Russian Around

[EvilDave]

December 2030

CSKA 1-1 Rubin Kazan

For a newly-promoted side at the wrong end of the table, Rubin aren't half causing us problems this season. Maybe it's complacency, maybe we're just running out of steam, but Shnaider's goal is almost immediately cancelled out by the visitors and if anything we look more likely to concede for then on in. It's a poor show, and four of the six points we've dropped so far have been a direct result of the Tatar club.

CSKA 5-2 Sport Lisboa e Benfica - Champions League Group H, Game 6/6

With second place sealed behind United and Benfica guaranteed third place, I'm able to throw a few kids into what is a dead rubber. Not too many mind - we want the win to keep our co-efficient rising. The result is a superb display of attacking football, five different goalscorers on the board and neither Shnaider nor Sinyagovskiy in sight. Benfica get two of their own - an early equaliser and a late consolation - but they're powerless to stop us, and it's an excellent if not meaningless victory. In the knockout rounds we will face a familiar foe - Inter.

Spartak Moscow 0-0 CSKA

We're unbeaten up until this point, and with a sizable lead at the top, but we're now entering the part of the season in which all those home games against our challengers get returned. Spartak are first up, and it's a classic blood-and-thunder derby game that is unfortunately lacking in quality, neither side really at the races as it fades out into a dry 0-0. We'll take it, but the double over Spartak would have been nice.

Anzhi Makhachkala 2-0 CSKA

Probably our biggest domestic test yet, and for so long it seems like we might just scrape through. Alas, it is not to be - our counter-attacking style proves ineffective against a compact Anzhi outfit, and as we enter the final quarter of the game they break the lengthy deadlock with a scrambled goal. We're forced to throw caution to the wind in search of an equaliser, and suffer for it as we're picked off on the break. We never really look like scoring, and it's a disappointing way to lose our first league game of the season - one short of the all-time unbeaten record for Russia. After a poor month, our 12 point lead is suddenly cut to five, so we'll have plenty of work to do after the winter break.

[JackJCFC]

Really great work to remain unbeaten in the league, keep it up!

[cerud]

Decent 5 point lead in the table. Building a bit of a cushion.

[deltablue]

Good work in the CL after the opening defeat.

[Animosama]

How is your youth intake ?

How are youth facilities ?

[bennceltic]

Nice start in the major competitions.

A bit of a change of guard at the top with Volga going again and Krasnador still being pests... (maybe not for the title but for a ECC place).

How much are Anji spending on average (if you don't mind taking a look)?

[EvilDave]

Thanks for all the comments guys, I'm glad you're still following along after such a long time!

Animosama - most seasons we've had maybe one or two players through the youth worth signing, but coupled with some tactical poaching we've kept a strong Russian core - this guy is the best of the latest bunch. Our facilities currently look like this, although with healthy finances we're in the process of upgrading both sets.

Bennceltic - Anzhi barely spent anything for the first five years of the game, but since then they've spent either nothing or £20m+. This season they've passed the £40m mark for the second time, and there's no sign of the money drying up.

February/March 2031

CSKA 2-0 Internazionale Milano - Champions League First Knockout Round First Leg

Against a side we've played many a time before, the plan here is to keep a clean sheet to take to Milan, preferably with an advantage of our own. The plan starts well with Shnaider socring out of nowhere 15 minutes in, and we do very well to restrict Inter to minimal possession and few chances. We continue to grow in confidence as the game progresses, and after controlling the second period are rewarded with a great Sinyagovskiy volley with eight minutes to go, putting us firmly in the driving seat.

CSKA 6-0 Dinamo Moscow

I was a little concerned with the European hangover when facing a Dinamo side we often find tricky to break down, but I needn't have bothered. We're superb in every aspect here, despite having a few more youngsters on the field than usual, and we're helped by Sinyagovskiy being in the form of his life, rattling in a first half hat-trick and adding a fourth after the break for good measure. Ganiev is able to come off the bench to grab the sixth and final goal late on, and our rivals are left utterly humiliated.

Internazionale Milano 4-2 CSKA - Champions League First Knockout Round Second Leg

For a brief few moments in the San Siro, it looks like going swimmingly, Ganiev heading a cross into the far corner after a quarter of an hour to give us a massive away goal and a 3-0 aggregate lead. Instead, Inter come storming back, and five minutes after half time we're finally brought back to 3-3 after nothing less than an onslaught from the hosts. It's then that we get the crucial goal, a carbon copy of the first putting us back ahead, and again Inter lay siege to our goal. It quickly turns to 4-2 on the night and the slimmest of margins, we have to play a winger at full back after Udaltsov's injury, but against the odds we cling on to progress. The reward for our efforts? Real Madrid in the last eight.

CSKA 1-0 Terek Grozny

Coming hot on the heels of our CL game, we're forced to rest one or two of our bigger names to take on the Chechens and their collection of CSKA old boys. It's tight, tired and not particularly exciting for the first half, and frustratingly I'm forced to call on the big guns from the bench. Thankfully they work a treat, Semenov coming in to dance through the defence and net the winning goal, and with our title rivals slipping up we extend our championship lead even further.

[Animosama]

What formation are you play ?

[EvilDave]

99% of the time I play a flat 4-4-2 - standard defence, two wingers (attack), a ball-winner (defend) and an advanced playmaker (attack) in midfield and a poacher/deep-lying forward (support) combo up front. Very rarely I'll go for a flat 4-5-1 away from home, but I've phased this out as the team has developed and been able to compete with Europe's top sides.

April 2031

Zenit St Peterburg 1-0 CSKA

Zenit are not having a fantastic season by their own standards, but are always a tough side and I had this pencilled in as one of the games our unbeaten record may disappear in. For the first half we're on top but unable to score, and as the match progresses things begin to even out. it looks like we're heading to a dull 0-0, but in the 92nd minute their substitute pops up in a clearly offside position and heads in a winner. To say I was annoyed is an understatement.

CSKA 0-0 Krylya Sovetov Samara

This is not what we need heading into the business end of the season - for the goals to dry up and to start squandering points in simple home games. Krylya come for a point and get it, their defence not even having to play their best as we cut through time and time again only to waste the chances we create. Given our next opponents, I think we have reason to worry.

CSKA 5-1 Real Madrid - Champions League Quarter Final First Leg

Yes, you did read that correctly. After scoring just once in the last three games against sides far less intimidating than Real, we get off to a blistering start against the Spanish giants, Sinyagovskiy striking within four minutes. It gets better, as we boss the opening exchanges, and a second puts the capacity crowd in joyous hysterics. We just keep going though, and by half time both Shanider and Filimonov have joined in the act to put us 4-0 up against one of the world's biggest teams. Of course don't get everything our own way, the visitors pulling an away goal back within minutes of the restart, but we're in superb form and round off a memorable night with a fifth, Palacios rounding the keeper to give us a massive advantage going to Madrid.

CSKA 4-0 Alania Vladikavkaz

Even with such a big lead in Europe, there are a few big name starting today's game on the bench as we look to breeze past the league's bottom club. Irritatingly it doesn't go quite to plan and we're still deadlocked and the break, but a triple change just after the hour mark brings about the desired effect - Ganiev getting the first of four goals in a blistering ten minute period to secure the points.

Real Madrid 2-1 CSKA - Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg

With a four goal lead from the home tie, all we have to do is keep it safe and we're through. That said, this is Real Madrid we're talking about, and if we can put five past them they can certainly do it to us. We needn't have worried as we get the dream start, Filimonov's chipped ball over the top putting Shnaider one-on-one with just 15 seconds on the clock, and he buries it to cancel their consolation in Moscow. It's all square by the end of the half, but as time ticks on we become certain of our place in the last four. Real get a meaningless second in stoppage time, but the damage is already done and we will now meet their great rivals Barcelona for a spot in the final.

Volga Nizhny Novgorod 1-4 CSKA

Volga are having a good season, but are starting to feel the pace a little now and the title is looking beyond them after Zenit poached their manager. That doesn't stop them taking advantage of our tired legs though, and at half time we're behind after a defensive slip from Titov creates an opportunity. We've got strength in depth however, and when Ganiev levels, the momentum swings emphatically our way - Mardas grabs a double and Sinyagovskiy helps him out to ensure we edge closer to a fifth straight title.

Terek Grozny 0-1 CSKA - Russian Cup Quarter Final

With a title charge in full flow and a spectacular European campaign on the go, I'd almost forgotten about the domestic cup. We head to Grozny to take on our expatriates' side of choice, and whilst they hold out well for the first half, it's our star names who crank it up a notch and earn us the win, a solitary Shnaider goal earning us a home semi-final tie against Anzhi.

Lokomotiv Moscow 2-1 CSKA

Another potential banana skin, but also a chance to seal the title with plenty of time to spare at the home of our rivals. They're not giving us the opportunity without a fight though, and by the time we get our goal on the hour mark, it's to equalise a Loko strike four minutes earlier. We can't quite get on top of them, and in the end the inevitable happens, a long ball in the final five minutes letting them in behind and condemning us to another league defeat.

CSKA 0-0 Barcelona - Champions League Semi Final First Leg

How we could come to regret this - we win the possession battle 53-47, have ten shots to Barca's five, and no fewer than six opposition players wind up in the referee's notebook with yellow cards to their name. Yet despite our control of the game and the visitors' inability to create anything more than long-range potshots, we too fire a blank, an imperious Barca defence always managing to thwart us at the final moment. We now head to Catalonia knowing that a goal will be huge, but in their backyard Barca will no doubt prove a different animal altogether.

[EvilDave]

May 2031

Krasnodar 0-2 CSKA

We have another chance to wrap up the title away at Krasnodar, who are our closest rivals before kick-off and a perennial pain in our backside. We're more careful than at Loko, making sure we don't do anything stupid and let them in on the break - just a point will do for us. Of course, we have that mystical 65 point barrier in the back of our minds too, and we take a step towards breaking it when Ponomarev leaps highest from a corner midway through the second half. Ten minutes later the champagne comes out when Osvaldo repeats the trick, and for the fifth year in succession CSKA Moscow are Russian champions.

Barcelona 1-0 CSKA - Champions League Semi Final Second Leg

This is effectively a one-off game, the biggest in my time at the club and possibly that CSKA have ever played - after a goalless draw at home, finding the net here gives the Catalans huge job to do. Our entire back four is a booking away from missing the final, but at this stage we can't be worrying about individuals, and they all take to the field with no instruction to take it easy. They're only too happy to oblige, and so are Barca - we pick up ten bookings between us - and while the game is a tight one, the difference is made 40 minutes in with a team goal we could do nothing about. We push and push, but we never manage to put Barca under sustained pressure, and at 90 minutes that solitary goal is enough to knock us out. It's been a memorable run, we haven't been outclassed, and if we'd have scored in the first leg it could have been a very different story, but we depart the competition with heads held high.

CSKA 2-3 Mordovia Saransk

We also depart the Champions League with battered and broken bodies, and coming back home to face Mordovia wasn't enough for my men to pick themselves up for. We go two down in a first half we simply don't turn up for, and it takes the introduction of Shnaider from the bench to haul us level at 2-2. Just as we start to play properly, Mordovia hit us on the break and our unbeaten home record in the league is ended in highly irritating fashion, delivering a blow to our spirits as the season draws to a close.

CSKA 3-1 Anzhi Makhachkala - Russian Cup Semi Final

Anzhi are one of those clubs who just won't go away - despite having never been in title contention, they've managed to claw their way up to 2nd and stand in the way of another Cup final. They're the better team for the first hour of this one as well, controlling the tempo and taking a deserved lead in the process to make my half time team talk a difficult one. It makes little difference until a rash challenge sees them reduced to ten men for the last 25 minutes, and we pounce. Shnaider levels on 69 minutes, puts us ahead on 75, and Sinyagovskiy ices the cake on 77 to book us in to face Mordovia for the trophy.

CSKA 4-0 Yenisey Krasnoyarsk

The final game of the league season, and one more chance to break the 65 point mark we've been stuck on for the past couple of years. With one eye on the Cup final we're a weakened side, but Yenisey are a weak team and have no answer to our youngsters, Ganiev grabbing a first half brace to put us on our way. Two more come after the break as we put on a show for the fans, and we settle for 4-0 to conclude a productive league campaign.

Mordovia Saransk 1-4 CSKA - Russian Cup Final

I wouldn't have been at all worried about this tie had it not been for the recent league game, and so when Mordovia take a 7th minute lead I begin to fear the worst. I needn't have bothered - just four minutes later Nikulin steps up to slam home a leveller from the penalty spot, and from then on it's one way traffic and revenge well taken. At the break it's 3-1, Diaz knocking in a free kick and Sinyagovskiy extending his lead in the Cup's scoring charts, and in the second half our young hitman rounds off a superb individual year with his brace, allowing us to lift the trophy at a canter.

[EvilDave]

Season Review 2030/2031

League: 1st

Cup: Winners (4-1 vs Mordovia Saransk)

Champions League: 1-0 Semi Final defeat to Barcelona

Highest Rating: Maxim Gruzdev - 7.60

Top Scorer: Anton Sinyagovskiy - 30 goals

Most Assists: Anton Sinyagovskiy - 11 assists

Finances: £38.4m

Manager's Thoughts:

Every so often you get a season in FM when everything starts to come together, and there's a tangible sense of progress at your club. I first felt that at CSKA when we claimed our first title, and four years later I'm left with a similar feeling after winning our fifth in a row. We managed 19 games before being beaten in the league, admittedly helped out by a kind fixture computer, took back the Cup which we've grown so fond of, and embarked on a brilliant Champions League run which saw us match Manchester United, scrape by Inter and outclass Real Madrid before falling to Barcelona by the narrowest of margins. As the likes of Zenit and Spartak struggle to deal with aging squads, we've been able to build through youth, and are reaping the rewards.

Pre-season was the time for some big decisions, and a number of senior players left the club for pastures anew, some within the Premier League having the potential to come back and bite us. However, in the end I feel almost entirely vindicated - in the absence of Kuznetsov, Sinyagovskiy stepped up admirably, outscoring Shnaider and cementing his spot in the starting XI. Nikulin rotated well with Semenov in the other Kuznetsov's absence, while we barely noticed Popov's loan absence as Filatov put in a good shift as third choice on the left. The four centre backs - Gruzdev, Osvaldo (now a naturalised Russian international), Diaz and Ponomarev - all enjoyed plenty of game time, and only at full back do I feel we have any real weakness. Titov is fine on the right but his backup Pyatakov needs some work, while Udaltsov on the left has stopped progressing and we're yet to bring through a reliable backup. I long for a Russian goalkeeper to come through the ranks, but other than that we're almost all homegrown and the squad unity is superb.

The focus on youth and development is something I've paid extra attention to in this save, and our youth squad and reserves continue to bring through talent for the first team. At the moment, we have no fewer than 11 players with 3.5* potential or more, all under the age of 20, who made less than ten starts this year, all at various stages of their development. Given that in some positions, 2.5* is 'leading Premier League player,' we're well set. The temptation of course is to keep hoarding them and growing the squad, but the fact of the matter is that we're going to have to keep a conveyor belt running if we're to stay sustainable. The wage bill is rocketing now - £700k per week from as low as £550k at times - due to extensions and new deals, so it's only sensible to move on the big earners and fringe players to make room for the next generation of talent.

Part of the strange thing about this team is that there has been very little interest in any of my players. Whether it comes from playing in Russia I'm unsure, but despite being a regular fixture in Europe's latter stages and occasionally facing the odd financial blip, we've never had to chase off the continent's bigger clubs. That means we've had the freedom to pick our sales, and we'll continue to do so. Financially we're tipping the £40m mark before the giant sponsorships come in, and with the stadium expansion complete we move back to a 52,000 seater stadium which we barely notice the loan payments for. We may have reached something like a peak in our European rankings in the middle of the second seeds, but on a purely economic level this club can continue to grow for plenty of years to come.

The only genuine concern I have now is motivation - five titles in a row is a remarkable achievement, and ten seems too far away to contemplate. I'd love to win the Champions League with CSKA, but I'm not convinced we'd ever manage it without greatly compromising our policy to produce and play young Russian talent. Conversely, we're the biggest club in Eastern Europe, and there is very little appeal in moving either to another top Russian side, or back to Ukraine unless circumstances were exceptional. For the time being I intend to stay, but at this point in time the future is something I'm having to seriously consider.

Goals for next year:

Repeat a domestic double

Reach the latter stages of the CL

Continue to blood the youngsters

[cerud]

Great job on the Double

[bennceltic]

Congrats - great season.

As for motivation... maybe think like Fergie (love or loath him irl). And I know this is a game, but if you can do 10-20 seasons at CSKA you could put up some great history and have different generations of teams to compare. Id like to see you keep going .

[EvilDave]

Thanks for the kind words guys, and I think you might be right regarding motivation bennceltic - there are one or two jobs I'd be tempted to leave for, but I set out to start a dynasty here and unless they come up then I'll try and see it through.

July/August 2031

Before the season starts, there were transfers. Plenty of them too - although we brought just two players in, a useless Russian GK as backup, and Rodrigo Gutierrez, a rare non-Russian but also the first 5* player my scouts have spotted in years, so for £3.7m I had to have him. He'll spend the year on loan at Rostov for now.

Leaving were a whole hosts of big names. Starting with the smallest fees, backup keeper Jokic went to Sturm Graz for £4.4m plus half his next deal, while long-serving but fading winder Kiselev moved to Hannover for £5.5m after Filatov's development pushed him down the pecking order. Next out the door was Norbert Voros to Schalke for a generous £11m, the ball-winner's progress having stalled with others waiting in the wings. For a similar fee I decided that Ganiev could join Anzhi - potentially a risky move selling to a rival, but he hasn't developed as well as Sinyagovskiy, and with Kaigorodov and Lunin both staking a claim to the backup spot I felt it was too good an offer to reject. Finally, joining four others in German-speaking countries, we said goodbye to Osvaldo, a £20m offer from Bayern enough to convince me to sell the impressive centre back.

We didn't have to, and at no point have the board gone over my head, but if I'm to focus on bringing through Russian youth then it makes sense to keep the conveyor belt moving and giving the kids a chance. Equally, we now have £100m in the bank and practically limitless resources for Russia, so if that policy is ever abandoned we'll find ourselves in a superb position. Anyway, on to the football.

CSKA 2-1 Anzhi Makhachkala - Russian Super Cup

This year, after all our departures, the Super Cup provided an intriguing test of our strength against the team who have finished runners-up for the past five years. When Diaz headed us in front ten minutes in it looked like nothing had changed, but Anzhi battled back and grabbed a leveller to really put us under the microscope. The second half came and went in a flash, end-to-end football delighting the fans, but in the end it was my men who rose to the task, Lunin popping up in the 87th minute to head in the winner and secure another trophy.

Rotor Volgograd 1-4 CSKA

We always seem to start with the newly-promoted sides in the league, and this year is no different. It's also no different in that Vladislav Shnaider is still a goal-scoring machine, and he gets us underway for the season with a brilliant free kick in the opening minutes. He gets another before the break, and by the time Rotor score with their only shot of the game, we've racked up a couple more for good measure and a comfortable opening day win.

CSKA 4-1 Mordovia Saransk

Mordovia come to Moscow looking for revenge for the Cup final, but they're not going to find it here, not against Shnaider and a Semenov in the goalscoring form of his life. Our star striker and creative force both hit braces to render an early equaliser entirely irrelevant, and we repeat our Rotor scoreline to continue our good start.

Kuban Krasnodar 3-4 CSKA

We may be hitting four every game, but since Osvaldo left we haven't been quite as strong at the back, and Kuban let us know about it in a crazy opening period which sees Shnaider strike twice, the hosts reply and have a penalty saved all in the first ten minutes. It settles after that and we surge in a 4-1 lead thanks to a second half brace from Lunin, but in the last 20 minutes we fall asleep at the back and allow Kuban to score not once but twice to set up a nervous finale. We ride it out in the end, but it's not the ideal way to go about our business.

CSKA 2-0 Spartak Moscow

Ah, the rivals' games, the matches that can define a season inside 90 minutes and determine whether or not we can continue our form or have to start all over again. This time it's the former, Semenov's 19th minute volley setting us up nicely for the rest of the game, and a Spartak side weakened by a couple of key injuries is unable to impose itself on the game. We struggle for a second, but a late set piece finally provides us with the insurance, and we claim bragging rights for another year.

Amkar Perm 1-4 CSKA

Is anyone getting fed up of this scoreline yet? I'm certainly not - as in the first game of the season, our opponents manage to find the net with their only shot on target, and with the score only at 2-1 there were a few nervous moments in the immediate aftermath. We needn't have worried though, Amkar are no match for my young squad and the first goals of the season for Palacios and Kaigorodov saw us comfortably home and atop the table.

CSKA 1-1 Yenisey Krasnoyarsk

This wasn't in the script. We manage to concede early to what looks like a poor Yenisey side, and are somewhat laboured in our attempts to get back level. Inevitably it's Shnaider that gets the all-important goal, but even with 25 minutes left to find the winner we're sluggish and off the pace, and the point is a fair reflection of a dull game. Hopefully a blip, we have to be better than this if we want title number six.

CSKA 4-0 Rubin Kazan

Much, much better, and a sweet moment for a certain Sergey Lunin. Brought through the Rubin youth ranks only to be released after five appearances in three years, we snapped him up for his potential and today he showed just why, netting twice in the first half and then capping off a memorable night with a penalty in the second period. To rub salt in the wounds, he then claimed the assist on Kaigorodov's fourth, and Rubin slunk back to Tatarstan having been made all too aware of their mistake.

[cerud]

A near perfect start to the season. I think the building of a Russian dynasty could be good. If you get the Russian international job as well, you could really grow them.

[JackJCFC]

Good start, plenty of goals involved when you play!

[EvilDave]

Thanks guys - we're scoring a fair few and a slightly inexperienced defence means the other team always have a chance! We've got off to a good start, and for now I'm staying - one of the jobs I'd consider leaving for came up, the side (I won't spoil it yet) couldn't afford me and I didn't want to resign.

September 2031

We start with bad news, and an oversight on my part. the day after the transfer window closed (thankfully - we get him til January at least) Lyon made a £15m bid for Diaz, which met a release clause he insisted on when he was a backup choice. Now as starting centre back he's been capped for Argentina and is an excellent defender, but he rejected our improved offer and will leave at the turn of the year for little more than his market value and less than his true worth. Oh well, I did want to use the youths after all...

KamAZ Naberezhnye Chelny 0-5 CSKA - Russian Cup 5th Round

KamAz must be one of the unluckiest teams around - six times they've won their Second Division region, but have never won the final play-off to go up. They also manage to draw us in the cup on a day our youth side joins the NextGen series, so most of the side are first team regulars or on the edges of the best XI. As a result, they never stand a chance, Kaigorodov bagging himself a hat-trick in a comfortable performance.

CSKA 5-1 Rapid Wien - Champions League Group A, Game 1/6

After two tough draws in recent years, we're pitted with a tough top seed (aren't they all?) in Chelsea, then two weaker sides in Rapid and Dinamo Zagreb. For some reason our first goal doesn't count (it isn't disallowed, FM just ignores it), but we quickly put it behind us and rattle in five more, Lyubimov opening the scoring and the floodgates as we get five different names on the board. the visitors reply late on, but it's entirely irrelevant.

CSKA 3-0 Lokomotiv Moscow

We always seem to lose at Loko, but at home against our city rivals we tend to have the edge. It's the same again here today, Shnaider netting from the spot after quarter of an hour, and ten minutes later strike partner Sinyagovskiy all but finishes things as a contest. Their frustration boils over as they fail to get into the game, picking up a red card which gives us space for a third, and moments later it's all over as we pick up another win.

Tom Tomsk 1-4 CSKA - Russian Cup 6th Round

Tom managed to knock Spartak out in the previous round, so this could have been a lot harder. We're not in the habit of handing out favours though, and by the time they get on the scoreboard we're three to the good and easily in the quarter finals. Lunin is the star of the show with a brace, but we don't even need to be at our best as we seek to defend our trophy.

Sibir Novosibirsk 1-5 CSKA

The goals keep flowing, and at the moment they're flowing in the right direction. Sibir give us a bit of a fright by netting in the opening five minutes, but Sinyagovskiy grabs two in ten minutes to turn the tide and from then on it's one-way traffic. Nikulin, Shnaider and substitute Lunin all find a way past the keeper to extend our lead, and at the end of the 90 our hosts are just happy to hear the final whistle.

[EvilDave]

October 2031

Chelsea 3-2 CSKA - Champions League Group A, Game 2/6

This is nowhere near as close as it looks, and to be honest we're done after 35 minutes, completely powerless as the Londoners race into a 3-0 lead with time to spare before the break. Whether it's a dose of complacency or our nothing-to-lose attacking approach for the second half I'm not sure, but we're rewarded as Lunin pulls one back on 71 minutes. We make it look close in the dying seconds as Shnaider pinches a second, and while that goal may prove crucial for head-to-head, it makes no difference here.

CSKA 1-0 Anzhi Makhachkala

A hard-fought, low-scoring game against Anzhi? Surely not! The big names are back challenging for the title, and whilst we're not facing old boy Ganiev we are up against a strong Dagestani outfit. It's neck and neck for the vast majority of the 90 minutes, but the match is decided by my men taking advantage of a brief spell of high pressure, Ponomarev heading in a corner late on and allowing the visitors no opportunity to reply.

Krylya Sovetov Samara 1-1 CSKA

It's all very well and good beating Anzhi and Spartak, but if we throw points away against Krylya and Yenisey we might as well not bother. We're tired and poor here as we deal with a small-scale injury crisis, and are forced to come from behind, equalising through the unlikely source of Lyubimov, who is pushed into an unusually advanced position as cover. We hang on for the final ten minutes, but we need to improve on this.

Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 CSKA

Title challenger, away from home, poor previous performance? They all sound like ingredients for a first league defeat of the season, and that's exactly what we're served in St Petersburg. They open the scoring midway through the first half, and after a half time team talk which has my players chomping at the bit and hyped up for the second half, the same man doubles the lead within 45 seconds to kill off the game. We get nowhere and deserve nothing, and that's exactly what we leave with.

Dinamo Zagreb 0-3 CSKA - Champions League Group A, Game 3/6

After a poor couple of games we face a big game in Croatia, knowing that we need to beat the other sides home and away if we're to try and knock Chelsea off the top of the group. Thankfully Sinyagovskiy recognises the urgency of the situation and scores after six minutes, and just to make sure he doubles his tally five minutes before the break. Dinamo chase the game but to no avail, and as they pile forward we hit them on the break for a well-deserved third.

CSKA 2-1 Krasnodar

Krasnodar are having an absolutely miserable time of it after some steady progress in recent years, but they're always good for fight and we expect as much. I decide to start Kaigorodov to rub salt in the Krasnodar wounds, and he rewards us handsomely, a goal after 23 minutes and an assist on 42 setting us up nicely. Annoyingly we take our foot off the gas a little in the second half, which lets the visitors back in, but we've got enough in us to ride out the match and seal the win.

Terek Grozny 0-1 CSKA

This is probably one of our poorest performances of the season going forward, but at the back we're solid and deny Terek anything resembling a chance. All that makes for a miserable spectacle on the field, and the game is decided by the sole effort on target, Mardas getting to the byline and slamming home from point-blank range instead of going for the cut-back. It'll do, but I'm missing the weekly goal glut.

[Dexter_Morgan]

You're dominating Russia now and getting closer in Europe, I don't think think it'll be too long until you win the big one

[EvilDave]

The domestic league isn't too much trouble bar the odd aberration away from home, but the CL may take us a while if we're to do it with a mainly Russian team. Still, there's plenty of time...

November 2031

CSKA 1-1 Volga Nizhny Novgorod

Despite three wins in a row, our last couple of performances have been less than fluent, and those problems rear their head again here as we take on one of the surprise packages of last year. We fall behind on the stroke of half time and rely on Shnaider to bail us out after the break, having a goal ruled out for offside which would have gifted us a undeserved three points. As it was, we settle for one and a poor showing at home.

CSKA 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb - Champions League Group A, Game 4/6

The injuries are starting to mount now, and there are some unfamiliar names on our bench for the return fixture with Dinamo. One of the men still standing is Shnaider, and it's our talisman who gives us an early lead to boost our confidence, and aside from the odd long range effort there's little in the way of retaliation. The second half is mostly keep-ball, and just after the hour teenage forward Shamil Logofet comes off the bench to crack one in from 25 yards, and that's that - qualified with Chelsea with a game to spare.

CSKA 4-2 Rotor Volgograd

When Shnaider hits top form, there's just no stopping him, and he hits the perfect hat-trick in the first hour to put Rotor to bed. He should be credited with our fourth as well, but it goes down as an own goal from their keeper, and it's only in stoppage time that the visitors are able to get a foothold in the game, netting twice within a minute to take a bit of shine off the scoreline.

CSKA 2-0 Kuban

Last time against Kuban we were rapid and incisive before collapsing late on, this time we're slow and sluggish before snatching late goals to win. Shnaider again gets us off the mark in the 79th minute, and with the visitors still reeling Palacios dribbles through for a second and three points that our performance doesn't deserve. We're not hitting the heights at the minute, but we keep on winning.

Rapid Wien 0-2 CSKA - Champions League Group A, Game 5/6

With qualification sealed already, it's all about trying to shunt Chelsea off the top spot and getting a more favourable draw for the knockout stages. We set about our task admirably, going two early goals up thanks to some prolific set piece work. The second half passes us by at walking pace as news of Chelsea's 6-1 thrashing of Dinamo comes in, so the stage is set for a showdown in Moscow on the final matchday.

Mordovia Saransk 1-2 CSKA

Again we're poor, and again we manage to escape with the victory. Lyubimov volleys us ahead after half an hour, but at that point we switch off, handing an equaliser and all the momentum to the hosts. We're on the back foot for the remaining 50 minutes or so, but against the run of play Filimonov slips in behind to score and we manage to hold out against waves of Mordovia attack. Resolute, but I'd rather see fluid.

[EvilDave]

December 20301

Spartak Moscow 3-1 CSKA

When there's a rivalry as big as this, with potentially so much riding on it, the last thing you want is for the referee to settle the result. That, however, is exactly what happens here, the official awarding Spartak not one but two penalties in the first half to put us at a massive disadvantage. We've no choice but to pile forward, which sees us ship a third before Gruzdev heads in a late consolation, and the resultant outburst in the press conference lands me with a touchline ban for the final line game of the year. Annoying would be an understatement.

CSKA 1-0 Chelsea - Champions League Group A, Game 6/6

Remember how I thought those late goals in the first fixture may have been crucial? Point proved - this is a war of attrition between two good teams, with few chances created and little quarter given. The first shot on target finally arrives on 46 minutes, and it's a great one, Shnaider's volley beating the keeper to put us ahead. That's how it stays for 45 long and difficult minutes, and when the final whistle blows we leapfrog Chelsea to the top of the group courtesy of scoring more goals against them away from home. There are some big teams in the runners-up pot for the draw, so when Shakhtar are paired with us there's almost a sigh of relief - it won't be easy, but we'll go in as favourites.

Yenisey Krasnoyarsk 0-1 CSKA

We wrap up the calendar year with me confined to the stands in Siberia, and the style of game reflects the cold and treacherous conditions. I'd have personally advocated a more attacking approach, but Sinyagovskiy strikes on 22 minutes and my assistant does his job well enough, preventing the hosts from seeing too much of the ball and claiming three points to end December strongly.

[EvilDave]

February/March 2032

First up, the January transfer window, and this time there's nothing of note except Diaz's annoying planned move to Lyon. Secondly, we had a new intake through the youth system, with Selivanov the best of a middling bunch. Of particular interest is goalkeeper Burkin - we've been after a decent homegrown keeper for ages, and he might be one to watch.

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-2 CSKA - Champions League First Knockout Round First Leg

We were paired with our old Ukrainian foes, this time in Europe's premier competition, and again the two sides put on a good show for the fans. We edge a close first half and take the lead when the ball breaks kindly for Shnaider, but our hosts hit back on the stroke of half time to leave things finely poised. Lunin is the man to put us ahead after a storming run, but even as we take control it isn't all over, and in the 92nd minute a picture-perfect free kick is curled into the top corner to keep the hosts in the tie.

CSKA 2-0 Amkar Perm

Back in the league, and it's those same two men who see us past lacklustre Amkar. We're not great, but Amkar are poor, and we're able to put a massive 31 shots on goal. With that sort of record we're bound to get a couple past their keeper, and whilst we have to wait until the second half, they do eventually come and put us one step closer to the title.

Rubin Kazan 1-2 CSKA

There's half an hour of madness in Kazan as both teams both score and have penalties saved, and from then on it's a reasonably even affair. Rubin aren't having a great season but one or two standout players give us problems, forcing us to dig deep and eventually take the win courtesy of Semenov coming off the bench and bursting through the defence.

CSKA 4-0 Shakhtar Donetsk - Champions League First Knockout Round Second Leg

Balanced from the first leg but with two away goals in our favour, we attack from the off and are rewarded with Filimonov's strike. By the break kit's 2-0, and as the Ukrainians try and chase the game we find it increasingly easy to break up attacks and launch our own. Semenov gets the third to kill of the tie, and a fourth in stoppage time puts the icing on the cake and books a spot in the last eight against Atletico Madrid.

CSKA 4-0 Krylya Sovetov Samara

Very different opponents, but a remarkably similar performance to earn us a convincing victory at home. Three goals from three different scorers in the opening 16 minutes end this one as a contest, and Shnaider's second goal five minutes into the second half is more than enough to put on cruise control.

Lokomotiv Moscow 1-2 CSKA

To be honest, I had this one pencilled in as another defeat to a rival. Instead we put up an excellent fight, taking a well-deserved lead through the unheralded Belik, our midfield destroyer running untracked through the centre before slotting home. Loko level just after the break, but we continue to have the edge and earn the win when Shnaider turns and fires past the helpless goalkeeper. The last 20 minutes see us keep the hosts at arms' length surprisingly comfortably, and the title is well within our grasp.

Atletico Madrid 2-1 CSKA - Champions League Quarter Final First Leg

Five minutes in and we're a goal down, the hosts' Swiss striker getting free. 25 minutes in, and it's 2-0, the same man wriggling away from our defence to double the lead. I change things pretty quickly, and while the switches take a while to become effective, we slowly work our way back into things. Half time gives us a chance to regroup, and a much more even second period ends with Lunin racing through and slotting home. We've left ourselves a lot to do in the second leg, but going back home Lunin's goal gives us every chance.

[Animosama]

You have practically won the league

[bennceltic]

Krasnodar facing the drop... they have tailed off a bit.

Good to see Spartak and Zenit have better seasons as well from a neutral view.

Well done so far, lets hope Europe treats you a bit better this time round.

[EvilDave]

Indeed we have, the other big clubs have taken plenty of points off each and this has been our easiest title yet. Krasnodar have battled back a little and should survive, but in terms of co-efficient it's better for Zenit and Spartak to be back on top. As for Europe...

April 2032

CSKA 7-0 Sibir Novosibirsk

Poor, poor Sibir. With more than one eye on the forthcoming Atletico game, we ring the changes and our youngsters are desperate to prove themselves, destroying Sibir and peppering the visitors' goal from all angles. Kaigorodov is the only man to score more than once with his brace, and it's a match full of firsts - a first goal for young midfielder Safarov from the penalty spot, and in injury time a first goal for teenage full back Lavrentjev as he taps in at the back post. It's emphatic, easy, and takes us to the brink of glory.

CSKA 1-0 Atletico Madrid - Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg

A goal down and with an away goal in the bag, we need to win and keep the score down if we're to make the last four. On the other hand, Atletico know that a draw will put them through, and a goal would make our position very precarious indeed. As you might expect, the result is a nervy game, neither side willing to make a costly error, and after 45 minutes we're still deadlocked. We have to push in the second half, leaving a few spaces at the back, but our defence is strong and provides a good platform for the attack. Finally, with just seven minutes remaining, a low cross from the left finds Shnaider who makes no mistakes, and the Spaniards have no reply. To the semis we go, to face Inter yet again.

Anzhi Makhachkala 0-2 CSKA

With points being dropped elsewhere, we crowned champions before kick-off in Makhachkala, claiming our sixth straight championship without a ball being kicked.

That doesn't stop us putting in a superb performance however, Shnaider rocketing us into the lead after just 23 seconds. Anzhi are strong but not strong enough, unable to break through our back line, and with the lead under our belts we're able to take all the pace out of the game. It's a plan that works to perfection, Palacios doubling the lead on the stroke of half time, and after the break we ease home to extend our already substantial lead.

CSKA 2-1 Amkar Perm - Russian Cup Quarter Final

We mix things up with Inter on the horizon, but it's enough to sneak past Amkar and book a place in the semis. They score after seven minutes but Shnaider has us level just 90 seconds later, and while it does take us another 70 minutes to finally grab the lead, we're rarely threatened by the visitors. Rotor beat Zenit to earn the right to take us on in the final four, and it's all set up for another CSKA-Anzhi final.

CSKA 2-2 Zenit St Petersburg

It's another mixed bag to take to the field as rivals Zenit arrive, but with nothing to play for and plenty to rest for, there's little but pride to be played for. Two five minute spells determine the outcome, and both follow the same pattern - a CSKA goal followed by a Zenit equaliser - and whilst the visitors are probably the more deserving of the win, it finishes tied at two apiece and we finally head back to Europe.

CSKA 3-2 Internazionale Milano - Champions League Semi Final First Leg

We face Inter yet again as we reach the same stage as last year, and this time there's a confidence about the squad having beaten the Italians in the past. We couldn't get off to a worse start though, giving away a penalty with the first attack of the game and gifting Inter the lead. Shnaider is on hand to level almost immediately, but the away goal could be massive. The first half resumes tentatively as the sides figure each other out, before midway through the second it's Lunin who puts us ahead with a fine finish. He gets another ten minutes later, but catastrophically it's at the wrong end as he slices a clearance into his own net. Undeterred we pile forward to try and earn the slimmest of advantage, and our young striker redeems himself with a fine finish just a minute from time. A great game, and although we have the lead, things are far from settled.

Krasnodar 3-0 CSKA

I didn't particularly want to do this, but really I had no choice - there are just three days after this to the second leg with Inter, and with the league already won there's no point in risking key players in a dead rubber. The kids go out and are well beaten by a Krasnodar side putting in a late surge to safety after a poor year, and we go to Milan with fresh legs.

Internazionale Milano 1-2 CSKA - Champions League Semi Final Second Leg

We have a narrow lead, but Inter have two away goals and we need at least one of our own to remove their advantage. We get it, and then some - five minutes in Shnaider finds room to fire home, and after 12 we win a corner which Gruzdev rises highest to meet. We've gone from slight favourites to three-goal leaders in next to no time, and the hosts look thoroughly shell-shocked. It takes them until the break to get going, but we're high in confidence and able to get them away from our goal. On 77 minutes they finally break through, the Italians' top scorer rounding Petkovic with ease, but it's too little, too late and we go on to CSKA's first ever Champions League final. Our opponents? Barcelona, who knocked us out in the last four last year.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Title done and a CL final Good luck against Barca

[EvilDave]

Thanks Dexter, it's been a superb year. Just need to bring home the big one now...

May 2032

Volga Nizhny Novgorod 0-1 CSKA

With the CL final looming at the end of the month and a domestic cup semi in the week, we again rest a few stars for an unnecessary league game. We look a little tired after a long April, but our youngsters put up a good fight and are handsomely rewarded when a Sergey Lunin strike two minutes from time sends Volga packing and gives us three more points.

CSKA 2-0 Rotor Volgograd - Russian Cup Semi Final

We could be on our way to an unprecedented treble for a Russian club, but Rotor stand in our way and we're determined to shift them. The first half is a rather tedious affair with few chances for either side, but 45 seconds into the second half Shnaider hits the target and we're on our way. he doubles the lead ten minutes later to seal things, and the final is sorted. It'll also be in four days' time.

CSKA 1-2 Anzhi Makhachkala - Russian Cup Final

A chance of history ruined by stupidity from one of our players. We're locked at 1-1 and looking the better side in the first half, but after 44 minutes Mardas, already on a yellow card, decides that the best plan of action would be to dive in the box and get himself sent off for simulation. A man down, we're never likely to get past our closest domestic rivals, and with 20 minutes to go they find the decisive second goal that seals the trophy for Anzhi. Mardas doesn't enjoy his fine, but such idiocy from a professional in a major cup final is unacceptable.

CSKA 3-0 Terek Grozny

At this stage, this game against Terek is entirely irrelevant, simply an exercise in morale-boosting between the two cup finals. Two strikes from Sinyagovskiy and an own goal give us a comfortable win and achieve just that, but even as the league season draws to a close, there's something much bigger on the horizon...

[EvilDave]

Champions League Final

The Date:Saturday 22nd May 2032

The Venue: Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul

The Teams: CSKA Moscow vs Barcelona

Kick-off

2 mins: Semenov and Filimonov combine to win the ball back in midfield, and our winger gets down the right to put in a cross. It's cleared back to Lyubimov, and we recycle to Palacios who finds Shnaider. Nothing is one, but he manages to slip a ball in behind for Lunin, whose shot beats the keeper and finds the bottom corner! What a start! CSKA 1-0 Barcelona

12 mins: Barcelona respond to the early goal, breaking down the left. A dangerous ball comes in, but Gruzdev gets his head to it and it's cleared away.

19 mins: Palacios commits a foul just inside our half, the ball comes in deep and Barca's top scorer Cacho gets his head to it. It looks destined for the top corner, but fails to drop in time and inside clips the bar on the way over.

26 mins: Shnaider has a chance from the dead ball, but his effort is well saved by keeper Mayoral.

30 mins: Palacios' corner is flicked on by Gruzdev and Ponomarev wins the second ball, flashing an effort just wide of the far post with the keeper nowhere.

38 mins: Barca's turn to threaten from a set piece now, but the shot flies wide.

45+3 mins: The half time whistle blows, and CSKA have a narrow lead through Lunin's early goal.

Second Half

46 mins: A change for both sides - Nikulin on for Semenov, and Barca's Cacho forced off through injury.

52 mins: Lunin's volley forces a save from Mayoral, and as the ball falls to Shnaider it should be 2-0. It isn't though - the shot is deflected onto the post, and Barca survive.

54 mins: Pablo Fortini dribbles through the CSKA defence only to fire into the side netting.

62 mins: Petkovic is forced into action, parrying away a header from a corner.

68 mins: A cross from the right looks like dipping into the top corner, but young Lavrentjev gets back to head off the line.

72 mins: Palacios and Lunin force saves from Mayoral, but the corner comes to nothing.

79 mins: As Lunin fires over, Mardas replaces Filimonov on the CSKA right.

84 mins: Titov finds Lunin, who chips the ball over the defence for Shnaider. He takes the half volley early, and Mayoral is beaten! CSKA 2-0 Barcelona

90 mins: Three minutes of added time signalled.

90+2 mins: Lavrentjev thwarts Fortini with a fine tackle in the area, Petkovic claims the corner.

90+3 mins: Final whistle.

Final Score: CSKA 2-0 Barcelona

CSKA Moscow are Champions of Europe!

[Dexter_Morgan]

Brilliant A treble would have been nice but the main thing is you got the big 2.

Any idea if you are going to stay a bit or go out on a high?

[bennceltic]

Fantastic, what a season and just looking at your lineup above it looks as if you have a majority of home based players out there as well, which bodes well.

Future challenges?

10 Straight titles....

5 Straight European Cups.... someone has to topple Real's long standing record!

Winning the World Club Championship....

[EvilDave]

Thanks guys, I'm absolutely delighted with the CL win, as on paper we simply shouldn't be winning that sort of competition. One of the reasons for our success I'm guessing is a strong squad harmony, brought on by minimal transfer movement and plenty of Russians. As for the future, I'm undecided...

Season Review 2031/2023

League: 1st

Cup: Runners-up to Anzhi Makhachkala (1-2)

Champions League: Winners (2-0 vs Barcelona)

Highest Rating: Maxim Gruzdev - 7.62

Top Scorer: Vladislav Shnaider - 37 goals

Most Assists: Artem Filimonov - 13 assists

Finances: £108.7m

Manager's Thoughs

Champions of Europe. Has rather a nice ring to it, don't you think? We managed to cap off our sixth title in a row, and by far the easiest of the lot, with the ultimate club football achievement by beating Barcelona in Istanbul - the same city as our Europa League triumph - and would have claimed a treble had it not been for Mardas' moment of madness in the Cup final. We scored more points in the league than any team since the beginning of this save even after weakening the side for the last few matches, and managed to beat our own goalscoring record by one as well. In short, we were unstoppable.

At home, nobody gets near us, and with such a young team there's the potential to dominate for years. Ten titles in a row is a challenge which has its appeals, but I also feel it would be relatively straightforward - even if the big names leave, we have plenty of talent ready to step up, as we showed this year by selling almost £70m of players and still romping home. Shnaider is in the form of his life at the age of 30, and the number of young pretenders to his crown is frightening. We're stacked in midfield, and whilst the defence is perhaps not as strong as it could be, we won the CL with a teenage full back due to injury. Our simple 4-4-2 has been perfected, and we're even starting to win away at our rivals. No need to change anything here.

The board are understandably delighted with me, but not only for the trophies brought home. I inserted a clause in my contract to bring through youngsters, and with an average squad age of just 21 there's ample evidence to suggest I've been doing just that. This year has been an important one for Lunin up front, Lyubimov and Safarov in the centre of midfield, and the defensive pair of Lavrentjev and Agapov. There'll be a few big contract extensions again over the summer, but we've got plenty in reserve and if a few players decide to move on we'll be well covered. Furthermore, only five men at the club are non-Russian, with only goalkeeper Petkovic irreplaceable at this stage. Homegrown and raised at CSKA, the future for the club and our country is a bright one.

The club's financial future is also rosy - we're having yet another expansion to both stadium and facilities, and with my legend status at the club secure, I can make almost any demand I desire. The huge transfer profit this season, combined with massive cash rewards for European success, has set us up for the future, and with a nine-figure bank balance there's no danger of anything going wrong here. Our wage budget is unlikely to ever send the club spiralling into debt, and it's hard to imagine how I could put us on a finer footing.

The decision now is to stick or twist, stay or go. Retaining our CL title should be impossible, but a world title would be a nice one to add to the trophy cabinet. Domestically we're the dominant force and the road to ten titles would be simple, while we're never likely to turn all-conquering in Europe without radically changing our transfer policy. If the Russia job were to come up I'd jump at it, but the current boss has them 4th in the world. I'd be tempted by one or two other clubs, but would it be too hard to leave what I've built at CSKA? I'll have to decide soon enough...

Goal for next year:

Sort out my future.

[cerud]

Congrats on the CL! Now that you've done all in Russia...hmmm... Which clubs would tempt you away?

[Animosama]

max out facilites and clear debt. Make the club selfsufficient.

[EvilDave]

Well, after a lot of thought and deliberation over what steps to take next, I have reached a decision. It hasn't been easy, with most sides of the argument drawing me in, but in the end I think I always knew what was happening...

With over £100m in the bank, six straight titles, a 65,000-seater stadium and some of the best youths in Russia, I leave CSKA with little more to do and a Champions League trophy in the cabinet. I feel like domestic domination would have been too easy to sustain, and the time is right to move on. That said, I intend to return to Russia in the future - either to try and dethrone the machine I have built, or to repair the damage done to it by reckless AI management.

However, for my next job I'll be taking over at a club in a quite different situation...

[EvilDave]

From the army to the secret police, Valeri Soldatkin makes his return to management at one of Belarus' biggest clubs - in theory. Without a title since 2020, and with recent years seeing them slide down the table, Dinamo are a club in need of an overhaul. Local rivals FC Minsk have risen to prominence in the meantime, taking four titles from powerhouse BATE Borisov, who have won 11 of the 19 on offer, whilst Shakhter Soligorsk and tycoon-backed Naftan Novopolotsk also threaten at the top.

At the moment, the top seems a long way off. I arrive at Dinamo with the club £800k in debt, and having not seen the black for almost half a decade. We have the smallest wage budget in the league at less than £5k per week, and there is little room to manoeuvre even after the miniscule transfer budget has been shifted across.

The Belarusian league runs March-November, so we're already well underway. The table doesn't make for great reading:

Time to get to work...

[EvilDave]

July 2032

Dinamo 0-0 Vitebsk

My first game in charge of Dinamo comes against Vitebsk, title winners back in 2021 and regular contenders at the right end of the table ever since. However, this is absolutely dire - it's obvious where our problems lie as our two strikers are woeful, whilst the visitors are equally impotent and fail to trouble our defence. A point is alright against a perceived stronger opponent, but we need to get wins and quickly if we're to pull away from the drop zone.

Slavia Mozyr 1-0 Dinamo

Slavia only came up a couple of years ago, so are the kind of team we should be beating if we want to keep a shift on up the table. Away from our home at Dinamo-Yuni, we're every bit as bad as against Vitebsk, creating space for just four shots and putting only a single one of them on target. The hosts aren't much better, but they convert a set play with 20 minutes to go and the referee might as well blow for time early.

Dinamo 3-3 Dinamo Brest

A goal! Perhaps predictably it doesn't come from open play, instead Armenian centre back Gasparyan heading in on 19 minutes to give us a lead. It gets better, striker Klimovich tapping in three minutes later to put us well on top. That's the score at the break, but within seconds of the restart the visitors strike back to make us nervy. Gasparyan repeats his trick to make it 3-1, but with the two-goal lead restored we begin to fall apart, first conceding a penalty and then allowing Brest to equalise in the final five minutes. This is why we're where we are, and it needs to get better.

[EvilDave]

August 2032

Lida 0-1 Dinamo - Belarusian Cup Second Round

We travel to second tier Lida for my first cup tie in my newly adopted nation, and with their lack of talent and our lack of form, the result is predictably dire. Thankfully however, we manage to make the breakthrough, Makovskiy finally living up to his billing as a striker with a well-taken half volley, and it's enough to put us through to the next stage.

Shakhter Soligorsk 0-2 Dinamo

Back to the league and into the thick of it, fierce rivals Shakhter looking to continue a title charge as we aim to battle up the standings. It's a fierce fight as both sides go for it from the first whistle, and at half time it's all square with the scoreboard untroubled. Against the run of play Makovskiy puts us ahead on the hour, and as the European contenders go in search of the equaliser, we break at pace and win a penalty which left winger Levitskiy buries for an unlikely and much-welcomed win.

Dinamo 2-0 Minsk

Another game, another rival, another side expected to wipe the floor with us. Minsk have won two of the last three titles and are going all-out for a third, but again we take the lead and it's Gasparyan from a corner who does the damage this time, the Armenian probably our most talented player. Five minutes later the lead is doubled when a poor backpass is picked off and slotted home, and the visitors are sseriously struggling. It's something we can take delight in and we stand firm in the face of increased pressure, claiming two wins on the bounce to give us some momentum.

Naftan Novopolotsk 1-0 Dinamo

Tycoon-backed Naftan have yet to truly assert themselves in Belarus, just a couple of top-three finishes and no title to their name, but they're a strong outfit and are more than a match for us today. The goal doesn't come until late on, but we don't deserve much from a lethargic performance, the hosts running rings around us and only failing to rack up the score through their own profligacy. Our run comes to an end, but we've shown we can win and need to continue to do so.

Dinamo 2-1 Neman Grodno

A couple of weeks ago this was a relegation battle, but our recent form has at least pushed us a little clear of the drop zone. That form rears its head again, Klimovich's headed finish and a stonewall penalty giving us a two goal advantage to take into the break. The visitors come back at us in the second half, managing a penalty of their own, but our strength lies in defence and the second is never going to arrive as we wrap up a good month with another win.

[bennceltic]

Ill miss CSKA, but im glad you have gone to Belarus and taken on a challenge of reviving a big name.

Naftan interest me with the Tycoon factor.... could be a fun few seasons here as you develop a club to compete with the establishment.

Good luck.

[Animosama]

This should be fun.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Really interesting move, all the best with it.

[cerud]

Not many go to Belarus after such as strong career in a more prestigious league. You've got a job on your hands

[Raware]

Probably the right time to move on after the fantastic job you did at CSKA. Will be interesting to see if you can resurrect the former power house that is Dinamo.

[KDR]

Torpedo Moscow, Dinamo Minsk...I'm getting flashbacks to European football in the '80s - complete with tinny commentary and generally dodgy sound.

Excellent work with CSKA. It was going to be hard to keep that going, especially in Europe.

[withnail316]

Incredible work, Dave. That was a hell of a machine you built at CSKA. Very interesting move, too.

[elbilly]

Great to catch up on this. Excellent ECL win and the same to your decision to part company with CSKA when it was so easy to stay and keep collecting trophies. Good luck with Dinamo looks like you're already having a positive impact there.