Leadfoot5 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Education of an Ugly American - FM Non-Fiction Introduction I'm going to start with a question. Is non-fiction welcome in this forum? Can we tell a story from the gamer's perspective? After reading the various stories, it occurred to me that my idea may not be appropriate. As a new FM/WWSM player, I am also new to the community and not in lock-step with all of the rules, so I will happily withdraw this thread if it doesn't follow the required format. I'm hoping this isn't the case, because I think I could have fun with this, and create something interesting for others to read. My idea is to document my experiences with FM2009 as the stereo-typical "Ugly American." I have very, very little experience with soccer, and no experience with the FM series. I have yet to learn what makes the game "beautiful", and am challenging the game, the sport, and the community to open my eyes. The Ugly American I feel that some context is necessary before I ask anyone to consider my proposal. I am a 40 year old American who has never been to Europe. My exposure to other cultures is limited to what I've learned in school, on TV, and on YouTube. I've been to Tijuana multiple times (stories for a much different forum!), and Guadalajara once for work, but those experiences were brief and don't count. I spent the first 20 years of my life living in the Northeastern United States (mostly in Horsham, PA), and my only exposure to soccer was in summer camp when I was 10 years old. I remember playing the game and eventually winning the "Southampton Summer Day Camp Soccer MVP Certificate" for 1979. I vividly remember why I won the trophy. I was a cherry picker! Apparently, the counselors at my camp were unfamiliar with the off-sides rule, or maybe they didn't feel like enforcing it. Either way, I was the leading goal scorer and MVP, but it would be the first and last time I would ever play the game again in any sort of organized fashion. My sports passion was, and still is, baseball. I played the game all through school, and have been coaching my sons in youth baseball for 8 years now. I'm also an American Football junkie, and I enjoy hockey and college basketball as well. But I digress. Westward Ho! In 1990, I moved to San Diego, CA, after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Information Science. I've been working for a large telecommunication company for the past 15 years and have made a good career for myself in Program Management. I've been married, had 2 kids, been divorced, remarried and now have 2 additional step children. Given that soccer is such a popular youth sport in Southern California, one might assume that since I have 4 kids, I would have had some exposure as a Soccer Dad. Not the case. Neither of my two sons played soccer, as surfing and baseball are their activities of choice. My step-son and step-daughter did play youth soccer, but they were done with the game by the time I became their Dad. The closest I ever got to soccer in the past 8 years was waiting for the soccer teams to vacate the multi-purpose field in my neighborhood so my baseball team could practice. I Just Don't Get It I feel compelled to explain my background in relative detail as I have done, as there must be some readers who can't imagine a life without football, or at least and understanding of the sport. My rudimentary understanding of the rules of the game only come from the very few televised Olympic or World Cup matches that I've watched. Before I get to why I'm now interested in the sport, let me explain why I never was interested before and why the sport seems so confusing to an outsider such as myself. You've all heard this before, but it's true; the lack of scoring in soccer leads to the conclusion that soccer is a boring spectator sport. It's certainly a primary reason why I never gained an interest in the game. I couldn't find anything compelling in the action, so it fell off of my interest radar very quickly. In addition, I never found the game to be approachable. The vocabulary was unfamiliar (e.g. tables, set pieces, tactics), competition format (leagues, cups, etc) was confusing, and the transfer system was undecipherable. Nothing about the sport was "inviting" to a soccer neophyte. My impression was that the sport was very inclusive and not inviting to outsiders. The XBOX and the 11 Year Old Neighbor So what happened? FIFA 09 happened. My 11 year old son had so much fun playing the FIFA 09 demo on our XBOX, that I went and bought the game for us to play together. I have to admit that the game is a ton of fun to play, and we have had some pretty good competitive matches. It even got me re-acclimated with the basic rules of the game. I'm speaking of the off-sides rule, penalties, extra-time, overtime options, etc. Shortly thereafter, my 11 year son's best friend and neighbor came over to play. He just happens to play club soccer here for our town, Carlsbad. So about 2 weeks ago, I found myself picking the brain of an 11 year old regarding the game, and the English leagues which he is surprisingly familiar with. I was surprised to see him playing with various Premier League teams and making comments about certain players, with details about their skills and personalities. The little bugger's enthusiasm for the sport rubbed off on me. Following that experience, I did some web surfing to get more familiar with the video game and the various teams. Yes, I was looking for a leg-up on my 11 year old. Not embarrassed to admit that, since I'm older, have slower reflexes, and need every advantage I can get! It didn't take long for me to come across the imminent release of FM 2009, and my interests expanded. An Old Friend I need to provide just a little more background. I am a PC Sports-Sim junkie. I have contributed to many PC sports games in the past, as a designer, and as a graphics/sound contributor. I am also known as "PadresFan" on a number of forums, and run a User Mod Website at padresfanmods.net. It is through this hobby that I met Amaroq (a frequent contributor on these forums) over on the PureSim Baseball boards. We've had a few beers in the past, and he has made it clear that no other PC sports game has ever captured his interest as thoroughly as the FM series. This obviously stuck with me, because as soon as I saw there was a new version of the game coming out I thought of Amaroq's comments and I decided that it was time to give "The Beautiful Game" one more chance to win me over. The Introduction's Epilogue So here I am with a brand new game purchased from Steam and a boatload of questions and uncertainties. I can't wait to dive in and figure this thing out. As a Program Manager, my success at work is dependent on my ability to juggle resources, spend money wisely, and keep my "players" happy and motivated. It's this last point that has me quite excited, as I understand that success in this game depends heavily on the players ability to use psychology to their advantage. If soccer players are anything like engineers, I may be able to pull this off. My hope is to share this experience with you, and provide a view of the game (and the sport) from an outsider, someone with no preconceived notions of the leagues or their players. My selfish motivation is that these games are more fun when they take on a life of their own, and by writing about my experience, I hope to increase the "fun-factor." Over time, I expect this will morph into a fictional effort, but for now I think this 40 year old ignoramus will be the focus of the thread. I'm hoping this idea will fly with the moderators and I can give this a shot... thanks for reading! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rekluse Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 As long as it tells a story I think it should be ok, interesting concept and I would actually find it interesting to read someones take on the game who has neither no prior knowledge to the sport nor the game itself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 It needs to be a story based on an FM/CM game. Nothing wrong with this in my mind provided your story is based on a game. The forum rules are listed at the top of the main page. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 It needs to be a story based on an FM/CM game. Nothing wrong with this in my mind provided your story is based on a game. The forum rules are listed at the top of the main page. Thanks. Rules have been read, full speed ahead!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 The Beginning With all credit going to Amaroq for the pointers, I have started a new 17 Country, 20 League Save. Top-tier leagues in 16 countries and in England (where I hope to manage) League 2 and up. My alter-ego has the following attributes: Age: 40 Nation: United States Other Nationality: British Languages: English, Spanish (not sure how/why it gave me Spanish as a second) Favored Club: Birmingham (I'm a big ELO fan, and I know that Jeff Lynne's favorite team is the Birmingham Blues, so I went with them with no other ideas...) I know this isn't recommended, but in the interest of randomness, I've chosen to start the game unemployed, while only applying for jobs in England. Given the fact that the English Premier League seems to be the most popular non-MLS league here in the States, it's where I want to focus my efforts. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a plane to catch as I am off on holiday. I'll be back when my first job offer rolls in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amaroq Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 w00t! I've gone from author to side character! ...obviously will be following this with entertained interest, and quite looking forward to our next beer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terk Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Well bang goes Roqy's efforts at winning Most Missed FMSer 2009 You've got to have no posts whatsoever on the forum Interesting start, Leadfoot. I'll be reading along. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panpardus Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 I hacked his account to give the people here false hope! I've sent him his new password so it should be ok for him to post as normal!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 Journal Entry - October 14th, 2007 "Keep a journal. It'll help with the process." That's the last bit of advice my therapist gave me. So here I sit in seat 27A on a one-way flight to London, trying to make sense of the past 6 weeks (and past 20 years). Lost my wife, my house, my dog and my job. Poof! Gone in an instant. Not sure how writing about it is going to help. Life's a bitch and then you die! (how's that doc?) I've always had a keen sense of the "end", which is why I can't let good enough be good enough. I've only got one life, so I've got to make the most of it. It's like a mantra, right? Doc says I need to be more concerned of those around me. Why doesn't anyone believe that I didn't know she was 16? Nobody was supposed to find out. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone. I still laugh every time I think of my bosses face when he walked in on his daughter and me laid out on his mahogany desk. Hoo boy, was he steamed!! I'd say that's a life defining moment right there. Damn good one too, although I do miss that house. Screw it, time to move on. Doc says a fresh start will be good for me. Says to try and use the next 40 years to redefine myself as a member of society. I hate it when he talks like that. I doubt I have 40 years left anyway. I'll be happy with 20. My hand hurts, not used to writing this much. Hope that friend of Ian's is there when I land. Need someone to show me around the town, or at least point me in the direction of the nearest pub. What was his name again...? It was weird, like something out of a Superman comic... I picture a big guy wearing wolf skins and carrying a staff! Oh right, his name is Amaroq. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 Journal Entry - December 8th, 2007 Man! I thought he would never leave! I really do appreciate all that Amaroq has done for me, but once you get him talking about football he just won't stop! Heck, his jabbering was the primary reason I moved out of his flat after 2 weeks. (And the cats, what's with all the cats?) He doesn't get the fact that I just don't care about soccer (HA! I said it!!). I humor his rants primarily out of appreciation for all that he has done for me these past couple months. (See Doc, I'm learning!) He helped me get a job at OCB, introduced me to some nice folks down at The Windmill, and introduced me to Kate. All this talk about football just makes me miss the NFL that much more. Not that I haven't tried understanding the game, mind you. I have. Oh, and get this! He's now all about referring to football as "The Beautiful Game." What???!!! Is he serious? How is nil - nil beautiful? How are hooligans beautiful? How is a sport dominated by a few elite teams with no attempt at organizational parity beautiful??? I love the guy, but he's got some hangups. The biggest is football. Then there's the cats... Weird... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 I had no idea Amoroq supported Sunderland- assuming these cats are black of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 Journal Entry - January 1st, 2008 Whoo boy, the English sure know how to celebrate a New Year. I'm just waking up from my Newcastle-coma and it's already 8pm! Had a great time with Kate, Amaroq and Laci... at least what I remember of the evening! We attended an event sponsored by Barclay's Bank, or should I say "Kate's Dad's Bank". He's the VP of something or other. Kate doesn't talk much about him, so I'm not really sure what he does, all I know is that he throws one hell of a party. Amaroq was giddy as hell last night, it was so fun to watch. Football players are like movie stars to him. You'd think Tom Cruise was in attendance when Ronaldo was introduced. He seemed like a self-obsessed jerk to me, much like the press has him labeled (you can't avoid the football press here in London, it's incessant). I did have a good time chatting with Darren Bent though. The guy has a great a sense of humor, which I guess you gotta have when you come from a town called "Tooting". The highlight of the night though was this totally snockered Irish guy named Quinn. I gather he runs a football team here and Amaroq had him convinced that I was a football "wunderkind" from the backwaters of the United States. He was so excited at the prospect of finding an "untapped talent." It took all our strength to keep a straight face through the night, and I don't think Kate or Laci were too pleased with us. He was "escorted" from the party after relieving himself in the rose garden, but not before demanding that I work for him and his organization. It was a truly brilliant night and I know we'll be telling that story for years to come to anyone who'll listen down at The Windmill. I'm kind of bummed that he probably won't remember the offer as his wife was H O T!! Oh well, what the heck do I know about football anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 Journal Entry - January 28th, 2008 Received an e-mail today. From Niall Quinn. From Sunderland A.F.C. The one with the H O T wife. Wants to know if I've been considering his offer. What offer?! Amaroq isn't going to believe this.... SOB should be in the movies... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 Journal Entry - February 20th, 2008 My head hurts. It's either the beer, the football, or a lack of sleep, but probably a combination of all three. Amaroq has been here day and night, working with me, getting me ready for my first day with Sunderland next Monday. How a stupid American in England goes from Carpet Salesman to Scout for a Premier League Soccer team overnight is insane. I appreciate his help, but I'm pretty sure that Amaroq resents me a little bit. After all, this is his dream job, not mine. He tells me I'm a fast learner, so maybe i can pull this off for a couple of days before Mr. Quinn calls fraud on me and sends me back to the Carpet shop. Oy... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 Received an e-mail today. From Niall Quinn. Just don't ask him about his discopants .... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 I love it!!! Niall Quinn's disco pants are the best, They go up from his arse to his chest, They are better than Adam and the Ants, Niall Quinn's disco pants! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 Journal Entry - May 16th, 2008 Have had no time for a journal entry in three months due to the fact that I am still employed by Sunderland and am working 12-14 hours a day. Haven't seen Kate in ages. Amaroq is over here just about every weekend coaching me up, but I'm really starting to get the hang of this gig. When you are in sales you learn how to read people, and how to motivate people to do what you want them to do. As a Scout, my talent for understanding the pysche is paying off. And, (I can't believe I'm writing this), I'm starting to enjoy the game of football. Oh, had dinner with Gillian again last night. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 Journal Entry - June 9th, 2008 Amaroq is on his way over. I hope he doesn't crash his Beemer. I got a call from Mr. Quinn tonight. Roy Keane has been MIA for over a week now, and bloody Quinn wants me to take over as manager! Says it'll be good for the game. Says it'll open up new opportunities. Says it'll take people's mind off of Keane's disappearance. Looks like England needs to get ready for an "Ugly American" in it's "Beautiful Game." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 22, 2008 Author Share Posted November 22, 2008 So, while nowhere near as compelling as the countless other stories on this amazing forum, I've finally given my manager a fictional backstory to serve as entry into the game. I like the quick hitting journal entries, as it is less time consuming, but allows me to see where my alter-ego might go. My exit strategy from the story is clear, as I'm sure you can gather from my characters fatal flaw, but I'm hoping it takes years (in game time) for that particular story arc to finish. Now on to the game!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoehrst Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 I love the journal entry style, it lends a very personal touch and a unique style to the story. Good luck and KUTGW! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spav Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 A very promising start, Lf5. It's a bit off-centre and I like it that way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted November 23, 2008 Share Posted November 23, 2008 Re-reading the title, are you calling Amoroq ugly? Anyway, this is good stuff Leadfoot, keep it up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 Wow, thanks for the encouragement guys! And SCIAG, no, I would never call Amaroq anything but awesome. I'm the one getting educated... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 Journal Entry - July 7th, 2008 Haven't made a journal entry in a while. Been spending my time spending my MONEY!!! Can you believe this!? $25,000 a week!! Got that black BMW M3 I've always wanted. Quinn wants to know when he'll see me down at the stadium. Guess I better get down there tomorrow, see what's up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 Journal Entry - July 8th, 2008 What a day, not sure that I'll be able to keep these journal entries going. So much to do and so little time. If I want the money to keep rolling in, I've got to get to work. Thank God Amaroq agreed to move into my guest house. I'm gonna need his help more than ever now. I started the day meeting with Quinn who told me to ignore the media. Honestly, with all the money rolling in, I wasn't paying too much attention to it. I was then introduced to Tony Loughlin who gave me the team report, although I caught only about half of it through his Irish accent. Sounds like I need to be most concerned about our defense. After lunch I met with the Board who seem willing to give me a chance and a future here just as long as I stay away from relegation. Sounds easy enough. First exhibition match (sorry, "friendly") is in 11 days. Looking forward to seeing how the team looks on the field. In the meantime, I need to learn these guy's names! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 Journal Entry - July 19th, 2008 I panicked. I figured I better do something rather than let the coaches do all the work. Today I finalized the deal with Pa-Madou Kah - a Defender from Norway, getting him for about $5M. My advisers told me we were weak on defense, so I went and got him. I paid about $1M than he was supposedly worth, but I didn't want to back down in the negotiations. Tony has him marked as our second sub, which has me scratching my head. Seems like starter material to me. Did I make a mistake? We'll see, as we play in two days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 So tell me guys, is spending two-thirds of your transfer budget in your first week on the job probably a bad move? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kewell08 Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Hehe... Maybe. But if he's better than just a substitute you could get away with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aytumious Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Nice to see you, PadresFan. I've used your site a lot for OOTP stuff. I'm also an American finding my way in the world of footie ball. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 Thanks Aytumious! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamboJen Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 This looks like it could be an interesting read, Leadfoot. Just make sure you don't get us relegated. Oh and beat the Mags please!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoehrst Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Beat everybody EXCEPT the magpies, Leadfoot. I'm rooting for you...except in the Tyne-Wear Derby. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 Journal Entry - July 20th, 2008 The public is starting to see that the Emperor has no clothes. The media are now referring to us as "UA FC" (Ugly American Football Club). I'm thinking that wearing the Steelers jersey to work yesterday was probably not the smartest move I've made yet this season. I thought my biggest asset in this job would be my ability to motivate the players, but I'm sensing dissension already, and that can't be good. Amaroq dropped a ton of literature off on my desk today, which is going to keep me busy for a while. Lots of good information on how to manage a team, set tactics, and the like. He should write a book. I have received some fan mail though. It helps get through the tough days when I can't make heads or tails of this job. That's all for today, I need to Wikipedia the "Magpies" and the "Tyne-Wear Derby". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Magpies- Newcastle. Tyne- river that Newcastle is on (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Wear- river that Sunderland is on Tyne-Wear derby- Newcastle-Sunderland match. Tees can be exchanged for either to indicate that the side will be facing Middlesborough. I doubt Wiki will be much good with that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 Magpies- Newcastle.Tyne- river that Newcastle is on (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Wear- river that Sunderland is on Tyne-Wear derby- Newcastle-Sunderland match. Tees can be exchanged for either to indicate that the side will be facing Middlesborough. I doubt Wiki will be much good with that Thanks man, this kind of information is priceless. I'm having as much fun learning about the "color" and geography of the game as I am about the game itself. I really need to get my butt to Europe sometime in the future... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 Journal Entry - July 20th, 2008 Two entries in one day. Why? Because I'm kinda stunned. I've been living here for 10 months and had never really taken the time to understand the region rivalries in the Premier League. Quinn had told me that Newcastle was our fiercest rival, but I never realized that they were right up the road!! According to Google, our stadiums are less than 14 miles away. How two towns so close together can support two professional sports teams & stadiums in such close proximity is stunning to me. Sure, this happens in the States with cities like Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, but these are cities with 3 million or more people, 8 million in New York's case. Sunderland has about 300K people, and Newcastle about 200K. Yet they still pay their star players a similar amount to what American Football and Baseball coaches and players are making. Even ticket prices are comparable. What an eye opener!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrexham LLM Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Great idea, mate! Really makes an interesting read, i'll be following this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 I doubt Wiki will be much good with that Wiki has a whole page on it. I used it in my own research. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Journal Entry - July 30th, 2008 Not a fun week. A little over two weeks until the start of the season and the road is looking steeper and steeper. I can't find the time to get my players the rest I think they need due to the hectic friendly schedule, and injuries are starting to take their toll as well. Looks like we can get some rest in the beginning of August, so that should help. Wonder what we should do with those two weeks? Our record is 3-1-1 in Friendlies, but my staff tells me that we should have won all of the games, and by wider margins. The players just aren't playing with any fire. The bookies have us as 1/1000 to win the Premiership, and we are favorites now for relegation. I need to figure out how to avoid that, or my posh lifestyle could be ending quick. Ugh. Seriously folks, I need some help. What is the normal way to use the 2-weeks of time between the last pre-season match and the start of the season?? Complete rest? Heavy or Light Training??? I have no idea... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panpardus Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Hi Leadfoot, personally for me at the end of the friendly games which usually coincides with a week before the real games start, I stop pre-season (in which I have fitness real high with an overall setting of very heavy) and go to the first step in 3 or 2 stage training setup My first step training still keeps fitness at a highish level but not as high as pre-season and I try to get it so my overall training rating is just over the change between medium and heavy, after a month or two of that I then change to Stage 2 which sees my fitness training (strength/aerobic) drop off and I boost the skills right up, I then allow the training setting to fall just below heavy onto medium. Stage 3 is around Feb for me if I use it, the fitness comes down again, especially strength training and I boost the skills a little, the overall training setting is a few notches below the last one. I usually give people/team a rest when we have a lot of games in a row, and I need to get condition back up, seeing you have a 2 week break, I wouldnt worry about it to much. Hope it gives an insight into what someone else does, and good start to the story as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Thanks Pan, I'll be trying to figure out the training portion of the game tonight, and will keep your advice in mind. It's probably been the hardest thing to figure out a week into the game... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Journal Entry - August 1st, 2008 Spent all day and night with the training staff and we now have 10 unique training programs all targeted to improve the specific abilities needed at each position. I figured the only way to understand the Training Program here at Sunderland was to dive right in. I know the staff appreciates it, but it remains to be seen how it will affect the players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Journal Entry - August 12th, 2008 It's been a busy week. The board was itching for me to relieve some payroll stress, so I allowed Weir to go to Grimsby, who is going to pay his weekly salary for the term of the loan. I'm also in negotiations with Bristol City to let them have Connolly. I just don't see him fitting into the squad so I'm prepared to let him go. I also changed our Captain this week. Went with Kavanagh. He's not a starter, but the team seems to look up to him, and since he has aspirations of being a coach someday, the leadership experience will do him good. Lastly, I met with the staff and adjusted the time some of the coaches were spending with the players in certain areas. I think we'll do better if we stay a bit more focused and leverage the staff's strengths a bit more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kewell08 Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Lots of people just download training schedules, or go with the one "General". I like how you play the game Good luck with it, I'm enjoying the story. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infonote Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 I think in pre-season, the physical training should be high. Then decrease the training decrease it according to match schedule. Day after a match rest. Journal Entry - July 30th, 2008Not a fun week. A little over two weeks until the start of the season and the road is looking steeper and steeper. I can't find the time to get my players the rest I think they need due to the hectic friendly schedule, and injuries are starting to take their toll as well. Looks like we can get some rest in the beginning of August, so that should help. Wonder what we should do with those two weeks? Our record is 3-1-1 in Friendlies, but my staff tells me that we should have won all of the games, and by wider margins. The players just aren't playing with any fire. The bookies have us as 1/1000 to win the Premiership, and we are favorites now for relegation. I need to figure out how to avoid that, or my posh lifestyle could be ending quick. Ugh. Seriously folks, I need some help. What is the normal way to use the 2-weeks of time between the last pre-season match and the start of the season?? Complete rest? Heavy or Light Training??? I have no idea... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Thanks Kewell! Journal Entry - August 16th, 2008 So much for a glorious opening. My first experience of regular season Premier League Football is one I won't forget for some time, but for all the wrong reasons. Not only did we lose 0-3 to Everton in front of 42,000 people, but we only managed 2 shots on goal! And only 1 was on target! That's insane! That's compared to their 9 shots on target out of 15 opportunities. We couldn't control the ball, nor could we stop their attack. It was like we were playing in quicksand. After the 60 minute mark, down 0-2, I tried to apply some strategy that I heard Amaroq talk about, replacing a defender with another attacking mid-fielder and switching to a 3-5-2, but it did no good at all. If this weren't bad enough, 4 of my starters all have morale issues. Oh, and I've been told we'll be playing Lincoln City in round 2 of the Carling Cup in a couple of weeks. Don't want to look like a fool in front of my coaches, so I guess it's back to Wikipedia to figure out what the heck the Carling Cup is! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 Thanks Info! Journal Entry - August 23rd, 2008 Moral victory tonight. We lost 0-2 to Chelsea, but we did a much better job of possessing the ball. 50/50. Unfortunately, we again only put on ball on net one time! I'm hoping for some better performances out of the squad once we play some weaker teams. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 27, 2008 Author Share Posted November 27, 2008 Journal Entry - August 25th, 2008 I finally have a grip on my roster and the transfer system, but now I only have a week to complete any transactions. Oh well, there's always the next window. I'm feeling a bit better about the team today, now that I better understand our strengths and weaknesses, and how they fit into our 4-4-2. I'm hoping to add a bit more depth to the team this week and then begin my run at avoiding relegation! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadfoot5 Posted November 27, 2008 Author Share Posted November 27, 2008 Journal Entry - August 27th, 2008 These fans are starting to **** me off now. We win our 2nd round Carling Cup match by a score of 3-0 over Lincoln City, and give up no shots on goal, and yet the fans are calling in to the radio shows and saying that we suck. What? Since when is a win not good enough. It's my first Cup win as the Manager and I can't even enjoy it. Sure, they were a lower division team, but still, we completely dominated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoehrst Posted November 27, 2008 Share Posted November 27, 2008 Leadfoot, I had a three-season run that looked like this: Year 1: Euro Cup title, League Cup Final Year 2: Champions League title, Premier League title, FA Cup final, SuperCup win Year 3: Champions League title, Premier League title, League Cup title, Club World Cup title The whole of year 3 I was at the top of the table, clear by like 12 points, and I would STILL get monthly reports that said "the fans are still upset about your 2-2 draw with so-and-so." The fans will ALWAYS find something wrong. But they won't like 2 league defeats, and if you hadn't beaten Lincoln City you'd probably have been fired anyway Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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