What should I do?

After some help here folks. I've seen others post threads like this, and thought I'd follow suit. Well, here's the scenario:

I'm into my sixth season at Farnborough, having been there for 1,904 days. In my time at the club I've taken them from the Blue Square South right up to the dizzy heights of the Championship, winning 4 straight titles and taking the club to Wembley three times. I've also had some decent cup ties, having made the fourth and fifth round of the cup in the last couple of years.

My last season at the club I finished in seventh in the Championship, missing out on the play offs by three points. The club have put forward plans for a youth academy, extended my current ground to a 6,000 capacity and at the same time launched plans to build a new stadium. All sounds brilliant, doesn't it?

However, I'm beginning to get itchy feet. Of course, my transfer budget is seriously affected by both stadiums, and all I've spent this summer is £150,000. So many of my players are feeling the same, with all of my best players making serious noises about moving to a bigger club. The highest wage I can offer any of them is £8,000 a week, and that's not even as much as some League One sides, so even clubs like Notts County (the team I support, for what it's worth!) are successfully unsettling my squad. I've had a look in the job centre and there are some huge clubs (Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Swansea, Reading) where the managers are under pressure, and I'm pretty sure I could get one of them. But I'm not prepared to apply for one while still at the club, so it's a case of resign or stay...

So I'm throwing it out there (and I'm trying to play it as realistic as I can): do I decide I've taken the club as far as I can, resign with dignity and try to move onwards and upwards, or do I stay at the club, struggle to stay in contention for the play offs and fight off the vultures circling around for my best players?

Intrigued to see which way this goes....

you will not only get promoted but you will dominate the world if you play in a few seasons. Maybe even selling some stars and getting a couple of fresh faces in might speed up your promotion chances. If you dont care about the club your at much jump ship and join a big clubb

I'd stay. I've done something similar with Tonbridge Angels, took them from the Blue Square South up to the Championship. I'm in my first season there and aren't doing too badly. Around 16th after a few draws against current play-off positioned sides so I'm quite content! I couldn't leave now, I've taken them too far so I want to see it through to the end! Meaning Premiership and European glory!

Hopefully the fact that you haven't spent much in Summer won't hurt you and you can make that push from play-off spot to automatic promotion soon.

So that's two to stay...any more?

i say stay and bulid, the best challenges of FM are when your short on cash, they also turn out to be the most rewarding in the long run

Stay - no point jumping ship now, FM12 is out in 3 weeks!

Don't resign, only move if your offered a job that you like the look of. Wouldn't make sense to just resign at that point.

Well I manage clubs, not careers so I would definitely stay.

When that is said, once the new stadium is built with, what, 15000 seats with a possible extention to 25k tops, there will be 20 years until they build a new one. That is the lower limit!

In other words, you will have to manage 20 seasons more before they'll build a stadium of, say, 50 000 (probably more like 40). Then, even if you have won PL and CL 10 years in a row, you will still be considered a medium-sized club.

Reputation rises so slowly in FM that it is downright demotivating thinking about bringing an amateur team up to the top...

FM is increasingly designed for either short-term games or long-term career games, and FM12 seems to be no different.

OK, here's what I'll do.

My next Farnborough game is away at Leeds United, and if I put in a decent performance I'll carry on. I don't have to win it, I just want to see some kind of performance which will convince me I should carry on.

Let's see how I get on.

Well, here's how it went:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Which lead to:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Let's see how long I'm out of work for. I've declared interest in three Championship jobs, one SPL club and one League One side. Hopefully I'm not out of work too long...

Keep us updated!!!

It's going to break your heart when they start heading back down to the Conference, but I would have suggested the move. I think the time it would take for the club to meet your ambition would just be too long.

Well, I was unemployed for four days before Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Aberdeen all sacked their managers and approached me.

Tough decision, but I went for bottom of the table Boro. I've immediately secured the signatures of my two best players at Farnborough, so hopefully they can fire us up the table when they join in January. Until then, I'm just going to try and stay in touch as I have a really thin squad at the Riverside. Probably a bonus though, as that means I can completely overhaul the place in the Summer.

And yes tom_numbers, I'll be gutted if Farnborough drop down the leagues, but hopefully they appoint somebody half-decent.

Well I manage clubs, not careers so I would definitely stay.

When that is said, once the new stadium is built with, what, 15000 seats with a possible extention to 25k tops, there will be 20 years until they build a new one. That is the lower limit!

In other words, you will have to manage 20 seasons more before they'll build a stadium of, say, 50 000 (probably more like 40). Then, even if you have won PL and CL 10 years in a row, you will still be considered a medium-sized club.

Reputation rises so slowly in FM that it is downright demotivating thinking about bringing an amateur team up to the top...

FM is increasingly designed for either short-term games or long-term career games, and FM12 seems to be no different.

The reputation thing is downright wrong. After 1 title, 2 2nd placed finishes and 1 UEFA Cup, along with a few domestic trophies, my Luton side were the second biggest team in England reputation-wise, according to the "big clubs" list on England. Continental reputation (only the top 3 in Europe were Worldwide) and having no trouble recruiting players, attracting fans or being highly rated by the media. 10 titles and champions leagues in a row would have me worldwide for sure. And that's starting as Luton, so a higher rep but certainly not a high one.

The reputation thing is downright wrong. After 1 title, 2 2nd placed finishes and 1 UEFA Cup, along with a few domestic trophies, my Luton side were the second biggest team in England reputation-wise, according to the "big clubs" list on England. Continental reputation (only the top 3 in Europe were Worldwide) and having no trouble recruiting players, attracting fans or being highly rated by the media. 10 titles and champions leagues in a row would have me worldwide for sure. And that's starting as Luton, so a higher rep but certainly not a high one.

That sounds strange. I have never heard of such a great rise in reputation before in 30+ seasons, 7-8 different saves of FM11. My Las Palmas side has certainly not risen so fast and after winning German 1st division the first and second seasons with Schalke I was still not considered the biggest club in Germany. Other people on the forums are also noticing a very slow rise in reputation and fanbase.

How are you doing over all in Europe? Despite it only being my 5th season in any European competition (won 2 UEFA Cup and 2 Champion Leagues out of 3 champiosn leagues and 1.5 (CL group 3rd place exit) I'm in the top seeds on coefficient. Next year, once I don't have a Europeless season on there, I might even take top. That could have a lot to do with it. I also bought two huge rep players in Rudenok and Akinfeev, spending a combined 57 mil on them. Rude's since moved on, but Akinfeev is still at the club. Maybe buying high rep players helps? I've also had Walcott, Nani and other mid range superstars pass through my hands when unhappy these last few seasons.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

==================

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

==================

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Well, one of the biggest now, but it took a while. The media, board, fans and opposition managers refused to believe Las Palmas could challenge for the title for quite a while after actually doing it...

Oh I ignore the board's requirements (mine always undershoot) and other managers. As long as I'm no worst than 10-1 to win a trophy, have continental reputation and show up high in my countries most famous teams list I'm happy, and players seem happy to come too. Using a metric of when other managers say you'll win things and when your board demands a title challenge may give you a falsely negative image of your own side.

Oh I ignore the board's requirements (mine always undershoot) and other managers. As long as I'm no worst than 10-1 to win a trophy, have continental reputation and show up high in my countries most famous teams list I'm happy, and players seem happy to come too. Using a metric of when other managers say you'll win things and when your board demands a title challenge may give you a falsely negative image of your own side.

Aren't those expectations from others simply a result of a set number; club reputation?

Where is this list of "most famous teams"?

Click on "England" or "Europe" as a country/region and it shows the top 6 teams and top 6 players.

And managers are also taking part in mind games, and to be perfectly honest aren't quite perfectly refined yet anyway. And your own board goes through the filter of their stats and your past success as well as hard reputation. The list on "England" or "Europe" are based purely on reputation, as is a player's decision on if you are big enough* for them.

*of course they can reject you for other things like recently moving or being at a rival club.

Well, I was unemployed for four days before Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Aberdeen all sacked their managers and approached me.

Tough decision, but I went for bottom of the table Boro. I've immediately secured the signatures of my two best players at Farnborough, so hopefully they can fire us up the table when they join in January. Until then, I'm just going to try and stay in touch as I have a really thin squad at the Riverside. Probably a bonus though, as that means I can completely overhaul the place in the Summer.

And yes tom_numbers, I'll be gutted if Farnborough drop down the leagues, but hopefully they appoint somebody half-decent.

Are Boro still in the Championship in your save? What about the other two you rejected?

Have Farnborough replaced you with anyone yet?

Are Boro still in the Championship in your save? What about the other two you rejected?

Have Farnborough replaced you with anyone yet?

Yeah, Boro are in the Championship. Were rock bottom when I took over, but I'm now 7 points outside the relegation zone, and 6 off the play offs after 18 games.

And yes, it took Farnborough a couple of days, but they agreed a deal with the Bristol City coach, who'd been relegated into League One.