Written In The Stars 2016

[Chewy2006]

Welcome to the WRITTEN IN THE STARS thread. After our most successful clan to date in Football Manager 2015 where we managed to complete 11 seasons(not as many as other clans but we don't like to hol between matchdays as to us FM is more than a matchday experience ) We are back for FM2016.

After last years success of starting in the Sky Bet Champuonship. We have decided to start in Sky Bet League 1 where you can find some big clubs like Sheff Utd who have struggled for quite a number of years to get out of it. This sound prove a stern test of our ability to manage on a shoe string budget or even try to get the right balance in the squad. Also this is a league where you see a lot of teams you would never of thought would have a chance of promotion get promoted to the the Sky Bet Championship.. Although we are starting in this league I have also decided to load a few other leagues/countries aswell so if players do well then they can move on to bigger and better things if they choose to in the future. The other leagues that I have loaded are :- Spain's top 2 divisions, Germany's top 2 divisions, England down to the conference north/south, Italy's top 2 divisions and the Croatia top division (mainly for one of our members who is from Croatia). So with all of these leagues they will offer loads of top teams who are all fighting it out to reach the top in that country which will bring better players some of which will be world class and the chance of getting into Europe and winning the top title.

This could promise to be the best year yet for the WRITTEN IN THE STARS clan as with starting in such a competitive league which is sure to give clan members even more thrills, spills, relegation battles, top 6 fight , heart ache, you might find a gem that could prove to be a swift piece of business and have the big clubs in the world after him, blow your budget on a rough diamond and good banter (which is always the most important thing). There maybe times where arguments happen due to results and pressure of being a football manager but whatever the outcome it will be an exciting roller-coaster ride that you will want to hold on tight to until the bitter end.

Each clan member will get their team via a random draw where each member will pick a number between 1-24. I feel that by doing this it will be a more even contest but some could find themselves very lucky and have one of the decent clubs who have got a great academy or a very good group of players or even have just been relegated from the Sky Bet Championship the season previous and will stand a great chance of getting promoted and even challenging for the title itself or on the other hand some people could be unlucky and get one of the newly promoted sides whatever happens it will just make the game more competitive between each member and of course if you do well you might find yourself in charge of one of the top clubs soon enough however if you do badly you could find yourself in a lower league scrap to get back to where you feel you belong.

Days/Times

Tuesday – 6.00pm – 10.00pm (Can play longer if Majority agree)

Thursday – 6.00pm – 10.00pm (Can play longer if Majority agree)

Sunday - 6.00pm - 10.00pm (Can play longer if Majority agree)

Managers and Teams

Rules

1) No using FM Scout or cheat machines

2) Committed players only

3) If you can't make a session, an e-mail in advance would be useful.

4) Start with past experience reputation set to Continental Pro Licence and Sunday League Footballer so if we are unfortunate to lose our jobs we have a better chance of getting another job without having to retire our first user given how fm has changed over the years making it tougher to get another job straight away.

5) You MUST Post on forum at the end of the season. Everyone can post any other time throughout the season if they wish to do so .

6) Random Teams selected.

7) No unsettling other Manager's players when you're not actually interested in buying the player

8) Use Skype to chat during times, banter is fine, but NO foul insults, so keep it a friendly game

9) If you get sacked or resign for some reason you can get another job in the same division via random draw

10). Matches must be played Highlights Mode "Key" or "Only Commentary". Match Speed must be at full or at least near to full speed. Replays must be turned off, you will be allowed to play 3D matches aslong as they don’t slow the game down for other members.

11) If you get sacked or resign but have got a few coaching badges over time as a manager your new manager can start with them coaching badges.

12). Assistant Manager must take control of friendlies in pre season and timer will be set to 2mins for transfers. During season timer will be set to 1minute unless end of August and January where timer will be set longer (maximum 2mins) if requested by a clan member.

13) If you have a problem with any of the rules, speak to me, don't go whinging about it to other members or keep your frustrations to yourself.

14) If a board takeover takes place and manager gets sacked, clan member may retire and go back to club if they wish.

15) Everyone must use own tactics/training schedules downloaded ones are not allowed.

16) Online shortlists are not allowed as can spoil transfer activities between members.

New to WRITTEN IN THE STARS clan will be our own voting system at the end of the season for – Manager of the season, Team of the season, Best Buy of the season and Worst Buy of the season.

PLEASE DON’T POST ON THE THREAD IF YOU’RE NOT A MEMBER THANKS

HOW TO JOIN

Please Send a private message to me with Skype and steam details.

Hope you all enjoy this thread and I hope to keep u posted as and when we go.

[Chewy2006]

First of all Mark, Welcome to Valley Parade

Thanks very much, it’s great to be here, smiles

What are your first impressions of the club?

I’ve watched Bradford over the last few years and I think they are a good side and seeing the training facilities and the stadium I think the club has a lot of potential.

Its your first time in management, how did you find yourself in charge of a League 1 club?

I started doing my coaching badges in my late teens after I unfortunately picked up a knee injury which ended my career as a player. I then worked my way up to my pro license and when the Bradford job came up I thought I had gained a lot of experience working with the youngsters at my local club and was looking for a full time position at a well-respected club. Luckily during my interview with the chairman and the board they could see my vision for the club and have given me this great opportunity.

You have said that your going to be dipping your toes into the transfer market, do you have any targets in mind?

I have a few areas in mind where we could improve the team but of course I am going to keep them to myself, smiles.

What are your hopes for this season?

We'll my first aim is a playoff spot.

Thanks for your time Mark and good luck with your new position at Bradford

[wikifirelord]

Good evening sir Viktor Srića how do you feel about this season ? Expectations for your club that you will be relegated ?

You didnt see my team play and already you are saying we will be relegated ? Please season didnt even start and here you are saying that,I can guarante you we will not be relegated !

Seems we touched a nerve there,do you plan to bring in some new players ? Does that mean some older players will have to leave ?

I will try to bring some new players yes,but with limited budget we have here it might be a tad bit hard...

Thank your for your answers and good luck in the new season !

First part of the season -

Seems you have done quite good this season with Crew Alexandria !

Yes..but with injuries that hit us right now it will be extremly hard to keep the form up,right now I have no keepers no defenders and 1 striker...

Do you plan to bring some new players during winter transfer break ?

Yes ofcorse ! We need to strengthen up the squad and I will ask the board to increase the budget to bring in better players

Brian Inman has done miracles for you this season do you plan to keep him ?

Yes ! Hes a fantastic player and at the moment our best player.

Thank you for answering our questions !

2 part of the season :

Welcome back Sir Viktor Srića this season is one to remeber for Crew Alexandria fans

Yes it has been a fun ride,but I has come to an end.

What do you mean ?

I am officaly resigning as a Manager of Crew Alexandria,In my own opinion we underperformed and this team can go and fight for the title. I have allready accapted a new job offer from Shrewsburry town whom I will manage the next season.

What happend ? This came out of no where !

Not really,the team did not perform to there abilities and I faild to do what I promised to myself and that is get Crew alexandra promoted to the Championship. Im happy I saved them from relegation leaving them on 13th spot hopefuly fans will be able to forgive me.

[wikifirelord]

Good day Sir Viktor Srića ! Welcome to New Meadow

Thank you,im glad to be here,and glad to star with this new job.

What do you aim for your team this season ?

My aim is wining promotion or go to the play offs.

Is that realistic target ?

Yes it is,I belive in this squad I was given great support by the board to bring in best possible players right now we are in talks with 2 best striker from last year and a best right back from last years season !

Oh my ! Thats great news ! Do you belive you have what it takes ?

Yes I do we are going to Championship this year !

Thank you for answering to our questions and good luck at Shrewsbury town !

[Chewy2006]

After looking through the squad my initial thoughts were not to spend too much and just add a few key players to the group, However after I looked through the free transfer and loan markets I decided that they both had a lot of quality players and so scrapped my first idea and tried to bring in as much quality as possible.

Transfers

My Best signing or so I thought was that of ex Italy international and the Legend that is Del Piero. I also was happy to sign Ambrose from city on a season long loan as I thought he'd rip L1 apart with his pace and power.

Fixtures

However the season started in a disaster and I soon found might self in the relegation zone rather than in the play offs which I had hoped for at the start of the season. The team just never seemed to gel from the first pre season game and I soon found might self on the 19th October sacked and looking for my new challenge. I do blame myself a fair deal as I tried various different formations to try and find a solution but nothing seemed to work and I paid for it. It was an unfamiliar situation i'd never been in before being sacked as in last years Written in the Stars 2015 clan I had nothing but success. But I couldn't really complain and had to look forward to my next job and learn from the mistakes I made along the way.

[Chewy2006]

First of all Mark, Welcome to The DW

Thanks very much, it’s great to be here, smiles

What are your first impressions of the club?

I’ve watched Wigan over the last few years and I think they have been hit by hard times with 2 straight relegations but I hope I can be the man to take them back to where Me, The Club and The Fans want us to be. They also have a great stadium, great training facilities and overall are a club with a lot of potential.

After getting sacked at Bradford you didn't take long to jump back in, did you not feel you needed a break from management?

Absolutely not I wanted to put the past behind me and when the Wigan job came up it was too good to turn down and I'm just glad the Chairman and the board have given me this great oppotunity

You have said that your going to be dipping your toes into the transfer market, do you have any targets in mind?

I have a few areas in mind where we could improve the team but of course I am going to keep them to myself, smiles.

What are your hopes for this season?

We'll I hope that the team will buy into my style of play and only time will tell if we will be good enough to mount a good challenge for the play offs

Thanks for your time Mark and good luck with your new position at Wigan

[Chewy2006]

Fixtures

Well just like Bradford I struggled all season with Wigan although I did go a few games unbeaten getting a few draws along the way before the slide started to happen which saw me drop from 7th to 16th at one point. It was a tough season as with only really Craig Davies banging in the goals and us being very leaky at the back I could never find enough consistency in the team to ever really achieve a top 6 spot. I had a few board meetings along the way as a few of the players were very unhappy at times with how we were doing and I was very close at times I thought to being sacked aswell. Luckily enough I managed to get rid of the bad eggs in the squad by either selling them on for profit or just managing to release them early on.

Transfers

In January I did bring in a few old heads to see if they could help the group and was delighted at getting one of my favourite players of all time Roberto Carlos to come to L1, however it never really worked out for the likes of Carlos, Simao and although they had the quality in most stats they did like a lot of pace giving how old they were and the fans began to show the anger towards them.

Summary

After a brilliant result away to promotion chasing Sheff Utd towards the end of the season, the squad began to click and I went on a brilliant 6 game winning run which saw us finish 9th in the table and not far off a play off place in the end. So I was abit happier that it showed that if I could find the right formation and get the squad to gel then we are capable of good things. My Job was still insecure by the time the season finished and I thought I was again going to be looking for a new job but out of nowhere the chairman give me a new one year deal. Of course I signed it straight away and I was delighted to get the chance to rebuild the squad over the summer and hopefully next season we will do a lot better.

[mdlewis321]

After a pretty unsuccesful clan last year, I couldn't wait to start again. I was given Port Vale. The first problem I encounted when i started is that I had no strikers. This was pretty evident during the season. So my main targets in the summer were strikers, but it was clear that it would be difficult. So in a desperate act I signed Grant Holt from Mark.

As you could see from the fixtures above, i did struggle and had a bad run of from, which led to me being sacked. Which i cant argue against as I couldnt see where a win was coming from.

[mdlewis321]

After being Sacked by Port Vale, I was very happy to be given Swindon. They have great youngsters coming through and There were no excuses with not having a striker, with having Obika leading the line but yet again I relied on frees and loan to be the bulk of my squad. The only negative was that Yasir Kasim never wanted to sign a contract, couldnt offload him so unfortunately he had to go on a free.

I was happy to see when I first checked the table to see them in the playoffs when i started, my challenge was to go up or challenge for it. Luckily I went on a good run, with the odd horrible result. I also beat Leeds in the cup. My main man was Michael Jacobs who i signed in January from Mark, whos average rating was 7.42.

I went on to win the league and go up to the championship. Which I knew it would be very hard. My obvious aim was to stay up. I added Jacobs on a permanent but he is now injured for 3-4 months.I started off badly, with not winning a game, the last game of the session I decided to change my formation. Even though I didnt win, it was a lot more positive.

I was happy with my signings overall and Hopefully my next post will be positive and I have won a game and out of the relegation zone.

[Chewy2006]

End Of Season One and it turned out to be a great season for Matty as he was the only one out of the 3 of us who managed promotion and he managed to win the League 1 title aswell. As for me it turned out to be a decent finish of 9th after struggling for the majority of the season in the lower end of the table. For Vik he decided enough was enough and resigned from Crewe before the end of the season although me and matty thought he had done a very good job considering how badly Crewe are struggling irl.

[Chewy2006]

We Start Season 2 with a few changes. Welcome to the Written In The Stars Clan to Shaun and good luck to Vik with his new side.

[wikifirelord]

Welcome Mr Srića to the first part of the season review ! Right now your team finds itself in 4th with 2 points from the direct promotion and 2 points from falling out of the top 6,do you think you can push hard enough to stay up the play off spot ?

Yes I do,its been a hard season this year as you can see all top 6 clubs are able to fall right back down so ofcorse its not going to be easy,be we will do our best and try to push for direct promotion or atleast play offs.

Are you sure you will be able to do that ? In your last 8 games you were only able to win 2.

What can I say,we were on bad run of form but we can jump streight back to our old wining days when we had 8 games in a row with just 1 draw and 7 wins ! Not to mention the injuries have hit us very hard,we might have to unload some players and bring in some new faces if we are to come back from this.

You claim injuries hit you hard who is out at the moment ?

Aleix Garcia,Josh Sims,Ryan Seager some players like Aleix are VERY hard to replace,we have a backup for Sims but we do need to find a new beckup for attacking midfeilder with Seager out for next few weeks.

[Chewy2006]

After finishing 9th last season the aim for next season was plan and simple try and get promoted to the championship. I therefore after assessing the squad throughout the summer and after a few players decided that next summer they were going to retire I knew i'd have to make a lot of changes. Firstly I decided to release the players who were going to retire in a years time as I knew I could reinvest the wages they were getting to better use for players who would be not only good for the short term but also the long term.

My Transfers therefore were

I thought after the windows I had got a good balance within the squad between youth and experience and my best signing I thought would be Darren Bent as he is a proven goal scorer at premiership and recently championship level so league 1 should be a walk in the park for him.

Fixtures

Well onto the games and fm 2016 like my previous 2 seasons so far with Bradford then half a season with Wigan again was proven to be a tricky and inconsistent game where I could go on a good run then all of a sudden it would fall apart and we wouldn't win for a while. The Massive downfall midway through the season was the fa cup battering we got against Gateshead. I did choose to rest a few players with the games coming thick and fast and thought we would be alright but how wrong I was. A quickly arranged board meeting a few days later and thought i'd be clearing out my desk and moving on to a different challenge once more but to my surprise with me struggling in League 1 aswell being 21st. I was giving the chance to turn it around.

After a shaky first half of the season I decided to try and change formation from a 4-1-2-1-2 to a 4-2-3-1 and it worked a treat and we went on an amazing run which saw us fly up the table from 21st to top of the league. Darren Bent and Ambrose from man city where ripping the league to shreds and Bent had 24 goals and Ambrose 20 goals no one could seem to stop them. All of a sudden though with only 4 games left till the end of the season and after going on a little bad form I was again summand to a board meeting but this time the chairman had run out of patience and decided to sack me. Well as you would imagine it was a complete shock after how well we had done and with promotion in touching distance. I knew though with now gaining a continental C coaching badge that I could move onto bigger clubs in the future.

Summary

I was disappointed to leave Wigan having felt I was turning the corner after a shaky start and I would soon be taking them back to the championship however I had to move on although I did take smile when I saw them not only fall out of the promotion places but also losing in the play off final so that for a 3rd successive season they had to stay in League 1

[Chewy2006]

Season 2

[Chewy2006]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all fm community on behalf of all written in the stars members

[mdlewis321]

When I last posted i mentioned that i would like a win and get out of the relegation zone. I did that, and actually i went on a good run. Unfortunately in December the swindon board sacked me while i was a couple of places above the relegation zone.

I was obviously disappointed as i thought i was doing alright with the board setting me a target to survive relegation.

[wikifirelord]

League status :

Good day Viktor Srića ! We can see by look on your face that you and your boys are still celebrating the title ?

You bet we are ! We worked so hard this year and it was all worth it ! We had some injuries that hit us very hard and,that stoped our progression for some time leaving us mid table but when injuries passed as you can see we bounced back and went on a winning spree and with 10 points in the bank ended the year.

Do you think next year you can win promotion to Premier League ?

No no,we will have to work hard to stay up and will have to improve squad abit but I do belive that we have what is required and that we can stay up withaut too much problem !

There were rumors that you are interested in leaving Shrewsbury are they true ?

Each person has to think of there own future I do that as well I hope I will leave Shrewsbury with few more trophies and I hope I will take them to premier league where they deserve to be !

One last question,there have been many premier league clubs interested in buying Dario Petrovic do you think you will be able to keep a hold on him ?

I do belive so yes,he is a very good player with a fantastic future ahead of him and he will be here for next few years

That is all for today thank you for answering our questions !