smp20 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Youri Djorkaeff returns to his roots: Pyunik & Armenia So I'm back with one last save on FM18. I've taken on the persona of World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff, who has an Armenian mother, with the aim to take Armenia and Pyunik to World Cup and Champions League glory. The national team has it's talisman in Henrikh Mkhitaryan who I will need to get the most of in his prime. But first for this thread, the focus is on the club side. F.C. Pyunik Yerevan Pyunik are the most successful side in Armenian history. However in recent years the club have been inconsistent and are on the decline, as is the whole of Armenian domestic football. So what draws me here? The amazing facilities of course. Pyunik were the birthplace of most of the current international side; including King Henrikh. These facilities match those amongst the best in the world, so it will be interesting to see if we can ever bring through high potential players as we have done in the not too distant past. I am setting a rule of only being allowed to sign former home-grown at club players; other than that it will be a youth challenge. I'm just getting to grips with the side myself, I look forward to the mid-season and national team updates Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Decent enough effort in the Europa League, considering the tactics are far from fluid and I barely know my best 11. Onwards to the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Missed a trick in the puns, brother... Youri Never Gonna Djorkaeff Where We'll End Up, An Armenian Adventure. Followed nevertheless Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidthekid Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 This should be good Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 9 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: Missed a trick in the puns, brother... Youri Never Gonna Djorkaeff Where We'll End Up, An Armenian Adventure. Followed nevertheless Damn I should have thought of that 8 hours ago, kidthekid said: This should be good Cheers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Very interesting place to manage will be following Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 Pyunik Youth Intake 2017 We were able to upgrade our junior coaching to the highest level possible. However, our youth setup is currently costing us £120k a month! An excellent intake - lots of potential and one real stand out player. Geloyan is someone to get very excited about. He's already the best player at the club at age 15; I hope there's plenty of room for growth. Avagimyan is a pacey winger with a touch of technique and flair. I can see him becoming an important first teamer. Kocharyan has some superb attributes, we just need him to get taller! Nazaryan is another decent keeper prospect - we're looking set for the future between the sticks. Ghazaryan has a nice attribute profile and I think he could make it as a regular with the right development. We all love a driven, hard working, aggressive centre back and Hakobyan provides exactly that. A lot of work to do but Zaqaryan could turn into a decent squad player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 1 minute ago, SixPointer said: Very interesting place to manage will be following Cheers @SixPointer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 A fantastic first season where we smashed expectations. We've got Champions League football to look forward to - albeit the 1st qualifying round. League Table A tiny table of just 6 clubs always looks strange - we played each other 6 times! We were defensively solid and we showed ability to slay teams. I think with a few good additions we will be able to turn those draws into wins. Our solitary defeat was a 3-0 collapse away to Alashkert, who were the only side that ever looked like challenging. Armenian Cup With just 8 clubs in the country in total, we were already guaranteed a quarter-final place. We thrashed Erebuni (who will be playing top tier football next season despite finishing bottom of the 2nd tier) to secure a semi-final against Alashkert. The cup was the only competition our new youth players could play in and Geloyan showed exactly what he's about. A 6-1 tonking against Shirak gave us our first silverware of the season. Transfers Not much transfer activity first season, just one former academy graduate coming in to provide an option in attacking midfield. Our wage budget was so tight, we just didn't have any spare wages to improve the squad. Finances We're losing money fast thanks to our youth setup costs, but I'm hopeful we will build up some cash from European competitions. We've also jumped from a £3k to a £21k wage budget for next season; I will be making the most of this and signing a host of club developed players and also get rid of the few in the squad who are not regardless of their ability. Facilities I just love looking at this screen. Best 11 A solid all round team performance this season, though it's clear to see the standout player. Hovhannes Poghosyan was prolific in front of goal. Both wingers provided goals and assists and once I switch to 4-4-1-1 about two-thirds into the season Tigran Voskanyan was class there. Key Players Poghosyan has proven himself as a top class goalscorer; he's on the verge of the national team thanks to his performances and development. Artur has an unusual attribute spread for a defensive mid, but he's top quality. I hope he calms down with his yellow cards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigmatic Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 12 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: Missed a trick in the puns, brother... Youri Never Gonna Djorkaeff Where We'll End Up, An Armenian Adventure. Followed nevertheless Mhiki Mouse to powerhouse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 1 hour ago, enigmatic said: Mhiki Mouse to powerhouse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 My board are bloody idiots!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 Get in!!! We face Steaua in the 3rd qualifying round so I'm not expecting to get any further. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 A surprise victory over Steaua back in Armenia secures us a place in the Champions Playoff. Bring it on Olympiakos! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 A good effort but Olympiakos were just one bridge too far. I'm looking forward to this, I reckon we can grab a point or two. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makoto Nakamura Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 That's a really nice Europa League group, I can even see you qualifying from it behind Gladbach! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Tremendous Europa League group. You'll get through! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Geloyan looks a class act!! Europe league looks good hopefully stabilise finances so your board don't sell your players for peanuts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 17 hours ago, Makoto Nakamura said: That's a really nice Europa League group, I can even see you qualifying from it behind Gladbach! 16 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: Tremendous Europa League group. You'll get through! Cheers for the confidence guys, you will see how we fare very shortly! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 3 hours ago, SixPointer said: Geloyan looks a class act!! Europe league looks good hopefully stabilise finances so your board don't sell your players for peanuts He is a real class act indeed. With the money from Europe we seem to be in a much better financial position now so hopefully we will be okay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Well, that went a lot better than expected . We absolutely blitzed our way through the group!! Bournemouth will be a tough side to face but it could have been a lot worse. I will do a full squad update post-season, it's looking very different from the start now and every player is home-grown at the club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Armenia 2016/2017 - World Cup Qualifying 2016 Results 2016 got off to a great start with a 2-0 victory over Greece but that proved to be our only win. We were poor against Poland; but the matches vs Montenegro and Denmark showed a lot of promise. We didn't end the year well after a 5-1 thrashing by Romania. 2017 Results The disappointment of 2016 was soon forgotten after getting off to a great start; the 4-0 win against whipping boys Kazakhstan gave us confidence. Our best win of the campaign was the 3-2 over Poland. Everyone loves a last minute winner. We continued our fine defensive displays against the likes of Denmark and Romania which helped us see out the year unbeaten . Group Table Although we never threatened to qualify, we managed to climb above Montenegro and Poland into 3rd place. I'm very happy with this. Key Players Henrikh is a world class player and he is crucial for us. Whether he plays in behind as shadow striker or out on the right wing he has been outstanding. Movsisyan is a fantastic goalscorer and has scored many important goals throughout the campaign. It is a shame he's now the wrong side of 30. Ozbiliz is always unfit because he doesn't get games for Besiktas but he always performs well. I hope he moves on for some first team action as we need him in top shape to make the most of him. French-born Andonian is the youngest of our key players. He's a great all rounder and was key in our defensive performances in 2017. Karlen is our 'hard-man' in the middle. You don't mess with him! Mkoyan has been incredibly important for us defensively, long may it continue! Formation Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 A clinical performance at home saw us through against Bournemouth . I can't see us getting any further though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkAussie Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Are you sure you know replaying the matches with that form Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Edit: crash dump and I had to play the Bournemouth game again. We're out Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 9 minutes ago, HawkAussie said: Are you sure you know replaying the matches with that form Yes, but it's gone against me!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Pyunik Youth Intake 2018 Another good intake with a standout player - makes up for the Bournemouth loss! Armen Ghazaryan is a class act who is ready to be part of the first team, albeit from the bench. The youth intake came before the registration cut off this time Another decent looking keeper, this time with height. With the right development he could become a decent full back. Bags of pace and flair, could become an impact player. Rated highly by the HOYD, I hope we can get his quickness up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Great to see someone try and improve a nation like Armenia. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 59 minutes ago, deltablue said: Great to see someone try and improve a nation like Armenia. Cheers, hopefully I can help the national team and the Armenian league rise up the rankings Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andychar Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Perfectly honest I would have kept replaying that second leg until I was through. But then again I'm petty. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 3 hours ago, smp20 said: Yes, but it's gone against me!!! Maybe Bournemouth was suffering from a protein deficiency? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 A very solid domestic season complete with a European cup run. We didn't even drop from 1st place the whole season League Table We beat the points record of 74 however we were unable to go unbeaten, a feat achieved by Pyunik 3 times already in their history. The two newly promoted sides struggled and Erebuni will be back down in the 2nd tier, replaced by back-to-back promotion winners Ulisses. European Overview We became the first Armenian side to reach the group stages and had a group campaign to remember. We all know what happened with Bournemouth... Finances Our exploits in Europe have really helped us financially. Part of these funds will be put into improving our facilities. Transfers A busier window than I am used to. Our non-HG at club players were shipped out, mostly to Iran, while I brought in as much talent and depth I could that had previously come through our academy. Player Stats We had a core first team for the majority of the season, barring a few injuries here and there. Fantastic performances overall, particularly from the attacking quartet. Avagimyan 17B and Kocharyan 17C have both started to break into the first team after a good year of development. Geloyan 19A is a star in the making. Key Players Geloyan has made an incredible impact for someone so young. He played a pivotal role in our exploits in Europe. Unfortunately in March he picked up a long term injury so he missed quite a lot of the 2nd half of the season playing and development wise. I've nicknamed him Dirty Eddie. Despite two reds and being booked in nearly every game, he managed an average rating of 7.71 and he is a class act. Poghosyan smashed his impressive records from last year, hitting 32 league goals in just 24 games. He also got 8 in 12 in CL and EL fixtures. He is now natural at both right back and right wing and has the pace to play either. A solid all rounder. Artur wasn't quite as dirty as last year and he continued to impress. Has a good partnership with Dirty Eddie. Robert is a centre back with bags of experience which is crucial. He's got quality too. Became our club captain as soon as he joined. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 48 minutes ago, andychar said: Perfectly honest I would have kept replaying that second leg until I was through. But then again I'm petty. I've been in that situation before and realised it's best just to go with the first result. I could have ended up with a completely different 2nd KO tie and got through - that would have felt wrong. 35 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said: Maybe Bournemouth was suffering from a protein deficiency? I dunno, but their poor fans are travelling to Watford for their home games Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Pretty tough draw for the Euro League - though there are some bigger sides in it. We've got a chance of winning it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 We're improving Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Look who I've found: Not great, but still my manager's son. Question is, should he be signed? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidthekid Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 2 hours ago, andychar said: Perfectly honest I would have kept replaying that second leg until I was through. But then again I'm petty. this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 40 minutes ago, kidthekid said: this Too late Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 A solid run so far in the Champions League, beating the champions of Finland and Georgia. We now have a tricky tie against Dinamo - I was hoping for Maccabi or Ludogorets from the seeded sides. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Hope you get past Dinamo! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 Ouch!!! Nevermind, getting to the Europa League groups is still very good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 9 minutes ago, john1 said: Hope you get past Dinamo! Cheers John, unfortunately they were too strong for us. We did the hard point by getting a draw in Croatia! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Really unlucky Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 A tough but not impossible group. Leipzig will be the hardest to face. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayR2003 Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 After the group last year, I suspect you'll be fine. You've already handled Olympiakos, which is probably the toughest side (although RBL is no pushover). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Not bad group, I am sure you can get through to next round. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 6, 2017 Author Share Posted October 6, 2017 34 minutes ago, JayR2003 said: After the group last year, I suspect you'll be fine. You've already handled Olympiakos, which is probably the toughest side (although RBL is no pushover). 14 minutes ago, john1 said: Not bad group, I am sure you can get through to next round. Cheers Jay & John. A sneak peak at our start to the groups: A very good draw, although we nearly ended up losing in the last minute! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 Form in Europe last season was class! Gladbach away 3-0! Another very good season. Geolyan getting capped for the nantional side surely? 26 goals first season at 16 😎 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GryphonFlick Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 Great read so far - that youth academy is doing bits already. Keen to see how far you take the Armenians! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted October 7, 2017 Author Share Posted October 7, 2017 7 hours ago, SixPointer said: Form in Europe last season was class! Gladbach away 3-0! Another very good season. Geolyan getting capped for the nantional side surely? 26 goals first season at 16 😎 Yeah that Europa League group stage exceeded all expectations! We're starting to really dominate domestically. Geloyan is now our no. 10 for club and country, Mkhitaryan now plays on the wing to make room for him 4 hours ago, GryphonFlick said: Great read so far - that youth academy is doing bits already. Keen to see how far you take the Armenians! Cheers @GryphonFlick - will be interesting to see if I can keep hold of my best prospects. Geloyan is already wanted by a host of clubs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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