Britain and India Challenge

[davidmcain]

Mohammedan appoint 24 year old New Zealand - Indian manager David Cain

There you have it, Mohammedan will be my destination, and the mighty Salt Lake Stadium, which holds 120,000 fans. The board have given me a solid 9.75k wage budget, with the current bill at 1.75k. No transfer funds though, so the scouts will be busy. The team is valued at 875k, and there is 33k in the bank.

Media prediction has up down for 7th, and we are aiming for a safe mid table position, and we have high hopes for a dream cup run. As for the strategy, we will look primarily to the local youth, and save our cash for better facilities, probably only buying a third import to fill our quota. Cmon the Mohammedan!

[Nightowl]

Looks fun! I'd like to give it a go, but with a slight addition, if no one minds. Being from Canada, I'd like to also retain Canadian players, and allow them on my English club team when it comes to that point. Of course, I would also require that I have at least one Canadian along with one Indian in the Champion's League winning squad (if anyone thinks that this is an advantage, just look at the lack of quality among Canadian players, at least those who play for Canada ). I'll even give up the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish players if people believe this is an advantage.

I'll be an ambassador for two former colonies, hopefully bringing forth the first Indian star and the first Canadian star to actually play for his country.

If my change doesn't bother anyone too much, let me know, and I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on my progress.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by davidmcain:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Mohammedan appoint 24 year old New Zealand - Indian manager David Cain

There you have it, Mohammedan will be my destination, and the mighty Salt Lake Stadium, which holds 120,000 fans. The board have given me a solid 9.75k wage budget, with the current bill at 1.75k. No transfer funds though, so the scouts will be busy. The team is valued at 875k, and there is 33k in the bank.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nice one davidmcain !

Good to see you taking part in this challenge.

You've picked an interesting team there because they have real potential for dominating in Asia. Good luck with your first season!

C.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by Nightowl:

Looks fun! I'd like to give it a go, but with a slight addition, if no one minds. Being from Canada, I'd like to also retain Canadian players, and allow them on my English club team when it comes to that point. Of course, I would also require that I have at least one Canadian along with one Indian in the Champion's League winning squad (if anyone thinks that this is an advantage, just look at the lack of quality among Canadian players, at least those who play for Canada ). I'll even give up the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish players if people believe this is an advantage.

I'll be an ambassador for two former colonies, hopefully bringing forth the first Indian star and the first Canadian star to actually play for his country.

If my change doesn't bother anyone too much, let me know, and I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on my progress.

Interesting one this - I am not quite sure what to respond.

While half of me wants to say 'go for it', the other half worries that if everyone picked their own additional rules then there wouldn't be much consistency to the challenge and it would lose its structure. Do you understand what I mean?

However, seeing as you are sticking with the general colonial premise and it's not like you've picked a major footballing nation to confer an advantage (in fact, you appear to be making things more difficult for yourself), I think I would be interested in hearing your updates etc.

Personally, I think your idea is within the spirit of the challenge and does not dramatically alter the context of the game plan (i.e. level 1-4).

I await the verdict of the other challengers - what do you think guys?

C.

[davidmcain]

Hi guys, a combination of factors made this a big day of Football Manger. Firstly, a bit of snow, hail, and torrential rain kept me inside, and the resulting loss of our internet connection meant no updates all day, so its just one big one, the mega update…

Mohammedan 2007-2012 Mega Review

Season 2008-2009

The plan was to base the team around the existing players and build from there, maybe just a couple of India based Africans to add to the mix, but a lack of players, and a few gems my scouts picked out meant the squad was overhauled completely. The result: 20 new faces. We brought 2 twenty-something left-backs as the team had none, two Africans, Olushola Ogundare, a Nigerian Striker, and David Bikim the Cameroonian Midfielder, and 16 16 year olds. The youngsters I felt would fill the core of the team for years to come, and were mostly better than anyone already at the club. On the pitch, we didn’t go so well, being knocked out in the prelims of the Federation Cup, not taking part in the Durand Cup and crawling to 8th place in the league, courtesy of a last day draw to 9th place Mahindra Utd. Not a great year but the team improved, and most importantly, stayed up. A plus was the improvements to the Training and Youth Facilities.

Federation Cup : Preliminary Round

Durand Cup : not entered

Indian League : 8th place : 5-4-9(-11) 19 points

Season 2009-2010

We kept the side more or less the same this year, as the youngsters had improved remarkably over the last year, only signing one player, a young striker, who didn’t really figure too much anyway. We had a nice cup run, all the way to the semi’s of the Durand, and were consistent the whole year only really struggling versus local rivals East Bengal and Mohan Bagan. I also gave the staff an overhaul, which really helped, as the players seemed to develop a bit quicker after this. Again, the board was happy to upgrade training and youth facilities, hopefully this will pay off big time in the future. Not just for me but, India as well.

Federation Cup : Preliminary Round

Durand Cup : Semi Final (lost to Salgaocar 2-1)

Indian League : 5th place : 8-6-4(+13) 30 points

Season 2010-2011

Again we looked for continuity, making few changes, two youngsters joined, and two Nigerian Strikers came in to replace Mike Okoro, and Paul Macjames Nwachukwu. The new boys were Badmus Baba Thunde and Junior Obagmebiro. The idea was to get the side scoring more and both looked to be great upgrades. The ploy worked as we bagged 51 goals and finished 3rd, albeit with the same record as last year. Facilities again got a boost, and cup wise we fared okay as well. We reached the Durand Cup semis, crashing out to East Bengal, who seem to win everything, and also the semis of the Federation Cup, going out to non league Air India.

Federation Cup : Semi Finals (lost to East Bengal 1-0)

Durand Cup : Semi Finals (lost 3-0 to Air India)

Indian League : 3rd Place : 8-6-4(+20) 30 points

Season 2011-2012

Changes were fewer again this year, leftback Debebrata Roy joining for 1k and Ghanain striker Wisdom Abbey coming in for 7k. Abbey was a machine, and with him fit all year we could have won the title I think. He got 9 goals in 10 games and looked a real force. However we ended up second, with perennial winners East Bengal doing it again. Pardal, their striker has scored 95 goals in 90 appearances for them but fortunately is starting to age. Strangely the cups were rubbish, but our training centre is being boosted again which is great. I think this means continental competition next year which will be amazing, and I have high hopes of taking the title, the young guns I signed at the start are twenty now, with plenty of football under their belt, and form the basis of the national side. Of the 17 Indians in my first team, 11 have been capped and 5 more have played at under 21 level. None have scored for the national side yet though.

Federation Cup : Quarterfinals

Durand Cup : Group Stage

Indian League : 2nd place : 14-4-2(+32) 40 points

Mohammedan Overview (February 2012)

Value : 2.8m pounds

Good Training Facilites

Average Youth Facilities

Average Age : 21

Bank Account : 3.3m (400k transfer budget)

National Team : 124th (failed to qualify for anything so far)

No Indians have moved overseas to date

[Sidnv]

Davidmcain how did you complete 5 seasons so fast?

Heres a small update.

I beat Mahendra Utd 2-1 away then lost to East Bengal 1-0 at home after dominating the match. The team is good. A couple of injureis have hjurt me a bit though as now i dont have a great AMl or DM. Bought too many strikers.

Here are a few screenshots

Finances

Squad Part 1

Squad Part 2

Squad Part 3

Tactics

Transfers Part 1

Transfers Part 2

[davidmcain]

Well, i played for hours on end today, has little success in the cups, and holidayed the best part of most offseasons. On top of that i was very happy with my transfers in year one and didnt need to do too much shopping from then on. Seems someone likes their transfers a wee bit though?

Oh and a note for above, the national update isnt me, Bobby Houghton is still in charge, was just letting you know how <STRIKE>rubbish</STRIKE> they are doing so far..

Good luck all...

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by davidmcain:

Well, i played for hours on end today, has little success in the cups, and holidayed the best part of most offseasons. On top of that i was very happy with my transfers in year one and didnt need to do too much shopping from then on. Seems someone likes their transfers a wee bit though?

Oh and a note for above, the national update isnt me, Bobby Houghton is still in charge, was just letting you know how <STRIKE>rubbish</STRIKE> they are doing so far..

Good luck all...

Bloody hell davidmcain !

That's a mega-mega update!

At this rate, you'll have finished the challenge by next week!

And there is me still playing out the first pre-season of my Mumbai FC game! I must be the slowest player ever.

Good work though, my friend!

C.

[Sidnv]

No worries i'm only on my 4th game.

I'm juggling this game with my career game as well. Both very interesting.

[taifun]

Way to go Davidmccain!

I might be bothered to post a proper 3rd season update, but I'm not sure.

I scr*w*d up. We were r*l*g*t*d. fsck!

Season started well, I made some decent signings, we played some excellent football. Then it all went belly-up. 1-0 leads were turned into 2-1 losses. I had 12 penalties against me in 14 games. Every first teamer were injured for parts of the season

We were still in with a chance going into the final game, but away at East Bengal is never easy. A 2-2 draw were too little to late, and we finished ninth.

Sleeping my way through close season now, will probably continue if I can get another job soon.

[crouchaldinho]

Taifun - really sorry to hear that. It's a very tough league, especially with the number of teams involved. Sounds like you had awful luck too.

At least you didn't fail as bad as I did first time around!

I hope you get another job soon mate.

C.

[taifun]

Yup, back in the saddle. I've been appointed manager of newly promoted Pune FC who have no players older than 16 and no staff. Cool! I've reassembled most of my backroom staff who quit United after my departure (bar one coach who saw fit to remain and was awarded with the assman role.) Trying to nick some of their better players now.

The Pune stadium only hold some 4000 fans, a new experience after the huge emptiness that is Salt Lake.

[Nightowl]

Well, I've decided to give this a go. If/when I get to the third stage, I'll see what the consensus is about my change, and go from there...

I've taken over Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). With a name like that, how could I refuse? My transfer budget is 0, and my wage budget is 225k p/a.

The squad consists of 11 players, 3(!) gk, 3 strikers, and the rest defenders (two of these have some ability in central midfield). Not a right sided player in the bunch. The U18s have another 11 players, none of whom looks very promising. In fact, the only one who looks remotely decent is another goalkeeper!

First order of business, signing a scout, coach and physio (I already have one coach and scout, and no physio). Then, I'll be signing up any decent players my scouts turn up on their 2-3 day searches of India.

I'll be back with an update after the first season. Wish me luck!

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by taifun:

Yup, back in the saddle. I've been appointed manager of newly promoted Pune FC who have no players older than 16 and no staff.

Well done for getting rehired and better luck with Pune FC.

Good luck lad.

C.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by Nightowl:

Well, I've decided to give this a go. If/when I get to the third stage, I'll see what the consensus is about my change, and go from there...

I've taken over Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). With a name like that, how could I refuse? My transfer budget is 0, and my wage budget is 225k p/a.

Nice to see you joining the challenge Nightowl !

The sqad consists of 11 players, 3(!) gk, 3 strikers, and the rest defenders (two of these have some ability in central midfield). Not a right sided player in the bunch. The U18s have another 11 players, none of whom looks very promising. In fact, the only one who looks remotely decent is another goalkeeper!

Yes, this is part of the joy of managing in India. There is a complete lack of talent in the bottom clubs.

I had one decent player, a striker, when I took over Mumbai FC. It's hard work managing on the subcontinent!

First order of business, signing a scout, coach and physio (I already have one coach and scout, and no physio).

Physio? Oh no! Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure that I forgotten to sign up a physio for my team!

Hopefully I will remember to sign one next time I play my game. Whoops!

I'll be back with an update after the first season. Wish me luck!

Best of luck mate. I'm sure you'll do well!

C.

[davidmcain]

Mohammedan 2012-2013 Season Review

Transfers (Off-Season)

We secured a huge coup by signing possibly the best striker in the league, Odafe Onyeka Okolie, as well as promising India U21 midfielder Sumit Mukherjee. His goals should propel us to the title. 5 youngsters would sign on on the 1st of October, the lads look reminiscent of the crop we took in at the start of the game, and I have very high hopes for all of them.

Federation Cup

Our first piece of Silverware! We got past Dempo in the final 4-2, after being down 2-0 after 40 minutes. In all fairness we has a sweet ride to the final playing SC Goa, HASC, and SBT. Okolie scored 5 goals in the 4 games, and looks the key man this year.

Durand Cup

We reached the final after knocking out rivals Mohun Bagan in the semis. The final was against East Bengal, our arch enemies who had just won the Asain Confederations Cup. We scored early through midfielder Abdul Monterio, but choked at the death, conceding twice in the last 10 minutes to surrender a cup we should have won.

Indian League

We won the title. But only just, going into the last day we were 1 point up on Dempo, and two clear of East Bengal. But, we won 2-0 at Salgaocar, courtesy of a couple of 25 yard rockets. East Bengal also won vs Dempo to take second, the first time they had missed out on the title. Okolie was the signing I though he would be grabbing 16 goals in 16 league games. John Ali was also brilliant in the Midfield general role creating13 assists. All in all, an excellent performance from the lads.

1st place : 15-0-3(+29) 45 points

The training facilities will be getting a boost, I believe to the maximum level, as they are already at Top. However, the board refused to expand our Youth facilities, which are currently rated as Good.

The national team beat the Phillipines in a friendly and are now ranked 120th in the world, we supply an amazing 14 players, and I cant wait to take the reins if given a chance.

[crouchaldinho]

Congratulations of your first pieces of silverware - nearly a treble winning season!

You'll be in the Asian Conf. Cup now, so good luck with that and if you can retain your NFL title then you'll be halfway there. Don't forget that the Durand must be won as well.

C.

[Sidnv]

Great achievement David. Its extremely hard to win with a team in India if you aren't East Bengal Mohun Bagan or Dempo.

Btw what happens if you're relegated?

[Nightowl]

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation 2008-09 Season Report

Finished my first season in 8th place with a 4-5-9 record, leaving me 10 points ahead of 9th but 6 points back of 7th. Average attendance was an awful 753 (I think I only sold about 98 season tickets).

Team was filled with 16-17 year old regens, as I had no money to sign anyone else, along with a couple free players from other Indian teams. The players on hand from the previous season mostly played little, as they were all awful. A few were necessary, however.

We lost 151k last season, and with low attendance I can't see the situation improving. Heading into my second season, the team is over 200k in the red. I hope success comes soon, or else even with my new contract I can't see this ending well.

On a related note, there appears to be one strong Indian regen in the game already, playing for East Bengal (I tried to sign him as well, I guess they were more attractive ). His stamina is terrible, but if he develops well I can see him being a solid player, although sadly not for me. He was the 2008-09 NFL signing of the season, with 17 league apps., 9 goals, 3 assists and 5 MoMs, plus a 7.53 average rating for the 2nd place team at 16!

More updates to come, and possibly a screenshot of the player at the end of year 2.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by Sidnv:

Great achievement David. Its extremely hard to win with a team in India if you aren't East Bengal Mohun Bagan or Dempo.

Btw what happens if you're relegated?

when you are relegated you obviously get sacked, so you can either apply for any jobs in India and try to start again, or if you can't face that then start the challenge from scratch.

C.

[crouchaldinho]

Excellent update Nightowl !

Well done for staying up. It is very hard to do with a newly promoted team in India because of the lack of players to bring in and the strange transfer window. Plus, players do not seem to gell very quickly in India.

Personally, I have found it the most difficult challenge in the game for me so far. Playing in India makes playing as a newly promoted side in the conference north or south look easy!

I have just finished my first season with Mumbai FC - update coming shortly...

C.

[corinthiano]

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I have decided to stop playing my India save as I felt the need to go back to familiar shores in South America and have started a career there.

I will still follwo thi thread with interest thoug, godd luck to everyone

[crouchaldinho]

MUMBAI FC 2008/2009

Pre-season:

When I take over Mumbai FC, we have a squad of around 16 players with only two who look like they will make the grade at this level. The bad news was one of those players had already agreed a transfer to another club. With no backroom staff and very little quality in the playing staff, I had a serious challenge on my hands to try and get together a team capable of staying the division.

The strangest thing happened though – pre-season was a wonderful success! Unbeaten in six games, with plenty of goals scored. For the most part, the opposition had been awful as well, but I could not help feeling pleased about the situation.

Meanwhile I was signing up as many players as possible before the transfer window opened in October.

Particularly significant signings included: Rajat D’Cruz (16 year-old Indian winger), David Bikim (everyone’s favourite 27 yo Cameroonian midfielder) and Rasheed Kudjo (18 yo Ghanaian defensive midfielder.

All in all, I made around 8 signings in October, with these three in particular bolstering the midfield and giving us a real chance.

Defence was a key concern as we had absolutely no talent whatsoever at the back. In midfield, I felt we could often win the contest and would keep possession well, so my tactic would be built around a 5 man midfield. Up front I was blessed with Felix Aboagye, a 33 yo Ghanaian forward, who was already at the club when I joined. He would be playing up front alone as I sought to flood the midfield and try to frustrate the opposition with a defensive counter-attacking 4-5-1 tactic.

Overall feeling about the season to come:

I actually felt quietly confident about the season and thought that making 8th place was very realistic. A good pre-season plus the new signings that I had made gave me a very positive feeling. Stupid really because everyone knows that pre-season means nothing!

Media prediction: 9th place

Chairman and fans: Fans and board want me to avoid relegation

Manager: It’ll be tight but we should be able to make 8th place

SEASON REVIEW

First up, the Indian Federation Cup, which was coming before any of my pre-season signings had arrived at the club. Viva Kerala were to be the opposition and it was an absolutely crap game in which we dominated and they grabbed a goal from a set-piece in the last ten minutes (anyone familiar with that formula?)

In our first league game, a very respectable 2-2 draw with Mahindra United (with whom we share The Cooperage stadium), with Aboagye scoring twice, was extremely pleasing. However, this was followed by another game against Viva Kerala, away from home this time, in which we pathetically lost 3-1. Another defeat, not to mention awful performance, against Mohul Bagan took away my pre-season optimism and left me angry and frustrated.

Yet, our first win of the season came in our next fixture, away to SC Goa (our fellow relegation candidates). It was another boring and awful performance but a late minute goal from a set-piece routine gave us the 3 points! Naturally I was delighted as I felt this could have been an absolutely crucial victory.

Already, the league seemed to be taking shape and it appeared that the relegation battle was taking the form of a mini-league at the bottom of the table, involving United SC, SC Goa, Viva Kerala and us. Our results against these teams would decide our fate.

So, as you can imagine, I was feeling rather cocky when we went away to United Sports Club and won 3-0! We walked all over them and humiliated them on their own ground. At this point, I felt for sure that we would be staying up. We’d beaten two of the three relegation candidates away from home, so in my eyes the hard work was done.

Of course, a lean spell was just around the corner and we went six games without a win. Particularly disappointing was our second game against Mahindra United, in which we went 2-0 up, only to be pegged back to 2-2 and then lose a final goal in the last 5 mins to lose 3-2. Stamina and concentration is such a serious issue in this division.

With eight games to go, we now hit an absolutely crucial part of the season, with a home games against fellow strugglers Viva Kerala and SC Goa. Sandwiched between these two games was a tie away against Mohul Bagan. It was clear that I would have to sacrifice the Mohul Bagan game because my players were looking tired and I would need them fresh for the SC Goa tie, which was a game we HAD to win.

First up, Viva Kerala, who were fast becoming our bogey team. Could we beat them at the third attempt, this time at home? No was the answer to that, as we stuttered to a 1-1 draw after a nervous game in which we were trailing for about an hour. This made the tie against SC Goa even more vital as we had now fallen right down the league.

So, in my managerial wisdom, Rafa Benitez style, I rotated some players for the game against Mohul Bagan. They needed the rest. Those players coming into the team failed miserably in a 3-1 loss, but then I was always expecting to lose away to the 2007/08 champions.

This left me with a fresh squad for the home game against SC Goa. We made extraordinary hard work of playing against the bottom placed side. We huffed and puffed and finally scored a goal after half time. However, shortly afterwards our solid defensive midfielder decided to kick out at one of the SC Goa players and got himself sent off. Livid isn’t even the word! I was absolutely raving mad! I sacrificed my wide players and played an extremely defensive formation and tactic. Lucky for us, SC Goa just couldn’t score and we managed to catch them on the break in the last 5 minutes to make it 2-0. An absolutely crucial victory.

Our next game was against Air India and following this fixture we would play the most crucial game of the whole season against United Sports Club. With tired players, injured players and suspended players everywhere, I decided to rotate against Air India as well.

The stamina and fitness of the squad appears to be a real issue for us and when there are several games bunched close together, I normally have to rotate one or two players.

Anyway, a 2-0 loss away to Air India followed, but the main thing was that all of the rested players were now fresh and ready for the most crucial game of the season.

So far, so good, right? What a manager! Here, I would pick up the win that would, in all probability, keep us up for another season. The tactical manoeuvres, resting players away to Mohul Bagan and Air India, would surely pay off. We would notch up a terrific victory to all but mathematically ensure our survival.

Now for a lesson in how NOT to manage a football club! First of all, for this absolutely crucial game, I decided to leave out my talented left-winger, who had been solid all season, and instead played an inexperienced youngster. Don’t ask me what possessed me; it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

In addition to this I took the decision to rest my best striker. That is the striker who had been averaging almost a goal every other game and had undoubtedly been the star of the season for Mumbai FC. Need I mention again that this was a must win game?

Felix Aboagye is 33 yo now and his physical stats are decreasing rapidly. My decision was based on this as I thought I would try some younger legs up front.

So, in my wisdom, I decided to start with an unknown but talented 19 yo Nigerian striker, who was lacking match fitness.

The Rafa Benitez disease had finally got to me.

Following these managerial school boy errors, I watched my team battle away and fail to create anything against a tough and defensive United SC side. There was still a chance of us winning the game, as we were clearly dominating, however I was about to make yet another error.

Yes, in the last ten minutes I was about to make my final rookie manager error. With ten minutes to go, I switched with great arrogance to a ridiculous gung-ho tactic in an attempt to take the 3 points.

Instead, my side gifted United Sports Club a goal and there was no way back in the remaining 5 minutes. We crashed to an improbable 1-0 defeat. My dream was in tatters.

Here is the maths bit: with three games to go we were sitting 1 point above the relegation zone in 8th place. Viva Kerala and SC Goa occupied the bottom two places.

You might say, well that’s not a bad position to be in?

Well, consider this: we had to play Dempo FC, East Bengal and Salgaocar – all of whom we had picked up a sum total of ZERO points against all season.

On the other hand, Viva Kerala and SC Goa had to play some equally difficult fixtures. However, they would have to play each other in the final game of the season.

Now, we knew that a win in any game would keep us in the division for sure. So the only positive was that our destiny was in our own hands.

So when we went 2-0 up at home to Dempo in the first half an hour, you might forgive the image of a grown man dancing around his study like a mental version of Morrissey on drugs. The dream was alive! That was until THREE goals scored by Dempo, one either side of half time and then one more late on in the game, which sent us crashing to a devastating 3-2 defeat.

I don’t really want to even speak about the East Bengal away game so I will just write down the score. 5-0. To East Bengal of course. They won the title.

Back to the maths then, with one game to go.

We would play Salgoacar, while the bottom two teams would play each other. We were still in 8th place, 1 point away from relegation. Our goal difference was sufficient to keep us out of trouble if Viva Kerala drew or lost in that final game. However, if Viva Kerala won against SC Goa, we would have to win against Salgoacar to stay up. Are you keeping up with this?

All of this was quite improbable of course, so I had almost resigned myself to relegation.

Let me point out some obvious facts:

SC Goa are crap. Viva Kerala are good.

Mumbai FC are crap. Salgoacar are good.

To make things worse, one of my best players, David Bikim, was injured and would not play a part in the final game of the season.

All in all, this formula adds up to only one thing – relegation for Mumbai FC.

So, let me take you through match day in a chronological way to illustrate the events which would, surely, send us down.

FINAL MATCH DAY:

11 minutes - Viva Kerala score against SC Goa and move up to 8th place. Mumbai slide into the relegation zone and it looks like a comfortable fit. It was inevitable.

18 minutes – Or was it? Hang on a minute! Felix Aboagye scores for Mumbai FC at home to Salgoacar. Cue mental dancing in the style of Morrissey followed by sitting down piously and praying for the players to score another and definitely NOT concede. Mumbai move back up to safety, Viva Kerala move down to 9th.

24 minutes - Damn! Salgoacar score against Mumbai FC to make it 1-1. Mumbai back down... you get the idea...

27 minutes - Whoa! Another goal from Felix Aboagye. Mumbai go 2-1 up against Salgoacar! Mumbai back into 8th and safety!

33 minutes - YES YES YES! Subhashish Roy Chowdery, rubbish defender (with awful jumping and heading I might add), scores an unlikely goal from a corner! Mumbai 3- 1 Salgoacar.

38 minutes - But NO NO NO! Salgoacar score just before the break to put them back into it. Mumbai 3-2 Salgoacar.

Half-time scores:

SC Goa 0 – 1 Viva Kerala

Mumbai FC 3 – 2 Salgoacar

-At present, things are going exactly as I want them to. However, if Mumbai concede one goal then they are down (so long as Viva Kerala win of course). It is extremely tight and I am not enjoying this one bit. The worst thing is that my side nearly always throw games away in the last 10 minutes. Salgoacar look very dangerous on the break too.

55 minutes - Cue drunken Morrissey dancing as I go absolutely crazy! FELIX ABOAGYE SCORES for MUMBAI FC! 4-2!

56-90 mins - Now cue the most awful defensive football, along with excessive time-wasting, which sees the game out and MUMBAI FC DRAMATICALLY SURVIVE ON THE LAST DAY OF THE SEASON!

Final scores:

Mumbai FC 4 - 2 Salgoacar

SC Goa 0 - 1 Viva Kerala

Final standings for relegation battling sides:

United SC 17

Mumbai FC 16

-----------------------------------

® Viva Kerala 15

® SC Goa 10

Unbelievable! What an incredible end to the season. I honestly didn’t think we would do it!

I have to start preparing well for next season as I do not want to go through that again. We really need to try and bring in some more Indian talent. Overall, very pleased with the season but a lot of building to do in the summer!

THE FINAL STATS

Final league pos: 8th P18 W4 D4 L10 F22 A34 GD-12 Pts15

(league won by East Bengal)

Durand Cup: No entry – I presume that this is because we are a new club (I guess we

will enter next season?)

(Durand Cup won by East Bengal)

Federation Cup: Preliminary Round

(Fed Cup won by Dempo)

Average Attendance: 553

Player of the season: Felix Aboagye (33 Ghanaian) with 10 goals, 1 assist, 3 MoM

awards in 17 games

Signing of the season: A tie between Rasheed Gudjo (18 yo Ghanaian DM)

with 1 goal, 2 assist and some very solid performances in the middle of the park.

OR David Bikim (27 yo Cameroonian midfielder) with 2 goals, 2 assists and 1 MoM award.

Best Indian player: Sampson Singh (25 yo AM) with 3 goals, 2 assists and

2 MoM awards

OR Subhash Chakraborty (23 yo AML/R) with 6 assists

Top goalscorer: Felix Aboagye 10 goals

Most Assists: Subhash Chakraborty 6 assists

Most MoM awards: Felix Aboagye 3 MoM awards

[corinthiano]

Well done on avoiding relegation

Love it how everyone signs David Bikim

Was Rasheed Kudjo a DM for you, in my game he was an AMR?!

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by corinthiano:

Well done on avoiding relegation

Yes I am delighted after failing miserably last season.

The fact that I only did it by 1 point just goes to show how tough this challenge is though.

Love it how everyone signs David Bikim

Yes, everyone's favourite! He's class!

Was Rasheed Kudjo a DM for you, in my game he was an AMR?!

Yes, I guess his position is set randomly.

He did a terrific job for me in a DMC role alongside Bikim.

I am absolutely chuffed and finally enjoying some success in India (if you can call beating relegation success)!

C.

[davidmcain]

Brilliant work Crouchy, and great post too. 8th in year one is all you can really aim for and thn build slowly from that a couple of places a year. Kudjo must be random because hes a GK in my game, pretty handy too. Onwards and Upwards for the mighty Mumbai!!

[Nightowl]

Congrats on avoiding relegation crouchaldinho, and the update was huge! Made for an interesting read, and may inspire me to write bigger updates.

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation 2009/10 Report

A better season all around, finishing 5th with a 6-7-5 record. Had the leagues third worst offense (27), but second best defense (25). A preseason formation change to 4-3-3 from my old 4-2-2 seemed to help, since I don't have any decent strikers anyway...

Highlights of the season include making the Federation Cup semi, only to lose to East Bengal (and then the third place game). Also, I was the only team to take any points from East Bengal during the season, managing a 0-0 draw on the road. East Bengal finished 17-1-0, with 58 for and 16 against (+42). Pretty impressive for 18 games. The regen (Hardip Singh) I mentioned before continued his dominance for East Bengal, see the screenshot below (taken March 10, 2010, just after the season). I wish I had managed to sign him! My keeper was 3rd in goalkeeper of the year voting, and a central defender was 3rd in defender of the year. Average attendance was also up from 753 to 950, still nothing to be proud of.

Hardip Singh - East Bengal

On a sadder note, my finances continued to spiral downwards. My chairmen also accepted bids for 2 of my young defenders (both starters) over my head (for 100k each, but still). One occured after the last transfer window though, so I could use him for the rest of the season. Looks like I'm going to have to rebuild the defense. Current balance (as of March 10, 2010) is -221K, although this does not include the proceeds of the second defender sale. As you can see, without these sales things would be looking very grim. Thankfully, no one has come in with a big bid for my left defender, who is looking like another solid regen. Hopefully he can carry the team as everyone else leaves.

Fun challenge so far, although things might take longer than I had hoped. Maybe I should have taken over a more financially secure team (although my other option was Pune, who I doubt is any better off). Oh well, just makes things more interesting, although I'd like to see what I can do with more than the 0 transfer funds I've had so far. Didn't even receive anything from the big defender sales.

Back again soon with another season.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by Nightowl:

Congrats on avoiding relegation crouchaldinho, and the update was huge!

I can't help it I'm afraid - once I get going, I just can't stop!

Also, I was the only team to take any points from East Bengal during the season, managing a 0-0 draw on the road. East Bengal finished 17-1-0, with 58 for and 16 against (+42).

Yes, East Bengal are the side to try to emulate. Their squad is packed with talent and they are just incredible. They beat me 5-0 last season - just stream-rollered (is that even a word? It is now!) my poor Mumbai side!

The regen (Hardip Singh)

Yes, I think I've seen Hardip Singh on my game, although I've a feeling he is a central mid on my version.

On a sadder note, my finances continued to spiral downwards. My chairmen also accepted bids for 2 of my young defenders (both starters) over my head (for 100k each, but still).

Boo hiss to interfering chairman!

Seriously though, I'm going to be screwed too. My average attendance is crap. Plus I've spent some cash in the new pre-season. I won't reveal anything because I am going to save it for another HUGE update!

I think finances are really going to hold me back. I just hope for a good finish this season.

Certainly those who are taking over Calcutta or Goa sides seem to get on better with attendances and have more money.

Fun challenge so far, although things might take longer than I had hoped.

Yes, I know how you feel, but don't be disheartened. Rome wasn't build in a day. We should probably change that phrase to be more 'Indian'! How about the Taj Mahal wasn't built in a day!

Part of the challenge is getting the club stabilised and trying to push for the title and you are doing very nicely indeed so far. Plus, look at davidmcain's progress - he has built a successful side quickly.

The other thing to remember is that, as per the rules, if you have honoured your first contract with the club, you can move if you so desire. Perhaps if a higher reputation team comes up or one of the Calcutta sides sacks their manager, you could apply.

Personally, I'm enjoying the challenge with Mumbai FC!

Back again soon with another season.

Looking forward to it!

C.

[Nightowl]

The other thing to remember is that, as per the rules, if you have honoured your first contract with the club, you can move if you so desire. Perhaps if a higher reputation team comes up or one of the Calcutta sides sacks their manager, you could apply.

A possibility, but I'm definitely leaning towards trying to finish what I started here. Call it a greater feeling of accomplishment if I succeed!

And I'm pretty sure the Hardip Singh I posted is a regen, so won't be in other games. I have noticed that there doesn't seem to a very large variety of Indians names in the database, so names repeat quite often.

Now on to the meat of this post. Noticed I have been very vague talking about my players, may be easier to connect a name with an accomplishment, so here's an introduction to my current squad entering the 2010-11 season (as of August 1). Hopefully this will allow me to write better season updates.

Format:

Position:

Player name, age, nationality (caps)

Date joined, cost, from where

Description

GK:

Shayami Ignatius, 19, India

2009/10, free, Salgaocar

Solid, and a huge upgrade over my original keeper. Has one 3rd place finish in goalkeeper of the year voting to his name, achieved last season.

DR:

Surajit Firoze, 18, India

2010/11, free, Kidderpore

Mainly a desperation signing, as I had no right backs in my squad (or in the U18s) prior to the June transfer window closing. Has okay defensive abilities and not much else. Should be serviceable until a youth system player or discovered youth can take over, and then can back up both the left and right back spots.

DL:

Avinsash Coutinho, 18, India (3 U21)

2008/09, free, no club

Clearly has the highest attribute scores of any of my players, very high mental and solid physical. Technical nothing special. Going to do my best to hold on to him, as he looks like he could be special (at least, in the Indian league). He must be loyal, as the chairman accepted several bids over my head in the off-season for him, but he signed a new contract with me every time. He's making a pretty nice wage now, though.

DC:

Suley Musah, 32, Ghana/India

2008/09, free, Air India

Team captain, can play in the midfield or defense, on the right or centre. Used almost exclusively as an experienced centre back, to bring some stability to the team. Finished third in defender of the year voting last season.

DC:

Ryan Singh, 18, India (2 U21)

2008/09, free, no club

Attempting to step into the void left by one of the defenders sold last year. Decent defensive stats, although little technical ability and a relatively poor jumper.

DM:

Subrata Jose, 17, India (2 U21)

2009/10, free, no club

Played a lot last season because of injuries and suspensions, probably before being truly ready, but did well. Hopefully this season is even better.

MC:

David Bikim, 28, Cameroon

2008/09, free, KSP

Vice-captain. Adds some solidity to my midfield with good attributes for this level. Makes a solid tutor with most mental attributes 10 or above. Did anyone not sign this guy?

MC:

Vijay Dias, 18, India (U19)

2009/10, free, Air India

Played sporadically last season, mainly as a sub. Was hoping for more. Hopefully he can step in to help replace two central midfielders lost/sold in the off season.

AMR:

Arata Izumi, 28, Japan/India

2008/09, free, Mahindra Utd

Supporters player of the year in 08/09 and 09/10. Pacey, decent mentally, pretty poor technically, but performs well, and has some flair. Managed 9 assists in 09/10.

AML:

K.V. Vipin, 19, India (1 U21)

2009/10, free, Corps of Signals

Also fills in at striker during injury/suspension. Physical stats are poor, others aren't bad. Good off the ball, composure, and finishing for this level, and adds some flare to the side.

ST:

Satyajit Singh, 18, India (1 U21)

2008/09, free, Assam Dynamo

Scored 10 goals last season, solid off the ball and finishing. Pretty poor physically, and can't pass to save his life.

Other Notables:

Zico Fernandes, 18, India (3 U21)

2008/09, free, no club

Natural ability to back up both wings. Quick and can cross. Hasn't developed as well as I had hoped from his solid scout reports, but how could I not sign him with that name.

Suresh D'Costa, 17, India (1 U21)

2009/10, youth system

Singled out at the best prospect of my 09/10 group, looks like a decent central midfielder. Played some last year in crisis, will get more of a chance this year with other midfielders moving on.

Nurul Rahman, 17, India (U19)

2009/10, free, Salkia Friends

Signed him for his pace, and because I need an extra striker. Doesn't provide much else, but gives me a change of pace off the bench.

Have two more new players coming in on frees in October, not worth mentioning unless they accomplish something!

Next season update coming later.

[crouchaldinho]

Interesting post that.

I notice that you have a very young squad of players. Hopefully some of these might turn out to be great players for their club and country.

I have been signing up a lot of youngsters too (it is all I can get!) but this pre-season I have been trying to sign older players (25 - 30) to give a better blend of youth and experience. I've mainly been targeting players that I've noticed in the NFL.

I haven't noticed much young talent that isn't already signed up by the top 3 big clubs. Rather amazingly though, I have a couple of prospects of my own sitting in my youth team. I am always dreadful at judging youth players though - you tend to need to take the coach reports with a pinch of salt and see how they turn out, don't you - but I am hopeful for these two.

Looking forward to you update! I'm impressed by your attempt to achieve success with Indian youth players.

C.

[davidmcain]

Mohammedan 2013-2014 Season Review

Transfers (Off-Season)

Just one new face his season, bringing in promising midfielder Joseph Rizwan. We will look to keep faith with the guys who have bought us this far, the average age of the team is now 21, and we should really see this crop blossom.

Federation Cup

We defended our title in stunning fashion. We were delighted to get up 2-1 over East Bengal in the semis, and got a dream draw in the final against lowly Vasco. We rolled them 5-0 in the final with a hat-trick for Okolie. Okolie was the star of the competiton bagging a brilliant 6 goals.

Durand Cup

We were, unfortunately knocked out in the semis by East Bengal 3-1. Their brilliant striker (Ashim Biswas, finishing-2) grabbed a hattrick to leave me frustrated, pulling my hair out.

Indian League

We romped away with the title this year, winning with two games in hand. The highlight was demolishing East Bengal 5-1. I feel we’re now established as the number one team in India, and can’t wait to see what waits ahead in Continental play. We eventually won the title by a huge 11 points, with Junior Obagmebiro grabbing 20 league goals. We took out all of the Individual awards as well as the fair play award, though I’d struggle to single out individuals.

1st place : 15-2-1(+47) 47 points

Champions League

Well, this started out poorly, losing 3-1 to Dalian Shide of China. We were missing 23 players who were with the national team though so c’est la vie. We did however grab a shock 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory next up though, the Nigerian strikers scoring one each in front of 117,000 fans, three times our previous record! We then obliterated Indonesion side Persipura 6-0 away to go 1st equal after 3 games. Unfortunately Dalian beat us 2-1 in the next match to put us 2nd equal, with just one team going through. We had to win the next two, and hope Dalian slipped up. Unfortunately we didn’t, lost lost 2-1 in Melbourne, with Dalian winning their game. We did beat Persipura 5-1 in the last game for our fans which was nice, meaning our attack scored more goals than anyone else in our group.

3rd Place 3-0-3(+7) 9pts

Super Cup

We won the clubs first ever super cup. We defeated East Bengal in the final 1-0, though we outclassed them all game long. Okolies 30th goal of the year was enough, and it was sweet payback after they defeated us in last year’s edition.

The national team sit 3rd in their Asian Cup qualifying group and seem to have improved a bit, probably not enough to make the tournament though. They are now ranked 103rd in the world.

The upgrade of our training facilities mean we now have reached the highest level, and these can’t be improved further. Hopefully the board will continue to upgrade the Youth Setup and build an academy, after refusing to last season. We have a very cool 5.8m in the bank, and surprisingly the club is now valued at 45.5m pounds, 15 times more than last year. Only in India…

[phnompenhandy]

They are now ranked 103rd in the world.

Hey, keep going - India could make the all-important Top 70!

Keep this under your hat, but IIRC IRL Mohammadan are an Islamic club and only sign Muslims. Of course, unlike 'Basque', the FM database doesn't note religion, but a 'knower' would recognise Hindu names.

Taifun - your Pune players should develop excellent mental attributes, with the city being one of the world's great meditation/yoga centres

Keep up the great work lads, and I hope you do wangle your way through the work permit issue - Indians as EPL first-team players with high PAs!

[crouchaldinho]

Nice update davidmcain - looks like you are doing a terrific job there!

You've got the back-to-back titles, so you just need to focus on the Durand and the Asian Cup.

I have been wondering how long it will take for Bobby Houghton to lose his job. Seeing as so little is expected of the Indian national team, I guess he will either have to do something incredibly bad, or we will all have to wait for him to resign/retire!

Anyway, good to see you are doing so well. There's a long way for me to go before I get to your kind of level.

C.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by phnompenhandy:

Keep this under your hat, but IIRC IRL Mohammadan are an Islamic club and only sign Muslims. Of course, unlike 'Basque', the FM database doesn't note religion, but a 'knower' would recognise Hindu names.

Actually, that simply isn't true.

It is true that Mohammadan are a Muslim club and, as such, serve the Muslim community. They have fans across India and beyond.

However, from my 'research' regarding the club, I have found out that they were one of the first Indian teams to bring in foreign players. Furthermore, they have always used Hindu players as well as Muslim ones.

Have a look at the following website for more details about their history: http://www.freewebs.com/mdsportingclub/history.htm

So, as you'll see, although I imagine they prefer to sign Muslim players, they sign any player of any religion.

It isn't really comparable to the situation with Basque players either. Indian is famed not only for its cultural diversity but also for its tradition of finding common ground in the country's religions.

By the way, the website for Mohammedan is very eccentric. You'll like it! I love the fact that their nickname is Black Panthers or 'Men in Black'.

Taifun - your Pune players should develop excellent mental attributes, with the city being one of the world's great meditation/yoga centres

I hope you do wangle your way through the work permit issue - Indians as EPL first-team players with high PAs!

Yes, we've had a few posts on here from other players confirming that work permits will not be a problem. It should be easy to get around by making appeals or using WP feeder clubs.

C.

[davidmcain]

Hey there all, just a question before I go too far ahead. Ive accepted the India job in 2014 as Houghton seems to have stood down. I havent played a game yet though, as I wanted to make sure ive met the requirements.

After reading the opening post I can assume that I am suitably qualified to take the job as I have won a title? Or am I wrong? Hopefully its ok, as it would be a shame to wait another 7 seasons for the job. Still rules are rules and If i have to stand down then so be it...

[taifun]

Taifun season summary 2011/12 - unemployed, again

Busy weekend, but got in a little playing time. Wish I hadn't! Pune FC was absolutely horrid. Five useless youth players, a tiny transfer budget, and hardly any time to find my feet before the end of the window meant I had to sign whatever crap was available. I managed to raid United for some of their mediocrity (all the talent I had there were given away to the top sides as soon as I quit :-&lt Got David Bikim to come along though. David is _the_ man, but as the only useful footballer in the side, there wasn't much he could do. Oh, I picked up a 35-year old Baichung Bhutia, but age had caught up with him, and he rarely played.

We rarely put up a fight, and when East Bengal saw fit to thrash us 8-0 at our place in late january, the board decided it was all my fault, and said bye bye. All of the coaching staff followed me out, and all contracts run out in july, so they're back to square one. Pune finished the season with one win and four massive beatings.

So now it's off to find another job. Mahindra seems to be ready to part with their manager, that would be a nice job.

Summary<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

11/12 Pune FC 10th 13 1-1-11 10-36 -26 4

10/11 United Sports Club 9th 18 4-4-10 25-33 -8 16

09/10 United Sports Club 6th 18 6-8-4 32-30 +2 26

08/09 United Sports Club 6th 18 6-3-9 34-46 -12 21

</pre>

[taifun]

Originally posted by phnompenhandy:

Taifun - your Pune players should develop excellent mental attributes, with the city being one of the world's great meditation/yoga centres

Ah, so that's why they were so crap at football, they were spending all their time meditating....

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by davidmcain:

Hey there all, just a question before I go too far ahead. Ive accepted the India job in 2014 as Houghton seems to have stood down. I havent played a game yet though, as I wanted to make sure ive met the requirements.

After reading the opening post I can assume that I am suitably qualified to take the job as I have won a title? Or am I wrong? Hopefully its ok, as it would be a shame to wait another 7 seasons for the job. Still rules are rules and If i have to stand down then so be it...

How come Houghton stood down? Did he resign?

Yes, you're fine taking the job. The rule was that you must have won an Indian title to begin level 2. The idea was that you should have a proven track record.

Glad you got it! What nationality do you have set, out of interest?

Good luck!

C.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by taifun:

Taifun season summary 2011/12 - unemployed, again

Oh no! At least I'm not the only one who has got sacked while doing this challenge! Unlucky mate. Sounds like you were seriously up against it like I was with New Delhi Heroes.

So now it's off to find another job. Mahindra seems to be ready to part with their manager, that would be a nice job.

Yes, that would be a class job. I've got my fingers crossed for you. You could really get things moving in the right direction then!

Despite your troubles, I hope that you are still enjoying the challenge.

C.

[davidmcain]

Yeah Houghton stood down, not that he achieved much whilst he was there. Think he's ruined any chance of making next seasons Asian Nations Cup, we're sitting third, top two qualify, but we're 5 points back. Nationality is set as New Zealand-Indian, as im from New Zealand.

Thinking Mohammedan is a wee bit less of a challenge than others though. Given the attendances, money is endless, we've been given 4.3m for the upcoming year, anough to buy every indian footballer ten times over.

[taifun]

Originally posted by crouchaldinho:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by taifun:

Taifun season summary 2011/12 - unemployed, again

Oh no! At least I'm not the only one who has got sacked while doing this challenge! Unlucky mate. Sounds like you were seriously up against it like I was with New Delhi Heroes.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, my new gig is with.....(drumroll).....New Delhi Heroes.

My applications to Mahindra, Dempo and Liverpool (hah!) were unsuccessful, so when the Heroes came along, I jumped at the chance. They've actually got five senior players, including a 3-time Indian international and an U19 int. goalie. They've also got a €250K war chest, but I have no idea where to spend it, as no players under contract are willing to sign :-)

I do think this starting position is the strongest so far, better than United, and far far better than Pune. Question is, can I actually put the money to good use?

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by davidmcain:

Nationality is set as New Zealand-Indian, as im from New Zealand.

I've set my nationality as English. I wonder if this will make it harder to get the national job. I will just have to build up my rep as much as poss!

What's your reputation like now? Have you gone beyond national?

C.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by taifun:

Well, my new gig is with.....(drumroll).....New Delhi Heroes.

They've also got a €250K war chest, but I have no idea where to spend it, as no players under contract are willing to sign :-)

Yes, this was my problem.

The reputation of New Delhi Heroes is so low that you'll struggle to make any decent signings.

I do think this starting position is the strongest so far, better than United, and far far better than Pune. Question is, can I actually put the money to good use?

Do you think so?

I take it you just mean from a money point of view because they have absolutely no players of any quality - well at least they didn't in my game!

Good luck with them! I hope you do better than I did!

C.

[FM_India]

Hey guys,

Wow i'm really really excited reading this thread

Great stuff, I will be checking this everyday for updates. In the meantime, please do feel free to share any feedback on the Indian league, any comments, or any questions you may have ..

Cheers !!!

P.S - An interesting bit of information - Mohun Bagan's next home game is against Bayern Munich !! How cool is that - Salt lake Stadium, 100,000 people...and it's actually going to be Kahn's last game !!

[Nightowl]

Inspired by some others here, a more in depth update.

Oil & Natural Gas Company 2010/11 Report

The 2010/11 preseason season started off on the wrong foot, with a series of poor performances in friendlies. On a brighter note, my title odds were 40-1 (bad but a huge improvement over the 2000-1 odds from my first two seasons), and backup striker Nurul Rahman was sold to Churchill Bros for 18k + 20%, a good return for a free player who didn't really work out. Of course, I played Churchill the next day in my last friendly, and they proceeded to injure my starting striker for 1-2 months after he had scored a hat trick. Lost the game, lost a player, and have to let his backup walk to the team that caused all this. All in all, not a great start to the season.

Federation Cup performance was the same as last season, a 3-2 semi final loss to East Bengal, followed by a 2-1 loss to JCT in the third place game. My team seems comfortable being number 4 in this cup.

The season started well with wins over Dempo and SC Goa, but then disaster struck. Between the two games, my chairman accepted several 250k offers for Avinash Coutinho, my star left back. Tried to offer him a new contract, but East Bengal was too tempting, and he signed for them. I was gutted, and from the screenshot (taken just after the transfer) below you can see why:

Avinash Coutinho:

This kid was easily one of the best players playing in India (no regen like him or Hardip Singh have appeared since), and a major part of my success. Even worse, I was only allowed 24k of this for my own transfers. The deal brought my team's balance to a whopping 784, in the black for the first time in years. A desperate search for new players before the transfer window closed began. I managed to sign Lal Kamal Bhowmick, an AMC, and Surkumar Singh, a RB. Most of my targets, however, refused to sign with my team.

More problems came before my fourth game, as young DM Subrata Jose broke his foot in training and was out for 3-4 months. Looking through my team, I realized that the only other DM in the squad was Philip Singh, a 16 year old October signing, who proceeded to get hurt after the fourth game for 2-3 weeks. I wish my other two players capable of playing DM hadn't left in the offseason, although I should have realized I had no cover and looked for someone new.

The new year brought two more shocks. My board sold midfielder Vijay Dias to SC Goa for 60k + 10%, and then my defender Surajit Firoze was named in the Asian All-Star XI, an award I didn't even know existed prior to this. Impressive for a player who was a stop gap solution. Around this time, major European clubs, including Villareal and Zaragoza, began sniffing around East Bengal's star Hardip Singh, with refused bids of 0 + clauses. Looks like the Indian revolution in Europe is going to start without me.

The season ended with me in 3rd place with a 9-4-5 record, 29 for,and 20 against. Similiar to last season, I had the 3rd best defense (only the top two were better), and the third worst offense (only the relegated two were worse). Disappointingly, I also drew 9th place Oil India 2-2 twice. East Bengal won the league again, again going 17-1-0, with 48 for, and 8(!) against. Their only dropped points were away at second place Mohun Bagan. I have also yet to escape the first round of the Durand Cup.

My average attendance actually dropped from 950 to 813 this season. Looks like improved performance is having little effect on the fans. On a brighter note, new signing Lal Kamal Bhowmick was second in midfielder of the year voting, and Shaymal Ignatius was third in goalkeeper of the year for the second time. My team also finished second in the fair play award.

Its beginning to seem like players are leaving faster than I can replace them, and I'm worried I'll run out of luck soon. What remains of my original core has improved however, so the team standard is higher. I'm starting to wish some European club had discovered Coutinho, I may have been able to squeeze out a higher fee (and a sell on clause) than what the chairmen received from East Bengal. Now they will reap the rewards if he moves on, like I believe he will. Its starting to look like I'm going to have to develop someone who sells for a very high fee in order to gain the finances to purchase players, improve facilities, etc. My training/youth facilities are still basic/minimal!

Oh well, my enthusiasm for this remains high. Stay tuned for next season's report, perhaps including an introduction to my new first team players.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by FM_India:

Wow i'm really really excited reading this thread

I'm quite excited to have you post to this thread! It sounds as though we have ourselves a resident Indian football expert!

Will you be taking on the challenge?

Great stuff, I will be checking this everyday for updates. In the meantime, please do feel free to share any feedback on the Indian league, any comments, or any questions you may have ..

I take it you live in India?

To start off with, I would like to know who you support / who is your favourite team in India?

I have been reading a great deal about Indian football after creating this challenge and I know that the Indian leagues have gone through a major change to become the I-League - I believe this was the first season of the new format. I'm hoping that FM09 will reflect the new format more accurately as I am intending to run this challenge again for the new game.

I am currently studying the historical relationship between Britain and India for my postgraduate degree and that has played a big part in the creation of this challenge. I am hoping to visit India for the first time next year and I will have to go to a game of I-League football while I am there!

Incidentally, I notice that you have the Indianfootball.com website as your location - are you anything to do with that?

I think the Indianfootball.com website is excellent. I really like the intelligently written articles about Indian football that you can find there.

P.S - An interesting bit of information - Mohun Bagan's next home game is against Bayern Munich !! How cool is that - Salt lake Stadium, 100,000 people...and it's actually going to be Kahn's last game !!

That sounds fantastic! Will you be going to the game?

Thanks for posting.

C.

[crouchaldinho]

Originally posted by Nightowl:

Oil & Natural Gas Company 2010/11 Report

Excellent and very readable update there Nightowl !

I'm really feeling for you after losing so many players. Alas, I fear that I will be experiencing the same thing shortly as I have the same financial problems as you.

However, I think now you have established yourself as a decent side in the league your reputation should start to increase. With this, you should be able to sign better players and perhaps you might get some more fans coming to games. Also, remember that you can make some very good signings with no money at all in India.

I'm glad you're enjoying the challenge. It sounds like you are due some luck now.

Keep up the good work!

C.

[Nightowl]

Sorry, wrong link.

Avinash Coutinho

It seems I get on here later than most, so I miss most of the discussion, but a few comments.

davidmcain , congratulations on your progress. How are you finding the competition in the Champions League? From a quick glance, seems they can afford far higher wages and better players than I can ever see myself achieving in India.

taifun , good luck with the new club. I worry that it may be a struggle, as the Heroes seem small like my club, which faces a constant struggle not to lose money and sign players. Hopefully things work out for you.

Good luck to everyone, this is quite an interesting read.

[taifun]

Originally posted by crouchaldinho:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

I do think this starting position is the strongest so far, better than United, and far far better than Pune. Question is, can I actually put the money to good use?

Do you think so?

I take it you just mean from a money point of view because they have absolutely no players of any quality - well at least they didn't in my game!

Good luck with them! I hope you do better than I did!

C. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, I think so. With United and Pune I had absolutely no senior players of any kind. At least here there are some, and a couple that look semi-useful.

As for the transfer money, I was a bit premature. Sure, there were 250K, but now it's 0, and I haven't spent anything. Oh, and we're 8K in the red :-(

Just about to start the transfer window, and have managed to sign David Bikim (for the third time) and a couple of other lads that look like they could do a job. Still need more players though.

[taifun]

Originally posted by Nightowl:

taifun , good luck with the new club. I worry that it may be a struggle, as the Heroes seem small like my club, which faces a constant struggle not to lose money and sign players. Hopefully things work out for you.

Good luck to everyone, this is quite an interesting read.

Thank you Nightowl, I do think it'll be a struggle, but if United could finish 6th first season, then there's no reason these guys can't finish 8th. Even if we're losing the opener 1-3 at half time. At home. To Mumbai FC. *sigh*