How do you manage SPAL?

[LetsNotScoreGoals]

SPAL is a club in Serie A and they've been there for three years, toeing the relegation line. This season, half the players on their team are loaned from other Serie A clubs. IRL, they are bottom of the table.

I've tried a couple of times to stabilise the team but I've found it incredibly difficult. You basically need to replace the entire team with a very limited budget, especially since there's little hope of staying up. Even if you keep the players, they'll be gone in time (either returning to their parent club or being too old to play) and you'll be stranded.

I thought this would be an interesting challenge and would like to hear it from the experts as to how you would move things around.

Edited July 19, 2020 by LetsNotScoreGoals
Elaboration

[Jean0987654321]

Well...I'd go do a few things at first

 

1) Search and destroy any deadwood. Serie A clubs usually stack a lot of guys that are in the reserves that aren't good enough so I put those guys on the chopping block (which gives me more wages/money to play with)

2) Take advantage of the free/loan system. You never know what hidden gem is out there on the cheap.

4) Build a supersystem. @Rashidi expertise could be useful here

[Mr_Demus]

SPAL is an interesting club. I had one season with them on FM18 or 19. Got relegated in the first season though.

You need to look at what is at the club. Whether it is loan players or not, and then play to their strengths.

[LetsNotScoreGoals]

6 hours ago, Jean0987654321 said:

Well...I'd go do a few things at first

 

1) Search and destroy any deadwood. Serie A clubs usually stack a lot of guys that are in the reserves that aren't good enough so I put those guys on the chopping block (which gives me more wages/money to play with)

2) Take advantage of the free/loan system. You never know what hidden gem is out there on the cheap.

4) Build a supersystem. @Rashidi expertise could be useful here

The deadwood is always fun to get rid of but I often go overboard and let too many people go :P Cheap transfers are always fun but it's really hard early game when regens are not floating around and you don't really want to just Google for an existing wonderkid. I would love to hear about the supersystem though!

2 hours ago, Mr_Demus said:

SPAL is an interesting club. I had one season with them on FM18 or 19. Got relegated in the first season though.

You need to look at what is at the club. Whether it is loan players or not, and then play to their strengths.

For sure, I took over them while they were in Serie B about 5 years into my save. They actually had a lot of good players somehow, absolutely thrashed the league and finished 1st. But I want to take them on fresh while they are in this limbo. What do you think is SPAL's strength?

[Mr_Demus]

47 minutes ago, LetsNotScoreGoals said:

The deadwood is always fun to get rid of but I often go overboard and let too many people go :P Cheap transfers are always fun but it's really hard early game when regens are not floating around and you don't really want to just Google for an existing wonderkid. I would love to hear about the supersystem though!

For sure, I took over them while they were in Serie B about 5 years into my save. They actually had a lot of good players somehow, absolutely thrashed the league and finished 1st. But I want to take them on fresh while they are in this limbo. What do you think is SPAL's strength?

I will have to look into the squad

[Jean0987654321]

7 hours ago, LetsNotScoreGoals said:

The deadwood is always fun to get rid of but I often go overboard and let too many people go :P Cheap transfers are always fun but it's really hard early game when regens are not floating around and you don't really want to just Google for an existing wonderkid. I would love to hear about the supersystem though!

For sure, I took over them while they were in Serie B about 5 years into my save. They actually had a lot of good players somehow, absolutely thrashed the league and finished 1st. But I want to take them on fresh while they are in this limbo. What do you think is SPAL's strength?

Re supersystems:

 

A little old but still relevant to this current game. Credit @Rashidi

 

[Experienced Defender]

I moved the topic to GD, as there has been no mention of tactics in the thread, so it really does not belong to the tactical forum 

[axelmuller]

One of the best saves I had in Football Manager was with SPAL but that was Fm2007. Managed to take them from Serie C2 to Serie B.

SPAL seem like a typical Italian squad consisting of deadwood and second-rate journeymen. In the long run, that is not sustainable. I suggest you build a whole new identity to the club and adjust accordingly.