If you register for free, you will be able to post threads, vote on polls and lots more. If you have problems with the registration or logging in, please contact the administrator.
...but seeing as this is the LLM forum, I guess I'll have to tough it out on my own somehow in the Lukashenkaland :>.
The game is FM 2006 as I'm finding a number of features introduced in later versions a tad bit unrealistic and mightily annoying, two top tiers loaded from major European nations as well as all availiable ones from my Eastern European corner of the world. I waited until the new year and promptly got myself a job at Livadia Dzerzhinsk, Belarussian Division Two newcomer.
Season 2006 - Livadia Dzerzhinsk, Belarussian Division Two
10. place, 34 pts, 27:36; W:9 D:7 L:14
Cups: well, you all know the drill, 1st round, beaten by some amateur side. Cool.
We were tipped for quick relegation so survival was all that mattered. A bunch of loanees and Russian free transfers filled in the squad, performing with appropriate heroism to keep us up. There was no best player, really, but perhaps our ancient Belarussian striker with one cap under his belt (oh, the weirdness of the Belarussian dress code) deserves a mention, as he scored 10 out of those 27 season goals, promptly retiring afterwards.
Season 2007 - Livadia Dzerzhinsk, Belarussian Division Two
2. place, 55 pts, 46:30; W:17 D:4 L:9
Cups: see above
This year was a major surprise, as the strong second half of the season took us straight up into the promotion fight. We had a series of awful performances of identical nature - we scored an early goal and then frustrated the opposition for the rest of the game with our desperate defensive antics. A couple of Polish wingers and an Azeri striker poached from another Division Two team really turned this season for us and a late winning run helped us grap the second promotion spot. The Azeri striker scored 22 goals in 31 games, almost 50% of our total for this season.
Season 2008 - Livadia Dzerzhinsk, Belarussian Division One
6. place, 40 pts, 38:36, W: 11 D:7 L: 8
Cups: still in the only one available to us, as the cup competition runs on the autumn-spring schedule, unlike the league itself
Once again we were clear favourites to go down, but it turned out that in Belarus a lot can happen between European places and relegation — three games before the end of the season we still weren't quite sure whether we would clinch an Intertoto place or go down. All in all we got neither, but the 6th spot was at least a couple of places better than I expected, even though we started the season with an impressive 0:7 defeat. Before the season I brought in a new goalie, who turned out to be crucial for our survival — unlike his predecessors he actually knew his trade. A very strong midfield was the key to our success, as well as a sudden burst of goalscoring talent from one of our useless Russian strikers, who bagged 10 in the second half of the season.
Season 2009 - Livadia Dzerzhinsk, Belarussian Division One
5. place, 40 pts, 40:28, W: 11 D:7 L: 8
Cups: two defeats in one year, one semifinal, though
Everybody expected us to crash, burn, roast and taste funny again, and we rewarded this consistency of prediction with one of our own making. 40 points this time meant a finish one slot higher than the previous year, with a small improvement goal-wise. It possibly could have been slightly better, but a surprising cup run in March saw us into the semifinal, where red cards and penalties made sure we would not disrupt the balance of power in Belarussian football. This also meant that we started the league on low morale, and this in turn meant some spectacular defeats until I sorted things out. Any major improvement will be difficult, as Belarus is shaping up to be an Eastern European variation on the Scottish theme — two powerhouses at the top and then the rest in a free-for-all, stuck between the 3rd place and relegation.
Player-wise, an 18-year-old Russian defender turned out to be an absolute diamond in a dungheap, consolidating our defensive efforts. But the most important development was the sale of the originally useless Russian striker, who turned out to be a goal-scoring machine, attracting interest from top division Russian teams. They offered for him Ł50.000, my reply was Ł1.500.000, just to get rid of them for good, and they accepted. Needless to say, I personally helped him pack his things and sent him on his way. So now we have loads of money which I'll be spending on ground upgrades and stars of the future, provided my scouts can find any.
Season 2010 - Livadia Dzerzhinsk, Belarussian Division One
2. place, 55 pts, 58:22, W: 17 D: 4 L: 5
Cups: still in
Two seasons it seems were enough to come to terms with the top flight reality and we almost pulled off the shock of the decade, losing the title to BATE by one point, while murdering them 4:1 on the last day of the season. The title was never a threat, though, as BATE simply let go once they had clinched it. The young Russian central defender was by far the best player in the country, while our 18y.o. Belarussian left midfielder made a leap from our reserves into the national team. But the hero of the season was a crappy 19y.o. Russian striker pulled from the reserve team during an injury crisis, who bagged 17 goals in 16 appearances. All this was probably due to us getting out of the cup early, but hey, I'm not the one to be complaining here.