Resurrecting Pompey or surviving Administration! A discussion

Hi Football managers!

Below is my experience with Portsmouth a club in trouble. Feel free to share your experiences, tips and ideas

So I'm not a Pompey fan though I have admired some of their fast counter-attacking play I saw before they were relegated and went into administration. I like the challenge of trying to prevent the team falling further and hopefully reclaiming a Premier league spot.

Currently I am on my second attempt (third if you count an experiment with challenge mode) after being unceremoniously sacked on my first attempt! Below are the modes you can try and my preferences:

The different modes:

Challenge mode - great idea but you can't continue on after the first season so that turned me off.

Classic mode - I love this mode esp. the graphical representation of stats / performance and the ability to auto resolve easy matches is excellent. Unfortunately it lacks some key training and staffing features.

Career? Normal mode - Currently nearing the end of the first season. This mode gives me most control but would benefit from more graphical data and the autoresolve option for matches (I'm a busy boy!).

Main issues:

You can't buy players! - I am hoping that after the first season if I don't get relegated the new owners will allow me to buy players again? (Someone PLEASE confirm). You are left trying to loan or buy players who accept 95 pounds a week salary! (very hard)

Player fatigue and injuries - Squad depth is very poor and so your best players get tired, jaded etc. I have managed by rotating in youth players but then you lose games.

You may lose some players to transfer offers - impossible to avoid as the board forces you to sell.

If this doesn't sound like fun, the pay off is you earn every win and ultimately if I survive and rebuild it will be a real achievement. After all anyone can win the premier league with a team like, say Man City... right Mancini? hehe

Something frustrating progress right now is that when I do find cheap players that meet the board's terms, think 100 pound a week players, the transfer doesn't go through, it states "the transfer couldn't be confirmed". I assume this means the board won't allow transfers DESPITE being told I am now free to enter the transfer market again. Any help on this would be appreciated

i've got an immense pompey save at the moment.

season 1 finished 8th in league 1.

season 2 went up in playoffs to championship

season 3 went up after finishing 2nd in championship

season 4, finished 14th in PL.

about to start season 5 and in process of upgrading stadium, training and youth facilites so future looks promising!

Fantastic! When were you allowed to trade properly?

the first season was so difficult. i had a takeover by a local businessman in around November time but i had no money fot transfers or wages. i literally relied on youth players and loan signings. my first 3 seasons, my best players were loanees from other clubs. however in my 5th season i still have Adam Webster (although just loaned him out) - i would advise playing him as much as possible to help his development. Ashley Harris and Jed wallace were also good for me prior to the prem but ive just sold them (both incidentally) to Shamrock Rovers for combined fee of £1.2 million.

its a very difficult challenge but so rewarding as u literally have zero money to work with!

good luck!

Thanks L-Wiz,

So right it's a fight. Ashley Harris is a gun, my top scorer esp. when played as a poacher but also as attacking midfielder. Stonhill has also played well for me.

More tips:

Against the best teams, I play my weakest players (think youth squad) this serves to give the better players a rest; once I even won!

I also take a defensive approach as the aim in first season is to avoid relegation nothing else!

Hey Aussie... find a very active thread on Pompey here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/328372-FM13-Portsmouth-FC-Still-No-Money-Still-No-Players!

You can share your experiences there and read up on everyone else's... some have had major success while others have faltered.. it's certainly one of the most interesting saves around.

This mode gives me most control but would benefit from more graphical data and the autoresolve option for matches (I'm a busy boy!).

Thanks mate, exactly what I was looking for when I searched, don't know why it didn't come up. Looks like a good read

Hey Aussie... find a very active thread on Pompey here: http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/328372-FM13-Portsmouth-FC-Still-No-Money-Still-No-Players!

You can share your experiences there and read up on everyone else's... some have had major success while others have faltered.. it's certainly one of the most interesting saves around.

I see that thread is in a different forum, no wonder!

Yuk, keep that in Classic where it belongs. You can always holiday past the match if that's what you want to do.