It’s taken a while, but today is the day that Shama Deadman finally hits the big leagues! Well, I’m not sure you would call the Hungarian first division a ‘big league’, but anyway…
After winning promotion from the NB II, the Győr squad has been rebuilt ahead of what is sure to be a much more challenging NB I season. You can read more about Shama’s rebuild in Part 30, but you can probably guess how well things have gone…
Today’s chapter will take us through the first half of the 2027/2028 season. Can Győr keep themselves clear of relegation danger?
JULY & AUGUST 2027
Our top-flight adventure got off to the perfect start at home to Fehérvár – the second-favourites for the title. Our new captain Balázs Hirman scored from a Gábor Tamás free-kick to break the deadlock just six minutes, though we were soon pegged back when Felix Götze (Mario’s brother) headed in another set-piece.
With the half-time score at 1-1, we came out and produced a stunning second-half performance. Lars Dendoncker volleyed in a 20-yarder to begin the rout, with debutants Nemanja Jović and Louie Barry also scoring, to the delight of most of the 5,156 spectators at ETO Park! I guess I’ll have to deliver on my promise now…
Before I could tuck into my jacket, though, reality would bite us pretty hard. Another fantastic free-kick by Tamás gave us a 1-0 lead at MTK, but the 23-time league champions scored three goals shortly after half-time to blow us away. While goalkeeper Patrik Demjén did well to keep the deficit down to 3-1, the rest of our defence had much to learn.
We produced a more valiant display at home to Kisvárda, who were runners-up just two seasons ago. Sadly, Demjén’s mistake from a Várda free-kick gifted them the opener after just 10 minutes. That proved to be the game’s only goal, as we were very wasteful at the other end.
After back-to-back defeats, the last thing we wanted was a trip to Debrecen. However, star striker Cyril Nebo delighted the visiting support by heading in right-back Attila Szabados‘ deep cross after just four minutes to break our hoodoo! We then held on for a stunning 1-0 win… but that wasn’t the whole story.
Debrecen had battered us – and not just by testing our defence with several high-quality chances. Their right-back was sent off in the 76th minute for swinging an elbow into Tamás’ face, but that wasn’t even the worst thing to happen to one of our players.
Jović came off after just 20 minutes, pulling up with a torn calf muscle that ruled him out for about a month. He was replaced by our regular left-winger Norbert László, who was making his first appearance since recovering from a pre-season hamstring injury. Just 34 minutes later, this happened…
SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP! MY STAR!!!
Losing such an important creative outlet for most of the season (if not practically all of it) was devastating. Honestly, part of me would rather have seen us lose to Debrecen if it meant László stayed fit… but I guess accidents happen.
And boy, did we bounce back! Our fallen colleague watched on from his hospital bed as Nebo scored twice in a stunning 3-0 away win over Puskás Akadémia! However, this match was all about Barry, who made a vital tackle to start the counter-attack for our first goal, scored our second from Dendoncker’s left-wing cross, and then assisted Cyril for the third!
Having won three of our first five games up, we found ourselves already flying high in 4th place!
TRANSFER WINDOW: PART 2
Before we find out if our strong start was just a case of beginner’s luck, I think now’s a good time to discuss the second half of our transfer window. We signed another five players after the big kick-off – and interestingly, four of them are Romanian.
First up is Eduard Ciubotaru – a Romania Under-21s defender who’s quick on his feet and strong in the air. Like our new captain Hirman, Ciubotaru has suffered back-to-back NB I relegations (with Vasas and Kaposvár), but I reckon this young centre-back partnership could gel together quite well.
Eduard was soon joined by a compatriot right-back in Răzvan Onea, who’s been a semi-regular in Romania’s top division for the best part of a decade. The 29-year-old has good crossing ability and is tactically quite astute, so he should be a dependable backup to Szabados.
Then came the only Hungarian member of this new quintet. Joining us on loan from MTK, Norbert Menyhárt is a defensive midfielder whose work ethic and decision-making are impressive for a 17-year-old. He’s a bit weak physically and isn’t the most forceful tackler, but I still think he’ll be useful.
I also signed a new winger to replace the stricken László. Though László is right-footed, we already had several natural righties (e.g. Jović, Norbert Kundrák, Aleksandar Beljin), so I instead looked for a left-footed inverted winger who could fill in for János Géringer if needed.
And that is where Mario Bratu will come in handy. The 25-year-old loanee from Petrolul Ploiești is quick, agile, a good dribbler – and he offers a calmer, more experienced alternative to the rawer, youthful energy of Géringer.
Finally, I brought in George Kovács as a potential long-term goalkeeper. He has excellent reflexes and aerial reach for this level, though he still needs to work on his composure and concentration. And with Demjén starting the season strongly (aside from that one mistake against Kisvárda), Kovács might have to wait patiently for his chance.
Ciubotaru’s arrival meant we had no need for Alex Szabó anymore. After 77 league games in just over three years at Győr, the covering defender was sold to Slovakian top-flight side Michalovce for £55,000. Alex left with my best wishes… but another player did not.
I’m annoyed. Gábor Novák was an 18-year-old midfield playmaker whom I’d planned on promoting to the senior team this season. That was until a load of NB II clubs made offers to sign him. Novák got very stroppy after I rejected one offer in particular… from Soroksár.
Seriously, Gábor? What have SOROKSÁR got that we haven’t?!
I tried everything to convince Novák to stay, but he refused to back down. Eventually, I just gave up and said, “Fine! You can bugger off – but DON’T come crying to me when you’ve wasted your career!”
So now he’s joined Vasas – another NB II team. I hope that arrogant little prick is happy.
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2027
Our first match after the international break was an extraordinary five-goal thriller against Honvéd. The referee awarded FOUR penalties – including THREE to us! Kundrák wasted our first penalty, but Géringer scored our next two, which completed a hat-trick for the teenager after his 17th-minute opener.
Honvéd won (and scored) a penalty of their own in between János’ spot-kicks. They then grabbed a second goal – from a free-kick this time – to set up a nervous finish, but we just about clung onto our 3-2 lead and made it three wins in a row!
That was followed by an unconvincing win over Besenyőtelek in Round 1 of the Magyar Kupa. Though Bratu headed us in front after just two minutes, we would only score one more goal – a penalty from Barry. Hardly the dominant display we’d expect from a top-flight team against fourth-tier opponents.
Back in the league, our frailties were on display again when we went to Szombathely – or should I say, Szombat-HELL? Haladás were bottom of the table and without a win to their name… until we made them look like champions.
Our attackers looked unusually anxious and wasted some golden chances, which our hosts punished by scoring twice midway through the second half. The first was scored by ex-Preston and Hearts winger Josh Ginnelly, while second was a long-range shot that hit the post and then deflected in off Demjén’s back.
(Geez… these clips aren’t really showing Demjén in a good light. He is honestly much better than this, I promise!)
Meanwhile, Jović’s recovery from injury was set back when he suffered a partial ACL tear in a reserve match, thus delaying his return until November at the earliest. We also lost Bratu for a month with a torn kneecap, leaving us even lighter on wide options.
October began with a real battle at home to Újpest. Though Nebo gave us an early(ish) lead, we then conceded two soft goals and needed our Nigerian frontman to convert a penalty to save a point. Still, a 2-2 draw against last season’s runners-up is a good result in my book.
Two weeks later, we had an even more daunting challenge – a trip to the Groupama Aréna to face the champions. Our resistance against Ferencváros lasted 26 minutes, until their striker Heorhii Sudakov headed in a corner at the back post.
For the second half, we played more direct and created some good openings. Our breakthrough came in the 70th minute, when Barry’s byline cross was finished by Kundrák. But delight turned to disaster on 82 minutes, when midfielder Marcelo Kanté clumsily conceded a penalty. Ex-Sweden winger Muamer Tankovic just had to put it away to win the game for Ferencváros…
…but he hit the post! We’d drawn 1-1 away to the biggest team in Hungary!
We then produced another excellent display against Mezőkövesd – the team who completed last season’s podium in 3rd place. We made a mockery of that by not only denying Kövesd a single shot on target, but also beating them 2-0 after Ciubotaru and midfielder Karlo Muhar scored their first Győr goals!
A young Győr team then breezed past third-division Majos in Round 2 of the Magyar Kupa. Beljin (19) bagged an impressive brace before striker Kálmán Hegyi (17) scored his first senior goal from a cross by winger Csaba Katona (16). I wasn’t so impressed with debutant keeper Kovács, who made a mistake that allowed our opponents to score their only shot on target.
Demjén went back in goal when we travelled to Diósgyőr, in the eastern city of Miskolc. It looked like we would face a long, miserable journey back home when we fell behind early, but Barry levelled just before half-time as we drew 1-1.
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2027
We began the second ’round robin’ of league games at Fehérvár. I finally gave Kovács his league debut… but it didn’t go to plan for the young Romanian shotstopper.
Erm… George? Next time, maybe try looking AT the ball!
Luckily, that didn’t cost us too much. The in-form Barry equalised just 15 minutes after Fehérvár’s 11th-minute opener, and Nebo found the net again seven minutes from full-time. Sadly, Cyril was flagged offside, and we had to settle for another 1-1 draw.
But still, there were a few positives to take from that result. For one thing, Jović was finally back from injur…
[Sigh] That’s the THIRD time this season he’s picked up a month-long injury. He hasn’t completed a full 90 minutes for us since we lost at home to Kisvárda on 14 August!
Speaking of Kisvárda, they took the lead twice when we visited the Várkerti Stadion, with Syria forward Ammar Ramadan scoring either side of a Barry penalty. We didn’t panic, though, and after Géringer equalised in the 88th minute, Barry struck again in stoppage time to steal us a dramatic away win!
Despite that, Nebo put in such a poor performance that I fined him half a week’s wages. That wasn’t the first time I’d docked Cyril’s pay this season, but it annoyed him so much that he threatened to leave. As I didn’t want one of our team leaders going rogue and wrecking the squad dynamics, I calmed him down and apologised.
Duly noted, Cyril.
Barry had replaced Nebo as our main goal-getter, but after scoring four times in his last three matches, the Englishman came up dry at home to MTK. We just couldn’t get going at all against the Budapest side, who scored midway through the second half to end our seven-game unbeaten run.
A week later, though, we were back in swing against Puskás Akadémia. The relegation candidates played nothing like their famous namesake, as we opened them up with a couple of killer through-balls to Géringer and Barry. A 2-0 win – nice and simple!
Barry then scored again when we went to Honvéd for my 100th competitive match as Győr manager. Sadly, we couldn’t mark the milestone with another victory, as the club where the great Ferenc Puskás actually made his name fought back to save a 1-1 draw.
Even so, that one point we did pick up was enough to lift us back into 4th as we break up for the winter. At the halfway stage of the season, we are 14 points clear of the bottom two – and just 12 behind leaders Ferencváros.
Is it still too early to turn our focus away from mere survival… and towards maybe even qualifying from Europe?
This story will resume on Friday, when we’ll kick off the second half of the 2027/2028 season and see if Győr can avoid the dreaded winter collapse. In the meantime, Shama is taking some time off to have a richly-deserved meal!
Thanks for reading!
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