Selling out as a manager

So I've been managing Arbroath for just under 7 years, taken them from the Scottish Third Division to 5th in the SPL and European football. Had a range of offers and declined them all, preferring to stick with trusty Arbroath - primarily because I had stronger finances and as much chance of success as I would anywhere else. Not to mention I had a load of youths I wanted to see progress, and was slowly building them into a top club from nothing.

Anyway, then Martin O'Neill retired from Celtic (yes, really), and Celtic offered me the job. With them having won the SPL 4 years out of the last 5, offering 10 times the wage budget and quintupling my salary, I felt like turning down the offer would have been insane, and flown in the face of all reason in terms of my career as a manager.

Now though, having pinched my five favourite players from Arbroath, bar one that I can't afford, I can't help feeling slightly guilty, that I've sold out and left them to rot. It wouldn't surprise me if they now plummeted down the leagues, having sold no fewer than 10 first team players. And I'll be at a team where everything is on a plate for me.

Right thing to do, or not? I'm so used to staying at the same team forever that this is all a bit alien territory!

I know what you mean, I'm generally a 'stick with a side' manager, and have found it awkward stepping into the realm of moving clubs voluntarily, as I've started doing a bit recently, even going back to a backup save after leaving one beloved side because I knew I'd find it too hard to go. There are a couple of reasons why personally I wouldn't go, admitedly as someone very resistant to moving, but I don't think anyone would blame you for taking that offer. If it helps, you could always do what I do, which is never manage in the same nation (or at least division) twice in succession, which would be difficult if you only have a few loaded, but it would avoid the 'suddenly facing and being rivals to your beloved former club' situation.

I usually do the same when i move clubs. I pinch all my good players from my old club and take them with me if possible.

I would have tried to win the league with Arbroath first and then left for a team in another country, of course that is if you have other countries loaded.

Now though, having pinched my five favourite players from Arbroath, bar one that I can't afford, I can't help feeling slightly guilty, that I've sold out and left them to rot. QUOTE]

It may not have been your intention, but your story bears a striking resemblance to the recent actions of Malky Mackay, who abandoned my beloved Watford for Cardiff and is now attempting to pinch anybody worth having in our squad. Haha :')

It depends how you mean to play the game. Some people start with a team and never plan on moving for their whole career.

However, if you are trying to play "realistically", ie follow a realistic career path, then any real life manager would be insane to turn down that offer.

I would have tried to win the league with Arbroath first and then left for a team in another country, of course that is if you have other countries loaded.

Yeah I do... this was meant to be my first proper "career save" since (I believe) FM2005 where I started off in the Conference and taking new jobs as they came... I recall taking over at Bristol Rovers and then taking Stoke to 13th in the Premiership with the help of Stuart Downing who had been renamed Glen Keeling, and Lebohang Mokoena who had been renamed Doctor Mokoena... an odd bug which also led to the Neville brothers becoming the Bird brothers

I sort of wish I had done as you suggested now, but I'm glad I'm not just doing another "one club rags to riches" game because that's all I've done for the last three years or so. If I'd been able to go to Europe I probably would've done, but I hadn't really had any great offers from teams in other countries, Heracles in the Dutch First Division, and a very poor team in Liga Adelante. My reputation is "national" so presumably I've got a much better chance of getting a job in Scotland than anywhere else. Surprisingly enough I haven't been offered any jobs in England, despite being English in-game.

It depends how you mean to play the game. Some people start with a team and never plan on moving for their whole career.

However, if you are trying to play "realistically", ie follow a realistic career path, then any real life manager would be insane to turn down that offer.

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I haven't been playing that realistically, as I think any real manager probably would've jumped ship a lot earlier - I had an excellent offer from Motherwell who were more established and had a much better rep, but on the flipside they were poorer than I was and lower down the league table so it wouldn't have made much sense to go. Mind you, I'm trying to play more realistically than usual where I just ignore all job offers to stay at my lowly, penniless club full of talentless idiots

You done the right thing. Listen to this!

I started off unemployed. I wanted to build a good manager profile with lots experience behind me. I got my first job with Leicester City and got then promoted into the Premiership. After struggling till november in my first premiership season i got offered the shalke job with a good budget so I moved. I spent two years there and won the league one and uefa cup. I then resigned as I wanted to see where I could go next. I got offered the Athletico Madrid job and spent two years there finishing 5th and then 4th in my last season. Once again i resigned and I got offered the Lazio job. This is when it turned nasty!

At my press conference the media asked me about it being a step down in my career.

I replied with roughly "This is a long term project for me, I aim to make lazio big and reshape from top to bottom

4 days later man city sacked their manager and declared interest in me, i replied saying i would love to take the job. Which resulted in me being asked tor esign. So I did. Meaning i left lazio after just 4 days after saying it was a long term project.

WHOOPS