Griffo - Still early days yet mate but we are in a fantastic position!

Justice - That's the plan mate

Scott - It doesn't hurt to dream mate

Thanks for the comments guys

Down on the Upside

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Despite suffering back to back losses at the back end, August was another fantastic month for the club.

In all, we went a club record 10 games without defeat & racked up another 11 points. Not bad for a club expecting to be propping up the table.

On the field we once again rode our luck. Even the 3-0 win over Faikel was a deceptively close affair in which we were extremely lucky to walk away the win, let alone by the margin involved.

When our first loss came at the hands of Sokol Saratov, I was hardly surprised. We'd done well to collect the points we had but we hardly looked invincible. When we followed that loss with another poor performance against Arsenal Tula, I knew that this was it. The time the hard work began in earnest.

Having started so well, it would be a shame to enter free fall. We would have to double our efforts, prepare as best we can & fight for every last point! The real work begins now!

Table

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So, we're still sitting pretty in the automatic promotion places, though I have little doubt the vultures below are circling in anticipation of our inevitable slide.

Gazovik Orenburg take over at the top, & remain undefeated, while title favourites, Tom, are on the cusp of the playoff spots & poised to pounce should anyone slip up.

Stats

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Once again, we don't exactly feature heavily. Roman Tkachuk does lead the "key Tackles" category though &, as you can see by the Baikal overview, the board is understandably delighted with how the team is performing.

Awards

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, we miss out on all fronts here. Our solid results based more on the foundation of good all round team play rather than riding the coat tails of any one individual.

September Preview

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Not the best month to be entering a form reversal as we face league leaders, Gazovik Orenburg, 3rd placed, Shinnik, & title favourites, Tom. Strange as it sounds, those games may not be the most important ones.

Securing results against the sides we were expecting to be fighting with may prove more important, as, if we can get results there, it makes it less likely that they will be able to real us in, which can only help our final position.

First up in September however, we have our first cup match against Faikal. We've already met expectations there though so its likely I will field a rotated line up in order to keep our better players fresh for the battles ahead.

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Still looking like you will be going up here but it won't be without a fight!

I wish I put a bet on your team to win the league at the start of the season with the odds that were offered

Very good season so far mate, just catching up! Keep it up and you'll be in the top tier in no time!

Griffo - If its a fight they want, then its a fight they'll get!

Justice - Can only imagine our odds have been slashed dramatically after our start!

McGriff - Still a long way to go but I am beginning to dream...

Thanks for the support guys, much appreciated!

Just caught up, you are doing great

Going, going, WTF!?

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Early on here it looked as though our predicted slide into mediocrity was well & truly on. We lost our Cup tie, though I didn't really mind, but it was the result against Shinnik that really had me worried.

We played the 3rd placed team off the park that day, recording 20 shots to 6, 5 clear cut chances to 0, yet were left frustrated by a 1-1 draw.

When we followed that with a 3-1 defeat to top of the table, Gazovik Orenburg, I well & truly feared our luck had abandoned us.

A hard fought 3-2 win over Volgar briefly had me believing we could turn it around but disappointing draws to relegation threatened Baltika & Trosno once again had me fearing the worst.

Something remarkable happened in our final match however. We beat Tom. Not just beat them, humiliated them! To put that performance into perspective, we are currently spending 6.5K a week on wages. Tom have players who earn that individually!

It was a tremendous performance! Dimitri Kortava buried everything that come his way, bagging a hat trick in the process. It was the kind of result that could well define a season.

A result that shows the players what they are capable of, that they are where they are on merit, not just by luck. A result that says we're here to stay, catch us if you can!

Table

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So we slip to 3rd, despite our landmark victory against now 2nd placed Tom. That result will give us confidence however, that we can push the big boys all the way this year.

Stats

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Again, we don't really feature at all here. Sometimes I wonder why I bother putting it up but maybe one day we'll get a look in

Awards

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For the second time in 3 months, Gonezhukov makes the team of the month & also finishes 3rd in the player of the month voting. He has proved to be a real weapon in midfield for us, both scoring & assisting almost at will!

October Schedule

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Our schedule eases up a little now as our exit from the cup begins to look like a blessing in disguise. The boost we'll take following our victory over Tom should be enough to see us keep the good form going however Spartak 2 & Torpedo Armavir also appear to be in good touch so it wont be easy by any stretch.

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A few tough results there but you only dropped a spot from last month. Sucks about getting knocked out of the cup but that lets you focus on other things.

Menchinov Set For Baikal Departure?

Worrying news out of southern Siberia for Baikal Irkutsk fans today as manager, Kristoph Menchinov, has reportedly turned down the opportunity to discuss a contract extension.

Menchinov, who accepted his first managerial role at Baikal in June, has lead the tiny club to a remarkable 3rd position in the Russian First Division & club officials were said to be understandably keen to lock the promising young manager into a longer term deal. Those plans have been put on hold however, as Menchinov's refusal to enter negotiations have many fearful that he will be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Widely acclaimed for his no nonsense approach & attractive brand of football, Menchinov has been quick to win admirers in his short career & news of his possibly availability has lead to widespread speculation on the 35 year olds future, with Russian Premier Division strugglers, Dinamo Moscow, said to be among a number of clubs, both here & abroad, monitoring the situation.

For his part, Menchinov has been typically tight lipped, refusing to be drawn on the issue, leading some reports to claim that a deal for his departure may already have been agreed.

It is worth noting however, that Menchinov rarely deals with such matters, even famously failing to appear at his own unveiling at the club, so whether his silence is an admission of guilt or merely a sign of his contempt for the media remains to be seen.

Regardless, common consensus seems to be that the budding tactician has a bright future ahead of him & Baikal may do well to begin preparing for his departure sooner rather than later. More on this story as details come to hand.

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Personally I'd love to see you stay at the club and push them to the top, but I'll certainly be following with keen interest should you go elsewhere

Interesting to see you move so early.. either you want a new challenge or someone is chasing you!

Dinamo Moscow would be a huge move so early in your career mate!

Thanks guys!

The funny thing about the media is that they have a tendency to put 2 & 2 together & come up with 5. That's not to say a move wont happen, just a reminder not to believe everything you read.

Keep on, Keeping on

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Another strong month for us here as, for the second time this year, we go undefeated. The exception to the rule being the 1-1 draw with bottom placed KamAZ, which cost us 2nd place on the table.

Otherwise we did fantastically, seeing off the challenges of Luch & Spartak 2 & earning a credible draw against 4th placed Torpedo Armavir.

Table

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So we remain in 3rd position, 3 points off the pace set by joint leaders, Tom & Gazovik Orenburg & 3 points ahead of Torpedo Armavir. We've already reached the magical 40 point mark, that was said to be the watermark against relegation, so I think we are pretty safe in that regard.

Stats

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This month see's us take over as the leagues highest scorers, thanks in no small part to the form of Dimitri Kortava. The 27 year old has bagged 7 goals in his last 4 appearances & now leads our scoring charts with 11 goals.

Awards

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So, once again Azamat Gonezhukov makes the team of the month, that's 3 out of 4! It would appear he'll surely be a candidate for player of the year if he keeps this kind of form going. A little surprised Kortava doesn't make it in considering his recent form but whatever!

November Preview

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This is our last month of fixtures before the 3 month winter break. Its imperative that we keep the good results coming & go into that break with the belief that we can do something special here. Having worked so hard to get where we are, it'd be a shame to throw it all away now.

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