How do you choose your first team?

How do you all choose your first team when embarking on a new save? Is there a lot of thought put in, or is it relatively random? For me, a lot of thought goes in. I look at the team in real life, their history, their fans, their expectations (in real life and FM), media prediction, the facilities and the scope for future growth. I always look at the region the club is in (in terms of rivals, local regens etc). I do this as I like to feel like I have a personal link to the club when managing them. Would be interesting to see how far you look into your teams.

I usually play in leagues with the least restrictions on player selections, like the number of foreigners or non-EU players, then on the likelihood i'll get a lot of regens. I usually like to go with Portugal, because you can get quality regens from the country, but if I want to bring in a lot of players from Asia or South America, its not difficult for me to give them first team playing time or loan them out to another team in the country. Since I know I won't make a lot of money with TV rights or domestic prize money, my financial livelihood depends on my ability to find, grow, and sell players.

A mix of the two. I usually use the randomizer to go through the leagues but with a few criteria to look at regarding being in the bottom league of a given nation, expectations (avoiding the strongest and weakest sides), value, stadium size and lack of debt. Occasionally I've chosen to specifically start in the Conference North/South but otherwise chosen a specific club a similar way.

My first team is generally an experimental one. I'll have a team in mind from the offset and use them to work out tactics and such..

I intentionally avoid playing as the team I support until I'm much more familiar with the game. Have only recently embarked on that save!

A mix of the two. I usually use the randomizer to go through the leagues but with a few criteria to look at regarding being in the bottom league of a given nation, expectations (avoiding the strongest and weakest sides), value, stadium size and lack of debt. Occasionally I've chosen to specifically start in the Conference North/South but otherwise chosen a specific club a similar way.

I almost always go for the bottom league in the country as well. Usually I want something personal to do with the team ie been on holiday there, lived in the city etc. I have a lot of footy books, so read up on the team in that. I have a football world year book (albeit 10 years old) which shows in major cities what part of the city the team/fans are from, so for example it shows a map of Berlin which shows where exactly Hertha are from, where Union are from, where Dynamo are from etc and the map of Munich shows where the majority of 1860 fans are from and where the majority of Bayern fans are, so I can pinpoint where my hotel/favourite bar was in that city and that gives it a more personal touch!

Quick pick

In my first save. I started totally unemployed and like a new hopeful manager you almost take the first gig that comes along to get your foot in the door. Three seasons in and I've made a move to Holland which is where I wanted to go to. Eventual goal is top Holland league OR getting back to England (depends honestly on how much I enjoy the Dutch league) and going to Leeds.

I holiday 5 years and then go for a English, Spanish or Italian team with a good stadium that has experienced a bad period. This time it was Oviedo struggling in Second Division B.

I have to look at attributes, and realise that some players that look crap might be really good and vice versa.

It's kinda a bummer. I imagine taking over Man Utd (rather than Van Gaal) would be a cool game because they need an overhaul and new ethos (something Moyes was supposed to do exactly 12 months ago, but chickened out). But it's a game. In real life you'd be looking at getting rid of players like Rafael and Anderson, but in the game you'd give them a go because chances are they're really good, in the game. So the role playing never begins.

Always pick the team(s) I support in rl.

Oh you mean team as in club?

I'll pick the team I support. Otherwise, I'll join a team with no manager, either at the start of the game or after a while.

I right click in the box besides their name. That usually does the trick

How do you all choose your first team when embarking on a new save? Is there a lot of thought put in, or is it relatively random? For me, a lot of thought goes in. I look at the team in real life, their history, their fans, their expectations (in real life and FM), media prediction, the facilities and the scope for future growth. I always look at the region the club is in (in terms of rivals, local regens etc). I do this as I like to feel like I have a personal link to the club when managing them. Would be interesting to see how far you look into your teams.

You look at a team in real life??? Does that mean you only play the game for one season? Cos u dont know what the team 'in real life' is gonna b the following season!

team i support, simple enough

I look at the team in real life

isnt that a form of stalking??? the injunctions i have against me from 7 different women is proof of this

isnt that a form of stalking??? the injunctions i have against me from 7 different women is proof of this

It's ok to stare, just not while you're playing with your big man up front.

I always start with the team I support (Liverpool) but it never lasts long as I'm always sacked in the first season. I then end up quitting, deleting and then choosing another club to manager...which then usually becomes my main FM save until the next game comes out!

I always start my first save with the LA Galaxy in the MLS (I'm in the US), mostly because the first time I played FM, I started with LAG and it gives me an easy way to get used to the new version of FM, try out new functionality, and have a baseline to work from on past versions. Plus, LAG is a rich club in a league with only a few other rich clubs, and it provides a great jump off point for taking bigger jobs in a few seasons.

Funny enough I never really do a season with the team I support as I get too emotionally involved example being I should sell Podolski because he isn't very good but I like him too much but when doing a season I normally pick a side that's a good challenge for example Newcastle can I make them a top club again, Everton can I play Roberto Martinez way and get UCL football, Southampton can I continue what they're doing with English players

Unemployed, holiday, apply for available jobs.

Sometimes I want to sign young English players butland, walker, caulker, jones, shaw, ince, ward-prowse, chalobah, Barkley, sturridge but I never usually continue with that league as I'm too impatient. I usually sign ter stegen, aurier, balanta, ginter, Jonathan silva, Romero, James Rodriguez, Barkley and benteke (thats my Everton team in 4th season) I want lukaku but need to save up.

I have to look at attributes, and realise that some players that look crap might be really good and vice versa.

It's kinda a bummer. I imagine taking over Man Utd (rather than Van Gaal) would be a cool game because they need an overhaul and new ethos (something Moyes was supposed to do exactly 12 months ago, but chickened out). But it's a game. In real life you'd be looking at getting rid of players like Rafael and Anderson, but in the game you'd give them a go because chances are they're really good, in the game. So the role playing never begins.

Rafael is good IRL too so don't get that comment at all.

Anderson is as flawed in game as he is IRL, he suits none of the roles at all tbh.

Anyway,

I pick the first team as I would IRL if I know the team, so Manchester United for me is an easy one. Couldn't tell you much about other teams though. In those cases I'd need to look at the players and identify the right ones and the useless ones and cut and rebuild as I see fit. The lower down you go the more difficult it gets as the attributes narrow to such an extent that Lower League player 1 is more or less similar to player 2.

FM13

AS Monaco - I chose them because they were in Ligue 2 with a sugar daddy. It seemed like fun (and it was)

Bochum - I chose them because of Leon Goretzka

Unemployed - I went to AGOVV in the Dutch 2nd division and then got a job at Cardiff in the Championship. I'm currently in the Premiership with them.

Rafael is good IRL too so don't get that comment at all.

Oh yeah, he has improved. Now he only gets yellow cards instead of sent off every match he plays. One day he might actually be able to stop fouling people altogether. That's what you want from your defenders, after all.

You look at a team in real life??? Does that mean you only play the game for one season? Cos u dont know what the team 'in real life' is gonna b the following season!

I mean I look up the team on Wikipedia (a very reliable source of information ) etc to check out their history, fans, stories etc

Few rules.

1. Are they outside the top 4 of the premier league, top 2 of La Liga, Not Bayern Munich

2. Do they have enough money for me to complete the backroom staff?

3. Will I then have money to buy at least 3 players?

4. Have they got near enough 2 players for every position? Is it achievable after the first transfer window?

Then I look at lesser info if I'm stuck between a few clubs

a. Do they have a decent fanbase (ie. Newcastle / Leeds)

b. How good is their training / youth facilities

c. Do they have at least 4 home grown players in their 25 man squad

This leaves very few teams to pick from.

Newcastle, Southampton, Spurs...

I am currently Schalke. Fav save yet

I tend to pick either teams going through a rough patch, teams that need a total overhaul or a team that I've recently read about online/in magazines or newspapers because something interesting has happened there.

I tend to pick either teams ... that I've recently read about online/in magazines or newspapers because something interesting has happened there.

Cultural Leonesa.

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/394909-So-who-s-going-to-be-starting-a-career-with-Cultural-Leonesa-in-2015-Tuxedo-Kit

Either apply for all jobs by starting off unemployed, or a team in a league that would allow some progression (ie multiple tiers). With regards to what team in that tier, probably budget. Or kit colour...