Falling in Love with FM again [Player Naming]

Hi All

i dont know about anyone else but i seem to have phases of playing on FM all the time to having cooling off periods were i dont play on it for about a month. This happened to me recently where i hadnt played on it for quite a while and then this happened.

Having read alot of posts on here about starting unemployed i decided to give it a bash. I have always started with teams in the Premier League or teams with a big reputation outside the top division (Leeds, Birmingham etc).

So i started unemployed and after rejecting jobs from the BSN division i got offered the Gillingham job. They were in a relegation fight and had sacked their manager. I accepted and spent the final 10 games of the season trying to save their bacon, which i did by 4 points which was pleasing. In the close season i was planning to rebuild the team and try to push them on. Then out of nowhere West Ham come in with a job offer having sacked Zola for getting them relegated.

I accepted and had the easy task of getting West Ham promoted from the Championship. The Hammers where without most of the players they have today as all had been sold before i accpeted the job. They still had key players such as Noble and Green. I finished 2nd, a long way ahead of a 3rd place Preston and 10 points behind Hull who won the league. I made a few key aquisitions in Bernard Mendy, Steven Fletcher, Giles Barnes, Joe Mattock and Razvan Rat. I finished the season in the Championship with a sense of achieving without having to push my tactical knowledge to the edge.

I knew the Premier League would be a different kettle of fish and i was given a measly £950k to spend. I didnt sign anyone in particular, i concentrated most of my efforts on securing the future of the key players i mentioned earlier. The board said they wanted me to at least avoid relegation and i agreed. The season was a mixed bag with long runs going unbeaten and then long runs of being beaten every week. I did eventually finish the season 15th which i was pleased with but things were about to take a turn for the worse. West Ham were taken over and i was sacked in the close season.

I was gutted as i had worked really hard with all the tweeks that needed doing behind the scenes and i thought i had started building a good squad. So i looked for a job and having being offered jobs at Pompey and Newcastle (both still in Prem) i was hit with the bombshell of a job offer from Man Utd. I thought this would be too good to believe and i expected them to be in a financial mess or without most of the stars we see in their squad today. Neither was true and the only reason Fergie had left was due to retirement. He finished 2nd in his last season and he had managed to keep all of the good players along with acquiring some little gems. My squad when i took over looked like this:

GK's - Foster and Zeiler.

Defenders - Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Gibson, O'Shea, Brown, Evans.

Midfielders - Carrick, Fletcher, Possebon, Anderson

Wingers - Ronaldo, Mattias Fernandez, Park, Downing.

Strikers - Rooney, Tevez, Forlan, Berbatov, Campbell.

I snapped up Frank Ribery and Jon Obi Mikel on free transfers and also signed Sergio Asenjo for £10 million and Obafemi Martins for £1.5 million. I have played 5 friendlies and won all of them. I was beaten 5-4 in the Community Shield against Arsenal but i wont get to down in the dumps as i am hoping for a big season.

If anyone is thinking about starting a game unemployed and have not done it before i seriously recommend you do. this is the most fun i have had out of a game on FM09 and i cannot wait to get home from work to get playing!

(Apologies if this is in the wrong place)

Im shocked you got sacked after a takeover, its a bit harsh doing it in close season and not having any results for them to base their decision on!

im guessing you had your previous experience on international footballer?

I'm guessing you started with a previous experience higher than Sunday League Footballer, judging on the job offer you recieved from Gillingham when you were unemployed?

It's a nice story though and congrats on your rise through the leagues

Yes my previous experience was on international footballer, i cant see any problem with that. i didnt claim to have put it on Sunday League Footballer and i am proud of my achievements within the game.

Woah woah woah! Nobody is giving you stick dude, I was just curious to what experience you started with that's all.

Sorry - double post!

There is no way you would have landed those jobs without your previous experience on International Footballer, you probably wouldn't have got a club above conference level to begin with.

But you have done great with the clubs you have taken on.

Even starting as an International Footballer... Getting the Man U job fter 3-4 seasons is pretty impressive. Good job!

i realised that the international footballer past experience would give me a better job than sunday league footballer when i started this save. i wanted to start my way from the bottom (i.e unemployed) and try to make it to one of the big teams in england. i didnt expect to get the West Ham or Gillingham jobs but because both were in trouble i figured they wanted a new manager. i was expecting to be in the lower divisions for a few more years yet to learn my trade but when West Ham offered me the job i took it. like i said in the opening post, i expected to be there for years and only when i had once again established them as a solid Prem team would i then think about moving. but the bloke from America took over and i simply went on holiday but applied for all jobs in top division. thats when the united job came up and i am hoping to bring a couple more defenders in before the transfer window closes.

I find that you have to put your rep a couple of levels up from what you really want because rep doesn't increase fast enough.

I find that you have to put your rep a couple of levels up from what you really want because rep doesn't increase fast enough.

i would say that is a fair statement.

My story is almost identically to yours!. Started unemployed , Ferguson's son is doing too well at Peterborough , my first job! I finish off 3rd, loosing in the play off final. West Ham then contact my agent, and before i know it im a Hammer after they got relegated. I dominate the Championship finishing with 107 points, all down to the signing of Marquinhos in the championship!! Im now 7th in the Premier League with a really good squad, and the manager of Norway. Im back in love with the game!

My story is almost identically to yours!. Started unemployed , Ferguson's son is doing too well at Peterborough , my first job! I finish off 3rd, loosing in the play off final. West Ham then contact my agent, and before i know it im a Hammer after they got relegated. I dominate the Championship finishing with 107 points, all down to the signing of Marquinhos in the championship!! Im now 7th in the Premier League with a really good squad, and the manager of Norway. Im back in love with the game!

Hi Dan

Sounds good. If the board had not been so bad with me i would have enjoyed staying at West Ham. My squad was set up to push on this season and looking at the league now an Man Utd manager i can see they are 10th. I dont know whether thats down to skill of the current manager or the team i left (i would like to think the later is correct)!

im currently trying to do the same with Wrexham with a tycoon takeover which has helped massively no doubt i am currently starting in the championship and my rep is now national, Started Sunday League Footballer and had Fulham come in with an offer for my serices which could of set me on my way to building my rep as they were struggling in relegation while id ust won l1 but decided to stick with Wrexham and see how fr i get. Hopefuly one day il become United manager

Had an FM session last night and i am doing OK at the minute. beat Liverpool 2-0 away in the league and i am sitting 2nd after 10 games behind Arsenal. Dissapointingly i have been knocked out of the league cup by Fulham having fielded a weakended side and i have drawn far too many games.

Hoping for a trophy this season and that should avoid me getting the sack.

WOW, I might start a new save like that! Good post!

I can never seem to get into an unemployed save, but fair play to you...

Hi Guys, just a quick update on my Man Utd save.

I am now coming to the end of the January transfer window in my first season as Man Utd manager. I have made a couple of signings in the window but they are 3 kids I have picked up and I immediately sent them out to my affiliated clubs. The do look promising and 2 scouts said they looked like quality prospects.

I was struggling with what tactic to use and I decided on a 4-1-3-2. My team currently looks like this:

GK – Asenjo

RB – Simpson

LB – Evans (Evra has had some shocking games in recent weeks so he has been dropped)

CB – Ferdinand

CB – Vidic

DCM – Fletcher

AML – Mattias Fernandes

AMR – Dos Santos

ACM - Rooney

ST – Tevez

ST – Berbatov (He is having a brilliant season scoring some crucial goals)

I am currently on a 12 game unbeaten run but its not as good as it sounds. I am currently sitting in 3rd place behind Man City and Arsenal with too many draws being the reason for my position. I have had some good results against the big teams and I even managed to beat the immortal Arsenal in my last game away at the Emirates but I just can’t find that killer touch away against the smaller teams.

I have suffered with some crucial injuries with Ronaldo, Obi Mikel, Tevez and Carrick all suffering injuries which had them out for 4 months plus.

I am hoping to pick up a trophy this season in either the Champions League or the FA Cup as I can’t see me pulling back a 6 point deficit on the front 2.

I had a really big fm session over the weekend and managed to finish my first season as Man Utd manager. I finished 2nd behind Man City and Arsenal and around 10 points clear of 4th.

I was knocked out of the Champions League in the first knockout stage by Valencia who i beat at home 2-1 in the first leg but they beat me 3-1 in the second leg. I mananged to get to the final of the FA Cup and was playing against Liverpool. I pulled the game back to all square having conceded 3 goals in the first half. An attacking formation allowed me back in the game but in extra time disaster struck. Ferdinand fouled David Ngog in the area and Gerrard dispatched the penalty. Torres went on to score another and i lost the game 5-3.

I have just finished all my friendlies of the new season which all went by without incident and i have brought in some good young players. I was in to buy Sneijder and Gago from Madrid but both decided to go else where. The big money signings seem to be turning me down but i think my squad is strong enough to get to at least January still in touch with the top.

I noticed through the summer that Capello had left his post as England manager so i decided to apply. Didnt think i would get it for a second but i have accepted the post and i am looking forward to trying to get them to the 2014 World Cup.

good luck with it pal. interesting thing to try. i've never started off unemployed, but may look into in future as i have been unable to find a challenge that holds somethimg for me

good luck with it pal. interesting thing to try. i've never started off unemployed, but may look into in future as i have been unable to find a challenge that holds somethimg for me

i would defo recommend it. i was the same, couldnt get into any saves and found myself getting bored really easily. then i tried it and i am really enjoying it.