[FM16] If I had a Nicol for every goal, I'd have just over six dollars

[deltablue]

Wow, who would have thought you'd be able to win after the way you went into and started it!

[Darius1998]

Great idea to do an octadecagon, I always loved your tetradecagon careers in the earlier FMs. Oh, and happy retirement, Archie.

[forameuss]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. Got the first batch of screenshots uploaded (hosted by gyazo this time, as imgur got blocked at work, and then unblocked, so may be jumping back and forth, as Gyazo is ****) so here we go with part one

[sherwinriga]

Alright, that would be great! Nicol's journey, here I come!

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment



Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs







Due to the relative paucity of options for managing in Africa in the vanilla FM, I wanted to start there just to get it over with. It was to South Africa first, and luckily I drew a trump card in Kaiser Chiefs.



They have quite the history, winning a huge number of league titles, and a good smattering of continental ones too. I remember on old attempts at this challenge, I either started in South Africa or Australia, and had to begin at some dreadful lower league side. So it's nice not to have to do that.



Can't complain squad-wise either. A pretty well balanced group that probably only suffers in terms of depth. Could certainly be worse.

But now I hear you cry "why is this job available?"



This is why. A pretty dreadful season so far and with eleven games to go, there's probably not much chance of overhauling the gap. It's not huge though, and I could definitely see us getting to those continental places. I'd be happy with just solidifying this time around though, then push on next year.



The board are fairly realistic about things. A top half finish will satisfy them, so if we do manage to push to the continental places, then they'll no doubt be delighted.





I'll cover this now, but I don't think I'll be doing these in much detail in this save. If I get an absolute genius in there, then I'll cover in more detail, but if I'm just getting the usual dross through, then I'm not going to be at the club for long enough to see them become average. This year, Samkelo Dube might end up with a future at the club, but like I say, I'll be long gone by then.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

End of the Season Round-up



It was all going very much Archie Glengarrie early on as we struggled to pick up points. But then we clicked, and managed to go unbeaten across eleven games, including a cup win.



Unfortunately, that early form pretty much stymied any chance we had of reaching those magic top places, and we finished a fairly respectable 6th. Happy enough with that, especially given how we finished the season.

Oh, and there's the small matter that our cup win means we qualify for trophy number one - the CAF Confederations Cup. We'll play in that next season, and if we can have a good league campaign, we could have the Champions League the year after.





Nice message from the board to end my first season in management.



And then a nicer one as the board told me we'd be getting a good load of money next season. Not sure whether we'll be able to attract the sort of players that would command those kinds of fees, but it's always good to have that safety blanket.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs



Absolutely terrible news coming from the World Cup. I didn't explicitly say it, but obviously given I was waiting for Bobby to retire, there were quite a few years passing from my Euro win to present day. In fact, there's been three World Cups. Three World Cups that have been won by England. I crowed about how Scotland had now won more World Cups than England, but they've just blown that out of the water, and become the first side in history to win three in a row.

This will not stand.

Unfortunately though, I'm a million miles away from taking over any European nation purely from my own plans. By that time, England could be way off into the distance.

[sherwinriga]

Nice start for Nicol. Can't wait to see him winning his first major competition in his life. Meanwhile, after retiring from coaching football, Archie Glengarrie's grandchildren are also playing football too, but nothing is expected to see them strong when they will become better head coach ever! But for now, Archie's sons were hired as development family head of a new club. Good luck, Nicol the Scot Reliever.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

Pre-season



Well, no wriggle room here. I have to win the league, with none of the other competitions mattering. I probably agree, although whenever the board says they don't care about a competition, I rarely agree with them. I'll be aiming to win every competition I enter.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

August 2078

Transfers



Eli Lichaj

Alessandro Dell'Aquila

Maxwell Mnisi

Mabuti Masuoalle

Paul Afolabi

Talaat Ashour

Results



That's one trophy down already, although it is the most minor. Basically, in FM terms, the "Be the Coach" game has its squad chosen by public vote. In real life, however, the line-ups are also voted on, and substitutions can be determined via text message. I have no idea how that would work, or how much it's abused, but it's certainly an interesting concept. Our great rivals Orlando Pirates beat us on penalties after a very enjoyable game. The rest of our games, however, were wonderful. We only lost one, and that was the first leg of the MTN 8 (top 8 sides from the previous season battling it out) semi-final. We blew them away in the second leg, so we're all good so far.



Three out of three so far. Jomo are ahead having played - and won - one more than us, but it's early days yet.

Awards



My first manager award of my career, and hopefully the first of many.

Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

September 2078

Results



A perfect month, and our league form is really holding steady at "top". A 6-0 win is certainly one way to outline to the only other side with a perfect record exactly why they should quieten down. We're going well.

https://i.gyazo.com/20592d8625566f4f52bf52518616ebf0.png

The wonderfully named Mamodeli Sundowns are still unbeaten, but trail us by five points with a game in hand. We're obviously still going to drop points at some point, so any lead we can build up will be appreciated.

Awards



Two in two. Easy.

Board Confidence



Oh stop it, board. You're just too kind.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

October 2078

Results



First points dropped of the season, closely followed by a very disappointing first round exit in the cup. Sure the board said it wasn't important, but that more means that we should at least get to the latter stages. Going out in the first round is absolutely terrible, and all I can say is that the team are lucky they won their next three. A narrow victory over the Sundowns was the highlight, and we're really carving out a niche as the Champions Elect already. Long way to go yet though.



Board Confidence



Our finances are in absolutely wonderful health thanks to spending very little between seasons, which is contributing to the board absolutely loving me.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

November/December 2078

Results



It had to happen sometime, may as well be now. A big break in November, only resuming at the end of the month, and we lost our first game. Bloemfontein made it a double, but luckily we recovered to win the remaining two.



The gap has closed, but we're still on top. We'll need to cement the position in January.

Board Confidence



Down to secure now. The slide is on.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

January 2079

News



January in Africa is a time for internationals. Unfortunately, the leagues decide that stopping is for losers, meaning we'll be without five key players this month.

Results



Our missing players were well missed as you can see. A pretty poor month given how impressive we were last year. Disappointing that while the continent has its main competition, the fixtures seem to not just keep going, but increase in frequency. We got out of the month with seven points, which is probably more than we deserved.



The Sundowns are back ahead. Big reaction needed once we get our players back.

Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

February 2079

Results



Are we going to throw this away? We won one of our two league games, and crashed out of another cup competition in the first round. That 6-0 win in the first leg of the preliminary round of the Confederations Cup looks good, but we are going to be facing absolute diddies for a while there, so it's not as good as it looks.



Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

March 2079

News





Youth intake time again, but to be honest I couldn't be any less excited than I am about who I've got.

Results



We roared back this month, staying unbeaten in all competitions. Three wins in the league keeps us in contention, while two more wins in the Confederations Cup does...something. Not sure the giants from Mozambique Costa do Sol are much of a match for us to be honest.



The Sundowns dropped some points, so we're back on top. Five games to go, it's in our hands.

Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

April 2079

Results



We stumbled a little in our first two leagues games, drawing with our great rivals and then getting absolutely thumped by Bloemfontein (who do the double over us with that result). But after a big win against Don Bosco in the Congo (another great name), we got a very hard-fought 1-0 win against Bidvest Wits. They've won the last five titles, but that win secured us the title finally. Three more wins - one against Don Bosco and two in the league finished our main season well. Good job.









How easy is it to get to the Hall of Fame? One league win (and a cup I suppose) and I'm in there. Hopefully by the time I leave, I'm up top.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

Confederations Cup: The Off-Season Adventures

Now after spending so long in International Management with its regimented calendars, and a little time in Europe where it's similar, I forgot how different it can be. While our league campaign is over, we do have a number of pretty important Confederations Cup matches while we should be resting. First up, Egyptian side Zamalek.



After a 2-2 draw at home, we produced a wonderful performance in Giza to edge through the tie 5-4. We raced into a 3-0 lead, and at 5-2 we could be forgiven for easing off. Unfortunately, we eased off a little too much and let in two. We held on though, and it's on to the next round.



Next up its a group stage. Because of course it is. Crucially, we're going to be playing Bloemfontein, who have already beaten us twice this season. We should have enough to finish in the top two, which would put us into the semi final. Six games to go before then though.

[numbas2]

Blimey, unrelenting!

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

Pre-season Transfer News



Mzondi Mathebula and Xolani Louw join us

Season Expectations



The board have reacted to our good season by being quite demanding this year. We won't be allowed to have a wobble in the cup, as we're expected to get to the final. I agree with the Confederations Cup expectations though - that's absolutely essential.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

July/August 2079

Transfers



Siphiwe Mathebula

Thulani Mazibuko

Sufiso Mudau

Bright Musa

Prince Okoro

Results



Just a single blemish as we start the season well, and that's a league defeat to Tuks FC. Elsewhere, we won the Be a Coach challenge, made it to the final of the MTN 8, and aced our five Confederations Cup games. We're pretty much done there, and can look forward to a semi final spot. (not sure what happened to the fifth match from the Confederations Cup, but we won it)

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

September 2079

Results



A routine win in the Confederations Cup started the month off well. Then two more routine league wins made it look like we'd have a lovely September. Then we stuttered with a 0-0 against much-unfancied Polokwane City, before getting absolutely blown away in our Confederations Cup Semi Final first leg. The Moroccan side deserved their victory, and the only silver lining came when we grabbed an away goal. A big reaction needed in the second leg.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

October 2079

Results



Morocco's a footballing backwater anyway.

A 4-0 win back home put paid to MA Tétouan's hopes of reaching the final, giving us an aggregated scoreline of 5-3. Combine that with - finally - beating Bloemfontein Celtic in the league, winning the MTN 8 trophy, and progressing in the cup, it's been quite a good month.



Hanging back, but ready to strike.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

November 2079

News

I haven't covered it, but the board seems to really love me. They've come to me a couple of times, asking me my opinion on decisions they plan to make. I would usually be thrilled, but when the board is coming to me asking whether or not they should increase the number of first team coaches (which they have. Twice.) then it's hard to get too excited. However, the below is better news.



Ideally I'm only here for a couple more years to win those two competitions I need, but to have this support is good.

Results



Another unbeaten month, and we've taken a huge step towards a positive result in three competitions. We're in the final of the Telcom Knockout Cup (I believe the equivalent of most countries League Cup) and take a commanding 4-1 lead back home in the Confederations Cup. The league obviously has a long way to go, but two more wins isn't going to do us any harm.



We still have lots of games in hand over Orlando Pirates, but Tuks are keeping pace with us at the moment.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

December 2079

Results



The Confederations Cup is ours. It was a little tougher than expected, but having early bagged 4 away goals, and holding a 3 goal lead, we were never really under threat. 7-3 is quite a dominant scoreline, and that's trophy number one knocked off. Unfortunately, I think the players slacked off around the Christmas period, as we dropped four points in the league and then got denied the Telcom trophy on penalties by the Sundowns. Disappointing.



The league is bunching up now. Those two draws really stopped us from pressing home our advantage.

News



New contract time, and it was promptly accepted. I doubt I'll see it out - if I do, it means we've failed in my timelines.





The 20th best manager to have competed in Africa. I've only won a handful of trophies. If I really wanted to, I could chase down the top spot here, and I don't think it would take longer than a few seasons. Of course, I could be wrong, and we could throw everything away this season before ballsing up our Champions League run. Could happen.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

January 2080

Results



We're frustratingly inconsistent these days. No sooner do we smash through Chippa (and Dale) United, we lose to Ajax Cape Town. Then we smash Polokwane City the game after. Can we not just win nicely each week?



It's hard to give a true indication of how we're doing when we've played far less games than anyone around us. Win our games in hand, and we're in a great position, but that's far from a given obviously.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

February 2080

Results



It's finally here!

It seems like we qualified a million years ago, but finally we're in the Champions League. As is the fashion in Africa, we face a preliminary round against someone we should beat. So we handed out a 7-0 pumping. Sound. Of course, that was onlya fter dropping more points in the league. Sakes.

We turned it around later though, winning the African Super Cup (which bodes really well for our Champions League hopes), progressing in the Cup and getting another three points in the league.



Just one game played in the league again this month, meaning we've got a hell of a fixture pile-up awaiting us.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

March 2080

News





Sibusiso Khoza looks a prospect, which will be nice for whoever is still around in a few years.

Results



The fixture catch-up has begun, as we play Saturday/Wednesday most weeks. It's probably going to be like that until the end of the season to be honest.

Two more big wins in the Champions League, and right now it's just about getting to the Group Stage with as little fuss as possible. We of course save our fuss for the league, where we continue to either demolish teams, or really struggle.



If we win all of our games in hand, we'll be second by a point. It's not panic stations yet, but we're running out of games. Fitness will continue to be an issue as we play more and more games.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

April 2080

Results



That's the sound of the team effectively conceding domestic competition. Crashed out of the cup, again on penalties, and then a massive 8 out of 12 points dropped in the league. It's now a race to the Champions League for us, as I think the league is beyond us.



It's Tuks' title to lose now. We need to keep up the pressure with our games in hand to at least finish in the magic places.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

May 2080

Results



I hate the league. I really do. So impressive last season, so disappointing this one.

Luckily Vusi Sithole is literally carrying us in most games, so we did enough to reach the Group Stage of the Champions League. That'll resume in the off-season, which will hopefully give us a chance to regroup.



We shuffle into 4th, which I believe means a Confederation Cup spot. If we don't win the Champions League this season, then we've got at least two years to wait until we can try again. That would be...awful really.

Awards



I'll take you down to bug town. Our best eleven shows as a 3-5-2, despite me never having used that formation once in my entire tenure, let alone this season. I believe it's down to it being down as my favourite formation. Which is a bit **** to be honest.







Essentially, it looks as though the finances and my previous success have saved my job. The league was entirely dreadful, and to be honest I couldn't really have complained too much had they got rid of me. Still, we're in the Champions League currently, and we're just ten games (yes, there's still ten to go) away from the trophy.

EDIT: I've also just noticed that apparently we were knocked out in the Group Stage of the Champions League...em...noooo. I assume it's because the competition straddles seasons, but still, poor show.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

Post-season



Being thrifty has its advantages. We didn't really spend much at all last year, and now we've been rewarded with even more money. If we manage to grab the Champions League in the next few months, I probably won't need to spend a penny. If not, then I'll be spending like it's going out of fashion to make sure we don't miss out again.



This is...nice, I guess. Essentially it's a relationship for their benefit, with them getting first option on our players. Ha. Jokes on them. They're all pretty terrible.



The game's decided that I am back in the Champions League, and the board believe I should reach the final. Have to agree. They also want me to win the league. If I'm still around at the end of this season, then it's absolutely imperative that I win the league, as that will mean Champions League qualification. If I miss out again, then they may as well sack me.



And it begins. Killie offer lifelong fan Bobby Nicol the job, and he rejects it. As I've said, I'm not going to Europe yet, and won't be for some time. To be honest, when I do, I doubt it'll be to Ayrshire.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

July/August 2080

Results





Our poor league form has finally found its way into our Champions League games as we manage to pick up a single point from the first three games. Not only that, but we then lost the Be a Coach trophy to Orlando Pirates once again. We faced Al-Ahly, giants of African football, and easily top seeds in our group. Should we lose - or even draw - we'd pretty much be out and facing a couple of years before we could try again. We roared back though, winning 3-0 and getting our campaign back on track. From there, we remained unbeaten, only blemished by a draw in the league, including another win against Berkelum Chelsea.



Early days, but after how we collapsed last season, we need to keep up our good form for as long as possible. Obviously. Christ, I'm starting to sound like a proper football manager...



We face one more match against ES Tunis. Should we win it, we'll be in the next round. A draw might be enough, but only if Al-Ahly lose their final game. We could still finish top, should we win and Al-Ahly fail to win.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

September 2080

Results



A narrow victory, but a victory nonetheless. Al-Ahly won their game, so they topped the group, with us in 2nd. Dodged a massive bullet there, given we almost threw it away after three games.



We'll face Raja Club Athletic (Raja Casablanca for the uninitiated) in the semi final.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

September/October 2080

Results



The league is pretty much almost over to be honest. Our patchy form has continued from last season, but luckily I'm being saved by continuing dominance in the Champions League. Casablanca were no match for us at home, and once we headed to Morocco for the second leg, we closed it out with a 1-1 draw. We move into the final.



It's not looking good. Sure we're not too far behind, but with all my attention on the Champions League, we're just not consistent enough elsewhere.



Squad harmony is dipping, probably because a few bad eggs think they deserve more football. They might be right, but I'm not breaking up a winning team just to keep a fringe player happy, not when we have just two games of importance to come. That's a problem for the next manager.

[numbas2]

You had better win it! Otherwise, pretty grim... good luck :-)

[vossmaj]

Loving your Story and the way (and Speed) you update! Absolutely thrilling! Good luck then in the CL final, especially as it will be your last shot for many years, at least with the Chiefs.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs

CAF Champions League Final

We face Congolese Champions TP Mazembe in the final, after they beat Al-Ahly in the semi.



They've hardly been dominant in the tournament so far, only just scraping through after a few draws and then a late defeat to Raja Casablanca. But make it through they did, beating defending champions Al-Ahly on away goals.

First Leg



Well ****.

We've been in this position before of course, and we've turned it around, but this is a pretty poor result. We had the chances, but the opposition had the vast majority of the ball.

Second Leg



Written in the stars, wasn't it?

We were much better in this game than the first. Mazembe still dominated possession, but they didn't do enough with it. Still though, we were just minutes from extra-time with the scores locked at 2-1. Then Vusi Sithole - probably the most important player of my reign - got an injury time winner to win us the trophy. Glorious.





I had two trophies to win, and I've done that. Time to move on.

[forameuss]

You had better win it! Otherwise, pretty grim... good luck :-)

Totally. Seems like I always end up in that position on these attempts though.

Loving your Story and the way (and Speed) you update! Absolutely thrilling! Good luck then in the CL final, especially as it will be your last shot for many years, at least with the Chiefs.

The speed is purely down to being so far ahead. I've still got years and years of screenshots to post, so the speed shouldn't let up!

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 1

Oh my God, I can't believe it...he's only gone and managed Kaiser Chiefs



Like I was going to wait around to disappoint in the league again. It was definitely time to leave now that I've won the two trophies I can win in Africa. I've still got the African Nations Cup to win obviously, but from a club perspective, I'm done for Africa.

[Bobsled]

Got out in time I guess. Curious to find out where you will end up.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...







It's off to North America, and the MLS to be exact, in order to chase down the CONCACAF Champions League.

Now in previous versions, I've always liked being in the MLS. For starters, it's batshit mental. But basically I just find leagues which are a straight "play-each-other-twice-and-see-what-happens" a bit boring. England is the worst culprit for this. At least in Scotland you've got the split and the play-offs to make things slightly interesting through the season. But the MLS is the "finest" example of something different, given that everything is wildly different. There's about forty drafts to get players from, and slavery is alive and well in the way that you can't actually sign free agents until you buy the players "rights" off some club. It's a baffling system, but one I used to enjoy.

Fast forward to now. I'm not sure what it is, but I just find the MLS too baffling. It might just be me getting older, but having to negotiate all the drafts, keep all the plates spinning and do some wheeling the dealing to make sure you're in a good position just exhausts me. But, the alternative is going to Mexico, and I don't think I'm allowed back there after Archie took the entire squad to Tijuana that summer.

So basically, I'm here in Orlando. Full rundown of where the club is to come, but essentially, they've done pretty terribly in the past year. To qualify for the Champions League, you either need to win the US Open Cup (definitely achievable), be in the final two of the playoffs (you can technically finish 8th overall and still do this), or finish with the best regular season record (called the Supporters' Shield, and probably the least achievable). The way the MLS is structured - or more accurately, the way competition is actively forced by handing **** sides all the advantages - with a bit of work in the off-season, it's definitely achievable to qualify for the Champions League. I believe it's another tournament that takes place outwith the normal MLS calendar, so we're looking at at least two and a half seasons here, and that's if I manage everything on the first go around.

And I'll be damned if I'm not going to meet Mickey Mouse.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

The Rules



Go on. Read them. Read every last word. America loves a rulebook.

The History



It's weird to see this to be honest. Usually, you're playing as clubs that were founded almost a hundred years before. But Orlando City were one of the highly publicised additions to the MLS fairly recently in football terms. As a result, it's weird to see them with a relatively big history. They've won the big one in America five times, along with topping the standings the same amount of times. Crucially though, they've never won the really big one - hopefully that's something I can change.

Last Season





A season to forget. Just nine wins out of 36 games. Sure they finished a good distance away from worst team in the history of football Chicago Fire (seriously guys, ten points?) but it was a pretty terrible season.

The Team





Not actually that bad. Certainly not bad enough to justify how bad they were last season. Main thing will be to add some depth, although with the stringent salary caps, not sure how easy that'll be.

[Rikulec]

Good job in Africa.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

The Drafts

Strap yourselves in. It's draft time.



So, the Waiver Draft. I believe this is a chance for all the clubs in the MLS to compete to sign players that have been let go by their previous club. It's often a good chance to pick up some fringe players, but obviously you're competing for players deemed not good enough by some of your rivals.

As a result, I didn't pick up any players.



Yeah, the re-entry draft. I'm not quite sure what it does. I believe it's those left over after the previous waiver draft, but not sure.

Again, no players were picked up.



I briefly mentioned the slavery aspect earlier, and I wasn't joking. Above is a list of all the players whose "rights" we own. Usually, this doesn't really become a problem. These players will play in the lower tiers of American football (I'm not calling it Soccer) and carve out nice careers for themselves. Most of them will never reach MLS level though. Is that because they're not talented enough? Most of the time, yes. But that's where this horrible rights thing comes in.

Essentially, you can be in the situation where you see a brilliant free agent player. You've scouted him, he looks great, and he's a big improvement on what you have. And he's a free agent! You go to sign him, but there's no option to just offer him a contract. Instead, you've got to go and negotiate with the club that owns his rights. Annoying, but OK. You try and negotiate, but the club won't budge. They don't want to give up the rights to this player for some reason. Note, at this stage, the player isn't playing for a club. There's a club that wants to sign him, but he can't do that because another club - who doesn't want him as a player remember - doesn't want that to happen. It's an absolutely maddening thing, and something that seems a bit horrible in real life.

There's also the situation - admittedly I haven't seen this in a few versions - where you can finally broker a deal for the players rights, and then not have enough funds left over to actually purchase the player outright. I remember spending upwards of a million getting the rights to a player, then realising that I hadn't actually bought him. He stayed in limbo at a minor club, meaning I'd essentially just stopped everyone buying him - including me.

But anyway, that's just a quick note to show the darker side of the MLS contract system. If someone who actually has knowledge of the MLS could come along and correct anything I've said, then feel free.



Designated players...right, so every club appears to be given two designated player slots. In earlier versions, I think you could permanently buy a third slot, and that was that. It appears that now, you have to keep buying the 3rd slot at the start of each season, with the money raised being distributed amongst the sides who decided to just keep 2. So far, so communist. I decided to buy a third, as even though we only have one at the club, the way designated players work you can fill them much more easily than normal players. There are fewer contract restrictions, and you can toss as much money as you want effectively at clubs for players that will absolutely destroy the league.



And so we come to the Superdraft, the one-time festival of awesomeness that a lot of clubs leaned on. Nowadays, I believe that it's importance is lessened purely because you can go to South America and pick up a much more talented youngster whose willing to play for peanuts. Literally. Dumbinho only asked for his weight in peanuts.

But in the FM world, it's still a big thing. If you get an early pick, you can add a very highly rated youth to your side that can immediately make a difference. If you're a late pick, however, you get to compete for the sort of players that you see getting kicked in the air in the Scottish Lower Leagues every week.

Above you see the mock draft, which I see having no relevance whatsoever. It does show me what I could win though, and apparently I'm getting the swarthy Hector Ramirez.



This is my favourite part of the draft. The time when Ace faces off against Chaos, and bitter rivals X and Control take to the field. Oh so American. In case you hadn't guessed, this is where everyone involved in the draft gets assigned a team and goes out to impress. It's actually quite a nice way to do it, to have organised "trials" where the teams can watch who they'll be picking. I imagine they're a pretty big deal, or at least were when the draft was a big deal.



But now it's finally time for the actual draft. We get fourth pick thanks to being the fourth worst side last season, so we should get a decent pick. We'll get a pick in each of the four rounds, but I believe the order may change due to trades.





Callum Gunn and Bogi Askham were picked, and to be honest I'm pretty happy with them. Callum will slot straight into the side, with Askham providing depth in a problem position.

Finally, we have our youth intake. But, again, it's not your usual youth intake. Because this is 'murica.



These players are essentially assigned to your affiliate side. If you want any of them, you need to sign them up to contracts.



Still though, looking at their potential, there are some possible stars in there. Fazioon Imran appears to be the best bet. He may potentially be a star, but I'm pretty sure there's some age cheating going on here. No way that face/hair combination is 16 years old.

Oh and definitely finally this time, we also signed Byron Davies on a Designated Player contract. Really excited about seeing what he can do for us.

[andychar]

I played one season in America...won the playoffs and supporters shield...to this day I still have no idea how it all works. I signed a few players then didn't give them a number so they got traded away!

I read everything you posted there...still don't understand how any of it works.

Good luck either way!

[Adelaidean]

Damn that looks seriously complicated... as someone who likes to micromanage I can't imagine getting through a single season in the MLS before the next FM comes out

Your Superdraft picks look decent. Cool that you got a Faroe Islands player, and your youth intake star could represent the Maldives!

And could I see a screenshot of your Australian player (assuming you haven't sold him yet!), and a few screenies of Australia's best players, if possible?

Keep it up and good luck in Freedom-land

[forameuss]

Damn that looks seriously complicated... as someone who likes to micromanage I can't imagine getting through a single season in the MLS before the next FM comes out

Your Superdraft picks look decent. Cool that you got a Faroe Islands player, and your youth intake star could represent the Maldives!

And could I see a screenshot of your Australian player (assuming you haven't sold him yet!), and a few screenies of Australia's best players, if possible?

Keep it up and good luck in Freedom-land

I'll see if I've got saves going back that far, as I'm a lot further forward than where I'm posting. Very likely I'm visiting Australia as the Asian leg of the tour, so probably more from all things Australian then.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Expectations



Essentially, the board just want me to finish in the top half. If we do that, we get a wild-card slot in the play-offs. I'm aiming for a playoff place proper, which is a top two finish in the conference. They don't think the Open Cup is important, but personally it's crucial - win that and we have a Champions League place.

Results Up to April



I watched the first few games through my fingers, wondering whether I'd made a mistake in jumping at the first MLS job that came up. But then after tweaking a little, we hit form and haven't really looked back. Six games unbeaten in April, and we're going well.





Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

May 2082

Results



When we're good, we're very good. We're dropping points, but given we were only saved the label of worst team in the Eastern conference thanks to Chicago being unmitigated ****, we're doing amazingly. If we can keep up this form, we've got an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League without even needing the cup.





Top of the tree, but bear in mind that the way the MLS fixtures work, the only time everyone has played the same number of games is probably going to be at the very end of the season.

Board Confidence



Still sitting at Untouchable. Finances are pretty immovable at MLS level, but if we can win the MLS Title, that should boost the stature. I want a full confidence bar, damn it!

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

May 2082

Results



Well that was fun while it lasted.

Two good wins in the Cup to keep our dreams alive there, but we're creaking a bit in the league. All I can say is that I'm glad we've got Kerith Stultz and Byron Davies. They're keeping us afloat.





Board Confidence



Only sitting at Very Secure now. Clearly sacked in the morning.