The FM22 Youth Academy Challenge

[Elsjorro]

@XaW

 

Not far off:

 

 

 

[XaW]

Sneak peak... I hope to have the update ready later this evening!

[keeper#1]

Nantwich Town - January 1, 2024 Update

All of the cup matches killed our league form.  We were flying high in September/October.  November was great as well.  December was a mess with the FA Cup AND FA Trophy matches.  Just too many for our small team squad cope with.

We are still sitting in the playoff places but before December were in third place and pushing for the league title.

We got some of the players from our youth academy into some matches this season and a couple of them have already found the net.  Not really worried about the player development at this point.  I'm worried about wins and getting us into higher leagues before I really worry about player development.

A very top heavy intake looks like it's coming my way.

Cup run has helped turn around our club finances.

[Padders]

3 hours ago, DazRTaylor said:

I told you I fail in The Netherlands.  Once again, we collapsed from November onwards and this time it was terminal.

I feel your pain

[Pauldinho7]

Not quite @XaW standards but it's got me excited for March... 

[keeper#1]

Money from the FA Cup Match with Aston Villa getting put to good use.

They did not want to improve the Junior Coaching.

[karax268]

Start of challenge - Gresik United

 

 

 

As mentioned a bit earlier I restarted the challenge. This time in Indonesia with Gresik United.

One transfer has been arranged before i took over. The transfer will go through in april, I'll try to cancel then or otherwise get rid off him.

 

Youth Intake

 

Much to my surprise (and delight) the Youth Intake in Indonesia happens in pre-season.

I have no idea how good this is, but my staff allready speaks about a potential golden generation. We'll see. 

 

Not bad without a HOYD.

I'll have a while to get to know these players. The season starts in three months.

 

 

 

 

[libbyshuss]

England

Vanarama National League

2025/26 (season 4)

Season Summary

Well, it was a bit of a disaster on the field but we're making progress off it so it's not all bad. right?

League - well, I was up for a struggle again after last seasons miraculous escape but I felt we were up for it. And after our first game, where we went away to Crawley Town and played them off the park, winning 2-0, I was feeling really confident. 12 games later, we'd only won 1 more game and were deep in the relegation spots. The difference with the year before was the lack of results against teams in the bottom six. Last season, we always managed to get something out of those games but this season we were losing them. 

And then christmas hit. We won on boxing day, but were still 23rd. And then this happened.....

at the end of that run there were only 4 games left and we were relegated already. We then went and won the next game as well! bah........

Really depressing to be honest. after that first match we only won 5 more times in 45 games! and I was trying as well! lots of morale managing/disciplining/ego massaging going on but to no avail.

Luckily the board expected relegation so my job is safe.

FA Cup - we finally made the first round proper! but no windfall as league 2 solihull moors beat us 2-0

 

Players

you'd think the whole squad would have had awful stats after such a bad season but Jonny Burn is still a god amongst men. I have no idea how he does it! he's 30 now though, which is worrying. I have no defenders in the youth team ready to step up

All the team leaders were straight into my office at the end of the season asking for moves as well. Nice one lads, if you were good enough for the national league maybe we'd have stayed up? I promised them we'd sell them for a certain fee anyway - keeps them quiet and gives us some cash to reinvest should they go. it's all about the long game in this challenge!

 

Youth

Such a weird youth preview. I've not quite worked it out tbh. So a golden generation 5 star intake promised, but lots and lots of EEEEEEEs. Does the E refer to potential? or current ability?

So the intake suggests it refers to CA cos they all had rubbish CA. but potential is nice, with lots of elite propects. Jurrasic Park!

Leo Henderson looks the best prospect in terms of personality, determination and work rate. But no immediate first team players, which could have come in handy for the new season. ah well.

 

Finances and Upgrades

I'm not sure if this is new or not but after a season of whinging at the board they finally gave me an option to make them a promise. I promised that I'd play more youth prospects in the first team, and they said if I did they'd upgrade our youth recruitment. They also said if I didn't it would be a firing offence, which seemed a little harsh. But anyway, I did it!

I don't know how I feel about them including the word 'action' as a verb in the game though. i get that enough through work emails in real life. 

But anyway, 2 youth recruitment upgrades in 2 seasons at this stage is very nice. 

 

Career

I'm not sure what to expect next season. I don't think we'll come back up - the board have just requested we avoid relegation. So really a nice season of consolidation as I bed more youngsters into the first team wil suit me fine. We got promoted way too early really.

 

[fries]

Vanarama National league North

2023/24 (season 2)

Season Summary

Very mixed season. At New Year I was on top of the league with only one loss. I started believing in promotion. However injuries and a busy program started a bad run. I ended up with a 9th place.





Once again I think I got the most out of my players in the first half of the season. If we played the last half twice, we would probably get relegated. Some of the players are getting older and I see little to no development from the youngster. I will probably have to wait a couple of years to gain promotion. This season again I am a bit disapointed about the number of goals from my topscorer Main.

My youth intake was very good with a golden generation preview

And it was definitely not disapointing with the number of high potential players when they arrived. However I hoped for some better CAs.
 

 

I made of course no transfers.

Finances and Upgrades

I managed to upgrade my youth facilities, junior coaching and youth recruitment. And I manage to get two more coaching badges and thus I currently have the Continental C Licence.

[Padders]

@libbyshuss feel your pain as well. That intake were similar to all mine

Seem to alot of us struggling with the loss of form and therefore morale problem and dropping down the division like a stone

[Pauldinho7]

Youth intake day 26/27 and wow did the predictions turn out to be correct - the increase youth coaching has made an impact! We've hit the jackpot here with a couple of very tidy prospects who will certainly help us reach Liga NOS, notably Pedro Sousa, Francisco Viana and Guilherme Rato...

 

[libbyshuss]

36 minutes ago, Padders said:

Seem to alot of us struggling with the loss of form and therefore morale problem and dropping down the division like a stone

yeah, once you get stuck in it it's really hard to get out of. It's always been that way though.

to be fair, my team probably were that bad!

[craigcwwe]

Deciding to pick a team with only 13 players wasn't my best decision.  

Grey in goal all season, seems to be a different guy each game, haha. 

[craigcwwe]

19 minutes ago, craigcwwe said:

Deciding to pick a team with only 13 players wasn't my best decision.  

Grey in goal all season, seems to be a different guy each game, haha. 

Down to 12 players to choose from now, winger got crocked in the last game so second half of the season I've barely got a first 11 of real players to pick from.  

[Elsjorro]

Season 2024-2025 Cottbus

 

Another season, more proof of the fact that we didn't do any transfers:

 

 

We had a reaaaaaaaaaaaly tough season. At one point, i was about to get fired if we wouldnt win against Hollstein Kiel. We did just that and managed to get a streak going, so my job wasnt on the line anymore. But it was a hard season. Near the end of the season, both Osei and Ciroglu made there debut and in the last game Gega did to, scoring right away.

 

The intake preview, heartbreaking. Some of my players are growing older pretty fast, so i need some hot prospects rather sooner then later. This year it doesnt look like we are getting what we need, its as bad as a preview can get. Weird thing is we get an 'excellent intake', but 3 out of 10 is the highest we score. I dont understand.

 

 

So the intake comes, and its bad. If im being veeeeeeery optimistich, Kitenge will make the squad and Weber i prefer because of his high det.

 

 

 

 

Kitenge:

 

Weber:

 

 

 

Player with the most apps (Newgens only): Cihan Eroglu (14)

 

Player with the most goals (Newgens only): Cihan Eroglu (2)

Edited October 28, 2021 by Elsjorro

[Makoto Nakamura]

2030/31 Youth Candidates

An unbelievable intake!  

[iacovone]

12 hours ago, Makoto Nakamura said:

Mate, you've breached club policy by missing matchday 13 times in the 17 months since your 18th birthday, it's not my fault you're not playing you're just not here for matches!

This is hilarious hahaha

[XaW]

XaW - Merthyr Town - Season 2024/25 - Vanarama National North

Table | Squad | Transfers | Finances

We are really continuing to improve, and while we had quite the poor start, we finished very strong. We didn't lose any matches the last 10 (with the exception of an experiment with a wide target forwards, thanks @Johnny Ace!  ), and won most matches to have a very good climb up the table towards the end. So while we finished a place lower than last season, we actually picked up 9 points more. We also changed a +5 goal difference into a +13. So the team is really improving and we keep getting good intakes to boost the quality of the squad. Perhaps we can fight for a playoff spot next season, with a bit of luck at least.

I finished the National C license, but haven't gotten any more approved. We got some small improvements done this season, but nothing much.

FA Cup: We beat Coalville, Hemel Hempstead Town, and Barnet before we lost to Cambridge United in the 1st round.
FA Trophy: We beat Curzon Ashton before losing to Chesterfield in the 3rd round.

Youth intake:

A pretty amazing intake with lots of talented players! Very happy with this intake.

Steve Shepherd 25c is a unicorn at this level. Good jumping AND not horribly slow is just unheard of!

Mark Page 25d is  a very good attacking wing back and they are also rare at this level.

Cian Connolly 25f is actually the one I'm most excited about. Very rapid, and not bad technically. So he is probably my best left winger already!

Spoiler

U23s:

They only play friendlies.

U19s:

Cymru Premier Development League (South): They won the league this season and then continued to win the playoff to be crowned Cymru Premier Development League Champions.
Welsh Youth Cup: They beat Cefn Albion, Llanrhaeadr, and Taffs Well before they lost to Newtown in the quarter final.

U18s:

National U18 League South West: They won the league this season.
FA Youth Cup: They beat Backnell, Chertsey, and Heybridge before they lost to Exeter City in the 1st round.

Trophy cabinet

U19s - Cymru Premier Development League - 1 (2024/25)
U18s - National U18 League South West - 1 (2024/25)

[Makoto Nakamura]

4 minutes ago, iacovone said:

This is hilarious hahaha

Harry Harvey has left now so Sam is out on his own, and it's now 20 times!  

[iacovone]

7 hours ago, jmonfu said:

Starting Profile

Chilean Primera Division B 2022 - Season 1 - 5th Place

Table (lost playoff) | Schedule (1/2) | Copa Chile | Squad | Starting 11 | Transfers | Finances | Facilities (Start/End )

A very good first season battling in the playoffs for a promotion berth, and also going all the way to the Quarter Finals of the Chilean cup.  If some results went our way especially in the beginning of the season, we could have made it to the Primera Division.

Youths

Preview

 

Intake

Juan Pablo is a midfielder with an unambitious personality.  He has good work rate and leadership and also some good physical stats.  He will be retrained as a Volante but will also serve as Mezzala when needed.

Duad is a professional central defender who unfortunately is only 179cm tall, although his Jumping Reach is already quite good for his level.  He is a very fit player and I have high hopes I can convert him into a good Ball playing defender

Mario is quite an enigma.  He has very low determination and natural fitness, however has brilliant mentals for his age.  His ideal role is a good destructor of the play however I do not use any player like that in my tactics.  I will try to convert him either in a Half Back or a Deep Lying Playmaker on defend duties

A promising goalkeeper however unfortunately I already have a lot of first class keepers who are still very young, so I doubt he will ever make it to the first team.

Angelo is a balanced right winger, who does not excel in anything yet. Ideally will try to convert into an Inside Forward on the left, however his 3 finishing and 5 balance is worrying. Not a lot of high hopes for this player.

Ayax is a low determined left full back, who has very good natural fitness and very good decisions already.  He is still way off the first team, however with the right training I think he can make a good Primera B full back

 

How what and where do I get those regen faces?! That's GREAT

[iacovone]

6 minutes ago, Makoto Nakamura said:

Harry Harvey has left now so Sam is out on his own, and it's now 20 times!  

Any idea what his nightclub completion percentage is?

[Makoto Nakamura]

2 minutes ago, iacovone said:

Any idea what his nightclub completion percentage is?

Well according to Google Maps there's 22 pubs and the like in Abertillery, so Abertillery drinking? Almost completed it, mate.

[XaW]

This is a one-club save! I won't leave, I promise!

[Makoto Nakamura]

2030/31 End of Season Review

We've qualified for the Conference League! Are we going to be a one season wonder? Probably.

  

 

Overall Best XI

2030/31 Best XI

Charlie Warman (YP8p)

Dylan Davidson (YP8j) - Jordan Wells (YP7g) - Mason Jones (YP3l) - Mikey Berry (YP8a)

Kevin Jones (YP2i)

Dale Harding (YP7h) - Steve Antell (YP8e)

Steve Bradley (YP8b)                                                       Michael McCormick (YP6a)

Shaun Ring (YP5b)

Edited October 28, 2021 by Makoto Nakamura

[Nottingham Forest]

3rd attempt with Nuneaton Boro. They have a squad of 39 players all in and seem to have enough depth. Quality, who knows.

[FlairRA]

2 hours ago, craigcwwe said:

Down to 12 players to choose from now, winger got crocked in the last game so second half of the season I've barely got a first 11 of real players to pick from.  

It sucks haha, I tried to start with Kingstonian but gave up 3 games in when my best player (and only ST) got injured along with my RW in a 12 man squad!

[Makoto Nakamura]

European football gives us another upgrade!

[craigcwwe]

45 minutes ago, FlairRA said:

It sucks haha, I tried to start with Kingstonian but gave up 3 games in when my best player (and only ST) got injured along with my RW in a 12 man squad!

My last game was mad...

 

GK was a grey, RB was a grey, my LB was playing RW, had a CB at LB, a CM at LW and no real players on the bench. 

[Padders]

Here we go again

As usual its one bad result starts to off

Sitting mid table and lose to bottom place Poole

And there starts the rot

Edited October 28, 2021 by Padders

[WhiteCat33]

RAAL La Louviere - Belgian Pro League B 2026/27 (Season 5)

Pro B Champions!

RAAL finally did it and will be returning to the Belgian Pro League A for the 2027/28 season! Wasn't a perfect season by any stretch, but everyone else had more issues than we did. In a flip from last season where we lost the final game to miss playoffs this season we clinched the title with our win and the leaders suffering a draw. This will basically save the team. Our two star academy players will get their contracts extended 3 years so we won't be forced to sell them. Just as major we are now a Professional Club as its required for the Pro League A, which should help development significantly.

 

Youth Intake

We had two players poached this year which brings the total up to 6. 3 have shown up in-game and I've started tracking them. None are full on wonderkids, just basically what I'd expect through my intake of max potential with standard youth current ability. 2027 was a solid preview with the GK being the rating I was most excited about.

 

I wasn't prepared for this depth of players. I basically got a full youth team worth of first team prospects. Perfect for our rise into the top flight as my legacy players are on their last legs. 

Here are a couple standouts as they are the positions I'm most hurting in. Bummer on Unambitious there for the striker. 

  

RAAL Performance Table

As its been a few seasons here is the track record to get to top flight. The bump in season attendance in years 2 & 3 are because we played Standard in the cup match which was a 12,500 sell out crowd. Also note my training facilities have decreased due to non-investment. One of the many things on the agenda once we have dollars in the bank. The Cup battle this year was exciting. We made it to the quarterfinal and lost it on penalties that took 12 kicks to decide. Of course my player to miss was the only one with decent pk stats (12) but oh well.

Season 2026-27 Best XI

2026-27 Pro League B Best Eleven

RAAL Overall Best XI 

Note that the Y22a isn't actually one of my intakes, he is from the holiday season intake before I took control of the club. Because of this I don't count him in my record tables, but wanted to denote him as he is technically one of the youths to come through RAAL.

 

Julle Kiala 26b Young Player of the Year Runner-Up

Youth Candidate Records

I liked the table I saw up above so poached it here:

      

 

Manager Thoughts

The club is dead broke right now with a -$1 Million bank balance and still $325 Thousand on a bank loan. I can't wait for the influx of top flight dollars as well as new sponsorship deals (both just expired). Now its time to get everyone onto professional contracts, revamp my coaching and prepare to fight tooth and nail to not fall back down into Pro B. Reflecting on this being my first youth academy challenge I am really enjoying this style of playing the game vs the traditional non-league to legend. I know I took a cushy first club with the facilities they had and a strong intake all ready set up compared to what most of you all are battling up the ladder with.

[libbyshuss]

10 hours ago, iacovone said:

How what and where do I get those regen faces?! That's GREAT

looks like it might be newGAN manager. I use it on my save and it is great!

 

[jmonfu]

11 hours ago, iacovone said:

How what and where do I get those regen faces?! That's GREAT

I am using Zealand's software for this.  Youtube video explaining how to install them

[Elsjorro]

So because i need to get back to where im at with my save, here is once again another update. 

2025-2026

 

So 4th season on this challenge and first time we really making some progress. The first 3 players of our youth are silently putting themselves up there and one is absolutely allready a first team player. 

But first things first: LE Proof of not doing transfers:

 

 

So, competion. We had an absolute banger of a season. With the breaktrough of mostly Gega and Oroglu we had some much needed quality in the team. The fact that Pronichev really stepped up his game when Gega joined him up front, made us take the 1st place from the get go and we never left it. 2. Bundesliga here we come!

 

 

So with 2 bad intakes in a row, i really hoped this one would give me some potential. So its preview time in December, and im gutted. 

 

 

So for almost the first time around, they gave me exactly what they predicted. A pretty decent AML, but i really would like to see the CA going up. But for now, we will take it. Im guessing Eroglu, who is u19 international for Turkey, will leave us eventually:

 

 

 

Mene, the one i think will get to first squad:

 

 

Then this news comes into my inbox. Im STEAMING. best player i think (star wise) that has ever been poached from me:

 

We gonna keep an eye on him for when he pops up.

 

So we had a pretty good run this year, and it mostly was due to Oroglu and Gega putting up a good show. Gega shot up like a rocket. I didnt keep much of an eye on him and like 1,5 years later he upped almost every necessary attribute by 3 or 4. Gave him a chance and he never gave his spot up.

 

Gega:

 

 

Oroglu:

 

 

Osei, he shot up as well but is staying a bit behind now. Hope this isnt his max level:

 

 

 

 

Stats of the season:

 

Most appearances (Newgen): Eroglu (44)

 

Most goals (Newgen): Gega (11)

Edited October 29, 2021 by Elsjorro

[Makoto Nakamura]

This is the first season we've had a DM come through, and this is season 10, and he's instantly going to be the best player!

[Dereka]

A few of you are already a few years into your saves. Have you noticed anything different in youth development in FM22? Would you say the things that worked well in FM21 still apply?

[jmonfu]

@darren1983 I just checked the first post Darren, Chile - 10th December. Save 1st December to get different teams. 

10th Dec should be 10th Jan.

 

[BustaRaymes]

#FM20

Chesham 2020/2021 Overview

A nice first season. Started off slowly but never got in any real trouble and bounced around in midtable most of the season.

Squad

Goode and Laurencin are equally mediocre in goal, so I'm hoping to be able to replace one of them soon.

The fullbacks are decent but without any quality backup. Centrebacks are ok, but well into their 30s. I've retrained Bailey Brown as a cover.

Adcock and Martin are decent midfielders and with Brown and Gallimore as good-enough replacements, there are no pressing issues here. For my 4-4-2 there's not a lot to choose from on the wings, so I hope the intake helps there.

Bunting and Clayton are by far the best players in the squad. A nice strike force for years to come, but it's also limiting my options. I'd like to use 'real' wingers but I'm not comfortable with high wingers and 2 strikers for this team. Both strikers are poachers so there's not a lot of room for retraining one of them for a 10 or wing position.

Star player: Callum Bunting

Bunting had a good season along with his striker buddy Bradley Clayton. Both are in their early 20s so I won't have to worry about quality up front for a few years to come.

Transfers

Youth intake

Although the preview said not to expect too much, I'm pretty happy with the first intake. Qualitywise it could've been better, but most of our weaker positions are filled in nicely.

According to the staff, Bromage is slightly weaker than first choice Goode, but I really prefer Bromage. He'll be in the starting eleven next season. Needs some mentoring though.

Adams will be a very useful backup for Philpott, he should be able to get a fair amount of playing time. Also being mentored.

Glendon will be playing a lot as well - at centre back - as the first 2 options for that position are 35 and 33.

Clark is the final player to go into the first team straight away. He'll be able to fight with Onyemah for a starting spot at left back.

 

As a closer I have a question: Which personality type do you guys use for mentoring Unambitious youth players? I've found it pretty hard to get them out of that mindset and haven't really discovered which type suits best.

Edited October 29, 2021 by BustaRaymes

[Koetzer]

Ungmennafélag Njarðvíkur - season 2023

Good start was followed by a poor run of form in June when we lost four in a row, and at that moment I only hoped to stay clear from the relegation battle. But then we recovered incredibly well and haven’t lost a single game until the end of season (our current unbeaten run is 15 so far), climbing up to the second place! 

League Cup – won the group and scored two early goals against Keflavik in semi-final but couldn’t hold the lead.

Iceland Cup – the draw was harsh, we had to start with an away game against the season favourites Valur but managed to get a surprising shootout win! Unfortunately our form in June was really poor, and the second cup game wasn’t an exception.

Transfers – didn’t lose anyone notable.

Squad stats – with last year’s intake we got the whole new attacking line! Þorsteinsson at front, Arnarson and Josefsson on wings are now our best choice despite the age. The only concern is Josefsson’s discipline, I’ve never seen even a defensive player getting FOUR red cards in a season   Plazonic had another good season, unfortunately the last one as he wanted to leave and I only could ask him to wait until the end of contract. Bjarnason took his great form to the higher level despite not so impressive attributes, and of course I need to mention our goalkeeper Błąkała who saved a lot of points for us.

Youth intake (preview)

Steingrímsson *23a | Sigurpálsson *23b | Ásgrímsson *23c | Sveinsson *23d | Jóhannsson *23e | Hjartarson *23f | Aðalgeirsson *23g | Grybos *23h | Þorsteinsson *23i

Ranked a bit lower overall than the previous intake, but it’s really a promising one. Steingrimsson will be a great addition to our attacking line, though I hoped for some better defenders who would be ready to play in the first team right now.

Our debt keeps increasing, and we certainly need to win some games in Europe next summer to cover at least a part of it. And we have good news as our board and city council agreed to build the new stadium which actually will be the largest in our division (the national arena is bigger of course but it isn't used by any club).

[iacovone]

3 hours ago, jmonfu said:

I am using Zealand's software for this.  Youtube video explaining how to install them

Thanks, will check it out!

[iacovone]

Högaborgs BK Season 2023 Review

Table (4th) | Results 1 | Results 2 | Intake | Admin | Finances | How it Unfolded | Squad Stats

A really, really strong second season and although we just fell away at the end losing two of our final four games (after a 15-game unbeaten run) I think it bodes well for us going forward. A couple of graduates came straight into the XI and set records and should be mainstays of the team for the next couple of years.

That said, our intake this year has a couple of really promising prospects. 

André Christiansson (YP2f) is the stand-out in a position where we only really have two options - so I'm delighted to see him come through. 

Anthony Friberg (YP2n) will be a useful right-sided option and I think I'm going to retrain him as an attacking wing-back. 

I also like Alexander Jansson (YP2c) who brings leadership into the backline, a hardworking striker will be useful in late-game scenarios so I'm intrigued by Hassan Mohamed (YP2e), whilst Viktor Eriksson (YP2l) looks like a handy full-back as well. 

Those record breakers:

Boris Martensson (YP1m)

Tom Erlandsson (YP1a)

 

As you can see from the Best XI this season, three graduates became mainstays in the team. Erlandsson was essential given the awful keeper we had on arrival but did pretty well on the whole. Martensson was a surprise and really lifted us up the table. I've had a number of falling outs with Velander but he's pretty talented coming off the right flank. Hoping for more next season.

Hard not to be satisfied with that season. Came on leaps and bounds from the first year and have a tidy group of academy graduates bolstering the ranks. Feeling positive about season three and also delighted to have our junior coaching improved one level to 'fairly basic'. That will hopefully make the intakes even stronger on arrival. 

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by iacovone

[DazRTaylor]

Youth Candidates

Season 2023/24

The Spartans

I wasn't expecting much after this preview:

I need not have worried as the intake was excellent:

[iacovone]

Ali Mason looks like a legitimately good goalkeeper @DazRTaylor

[Rainbowz]

Going to indefinitely halt my Novara save. Went a few years in and my intakes were terrible. The club finances were in the red, my best players had all left and my squad was Serie D/Excellenza level quality and I was on target for relegation. Might pick it up again when I'm a bit more experienced, but it wasn't fun for a beta save and I think Italy was a step too far for me.

Does anyone know of any countries where you're likely to start with an amateur team for this challenge? I like the idea of being able to build up finances and infrastructure before going pro. Tried Northern Ireland, but in 50 loads only Belfast Celtic and Donegal Celtic ever got promoted.

[iacovone]

I'm not sure @Rainbowz but that seems like a wise decision leaving Novara. This is obviously a tough challenge but it should still be fun and that doesn't sound like it was. 

[Rizz0therat]

Spartans - Season 1 - 2022/23

Manager Profile - League Table - Youth Intake - Squad Performance - Transfers

I'm also managing the Spartans for my first attempt. Decent first season, not great, flirted with the playoffs for a few weeks and then ended up finishing 5th, one place outside .

I did start the game with no wing backs/full backs at the club, so I converted two 16 year old wingers to wing backs and played them in a back five, and they both did really well.

I also have an issue in that my goalkeeper is not going to be able to sign a new contract as he is Polish and they won't give him a work permit at this level. Luckily my youth intake said I was getting a good goalie and I did get one in Keigan McCabe 23b but he is only 5'10 and has **** reflexes which isnt ideal. 

Ashley Schwarz looks the best prospect to me, but unfortunately he is unambitious and has low determination. 15 Passing at this level though is very good. Another small player though.

Other prospects are Louis Murdoch, at 4'11 one of the smallest players I've ever got, there must be something in the local water because my team is going to be tiny. Ardian Korenica a Kosovan Inverted Winger, which fits perfectly with my tactic. Luke Cathcart, another right winger who i might convert to an inverted winger on the left.

Unfortunately I didn't really get any decent DR or DLs so I will continue on with my young converts. I expect a harder season with a tiny 15 year old goalkeeper between the sticks, but the good thing is one one team gets relegated in Scottish league two and thats a playoff too.

 

Year

League

Predicted

Finished

Scottish Cup

Tunnock's Cup

Top Goal Scorer

Most Assists

Fans POTS

Young POTS

Training Fac

Youth Fac

Junior Coach

Youth Rec

Badges

Av Attendance

Season Tickets

2022/23

Scottish League 2

9th

5th

4th Round

1st Round

Blair Henderson 10

Sam Newman 11

Daniel Baur

Daniel Baur

Adequate

Adequate

Good

Adequate

National C & B

338

86 (£94)

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by Rizz0therat

[Rainbowz]

2 minutes ago, iacovone said:

I'm not sure @Rainbowz but that seems like a wise decision leaving Novara. This is obviously a tough challenge but it should still be fun and that doesn't sound like it was. 

I just got awful luck with my intakes. In 4 years, I only got one player who actually developed into anything while the rest just never kicked on. My good non-regen players outgrew the team and refused to sign contracts so I was left with a woeful squad. Not sure why  my intakes were so terrible considering the facilities were good and I had a solid HOYD, but oh well. 

[iacovone]

2 minutes ago, Rainbowz said:

I just got awful luck with my intakes. In 4 years, I only got one player who actually developed into anything while the rest just never kicked on. My good non-regen players outgrew the team and refused to sign contracts so I was left with a woeful squad. Not sure why  my intakes were so terrible considering the facilities were good and I had a solid HOYD, but oh well. 

I've had similar issues in Italy in previous FMs. Reckon I can count on one hand the number of elite academy products I had and genuinely must have played about 50 seasons in Italy over the years!

[DazRTaylor]

End of Season Review

Season 2023/24

The Spartans

Season Summary

We survived on the final day and this, together with a superb run in the Scottish Cup, meant we had an excellent year.

Season Details

League Table - We were bottom for 28 of the 36 weeks yet somehow survived on the final day.

League Fixtures 1 & 2 - By losing our first six league games, we were always up against it.

Scottish Cup - An extraordinary cup run that was ended at the quarter final stage, away to giants Celtic.

Betfred Cup - We lost all four group games, so we not surprisingly finished bottom of our group.

Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup - A home defeat by Championship side Queen of the South ended our interest in the competition at the second round stage.

Pre Season Friendlies - A poor pre season where we lost three of our four games.

Squad 1 & 2 - A large squad with plenty of potential.

Squad Dynamics - Considering how much we were up against it this season, I am delighted with this.

Transfers In - None.

Transfers Out - Just the one departure, a youngster on loan for the season.

Youth Candidates - A decent intake with left winger Jamie Parsons YP24E21 the pick of the bunch.

Finances - The Celtic tie enabled the club to remain in the black.

Key Players

Blair Henderson - Despite our struggles, the striker had an excellent season.

Kevin Waugh - The central defender had another stellar campaign.  He is playing way above his level and long may it continue.

Euan Smith - A solid, reliable midfielder who can also fill in as a central defender.

Jordan Moreland - The teenager has asked to move to a bigger club and is sulking because I said no.

Martin Kubr YP23E5 - The best player at the club, the Czech academy graduate is destined for bigger and better things.

Next Season

Survival again.  Anything else is a bonus.

Personal Coaching Data

Season     Reputation            Qualifications     Att   Def   Fit   GkD   GkH   GkS   Tac   Tec   Men   WWY   Ada   Det   PlK   YoK   LoD   MaM   Mot
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At start   Minimal   (0.25*)     None                 1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     4     1     1     1     4     1     1     1
2022/23    Minimal = (1.25*) ↑   National B ↑↑        6 ↑   6 ↑   2 ↑   1 =   1 =   1 =   5 ↑   6 ↑   7 ↑   4 =   1 =   5 ↑   5 ↑   6 ↑  12 ↑   6 ↑   6 ↑
2023/24    Minimal = (1.75*) ↑   Continental B ↑↑↑   10 ↑  10 ↑   5 ↑   1 =   1 =   1 =  10 ↑  10 ↑  10 ↑   6 ↑   1 =   8 ↑   8 ↑   9 ↑  20 ↑  10 ↑  11 ↑

Club Facilities

Season     Training Facilities  Youth Facilities  Corporate Facilities  Junior Coaching  Youth Recruitment  Club Reputation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At Start   Adequate             Adequate          Adequate              Good             Adequate           Regional   (1.50*)
2022/23    Adequate =           Adequate =        Adequate =            Excellent ↑      Average ↑          Regional = (1.50*) =
2023/24    Adequate =           Adequate =        Adequate =            Exceptional ↑↑   Good ↑↑            Regional = (1.50*) =

Season Record

Season     Played     Won     Drawn     Lost     Goals For     Goals Against     Goal Difference     Win Percentage
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2022/23      44        27       11        6          87              46                 +41              61.36%
2023/24      47        11       12       24          67              90                 -23              23.40% ↓

Overall Career Record

After Season   Played     Won     Drawn     Lost     Goals For     Goals Against     Goal Difference     Win Percentage     Time At Club
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2022/23          44        27       11        6          87              46                 +41              61.36%             308 days
2023/24          91        38       23       30         154             136                 +18              41.76% ↓           680 days

Transfer Sale Record

Date               Player                    Position               Club Sold To                 Country                   Transfer Fee
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trophy Haul

Season     Competition Won
--------------------------
2022/23    Scottish League Two

Trophy Cabinet

League Titles
-------------
1 x Scottish League Two (2022/23)


Cup Competition Victories
-------------------------

Career Overview

Season     Champions League    Europa League    Europa Conference League             League                             Position     Scottish Cup          Betfred Cup        Achievements
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2022/23           N/a               N/a                    N/a                       Scottish League Two                   1st       Fifth round               N/a            Promoted as champions.  Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup quarter final.
2023/24           N/a               N/a                    N/a                       Scottish League One                   8th ↑     Quarter Final ↑       Group Stage        Survived on final day.  Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup second round.

Record Number of Appearances (Players From The Academy Only)

Season     Player                    Cumulative Number of Appearances
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2022/23    Kevin Sutherland YP23G7                   3
2023/24    Gordon Brown YP23B2                      42

Record Goal Scorer (Players From The Academy Only)

Season     Player                          Cumulative Number of Goals
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2022/23    No one                                       0
2023/24    Martin Kubr YP23E5                           6

Record Number of Assists (Players From The Academy Only)

Season     Player                        Cumulative Number of Assists
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2022/23    Darren Combe YP23D4                         1
           Ian Banks YP23F6                            1
2023/24    Martin Kubr YP23E5                          5

Record Number of Clean Sheets (Players From The Academy Only)

Season     Player                    Cumulative Number of Clean Sheets
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2022/23    No one                                     0
2023/24    No one                                     0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by DazRTaylor

[DazRTaylor]

57 minutes ago, iacovone said:

Ali Mason looks like a legitimately good goalkeeper @DazRTaylor

Yeah I agree.  He is already my backup.

[DazRTaylor]

Despite a season of struggle and losing my first six league games, that was one of the most enjoyable seasons I have ever had in FM.  Survived on goal difference on the final day!