[FM10] Dover Athletic - The LLM way

[arfajob01]

The LLM way is the most realistic way you can play a Football Sim Game.

What is LLM ? - http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php?t=31330

In true LLM style I will be only scouting players that come up via the news screens, by attending matches myself or have been recommended to me by my AssMan, Coaches or scouts. Players will only be signed if they have been scouted at least once or have been trialled. Staff will only be employed via the job centre or if they have a recommendation from a existing staff member.

For the record I am a Real Life Dover Athletic fan.

I also use what I call the battery system. Player attributes are shown to me not as numbers, but as a battery, I have to use my judgement and not if a player has a finishing skill of 20.

Season 1: Board Expectation 6th Place. After two championship winning seasons 'JP' (The Chairman) is looking for another successful season in the BSS.

The AssMan is confident we can compete in this league and can acheive what is required of them. However, the defence is the weakest area of the team. Specifically at RB. He recommends three players he thinks suitable.

After a backroom meeting, an additional scout is recommended to me by a coach and a contract is offered.

I now have two scouts, and they are very busy assessing players. I have quickly discovered that the team is lacking quality in three positions. RB, LB and ML.

My Assman, is also busy looking for loanees to fill these holes. Gillingham and Ebbsfleet are the closest teams to me and they are first on the list. I then discover the transfer rumour page and my scouts are off again.

I am getting alot of decent and goods signings for a BSS side but no-one of real quality.

Pre Season comes and goes and a few matches into the new season things are reasonable. Another Backroom meeting and a ML and RB who look promising are recommended. They are scouted and they look quality. Good BS Prem quality in fact.

The ML is getting on a bit but technically gifted and mentally strong. Stamina, pace and accelration are all low, but I can get around that. I offer a trial after the report card comes back, he accepts and I offer a contract almost immediately. He signs the next day.

The RB however is also wanted by another BSS team and I must make a decision, trial him and run the risk of the other team getting wind I am interested or offer a contract. I do the latter but the other team also table a bid. Damn. Saturday comes and we play a match, the ML is solid but not spectactular. A couple of days later the RB signs for us and he is hailed as a good signing. Damn right he is, my AssMan in his report states that he is one of the best players at the club and thinks him League 2 quality. Get in there.

DL is the biggest headache I have and where most of the goals conceeded are coming from. The ML player I brought is not the quickest, so when an attack breaks down and hes still tracking back, the ball has hit the back of the net before he has crossed the half way line. My DL is being skinned every time by AMR or striker.

Around christmas time I sign two quality DC's. One of these is from Lewes who cost me 4k. They are both getting on abit, but there positioning makes up for the lack of pace. My team are asked to drop a little deeper to compensate. I also sign a top notch keeper and stick him on a long term contract, however the DL area taunts me for the rest of the season as I cannot find anyone good enough.

The first season closes with me in the playoff positions. The team reached the 1st round of the FA Cup and got to the 4th Round of the FA Trophy. The fans are pleased as is the chairman.

We lose in the play off Semi final and are consigned to another season in the BSS.

Assman tells me the lads are off for thier holidays.

During this time retained list are published and those players released unluckily by thier former clubs are now known to me. My scouts are pressed into overdrive as I scour all players in the South East.

End of season 1.

As a LLM manager I try to realistically recreate the enviroment a real manager would have. With this in mind I do not scout players who are with clubs 'up-north', as realistically they live there.

The player search facility on the game is off limits to me as I tend to gather my own information from the Ingame experience. Players scouted are then put into lists, which I use to sign players from.

Season 2 to follow....

[Nobby_McDonald]

There is more to LLM than just managing in the lowest league, though you appear to have a grasp of it.

[Raware]

Unlcuky in the play-offs and reaching the 1st round of the FA Cup is respectable. Can I ask why you're posting in here and not the LLM forum? Of course we're happy to have you in here, don't think we're not Also, will you be posting any screenshots?

[arfajob01]

Delete screeenshot

[Nobby_McDonald]

See, if you're going to tip then it's not LLM, it's just managing in the lower leagues. If you're going to use the LLM acronym you need to use it accurately.

[arfajob01]

I knew I'd fall foul of you guys in here. lol.. Someone asks me for some screen shots, I post one and now I am shot down.

Oh well..thats the first and last screen shot I'll post. And it took me ages to figure out how too..

lol

[Saxonaitor]

Maybe you should state in the opening post that your prehaps not following all of the LLM rules.. Like mine?

I'm playing a LLM style save but missing out some rules like posting scrennshots and giving out advice..

Sorry Nobby dont kill me please!

[Nobby_McDonald]

I'm not moaning at anybody who doesn't want to play LLM. It's your game, you play it how you wish.

What I do moan at is people who say they are playing LLM when they are not. LLM is a very specific way of playing, one that I played for years. I don't now purely because I have started in England's level 8, which needs use of either the competition editor or a third party update.
The difference is that I know I'm currently playing a game that is not LLM, and I have not once said that it is a LLM game.

[hursty2]

TBH though Nobby he can call it what he wants beyond the realms of the LLM forum, this is the careers forum and he can play how he wants and nobody is going to criticise him

[arfajob01]

NObby is right though to be fair. Tipping is forbidden. However like my like my playmaker in midfield he doesnt always follow the rules

[Nobby_McDonald]

TBH though Nobby he can call it what he wants beyond the realms of the LLM forum, this is the careers forum and he can play how he wants and nobody is going to criticise him

I agree completely that Arfajob can play the game how he wants to. He paid for the game after all. I'm not going to criticise him how he plays, as I also agree that we aren't in the LLM forum.

He can't go around calling a save that isn't LLM a LLM save though. That applies to everybody. LLM is a specific way of playing, with a few rules and ethics that have to be followed and a few more guidelines that are to be followed to a varying degree depending on what each player wishes to do.

[hursty2]

NObby is right though to be fair. Tipping is forbidden. However like my like my playmaker in midfield he doesnt always follow the rules

Its forbidden in the LLM forums but not here thats what I'm trying to say. If you want to show us screenshots and such things that are not within the game you can but you can still follow the in game rules such as not using the search function

@ Nobby
Yeah thats fair enough

[arfajob01]

Think I've come up with a solution to this madness.

If I say I've signed a GK on a free, post a screenshot but blank out his name, then no-one is upset allround.

All you get is his stats, thats if you can read batteries.

Hows that sound?

[arfajob01]

[IMG]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8500/81684872.th.jpg[Quality GK /IMG]

[arfajob01]

Season 2

The board made it clear straight away that they expected the team to win the title.

My Assman though is confident we can acheive what is expected of them. As for myself I have my reservations. We lack a quality striker and decent back up. The left back position is still a problem. A good back up DC is required also.

My Assman is still recommending dross in the LB position and my scouts are not picking anything up much. However, I've asked my scouts to give me report cards on around 80 players who have been released via the unretained list from local SE clubs.

Soon enough they start reporting back and first off is a young striker who I snap up quickly, within a couple of weeks another striker is revealed to me and this one is better than anything I have at the club. Several BSS & BSN clubs are after him so I decide to potentially make him the highest paid player at the club. I promptly offer a contract, a large signing on fee and add a very generous goal bonus. With no particular loyalty to any club, money talks it seems and to my delight he signs.

A few days before the first pre-season match I land a good LB at last who is twice as good than anything I have at the club, so says my Chief Scout.

Besides a decent back DC I have everything and more I need.

First friendly I play, the LB picks up strained ankle ligament damage and would be out for six weeks. However the new strike partnership seem to have a liking for one another, with one of them banging the goals in. We are tight at the back and are playing nicely.

The first game of the season ended 0-0. I wasn't to know it but during the course of the season the team would have another 7 of these scorelines. We would have plenty of shots on and off target in these matches, but the striker who in preseason was banging them in couldn't find the back of the net. He had two very lean spells indeed of 5 hours and 10 hours without a goal. Despite my best efforts to gee him up on match days, ridicule him in the press and eventually put a arm around him. However he was creating plenty of chances for himself, but the final shot was lacking and felt I could not drop him, purely on chances created.

A couple of months into the season, found us in the play off spots. To my frustration we were reguarly losing a quick goal, yet clawing our way back, winning a few and drawing as many. One thing we were not doing however was losing many. I decided then to change my formation around to a more defensive outlook. I tweaked the tatics and looked at my shortlists for a DM. Not alot sprung out, however my AssMan knew of a gem. I asked my scouts to confirm this and they came back that he was Good League 2 Quality. Thank you very much.

We were winning matches now comfortably, well if you consider 1-0 comfortable. My midfield who from my first day at the club, (who I have not changed much), were purring. They would always come up with a well needed goal, when it matters.

Disappointedly we lost to Romford in the FA Cup. The fans were not happy, neither were the board and I flippantly mentioned to the press it would mean we could concentrate on other competitions. Mistake. Thats what you get I guess with a ineperienced manager. Several squad members in thier personal were not happy with my reaction.

So around Christmas I was along the lines of 10-9-2. with around 25 scored and 12 conceeded. I was pleased, but we were still in the playoff places. Chelmsford and Methyr were ahead of me and so it would remain till the end of the season.

Merthyr in the end cruised to the title and we finished third. We were tight at the back but did not score many.

Playoffs once more.

We would play at Braintree. The press mentioned to me that we had lost all four matches we had played against them in my tenure. Oh joy. However in the first leg we scored a early goal and I decided to then sit back and hit them on the break. It worked and we romped home 4-0. After a low key second leg. We were through to the final v Lewes. This time the press reminded us that we had not lost to them in four games and I thought that the omens were against us.

0-0 it finished after 90 mins. In the first period of ET we scored and were in complete control. Promotion. Yes!

The board they said knew all along we'd get promoted. I wish I was so confident. In truth I am pleased yet feel we didnt deserve it. Although I can see that my defence was the foundation of our success. I think we are going to struggle next year, unless my strikers really fire.

[hursty2]

Well done on getting promoted

Funny thing was you'd bought the left back then he got injured

[Nobby_McDonald]

You can post as many screenshots as you like Arfa. Just don't call it an LLM game if you name players or tip them.

I'm just being pedantic really, I have been a LLM player for a very long time until the lure of starting at level 8 in England proved too strong.