(FM16) (GIB). No transfers, no loans, no grey players, just YOUTH.

The original incarnation of this save can be found here.

It was inspired by an excellent save by forameuss which can be found here.

The previous version of this save seemed to be quite popular, and with me being bored of my FM16 San Marino save at the moment, (and mental busy at work), I'm really looking for something that is just easy really. Others have said that if you can't win in Gibraltar then you can't win anywhere, but I will take what I can get thanks very much.

The general idea is pretty simple. I am installed as a Manager of 2nd Division club side Red Imps in Gibraltar and I have to do what I can in the role while signing no players from any outside sources at all.

No loans from anywhere, (no, not even parent clubs).

No signing players from other clubs.

No signing players who are free agents.

I am only able to sign players who come through my Youth Intake.

I am allowed to re-sign players who have previously come through the Youth Intake.

I will probably be using the IR, (Instant Result) feature a a fair bit, and it's quite possible than in the dearly stages of the save I won't even bother selecting the team.

There are no other leagues loaded at the outset of the game. This gives me an advantage in that other clubs will not produce the same number of players, but to be honest, I need all the help I can get in this save.

Although I will be starting to play immediately, I will really just be trying to get through the 1st season as quickly as possible and as long as I don;t get sacked, have absolutely no interest in our results. The save will really start for me when we get to our 1st Youth Intake day in whenever it is.

I don't think Red Imps can promote in this version.

ahhh.

Well I will have to take over someone else then if that's the case. Thanks for the heads up.

Dont think I've ever replied to your threads but I've always enjoyed reading them so I'm glad to see this. Good luck.

Most of the 1st season has been made up of me pressing continue and complaining silently to myself at how poor we are and in particular how both of our strikers always seemed to be injured at the same time.

It's February 2016 and while still not watching games, (I will never watch a domestic game in this save), I am at least tinkering tactically. I am experimeting with 3 centre-backs and cwb(a)'s and in doing so I stumbled upon the realisation that my lone striker was somehow set to a DLF! wtf! How on Earth did that happen! Doh! He is now immediately reverted to an AF(a) and we will see how that works. Our woes in front of goal are slightly more understandable now. IN my defence, I was extremely hungover when I started this save, (and by hungover I of course mean still completely off my face). It's not big and it's not clever.

Yes! Really looking forward to this, FM15 version was great.

What's wrong with a lone DLF by the way? I kind of like it better than using a lone AF.

Yes! Really looking forward to this, FM15 version was great.

What's wrong with a lone DLF by the way? I kind of like it better than using a lone AF.

Nothing in particular if you have other players around him who will compliment how he plays. As I thought we were being spear-headed by an AF(a), this wasn't the case and we were pretty toothless up front as a result.

Youth Day 2016.

In view of the fact that Red Imps might not be able to get promoted, which would fit well with their link to Lincoln (GIB), then I will probably have to look to jump ship sooner rather than later.

As today is Youth Day then today is probably a perfect time.

Bottom in Division 2 are Mons Calpe and they have just binned their manager and are actually looking for a new Manager right now.

They are 5 points adrift of 2nd bottom, but even ignoring that there doesn't seem to be relegation, (at least not according to the rules). They have 7 games to play but they don't seem to have had a full intake which is a shame. Ah well. I had better make the jump now and hope I don't get the push at the end of the season.

Interestingly though, they are Semi-Pro already compared to Red Imps Amateur status.

Dont think I've ever replied to your threads but I've always enjoyed reading them so I'm glad to see this. Good luck.

Thanks very much.

I had to wait what seemed like ages for the interview at Mons Calpe, (I really don't like the name by the way), but after waiting over a month, I finally attended tby far the most in depth interview I had ever been given on FM. Granted I don't usually move around much so haven't had loads of interviews, but they roper grilled me.

I told them that I wanted to develop youth players, (might as well be honest from the start), even though they weren't keen, so I'm not sure I'm going to get this job. They are in serious financial trouble and the current wage bill is £2,800 pw and I said I could do the job with just £2,000 pw. I could probably do with them reverting to amateur status.

I've inherited a squad that contains 5 loanees. I don't care if we need them and no matter how bad it gets, THEY WILL NOT BE APPEARING for me.

The Senior Squad contains quite a few younger players and certainly leans more towards PA rather than CA.

I have to look to the future and gamble on the fact that I can survive with what I have and I have to look to the long term future rather than more immediacy. The Reserves show a large number of players who will be released.

The finances aren't good, but the reality is that if I get rid of all of the Reserves then it will reduce the wage budget by £1,330 per week.

Whether a reduction in our wages of £1,330 per week is enough to sort out the long-term financial future of the club remains to be seen when we are already in debt to the sum of £120,000.

Final League Table.

Mons Calpe finished 1 position higher than they were when I left Red Imps and Red Imps finished 1 position lower than they were when I left.

The wage budget was at £2,600 per week when I took over.

I immediately reduced it to £2,000 per week to remain in line with the newly set budget.

With a little more pruning, I got it down to £1,600 per week.

The board have just announced this.

That sounds a bit extreme, but we are still actually within the budget as I am doing my best to control our losses.

I think I'm doing ok.

hahahaha priceless

Youth Day 2017.

It's a bit of a strange one actually. While the PA of all the players is the same, CA across the board is pretty poor with a couple of exceptions.

The reason that (17p) Hogg (F.Pro) (2017) was deemed the best of the bunch is that it was him that was highlighted by the HoYD. As all the PA's were the same, and as the player with the best CA has a PPM that I wanted to include in his nickname, I decided to go with the flow and follow the advice from Mr Lopez (HoYD). He's certainly onto something in any case because young Hogg is a 6'5" TM who also has the 2nd best personality in the squad.

Yeah jumping and heading are excellent for a 16yo in (GIB), but finishing 3, bravery 1 & composure 2 are lacking a little even by (GIB) standards.

If you look at the senior squad however, (there were no players anywhere else before the above intake), then you see that we are very weak in some areas. 8 players are still rated by youth stars and of those that are rated by senior stars, there are a few witth low ratings and still more with little if any room for improvement.

Especially in the striker and wide attacking positions, we are actually desperate for improvement and that's what looks t have just arrived, (in the future if not immediately at least.

Strikers ranked by PA.

Left sided attackers ranked by PA.

Right sided attackers ranked by PA.

When you consider that all the players in the Senior Squad have featured a minimum of 7 times this season, (albeit not in their preferred positions and certainly not in their preferred roles), this intake actually strengthens us immediately. With no wages for new contracts and players looking to leave, the youngsters are sure to play a pivotal role in our 3rd season, (which I actually consider my 1st due to the change in club).

[Edit]

After moving all the new players into the Senior Squad and asking my Ass Man to pick a team for our next game, 2 of the new intake make the starting line-up and a further 4 take positions on the bench.

Now all I have to do is get some of them to sign a contract.

League Table.8

League Graph.

Second Div Fixtures 1.

Second Div Fixtures 2.

Rock Cup Fixtures.

League 2 Cup.

[video=youtube;baX1ETAHLkU]

Player of the Season 2017.

Season Summary.

Although it's May 2017 and we have actually had 2 full seasons now, I feel like my 1st "proper" season is about to start. The 1st season was with Red Imps and then I jumped ship and it was really a case of a second 1st season with The Calpeans. It took me most of the season to get the training and nick-names sorted out for the squad, (and to trim it down to size), only for the Youth Intake to arrive and give me more "admin" to do.

I've sorted all that immediately but I'm determined that I'm bot going to be as slap-dash as I have been in the 1st couple of seasons. I have a number of goals that I am adamant that I'm going to achieve and I believe that they are both possible and even likely.

1. Well while I have no intention of actually playing and managing the games, (ever), I am going to be putting a little more effort in and I am going to create a tactic that is going be a consistant tactic over the next..... well 5-10 years. It means that we will adopt a style that will suit the players that we will be creating, (rather than the players we currently have).

2. I'm immediately going to sort out the set-piece instructions, (both attack and defence), and stop pretending that it doesn't really matter and we can "put it off to next season". Next season has been and gone and I still haven't done it, so enough fannying about.

3. Goal-scoring GK's. Well it's just rude not to isn't it!

4. I'm going to pick a 1st choice squad before the 1st league game of the season and where possible I'm going to start all those players in all available games, (fitness permitting). At the very least, this is going to give these players the game-time they need to develop. Better to have them develop at optimum levels than for a larher number to be developed but at a diluted rate.

5. We don't have any players that are suitable tutors at the moment, but I will have a quick look to see what I can do with PPM's and the Det attribute.

6. We finished 8th last season and I would like to finish at least 6th next season. In addition to that, I also want to finish above Red Imps, (my old club), as there is obviously a little rivalry there. They are a year ahead in terms of development so I'm not sure how likely that is.

7. I need to step up my efforts to get some of the better youngster to sign new contracts because none of them seem interested in staying past their youth contracts.

We are still losing money, (as expected).

But on the plus side, I must have done something right because our wage budget has gone from £596 per week to £1,315 per week this season, (£2094 of which is refunded via a Youth grant). We are actually spending £1,021 per week meaning that I actually just have £294 per surplus wage cash to spend. If I play that right, that might be enough for 4-5 players.

We've been struggling for form this season and while I appreciate that we are not going to tear teams apart, (especially with me not playing the games), we were still performing below what I thought was reasonable.

I just watched the highlights of the most recent game, (a 2-2 draw), and was surprised to see that my Ass Man had made 3 substitutions at HT. That's fine I thought. As long as he is freshening things up and we are improving then I'm fine with that, but then I noticed that not everyone was where I expected them to be when I was looking at the goal highlights.

The player playing at right back, (and at fault for the opposition opener), is M(L)/AM(LC). He's pretty raw and although his best position at the moment is said to be an AMC, I see him as an IF on the left in the future. What I certainly don't see in him at all is any defensive nous.

I don't think this is a bug, (I have never encountered anything quite like this before), and instead it is down to a VERY poor Ass Man making the decisions.

You might think, oh it's only 1 player and it shouldn't make much difference, but he's actually moving everyone about.

This sub is going to right back, the right back is going to centre-half, the centre-half is going to left back and the left back is being taken off. I want none of that to happen.

It's the same in the attacking positions.

I think I'm going to have to actually play games until I get a proper Ass Man.

It's amazing.

We won only 2 of our opening 11 league games, (also drawing 3 more so 6 losses).

I take control for 1 game, do opposition instructions but don't do team-talks and pick exactly the same team but don't make stupid position changes at half time. We win, create 6 ccc's and score 4 of them.

Europa FC are 5th in the 1st Division and have just invited me to interview for the vacant position of Manager. Not bad after just managing 1 game.

Angels are 11th in the 2nd Division, (so 1 off bottom), and their finances are insecure. If I wasn't interested in the Europa FC job, I'm certainly not going to be interested in Angels.

All I did was manage 2 games and win them both. I think the talent pool for managers in (GIB) is relatively sparse.

FC Olympique are 9th in the 1st Division and their finances are secure. I've still only managed 2 games and now they are inviting me for an interview too.

Does instant result work like a holiday then? Where the assistant manager takes the game?

Does instant result work like a holiday then? Where the assistant manager takes the game?

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure.

Someone is making tactical decisions is all I know and I'm blaming the Ass Man.

He has a tactical attribute of...... 1, so I think I'm probably on the money.

In other news, I think I've worked out how to stop clubs inviting me for an interview. (I lost my 3rd game in charge).

Youth Day 2018.

It's a better intake than last season in that at least 2 players are good enough to be rated with gold rather than silver stars, (last season there were none).I actually missed the Intake happening and went on for about 3 weeks before realising it had been and gone.

That the best player also has a professional personality is really the icing on the cake.

I've just noticed that not a single SC came through the last intake.

Since the half-way point in the season when I decided that I couldn't trust my Ass Man, we have won 4 league games, drawn 1 league game and lost 2 league games.

P7 W4 D1 L2. (points per game = 1.86).

The record in then opening 11 games was.... P11 W2 D3 L6. (points per game = 0.82).

As a result, I have been now offered an interview for the Gibraltar Phoenix job, They sit 7th in the 1st Division and their finances are ok.

Good luck in Gibraltar Jimbo!

I'm still in demand.

Lions Gibraltar are sitting 8th in the First Division. Their finances are insecure so even if I was interested.....

2018 Season Summary.

League Table.

League Graph.

Second Division Fixtures 1.

Second Division Fixtures 2.

Rock Cup Fixtures.

League 2 Cup.

End of Season Awards.

Goal of Season.

Apologies. All 3 game files are dead so.... so is this save.

I am having a dabble with a Youth Only save with one of the big boys in Serbia.