I just remember it as the two games where you could break the engine with 1930's tactics. :D I think I took Newcastle to a Champions League win in my first season. Hugo Viana scoring about 50 in a five man attack.
Printable View
I just remember it as the two games where you could break the engine with 1930's tactics. :D I think I took Newcastle to a Champions League win in my first season. Hugo Viana scoring about 50 in a five man attack.
Was 03/04 the one that was a complete write off, and they knew it, so instead of starting over they just released it and were done with it?
Yev, how did that Russian lad develop? The Belgian full-back always looked like he'd be a star, but I had high hopes for the Russian wing-back too.
I cannot get that CM01/02 to install on my laptop at all. @Baz did it just work for you or did you have to do anything different?
This has been great reading as an observer.
I’ve had one FM game of note on FM09 I think with arsenal which lasted decades, never had the motivation to manage a rise from the depths. Must be brutal in these new versions.
Might dig out fm09 next week when I’m on leave and see if can run it on my beat up MacBook Pro.
https://i.postimg.cc/MKm280Lh/Winger.jpg
He's now in the first team squad (with limited opportunities) having been out on loan for the last two seasons at Shrewsbury. Not great yet but still promising. I'm still re-training him as a winger on the back of your shout that sounded like a great one.
The money in the Premier League is so nuts that we don't really need it, as much as it would soften the blow. Finishing top 5 is more than £130m alone in tv and prize money. I would like to get £1bn in the bank at some point though. Never done that in a save before.
Wrexham FC - 2035/36 Mid-Season Review
(I decided to just stick at it until the next version)
Arsenal top the division and seem pretty darn solid at the moment, I'm sure they'll drop points but as to whether ourselves or Liverpool will capitalise is another thing. Man City's season being a bit of an odd one too. Draw specialists.
https://i.imgur.com/QhAbbMq.png
Erling Haaland is still going strong for Liverpool and has now scored 537 times in his time at the club (£95M back in 2022). We do however have our own in both Craig Cummings and Alec Blake who is now for sure going to eclipse whatever Cummings has done. Even internationally he's making waves. Cummings has 35 goals in 73 games for Wales, Blake now has 23 in 35 for the national team. Liverpool and Chelsea linked with him repeatedly, Liverpool also pissing me off sending TAA and Haaland out to the press in a bit to steal Brett Parker. Parker himself has found his position up front removed and he's now stuck out on the wing.
https://i.imgur.com/HsFvYYT.png
Nice to see Peter Blackwell doing well for West Ham. He's now vice captain and has scored more for the London club in three years than he did for us in ten.
Domestically we might just take the EFL Cup again and I'll be a little miffed if we don't given how the quarter finals went.
https://i.imgur.com/E45fz6U.png
Brentford and 'Boro are both Championship teams but then Newcastle (along with Arsenal and Everton) are one of the three teams to have defeated us thus far so we'll see. Confident though.
In Europe we were the groups second seeds, Rangers the first but it was no surprise we qualified given the strength of those involved. We've drawn Dortmund in the knock out round so we'll see if we can make amends for last seasons final defeat.
https://i.imgur.com/d9cnEBC.png
We've sent over thirty youngsters out on loan this season and we've left ourselves short at times so if the injuries start rolling in then we may be up shit street but thus far the lads are doing grand.
The Run Down.
The six players signed weren't actually signed, I simply missed the youth intake so I had to sign them up but otherwise, not a single one.
https://i.imgur.com/0pMvLjg.png
League
https://i.imgur.com/Vm1RrKC.png
EFL Cup
https://i.imgur.com/Fk3pG6c.png
FA Cup
https://i.imgur.com/loQcXfS.png
Community Shield
https://i.imgur.com/f1G1rhi.png
EFL Trophy
https://i.imgur.com/YEtV94x.png
Europa Conference League
https://i.imgur.com/LrVfLRF.png
Europa League
https://i.imgur.com/AQd7GWV.png
Champions League
https://i.imgur.com/IrDbarH.png
Super Cup
https://i.imgur.com/7Gt4NrY.png
International Champions Cup
https://i.imgur.com/YZswsp9.png
Facilities -
We're at Anfield whilst The Racecourse gets revamped but a steady improvement in the size of the ground. I would like to outright buy it at some point.
https://i.imgur.com/vBIg5nZ.png
Finances
https://i.imgur.com/akJRzu0.png
https://i.imgur.com/cPNjmVm.png
https://i.imgur.com/lpBY3Tw.png
Club Info
https://i.imgur.com/CGo4umF.png
https://i.imgur.com/oZndzje.png
https://i.imgur.com/0CSfsOM.png
So, we're at the halfway point of the season, so I figured it's time for an update. First a few of our signings:
https://i.gyazo.com/0ae0f421883e918d...34c2264eab.png
Our scouts brought this guy to my attention, and, with him being available for 15.5m (half of which will be spread over the next few years), I just couldn't say no. What this means, however, is that "operation make Bartos play at yet another position" is still a go. Ramirez will slot in on the left, with Bartos playing behind the striker. He started last season there due to injuries and he did pretty well so it's not completely new for him, but still, this guy could have gone on to have a great career if he hadn't agree to play for a mental manager like me.
https://i.gyazo.com/6a804fef715e25e6...1d3d39f1dc.png
Speaking of left wingers, I also brought this guy in for just over 7m. He's not anything special, but comes with heaps of potential and is at a similar level as Markovic, who we offloaded for 25m, so I'll take that deal any day of the week.
https://i.gyazo.com/53f03372d6e928d5...3e461e0183.png
Yet another left-back who holds an English passport. This guy found himself on the transfer list at City, so we came in and scooped him up for a fairly pricey 22m. Still, he is an improvement over our previous starter and we managed to offload our previous backup for 10m so not that big an expense all things considered.
https://i.gyazo.com/538501f1be51a166...d04be1f77f.png
Finally, this guy joined us for 9m, to add some depth in the centre of the defence, since Stankovic was stagnating and we ended up selling him for 14m.
And now on to the action:
https://i.gyazo.com/bbea296a8cd762a9...613244cacc.png
Much like Yev's Oxford (City), we've put ourselves at a good position to challenge for a Champions League spot. We are essentially 7 points ahead of our competition, as, whatever steroids Sheff Wed are on, I expect won't last long. We've been quite good in terms of performances with some high profile wins with a 6-3 home win against City and a 4-2 win at Anfield being the highlights. At the same time, we've had some very disappointing performances at home, with draws against Swansea, West Brom and Bristol City, the latter coming with a 96th minute equaliser in our last game. We suffered the same fate at Fulham as they equalised in the 94th minute. We play a high tempo/pressing system so generally the players are spent towards the end of the games, but it's still infuriating to concede at the very end, especially since they typically come from the "over the top" balls that have been prevalent in the last few versions of the game. On that matter, I have to say I am starting to reminisce over the "superkeeping" days of old. With that rant over, I am not holding my hopes too high in terms of us finishing in the top 4, as we are notorious for our weak runs late in the season, but at least this time around, we have a more reasonable schedule ahead, having 6 of the top 10 (well 9 if you exclude us) teams at home.
As for Europe, the group was a cakewalk once again:
https://i.gyazo.com/7be8d8ee6ff39b50...0c30cfbc7a.png
We conceded 4 goals from 5 shots on target (and a combined 0.63 xG) in those two away games, which was infuriating to watch, but I guess, in the end, a win is a win. City and Chelsea are still in the competition so it'll be a tough ask for us, however we won't be meeting them until the quarters so that is the minimum I expect from us.
In terms of players, Diaz has been his usual self with 23 goals in equal games, 19 of which in the league. Bartos has had troubles continuing from where he left off last season, but that was to be expected since he moved to a new position. Still him, Reyes and Ramirez have contributed a total of 20 goals and 18 assists between them so I am quite happy.
There was talk of a tycoon taking over the club in October, but thankfully it did not come to fruition. Still, we are amidst a takeover from a consortium at the moment, which I hope resolves itself soon enough as we're nearing January and the transfer of a goalkeeper I had lined up fell through due to the embargo.
I too would hate it if a Tycoon took over. Would completely ruin the whole save really.
I'd be ok(-ish) with it a few seasons later, after we've won the league once or twice, but it'd definitely leave me with a sour taste if it happened now.
We of course lost the aforementioned goalkeeper to Chelsea who snapped him up while we were under the transfer embargo. And of course he chose to go there as a backup over first-team status with us (and more money). :moop:
On a different note, an English cup has the Champions League 10 times out of the 15 seasons in my save, with a ridiculous 7 different clubs in that list (City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Southampton and Everton).
A tough run of games.
https://i.postimg.cc/brmMwpQt/League.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/tRdnm75T/Table.jpg
Grrr.
And this is both awesome and annoying.
https://i.postimg.cc/SND2k5Hb/Europa-League.jpg
They were a total pushover when we met them last season, with 5-1 wins in both games, albeit in the group stage.
Look at the state of this filth at Inter, Ronaldo mk.2:
https://i.gyazo.com/ba310017838ce3c5...0fa9bb6260.png
Jesus, he is immense.
Only 19 for Determination though, that just ain't gonna cut it I'm afraid.
He's bonkers.
I'm at Barca after they came knocking, tempted to just spunk every penny I have on him, not that I need a striker. I currently have Rashford :henn0rz:
1-0 win (3-2) on agg against Milan and we're in the Quarter-Finals.
https://i.postimg.cc/Tw6PXMqx/PSG.jpg
PSG in the semi's should we make it.
Was dead easy. And the .68 patch. I already had the nocd crack too cos I’m weird so all straight forward. But gamecopyworld will have it, if it still exists.
Does the Setup just do nothing? Cos @Mike had that problem and clicking a button in Task Manager sorted it. He sent me this: https://imgur.com/a/b9gWTs7
I had tried that too and it ended up working in some XP comparability thing.
:drool: We have a 100% recod against PSG.
Played 1. Won 1. :D Good luck, Yev.
I'll be needing some myself.
https://i.imgur.com/boRjQVP.png
Arsenal have Chelsea, Everton and Sheff United left. We have West Ham and Tottenham.
Yeah that seems a bit tough. Best case scenario needs Arsenal to drop 4 points.
First leg down.
https://i.postimg.cc/gjRQbjdc/Europa-League.jpg
My semis last season were us, Lazio, Leeds and Arsenal. Yours seem bonkers in comparison.
Gutted.
https://i.postimg.cc/mgMY39jg/Europa-League.jpg
I knew after about 20 minutes that we were bound to lose on away goals.
And here's the league table.
https://i.postimg.cc/kMpKksh5/Table.jpg
Assuming the favourites win their ties our run is Real Sociedad>Porto>City>Chelsea, so I figure best case scenario is the semis for us as we don't have the squad for all those big games.
They need to do something with chance conversion at some point. Sure it should happen here and there, but it definitely happens way too often in FM.
Wrexham Football Club - 2035/2036
League
Arsenal retained the title, the eight point gap too much to bridge in the end which is sad as we won 10 out of our final 12 league games, the four points we dropped against Sheffield United (home) and Chelsea (away) sticking out in the final run in. We did however claim our highest points tally in the top flight, two more than when we won it ourselves in 2033/34. Defensively we made huge improvements this season compared to the previous lot and conceded under 30 league goals, the last time we did that was the season we rinsed League One ten years ago.
Alec Blake took the golden boot with 29 league games but he also took the piss too winning the English Footballer of the Year, Players Player of the Year, Players Young Player of the Year and the Supporters Player of the Year award. Not bad!
Here's hoping he smashes the Euro's in the summer as Wales have to be one of the favourites.
https://i.imgur.com/JjThlzm.png
EFL Cup
The big boys all going out in the quarter finals opened up our route to the final and it would have been criminal had we not won the entire thing from that point. Thankfully we did, the youngsters doing us well in the semi finals, the final being so one sided it wasn't worth playing. Newcastle outspent the entire division last season but found themselves relegated on the last day. Since Bruce left, Vincent Kompany, Nuno Santo, Filippo Inzaghi, Luis Freire and for the last two months, Arne Slot. :D Either way, they are gone and we claimed our third EFL Cup. We've reached the final four times in nine seasons but you know, EFL init.
https://i.imgur.com/x6lcK0N.png
FA Cup
Beating Liverpool, Everton and Man United to claim our first ever FA Cup was nice, clubs with a bit of history about them throughout the run. Blake being Blake but the FA Cup was mostly about Blessing who tbh is overpaid, rated highly but not entirely sure what he even brings to my team except he's influential so I have to be delicate with the little flower.
https://i.imgur.com/P9CwRwa.png
The success gained a small measure of revenge after last seasons Champions League final loss, an experience Man United themselves felt only days ago as Arsenal beat them on penalties. No Champions League next season for either Manchester club.
Talking of....
Champions League
https://i.imgur.com/6yhZbSv.png
F'kin Arsenal. :moop: Our group was straight forward, the victories over Dortmund much the same but Solomon Benjamin's 70"minute strike for The Gunners dumped us out on away goals. Gutting but they then went on to win it so not so shameful losing to the eventual champions, right? Right?!
Next season is going to be of change. We deliberately loaned most the youngsters out this time round and those who won't make the grade will be sold in the summer. I really want to add a few of the many awesome looking players around but I've got this far so we might as well keep it as YDWAWK, which of course you can as we've done it.
Next I will start from the very beginning.
The Class of 2021.
It's so tough maintaining a challenge on all fronts.
Final table.
https://i.postimg.cc/cLRWnsK8/Table.jpg
9 points more than last year but 5th again. Not bad, not great.
It's heavier rotation that's needed and I doubt either of our squads can afford it. Sure I'll field the second string in the cups and pointless European games, and I have decent faith in my backups to fill in for injuries and the likes but I will always pick my strongest XI when possible in the league and it ends up costing in the long term.
I think given how easy the Europa League groups have been for me and you, the play is to definitely rest players even in away games and the likes. Also completely write the cups off, until Champions League is a guarantee.
Igor came, saw and conquered in Liberia.
One season, one domestic title.
Liberian press did ask "Do you consider your title legitimate after you ragequit the game after losing your penultimate game of the season 3-2 after leading 2-0?", but he made the very valid argument that it wouldn't have happened in the first place if he hadn't been 2 bottles of cheap red wine down and being a bit ZANY with the tactics. Canon or not, you can decide. Either way, this is where Igor stands after his 4th year in West Africa:
https://i.ibb.co/q7K0nBz/career1.png
https://i.ibb.co/k5nZ4C2/career2.png
Currently waiting to hear back from the team in Guinea-Bissau he's applied to be manager of.
The Thursday-Sunday rotation is horrible to maintain. Once the domestic cups come into it your team tires our real quick unless you have amazing depth.
Get over to West Africa mate, half the leagues last about 20 games. I think it will be incredibly difficult to stomach the 60 game seasons in long-term English saves after this. The triple punch of pre-season staff and transfer fuckery, early international break and league cup 1st round makes me feel ill.
Also becomes easier when you start building your UEFA coefficient, meaning easier groups, so more opportunities to rest players. Sadly after one season you will still be seeded 3rd, but after two we'll probably get bumped up to 2nd.
Until then, just sacrifice the cups, as well as some of the group games.
Best 11 after 20 years at City.
https://i.postimg.cc/zfXH32dK/Best-11.jpg
Just had a player sent off for being the last man and a penalty be awarded. Someone should inform SI of how the rules work nowadays.
https://i.imgur.com/St8gXjR.png
He needs to fuck off.
Thursday-Sunday is one thing, this is another:
https://i.gyazo.com/ca9e3fa68bec8e18...b1c34482b4.png
Been happening in FM ever since I can remember. Last 4 are all league games.
Indeed. The stuff nightmares are made of.
The Class of 2021.
In the summer of 2020, Wrexham FC announced it would rely on its brand spanking new youth academy, courtesy of new chairman, Hollywood movie start, Ryan Reynolds. It was a sure fire success, a box office hit so to speak. Here is the first intake.
https://i.imgur.com/iwcCcvP.png
Skimming's was our number one goalkeeper back in 2023/24 before eventually being displaced midway through the following season. He stayed at the club for 13 years before a loan move to League Two Crawley encouraged QPR to take a punt. £160K and no starts over two years suggests he made a poor decision. Just 91 career starts in fifteen years...he's stole a living, really.
https://i.imgur.com/h00wRtK.png
After ten years at the club, Osian made a £30M move to German club Hertha Berlin in 2029, two seasons in the Bundesliga was followed by a £41M move to Inter Milan which saw him win the Serie A title and was a star performer in the European Championships as Wales conquered all. Chelsea brought him back to the Premier League last season and he's now their regular in either full back position.
https://i.imgur.com/0LwbIuX.png
We lost Sam to Southampton back in 2022 as the board deemed the £5.5M bid to be too good to refuse. With the exception of a loan move to Bristol, the midfielder didn't really set the world alight on the coast but the Saints still profited when selling him to Marseille in 2031 for £22.5M. Another European Championship winner with Wales although his only other honour is the Coupe de France which he claimed four years ago now.
https://i.imgur.com/1OEI5oL.png
Glyn left Norwich and if I'm not mistaken, maximised all the add ons so the eventual fee was £16M. He adjusted to the Premier League pretty swiftly scoring eight times before sealing a £46M move to German champions, Bayern. Five seasons in Munich were followed by five in Dortmund where he remains. We bumped into one another only a few months ago as we dumped his club out of the Champions League. He has won three league titles to his name now, two with Bayern and Dortmund's 2033 success. 108 caps to date.
https://i.imgur.com/VjTVfSr.png
Neil leaving was one of the saddest moments of the save but I couldn't deny him the move after being a loyal servant. He had long been a first team regular but the 2032 season saw his spot under threat, he asked to leave, seeking a new challenge, that challenge arrived in the form of a £27.5M move to Augsburg, a record signing for them. He also broke the clubs record for most assists in a season which was a surprise as he's added goals to his game too. Two time Carabao Cup winner and last year he scored his first goal for Wales although in fairness, he's only really been part of the Welsh team since moving away from us.
https://i.imgur.com/LIAIGwt.png
Elfyn had long been the clubs record holder for most assists (Alec Blake actually took that record this year) but we lost him before we got promoted to the Championship as he joined Sheffield United for an eventual fee of £11.75M. Seven years in Sheffield before moving to Hertha where he stayed for a solitary season before joining RB Leipzig for a touch over £20M. He probably could have gone much further in the game than he has done.
https://i.imgur.com/yZWEQCC.png
Leeds stole him but it was to be expected when teams stuck in decent figures at that point. He stayed at Elland Road for just one year before Southampton raided the club. Southampton yoyo'd like a modern day WBA throughout his time at the club before sealing a move to Villa. It didn't work out in the Midlands so they loaned him to Benfica who made the loan move permanent the following year. Another part of the Welsh 2032 Euro winners squad but he's won very little in terms of honours.
https://i.imgur.com/WQLvzHG.png
The surname caught me straight away. Could you get a son in season one of the main game? Well, I don't know the answer even now but he wasn't related anyway and it is just as well given he left the club to join Everton although ultimately he played more for Derby in his two loan spells than he ever did for his parent club. He did finally break into the first team before Tottenham splashed nearly £20M on him. Tottenham have been a nothing club on this save, a move to Bournemouth followed after three unproductive seasons in London but even that move failed to offer much. Now at RB Leipzig and another who didn't really develop as anticipated.
https://i.imgur.com/RQtETk5.png
Jared retired young but he can at least say he 'made it'.
https://i.imgur.com/NbNZABq.png
Another who 'made it'. He never actually made a first team appearance for Wrexham, a loan spell to my home town club is the extent of it. He moved to Newtown after we released him in 2028 but surprisingly he went on to have a relatively decent career with them although the last two have seen his playing time cut drastically. I bet he cherishes the 2023 U18 Youth Alliance Cup that he won...his sole honour in the game.
https://i.imgur.com/k9zx8Kz.png
We had high hopes for Paul but like a few from the first intake, money spoke eventually and given our standing in the game at the time, it was no surprise our club owners snatched their hands off. In this instance the end fee was £8.75M from the Saints who as mentioned above, became something of a yoyo club. He moved to Burnley for £21M in 2030 but made just four starts before leaving for Germany. Eintracht Frankfurt first for £7.25, his two year spell there being enough for Hertha to throw £16.5M at him. Last season was a career best in terms of goals but I still think he could have gone further once upon a time. Six caps is just shit. That being said, he won the FA Cup in 2025, some eleven years before we managed to.
All the above is purely for myself but hope you enjoy chaps. It's only by writing it that I have discovered no one remains at the club from the first intake. Sad times but careers were made.
Even worse when the first of those matches is this:
https://i.gyazo.com/5cc51450205b1ef5...1d33472751.png
Like, come on. It's why I am thinking I need a better keeper. His average rating is fine and he does have some games where's bossing it, but I have too many games looking like the above.
What's Bugarin up to now @Yevrah ?
That xG. :oof:
Four games in a week is a bit rough too tbf.
Question chaps. What do we do with Blessing Mhlanga? I just don't feel I am getting enough out of him and can't for the life of me understand why he's a leading Premier League player, to date still uncapped and the cheeky git asked for a new contract last season seeking over £400K a week. Naturally I said a big FU to that but still....I just don't know what to do with him.
https://i.imgur.com/Py7M20W.png
https://i.imgur.com/EbXZ6xN.png
I look at someone like Ben Hughes who has lit the torch on loan at Nice as someone to replace him but before a hasty sale, I just wondering if there is something I am missing with Blessing. Where should he be playing?
(Ben >)
https://i.imgur.com/0WlPfBL.png