akademix17 Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Nobody probably thinks of Septemvri (Sofia) when the discussion is about Bulgarian football. I mean, is there anybody outside of Bulgaria that discusses Bulgarian football? But you are correct, Septemvri means September. Located in the country’s capital, one of the well-known clubs around has struggled during the post-communist era. Since 1989 the team has only played two seasons in the top tier - A Group or as it known now First League (not counting the current one, since I’m staring this game on FM 2017). Septemvri’s sole trophy ever is the Cup of Bulgaria, which was literally won ages ago - in 1960! After that the club has been more popular for merging with CSKA in 1969 and playing with the name CSKA Septemvriysko Zname (CSKA September flag) until the late 80’s. However all that was achieved during this period remained in CSKA’s trophy cabinet. I decided to do this since I got a bit demotivated with my Eintracht Frankfurt save on FM 17 (Alex Meier, my favorite player got really injury-prone and even though I got into Europe, I didn’t feel as this was my game anymore). The reason to do this is because on Football Manager 2017, Septemvri is in the second level of football in Bulgaria - Vtora liga. There is a mix of exciting young prospects and quite experienced players. In the last couple of years Septemvri’s youth system has established itself as one of the most productive in the country and this is another reason for me choosing exactly this club. Also, there is a player connection as well, since the club captain is Boris Galchev, who is somewhat of a cult hero in local football during the last couple of years when he played in CSKA, but left just last year to go to the other side of town. This, my dear new friends is Boris Galchev, who proclaimed himself "The Maradona from Dobrinishte" after he led his former team CSKA to the Cup in in 2016 when the club went bankrupt and started from Third Division The season is already underway, but I will post a bit more about what's going on a month after the start a little later. I will try to work with the youth I have in store, as there aren't any money available for transfers and wages. The media prediction is 4th, but we'll see what happens. More to follow soon... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 21, 2017 Author Share Posted November 21, 2017 I’m sorry for misplacing the topic, but can someone who has admin/moderator rights please move it to the Career updates forum? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 21, 2017 Author Share Posted November 21, 2017 The Squad: So as I literally had no money at all, the only movement on the market during the summer of 2016 was the acquisition of Spanish chief scout Santiago Aragón, whose profile you can find attached below. Actually that's not true, since I got a loanee from Granada, a Brazilian striker named Luzinho, whose wages are being paid entirely by the Spaniards and he's slowly fitting in the Bulgarian reality: Oh, and this is me, by the way. A complete rookie: I prefer a 4-2-3-1 attacking formation. The preseason wasn't anything special, as the main objective was for the squad to get to know each other and for me to find the best role in my system for the players I have. However the start in the league was terrible - 0:1 at home to one of the outsiders in the division Levski (Karlovo). The boys eventually started to trust each other more and more and after the shocking loss for start, I didn't lose in the next six games, racking up four draws and two wins and currently standing 4th in the table (just as the preseason prediction said, actually). I could have won against Etar at home, but my right back Dyakov and my CM Sandanski both got sent off after receiving second yellow cards and I allowed an equalizer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botas Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Solid enough start pal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 21, 2017 Author Share Posted November 21, 2017 2 hours ago, Botas said: Solid enough start pal Thanks, but what followed was a disaster... Okay, so September literally turned out being just like the title of this career. I really wished it was just a bad dream, as we started off great, turning around Ludogorets-2 away from home for a 2:1 win, after trailing at the half (It’s the reserve team of Ludogorets, the champion for the past few years). But then it all went straight downhill. Pirin (Blagoevgrad), a team from the top league, knocked us out of the Bulgarian Cup. Absolute epic, finished 0:0 in regulation, after a red card for each side. There was one goal a piece in the first extra time, then 1:1 after 120 minutes and I had no chance in the penalties, since I have just three players with good penalty rating. The bad form continued with another two disappointments, losing 0:1 both to Vitosha (Bistritsa) and CSKA-Sofia 2. Both of them were in the relegation zone, but… Lots of chances created, but obviously the problem is scoring. Good thing is Radoslav Vasilev recovered from injury and will give me more options in attack. September finally finished and I ‘woke up’ - 1:1 at home against Botev (Vratsa), who by the way are another lower-placed team. My captain was sent off in the 34th minute and after that the visitors got a penalty, but my teenage sensation Ivan TIlev once again saved me - 1:1. We’re currently 8th and 8 points away from the playoffs. There is a pause due to international matches and the main goal will be to work on a scoring tactic as we’ll play a friendly with Serbian side Jagodina. Ivan Tilev, one of the few good things in this horrific month. He's been outstanding from the start of the season in general. Radoslav Vasilev, the guy who I'm hoping to turn things around in front of goal for the team. Played in Reading as a youth player, but had a bad knee injury which caused him to miss the start of the season. Oh, and one more thing - my players have hit the posts 9 times... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 22, 2017 Author Share Posted November 22, 2017 We don’t lose in October! September ended, thank God and it was time for October where we racked up six straight without losing, actually five since the game against Jagodina was a friendly. Two wins in a row - 2:0 away against Botev (Galabovo) and 3:2 at home against Nesebar gave the team a boost and Radoslav Vasilev (who also suffered a broken nose) showed what he’s really capable of - opening the scoring against Botev and adding two more against Nesebar when Captain Galchev was sent off one more time. We managed to hold league leaders Lokomotiv (Sofia) to a goalless draw and kicked Sozopol right back to the Black Sea coast after 2:1 at home and 2 goals by the getting hotter and hotter prospect Ivan Tilev . I handed another youth player his debut - 17 year old Asen Chandarov, as he started in two games and came off the bench once, leaving a more than decent impression. Ranking-wise the team climbed up to sixth with a good chance of moving even higher, as three of the next four fixtures are against clubs which are in front of me in the table - Tsarsko Selo, Bansko and Spartak Pleven. Also there is another international window and a gap of 13 days between the win against Sozopol and the game with Tsarsko Selo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deego619 Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Good luck, you've got some nice young talent there for the future! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Love the idea and the title, you'll find that there have been a few Bulgarian saves in here, I've done CSKA Sofia (I'm pretty sure I've managed Boris Galchev!) and @wynter has done Slavia Sofia in FM17 and now FM18 again. Good luck making Setemvri a year-round force. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 22, 2017 Author Share Posted November 22, 2017 @noikeee I read the Slavia FM18 story and my jaw dropped, amazing. It's always good for your country to get recognition, even if it's on a computer game! Yeah, let's hope Septemvri can extend an cover all four seasons of the year Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 The thread titles this year are brilliant. I've only managed in Bulgaria once, with Sportist Svoge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 22, 2017 Author Share Posted November 22, 2017 And surprise, surprise. Can three straight draws and nine in total can be called ‘consistency’? That’s just about right, as the three games before the winter break finished with a total of three points for my club, getting a point from each game. The team is placed seventh and is two points away from the playoff spots, but at the same time six points away from the relegation zone… That’s a well balanced league, right? Leaving the disappointing draws in the past (by the way only one other team in the entire league drew as much as Septemvri), I managed to renegotiate new contracts for my experienced keeper and for all youngsters whose deals were expiring at the end of the season. However I got in a conflict with one of the strikers (0 goals in 13 league and 1 cup appearance) and I will try to sell him before the end of December, since he will be a free agent at the end of the season. During the first half of the season I used a total of 8 players who are from Septemvri’s own system and Ivan TIlev stands out as the most consistent. I’m thinking of terminating Luizinho’s loan deal and giving more playing time to one of the kids that made their debuts and he looks pretty decent for a teenager - Zdravko Dimitrov. Also, I will probably look to sign another attacker to try and help the problematic in front of goal area of our game. 1 hour ago, deltablue said: The thread titles this year are brilliant. I've only managed in Bulgaria once, with Sportist Svoge. Yeah, they used to even play in the top league and be regulars on FM, but now they're in the amateur divisions... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wynter Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Nice to see another face trying out Bulgaria! Do Septemvri play out of the Vasil in yours as well or is that an 18 addition? The table looks tight, well primed for a surge with the right results Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 22, 2017 Author Share Posted November 22, 2017 7 hours ago, wynter said: Nice to see another face trying out Bulgaria! Do Septemvri play out of the Vasil in yours as well or is that an 18 addition? The table looks tight, well primed for a surge with the right results @wynter on 2017 they play in a little stadium which is owned by their chairman (Dragalevtsi Stadium). They moved to the National Stadium "Vasil Levski" after gaining promotion, because there is a TV requirement for the teams to play on venues with floodlights. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 23, 2017 Author Share Posted November 23, 2017 Well, the winter break is gone and the new version Septemvri is here. That's what our preparation consisted of, playing with teams sharing the same level or even higher: With a really heavy heart I have to announce the departure of one of the reasons for me to do this save - Boris Galchev. He insisted that if an offer comes in from Anji (Mahachkala) then I should allow him to leave. I couldn't fight with that, plus I got 30k for a 33-year old midfielder, which was a good deal. Also another midfielded left to join higher ranked (First league) Slavia - Yanko Sandanski - 55k plus some bonuses. I did some business on the other way as well, strengthening my left flank - snapped up an amateur young (24 yr old) Bulgarian left back and a 19 yr old AML/ST named Maru, who last played for Real Madrid. The departures of Sandanski and Galchev will hopefully allow some of the youngster to step up even more. I managed to sign the two mentioned above even before the outgoing transfers as some money were added to my budget. Maru: Atanas Krastev: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimisark Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Good luck, I researched Septemvri on FM17 :D. Also I had very good career with them on FM17, I wrote about it here in Career forum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 24, 2017 Author Share Posted November 24, 2017 @rimisark thanks, they're definitely a fun team to manage! Btw the second half of the season is already on and I started fabulous, winning 4 straight games, after which the game noted that actually I haven't lost in 12! I'm currently 4th and looking pretty stable. And I also had the youth intake, which was kinda intriguing (If you can call intriguing the fact that the youth candidates team beat the crap out of my U19 team, 4:1). These guys look like the most exciting prospects and I'm actually tempted to throw them up right there in the first squad for some of the games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 And somebody once said you cannot win anything with youngsters… Ladies and gentlemen, the new Bulgarian Second League champions - Septemvri (Sofia)! League table: Second half of the season results: For most of the second half of the season the average age of my defense was 19.7 years. 10+ Septemvri youth players played in the senior side’s league games and some of them wore efficient as hell: Georgi Stoichkov 23 yrs, D (C)/DM, 26 games, 7.07 average rating Aleksandar Bastunov 18 yrs , D(C)/DM, 13 games, 6.98 Mariyan Dimitrov 18 yrs, D (RC), 26 games, 6.92 Ivan Tilev 18 yrs, M(RC), AM (RLC), 26 games, 7 goals, 3 assists, 6.85 Petar Genchev, 19 yrs, D (C), 23 games, 6.81 Kalin Todorov (18 yrs, AM (RC), M (RC), 17 games, 6.73 Also a shoutout to the veteran - our keeper Valentin Galev, who missed just one game in the League, keeping 12 clean sheets and allowing 19 goals in 17 games. I think he will be pivotal for the team in the top league after the promotion. He's 33 years of age. Team of the season: Along with everything the board offered me a new contract, so I'll be staying for another season. I just added the "develop youth players" phylosophy. A lot of my backroom staff's contracts are ending and I don't really like their attributes so I'll probably be swiping the broom around to get better and more productive ones, even though I won promotion with the current ones, not really loyal, but... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMA Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Brilliant second half to the season, good promotion, I would imagine things maybe a little more difficult next year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 Nice one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 @JMA, @deltablue, thanks, guys! Life at the highest level isn't that easy though, I'll update more later! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 25, 2017 Author Share Posted November 25, 2017 First league football has been a disaster. The board decided to sell the two most exciting prospects to two of the top clubs in the country... So it kinda hit me and it all went downhill from there... The only good thing was that I somehow managed to beat the powerhouse Ludogorets, but I can say I definitely need more luck... I'm currently 13th from 14 teams, but I still believe that things can turn around. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 26, 2017 Author Share Posted November 26, 2017 I guess I have a tradition for slow and not consistent starts. After failing to win in 8 matches in the league and one in the Cup, I managed to turn things into the right direction. At one point I was last in the table, but currently I climbed up to 10th (out of 14 teams). As of now the team is on a 5 match unbeaten run (3 wins, 2 draw). Also the players showed real character, as they fought for the draw against Vereya after playing a man short for 45 minutes and scoring in the 90th minute and in the stoppage - 2:2. The win against Beroe also came after a red card, which occured in the 3rd minute, but we were able to remain concentrated and grab the win. I'm not giving up on the youth strategy, and I'm integrating two more young players to the bunch of talents that are already regulars in the first team. Some of the impressive performers, including my captain Nikolay Tsvetkov who stepped up really much, the new keeper I signed up on a free transfers and the two young players I was referring to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akademix17 Posted November 26, 2017 Author Share Posted November 26, 2017 For the seconds season in a row, I find myself in a very competitive league, obviously. The point difference between the relegation zone and the continental competition places is 10 points. And halfway through the year the Top 3 clubs are 13-14 points away from the bottom. In my opinion if the preparation during the winter pause goes well, we can stabilize ourselves at least in the middle of the table. Last season went in a similar way, as the team struggled before the break and showed a completely different and way better style after. Also, there is a tendency for us to play good against stronger teams and to drop points against not-so-good teams. As you can see, I have won against the currently 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th placed. However losses to clubs at our level or similar hurt a lot. Also, I'm looking at a few options to strengthen the team in attack, especially in front of goal. The transfers in the summer gave me some flexibility and I secured longer deals to the important first team players and a couple of young ones, but still I'm looking at free agents, aged 23 or under, in order to stick to my philosophy. Because as you can see in the stats, the shots are there, but the goals themselves are missing. The passing is above average and the other fact I like is the commitment (Yes, I’m talking about 45 yellow cars in 20 games). I just love answering in the press conferences that I love seeing the players fight for the shirt :D. That’s it so far, but it’s definitely a save I’m enjoying and I think Septemvri can be good in the First league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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