-
Posts
40,761 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
18
darren1983 last won the day on September 2 2023
darren1983 had the most liked content!
Reputation
6,934 "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in"About Me
-
About Me
CATQT - you'll never understand
Interests
-
Interests
Everything!
Favourite Team
-
Favourite Team
Brentford
Recent Profile Visitors
-
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Participating. I still love this challenge and enjoy reading all the stories so it won't go away. -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
@dkouv Congrats, been fun to follow your progress. Well done also to @Perre8 as well. You've both been added to the HoF I feel my own time with this challenge might be coming to an end as I just can't get into a save these days. Maybe I just need a break -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
There's just something about the punishment it hands out that I keep going back to. Probably says more about me than I'd like to think -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
I can't really keep away from attempting this again. It's been a month or so since I lost my save but I'm giving it a go with FC United again. Profile. One day I'll learn and try it away from England but I do love the slog -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Congrats. Have been added to the HoF -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Congrats. I know what a slog England can be. Have added you to the HoF -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Yeah they can be used mate. -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Yeah crack on mate -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
I'm not sure I've seen this happen before. My instinct is to say release them but I'm also aware of the financial hit that could be so think best bet might be just to leave them in the B team and release then when their contracts are up? Make sure none of them play in the first team. -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Congrats @XaW and have been added to the HoF again -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Right after sulking for a week after my stupidity, and even trying to replay the 6 months I lost, it's go time again. Profile We're going back to what was my original plan for this FM -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Well done @TerminalPortugalyou've been added to the HoF -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
So when shutting down after posting this on Sunday while watching the super bowl I didn't save the game and didn't have auto save on which meant I lost like 6 months of this save including the youth intake. I didn't even realise till I went to load it up last night and saw I was in December. I spent all of yesterday evening just annoyed at myself. Let this be a lesson - MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AUTO SAVE ON! I usually do but must have had it turned off. I dunno what to do now. I can't face redoing a half a season. I may try again with another team after a short break -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Season 2026/27 Review National League Was a strange but decent season really. Our issues last year were letting goals in so over the summer I had a tactical rethink and went from my usual 433 to a 4231 with 2 DM's sitting in front of the back to offer some extra protection. We opened the season with a 5-1 win and I thought we had cracked but in out next 5 games we lost 4-1, 5-2 and 6-1 and I quickly went back to what I know! I figured this would be a tough season with our players getting older and our young players not being ready yet and so it proved. We continued to ship goals but we also scored goals, it meant we were good enough to beat the bottom sides and keep a double digit points between us and the relegation zone but the top sides battered us. As a result I basically just speed ran through this season waiting for the youth intake but in the new year we started to play well and win games and keep clean sheets and somehow found ourselves on the edge of the playoffs. Dropped points against the sides directly above us killed the fait hopes of playoffs so for the final few games I just played the kids really and as a result we ended a very respectable 10th spot. Fact we scored 83 goals and still ended with a minus goal difference tells the story as to where our issues still lie. In the cups there was nothing to write home about as we lost in the first round in both. In the FA Cup Maidstone from our league beat us and in the FA Trophy Kiddierminster from league below beat us. Youth Intake The preview looked good and the result was pretty good. I don't think the players are as good as my coaches think but there are some good players here. My focus on youth recruitment seems to be paying off and we're not 2.5* which is good recruitment and think it'll pay off even more next season Career Overview Season League Position Junior Coaching Youth Recruitment Notes 2024/25 NVLN 2nd Fairly Basic Average Promoted via the playoffs 2025/26 VNL 11th Average Above Average Finally got first coaching badge 2026/27 VNL 10th Adequate Good Still only 1 coaching badge As you can probably tell I really did fly through this season but think next season will be a real struggle. A couple of the young players have stepped up this season which has added some nice depth but my senior players are struggling a bit now as they're really not for this level. In some good news though, the original star boy McStravick whose contract was up last summer is still here because he just stuck around on a non contract deal. Again I spent all season trying to get him to sign a new deal but he still says we're not good enough for him but I'll keep him around till either he leaves or we get better. -
The FM24 Youth Academy Challenge
darren1983 replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Ooof that's brutal season mate. Glad they kept you on though. Was worried for a bit there.