The FM20 Youth Academy Challenge

[darren1983]

14 minutes ago, XaW said:

Had much of the same myself, albeit not as bad. My tactic really went down the drain after the full version came out. Still trying to find something that works...

My keeper, that's been excellent so far, suddenly can't save a single thing. Every shot on target against is a goal. I've no idea what to do to stop it either  

[craigcwwe]

1 minute ago, darren1983 said:

My keeper, that's been excellent so far, suddenly can't save a single thing. Every shot on target against is a goal. I've no idea what to do to stop it either  

You jinxed it when you posted the screenie above.  

[Vipertitan]

Not the best of starts to this challenge start of season

squad   

[darren1983]

11 minutes ago, craigcwwe said:

You jinxed it when you posted the screenie above.  

Was hoping that posting the run of form would help me turn it around - it has not  

[XaW]

Sometimes though, we can FM the game.

Here I won 2-1... with a 94th minute goal.

And this was the goal.

 

Edited November 20, 2019 by XaW

[jstu9]

3 hours ago, Kazushi80 said:

Btw. At the time club vision was announced i knew that in wanted to do the challenge again this year already and in wondered: How will this impact the challenge? Know my board added a new demand to their vision: Sign players, which i obviously can't fulfill. Has someone experienced that in his save and did it have an impact failing there?

 

In my first season my board had a "sign players" vision. They were Devestated iirc but I don't believe it affected anything. The following year they took it off so I haven't had any issues with it.

[jstu9]

44 minutes ago, XaW said:

Had much of the same myself, albeit not as bad. My tactic really went down the drain after the full version came out. Still trying to find something that works...

Funnily enough I feel like when the full game came out, my team finally started scoring. My latest season we actually were scoring goals while my two previous seasons we just could barely score.

[jstu9]

11 minutes ago, XaW said:

Sometimes though, we can FM the game.

Here I won 2-1... with a 94th minute goal.

 

Nice. When I was in the Pro league B, I had a match where I drew 1-1. I had one shot, they had 40 as I recall. I can't go back to take a look, I guess I'm not saving matches back that far.

[Fastbasher]

1 hour ago, darren1983 said:

Can anyone guess when my game updated?  

I know the question was rhetorical, but I'll have a guess anyway. Some time between September 27th and October 1st?

[Fastbasher]

2029/30 Hungarian Division I season review - Putnok

The League

I knew it was going to be tough, but I didn't expect this much struggle. In 20yrs of CM/FM, this is the worst league performance I've had without being sacked. Just 4 draws from 33 games.

Having read Darren's post, can you guess when my game updated

The one positive of the season was another cup run, once again making the semifinals by beating three non league teams and two division II teams along the way. Then for the second time in two seasons, we lost to Kisvárda in the semi. (0-2h, 1-2a)

 

The Players

Our U21 internationals Péter Simon and Roland Vanczák can be proud of their seasons. Vanczák is now described as a leading player for division I. Ádám Varga continued to chip in the goals with 12 in div I, in a team that struggled.

The youth intake was reasonably poor for the second year in a row, but István Kocsis YP30a looks like he could do a job in our quest to go straight back up.

 

Transfers

With values increased due to 1st division status, I managed to offload some squad players for a bit more than they were worth. In hindsight, I may have trimmed it a bit too much.

 

Extra Time

The board have confirmed that we are building a new stadium as part of our 5 year plan. It may take that long.

Our wage bill is very high for div 2, but the highest paid ones want to leave anyway. If we don't go straight back up, it will be a complete rebuild.

The income just for playing in division I is 5.8 million pounds, but only 275k pounds in division II. The gap between teams in each division is huge.

Prize money in both leagues and the cup has gone up to about 6 times the original prize money when I started. The league rep must have increased a lot. Hungary also has two teams in the CL and 3 in Europa now.

We have about 5 players that I would consider top players for division II. It will be important that they stay fit and in form if we want to go back up at the first attempt.

[Novafluff]

I dont have multiple personas! you do!

[schnauzer]

Just won my first manager of the month award for winning every game in December!

[schnauzer]

My star man from my first season moving on to bigger and better things! 

He spent last season at Ebbsfleet in the VNL and now moves to Burton Albion in League One. Go on son.

 

[Kazushi80]

 

They are disappointed that i don't buy players, but still an A+ rating (my first on FM). Second season is great. My players can score goals now. After just 17 league games they've scored the same amount as in the entire season with 38 games last year. Changing my different tactics to a formation with 2 strikers helped a lot. Because of loosing 4 players to retirement my team should be worse, but it's playing so much better.

[OlivierL]

Is it realistic to start a youth challenge with a team that requires ' sign players to sell ' as required club vision item ? (team in iceland)

Do i have a change or will i get the sack after the first season if i don't buy ?

Please advise, otherwise i should look for a different team.

[schnauzer]

Just now, OlivierL said:

Is it realistic to start a youth challenge with a team that requires ' sign players to sell ' as required club vision item ? (team in iceland)

Do i have a change or will i get the sack after the first season if i don't buy ?

Please advise, otherwise i should look for a different team.

From what other people have said it doesn't seem to make a difference

[XaW]

6 hours ago, OlivierL said:

Is it realistic to start a youth challenge with a team that requires ' sign players to sell ' as required club vision item ? (team in iceland)

Do i have a change or will i get the sack after the first season if i don't buy ?

Please advise, otherwise i should look for a different team.

I had that at the start of my save. They were annoyed at that point, but since I delivered on all other points, it didn't matter much, in total I were still rated around B or C for the most part. Now that I had a takeover and a board that has implemented the "develop youth players", I'm A+ no matter how bad we play!

[Soviet]

I have the weirdest Club Culture at Bastia: "Make the most of set pieces". Show me a team that doesn't try make the best of set pieces

Edited November 21, 2019 by Soviet

[Novafluff]

4 minutes ago, Soviet said:

I have the weirdest Club Culture at Bastia: "Make the most of set pieces". Show me a team that doesn't try make the best of set pieces

I have the same. i think it developed out of that my team has been scoring alot of corners while conceding very few

[schnauzer]

10 minutes ago, Soviet said:

I have the weirdest Club Culture at Bastia: "Make the most of set pieces". Show me a team that doesn't try make the best of set pieces

Ah Bastia, I had a great save with them last year! Took them from the 5 tier on a custom DB to Ligue 1. Great club, shame what has happened to them.

[Soviet]

1 hour ago, schnauzer said:

Ah Bastia, I had a great save with them last year! Took them from the 5 tier on a custom DB to Ligue 1. Great club, shame what has happened to them.

You can get them in "legal" playable third tier this year. Time to bring them back to glory! (Using youth only ).

Edited November 21, 2019 by Soviet

[Scab]

St. Ives 2026/27 Season Review

League Table    Playoffs    Youth Intake    Squad    Transfers

Kill me now.

Season    League              Finish   Notes
2026/27   Vanarama North      2nd      Lost in Playoff 2nd Rnd
2025/26   Vanarama North      2nd      Lost in Playoff 2nd Rnd
2024/25   Vanarama North      2nd      Lost in Playoff 2nd Rnd
2023/24   Vanarama North      5th      Lost in Playoff 2nd Rnd
2022/23   Vanarama North      4th      Lost in Playoff 1st Rnd
2021/22   Vanarama North      9th      -
2020/21   Vanarama North      15th     -

 

[Novafluff]

@Scab wow thats really harsh mate! surely you must go up any season now!

[craigcwwe]

That's.....rough! @Scab.

[keeper#1]

1 hour ago, Scab said:

St. Ives 2026/27 Season Review

League Table    Playoffs    Youth Intake    Squad    Transfers

Kill me now.

Season    League              Finish   Notes
2026/27   Vanarama North      2nd      Lost in Playoff 2nd Rnd
2025/26   Vanarama North      2nd      Lost in Playoff 2nd Rnd
2024/25   Vanarama North      2nd      Lost in Playoff 2nd Rnd
2023/24   Vanarama North      5th      Lost in Playoff 2nd Rnd
2022/23   Vanarama North      4th      Lost in Playoff 1st Rnd
2021/22   Vanarama North      9th      -
2020/21   Vanarama North      15th     -

 

You're going the wrong way.  

[Braumiller]

General question for all.

Have you had your reserves and youth teams entered into official reserves/youth leagues and cups in your save?

3 full seasons in now for me, and neither of my squads  have had a single non-friendly game   Thinking I may be bugged.......

[thomas_e]

NK Zadar

Season Update 2024-2025

After three consecutive seasons finishing 7th we saw some progress this year. Halfway through the season we were in absolutely rotten form, and relegation was looming like a dark shadow over NK Zadar. I changed my formation from our offensive 4-2-2-2 to a flat 4-4-2, a formation I almost never play on FM. This put my wingers out of their natural position, but we were leaking goals and had no choice. I also removed most of the team instructions, especially for my "control" formation, but left some of the obvious and simple ones for our more defending/counter one. 

This turned around the season and we started winning again. Might be a stretch to call it winning, but at least not losing every game! 

We ended up in 5th place, 7 points behind HNK Gorica in 4th who got an European spot. We played 1-1 against them away in the last game of the season, which provides some optimism for next year! 

We have a great young goalkeeper in Miljanic, and even though our regular starter Bender won GK of the year (very strange), Miljanic will probably be our first choice next year. He has the potential of becoming Croatias nr.1! 

We will be saying goodbye to our captain and defensive leader, Jure Jerbic. He is retiring, and even though I think I could have persuaded him to take another year, its for the best. His attributes have declined from being by far the best player in the team, to now being a defensive weak link. Some youngsters will get their shot, and that is always exciting! 

We had a good youth intake and Ajdukovic has gone straight into the starting eleven. As a right footed offensive left wing back there isnt really a place for him tactically, so I am re-training him as a right back. 

Some of our other talents who have been out on loan will be included in the first team, as long as I can sell of some of our weaker older players. 

I have to say in a league like this, with many weak teams, the ME is showing some terrible flaws. Basically every chance created is a long ball over the defense with CB's standing and watching. 

 

Summary

          

Key Players

          

Top Prospects

          

 

 

Season	|   League                            |  Position |  League Cup   |        Europe         |   Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2020/21	|   Druga Hrvatska Nogotemna Liga     |  1st      |  Semi-final   |         N/A	          |   Promotion to top division first year
2021/22	|   MaxTV Hrvatska Nogotemna Liga     |  7th      |  2nd round    |         N/A	          |   Stayed in the league. Good first half of the season
2022/23	|   MaxTV Hrvatska Nogotemna Liga     |  7th      |  Semi-final   |         N/A	          |   No improvement on last year, only worse finances
2023/24	|   MaxTV Hrvatska Nogotemna Liga     |  7th      |  Qtr-final    |         N/A	          |   Another 7th place finish
2024/25	|   MaxTV Hrvatska Nogotemna Liga     |  4th      |  Qtr-final    |         N/A	          |   Decent progress, finoshed just outside a European spot

 

[darren1983]

33 minutes ago, Braumiller said:

General question for all.

Have you had your reserves and youth teams entered into official reserves/youth leagues and cups in your save?

3 full seasons in now for me, and neither of my squads  have had a single non-friendly game   Thinking I may be bugged.......

My U18's play in the FA (and Welsh) Youth Cup. My U19s play in the Welsh development league but aside from that it's just friendlies.

[darren1983]

Merther Town Season 2022/23 Review Vanarama National League South

 

League - was a strange season really. We flew out the blocks as we continued last seasons form by winning our first 8 games, in fact we won 13 of our first 15 games. We then only one one of our next 14. A change in formation steadied us and we got better and ended the season in 6th 3 places lower than last year but with more wins and a single point more. You can see from the graph what our season was like. In the playoffs we were away to Oxford City. A 1-1 draw meant it was penalties and a 6-5 win for us saw us through. In the Semi final stage was away to a Maidenhead side we had only lost 1 of 6 games against and had beaten them 5-1 at the start of the season. A tight game as 3 goals in the final 15 minutes was what won it. Sadly it was 2-1 in their favour as we fall at the semi final stage again.

FA Cup - not much to say here, beat one side from league below and lost to another as we started to fall apart

FA Trophy - lost to a Chester side that finished 2nd in the North. Not much to say here

Transfers - none in and one out

Squad - the change in formation helped, we also quite often started with 3 or 4 guys from our youth team in the side as we now start to progress the squad

Finances - dire. Could do with a great cup run or the next Bale to come through our system so we cans sell 

Under 19's - they won their development league for the 2nd year in a row before losing the final to TNS for the 2nd year in a row

Youth Intake - like this one, few players to maybe be excited by. Not a fan of these personalities though, I think I might make a change in the HOYD this summer

Jack Llewellyn YP03A - looks to be a good DM just as I move away from having one, might be the guy that makes me go back to one though
Steven Rogers YP03B - so tempted to name him Captain America  OK looking forward
Ellis Wright YP03C - full back, an area we're pretty well stocked in but looks ok
Kevin Rowlands YP03D - same as above but for right back
Rhydian Toomey YP03E - CM, like his passing but needs work
Matt Rowlands YP03F - CB is another area we have some depth but this guy looks ok

Career Overview

Year		League		Position	Youth Coaching		Youth Recruitment 	Notes

2020/21		NVLS		9th		Fairly Basic		Basic
2021/22		NVLS		3rd 		Fairly Basic		Basic			Lost in playoffs at semi final stage
2022/23		NVLS		6th 		Fairly Basic		Basic			Lost in playoffs at semi final stage	

 

[darren1983]

Felt annoyed by losing in the playoffs at the same stage again but then remembered @Scab posts and 2 years in a row didn't seem too bad  

[Novafluff]

1 hour ago, Braumiller said:

General question for all.

Have you had your reserves and youth teams entered into official reserves/youth leagues and cups in your save?

3 full seasons in now for me, and neither of my squads  have had a single non-friendly game   Thinking I may be bugged.......

Nah same here in sweden! i think it might be a rep thing or something because i know i had the same last year but eventually they got into leagues. into 5th season here

[Soviet]

I can't find the Record Scorer in club records anymore. Is it gone?

[Kazushi80]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb Braumiller:

General question for all.

Have you had your reserves and youth teams entered into official reserves/youth leagues and cups in your save?

3 full seasons in now for me, and neither of my squads  have had a single non-friendly game   Thinking I may be bugged.......

In Italy both youth teams have a lot of games. They are in a youth league with some sort of playoffs after the regular season (they are even still playing after my season finishes)

[Novafluff]

1 minute ago, Soviet said:

I can't find the Record Scorer in club records anymore. Is it gone?

Club Info > History > records

[Soviet]

1 minute ago, Novafluff said:

Club Info > History > records

Can't find it

[Novafluff]

Oh thats right! didnt see the in a seaon on the first screen...

[Fastbasher]

1 hour ago, Braumiller said:

General question for all.

Have you had your reserves and youth teams entered into official reserves/youth leagues and cups in your save?

3 full seasons in now for me, and neither of my squads  have had a single non-friendly game   Thinking I may be bugged.......

My U19s have only played friendlies for 10yrs now. Of course the original players are no longer under 19.

[Fastbasher]

Due to an impending takeover, the board placed a transfer embargo on me..... outside of the transfer window.

If only they knew how little that affected me.

[endtime]

2 hours ago, Soviet said:

I can't find the Record Scorer in club records anymore. Is it gone?

It's on the main records page, on the top of the right-hand side column

https://pasteboard.co/IHL9e82.jpg

[Soviet]

2 minutes ago, endtime said:

It's on the main records page, on the top of the right-hand side column

https://pasteboard.co/IHL9e82.jpg

Ooooooooooooo, thanks!

[schnauzer]

SACK ALERT

Bad news guys. Despite being comfortably mid-table and having played 2/3 of the season, my spineless players failed to win another game and we limped towards relegation and ultimately I received my marching orders from the Folkestone Invicta board. Pretty gutted as I thought it was starting to make traction, particularly after having two lots of youth rec and coaching upgrades. Unfortunately my playing squad was just too weak and we weren't stable enough to reap the rewards of those upgrades.

But what do you do when you fall off of the horse? That's right, you leave Kent and you head to the Peak District!  

And what a beauty of a ground... 

I have taken over Matlock Town! We have South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester all surrounding us, so hopefully in time we should be able to get some real talent coming through! As you can see below, our best players are Jordan Sinnott, Piteu Crouz and Daniel Bramall and hopefully they can help us to sustain until the youth products develop.

Up the Gladiators!

   

[Novafluff]

@schnauzer tough! but as you say just get back up! its about surviving til the you can reap the rewards!

[schnauzer]

8 minutes ago, Novafluff said:

@schnauzer tough! but as you say just get back up! its about surviving til the you can reap the rewards!

Thanks mate! I think I was very close to turning the corner and if we had even won 2 games in that horrible run I'd have made a 4th season and things probably would have started to move upwards..

Ah well, third time lucky

[XaW]

Youth intake 2029

This time we had a really good youth intake. Some great talents here.

Jake Shorrock 29b is a really talented attacking midfielder. Some good stats all around.

We had another good young goalkeeper in Kyle Petty 29d.

[Novafluff]

Wow wow wow! antoher upgrace to JC and YR really pays off! really excited by all top 5 guys here! but especially Alexander Niklasson! also Lucas Larsson and Johan Torstensson

[Atrux]

Welp second season turned out to be my last season in Italy as we started extremely bad into the league and again I was relegated in the playouts. I prefer to be directly relegated to be honest. So I will start the next try in England. 

But I learned quiet a lot. I have to watch my wage bill, have to watch out when to sell players etc. Overall Taranto was a great experience and didn't feel like a failure like Mantova did. 

I have to say though Taranto has a lot of potential for someone more capable. 

[Soviet]

19 minutes ago, Novafluff said:

Wow wow wow! antoher upgrace to JC and YR really pays off! really excited by all top 5 guys here! but especially Alexander Niklasson! also Lucas Larsson and Johan Torstensson

Jeysus that's a lot of start! Is your team that crap or is it just an amazing intake?

[Novafluff]

1 minute ago, Soviet said:

Jeysus that's a lot of start! Is your team that crap or is it just an amazing intake?

my team is crap  but Niklasson is class already a good level according to reports for my current division

[Soviet]

10 minutes ago, Atrux said:

Welp second season turned out to be my last season in Italy as we started extremely bad into the league and again I was relegated in the playouts. I prefer to be directly relegated to be honest. So I will start the next try in England. 

But I learned quiet a lot. I have to watch my wage bill, have to watch out when to sell players etc. Overall Taranto was a great experience and didn't feel like a failure like Mantova did. 

I have to say though Taranto has a lot of potential for someone more capable. 

It's hard to do the challenge in big leagues like Spain, Italy, France, since the level of players in lowest playable league is just too high to easily substitute with academy players. That's why England and smaller countries is the most popular option.

[OlivierL]

for your info : reset date iceland is 25/11/19 . best to save at the end of september for reloading/getting different teams.