adamdfry Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 In this save, I will attempt to establish a great managerial career for my FM17 Champions League-winning captain - Croatian centre-back Sven Adzic. The only aim I really have is to win all of the honours possible in Croatia, preferably with HNK Gorica or Dinamo then move through Europe and hopefully getting to manage Chelsea at some point. Meet the Manager Adzic when I took over at Chelsea Adzic FM17 Career Adzic as a manager After a long and successful playing career with the Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea and the Croatian National Team, Adzic retired and returned to Croatia and his hometown club, HNK Gorica. The owner has now put faith in the former national team captain to take control of HNK, with the view of reaching the top flight for the first time in the club's history during Adzic's reign, while overlooking Adzic's limited experience as a coach. The Club Club Overview The badge is beautiful, the facilities not so much but the squad is good enough to compete for promotion in the first season. Gorica won the league in real life, so I am expecting to be around there by the end of the season. I have already played through a large section of the season, so I am going to do a large update with the first season broken down, then I hope to update as events happen in the save. Also, apologies for the shambolic title, my mind is completely blank for what to go with. Save so Far Chapter 1 - Conquering Croatia (2017-2024) HNK Gorica (2017-2020) HNK Rijeka (2020-2024) Chapter 2 - The Spanish Inquisition (2024-2027) Valencia CF (2024-27) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dllu Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Interesting take - and yes, beautiful badge. Good luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheriff7 Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Good luck man.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 16 hours ago, dllu said: Interesting take - and yes, beautiful badge. Good luck! 2 hours ago, Sheriff7 said: Good luck man.. Cheers guys! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 Just as an addition to the opening post, these are the leagues I have loaded. HNK Gorica - 2017-18 - August to December Update Pre-Season A strong performance in a lengthy pre-season. I used this as a chance to improve my player's fitness to enable us to have the best start possible to the season. August to October results We started very well before our form took a dip. However, through October we straightened things out and ended the month remaining in contention at the top of the table. November and December results A few disappointing losses here, but Dinamo's B team are formidable and the pre-season favourites to win the league come the end of the season. League Table Overall, I'm happy with our start to the season. The board need us to finish within the top 3 and we are on course to accomplish this so far. At the moment I am using an attacking 4-2-4 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2017-18 Youth Intake Overview Sostik Pajac Nothing to get excited over here, even if Pajac has 15 finishing and 11 composure. He just isn't quick enough to play Advanced Forward. Sostik's low strength is a poor point likewise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2017-18 - January to May Update Results Final League Table Our form was patchy after the winter break, but we were able to do enough in order to qualify for the promotion/relegation playoff, satisfying the board in the update. I am yet to have shown off members of my squad, but the second half of the season belonged to (apparent) youth product Dinko Matosevic. I used him sparingly in the first half of the season but after Estonian winger, Henrik Ojamaa decided to leave for Heracles, I froze him out and started playing Matosevic. He repaid my faith with 7 assists and one goal, a very nice free-kick. Also departing us on a free is Michal Maslowski, who despite being one of the better players by ability in the squad, has high wages and demanded a lot to resign, which I, unfortunately, cannot afford. Central midfield will be an area I target next season. Our league finish results in a two-legged playoff against Cibalia, which I will document in the next update along with a summary of the whole season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 Great news just before the playoff! Two more years to hopefully develop this club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 Choked a two-goal lead in the first leg, which is my fault for not adapting us to be more conservative after the second goal. Sipos has been the main man for us this season though, hoping to get him back off Dinamo next year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 The promotion dream is over, unfortunately Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2017-18 - End of Season Update Overall, it was a positive season. Though the club's financial state is perilous, I think that with some good buys we will be able to push for promotion. The problem is evidently getting people to attend, as we struggle to fill our 8000 seater stadium. Unfortunately, league restrictions mean we are forced to shell out on expansion . We beat the team relegated from the top flight, Rudes, earlier in the season during the cup, which serves as a good omen. Sipos and Skansi were so crucial to us as an attacking duo, so I have extended their loans into next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 The most integral part of the pre-season - none of this auto-number bollocks! Update coming after we finish our friendly schedule Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - Pre-Season Friendly Results Rostov understandably bodied us Transfers Juric - I contemplated loaning him ahead of Skansi last season and went with Skansi instead. Now the Australian arrives to challenge Sipos for the Advanced Forward role after his transfer was agreed in January. Rogilic - Another January deal, Rogilic provides Matosevic with competition on the right-hand side and comes in as a sort-of replacement for Ojamaa. I think I'm paying him too much for his ability, but he will do a job nevertheless. Rangerson - He was a free agent on trial in the Brazilian Second Division. His impressive defensive stats coupled with his relatively low wage demands convinced me he was the right man to come in to play in defence for us. Santek - We needed cover at central midfield and Santek up for loan. Pamic - New first choice left-back. Brings experience and his wages were reasonable. Valenta - Another central midfielder who had decent stats and low wage demands. Celikovic - Was highly rated by my scouts and Bosnia U21 appearances indicates his evident pedigree. Filipovic - Offers cover in the full back areas. Budalic - Similar cover role to Filipovic. Season Expectations Let's hope for promotion this year! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - August/September A great start to the season, with Sipos on fire again. Juric, the permanent signing has chipped in with a few also. Skansi started well but unfortunately will miss half the season after a hamstring injury. Personally, I think this squad is better than last season, even if we lost stars like Ojamaa and Maslowski. I think I will dip into the transfer market for another permanent striking option, with Patrik Dzalto, formerly of Koblenz, interesting me. Spoiler Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsanchezb Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Cannot see your last pictures (links) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 1 hour ago, bsanchezb said: Cannot see your last pictures (links) Thank you for pointing this out. I will use a spoiler instead with the image inside. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - October Update A solid month. The draw against 12th-placed BSK looks bad but I was content with the performance considering we played half of it with 10 men. Likewise, the Osijek game was not one I expected to win but was a great opportunity to examine how we would perform against a very good Prva Liga side. Rijeka decided to recall Simsek after he played just one game for us, and I moved swiftly to replace him with David Zabec on a free. His wages were decent and he is an injection of quality into our midfield. It also makes us less reliant on loan players in this area of the field. I am yet to get a deal for Dzalto over the line because of the relatively large signing on and agent fees I would have to pay but I still think a striker is needed. Juric has been poor for us and I cannot become overly-reliant on loanees Leon Sipos and Ivan Skansi. The duo have been involved in the Croatia U19s setup and I think this is a result of the first team exposure they have received with me. Sipos begins on loan at Gorica, and I don't think he is estimated as a wonderkid or player with huge potential. I'd like to think the playing time he has received will help him to have a career in the Prva Liga. I would love to sign him or even take over at Dinamo at get to use him there. So far so good for the season. The club is still in financial peril. Spoiler I feel like this is a recurring theme in Croatian football, as evidenced by the demise of clubs such as NK Zagreb and RNK Split. Unfortunately, with Hajduk and Dinamo in the respective cities, as the two biggest clubs in the nation, it must be impossible to get the necessary gate receipts to run the club well. Velika Gorica's proximity to Zagreb is a likely cause of our financial demise, as most people would support Dinamo ahead of us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 This makes me keen to manage in the Premier League at some point! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - November Update Ahead of Dinamo II by virtue of head-to-head. We've got them away next. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 Royally FM'd them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - December to February Update Dinamo draw was good, the Hajduk one not so much. Made one deal in January, agreeing to bring Tezak in the summer He fits into my system perfectly and will challenge Astafei to play Inside Forward next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - Youth Intake Trash again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - March Update Last push for promotion now. The loss to Split was our first in months. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - April Update We're guaranteed at least a playoff place at this stage, and in May we will look to confirm automatic promotion. The much-improved BSK Bijelo Brdo inflicted revenge for our 6-2 win against them on the opening day. Grgic had a horror show. The only excuse is that we had a game in hand, caused by a number of players being on international duty, which we played just a few days before the game. Next update will be the season review, and I hope to get pre-season out by the end of tonight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2018-19 - End of Season Update We went out with a bit of a whimper, but nevertheless, we got the job done. Rogic repaid his huge wages, Zabec proved a great addition and Rangerson was ace, drawing interest from Dinamo in the process. Sipos was class this season... ...so I renewed him for another year for free - cheers Dinamo! I think that, with a few additions, we can survive the top division fairly comfortably. We took Osijek, who ended up 2nd last year, all the way to extra time in the cup for instance. On a personal note, my manager has received some crazy offers, which I have subsequently declined, which is a side-effect of starting with such a high rep. However, I wanted to stay fairly true to my FM17 regen's status in the game, hence making him a former international. It wouldn't be right to get this team promoted to the top division and then leave straight away. Furthermore, I want to accomplish more in Croatia before going elsewhere. Spoiler I am really enjoying this save and I hope I can keep bringing out these updates Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - Pre-Season Update Shorter pre-season than usual, as caused by the shorter pre-season. The league starts in late July. Season Preview I forgot to enclose this in the last two seasons, both times we were predicted 4th. I think we can finish higher than 7th this year, with some of the additions we've made. Transfers 7 come in, and for the first time in the save I have spent money on a player. A pre-arranged deal, Tezak returns to Gorica having previously had two spells with us. He lacks physically but makes up for it technically in my view. Youngster Bilaver comes in from Split for 6k, which seemed like a very good deal. I think long term his best position will be as a centre-back. I wanted to improve right-back and Iharos had a reasonable wage and decent physical attributes. Jardel is Skansi's replacement at Target Man, and although he is a little on the short side for this role, in my view he is an upgrade. He is now the best-paid player at the club and I hope that he and Sipos form a good partnership. I approached Zuta last season after he was released by Rijeka and he wasn't having any of it. However, a year later he has agreed to join, strengthening one of the weaker positions in my club. It's a cheap loan who probably won't get to play that much, as I have faith in the Grgic and Rangerson partnership. Another cover centre-back who can do a job at fullback if required. Let's hope this season goes well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 I'm always a fan of a Croatian save. Done well to get to the top league, steady progress from season 1 to 2. Keep pushing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 11 minutes ago, noikeee said: I'm always a fan of a Croatian save. Done well to get to the top league, steady progress from season 1 to 2. Keep pushing. Thank you. This is my first time properly managing in Croatia and I've enjoyed it a lot so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - July/August Update A really good start to the season. It was fitting that Sipos scored our first goal in the top flight as well. The Dinamo result was my favourite, as we absolutely FM'd them by playing on Contain for 90 minutes and grinding out a 0-0 draw. One new deal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - September Update Ouch. I can't really complain about losing to Rijeka and Osijek, these are good teams with bigger budgets and better playing squads. However, the losses to Sibenik and Novigrad irritate me hugely. We pummeled Sibenik and couldn't convert. Douglas Jardel has been truly awful. I get so many highlights where he gets a free header and puts it over. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - October Update Improvements from September's disaster but still some really unconvincing performances. We scored 1 of our 18 chances against Cibalia before needing a 90th-minute winner to beat bottom club Inter Zapresic. One positive piece of news is securing the services of this gem from the Portuguese lower leagues I am going to try and offload Jardel in January as he has been awful Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - November Update A tough set of fixtures. The Rijeka loss was a very poor performance but the win against Hajduk was one of our best performances this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - December/January Update I hate Sibenik. We somehow lost 4-1 after having more shots than them. The table shows the evident disparity between the best 4 teams in Croatia and the rest of us. My aim is to land one of these jobs eventually. Rijeka's manager was insecure for a while but his results improved and he stayed there. Hopefully, Prtajin can keep his form from the friendlies into the second half of the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - February Update Not the best month really, although the draw with Dinamo was a standout result as we showed great character to mount a comeback in the last 15 minutes. Eugenio has started well since arriving from Felguiras and Bilaver is showing great development. I'm not too fussed about the state of this, I'm not focused on youth development at Gorica. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 At least you got breathing space between yourself and 9th spot Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - March Update A better month than last. Both losses were to good teams and we managed to avenge the defeat to Osijek. Also WE BEAT SIBENIK!!! Hopefully, that's my bogey team conquered. With 8 to go, I think safety is close and I can look towards next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 minute ago, john1 said: At least you got breathing space between yourself and 9th spot Yes, I think at this point staying in the division is the most important thing. It is also very hard to compete with those top 4 teams, who all have secure finances and better players. I think with a lot of grind at Gorica I could eventually start challenging for titles but I think in this save I would like to move around clubs a bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 We could be moving on... I'm going to try and get them to give me the job next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Very nice progress so far - in my save it seems Dinamo and Rijeka have pulled away as the big 2 - whereas your big 4 are still in tact. Will be interesting to see where you end up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 34 minutes ago, smp20 said: Very nice progress so far - in my save it seems Dinamo and Rijeka have pulled away as the big 2 - whereas your big 4 are still in tact. Will be interesting to see where you end up. Cheers man, hopefully I can keep progressing. Dinamo are formidable - I think even their II team would put up a good fight in the top flight to be fair. The biggest shock is Lokomotiva getting relegated last season. They are dominating the Druga Liga right now however. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - April Update A good month overall. We're firmly cemented in a pocket between Europe and a relegation struggle. However, what we do with HNK Gorica in the last 4 games of the season has less resting on it now... Excited for the next chapter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 HNK Gorica - 2019-20 - May Update We went out with a bit of a whimper again. The standout result here is the draw with Rijeka. Awkwardly, Leon Sipos' 89th-minute equaliser was the goal that ended their title hopes. I'm making an impact on the club without even arriving! Despite finishing a huge 21 points off Osijek and by virtue of Hajduk Split winning the Hrvatski Cup... Obviously, it's great and all getting into Europe but I don't think with an entry that early we would do anything spectacular. Season Review Prtajin proved to be a valuable asset after we picked him up and Sipos had a great year. I don't know what will happen to him in all fairness. Hilal Soudani at Dinamo is superior so breaking into their first team seems a long way away, In all likelihood, he will be loaned to another top-flight club or made to play with Dinamo II in the second tier. This is probably the third straight season where Leon has been player of the year and in spite of his consistency issues, he has made this part of the save memorable. If I ever compile a 'Hall of Fame' for the save, I think Sipos will be the first inductee. Zabec likewise raised his game this year, chipping in with useful goals along the way. Bilaver as well was a great utility man coming off the bench and clearly has a great deal of potential. Onwards and upwards. I'll remember the three seasons at HNK Gorica well, but it's time to get to Rijeka and get some titles won! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 HNK Rijeka - 2020-21 - Pre-Season/July Update So we join Rijeka, and the aim is simple - compete with Dinamo for titles. I will stay here until I have won a few titles in Croatia and then go elsewhere Transfers The top 4 signings were made by the DOF and will remain in the U19s I think we good a good deal. Konan strengthens left-back for a fairly cheap fee. Bernardino is a low-risk prospect who has some good stats for a 16-year-old . Ivan comes in from Slovan Bratislava as a replacement for Budalic. He has large wages but is a quality player who was bossing the Slovakian top flight. An absolute steal. I was shocked Chemnitz sold him to us in all fairness. He is really good for an 18 year old and will be first choice this season. The catch? His agent put in a 700k release clause. I'm going to give him a new deal without a release clause as soon as possible. We needed quality to be added to our frontline and Felici was a good value, young option. July Results We got unlucky to have to play Dinamo first, in all fairness. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 HNK Rijeka - 2020-21 - August Update A really good start to the month but it was ruined by the last three. Firstly, we fail to take our chances against Cibalia and end up drawing. Then, after 30 SHOTS and 120 minutes, we barely got through our tie against Midtjyland (WHO SCORED 3 GOALS FROM 4 SHOTS ON TARGET). As a result of the playoff going to extra-time, I rested my first eleven and consequently, Dragovoljac hammered our second string 6-1 which has ruined our goal difference. Dinamo look outrageous this season, we're getting bombarded with injuries. Our title challenge is practically over. Oh, and this was our Europa League draw... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 Late signing, wanted him all summer and he finally agreed to join Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 What prompted you to apply for Rijeka job? Some poor results so far especially losing to Midtjyland and thankfully you won the first leg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dllu Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 1 hour ago, john1 said: What prompted you to apply for Rijeka job? Some poor results so far especially losing to Midtjyland and thankfully you won the first leg You are clearly underestimating Danish football... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 4 hours ago, john1 said: What prompted you to apply for Rijeka job? Some poor results so far especially losing to Midtjyland and thankfully you won the first leg Better finances and better youth facilities and stadium etc. Also I think I will soon be able to challenge Dinamo. 2 hours ago, dllu said: You are clearly underestimating Danish football... I wasn't happy when I drew Midtjyland tbf, we did well to beat them 3-0 at home in honesty. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 HNK Rijeka - 2020-21 - September Update A mixed month. A tough set of fixtures that resulted in a loss to Dinamo, but culminated in a morale-boosting victory against my former side, Gorica. Though a three-game winless streak is bad, considering it was against the top three teams it is less awful. I think if we can get a run together we can still mount a challenge for the top two. There is lots of football to play yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamdfry Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 HNK Rijeka - 2020-21 - October Update Really good month, albeit against easier opposition. I'm much more comfortable with my squad now and I am preserving my best 11 for the league. Felici, playing as an AP on attack, coming back from injury has been key to our improvement. He and Kukovec are becoming formidable. Somehow we scraped a win across in Germany, playing on contain throughout. I haven't capped it, but we're second in the group on 5 points after 3 games. Still can't believe I got Kukovec for £275k. The guy is 19 and a full Slovenia international. Going to be massive for us in the coming seasons, along with Felici. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.