[FM14] The next Shankly? He doesn't think so!

Introduction:

Welcome to my Career Update thread!

This is the second journeyman save after the (best forgotten) short lived save on FM 12. Hopefully this will be longer. I've tried to go for a virtual identity like many awesome careers which I've read here. The laughable point: A scottish manager and Scotland isn't loaded (I actually forgot to include it).

Nations:

Pretty much Europe, a bit of Africa, a bit of Asia, a bit of South America and the North as well. Could be fun going around the world and yes my speed is 2.5 stars so my speed takes a hit.

Biography:

Rudolph William Shankly, named after the legendary Scottish Manager Bill Shankly was born in Falkirk in a humble family of 4. His brother was a regular Football Player (Midfielder) and often used to terrorize the Sunday Leagues with his passing. His brother went on to make a name for himself in the upper Scottish League but never managed to reach the heights of the Premier League. Rudolph was more interested in the coaching aspect and often would spent time with his father (a huge fan of Liverpool Football Club) watching the Good ol' games and analyzing what made them different. His dad's association with Liverpool FC rubbed off on him and he was bred as a LFC supporter from his childhood days and often wondered if he would manage them. However, a disagreement between him and his father broke out. His father wanted Rudolph to start his coaching career in Scotland. Rudolph now 26 years old with his coaching licenses, had different plans and wanted to manage throughout the world and felt that it was time for him to leave Scotland. His father reluctantly let him go and advised him that should he fail, the door was always open.

Rudolph William Shankly entered the huge footballing world for the first time. He never knew whether history would tell about him as the Next Shankly or a name just gone in the wind. He didn't care. All he wanted now was a club which would be happy to have him.

Manager Profile:

Screen Flow:

I guess that is too many to take in but I believe that will be a better interactive world. Immersion always is more fun.

Credits:

Regen face: The Football Manager Regen Faces Database

Managerial Career Summary

[table]
[tr]
       [td][b][size=3]Month[/size][/b][/td]
[td][b][size=3]Year[/size][/b][/td]
[td][b][size=3]Club[/size][/b][/td]
[td][b][size=3]Information[/size][/b][/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
       [td]September[/td]
[td]2013[/td]
[td]Stockport County F.C[/td]
[td]Took over[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
       [td]January[/td]
[td]2014[/td]
[td]Stockport County F.C[/td]
[td]Resigned[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
       [td]March[/td]
[td]2014[/td]
[td]Rangdajied Utd[/td]
[td]Took Over[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
       [td]May[/td]
[td]2014[/td]
[td]Rangdajied Utd[/td]
[td]Finished 8th in Indian National Football League[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

Philosphies I have Thought of:

1. Never sign for the rivals of the club I'm managing no matter how good the offer.

2. Never leave the club for a club competing in the same league.

More to be written.

Aims:

1. Manage Liverpool Football Club.

2. Win a cup outside England.

3. Win a league outside the Top 5 European Leagues.

4. Win a cup outside the Top 5 European Leagues.

5. Win the European Champions League.

6. Win a league in the Top 5 European Leagues.

More to come.

Finally I've landed a interview in 17th September 2013. Wonder if the board are fickle to fire their manager too soon.

Suit check. Tie check. Football Manager 2014 manual? Check.

That was quick!

Direct, Defensive soccer. Counter Attack written all over it! They want a playoff place so young Rudolph has suddenly found himself trying to get himself promoted!

STOCKPORT COUNTY F.C

Nickname: The Hatters

Rivals: Manchester City

Background:

With Manchester City as a local rival, you can't go wrong there lad! No pressure.

Information:

Youth Facilities are a bit on the downside. However I tried to ask the board to upgrade the youth setup and every time they refused. Hopefully that will change. Transfer market is the way to go.

The stadium is decent but on rent. That will need to be bought if I'm here long term. Here's to the gold which will be rolling in and we will win the Champion's Le- never mind I'll stop there.

Next up: The situation. Where are we in the league?

It's time to have a look at the League Table. Since they want a playoff spot, let's see....

Early in the season so I believe we can make it. We do need a good squad though. The current squad does not seem to be having much of a depth.

Too many Central Defenders! I suppose I need to adjust to three at the back at the moment.

I really need:

A Left Back

A Striker

Right Wingers

A Backup Left Winger

Both left backs are out for this and the next month which is unfortunate. It's already September and I might be hard pressed in the transfer area.

We aren't doing well in the financial department as of now according to the image:

I'm negotiating all loans to make sure that we pay nothing. That should help. I should have asked for a slightly bigger payroll. Oh well, let's see what's coming up.

Next Post Preview:

Transfer dealings are surely needed to fill the squad. Will we get the number of people to carry us to the playoffs?

Matches are already close! Tactics need to be created and we already have our first away match!

Already a boring month. Hope we somehow change it!

Results:

Was not the ideal start and we have gone out of the FA cup which is disappointing. I hope results pick up with tactical familiarity.

Table:

That is not a pretty sight. We want the playoffs and we are instead at the other end. This definitely has to improve and the fact that I did not have a preseason and tactical familiarity is not helping. The next month needs to be a major improvement since we are also out of the FA cup.

Transfers

We finally got the people we wanted but it was after the league game so I suppose the difference was not that much

Curtis Haley

Brings us a good prospect and a striker. He can also be a Attacking Midfielder on the right side which is a good thing.

Kevin McIntyre

That much needed experience plus a good fullback I suppose.

Josh Sumner

An AMR was required for the way we play and this guy is pretty okay.

Wow! I never thought the board would agree. Good News.

Preview for October 2013:

The next month needs a lot of improvement like I said. Couple of Home and Away matches seems to be a good way to get some wins. Let's go hatters!

Results:

Another month which is horrifying and it's really shocking how players are still lacking match fitness. The manager who was here before didn't really worry about it. I was pleased with the 2-0 win against in form Barrow but the others were horrible. I think the sack is near which is kind of disappointing. A miracle is now needed to get this team on track.

Table:

Well the table never lies. Our ambitions are looking ridiculous given our position and form. Hopefully a miracle will come.

Preview for November 2013:

We have a home match against fellow battlers AFC Telford which we should win. Other than that we have double visit to Hednesford who are 15th in the table which could go either way. Oxford City are higher at 11th and might prove a difficult task.

Results:

We really cannot catch a break at the moment but things are improving slowly. We were unlucky to lose the match against Hednesford and North Ferriby as in the former we were 3-1 at a point and they scored 4 goals in quick succession. We scored again and they got one more goal as well. FA Trophy is now gone. The last match we had a extra man as the Ferriby team had a man sent off but they still were more clinical. Better team lost.

Table:

Oh well...we should have got at least 3 more on the board. Unfortunate to still be there at the bottom. One or two more months and this will be a relegation battle instead of fighting for playoffs.

Remember kids, never skip preseason (well if you're unfortunate to never have it.....).

Preview for December:

This will be probably the make or break part of the season. Even for me.

Uh oh, not looking great - rooting for you!

Uh oh, not looking great - rooting for you!

Thanks man!

Right now it's going better than the earlier months but we're still struggling to climb. Having no preseason and no match fitness is costing me.

Finally the board agreed to this. Youth and a parent club were not liked by the board for some reason.

I'm surprised that it took so long but here it is. The end is at hand! Can't blame the board. They have given me ample time. The only excuse is the well beaten one: Tactical familiarity and match fitness.

Shame your first club looks like being a short-lived stay. A few people on here gave fallen foul of high expectations at Stockport but it's going badly whichever way you look at it.

Shame your first club looks like being a short-lived stay. A few people on here gave fallen foul of high expectations at Stockport but it's going badly whichever way you look at it.

True I had hoped to stay much longer. The next set of update is positive and I've managed to keep the job! However the progress is slow.

Thanks!

Results:

Not the miracle we needed but the miracle I needed for sure!

Looks like I avoid the sack for now and we're starting to terrorize the field with our decent football now that the tactics seem to be learned and players are slowing going from a consistent 6.2 to 6.6 and 7.0!

The draws were very frustrating as the one against Oxford should have been won. They scored a 85 min goal.

Table:

Not much of a jump but one place. Still this month was somewhat good.

January Preview:

Going to be a decent month. I'll just get on so that I don't jinx!

Emergency Board Meeting!

I was very honest with them and tried to assure them about how we can improve. Fortunately I have been somehow spared.

Deeply unhappy how our season has gone till now. I'm hoping the next set of fixtures will help us.

EDIT: Should add that smile on my face there probably convinced them.

It looks like a fan day has been allotted. More pressure then! Vauxhall is now a must win match. Go hatters!

More good stuff

Results:

We deserved to lose in the first three matches but the last three were frustrating as the opponents got fluke opportunities and scored with crosses and random rebounds. Very much disappointed as I thought we would get something this month. We even held the league leaders Histon till they scored when it was about 60 mins.

Oh well, this has to come to an end since I cannot bear to see the club taken down. The board are very good as well and never sacked me. Deserve better than me.

Table:

In this month we went outside the relegation zone after the win but the consecutive losses knocked us back again. There are still about 15 games left so it's about time I moved on.

BREAKING: Rudolph Shankly quits Stockport

Young manager Rudolph Shankly resigned from struggling Stockport after completing the paperwork yesterday. A press conference was held when the board insisted that Shankly take part due to their unwavering confidence in the head coach. Shankly was clearly disturbed as he was questioned why he was leaving the club in this state. He answered calmly with a touch of passion

"I couldn't take advantage of the board and the club by dragging them way below expectations. I'm pleased that the board and the supporters have given me a lot of time even though the targets for this season were out of reach a long time back. I would like to thank the chairman for being patient with me. This is a good club. Too good for me to drag down. I hope that the next hired man would take this where it truly belongs. Thank you."

Ex-Stockport Manager joins the race for United FC

South African club. Well let's wait.

EDIT: Wow!

In case I'm not appointed.....

Argentine second division club. Two clubs now, with one done with interview. Should somehow get into one.

EDIT:

Too bad. Both failed. I'll do my best and keep looking out for a job though.

I've finally landed a job......

India here I come.

Nickname: -

Rivals: Royal Wahingdoh, Lajong, Langsning

Background:

Not much of a long history here but they are proud of that silverware they got now.

Information:

My word.....that's a 25000 all seater stadium! I suppose if I stay here long term I don't need to worry about fitting fans in.

Next up: The situation. Where are we in the league?

League Table

That is one of the shortest tables I've seen. They want a midtable finish and I'll be trying my best to get it.

The rules.....

Few games left in the league so I will need to hit the ground running. As usual, most of the players do not have match fitness but the tactical familiarity is decent which is a bonus. I won't be able to register players if I tried to get backup. Have to do with the current squad. I released a few players not good enough and surplus to the squad which has helped to trim the wages.

The current squad:

We are stretched thin as of now. The injuries do not help and some are unregistered. Getting tougher and interesting.

Preview for April:

The line is to show the last matches they played and the break from January to March shows why they have no match fitness. Why you lazy little bunch of players!

This month is going to be one of the busiest months I've seen. 7 matches! Most are arranged like friendlies in spaces of 2 to 3 days. I need to plan training very carefully.

All except the final match are teams above us. We have a good chance to leapfrog many of those teams in the table. Wish me luck

Christ, that ground makes Edgeley Park look good!

Christ, that ground makes Edgeley Park look good!

Haha! It seems like I need to hit the ground running.

Literally.

STOCKPORT COUNTY F.C

I made the right choice in leaving Stockport. It looks like they are now set to fight for a midtable position. That is a lot better than the relegation form they were in when I managed them. Good luck Stockport!

April 2014

Pretty nice intake. Youth preparation begins.

Results:

That was one big month and had a lot of twists and turns. The first match we were completely outplayed by East Bengal and deserved to lose. The second match was not kind either and I had to go on a spree handing official warnings to underperformers. The next match we walked over Mumbai FC and completely destroyed the media prediction of "impossible". I was delighted but the next match pushed the team to the other end and there was a weird hilarious feeling. I had a lot of private chats and shook up the team positions.

The most rewarding change came from playing a striker Kim Seong-Yong in the Attacking Midfielder position. As a striker he was looking to score but missed many of them. This role was a complete revelation as he went on a form of assists and goals. The striker Edmar Figueira also showed some good form assisting and scoring in the next match.

Unfortunately both of them fell to injury and they just barely might come back for the last two matches we have left. Good month I believe as the next image will show. We coped without our two main attacking focal points and managed to grind out wins against the likes of Mohun Bagan and United SC. The last match was a nervy one with us equalizing very late in the match and somehow clinching the winner in the last shot.

Table:

That is a lot better than the state I found the club. We are steadily near to finishing in a midtable position. We have managed to avoid the relegation zone with two games left.

Preview for May 2014:

I will be happy if we win both matches as we have started dominating possession and passing in the matches we are playing against anyone.

Results:

Well I was not expecting that thrashing we got in the first match and rightly told off the players.

The second match was the match where our two attackers made a great comeback. What a come back it was!

Table:

Well we avoided relegation and got a position respectable enough to be a little far away from relegation.

Next Up:

End of season review where we take a look at how the club has improved or gone down.

Lot of players are not good enough or are refusing to sign contracts or renew here. I might end up with a totally different squad.

And........*drumroll*

I *gasp* finally could see a preseason

Well, it's something at least

Whew it's been such a huge break from FM. Real life caught me and strangled me to the point where I was just not even opening Steam! Hopefully I will be back soon. Sorry for the lack of updates!

Well, it's something at least

I still need that preseason! For sure.

Well I'm finally glad to be back to playing FM again. Work has taken over and I'm finding lesser time these days. Still I won't give up on the save!

Season 2013/2014 Review

Not much to cover here except that I'm happy to have made the team get a midtable finish. I came in when the season was somewhat over. It wasn't a disaster compared to the previous club. The board expectation was the same and they are happy.

Next time I hope to be more prepared.

World Cup 2014

I wonder if Germany will win the ingame cup?

Stage: Quarterfinals

Brazil vs Germany

France vs Argentina

Italy vs England

Spain vs Japan

Well are we rooting for Captain Tsubasa(Japan)?

Next:

Who won what?

Season 2013/14 Winners (Top Europe Leagues)

Leagues

English Premier League

Winner : Manchester City

Runner Up: Chelsea

Liga BBVA

Winner : Real Madrid

Runner Up: Atletico

Bundesliga

Winner : FC Bayern

Runner Up: Dortmund

Serie A

Winner : Juventus

Runner Up: Lazio

Ligue 1

Winner : AS Monaco FC

Runner Up: Olympique de Marseille

Competitions(European)

UEFA Europa League

Winner : Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Runner Up: Lazio

UEFA Champions League

Winner : Juventus

Runner Up: FC Bayern

World Cup 2014

Results are in!

Wow Brazil had a defeat which was unexpected! The next few matches are going to be superb! England won barely and Ross barkley was the scorer. Japan sadly dropped out but they seemed to have done well to get here.

Semifinals

Germany vs Spain (One of the best matches!)

France vs England

World Cup 2014

Wow! Unbelievable! Germany are in the final now. The best match turned out to be one of the worst ever.

Their opponents? Well have a look:

France have been winning their matches but Germany have been totally steamrolling their opponents. It's just like the real cup. Germany favourites to win the World Cup!

I'll definitely be watching it.

Minion: Boss

Boss: Yeah?

Minion: I've got some good news and bad news.

Boss: What's the bad news? And then the good news?

Minion: Well boss.....the bad news is we didn't make a profit. But hey boss am I real glad to say that we are not taxable!

Boss: :/

World Cup 2014

And the winnah......

The match was not very exciting but was close at times. We expected Germany to start well and they did by getting a goal. They dominated the first half but did not get another. France however were saved from a Benzema equaliser right before the referee decided half time. Germany tried to get back but were thwarted by France as they defended well. France had a lot of chances as Germany was becoming more agitated to get another goal and a lot of pressure then got Germany into a spot of trouble. An own goal. After that France pretty much kept the ball and the cup.

Looks like Germany wasn't really the team which tore Spain a new one in the previous round. Better luck next time then.

Awards

Best Player: Franck Ribery

Golden Boot: Olivier Giroud

Best Young Player: Alex Oxlade Chamberlain

Best Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris

Top Goalscorer: Olivier Giroud (8 Goals) France

Top Assists: Franck Ribery (5 Assists) France

I can finally look for a decent start as I get time in order to play according to the way I want. Preseason is going to help. Plus we have some players in youth who will help us. I might have to get some players in through transfers as well. But we have a risky finance situation. More below.

Expectations

Media Prediction: 2nd

National Football League

Board: Win the league

Me: Top half finish

Indian Durand Cup

Board: Win the cup!

Me: Compete

Indian Federation Cup

Board: Win the cup!

Me: Compete

Really?!! They expect a treble.

Transfers:

We didn't do much business other than letting some players go and getting free transfers. I brought in a extra of 2 foreign players and I feel it's a mistake because the limit of foreigners in the squad is 4. Oh boy. That takes a hit on finances. I'm stupid that I didn't read the squad rules more carefully.

Finances

I don't even want to look now. It's so out of control. I hope it gets better as we will need to do very well to get back to neutral. More friendlies!

I might be kicked out of the club soon I believe.

Next Up!

The friendlies and the season begins!