Russian Around

[EvilDave]

Thanks guys, it's been good fun so far even with the financial restrictions - makes results like the Zenit game all the more rewarding!

March 2016

Before the league got underway again, we had some big personnel news. Alexander Kulikov, our Estonian deep-lying playmaker who is far too good for this league, unsurprisingly attracted a bit of interest. With the club staring at a £1m+ debt, when other teams came in I was powerless to resist, and this was the winning bid. Personally I'm shocked he chose to stay in our league and aren't looking forward to playing him again, but we needed to make the sale. His loss will be a big blow to our season.

Sibir Novosibirsk 0-1 Mashuk

Or will it? We head to Siberia after a few friendlies and look good, outplaying the hosts in the first period. Right at the end of the half we're given a free kick 30 yards out, and new loan signing Vladimir Abramov, signed as a short-term fix for Kulikov, bends it perfectly into the top corner. It's a great debut, and is enough for an excellent win.

Krylya Sovetov Samara 2-1 Mashuk

Abramov is certainly trying his hardest to make us forget about our old Estonian - this time his free kick comes just 35 seconds into the game! Unfortunately that just seems to anger the Wings, who first level straight away and then go about besieging our goal for the rest of the game. The winner duly comes in the second half, and we can have no complaints.

Mashuk 0-3 SKA-Energia Khabarovsk

This is one of those games when nothing goes your way. We have a penalty shout turned down, a goal disallowed, and manage to concede three goals at home to a team we're at least on a par with. It's a frustrating end to the month, and we need to banish this one from memory as soon as possible.

Yet again I managed to forget a league table for March. It's such a short month, by the time I thought about it I was halfway through April. Sorry about that...

[EvilDave]

April/May 2016

Mashuk 1-0 Ural Yekaterinburg

This was perhaps one of the dullest games I've sat through on FM. Thankfully, Leschenko's goal after 48 minutes made sure we at least got three points from it.

Chernomorets Novorossiysk 3-0 Mashuk

The day our play-off bid died a miserable death. Chernomorets are relegation fodder, but we travelled with far too much attacking intent and were simply picked apart on the break. A couple of years ago this would have been a bad result in the regionals - two years later, with a proper First Division squad, there are no excuses.

Torpedo Moscow 0-1 Mashuk

Much like the Ural game, this one is fairly tedious, albeit with slightly more goalmouth action on both sides. It looks for the all the world as if we're going to grind to a draw against another team at the wrong end of the table, but after 72 minutes their keeper races out to clear, and wide midfielder Ivan Kalchuk drops a 45-yard half-volley square into the centre of the unguarded net. It's as funny as it is well executed, but it's enough.

Mashuk 0-1 Shinnik Yaroslavl

Shinnik are on the play-off trail, and even a win for us here probably won't be enough to haul ourselves back into it. As it happens, the maths is irrelevant - we're tough to beat, so are they, but a penalty midway through the first half is called in their favour and the visitors are all too happy to ride it out for the win. Disappointed, but not unexpected.

Mashuk 3-1 Spartak Nalchik

Remember Spartak Nalchik? Up in the Premier League not all that long ago? This year they're going down, and we help them one their way. A Tytov double - his first goals in 16 hours - sandwich a lone strike from Leschenko, and the hint of a fightback at 2-1 is rapidly extinguished to give our home fans something to cheer about.

Irtysh Omsk 0-0 Mashuk

There's something about Irtysh that we just can't break down. They offer nothing, we have the accuracy of a blind man with a sling shot, everybody goes home disappointed.

Petrotrest 2-0 Mashuk

Petrotrest have had a blinder of a season, and are still bidding for automatic promotion on the final day. We crushed them earlier in the campaign, but on their turf it's a completely different story and from very early on we're under pressure. It takes until the second half for the defence to buckle, but it does so twice in quick succession, and when the second goes in we're out of the game. Results elsewhere means Petrotrest have to take the play-off route, but they'll be back.

[EvilDave]

Season Review 2015-16

League: 8th

Highest Rating: Mykyta Tytov - 7.27

Top Scorer: Maxym Leschenko - 11 goals

Most Assists: Mykyta Tytov - 11 assists

Finances: Forgot to take a screenshot, but even with the Kulikov sale we were back in the red at this point...

Manager's Thoughts:

A vast improvement on last year, jumping up from survival by the skin of our teeth to finishing firmly in the middle of the pack. Bizarrely enough we conceded one more goal and only scored four more than last season, but we looked far more convincing as a team and were rarely blown off the park, one or two aberrations excluded. Leschenko again led the line well, and Kulikov was a revelation until we were forced to sell. His wages were spent on young fringe players to add much needed depth rather than quality, so we'll be looking to add more talent over the break.

The finances will forever be a problem, but I'm a firm believer in fixing that on the field. We appear to be a solid second tier side now, so the onus is one us to kick on and up next year. Promotion still seems light years away, but if we can sell out our stadium against Zenit in the cup (and we did), then the support is obviously there. Our academy has produced nothing of note, and it's impossible to generate funds without genuine stars, so we just have to keep plugging away and seeing what happens.

Goals for next year:

Top half

45+ goals

52+ points

[JackJCFC]

Nothing wrong with a solid mid table season, hopefully you can continue to improve next year.

[EvilDave]

That's the plan Jack, as long as we're making progress I'm happy!

July 2016

Mashuk 3-0 Ural Yekaterinburg

A new season, a new start, and a new star in Pyatigorsk? We picked up centre back Murad Tagilov from Alania over the break, and his stunning free kick is our third goal. His headed flick-on sets up Leschenko for our opener, and the Ukrainian nets a second in between to seal a comfortable opening day win over a traditionally strong Ural side. This is promising.

Volgar-Gazprom Astrakhan 1-2 Mashuk

Another one for the new boys! Tagilov bags another free kick to put us ahead, but bogey side Volgar soon get back on level terms against the run of play. Into the second half and we have all the play, but can only break the deadlock with a stunning volley from new backup striker Stanislav Matyash after 70 minutes. After that, we hold out easily.

Mashuk 2-1 Ufa

No new signings on the socresheet this time, but a relatively comfortable win over a tough side nonetheless. We do all our hard work in the opening 20 minutes, Ukrainian midfielder Rudnystkyi and countryman Leschenko doing the honours, and even a late consolation from the visitors did little to ruffle our feathers. The ease of this win was pleasantly at odds to previous games with Ufa, so I can only hope it's our improvement rather than their failures that are causing the changes.

Rotor Volgograd 1-0 Mashuk

Rotor came down from the top flight this season after a rapid rise, and are favourites for the title this season. We give us a good game without ever really looking like scoring, but our own back line is strong and gives Rotor plenty of problems. Unfortunately, a lapse late on sees the home side awarded a penalty, and it winds up being the difference between the clubs at the full time whistle.

Mashuk 4-2 Amkar Perm

We've built our successes in the past on grinding out wins, but this is real end-to-end stuff. We quickly go a goal down only to level through Matyash, and for some time the game looks to meander towards a draw. Just before the hour it's our turn to go ahead, but Amkar bounce straight back with 20 to play and we've got a fight on our hands. However, like a 10,000m runner we hit our stride at the end, a goal each from Mamedov and Tytov in the final 15 minutes enough to break Amkar's spirit and seal the three points.

[EvilDave]

August 2016

Alania Vladikavkaz 2-3 Mashuk

Alania seem to have made their home in the second, a disappointing development for a big club. This time, the roles from the Amkar game are reversed, and twice we are forced to battle back from losing positions just to find ourselves level heading into the final few moments. The old player come back to haunt a former club is classic footballing cliche, and so it is here - Tagilov bagging his third of the season by nodding in a free kick to shock the home fans.

Torpedo Armavir 0-2 Mashuk - Russian Cup 4th Round

Way back when, Tropedo were a side we looked to take a point from. Now, they linger in the regional leagues and we've made progress we can show off. It's our Ukrainian pair of Leschenko and Tytov that do the honours, a goal each sealing comfortable passage to the next round.

Mashuk 1-1 Torpedo Moscow

Another Torpedo, a different result. Moscow set up to frustrate, and they manage just that - Leschenko's goal after 20 minutes ends up rendered redundant by a stolen equaliser at the death, and we're forced to settle for a point.

Petrotrest 0-4 Mashuk

This is more like it. Petrotrest's unlikely surge to the play-offs last season has thus far failed to inspire them this time round, and an early goal looked to kill them off before the game had really started. Tytov and Leschenko both bag braces as we sweep a poor team aside, and we continue our good form with a convincing win.

Mashuk 4-1 Irtysh Omsk

Last season, we failed to score against struggling Irtysh in either of our two games, so it was a huge relief to see us cut loose here. Yes, the visitors had a man sent off on the hour mark, but by that time we were already 3-1 up and flying, and a late header from right winger Kireev was simply the deserved cherry on a very satisfying cake.

Metallurg-Kuzbass Novokuznetsk 2-1 Mashuk

Metallurg should have been relegated by now, so it's testament to their determination that they're doing well this season. Too well for us, who fall to something of a shock defeat given our recent form, Tytov's second half goal not enough to overturn the deficit acquired early on. It's a poor loss after a good run, and if we're to stick around in the top places we'll need a quick response next month.

[deltablue]

At least you're still top.

[EvilDave]

Indeed, although whether we have the quality to stay there remains to be seen!

September 2016

Mashuk 2-0 Chita

Chita were probably the best team to bounce back against, newly-promoted and fighting for their First Division lives. It took us less than ten minutes to take the lead, and before the half hour was up we doubled our lead through Hovakimyan to ease into the break. We could have had several more in the second half, but our finishing was wayward and Chita gave us no reason to worry.

Mashuk 3-5 Krasnodar - Russian Cup 5th Round

This time last year we shocked Russia by knocking out Zenit, but this time our Premier League opposition had other ideas. We were 3-0 down inside 20 minutes, and as soon as we pulled one back Krasnodar made it 4-1. For a brief moment it looked as if we could turn it around, bringing the game to a nervous 4-3 with half an hour still to play, but the extra fitness and ability of the visitors shone through, a dead ball earned on the break flicked in for the clincher. We pushed hard, but lightning tends not to strike twice.

Shinnik Yaroslavl 4-1 Mashuk

For a side top of the league, we certainly didn't look like it today. Shinnik scored early and we levelled through Kireev, but the home side just kept on going. Three more we shipped, and by the end of the match we were lucky just to have our solitary goal. Pitiful, and a worrying sign indeed.

SKA-Energia Khabarovsk 1-1 Mashuk

We had a tough chance to bounce back here, with the Pacific coast side flying high. We took a lead through Kalchuk''s blistering drive, but the hosts had other ideas, and any thoughts of an easy win were ended when a midfield runner levelled the scores shortly afterwards. They just about edged the second half but couldn't break the deadlock, and we took a point from a difficult game.

Mashuk 1-0 Luch-Energia Vladivostok

Back at home with more opposition from the Far East, and another difficult game against a side returning from the top flight. This one turned into a attritional midfield battle, but with the home crowd on our side we were able to crank up the pressure in the second period, and were given our just rewards. Kireev was the man upended in the box, and central midfielder Vasiljev smashed the penalty home to earn the win.

Mashuk 0-1 Sibir Novosibirsk

Given our current league position, this has to go down as a disappointing defeat. Sibir have turned into a middle of the road outfit and we're contending, but nothing we can do seems to get the ball into the penalty area, let alone the goal. The visitors don't offer much either but somehow grab a goal, and we play out a dull game for no reward.

[EvilDave]

October/November 2016

Salyut Belgorod 1-1 Mashuk

The side from Belgorod are another new side still adapting to the league, and we give them all of four minutes before taking the lead. Unfortunately it's all we manage in the first half, and whether it's complacency from us or renewed determination from them I don't know, but we give up an equaliser which holds out until the end of the 90 minutes. Disappointing, again.

Ural Yekaterinburg 0-0 Mashuk

This is one of the more exciting goalless draws of my managerial career, but it's still a goalless draw, and it's still two more points which we can't afford to be throwing away if we're wanting to fight at the top of the table.

Mashuk 1-1 Volgar-Gazprom Astrakhan

Volgar should be an easy ride, but then again we should have been winning a lot of matches lately. We hammer them according to every statistic but goals, and to our frustration we're forced to wait until the 88th minute to get our first, Kireev saving us from embarrassment with a low angled drive into the corner.

Ufa 0-0 Mashuk

I've written this report before. Check the Ural game if you can't remember.

Mashuk 1-1 Rotor Volgograd

We're not winning games, but at the minute we're not losing them either. We're lucky to still be in this one at half time, but a quick tactical switch gives us the upper hand for the second. It's Tytov who gives us the lead with his first goal in ages, and all we have to do is hold out the nine minutes to the final whistle. Of course, we can't manage that, and we rack up draw number five.

Amkar Perm 2-2 Mashuk

This is a bizarre one, but for once the result is fair. We take an early lead with is quickly cancelled out, but the second two goals are strange - our go-ahead goal is a rocket which hits bar, post and goalkeeper before going down as an own goal, and their leveller comes from the penalty spot following an infringement which I couldn't see and which the FA are annoyingly silent over. Another draw? Surely not...

Mashuk 2-2 Alania Vladikavkaz

Much like the Amkar game but without the bizarre goals, and this this time we battle back from a goal down only to concede the almost inevitable equaliser in the dying seconds. We don't have time to kick off again before the whistle blows on our seventh straight tie, and the year ends with us in truly bizarre form.

[EvilDave]

A couple of interesting developments over the winter break, the first being the chairman-enforced sale of key centre back Maxim Zhestokov to divisional rivals Volgar for £475k - a decent fee in fairness - and the second a board takeover which wipes out our debt in the short term, but looks to change little in the long run. I'll be interested to see if he's more or less likely to inject funds than my previous boss, and whether he'll keep selling off our assets.

March 2017

Mashuk 1-1 Petrotrest

I didn't need to write that, did I? We're back after four months off, and in exactly the same form as before - indecisive. Our hosts deserve the win here, but Leschenko breaks a lengthy goal drought with an 80th minute equaliser to earn a point. We need to start winning if we're going to get our promotion charge going again.

Torpedo Moscow 2-0 Mashuk

Remarkably, we didn't draw! Unfortunately, we break our eight-game streak with an abject performance in Moscow, conceding a goal early in each half while offering absolutely nothing in response. Our entire midfield goes missing for 90 minutes, we can't create anything, and we crash to a worrying defeat. No win in ten now, so much for promotion.

Irtysh Omsk 1-2 Mashuk

Victory! Irtysh are a good side to go to, but when we go behind after less than ten minutes I begin to fear the worst. Thankfully we don't leave it too late to turn things around, defender Avdeev nodding in a corner on the half hour and then Vasiljev stabbing home on the stroke of half time to put us ahead. That seems to break the hosts' spirits, and we ride out the 2-1 lead for a long-awaited win.

[EvilDave]

April 2017

Mashuk 2-1 Metallurg-Kuzbass Novkuznetsk

After the joys of victory, going behind after 44 seconds is not the ideal way to start your next fixture. That's precisely what happens though, and the end result is surprisingly similar to our encounter with Irtysh. There are no set piece goals this time, but we're back in the driving seat by half time, and reward our long-suffering home crowd by comfortably cruising to the finish line to pick up three points.

Mashuk 1-1 SKA-Energia Khabarovsk

As you can see from the previous league table, the Khabarovsk side are one of our main rivals for promotion, and are battling with Rotor and Shinnik for the automatic spots. As such, they pummel us in the opening period and rightly take the lead just before the break, but we're able to battle our way back into the game to have them on the back foot for the second. We're forced to wait until the last possible moment, but Tytov grabs us a deserved equaliser after 89 minutes to stop us slipping out of the top four, and put a slightly dent in SKA's own campaign.

Sibir Novosibirsk 0-1 Mashuk

Sibir have slumped down the table since we last met, but they still make us fight for our points. This time the goal comes from a new signing, Belarussian striker Ilya Zatenko, who makes the most of his substitute appearance to sprint past the home defence and dink a delicate finish over the goalkeeper. Sibir put us under plenty of pressure as the game drew to a close, but we're solid enough to see them off and claim a good win.

Chita 3-2 Mashuk

Chita are still struggling, but we're still not convincing, and despite Tytov's early goal we just don't look the part. The bottom-feeders level the scores on the half hour and then take the lead just after half time, and there are still nerves when Hovakimyan slots us level on the hour mark. Ten minutes later, the same player slides in recklessly in the area, and the Chita captain smashes in the penalty to put his side ahead for the third time. Despite their low skill levels and our high stakes, we fail to get anything from the game, and put ourselves in a perilous position going into the last three games.

[EvilDave]

May 2017

Luch-Energia Vladivostok 0-0 Mashuk

Lose here, and we surrender 4th place and the play-off spot to our hosts. With that and our recent defeat in mind, we set out to frustrate, and by some sort of a miracle we do just that - Luch outshoot us and outpass us, but our deep midfield and robust defence does its job well, limiting them to long-range efforts and keeping the door firmly shut. Two games to go, four points needed.

Mashuk 1-0 Shinnik Yaroslavl

Shinnik are on the brink of the Premier League, and are locked in a title battle with Rotor at the very top. On the other hand, we could really do with a result to make our last day battle with Salyut a little less nerve-wracking, so we can't afford to sit back. We don't, they don't, and the result is a classic end-to-end encounter settled by a single moment of magic - Kireev dancing down the right wing before cutting the ball back for Leschenko to lash past the keeper on the volley. Ecstacy in the stands, relief on the bench, we can smell the play-offs now.

Mashuk 3-0 Salyut Belgorod

This is it, take a point from this and we get a shot at promotion. Salyut have nothing to play for, and it shows - Tytov is given far too much space in the area to fire home a loose ball 18 minutes in, and even on the counter we look to have them under control. As the second half begins we continue to assert our dominance, and two goals in the space of ten minutes from Kireev puts an exclamation point on the result we had been hoping for. Even better, Khabarovsk slip up in their final game, allowing us to leapfrog them into 3rd place and potentially easier tie in the play-off.

Yenisey Krasnoyarsk 1-0 Mashuk - Promotion/Relegation Play-Off First Leg

Yenisey were shock promotees when they did go up, and now they're fighting for their lives. The alternative opponents were Krylya Sovetov, so we are feeling slightly more enthusiastic about our chances. In the early exchanges it appears we have every right to do so, matching our top flight opponents for possession and chances. However, even as the first half wears on we begin to struggle, and as soon as the first half kicks off we're punished, their winger getting on the end of a nice move to open the scoring. The rest of the 90 minutes are as back-and-forth as the first 45, and both sides miss a couple of chances to keep our deficit at a single goal going into the return leg.

Mashuk 3-1 Yenisey Krasnoyarsk Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Second Leg

We've got nothing to lose and everything to gain, so we start the game far more aggressively than we normally would. To an extent it works, and we pepper the Yenisey goal in the opening moments of the match. However, it doesn't take long for disaster to strike - we're caught on the break from a corner, a the visitors extend their aggregate lead with their first attack of the game. It's caution to the wind time, and within three minutes Tytov drives us level on the night to give us hope. We continue to pile forward, and ten minutes later he repeats the trick to tie the aggregate scores. I have no idea whether away goals apply or not, so sticking to our guns seems the best policy.

We have Yenisey on the ropes in the second half, but we just can't quite force the issue. The visitors are offering very little on the counter, almost waiting for the final whistle, and when Hovakimyan is carried off injured in the last seconds of normal time it looks like we've shot our bolt. However, his knock buys off four minutes of injury time, and in the third of those minutes it happens. Yeremeev feeds Tytov from deep on the edge of the box, and with a single touch our two-goal hero lays it into the path of Zatenko. With absolutely no hints of panic, our Belarussian frees it from his feet, looks up and drills an bullet into the bottom corner from 18 yards. We are going up!

[EvilDave]

Season Review 2016-17

League: 3rd

Highest Rating: Maxym Leschenko - 7.26

Top Scorer: Maxym Leschenko - 15 goals

Most Assists: Igor Kireev - 10 assists

Finances: -£178k

Manager's Thoughts:

At no point this season did I genuinely believe we would get promoted. Not after our brilliant start, not after defeat in the first leg of the play-off, and certainly not after a run of eight draws and no win in ten. Yet somehow, thanks to the sweet right boot of a no-name striker from Belarus, we will be playing in the Premier League next season. Five years ago I took over with Mashuk in the regional leagues, and I thought it would take a lot longer than this.

On the face of it, the reason for our success can be read in the stats columns. Leschenko and Tytov both went through long goal droughts, coinciding with our winless run, but between them they hit 29 goals for the season. Our defence held firmer than it has done ever before in this division, and at the other end we pushed above and beyond our previous achievements. The extra goals made extra points, and by meeting that target we pushed past our points objective. The departure of Zhestokov midseason could have been a killer for our defence, but playing with three at the back meant we had cover, and so the impact was minimised. Had he stayed however, automatic promotion may even have been on the cards.

Next year is going to be a struggle, that goes without saying. In fact, with things as they are it will be impossible. We don't have the talent in the squad to survive in the Premier League, nor do we have the resources to acquire it - a non-event of a takeover ensures that. What we do have is determination and a flexible tactical approach, but that probably won't do. Our scouting range is now extended to all of Europe, so we'll be looking to take advantage of some talented freebies and the ability to field seven foreigners at once (First Division restricts us to three). However, I'm prepared for a long, hard and painful season. We are not ready for this.

Goals for next season:

Avoid humiliation in the Premier League

Bolster the squad with top flight talent

Stay out of the bottom two

[PocketMouse]

Congratz on promotion

[JackJCFC]

Well done on the promotion, well deserved after many seasons down there!

[deltablue]

Well done on promotion.

[EvilDave]

Thanks everyone, it took me by surprise! Unfortunately due to our less than brilliant finances, I could only bring four players in over the summer. They're hardly world beaters, and we're now £6k over our £36k wage budget. We're paying just over £2m per year on wages, but the average wage per player for the league is about £1m - we can't compete!

July/August 2017

Rotor Volgograd 1-2 Mashuk

Even against fellow promted side Rotor, our Premier League life got off to a shocking start as a transfer target of ours put the hosts ahead inside the very first minute. Thankfully we weren't too stunned, and Leschenko soon raced up the other end to level. Both teams were obviously aware of the importance of winning this kind of game, and a nervous affair was settled five minutes from time, Tytov turning home a cross to give us a win on opening day.

Mashuk 0-5 Terek Grozny

Ouch! After the highs of the Rotor game, Terek bring us back down to earth with a sickening thud. They outplay us in the first half and are unlucky to lead by one at the break, but in the second period they tear us to shreds. The last 20 minutes sees four more fly past the helpless Leschuk as we chase something, and it's an abject performance. Of the players to last the 90 minutes, only one manages a 6.0 rating - Leschuk in goal. That just about sums this one up.

Anji Makhachkala 2-0 Mashuk

AnZHi should destroy us, and from the first whistle it's clear that we can't cope with the kind of talent they have on display. The first is a routine corner headed in by a powerful centre back, and the second is a magical run and finish from their South African international winger, and we create nothing in 90 minutes.

Mashuk 0-1 Volga Nizhny Novgorod

I targeted this as a potential point-winner, so to lose at home to one of the perceived weaker sides is disappointing. We hold our own in this one and deserve something from the game, but we aren't finishing our chances at the minute and are forced to pay, a 46th minute goal the difference between the two sides leaving us with nothing for our efforts.

Mashuk 1-2 Shinnik Yaroslavl

See above. Shinnik are doing marginally better than we are so far, but are ripe for the beating that we fail to inflict. We dominate but fall behind on the stroke of halftime, and although it doesn't take us very long to get even, Shinnik net a second on the hour mark to consign us to another defeat. At least we got on the scoreboard this time, but I'm getting a little worried.

Dinamo Moscow 3-1 Mashuk

Another game, another defeat. This one is defensive error central - the first comes when a free kick hits the bar and is allowed to roll 18 yards through a crowded penalty area back to the taker, the second is the result of a complete failure to close down Balazs Dzsudzsak, and the third sees an ancient Kevin Kuranyi head past Leschuk. Zatenko grabs a consolation in the 65th minute, but we're not at the races and fall to another predictable loss. Not looking good.

[EvilDave]

September 2017

Krylya Sovetov 2-0 Mashuk

More of the same as we kick off September, this time we manage to hold the Wings for the first two thirds of the game before giving up two quick goals. For the hour before that we're a good match for the hosts, but as soon as the first one goes in we seem to lose all semblance of a fight. Worrying.

Baltika Kaliningrad 0-2 Mashuk - Russian Cup 5th Round

Baltika are like us in many respectives, a small provincial club from a decent-sized city. Unlike us, they're languishing in the regional leagues, but still manage to outplay us for the first half hour. Just as I begin to think we're on the way to embarrassment in the cup, Tytov pops up with a goal just before the break, and in the break we pick them apart on the break, summer signing Khoren Bairamyan coming off his win to grab the clincher. With any luck, the morale boost will carry over into the league for us.

Kuban Krasnodar 1-2 Mashuk

That boost doesn't look particularly present when Kuban take the lead midway through the first period, but for a change we don't collapse and we grab a deserved equaliser through Leschenko before half time. The second period sees us bombard the home goal with attack after attack, and just when it appears that our efforts have been in vain, substitute Tytov volleys home a far post cross to seal our second win of the season.

Mashuk 0-1 Lokomotiv Moscow - Russian Cup 6th Round

We've been dumped out of the cup by Loko before, and all the signs point to them doing the same to us again this time round. Quarter of an hour in and we fall behind, Vedran Corluke of all people ending up free in the penalty area, and despite all our efforts for the rest of the game we are unable to grab the goal we need. It's tough on us, but the cup is probably a distraction we could do without.

[EvilDave]

October 2017

Mashuk 0-1 Krasnodar

We've got high hopes for the other side from Krasnodar Krai having beaten their high-flying rivals, but a goal after half an hour from Moussa Konate signals another game with the same pattern - wasted possession, fluffed chances and defensive errors which gift the opposition more opportunities. We're struggling for goals, and it's not helping.

Mashuk 0-3 Rubin Kazan

Another home game, another defeat. Rubin are a strong side struggling, but any hope we have of points is extinguished when their first two attacks of the match end in goals, putting us 0-2 after 20 minutes. We have no choice but to flood forward, and in the early stages of the second half we're picked off on the break in predictable fashion.

Mashuk 0-0 Lokomotiv Moscow

Our third league home game in succession, and finally something for our troubles. A slight tactical tweak means we threaten far less going forward, but Loko struggle to break through our packed midfield and drop two points in the process. I've never seen a striker as isolated as Maxym Tytov leading our line, but at least we take a point.

CSKA Moscow 3-0 Mashuk

Some of the names in the CSKA team are staggering - by reputation, they're probably the biggest team in the country at the moment. We concede early when their full back breaks through on the overlap, and from then on the hosts toy with us. Mercifully they stop at three to limit the damage to our goal difference, and we leave with our heads slumped after a truly one-sided encounter.

Spartak Moscow 2-2 Mashuk

Goals! This one looks like telling a familiar tale when Spartak are headed in front just shy of the half hour, and even more so when the same player doubles the lead ten minutes after the break. However, Tytov latches onto a through ball on the hour mark to half our arrears, and for once our attacking football pays off - Bairamyan is clipped in the box, and Andrey Tereschenko, the young midfielder we picked up from Spartak in the summer, blasts home the penalty to tie the game and earn us an unexpected point. Without the goals today, we'd have drawn a blank all month...

[EvilDave]

November 2017

Mashuk 1-1 Rostov

Rostov are struggling with us, and have already changed their manager this season - we're looking for points here to consolidate our efforts in Moscow. Things look rosy when Tytov frees himself in the area after half an hour, and we cruise to the break without ever being troubled. The second half goes much the same way, but ten minutes from time we concede a silly free kick which is smashed in off the crossbar, and we miss a glorious opportunity to pick up win #3 of the year.

Terek Grozny 2-1 Mashuk

This lot put five past us last time out, so we're after revenge. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't come - Terek net after four minutes and then again on 20 through the same man, and we're left chasing shadows with just Zatenko's late finish as consolation. However, there's more interesting news to come...

[EvilDave]

Before our next game, at home to Rotor Volgograd, this dropped in my inbox:

Now, when I started this career I didn't really intend to manage in Ukraine or Belarus, but this is an interesting one. I've tried to weigh up the pros and cons of the job, and I've come up with this:

Pros:

- Dnipro are a bigger club - they won the title in 203/14, and were runners-up last season, having never finished outside of the top four. It's an undoubted step up, even if they are 7th at the moment.

- Budgets. I'd be making double my wage at Mashuk, and the club budget is five times what I'm currently working with.

- They have the potential to make it into Europe regularly, and possibly challenge Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar if I get the team working.

Cons:

- Finances. They may be richer than Mashuk and have more potential, but they're listed as 'Insecure' and have no transfer budget to speak of.

- Dnipro have an aging squad - only six first team players are under 28, and two of those are on loan. It'd be a major rebuilding job.

- Pressure. At Mashuk I'm already a hero (although not yet in favoured personnel), in Dnipropetrovsk a top four finish would be the minimum.

As it stands I'm torn between sticking out a probable relegation and rebuild with Mashuk, and looking to make my mark with a bigger team in a new country. I've saved the game and am going to sleep on it, so please do leave your thoughts for the morning!

[PocketMouse]

You've brought Mashuk very far, with you in 2nd last place you can only hope for a playoff spot so unless your goal was to bring Mashuk only to glory then I reckon you should take the Dnipro job.

[JackJCFC]

Looks like your gonna be in a relegation scrap for a few years even if you stay up. Id pack your bags and move.

[P O\'D]

i'd be very tempted to make the move. At best its a playoff and a possible relegation anyway, as said above unless Mashuk are your club for the save, this is probably the right time to move on. That said its always hard to leave and probably guarantee Mashuk relegation after all you've done to get there.

[EvilDave]

Thanks for all the comments and advice, I've come to a decision. Initially my heart told me to stay in Pyatigorsk, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that Mashuk were only an option due to sentiment. Dnipro are bigger, better, and present more opportunities - if it'd been a Rubin or Terek I'd have taken it, and they're probably a bigger equivalent in Ukraine. It's the right choice, I'm sure of it.

There's no doubt this is a bigger club, and my expectations match. Despite sitting 7th midway through the Ukrainian season, I'm expected to qualify for Europe (4th or 5th depending on the cup, which we're out of) and do so by playing attacking football. In financial terms I've moved from the frying pan into the fire - Dnipro have a £6m debt with few signs of improving, so I can only hope the board here are as willing to inject funds as my old Russian bosses. On the other hand, the squad is undoubtedly superior, and there's a chance to control games rather than chase them. There are only two games before the winter break, so here goes...

November 2017

Dnipro 3-2 Arsenal Kyiv

I get lucky in that my Dnipro debut comes at home to the league's bottom team. In contrast to my relatively defensive set-ups at Mashuk, we line up here with three attacking midfielders on the pitch, but it's holding man Chesnakov who heads in for the first. Want-away striker Frederico Santander grabs a second soon after and we cruise into the break ahead. Perhaps it's complacency or showing off for the new boss, but Arsenal stun us early in the second period before Santander restores the cushion, and a stoppage time penalty is meaningless as I secure a debut win.

Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Dnipro

My second game wouldn't be so straight forward. Shakhtar are still one of the country's top two sides, and this year the defending champions are hot on the heels of rivals Dynamo Kyiv. It's obvious from the opening exchanges that we're not going to outplay them in Donetsk, so we drop a little deeper to frustrate them and manage it well for 90 minutes. They'll feel hard done by, but we don't mind one bit.

[EvilDave]

March 2018

Dnipro 2-1 Vorskla Poltava

Back at home in the new year, and with no fewer than four transfer-listed players now wanting to stay, a £4m injection from the board wiping out some of the debt, and two contracts renegotiated to put us some way towards our re-slashed wage budget of £115k (now spending 10k more than that), we're in good spirits. Veteran forward Seleznyov gets his first of the season early to get us going, but Vorskla soon peg us back, so it's down to leaving-on-a-Bosman winger Bilyi to wrap up a deserved win with his second half strike.

Dnipro 3-1 Metallurg Zaporizhzhya

Metallurg have had a storming second and currently split the big two, but even so we're able to control the game in the early stages. They shock us by netting on the break in the first half, but a 20 minute burst in the second period blows the visitors away. Santander levels with a great volley, and Seleznyov continues his good form under me with two headed goals, the big man unplayable in the air as we seal the win.

Obolon Kyiv 2-2 Dnipro

Our first away game in a while, and the referee makes sure we know about it - we pick up six yellow cards to their none despite having a man injured, a goal disallowed and a penalty conceded. The latter is the home team's second equaliser of the night, and despite dominating all the statistics, the vital one remains tied at the end of the 90 minutes and we give up two points on the road.

Dnipro 2-1 Karpaty Lviv

Back at home against the team directly beneath us, we're beginning to see a familiar pattern emerge. At 32 Seleznyov is still quality and proves it by bagging a brace despite being played in a secondary AMC role behind Santander, and although Karpaty pull one back in the second half there's little for us to worry about as we ride out the remainder.

Illichivets Mariupol 1-3 Dnipro

Eugene Knoplyanka is injury-prone, but when he is around, our 28-year old left winger is one of Ukraine's best. He's here for this game, and settles it single-handedly, first crossing for Santander before scoring himself with just ten minutes gone. The relegation battlers pull one back in the second half, but Konoplyanka makes sure we forego a nervy conclusion by netting a great volley 15 minutes from time.

Dnipro 2-1 Sevastopol

More strugglers, more yellow cards for us, and more points on the board. This time the visitors do remarkably well in the first period and even dare to take the lead against us, but the rollocking which follows at half time does the trick - Santander levels straight away, and who else but Seleznyov heads in the winner ten minutes before the final whistle. We end the month unbeaten and in good form, and Europe is looking back on the cards.

[EvilDave]

April/May 2018

Dynamo Kyiv 1-0 Dnipro

Dynamo are top of the table and looking good, so heading to the Olimpiyskyi we'd have been forgiven for trying to stifle them. We didn't, conceded after just 16 minutes, and spent the remaining 75 minutes struggling to get hold of the ball for more than a few minutes. A deserved loss.

Dnipro 3-0 Metalurg Donetsk

This should have been a good game to bounce back in, and we made it so - teenage midfielder Vladimir Yurchuk celebrated his first pro contract by opening the scoring, and two more in the second half from our strikers rounded off a convincing victory. There's a real gulf between the top and bottom halves in terms of quality in Ukraine, so it'd be difficult for us ever to fall too far beyond the 7th I took over in.

Zorya Lugansk 2-3 Dnipro

We travelled to the home of the 1972 Soviet champions and immediately conceded the first goal, only to rebound almost instantly. We then got the benefit of a dubious red card for one of the home midfielders and raced into a 3-1 lead, only to come under some unnecessary pressure late on when complacency began to creep in. The second goal was disappointing, the win is not.

Dnipro 2-3 Volyn Lutsk

I'm not entirely sure what happened here. Seleznyov opens us up early on but the visitors peg us back before taking a shock lead into half time, and order looks to be restored with an equaliser shortly after the break. However, for all our pressure we can't find a third, and in the dying stages a deep free kick is headed in to hand us an unexpected and irritating defeat.

Metalist Kharkiv 2-2 Dnipro

Assuming that Zaporizhzhya's season is a one-off, in my mind Metalist are our main contenders for 3rd place behind the big two. It shows here, as despite getting off to a flyer through Brazilian loanee Plinio, we twice take the lead only to be pegged back by the hosts. The stats show a game we are very much second best in, and the point goes down as a good one.

Dnipro 1-2 Chornomorets Odesa

The Black Sea club could theoretically claim our 4th place with a massive win, and they get off to a good start by netting after just three minutes. Plinio levels things on 16, but once again we struggle to make any inroads despite large amounts of pressure, and the visitors round off a disappointing run-in by scoring 20 minutes from time. We hang on to 4th, but it's a poor end to the season.

[EvilDave]

Season Review - 2017/18

League: 4th (took over after 16 games in 7th)

Highest Rating: Eugene Seleznyov - 7.29

Top Scorer: Frederico Santander - 16 goals

Most Assists: Plinio - 10 assists

Finances: -£6.2m

Manager's Thoughts:

The first half of this season was spent at Mashuk, and to say it was a struggle would be an understatement. We surprised many with our nine points in the face of financial restrictions, and the fact that the club managed just seven more justified my decision to move - promotion came too early, and the poor club never really stood a chance. It was sad to leave after five good years, but in reality there was no other choice.

Dnipro, on the other hand, have potential. We climbed fairly comfortably from 7th to 4th to secure a Europa League spot for next season, and it could even have been third had we not managed to drop seven points in the last three games. The finances aren't great, some might say terrible, but the main difference between the two clubs is that Dnipro have players to sell. Santander has already agreed a £6m move to Besiktas, and while I'm disappointed we couldn't get a higher fee for our top scorer, I feel his goals will be replaceable for relatively cheaply.

Without a little more in the way of resources, we're not going to challenge Shakhtar and Dynamo for the title. The former are unstoppable at the minute, beating their rivals in the cup final and a title play-off, but Dynamo's finances are also 'Insecure,' so in time they could be ripe for the taking. For now, we'll be happy doing battle with Metalist for 3rd. Anything lower than 4th would be a massive disappointment.

Goals for next season:

- 3rd place, looking to take advantage of Shakhtar or Dynamo slipping up.

- Stabilise the finance by bringing in cheap, homegrown talent in place of high-earning foreigners.

- Reach the Europa League group stage by negotiating two qualifying rounds.

[EvilDave]

July 2018

Dnipro 2-0 Sevastopol

We open up the new season at home to a predicted relegation struggler, and AMC Ksyonz makes sure they know about it with a beautiful free kick five minutes in. We have all the play and all the chances, but fail to convert until the last ten minute, Ksyonz again providing the finish which gives us a solid start to the campaign.

Volyn Lutsk 1-0 Dnipro

I'm not sure what it is about Volyn, but they seem to have our number at the minute. They claim the half time lead after dominating us for the first period, and although we improve in the second we're unable to breach their defences. The media had them down as favourites, but on paper we should be winning these games.

Dnipro 0-3 Shakhtar Donetsk

Shakhtar may have lost their first two, but they're still far too good and we're facing an injury crisis. Willian and Fernandinho combine to put us behind early, and when left back Strincic picks up his second booking with just 20 minutes on the clock we know we're in for a long night. The two Brazilians toy with us, we're three down before the break, and it's something of a relief that our rivals decide to take their foot off the pedal in the second half. Far from ideal.

[EvilDave]

August 2018

Shakhter Soligorsk 0-1 Dnipro - Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round

We travelled to Belarus for our opening European game with little idea of how three-time runners-up Shakhter were going to set out, and the media had it down as an even game. On paper we looked to be the stronger side, but after Ksyonz opened the scoring from a corner early on, there were times when we came under worrying amounts of pressure. IN the end we managed to hold on for the away goal lead heading back to Dnipropetrovsk, but this was harder than it should have been.

Dynamo Kyiv 1-3 Dnipro

Back in familiar territory and Dynamo await, the country's most successful side ready to take advantage of our weary legs. They do just that inside five minutes, ripping our counter-attacking tactics apart, and so at the break I'm forced to throw caution to the wind. It's left back Denisov who levels, finding space after a dead ball, and shortly afterwards our new Latvian striker Sabala nips in to steal a backpass and round the keeper for a debut goal. I expect to have to hold on for dear life, but there's time for a third, this time Konoplyanka connecting with a cross to seal a great win.

Dnipro 1-1 Shakhter Soligorsk - Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round

With a single goal advantage, Oliynyk's 17th minute strike should have been enough for us to stroll comfortably into the play-off. However, complacency hits and we concede midway through the second period, and come dangerously close to giving up a second which would see us crash out on away goals. The final whistle can't come quickly enough, and we progress in the least convincing way imaginable.

Dnipro 1-0 Obolon Kyiv

One of the league's lesser lights were our next visitors, and yet again we struggle to put away our chances. We score what turns out to be the winner just shy of the half hour mark, but Obolon won't cave in and we struggle to the three points. We've not been convincing in the league so far.

Metalurg Zaporizhzhya 1-1 Dnipro

Last year Metalurg came 3rd, so in theory this is a good point. However, when you consider the facts - that we netted after six minutes and the hosts were reduced to ten men in the first half - that we gave up a goal at all is poor, and that the home team actually bossed the second period is just plain worrying.

Neftchi Baku 2-6 Dnipro - Europa League Qualifying Play-Off

In Europe, we draw a side apparently weaker than the one we recently dumped out, so there's confidence to be found in that. Konoplyanka gets us off to a flyer in Azerbaijan, but somehow we let the hosts back in on the stroke of half time. Two in two minutes after the restart, including a first pro goal for young centre back Panchuk, are enough to put us in control, and when fellow youngster Kaznokha makes it 4-1 we're cruising. Neftchi do grab a second, but there's still time for us to find the net twice more, wrapping up a morale-boosting win and all but sealing our progression to the groups.

Chornomorets Odesa 2-1 Dnipro

Back to the league, and back to our poor form. Konoplyanka seems the only man to score with any regularity at the moment, and he does so to tie the game after we concede early, but the home team are all over us, and with two minutes to go their in-form striker gets a second bite of the cherry which he gleefully accepts. We just can't take control of domestic games at the minute, and it's worrying - the league leaders are already nine points ahead, and we're looking thoroughly average.

Dnipro 1-0 Neftchi Baku - Europa League Qualifying Play-Off

With a 6-2 lead from the away leg we can afford to put out a shadow side here, and aside from a disallowed goal, Neftchi don't really offer much of a threat. We're happy with the status quo, and that's only changed in the final minute when a soft penalty is smashed home by Kaznokha to give us the win on the night. We go into a group with Tottenham, Anzhi and Slask Wroclaw as third seeds, so it'll be our games against the Russians that determine who follows the English side through.

[DazRTaylor]

Great win at Dynamo Kiev.

[EvilDave]

Cheers Daz - unfortunately we've not been doing that great since...

September 2018

Dnipro 1-0 Illichivets Mariupol

This could have been easier, but we get there in the end, Tkachuk's header on the hour mark the difference between our misfiring and lethargic attack, and the visitors' frustrating and unimaginative defence. It's three points we really need, but they're hard to get.

Dnipro 2-3 Slask Wroclaw - Europa League Group B

These guys are supposed to be the weak link in the group, but on this performance I doubt that. Before we can blink they're ahead, and as soon as we level we're sent behind again. Kovalchuk ties the game for a second time after 66 minutes, and then in the face of endless pressure, Slask break downfield, win a penalty and take all three points. We now need points against either Spurs or Anzhi, and in this form I can't see it.

Dnipro 2-2 Olimpic Donetsk

Infuriating. Olimpic are one of the worst teams in the league, cannon fodder for the big boys, and yet after 19 minutes we're two goals down at home and staring down the barrel of a thoroughly embarrassing defeat. We do eventually manage to claw it back, and are level by half time, but our second half performance deserves nothing and we throw away two points even the most pessimistic of fans would have pencilled in. Disgraceful.

Olexandriya 3-4aet Dnipro - Ukrainian Cup 2nd Round

The cup should provide us with some relief from our league troubles, but second tier Olexandriya haven't read the script. They go two up early, and goals in the 71st and 84th minutes, both set piece headers from Chesnakov, are all we've got to claw it back. Konoplyanka puts us ahead in extra time but again we concede, and only in the dying moments does our superior quality show through, a scrambled finish in the last minute from Oliynyk putting us in the hat for the next round.

Metalurg Donetsk 0-1 Dnipro

Back to the bread and butter of the league, and I'm under pressure, but you can predict this one with ease. We struggle against a defensive unit, and this time we grind out a win courtesy of Seleznyov's late header. It's not pretty, and we just can't buy a performance at the moment.

[EvilDave]

...and that's the end of my time in Ukraine. Our next game saw us travel to London for a Europa League clash with Spurs, and despite holding them goalless for 70 minutes we crashed to a 3-0 defeat. Returning to Dnipropetrovsk, I was greeted with this...

So I lasted just less than a year with the club in exactly the same position as I joined them - 7th. We put in a good run to climb to 4th at the end of my first season, but the warning signs were there even at the end of that campaign, struggling across the line with no win in three. Despite the obvious talent at my disposal, I just couldn't find a tactic that clicked, and with my hands tied financially the personnel just weren't flexible enough. It had been a frustrating season to date, but it's a shame it's ended so quickly. Back to Russia for my next job I think, we'll see what comes up...

[Jason the Yank]

Unlucky on the sacking.

[DazRTaylor]

Sorry to see.

[b101]

A touch harsh perhaps but like you say, you never really got them firing - will be interesting to see what offers you get

[JackJCFC]

Shame about the sacking, hopefully you can be more sucessful at your next club!

[deltablue]

Great pity that

[EvilDave]

Thanks everyone, it was a tough sacking to take given how long I'd been at Mashuk before moving, but that's just the way the game goes I guess.

Anyway, you'll be pleased to hear that Valeri Soldatkin has not stayed out of the game for very long. He's taken a slight step down, but the club he now manages is one of the more well-recognised in Russia. Anzhi, Spartak and Kuban all considered him before looking elsewhere, whilst Rotor and Mordovia laughed him off. Karpaty Lviv refused him the chance to stay in Ukraine, but one team decided to offer him a chance at redemption:

That's right, Torpedo Moscow are the side to offer Soldatkin a return to management. Once one of Russia's biggest teams, Torpedo fell on hard times following the collapse of Communism and now find themselves in the regional leagues after relegation from the First Division last season, but they're sponsored to the tune of £800k a year, and can offer a wage budget comparable to that of Mashuk in the Premier League. How they're 6th I'm not sure, but Torpedo are far too big a club to be down here. It's up to the new man to drag them back up...

[EvilDave]

November/December 2018

Arsenal Tula 0-1 Torpedo

Before the match I realised why the previous manager may have suffered, as I arrived to a squad of just 13 fit first team players including a 16 year old. Still, those players all look to be decent for this level, and the first game ends in victory when Vadim Popov, the teenager in question, comes in off his left wing to drive home the winner. We never looked troubled, and the revised top half finish asked of me by the board looks like it should be a breeze.

Torpedo 4-2 Vityaz Podolsk

Next up and another side with experience of the second tier, albeit never in quite the same capacity. Working with a new wide diamond in midfield, we tore Vityaz apart in the opening exchanges, racing into a 3-0 lead inside 25 minutes. In the second half they did manage to get one back, but immediately afterwards Popov grabbed his third in two games, and a late penalty did little to take the shine off a convincing win.

Torpedo 1-0 Saturn Ramenskoye

Saturn were a top flight side until they went bust in 2011, so they have some pedigree. This incarnation of the club are useless however, and young striker Mescheryakov's strike on the stroke of half time is the only one of a number of attempts to finds the back of the net in an easy win.

Znamya Truda Orekhovo-Zuevo 0-2 Torpedo

We travel to the oldest team in Russia for this one, but their sustained mediocrity continues into this one. We knock on the door without success for the entire first half, and then on the hour mark a two-minute double from new centre back Kolitilko and striker Shumilin secure the points with very for our defence to do.

Torpedo 1-0 Avangard Kursk

This is game number five, and I'm not sure our goalkeeper has had to make more than a couple of saves in any of them. Avangard have played higher up than this but not in recent memory at any rate, and this time we claim the win through a set piece. It's enough to see us claw back an initial seven point gap and claim top spot heading into the new year, but back in the regionals we'll be playing through the winter anyway. It's been a good run, but we need to keep going.

[EvilDave]

January/February 2019

Torpedo 0-0 FShM Moscow

FShM are effectively a youth club, and yet somehow we fail to break the deadlock in another one-sided encounter. Sokol take the opportunity to retake top spot with a win of their own, and for the first game since taking over we never look like scoring. The next game is crucial.

Khimik Dzerzhinsk 0-1 Torpedo

Another game, another domination, another narrow win. Khimik don't offer much, and we grab the winner with Kornev's goal on the rebound. Injuries are again starting to take their toll on the squad despite a few additions, and particularly in the attacking positions we're beginning to suffer.

Spartak Tambov 1-1 Torpedo

I'm not sure what happened here, but after Kornev's goal in the 29th second, we're outplayed convincingly by a middle-of-the-road Spartak side. The equaliser they deserve comes with practically the last kick of the game, but we barely have the right to complain. Sokol continue to slip up however, so it's a point gained at the top of the table.

Istra 1-3 Torpedo

Istra are having a good year, but based on this performance I'm not sure how. Shumilin is the man to wrap this one, breaking the deadlock at 1-1 and then adding the insurance with a tremendous header late on, but we looked something close to free-flowing in this one. The unbeaten run continues, and the performance matches.

Torpedo 2-0 Orel

In contrast, Orel are struggling at the wrong end of the table and we punish them. Captain and star attacking midfielder Nijholt nets on the stroke of half time to put us ahead, and Mescheryakov breaks a lengthy goal drought with the second just after the hour. Orel are poor and we could have hit five or six, but two is enough for what we want. Nearly there.

[EvilDave]

March/April 2019

Torpedo 1-1 Metallurg Lipetsk

Now one of our closest challengers, we just need to avoid defeat here to all but end Metallurg's promotion bid. It's an even first half that ends goalless, but disaster strikes when a striker I moved on from Mashuk several years ago nets in the first minute of the second period. Thankfully we don't take it too hard, and within five minutes Sumilin has us level, which is how the game ends.

Chertanovo Moscow 0-1 Torpedo

This tiny Moscow club have barely registered on our radar, but they're full of fight and that shines through in this fiesty encounter - four yellow cards for each team by no means indicating a harsh referee. The hosts put up a good fight with the ball too, and it's only in the dying seconds that we claim the win, a perfect through ball from Nijholt releasing the in-form Shumilin to blast home in the 93rd minute. With other results going our way, it's the goal that seals the title.

Torpedo 1-0 Gubkin

Nothing to play for on either side, and it shows in what turns into a fairly dire match. Shumilin it is with a 3rd minute goal to separate the two teams, but there's little in the way of football on display and the final whistle to a relief for everyone involved.

Lokomotiv Liski 2-0 Torpedo

Lokomotiv are bottom of the league, having a shocker of a season and possess very little quality, but my men seem to be on their holidays already - worrying with a promotion play-off round the corner. We go two down in minutes and spend the rest of the game struggling to get back into things, only to fail emphatically. The club record 12-game unbeaten streak is over, and we could do with a win in our last game to build some momentum.

Torpedo 1-1 Sokol Saratov

Sokol must hate me, having blown a seven point lead since my arrival at Torpedo - ironically enough, it was defeat in Saratov which ended the previous manager's reign. Shumilin continues his great form by scoring in the first minute, but we're unable to add a second, and in the last quarter of the game the Sokol winger hits a speculative cross which sails into the top corner to tie the scores. The game fades into a draw, but we've got more important things to worry about - KamAZ Nabarezhnye Chelny, and a winner-takes-all play-off for promotion.

[EvilDave]

Season Review 2018/19

League: 1st (took over after 15 games in 6th)

Cup: Out before joining (not sure why I've missed this before...)

Highest Rating: Dmitry Kruglov - 7.41

Top Scorer: Sergey Shumilin - 11 goals

Most Assists: Dmitry Kruglov - 7 assists

Finances: £495k

Manager's Thoughts:

After the disappointment at Dnipro, Torpedo were perhaps the perfect club to join - a step further down than I'd have liked to go, but with the potential to bounce straight into national competition. I joined seven points off the top with the expectation just to maintain a top half position, but promotion was always a possibility with half the season to go, and in an otherwise even league we were easily the standout team. A single, inexplicable loss was the only black mark in a record-breaking run, and we've got a bit of money to play with to ensure survival in the First Division next year.

Those resources have been boosted by the sale of teenage sensation Popov for £1m + 50% of his next sale, so we'll be looking to replace him, but in general it's the defence that needs bolstering. Our starting full backs are both the wrong side of 30, whilst one of our three rotated centre backs will return to CSKA on loan. There's plenty of potential in this side, but it's immediate contributions that will be needed in the year ahead, and that's where the rather handy sponsorship deal (now £1.1m per year) will play into my hands. It's rather strange having a positive balance at the end of a season!

Goals for next season:

- Survival, potentially looking towards midtable

- Improve the squad with experienced, ready-to-go talent to take pressure off the younger players

- Finish above Mashuk - their first season down ended in 10th, so they'll be a good marker for us.

[PocketMouse]

Unlucky at Dnipro, least you gave it a shot congratz on promotion too

[Jason the Yank]

Great landing spot.

[JackJCFC]

Congrats on winning the league, back to winning ways!

[AcidBurn]

Well done on winning the league!

[P O\'D]

Great way to bounce back. Well done.

[deltablue]

Great start at Torpedo.

[EvilDave]

Well, with my 'Arranging The Blocks' save causing all sorts of problems, I've decided to revive this save and see if I can kick on with Torpedo/another club and at least get back to one of the three top flights I have loaded.

At last check Torpedo had just been promoted as champions into the First Division. I've played on half a season since then, and despite a decent cup run which saw us knock out Premier League Kuban before losing in extra time at Amkar, we've not been doing great, losing games we should be tying and drawing games from winning positions:

So once again, you join me in a relegation scrap, rapidly falling out of love with a club but with little prospect of jumping to a more appealing ship. I'll return to the usual monthyl update style after this, so expect news in mid-November as we break for the winter...