDave]

Call Me Stan Part 5 - Hayastan

Pyunik Yerevan - Midseason 2023/24

How did Europe go?

Yes, a new adventure. We were paired with multiple-time Azerbaijani champions Neftchi in the Second Qualifying Round in a tie which risked starting a regional war. It didn't, and we got through, a 3-1 dominant away win making a profligate 2-1 home defeat in the second leg irrelevant. That put us through to face FC Kobenhavn, and while we actually dominated the away leg, they were more clinical and we left Denmark two goals down and with a blank scorecard. We got one in the return game at home, but they picked us off one the break and ran out 3-1 winners for a harsh aggregate scoreline.

We then dropped into the Europe League Play-off and Steaua Bucharest, and a fighting performance in Romania brought us home 3-2 down and with a fighting chance of pulling off the upset. We even went 2-0 up in the second leg, but their pressure ultimately told and we got dumped out with little consolation other than a couple of years' salary paid by prize money and gate receipts.

And everything else?

Just fine. The squad has been rotated a bit more - partly to stop people moaning, as I signed replacements for players who never left - but we've hit our straps well, the only blemishes being fairly minor and including a defeat to Banants in the Super Cup. There are three games that wouldn't fit on the screenshot - a 3-0 defeat to Shirak in the league, a 1-1 draw with the same opposition in the second leg of the cup tie, and a 2-1 win at Gandsazar to round out the first half of the campaign.

So, as you can see, Pyunik are well placed to retain the title, with the chasing pack already fading into the distance at the halfway mark.

Only it won't be Stan at the helm to see them through to the end. 

Because, after another unsolicited offer from Russia, this came through. On the move again...

[Makoto Nakamura]

Great progress in Armenia, hopefully you can keep the upward trend going in Kazakhstan

[EvilDave]

11 hours ago, Makoto Nakamura said:

Great progress in Armenia, hopefully you can keep the upward trend going in Kazakhstan

Cheers Makoto, it's taken a long time for something appealing to crop up in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, so I need to make this count!

Call Me Stan Part 6 - Kazakhstan

Shakhter Karagandy

Who are they?

Formed in 1958, Shakhter were one of the top Kazakh sides in the Soviet era, and have continued that through to the present day. However, Almaty side Kayrat (or Kairat) have dominated the league since 2015, and with Shakhter dropping to 5th in the league last season, the board felt the need for a change - even though the last boss got us into Europe by winning the cup. Enter Stan.   

The name may also be familiar to readers for a couple of reasons. In 2013, they beat Celtic 2-0 at home in the first leg of a Champions League qualifier - sadly they then lost 3-0 at Celtic Park to bow out of the competition. In that same tie, they upset PETA by sacrificing a sheep before the home leg - a club tradition that doesn't go down too well with the animal rights folk.

Where do they play?

At the 19,000-seater Shakhter Stadium, in Karaganda. In Soviet days, the city was home to one of the USSR's biggest gulags, and was generally used as a synonym for 'the middle of nowhere.' In British terms, going to Karaganda is like being sent to Coventry. That said, the stadium looks pretty nice:

How does the league work?

The Kazakh Super League is a bit like the Scottish Premier League of Central Asia - and I'm not sure who that offends more. There are 12 teams, who each play each other home and away for 22 games. Then the top and bottom six separate, with the champions going to the CL and 2nd-4th qualifying for various Europa qualifying rounds, depending on who wins the cup. There's one automatic relegation spot, and 11th plays 2nd in the First League to see who stays and who goes.

The squad rules are a little messy, so here we go: Only five foreigners on the field at once, and two Kazakh under-21s in the matchday squad, one of whom must be on the field. I have to register at least 10 in my squad for the competition, so that shouldn't be too difficult. The primary tiebreaker is number of games won followed by head-to-head and then goal difference, and we're back to a March-November system, so I'll be playing the 2024 season as my first.

What are your aims?

I haven't had expectations for the new season yet, but I'd imagine the goal would be to get back among the top sides - Shakhter have a strong recent record of top three finishes, so that's where I'm provisionally aiming. Ultimately Stan needs to dethrone Kayrat, but they're so dominant at the moment - they've won the past three titles by 29, 34 and 31 points - that simply narrowing the gap and laying a foundation will do for now.

In theory, Shakhter are a club good enough to win the title eventually - they are one of the biggest clubs in the country, and have yet to drop out of the top six. However, I'm also aware that we could be playing a long game, so I'm not expecting another one-season wonder like Asgabat or Pyunik. With that in mind, let's see what we can do...

[sherwinriga]

Great job in Pyunik by overtaking Mika. Well, welcome back to Kazakhstan. Hopefully, this should be a great returning journey at that time you will look them better than Kayrat.

[Chrismatthews16]

Hooked on this thread. My money is on Anzhi bringing the CL to Dagestan within your next 15 seasons  

[tyler16]

That poor sheep!

Good luck with the new gig.

[withnail316]

Great move again. Good luck in Karagandy!

[Spurs fan]

Unfortunately, Shakter is really struggling now 

[EvilDave]

Thank you all for the comments - I'm enjoying life with Shakhter a lot more than my 16 days in Turkistan, so far so good! As for lifting the CL with Anzhi inside 15 years, we'll have to see!

Call Me Stan Part 6 - Kazakhstan

Shakhter Karagandy - Midseason 2024

How has it started?

Very well. We're 16 games into the league season - a season we began by lifting the Super Cup - and it's been ridiculous. The Shakhter squad had an abundance of DMs and AMCs, allowing Stan to implement his beloved 4-2-2-2 formation, and with a few signings - real money! - and a backroom overhaul including an old friend, the team have been incredible. I mean, just look at the results so far:

So, you'll be out of Kazakhstan in a year then?

Well, not necessarily. Yes, our record in the league is W14 D1 L1, but we're actually embroiled in a pretty bitter title fight. Kayrat have foreign stars, they have money after making the Europa League group stages a couple of times, and they have the ability to just steamroller teams. They lost to us and they surprisingly lost to Tobyl (4-1 at home), but they've won every other game. Just look at their goal difference:

Wow. What happens now?

There are six more games, then the split, and we're certainly be in the top six. Tobyl and tycoon-backed Jetsyu in 3rd and 4th are far closer to relegation than to us and Kayrat, so it really is a two-horse race. Assuming Kayrat aren't going to stop winning, we can't really afford to either. This is going down to the wire.

We also have Europa League qualifying to deal with. We enter in the second round and I think will be unseeded, so I'm not expecting to do anything special. If anything, it'll be a distraction from the title fight. This is serious.

[EvilDave]

Call Me Stan Part 6 - Kazakhstan

Shakhter Karagandy - End of season 2024

Did you do it?

Sadly, no. Let's get that out of the way. Immediately after the previous screenshot, we had a little wobble and drew a couple of games, which allowed Kayrat to get ahead going into the split. But they suffered another surprise loss, and we managed to pull it back in time for the first of our two clashes in the title section, which we proceeded to lose 1-0 at home. A couple of games later we finally lost to someone other than Kayrat - 2-1 away at tycoon-backed Jetysu - then battered Vostok 5-1. There was a cost though - first-choice goalkeeper Khachaturyan got injured, and his back-up is awful. Cue the return trip to Almaty, a 5-0 pasting and the title gone. With no hope we lost our last game in the league, and most frustratingly blew a 1-0 lead from the away leg in the cup semi to get dumped out of that one too. Kayrat won it, unsurprisingly, with a 6-1 win in the final. 

Oh, and the less said about Europe the better.

How did the players perform?

Pretty well for a squad that finished a distant 5th last year. Our average rating was topped by one of two foreigners in the squad (the other being our keeper), Georgian playmaker Rati Rekhviashvili, half of his goals coming from free-kicks. Breaking Shakhter's league socring record was the season was Vladislav Khamzin, while at the other end full-back Stanislav Fomin was my personal player of the season with his tireless running and accurate crosses.

And the other bits?

The finances are ropey but not too much of a concern, there was a lot of potential in the youth intake, and Stan still has another year on his contract, so no news there. The club only attracts around 850 fans per game so there's a lot of room to grow, and with another go at Europa League football next season, the hope is that we'll be able to do just that. Tactically, the 4-2-2-2 served us well, so there'll be minimal tweaking over the winter.

So, next season?

Indeed. For whatever reason, Kayrat have yet to renew Vladimir Weiss' contract, despite the fact he's been in charge since the start of the game. Usually I'd jump at the chance to step into those shoes, but I've decided that, unless Stan gets the boot, Shakhter will be the team to do it in Kazakhstan.

Why? Partly because, other than in Turkmenistan, I haven't really overhauled a long-term power in a league yet. Secondly, Kayrat can't possibly be this good again - they only dropped nine points all season (three to us in the second game), and scored 108 goals, with their top scorer (who had never hit 20 in a year before) almost reaching 50 in the league. With a new man in charge, things might change, and on paper three quarters of their team is no better than ours.

Finally, we only lost two games outside of our encounters with Kayrat, and one of those was on the final day with nothing to play for. Two of our three draws were matches we dominated, and 75 points would have won the league in roughly half the seasons so far. We're contenders, we can get better, and I don't think Kayrat can. We're coming for them.

Stans conquered: 3/5 - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Bonus Stans: 1/3 - Hayastan (Armenia), Talyshistan (in Azerbaijan), Dagestan/Tatarstan/Bashkortostan (in Russia)

[tyler16]

Great job this season despite the slip up at the end. Kayrat look insanely good, so good that they shouldn't be able to replicate it. A 48-goal scorer in the league is unheard of. Wow.

Just a suggestion - maybe take a screenshot of the player attributes page when showing your best players as you did for Kayrat's player -- otherwise we can't see the stats. 

Wonder if there's a chance the tycoon owners at Jetysu go mad this offseason and create a contender? What's their recent past like?

Keep it up.  

[EvilDave]

Thanks Tyler - Kayrat were just unstoppable this year, and hopefully they don't make a habit of it. I honestly believe we can win the title in the next three years, maybe even in the coming season, but it really does depend what they do as much as our own changes.

I actually worry a little for Jetysu - the tycoon only took over in 2021 and has led them to 7th, 4th, 4th, and now 3rd, but he's just pulled out his funding in the off-season. That worries be because a) they're now unlikely to be able to take points off Kayrat and b) they're spending £4.7m per year on wages, which is almost double Kayrat's expenditure and six times what we're spending. There's no way they can sustain it, so I fear they may end up plummeting at some point.

As for the screenshots, that seems a perfectly reasonable request. In fact, I'm not entirely sure why I haven't already been doing it!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Once you've cracked these five stans you should move on to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

[EvilDave]

16 hours ago, Nobby_McDonald said:

Once you've cracked these five stans you should move on to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sadly I don't have those leagues available to me, otherwise I'd be tempted - this way at least stick with the FSU vibe, however.

Call Me Stan Part 6 - Kazakhstan

How is the new season shaping up?

So far it's been interesting and promising, which are two words I have no particular objection to. Things didn't get off to a great start when Kayrat, with more than a little help from the referee, beat us in the Super Cup. Vladimir Weiss ended up renewing his deal there, so we lock horns again.

In the other domestic cup we also suffered an undeserved defeat to dump us out at an early stage. In the league however, we've been flying. We lost away to Kayrat but won at home, and have only dropped points in one other match - a shock defeat at lowly Irtysh Pavlodar. Other than that, the squad is settled, the tactic is working, and we're doing very well.

You must be out in front?

We are - but Stan has not had it all his own way. Firstly, at the end of last season we decided that there was no way Kayrat could be as good again, and we were right - but they've still got a very good team. Also, I mentioned that Jetsyu had lost their tycoon backing and could be in trouble. About that...

I thought I'd post the full table for detail here. Kayrat are still the best team in the country on paper, we're currently performing brilliantly, and Jetsyu have made it a genuine three-way fight for the title. Just look at the gap from 3rd to 4th - the rest of the league are largely irrelevant.

So far, we've lost twice - away to Kayrat and Irtysh. Jetsyu have lost away to Kayrat, ourselves, and then dropped points in their last two games with a 5-3 loss at Tobyl and a home draw with Aktobe. Kayrat lost at our place and Aktobe, but were also held at Vostok in the second game of the season, and since losing to us have drawn two games - against Spartak and away at Akjayyk. 

So, it's tight at the top. Kayrat at still the big danger in my eyes, but they've already dropped four more points than they did in the whole of last season. Jetsyu shouldn't be able to last the pace, but they've managed in so far and keep on winning. However, for the time being we top the table and have the advantage on games won, which could come into play at the end of the season.

What I do know is the games between the three of us post-split are going to be crucial. That's the time of the season when Europe comes into play, and when the cup - which we're no longer in - reaches the latter stages as well. We could have a thrilling finale on our hands, and it might all come down to who can rotate their squad better. It's bound to be close.

[EvilDave]

Call Me Stan Part 6 - Kazakhstan

Shakhter Karagandy - End of season 2025

So, did you keep your form up?

Let's start with Europe, if only because I actually have something to report this time. We started in the first round of Europa qualifying, and beat Maltese outfit Tarxien Rainbows comfortably to set up a tie with Neftchi Baku - who I beat as Pyunik boss in the CL. The result was the same this time, and we booked a third round clash with Slovenian side Koper, who had stunned Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes in the previous round. We were underdogs but won through to the play-off, where our reward for unexpected progress was Real Sociedad. We never stood a chance.

Back at home, the Europa games meant we were often playing three times in a week, and we struggled for consistency and fitness as the games piled up. We were still one of the two best teams in the country in terms of results, but ultimately wound up with a fairly similar result to last season - going from 28-3-5 to 28-4-4, conceding the same number of goals and scoring five more. But would it be enough?

 

Yes! The fans were delighted, the board a bit reserved given it was the first title for a decade, and we qualified for the CL to boot. As I predicted at the half-way point, Jetysu fell away completely in the second half of the season - at one point they went six or seven games without a win - so the fight came down to Stan and Vlad, orange and yellow, Shakhter and Kayrat. We were helped by Europe  in that as much as we struggled, so did the Almaty outfit - they dropped from the CL to the Europa and actually made the groups, giving them three more games before the end of the season. In the all-important first clash after the split we held them 1-1 at home to keep the gap at four points, and that gave us the safety net we needed to not have to worry about being thumped at their place - which we were. For some reason our title wasn't confirmed until after the final game despite us holding the tiebreaker, but Kayrat lost 4-0 at Jetsyu on the last day to make the table look that little bit nicer. Our 76 wouldn't have won any of the last four titles, but it would have won every won from 2013-2020 - perhaps a sign that things are finally balancing themselves out again.

Who starred?

The squad performed well, and we used a lot of players again. The star however was our skipper and trequartista extraordinaire, Vadim Afanasjev. He topped the league charts for ratings and assists, and popped up with key goals time after time. Speaking of goals, Andrey Kovalenko matched Khamzin's 20 in far fewer games to claim our scoring title, and gave us a valuable second option in attack. At the back, Bosman signing Valery Amankulov was an absolute rock in the heart of our defence, while goalkeeper Tariel Khandrava was a marked improvement on last season and a key part of our success, particularly in Europe.

What sort of state are Shakhter in these days?

Financially we dragged ourselves out of the mud with the Europa run, but it still isn't great. We had some good young talent come through the system, and with nothing really available on the Uzbek scene and a new spot in the Russian Hall of Fame, Stan decided to commit to Karaganda for the immediate future.

One other thing to note is that we're likely to get a new chairman soon - we've already had one takeover bid fail, so Stan will probably have a new boos before long.

So what next?

As mentioned, there's nothing in Uzbekistan, and it doesn't look like there will be unless something drastic happens - the average tenure of a manager there is several years, and there have been no dramatic losses in form. I've no interest in the second tier there either - the season is 50+ games long, and it just doesn't appeal.

I'd like to have a crack at the CL with Shakhter and try and regain the title, and then if nothing comes up across the border I'll have a decision to make - go for something lower down and bite the bullet, cross to Russia should one of the appropriate jobs come up, or stick it out in Karaganda. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but for now Stan will stay put.

Stans conquered: 4/5 - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Bonus Stans: 1/3 - Hayastan (Armenia), Talyshistan (in Azerbaijan), Dagestan/Tatarstan/Bashkortostan (in Russia)

[tyler16]

Not bad, not bad at all.  

I admire how quickly you're able to move on and adjust to new clubs over and over. I find myself easily attached to players and clubs.

Look forward to next season, hopefully a little run in Europe and repeat title to match!

[DodgeeD]

Just read through this one and I'm glad I did - nice career so far. Any long-term plans for the Stans on the international scene?

[EvilDave]

13 hours ago, tyler16 said:

Not bad, not bad at all.  

I admire how quickly you're able to move on and adjust to new clubs over and over. I find myself easily attached to players and clubs.

Look forward to next season, hopefully a little run in Europe and repeat title to match!

Thanks tyler, appreciate you reading along. With regard to moving clubs, it's not something I've done too much of before - normally I'm a one-club man or limit my moves to two or three. However, with this save I've found it relatively easy to jump around, I think mainly because the leagues are generally small and so fairly repetitive. I was really glad to get out of Turkmenistan in one year, for example, because a 4x9 league system would get really dull after a while! I'd have happily stayed at Pyunik if I wasn't doing this challenge, and I've no problems sticking around in Karaganda either for the time being - I feel like I might be able to leave them ahead of Kayrat, which I haven't really done as yet.

12 hours ago, DodgeeD said:

Just read through this one and I'm glad I did - nice career so far. Any long-term plans for the Stans on the international scene?

Thanks for reading! International management is something I've never really taken to on FM before, but if the right job comes up - it'd probably have to be the Stan I was in at club level - then double duty might be a possibility. I feel like Uzbekistan should be capable of getting to a World Cup - they've made the play-off in the past - so that one certainly has some appeal to it...

[EvilDave]

Call Me Stan Part 6 - Kazakhstan

Shakhter Karagandy - Midseason 2026

What's new?

Not a huge amount, to be honest. We made a few changes over the summer - mainly stealing Kazakh under-21s from Kayrat to bolster our quota - and then set about trying to defend our title. We've lost just the once - away to Kayrat, and we haven't played our first home game yet - which is the same number of times as our Almaty rivals, but a few sloppy draws (0-0 vs Astana and two 2-2 ties with Akjayyk) mean we're sat in their slipstream. 

To be honest, I think we might have angered the beast by winning the title last season. Kayrat won the first game of the season 9-1 against Spartak, and in game four beat Tobyl 9-2. We've got a job on our hands to retain the title.

Obviously we have to host our rivals before the split, which will be absolutely key. If we can beat them we'll draw to within a point, and as soon as the European campaigns begin there is ample potential for dropped points, as we saw last year. I'm quite looking forward to the Champions League at this point, although I suspect a poor seeding will mean a relatively short campaign. Nevertheless, the rep boost won't go amiss.

In Uzbek watch, not a single managerial position in the Oliy Liga has become available in the first half of the season. That means I'm now far more likely to keep half an eye on Russia - if a Tatar, Dagestani or Bashkir club comes up, Stan may just have to go for it.

[EvilDave]

So the takeover finally happens, and it's thoroughly uneventful. The loan puts us just over 100k in the black, which will hopefully be helped by CL prize money. If it isn't, we're stuffed financially.