[FM14] The Traitor Chronicles

The Traitor

The Traitor

He never was a good player. As a matter of fact, some sports media from the capital say that he never was even a sunday footballer, that he only played twice in his life. Some pundits claim he even dislikes soccer, that he is in this for fame and money, and doesn't mind about fans or clubs. But that is something he never answers.

The objective of this save is to have fun. The name of the chronicle is The Traitor because the main interest will be to gain money and fame... no matter what team he is in, if a better offer appears, he'll try to get it.

Have put Barcelona as the supporter team as that is the final objective.

DB Configuration

This is the database configuration. Basically, countries that have a Barcelona Team (Brazil, Bulgaria, South Africa, Spain). Sadly, they are not in playable in most countries, or else it would be interesting to start playing in one of those other Barcelona.

Canada to have access to the national team.

career stats

[spoiler]
Season   Team               League          	                Position   Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013/14  Witbank Spurs      South Africa First Division (2nd)   9th/16     SA Cup Finalist!!
2014/15  Spartak (Pleven)   Bulgarian Group "B" (2nd tier)         /16  


NATIONAL
Season   Team               Competition          	            Achievements
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013/14  Canada U20         Only friendlies                          +5=3    14 goals for, 5 against
2014/15  Canada U20

[/spoiler]

Stepping up the job hunt

Being jobless and pennyless, The Traitor decided the first steps in his career would be to get any job that paid. So he went on to fabricate a nicer curriculum vitae, and sent it to every single club that he could find that day.

That meant he got in contact with:

South African teams: Jomo Cosmos 1st division (2nd tier), Whitbank Spurs 1st division, African Warriors 1st, United FC 1st

Brazilian teams: Sport 2nd division (2nd tier), Ipatinga 3rd division, Cuiabá 3rd division

And also the young teams of Canada U20, 69th in the world, and Bulgaria U21, 103rd

the day after

Ajax CT South Africa premier (1st tier) and Free State Stars SA premier had managers leaving, so he decided to try them too.

First answers came:

Jomo Cosmos & Ipatinga unsuccessful

But, other teams wanted an interview!!

Witbank Spurs, expected mid table finish, 60k for transfers, 20k for wages

African Warriors, top half, 60k transfers, 22k wages

United FC offer, 8k transfers, 20k wages

In the 3 cases he accepted, saying he would like to sign youngsters. That always seemed to be a soft spot for Directors.

Both South African premier teams, and Sport, said thanks but no thanks.

June 9th, 2013

Good news, Canada U20 offered! (yep, like in my 2013 save!!)

Bad news, First game in 4 days!!!! No time to get the team to know the tactics, but oh well...

Not so bad news... it is only friendlies this year. Uff...

June 12th, 2013

Every single team that was managerless June 5th, except for one, Witbank Spurs, has a manager now. Traitor probably should have tried for some of the easy CSL jobs.

June 14th, 2013

Witbank Spurs have offered a deal!!! Now The Traitor can really start his career. You can't jump from stone to stone if you don't have a first stone to jump from!!

June 2013

The Team

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The problem is, the current team is completely using the wages allowed, so we move the balance to full wages. We need at least a second goalie (all goalies in B and under team are greys). Now we have 1000€ for salaries. Will have to do with GK plus someone who can play in many positions.

The Stadium

Witbank Puma Stadium is a Rugby and Soccer Stadium. Witbank has a population of 110.000.

Objectives

·Create some good tactics with this team

·Finish top half, try to get to promotion playoffs

·Have fun

·Gain Prestige and Money (trainer)

Interesting jumping-off point. That ground, though...how to make a 35,000 seater stadium look nothing like a 35,000 seater stadium!

According to wikipedia it is a 15000 seater for soccer, 20000 for rugby. Also the stadium seems to be under expansion in the google maps photo, there's a whole part missing.

I like this, something I always considered doing myself! Looking forward to future updates!

Friendlies

note: the first 2 games I had a corrupted file for logo, so I replaced it afterwards with one I resized to the right sizes, and it is working fine.

Thoughts

The main problem with this team it that it has no defences. The first two friendlies, with team already selected, we had 4 players who could play in defence. So I've been looking around every CSL team to see if they have any youngsters that play as D and added them to national pool.

About the games played so far, not too bad. Trying to get them to play tiki-taka, slow passing domination game, 4-5-1 (DM). So far seems to be working, although we are getting criticisms that we should be scoring more. But if we get the opponent to shoot only 1-2 at goal, and we do so 6-9 times, I'm happy with that. But of course, that is against weaker teams.

For example, Puerto Rico. Completely dominated them, until at minute 72 I decided to change the whole team. As we had only 1 extra defender (the other one I put as DM), I used my many extra strikers as defenders... mistake. In 18 minutes Puerto Rico shot at us as many times as we had at them the whole game (6), and scored twice. It is not a good idea to put strikers to tackle...

Egypt was the only team slightly better than us (50th in the world vs 86th, us). That game was very even, but we had 54% possession. Not bad.

September 2013

Transfers

We got 3 new players in for free. I had to put all my transfer money into wages to be able to contract someone. With that manoeuvre I got around 1000€ free wage, so 3 players is the most I could do. At the last moment of the transfer window I got one player out (for free, but that means his salary is free for one other player in the next transfer window).

IN:

Carl Bauerrichter, 550€ per week, *** (****+ potential) GK, 24, South African

J.B. Ncubeni, 180€ per week, **+ (****+ potential) Def WB (R L), 20, South African

Sisifo Mnguni, 190€ per week, **+ (****+ potential) DM/D® M© (and competent M(R,L)), 19, South African

OUT:

Dumissani Tau, ** D(R,C), 25 years old, South African

Here are the kids:

Bauerrichter, my main goalie now.

Ncubeni,

Mnguni,

Friendlies

Swallows, Platinum and FS Stars are all mid table (expected finish) Premier Division teams. Decent play. Except for the FS Stars, which was quite a disaster. We had 9 shots, but only one on target, they had 9 shots, but 7 on target. We had 53% possession. So we need to tighten that defence against good teams.

We are playing 4-5-1 (DM), control short passing game, and 4-2M-3AM-1ST quicker direct attack.

Expected finish

We are expected to finish closer to relegation than to promotion. But I intend to try and fight for promotion, at least finish 8th or above.

November 2013

League

We are scoring every single game (except for last one, against best team in the league, but we did create occasions), but everyone is scoring against us, even the worst team in the league. All those one goal behind defeats are tough to take. Need to improve something, but haven't been able to find exactly what yet.

The first 5 games where played using a low tempo, short passing control game based on a 4-1DM-2M-2AM-1 formation. The next 5 mainly a 4-2M-3AM-1 formation, attacking, quick passes direct game. I tried to play a 'defensive' 3-5-2 vs Santos, but it did not work.

Finances

Finances are horrible. The team spends 70K in wages. They make 50K income. But, the expenses are higher than 100K. So even if I sold almost all the team, I could not break even.

Thoughts

At this moment, 1/3rd of the competition gone, we can't realistically think on playing the promotion. We need to find a way to keep scoring but conceding a bit less.

The pathetic, and I think unfixable, finance situation of the team means Traitor will soon jump ship. But he made a mistake in his contract.

He must remember from now on to add the main clause to every Traitor contract: wave manager fee on release. That's the only way to really go out whenever one finds an occasion (without resigning, which could mean some time unemployed, thus less money and fame!!

Very interesting manager name Good luck! Will be following this!

The good thing of the name is when you try to get a new job, and you get the message "The board is unhappy with Traitor"...

Feb 2014

Tough Times

The games

In the last 10 games we are +4-5=1, 18 goals for, 21 against. First 10 games we where +3-6=1, 20 for, 23 against. So not much difference at all. The last two games the score was quite interesting.

Since we sold our star AMR, I could experiment with a formation without AMR, so I went for a 4-4-2, quick pace, quick pass but sure shoot overload style. It seems to have worked so far. I remembered the games of Nigeria and Cameroon in the late 90s, early 00s, running all over the place, and that was the inspiration.

The cup game against Roses was interesting. 3 weeks earlier they had smashed us 1-4 at home, but I had discovered that when I played our 4-1DM-2M-2AM-1 slow possession game, the match was quite even, so we went for that the whole match and... it worked. Good news is we got to first round of the cup, which was our expectation, bad news is we got Orlando Pirates, which happen to be one of the 2 best teams in South Africa.

League

There we are, fighting for survival when I thought at the beginning of the league, maybe too optimistically, that we could fight for promotion. We are 2 points away from going down. It is going to be a though and nerve-wrecking last 10 games.

This past position graphic seems to hint that we will very probably be fighting to avoid relegation, and probably finish 12-13-14th. So, quite near to what we where expected at the beginning, 12th.

Finances

Even with the sale of our best player, AMR Sisi Shelembe (1400€ wage) for a total of 100K€, finances are still very bad. That was a tough decision, but it had to be done. Sadly, it came too late the offer, and we could not sell any more >1000€ wage players to fix economy a bit more.

We will have to let go all the >1000€ wage players at the end of season, and rebuild with cheaper players.

The board has injected 130K, we are still very red.

Thoughts

Financial dire straits don't seem to point to a bright future. But, my try to get a job on Bulgaria B division and Spanish 2B division have been laughed of. That means the end of the first year might see the Traitor... stay at the current team!! Well, still hoping on relegated teams and newly promoted ones at the end of Spanish / Brazilian / Bulgarian seasons to try and get out of here. Or, even a more Traitorous act... jump to another South African team, but only if it has a good economy. We will see... now for now, trying to improve the disastrous economy and to save my team from relegation, as it seems Traitor will be one more year, at least, at Witbank Spurs (due to nobody wanting him, if nothing else)

I've added the MLS league, to have Vancouver and Montreal generating young players for the Canadian team.

June 2014

Season end

The games

+5-4=1, so the best third in this season. Many of them played with crazy 4-4-2 overload, quick pass, overlap, work ball. Some with our short passing slow 4-5-1. Goals 21 for, 17 against. First third where we score more than the opposition.

23/II to 16/III all games played with trialist goalie. You can plat trialists in South Africa, as I discovered at that moment. He was wonderful as a trialist. I contracted him back 09/IV, and he was good, but not stopping everything as he had been doing before.

Impressive cup run for us. It saved us financially, for now, to reach the final.

And probably, a lot thanks to this guy:

who every single cup game stopped some certain goals (in the final he stopped 6)

The league

The good period we had with Manyatera as trialist goalie (he won best player honour in one of the cup games) meant that in the end, we had no problem to get a mid table position. We finished 10 points away from both promotion playoffs and relegation.

This is the cup. All games except for FC AK are vs Premier Division sides. All games where played with counter 4-1DM-2M-2AM-1, and with Manyatera as goalie, at first as trialist, then as contracted player.

Against Orlando Pirates, goal scored in minute 116. Against SuperSport Utd 3rd goal in minute 120, when I was getting ready for the penalties.

I tried my three tactics in the final, against Kaizer Chiefs, and none worked. We only managed 2 shots (not at goal), and we where overwhelmed with 22 shots, 10 at goal from the opposition.

Finances

Reaching the final of the cup saved us financially this year. Loser gets almost 300K, winner 700K. And of course, you also get a percentage of the tickets for the last game, which was around 380K. Also, the board injected 130K at least three times, and 90K another time.

Of course, counting on reaching the final of the cup every year to be financially sound is just day dreaming, so the economic situation of the team still needs fixing.

Thoughts

Having tried to get contracted by Spanish 2B, Bulgarian B and A teams many times, once at MLS, twice at Brazilian 3rd division, and being laughed all of them. So no change in the near future foreseeable for Traitor. He will try to gain a bit of fame here with this team to be able to jump higher next. If his team had won the cup, maybe he would have enough fame for Bulgaria B...

In the new contract he managed to get 40% wage contribution in case of change. It was difficult to get that, had to lower salary a bit (to 975€)... but it surely increases the chances of finding a job whilst on Witbank Spurs.

The World Cup (in the game) is going on at the moment of writing this, so soon will try his luck with national teams. South Africa has done really poorly in group stage, even Australia beat them. Let's see if they sack the coach and...

A small fable

A scorpion asks a frog to carry him over a river. The frog is afraid of being stung during the trip, but the scorpion argues that if it stung the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog agrees and begins carrying the scorpion, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion points out that this is its nature.

The contract is 775€ and 70% wage compensation.

About the promises for direct defensive play... difficult, Traitor only had success with attacking styles (overload direct and control possession), but he will try. Anyway, Traitor just promised that to get the job.

A bit less than what Traitor was getting at Witbank, but the economy of this club is good for now, and it is in Europe, which has more potential for earnings.

The City

Pleven (Плевен) is a 132.000 habitants city in the north of Bulgaria.

Internationally known for the Siege of Plevna of 1877, it is today a major economic centre of the Bulgarian Northwest and Central North and the third largest city of Northern Bulgaria after Varna and Rousse.

The Stadium

The team

The team has just gone up to Group "B". It doesn't have staff, but I have managed to sign a good AMs in Bulgaria. Now to build the staff body.

Historically, they are an old club, which was refunded on 2010

All the team is under amateur contract. So one of the first things will be to sign into professional contracts the best 10 players to have at least a core. We have only 10k transfer, so we won't be able to sign everyone else. But the team seems quite decent. Maybe get a better substitute goalie (both are U21!!). A DR and DL would help, as we are thin there.

The team is predicted to finish 12th (this seems familiar somehow...)

FIFA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2014

The winner of the FIFA 2014 World Champioship was ... Germany. What a surprise...

LEAGUES LOADED

Brazil

2013/2014 1st Sao Paulo, 2nd Vasco, 3rd Internacional

Bulgaria

2013/2014 1st Botev (Plovdiv), 2nd Beroe, 3rd Levski

Canada

2013/2014 Champion: Brampton United Finalist: London City

South Africa

2013/2014 1st Sundowns, 2nd Orlando Pirates, 3rd SuperSport Utd

Spain

2013/2014 1st Barcelona, 2nd At Madrid, 3rd Málaga

For the fans

2nd game and we already have a fan day. Well, at least it was successful.

Season tickets went up by quite a lot.

The new playerss

Being in a team full of amateurs I could strengthen the team with more incorporations than usually.

10.77K wages allowed. I have still got 4.8K left. I hope not to have to spend more, as with current expenses, we are expected to end with a deficit of -300K.

Our division has an interesting rule that you must have 4 U21 players on the starting eleven. So many of the players I bought are 19 or 20, to have flexibility on my starting 11.

So, considering only 3 players left (I offered many more, no one wanted them), we have a huge 46 man squad.

All Bulgarian players.

Martin Simeonov, 22 year old DL. **+ (***** pot)

Vladimir Arnaudov, 38 year old DR/WBR. **** (****) oldest player, by much, I've ever bought in FM. I almost always buy young

Kristiyan Ivanov, 21 year old DM/MC. ** (*****).

Yulian Kurtelov, 26 year old ST. **** (****).

Georgi Shterev, 33 year old GK. ***+ (***+). Backup for my main goalie

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Milen Kikarin, 22 year old D/WB L / D/WB R. **** (*****). A starting 11 player, almost surely.

Angel Zdravchev, 20 year old AMR/MR , AML. **** (*****). This man has the potential of being one of my stars. U21, so he'll be starting 11.

Nikolay Ivanov, 20 year old ST. **+ (****+)

Antoan Sergiev, 20 year old DM. * (****+)

Stamen Tasev, 19 year old DM,MC. *+ (****+)

Nikolay Andreev, 19 year old DR/DL, WBR. * (****+)

Aleksandar Aleksandrov, 22 year old MC. ***+ (*****)

Thoughts

The team is looking interesting. They have no idea of the tactics, normal with so many new faces, but we hope to be good enough to be clear of relegation. Fight for promotion? That's always my objective, but it is difficult. This should be more a season to stabilise the team in this group, and then the next to try and fight to go up... unless a new more interesting team offer comes, of course.

It took me a bit of time to realize you were showing their star ratings and potential instead of swearing

It took me a bit of time to realize you were showing their star ratings and potential instead of swearing

Probably should have mentioned it in the first one... something as current ability: **+ (potential: *****)