FM15: 1 in 30,000

[Rikulec]

San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino (Listeni/sæn məˈriːnoʊ/ san-mə-REE-noh; Italian: Repubblica di San Marino) and also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino), is an enclaved microstate surrounded by Italy, situated on the Italian Peninsula on the north-eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. Its size is just over 61 km2 (24 sq mi) with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino, its largest city Dogana. San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe.

The country isn't famous for football success, to say the least. But there is one guy crazy enough to go out there and start a career in football management.

Alessandro Poletti

This weirdo has no playing history or coaching badges, yet he wants to embark on a journey to make a name for himself and his country. This surely can't end well, right?

My Save

I have England (Vanarama North/South), Scotland (League Two) and Norway (2. Divisjon) set as playable with France (National), Germany (2. Bundesliga), Italy (Serie B) and Spain (Segunda B) on view only. The start date is 24th June 2014.

[Rikulec]

So, the first chance to at least be considered for a job comes from snowy Norway. Harstad are finding themselves mid-table after nine league games in 2. Divisjon, which is third tier of Norwegian football. Is this the big moment in Alessandro Poletti's life?

Yeah...

[Guest Darius Basu]

Looks a Liverpool supporter to me considering Mourinho, Van Gaal and Keane are among worst opinion. Isn't it so?

[Rikulec]

Looks a Liverpool supporter to me considering Mourinho, Van Gaal and Keane are among worst opinion. Isn't it so?

Yup, got that right.

[Rikulec]

That's a second interview invitation I've received and it's from Norway again. Maybe it will go a little better this time round?

Yeah. A third tier Norwegian club has just offered the first team manager position to a Sammarinese with no experience or qualifications. Just let that sink in for a moment.

On 24th July 2014 their position in the league is poor, the club are sitting in 11th with only two points separating them from the drop zone. On the other hand, the table is quite tight and a decent run of games could push them up to the top half, which would be exceeding the board's expectations. Hopefully I can deliver this.

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - New Club - Eidsvold Turnforening

So here I am, travelling across Europe from hot and sunny San Marino to cold, unfriendly Norway. I don't think a Sammarinese would ever do that, but hey - this is just the first step on a long and rocky path to success... hell, who am I trying to convince?

Club Name: Eidsvold Turnforening

Nickname: Turn

Year Founded: 1910

Status: Semi-Professional

Stadium: Myhrer Stadion (3,375 capacity)

The facilities actually look quite decent for this level, hopefully they'll be able to produce an interesting prospect or two while I'm at the club.

[Rikulec]

Not really surprising to be fair.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - August 2014 - Eidsvold Turnforening

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

Progress? Well, you could say so, but that would be missing a huge part of the story. We were the better team against Valerenga's reserves, but an abysmal performance by our goalkeeper was devastating for the result. Before the game I had to choose from two keepers with similar, but quite poor ability. Eventually it was Sondre Midtgarden who I put between the sticks for my debut. We got the lead early on from Enkerud's header, but just a minute later Valerenga got the equaliser. We got the lead again as Nesset found himself on the end of a long pass and calmly put the ball in the net. I was ready to give the "don't get complacent" half-time talk, but in the stoppage time we conceded again. It was the first of the three blunders by Midtgarden. By 56th minute we were already two goals down. We grabbed another goal twenty minutes before the end, but eventually we couldn't get the draw. In the next game I was kinda hoping for a personal revenge as it was Harstad who rejected me just a month before. Changing the goalkeeper didn't help as we were much worse as a team and lost deservedly, although they only found the net in the second half. The next two games were packed with frustration as we led 2:0 in both of them, yet couldn't maintain fitness and concentration for the full 90 minutes. Moss did actually put us 3:2 behind, but Nesset replied very quickly and saved us from embarrasment. And finally the Mo game which was a real thriller. We fell behind twice in the beginning, but managed to equalise and eventually we got the lead after a quickfire double from Enkerud. Mo pulled one back to make it 4:3. Then we were awarded a penalty which seemed rather dodgy to me, but I couldn't complain as we managed to convert it. Enkerud extended our lead to three in the 87th minute with a failed cross - and by failed I don't mean lobbing it over a keeper, the ball was literally rolling on the ground, yet somehow their goalie managed to let it in. Mo grabbed another goal in stoppage time, but that didn't really matter - we got our first win!

Transfers

Only one transfer in the summer window and it's Jon Erik Økland who leaves the club on a free. He was one of our best players, but sadly he was only on an amateur contract and wasn't even interested in negotiating a semi-pro one, so there was not much I could do about this.

[chile_paul]

Let's hope you can build on that win against Mo

[deltablue]

Well done finally getting that win, hopefully a few more will follow.

[Rikulec]

Let's hope you can build on that win against Mo

Well done finally getting that win, hopefully a few more will follow.

Thank you guys, I'm afraid things aren't going so well...

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - September 2014 - Eidsvold Turnforening

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

Another poor month, somehow we're still hanging on though. It's now visible how vital the win against Mo was. This campaign becomes all about survival now, with a three-way battle between us, Mo and Lørenskog coming up.

We started September with a potentially tricky trip to Finnsnes and yet again showed our inability to hold onto a lead. Nesset grabbed a brace within the first 12 minutes, but then our rivals replied with two quick goals too. Enkerud put us in front again and we managed to finish the first half with the lead, but twenty minutes before the final whistle Finnsnes got the equaliser, ultimately crushing our dreams. Then we travelled to Medkila, who were rock bottom of the table at the time, hoping to pick up three points there. How naive. In the previous game we lost Enkerud to a twisted knee and it showed - without our key winger we were unable to create any chances, add to that yet another bad performance by our defenders and we lost a very important game without even putting up a proper fight. Next up was runaway leaders KFUM Oslo at home. We expected a very tough game - and rightfully so. We were 3:0 down on the 50th minute mark when I decided to bring on Joachim Solheim. He scored straight off the bench and set up Nesset for his goal just three minutes later. Suddenly it was game on. We were much better in the second half and kept creating chances, but sadly couldn't convert. We lost, but this game filled me with faith - maybe these lads can actually play football? Against Skeid I decided to give Solheim his first start since I came to the club. Another positive news was Enkerud coming back from the injury. It was Nesset who stole the show though, netting another brace and making it 5 goals in 4 games in September. We even managed to keep a clean sheet for the first time this season.

Four games to go, all of them will be played in October, including a home clash against Lørenskog.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - October 2014 - Eidsvold Turnforening

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

So glad it's over.

Lørenskog was a six point game and my players knew it - the pressure seemed to have overwhelmed them, we couldn't put the pieces together at all. We did quite luckily manage to take the lead early on, but afterwards it was all Lørenskog's game as they easily put three past us. All we could reply with was Nesset's consolation goal in stoppage time, way too late. Another home game was against Kvik Halden, at that time 9th in the league. We hoped for the best, even though I had to play a defensive midfielder at CB (the first choice one was suspended and I have only TWO players who are capable of playing there, definitely an area where I'll need to look for improvement). It was Mats Ingebrigtsen who was given this responsibility and he failed miserably, scoring an own goal and commiting a foul in the box just four minutes later. Nesset put us back in the game just after half time, but we just couldn't follow up with another goal despite a few decent opportunities. The penultimate game was against Drøbak-Frogn, the second team in the league, at their place. My hopes weren't high, they were creating chance after chance in the first half, yet somehow failed to score. In the second 45 minutes suddenly the tables turned and we gained control of the game, but Nesset and Enkerud couldn't hit the barn door that day. Eventually we conceded five minutes before the whistle, yet another case of sloppy defending and their striker pouncing on the rebound. On the same day Mo managed to get their first point of the month, but it was Harstad who grabbed the equaliser very late in the game. Had Mo won, I would have dropped to 12th. On the final day I played Valerenga 2 in Oslo while Mo travelled to Follo and Lørenskog were already safe. Our relegation rivals didn't really put up a fight and were 4:0 down inside 45 minutes. Our game wasn't as easy as the result would suggest, it wasn't until Abshir's brace when I finally got confident we would win. Two of our goals were absolute screamers - Nesset scored a magnificent upper 90 volley from just outside the box and Edvardsen struck a powerful free kick from 30 yards out which went in off the crossbar. After the whistle we could finally celebrate - we're staying up!

[Makoto Nakamura]

You appear to have a habit of only winning the last game of every month, lets hope that changes for the better next season. Congrats on staying up!

[Rikulec]

You appear to have a habit of only winning the last game of every month, lets hope that changes for the better next season. Congrats on staying up!

Thanks. Strange pattern, isn't it? Hopefully I'll be able to strenghten in winter and maybe win the first, second or third game of any month.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - Season Review - 2014 - Eidsvold Turnforening

Oddsenligaen Avdeling 4

Results (includes only results since my arrival)

League Performance: 11th

The team were lying in 11th on the day I arrived and it led to their manager getting the boot, so obviously I can't be happy with that finish. Our performances were very inconsistent, we did have a few decent games, but in some we were abysmal. We'll definitely need more quality and consistency if we're going to aim higher than just survival next season.

Cupen

Competition Performance: Knocked out in 4th Round

The previous boss managed quite a decent cup run, he eventually lost to Rosenborg, but taking the game to extra time against one of the best teams in Norway was impressive. To be honest, it will be very difficult to improve upon this next season.

Squad

Okay, where do I start? As mentioned in one of the previous updates, there are only two players capable of playing centre back, one of which is utterly crap. There's also no left-footed winger. We're lacking quality in every formation and will need to improve and rebuild in winter. That will be quite difficult though as I won't be able to sign a scout until mid-January due to some ridiculous board promise I made during the interview. The budget is going to be really tight, too.

Transfers

Only one departure and no arrivals yet, so basically nothing to speak of. I'd have liked to keep Økland, but it was impossible.

Finances

Massively helped by the Rosenborg game in the cup. Hopefully this will be enough to get our wage budget increased next season, otherwise I won't be able to bring anyone to the club. Nothing to worry about at this point.

Player of the Season

1st - Ole Andreas Nesset - 11 goals in 13 games under my management speak for themselves. Easily my best striker and probably the best player, too. Was absolutely vital for us.

2nd - Glenn Wisgård - this choice may seem strange when you look at the number of goals we conceded, but without him it would be much, much higher. Some amazing saves and he gave us hope in games multiple times.

3rd - Jonas Enkerud - would have been competing with Nesset for 1st place if his form hadn't dropped in the final games. Missed two games due to knee injury and we lost them both. Proved himself as a very important player for the side.

Next Season

We'll need to strenghten in a few areas, particularly centre back and left wing. With the right sort of players I'm hoping for a top half finish, I'll be happy with anything better than relegation battle though.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - Season Preview - 2015 - Eidsvold Turnforening

Board Expectations:

Oddsenligaen Avdeling 4: Top half finish

Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup: 2nd Round

My Expectations:

Oddsenligaen Avdeling 4: Not getting involved in the relegation battle, hopefully a comfortable top half finish.

Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup: We're obviously not going to win it, so I'm not overly fussed. It would be nice if we got a draw to boost our finances like we did last season though.

Budgets:

Transfer: £15,745

Wage: £3,601 (currently spending £3,232)

Balance: £27,842

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - Pre-Season - 2015 - Eidsvold Turnforening

Friendlies

My assistant was in charge of these games, so there's not much to speak of. We only lost once in 11 games, but drew 6 times which is a bit too much for my liking.

Transfers

I was given an extra £1,200 per week in the transfer window, so I could bring in the players for all positions that needed strenghtening. There are no departures, the club is quite small and there are only 26 players - 23 in the first team squad, two in the reserves and one in the U-19 team.

Tobias Ødegård - one of the two central defenders I signed, will compete for a first-choice team place.

Szymon Krolikowski - not really a world beater, but that will do. He should go straight into the first team as he's the best player I can field on the left wing.

Martin Nygaard - another central defender, will provide competition for Ødegård and hopefully quality for the team.

Marius Kristiansen - an experienced left back who will further strenghten this side of the pitch. I hope he'll provide the consistency we lacked last season.

Kristian Bråtebæk - probably my best capture in this transfer window. Although not the best physically, he has everything in place to become our main source of assists this season.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - April 2015 - Eidsvold Turnforening

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

I failed. Simply couldn't make this work.

Last year Harstad put three goals past us and this time it wasn't any different. We managed to reply once through Jonas Enkerud, but apart from that we weren't a threat for them at all. The result against Stålkam was much better than our game. We fell 3:0 down inside 20 minutes, then Mats Ingebrigtsen gave us a glimmer of hope with a maginificent free kick from 30 yards out. After that the game became rather dull, eventually we managed to grab another goal with four minutes to go, but that was it. At this point I was already considering quitting the managerial post as I simply couldn't put the pieces together at the club, nothing I tried seemed to work in the long run. I decided that the game against Kvik Halden will help me make that call... and lost. We fell behind twice in the first half and managed to equalise on both occasions. The second half started well for us after Krolikowski found himself on the end of Nesset's low cross, putting us in front and a brace next to his name. Then our inability to keep leads kicked in yet again as we conceded twice in the final 15 minutes. Three losses out of three and I was already packing my bags.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to turn things around quickly, which would be necessary if I wanted to keep the job. Quitting was just preventing the board from making this decision themselves. Off to Job Centre I am, then.

[Rikulec]

Next stop - Scotland?

Well... can't blame them, can I?

[Rikulec]

I didn't get my hopes up this time, honestly this job would be a step up from the Eidsvold one and I certainly didn't deserve one.

This one though is the complete opposite, Florø have just been promoted to 2. Divisjon and are playing in the same group Eidsvold are. Third time lucky?

[Rikulec]

After two and a half months without a job I'm thrown a bone. Florø are arguably a smaller club than Eidsvold, but as you remember I failed there so a step down was expected.

It is July 4th and Florø are sitting 9th in the league, looking much more likely to be involed in the relegation battle than promotion. God, haven't I been there already? I keep telling myself this has to be done.

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - New Club - Florø Fotball

The board expect me to achieve a respectable league position. I'd just like not to worry about survival until the final day of the season this time as it would actually be a sign of progress if I managed to avoid it.

Club Name: Florø Fotball

Nickname: Florø

Year Founded: 1912

Status: Semi-professional

Stadium: Florø Stadion (2,000 capacity, 1,000 seated)

Nothing outstanding there, Florø have never played higher than 2. Divisjon in their 103 years of existence, so everything's there to achieve for me... or anyone who'll have to clean up after I make a mess there, more likely.

Oh, I almost forgot. My first game in charge will be away at Eidsvold, obviously.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - July 2015 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

Only two games this month, but that was enough to show me that Norwegians could simply want me to leave their country.

For obvious reasons Eidsvold was a very important game for me. Everything started quite well and in the 22th minute we got in front after Kaddu Aton hit a powerful strike from the edge of the box. We had numerous chances to extend our lead, but still managed to screw up all of them and before half time we were already trailing. I hoped that telling the players that they were unlucky would take the pressure off them and help them finally find the target. We dominated, limiting Eidsvold to only one or two chances, but our strike force couldn't hit the barn door on that day. Add to that a fantastic performance from goalkeeper Sondre Midtgarden whom I benched after his first game for me - I guess he had something to prove there. The trip to Finnsnes was always going to be tricky, but I thought it could be winnable. My players quickly brought me down to earth by scoring an own goal inside four minutes of the game. We equalised in the 45th minute... and still managed to concede in stoppage time. Unbelievable. Then we kick off the second half, keep the ball nicely for half a minute, then score through a magnificent, fluid passing move. These three goals are probably the best description of my time in Norway so far. Then it was all back to normal - the game was fairly even with roughly equal amount of good opportunities on both sides, but it was Finnsnes who managed to convert theirs - twice.

Well, at least this time we're actually playing some decent football at times. I've also built the tactic from scratch and completely redefinded the team's way of playing, so it could take some time for the players to adapt. This time there's some actual hope!

[deltablue]

Not the best of starts

[SRL88]

Painful start .

[Torminator]

Ouch mate! Maybe its time to move on! Harsh defeat against your former club..

[Rikulec]

Not the best of starts

Painful start .

It's definitely bad, but there are some signs of improvement to be seen in the way we're playing. Hopefully we'll be able to pick up some points as the season goes.

Ouch mate! Maybe its time to move on! Harsh defeat against your former club..

I'm not planning to leave the club yet, but if I fail here I'll probably leave Norway and seek more luck somewhere else.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - August 2015 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

My word, this feels so satisfying.

We started the month with a home game against a struggling Modum side. I viewed this clash as a good opportunity to finally turn things around. And we did - the score was already settled by the 45th minute mark as we managed to find the net four times. The second half was rather dull, but that didn't really matter. I finally got a proof that my players have potential and are capable of showing very nice football at times. Drøbak-Frogn aren't having a good season this time round, but I still remember they were "the best of the rest" last year and finished second. I was expecting a tough game and was very surprised to get a two goal lead already in the 11th minute. We controlled the game from then on, yet conceded against the run of play from a counter attack just ten minutes after our second goal. However, we managed to extend the lead just before half time and maintain it throughout the second 45 minutes. Two wins from two at that point, next up - Mjøndalen, the second best team in the league. This game was a real test for us and we fell just three minutes short of absolutely acing it. Again we got two goals up, this time it was Stefan Asse and Dino Omerovic who found the net. Mjøndalen got a goal just after the break, then we hit them again in the 64th minute. At this point we were already starting to show signs of tiredness. Our rivals exploited this weakness - they scored for the second time in the 85th minute and eventually equalised in stoppage time through a counter attack. Disappointed isn't the word. The next week we travelled to Senja for a relatively easy game which we comfortably won and never were really threatened. Runar Hove pounced on a rebound after a header from a corner kick and later in the game Kristoffer Ryland found himself on the end of a nice passing move. The last game of August was at home against Fyllingsdalen. That was pure madness. It took us only 21 minutes to build a three goal lead and another fifty to blow it. 3:3 it was after 70 minutes of play and we were playing better, creating chances and wasting fantastic opportunities one after another. I had already lost hope when Kristoffer Valsvik unleashed a genious 50-yard pass between their central defenders to Kristoffer Book's legs. Our striker couldn't have wasted that chance. 90 minutes on the clock and we're in front again. Mental game, but this time it was us who were on the right end of it.

[DavidBeckham]

Great unbeaten month there mate

[Rikulec]

Great unbeaten month there mate

Thanks, it was a massive relief after all these months of failure.

[kris0710]

Great effort last month, things are hopefully going in the right direction now. More form like that and challenging 2nd place has to be the aim. Best of luck.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - September 2015 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

An average month which could have been much better if it wasn't for our inability to keep leads... yeah, again.

I hate Harstad with passion. They declined me in the very beginning of my career, then they beat me twice, and now yet again I was unable to get a win against them. We controlled the game and got 3:0 up through Ryland's goal and two penalties converted by Holko. Then Harstad got a corner and scored a lucky goal after some havoc in the box. Straight out of the dressing room we get another goal and it's Ryland again who scores a header after a far post cross. 4:1 up and then it goes mental. Harstad manage to score two goals, both from corners, making that three in the game. And of course just before stoppage time we concede a ridiculous goal - an awful cross from deep rolls slowly on the ground straight towards our goalkeeper Robert Winogrodzki, who for some reason decides to simply let it in. 4:4 it is and we don't have time to score. Harstad are really my bogey team on this save. Then we travelled to league leaders Follo and fell two behind inside thirty minutes of the game. We managed to score just before half time with Kristoffer Book finishing a nice counter attack. The second half starts and we get into it well, quickly netting the equaliser. From then on the game became quite dull with both teams getting only the odd chance. And of course - again! - we concede late, this time it was the 86th minute. We had a chance to make it 3:3 in stoppage time, but Book failed to get a hat-trick from a good opportunity. The game against Stålkam was very important for our morale - a loss could start a streak of bad results. Long story short - 2:0 up we went, then they were down to 10 men, then they - take a guess - yeah, equalised. Luckily it was only 56 minutes on the clock. We had plenty of time to turn the game and so we did thanks to Reksten's and Book's goals. We finished off the month with an away game at Kvik Halden. Yet again we started the game well and got in front through Kristoffer Book, yet again we lost the lead and then conceded another goal to make it 1:2. Then Ryland got his head to a beautiful cross from the right and put it in the back of the net. Kvik Halden got another goal just before half time. The next half an hour was goalless, then Book had another moment of brilliance, scoring twice in three minutes, completing a hat-trick, making it 7 goals in 3 games and becoming the league's top goalscorer at this point. Shortly after we got the lead we conceded, this time it was a nice strike from 25 yards out. Balls.

The last batch of games includes a home clash against Eidsvold Turn. Realistically we could finish the league in 4th and that's what I'm aiming for.

Youth Intake

A poor intake with only one player worth snapping up.

Matias Heggestad

[Rikulec]

Great effort last month, things are hopefully going in the right direction now. More form like that and challenging 2nd place has to be the aim. Best of luck.

Thanks, unfortunately it didn't go quite so well.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - October 2015 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

All in all a decent month.

The Skeid result doesn't really tell the whole story. We were dominated throughout the whole game and deserved to concede much more. We got an early lead against the run of play and again it was Kristoffer Book who put us in front. After that we went to pieces though and Skeid exploited it, scoring four goals and creating numerous opportunities to extend their lead. Approaching the end of the game we scored our second - Solheim-Olsen got to a drilled cross and scored with a powerful near post volley. The game against Førde was important for us as I wanted to avoid an end of season collapse. Fortunately we recovered from the Skeid loss brilliantly and played very well, getting a deserved 4:1 win. Yet another brace from Book winded up his goal tally to 10 in his last 5 games and 18 in the whole league season. In the penultimate game we faced Eidsvold Turn at home, hoping to get revenge for the loss in my first game in charge of Florø. We couldn't have started better - Halvor Solheim-Olsen set a club record for the fastest goal ever as he found the net just 19 seconds into the game. Eidsvold got an equaliser ten minutes later, but it was another good performance from us and we restricted them from creating more chances. Unfortunately we lost Book to a knee injury in the first half. It was Kaddu Aton who had to fill his boots and he did, scoring twice in the last 20 minutes of the game, putting us in front and eventually clinching the win. We finished off the season with a trip to already relegated Modum, hoping for an easy game. Well, it was rather easy in fact, but the sloppiness of our defence cost us two goals. This time Kristoffer Ryland stole the show though, scoring twice and setting Aton up for his goal.

Ultimately our poor defensive display cost us a place in the league as it came down to goal difference between us, Skeid and Eidsvold Turn. It feels great to finish above my former club though.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - Season Review - 2015 - Florø Fotball

Oddsenligaen Avdeling 4

Results (includes only results since my arrival)

League Performance: 5th

After a slow start we improved vastly, setting up a 4-2-3-1 formation and trying to keep the ball and play as technically as it is possible at this level of football brought very satisfying results. What I'm concerned about is the amount of goals we concede, which is somewhat connected to another issue - our inability to hold onto a lead. That's something I'll be going to improve.

Cupen

Competition Performance: Knocked out in 3rd Round

A respectable performance by the previous manager, losing to Tippeligaen side Aalesund was always on the cards.

Squad

We're lacking depth a bit, but the core is right there in place and I'm satisfied with the quality we possess already.

Transfers (transfers under the red line were made after my arrival)

Only two moves I made, left back Martin Hollevik left the club as he was on a non-contract and Pal Holko was brought in as his direct replacement and rotation player.

Finances

Nothing to worry about here, we've just signed a new sponsorship deal which will give us £60K a year which is very handy at this level.

Player of the Season

1st - Kristoffer Book - an obvious choice when you look at his last 5 games average rating. 18 league goals were enough to give him the Top Goalscorer award. His injury is a bit worrying, but the season doesn't start until April, so he'll have plenty of time to recover.

2nd - Kristoffer Ryland - second best player and second top goalscorer at the club. Key player for the side, great force on the left wing and he's only 19, too. Will be looking to sign a semi-pro contract with him soon.

3rd - Stefan Aase - our main creative force in the middle. Links the play perfectly, very creative and intelligent on the ball. Homegrown and very young as well.

Next Season

There's no sign of any important players looking to leave the club, so I'd say top 5 finish is a minimum. Optimistically, with the right additions to the squad here and there we might be able to battle for promotion.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - Season Preview - 2016 - Florø Fotball

Board Expectations:

Oddsenligaen Avdeling 4: Title Challenge

Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup: 2nd Round

My Expectations:

Oddsenligaen Avdeling 4: The board have very high expectations this year, but honestly I think we could be capable of getting promoted.

Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup: A good draw could boost our finances and that's what I'm hoping for.

Budgets:

Transfer: £13,858

Wage: £4,120 (currently spending £2,746)

Balance: £14,989

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - Pre-Season - 2016 - Florø Fotball

Friendlies

My assistant was in charge and did quite well. Results against Molde 2 and Langevåg are the two obvious standouts.

Transfers

This winter it was all about adding depth to an already strong core of the team.

Magnus Mohus - a decent young defender who can cover two positions on the pitch. With some luck he could compete for a starting eleven spot.

Mathias Raum - an exciting talented midfielder. Released by Brann after his contract ran out, he should fight for his place in the first team and could become one of our leading players.

Christopher Sæbø - a direct replacement for our reserve keeper Knut-Marius Kvammen who left the club on a free transfer.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - April 2016 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

A solid if unspectacular start to the season.

We started the campaign with a trip to our rivals Førde and did it in the best possible way. Kristoffer Ryland broke the club's fastest goal record, scoring in the 16th second of the game. The previous record holder Halvor Solheim-Olsen added another goal in the second half, which was followed by Kristoffer Book's first goal of the season. From then on we collapsed physically and conceded twice. I was worried we could have drawn this game, but fortunately we managed to kill the game after they made it 3:2 with ten minutes left on the clock. Against Fyllingsdalen I expected a relatively easy game and I was proven right. Kristoffer Book added three more goals to his tally with a spectacular hat-trick and our right back Bjørnar Hove scored after a fantastic run, getting past three opponents and hammering a powerful strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards out. The match against Tollnes came just four days after our cup game. We were exhausted and forced to rotate the squad. The game was rather dull, we had a few chances, but failed to create a really good opportunity. In the meantime we lost our goalkeeper Robert Winogrodzki to a minor injury, luckily his replacement filled his boots well and ended the match with a clean sheet. We ended the month with a clash against Skeid. I remembered them hammering us last season and expected a very tough game, especially given that we only had a three day break after the previous league match. Our rivals turned out to be much weaker than expected though. We deservedly scored four goals, including a brace from Solheim-Olsen who already has three goals and four assists in the league. Of course we conceded in the dying minutes again, but this time it didn't matter at all. Winning by such a margin means we're top of the league after four games.

Cupen

In the cup we were paired with an Adeccoligaen side Vard. We were tired and unfit going into the game and it showed. For about 60 minutes we were the better team, creating opportunities, including two clear cut chances wasted by Ryland. From then on we were on the back foot and honestly were very lucky not to concede. Winogrodzki had a fantastic game, he made at least three great saves which could have easily been goals. We were luckier in the shoot-out as one of Vard players hit the post while we scored all five penalties.

In the next round we will face Molde at home. Hopefully they won't take revenge for their reserves!

[deltablue]

Great improvement in form. Think you could do it this year?

[Rikulec]

Great improvement in form. Think you could do it this year?

There are many signs of improvement, we even managed to get results with players finishing games with 55-60% condition. If we don't fall apart, we should fight to the end. So yeah, I think this year could be our year.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - May 2016 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

Aaaaand it's gone.

The Mo game was always going to be tough as it was played only three days after the cup match against Molde. For the most part of it we controlled the ball, but all of our front men suddenly lost their ability to score. Combine this with three woodwork hits and there you have a recipe for disaster. We were getting worse and worse as time passed by and eventually conceded on the 91st minute mark. How typical, eh? Then after a long awaited nine day rest we travelled to fellow promotion candidates Mjøndalen... and lost again, to cut a long story short. This time we conceded early on and then started to slowly gain control, but yet again neither Book nor any of the wingers could hit a barn door. Second game in a row we lost and failed to score a single goal. Later came the easiest game on paper, but you know, it's Harstad. Luckily this time everything went to plan as we sent them home with an easy 2:0 win and 26 shots to their 3. Beating my usual bogey team could have been a good sign before the tough clash against Finnsnes who are always up there with the best teams in the league. The first half was rather boring and brought only one goal, scored by Peter Aase with a scruffy first time shot that went in off the post. The second half was our usual showing, only this time we conceded early - it was 65 minutes on the clock when they scored from a corner kick. Again we could have got the win, but Book has been very poor this month and I'll probably drop him for the next game. Two points stupidly lost and now we're lying in 4th, three places and three points behind the leaders Mjøndalen. Balls.

Cupen

Well, this was bound to happen, wasn't it? We did try our best, three of their goals came from corner and another one from a direct free kick. We replied with two effective counter attacks, but still fell way off.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - June 2016 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

An easier run of games was just what we needed. Why can't we play like this every month?

We started the month with a trip to Kolstad, who are dead last and hopeless in the league. As I mentioned in the previous update, I decided to drop Book and move Halvor Solheim-Olsen to the lone forward spot. We got the lead early on and kept building on it, leading 3:0 at half time with Solheim-Olsen netting one of the goals. In the second half we kept pushing on as I felt a big win would be a massive boost of confidence - exactly what we needed after a poor run in May. Eventually we scored eight, but defensive mistakes meant we also conceded twice. Centre back Simen Solheim scored his first ever goal for the club with a header from a corner kick and we've also beaten the biggest win record. For the Skarp game I decided to give Kristoffer Book another chance to shine. The game was very frustrating, especially for the out of form striker who had two goals disallowed (both slightly offside though). We kept wasting chance after chance, thankfully Solheim-Olsen, who played on the right wing again in this game, didn't disappoint us as he finally broke the deadlock in the 71st minute and added another goal just three minutes later. We finished off the month with a home match against Kvik Halden, who have already proven they could be a tricky rival. Not this time though - within the first fifteen minutes Bjørnar Hove played two beautiful far-post crossed and Kristoffer Ryland found himself on the end of both. We ended the first half with a 3:0 lead as Solheim converted another corner. Later in the game Solheim-Olsen - again as the lone forward - bagged another two and we ended July with a fantastic manita.

[deltablue]

Good bounce-back.

[Rikulec]

Good bounce-back.

Thanks, if only we had more stability...

[SuperXstyle]

Awesome read mate, very well written!

You're doing well... I can't wait to get this game, reading that has built the excitement!

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - July 2016 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

Oh. My. God. Gutted, absolutely gutted.

Eidsvold Turn was always going to be a tough game, especially at their place. We were utterly crap though, suddenly we lost the form we had just a week before. We were 2:0 down inside fifteen minutes. Solheim-Olsen gave us a glimmer of hope with a nice header, but that was pretty much it. We were dominated throughout the whole match and could have easily conceded more. The result was 4:1 when Kristoffer Book got away from his marker, hit the post from twenty yards out and then luckily rebounded his own shot. That was all we could have done in this game. The next match against Førde became a must-win, especially as it was at home against our fierce rivals. We dominated in the first half, but it wasn't until the 31st minute when we finally broke the deadlock. After numerous opportunites wasted by his teammates and - again! - having a goal disallowed, Kristoffer Book put us in front with a confident finish. The celebrations didn't last long though as Førde equalised with their first shot on target five minutes before half time. Then in the 52nd minute Solheim-Olsen made it 2:1, only for us to concede again just four minutes after. We were already starting to lose control at this point, but luckily Book and Ryland put us two in front with a quickfire double. From then on we were absolutely dominated and Førde got a consolation goal ten minutes before the whistle. Luckily this time we managed to survive the final minutes and ultimately scraped a win. And then there were our fellow promotion candidates, Senja. 16 seconds into the game and I already knew we were officially in crisis as Winogrodzki had already let a shot in. They added three more in the second half while we couldn't hit the target, no matter how easy the chance was. Headers from two yards out, ball laid out to the edge of six yard box - everything was either blocked by their defenders or way off target. This loss means we're down to 3rd and seven points behind the leaders Mjøndalen. Dream over?

Transfers

Heggestad demanded a move as he thought ge wasn't getting enough first team football. Well, I'd say he wasn't good enough anyway and £52K is a decent fee at this level.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - August 2016 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

Not the best of months, although we ended it in an encouraging manner.

The match against Fyllingsdalen was very important as they sat behind us in 4th only on goal difference. We continued our disastrous run of form though and lost the game rather easily. The statistics are quite misleading because we actually had more shots and possesion, but most of their shots were from good positions and five goals is pretty much what they deserved. Both our wingers scored on that day too, but that was all we could reply with. I was hoping to bounce back in a home game against a mid-table side Tollnes. Oh, how gullible of me. We started the match quite well, pushing on from the kick off, but fifteen minutes into the game we already found ourselves 1:0 down as we yet again failed to defend a corner kick. The game became really dull from that point until we were given a massive portion of luck as Ryland's cross hit one of their clueless defenders and rolled into the net. 73 minutes on the clock, game on... not. We conceded almost straight from the kick off and were unable to make yet another push in the final minutes. That meant we lost three games in a row and got only three points from last five. Horrible. The game against Skeid may turn out to be a turning point though. To cut it short, we were 2:1 down in the 50th minute when I resorted to pretty much my last home. I brought off Mathias Raum who was having another hopeless game and brought on Solheim-Olsen from the bench, moving Dino Omerovic to the AMC spot. This worked wonders - Ryland equalised with a powerful shot to the far post from fifteen yards out, then Solheim-Olsen put us in front and Reksten and Book extended the lead to 5:2. We conceded in the stoppage time, but that didn't matter. Was Omerovic the remedy? The game against Mo was meant to answer that question, and it did... sort of. We snatched a win, but the game was really even. A great performance from our defence and their ridiculous mistakes (one of the defenders was trying to clear the ball, but hit the back of another one for him to score an own goal) was what ultimately let us grab the three points.

Eight games left, eleven points behind Mjøndalen. That's just not going to happen, is it?

[AK22]

Liking this thread a lot! Nicely presented, well written, interesting sub-plots

Quite a turnaround from where you found them, but its still disappointing that you've dropped off the pace after such a good start. Hopefully, there's another twist in the tail

[Rikulec]

Liking this thread a lot! Nicely presented, well written, interesting sub-plots

Quite a turnaround from where you found them, but its still disappointing that you've dropped off the pace after such a good start. Hopefully, there's another twist in the tail

Cheers mate.

As for the twists and turnarounds, unlike some of the posters here I always post my updates as soon as I finish the month in FM, so I have no idea what's on the cards.

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - September 2016 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

A defining month has passed and it's officially all over. Mjøndalen have won the title with four games to go, but there's still a tight battle for the second place and that's where I'd ideally like to finish this season.

The first game of September was at home against Mjøndalen and God, what a game it was! We got to a flying start when Simen Solheim got his head to a corner cross just five minutes in. Obviously we're well known for our inability to hold onto such leads and fifteen minutes later Mjøndalen got the equaliser. We scored for the second time just before the first half ended, yet another corner kick, this time it caused chaos in the penalty box and it was Simen Hamre who remained calm and put the ball in the net. We started the second half horribly - conceded almost straight from the kick off, then in the 60th minute we lost Runar Hove to a wrongly given red card and just a few minutes later we were a goal down. At this point I thought it was all over, but no. Switching to Counter mentality worked wonders as we scored three goals in the space of six minutes and kept this lead to the end. No words can describe how strong I felt after this game... just for a week though. Don't be fooled by the result - Harstad had only five shots on target in the game. We were actually controlling it, but kept getting caught on the break. Disaster is the only word I can think of to describe this. We had to bounce back immediately in the Kolstad game, and we did. Well, sort of. The result is in our favour, but honestly the match was very poor from both sides. It wasn't until Pål Holko's fantastic free kick until I was finally confident we were going to win. And then came a trip to Finnsnes, always a tricky tie. Only this time we weren't tricky for them at all. A deserved 3:0 loss is a perfect summary for our performance in this game. Combined with Mjøndalen's win this meant the title battle was officially over. Well, next year is our year... yeah.

Youth Intake

Another poor one. Normally I'd only bother with signing Hollevik, but in this batch there is one player who I just can't let go. I don't know if he travelled all the way from San Marino to play for me, but there he is. Shame he's so crap though.

Luca Pasolini

Mats Hollevik

[Rikulec]

Alessandro Poletti's Management Career - October 2016 - Florø Fotball

2. Divisjon Avd. 4

Another month of utterly miserable failure. Second place finish? Did I really say that?

First up, a home match against a struggling Skarp side. 30 minutes in, 2:0 down. Story of my life, isn't it? Peter Aase managed to snatch one back after a corner kick header, but that was all. We were actually a worse team on the pitch and could have easily lost this match higher. For some reason most of my players forgot how to play football simultaneously. At this point I already couldn't wait for this season to end. But we still had three matches to play and were in contention for that elusive second place. We travelled to Kvik Halden, hoping not to embarass ourselves once more. Well, if that game was played at an earlier stage of the season, it would definitely bring more joy to me. We controlled it thoroughly, but kept missing chance after chance and eventually got caught on the counter attack. Twice. Then as a desperate act I decide to bring on Halvor Solheim-Olsen and Bjørnar Hove. The latter played a fantastic game at right back and got one assist from a near post cross, while the former managed to score two goals and set up Book for another one. Fantastic comeback and suddenly there was a glimmer of hope. We had to beat Eidsvold Turn though and then everything would be decided on the final day. We kept pushing on, actually playing well and finally got the goal shortly before half time. We didn't take the foot of the gas, but yet again no one was able to convert an easy chance. Eventually we conceded in the 80th minute with Eidsvold's only shot on target. Pathetic. And finally Senja. Same old story with us having a decent game, yet losing. Only this time all goals came in the last ten minutes of the game. One of their goals was an overhit cross which fell into the far corner. What a perfect ending to our season.