Should/would I be better on the continent?

Sorry if there's a specific place for this, but I had a look around and couldn't find anything...

I'm a Spurs fan and manage them nine times out of ten, but always end up getting sacked in or at the end of my second season in charge. I always go for UEFA Cup place through the league position, and usually I'm lucky to finish 7th. On occasion I finish 4th but this usually only happens after I sign Darijo Srna, and I can't always afford him when I have more urgent problems i.e. left-back.

The thing is, I always seem to do really well in the UEFA Cup, either winning it or going on a solid run until coming up against CL drop-outs, which got me wondering if maybe I'd be more suited to a team on the continent (preferably a side in Spain). I usually play 4-4-2 with wingers, but I'd prefer to be playing 4-2-3-1 with wingers and an AMC (with Spurs, it'd probably work out with Bentley AMR, Modric AMC and a new signing at AML).

Am I right in thinking I'd be better in Spain/Italy or is this me jumping to a rubbish conclusion?

Jumping to a rubbish conclusion. Keep at it. I'm not sure how long you've been playing the game, but it takes a long time to master. Especially with the latest versions, there are a lot of small tactical tweaks that can make a big difference. The single most important factor is paying close attention to your team and individual player tactics.

The game also seems to want you to change tactics at times in order to recover from a poor run of form. So keep that in mind as well.

Also, if you start off with automatic reputation and minimal football experience, then the board will be much less patient with you and more prone to sack you.

I loaded up a new DB with Spain, Italy, France, England and Germany all playable. Started with Atletico Madrid won everything with them, built a dream team, then left for Inter Milan to do the same there, very enjoyable experience, you get a bit more longevity as the major footballing nations change with you and you have the freedom to manage anywhere you like.

Best game of FM i've ever had. Gutted i cant carry it onto FM10

Jumping to a rubbish conclusion. Keep at it. I'm not sure how long you've been playing the game, but it takes a long time to master. Especially with the latest versions, there are a lot of small tactical tweaks that can make a big difference. The single most important factor is paying close attention to your team and individual player tactics.

The game also seems to want you to change tactics at times in order to recover from a poor run of form. So keep that in mind as well.

Also, if you start off with automatic reputation and minimal football experience, then the board will be much less patient with you and more prone to sack you.

I thought as much, I've been playing since Christmas so I guess I just need to pay more attention to the little things.

What reputation should I start with? I think I've been going with automatic so far.

Automatic should be fine. You'll probably find the board will treat you like your an ex-international footballer if you start at a larger club. I think Spurs count

I wouldn't shy away from Continental footy though. It can be very rewarding managing over there. I personally have found Italian football very satisfying due to the difficulty. Maybe you could go at it with Spurs and when you've won the league move to Italy?

The board puts quite a lot of emphasis on finances, so if you can keep the balance healthy (less wages/don't spend all your transfer budget) you have a better chance of keeping your job.