From Shore To Shore - FM14 Career Game

[TerminalPortugal]

From Shore to Shore – FM14 Career Game

It is time for myself to embark on a classic FM14 career game. The idea behind this is to win as many different trophies in a variety of different countries as possible. I start off the game as a 26 year old English/Portuguese dual national manager who is fresh out of gaining his coaching badges on automatic reputation.

This game will have a few house rules to make sure that it has a continual flow to it:-

• The first club I manage will be picked be generated by the computer (or at least it will give me 10 options to pick from). Any top division clubs will be excluded leaving me with the remaining clubs to pick from.

• The first club I manage is the only club I am allowed to try and get away from by declaring interest in vacant roles or applying outright. I am not allowed to resign from my role under any circumstances and will have to receive offers to move following my first job in management. I am allowed to run down my contract at a club so that I eventually become a free agent should I choose to.

• Once I have won the top division in a specific country that country is considered complete. I will be looking to win the Continental competitions, but will not stick around unless I think there is a good chance of winning these. I have to at least win each continental competition at least once, but can complete this at any club that qualifies. The same goes for national cup competitions I will try to win them but once the league is won, that country is considered completed.

• Managing international operates the same way in terms of I have to win the Continental tournament to consider it complete, however once again I am looking to win the World Cup, Confederations Cup and any other tournaments that remain, although they are secondary concerns.

• I am not allowed to farm money by trying to lower my wage demands; I will look to get as much money out of club in wages as I can.

• Certain loaded nations will remain persistent; these will be England, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Holland and Portugal, therefore they will never be replaced in game. Other loaded nations once completed will be replaced with new nations to continue the challenge.

The leagues I have loaded are the following (all leagues are down to the bottom possible division):-

Belgium

China

England

France

Germany

Greece

Holland

Italy

Mexico

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Scotland

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

To decide on a club to manage I used the random generate feature as described, and eventually out of the options available landed at Unione Venezia playing in the Italian Serie C1/A.

I will be updating at the start on a season by season basis, I am a bit into the future so the first updates are the to the best of my abilities recollections of the journey so far.

Trophies won

Italian Serie C1/A – 2013/14 - Venezia

Record of Achievements

Italy (not complete yet, managing Venezia)

Unione Venezia

Background

Venezia's home stadium, Pier Giovanni Mecchia

The club was founded on 14 December 1907, by members of two local sports clubs coming together; Palestra Marziale and Costantino Reyer. It was originally based at Campo San Bartolomeo in the city of Venice; fifteen men including the first president Davide Fano were involved in the club's founding.

The most notable trophy success in the history of Venezia was winning the Coppa Italia during the 1940–41 season. The early 1940s was the pinnacle of the club's footballing prominence so far, as they also recorded their highest ever Serie A league finishing during that period with a 3rd place in 1941–42.

Venezia won the Coppa Italia in 1941. That team contained some of the players who went on to form part of the Torino F.C. side of the 1940s who died in the Superga air disaster in 1949, such as Ezio Loik and Valentino Mazzola.

From the summer 1990 the club was renamed Associazione Calcio Venezia 1907.

In its history, Venezia has spent a large part of recent years bouncing between Italy's two top divisions (they were last relegated from Serie A in 2002). It was this last season in Serie A which signalled the beginning of the end for the old club. Frustrated with the team and the inability to agree plans for a larger stadium with the council, then President, Maurizio Zamparini, decided to purchase U.S. Città di Palermo, and took with him a large portion of the squad.

Notable recent former players include Álvaro Recoba, Filippo Maniero and Christian Vieri.

In 2005 the club was relegated to Serie B and declared insolvent because of bankruptcy.

In the summer 2005 the club was refounded as Società Sportiva Calcio Venezia and was admitted in Serie C2 due to Lodo Petrucci.

In this season 2005-06 it was immediately promoted to Serie C1.

At the end of the 2008–09 Lega Pro Prima Divisione season, the club was declared bankrupt.

Football Club Unione Venezia

The club was refounded again, changing its name to Football Club Unione Venezia, and starting in Serie D – the top level non-professional league in Italian football. The club has also designed a new logo. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (the 4th and last professional league), and is thus considered the 5th ranked league in the country. Since the early 1990s, Serie D has been split into 9 regional divisions (Gironi), labelled A to I. For the 2009–2010 season, F.B.C. Unione Venezia will be playing in Girone C. The chairman is Mauro Pizzigati, president of the Venice Casino, and the manager is Paolo Favaretto.

After getting into financially difficulties in recent years, the club was competing in Serie D for the 2009–10 season.

On 15 February 2011 the former Russian major of Khimki Yuri Korablin, paid the club rights.

Venezia ranked 2nd in the group C of Serie D, but losing 3-2 with SandonàJesolo it didn't access to the national play-off finals and so will remain also for the next season in this league.

Scudetto Dilettanti 2011-12

On 29 April 2012, after 3 years in Serie D, Venezia clinched automatic promotion to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione after a 5-2 victory over Gradisca. This left them with an unassailable 6 point lead over their nearest challengers Delta Porto Tolle in group C with just one game remaining.

Venezia has won also the Scudetto Dilettanti.

2013-2014 Season

Arriving at Venezia, the club were not predicted to go up from the division, having only just been promoted. The prediction this season was to achieve a mid-table position. I was hoping we could push on a bit further but only time would tell how things would go.

Transfers In

Filippo Pensalfini – Free Transfer

Leonardo Crafa – Free Transfer

Transfers Out

None

Both transfer fitted into the midfield as I was looking to strengthen in that area. I was looking to play 3 in central midfield and saw both these players as central to being able to get goals for the front players and sure up in front of the defence. However Pensalfini was getting older and he would not always be available to play, I knew this as I signed him.

Results

League – Serie C1/A (1st Place, 65 points)

We won the league pretty much at a canter in the end taking 65 points from 30 games and finishing 8 points ahead of Cremonese whom were also promoted. We started the season in very good form and were amongst the leaders, as the season went on we wore down the opposition and had won the league with quite a few games to spare. We played Pisa in a two legged tie to find out whom the best team Serie C1 was, with Pisa having won the other half of the league. We managed a good away draw at Pisa, but dropped to a 3-2 loss at home, and Pisa picked up the overall C1 Super Cup. It mattered little, we were up.

Italian TIM Cup (Knocked Out, 1st Qualification Round

We went out in my first competitive fixture in charge of the team to Cremonese 2-1 away. It was a poor performance in general. We would recover to beat Cremonese to the Serie C1/A title and in the end that was more important.

Serie C Cup (Knocked Out, 3rd Round Group Stage

This was a tournament that offered some extra silverware but was not a primary concern. We got through against L’Aquila 3-1 at home in the 1st Round and then beat Santarcangelo 2-0 in Round 2. However when we reached 3rd Round groups were less impressive, losing to Virtus Entella 2-1 away and only managing a 0-0 draw against Pergolettese, when a win was required to have any chance of advancing.

Conclusion

A very good season all-round the team played fantastically well, and the league form was a joy to behold. We rose to the challenge and would be playing in Serie B next season. The Serie C Cup performance was not that impressive, but it was not to detract from the achievement from the team. I had bagged my first silverware as manager and the Italian quest was for Serie A glory was continuing at a pace.

Team of the Year

GK – Roberto Dossena – Avg 6.91 - He is a good goalkeeper at this level and to be honest did a decent job, we conceded the least goals in the league and he had a big part to play in that

DR – Dario Campagna – Avg 7.21 Had a superb season, was a rock in defence and offered probing runs going forward.

DC – Nicola Pasini – Avg 7.35 – Defensive player of the season in my book, as he controlled opposition strikers all season, contributed massively to defensive solidity of the team

DC – Vito Di Bari – Avg 7.28 – Another solid performer at the club. He was the club captain and marshalled the defence superbly and had a great partnership with Pasini.

DL – Nicola Lancini – Avg 7.12 – Did very well, was a mainstay throughout the season and barely missed a game, much like Campagna, provided a lot of defensive certainty and something going forward.

DMC – Leonardo Crafa – Avg 7.33 – A great acquisition. He protected the back four and dictated the pace of our attacks. He picked up 6 goals which was not back from that position.

MC – Massimiliano Taddei – Avg 7.28 – Did very well, although was perhaps expecting for him to be the player of the season, and he wasn’t. He was solid, very cultured on the ball, and surged into the box to get on the end of things or provide the killer pass. Picked up 6 goals during the season.

MC – Matteo Calamai – Avg 7.30 – Was a mainstay all season in the middle of the par, and helped release Taddei to make the plays. Was keeping Pensalfini out of the side for great swathes of the season.

AMR – Francesco Margiotta – Avg 7.27 – Provided lovely width and great service to the frontman. Played almost every game this season and managed to get on the end of 12 goals.

AML – Ousmane Drame (loan Juventus) – Avg 7.25 – This guy could have a real big future. Picked up 16 goals as he terrorized right-backs with super runs and finishing as well as a great supply to the frontman.

ST – Roberto Bocalon - Avg 7.70 – Had a storming season picking up 16 goals, despite only playing 23 games through injury. He was absolutely deadly in front on goal at the level, and often would team up well will Drame to put the ball in the net. The Manager’s Player of the Season.

MAIN SUBS

GK – Mauro Vigorito – Avg. 6.80 – Sub goalie, did not get many opportunity, did well enough when called upon.

DC – Francesco Cernuto (loan Reggina) – Avg 7.11 – Called upon when there were injuries or rotation required and did extremely well when called upon. Although it was clear he would have liked to have played more games.

MC – Fillippo Pensalfini – Avg 6.99 – Played only 14 games, as his advancing years caught up with him. Was kept out of the team by Calamai, did pretty well in general when needed.

MC – Alessandro Martinelli (loan Sampdoria) – Avg 7.23 – Started the season but got a bad injured unfortunately. He was playing really well, and when he returned he found a midfield in form and little opportunity to impact. However he did start of the season in great from, got 4 goals from 10 games.

ST – Davide D’Appolonia – Avg 7.20 Second striker in the one striker system employed. When Bocalon went down injured, he stepped up and got on the scoresheet plenty of times. He also got the odd crucial goal when he came on as a sub, managed 10 goals in 21 appearances.

DR – Dylan Danieli – Avg 7.05 – Only 8 apps for this young right back but he looked good going forward and there was a buzz about him at the club. One for the future and not a bad introduction at the club

AMR – Raffaele Franchini – Avg 6.79 – Never really hit the ground running. Margiotta was the main man on the left and he generally failed to impress out on the left. He managed a goal in 9 apps and I would of liked to have a seen a few more goals from a player in his position. Work to be done if he wants to break into the first team

[Beestonite]

Nice idea....any chance of giving a breakdown of your progress monthly with some screenshots?

[TerminalPortugal]

Nice idea....any chance of giving a breakdown of your progress monthly with some screenshots?

Unfortunately I am quite a bit into the future, I have actually been thinking of starting a new thread with a monthly format, but essentially the same rule set, so people can follow along. Will decide when I get home whether that is what I do. If so expect a new thread. Cheers for the feedback, glad you enjoy the idea.