Hello again, and welcome to part II of this season's update. We left off with KuPS having qualified for the group stages of the Europa League which will accompany our fierce battle for the top spot in the league.
The journey so far...
2018 - started unemployed (Sunday League experience, no badges) before getting the job at Nosaby IF in the Swedish Second Division East on 3 August 2018. Took over with 9 games to go and secured a 9th placed finish.
2019 - finished runners up in the league, enough to make the playoffs which we went on to win to secure promotion to the Swedish First Division South. May MOTM Award winner
2020 - stormed the league and won the title against all odds to win automatic promotion to the Swedish First Division Elite. 2020 MOTY Award winner
2021 - after a terrible start and a struggle to sign the players needed, I resigned my post. Took the job at KuPS in the Finnish Premier League on 25 July 2021. Finished 7th in the league and reached Second Qualifying around of Europa League. They also won the Finnish Cup before I took over
2022 (present day) - Finnish Cup Winners for the second consecutive season, have qualified for the Europa League group stages, and currently lying in 3rd place in the Finnish Premier league. May MOTM Award winner. Season aims were to finish "around the top" of the Finnish Premier League, reach the Semi-final of the Finnish Cup and reach the Second Qualifying Round of the Europa League.
Premier League Performances
As we headed into September there were 8 more fixtures on the calendar. We sat comfortably in 3rd, trailing IFK Mariehamn and HJK by 1 and 2 points respectively. First up we were away to top of the table IFK Mariehamn and it didn't go well, eventually succumbing to them 5-2, our heaviest defeat in my tenure.
The rest of September's fixtures saw us win, draw then lose in what would prove to be the start of a slump. October served up 4 more fixtures where we managed 1 win against IFK Mariehamn, along with 2 bore-draws and a loss. Just 2 goals scored, and 1 conceded in those last 4 games - a pathetic effort!
KuPS 2022 - September and October results
We were comfortable in 3rd but those poor results towards the end cost us dearly. HJK held their nerve and eventually went on to win their 3rd consecutive league title, 4 points ahead of us.
Europa League Performances
Qualification to the groups saw us earn a massive £2.6M in TV money, an incredible achievement for us which took our bank balance from £800k up to a very healthy £3.6M.
KuPS 2022 - Europa League windfall
We were drawn in Group J against Sporting Lisbon, Atalanta and SC Freiburg. Looking at some of the other groups, I think things could have been a lot worse, but this was going to be a significant challenge for our boys.
My biggest issue with progressing this far was squad fitness. The team are really flagging having now played significantly more games than i had planned to at the start of the season. It's a constant rotation of players at the moment, and a few long term injuries to some key roles have really hit us hard.
The first game was a home tie to Sporting Lisbon. The aim here was to "not get beat by many" as i didn't see us getting close to their ability. In fact, we played really well, matching them at every turn before taking the lead in the first half. Their second half equaliser was enough to see them secure a draw but on another day, this would have been 3 points to us.
Next up was the return fixture, away to Sporting where they proved to be much too strong for us and ran out 2-0 winners. It could have been a lot worse and the boys did well to keep the score as it was. SC Freiburg were an even tougher opponent and despite an early goal, we would eventually lose 3-1. A well deserved draw followed by a disappointing defeat against Atalanta saw us knocked out of the competition with a game to go.
KuPS 2022 - Europa League Group J results
In the end, further progression wasn't to be this year. Reaching the groups was a surprise in itself, but qualifying to the next round was too big an ask. We may have crashed out of the group but we could be proud of the two draws against Sporting and Atalanta. Our final game would be away to SC Freiburg, but the match isn't scheduled until the New Year so I will include it in the next update and treat the game like a friendly instead.
End of Season Review
All things considered, this season's been a resounding success for us, as we achieved a reputable league position, reached the Europa League group stages and won the Finnish Cup.
KuPS 2022 - Season Review
Our loanee central defender won over the fans by winning the Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season Awards. He won't be returning for another year as his parent club want him in their First Team so we'll need to fill his shoes as well.
KuPS 2022 - End of Season Awards
Before the players went on their annual break, i did my usual review of the playing squad. If we want Europa League group stage football to be a regular thing then we will need to strengthen the squad, particularly the reserve 11, so we can fare better with squad rotation.
I also dabbled with the training schedules this year and now feel ready to take a more active role in changing how these work for the coming season.
Season Highlight
In end, we had a great season but after a rocky start in the league, coupled with some off the pitch issues, it could have been a lot worse. We had a fair few highlights, including the Finnish Cup win, our 14-0 aggregate demolition of St Joseph's in the Europa League and Montenegro joining the EU.
But my season highlight has to be reaching the Europa League group stages - an achievement that i thought we were still a few years away from reaching. The cash injection it provided is the start of what I hope is the "next level" for us as we attempt to put our stamp on the league, and further our successes in Europe.
Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom, you'll never get that time back you know! Until next time...