(FM18) Family kidnapped by Ninja's. Need $$$ for Karate lessons

[andychar]

Before the update on the World Cup (if I qualify...I do...really easily) I thought I better show you the career progress.

23 million down only another 977 million to go.

Ever feel you have bitten off more than you can chew?

[noikeee]

Congratulations on the Champions League, on the quadruple, on the 11-1 and 8-1 insane demolishings of Leverkusen and Bayern, and above all, on what really matters: the Confederations Cup.

[andychar]

32 minutes ago, noikeee said:

Congratulations on the Champions League, on the quadruple, on the 11-1 and 8-1 insane demolishings of Leverkusen and Bayern, and above all, on what really matters: the Confederations Cup.

Why thank you. Its not quite help lay to rest the demons of the defeat to Portugal but its a start!

[The Malazan Empire]

Great fun following his thread. Love the dry humour throughout. Wish my kids would allow me 5 seconds to get a save going

[steff91]

On 11/13/2017 at 08:25, andychar said:

Cant wait for people to get KMed in Karate Manager 2018. Although I've read people are annoyed you hardly ever get a son join the academy. 

The Introduction!

As promised these are the leagues I will be starting with but depending on where I end up Leagues will be removed and added throughout the game. (Can anybody remember a time when you couldn't do that. We were like cavemen!).

The most amazing thing about this save will be this...

2 full stars! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect 2 stars. Sure I had to uninstall Sim City and the Sims and the old FM and pretty much every single thing from my laptop but my God its worth it!

*Record scratch* So this is me. Bet you're wondering how I got here...

I did what any normal person trying to get a job does. I applied for literally everything.

Personally I've got my eye on that Everton job. 

So I wasn't even considered for an interview for most jobs. Which came as a complete surprise to everybody. But I was able to get an interview at Coruna B. Never managed a B side before so that could be interesting. I also had an interview the same day with Solihull Moors of the National Conference. Surprised I had an interview that high up but wasn't complaining.

You know the drill with interviews. Two completely different teams in two completely different countries yet they asked exactly the same question. I mean I was slightly offended Solihull Moors asked me if not being able to speak the language will be a problem but oh well.

Interview with Coruna B went well then it was a quick hop onto the plane before I even had the chance to say Adios.

From here it was now just a waiting game...

 

 

Do u think that uninstalling games actually helps the star rating of games? Out of sheer curiosity,i may do the same...

[andychar]

7 hours ago, The Malazan Empire said:

Great fun following his thread. Love the dry humour throughout. Wish my kids would allow me 5 seconds to get a save going

The key is to completely ignore your kids and hope they don't kill themselves 

4 hours ago, steff91 said:

Do u think that uninstalling games actually helps the star rating of games? Out of sheer curiosity,i may do the same...

To be honest I didn't have a yard stick to measure it against but I'm happy with the performance so far even 9 seasons and quite a few league loaded in. I'm recommend freeing up as much space as possible an probably defraging the computer before starting a big save.

[steff91]

Just now, andychar said:

The key is to completely ignore your kids and hope they don't kill themselves 

To be honest I didn't have a yard stick to measure it against but I'm happy with the performance so far even 9 seasons and quite a few league loaded in. I'm recommend freeing up as much space as possible an probably defraging the computer before starting a big save.

No worries m8,was just curious tbh after reading that as i have a similar kinda setup going just now myself.

[andychar]

World Cup 2026

I'm not going to bore you with the details of qualifying. 

It was easy.

Just the one goal conceded and 8 wins from 8.

Tricky group but after the previous Summer I was ready to take anybody on.

England 3-0 Belgium - It was a cagey opening with neither side really wanting to force the issue. It took a piece of individual brilliance to break the deadlock. Rashford skipped passed a few players before slotting home. After that there was only one side in it. We made the pressure count by doubling the lead in the second half before adding gloss onto the finish. Perfect start.

England 3-0 Uruguay - On paper it was our toughest opponent but in reality it was the easiest game. Uruguay never really got into it. Two goals in 7 minutes effectively rendered the game over and once again we added a 3rd late on. Qualification assured which meant we could rest players for the final game.

England 2-1 Morocco - I chopped and changed for this match and it showed with some disjointed performances. We took the lead from a corner early on but never really kicked on from there. In fact Morocco were the better side and really deserved their equaliser. It was a flat second half, we didn't care about the result and Morocco knew a point was enough to see them through. I felt guilty when we grabbed the winner in the end. 

Morocco did enough however and were the surprise of the group. 3 wins from 3 for us meant I had a 100% record as England manager. If I kept that up we would be World Champions. 

Chile awaited in the last 16.

England 6-0 Chile - Weird game. For the first half hour it was an even game. Then as soon as the first goal went in Chile heads dropped. 3 goals in each half. We probably didn't deserve the big result but I wasn't going to complain! We looked invincible.

Brazil needed Penalties while Colombia shocked Argentina. Mexico got the better of their fierce rivals Spain while Morocco continued their fairy tale World Cup.

Next up for us was Italy after they beat Germany. Either way it was going to be a tricky quarter final.

England 1-3 Italy - This wasn't meant to happen. We were looking invincible! It was the first game I'd lost as England manager and we were awful. We conceded early on and never got going. They made it 2 midway through the second half and it looked like we were going out with a whimper. Alli gave us hope with 6 minutes to go and while we threw everything at them they hit us on the counter to destroy English hearts. No complaints whatsoever! Fingers crossed a quarter final appearance was enough to keep my job because I still have a lot of unfinished business in Europe.

Brazil needed penalties for the second round in a row but they were in the semis. Morocco went out with a bang. Mexico caused another shock by knocking out Portugal. World Number 1 England were out.

Mexico were the shock finalist but fell at the final hurdle. Holland finally lifted the World Cup (something which will please a number of members here!).

Was a quarter final appearance enough to keep my job? Looking at the screenshots might give you a massive clue.

1 defeat in 2 years was enough to seal my fate.

The screenshots also give a big clue as to where I ended up.

Apparently a semi final appearance isn't good enough for Brazil. I was happy to get out of Europe despite my unfinished business.

The question now is where did I end up domestically?

[andychar]

Yeah...you'll do.

So after being rejected by Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, PSG and Tottenham Hotspur I was resigned to taking a "lesser" job.

Champions of Germany. Not a bad place to end up but not one I was expecting in the slightest. Its weird taking over a club which is younger than myself.

Team, Transfers, Expectations and all that Jazz to follow!

[andychar]

Mass Exodus

So it turns out RBL aren't a massive club in the grand scheme of things.

I hadn't even walked through the door and already players were telling me about their desire to leave.

I'm a manager who thinks if a player doesn't want to be here, I don't want them here either so I didn't stand in the way of anybody leaving as long as I got a decent transfer for them.

Luckily as well my transfer revenue stood at 100% meaning any money made I could put straight back into finding a replacement.

I'll let the screenshots do the talking!

More players who left.

I'll go over the key transfers here.

First of all I was annoyed at having to lose Abraham Mohammad. A keeper who I actually looked to sign for Juventus. He was a 4 star young keeper and I'm annoyed because he had an already existing minimum release clause which was met by Bayern Munich.

I replaced him with a gamble from Argentina. Cajon came with a mini price tag compared to his predecessor.

Another player I had no say in leaving was Sinoe who left for his minimum release clause of 86m.

It meant I could bring an old favourite to the club.

Gallimore had turned into the striker I knew he could be and we were able to snatch him for 66m.

A few of those players actually came in January including this guy.

He cost 78m from Arsenal. The scout had his Potential Ability as 4 star. I feel I've made a massive mistake but oh well.

Another January transfer was this guy. He was due to come at the end of his contract but I thought it was worth spending 3.4m to get him now.

Not going to lie. Probably the greatest signing I've ever done!

Best of the rest include...

At 38m an expensive transfer but he would sore up the defence quite well.

He was transfer listed and brought in mainly for squad depth if nothing else.

Another experienced player brought in for depth.

It left my squad looking like this (again a few January transfers included).

Not going to lie I'm hoping RBL is just a one season wonder but in the off chance I am here for more than one season by first job is to cull as many people as possible as the squad is far far too big.

That's after everybody had left as well!

I wasn't expected a lot in Europe but the board wanted a good domestic season. It would all really come down to which Bayern turned up this season.

 

[andychar]

A Taste of Everything

3 games in the first month and 3 different competitions.

We started with the German Super Cup against Cup Winner Bourissa Monchenbunchgengladh BMG.

Wooooo! I'm a winner!

BMG 0-4 RBL - Technically this was an away game which made the win all the sweeter. We started like a house on fire and never really stopped from there. Werner (who amazingly is only 30 even though it feels like he's been playing since the 90s) started us off before a bit of a dodgy penalty gave us breathing room. A 3rd soon followed then the game fell flat. It was over as a contest and both teams just went through the motions. We were able to grab a 4th and secure a nice early trophy. Even though the board didn't really care.

Eichede 0-9 RBL - A result and scoreline which was pretty much expected. Our hosts weren't even in the German football league therefore it's hard to get excited about the big scoreline. If anything I was disappointed we didn't get 10. Beggars can be choosers and I wanted 10!

RBL 6-1 Frankfurt - After what seemed an age the German league finally started and really it couldn't have started any better. A complete performance with only one negative. The game was 2-1 at Half Time with Frankfurt grabbing a goal just before the break but we maintain our concentration and really stuck it to them in the second half. 5 different goal scorers and a brilliant start to the season. Must not let it go to my head but we are going to win every game this season.

I'll not bore you with the league table after one game...we were top.

[andychar]

A Sign of Things to Come

We had a positive start to build on.

Kaiserslautern 3-3 RBL - A bit of a frustrating game this one. We were 3-1 up and looking comfortable at half time. I was telling the team how happy I was then disaster in the second half. They didn't really outplay us, we still had chances it just we forgot how to take them. They only mustered 3 meaningful chances but took them, can't really argue but it was very frustrating.

At this point I should probably mention we drew Arsenal, Inter and Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League, tricky but we should qualify. 

Arsenal 2-1 RBL - No complaints about this result either. Arsenal were the better team. We were 1-1 for awhile but it always had the sense of us holding on. We stopped holding on with 20 minutes to go. Not the worst result in the World we still have a good chance at finishing top. We just needed to get the results against Inter and Kiev.

Schalke 1-2 RBL - We were lucky here. We went behind quite early on and were second best throughout the first half. We were lucky to only be 1-0 down at half time. Luckily we picked up the pace in the second half but we were left quite frustrated throughout. Gallimore got his first goal in RBL colours and then grabbed his second at the death to snatch all 3 points. I wasn't going to complain but it had been a worrying start.

RBL 2-1 Wolfsburg - Once again we weren't convincing in the slightest. At what point do I stop being happy with picking up 3 points and start demanding performances (when hell freezes over!) 3 points is 3 points. That being said we were 2-0 up and cruising but Wolfsburg halved the lead with 25 minutes to go and really went for the throat. I shut up shop and we defended well. My heart can't take this all season, not after the ease of Juventus!

Augsburg 1-2 RBL - Another 2-1 and another heart in mouth game. The team is relatively knew once they gel we could start really dominating. Once again we were 2-0 up here and with 14 minutes to go I was sure it was over. Then 3 minutes later Augsburg grabbed a goal and started putting us under pressure. Then with 4 minutes to go we conceded a penalty and I was ready to say bye bye to 3 points. Luckily the penalty was ballooned over the bar and we had survived a scare. I'm going to start drinking a bottle of whiskey before games just so I can get through them.

RBL 3-0 Inter - Finally a performance I can be proud of. A great result in the Champions League. We started quick and for once actually looked solid at the back. Once we made it 2 we didn't stop and quickly made it 3, eliminating any worry of a potential comeback. It keeps us in control in Europe. Despite everything it had been a good month.

Cant argue with the start although Leverkusen are looking good, banging goals in for fun. Only 2 teams remain unbeaten which shows how competitive this league could be.

 

 

[andychar]

A bit of German Efficiency

2nd in the league but still heading in the right direction.

That'll do pig.

RBL 3-0 Freiburg - We built on a good win over Inter by keeping up in the league. A kind screw up by then put us in the driving seat then 2 identical headers from corners in 3 minutes put the game to bed. I'm happy we are killing off teams and not letting them back in with a shout.

Mainz 0-3 RBL - Another comfortable win although the final score probably wasn't a fair reflection. The half way was a none starter really, neither team really got going. We were able to strike early in the second half and I was hoping that was going to be it but Mainz really gave it a go. They had a few chances but nothing we couldn't deal with. Gallimore netted an unlikely hattrick with 2 goals in stoppage time to make things seem a lot more comfy than they were. Oh well. I seem to be doing a lot of moaning for a winning team.

Dynamo Kiev 1-4 RBL - We would be expecting to win this game and I was happy to go with form. We were already 4-0 up before they break the duck egg. 3 second half goals in 6 minutes really killed them off. We dominated throughout, it was enough to keep us above Inter in 3rd but below Arsenal in top.

RBL 2-0 Leverkusen - The first real big test of the season and we passed with flying colours. The first half was a good contest, both sides creating chances and it could have been any score, reality was it was 0-0. We have a tendency of starting quick in halves and that happened again. We took control from then on, defending well while still maintaining an attacking presence. We doubled the lead with 20 minutes to go and killed the game off. Professional performance.

Bielefeld 4-9 RBL - A cup game for the ages! I can't remember what happened in this game other than goal after goal after goal. It was brilliant to watch, every highlight was a goal. Once again we scored 9 in the cup against lower league opponents. On we march but Bielefeld will be very happy they were apart of a classic. No surprises it broke all sorts of records.

Stuttgart 0-2 RBL - The perfect month was completed thanks to a simple win away to Stuttgart. We never really looked in trouble, a far cry defensive from the cup game which was good to see. Another professional performance and players showing encouraging signs they have started to gel.

It left the table looking like this.

Important win against Leverkusen means we are top by 3 points. Look at Bayern down in 9th!

[ManUtd1]

Someone else joining the evil empire? 

[noikeee]

Ah, nothing like a relaxing, no-pressure job like the Brazilian national team to chill out after the madness of England. 

Also, just the usual 9-4 win eh? Good luck in Germany. And in Brazil.

[DarkSleeper]

Could u post a screenshot of Rashford plz? As he was a total beast for your England side. I'm curious, thanks!

[kidthekid]

Just caught up. Nice progress. Shame about England, one bad game and they sack you. 

[andychar]

17 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

Someone else joining the evil empire? 

Every game I play I feel the darkness spreading inside me. Send on order 66! I mean number 66.

17 hours ago, noikeee said:

Ah, nothing like a relaxing, no-pressure job like the Brazilian national team to chill out after the madness of England. 

Also, just the usual 9-4 win eh? Good luck in Germany. And in Brazil.

Yeah it seems I like torture. Not I'll spend decades in San Marino torture but something else.

8 hours ago, kidthekid said:

Just caught up. Nice progress. Shame about England, one bad game and they sack you. 

I know picky buggers! You lose one little game at the biggest tournament in the World. Geez!

12 hours ago, DarkSleeper said:

Could u post a screenshot of Rashford plz? As he was a total beast for your England side. I'm curious, thanks!

There ya go mate.

Suppose can call it steady at best.

[andychar]

German Domination!

Well kinda.

RBL 5-0 Dynamo Kiev - No surprises here. Kiev were always going to the whipping boys in this group and we took them to the cleaners. We didn't really need to get out of first gear. A nice simple straight forward win to kick off the month. I toyed with resting players ahead of the Bayern game but didn't want to risk missing out on top spot.

RBL 1-1 Bayern Munich - Damn I knew I should have rested players. This was a frustrating result because we were actually the better team from start to finish. A lapse in concentration at the back allowed them to equalise and we couldn't find the goal to put us back in the lead. I wanted to beat them badly after the number of times they have turned me down but it wasn't meant to be. Next time suckers!

Berlin-Kopenick Dammfeld 1-3 RBL - Wow I bet the chants from roll off the tongue! I rested players ahead of the game against Arsenal but the back ups got the job done against a team who were tipped for relegation. Abate hasn't played much/at all so it was good for him to get a hattrick. Not worked his way into my plans but good for him.

RBL 1-1 Arsenal - Bad result. It means we can't finish top but it also means we have qualified. The final game against Inter is nice and pointless. Just what we want! We had most of the ball but just didn't do anything with it. We had most of the chances but they were half chances, nothing major. Arsenal took the lead against the run of play and it was enough for them to then sit back and defend. We grabbed a deserved equaliser late on but it wasn't enough. Its going to be tricky in the next round now.

RBL 6-4 Dortmund - What a game this was. We were 4-2 down at half time after a dismal first half. It seemed the Continental hangover was affecting us more than it was them. I gave my players a good boot up the backside at half time and boy did they listen. 3 goals in 11 minutes completely turned the game on its head and we were able to hammer home the initiative. Brilliant second half after a shoddy first. Left the month happy.

It meant the table looked like this.

Koln were the somewhat surprise package but not as much as Bayern down in 9th. 4 point gap and still unbeaten.

[andychar]

Carry On

4 points clear in the League, this was the month to really take control.

RBL 3-1 Nurnberg - Good win. Nothing massively special about it. We went 2-0 up and looked good, we conceded a sloppy goal against the run of play but we never really looked like conceding again, Zobnin who hasn't seen much playing time added a insurance goal in stoppage time. Another 3 points.

BMG 1-2 RBL - We were lucky here. BMG took the lead in the first half and were in control. We looked a bit flat and didn't really get going. I was annoyed because we were losing our unbeaten run. Then somehow we managed an equaliser. It was against the run of play but I was happy to come away with a point then we stole all 3 points. I felt guilty for like half a second. Brilliant result and completely undeserved!

Inter 0-0 RBL - Neither team was bothered about this game, it meant nothing. We played a weak team and I would guess they did the same. Overall it was a good point away from home but my heart wasn't in it. In fact they had to drag me onto the plane in the first place. I can't remember the last time I was involved in a 0-0! It wasn't fun.

RBL 2-0 Hamburg - We seem to be going through a mini patch where we are snatching points rather than earning them. Its a cliche that Champions find a way to win when they aren't at their best and that's exactly what we did here. We had chances but weren't finding the target and it looked like it was going to be a 0-0. We finally grabbed the breakthrough and Hamburg let their heads drop. A second gave us a good cushion. Not great performance but we march on.

Koln 1-4 RBL - A great response to a lacklustre month so far. Koln had been the surprise package but offered very little against us. It was already 3-0 when they took the duck egg off the score sheet but it didn't really change the dynamic of the game. Good performance and it was good to increase the gap at the top.

RBL 4-0 Hoffenheim - 2 goals in each half was more than enough for all 3 points and we had found our form once again. We weren't just grinding results out but destroying teams. The players had gelled brilliantly and it was going to take something massive to cost us now. Even at this early stage of the season.

Braunschweig 1-4 RBL - We have been very lucky in our draws in the Cup and haven't faced anybody in the top division yet. It was the last game before the Winter Break so I wasn't going to rest anybody. I was expecting a bigger margin of win but can't complain with hitting 4 goals for the 3rd time in a row. Maybe players were already on holiday mentally. On wards we march and we were beginning to forget what losing feels like.

Table halfway through the season looked like this.

Bayern had finally found some form but we were looking unbeatable. 9 points clear and it would be disasterous if we were to drop it now.

In the Champions League we drew Real Madrid. I'm not looking forward to that in the slightest.

 

[BoxToBox]

Running away with it, nice!

[andychar]

16 minutes ago, BoxToBox said:

Running away with it, nice!

Yeah it reminds me of my first year at Juventus. Domestically looking too strong but in Europe I don't fancy my chances!

Winter Break? I want my Football!

Not a fan of the Winter Break, best time of the year for football. I was bored! I'm not going to go over January transfers because I covered it with the start of the season transfers.

January wasn't a busy month!

Assistant Manager not a nice win in a friendly to bridge the gap. We got 2 injuries so I wasn't impressed!

RBL 5-0 Kaiserslautern - Well worth the wait! 3 strikers combining for 5 goals always makes me smile. Timo Werner was blowing hot and cold before the break so fingers crossed this is the start of him turning things around. The damage was done in the first half really. A result that wasn't going to surprise many people but you can only beat what's put in front of you.

Frankfurt 0-4 RBL - Another strong performance and the guys have come off the break looking good! Again all 3 strikers score and the game was over after 20 minutes. We never looked in trouble and only added to the lead. If we carried on like this then the league title will be in the bag with plenty of time to go.

RBL 3-1 Schalke - It looks convincing but its far from it. Schalke took the lead and really took the game to us. Maybe recent performances let to a bit of cockyness either way we struggled. We got our act together in the second half and managed to turn the game completely around in 5 second half minutes. Kunene added the security with 10 minutes to go. Not the greatest performance ever but we have shown numerous times this season our ability to come from behind.

Table time!

Bayern continued their resurgent albeit far too late to worry us. Massive gap at the top which means we can start resting players ahead of Champions League.

[andychar]

Before I update February I need to tell you a tale.

Facundo Cajon is the Goalkeeper I bought at the start of the season. We bought him for 5m and he has been a demon between the sticks. 

He rightly came to me in February and asked for a new contract to better reflect his importance to the team. 

I was more than happy to give him one. Problem was his agent. 

Now Cajon is worth 26m and his Agent was demanding a minimum release clause of 32m. I refused. I couldn't afford to risk losing this keeper for not much more than his worth.

Cajon wasn't happy.

Unfortunately for me he always wasn't happy with me because he wasn't offered a new contract. 

I apologised and told him he would be offered a new contract right away.

Turns out Cajon himself also wanted a 32m minimum release clause!

Reigned to the fact I would have to have at least something in there I tried to increase it...to 60m. 

Cajon made it 32m non negotiable. Nope!

Cajon was livid my promises were repeatedly being broken.

The team was livid with my treatment of Cajon. 

Now the entire team hates me and its all because of a little promise to a goalkeeper. 

Best part is Cajon still has 4 years left on his contract...you aint going anywhere sunshine.

[Timetxu]

4 minutes ago, andychar said:

Before I update February I need to tell you a tale.

Facundo Cajon is the Goalkeeper I bought at the start of the season. We bought him for 5m and he has been a demon between the sticks. 

He rightly came to me in February and asked for a new contract to better reflect his importance to the team. 

I was more than happy to give him one. Problem was his agent. 

Now Cajon is worth 26m and his Agent was demanding a minimum release clause of 32m. I refused. I couldn't afford to risk losing this keeper for not much more than his worth.

Cajon wasn't happy.

Unfortunately for me he always wasn't happy with me because he wasn't offered a new contract. 

I apologised and told him he would be offered a new contract right away.

Turns out Cajon himself also wanted a 32m minimum release clause!

Reigned to the fact I would have to have at least something in there I tried to increase it...to 60m. 

Cajon made it 32m non negotiable. Nope!

Cajon was livid my promises were repeatedly being broken.

The team was livid with my treatment of Cajon. 

Now the entire team hates me and its all because of a little promise to a goalkeeper. 

Best part is Cajon still has 4 years left on his contract...you aint going anywhere sunshine.

See, these kind of things just make want to reload the game without saving. Not losing a match in the 90+4th minute, but these kind of things. You're just trying to get the best for everyone out of this and then everyone starts behaving like a bunch of babies.

[andychar]

13 minutes ago, Timetxu said:

See, these kind of things just make want to reload the game without saving. Not losing a match in the 90+4th minute, but these kind of things. You're just trying to get the best for everyone out of this and then everyone starts behaving like a bunch of babies.

Tbh as annoying it is I think its quite realistic. Obviously we will never know what happened with Mourinho at Chelsea but he seemed to lose the dressing room overnight. 

Will be interesting to see what happens with him. The dressing room atmosphere hasn't changed and my Managerial Support went down from very good to good so could have been worse I guess.

[noikeee]

First few times I saw this kind of thing happening in FM18 I also panicked thinking, omg I've lost the team over minor ********.

Turns out even having 20 players knocking on your door saying they're unhappy with the way you've treated their team-mate, isn't anywhere near as serious as it sounds. Keep those dressing room / manager support / cohesion bars high and you're absolutely fine.

It can be sometimes a bit puzzling and not intuitive at all, but it is what it is. I also don't like that dynamic of having to promise a player you'll give them a new contract, but then they ask for terms that you deem impossible and you have no choice but to concede, and therefore have "broken a promise" (a very bad thing in FM that you should avoid at all costs). Surely we should know the terms of the promise on the first place? It's a bit awkward and all-or-nothing.

[Timetxu]

Indeed. I've broken promises with players who want to be transferred away. If no clubs show up, they say it's my fault even though they are crap players.

[andychar]

11 minutes ago, Timetxu said:

Indeed. I've broken promises with players who want to be transferred away. If no clubs show up, they say it's my fault even though they are crap players.

 I like that. "Look I've tried, you've tried. Just face it. Nobody wants you. Your a crap footballer. Now get out of my office and get back to scrubbing those toilets"

 

24 minutes ago, noikeee said:

First few times I saw this kind of thing happening in FM18 I also panicked thinking, omg I've lost the team over minor ********.

Turns out even having 20 players knocking on your door saying they're unhappy with the way you've treated their team-mate, isn't anywhere near as serious as it sounds. Keep those dressing room / manager support / cohesion bars high and you're absolutely fine.

It can be sometimes a bit puzzling and not intuitive at all, but it is what it is. I also don't like that dynamic of having to promise a player you'll give them a new contract, but then they ask for terms that you deem impossible and you have no choice but to concede, and therefore have "broken a promise" (a very bad thing in FM that you should avoid at all costs). Surely we should know the terms of the promise on the first place? It's a bit awkward and all-or-nothing.

Yeah that happened in February and in now in May and nothing really bad has come from it. Keeper is still mad but oh well.

I agree with what you have said there should be more options as to why you haven't given a new contract. And many other things like it. Interaction is getting there but its still a long way off perfect.

[BoxToBox]

1 hour ago, andychar said:

Turns out Cajon himself also wanted a 32m minimum release clause!

Reigned to the fact I would have to have at least something in there I tried to increase it...to 60m. 

Cajon made it 32m non negotiable. Nope!

Every single time.

Non-negotiable release clause = non-negotiable contract.

[noikeee]

1 hour ago, BoxToBox said:

Every single time.

Non-negotiable release clause = non-negotiable contract.

Yeah but sometimes players/agents lock the clause from their first offer, and there's nothing you can do about it, other than maybe negotiate the value of it.

[BoxToBox]

3 minutes ago, noikeee said:

Yeah but sometimes players/agents lock the clause from their first offer, and there's nothing you can do about it, other than maybe negotiate the value of it.

Like I said, non-negotiable, no contract.

[kingjericho]

Just let him run his current contract. If you reach the last year of contract then you'll decide if it's best to renew him and have a possible sale for £32m.

[andychar]

I removed and excluded the minimum, he wanted more money which I gave now hes all smiles 

[Timetxu]

1 minute ago, andychar said:

I removed and excluded the minimum, he wanted more money which I gave now hes all smiles 

What a baby. But he's your baby now.

[noikeee]

8 minutes ago, BoxToBox said:

Like I said, non-negotiable, no contract.

Well, this was exactly what he did here and it still gave him an unhappy player with a broken promise... the problem is that when a player comes cry to you that he "deserves a new contract", and you have to decide to either promise him a contract or not, you have no way of knowing whether he'll slap a non-negotiable clause or not...

I'm a bit more flexible than you and decide on a case by case basis, I've agreed to some release clauses if I feel they're high enough that it still gives me a very big profit if the player comes good. But if they insist on a clause near their market value like this, there's no way I'll agree.

[noikeee]

2 minutes ago, andychar said:

I removed and excluded the minimum, he wanted more money which I gave now hes all smiles 

[BoxToBox]

6 minutes ago, noikeee said:

Well, this was exactly what he did here and it still gave him an unhappy player with a broken promise... the problem is that when a player comes cry to you that he "deserves a new contract", and you have to decide to either promise him a contract or not, you have no way of knowing whether he'll slap a non-negotiable clause or not...

I'm a bit more flexible than you and decide on a case by case basis, I've agreed to some release clauses if I feel they're high enough that it still gives me a very big profit if the player comes good. But if they insist on a clause near their market value like this, there's no way I'll agree.

Ah, the trick is to have a quick look at "offer new contract" before you enter the conversation. That way you'll know if he'll demand a release clause or not.

 

[andychar]

Apparently there was Football in February

It seemed I spent the month trying to plaster over the cracks of my team. Apparently we played some football as well.

One of those results isn't like the other.

Wolfsburg 1-3 RBL - We were looking invincible and this performance was a perfect example. They scored with last kick of the game to save me paying a clean sheet bonus but other than that it was a perfect performance. We looked dangerous going forward and were solid at the back. Everything was moving into place.

RBL 4-0 Hannover - Another cup game, another game against lower league opposition. To say I've been lucky is an understatement although I fancy our chances at beating anybody at the moment. Hannover weren't a problem, they were very clearly out of their depth. We didn't need to get out of second gear. Tar very much...moving on.

RBL 4-0 Augsburg - Vandi's first goal for the club and he is looking amazing already. Even when he's not scoring he always seems involved. He could be the next big thing. I've had a good eye for great young strikers this save, something that shocks me. Straight forward game allows me extra time to rest players ahead of a massive game against Real Madrid (I have a good feeling about it).

Freiburg 1-2 RBL - My reserves left it late, I even had to throw on Werner! Not a great performance, can tell it was a team that's not used to playing together but I wanted to rest as many players ahead of the Champions League. I would say we just about deserved the winner although it was still cruel on Freiburg. Still undefeated in the league. I'm starting to smell an unbeaten season.

RBL 0-4 Real Madrid - Ouch. My pride. Well would you believe me if I told you this was a really even game? I've had it go my way before where everything just seems to go in, this time I was on the receiving end and truth be told, it sucked balls. Horrible game to watch, lost for words. Can we still go through? That will be a big fat no. Still a few things to focus on this season at least.

RBL 2-0 Mainz - Good response if not brilliant. We did what we needed to do really. Defended well, took the chances when they came. Everything still felt a bit flat after midweek.

Table won't surprise you...only the fact I forgot to take a screenshot...spoiler alert...we are still top.

 

[andychar]

I just hope after all that hardship he turns out to be bloody worth it!

[andychar]

Good Vibes

Champions League has gone but I've still got the prospect of an unbeaten Season and the German cup although drawing Bayern away wasn't the best of draws. For once I'd like a bit of luck with the draws! God!

Where's all the green!

Leverkusen 3-0 RBL - What's that? Its getting closer and closer, it looks hard. BANG. That's the sound of us crashing the ground. What a horrible game to watch. They destroyed us from start to finish. They did score 2 late goals but not once did we look like we were going to contest this game. Unbeaten season over with a whimper. Still massive lead at the top and the title will be coming home.

RBL 2-0 Stuttgart - I found very little point in resting players for the Madrid game so I didn't. At 2-0 after 15 minutes I wanted more but it seems the lads couldn't be arsed. Game was won they just wanted to go through the motions. Wasn't a fantastic game but 3 points are 3 points and one step closer to the title.

Real Madrid 2-2 RBL - Great effort and we were only 4 goals off going through in the end. We went behind really early and I was fearing the worse but fair play we kept plugging away, equalising quickly. We did actually have some chances but failed to take them. Vandi gave us a brief lifeline in the second half. We looked like we were at least going to win the tie but Madrid had other ideas equalising in the last few minutes. Good effort but the first leg was the killer.

Bayern Munich 1-1 RBL - More frustration against Bayern! We outclassed them from roughly the 20th minute to the end. It has nothing to do with the fact they were reduced to 10 men on roughly the 20th minute. Honestly. We huffed and puffed before grabbing a goal just before the half. In the second half Bayern came into it a bit more but we never looked threatened. We missed some chances to take the game away from Bayern but fluffed them. Then typically in the 94th minute Bayern got a corner and managed to convert it. Points shared.

Rough month saw my lead reduced to only 12 with 7 games to go. Worrying times.

[noikeee]

1 hour ago, andychar said:

Rough month saw my lead reduced to only 12 with 7 games to go. Worrying times.

Or 13, even. Still a critical, difficult situation, of course.

[andychar]

9 minutes ago, noikeee said:

Or 13, even. Still a critical, difficult situation, of course.

I would go back and edit it...but the World needs to see my stupidity.

I'm that worried about the 13 point lead I've lost basic math.

[andychar]

Finishing The Job

The title was becoming a formality, the only thing left to do was secure the double.

Doesn't really get much better in the league.

RBL 5-0 Berlin-Kopenick Dammfeld - As straightforward as a win as possible. We took a bit of time to get going here and after hitting the woodwork 3 times in the opening 30 minutes I was beginning to think it was one of those games! Fortunetly we finally hit the back of the net, from there it was easy. Heads dropped and we hammered home the difference in quality. It was top v bottom so no surprises at all.

Dortmund 0-4 RBL - Now this was a great result. My strikers really coming up trumps although admittedly 4-0 was a bit flattering thanks too 2 late goals. We got off to the perfect start taking advantage of some early dominance. Dortmund did come into the game and it was a fairly open contest until we doubled the lead. We controlled from then on and were now 1 win again from the league title.

Nurnberg 0-3 RBL - As you can see from the stats it wasn't a straightforward win. We took our chances while they didn't, that was the difference between the two teams. Nothing else needs to be said that isn't in the screenshot.

Yeah boy!

RBL 3-0 BMG - We finished this month's league fixtures with another clean sheet and another comfortable win. I rested as many players as possible ahead of the Cup Semi Final against Bayern. The reserves came up with the goods. It was a boring first half with very few chances. The second half wasn't an improvement but we took our chances. Happy manager and brilliant form ahead of a big game.

So we finished the month with a Cup Semi Final away to Bayern, we have been held twice by 2 late goals so I was aching for revenge.

Bayern Munich 3-1 RBL - The better team won. No arguments. We haven't played this badly for a while and I can have no complaints. Bayern destroyed us in the first half and we were lucky to only be 2-0 down at half time. We grabbed an early second half goal and I honestly thought we could come back but Bayern exerted their dominance once again. We were init until the last 3 minutes when they hit us with a counter to put the game beyond doubt. No Double for us and it will be a flat end to the season.

Hamburg 1-2 RBL - Not going to lie, couldn't give two monkeys about the next 3 games. We went behind here and I thought it was the hangover of the poor Bayern performance. We equalised quickly though and took control of the game. A comical own goal was enough for all 3 points.

RBL 2-2 Koln - Disappointing way to end the home fixtures, once again we went down early and this time it required a kick up the bum at half time. A great second half performance turned the game around and we were well on our way to 3 points. A lack of concentration at the death cost us as Koln equalised with the last kick of the game. Disappointing but wouldn't lose any sleep.

Hoffenheim 2-3 RBL - I love a good cliche and this was a game of 2 halves. 3 goals in very quick sucession gave us a much deserved lead. Then the players decided to mentally go on holiday. 3-0 became 3-1 and then very quickly became 3-2. In the end we were hanging on for dear life. This time we managed to cling on to secure the points and finish the season on a high note.

The final table looked like this.

Very easy in the end with that 1 defeat away to Leverkusen. 2nd time I've been one game away from an unbeaten season. 

Disappointment in the cups both Continental and Domestically. 

I will be happy to leave but if I have to stay here at least I have something to build on.

[andychar]

Managerial Carousel

Before an International Interlude and the Copa America I thought I'd very quickly update on the managerial carousel in the Summer.

At the end of the season Chelsea, Manchester City, Juventus, PSG, Real Madrid and Manchester United were all insecure jobs.

I had to laugh at City. They finished 4th which normally would be Champions League qualification. Except Manchester United finished 5th...and went onto win the Champions League. To make matters worse Chelsea finished 6th...and went onto win the Europa League. So despite finishing 4th they are the only team to finish in the Top 6 and will not play Champions League football next season.

Any way I digress!

Out of all of those insure jobs only one became available in the Summer.

Chelsea. 

So are you now looking at the new manager of Chelsea FC?

No.

I didn't even get an interview!

I was ready to call some BS on it but in the end Diego Simeone got the job. Sure I should have at least had an interview but at least somebody decent with a good CV got it. 

So another season at RBL it is. At least I have the German Cup and the Champions League to aim for, as well as making it 4 titles in 5 years.

[andychar]

International Interlude

Copa America 2027

Turns out outside competitive fixtures Brazil don't play much.

In the full season I had 3 games.

Brazil 3-1 Argentina - Brazil and Argentina play at a neutral venue once a year in the Superclasico. In the most blatant attempt to make money ever seen. We started slow here and were rightfully behind quite early on. We took control of the game in the second half but never really looked like troubling the keeper. I rolled the dice and threw on some subs to little effect. Then a stupid defensive error allowed us back into the game. The penalty turned the game and suddenly we were driving forward. The turn around was complete 5 minutes later and we tacked on a late goal for good measure. Very encouraging start.

Brazil 5-1 Mexico - I wanted to take on Mexico as they had reached the final of the World Cup I was left wondering how. We were 5-0 up at half time after completely tearing them a new one. Only time they touched the ball was kick off and the goalie picking the ball out of the back of the net. The second half was a none starter. None of my players were bothered anymore as the game was very much already won. 

Brazil 2-2 Holland - After destroying the beaten finalist I turned my attention to the World Champions. This was a much better game. We took the lead only for it to disappear 2 minutes later. Both sides had decent chances but couldn't find the net. I thought we had won it with 15 minutes to go but once again 2 minutes later we were pegged back and the sides shared the spoils. Fair result really and it maintains my unbeaten start as Brazil manager.

So with friendlies out the way it was time for the Copa America.

In comparison to others we were handed a very easy group and really should have no problems advancing.

And that was very much the case.

Brazil 4-0 Costa Rica B - Costa Rica B gave us a good run for our money in the first half, they had the better chances and really should have taken the lead on more than one occasion. We made them pay for the missed chances just before the half. Scoring 5 minutes before and after the half really killed the game off, we were able to pad out the score a bit in the second half but it really could have been differently. Maybe the A side wouldn't have wasted the chances!

Brazil 0-0 Mexico B - The B side of Mexico gave us more of a game than the A side could have possibly dreamed of. It wasn't a great game with chances few and far between for 90 minutes. It was a game were both sides knew they were going to be advancing and they seemed to have an unwritten agreement not to try too hard against each other, try and save energy. Either that or both sides were on the razz last night. Either way poor game to which neither side deserved a point.

Brazil 4-1 Venezuela - We still needed a point to guarantee qualification but that was no problem. The game was over as a contest after just 12 minutes. It gave me chacne to rest some key players. They were the better side in the 2nd half as I told my players to go steady. Professional performance and enough to not only qualify but to bag top as well.

The observant of you will notice that teams haven't changed order from when I showed the groups...that's because it's the same screenshot. I left off the Q's to leave the element of surprise and suspense! Dun dun dun!

Knockout rounds next.

 

[andychar]

Copa America 2027

We faced Ecuador in the Quarter Final to which I wasn't really worried. 

Brazil 3-0 Ecuador - It took 5 minutes for me to stop caring about the game and start looking at Reddit on my phone. Easy game really. Ecuador never really threatened. I was about to make some changes at half time and tell the players to rest up ahead of the Semi Final. Not much else to say really. Straightforward, just the way I like it.

No real surprises. Argentina beat Chile, Colombia v Uruguay was always going to be hard to call. That hard it went to penalties. Mexico B are still in the tournament and that's who we will face in the Semi. Fingers crossed its better than the group game!

It was slightly better.

Brazil 5-0 Mexico B - We really put them to the sword when it really mattered. 2 goals in 3 minutes really had them rattled and it was 4 by the half. Once again it gave me chance to rest and hold back. An unlucky own goal made it 5 but other than that it was a boring second half. In fact in 4 halves of football between these two sides at this tournament only one of them was half decent. Never mind eh. Onto the final.

Argentina made light work of Colombia to set up a mouthwatering final which every Neutral wants.

Mexico B went onto beat Colombia to 3rd place to mark a brilliant tournament for them.

We were the favourites heading in and really there was only one team I was worried about. Argentina.

You know what I was never worried about this.

Brazil 5-2 Argentina - Finally a little bit of pressure taken off my International Shoulders. The first half was unbelievable. We have made a effort this tournament to start fast and that didn't change here. We were 3-0 before Argentina tried to make it a game. But a goal just before half time gave us a 3 goal lead. They made things interesting scoring 3 minutes after the restart but some brilliant defending kept them out. A slick counter attack with 20 minutes to go killed any hopes of a comeback and gave Brazil their first Copa America for 20 years. That'll do pig!

[BoxToBox]

10 minutes ago, andychar said:

Brazil 0-0 Mexico B - The B side of Mexico gave us more of a game than the A side could have possibly dreamed of. It wasn't a great game with chances few and far between for 90 minutes. It was a game were both sides knew they were going to be advancing and they seemed to have an unwritten agreement not to try too hard against each other, try and save energy. Either that or both sides were on the razz last night. Either way poor game to which neither side deserved a point.

To be fair, it's an ideal time for a Ronaldinho tribute.

[andychar]

10 minutes ago, BoxToBox said:

To be fair, it's an ideal time for a Ronaldinho tribute.

Oh man the party he threw after the Copa America win.

[andychar]

Awards and Shizzle

So who was the outstanding player whose going to win every single thing this season?

Yep there we go.

Yeah that's why I wanted him to not have a release clause in his contract!  Speaking of which...

Couldn't forget little old me! Stop stop your embarrassing me...OK keep going

Stop stop your embarrassing me...what do you mean that's it!

Onto next season.

 

[andychar]

Because who doesn't love a spreadsheet!

I took a cut in pay to go to RBL but if winning the cups helps me finally land a money spinning big job then it will all be worth it.