Norway/Youth team

Hi there,

Just getting back into FM after 6 months of inactivity and I thought I’d go a different route and take on Viking Stavanger in Norway. They used to be quite a big side and probably still are in Norway.

Anyway, a couple of questions-:

1) Does anyone have any experience of managing in Scandinavia or Norway more specifically. I see they only play 24 league games a season so I’m guessing finances are tight due to lack of income.

2) Partly due to the latter point, think I’m going to be doing some raiding of young (15/16/17yo) talent to put in my youth team. I’ve found the handy £0 + 10% trick, although it doesn’t always work as I paid £500k for one of Norway’s most exciting talents. Does anyone have any advice for building up a formidable youth team?

3) Anyone know where I could get a patch with all the Norway clubs logos etc. as it’s a bit bland at the moment?

Cheers,

PM

I've managed in Norway alot on FM08 mostly starting in the Second Divisjon and working my way up. It's a great league system to manage in and I've had decent success and great enjoyment with non-league club Randaberg (only a stones throw away from Viking).

Finances aren't as tight as you'd think, as long as you keep within your budgets you'll be ok. When you are competing in Europe aswel, then that's where you can build up some good funds.

One problem with managing in a smaller nation of course is it's hard to keep hold of you better players.

As for graphics? Sortitoutsi, FMNorge and FMGLive are your best bet.

Thanks a lot - will have a look for the logos.

Any thoughts on the youth team strategy? Is buying in very young players the best bet?

Just use your scouts and set them to search for players under a certain age - it's what I always do.

I managed Viking back in CM03/04 and really enjoyed it, but I've only dabbled in Norway since and not really played a proper game. TV money was decent in the Norwegian Premier League back in CM03/04 so finances were not too bad - obviously you have to bear in mind the quality of the league so you can't spend huge sums on players anyway generally.

I'm currently in Norway and I will advise you that there is no youth league, so if you want your youngsters to play matches you'll have to arrange friendlies.

As for buying young players, I'd recommend it. I'm Tromso manager and have just completed 2 years at the club. I'd say the club has £6m more in the bank than when I arrived and part of the reason for that is because I've signed some good youngsters and sold them on at a profit. I'd say that stretegy works in pretty much any country on the game though. Of course those young players could also make your first team, but most of the time I end up selling them on as I get a good offer and would rather take the money than give them first team experience.

Thanks for the advice.

Was hoping to do 4 or 5 years at Viking, with an aim to competing in CL and then move to another (bigger) country. Thought it would make a change from always running Blyth or Kettering!

I've found that buying 14/15/16yos for nothing is generally a pretty solid strategy as at least a couple will develop into quality players with a good training regime.

Any other general youth team tips? Have noticed a lot of advice not to train them too intensively?

If you are only planning to stay for 4 or 5 years you aren't going to get many benefits from signing 14 or 15 year olds are you?

Maybe - although I could always just go on a raid in my new job!!

norway won the 2010 world cup beating spain 2-1 in my game