Toppling Les Bleus' Hierachy

Beginning note,

This isnt a sermon. Nor is it a moan at how others play the game.

It is simply my thoughts on how i feel you can find the most enjoyment from this game. And how i have.

Introduction,

In recent times, French football has been labelled as boring but one word stands out from the rest, predictable.

It is fair to say that Lyon in recent times have been the dominant force in French football. It goes without saying that the so called predictable nature of French football lies within this statistic. Game after game, Season after season, Lyon continue to produce the sort of football that is worthy of winning any domestic championship. The attacking finesse and superior technical abilities of their players make it very difficult for any of the chasing pack to not only catch them, thats the easy part, but to keep up with them.

Lyon have become the benchmark for French football. A club that is synonimously linked to success. A club that seems to not know how to lose. A club that through their huge success, have alienated a nation of avid football fans.

The Aim,

The aim is simple. To restore a sense of normality, albeit competitiveness to the French league. And to do this with the stars of tomorrow.

Ending Lyon's griplike hold on French football would be an achievement. But we aim to do it without going out and 'splashing the cash'. We aim to do it by nurturing and developing 'our own'.

Many will view this challenge and think that it doesnt appear too difficult. However, this is no quick fix. The idea is to take a team that is considered to be an outsider to the 'league chasers' and to develop this team throughout the seasons and take them to the summit of French football.

This isn't a challenge for those of you who like to go out and purchase a squad. This challenge isnt focused purely on success. This challenge is focused on restoring excitement and enjoyment back to this game. I feel that many are too orientated on filling the trophy cabinets up and have simply forgotten what achievement on this game means. It is not necessarily winning everything there is too win in a few seasons.

I feel it takes more. Personally i find much more enjoyment in bringing success to a smaller team that has survived void of any. I find it more fulfilling to 'build' a team and not simply inherit one.

Too youth or not too youth,

The beauty of this challenge is that it is flexible. You play and conquer in any means you want to.

Personally, i'll look toward bringing in youth to build my 'future conquerors'. It may take longer than those who choose to build a new team with more experienced campaigners, but i will find it more rewarding to watch these players develop 'on my watch' so to speak.

Think you want the Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments (CSE) forum?

This could be the French football thread for FM though, couldn't it?

I was going to put it in there but i feel that its more than just a challenge, coz lets be frank it isnt exactly a really tough one is it?

The aim of this thread is similar to what arsenal 2111 said. It is more of a discussion on how to build a team and how to achieve success through this.

The challenges in the challenges, sign ups & experiments thread are purely focused on an end result. However this thread is more about the journey of the challenge, rather than the outcome.

No problem at all, I just needed to know your plans with it that is all. You might also want to consider putting it in the CSE forum as-well however.

Imo you should edit the op so it mentions that this is the French football thread, as it isn't very clear. Also put something in the title.

I'll add it to the Links Thread:thup:

Okay mate, could you post the teams that are considered outsiders for the title and give an introduction to them and the weak points, best players ....

That's Fairly easy. Be the coach of Lyon and sell all of the good players to the pther teams in the French League.

I am such a F****** genious

And a cheat

Menz

How's you Nantes game going. Are you still top of the League?

Just won Ligue1 in my first season as Lille ! more here

Tylerbodes tactic helped a lot, probably what won it really. Only 25 goals conceded in 38 games with a dismal GK and poor fullbacks!

I am having a go now, Holidayed out first season and started as Rennes, they finished 4th bottom of 1st season.

Sold most of there squad off, Fanni to Bordeaux for 10 million, Brand to Nice for 8Million, and the rest squad palyers... kept M'Bia, Gyan, Thomert, Cheryou and brought in Anderson (lyon) Delgado (lyon) both on transfer list, Feghouli (grenoble relegated) Abou Diarra (Arsenal) transfer listed him???, Guilherme *almeria) relegated and Chevanton and Jank up front as back up for Gyan... oh and Kalu Uche who has been a revelation!!!

In January now, over wage budget just but sat 3rd in the league with only one loss, but quite a few draws. My one loss was a hammering 6-0 away to Lyon!!! I am loving this game!

Looking good so far.

Had a slow night playing, up to 2nd in mid febuary... could nt afford any players in January and the african nations robbed me of M'Bia, Gyan and other centre half... but we kept on winning.

Big clubs now sniffing around Feghouli and Diarra... set values at £20 million each and gave them new contracts but more and more interest appearing

Menz

How's you Nantes game going. Are you still top of the League?

Sorry its taken so long to reply.

I had a game with Nancy (the reason i created this thread) not Nantes. I won Ligue 1 in the first season by a healthy 17 points, albeit because Lyon and Bordeaux were absolutely dreadful.

I decided though to try it again but with a weaker side so as to test myself a little more. So i settled on Caen, atm i'm 3rd, level on points with the top 2 with a game in hand after 14 games.

Reasonably happy with how its going, team is gelling really well and actually playing some good attacking football. Only 1st team signing i made was to bring in Skjelbred, who has been outstanding in an ACM role. Other signings were younger players.

Being completely honest, i dont think we have what it takes to stay near the top, purely becasue our team is significantly weaker than the big boys and we get found out far too easily when playing any of them. Also, one major injury to a key player and we are in trouble as the 1st team squad is extremely thin (through my own fault as i got rid of many fringe players, to gain a smaller working group and hence speed up the 'gelling' process).

Good to see others enjoying their games

On my Lorient save, Im 3rd in the league, while in November, only 2 points from Lyon on top. Its like my 2nd Lorient save, on my first one, I came 12th season 1, 2nd in season 2, but only used Tylerbode in season 2.

I'm about to start one in France. Don't know who to be though:

Lorient

Nantes

Nancey

Caen

RC Lens

I'm edging towards Lorient, but I'm still not sure. I'm using the latest Weegie update by the way.

Lorient!!! Please!!

Ill help you and everything

Right, I decided to be Lorient. Looking at the squad, I think we can obtain a mid-table place quite easily so I'll be looking to push a bit higher than that. Have £3.2M to spend, but I hardly need it as the sqaud looks very good. I won't be selling anyone this window, unless I recieve any good offers because I want to see how good they over the course of the season. The only area that needs strengthening is the left back position and another striker couldn't hurt either.

4-3-3 looks to be the best formation to use here. Going to try keep the sqaud as French as possible, although I won't be able to resist a good Englishmen every now and then.

Post in the Lorient thread...which some lovely person created

If you played with Nantes, you would start in Ligue 2, so that crosses out Nantes.

One of the teams I like though.

Nantes would only start in Ligue 2 if you play with an edited db or you were playing FM10. Default FM09 they start in Ligue 1.

I finished 2nd... predicted 18th as i said i holidayed 1st season. I was given the Ivory Coast job for the world cup.... the minimum expectation was 2nd round... drew England, Australlia and Argentina lol.... then topped the group...2-2 with eng 1-1 with aus and then beat argies 3-0 lol... midielder from seville scored a hat trick... so he is now my main summer transfer target for rennes 1st ever champions league campaign....

also 2nd was rennes highest ever finish although... lyon have only let in 11 goals in the league... in 2 seasons.... it ll be hard to better them!

Champions cup game V lyon...2-0 up with 10 mins to play.... finished 2-2 and lost on pens

Might give this challenge a go guys. Good challenge and people are having fun = good one

Kopsy101: To be honest with you, i always have my annual career game with Ajax which lasts for the duration of the game. However i always have a save in France, just cos it is great fun. The league is so unbelievably open and equally contested it makes for great seasons.

To others: Who are you guys finding are the hidden gems in the French league, i dont mean people you have bought in, i mean players already at the club that you are managing?

I ve got a centre back at rennes ... not young or anything but doing a solid job even in champions league... Mangane i think he is called. Also goalkeeper douchez has done a good job on average stats

Kevin Gameiro and Rafik Saifil are doing really for me in my FC Lorient save. Gabriel Penalba is also doing fantastic.

october in 2nd season (i holidayed 1st so 3rd in game)... just signed Ruud Van Nistlehorse on a free from real madrid for rennes.... My 2nd season is going as well as 1st... still in both cups, champions league 3 played 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss... but 7th in league cause strikers are not scoring.. then this opp.... Ruud van nistlerooy tra la la la laa ruud van nistlehorse tra la la la laa laa lol

Just wanted to update on the most fun game i ve had on fm09 ... 3 seasons with rennes were becoming groundhog day... 2nd then 3rd twice... always falling away at the end. Towards the end of my 3rd season I agreed to become manager of PSV Eindhoven in holland at the end of the season.

I took most of my coaching staff with me as I was there favoured personel, I also signed long term target for Rennes, I regen called Ronaldo Sanchez.... was always gonna be good with that name lol. PSV hadnt won the league for 4 seasons... till i got there and I completed the double in my first season... capturing my first silverware in this save.

2nd Season with PSV and running away with the league, decieded I would leave at the end of the season, and agreed terms with villareal in spain. Finishing out the season with PSV, won the league with 4 games left, got knocked out the cup in the semis in extra time ... but amazingly went on to WIN the champions league!!! (dont want to leave now lol)

For 3 years I ve also been manager of mexico... lost 1st world cup game to germany 2-1, but then hammered Brazil 4-0 in my second... looking forward to next season now. My longer term plans are to rebuild villareal and then return to france... maybe with rennes, and complete the job I started by winning the league... before returning home to england

After enjoying a lengthy game with Ajax (as my first save). I've now decided to start my annual save in the French Ligue 1. I'm yet to settle on a side, but am having a look around the lower divisions also to give myself a bit more of a challenge. I'll let you know later who i choose, but i hope to have it set up and ready to go later tonight

Any others currently playing in France?

Which city is the biggest in France with the weakest team in comparison? I might do a French league game sometime.

Nantes and Strasbourg are the two biggest clubs (population wise) playing outside of Ligue 1. You also have large cities like Montpellier Le Havre and Reims who all play outside of the top league.

This challenge sounds pretty good. Think I'm gonna "go French" for my next save...

To the creator of this thread: if you're French/Dutch, fair play for having a go at writing something entertaining. If you're English, you should really stick to using words you understand. I know this is well off-topic but that OP is, I'm afraid, so poorly written it's unbelievable (which wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't tried so hard to dress it up with so many 'fancy words'; in this case, malapropisms)

Ok so here are my choices for clubs:

Paris FC

US Orleans (Orleans lacks any good club)

CA Paris (The original Paris club, formed in 1897, in regional level, will have to bring to the top)

Red Star Saint-Ouen (Another Paris club, founded in 1897)

I will be playing with extended database that allows French regional leagues in the game.

Which one of those should I use?

This challenge sounds pretty good. Think I'm gonna "go French" for my next save...

To the creator of this thread: if you're French/Dutch, fair play for having a go at writing something entertaining. If you're English, you should really stick to using words you understand. I know this is well off-topic but that OP is, I'm afraid, so poorly written it's unbelievable (which wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't tried so hard to dress it up with so many 'fancy words'; in this case, malapropisms)

With Amsterdam down in my location then it is pretty obvious i am Dutch, and secondly what is wrong with the opening post? Give me examples where i have used words that i dont understand? Because i'm pretty sure i do understand all of them in there.

I thought it was a very good effort at writing a opening post mate, well done.

I thought it was a very good effort at writing a opening post mate, well done.

Ta Mate.

Ok so here are my choices for clubs:

Paris FC

US Orleans (Orleans lacks any good club)

CA Paris (The original Paris club, formed in 1897, in regional level, will have to bring to the top)

Red Star Saint-Ouen (Another Paris club, founded in 1897)

I will be playing with extended database that allows French regional leagues in the game.

Which one of those should I use?

Funnily enough i played against a youth team from Paris FC in a tournament a few years back. I'm thinking about doing the same as you in taking an unplayable side on.

Well which one should I play as?

I'm leaning towards Paris FC or US Orleans.

Orleans lacks any good club while Paris, even though it is so big of a city and the capital of France, has only one club! (Compared to London's Chelsea, Arsenal, Fulham, Tottenham, et cetera)

With Amsterdam down in my location then it is pretty obvious i am Dutch, and secondly what is wrong with the opening post? Give me examples where i have used words that i dont understand? Because i'm pretty sure i do understand all of them in there.

Just because your location is Amsterdam I don't think it's THAT obvious you're Dutch. Anyway, for a Dutchman your writing is excellent. God knows I couldn't write anything remotely sensible in Dutch, or even French for that matter which I must've had 5+ years' worth of in school.

I'm reluctant to give any examples of you misusing words now because it's really pedantic if English isn't your native tongue, but, for the purposes of your edification:

'Les Bleus' Hierachy' doesn't work because you can't possess a hierarchy. They can be at the top of the hierarchy but it's not theirs. 'French football's hierarchy' makes sense, 'Lyon's hierarchy' doesn't...

Also, 'albeit' means 'even though' or 'although'; so 'To restore a sense of normality, albeit competitiveness' doesn't work either. I'm splitting hairs here. Your opening post was a good one, just would've been weirdly written if you were English...

jbd_84: Ok fair enough i understand what you are saying. Looks as though i did make a few errors.

PolskaGOLA: Go for Paris FC then, looks as though it could be a real challenge.

I've been taking a look around the clubs towards the lower reach of the French football system and think i might give it a go with AS Lyon Duchere. Going to start a few test games to figure out how many league to load, database size vs game speed etc.

Will let you know later when i decide

I added lots and lots of leagues, I have over 200 leagues in the game.

When playing for lower league clubs, I suggest you look in these countries for players: Belgium, Poland, Israel, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Scandinavia. That Romain Carbonnier guy looks like the first buy for me as Paris FC.

Oh and I decided to play as Paris FC btw.

AS Lyon Duchere it is i think. Just going to have a play around with a 'test' game before i actually start it sometime tomorrow probably

Everything is now up and running for me with Lyon Duchere. Still playing around with the squad atm, in the early days of pre-season. I'm expecting a relatively comfortable promotion this season, we are predicted 9th but i've bought in some players who are much better than the division norm.

Likewise with me actually, bought some African talent that should improve over the years and help guide me to Ligue 1.

I'm trying to build a team that will be able to win back to back promotions. If i do this then by the time i enter into Ligue 2, i will be in a position to start the 2nd rebuilding process and look to build a side capable of Ligue 1 football too. So for me there are 2 main stages of recruitment to guide me through the 3 promotions i need to reach the sacred land of Ligue 1.

At present, the squad i have is starting to look very good. Might need to bring in the odd utility player here and there but the core of the side is strong. I will post a short update soon outlining my initial steps and plans for the future season.

I can recomend some African players if you want.

Also look at ESTAC in National division, they have some players around 19-20 years old that will sign for you, but are good enough to make the jump to Ligue 2 in 1-2 years time. Should have the ideal growth curve for your promotion plans.

My squad is all but finalised but you may as well post the players you found best in case i need reinforcements or others want to take a look.

I have the African database, so I don't know if that helps, but these are the players I have:

Alou Bagayoko

Aboubacar Magassa

Cheik Fantamady Diarra

-Those 3 are from Mali

Ousmanne Sarr - Senegalese

Mohamed Yahaya - Ghana

My scouts say they all have the potential to be Ligue 1 potential.

Any other guys still playing in France?

Thinking of starting a new game in the coming days and mulling over Lorient as a possible choice.