FM2010 - Help me fall back in love with the best management sim ever...

There are a small number of people who frequent this forum who'll be aware that I struggled with FM2009. I struggled to achieve anything you could call success, but that's not what I mean. What I mean is that I struggled to feel the same way as I did for previous versions. On the face of it, I genuinely felt that it was the best version yet. But despite that, I felt alienated from the game. It was too hard for me. It needed more time than I could give it.

So... I've sat down and had a think about what I can do differently with FM2010, and I've come to one conclusion. I'll enjoy the game if I make sure I choose the right team to manage. And this is where you come in. Below, you'll see a list of ten teams and a brief explanation of what appeals to me about managing them. You'll also notice there's a poll. What I'm hoping people will do is vote for who they think I should manage. But, I hope you'll do more than just that. I hope you'll have a read of my explanations and offer your own opinions in this thread as to who I should manage. I would suggest staying focused on my choices and not recommending anyone not listed. The teams listed all mean something to me or just appeal to me for FM purposes, for a variety of reasons. The problem I have is knowing which one to pick. So throwing it to the floor seems the best way to go. The poll will remain open until Saturday, at which point I will start a game with the winning team. But it won't stop there. For anyone who wishes to follow my game and see where their choice takes me, I'll post updates in the updates forum, or I will write a story about it in the stories forum. I haven't decided on that yet. A point worth making before we start is that I don't allow transfers in the first window, so starting budgets won't be a factor in this.

So, here goes...

1) Real Madrid

I don't actually like Real Madrid very much, but there's something tempting about their squad this season. It won't be a challenging experience, I know, but I'm not necessarily desperate for a massive challenge anyway. I'm assuming that, once I get past the first season, I'll be given plenty of money to spend as well, which is appealing.

2) Middlesbrough

I thoroughly enjoy managing in the Championship. That particular division seems to spawn memorable saves. A few days ago, I find myself thinking about what it might be like to manage Boro, and for some reason, I quite liked the idea. Expectations would be high, but I quite like managing teams where that's the case.

3) Scunthorpe Utd

Sticking with the Championship theme, there's something about plucky little Scunny in the Championship. You don't get much money and you're bound to find it tough, but I remember on CM 97/98 managing Barnsley in the Premiership. It was a relegation dogfight and I loved it. We actually stayed up. I've never had a relegation battle quite as much fun ever since. But I think Scunthorpe could be fun.

4) Olympiakos

There's nothing wrong with an easy game! And managing Olympiakos usually guarantees you a degree of success. I actually really really like Panathinaikos, and it's the memory of a really fun save with them on FM07 that makes me keen to go back to Greece. But I don't want to try and recreate the same experience with Panathinaikos because it won't happen. It won't feel the same. AEK Athens don't appeal for whatever reason and none of the weaker Greek teams do either. So Olympiakos it is.

5) Catania

Not an obvious choice, but I have a thing about managing teams from places I've been. In September, I toured Sicily and visited Catania. It's not much of a city aesthetically, but it has a really friendly, cosmopolitan feel to it (even if the fans have their less than friendly moments!). Palermo felt a lot less welcoming, and for that reason, Catania are the team I've taken to my heart from that trip. It won't be easy, but it could be fun. Serie A is another especially fun league to manage in.

6) AS Roma

Rome is another place I've been, and I'm a big Roma fan. I was beforehand, to be honest. I like the fact that, in a country where football can be rigid and uninspiring, Roma always seem to try and play the game the right way, even if it hasn't brought them as much success as a club that size should have achieved. So it would be great to play football the Roma way and actually develop a successful team. I started a Roma save with FM09, right at the beginning. It went relatively well, but the bugs killed it. Maybe I should revive it.

7) Dinamo Moscow

It's unlikely, but there may be one or two of you who remember a story I began in the stories forum back in late 2006. I was managing Dinamo Moscow and enjoying it more than any other save I'd ever had. I think that would have been FM07. Anyway, I was a Master's student back then and had to abandon the story and the save in order to focus on my dissertation. But that game has always stuck with me. I've never felt brave enough to go back. I say brave because managing Dinamo Moscow is not easy. They're relatively wealthy, but they struggle to compete in reality. I would love nothing more than to do what I wasn't free to do back in 2006/2007, and make a real game of it with Dinamo.

8) CSKA Moscow

You'll notice a Russian theme here. The Russian Premier Division is really, really good fun. It has its downsides, namely the fact that regens of decent quality just never come through. But I still love it. Therefore, I can't ignore CSKA Moscow. I don't love them like I do Dinamo, but they would easily be my second choice Russian team to manage, with the flair of their Brazilians and the demands for success.

9) Zenit St. Petersburg

The final member of my Russian trio, it's all about the money with Zenit. The potential to do something special is there with a club as rich as them. I realise I won't be able to buy players in the first transfer window because I don't allow that. But beyond that, the fun would really begin.

10) Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Another itch I'm yet to properly scratch. I attempted two saves on FM09 with Caley. I had wanted to manage them for a while, but I found it very frustrating and ended up getting in a bit of a girly huff about it. But now they've been relegated. Surely I could do something with them in the Scottish First Division. I'm into the idea of giving it a try, anyway.

So there it is. The clubs to choose from, and the reasons why I have selected them. I'm really looking forward to hearing what people have to say. I have no idea what direction the poll will go, but I am excited about making something special happen with FM2010. And if I do, those that voted for the winning club will have had their own little part in that.

Thank you for your time.

I say manage middlesbrough like I will be doing too. They (along with newcastle) should be quite easy to get through to the premier league because of their squads depth. Then after that, it will be a good challenge to keep them up and eventually lead them to becoming a well established team. One thing that I enjoy about Middlesbrough is that they have many youth products in the first team and it will be good if you can nurture some of your own too.

Andiamo Roma.

Newport County for a challenge

Inverness Caley, good challenge there.

If you enjoy working in the championship then Middlesbrough is not the club to be at as you should be able to get them promoted straight away.... which would be good but then maybe the enjoyment would go. where as for scunny, that'll be a challenge to keep you busy.

Good luck with it all.

I said Scunthorpe as it seemed while reading this that you really reveled in a challenge and brining Scunthorpe would be a fair challenge for sure.

Go unemployed, and start from the bottom and work your way up. I find it quite challenging, but it gives you great satisfaction knowing the board took the gamble on you, and you get to repay that faith with success. Also allows you to try and make a career out of it and move on to bigger and better clubs.

I was skeptical at first about doing this, but after getting into a good career game on FM09, I am well up for the challenge once more.

Where is the option for Southport? :confused:

Newport County for a challenge

Go unemployed, and start from the bottom and work your way up. I find it quite challenging, but it gives you great satisfaction knowing the board took the gamble on you, and you get to repay that faith with success. Also allows you to try and make a career out of it and move on to bigger and better clubs.

I was skeptical at first about doing this, but after getting into a good career game on FM09, I am well up for the challenge once more.

Suggestions noted, but I really will be sticking to my list. I know somewhere among those teams is the right decision for me.

Incidentally, I'm voting in this poll myself, just for the hell of it. Don't be swayed by my vote, though.

Where is the option for Southport? :confused:

I don't want to manage Southport or Man Utd. Managing teams I actually support just doesn't work for me.

R. Madrid

Go on, everyone wants quillions of pounds and a great squad at least once.

Fair enough Mike.

Okay, well I voted for Scunthorpe United. Reasons given below.

1) Real Madrid - you said yourself that you don't like them and quite frankly I think this would get very boring, very quickly. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

2) Middlesbrough - Could be an interesting one, I guess, but my instinct is that this might lack the addictive power of something a tad more challenging.

3) Scunthorpe Utd - This would be my preferred choice out of your list. I think there is something kind of appealing about managing them. They're a good old fashioned underdog. Plenty of building to do and long-term planning. A sense of real achievement awaits if you get them up. They've got Paul Hayes as well. Think you would have a battle on your hands first couple of seasons and then you could build and try to get them into the top flight. There is a long-term aspect to it, more so than some of the other clubs you've mentioned and it would be quite a unique and interesting save, I think. In sum, I think it's the sort of club that could get under your skin in an FM save and therefore this one gets my vote.

4) Olympiakos - Not sure this has much long-term appeal, although I might be wrong.

5) Catania - Probably my second choice for you. It's always important to find a club you feel some connection with, in my view, when starting a long-term save. I also have a thing about managing teams from places that I have visited. I think this would give you the motivation and the imagination factor. It's fun managing abroad and Italy is my number one choice when I do decide to manage outside England. I think this save would have great potential.

6) AS Roma - Maybe but I wonder how satisfying it would be starting in the top division?

7) Dinamo Moscow - This is maybe the third choice. Reviving an old save is tough but probably worth a try now as there has been a long time since the last save ended. The sentiment may help you to get into the save. My only worry would be getting bored of Russia too quickly.

8) CSKA Moscow and 9) Zenit St. Petersburg - Sounds to me like your heart isn't quite in Russia.

10) Inverness Caledonian Thistle - Probably my third choice for you. I think a managerial spell in Scotland might be worth trying. There is plenty of potential for other projects as well, like trying to bring some quality Scottish youth through and battling with the lack of money you will have etc.

Conclusion: If it was me, I would load up the top two of England, Scotland and Italy (possibly Russia too if you have a good enough computer) and start off with Scunthorpe United. Then when you feel naturally ready to move (i.e. taken them as far as you can) and the chance opens up, jump ship to Catania, Roma, Inverness Caledonia Thistle or Dinamo Moscow. Then take them as far as you can and move on again etc.

Could be a truly epic career game save and it could therefore give you the potential to manage several of your preferred clubs, rather than restricting yourself to just one.

Think you should start with the Iron first though.

Regards,

C.

That was a really helpful and interesting response, Crouchy. Plenty to think about. Incidentally, I do have a good enough computer to run quite a lot of leagues smoothly. I would also say that my heart is probably more with Dinamo Moscow and that 2006/2007 save than it is with managing in Russia in general.

Scunthorpe. Sounds more challenging.

Torn between Scunthorpe and Catania.

Glad it was helpful.

If I was you, I would plan a career game then with the top two leagues of England, Italy, Russia and Scotland loaded.

You could start off in England with Scunthorpe. Or you could start off with Dinamo Moscow or Catania instead. Make it your ultimate aim to earn the AS Roma job or the Real Madrid job (or something like that). Jump ship a few times when you feel you cannot take the club you are managing any further. Try to manage some other of your preferred clubs on your way to the top.

That would be a good game. Then just make sure you post about it in the careers forum.

C.

Torn between Scunthorpe and Catania.

I bet that's not a sentence that gets said very often!

Glad it was helpful.

If I was you, I would plan a career game then with the top two leagues of England, Italy, Russia and Scotland loaded.

You could start off in England with Scunthorpe or with Dinamo Moscow instead. Make it your ultimate aim to earn the AS Roma job or something like that. Jump ship a few times and manage some other clubs on your way to the top.

That would be a good game. Then just make sure you post about it in the careers forum.

C.

Careers forum or stories forum. Not sure which I'll go for yet. The careers forum will make fewer demands on my time, and I do have a full-time job to think about! So it might be best to go that way.

Yes, careers forum is probably the best bet for just posting updates. That's what I'll probably end up doing for my usual Saints save this year.

Finally decided to register my vote for Catania, if only because Italy makes a nice change from England. And I agree it's not 2 choices that often go together but taking a Champ/Serie B up and then to become a strong prem/A side (even a title or 2) became a speciality on 07, not just my usual starting with Ipswich (which lasted all year this time) and doing the same. And when I don't do that I like skipping the 1st part and building up lesser sides in other leagues, thats why I went for those 2.

If I was to put my neck out, I'd say that Catania, Scunthorpe and Dinamo Moscow would be my three frontrunners. Real Madrid would be last. That's if I'm putting my neck out.

Do whichever save appeals to you the most.

I'd say Roma from that list, followed by Boro.

They bring a challenge as well as having quality in the squad and would be the type of game I would go for.

Should have had Notts County as they are a good lower league team and plus they have money and potential, but seeing as you didnt have this in your poll i chose Middlesboro as they have the potential and challenge in such a demanding league.

Voted for ICT. Getting some momentum going is Dvision 1 shouldn't be to hard, but can you keep that going in the SPL and cap it off by breaking the Old Firm dominance. Would certainly be more of an achievement than say doing it with Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen. (Not that you were considering them...) Oh you know what I mean.

Voted for ICT. Getting some momentum going is Dvision 1 shouldn't be to hard, but can you keep that going in the SPL and cap it off by breaking the Old Firm dominance. Would certainly be more of an achievement than say doing it with Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen. (Not that you were considering them...) Oh you know what I mean.

Presumably you have some memory of my previous failed efforts with Caley Thistle!

Zenit. Great russian regens, and the chance to build a Russian squad.

I voted Middlesbrough. Adam Johnson, David Wheater, Didier Digard and Jeremie Aliadiere could all be fun to manage. Then theres the whole rebuilding, because the team isn't good enough for the Prem.

In fact, I may try Boro at some point!

Scunthorpe, without a doubt.

I am a big Cracker fan, and I used to love the way Robbie toasted "Scunthorpe!" every time he was getting ****ed!

Not only that, as I said on another thread, there's something special, for me, about the new 3D engine and how it makes you truly feel like you're part of a small club when you see your games being played in small crappy stadiums with 500 fans ....... and then you draw someone good in the cup and off you go to a REAL stadium, full to the brim, and fight it out.

I am just blown away by the way this new version has sucked me in. Scunny for me, no doubt about it. To experience life at a small team ....... makes me feel like Cloughy!

Scunthorpe would be a great challenge!

Well, so far there's quite clearly a strong British bias in the voting. It looks like a two-horse race between Middlesbrough and Scunthorpe, with Inverness CT a distant third. I actually thought Real Madrid would get a few more votes than they have and I'm surprised the Russian teams are proving so unpopular.

Real Madrid. For no other reason than a 3 to 5 season blast to get you back into the groove of playing and winning (then scrapping it out in the transfer market). Starting low is much more of a slog.

Once you've got the love of the game back (and the knack of the brilliant new tactics engine) then have a go at Middlesbrough or Inverness Cally Thistle. You'll appreciate it more than starting low and struggling.

Scunny. Soooo unfashionable, would be great to take them to the Camp Nou in the CL...

I'm not sure I'll ever be good enough to get Scunny to the Champions League!

For anyone who had any interest in this, it looks like yours truly will have the unenviable task of managing Scunthorpe Utd.

You couldn't have picked Real Madrid, could you?!

i had a similiar problem to your self and found my love again on this game with gold cost united in australia.

loved it best save ive had for along time

the A-league

my reasons why..

27 game seasons plus play offs (if you qualify) make it quick.

its different so its not a case of looking for the same players time and time again.

its a level playing field for all teams in the league...as you can only have 5 foreign players in your sqaud, which means you cannot fill your flanks with cheap overseas players.

to make that harder you only have a maximum squad wage budget of 19,30k plus 1 marquee player (a player who is exempt from this rule you can pay him what you want)

meaning its a case of choosing quality or quantity the only time youll get both is if you sign young or old.

you can turn any team into challengers after a season or 2 but it can also go the other way.

the first season you cannot sign from any other team in your division meaning

ive just done 2 seasons, finished 6th in my first runner up in play offs, 1st in my second season lost major play off final (got hammered if truth be told)

had viduka, and dieter hamann, josip skoko on my books. and some great unkown / randoms ive never heard off or come across made it really enjoyable.

not sure what long term games would be like however some people were discussing adding a lower teir...

next stop for me asian champions league