Semi-pro struggles

[MRayner7]

Afternoon,

Having been on a 4 year sabbatical, I’m now back on FM. I downloaded last night and decided to use FMScout’s random club selector. I ended up with Hässleholms IF (https://www.fmscout.com/club/hässleholms-if.html). Semi-pro. No additional coaches. No scouts. No physios. No money. No hope.

I was hoping for a bit of guidance on where to focus my efforts. Should I invest my remaining £150 weekly budget (no joke) in backroom staff or try and recruit some players and concentrate on tactics?

I think the squad is a bit top-heavy in midfield, but could do with more additions literally everywhere else, so that may be a struggle.

The board aren’t expecting much for their 5 year plan (mid-table finishes), but I wouldn’t mind getting them out of this strange pyramid of local-level semi-pro leagues.

Any assistance (tactical, financial or otherwise) would be appreciated.

Cheers!

Edited January 12, 2021 by MRayner7

[Zemahh]

2 minutes ago, MRayner7 said:

Should I invest my remaining £150 weekly budget (no joke) in backroom staff or try and recruit some players and concentrate on tactics?

Staff doesn't affect your wage budget, they're paid by the board. They might affect your finances long-term, but then again, board always finds a way to keep you afloat (administration isn't a thing in FM), so finances aren't something you should be too worried about (there's only so much you can do, if you're not overspending/overstaffing). I wouldn't go completely crazy with filling out all the slots, but I'd definitely fill the senior ones (youth staff at lower levels isn't worth it, since your facilities probably aren't up to par anyway).

As for the rest, trials and loans are generally the name of the game at lower levels. You can have up to 30 players on trial at once, so make sure you stay on top of unattached players. You can find some real gems, if you filter by national team appearances or reputation. Director or Football can also recommend some good targets occasionally, so ask for his advice often.

As for the loans, make sure you're aware of your league rules (max. number of long-term loans/loans in match squad) and then request Team Reports on teams two or three levels above you (the more Scouts you have, the quicker the process). They will send players interested in loan to your Scouting Centre and that's generally a faster way of finding loans than having to filter and request Scout Reports manually (plus, your Scouting Packages might not cover higher divisions).

I also recommend keeping players on non or short-term contracts. As you're climbing through divisions, many can become obsolete very fast, so you want to be able to shift them on quickly. If a player isn't willing to agree, reject him and find another one (at lower levels, you can generally always find someone better if you're patient enough). Only tying down your best prospect or two and keeping the rest on non-contracts gives you a lot of much needed flexibility as you move through the leagues.

Tactically, keeping it simple always worked best for me. Although attributes are relative, players might not have the intelligence required for anything too complex at lower levels. I tend to avoid any sort of defensive systems that require a lot of concentration and consistency, instead I like to go for broke and try to outscore opposition. Opposition at that level often doesn't have the defenders good enough to deal with any kind of extended pressure, so it usually works well. If you need help tactically, there's plenty of people giving advice in the Tactics & Training forum.

Hope that gives you some ideas!

[kentonizking]

53 minutes ago, Zemahh said:

Staff doesn't affect your wage budget, they're paid by the board. They might affect your finances long-term, but then again, board always finds a way to keep you afloat (administration isn't a thing in FM), so finances aren't something you should be too worried about (there's only so much you can do, if you're not overspending/overstaffing). I wouldn't go completely crazy with filling out all the slots, but I'd definitely fill the senior ones (youth staff at lower levels isn't worth it, since your facilities probably aren't up to par anyway).

As for the rest, trials and loans are generally the name of the game at lower levels. You can have up to 30 players on trial at once, so make sure you stay on top of unattached players. You can find some real gems, if you filter by national team appearances or reputation. Director or Football can also recommend some good targets occasionally, so ask for his advice often.

As for the loans, make sure you're aware of your league rules (max. number of long-term loans/loans in match squad) and then request Team Reports on teams two or three levels above you (the more Scouts you have, the quicker the process). They will send players interested in loan to your Scouting Centre and that's generally a faster way of finding loans than having to filter and request Scout Reports manually (plus, your Scouting Packages might not cover higher divisions).

I also recommend keeping players on non or short-term contracts. As you're climbing through divisions, many can become obsolete very fast, so you want to be able to shift them on quickly. If a player isn't willing to agree, reject him and find another one (at lower levels, you can generally always find someone better if you're patient enough). Only tying down your best prospect or two and keeping the rest on non-contracts gives you a lot of much needed flexibility as you move through the leagues.

Tactically, keeping it simple always worked best for me. Although attributes are relative, players might not have the intelligence required for anything too complex at lower levels. I tend to avoid any sort of defensive systems that require a lot of concentration and consistency, instead I like to go for broke and try to outscore opposition. Opposition at that level often doesn't have the defenders good enough to deal with any kind of extended pressure, so it usually works well. If you need help tactically, there's plenty of people giving advice in the Tactics & Training forum.

Hope that gives you some ideas!

Good post bro

[kentonizking]

Remember friend, pace is king at the lower levels

[MRayner7]

1 hour ago, Zemahh said:

Staff doesn't affect your wage budget, they're paid by the board. They might affect your finances long-term, but then again, board always finds a way to keep you afloat (administration isn't a thing in FM), so finances aren't something you should be too worried about (there's only so much you can do, if you're not overspending/overstaffing). I wouldn't go completely crazy with filling out all the slots, but I'd definitely fill the senior ones (youth staff at lower levels isn't worth it, since your facilities probably aren't up to par anyway).

As for the rest, trials and loans are generally the name of the game at lower levels. You can have up to 30 players on trial at once, so make sure you stay on top of unattached players. You can find some real gems, if you filter by national team appearances or reputation. Director or Football can also recommend some good targets occasionally, so ask for his advice often.

As for the loans, make sure you're aware of your league rules (max. number of long-term loans/loans in match squad) and then request Team Reports on teams two or three levels above you (the more Scouts you have, the quicker the process). They will send players interested in loan to your Scouting Centre and that's generally a faster way of finding loans than having to filter and request Scout Reports manually (plus, your Scouting Packages might not cover higher divisions).

I also recommend keeping players on non or short-term contracts. As you're climbing through divisions, many can become obsolete very fast, so you want to be able to shift them on quickly. If a player isn't willing to agree, reject him and find another one (at lower levels, you can generally always find someone better if you're patient enough). Only tying down your best prospect or two and keeping the rest on non-contracts gives you a lot of much needed flexibility as you move through the leagues.

Tactically, keeping it simple always worked best for me. Although attributes are relative, players might not have the intelligence required for anything too complex at lower levels. I tend to avoid any sort of defensive systems that require a lot of concentration and consistency, instead I like to go for broke and try to outscore opposition. Opposition at that level often doesn't have the defenders good enough to deal with any kind of extended pressure, so it usually works well. If you need help tactically, there's plenty of people giving advice in the Tactics & Training forum.

Hope that gives you some ideas!

Thanks for the advice, really appreciated!