Relegation approach

well basically i am tiverton town, been with them for one season, got promoted and now it looks as though were doomed to be relegated and were 159k in debt, i havn't been sacked which is good news although i would like some advice on what to do next season, i do plan to stay at the club and keep going until i get as high as possible or get fired. So here i am asking some of you for your advice on my situation, or anyone's for that matter, first of all i think i should work out who needs to go to loosen up my wage budget as its currently 380 in the red, meaning i cant sign a single player, i also wondering should i keep my youth, should i sell them or should i sell some and keep some just in case, well guys it's over to you, all advice is appreciated.

Well, you will definitely need to cut your wage budget as you said, but don't be surprised if you have to cut it a lot. Get rid of any reserves who will never play for you, and evaluate each player in your team on their wage:ability ratio. Look to arrange some money-spinning friendlies. How many you arrange will vary depending on how realistic you think it is.

Try and get a parent club, if not for the loans then for the small amount of cash you get each year.

So yeah, get rid of deadwood, arrange friendlies, try to get a parent club.

What division are you in? I used to often release all my youth players at lower clubs. Although alot don't have any. If you have youth keep them. They don't cost alot and they can provide good back-up. I would start looking for players now but look for high determined players. If they have good stats for the position you play then that's good. But I've found that high determination can often be better. Also use the loan market. Depending what division you are in you generally get 2 to 4 long-term loan slots or possible signings. I often sign these at the start of the season. So that I get a full season out of them.

Look for versatile players. Your budget will no doubt be reduced next season. This will mean that you may have to let a number of players go. In the lower leagues I try and keep a small squad that can play a number of positions. It's an effective way of keeping costs down.

As above, get rid of all the dead wood much as Birmingham are doing IRL getting rid of 11 players.

Try and get some bargains once you go down and in the lower leagues, as I'm sure you know better than I do, priority is a decent goal getter and a decent goal saver!

oh i'm now in bss just got relegated there unfortunatly, sorry forgot to mention that.

so guys so far we have,

1) get rid of deadwood

2) arrange friendlys

3) parent club

4)loan players

5) sign versatile players.

sounds great guys keep them coming.

6)???

7) Profit.

Couldn't resist

But yeah, that is where to start. Also, don't use an over-complicated formation. I've had best success with 4-4-2 in the lower leagues.

What division are you in? I used to often release all my youth players at lower clubs. Although alot don't have any. If you have youth keep them. They don't cost alot and they can provide good back-up. I would start looking for players now but look for high determined players. If they have good stats for the position you play then that's good. But I've found that high determination can often be better. Also use the loan market. Depending what division you are in you generally get 2 to 4 long-term loan slots or possible signings. I often sign these at the start of the season. So that I get a full season out of them.

Look for versatile players. Your budget will no doubt be reduced next season. This will mean that you may have to let a number of players go. In the lower leagues I try and keep a small squad that can play a number of positions. It's an effective way of keeping costs down.

ya, i would start by releasing the deadwood like forest said; then i would scour the loan report that your ass-man gives you and sign a bunch of players on either short term or long term loan. If you work the loan market right (and league rules allow it) you can have 7 or 8 guys on loan in your matchday squad (who you are paying 0 for)

6)???

7) Profit.

Couldn't resist

But yeah, that is where to start. Also, don't use an over-complicated formation. I've had best success with 4-4-2 in the lower leagues.

or if you want to get super crazy, go 2-3-5

i use a 4-4-3. seemed to work very well in the first season but i think i wasted too much wage on mediocre players costing me to lack squad size and quality.

what do you guys think of the reserves league is it useful at this level?

6)???

7) Profit.

Couldn't resist

But yeah, that is where to start. Also, don't use an over-complicated formation. I've had best success with 4-4-2 in the lower leagues.

4-4-2 is definitely the way to go. Also short passing is usually the way forward as the players you have won't be as good at passing.

ya, i would start by releasing the deadwood like forest said; then i would scour the loan report that your ass-man gives you and sign a bunch of players on either short term or long term loan. If you work the loan market right (and league rules allow it) you can have 7 or 8 guys on loan in your matchday squad (who you are paying 0 for)

You can have 5 loan players in your matchday squad. In the BSS and BSN you can loan 2 long-term players and 8 short-term players. For the BSP and npower Football League sides it is 4 long-term and 8 short-term. I don't think there is any limit on foreign loans. But they now usually ask for a fee. There is no harm in checking though.

Also try and find yourself a goalscorer who looks like and maybe has scored tons of goals in the past. You'll find that of you have someone that can get you 15 to 20 goals a season then this will help considerably. Then if you can have a few other players that chip in with 5 or more goals a season then you should be ok. Also try to use set pieces to your advantage. It'll be quite likely that you'll be one of the favourites for the league. So alot of teams will look to take a point from you.

i use a 4-4-3. seemed to work very well in the first season but i think i wasted too much wage on mediocre players costing me to lack squad size and quality.

I would go with a standard 4-4-2 with 4-3-3 as your back up. Having a second formation is useful and having 4-3-3 as that second formation could work wonders if you are pushing for a win or trying to pull a goal or two back.

what do you guys think of the reserves league is it useful at this level?

Reserves are pointless in my opinion. I wouldn't run a reserve team as you won't have the players for it. Just look to have a small first team squad of 18 players with the youth team there to cover the worst injury crisis.

alright guys thanks a bunch the advice has been absolutly fantastic hopefully make this season bearable

4-4-2 is definitely the way to go. Also short passing is usually the way forward as the players you have won't be as good at passing.

You can have 5 loan players in your matchday squad. In the BSS and BSN you can loan 2 long-term players and 8 short-term players. For the BSP and npower Football League sides it is 4 long-term and 8 short-term. I don't think there is any limit on foreign loans. But they now usually ask for a fee. There is no harm in checking though.

Also try and find yourself a goalscorer who looks like and maybe has scored tons of goals in the past. You'll find that of you have someone that can get you 15 to 20 goals a season then this will help considerably. Then if you can have a few other players that chip in with 5 or more goals a season then you should be ok. Also try to use set pieces to your advantage. It'll be quite likely that you'll be one of the favourites for the league. So alot of teams will look to take a point from you.

oh is that the BSN/BSS rule? I usually run in lower leagues than that or higher than that with Dag and Red.

Make sure you keep things tactically simple.

You're players are not good footballers, if you give them lots of creative freedom, or try and get them playing a quick game, they will make lots of mistakes. Keep things simple so they don't have to think or do anything complicated.

Also, one thing I do if my team is very weak for the division is to rest my 1st XI in matches against top clubs if we've got a weaker club up next. This ensures that your best players are fit for the game that you should pick up points in.

Make sure you keep things tactically simple.

You're players are not good footballers, if you give them lots of creative freedom, or try and get them playing a quick game, they will make lots of mistakes. Keep things simple so they don't have to think or do anything complicated.

Also, one thing I do if my team is very weak for the division is to rest my 1st XI in matches against top clubs if we've got a weaker club up next. This ensures that your best players are fit for the game that you should pick up points in.

i would disagree with the last part of your post; i would treat it the other way around.

i would disagree with the last part of your post; i would treat it the other way around.

i agree, letting the 1st xl play against the weaker team gives you a chance of more points rather than chancing it ever match of the seaosn by fielding a weak team.

Eh, I read that as being. Playing the better side and your weaker = Rest players. Play weaker team = Key players fit and play them. Either way I don't agree with it. I would sooner just play my best 11 every game. Giving them rest as and when I feel they need it. If you can build up momentum and get on a decent unbeaten run you'll be suprised at how well your team will play even if they aren't at 100% fitness or 90% fitness.

im just about to end the friendlys i might let you guys in on how things are going in a few minutes, once i make af ew more signings.

Yeah, I'd rather play my first xi as much as possible. Momentum (and morale) are so important in trying to get promotion. I'd rather give it a real fight against the better teams than take a beating, then risk another defeat soon after.

And good luck mufcPRO.

Yeah, I'd rather play my first xi as much as possible. Momentum (and morale) are so important in trying to get promotion. I'd rather give it a real fight against the better teams than take a beating, then risk another defeat soon after.

And good luck mufcPRO.

thanks, and that's actually what i did the first season but when working with small squads its quite hard keeping everyone hard especially with the cups.

Ignore the cup competitions keep your players fit for league games.

Release entire starting squad and reserves and youth team at the start of the game unless they are clearly talented.

Look further abroad for players who will come for less money

Sign

and you will win everything ever fact.

Make sure you don't give players long deals two years at most because you will (hopefully) rapidly rise through the divisions.

All learnt from my own Luton game where I am in the Premier League for the 2nd time after 4 consecutive promotions to get there the first time!

Ignore the cup competitions keep your players fit for league games.

Release entire starting squad and reserves and youth team at the start of the game unless they are clearly talented.

Look further abroad for players who will come for less money

Sign

Febian Brandy

and you will win everything ever fact.

Make sure you don't give players long deals two years at most because you will (hopefully) rapidly rise through the divisions.

All learnt from my own Luton game where I am in the Premier League for the 2nd time after 4 consecutive promotions to get there the first time!

congrats on the achievement, and yet again thanks for the advice

megafan, I didn't realise you liked said player

And mufcPRO, what you and your players get upto in your spare time should be kept between you and them. Although you can get pills for that sort of thing

Yeah look at foreign players. Don't ignore the cups though. Not the FA Cup anyway. You'll also lose alot of money most months. Unless something drastic happens. So if you have a chance of progressing in the FA Cup then do it. Because if you get a good tie then it could earn you some money .

Also as you go further into the game don't be afraid to sell your players if you receive good offers for them. 9 times out of 10 you'll be able to replace that player with 2 equal players.

Oh and thanks for creating this thread. It's given me the urge to start a new game as a lower league team. Which I enjoy most on FM .

megafan, I didn't realise you liked said player

And mufcPRO, what you and your players get upto in your spare time should be kept between you and them. Although you can get pills for that sort of thing

aha yea maybe it should be kept between me and them, you guys wouldn't wanna know the reason why they get pay rises lol

Yeah look at foreign players. Don't ignore the cups though. Not the FA Cup anyway. You'll also lose alot of money most months. Unless something drastic happens. So if you have a chance of progressing in the FA Cup then do it. Because if you get a good tie then it could earn you some money .

Also as you go further into the game don't be afraid to sell your players if you receive good offers for them. 9 times out of 10 you'll be able to replace that player with 2 equal players.

Oh and thanks for creating this thread. It's given me the urge to start a new game as a lower league team. Which I enjoy most on FM .

that last thing you said just made me realise how much potential this thread as, we could start a official relegation thread where people talk about there relegations and how the are going to over come them.

Eh, I read that as being. Playing the better side and your weaker = Rest players. Play weaker team = Key players fit and play them. Either way I don't agree with it. I would sooner just play my best 11 every game. Giving them rest as and when I feel they need it. If you can build up momentum and get on a decent unbeaten run you'll be suprised at how well your team will play even if they aren't at 100% fitness or 90% fitness.

But, playing at the level the OP is playing at he will be entered in loads of pointless little cup competitions and from personal experience he will be playing up to about 70 games over the course of the season.

With players at that level if you try and play them every week then they will never start games above 75% fitness and so your team will constantly be changing. By having essentially 2 lineups, your strong team for playing against weaker sides, and your weak side for playing games where you're not expecting to pick up any points, you still have plenty of consistency and you're more likely to have a fully fit team for most of your matches.

ya, i would not ignore the FA cup... depending on the situation, i treat the FA cup as a higher priority than i do the league

well heres the situation now that the firendlys are over, i released a total of 11 players all costing me well over £100 per week, replaced them with players who are on wages around £30-£80. Got players for each position and them doubled it up so i have back-up, still have some youth for a 3rd back up in case of bans or injuries, this could also come in handy for cup comps, the finances are just wrecked 150k in red still and thats with over 50k from friendlys. gonna try a 4-4-2 short passing slow tempo and wide play using the two cracking wingers i scored on £50 p/w. so what do you guys think ?

But, playing at the level the OP is playing at he will be entered in loads of pointless little cup competitions and from personal experience he will be playing up to about 70 games over the course of the season.

With players at that level if you try and play them every week then they will never start games above 75% fitness and so your team will constantly be changing. By having essentially 2 lineups, your strong team for playing against weaker sides, and your weak side for playing games where you're not expecting to pick up any points, you still have plenty of consistency and you're more likely to have a fully fit team for most of your matches.

You're point being. He will play 42 games in the league season. Add to that the FA Cup from the 2nd qualifying round and the FA Trophy. Which is 7 games I think maybe 8. So all in all he'll playing about 60 games or so. That's if he gets to the FA Cup Final.

mufcPRO, whilst your idea is a good one there is another Forum(FM Career Updates) which is dedicated to careers. You could start your own thread in there or post in the mini-updates thread if you don't want to start your own thread.

well heres the situation now that the firendlys are over, i released a total of 11 players all costing me well over £100 per week, replaced them with players who are on wages around £30-£80. Got players for each position and them doubled it up so i have back-up, still have some youth for a 3rd back up in case of bans or injuries, this could also come in handy for cup comps, the finances are just wrecked 150k in red still and thats with over 50k from friendlys. gonna try a 4-4-2 short passing slow tempo and wide play using the two cracking wingers i scored on £50 p/w. so what do you guys think ?

Try that. I would have short passing like you have and man-marking too. I would just leave everything else on normal default. Don't restrict your play to just the wide men. As you'll be relying on them too much.

hmmm think i need mayb e1 more DC as i just realised i only have 2 not including the youth.

well heres the situation now that the firendlys are over, i released a total of 11 players all costing me well over £100 per week, replaced them with players who are on wages around £30-£80. Got players for each position and them doubled it up so i have back-up, still have some youth for a 3rd back up in case of bans or injuries, this could also come in handy for cup comps, the finances are just wrecked 150k in red still and thats with over 50k from friendlys. gonna try a 4-4-2 short passing slow tempo and wide play using the two cracking wingers i scored on £50 p/w. so what do you guys think ?

did you try and get some players on loan? if you get a couple in, you can save even more money.

good idea, and wtf first match and 2 serious injuries to my right wingers -_-

megafan, I didn't realise you liked said player

My virtual pro on Fifa is as close to Brandy as I can get! Luton Legend.

i use a 4-4-3. seemed to work very well in the first season but i think i wasted too much wage on mediocre players costing me to lack squad size and quality.

Having 11 outfield players probably gives you that extra advantage

But seriously, I've used 4-3-3 at lower levels and it was very very effective with a couple of decent strikers. Hoof the ball up to them and score

Also, I don't think it's been mentioned, but make sure you don't get players on long contracts unless they're unbelievably good for your team's standard. 1 year is normally sufficient, as it allows you to clear out the dead wood at no cost once the season is over and you've scouted better replacements.

is there anyway to stop them looking for staff in the backroom advice section?

getting quite annoying now, haven't approached suggested staff by them in the 2 years i've been here why would i start now -_-

Ignore the cup competitions keep your players fit for league games.

Release entire starting squad and reserves and youth team at the start of the game unless they are clearly talented.

Look further abroad for players who will come for less money

Sign

Febian Brandy

and you will win everything ever fact.

Make sure you don't give players long deals two years at most because you will (hopefully) rapidly rise through the divisions.

All learnt from my own Luton game where I am in the Premier League for the 2nd time after 4 consecutive promotions to get there the first time!

I agree with everything other than the cup thing. With my rise through the leagues as Luton my cup runs brought in much needed money. My second year in the premiership (after a tough first year when I barely stayed up) actually saw me lift the League Cup. I managed to use the money that brought in (via UEFA Cup qualification) to add to my squad, and actually finished 2nd winning both domestic cups and the UEFA Cup in my third premiership season.

Got bored with having no money, so moved back to my Arsenal save for a while since then, so I don't know how I'll do in the Champions League or if I can actually beat Man City to the title. I fully intend to try to win every single cup if I can though.

edit: No Brandy at my Luton either.

Having 11 outfield players probably gives you that extra advantage

But seriously, I've used 4-3-3 at lower levels and it was very very effective with a couple of decent strikers. Hoof the ball up to them and score

Also, I don't think it's been mentioned, but make sure you don't get players on long contracts unless they're unbelievably good for your team's standard. 1 year is normally sufficient, as it allows you to clear out the dead wood at no cost once the season is over and you've scouted better replacements.

Worked well for me until the Championship. 4-3-3 for BSP until the Championship. Then you really do need a solid base and build from there. I've found that an AMC works very well in the Championship.

Thanks to you, you've encouraged me to go back to managing lower league teams and try to get them all the way to the Premiership.

Done it in other football managers with Exeter City (who are now in the football league), Alfreton Town, Hyde United.

Next up: Solihull Moors? Who I've just been appointed manager of after applying to 3 managerless BSN/BSS teams.

Thanks to you, you've encouraged me to go back to managing lower league teams and try to get them all the way to the Premiership.

Done it in other football managers with Exeter City (who are now in the football league), Alfreton Town, Hyde United.

Next up: Solihull Moors? Who I've just been appointed manager of after applying to 3 managerless BSN/BSS teams.

In that case good luck

In that case good luck

Thanks Got myself a good decent Assistant manager, and I've got a fitness coach. Want to bring in a decent coach but they ask for too high wages. Also released all the £200+ p/w earners at the club.

Thanks Got myself a good decent Assistant manager, and I've got a fitness coach. Want to bring in a decent coach but they ask for too high wages. Also released all the £200+ p/w earners at the club.

who are you outta interest?

Next up: Solihull Moors? Who I've just been appointed manager of after applying to 3 managerless BSN/BSS teams.

who are you outta interest?

Now got myself a coach Although I've had a shakey start to the season.

P: 7

W: 2

D: 2

L: 3

ahh apoligies my bad, well my season aint going great atm, im expected to finish mid table, just where is mid table exactly im guessing between 12th and 8th?

does anyone know the answer to this ? as i'm finished first 14th and then 11th so where would you guys consider mid-table.