(FM 12) Wingers are like chicken wings, too expensive

Hello everyone,

I have been a lurker on this forum for a while and have finally decided to write down my little adventures in FM.

This will be a journeyman career, with several objectives on the way. I am using the last update for FM12 with a custom Lithuanian db. In total I have England, Italy, France, Spain and Scotland with all leagues loaded as well as 3 level deep Lithuania.

I will be starting as a semi-pro manager, holidaying for a year before starting at a newly promoted club in Lithuania's bottom division. At first, the aim is to get the club to the top division and leave having won at least one major trophy. The second part of the career will be taking over clubs at the bottom division of every other nation and taking them to the top division (getting that hero achievement). I can only leave a club having won a major trophy or getting my P45. Since there isn't enough problems doing this, I will limit myself to wingerless formations, in particular going gung-ho with a narrow 4-1-2-3 formation.

Possible career achievements

* Rookie (Take over a club in Lithuania)

* Become a Lithuanian hero (promote to top division)

* Amber Dealer (Win major silverware in Lithuania)

Once the three above have been achieved, I'll be aiming to become a hero in each of England, Scotland, France, Italy and Spain.

* English/Scottish/French/Italian/Spanish Hero

* One-time wonder (Win European trophy)

* Hattrick (3 European trophies)

* Keep the Cup (Win 5 CL trophies)

* Conquer Europe (Win Euros)

* Conquer the World (Win WC)

* Baltic pride (Win Continental cup with a club from Lithuania)

* How did that happen? (Win Euros or WC with Lithuania)

* Best ever (Top Hall of Fame)

Season|Team        |Trophies                                                          |Other
12-13 |Laisve      |Lithuanian 2 League                                               |Joined club in June
13-14 |Laisve      |Lithuanian 1 League                                               |
14-15 |Laisve      |Lithuanian Cup                                                    |Left club in May
15-16 |Annan       |                                                                  |
16-17 |Annan       |Scottish Third Division                                           |Manager of the Year
17-18 |Annan       |Scottish Second Division, Scottish Challenge Cup                  |Manager of the Year
18-19 |Annan       |Scottish First Division, Scottish Challenge Cup                   |Manager of the Year, Scottish Cup finalists
***CAREER RESET***

Chapter 1

Gloomy Lithuania

I have started my career at a really obscure Lithuanian club Laisve I have never heard of.

At least they have some zesty colours, right? How about their trophy haul?

Somewhat lacking. Just like facilities and reputation.

Starting in third division, I spent a grand total of three years in Lithuania, winning successive promotions and then a cup that set me free to do whatever I pleased with my career.

Originally, the team was utterly shambolic, so lots of transfers as you can see:

http://i.imgur.com/2Zqjdvu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OTQSvt9.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HR4437r.jpg

The teams of the year were as follows:

http://i.imgur.com/snRw84u.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Td6R0BN.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7XRMRl7.jpg

And finally all the notable competition wins in those three years:

http://i.imgur.com/JhERgKJ.jpg

Next up, going to Scotland (FYI, I'm currently in Jan 2018, so I'll do a quick recap of things and then will continue with bimonthly updates)

Having won the Cup in Lithuania, I got a substantial bonus to my reputation leading to job offers in Seria B. It was clearly a time to move, so I signed my resignation and went on holiday. Soon enough there was a vacancy in Italy. A classic case - lots of money lost every month and a terrible squad. I obviously started revamping the roster and shipping all the deadwood away when I saw what I was really looking for. A job in Scottish Third Division.

A side that just hit the very bottom sacked their coach, so I applied and got the job. Oh the joy! The squad was beyond poor, so a huge summer clearout followed.

The results were patchy and I was quite lucky to keep my job for another year..

The next off-season though, I acquired a few more players to add to the core and had a lot of fun, winning the league at a canter and doing well in the cups:

So, there we are now, in January 2018, Scottish Second division leading by a healthy margin with barely 13 games left in the season.

We have also captured the League Challenge Cup, so our trophy cabinet is starting to look a bit better...

From now on I will be doing four updates a year (summer break, September-November, December-February, season close), any requests are very welcome!

Very good 2nd season with Annan

Glad you are doing more regular updates now i've always found the threads with at least 3 updates a season a bit easier to follow as you get a sense of what the managers thoughts are as a season goes on. In all honesty I am really looking forward to you going back to Lithuania, that will be some achievement if you pull your targets off there

Thanks, Dexter. I'll pop an update tonight, it was a pretty decent couple of months.

We opened December with a good cup win away from home that set us up nicely for a showdown with the second placed team. Unfortunately, we were stinking poor and 0-1 really flattered us. Luckily, the form picked up from there as we got 25 points from nine games stretching the lead in the league from measly seven to healthy 16 points. Last of the games in the stretch came against the second placed Ayr as we had fun thrashing them 4-0.

We did very well in the Scottish cup as well, battling past Premiership side Motherwell before undeservedly falling against Rangers. Sure enough, they were the stronger side but we scored first and had a couple chances that went begging :/

The league looks very healthy, we have almost guaranteed the promotion playoffs but my eyes are obviously on winning the league ASAP now that the cups are out of the way.

I made a signing too in this Irish lad, who will hopefully help my midfield next year as quite a few guys will not be up to the standard surely.

Speaking of the club situation, I am at the crossroads. we are currently sitting on very healthy 800k but there are 4 major concerns:

* we are semi-pro - can't scout far, can't offer long contracts, can't get nice players

* stadium is only 2k big and maxed out - getting a new one is going to cost huge and I will be tied horribly in financial knots until then

* facilities are awful! None of the players are improving to their potential even with huge game-time. Got to do something about it!

The thing with the SFL is that with a few good signings you'll get to the top division quite quickly. Once you're there you'll go pro and can start thinking about facilities.

Haha love the title! It cracks me up :D:D

Very good progress so far with Annan.

Haha love the title! It cracks me up :D:D

Thanks, David! Gotta try my best!

Very good progress so far with Annan.

Thanks, delta, more goodness on the way, I am sure.

Hey! Just saw your post so I figured I'd come here and cheer--nice work! Nice to see you going up the ladder. See you around Scotland!

Hey! Just saw your post so I figured I'd come here and cheer--nice work! Nice to see you going up the ladder. See you around Scotland!

Thanks, Twellman, I have a sneaky feeling my Scottish journey won't last too long at this rate!

Nice. I've always found the First Division easily to survive and consolidate in a but a massive pain to get near the top of.

Nice. I've always found the First Division easily to survive and consolidate in a but a massive pain to get near the top of.

Thanks, delta. I feel this is the year I have to promote since all the teams around me just keep dropping points and surely it can't last forever. Right now second placed team is 15points behind me, it's not even past New year :/

My save got corrupted. every time I bid for a player and change the transfer fee from player's value, it randomly goes into positive or negative billions. If it is negative, no team sells, if positive, my board stops the transfer. I could continue to play by only getting out-of-contract guys but it would not be fun. Therefore, I will be restarting the thread, keeping all of the achievements intact.

That's rubbish

I will be restarting in 2015 with Chester. Looks like a lot of trouble, to be honest.

Good luck for your new journey with Chester!

I will be on a hiatus until mid-October, moving houses, starting a uni course and going on holiday in the midst of all of this! Thanks for all the support.

They said it was dead.

They said the universe had collapsed unto itself with a weight of quadrillions of pounds spent on every transfer into a football.

And it did.  And from this football rose a new universe.

Where the old records had been forgotten but heroes had become legends.

Where Lithuania never won anything of note... yet.

Where the time said May 29, 2019.

* Alarm clock beeping in the background *

It's been 4 days since that final, a day since we'd gone on a team bonding trip.  I am still shellshocked how easily Celtic carved us apart that night. We were 10 minutes away from holding the cup, going to Europe and then nothing.  The new regulations meant our spot went to P5 in top division, absurdly.

* Alarm clock beeping intensifies *

It's been a nice day yesterday, wandering down the country lanes, having a laugh with mates.  And we all drank far too much, I mean, I know most of them are in their early twenties but boy did does my head hurt today.

* I smack my hand and silence the alarm clock, slowly open my eyes *

How am I back home?  I don't remember getting back at all.  I better get ready, we've got training in an hour and I left all my notes at the clubhouse.

It's a strange feeling, you know, we'll be in Premiership next season, duking it out with the Old Firm.  I wonder how many of my guys will make the step up and who will I need to cut loose.

I finally arrive to the club, almost late for my training.

Hmm, the doorman doesn't recognise me today.  Must be the impact of that loss in Glasgow.  No, he actually says I am not their manager.

I remind him of the last 3 years, 3 promotions, a cup final and the man just starts laughing maniacally. Says he never heard a funnier joke before and then says he's going to show me something.

He points to the wall and indeed, Annan Athletic, second place in Third Division 2018/9 season.  How can this be possible, is this some kind of joke?  The attendant shakes his head violently and makes sure in no uncertain terms he will call the police if I don't leave immediately

This is too much, so I leave on my bike.  Back to my small room.  But first I need to know where am I.  Time for some football review, let's see what else has changed.

~~~

I open the wiki and start looking.  World Cup situation is interesting to say the least.  Jules Rimet trophy has sensationally been found and Brazil has agreed to pass it along. Rooney has been knighted having led England to two finals and winning it all in 2014.

How about Euros?  Oh wow, Portugal beat England in the final in 2012 and 2016 was a teutonic battle *cough*

Right, who was the best player throughout it all? Oh, Messi, of course it was Messi, though Rooney did snag an award in the World Cup winning year.

How about the Champions League? Shakhtar made it to the final and Porto brought back the heady days of happy Mourinho.  Also, Arsenal going back-to-back-to-back mid-decade.

Anything fun in the Europa League, any repeat offenders?  Not really, but a whole lot of distinguished teams going for it.

Now, what's happening in the major leagues? Let's start with England

Right, the ManU period never really finished, ugh.  Though Everton did go down as has not recovered yet.

Spain is boring as ever, except well, Sevilla did put up a fight a season or two ago but that was that.

Italy is Milan's plaything.  Inter and AC dominating here with Napoli getting two in the last five years, so maybe there is a shift coming.

Ze Germans. Well, couldn't have picked a more boring league, could I?

Suddenly it hit me, I really was in an alternate universe!  Or maybe I shouldn't have had those two... twelve drinks at The Blue Shed.

No-one recognises me any more, but I do feel watched.  There is this hooded figure in far corner looking at me intermittently.

I am not exactly in the mood to be subtle, so I come up it and that's when the person shuffles, gives me an envelope and urgently leaves.

It's just a bog standard white envelope with a return address to Edgaras Rodesire. Hmm, cannot ever recall hearing that name before, but then again my parents called me Gerardo AD Erises in the middle of nowhere in Lithuania, so who am I to judge.

I open the envelope and the words there stunned me.

Quote

I am your long lost son from another multiverse.  My dad, Landar, was the manager of FK KG and I am their star centre-back.  At least I used to be.  In some strange twisted way, we both escaped our worlds and ended in this miserable place.  All I know, it was the morning of a  Champions League final with FK KG in my hotel room.  The door rang, I opened and next thing I know I am in a body bag.  I don't know what happened after but when I woke up, nobody knew me, the team had long disbanded and there was no evidence of me even existing.

I know this happened to you too, so I need your help.  I need you to rebuild your career and become a cult hero.  There is a tiny little chance that if you complete the ultimate assignment, we will go back in time to the place we used to be.  Just let me know you're in and I'll let you know what your next task is.

Sounds like a Nigerian prince scam to me.  I mean seriously, who in their right mind would give this to a stranger and expect anything to happen?

And yet, I was intrigued. I don't have much to lose now that my notes are all gone and all I have is my coaching badges and a few memories.

As soon as I thought someone tapped me on my shoulder. That someone was Edgaras.

'Now, no matter what you do, remember that your players should be able to come home to their homeland crossing no more than one border'

What do you mean, could you be more cryptic?

'If you were to manage in Wales, you could only hire Welsh and England-born players, is that clear?'

Well, that doesn't sound too bad, does it?

'You may only join the teams that have come from obscurity, this way we can make sure we don't mess with the state of this world any more than we need to'

How do you know this? Who told you..

'I just know, trust me.  Your first task will be to become a hero in England, Spain, Italy and France.  Once you become a hero, you must make sure your legacy is secured.  Win a top division or FA Cup, or it will all go to waste,'

Hold on, you want me to take a club from nowhere and bring all the way to the top multiple times?

'Yes and that's just the beginning. Then..'

I am in. Let's go.

~~~

Ah, summertime in Annan.  I kinda missed my daily scouting reports and training sessions with the team.  I mean, they'd be on holidays but for the staff it would be the busiest period trying to get all the gems from far swung leagues.

But it's all in the past now, I need to start from ground zero.  Focus, the relegation/promotion switch is only a couple weeks away, so I pencilled those days in on my calendar and went to off to the pub till then.  What I should have done is start building up the shortlist of all the players out of contract in big countries but it's future problems.

First, we had Lithuanian intake of new clubs to bottom division.  Surprisingly, they all have a manager at helm, hopefully, that's just a one off.

Then the French intake came round. A dozen clubs, all around the country.  My hands started sweating a bit as I kept going through the websites but each club had a manager in place already.

English intake brought a bunch of hopeful clubs in and Redditch was available. I sent my application as quickly as I could.  The very following day I received an automated reply:

'Dear Sir or Madam,

unfortunately we were not able to offer you the manager position due to your experience consisting mostly of Football Manager achievements.

Good luck in your future career and try get some real-world coaching badges.

With thanks,

Redditch'

What a bunch of losers, if only I could prove to them how successful I had been and what a great team we could build together them and me.

Ah, there was only Italy left but I didn't really wanna go there after my last disappointment.  Messages from Edgaras had gotten more sporadic too, as my job hunt had reached a bit of a cul-de-sac.

Suddenly, an email.  My old acquaintance Roberto who I knew before I turned to football was wondering how I was.

It's been a while since I seen him and he suggested we take the next plane to Florence and zoom on Vespas to Genoa like we used to back in a day.   I was down and there was nothing to lose, so a week later we were checking out our grisly rentals at the airport.  They've seen better days but so have I.

The next day was a blur of good food, good weather and good wine, we didn't even ride that much and thank god for that, I am not sure I am comfortable drafting behind trucks on dirtroads.

The following one was just as fun as we hit Pistoia, a sleepy town just northwest of Florence.  We were about to leave as my Vespa's engine blew up. We left our broken rental at what looked like a chop shop and wandered around.

That's when Roberto pointed at the notice board and helpfully translated that the local football club was looking for a new head coach.

Looks like I might stay here even longer than I anticipated, at US Pistoese 1921

Pistoiese | Early pre-season 2019/20

You should know, Roberto is a business man, so it didn't take him too long to convince the club chairman to take a punt on me.  What was more surprising, the 4 year contract on offer.  I gladly took it as it gives me at least some immediate work and money to get started.

I can't speak any Italian, so this may be interesting in medium-long term. So what do I do?  I asked Roberto to be my translator for a couple of days until I get acquainted with the club and find some staff.

It looks like the club is a bit of a fallen giant as it's been in higher division decades ago but been languishing fairly low since.  Last year, their manager took local boys to the fifth division title and promptly resigning leaving a rather gloomy outlook.  It's odd that he should resign, the club is in great financial health for lower league Italy and has reasonably good facilities.

My first act as a manager was to get Edgaras onboard.  Wish you could hear his reaction when I told him he was going to Italy.  Apparently, he had a dream to play in Serie A in his early twenties but his dad wouldn't sell him, so he languished in Lithuania his whole career.

Next up, hiring of assistant manager.  In his last act as a translator, Roberto found me a guy who seemed good except I found out he couldn't speak any Italian the very following day.  Looks like I'll need an Italian coach to try explain strikerless wingerless to the lads.