FC Luch-Energiya Vladivostok Succession Game

[ShiftyPowers]

Alex is turning off sugar daddy soon. I think you're the guy who has to take the next season with your attention to detail and youth development.

 

[Alex]

I was actually disappointed about the treble in a way too. The Russian tournaments are quite easy at the moment, CSKA are the only real competition.

I think when I turn off Sugar Daddy for us, I might change a couple of sides (Zenit etc) from Background Sugar Daddy, to Foreground to increase their spending for a few seasons.

We only got the treble because of our Champions League run. It was SUCH an easy run really. Fiorentina were better in our group than Lyon as far as I'm concerned (in terms of how hard they were to beat), and yet Lyon were the hardest opponent we got in the knockout rounds (in the Final).

Think we have two more seasons before Sugar Daddy gets turned off? Shifty wanted to go after you Az, so I'd suggest we just wait for you. You play, then Shifty plays the last season?

My transfer budget was actually in the positive anyway (I sold Slama and Traore, and hardly spent money bringing anyone in). We don't need to spend in all honesty, we have such a strong, young squad, with plenty of good youngsters, and there are SOOO many good cheap (often free) young Brazilians (which is how I got Cassiano remember!!)

As so many players are now becoming Russian, we can bring in some more foreigners. I bought in Alexandre (whose attributes look AWESOME - another AK47 style striker) and that Luziano or whatever his name is, and if we develop them then that's more Brazilians carving up for us.

Whoever plays next, I urge you not to spend big on any player who isn't Russian, and isn't for the future. We don't need 25-30 year old foreigners who are only going to be the same good as what we already have, taking game time off the likes of Alexandre and Luziano.

We also don't want to lose sight of the bigger target - ie. making Russia the biggest league in Europe! Our coefficient now has us in 6th, behind the big three, Germany and France. And we're hot on the heels of France. With CSKA getting to the semi of the Champions League, and us winning it, that'll go up big time soon too!!

But I think some of our other big sides need to get on board and come along for the ride!! Especially Zenit!!

 

[Alex]

Oh, and also, we're still leaking money FAST. Our wage budget is way too high for what we're making. This is more a matter of making more money, than spending less - you need to spend to be the best.

But I don't think we should be throwing huge amounts of cash on transfers unless it's for the future. We need to invest in infrastructure (the board approved a stadium expansion just as I finished my season!! ) to make us more money!

I'm a little concerned the game engine doesn't improve league prize money as league reputation goes up. Does anyone know if it does or not?

EDIT: I just researched, apparently it does increase prize money, crowds and sponsorship. We really need to get the league rep up then, don't we!!

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Alright, I know this goes against everything I've said in the last page, but...

JOSE GONCALVES!!!

He played 3 league games last year. THREE! He wasn't injured! BUY BUY BUY!!!!

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Okay, here are my thoughts on the squad:

1) Bye bye Kipre. I don't ******* care what you say Alex, AK47 is the #1 striker and Andrey Lozbinev is the exact same kind of poacher with even more potential. You compare him to Juric, but that's a joke. Kipre isn't a good passer, isn't creative, and has poor composure. I don't mind him as a third, emergency, striker, but that's it. Lozbinev is ready and he has legendary stock.

2) The squad is unconscionably big. Several of these players need to be sold. Like 10 of them. Top of my list would be Budakov now that our Belorussian keeper is Russian.

3) Albi Gitinov isn't developing. Naturally, Alex signed him and likes the name, so he is playing him ahead of the vastly more talented Dragan Damjanovic.

4) This was a problem in my Gladbach game as well, but Reus and Lucas are players that seem to regress for some reason as the game goes on. I'd dump them both.

5) Svec, Lashankov, Cassiano, and Ganso look as vital as when I left. I'd suggest a team modeled on Spain, basically with Cassiano playing like Iniesta on the left/inside, the other mids knocking the ball around, and then having a pure winger on the right Damjanovic/Luizao, and the poacher up top.

6) Bigvava is a legit star. Wow, Lukin is only 19 years old? Anyway, we lack a world class left back still, which I think is an issue now. Someone who is as good as Bigvava. Now that most of the squad is Russian we can look foreign and I'd suggest Vladimir at Palmeiras to join our Brazilian contingent. He's shockingly good at defense and has been dropping 7.9+ average ratings in Brazil for the last 5 years.

Anyway, good squad. Needs some trimming. I'm not kidding, I will absolutely sell Kipre when I'm running the team if I get a good offer.

 

[Alex]

Okay, here are my thoughts on the squad:

1) Bye bye Kipre. I don't ******* care what you say Alex, AK47 is the #1 striker and Andrey Lozbinev is the exact same kind of poacher with even more potential. You compare him to Juric, but that's a joke. Kipre isn't a good passer, isn't creative, and has poor composure. I don't mind him as a third, emergency, striker, but that's it. Lozbinev is ready and he has legendary stock.

And Alexandre too. However, I think the advantage of Kipre is he adds something different. A Target Man. AK47 is 100% definitely our number 1 striker, and was used as such throughout. But Kipre is handy to have in the squad as an alternative, or a compliment to AK47s game.

2) The squad is unconscionably big. Several of these players need to be sold. Like 10 of them. Top of my list would be Budakov now that our Belorussian keeper is Russian.

Agreed. Budakov definitely has to go now. Not sure who else though. This is the issue when people bring in guys every year, and it's something I've CONSISTENTLY complained about in succession games.

3) Albi Gitinov isn't developing. Naturally, Alex signed him and likes the name, so he is playing him ahead of the vastly more talented Dragan Damjanovic.

Firstly, no i didn't - Dragan isn't Russian and was injured half the year. Once he was fit (and the patch fixed that Russian second nation thing) Gitinov got loads less games than Dragan.
Secondly - Dragan has reached his potential according to our scouts, Gitinov has not. Dragan is GREAT though because of his speed, and that's why, when Cassiano was injured, I chose him as our first choice Left Inside Forward (ahead of Gitinov AND Reus).

4) This was a problem in my Gladbach game as well, but Reus and Lucas are players that seem to regress for some reason as the game goes on. I'd dump them both.

Lucas was still a gun when I left things. Reus is good, but too slow in my eyes. I don't think he was a necessary signing in the first place. If we can get good money for him, we should sell him though. We have PLENTY of depth in the Inside forward positions.

5) Svec, Lashankov, Cassiano, and Ganso look as vital as when I left. I'd suggest a team modeled on Spain, basically with Cassiano playing like Iniesta on the left/inside, the other mids knocking the ball around, and then having a pure winger on the right Damjanovic/Luizao, and the poacher up top.

Two inside forwards just left us undefeated in the League, and I think works. Towards the end of the season, I actually preferred Ganso as my Left Inside Forward, and Cassiano in the middle, basically because Cassiano won us games with long shots. He is a freak, and getting him the ball more often is only a good thing.

Our best midfield - as it stands, is still Ganso, Cassiano (first two in whichever order you like), Svec and Lucas (Dragan is pushing though) with Lashankov holding.

6) Bigvava is a legit star. Wow, Lukin is only 19 years old? Anyway, we lack a world class left back still, which I think is an issue now. Someone who is as good as Bigvava. Now that most of the squad is Russian we can look foreign and I'd suggest Vladimir at Palmeiras to join our Brazilian contingent. He's shockingly good at defense and has been dropping 7.9+ average ratings in Brazil for the last 5 years.

I was looking at a guy that was really good, ande was at Lyon I think. Had a really short name. He was the ONLY guy that ticked every box for me as far as LBs go. Fast, good tackler, crosser etc. There is no point buying ANOTHER mediocre guy (like Slama was) to move Lukin back into rotation with Kryvtsov and Canevaro. My concern with Lukin is still around his strength, jumping and heading skills too. Even though I was trying to train him in those, he stats just naturally fitted LB better - fast, tackler, crosser (I think).

Anyway, good squad. Needs some trimming. I'm not kidding, I will absolutely sell Kipre when I'm running the team if I get a good offer.

Agree, and if you get a good offer, you should. But you shouldn't push him out. The guy was just the top scorer of the Champions League - I mean what more evidence do you want that he can get results. It just seems like you have a personal thing against him, and have made up your mind, regardless of results.

Alexandre and Lozbinev look good players though (I think as a poacher, Alexandre looks better - did you miss him??) and need to be given games, I agree.

Gitinov is young, and apparently still has plenty of potential (accord to all of our coaches and scouts), so keep him around the squad, give him some games. He is 21, and was doing a job for us. He isn't an absolute super star, but is great for rotation, ESPECIALLY as he is Russian. He just got called into the Russian squad for the first time too. He can also play in the middle as the attacking play maker (next to a b2b like Svec) which is handy off the bench.

We have that good young Argentinian DM coming next year (as well as that young Moldovan who I got last year and isn't a superstar, but could be!) so don't think that position needs strengthening. Honda, I think was a waste of money, as we already have Svec, but now we have him, we may as well use him. So we don't really need another CM either.

The only position I would spend money on is LB, and that'd only be for THE ABSOLUTE BEST. No settling for another 'guy we can develop'. We already have Lukin (who is a CB first) that is better than anyone like that. And the guy we can develop is that African LB I brought in last year. He could grow into something good too.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I wasn't really impressed by Alexandre as a striker. I thought he could be a great winger though.

 

[Alex]

16 finishing, 16 first touch, 15 off the ball, 17 acceleration and 16 pace...But only 10 teamwork and 11 passing?

He's a poacher.

I was thinking of Luizao, not Lozbinev too. He's the guy that is more winger than striker.

I don't know Lozbinev that well. He was on loan for the season, and so I never really looked at him.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Bad composure though. And Lozbinev is younger and Russian, and has it all.

 

[Alex]

Yeah, I remember Lozbinev was looking good when I sent him away, but never looked again. Alexandre was free though, so a bargain

Not BAD composure. It's like 11-12 isn't it? Not great, but he's a kid, with plenty of improving to do.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Indeed, but the pace, acceleration, dribbling, and crossing look good for an inside forward IMO.

 

[Alex]

His crossing isn't great though. His crossing is worse than his finishing. And with such low team work, to me that says striker, not winger.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Wingers don't need good teamwork or passing. They just have to dribble and cross/shoot. See Robben, Arjen.

 

[Zlatan]

Robben isn't really a winger anymore. He's more of a striker playing from the wing, IMO.

A true winger is Marc Overmars or even further back Piet Keizer.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Those guys are even more lonely and isolated from the team than Robben! "Stand on the sideline and DON'T MOVE!"

 

[Alex]

Crossing is HUGE for them

 

[Alex]

Any news (not hurrying you!!) on when you'll be able to attack this Az?

 

[Mandieta6]

Not anytime soon.

 

[Alex]

Oh ok, maybe we should throw it open (not that there has been much interest).

I thought it was only a day or so from now

 

[Mandieta6]

I thought so too, but something's come up and the free time I do have I probably won't be dedicating to FM.