[FM09] A Multi-Continental Escapade

A Multi-Continental Escapade

Started With: Nothing more than an empty managerial CV, a modest professional career, and a whole lot of tactical nous!

Game Used: FM09

Version: 9.0.2

Edits: N/A

Reputation: Professional Footballer

Leagues Loaded: England (Championship and above), Italy (Serie B and above), Spain (LIGA Adelante and above), Brazil (Second Division and above), Argentina (Premier Division).

“Marcus Frost, the journeyman defender, most famous for his spells at Charlton, Burnley and Crystal Palace, hangs up his boots today after 15 years in the game. Oxford-born Frost, 38, started as a youngster with great potential at boy-hood club Arsenal, but fell by the wayside with a series of injuries, specifically the contraction of tendonitis, which limited his success as a Premiership player. Two seasons with Charlton were all he had, but he remains a favourite there, equally for his good looks, charm and intelligence (which is often lacking in modern day footballers) than for his towering headers. Frost has indicated that he is looking to get into management and no-one would bet against him becoming a successful one. Interestingly, he has indicated a desire to start his career abroad, particularly in Brazil or Argentina, in order to learn a different style of the game.”

Sky Sports News – Tuesday, July 1st

I set my reputation as Professional as my computer can’t cope with too many league but I wanted an array of leagues. Ideally, the goal is to win the big trophies in South America and in Europe, but ultimately, Marcus Frost just wants to have a more successful career in management than he had in his playing career.

Cheers for reading. Updates coming soon will document any job offers I receive and the response given!

It took all of 24 hours for Frost to get a job interview, and it ended it up with him being offered the managerial post at SE Gama of the Brazilian Second Division. He was excited by the prospect, but wanted to delay the offer for a week, to see which other offers he would receive. Ironically, he was offered the job at Charlton, the club where he enjoyed a few years as a player, but the lack of funds due to the withdrawal of their parachute payments made this an unattractive job, as well as his desire to remain a club legend and not fall out of favour with the fans, as so many ex-players have done before.

Therefore, a week later, he flew back out to Brazil to become the new manger of Gama, a club with undoubted potential, 10 Brasiliense State Championships (the last one being in 2003), and a very, very large squad.

Here starts Marcus Frost’s ‘Englishman in Brazil’ job...

Original Squad – The squad is massive so it is going to be a very light overview

Goalkeepers – Donizeti, Luiz Henrique, Andre Zandona, Vicente(youth)

- Summary –

I have 3 in the first-team squad, and one regen in my youth team who is very good. So I will be looking to get rid of one of the first teamers. Donizeti will be my number one,with Luiz Henrique his back-up. Donizeti looks to be very good for the Brazilian Second Division, 17 reflexes being his best goalkeeping attribute.

Centre Backs – Ricardo Martinez(loan), Joao Paulo, Joao Vitor, Andre Rancharia, Pedro Paulo

- Summary –

Martinez, Pedro Paulo and Joao Paulo are the best three, but Rancharia could do a job as well. Joao Vitor may well be sold, due to his lack of heading ability.

Full-backs – Mattos, Eduardo, Rosa, Silva, Rodrigo Ninja

- Summary –

My favourite name in the team, Rodrigo Ninja, is also the best left-back, but he is only on loan so back-up is needed. Mattos is being re-trained as a left back as he is both footed, and Lucas Silva will probably be first choice right back.

Central Midfielders – Kell, Andre Silva, Uelliton(loan), Emerson

- Summary –

We are up to our ears in defensive midfielders: Emerson is the best, an old, wily player with few attributes under 12 (apart from pace!). Silva and Uelliton will battle for the second spot, and Kell is average but will be kept for back-up.

Wingers – Otacilio, Michael Mineiro

- Summary –

I like to play wingers. We have but TWO! Might invest in some new ones, or just play the 4-3-2-1 with three MCs and 2 AMCs. For what it is worth, Mineiro is good on the left, Otacilio is a poor right sided player.

Attacking Midfielders – Minerio, Bebeto, Juliano

- Summary –

With a lack of wingers, it seems the 4-3-2-1 will be deployed to start with.

All are good players; Bebeto and Juliano also play up front. Bebeto is considered the best player in the team, so has a big part to play.

Strikers – Rafael Paty, Landu, Dendel, Andre, Magrao, Maia

- Summary –

We have a lot of strikers! Paty and Landu will start. Landu has to deliver as he is on £2,300 a week, much more than ANYONE else, and he is on loan. Most of the loan players have been sent back, but I’m going to keep him. Paty already has 6 in 8.

So there you have it, a very big squad, with (some) potential. I am going to play some matches and see how they do before buying any new players. I find it very hard to judge players in Brazil, as most of them have attributes around 12, 13, 14, but some are brilliant and some are useless...

We are currently 15th out of 20 after 9 games, in the Brazilian Second Division, with a long way to go in the season.

Next update will come at the half way stage.

This is a good start fatski. May your Brazillian career go well! Never had the motovation to manage there as shown by my career, UNITED KINGDOM journey.

First Fixtures: Up to the halfway stage –

v Santo Andre- 1-1 – The right back Lucas Silva opened the scoring, but Santo Andre dominated and Marcus Frost took away one point from his first game in charge.

v Juventude - 1-3 – Again, we were dominated. Landu brought it back to 1-1 after 35 mins but two more goals killed us off. Worrying times.

v Parana - 1-1 - A second point came against a superior Parana team, Landu again getting our goal in a pleasing away draw.

v Fortaleza 2-0 – THE FIRST WIN! A defensive master class from Ricardo Martinez was made

even better by two headed goals from the big Chilean centre back.

v ABC - 1-1 – Top of the league ABC hosted us, expecting an easy victory. For 85 minutes they were very much on top, but a 25 yarder from sub Maia was enough for us a steal a point!

v Sao Caetano 2-2 – Two goals from Landu helped us from 2 goals behind, to get a good point against a big team in the division. Landu has turned out to be a tidy finisher when one-on-one, with 6 goals so far, repaying the faith I showed in him by not cancelling his loan deal.

v Criciuma- 2-1 – I ‘expected a win’, and got one, courtesy of a last minute penalty from Bebeto. Landu had opened the scoring after 28 minutes only for them to hit back three minutes later. With four up front for the whole of the second half, it was only a matter of time, though the opposition manager was not happy about the dismissal.

v Corinthians - 1-4 – Their classy players, including Morais and Dentinho put a dent in our good form with an emphatic win. Rafael Paty our scorer.

v Avai - 0-1 – Early goal conceded, four up front for second half, no goals possible. Unlucky, maybe. Disappointing, deifinitely.

v Bragantino - 4-0 – Big, big win to lift our spirits and league position as we enter the second half of the season. Paty, Ladnu, Mattos and Dendel the scorers. Their manager gave some chat about Marcus Frost being inexperienced, and we answered him in the best possible way.

With that win Gama climbed to 13th Place in the Brazilian National Second Division. The finances, worryingly, are 217k in the red, due to non existant gate receipts. TWO POUNDS FOR A TICKET!!!! Its an abomination and a bit unfair really.

With the second half of the season about to commence, I might note that although I am enjoying this, I’m always on the look-out for job vacancies. I can’t see me sticking around for long. After all, Marcus North is an ambitious man, eager to start winning trophies!

Games 19-26 update:

v Vila Nova 1-0 – Solid one-nil win, Landu with the goal, obviously

v Brasiliense 1-0 – Standard, guess who got it?!

v Marilia - 2-1 – Another good win, making it 4 in a row – Andre Silva and Edimar

v Ceara - 0-0 – Boring game, boring result. Not a loss though.

v Bahia - 0-0 – See above

v Barueri - 0-2 – Disappointing loss after 6 games unbeaten, but it was going to come one day. However, what is more worrying is three games without scoring.

v CRB - 2-0 – Bebeto and Joao Paulo scored the goals after they missed an early penalty. Back on track....hopefully.

Right, so with 12 games left we are in 11th, but with the ability to move up (best finish possibly, realistically, is 7th) and down (again, at worst we would finish 13th or maybe 14th). Just trying to get through it as we are in massive debt, and though I’m having fun I’ll probably look to move on in the close season.

Just trying to get through it as we are in massive debt, and though I’m having fun I’ll probably look to move on in the close season.

I'm not sure mate, but you might find your money problems will be solved during the close season, once you see sponsorship, etc. But I know it's hard to ignore the debt mounting in the meantime.

Whenever I've managed in Brazil I've usually leaked money each month, it's a real struggle to break even. Although that was in the Third Division, after promotion it got better. If you can get promoted that could sort out your finances

I'm not sure mate, but you might find your money problems will be solved during the close season, once you see sponsorship, etc. But I know it's hard to ignore the debt mounting in the meantime.

Whenever I've managed in Brazil I've usually leaked money each month, it's a real struggle to break even. Although that was in the Third Division, after promotion it got better. If you can get promoted that could sort out your finances

Well, I didn't get promoted, and I simply cant see how any sponsorship (its 150k per year) and/or season tickets will get me out of a 600k debt. This is really disappointing, because as soon as I arrived I cut down my squad and budget, was 10k/per week under my budget, and yet this happens. Will probably jump ship in the close season!

End of First Season Report:

At the end of my first season of this adventure, I finished 12th in the Brazilian Second Division:

My last twelve games looked like this and reflect the nature of our season – average, without being outstanding or a nightmare.

Marcus Frost - Profile:

However, the overview shows how poor the finances were at the end of the season:

Poor finances lead to this: Marcus Frost doesn’t deal with debt:

So, after a season which (IMO) was not pointless, in which I learnt a fair amount about Brazilian football, I now return to unemployment, in early January. My reputation is still not brilliant, so I dont think I can hope for a big job offer, but if it is to be a Brazilian club, I'm going to want the finances to be much, much more stable. Eve though I did earn about 500k in sponsorship at the start of the season, it wasn't nearly enough.

Well that didn't take long:

Thoughts?

Definitely A Multi-Continental Escapade and you're only a year in!

Was the only reason you quit due to the club's poor finances?

No, I wouldn't say so. The squad I had was average, and without the money to improve it, I was in between a rock and hard place really. The sponsorship in brazil is really, really good, so if I had got promoted I am sure it would have been fine. But, as I'm trying to play the role of Marcus Frost (not my name, a character I made up), who is impatient in his ambition, if I cant see much happening in the near future, I will not hesitate to leave the club...

In Q.P.R based news, I took over when they were in 23rd, on the 1st of February, which was very annoying as I couldnt dip into my £6m transfer kitty. It has not been a particularly good start, with 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses. I dont have League 1 loaded so it is essential that we stay up!

So, another move could be on the cards soon if you fail to stay up! Where next, Argentina? In all my years of playing CM/FM, i've never managed in South America. I don't know why really, so it's interesting for me to see how these play out. Good read so far

So, another move could be on the cards soon if you fail to stay up! Where next, Argentina? In all my years of playing CM/FM, i've never managed in South America. I don't know why really, so it's interesting for me to see how these play out. Good read so far

same here south america has some how gone past the radar. I have manage in most of europe, asia, scandinavia and even North America.

Good read KUTGW