[FM12] Paddling The Backwaters Of Europe

(…with apologies to those natives whose countries I have referred to as ‘backwaters’.)

This is my first attempt at a journeyman game on FM12. I have loaded all the playable leagues of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia and have set my nationality to my own Australian homeland and my manager reputation to Automatic.

Manager Screenshot

I will be starting unemployed, but I won’t apply for any vacant positions at the start of the game. Instead I will wait until the first sackings occur and I will attempt to start with a team near the foot of their respective table and look to revive their fortunes as a means of enhancing my initial reputation.

You may have noticed that I haven’t included the nations containing any of the ‘big’ leagues. Instead I will be moving around the countries that I have loaded with a non-specific long-term aim of winning a top flight league and taking a team to European Champions League glory.

Career Summary

Season   Team                    League                 Finish   Comments                             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12  First Austria FC 1894   Austria Div 2          10th     Joined 29/09/11 in 8th place, relegated, resigned 20/05/12
2012/13  Szolnoki MAV FC         Hungary Div 2(K)       -        Joined 18/06/12

The game starts on 11th June 2011 and it is early September when the first messages start to arrive in my Inbox regarding managers under pressure.

The managers at Paks (Hungarian First), St Polten (Austrian Second), Ceahlaul (Romanian First), Olimpija (Slovenian First), Domzale (Slovenian First), Arka (Polish Second) and Ruzomberok (Slovakian First) are all under fire.

However the first chairman to pull the trigger is Herbert Dvoracek of First Vienna FC (Austrian Second) when he sacks his manager Alfred Tatar on 23rd September 2011.

I immediately apply for the job and on 28th September 2011 I receive the following response:

I quickly accept my first job offer and 29th September 2011 the managership of First Austria FC is mine:

A quick background review of a club that has seen its biggest days in the period from 1924 to 1961:

Here is a first look at the table for the Austrian Erste Liga which is the second tier of football in that country:

First Vienna FC find themselves in 9th place in the 10-team division with 13 games of the 36-match season played so far. The league rules stipulate that the bottom team is relegated whilst the 9th team enters a relegation playoff. Only the title-winning top team is promoted to the Bundesliga.

The hard work begins now!

Good luck getting away from a relegation scrap.

Good luck getting away from a relegation scrap.

Thanks SRL88 for being the first to comment in my thread.

I'm just sorting out the tactics, training and staff before I begin playing, but I'm starting off with the most difficult fixture - an away game against league leaders FC BW Linz.

Good luck buddy!

Good luck in your quest for survival,hopefully you can achieve it.

good luck looks like youve got a hard job ahead but im confident you can keep them up

Still plenty to play for.

iHeadHunta x, B.W.G, manutdfan1999 and deltablue, many thanks for the words of encouragement.

First Vienna FC – September 2011 Update

I have one day to prepare before my first game. I decide to go with a basic 4-4-2 formation as that suits the players that I have at my disposal in my first team squad. There is also a reliance on loan players as I currently have six loanees in my first team squad. However there are also injuries to what appears to be my two best players – current top scorer Rade Djokic and leading assists provider Wolfgang Mair – and I find that I have three very young goalkeepers (two 20yo’s and one 18yo) upon which I have to rely.

30.09.2011 v. FC BW Linz (a) 1-2

My first game is away to league leaders FC BW Linz and we fall behind in the 20th minute as centre-half Kovacevic dwells on the ball and allows Younes to steal it before firing a shot in off the post. Tiffner scrambles to retrieve a lost cause in the 56th minute and crosses back into the middle for Erhart to scuff his shot into the net to make it 1-1. A fighting draw looks to be the cards until the 87th minute when keeper Dau brilliantly saves Duvnjak’s header, only for Knabel to be on hand to tap in the rebound to win it 2-1 for FC BW Linz.

Good luck! I don't know if you know it, but you're playing the home games in one of the legendary European stadiums. Hohe Warte used to host games with 80000+ spectators, however nowadays only a fraction of the capacity is used.

This is how it looked in its heyday.

I love these stadiums where some of the stands are just grass verges!

Good luck with First Vienna FC. Looking forward to seeing what you can do with them.

Definitely a fight on your hands here. But you've got the time to do it Best of luck!

Good luck! I don't know if you know it, but you're playing the home games in one of the legendary European stadiums. Hohe Warte used to host games with 80000+ spectators, however nowadays only a fraction of the capacity is used.

This is how it looked in its heyday.

emgergo, thanks for that extra bit of information. I had wiki'ed First Vienna to find out some club details, but I hadn't clicked on the link to their stadium.

What you've just shown me is just the kind of thing I like about journeyman games in the more obscure leagues - finding out little gems of information about clubs, stadiums and cities that you otherwise wouldn't hear about in the daily world of real-life football news.

Mike7077 and cerud, thanks for commenting. The reception I've received in the Career Updates forum has really been inspiring.

First Vienna FC – October 2011 Update

14.10.2011 v. SCR Altach (h) 2-2

My first home game is against third placed SCR Altach. After twice failing to clear our lines Correa gives the visitors an 11th minute lead, but Tiffner seizes on a loose ball from a miscued tackle to fire us level after 38 minutes. We fail to maintain parity though as Scherrer makes it 2-1 to Altach in the 43rd minute. Salomon, on for the injured Markovic, lashes in an angled shot that puts pulls us level at 2-2 after 52 minutes and we match our visitors for the remainder of the match with Tiffner nearly snatching victory with a volley into the side netting in the final minute.

21.10.2011 v. WAC – St. Andra (h) -

This match was postponed due to heavy snow and has been re-arranged for 1st November 2011.

28.10.2011 v. SC Austria Lustenau (a) 1-2

The extra week’s break has allowed Mair to regain his fitness and he starts up front away to fourth placed SC Austria Lustenau. Kovacevic again proves to be a liability in defence as he gives away a needless penalty which Zwischenbrugger converts after 41 minutes to give Lustenau the lead. Zwischenbrugger then follows this up with a towering header in the 49th minute that makes it 2-0 for the home side before Tiffner fires in a low drive from the edge of the box to pull it back to 2-1. Although we dominate the possession we can’t find an equaliser and we go down to our second loss in three games since I took control.

HOw many matches do you play in a season? At least you have a match in hand! Hopefully, you can use to to jump into 8th and protect yourself somewhat.

cerud, 36 matches (other 9 teams x 4 times). I'm not panicked... yet.

Almost out of trouble already.

cerud, 36 matches (other 9 teams x 4 times). I'm not panicked... yet.

Eh, you still got time to go! No worries

deltablue and cerud, unfortunately I think your confidence in me is misplaced.

First Vienna FC – November 2011 Update

01.11.2011 v. WAC – St. Andra (h) 0-0

A typical boring scoreless draw here as we take a point off fifth placed WAC – St. Andra. We were outgunned up front though where we managed only two shots all game, neither of which was on target. We dodged a bullet in the 36th minute though when Sekic struck the post for the visitors with the goal at his mercy. Morale is still quite low and there is much work to be done.

04.11.2011 v. TSV Hartberg (h) 0-1

A home game against bottom placed Hartberg appeared to be the ideal way to grab my first win as First Vienna manager, but again the team disappointed. We defended well enough, but went to sleep in the second minute of first half injury-time when Mossner was unmarked as he headed in a corner to make it 1-0. Our only clear chances arrived in the second half as central defenders Kovacevic and Lackner had headers from corners that the Hartberg keep dealt with easily. After this loss we are now in last place on the Erste Liga table.

I finally lost my patience after this match and gave the players an aggressive team-talk which appears to have back-fired in regard to morale levels.

18.11.2011 v. SKN St. Polten (h) 1-1

My forwards have appeared isolated in previous matches, so I’ve changed my 4-4-2 formation into a 4-4-1-1 tactic instead with Mair dropping into a trequartista role. The two-week layoff for international matches has also allowed top scorer Djokic to finally regain fitness and start his first match under my control.

Sixth placed St. Polten are given a torrid time as we dominate possession and appear much more fluid in the new system. We manage 17 shots – easily our best effort to date – to their 4 shots and the returning Djokic looks dangerous up front. After a scoreless first half Djokic fires us in front from a marvellous thirty yard free-kick in the 64th minute. As the clock ticks down I’m hopeful of a first win, but Froschl loses his marker Dospel in the 85th minute to run onto a long pass and beat Dau with a low shot to make the final score 1-1.

25.11.2011 v. LASK Linz (a) 2-6

Oh dear. We are 3-0 down to seventh placed LASK Linz after 37 minutes with all three goals coming from low left wing crosses which are turned in by the sliding Aigner (18th), Atan (27th) and Luiz Enrique (37th). Aigner adds his second goal in the 57th minute, this time from the penalty spot after a push by Lackner, to make it 4-0 before Djokic finally gets us on the scoreboard in the 60th minute. Aigner replies with his hat-trick goal after 65 minutes before we are deduced to ten men two minutes later when left-back Kropfl receives a straight red card for a professional foul. Aufhauser pushes Linz further ahead in the 74th minute before Tiffner gets a second goal for us in the 78th minute to make the final score 6-2 in the home team’s favour.

Afterwards the board announces that they are concerned by the team’s performance (and by extension, my management).

29.11.2011 v. FC Lustenau 1907 (h) 2-2

I know regularly changing tactics is not a good thing, but I have to try something different after last week’s 6-2 defeat. I opt for an FM12 favourite – the 4-5-1 formation with a defensive midfielder and inside-forwards in the attacking wingers’ slots.

It’s the final game before the winter break and seventh placed FC Lustenau are our opponents. We take the lead after 16 minutes as Kovacevic taps in the rebound after Lackner’s header hits Holzmann on the goal-line. In the 23rd minute Tiffner’s miscued effort bounces in off Buchner for an own goal and a 2-0 lead to us. I’m hopeful at this point that we can push on for a win, but Novinic brings us back to earth with a neat finish to make it 2-1 after 33 minutes. As the rain teems down in the second half we lose our lead with Witteveen heading FC Lustenau level at 2-2 in the 72nd minute. Frustratingly, we strike the woodwork twice in the last ten minute, but can’t re-establish our lead. The game finishes 2-2 and we remain rooted to the bottom of the Erste Liga.

Slowly slipping but hopefully you can turn things around.

SRL88, I don't think I've ever failed to win in my first eight games in charge of a club before.

There's three months to wait for the next league match now, so I've plenty of time to consider my strategy.

Still plenty of time.

A much needed 3 month break. Hope you're able to turn things around.

First Vienna FC – 2011/12 Mid-Season Update

No wins, four draws, four losses – it’s been a shocking start to my career as First Vienna FC manager. Injuries to key players haven’t helped, but the biggest problem in my eyes has been the disconnect between the midfield and the attack. Defensively we’ve been sound enough for a team near the bottom of the table (apart from the 6-2 hammering at LASK Linz), but the midfield have failed to feed my forward line nearly enough chances and what chances they have made have been largely wasted.

My three best players so far have been:

Andreas Tiffner (ST), on loan from FK Austria Wien, has been our most consistent performer with 3 goals and 2 assists at an average of 6.93 since I took over.

Marcel Toth (MC) has been my best midfielder and has been used as a deep-lying playmaker whilst producing 4 assists at an average of 6.94.

Rade Djokic (AML, ST) has only recently returned from injury, but looks promising with 2 goals at an average of 6.88 in just 3 games under my control.

I’m going to go with the 4-5-1 formation during the winter break and schedule some friendlies to test it further before the restart of the Erste Liga on 2nd March 2012.

First Vienna FC – 2011/12 Mid-Season Friendlies

The winter break in Austria was three months long and after a two-month holiday I scheduled 7 matches to bring the team back to match fitness before the second half of the season.

I continued with the 4-5-1 formation, trying to tweak it to best fit the players at my disposal, and I was rewarded with my first win as First Vienna manager when we managed to beat UGS 2-1 in the middle of my three-match tour of Switzerland.

However that victory was the only success of the winter break as we registered one win, four draws and two losses.

There are now 15 league matches remaining in which I must strive to save First Vienna from relegation and finally make something of this journeyman game.

Tough start to your career so far.

First Vienna FC – March 2012 Update

02.03.2012 v. SV Grodig (a) 1-1

Our first game after the winter break is against the team who are in the position that we would require to be in at the season’s end for safety’s sake – that of eighth placed SV Grodig. All the good work of the first half is undone in the 60th minute when Lackner fouls Jukic for a penalty which Jukic himself then converts. Djokic responds in the 65th minute with a fine run from the halfway line, beating two defenders and crashing a shot home from the edge of the box to make it 1-1. It’s a positive start to the second half of the season as we pick up a point on the road.

09.03.2012 v. FC BW Linz (h) 1-1

The league leaders FC BW Linz visit us and we put in a dogged performance. A scoreless first half sees only a couple of half-chances for either side, but our visitors take the lead in the 50th minute through Huspek’s header. Our response is excellent though as we equalise after 68 minutes through our half-time substitute Regal with a thirty-yard screamer. We have a little luck late on when Wawra twice misses good chances for Linz, but it’s a credible 1-1 draw that sees us unbeaten in our last three league matches,

16.03.2012 v. SCR Altach (a) 4-1

After last week’s draw against the league leaders I have hopes that this will be the game that breaks my victory drought. Fifth placed Altach concede a penalty through Guem after just 2 minutes and Markovic scores from the spot for us. Djokic turns in Erhart’s cross for 2-0 after 15 minutes and amazingly we go 3-0 up after 33 minutes as Guem turns in Kropfl’s cross for an own goal. A tight second half ends with Djokic’s second goal that makes it 4-0 in the 89th minute whilst Vorisek gets an injury-time consolation for the home side that makes the final score 4-1 in our favour.

It’s my first league win in eleven matches and we are still bottom, but now only a point behind ninth place Hartberg.

23.03.2012 v. WAC – St. Andra (a) 0-3

Hopes of a second successive victory are ruined by third placed WAC – St. Andra as early as the 4th minute when Toth fouls Zakany for a penalty which Mazic converts to make it 1-0. Putsche then heads in a 20th minute free-kick and Micic scores an 82nd minute free-kick as the home side wins 3-0 whilst we offer little in attack to trouble our hosts.

27.03.2012 v. SC Austria Lustenau (h) 0-3

We start competitively against fourth placed SC Austria Lustenau, but skipper Dospel clumsily puts through his own net under no pressure after 17 minutes to start the rot again. Dospel’s day gets worse in the 60th minute as he dwells on the ball and has it stolen by Karatay who then beats keeper Dau to make it 2-0. A bad day is completed by Stuckler’s 79th minute header which goes through Dau’s legs following a corner to make it 3-0.

The three-goal loss sees the board again express their concern at my management skills.

30.03.2012 v. TSV Hartberg (a) 1-2

This is a must-win match against the team directly above us in ninth place and two points ahead of us. A win can move First Vienna off the bottom of the Erste Liga table, but we are indebted to lady luck in the first half as twice Hartberg strike the woodwork. A long clearance frees Friedl after 50 minutes and he beats Dau rather easily to give the home side a 1-0 lead. A fine right wing run by Markovic after 65 minutes sees his cross flicked on by Tiffner at the near post and Heinemann bundles it in at the far post for the equaliser. Under pressure I hope that we can hold on for a draw, but my hopes are shattered in the 87th minute as Rakowitz fires in the winner from the edge of the box following a weakly-cleared corner.

The 2-1 loss leaves us 7 points clear of safety with 9 matches remaining and I must be honest and say that things don’t look good for First Vienna. It’s been a frustrating spell in my first management role with a 1W-6D-7L record from the 14 games I’ve been in charge.

could do with a few more wins mate. KIU

It's still not completely beyond you.

Thanks, maybe April will be our month then, FMtillidie and deltablue.

First Vienna FC – April 2012 Update

With things looking desperate I’ve decided that if we’re going down, then it will be with all guns blazing. As such I’ve implemented a 4-3-3 formation which I will employ for the final 9 matches to see if we can blast our way out of trouble.

03.04.2012 v. SKN St. Polten (a) 1-1

A visit to sixth placed St. Polten sees us start well with the new formation causing our hosts some problems, however we fall behind to their first decent attack when Popp heads home a 36th minute free-kick. We hang on for the reminder of the match and are rewarded with an 87th minute equaliser as Djokic beats the offside trap to convert Toth’s through-ball for a 1-1 final scoreline.

06.04.2012 v. LASK Linz (h) 0-1

To be honest we were under the cosh from second placed LASK Linz for most of the match, creating little ourselves but managing to somehow keep our opponents at bay. Our resolve ran out in the 78th minute though as a low cross from the left wing was coolly sidefooted home by Kragl to condemn us to a 1-0 defeat.

13.04.2012 v. FC Lustenau 1907 (a) 2-2

With FC Lustenau in sixth place there was some hope that their mid-table position may bring some complacency. That didn’t appear to be the case though as Witteveen fired them in front from twenty yards after 13 minutes. Toth drew us level at 1-1 after 47 minutes with a fine effort, winning a crunching tackle in the midfield before beating three men and lashing home from the edge of the box. That goal inspired the team and Djokic’s forceful run and cross from the right saw Tiffner volley us in front at 2-1 after 51 minutes. Our lead lasted until the 68th minute when Novinic headed in Holzman’s wayward header to make it 2-2 and eventually we had to settle for another draw.

17.04.2012 v. SV Grodig (h) 3-1

This was a crunch match against ninth placed SV Grodig and we needed a win to have any hope of survival. Djokic is the man who could prove our saviour though as he curled home a great twenty-five yarder after 31 minutes to put us 1-0 up. Tiffner’s deflected shot made it 2-0 after 53 minutes, but our lead was halved just three minutes later as Viana headed in from a corner to pull it back to 2-1. Straight from the restart we piled forward and Djokic set up young Rotter for his first-ever goal for First Vienna as we pushed out to a 3-1 lead after 58 minutes. A solid defensive showing then gave us our first win for a month.

20.04.2012 v. FC BW Linz (a) 3-1

A trip to first placed FC BW Linz was surely too much to ask for anything but a defeat from? The players didn’t care though as we took the lead after 17 minutes when centre-half Lackner volleyed in Djokic’s free-kick with the aid of a big deflection. The league leaders came straight back at us and equalised after 28 minutes through a stunning thirty-yard volley from Arapovic. We survived the remainder of the first half and then retook the lead after 57 minutes as Djokic ran onto Heinemann’s long pass to round the keeper and make it 2-1. After defending sternly the game was made safe after 83 minutes as Lackner headed in Djokic’s corner to give us an astounding 3-1 win at the league leaders’ home ground.

Is our good form coming too late? 4 games to play and 4 points from safety – it’s going to be nerve-wracking month in May!!

Thats a bit more like it. Good luck in the final few games.

You're unbelievably close to survival! Push on!

Actually, only the 10th team is automatically relegated. The 9th team goes into a relegation playoff against a lower league side, so my first target is to climb above SV Grodig who are only 2 points ahead of us.

First Vienna FC – May 2012 Update

04.05.2012 v. SCR Altach (h) 1-0

With two wins in our last two games morale is better than it has been for a long time and fifth placed SCR Altach are beatable. Rotter’s 15th minute header hits the post as we go close to opening the score. Defensively we are very sound and our opponents pose little trouble to keeper Dau as the match wears on. A scoreless draw seems to be on the cards until the 88th minute when the referee awards us a soft penalty for a push by Eder on Djokic. Salamon converts it calmly to give us a 1-0 win and move First Vienna out of last place and the automatic relegation spot as a result.

On the same day FC BW Linz clinch the title – and the only promotion spot on offer – as they win 3-0 at WAC – St. Andra.

08.05.2012 v. WAC – St. Andra (h) 1-2

Our visitors WAC – St. Andra are in second place, but promotion is beyond their means with three rounds remaining. We still have plenty to play for though, but Falk dents our hopes with a 20th minute volley from a corner to put them 1-0 up. Despite having the better of the play, we can’t find the net and our chances are ended in the 88th minute as Falk’s low shot makes it 2-0. Rotter does get us a late consolation with a tap-in in the third minute of injury-time, but the 2-1 defeat leaves us in a difficult situation.

On the same day bottom placed SV Grodig and eighth placed TSV Hartberg draw 2-2, meaning that the gap to safety is now 5 points with 2 games remaining. Meanwhile SV Grodig have joined us on 34 points, although we have a far superior goal-difference to them.

11.05.2012 v. SC Austria Lustenau (a) 0-2

We simply must beat fourth placed SC Austria Lustenau to have any hope of avoiding the relegation playoff at a minimum, but it won’t be easy. Offensively we play like a term already doomed, creating little to threaten our hosts, but at least our defence keeps us in the game. As the games closes in on its completion, there is still hope that we can snatch a lucky goal, but a swift 72nd minute counterattack ends in Karatay putting Austria Lustenau 1-0 up. The third official’s board indicates five minutes of injury-time, but eight minutes later we are still playing as Dau drops a free-kick and Krajic taps in the rebound to consign us to a 2-0 defeat.

We drop to bottom place after SV Grodig wins 4-0 at St Polten and we now can’t avoid the relegation playoff. In the final round we need a win combined with a SV Grodig loss to avoid direct relegation and make the playoff instead.

18.05.2012 v. TSV Hartberg (h) 0-3

Our eighth placed opponents TSV Hartberg are looking for points to possibly avoid falling into the relegation playoff whilst we simply have to win to avoid direct relegation and make the playoff instead. Our spirit is low however and a listless performance ensues. The first goal is almost inevitable and it arrives after 31 minutes as three of our defenders watch the ball roll through the box allowing Rossmann to tap in at the far post for a 1-0 lead to Hartberg. A second goal arrives in the 38th minute as Miljatovic crashes home a loose ball via the crossbar following a Hartberg corner. Our heads are down for the remainder of the match as we go through the motions and Schober puts a full stop at the end of our season as his 83rd minute header makes it 3-0 to tie up the match.

First Vienna FC 1894 have been relegated from the Erste Liga.

Haven't been around here much lately. Glad to see this one is still going. Also good to see someone actually involved in a relegation battle! Although I'm sure you'd prefer not.

Tough luck on the relegation. Will you keep your job or is that the lowest playable Austrian league you've been relegated from?

Tough luck on the relegation. Will you keep your job or is that the lowest playable Austrian league you've been relegated from?

Thanks Mike7077 for your commiserations. That was the lowest playable Austrian league, so I have resigned (as I rightly should have done - what a shambles I made of that job).

A new club has been procured though and my career will move onwards (and hopefully upwards) shortly.

Good fight, but shame it ended that way.

First Vienna FC – 2011/12 Season Review

Too little too late for First Vienna – we did pick up four wins in the second half of the season after failing to win before the winter break, but I just couldn’t come to grips with the team and failed to motivate them into a side that could survive.

Apart from Rade Djokic, none of the players made any impression on me. Djokic however was my one ray of hope. In the league his statistics were 28(1) appearances with 13 goals and 7 assists and he did his best to try and pull the team out of the quagmire it was in.

With relegation confirmed after our final match on the Friday I took a couple of days to think things over and then tendered my resignation on Sunday 20th May 2012.

Here is my final record at First Vienna FC 1894:

The search for a new job now begins again.

Tough break with relegation,hopefully you can bounce back with your new club.

Tough beat on the relegation. Look forward to seeing you appear somewhere new!

It takes only four weeks of applications to various clubs before I receive an offer of a job. The team is Szolnoki MAV FC – commonly known as Szolnok – from the Hungarian Second (K) Division (officially known as the NBII Kelet).

My second job is quickly accepted and on 18th June 2012 the managership of Szolnok is mine:

A quick background review of a club that has only recently rose up through the lower leagues of Hungary:

Good more to Hungary! Decent wage budgets for lower leagues too.

Solid move. Good luck .

Better luck this time.

Good luck in Hungary

Good luck this time, nice to see a hard struggle to start with! Felt the rough, now time to feel the Victory!