Beggars can't be choosers!

1 August 2014

July ’14 review

Profit of nearly 1.5M made;

Pre seasons friendlies going well, with players conditioning returning;

Hammers (70K) and Gomis (425K) transferred to Sundowns and Barkhuizen is in discussions with Golden Arrows. Other players sold Zungu (16K), Segoale (9K), Ramudzuli (170K), Ntamo (20K) Matsimbi (35K) and Mamphita (14K) as we look to build for the future. Interest remains in Masabo, but nothing concrete yet tabled;

‘Fasto Mashego retiring at the end of the season, and no interest expressed in striker Boola Shabalala;

Physio Innocent Jacobs signed new contract until May 2017;

Board have relaxed restrictions around back room staff, but haven’t increased scouting range;

Two new goalkeepers bought to club to cover any moves for Masabo, and have also made relatively expensive offers on utility players as we await WPs for defensive geniuses.

I am finding a lot of quality players, who are coaching on the side. They don't as yet want to sign full time coaching contracts yet though......

Both of my approaches for South African players have been rejected, one because they didn't want to discuss terms, and the second because I simply couldn't afford the wages and the agent fees.

It's going to be a long month!

My inability to meet wage demands has also cost me coach Patrick Setlai from Roses (who would have come on a free) but I couldn't met the GBP625 weekly wage demand.





He would have made an reasonable attack coach!

The Board have come back with their verdict re our new parent club, and I am quite excited by the prospects.

Karpaty Lviv from the Ukraine - EURO Cup prospects, great academy, average players;

Levski (Sofia) out of Bulgaria, due to play in the European Club Championship, but average facilities;

BSC Young Boys Switzerland, they play in the EURO Cup and are worth a cool 13M.

I'd plum for Young Boys, purely because their annual fee is twice what Karpaty or Levski would pay, circa 43K.

Happy to hear thoughts on it though.

Lucky starts with us as a coach in Dec after the completion of his contract.

After discussions with my fellow FMers, I have decided to establish a link with Levski.

It should help boost my reputation and my bank balance.

They are willing to pay an annual fee of 22K.

I have to say that this is NOT what I wanted/needed a few days out before the start of the new season, particularly as he is one of my key players.



Here is his profile:



And I must say, he is being reasonable, his negotiations start at 1.9K per week, and agent fee is a whooping 43.5K. Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice? I've talked him down for the moment, but that "interest" from the Pirates may well be encouraged.

Providing Addai gets his work permit, this could well be good news. Addai has been bought into the fold as the replacement for greedy vice captain Barkhuizen.

Tactics for the season

The tactic this year will be focusing on the lessons from last year:

Hold onto the ball;

Get the ball to your wingers, who in turn will pass it to the strikers;

Keep the ball away from your goal line;

Plug the (at times) gaping holes in your defenses at set piece time.


Sure, I want to see more goals, but I'm happier with a 1-0 win over a 2-1, because I hate conceded, particularly from corners, which is where we can most improve.

I'm going to employ a 4-2-4 that I had success with at Derby and Osasuna, and I am not sure whether the horrific injury toil at Osusana was anything to do with the tactic. I am also struggling to find players who can cover the wingers roles, so like with Osasuna, I've had to make them more attacking that I would ordinarily have liked.

Pre-season

Our pre-season friendlies have finished, with the PSL starting in roughly ten days.

Conclusions:
The cover we have at right back is average to say the least. Both Bobbs and youth Khuzwayo weren’t bad, but they didn’t set the back line on fire. Maybe it is a blessing that Barkhuizen has not yet signed with another club, as he could be the bridge between now and Addai getting a WP. If he doesn’t waltz through the WP, I may have issues.

Denis Khripunkov is FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC. I signed him up as a replacement for Hammers, and he excelled in the friendlies. I deliberately didn’t play Mashego that much, as I wanted to see what the depth was like beyond him. Youth strikers Botha and Qalanto also enhanced their reputations with strong showings.

Lucky Masenya was lucky and stayed fit throughout the pre-season.

New recruit, Ngwenya (80K from Jomo Cosmos) enhanced his chances of starting in the first match with strong showings, topped off by a goal against Gaborone Utd.

The timing of the under twenty South African matches meant that some of the players didn’t get as much game time as I would have liked.

Masabo has been quiet since his discussion with me and Orlando haven’t yet made a move. There are still twenty five days in the window. At present, there are only two players with interest from other clubs.

I’ve made cheeky bids for a young Pirates defender, and an Ajax CT utility.

Players to watch - Defense:

Goalkeeper: Masabo
The director of traffic for the team, young and could be a jewel in our crown for years to come. Solid at the back, although has a tendancy to miss from set pieces. Interest from Pirates and increased wage demands probably mean he will move at some stage this year.


Defense: Edgard
The best defender now since the departure of Gomis, stopping the opposing attacking movements will largely fall to him. He may also have the captains armband if Masabo leaves, and will be the vice captain for the season.


Defense: Radebe
The pick of my left defenders given Edgard is playing CB, I like his work ethic where he just comes to work, does his job, does it well and doesn’t complain. As with all the young players, I only hope that they improve with time.



Defense: Barkhuizen
He was solid enough in the first season, as his stats seem to suggest, spent a game in the stands for collecting too many yellow cards, but like Radebe on the other flank, ran and tackled hard without complaint and sturdy so didn’t miss games with injury. Impasse over salary demands will lead him to leave this term.

The reinforcements

Given I had lost Gomis, and am happy in a sense to loss Barkhuizen, I am in a bit of a pickle with my defensive line. Given the state of South African defenders and my inability to attract and pay for types who are lining up for the top teams, I needed to try my hand at the foreign market once again.

Admed Shaaban – Egypt
This would be one of the more classy players I have seen on a free in a while, and he would be a like for like replacement for Gomis (except Gomis could cover DM if needed). His WP is decided on 25 Aug, which is still three weeks away.


Seidu Addai – Ghana
This is the player who I am pegging to replace Barkhuizen, and whom was released by Hearts of Oak last year. I believe he offers us that little bit more, and is six years younger than Barkhuizen, so will have plenty of time to learn.


We could really in barbed wire canoe territory if the WPs don’t come through.

Midfield

Onana
Hadn’t covered himself in glory by being suspended for five matches as we enter a new league, but fully expect him to bounce back. Wasn’t as solid in the midfield as I would have liked last season, and can make runs down the left wing as needed.


Gcaba
An oddity amongst the team insofar as he is a midfield specialist. Reasonably physical attributes and a booming foot from the free kick line.


Ferreira
My development player from last year, whom alas, is still developing. I was so frustrated by him that I went to market in January and picked up Sithole. Will get more game time this season, but has been told that if he doesn’t shape up, he’ll be shipped out.


Sithole
My 6’6’’ beanpole midfielder, whom I was using as a midfielder, but this season – depending on WP – may find himself lining up as a centre back. Was bought in mid season and outshone Ferreira, so will be looking for more quiet tidy work from this giant of a man.


I'm still active in the market, as I really don't think Ferreira is up to it at this level, and I've made two more bids, but I am sure they will be rejected.

Attack

Khripunkov
New transfer in from Tobyl who has been impressive in the friendly matches and looks like he could be the missing link in our quest for goals, or at least to stop the reliance on Mashego to make things happen for us.


Mashego
The poacher; he reminds me very much of Harry Bunn who came to me on a free during my second season with Maidenhead in FM11, scored over one hundred league goals for the club in under four years and then Petersborough made a 30M bid for him and he was gone. I can dream about having that sort of success with Mashego, but he has a fantastic scoring ratio, and for the meantime anyway, appears to be our talisman.


Mngadi
Another technically strong player, he will start on the right wing. With any luck, he will get more goals than Hammers did, but was beginning to form a great working relationship with Hammers and Mashego last term.


Mseluku
My left footed striker, who will probably spend a lot of time riding the pine, but I felt it was important to have variety in the attack.