abu645

ausgezeichnet!!!

schauen Sie aus Europa, wir herkommen

gunesch is doing well for me also

Trigz

(Danke!)

The post-season, briefly
As the season ended, the following players finished their careers at Millerntor:

Achim Hollerieth, goalkeeper, age 35 (dob. 24.9.1973.)
For St. Pauli: 138 games / 0 goals – 0 assist
Veteran goalkeeper who was my first choice between the sticks until the end of last season, when Marc Ziegler took over the reins. Steady if unspectacular, he notched up a respectable 138 games for me.

Iulian Filipescu, age 35 (dob. 29.3.1974)
2006/7 St. Pauli 20/ 0 – avr. 7,3
2007/8 St. Pauli 29/ 1 – avr, 7,28
2008/9 St. Pauli 38/ 2 – avr. 7,03
Total for St. Pauli: 87/ 3
74 caps, 1 goal for Romania
The backbone of my defence for the last three seasons retires from the game having delivered the goods consistently. Often inconspicuous, he has been the rock of an oftentimes heavily tested defence and will be sorely missed.

Lars Müller, age 33 (dob. 22.3.1976)
For St. Pauli: 46+5 apps – 1 goal
The experienced wingback was an wage-expensive bosman signing two years ago and, while he has been reliable and well-serving, is getting on just a little bit. With young Philip Kasperidus coming through the ranks and plenty of other options on the left wing, Müller is released at the end of the season.

Other, lesser-known members of our setup also left camp, namely
Marc Nielsen – a right-sided midfielder who never made the breakthrough.
Cihan Dogan – left back, played regularily until the second season in 2BL. A far cry from being in contention since.
Sercan Kara – while undoubtedly talented, this right winger cum forward never quite developed into what I had hoped.

The most patient man in the world, 30 year old former third keeper Frank Dröge who has been with us for ages, steps up to replace Hollerieth as second-choice goalkeeper. Other than that though some fresh blood is required for us to improve before the start of the new season.

Our under 19 squad has had a marvellous season, winning 24 from 26 matches and clinching the recruit’s league title. The most promising of our youngsters are included in the first team setup, namely:
Daniel Arnold – an exciting striker, this powerhouse target man has scored goals for fun the last three seasons and stands with 85 goals from a mere 92 appearances for the under 19 team. It still remains to be seen whether he can make the step into big league football – this season he will probably get his fair share of chances.
Steffen Zimmermann – agile, smart and fast-moving centreback. Just 17 years old but already looking like a reliable backup player. Expect to see more of him.

The Tom Geißler situation takes a turn for the worse as I come to accept that there is no chance of him signing a new contract with us. We simply do not have the resources, and the man himself looks less than keen at committing himself to us. He winds up transfer-listed with the asking price tagged at £4,500,000. Freiburg and Schalke try to lure him on the cheap but are turned down.

The board meanwhile seem to be losing their heads a little bit in the haze and glory following our cup final win. Having already expanded the stadium beyond what was necessary, a further expansion by 5700 seats is announced during the summer. Why I do not know – our average attendance is a mere 19,404 which would imply that increasing the capacity to beyond 30,000 is what you might call overkill, no?

Either way, I’m delighted at seeing ol’ chairman Littmann really throwing the money after me, setting a wonderful £5,000,000 aside for new signings. The wage budget however remains more or less the same, which invariably will mean that I’ll have to base myself on mid-shelf signings anyway.

Then, Stuttgart offer me a job. They’ve been impressed with what I’ve done at Pauli and want me to take the club back to the top of the table after a less than impressive 12th place this year.

And I’ll have £18,000,000 to sign new players for. On a wage budget more than six times our own. Practically speaking, I'll have free hands to shape my own team with nearly unlimited financial backing. This is a truly big club.

What to do, what do do?

Hm...

Trigz

Turning from my PC, placed beautifully as it is in our kitchen in lovely suburban Bøler, south-east Oslo, I poured myself a cup of coffee thinking about what my response to the Stuttgart offer should be. Then, I accidentally let one rip. So badly, in fact, that I had to evacuate for a couple of minutes. So I sat down in my living room and came across an old edition of a Lillestrøm fanzine. An article with the heading “Believe!” and a picture of Uwe Rösler with his fist clenched in the air, the man that saved us from relegation, then got cancer and beat it to return to become our manager.

Right, I thought, that’s the spirit. So I went back in and rejected Stuttgart’s offer. I never liked Bavaria much anyway.

Trigz

Back to business with Pauli it was and finally, to huge sighs of relief, Mounir el Hamdaoui commits himself to the club as he signs a lucrative four-year extension to his contract. Icelandic striker Gunnar Konraðsson is released at the end of July while Nürnberg’s pathetic approach for Anthony Gardner is flatly rejected. Gardner then approaches me with a view to securing a new and improved contract. He already earns plenty, but I’m willing to go to some lengths to keep him happy; he will likely become the new pinnacle in my defence with Iulian Filipescu now in retirement.

All of the sudden, pre-season is upon us. I have yet to secure any significant signings, but have my eyes set on the impressive and versatile Czech striker Pavel Fort. Slavia Prague quote £500,000 as the target price, and with 86 goals in 170 matches for them, who am I to argue. Within the week the 25 year old striker joins us for pre-season training.

Even more exciting, however, is Nigerian find Benjamin Imeh. The 27 year old has scored an impressive 65 goals in three and a half years, or 140 matches, at Poland’s Legia Warsawa and joins us on trial, initially.

Pre-season – OSNABRÜCK v ST. PAULI, 9.7.09
Imeh is jotted straight into the starting line-up as we start our pre-season match series away to Osnabrück. It’s a poor match with two evidently unfit teams battling for possession, and although the result is unimportant, Imeh does impress me. In a spirited performance the Nigerian demonstrates that he has a good football brain, running into space and creating space for others as well as working well as target man up front. After the match, who finishes in a draw, he is offered a contract.
Osnabrück – Pauli 1-1
1-0 Hehnes (6)
1-1 McShane (16)

Trigz

With three capable strikers now at my disposal I’m toying with the idea of experimenting with two front men. Certainly our annual friendly tournament, held the week after, underlined the potential in unleashing Calaiò and Imeh, el Hamdaoui or Fort together upfront. Beating Benfica and our own reserve team, before losing 0-1 to Barcelona using a slightly skewed 4-4-2 gave me more than proof enough that two strikers was the way forward.
Pauli – Benfica 2-0 (1-0 el Hamdaoui, 2-0 Calaiò)
Pauli – Pauli reserves 4-2 (1-0 Imeh, 2-1 Imeh, 3-2 Calaiò, 4-2 Sukalo (Daniel Arnold scored both for the reserves))
Pauli – Barcelona 0-1

Tom Geißler has been on the bench thus far, in anticipation of someone coughing up the requisite £4,500,000 we are asking. Finally, the sad day comes. Werder Bremen meet our demands and Tom is on his bike. Losing him is a huge loss to us.
Tom Geißler (dob. 12.9.1983), the stats:
2002-2004: Sachsen Leipzig, 47 games – 9 goals
2004-2006: Burghausen, 46 games – 9 goals
2006-2009: St. Pauli, 95+12 – 8 goals, 28 assists

The Euro Cup gets underway. We’re seeded and, hence, are exempted from the first and second qualifying rounds. Interesting results from the 1st qualifying round include Distillery of Ireland knocking out the supposedly stronger Danish outfit Esbjerg, while minnows Vaduz of Liechtenstein thrash Maltese Bohemians 7-0(!) on aggregate.

The season is fast approaching as we take on Augsburg for a final test before the season kicks off. An experimental 5-3-2 formation is applied with the following line-up:
Ziegler; Gardner, Nascimento, Vanhoevelen; Kasperidus, Celsinho; Gravesen, McShane; el Hamdaoui; Calaio, Imeh. Kasperidus and Celsinho come in as attacking wing backs as we get a good final test before the fun starts again. Calaiò nets one and el Hamdaoui, from his attacking midfield position just behind the two strikers, gets a brace as we win confidently even with Kenny Vanhoevelen sent-off just before half time. One bloody annoying piece of news however; Thomas Gravesen picks up a groin strain and will miss the first two weeks of the season.
Augsburg – Pauli 1-3 (0-1 Calaiò 20, 0-2 el Hamdaoui 56, 1-2 Menga 75, 1-3 el Hamdaoui 82)
Att. 1,877. SOT 6-6

millwallrules

hey
i love this story especially the pre season and in match reports and now what of the situation with zane.Are u going to keep him or sell him also thanks again and also you have inspired me to start a season and maybe a story on caerfen in wales

Trigz

(Thanks for that mate, I'm flattered! Clayton has announced his retirement at the end of the season. He's out of contract, but is retained on a month-to-month basis as forth-choice attacker.)

2009-2010 – THE DIFFICULT SECOND SEASON
The bookies, unsurprisingly, have Bayern down as favourites to retain the title at 7/4, with even their closest challengers expected to be Borussia Dortmund (16/1) and Werder Bremen (20/1) rated a far way off in what is perceived to be another one-horse race. For ourselves, most people rate us around mid-table, a reflection of which our odds at 50/1 for the title certainly does justice.

Me, I’m hoping for improvement on last season, particularly by way of goals. I must admit the defence is a bit of a question mark after the retirement of Filipescu. In spite of Geißler having left I feel, however, that Pavel and Benji, our two attacking signings, will provide plentiful of joy and add a lot more attacking potency this year. With the Euro cup a potential money-spinner, should we get through to the groups stage, at least the economic safety of the club ought to be in no danger.

Now, for a much-delayed presentation of FC St. Pauli, anno 2009-2010 (first choices marked *):
GOALKEEPERS
*Marc Ziegler (German), age 33. 74 appearances / 0 goals – 0 assists for St. Pauli
He’s only been here for two seasons but has made his presence felt strongly. The occasional lapse notwithstanding he saved a ton of points for us during the crucial early spring campaign last season, possibly saving us from a relegation scrap.

Frank Dröge (German), age 30. 7 apps / 0-0
At the club since 1998 and, despite rarely getting a look-in, never complaining. A trusty backup goalie.

Thorsten Klotz (German), age 19. 0 appearances
In goal for the under 19’s and doing well there. Has a long way to go before he’ll be first team material, however. Might get a chance in an early cup round, but most probably not.

DEFENDERS
*Anthony Gardner (English), DLC, age 28. 39 apps / 0 – 1
Formerly of Port Vale and Tottenham, Gardner is one of the first names to go on the team sheet. Invaluably versatile and rock solid in every sense in the first third of the pitch. Lacking in offensive qualities, but that’s not really important. I’ll be hoping to see him at the club for another ten years

*Stefán Gislason (Icelandic), D/DMC, age 29. 165 apps / 2 – 3
My first signing as manager back in 2004, this Icelandic stopper is solid and sturdy, if unspectacular. Has barely missed a game except when he’s been injured. Normally to be found in central defence, but fills in well as defensive midfielder, too.

*Kenny Vanhoevelen (Belgian), DRC, age 26. 131 apps / 0 – 7
An old-fashioned kind of fullback, Kenny barely ever crosses the half way line. Has solid numbers all round and is a reliable performer, despite lacking somewhat in the charisma department. Famously, he has never scored a goal, but once hit the post.

Nascimento (Brazilian), DC, age 29. 122 apps / 2 – 2
The hard man in the team and an uncomplicated centre half in the Terry Butcher mould. Lacking in pace and qualities on the ball, but uncompromising, tough and another reliable performer.

Reserves
Steffen Zimmermann (German), DC, age 18. 0 apps
The cream of the crop among the youngsters. I expect him to break into the first team inside a couple of seasons. Will most probably be seen already this season. Quick, agile, strong and intelligent, Steffen has the potential to go places.
Guðjon Àrni Antoniussen (Icelandic), DR, age 25. 81 apps / 0 – 1.
Played fairly regularly in the regional and second division, now out of contention and a mere emergency solution. Desperately lacking in positioning skills, and is caught out time and time again on this against quality opposition.
Sebastian Eckl (German), DLC, age 19. 0 apps.
A useful young defender. Will look to continue his development over the next year or two.
Sascha Koch (German), DLC, age 19. 0 apps.
Another talented youngster. Still a long way off first team contention, but in good development.
Christian Schlösser (German), DR, age 18. 0 apps
A candidate for mutual termination next summer, he will need to work hard to disprove me.

MIDFIELDERS
*Phillip Kasperidus (German), DML, age 25. 17 apps / 0 – 5.
Not spectacular, but reliable, Kasperidus finally broke into the first team last year and did well without ever making the big headlines. Hardly ever makes mistakes, but neither is he the sharpest attacking tool in the box. Will probably be a regular this season.

Nicolaj Hust (Danish), DMC, age 30. 79 apps / 0 – 5
Hard, ruthless, evil and uncomplicated, Hust has a large number of substitute appearances; often coming on when we’ve been struggling to keep the opposition out. A good utility player, but, alas, no more.

*Thomas Gravesen (Danish), MC, age 33. 38 apps / 2 – 2. 79 caps, 17 goals for Denmark.
A high-class midfielder, Gravesen has been mostly employed in a defensive role. Will be given more attacking options this season and most probably contribute to a larger extent at the other end of the pitch. At times a world-class player, but is getting on a bit.

*Ian Paul McShane (Scottish), MC, age 31. 146 apps / 10 – 27.
Our grand playmaker, hero of the fans and a living legend. McShane has been with us since 14th August, 2004 and never let me down. Has suffered a string of injuries in the last three years but seems to be on course for a good season after a full pre-season without any trouble. One of the most important players in the team and, when in form, omnipresent on the pitch.

Goran Sukalo (Slovenian), MC, age 27. 10 apps / 0 – 3
Plagued by injury, the Slovenian utility man hasn’t quite made the breakthrough yet. Undoubtedly a class act who can dictate play as well as break up the opposition, but really needs an injury-free run in the team to prove his worth. Transferred from Unterhaching last season before suffering a broken leg.

Martin Oslislo (German), MRC, age 30. 102 apps / 3 – 9
A grumpy fellow, this could be his last season with the club as his contract runs out, and he is unhappy at not playing more than he does. Certainly a useful chap, who can play in centre or on the right in either defence or midfield and do a good job when called upon.

Kamal Jasmath (South African), MLC, age 23. 28 apps / 0 – 4
Enthusiastic, but often ineffective, the youngster has yet to convince me of his credentials. Has picked up a number of yellow cards in sheer frustration, but can always be relied on to get stuck in.

*Celsinho (Brazilian), FRC, age 20. 60 apps / 11 – 7
This, I hope, will be his breakthrough season. Superb skills on the ball and extremely talented, the young winger of São Paolo has developed fast in the last 12 months. Can turn a match on his own, but can also be maddeningly wasteful and, on a bad day, an annoying little prïck.

*Mounir el Hamdaoui (Dutch), FC, age 25. 66 apps / 11 – 19
The club’s highest paid player at a whopping £875,000 a year and fully worth his salt. It took him a while to settle in following his transfer from Excelsior, but once he did, I knew I’d struck gold. Calaiò’s magnificent goal record can in a large part be attributed to this magnificent Dutch-Moroccan. Might find himself playing upfront next to his best friend Emmo Calaiò this season, provided a change in choice of formation.

Reserves
Heiko Ansorge (German), ML, age 25. 44 apps / 0 - 1
Useful backup player who can also fill in at fullback. Very patient, but slightly grumpy.
Cosmin Uilacan (Romanian), AMRC, age 28. 63 apps / 9 – 0
Another patient customer, Cosmin talks the talk, but too rarely walks the walk. Gets the odd, rare, substitute appearance.
Michael Doyle (Irish), AMRC, age 28. 7 apps / 0 – 0
A flop, likely to be released before long. Sadly.
Mark Fotheringham (English), AMC, age 25. 26 apps / 1 – 1
Likewise. Good player, in theory. In practise however, just another lazy primadonna. Git.
Martin Reich (German), AMC, age 19. 0 apps.
Can go places and is in riveting development. Maybe next year he’ll get a look-in.
Sebastian Reichmann (German), DMC, age 17. 0 apps
A mediocre youngster, unlikely to make the break.
Frank Klaus (German), MC, age 20. 0 apps
Has certain qualities, mainly defensive ones. Might match him lightly over the next year and see how that goes.
Michael Walter (German), MC, age 20. 0 apps
A fair talent, but nothing spectacular. Concentration, teamwork, positioning. Sounds like a leg-breaker, doesn’t it? Yes indeed. A potential hard man enforcer in the making.

ATTACK
*Emanuele Calaiò (Italian), SC, age 27. 55 apps / 52 – 8
What more can I say? He is all or nothing for the team, the difference between relegation and mid-table and with a goalscoring record that defies belief. Forza Calaiò!

*Pavel Fort (Czech), SC, age 25. 0 apps
I’m excited to see what he can do for us. Unfortunately he has already picked up his first injury. Strong allround skills, but no sprinter.

*Benjamin Imeh (Nigerian), SC, age 27. 0 apps
Could be a hit in the 1BL this season. A team player with good individual skills, steady in front of goal and an instinctive goalscorer. I’m looking forward to seeing him in action.

Reserves
Clayton Zane (Australian), SC, age 32, 55 apps / 23 – 1
Not quite good enough at this level. Now ranked as fourth choice, Clayton will retire at the end of the season and is on a month-to-month contract. A good guy though.
Marius Flatken (German), SC, age 26. 5 apps / 1 – 0
Scored on his debut, but has been irrelevant since. Not good enough at this level.
Blake Newbold (English), SC, age 23. 7 apps / 0 – 0
Will leave on first opportunity. Has been here for a while now without making it. Doesn’t look half bad, but is.
Daniel Arnold (German), SC, age 19. 0 apps
Has poured in goals for the recruits and will get plenty of opportunities as the season wears on. Keep an eye on this chap, he might become useful.

Spav

I usually save the game at that point, then re-save it again as another name and take up the offer to see how it goes in that new game. That way you can always keep your original game intact.

It is difficult to accept offers when you've built a good team and you reckon that you can go places with them. For the sake of the story I'm glad you stuck with St Pauli.

KUTGW Trigz. :cool:

Trigz

SCHALKE 04 await on the first day of the new season. The same team and formation from the Augsburg friendly retain their place. And what a match it turns out to be! Thomas Gravesen wallops home from well outside the box just two minutes into the game, before Cristea equalises on 15 minutes. Almost straight from kick-off however, el Hamdaoui fires us back into the lead, before Cristea again equalises, just two minutes after. It doesn’t end there though as, halfway through the first half, Bordon sends Schalke into the lead for the first time. Five goals in the first 23 minutes of the match!

Schalke are all over us and it seems rather obvious that we still need to fill a few gaps at the back. Calaiò opens his account for the season after the break, before Lincoln deservedly sees to that the points go back to Schalke. Our defence stinks, but offensively, we make very good use of the few chances that come our way in a magnificent seven-goal thriller.
St. Pauli – Schalke 04 3-4 (2-3). Att. 18,236. Shots on target 3-9
1-0 Gravesen (2), 1-1 Cristea (15), 2-1 el Hamdaoui (16), 2-2 Cristea (18), 2-3 Bordon (23), 3-3 Calaiò (53), 3-4 Lincoln (79)

Elsewhere, Werder Bremen and Bayern share two goals with debutant Tom Geißler performing well.

We have an early key match in terms of the relegation dogfight coming up as newly-promoted Rot-Weiss Essen come to Millerntor. In the preceding week Kenny Vanhoevelen picks up an injury, meaning that Martin Oslislo will fill in at right back in his absence. Also, Mark Fotheringham is finally released, his contract being terminated after the midfielder failed to report for training for the umpteenth time. It cost me a bit of money, but it was worth it.

In the first leg of the third qualifying rounds in the Euro Cup, Haka of Finland surprise probably even themselves in beating Scottish sluggers Aberdeen 2-1 in Finland, and Lokomotiv Moskva, the Manchester United of Russian football, fall 1-4 at home to plucky Standard Liege in a surprise result.

Now then, RW ESSEN. They’re not what you’d call generators of public interest, as only 16,750 people find their way to the match. We raise our game and play exceedingly well, even after falling behind to an early goal. Gravesen’s second goal in two and Benji Imeh’s first goal for the club looks like it’s going to be enough to beat them. Actually, with twenty minutes remaining I’m so confident I give Steffen Zimmermann his senior level debut. Three minutes into injury time we throw two points away however, despite having had enough chances to win by three or four goals. One point from the first two games isn’t quite what I had in mind. Martin Oslislo does well as stand in right back, and target man Calaiò does a hell of a job distributing the ball.
St. Pauli – RW Essen 2-2 (2-1). Att. 16,757. Shots on target 12-6.
0-1 Sidney (5 pen), 1-1 Gravesen (7), 2-1 Imeh (16), 2-2 Jungnickel (90+3)

Trigz

Away to Braunschweig (of the Regionalliga) in the cup, one week later, we’re expected to win easily. Instead, we pïss it away and play an embarrassingly poor match. Branschweig beats us comprehensively and Marc Ziegler makes a monstrous mistake that costs us the game. We won’t be defending our cup title, then. Cünts!
Braunschweig – St. Pauli 2-0.
1-0 Sousa (29pen), 2-0 Ohene (78).

I don’t like this. We’re defending terribly and aren’t anywhere near the level we were at last season. To top it off, Thomas Gravesen is ruled out with a groin injury on the day of our away encounter with KÖLN on the 22nd august. Our luck, though, turns. Köln have the lion’s share of possession and chances, but, at 2-1 down with 20 minutes remaining, I switch to a 4-4-2 formation, which turns the result on its head. We come away with our first league win of the season, but once again, we have disgusting luck. Ziegler and McShane did well. Young Steffen Zimmermann however gets a start for us, his first ever, and is our best defender in this match. Superb stuff.
Köln – St. Pauli 2-3 (1-0). Att. 43,014. Shots on target 11-6
1-0 Semler (7), 1-1 el Hamdaoui (57), 2-1 Deno (70), 2-2 Imeh (76), 2-3 Calaiò (79)

With the draw for the 1st round proper of the Euro cup being made, we’re preparing ourselves for quite a test. To get into the groups stage we must overcome Lazio.