Ah, the days when Andy Thorn was just scouter and we hadn't stupidly decided he should be Antrenor principal.
Ah, the days when Andy Thorn was just scouter and we hadn't stupidly decided he should be Antrenor principal.
Played a match in Chile on the same day I played away to Portsmouth. Drew both.
There's also that Scottish League Cup format where it's the standard 3/1/0 but if you draw you go to penalties and the winner gets 2 points instead.
The JPT did that this season too. I didn't like them adding reserve teams last season, but getting rid of draws in favour of penalty wins and losses made me glad we were rubbish and got out of it on purpose this year.
Won a league game 2-0. Told the players "You did well tonight". "Some players have reacted negatively". Ok!
Only September but still...
Final few games and our rivals have been awarded (and scored) 5 penalties in 2 games, I kid you not.
We did it:
It looks close but it took a massive fuckup on our part to make it so. We were 9 points ahead with 6 games to go and we proceeded to only pick 6 points thereafter.
Ridiculously, Ayr had a total of 6 penalties in the last 3 games. Ironically, their 6th penalty was the only one they missed, and it was injury time of the last game that they proceeded to draw.
The whole thing felt sort of unfair as Ayr had a striker that my scouts considered to be "leading Champìonship player", who has been wanting to leave for more than a year and apparently nobody came in for him. He scored 40 goals in the league and 50 in total. They somehow managed to go out on the playoff semis (to the team that held them to a draw in the last game no less).
I don't know if I want to stay in Scotland. This whole "playing 4 times against each team" shenanigans has become a bit tiresome.
The good thing about that is you get to actually know the opposition quite well, which adds to the immersion for me. I've just spent five seasons with FC Halifax and I felt like when I left I really knew the leagues down there.
My winger won player of the year and yet didn't make it in the team of the year.
In the end, summer came, the quality of players that were interested to sign for us didn't go up whatsoever (players that were on loan with us last season even refused to renew their loans), so I just decided to resign and look for a new club. After 15 games in the new season, they have managed to gather a total of 2 points with 7 goals scored so it seems like I made the right choice. I went on holiday for a couple of months and then started applying for jobs. In the end I ended up at:
They got relegated from League 1 last season, and after 18 games find themselves in a dire situation:
But the personnel seems good, so I think I can turn it around. This guy seems to be the cream of the crop:
League:
I'd have taken second going into the season as we were predicted to come 12th (although when we signed Vitulin the preciction went up to 6th) but to come so close The draw with Golden Lion was the end really, we had them in that match but our strikers all played like Danny Welbeck. I genuinely hate Franciscain now too, they're such bastards.
Cups:
The one that I won doesn't really count as it was some 4 team piece of shit but the rest, I'm gutted with. Franciscain are my first real enemies on this version, lost both league games and 2 of the 3 cup games although we barely won that (they led 3-1 but we scored 2 late on, they then missed a penalty in extra time before we found a winner), no matter how good we were playing at the time, we'd take them on and they'd have the beating of us. Such pricks.
For some reason I got no season awards in my mail so here is the squad view of the first team:
Vitulin and Vanitou were the reasons why we were so good, they bossed the midfield and that was vital for us. Strikers wise, they scored a lot but they were the most infuriating dickheads ever. Especially Marin who seemed to have to miss 5 before scoring.
Technically I did win a cup (and it took me to 6th in the Martinique hall of fame) so I'm not leaving empty handed but I do feel that I could have done more. First team I've been at that I almost didn't leave too but I want to start moving up instead of the constant sideways moves.
Here is the team in real life:
Stadium:
It actually looks semi-decent, easily the best so far on my journey.
Key player:
Hot prospect:
Fuck all else in the youth team.
First team stats:
Although I have terminated the loans of 2 players so they're not listed just yet.
Budgets:
Table:
League is on a 2 month break right now so I've got some time to try and bring players in and get them used to my tactics so the situation isn't too bad.
Our first signing (window opens in a few days):
I had lined up another Mexican striker (Pedro Goulart) but the prick rejected me.
I've also signed someone from Club Franiscain to try and fuck them up.
I might or might not have had intimate relations with a girl from that city.
I might or might not have spoken to a camgirl from there.
Pretty good season overall. We easily avoided relegation and although our final position is not flattering, we actually maintained a playoff form during the games I was in charge of. On top of that we also made it to the Useless Cup semis. We definitely need to fix our defense, as we threw an awful lot of points away due to defensive mistakes and lapses in concentration. I believe with a good summer transfer-wise we could be looking at going for a playoff spot next season at the very least.
This lad was far and away our best performer:
His natural position is left winger and that's where he played, which makes the fact that he finished top scorer in the league (a whole 6 goals more than the second) all the more impressive.
Transfers in:
Here are some select players:
I went a bit mental with the forrin lot as you can only play 3 in a game (so it was always the keeper above, one of the African defenders and my Mexican striker), I also didn't spot that it takes 10 years for players to be naturalised. Club will make some nice money though.
League:
So that's the overall thing but because of how the league is run only the closing stage and playoffs mattered for us.
I was hoping I might sneak into the top 8 but we were brilliant.
Somehow we even went through the playoffs, although I was lucky that Aragua beat Caracas as they'd have donned us again.
So due to our performance we entered the champions playoff (us against the winners of the opening stage playoffs) to determine the winners of the league.
It's a stupid as fuck system but we took advantage. Champions despite finishing the opening stage in the relegation zone.
Cup:
So close to winning that as well but Caracas are quality and we couldn't get near them whenever we played them.
Marin was ridiculous, far too good for this league. 27 goals in 34 games with 17 assists was one of the reasons why we were so good.
Also, the keeper finished with a 93% passing completion rate so the price has gone up by £10m for Pep.
Here is my trophy cabinet right now as well:
Reputation has gone up by half a star or so by coming here so I should be in line for some better jobs too and hopefully I wont have my squad hating me for 95% of the time that I am there.
Chitiyo looks way too good for that level as well.
He is.
He was a rock.
Found it hard to leave as I really do like the players there and I think I could have done well in the continental cup.
Are you that committed to "one season per club" then?
It's largely one season but I always do more if I find a club I like.
Had their finances been a bit better (we were losing money at a huge rate each month despite me only using like 50% of the wage budget) I would have stayed. The club was about £300k in debt until we got the competition rewards.
Yeah, fuck that. Never found much enjoyment in managing clubs that are hemorrhaging money left and right no matter what you do.
Might be because I'm in the lower leagues but short crosses seem way off this version. Like the winger is at the edge of the area and he will do a lobbed cross 9 out of 10 times instead of a normal/low cross.
I just got an intriguing offer from a team called 'Disasters' in Guam, mainly due to their name but their club badge is a black hand holding a purple grenade which is also tempting.
Just looked them up though:
https://us.soccerway.com/national/gu...season/r42793/
That is the league they are in. They are in 16th place with 4 points from 8 games a goal difference of fifty fucking eight.
Results have been (all away unless stated): 3-0 loss, 11-0 loss (H), 7-0 loss (H), 1-1 draw, 8-2 loss, 3-0 win, 17-0 loss and 17-0 loss. One team in the league has scored 59 goals in 6 games. I can't think of any other league as mental as that, the top 4 or 5 teams must be professionals with the other teams fielding postmen.
The league is normal on FM which is a shame because if it was like reality I'd have jumped at the chance to try and turn them into a powerhouse.
I'm used to those funny names in leagues like that, but I don't think anything can top Beercelona.
And I have my new job:
Here is the first team squad:
Our key player:
Who I will retrain as a striker.
Hot prospect:
Stadium:
Budgets:
Table:
I'm going to stay with the club for a full season too as this season only has 6 games remaining.
Seems like a cracking little club Mahow. Decent youth facilities too.
They've got money (£1.6m) too.
I might even stay until I win the North American Champions League.
Offered the Italy job, realised every single player was a regen and got the urge to ditch the game and start again in the present day. Not sure who to start with this time
For my next game I have 4 players injured and 3 away on international duty. All of them midfielders.
@wullie: I've always been a fan of Journeyman games, although I understand it's not for everyone. Other than that, you could start with someone really low (custom leagues).
Edit: I guess both these options mean you'll end up in seasons where regens dominate though, so I guess you're back to square one.
I'm ok with regens if they've come through for a team I've played as throughout as they don't feel like a big pile of made-up names as much, but the further I get in to a game the less the idea of moving clubs appeals.
Then you can probably just grab some custom leagues that go way down the league structure in a country, pick a club and try and go all the way up?
Yeah. Take St Helens Town from tier ten to Premier League and Chanpions League glory.
I did get Nuneaton Town up to the Championship once, might go super local and pick Cov Sphinx who play two streets away from me. They've got the glamour covered too, one of their players also does those Ex On The Beach bullshit programmes on TV.
The problem with those is that every season is piss easy until you hit League Two.
I've taken Hitchin to Champions League glory on an old game which wasn't too bad as it they were level 7.
Tried it with a level 21 or 22 and only lasted 2 or 3 seasons as it was awful.
I'd personally not go any lower than 8 unless the club means something to you.
I've gone completely unoriginal and started a Roma game like I always do after Cov. Next Ajax, then just frit around with games I give up on until FM 19.
Quick end of season update:
Closing stage standings:
Closing stage final:
I'm so pissed off, we missed so many chances in those two legs. Also their second goal in the second leg was such a cock. My keeper saved the penalty, saved a rebound but then they put the second rebound in.
Promising signs for next season though. £2m in the bank and I've already secured some cheap but promising youth for when the window opens. I've also had one of my forrins get naturalised so I only have 2 first team foreigners but can use 4.
As a teaser, I will say that the cheap youth (4 of them for a combined £26k) are all 4* gold with the 5th star black potentials.
I'm playing the Man City U23s on the Checkatrade thingy, and their starting 11 includes Sergio Ramos, Van Ginkel, Sane and Aguero (who's even carrying an injury).
Ask to become a feeder club for a higher division team.
Loans are your friend.
Even without a parent club, it's easy to secure high quality players on a loan for free really.
I want to win league titles. I need assurances that we will win the league.
We can do it this season
Not soon enough, sell me.
Why bother telling me what you want if nothing will help?
I've made a BEAST team of youngsters. They were all out on loan last season, going to keep them at home and see what they can do in the u23 League this season before hopefully promoting a few the season after.
Developing youngsters
Oh I also put in a cheeky enquiry for Ousmane Dembele since he was one of the only players I could find who might realistically improve the team, even if Martins had been extremely good (also I get bored and have to buy someone).
They rejected it, he got in a strop, got him for £90m and sold Martins for the same.
I need a Honduran WBR so I've put my scouts on it.
37 rating is the highest so far ffs.
I've already bought one foreign wing back, I really don't want to have to buy another.