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Probably last update with FM2007, barring the scenario where save kicks the bucket. Hopefully a month from now, and I'll be freed from the titanium wires being put in my foot, and concentrate on things like walking again :p
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So:
Leagues loaded (all the way through): England, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Spain
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Frank's pearl of wisdom this time is Akropolis in the Swedish 4th league. As the name shows, it's the team of local Greeks in Stockholm.
IF Akropolis
Stadium: Akalla Gards BP, 750 capacity
Facilities: Basic/minimal youth
Media prediction: 5th
Price of souvlaki in the stadium: 25 SKr
No transfer funds of course. More unsettling is the huge number of players. 3, that is, excluding youth team. Including a striker who can't score, and a striker with the finishing of 1. Brilliant.
Trials in: 20, offered contract to: 9
Players in: 3 from a third division team's reserves
Loanees in: 4
The board announces a link with Djurgarden. Smart move, especially that their loanees can actually play football.
We spent the first half of the season right in the middle, occupying 5th or 6th place. Then we go on an unbeaten streak, and go up to second, with the two teams from Eskilstuna right at our heels.
At this point promotion seems to be an option (Runaway leaders Hammarby TFF can't go up, because they're the reserves of Hammarby), but then both my senior keepers go down with injuries, and the youth goalkeeper can't save ****. Three losses in a row put us back to our place, and the Eskilstuna teams battle out the promotion race. We win our last game against rivals Sparvagen, so the year ends in a (semi-)high note.
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Swedish Second League, ES, 2006 Position: 4th
P: 22 W: 12 D: 2 L: 8 43-33 38 pts
No cup entry
Top scorer: crap striker 1 and 2 (6 goals each)
Best avg: excellent loanee DL (7.32)
Fans' player: Greek-origin average winger (no idea why the fans selected him)
The good: attacking play is OK, the loanees are quality
The bad: inability to grind out draws, and some sloppy defending
Avg. attendance: 297
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Premier Division: AIK (IFK Göteborg blew it in the last round)
Swedish Cup: Kalmar
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Akropolis Swedish Second League, ES, 2006
Board&fans: avoid relegation
Media: 4th
Transfer money: 0
In: 2 (experienced GK, DC/coach) for free
Out: about 9 on frees
Loans extended:4
New loans: 2 very young and talented strikers
The squad looks much better than last year, so I'm optimistic for the season. The team proves me right, as the striker pair fires in goals, and we go on a 11-1-0 record of the first half of the season, virtually grabbing the title. Second half of the year is quieter, but with three matches to go, we secure promotion \o/
Swedish Cup: out in the second round, against Premier League team GIF Sundsvall. At least broke the attendance/gate receipts
record.
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Top scorer & Best avg.: highly talented Ghanaan-Swedish ST, 21 goals/7.89
Fans' player: dangerous winger
The good: attacking was really good.
The bad: defending still leaves a lot to be desired.
Avg. attendance: 334
Club finances are very bad unfortunately. I hope there's some money involved in the third league. Being unable to sell players, having a tiny ground and no TV matches are not good signs for the future. We're 740K in the red.
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Premier League: IFK Göteborg
Cup: Kalmar (retained)
Fans, board: battle bravely
Media: 5th :eek:
Transfer money: 0
A glimmer of hope in the financial struggle: 160K TV revenue! \o/ First time ever the club's made profit
In: 3 young and talented players as long-term investments (GK, DM/DLC, DR/MRC), plus an experienced Polish defender from AIK
Out: 3 squad players on frees, released further 10 from reserves/U18s
Loans: extended 6, got a new striker. Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly) the Ghanaan-Swedish striker was recalled, and sent
out on a loan to the second division.
The media prediction of 5th surprises me a bit, though my first team is certainly good. My worry is the goal-scoring department: the new loanee doesn't seem to be too brilliant, and last year's support striker is talented, but largely
inconsistent. The two backup strikers are not worthy of mentioning.
Second-league Vasteras buy out my ass.man from his contract, so in the first 3 months I have to do without one. After that I spend all the whopping 1K I recieved on his successor
We have a solid start, and hover around 4th for most of the first half, so the media prediction seems to be spot on for once.
Runaway leaders MABI hand us a healthy beating away, but amazingly, this turns out to be our last one in the season, as we start a brilliant 18-game unbeaten run. Last year's incosistent striker starts out with 3 goals in 8 matches, then hits 17 in the last 18.
MABI leads the pack with 5 points, but they throw it away with a dreadful run of form (2-8-2 in the last 12 matches). We overtake them with 6 games to go, just before we face each other at our ground. After some media hype-up we win easily, thanks to their DC sent off in the 4th minute. To make it sweeter, their only shot was a missed penalty
Two easy wins against relegation candidates increase our lead (MABI draws two) , and with a hard-fought 1-0 victory, we're clear 8 points, and just two rounds remaining. Back-to-back promotions! \o/\o/
We might have been too quick though with the promotion. Money-wise it will do good, but finances are still tight, ground still only has a 750 capacity, and training facilities are still basic. Not mentioning that though the squad is certainly a top-half third league side, but not this good. We simply found a brilliant form, and maintained it right to the end.
The other contributing factor was that no key members of the squad were out injured, so the 7 key players played through the whole season. My GK and right winger went out only after we secured promotion. Next year we won't be this lucky.
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Position: 1st (promoted)
P: 26 W: 18 D: 6 L: 2 51-23 60 pts
Cup: 2nd round. Went through a penalty thriller, lost easily against a second division team then.
Top scorer & best avg.: formerly incosistent young loanee, 20 goals/7.50
Fans' player: versatile young midfielder (spotted by Premier League team GAIS. I feel money)
The good: the whole year was excellent
The bad: the three support strikers were simply awful
Avg. attendance: 580
Club finances: -566K, but we made +195K this year
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Premier League: IFK Göteborg (retained)
Cup: Djurgarden. Holders Kalmar go out 5-4 AET in the first round, against non-league opposition :eek:
Fans, board: battle bravely
Media prediction: 14th (out of 16)
Transfer funds: 0
Odds: 100-1
Transfers in: 7 on frees, including two former loanees
Loans extended: 2
Out: 3 released
Year seems to be an uphill battle against relegation. We are incapable of signing a good striker. Last 2 season's best strikers (both on loans from Djurgarden) are available on free transfers, but both refuse to sign for us and decide to retire at 22.
At home we are dangerous, away we are easy prey. The end of the first half season is packed with relegation derbys, and we win 3 out of the 4 home games, so halfway through we occupy the 12th place. Things go a bit off-rail then, as we lose 4 in a row, and drop back to 14th.
August comes with a revival, we produce a 4-0-1 record, register our first away win, and I get Manager of the Month award. That elevates us to 8th :eek:, and we're in relative safety, so the remaining relegation battles don't really matter. We are winless in our last 5 games, but with a draw, we're in perfect safety with 2 matches to go.
Pos. 11th P: 30 W: 10 D: 4 L: 16 31-45 34 pts
Swedish Cup: Usual 2nd round exit, now away against AIK. 6-0 club record defeat :thdn: +102K revenue from tickets! :thup:
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Top scorer: 3 players with 4 goals each
Best avg. & Fans' player: versatile young U19-international midfielder (7.07)
The good: Nice job in avoiding the drop, with excellent team work. Home form. When we scored the first goal, we were 10-1-0
The bad: No proper striker. Away form. When the opposition scored first, we were 0-1-16
Avg. attendance: 701
Club finances: -465K, but we made +101K this year. With this rate in five years I'll have transfer money
Expectations: the very same as last year. Even the media prediction and the odds of 100-1.
Players out: 2 loannees + 5
Players in: 7
I'm not over-optimistic about the season. Central defence might well start a run at the annual snail derby, we lost our great loanee MC, however, we clearly strenghtened on the two wings.
But, to my surprise, the new left winger turns out to be a scoring/passing machine (not mentioning his ever-dangerous free kicks), the Big Fat (Swedish-)Greek ST I just brought in as a backup immediately clicks with his Arabic-Swedish partner, so we start firing in the goals we lacked last season.
We hover around midtable, highest position is 4th, lowest is 14th (after a 5-game winningless streak), and we play much better football than last season. Although my best player breaks his foot, fortunately it doesn't cause much setback. The league really go crazy, I don't remember competing in such a close race: with 3 games to go I'm only 5 points from the promotion, and 4 from the relegation playoffs! Finally we end up just the place where in last season.
Pos.: 11th P: 30 W: 11 D: 8 L: 11 50-47 41 pts
Despite the same position, it's improvement in every category. +7 points, +17 GD, +19 (!) GS, and the defence is about the same. I'm really satisfied with the team.
Swedish Cup: I'm sure that there's no life after a second round. Elfsborg 0-1 at home.
Top scorer & Fans' player: Big Fat Greek Striker and Free Kick specialist AML, both 13 goals
Best avg.: Free Kick specialist AML, 7.43 (best in league \o/)
The good: attacking :eek: Last year, if I combine the three best scorers, it's a mighty 12 goals+20 assists. Big Fat Greek ST, Free Kick specialist AML, and Creative Arabic ST this year score 35G+25A altogether.
The bad: defending is not that bad, but could be much better. Hopefully the new Belorussian DC will sort out some problems.
Avg. attendance: 715 (/750). Board still refuse to upgrade due to lack of funds
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Future transfers out: finally I managed to sell players. First-choice goalie lefts for V. Frölunda for 30K+20%, young right winger to Kalmar for 16K+50%, right back to Elfsborg for 10K+40% :thup: In the last days of the season the chairman accepts an offer for my left winger. 350K+40%! \o/\o/\o/ And I've lost my best player
Finances: thanks to the sellings, it's now only 260K in the red. Probably I'll have to sell the Arabic-Swedish ST after this season, if I'm fortunate, we can cash in on him, and go in the black.
And maybe then I can have the much-needed stadium expansion (we're losing money without it).
Now Akropolis have a mountain to climb 
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