If You Count Your Chickens Before They've Hatched, They Won't Lay An Egg

[AK22]

"If You Count Your Chickens Before They've Hatched, They Won't Lay An Egg" - Sir Bobby Robson

Hello and welcome to my FM12 Career Thread! Following on in the same vein of my FM11 career, this will be a journeyman adventure encompassing many clubs and nations from around the globe.

Here's the link to my previous save (if you missed it) http://community.sigames.com/showthr...-Englishmen...


Game Set-up (Large Database, 75000 Players)

In my opinion, these five leagues are the staple of European football, and will remain active throughout the entirety of the save:

England
Spain
Italy
France
Germany

These are the additional nations that I've decided to load from the start, giving a total of 44 leagues in 15 nations:

Sweden
Scotland
Hungary
Portugal
Romania
Serbia
Mexico
South Korea
Brazil
Argentina

Set-up 1 Set-up 2



Career Objectives

I like my careers to be quite fluid, so there's no self-imposed rules or any particular challenges I'd like to attempt. However, I will start off at the lowest level possible, unemployed with 'Sunday League' experience, and will look to play as realistically as possible, climbing my way up the football management ladder. Attribute masking will be on, I don't use add-ons or the player search to find players, and I trust my scouts (no matter how rubbish they are!). As a Liverpool supporter, it's difficult for me to manage certain rival teams, so don't expect to see me in the hot-seat at Everton or Man Utd. And as I live on the South Coast of England, I would definitely favour a job from one of my local teams if it became available.

[AK22]

Career Summary

Season     Team              League                     Finish    Cups                             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South      3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier    3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2014/15    Kingstonian       npower League Two          16th      FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT 1st Round
2015/16    Kingstonian       npower League Two          17th**    **Resigned 19/12/2015
           Hull City         npower League One          6th       FA Cup 4th Round
2016/17    Hull City         npower League One          1st       FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT Winner
2017/18    Hull City         npower Championship        2nd       FA Cup 5th Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round
2018/19    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    5th       FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup Semi-Final
2019/20    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    7th       Europa League 2nd KO Rd, FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    8th**     **Resigned 13/11/2020
           Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    6th       Europa League 1st KO Rd, FA Cup 5th Rd
2021/22    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    3rd       Europa League Winners, FA Cup 4th Rd, Carling Cup QF
2022/23    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup QF
2023/24    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League SF, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup QF
2024/25    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    2nd       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup Winners
2025/26    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  4th       N/A
                             Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Argentina QF
2026/27    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  1st       Copa Sudamericana SF
                             Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Libertadores RU, Copa Argentina 7th Rd
2027/28    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  2nd       Copa Sudamericana Winner
                             Primera División Clausura  1st       Copa Libertadores SF, Copa Argentina RU
2028/29    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League 1st KO Rd, DFB-Pokal QF
2029/30    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Winners, DFB-Pokal Winners
2030/31    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 2nd       Europa League Winners, Club World Cup Winners
2031/32    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Runner-Up
2032/33    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 3rd**     **Resigned 25/11/2032
           Genoa             Serie A                    7th       TIM Cup Quarter Final
2033/34    Genoa             Serie A                    3rd       TIM Cup Runner-Up
2034/35    Genoa             Serie A                    2nd       Champions League QF, TIM Cup QF
2035/36    Genoa             Serie A                    1st       Champions League SF, TIM Cup Winners
2036/37    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners
2037/38    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2038/39    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League SF, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2039/40    Balma             Championnat National       2nd       Coupe de France 10th Round
2040/41    Balma             Ligue 2                    6th       Coupe de France 7th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 4th Round
2041/42    Balma             Ligue 2                    2nd       Coupe de France 9th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 2nd Round
2042/43    Balma             Ligue 1                    11th      Coupe de France Quarter Final, Coupe de la Ligue 3rd Round
2043/44    Balma             Ligue 1                    10th      Coupe de France 10th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 3rd Round
2044/45    Balma             Ligue 1                    5th       Coupe de France 9th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 4th Round

Achievements

2011/12: None
2012/13: Blue Square South Manager of the Year, Blue Square Bet South Manager of the Month (November)
2013/14: Blue Square Bet Premier Manager of the Year
2014/15: None
2015/16: None
2016/17: npower League One Manager of the Year, npower League One Manager of the Month (January)
2017/18: npower Championship Manager of the Year (3rd Place), npower Championship Manager of the Month (February, March, April)
2018/19: Barclays Premier League Manager of the Year (3rd Place), Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month (September, February)
2019/20: None
2020/21: None
2021/22: Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month (September, October, March)
2022/23: Barclays Premier League Manager of the Year, Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month (November, January, May)
2023/24: Barclays Premier League Manager of the Year, Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month (October, November)
2024/25: Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month (October, November)
2025/26: None
2026/27: Mánager del año de la Primera División Argentina (2nd Place), Mánager del mes de la Primera División Argentina (October, March)
2027/28: Mánager del año de la Primera División Argentina, Mánager del mes de la Primera División Argentina (December, March)
2028/29: Mánager del año de la Primera División Argentina, Fußballtrainer des Jahres, Spielers Fußball-Trainer des Jahres
2029/30: None
2030/31: None
2031/32: Deutsche Trainer des Jahres (3rd Place)
2032/33: None
2033/34: Associazione Italiana Calciatori Miglior Allentore (3rd Place)
2034/35: Associazione Italiana Calciatori Miglior Allentore (3rd Place)
2035/36: None
2036/37: Premio Don Balón Mejor entrenador del año (Runner Up)
2037/38: Premio Don Balón Mejor entrenador del año
2038/39: Premio Don Balón Mejor entrenador del año (Runner Up)
2039/40: Entraîneur de l'année
2040/41: None
2041/42: Trophée UNFP du Meilleur Entraîneur
2042/43: None
2043/44: None
2044/45: Trophée UNFP du Meilleur Entraîneur

[AK22]

Reserved..

[Luton Town]

Good luck I shall be following once again

[B.W.G]

Will be following,good luck

[MattSpurs94]

Yay, another AK22 thread

Will be following.

[roganp]

Good to see you back with another thread AK. Good luck .

[jaycar]

I'd have followed this thread anyway, but as you're a fellow red I will take extra interest

[Nordan]

Will follow this. Only mad dogs and Englishmen....lay eggs

[AK22]

Thanks for all the comments so far, first proper update should be up later tonight

[markyosullivan]

Good to see you back. Good luck! I'll be following

[AK22]

24th June 2012: After holidaying, and taking in some of the Euro 2012 action, the first available job that took my interest was this one.


Kingstonian F.C.

Wage: £600 per week
Contract Length: 1 year
Transfer Budget: £0
Wage Budget: £2.2k per week
Current Player Wage Total: £186 per week





Year Founded: 1885
Nickname: The K's
Rivals: AFC Wimbledon, Sutton Utd, Woking, Boreham Wood


Stadium: The Fans' Stadium - Kingsmeadow
Capacity: 6200 all-seater





2012/13

Media Prediction: 22nd
Title Odds: 20/1


Board Expectations

Blue Square Bet South: Avoid Relegation
FA Cup: Third Qualifying Round
FA Trophy: First Round


Initial Impressions

Newly promoted to the Blue Square South, this is a team with a lot of work to do. I inherit a squad of just 17 players, with only two of which are on proper part-time contracts. There is absolutely no backroom staff, even though I'm pretty sure Sky Sports commentator, Martin Tyler, is a first team coach here in real life. So my task is clear, remodel the entire structure of the club, and hope that we survive our first season in the BSS. We're predicted to finish bottom, which is not surprising due to our minuscule squad, but if I can work a bit of magic in the transfer market, I could see us scraping survival. To be honest, I'm not hoping for much more, as I can see us being whipping-boys until I've established a first team squad. First things first though, I'm going to need to find an assistant manager, and then a scout, and then hope to attract a few decent players to a very fashionable area of Greater London.

[rancer890]

Good luck with Kingstonian AK22!

[B.W.G]

Good luck with The K's,hope you can achieve survial

[o JaY]

Good luck with this, I'll be following

[iseemonsters1]

Best of luck, looking forward to seeing how you do!

I don't know why, but I always feel like Kingstonian should be the name of a Scottish team. Anyone else know what I mean? ...Anyone?

[cerud]

Looking forward to it AK22. I'm managing Staines in the BSS right now and doing decent. A newly promoted club should still be able to complete well.

[AK22]

Good to see you back. Good luck! I'll be following

Good luck with Kingstonian AK22!

Good luck with The K's,hope you can achieve survial

Good luck with this, I'll be following

Best of luck, looking forward to seeing how you do!

I don't know why, but I always feel like Kingstonian should be the name of a Scottish team. Anyone else know what I mean? ...Anyone?

Looking forward to it AK22. I'm managing Staines in the BSS right now and doing decent. A newly promoted club should still be able to complete well.

Thanks for all the comments

Survival is the only aim this season, I'll be extremely happy with 19th.

I'm planning on getting a lot more immersed into this save than my previous ones. I'm going to be watching more game action than usual, analysing more stats, and will try to become a lot more tactically aware. I feel that the new FM12 interface will make this a lot easier too. Due to this, I've only played the one competitive game so far, a 1-1 draw away to Staines (coincidence Cerud?!). A game which we took the lead, had a player sent off, only for them to equalising in stoppage time. A bit frustrating, but still, the first point is on the board.

And yes, iseemonsters1, I can kind of see where you are coming from on the Scottish name front...

[Nobby_McDonald]

Good luck in Kingston AK.

[arinceo]

Super keen to follow your save from the start this time, catching up on your 11 career was the biggest mission Fingers crossed you can evade relegation this year, but based on your efforts with Thurrock I'm picking a mid-table finish

[AK22]

Good luck in Kingston AK.

Super keen to follow your save from the start this time, catching up on your 11 career was the biggest mission Fingers crossed you can evade relegation this year, but based on your efforts with Thurrock I'm picking a mid-table finish

Thanks guys I'd be delighted with mid-table.

[AK22]

Kingstonian F.C.





Pre-Season Summary 2012/13

Wow, it was a lot harder than I anticipated to string some kind of squad together. After further inspection, we have the third lowest wage bill in the league (only Bromley and St. Albans are lower), so it's going to be a tough season. At least the board recognises this fact!


Transfer Activity

Transfer Summary
Club Signing of the Window : Jason Marr
Total Amount Spent: £0
Total Amount Received: £0

My game-plan here was to buy experienced seasoned-pros, and boy, experience did I buy! It seems I raided the local nursing home to sign a 40 year old Frank Sinclair, who's still got just enough quality to play BSS football. In addition to Ol' Frank, 37 year old defender Steve Foster, 'keeper Nathan Abbey, and former-Crazy Gang member Carl Cort, all joined the over-30's club. Unfortunately, due to lack of resources, I've only been able to sign twelve new players. This gives me a pretty decent first eleven, but worryingly thin squad depth. I'm just praying for an injury-free season, otherwise I'm going to have to depend on some of the cack that I inherited on my arrival. All the players have signed one-year deals, which suits me nicely at this stage. At least any flops can be moved on quickly and without much compensation.


Tactical Outlook

As being one of the favourites for relegation, my main aim is to make us tough to beat. This way, we should be able to string together a few draws where we were predicted to lose, all vital points which will help to ensure our survival.

This is my initial formation and team instructions:





Nothing too fancy here at all. My defence is on the slow side, and I don't want them exposed to pacey attacks, so I don't want a high defensive line either. The 4-5-1 should help us to maintain possession, and make it difficult for the opposition to attack through the centre of the pitch. Due to the lack of obvious talent, I've restricted creative freedom and roaming, to make sure they don't try anything too ambitious. All I want them to do is pass the ball to the front three, and for one of them to try and get a shot on target. You never know, one of them might go in every now and again!


Other News

European Championship 2012
Hosts: Poland & Ukraine
Group Stages
Knockout Rounds
Final: Portugal 1-2 Spain

Spain successfully defended their trophy in an all-Iberian final. Credit is due to co-hosts Poland, who did themselves a lot credit by reaching the semi-final.

[deltablue]

Loved the last one, looking forward to this one.

[Mikal]

Good luck with your season mate.

[o JaY]

Good luck, 4-5-1 is usually a solid tactic at this level

[AK22]

Cheers for the comments, should have a mid-season update soon

I'm very anti 4-4-2, so I'll go with any formation other than that. 4-4-2 is too outdated for my liking, and far too predictable.

[Raware]

Sorry AK, having had a great save on FM09 with AFC Wimbledon, I'll have to stick with my loyalties! Seriously though, good luck. I enjoyed your FM11 save and no doubt I'll enjoy this too.

Interesting that you've chosen the 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation. A lot of people are seeming to go for that now. I guess I'm just a football purist as I tend to stick with the 4-4-2/4-1-3-2...or I'm just predictable!

[Azeryk`]

Good luck - its a good formation at this level of the game. I started using it after taking over at Boston and found it most handy - you need to make sure you have one hell of a good striker though as my AML/R's don't chip in with too many.

[AK22]

Sorry AK, having had a great save on FM09 with AFC Wimbledon, I'll have to stick with my loyalties! Seriously though, good luck. I enjoyed your FM11 save and no doubt I'll enjoy this too.

Interesting that you've chosen the 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation. A lot of people are seeming to go for that now. I guess I'm just a football purist as I tend to stick with the 4-4-2/4-1-3-2...or I'm just predictable!

Good luck - its a good formation at this level of the game. I started using it after taking over at Boston and found it most handy - you need to make sure you have one hell of a good striker though as my AML/R's don't chip in with too many.

You're right, 4-3-3/4-5-1 is very fashionable at the moment, but it is very dependant on having a strong striker who can score 20 goals a season. The traditionalist in me says that a club from England should play 4-4-2, but I just can't ever get it to work in FM. I think players 'playing in between the lines', such as defensive midfielders or attacking midfielders, tend to excel on the current match engine, and also add a touch of unpredictability to the side. Unfortunately, at the highest level in world football, 4-4-2 is on the way out. The majority of successful teams play a version of 4-5-1, or are at least comfortable to switch to this formation when things aren't working.

[AK22]

Kingstonian F.C.





Mid-Season Update 2012/13


Blue Square Bet South: 3rd
Table
Fixtures


To be honest, I'm surprised how well we've done so far. We started off pretty averagely, scraping through matches 2-1 or 2-2, but to our credit, we didn't lose many, clinging on to secure vital points in several matches. The team unit really started to gel come November though, winning all but one match, which was enough to secure me Manager of The Month. We've also exceeded expectations in the cup competitions too, making the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, and securing our place in the 2nd Round of the FA Trophy.

Unfortunately, conceding goals in the final ten minutes has been our downfall, as we've let in nine of the 23 conceded in the final knockings of games. Also, an injury crisis has struck my first choice centre-back partnership, who have both just torn their hamstring, and are going to miss three months of action. Since this happened, my reasonably solid-looking defence has become very porous, letting in three goals per game. It could be a long old winter at this rate. At least it's all looking good for Blue Square South survival, but I very much doubt we'll maintain a promotion push, especially as my home ground has a terrible habit of water-logging, meaning that we now have a bit of a fixture pile-up to contend with in January.


Other News


We're FA Cup record breakers! There's life in the old dog yet!

[deltablue]

Despite not having played as much, you're looking very strong for the playoffs.

[B.W.G]

Looking good so far,hope your able to maintain your form

[iseemonsters1]

Good start to the season - with the games in hand, you could go top, and only one defeat so far - very impressive!

[iacovone]

Frank Sinclair

What a hero. Surprised it wasn't an own goal though

[AK22]

Despite not having played as much, you're looking very strong for the playoffs.

Looking good so far,hope your able to maintain your form

Good start to the season - with the games in hand, you could go top, and only one defeat so far - very impressive!

Thanks chaps This is a really close league this season. Not sure if it's down to an equal class in quality or an equal class of uselessness!

Frank Sinclair

What a hero. Surprised it wasn't an own goal though

I reckon he's achieved cult-status now

Shame he's just announced his retirement though, I'm sure a 42 year old could manage a few more games at non-league level.

[Adlain]

Watching with intrest - Looking good for servival, how are your scouts doing finding your next batch of players?? - i am finding the CA dropoff is quite sudden for the older player in my save atm.

[AK22]

Kingstonian F.C.





Season Review 2012/13

Competitions

Blue Square Bet South: 3rd (Promoted via playoffs)
Position Graph | Playoffs | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2



FA Cup: Fourth Qualifying Round
FA Trophy: Second Round

Season Summary

Match of the Season: Kingstonian 3-1 Salisbury (Blue Square Bet South Playoff Final)

We had a pretty abysmal winter period, only winning two matches of the twelve played in January and February. Amazingly, we still found ourselves in 7th position and still with a shout of making the playoffs or, even, automatic promotion. It's no coincidence that this poor run tied in with the most horrific injury crisis, where five first choice players found themselves on the treatment table. I always knew this would be the case though, as our squad is lacking depth, and was unlikely to cope well with any strain placed on it. However, we battled through this difficult period, recovering well in March, and putting together a nice little string of results at the end of April. Going into the final game of the season, we were sitting 2nd, one point behind leaders Hayes and Yeading, the team we were playing in that match. A win for either side would have seen them go up as champions. However, we could only muster up a draw, which allowed Dover to slip in the back door, and take the one automatic promotion place.

As with Hayes and Yeading, Farnborough and Salisbury, we would have to ride our luck through the playoffs. We comfortably beat Farnborough home and away in the semi-final, to set up a make-or-break tie against Salisbury in the final. As we had finished higher in the table, we were granted the luxury of playing the game at home. Our largest home crowd of the season saw a demotion job, where we scored three goals in four minutes either side of half time. The rest of the game was a mere formality, especially once Salisbury had been reduced to ten men with fifteen minutes to go. Against all odds, we had done it, and achieved promotion! The team predicted to finish bottom will be playing Blue Square Premier League football next season.

Another point of interest is that we had the best away record in the league, picking up 36 points on the road, but only the 11th best at home. We will need to do a lot better in front of our own fans next season if we're going to survive in the BSP though.

Financial

Bank Balance: £22481 ( - £33920 on last season)
Average Attendance: 648
Season Ticket Holders: 55

Finances aren't looking great, but would have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for our bonus playoff matches. The extra revenue from these games have just pushed us back into the black. The board have already announced the budgets for next season, where I will have an extra £1.9k per week to spend on wages (not a lot, I know!). We should get a bit of TV revenue next season too, which will help, and I'm hoping for an improvement in the attendances too. That being said, we had the 6th best attendance in the league this season, so I suppose our fan base isn't too bad all things considered. Boreham Wood only averaged 148!

Squad

Squad Overview
Transfer Summary
Team of the Year
Fan's Player of the Year: Jason Marr
Manager's Player of the Year: Jason Marr
Top Goalscorer: Elvis Chio (19 goals)

Even with such a small squad, with everyone fit, we were more than a match for any side in this division. The emergence of Elvis Chio was the most pleasant of surprises, who after taking a while to break it into the first team, went on to become the second highest scorer in the league. Other players of note include Jason Marr, Stephen Radcliffe and Anthony Thomas, all of which were consistent performers across the season. I've got a big task ahead of me over the summer, with most player's contracts up for renewal, I need to decide quickly who will be able to cut the mustard at the higher level. Unfortunately, I fear that very few will deemed worthy of an extension, and with such a small wage budget, I can ill afford to carry anyone for sentimental reasons. I will, however, be securing the services of youngster Jack Boyce, the most promising of prospects to come though my youth intake.


Other News

An interesting season in the Premier League saw Liverpool win their first league title for 23 years. Whereas Arsenal finally saw sense, sacking Wenger after an 8th place finish. Meanwhile, England are making a pig-ear of their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign having lost away to Ukraine and at home to Poland. At the half way stage, they currently sit joint 3rd in their group, eight points behind the runaway leaders Ukraine.


Career Summary

Season     Team              League                   Finish    Cups                             
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South    3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Rd, FA Trophy 2nd Rd

[B.W.G]

Congrats on the promotion,looks like you've carried on your form from FM11

[SnakeXe]

Really well done winning promotion at the first attempt!

[AK22]

Watching with intrest - Looking good for servival, how are your scouts doing finding your next batch of players?? - i am finding the CA dropoff is quite sudden for the older player in my save atm.

Cheers Adlain

Finding it trickier to find decent players capable of slotting straight into the first team. My scouts are unearthing lots of youngster with plenty of potential, but they are at least two seasons away from being first team regulars. I suppose there aren't many players between the ages of 22 and 30 who are unattached and willing to play BSS football.

I'm hoping that since achieving promotion, my board will be more willing for me to scout outside of the UK, even if it's just being able to visit France. I'm not banking on it though, my previous requests have been shot down in no uncertain terms!

[AK22]

Congrats on the promotion,looks like you've carried on your form from FM11

Really well done winning promotion at the first attempt!

Thanks

This may sound a bit strange, but I don't think we really deserved promotion. We only totalled 73 points, hardly a lot for a 42 game season. We also only managed 32 points from our last 22 games too, which is not promotion form by any means! The BSS standard is pretty awful!

Ah well, I mustn't grumble though. I'm still very pleased to get promoted at the first attempt, although I'm expecting a lot tougher ride in the BSP next season

[SnakeXe]

Yeah 73 points is surprisingly low! In fact I finished 9 points off top with 77 in my save, but then again you can only beat what's in front of you - it was probably just a particularly competitive season.

[deltablue]

Woo, hope you manage to survive in the BSP better than I did.

[AK22]

Yeah 73 points is surprisingly low! In fact I finished 9 points off top with 77 in my save, but then again you can only beat what's in front of you - it was probably just a particularly competitive season.

The top half of the table were only separated by 12 points, so it was a pretty competitive year. 77 points would have been enough to go up as champions this season!

Woo, hope you manage to survive in the BSP better than I did.

Cheers deltablue, so do I. I don't want to go to Norway yet!

[Luton Town]

Well done on getting promoted and good luck for next season.

[Shroom420]

Awsome AK, love following your threads. Brilliant on the promotion, looked like it would be a bit difficult but you pulled it off.
Good to see carl cort and frank sinclair worked out as they were alwasy going to be a gamble. I have found the older players do tend to do well as all they want to do is play football.
BSP here you come, make sure you do better than Rushden (RIP my beloved team)

[Nobby_McDonald]

Well done on winning promotion with grandfathers in your team.

[AK22]

Well done on getting promoted and good luck for next season.

Thanks Luton Town

Awsome AK, love following your threads. Brilliant on the promotion, looked like it would be a bit difficult but you pulled it off.
Good to see carl cort and frank sinclair worked out as they were alwasy going to be a gamble. I have found the older players do tend to do well as all they want to do is play football.
BSP here you come, make sure you do better than Rushden (RIP my beloved team)

Shame what happened to Rushden, had a great save on FM with them a few years ago. Managed to get them up to the Championship, so sort of got an affinity with them after that. Hopefully they can 'do a Wimbledon' and return to league football eventually.

Well done on winning promotion with grandfathers in your team.

Cheers Nobby. I'll treat them to a new Zimmer frame as reward for promotion

[Shroom420]

Shame what happened to Rushden, had a great save on FM with them a few years ago. Managed to get them up to the Championship, so sort of got an affinity with them after that. Hopefully they can 'do a Wimbledon' and return to league football eventually.

I started using them in management games from when i played Ultimate Soccer Manager 2 (my first and favourite management game). I once signed Vinnie Jones when i started in league 2 first season and he was released. Also the club with Simeon Jackson (now at Norwich) and i think he should play more. I always have a Rushden save and its part the reason why i haven't bought FM12 so far.
I hope for the Wimbledon thing for them aswell. I use Wimbledon on Fifa 12 just because they deserve to be in the premier league and i will get them there

[AK22]

Kingstonian F.C.



Pre-Season Summary 2013/14


Wage: £625 per week | Contract Length: 1 year

With a new contract in my pocket, and a £25 per week pay rise (that'll pay for a couple of scratchcards), I start my difficult task of keeping this club in the Blue Square Bet Premier League.


Board Expectations


Blue Square Bet Premier: Avoid Relegation
FA Cup: Fourth Qualifying Round | FA Trophy: First Round

Transfer Budget: £0
Wage Budget: £4k per week | Current Player Wage Total: £2984 per week

Media Prediction: 24th | Title Odds: 40/1

Everyone expects us to finish bottom, and there's good reason for this too. With such a small wage budget, it's going to difficult to piece together a squad capable of performing consistently at this level (only AFC Telford have a lower wage bill than us). However, with a bit of luck, I've quietly confident that we'll avoid relegation, but back-to-back promotions is definitely not on the agenda as far as I'm concerned.


Transfer Activity

Transfer Summary
Club Signing of the Window: Jordan Thewlis
Total Amount Spent: £0 | Total Amount Received: £0

Asides from a handful of players, the majority of my ageing promotion-winning squad have been released, and a whole new batch of players have been signed up. I've brought in a new striker, Jordan Thewlis, who I hope should thrive in the lone-striker role. In midfielder, I've strengthened by bringing in holding-midfielder George Fotheringham and the creative Adam Forshaw. Shay McCartan is the other big salary signing, who will either play on the right-hand side of midfield or be Thewlis' back-up. As with last season, this all leaves me with a pretty tiny squad of just 18 players. Any injuries, and we'll be screwed, but at least I'll be able to give some of the under-18s a game or two then!


Tactical Outlook

This is my initial formation and team instructions:





Still the same formation as last season, but I've released the shackles ever so slightly, as creative freedom and roaming are back up to default levels. The reason behind this is mainly that my players are ever so slightly better than last season, so hopefully, they've got that extra intelligence needed to determine whether to use any flair they have or not. To be honest though, there are very few flair-players in the Blue Square leagues, so I can't imagine it will make too much difference either way. I was really pleased at how the 4-5-1 made us difficult to beat last season, so I will be looking for the same kind of results this term too.


Other News

Denmark won the Under-20's World Cup, beating Germany 3-1 in the final. Will be interesting to see if this team develop into world-beaters in the future.

[SnakeXe]

Looks like a solid team for the BSP - good luck!

[HotChocolate]

Great read so far AK! Brilliant promotion as well! Good luck in BSP!

[footynut]

Hi AK22, I'm enjoying reading your new save. Congratulations on winning promotion first time around. It will be interesting to see how you go in the BSP.
Quick question, how can you see each teams wage bill as it's something I'd like to do?

[AK22]

Looks like a solid team for the BSP - good luck!

Great read so far AK! Brilliant promotion as well! Good luck in BSP!

Hi AK22, I'm enjoying reading your new save. Congratulations on winning promotion first time around. It will be interesting to see how you go in the BSP.
Quick question, how can you see each teams wage bill as it's something I'd like to do?

Cheers I'm targeting 50 points, which should be easily enough to keep us up. 44 and 45 was enough in the previous two seasons, so getting 50 will allow us a little bit of leeway. Hopefully, the players I've got are good enough to get us there.

You can find the wage bill for each team in your league under the team stats page for the relevant league. It looks something like this. To be honest, I'm surprised clubs like Newport County are able to pay so much on wages without going bankrupt.

[footynut]

You can find the wage bill for each team in your league under the team stats page for the relevant league. It looks something like this. To be honest, I'm surprised clubs like Newport County are able to pay so much on wages without going bankrupt.

Is this in FM12 only or can you see this information in FM11?

[deltablue]

Just 12 so far I think.

[AK22]

You're right, deltablue. I think it was a new feature for FM12. Quite a handy little stat to refer to

[Nordan]

I don't want to go to Norway yet!

You're welcome here,a few teams could use a good man!

[AK22]

You're welcome here,a few teams could use a good man!

Cheers Nordan

I'm more than happy at Kingstonian at the moment, so I'll be staying around for a bit. That's unless my chairman has other things in mind

[Nordan]

Cheers Nordan

I'm more than happy at Kingstonian at the moment, so I'll be staying around for a bit. That's unless my chairman has other things in mind

I didn't mean right away,if you feel like it at some point that would be cool.

[MattSpurs94]

In regards to your tactic, do you change strategy depending on your opponent or do you always leave it as standard?

Great start to your career, if it's anything like your last, then it should be awesome

[AK22]

I didn't mean right away,if you feel like it at some point that would be cool.

I wouldn't rule it out altogether. I don't have Norway loaded at the moment, but that doesn't mean I won't load it in the future. Wouldn't mind a pop with Valerenga or Viking at some point

In regards to your tactic, do you change strategy depending on your opponent or do you always leave it as standard?

Great start to your career, if it's anything like your last, then it should be awesome

Thanks Matt. I tend to start the majority of matches on standard mentality, and then adjust accordingly based on my assessment of the first 15 minutes of play. I watch key highlights, so I can get a pretty decent picture of how things are going myself, but will also look at Ass Man feedback too. In most Blue Square matches, the games are quite even, so I don't always adjust too much, but if I find we're struggling to gain a foothold, I might change to play on the counter. Or then go to control, if counter doesn't have the desired effect.

Quite regularly, we tend to dominate possession, but are unable to create many chances. To combat this, I'll go to a direct passing style, and may go to an attacking mentality too, just to make sure my players get the ball forward and have some attempts at goal

[roganp]

Great work so far with the promotion . Good luck for the new season

[AK22]

Great work so far with the promotion . Good luck for the new season

Thanks roganp. It's going rather well so far...

[rancer890]

Thanks roganp. It's going rather well so far...

Well that's good to hear. League football soon?

[AK22]

Kingstonian F.C.





Mid-Season Update 2013/14


Blue Square Bet Premier: 3rd
Table
Fixtures


What a great start to the season we had. Sitting 3rd, and with 51 points on the board, I'm sure we've already done enough to secure another season in the BSP. Even though we sit comfortably in the playoff places at the moment, I don't really expect us to maintain this kind of form in the second half of the season, mainly due to the limitations of my squad. Any further success will heavily depend on if we can keep Jordan Thewlis in good form too. 17 league goals already, making him the topscorer in the BSP, is a more than decent return. If he continues in this vein, a top half finish is the very least we should be achieving. I've told the board this too, which gives me a bit extra in the wage budget, which I'll be using to bring in a couple of fresh faces.


Other News


Signor Capello's England reign has come to a very sticky end, having falling to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. An extremely disappointing qualifying campaign saw them finish 4th in their group behind Ukraine, Poland and Montenegro. Monsieur Wenger has been chosen by the English FA to be the new national team boss.

[HotChocolate]

Great first half to the season, lets hope you can carry that on into the 'squeaky bum time'

are you glad that you are out of both cups or not?

[deltablue]

Fantastic time so far.

[DazRTaylor]

I have just discovered your Career AK22. Excellent stuff - Clear, crisp and concise layout and one I am definitely going to follow.

I normally start 4-51 at the beginning of an LLM start simply because, as you say, it makes you hard to beat. Tweaks here and there and bingo. Though Kingstonian going up is brilliant

A few seasons of consolidation and who knows? Jordan Thewlis should score a bagful for you with those stats in the BSP.

[SnakeXe]

Excellent return from Thewlis, keep up the good work!

[B.W.G]

Looking good so far,hope you can keep up the good form!

[AK22]

Well that's good to hear. League football soon?

You never know rancer I've had no FM time this weekend though, real life getting in the way unfortunately, and delaying my progress somewhat!

Great first half to the season, lets hope you can carry that on into the 'squeaky bum time'

are you glad that you are out of both cups or not?

Thanks HotChocolate. I'm always in two minds when it comes to the cups. A good FA cup run can set the club up financially for two or three seasons, but the fixture congestion always then causes a bit of a headache. Actually, we were really unlucky in the FA Cup this season, losing out to League One side Oxford on penalties. So close to causing a 'cupset'!

Fantastic time so far.

I'm really pleased we've carried our momentum forward from last season. I'm sure we'll have a Jan/Feb wobble though.

I have just discovered your Career AK22. Excellent stuff - Clear, crisp and concise layout and one I am definitely going to follow.

I normally start 4-51 at the beginning of an LLM start simply because, as you say, it makes you hard to beat. Tweaks here and there and bingo. Though Kingstonian going up is brilliant

A few seasons of consolidation and who knows? Jordan Thewlis should score a bagful for you with those stats in the BSP.

Glad to have you following Daz I'm a major advocate of 4-5-1, definitely a good base to start with. Obviously, it works better with some teams than other, but I'm really satisfied about how well it's working with The K's.

Excellent return from Thewlis, keep up the good work!

I'd be amazed if Thewlis doesn't earn BSP signing of the season. I knew he was going to be good, maybe a 20 goal a season striker, but I'm amazed that he's now on target for 30. Cue, torn hamstring now (hopefully not! )

[AK22]

Looking good so far,hope you can keep up the good form!

Thanks B.W.G, hopefully so!

[Adelaidean]

Doing really well to be in 3rd! I lurked through pretty much all of your 2011 career but I'll definitely be an active follower of this one!

Keep it up!

[roganp]

Fantastic start to the season . Looking very well placed to at least the playoffs.

Good luck for the rest of the season

[Azeryk`]

Well done on third and good luck for the remainder of the season as you can still go up

[AK22]

Doing really well to be in 3rd! I lurked through pretty much all of your 2011 career but I'll definitely be an active follower of this one!

Keep it up!

Fantastic start to the season . Looking very well placed to at least the playoffs.

Good luck for the rest of the season

Well done on third and good luck for the remainder of the season as you can still go up

Thanks a lot. I've literally just finished the season, so should get an update up shortly

[AK22]

Kingstonian F.C.





Season Review 2013/14

Competitions

Blue Square Bet Premier: 3rd (Promoted via playoffs)
Position Graph | Playoffs | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2



FA Cup: 1st Round
FA Trophy: 1st Round

Season Summary

Match of the Season: Kingstonian 3-1 Barnet (Blue Square Bet Premier Playoff Final)

Another pretty unbelievable season at Kingsmeadow. I don't think anyone can believe the fact we've achieved back-to-back promotion, and to be honest, I've even surprised myself. I never expected us to be challenging at the top of the table come the end of the season, but we near enough maintained a consistent 3rd position for the whole second half of the season. We did have a couple of small blips throughout the course of the year, including a period of fives games in February where all we could do is draw. We also had our fair share of bad luck when it came to games being called off. At one stage, we had four games in hand, due to the amount of matches postponed because of detrimental weather conditions. Fortunately, the squad held up this year, and we managed to maintain a steady level of performance, keeping us in the playoff places right up to the very end. No-one was ever going to catch Wrexham at the top of the table though. They led from start to finish, finishing the season with a commanding 17 point advantage.

So, for the second season in a row, we would be challenging in the playoffs. But this time for League football status! After finishing third in the table, we had the advantage of playing the first leg of semi-final away from home. A satisfying performance against Lincoln followed, winning 4-2 on aggregate and setting us on the short road to Wembley. An interesting venue to use, as 'only' 38,817 turned up to watch us thrash Barnet 3-1 and secure our place in npower League Two. This was a remarkable match, and I thoroughly recommend you watch the highlights embedded above as 'Match of the Season'. We were extremely fortunate to see Barnet reduced to ten men after six minutes, but the goals that followed were of the very highest class. A tremendous effort by us, and this nice little showcase secured The K's league football for the first time in their history.

Once again, we can thank our excellent away form for keeping us in contention. 40 points on the road was the second best record in the league (only behind Wrexham), but I will still be looking for improvements in front of our own fans next season.

Our success was enough for me to secure Blue Square Bet Premier Manager of the Year, and more importantly, a two-year contract extension combined with a £375 per week pay increase.

Financial

Bank Balance: £83807 ( + £65257 on last season)
Average Attendance: 1397 (+749)
Season Ticket Holders: 110 (+55)

The trip to Wembley really helped our finances, adding £250k to the club's coffers. Without this much needed income, things would have been looking pretty dismal. Our attendances weren't too bad overall, but we just couldn't make any kind of profit over the course of the season. Increased TV revenue next season though, so the bank manager should be kept happy!

Squad

Squad Overview
Transfer Summary
Team of the Year
Overall Best Eleven
Fan's Player of the Year: Jordan Thewlis
Manager's Player of the Year: Jordan Thewlis
Top Goalscorer: Jordan Thewlis (36 goals)

The squad was a lot stronger this season, and even with a few injuries, we still managed to send out a competitive side in every fixture. The signings of Ryan Edwards and Calum McGregor in January really boosted the squad's performances. They both slotted instantly into the first team, and should be able to step up to League Two next season too. That being said, the star of the show was undoubtedly Jordan Thewlis. Even after a eight game baron spell, he still topped the league goalscoring charts, contributing with 32 BSP goals, earning Signing of the Season too. Highlights from the supporting cast include the very able and creative midfield pairing of Adam Forshaw and Stuart O'Keefe. Also, promotion would never have been achieved without Jason Marr, and the afore mentioned Ryan Edwards, putting out the fires in our defence.


Other News

I've had my first job offer of my career. League Two side, Bury, sacked their manager with a handful of games remaining in the season. Offering a bigger wage budget, I decided to stall the offer, and review once I had completed the season with Kingstonian. However, since we've achieved promotion, I decided to reject their tempting offer, committing myself to establishing The K's in the Football League. Bury's financial status was listed as 'insecure', so this was another reason why I've decided to stay put. That being said, my current chairman wants to leave and is trying to sell the club. I'm hoping for a quick and stress-free takeover, but it's probably best to prepare for the worse!


Career Summary

Season     Team              League                   Finish    Cups                             
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South    3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier  3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round

[DazRTaylor]

Bloody hell fire. Thewlis should be renamed BananaBoy or something after that goal. Unbelieveable!

Congratulations on FL status :-) As the CC is seeded, maybe a big Championship side in round 1?

[Azeryk`]

Congratulations on the promotion

[B.W.G]

Congrats on promotion!!

[noikeee]

Just gave a quick reading of the career so far. This season's been pretty damn good, particularly considering you barely got promoted into the BSP the previous year, with a freakishly low sum of points. Perhaps there isn't much of a gap between both leagues? Either way, great start for the career.

[SnakeXe]

Excellent job on successive promotions!

[rancer890]

Gratz on promotion AK22. Good luck in League 2!

[cerud]

Good job on the back to back promotions AK22! All the best in league play.

[deltablue]

Back to back promotions are amazing.

[AK22]

Bloody hell fire. Thewlis should be renamed BananaBoy or something after that goal. Unbelieveable!

Congratulations on FL status :-) As the CC is seeded, maybe a big Championship side in round 1?

I didn't realise it was seeded. Is that a new thing? So, yeah, from a financial perspective, an away tie to one of the big Championship sides will really help the club finances. Overall, though, I'm not too bothered about the cup competitions. The league is the only priority for next season, so won't be disappointed if we go out in the first round in all three of the cups.

Congratulations on the promotion

Congrats on promotion!!

Thanks Azeryk and B.W.G.

Just gave a quick reading of the career so far. This season's been pretty damn good, particularly considering you barely got promoted into the BSP the previous year, with a freakishly low sum of points. Perhaps there isn't much of a gap between both leagues? Either way, great start for the career.

Cheers noikeee. I'm pretty certain there's not a lot of difference in class between the Blue Square Premier and the Blue Square Regionals. One or two excellent signings can really take the league by storm, and make a huge difference in fortunes for the team. Take Thewlis for example, his goals near enough single-handedly won promotion for us this season. I think it's a bigger step up to League Two though, especially as all the clubs are professional now, so I'm expecting a tougher season ahead.

Excellent job on successive promotions!

Gratz on promotion AK22. Good luck in League 2!

Good job on the back to back promotions AK22! All the best in league play.

Back to back promotions are amazing.

Thanks all Survival will be name of the game next time around. We'll certainly be the smallest fish in the Football League pond, as our reputation has not increased inline with our rise through the leagues. I suppose this is one of the pitfall of back-to-back promotions though, and maybe we just need a season of consolidation to level things out a bit.

[Nordan]

I suppose this is one of the pitfall of back-to-back promotions though, and maybe we just need a season of consolidation to level things out a bit.

Promotion again,excellent work!

Did your club go pro yet?

[HotChocolate]

Great work this season AK! Are you planning on staying with Kingstonian for a while longer or moving on quickly?

[Jimmy_Jambo]

AK22, I got offered the Bury job in my 2nd season aswell, hmmmm I was unemployed at the time though as i resigned as Darlington manager as they squad i inherited was just awful..

I took the Bury job (they were just above relegation in League 2) got to a safe mid tabled position, then acheived promotion the following season and currently in pre-season with'em

Loving this so far, will be an avid reader Good Luck and Well Done!

[DazRTaylor]

I didn't realise it was seeded. Is that a new thing?

Been around for about 5-6 years or so. Only first two rounds are seeded, then it is an open draw. Seeding is simply where you finished the previous year. So in ROund One, the previous 24 Championship clubs, plus those that finished 1-12 in League One are seeded. Round Two is similar in that the top half of teams get seeded (top half being league finishing from previous season). When the draw is made, look at the draw - there will be no Championship v Championship game.

[roganp]

As others have said, brilliant work getting back to back promotions

Hopefully Thewlis can be as prolific in League 2.

[AK22]

Promotion again,excellent work!

Did your club go pro yet?

Thanks Nordan Yep, we've just turned pro. My squad are all still on part-time contract though, so I'm going to have to negotiate quite a few contract deals now.

Great work this season AK! Are you planning on staying with Kingstonian for a while longer or moving on quickly?

Cheers HC. I've just signed a two year contract extension with the K's, so I'm planning on seeing that out. Once I've established them as a stable Football League club, I'll then review the state of play, and maybe move on. Well, that's the provisional plan at least, I wouldn't rule anything out completely. I'm in no rush to leave, but if I get a good offer, I'm open to some persuasion!

[AK22]

AK22, I got offered the Bury job in my 2nd season aswell, hmmmm I was unemployed at the time though as i resigned as Darlington manager as they squad i inherited was just awful..

I took the Bury job (they were just above relegation in League 2) got to a safe mid tabled position, then acheived promotion the following season and currently in pre-season with'em

Loving this so far, will be an avid reader Good Luck and Well Done!

Coincidence? Or is Richie Barker so carp, he was always going to get sacked eventually?

Hopefully I won't regret turning down their offer. Bury's wage budget is four times bigger than what I've got at Kingstonian, so they're a club definitely with a good chance of getting promotion back to League One. However, I feel quite loyal to Kingstonian, and owe it to the club to give League Two a shot with them first before moving on to another club. Good luck with Bury in your save though

Been around for about 5-6 years or so. Only first two rounds are seeded, then it is an open draw. Seeding is simply where you finished the previous year. So in ROund One, the previous 24 Championship clubs, plus those that finished 1-12 in League One are seeded. Round Two is similar in that the top half of teams get seeded (top half being league finishing from previous season). When the draw is made, look at the draw - there will be no Championship v Championship game.

I can't say I've noticed before, but that's really useful to know. Cheers

As others have said, brilliant work getting back to back promotions

Hopefully Thewlis can be as prolific in League 2.

Thanks roganp. Even if Thewlis can only score half as many goals as he did in the BSP, I'd be delighted. I will be looking to bring in a decent back-up over the summer though, just in case he gets struck down with yellow fever or some other rare disease

[DazRTaylor]

Forgot to add, this thread has inspired me to start a new career in BSS. I have done one as Truro but will go with Salisbury as I used to live there. So will share Salisbury game with my Saints one.

This thread and the San Marino one make me keep checking for updates several times a day! Keep going AK22!

What is your long term goal? I read your career objectives but doesn't state when you will have achieved your goal. CL win?

[AK22]

Forgot to add, this thread has inspired me to start a new career in BSS. I have done one as Truro but will go with Salisbury as I used to live there. So will share Woking game with my Saints one.

This thread and the San Marino one make me keep checking for updates several times a day! Keep going AK22!

What is your long term goal? I read your career objectives but doesn't state when you will have achieved your goal. CL win?

Do it Daz! Non-league football is so much fun. There's not a lot of talent around, but the matches are certainly entertaining!

Thinking about long term goals, I'd like to win the Champions League on three different continents, and maybe a World Cup victory, but asides from that, I just want to enjoy the save and the teams I manage. I would also like to explore some 'unfashionable' leagues later on in the save, making the most of the add/remove league feature. In particular, I'm quite interested in going to Scandinavia for a while, and the Balkan nations seem quite appealing too. I've also got some unfinished business in South America, due to my failings to win the Copa Libertadores in my FM11 save, so I'd like to go back there at some point. I'm very intrigued by the MLS too, so there's plenty to keep me, and this thread, busy for the foreseeable future!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Superb job AK.

[cerud]

Sounds like you'll need a couple lifetimes for your goals! But I commend you on setting the sights high. Why not!

[Adelaidean]

Great work with the back-to-back promotions, go for three in a row!

[AK22]

Superb job AK.

Great work with the back-to-back promotions, go for three in a row!

Cheers Nobby and Adelaidean Can't see three in a row happening though.

Sounds like you'll need a couple lifetimes for your goals! But I commend you on setting the sights high. Why not!

Always good to have a bit of ambition, eh Should keep me going until FM13 is released!