_Ben_

Thanks! For me - it feels really complete. I have married together all of the ways I want to play the game and this is the output of them. Plus, the very new found love for changing clubs and rebuilding off the back of AI decisions is one that I'm really growing into as is that 'living in the moment' ideology that stops me becoming attached to a club, or, worse, detached from a club as I know I won't be around in ten years. I agree. Again - I've felt like I'm coming to terms with the end goal of this tactic. Still years, and probably clubs away, from reaching it, but the ideas are more cemented. My mission statement, as it were, has essentially become this: "We are compact in defence but fluid and vertical in offence, playing the ball over the top, through half spaces and in behind, utilising space by stretching play." Therefore I've kind of worked out those attacking roles: MC: Physical. Good on the ball. Can carry it and find the net. Key attributes: Dribbling, Off the Ball, Stamina, Passing, Work Rate, Shooting/Long Shots. Wide Men: Space holders. Can dribble and finish when needed but occupy wider spaces, providing dummy runs and offensive outlets. Key on transitions. Key attributes: Off the Ball, Dribbling, Crossing, Acceleration ST: Link man. Comes deep to feed the play but also can finish inside the box. Key attributes: First Touch, Flair, Off the Ball, Vision. It does feel a bit Pep-like with that type of player but the verticality certainly isn't! I absolutely think that Jonsson has all the attributes to flourish as that False Nine. It's about slowly allowing him to adapt there, with him still being really quite young, and then building a squad around him.

Thanks! Did you see Bruneck because I'd mentioned lack of a DM and was training him as a BWM? If so - that's a great spot! He is currently playing for the Jong team and is doing quite well as he re-trains there. Decent physical frame but rather one dimension and wouldn't offer me a lot in terms of building from the back, although I am working on that. What is has made me do though is take a look at Ignacio Zambrano for that role. He's good at both passing and tackling and has a really physical frame - and maybe even plays to his (lack of) speed by taking him away from the last line of defence. It does take away a potentially great ball playing defender in the future but there is a need now and I think he could fill it. I asked Melnik, my HoYD and Jong Manager, to play him as a DM in the next Jong fixture and he looked strong; his physical frame indeed standing out to me. Jong Emmen played an AM - 5'6" Uwe Hoffman and he was basically marked out of the game, failing to really register any touches of note in dangerous places. --- The first team play Ajax in a week and this has definitely given me some food for thought. So, whilst I hugely digressed from your actual question, I did, potentially find me something very valuable!

November 2036 Not a huge amount of time to play at the moment but absolutely loving it! November is complete and we're moving upwards. I played the first game of the season some five (real life) days ago, so my memories of these are somewhat blurred. However, we produced two strong performances - with an early focus of defensive solidity definitely being achieved. Against Go Ahead, I decided to try Speksnijder, the man I'd earmarked as a DM, in a more advanced role, and he certainly played well enough to give me a selection headache. I then tasted my first defeat at Groningen, but such is the way I play now, I didn't panic. I'd be utterly distraught (as the board were) and would have probably not played for a few days (granted, I didn't but that wasn't because of that reason!) and instead looked at the xG story, re-watched the goals and looked at the stats before coming to an agreement with myself. There is literally nothing that I could have done differently during the game aside from score the penalty we were given late in the first half. My game management was pretty strong except for one small decision. The player who won the freekick for their first goal had been on the pitch for five minutes and I hadn't added instructions of not trigger pressing him as I didn't want to pull my midfield out of shape. He then went down due to a strong press and, alas, that led to their first goal. But, really, what could have been done differently? Conceding twice from set plays has seen me re-jig my positioning and also drop in a few more Defensive Set Pieces blocks into the weekly schedule. This is real evidence, for me, of the seismic shift I've made playing the game this way. Next up was a strong win away at Willem II - but, again there was something that I saw that I need to act upon. Playing with a lazy striker like Westra can be dangerous, and it proved it in this tie. The pass map is a concern in that he just hasn't moved around and made himself available for the ball. Yes, he was marked by their best performing (7.6 AR) player but he needs to work harder to make those passing links. I want to try a few different options here and I actually think the suggestion made by @tyler16 - moving someone with the attribute balance of Jonsson to this role - was a great one. I also spent a little bit of time analysing our concession times (comparative data below) and zones and spent a little bit of extra time working through changes in team mentality and time wasting, particularly after our goal. This data is from the last ten games, with 70% of those managed by me. It's easy to see that we start well but we concede most (small sample size as we haven't conceded many at all) around the time of my substitutions. Again, something to look at and work on. However, as I said - slowing the game down this time helped us keep it tight in the last ten, holding on to our three points and, again, making positive moves up the table. I'm really getting into the Opposition Instruction part of the game as well as the opposition formations so, when I saw NEC were playing a 4-3-3, decided to field Lansma in the DM role, hoping for him to become somewhat of the de facto playmaker. I, again, set my instructions, based loosely on the following: Always showing a player onto his weaker side if they are 'weak' or less on that foot. Harder tackling on those less brave and in poorer condition Trigger pressing, in this case, Paul Geppert, because he's a tricky winger, who leads their Dribbles/90, but has poor first touch and isn't brave. Not tight marking the lone striker because, at this stage whereby tactical familiarity isn't yet at 100%, it has been seen to hugely draw one centre back out of position. He's likely to be an AF so will roam across the front line, too. Tighter marking on their most creative outlet, Konte. I also made a couple of changes to set plays from looking at this information. Their back five stand at 5'10", 6'0", 6'0", 6'2" and 6'2" and, whilst my players aren't necessarily larger, I just felt that these aren't hugely physically built players and instead opted to get more bodies in and the ball always getting straight into the mixer, as it were, rather than my variations of front and and back post deliveries. On further inspection, NEC also have the joint worst record for goals from DFKs, and joint second worst for goals from corners. For the second game in three, a perfect game plan was executed and, had Jonsson not missed this sitting and Vos not missed another penalty, we'd have been out of sight and safe. Yet, a 20-yard superb freekick from NEC, amounting to half of their total shots on target, saw us fall to another unlucky defeat. Again - nothing to panic about. The bigger picture is that we'll be fine playing like this! We could do with, however, recruiting a player who can actually take a penalty. ---- Ivan Melnik, my assistant from Russia, has produced me some depth charts, giving me a decent insight into the next steps for us, either in January or the summer: With just one true right back able to fit into my style, I absolutely need reinforcements here. El Khatib is a centre back by everything other than this tag and van de Pol won't have the quality to succeed. A ball player will be required and I'm not averse to a positional re-train if needed. With just one natural here, I need something more. I spoke earlier about wanting a ball winner as I've seen us been played through a few too many times and, although I want us to be compact and not chase the ball for the sake of chasing it - I think a really physical presence here would do us good in the short term and, if he's able to drop back to be a ball player too, in the longer term. --- The fans are happy with the players who are training well (blue indicates outside the first team and that the U18 schedules are impactful) now the longer term aim is to ensure we are developing talent and given them opportunties. It's only be two months here but I have loved every day of it on and off the pitch.

Predominantly the same style - as, to be fair, the players I've inherited, largely, meet my needs. Yes, I'll look to improve but its' only really the absence of a physical presence in the DM role (all I have are playmaker types) that I have had to adapt for. Thanks Matt! Appreciate it.

I absolutely think so. I hadn't even realised that the boardroom are Russian, too. Just seems like a match made in heaven. Hopefully, I can enjoy this spell and then move to Germany, which, as of right now, is the top league in the world. Feels like a nice final goal. There was a few! I burnt through nearly £1.5m in the changes, pretty much removing anyone who didn't do what I wanted. I kept only Sascha Marth and Richard van der Lee, plus a few scouts and physios because I want to 're-align' the club to one whole philosophy, which will mean the same style and approach, so that players can move through the teams as seamlessly as possible.

Thanks! I have to admit that I've really looked forward to every FM session in the past few days or so, which is obviously a plus! Westra caught my eye in the summer, as I said, but I was really put off by his finishing. However, he scored 57 times in 140 games for a very poor Emmen side and is doing the business for me: I guess the corresponding attributes of Composure, Technique etc which are helping him out! de Wit is certainly a little short of where I want defensively but, right now, I'm going to work on his speed as my thinking goes that a fast and reasonably intelligent (Anticipation: 14, Decisions: 13, Positioning:14 - certainly above average at this level) player can probably get away with not being defensively quite as strong, yet. He's certainly started really well for us. Yes, Jonsson is a bit of a strange one. His dribbling isn't amazing, but neither is his Finishing or Passing. I really liked how his Icelandic compatriot, Krystian Nokkvi Hlynsson played at Kransodar and he was never fast - just relying on insane Technique and Flair, which Jonsson has. The problem is that all my midfielders are, essentially, the same: They largely have that Vision/Technique/First Touch/Flair but only Speksnijder is in anyway capable of playing as a DM, attribute wise, - so it's not like I can play three there. Whilst I like the initial view of Bjarni, he's got to develop and play really well in order to get in this team. Then I also have to start the recruiting process for a DM, but that's another story...

October 2036 First three games done as Groningen manager and, in all honesty, I couldn't have asked for a better period of time. These past twenty odd days as manager have really shown me that Krasnodar had become stale; whether I make huge strides here and find myself in the same shoes in two or three years, it doesn't matter as the building phase is the one I love the most. In news outside of my own bubble, Kransodar moved quickly to appoint a new manager - yet the decision is certainly a strange one! Coming from the second tier of Germany and without, to be honest, a decent record at all. It'll be interesting to see how they do with him at the helm. Ahh! What a start! Coming to league I do not know, against teams I do not have experience with and in a team that is not expected to win the league is a wonderful thing for me. It forces me into tactical decisions that I may have just skipped over whilst at the peak of the Russian pyramid. Decisions are justified, such as putting two more creative players, Regeer and Vos, into the backline as they created four key passes against Utrecht. The idea that all of our performances are based on key opposition instructions is something I've barely dug into. Against Venlo, I instructed both centre backs to sit off their forwards as a) they're not au fait with the style just yet b) I'd watched and analysed that their two forwards, a CF and DLF, often roamed and left space for the AMC and c) they're not the fastest or best decision makers so I didn't want to put them on the spot 1v1. It worked. Granted, we did concede chances and the xG performance showed that we were perhaps lucky, but these are decisions that I - without any evidence in my favour - can say that have positively impacted the result. Playing Henry Westra, a slow and lazy player, has been a real eye opener into how the False Nine really works. He barely breaks into a job but pulling away the centre halves and then, somehow, still finding himself in the right position to get a shot off, has been lovely to watch. Also, the cup game gave me my first chance to utilise my training-performance related play: ' Six debutants with Feenstra also breaking several records. Of course, building positive relationships and allowing these youngsters first team football is key and something that I haven't been able to re-produce elsewhere given the scheduling and registration for the 2-Teams. Alfred Asante really impressed me; a rangy midfielder who's really good on the ball. He's got to improve on his speed and passing but the foundations aren't too far off. There will be harder times, of course, but I've really loved the process of starting over! --- For reference, I took screenshots of the statistical stuff before I played my first game. I'm not too fussed about what they mean now but want to return to these later in the season to see how much my style has impacted them.

It's one of the things that I've now ensured is delegated, as part of the realism aspect!

I know! I was shocked with the number of players they have plying their trade across the Eredvisie. Thanks. It's a time consuming process to match it all up but might work. Here is the plan for November for the U18 team: You can see that there are four match days and therefore I've matched them up with the Match Practice for this team. The rest of the week is pretty intense but, at their age, these players can manage this (I hope - although I am tempted to make this a Mon-Fri or, at worst, a Mon-Sat scheme). If I can develop a good physical base for these players by the age of 18, they're going to much better suited to the adult game as they advance. For my reference, I took an average of their attributes now and will compare that at the end of the season: This reminds me of collating and tracking data a few years back but that won't be the case this time around - I just want to test whether it is effective by adding this to what I see on a daily basis in terms of ratings and arrows.

Thanks! Yes - lots. I was a bit sneaky in not renewing deals when the season rolled at Krasnodar so was able to make pretty wholesale changes for not much money. I've brought a lot of Russians in with me and will now supplement that with whatever I can do to strengthen the team.

October 2036: Training - my take One of the reasons why I was insistent on my next club not having a B-Team that played as a separate entity was so that I could explore my ideas around through training - essentially, marrying up how training would run between the youth players and the senior players. This will, hopefully, allow me to be a little more fluid about the players who move across teams and also correctly identify times when this movement will have the least impact on player development. Whilst the schedules have essentially been ported from my Krasnodar trials, I want to build something before I delved into the thought process behind it. It's likely to change and develop as time goes on, certainly. First Team I wanted to retain the tactical periodisation phases that have worked so well for me in the past and the above shows two separate cycles, one focusing on attacking and the other, defending. These will be used periodically depending on the opponent strength and whether we are at home or away. There is also a condensed version for when we have two games in a week and this can be shifted forwards or backwards depending on what day our matches fall on - with the Dutch league seemingly favouring more Friday and Monday kick offs than Russia ever did. B-Team and Under 18 The Jong side play in a small Jong division (16 games) and also in an U23 European competition, although I'm unsure of what stipulates their qualification to this. In future, the U18 team may appear in the Youth Champions League but that will depend on the successes (or not) of the senior side. It is in the Jong and u18 team where the experimentation begins. Given that the players in the Jong team are largely over 18, there is a need for match performances - at whatever level - to help them grow and develop. Therefore, these schedules largely will mirror the first team. I am wondering whether it'd be useful to try and reduce the team focus intensity to allow more time for these players to focus on their own schedules but that will evolve over time. Then, the plan for the youth team, who don't have any competitive fixtures is that their schedule mirrors that - employing a Match Practice where the game would be. As training for players under the age of 18 is more important than match time, I'm choosing to spend virtually no time on Match Prep blocks, sans the set pieces as they do develop key attributes that I genuinely find hard to recruit for - what better way to bring through youth than having ready made free kick/corner/throw in takers! Each day of the week focuses on an area of player as well as a physical area - knowing that developing the physicality is easiest at a younger age. The blocks aren't set in stone but will always be linked to our tactical style - so I won't expect to be using 'Attacking Patient' for example. You will notice that there still is a slight taper at the end of the week because I will be monitoring those U18 players who are training well and developing and moving them (as I can't just make them available) to the B-Team. I have tried and failed this in the past whereby they'd go to the B team on a Thursday, play a game there and return, only to play again on a Friday in the U18 team - wasting training days and running them into the ground. I'm hoping that this way will allow pretty free movement for those U18 players - of whom, unless they are significantly better than the other players - will remain until they are at least 18, to experience B-Team football without spending half a week practicing when they could be developing attributes. I'm observing the similarities between the Jong and first team schedules and will then be able to identify areas where players from all of those teams will be able to move up, training and potentially play with the first team - a lot of this depending on training performance and development. --- As you saw in my opening post, my Fitness coaches are not the strongest so will be looking to employ a single, U18 focused, Strength and Conditioning coach for this side and I've put an advert out already. Aside from that - it's a long term process and I think it'll take several years to fully see whether this method works.

(Mid) October 2036 Welcome to The Netherlands! A place that I've literally never managed more than a month in before but a place that intrigues me with footballing folklore. I leave Russia with a heavy heart and a desire to, one day, return to manage there but the allure of moving to central Europe, as a stepping stone for either RB Leipzig or Bayer Leverkusen, two teams who I'd envisage would be my end game. I want to bring me with me almost everything that I'd worked on in Russia so in come statistical recruitment, tactical periodisation and, new for me, an even deeper dive into staffing. Following the agreements pre-contract signing, I was able to whittle away a few staff and agree to bring my own over. As a man who, pre FM21, had never moved clubs, this feature is genius and absolutely relies on relationships to keep staff with you - such as Ivan Melnik, below, who's far too good to be here but is my friend. You'll notice that there is an absolute focus towards our shape and playing style that will, in time, be ingrained from the bottom of this club, up. I've also brought through as many Russian staff as possible as I can - then realising that the language courses are going to cost upwards of £100k! From there, I've built my coaching assignments, leaning on the staff that I know. They also play a key role in the delegation of reporting, certainly something I'd consider realistic, in the meantime at least. Without an assistant who wanted to follow me, I've utilised the Backroom Meeting to find Rai Vloet - another proponent of the same shape and style. I also want this to be a part of my coaching development plan - whereby I actually take a vested interest in their attainment of badges and development of attributes, building a coaching team internally as well as through (hugely unrealistic and annoying) adverts and recruitment drives. --- And on to the playing squad: I must say that I really like that all the team leaders and five of the six highly influential plus players are all vastly experienced. Each of the team leaders arrived from the fabled Ajax youth system whereas Sem Westerveld (presumably Sander's son?) re-spawned a few years ago when I was messing around with league structures so isn't as experienced as he may be. Elsewhere, the squad has an abundance of homegrown talent: Jonsson and de Wit being the cream of the crop. Hopefully, the thumbnails for each player work as a link to their full profile - so here is the full squad: Goalkeepers I like that both keepers are elder statesmen of the squad and am absolutely happy with what I have here. Sem is my second highest earner but his coaching profile interests me, even if his style will have to develop over time. Westerveld just about gets the nod but Ikeda will feature in cup matches. Full Backs Musa Sebwe, the half Liberian academy product, is a nice longer term option here whilst Regeer, vastly experienced, will likely act as his mentor as well as his full back partner. I'm slightly less excited about the attribute breakdown of Cohen and also concerned at the lack of right back cover we actually have. Centre Backs Marco de Wit! He's in need of a little polishing but has all the attributes, and hopefully the potential, to really go far. In the short term, the experience of Vos as a partner will benefit him but the half Chilean Ignacio Zambrano, currently in the youth team, will surely step up in years to come. Hooi is significantly one dimension but El Khatib looks to have promise. Defensive Midfielders Hugely experienced players here but neither really physical beasts so I need to be careful, in the short term, against certain sides. Central Midfielders Bjarni Jonsson! If my love of Icelandic midfielders hadn't already been strong enough thanks to Nokkvi Hylnsson - then I now have inherited this Model Citizen, academy graduate, superstar-to-be. I'll build the team around him for years to come but, actually, have some quite able support from Bouma and experience in Hernandez and Gall. Wingers A weak area with another graduate Ostergaard, being untested here. Strompf has agility, if nothing else and Neira is absolutely going to rely on his pace. Forwards I think Kalokoh could be a decent False Nine given his attribute balance but he'll have to battle it out with a player I nearly brought to Krasnodar in the summer: Henry Westra. He played for FC Emmen, where Ibrahim Koroma signed from and I was impressed with his goal outputs for a weak team. Well, it appears Groningen took a chance on him and he's started well, so I'm excited! --- There is literally so much to do in the eleven days before I kick off my tenure away at Utretch; here is a non-exhaustive list: Team training for Main, B, U18 teams Individual schedules and focuses for all teams Mentoring groups Training units Rest protocols Creation of data analysis charts in team hub to analyse performances to now Initial scouting deployment It's great to be here though!

October 2036 - An ode to Krasnodar and Russia My time is Russia is coming to an end with one last reminder that Mr Galitskiy is a good man. I had many pre-conceptions when starting my save here: the difficult to pronounce names and huge geographical learning curve, the fact that it was a young league and, as such (barring the Soviet history) doesn't have the depth that some of the central European leagues do and, the elephant in the room, the current geopolitical situation going on in Russia. However, I have absolutely loved my time here. From the humble beginnings at Mashuk, in Pyatigorsk, on to Anji then Ural and Krasnodar. Even my spell at Sochi was remarkable, if not happy, due to the fact that I've never experienced such a pushy, demanding chairman, who, by sacking me, actually gave my career the kick start it needed. The input from members like @Novem9has been invaluable to me learning about the country and I absolutely have made some 'FM memories' here. But, at Krasnodar, I have left them in a much stronger place than where I took over from. Even if it wasn't for the capitulation of the opposition this season, there are a few things that I feel that I have really achieved in my time here and want to celebrate as I move on: Success For a club of Krasnodar's size to have an empty trophy cabinet was a travesty. I have, however, rewarded the fans - who attended through thick, thin, Siberian weather and move - with the coveted Russian Premier League title, two domestic cups and a further two Supercups, to boot. Success is, however, ingrained with the squad that I have developed over the past three and a half years and I envisage that there will be many more successes coming their way soon. Financial scrutiny Even though the long term future of the club isn't ever going to be in doubt due to the backing of Galitskiy, the club was being seriously mismanaged - spending over £1m per week on wages. By cutting the wage bill by some 35%, I've not only turned the club into a profitable business but also strengthened, implementing a strong wage structure from the ground up, without hideous hidden bonuses. Statistical Recruitment It's hard to believe that inside this dominant squad is a central midfield duo that cost just £4.5m: Matias Conberse and Iljas Zherebyatjev. Both found after looking for undervalued players who were doing well in weaker teams and both going on to become superstars in their own right - just like the Argentine, Alex Barreto, that Conberse replaced. I have been hugely limited by foreign player limits but hugely lucky to have built a strong recruitment network and purchased some really wonderful players. Build the future As per the board's requests, I have established the strongest and most dominant youth system in the country. Playing in the third tier, these teenagers have held their own, developing and performing and, in time, will move on to much bigger and better things. --- It feels like the end of a save as this is absolutely new territory for me but I am absolutely delighted to be making the move to Holland and will be getting nice and in depth with the squad that I will be inheriting. Goodbye Mother Russia - it's been a pleasure.

This is where I build and continue the development plans and recruiting ideas that I've worked on at Krasnodar. They haven't spent much over the past few years but there is certainly scope to sell big and expand the club, which is where I get my most satisfaction as manager. If that is the case then I think league titles in two countries is worth that springboard to a big German side. I really want this stage of my career to be at a club that doesn't have a 2-team. The reason for that is because it gives me a chance to experiment with player development through my youth squads. If I then look at the clubs in Germany that don't have them, I am left with: Eintracht Frankfurt - literally just changed their manager and I didn't get an interview RB Leipzig - one of the biggest clubs in the country Wolsburg - a yo-yo club between top two tiers that I don't think would be a step up Bayer Leverkusen - just outside the big club bracket at the moment but Brendan Rodgers has a couple of years left on his deal For me - this is a (fun) 'pit-stop' along the way to either Leipzig of Bayer really, which, I think are more attainable after success in Holland than in Russia. --- I genuinely appreciate your insights and knowledge (and have done across the whole thread), but I've kind of ran out of steam right now at Krasnodar and I do feel that it's a realistic move, at least in terms of going to a more reputable nation. My plan is to take with me the elements that drew me to Russia as well as a hefty chunk of Russian staff. I think my mind is made up...

Absolutely - I enjoyed just ‘watching’ the Chelsea game. Two very different styles playing out against each other. True. However, after looking through their squad, they have some seriously talented youngsters and there is certainly a chance that they could be top 4 pretty soon, if not this season. I was thinking more along the lines of it being a sideways step - money aside - buy one with a much higher ceiling. Particularly with Germany being the top rated league in Europe at the moment, Eredivisie being 6th and RPL 9th - it feels like a progression… I’ve also literally never changed country in a save (and this is only the second time I’ve ever done a journeyman style) so I think that is influencing my bias, maybe.

September 2036 With job rumours swirling around and a league campaign that has, sadly, turned into a walk in the park - it's been a little harder to focus on the depth that I would normally do during this month. A lot more clicking through, a lot less immersing myself. Shame. But I think the time is right to move on! Three really straight forward league wins over poor opposition and an absolute battle - a great performance - against a strong Chelsea team.

(Mid) September 2036 Could this be the end of my stint here in Russia? I must say that this job is very appealing even if, early on, they're just mid-table in the Eredivisie. I must consider that I'd be going from a very big fish in the smaller Russian pond to a medium size fish in the larger Dutch pond - which is pretty accurately represented in the matched, 3.5*, reputation...

Invaluable and really immersive information guys, thank you! With Russian being a particularly hard language to pick up bits of and with not really any English information about the smaller clubs, it's always good to get some extra knowledge. As for Fedotov - he was sacked pretty early on by Sochi and has since retired so I have no idea if he was able to move elsewhere, sadly! I do know that he never got another job in the top flight though.

August 2036 I mean, it's kind of become a procession, already! We are head and shoulders above the other teams in this league and that is kind of a shame. We've won the league just once and yet, following a summer of sensible recruitment, look like we've been in a one horse race for years. Yes, Orenburg and Zenit have two games in hand, but we've already dismantled the latter this season in convincing fashion. Furthermore, the strength isn't just being shown within the first team: Whilst it's great to see two of my old clubs at the top of the early table (and another, Sochi, languishing, hilariously, towards the bottom), it's absurd to see just how good my academy is at the moment. This remains a pre-requisite of the board and something that, as you've read about, I care hugely for. It'll be really interesting to see how the careers of these kids pan out: something I will - no doubt - be watching from afar. Ural have started really badly and sit bottom at the moment and, to be fair, they played like it too. We were dominant and I was most impressed with my full backs' creativity as we exposed their attempted low block. A couple of similarly straightforward wins came against lower level sides Krylya and Alania before a pretty dull draw was played out against Spartak in the only game so far this season that we haven't really got going. The next two games, though, produced eight goals and nearly 7xG as we were utterly dominant in both. However, the tests will certainly be increasing in difficulty as we venture into September: Arguably the biggest clubs in England and Germany at the moment; this will not be an easy task! I can but hope for another run in the Europa League. ---- A big, but not unexpected sale to end, hopefully, our window. Alexandr cost £500k last summer and to receive this amount of money, after his head was turned anyway, is a no-brainer. Fortunately, my scouting was pretty up to date at full back and I was able to make a move for Ruslan Prutov, who you may remember as being an academy graduate I gave a first team debut to whilst at Ural. He's a player I know well with top flight experience and, arguably, a better fit (certainly trait wise) at left back than Medvedev - plus, we've made £16m from this switch!

Yeah, it's always a shame when a challenger falls away so quickly - especially when I really love the chase more than the title winning years. Yes, it's nice to click through, win and have everything fall into our laps but there is certainly some joy in having to earn that. Job wise, I guess I'd be looking at a sideways step, initially, which makes Holland the more realistic prospect. Even with a foray into the Champions League, we're still only nationally known so that would leave me with the following options: Of those, I can immediately rule out Hamburg, Hannover, PSV, AZ and Utrecht because they have B/2 teams in playable, adult leagues and I want my next job to move away from that. I obviously don't want to shoehorn myself into a job and will obviously wait until one becomes available but there are a few managers approaching the end of their deals: Andre Schubert - Wolfsburg Johnny Jansen - Herenveen Colin van Diemen - Vitesse In all honesty, I think Holland would be the place of most interest to me. I'd obviously want to develop youth but would also look to cast the recruitment net wider, knowing that I can realistically have more than eight foreign players within the squad. It'd give me an opportunity to further explore youth scouting and making the best predictions on potential as that aspect has largely been filled with players from my own academy here at Krasnodar.

Just the person who I had hoped could give me some information... In game, Irtysh Omsk have just won back-to-back promotions and are in the top flight on a shoestring budget. Wiki doesn't tell me much about them so I assume little to no history? Likewise, early front runners in the second tier are Chaika and Dinamo Makhachkala, both representing the southern part of the country. With Anji back in the third tier now - I presume that's a shift in balance that doesn't represent real life? I also saw that Sochi finished second, IRL, this season, which, given that they're now hovering above administration in the third tier is a turn up for the books!

August 2036 Another trophy for the cabinet and the perfect start to the regular season! So much so that it has, actually, left me a little disappointed. Whilst I am becoming one of the more successful Russian managers, it just feels to me that I'm moving forward with Krasnodar a lot faster than the AI are with their teams. That dynastical feeling that I crave at clubs often starts and then the momentum makes it very hard to be caught and, with the dismantling of a Zenit side - bereft of replacements for their aging and retiring cohort (sans a ridiculous, repeated offer for Roganov, which won't be accepted due to his disinterest) - it looks, already, like it could be a pretty easy next step. Still - I'll enjoy the ride!

Germany, more than likely. I'm not too well versed in where a realistic path for Russian managers would be, if I'm honest. I had intended to move into Germany following my Luzern save but I ran out of time! I also have some nice plans that involve Italy and a few other nations for my main FM23 save - so don't want to end up duplicating. There are a few Bundesliga sides without 2-teams in competitive adult leagues so I will attempt to have a look there. I feel that it's a pretty realistic move from here, no? EDIT: Here is the competition ranking. Holland, maybe? The likes of Feyenoord have a Jong team that play in the youth leagues, so that could work for what I want...

Absolutely! I've spent the majority of the time at Krasnodar looking for that combined goal involvements. I guess it's a little total football in it's simplest form but I want my striker to be the best person at scoring and creating. I really think that Zbrun has the best chance of properly filling that role as adding goals to his game feels a little easier than adding the creative side to Hovsepyan.

(Early) July 2036 Pre-season can be tough. Especially so in Russia given the restrictions of our opposition. I often find that we're limited to either big teams or completely unheard of teams. It's sad to say but you learn nothing from putting twelve goals past a team that your 2-Team also beat 8-0! It's the games against Spartak and Rostov that make our break our new tactical tweaks and playing partnerships but there just isn't the breadth of opposition to make this a wider goal. Still, we make it through pre-season without a goal conceded and a little bit extra learnt about the team. And then, importantly, some relatively sharp players and a nice increase in familiarity. This screenshot is hugely doctored as you can only see the familiarity for the players selected in a match day squad, so some cutting and pasting was required. It does bring about some interesting findings though - those players who train in different positions and roles to those that they play (Sakheishvili plays as a CM(a) but is training as a RMD(a) for example) have picked up tactical familiarity slower than the new signings, despite playing the role for at least a year. I can't look too much into performance, given our opposition but it's concerning to see no goal contributions for Arman Hovsepyan, who just about offered enough last year to make his deal permanent. When you then compare to Volkaganov (2 contributions but an injury hugely reduced his minutes) and Zbrun (7 contributions), it's already clear to see the hierarchy unfurl for that striker role. I am really excited about Sahin, too. An underwhelming signing, maybe, but he's recorded an insane number of key passes. Whilst the number is fairly irrelevant given the opposition - the fact he's recorded, at least, double the amount that any other winger has created is something. He's really pleasing on the eye too, with two strong feet and quite a bit of pace. I hope for a breakthrough season similar to what Iljas Zherebyatjev had after his signing. ---- I've allowed another exit from the club and, whilst this isn't unheard of, it's a nice thing to dig into. Alexey Zaseev moves to France with my blessing after I received a bid that was considerably above his asking price. I think that this deal, and more-so, the look into his development, has made me realise how much I miss not having a traditional (and I say that as an English man who follows the English leagues) route through. Whilst my 2-Team is strong and gives players opportunities for mens football, I know how important training is before 18 and my players just don't get that - instead, having to deal with the rigours of competitive football at an early age and at not a good level. I don't know, and doubt I ever will know, the long term implications of this but there are some things that I do miss: certainly the ability to warn players for poor performances as I do in the first team. I also think that my own mantra of this of keeping the 2-Team completely separate for the entire season makes the year where they enter the first team harder but mixing the schedules, particularly when the games are competitive, isn't something I like to do. My next job (spoiler: and that maybe within a season or two if the right job abroad comes up) will almost certainly be at a team without a reserve/second team who play in mens football: it just doesn't suit my development style. However, his develop epitomises what I've tried to do across the career - take each player at face value and try and develop them as best I can. As you can see, there has been significant work on his Technical abilities - particularly Finishing and Technique whilst the under the hood work has been to remove the weak Right Foot and allow him to be a little more comfortable in the attacking third. I am aware of the attribute rebalancing that comes with weaker foot training and, as such, can understand why there hasn't been too much widespread growth. As you can see, there has been a one point Determination growth and a two point Work Rate decrease - things which I'm sure would have been remedied with the ability to discuss his performances at the club. I think Vlahovic's retirement probably saw the end of his time at the club as, maybe, another year - probably out on loan - could have seen him readied for the first team. However, for every Zaseev we have, I hope I have one Sakheishvili, who do make the first team.