zipman

Im also quite into Scandinavia (lived in Norway for one year and fell in love with LL Tromsdalen) - which detail do you run the other leagues?

Do you use the LL "rules" or find new players on your own?

Hope you will come back in full strength after Christmas - or maybe you took a Ryan Air trip to Tampere?

retired_milla0225

Thanks for the kind words Loeffle. The break in play has been caused not by my much desired trip to Tampere (still saving for that) but simply by Santa Claus bringing me Civilization 4 and The Movies for Christmas. Normal service will be resumed shortly, if only to keep my 'audience' happy !

As for my setup I believe (it's been a while since I set this game up TBH) I have Finland and England on Normal detail and Norway, Sweeden, Iceland and Scotland on Basic (though I have 1GB of memory on board I do prefer speed to depth of detail). I'm also not terribly good at being truly LLM. My scouts themselves are English (but as I am an English manager in the game maybe I can get away with that) and I do have them scouting Scandanavia (rather than just Finland - which probably isn't in the spirit of LLM) I don't scout England but only becasue I don't beleive any player I found would come to PP70.

Having said that I don't believe I have violated the LLM spirit too much and the Finnish First Division makes a refereshing change, especially in as much as it is a league I know nothing about ( in terms of team strengths, good players etc) and as such it provides me with a stiff challenege.

Anyway.. Back with teh next instalment soon !

retired_puly1364

Looking at your story, It seems like an interesting one. Will follow it in the future.

retired_milla0225

Cheers, Tanel. And to contradict myself from earlier on Loeffle, I have all the leagues I mentioned ealrier on 'Normal' level. Shows what I know.

The offer of a date from Hanna Ripatti came completly out of the blue, but wasn't one I was going to turn down. She was after all a very attractive young lady, and one I sensed with quite a bit in the way of ambition. Anyway we arranged to meet a couple of days later at a place called Plevna, which she said she thought I would like. At the time I couldn't think what she meant but she told me it was a nice relaxed place where we could get a drink and a bite to eat.

retired_milla0225

The 16th of December came round and the day of the date. To put me in the mood I did a bit of footy business and signed another player, picking up 22 year old Finnish center-back 35. Jaakko Vesala on a free from minnows PIF. He's a brave and quite aggresive player who has proven to be quite astute when on the pitch. He'll give us some cover at the back and is a welcome addition to the ranks.

Anyway, the evening came around and I found myself watching the clock tick round to the apponted hour like a nervous schoolboy.

I needn't have worried as Hanna had picked an ideal venue for a first date. Plevna is a brewery pub and restaurant and whilst being cosy and relaxed it still serves great beer (brewed on the premises) and great food. Maybe she had an inkling of my liking for Beer but that didn't matter. We laughed and joked over our beers, Hanna on a light Wheat Beer whilst I tried a Dark Lager. A superb meal followed and we parted much later with our mutual desire to see each other again quite evident to all and sundry.

retired_milla0225

The Traditional Christmas friendly

I had a quiet Christmas Day in my apartment in Tampere. Hanna was spending time with her folks and so it was me on my lonesome.

Anyway St. Stephen's Day or Boxinday to us Brits brought us to what I hope will be a regular fixture. The boys at Santa Claus in Rovaniemi have just been thorugh their busiest time of year so I was happy to take a team up for a friendly. Perhaps wasn't too bright playing on a snowbound pitch but we played with the Orange ball, and at least it wasn't icy. I had a nice chat with their manager, an ice old man in a red suit with a beard, can't for the life of me remember his name, Nick Saint or something like that.

We played the game at a canter and won with an early goal from Eranen, equalised on the half time whistle by the enthusiastic locals, and a goal midway through the second period from Harri Mikkola. Timo Valkeapaa won man of the match award, revelling in his chance to play in the centre of defence.

All in all a good work out.

Final Score: Santa Claus 1 : 2 PP-70

retired_milla0225

Aren't we busy in the post-Christmas sales !

We then went through a hectic period of transfer dealings in the next few days at the club. No fewer than three players arrived on the 28th. 36. Hernan Zerbo a 21 yaer old Argentinian sweeper arrived on a free from FC Hameenlinna. He has a bit of a discpline problem but is a very promising player. 37. Sergiy Panchencko is a Ukranian, 28 years old and a centre forward signed for £3,000 from non league TUS. He is an influentuial player with good finishing for this level. The third player is 38. Ilja Gronlund who is at least Finnish, 22 and a left footed centre back. Got in on a free after a time on the sidelines he is one for the future.

On New Year's Eve Premier Division TPV came in for right back Janne Hannula for £2,000 and Defnsive Midfielder 4. Tomi Lahtinen, 21, in part exchange. Tomi is menatlly a very strong character and he should do well in this league. we were ready to let Janne go as he hadn't really figured for us last season and it's not our ploicy to stand in the way of lads going on to 'better things' at a Premier Division club.

The new year saw two more sigings on the pitch and two more to the backroom staff. First in was 39. Michael Hoiby a young, 22, Norwegian goalkeeper from norwegian side Donn. We had long admired this young net minder, who has the talent to challenge for a starting spot stright away. A couple of days later and another playing arrival, the experienced 40. Pasi Lahti, 28 on a free from SavU. He is an inflential Defensive Midfielder who will also be right in the mix for a starting spot.

I also signed a couple more coaches in the following week. Jonas Klippvik is a Swede who will take Defenidng training and a Scot Bobby Geddes who signs in as Goalkeeping coach.

With this influx of players I felt I was somewhere near where we should be in terms of playing staff prior to the new season so the was nothing else for it but to train them away and to book some friendlies for a couple of months time.

zipman

Thanks for the kind words Loeffle. The break in play has been caused not by my much desired trip to Tampere (still saving for that) but simply by Santa Claus bringing me Civilization 4 and The Movies for Christmas. Normal service will be resumed shortly, if only to keep my 'audience' happy !

As for my setup I believe (it's been a while since I set this game up TBH) I have Finland and England on Normal detail and Norway, Sweeden, Iceland and Scotland on Basic (though I have 1GB of memory on board I do prefer speed to depth of detail). I'm also not terribly good at being truly LLM. My scouts themselves are English (but as I am an English manager in the game maybe I can get away with that) and I do have them scouting Scandanavia (rather than just Finland - which probably isn't in the spirit of LLM) I don't scout England but only becasue I don't beleive any player I found would come to PP70.

Having said that I don't believe I have violated the LLM spirit too much and the Finnish First Division makes a refereshing change, especially in as much as it is a league I know nothing about ( in terms of team strengths, good players etc) and as such it provides me with a stiff challenege.

Anyway.. Back with teh next instalment soon ! </BLOCKQUOTE>

Sounds great Im still happy with my Hibs game (where theres no story), but when Im tired of it I also head to Scandinavian or Scottish lower leagues. Im a rather slow player so I might go for the leagues instead of speed.
CIV III also kept me away from the last FM a bit, but this weeks holiday I use only on cross country skiing and my Hibs game

Be careful with Suomi girls, they are very sweet, but can also be little monsters and give much pain ...

retired_milla0225

The voice of bitter experience perhaps, Loefle ?

What A Lovely Day for Training

Thursday 5th Jan 2006 turned into a nice day for the time of year. Cold, at -5 degrees C, with a light South Westerly wind but the day was quite bright thanks to the typically weak Winter sun. Snow was predicted for later on but in the meantime it was a great day for training. We still had the lads doing Phyiscal and Aerobic work only, the thinking being that if we hardened them up physically first we may get an edge from the start of the season.

So it was more cross country skiing on the menu for the lads. I sat in the warmth of the office at the club trying to get my head round what combination of players would create the best team.

Obviously we could try things out in friendlies, so my plan was to organise alot of them, possibly even starting before the 'normal' starting point for friendlies and my mind started thinking of an idea that would at least give me a starting point to work from in terms of ranking the players.

As the day wore on and the light got darker my thoughts turned towards Hanna, as they had been doing increasingly over the past few weeks. She had mentioned the prospect of a new experience for me at the weekend but this evening was more about good company, good food and good wine. A happy prospect indeed.

Author's note. I'm now kind of 'up to date' with where my game is at so updates will come a little more slowly and cover a little less time.

retired_milla0225

It turned out that Hanna's great idea was going to watch some ski-jumping. It had been a while since the chairman had told me what a great day out it was and to be honest I'd never quite seen the attraction. But believe me even if you don't go with a beautiful woman it is a spectacular sight and one not to be missed.

But I was there with a beautiful woman, Hanna, who squealed like an excited schoolgirl when the third skier down landed, lost his balance and ended up sliding down the rest of the hill on his bum.

We had a wonderful day and finished off with a meal at Tammer, a gorumet restaurant that breathes the splendor and elegance of the 1920's, apparantly.

It was good to get away from the rigours of a cold pre-season with Hanna, but it was important not to take my eye off the target I'd set myself this year. Playoffs or better.

Hanna wasn't the only one round here with ambition.