FM22: The English Football League thread

[Jogo Bonito]

Contrasting form with Fulham and Tranmere guys. .

@warlock I hope you find a way through it, and steer Fulham to safety. Certainly up against it, but you still have a chance if you can just find that one result to spark a revival.

@smplfc123Very good to see you back and flourishing with Tranmere. That's an excellent upturn in form and I'm very confident next season should be a successful one for you.

[ShaunG95]

Summer Signings

A Europa League campaign meant some depth in the squad was required but I wanted to retain the services of previous loanees. If I recall correctly, the board gave me around £50m but I knew me being me, I'd be able to bulk that out with installment deals - as always. Transfer debt you say, what is that?!

*Bold - January deals

Transfers In - Osvaldo Zaracho for £1m, Giovani for £10m, Curtis Barnes for £10m (£12.5m), Williot Swedberg for £30m (£30.5m), Tim Ronning for £1.6m, Filip Ristanic for £10.75m (£11.75m), Andri Lucas Gudjohnsen for £1.1m, Rafael Luis for £22.5m, Tyrell Malacia for £17.5m (£19m), Hugo Felix for £15m (£15.75m), Arsen Zakharyan for £50m (£55m), Isaac Lihadji for free, Luka Sucic for £2.1m (£2.4m) and Valentin Antov for £15m.

Transfers Out - Josh Tymon for £2.4m to Sunderland, Leif Davis for £250k to Middlesbrough, David Brooks for £46m to Wolves, Joe Powell for £7.5m to Bournemouth, Tom Bloxham for £14m to PSV and Stipe Biuk for £44m to Brighton.

I wanted to strengthen the squad but simultaneously bring in good personalities to the squad, I feel I achieved this with Swedberg, Luis and Antov who are either model citizens or professional. I was somewhat sad to see Brooks, Bloxham and Biuk leave. Brooks was great in the season prior but £46m for a player who probably wouldn't improve any further seemed like a no brainer for me when Giovani was available for a cool £10m. Bloxham and Biuk were cult heroes throughout our pursuit up the lower leagues and sacrificing home-grown players always hurts but both were struggling for starters and had significant influence among the playing personnel so it seemed right for them to move on. I really wanted more for Bloxham but I managed to negotiate a sell-on fee too whereas I made £40m on Biuk. Considering the large financial outlay on Zakharyan on deadline day, I wanted to balance the finances so Biuk left in the January window as a Kinkladze-esque figure, bringing us to lofty heights in leagues where he was way above the curve.  I'll attach some screenshots of some of the buys who are obscure/newgens.

I particularly loved the acquisition of Rafael Luis who I looked at for years but my scouts always said he'd fail a work permit, the moment they reported that he'd be accepted for one, I pounced. As a regista, he's everything I want and more, I'd say he's possible captain fodder in the future with his model citizen personality.

Premier League Table - 2025/26

I was very pleased with this season as we proved to be much more difficult to beat. I think it helped that I had the squad depth to entirely rotate between three starting elevens, this allowed for a lot less injuries for the season and a content squad. Whereas last season we relied heavily on Pellegri, his scoring exploits were inconsistent this year and we favoured Broja more often than not who was a star in the Europa League. The League and FA Cup were low on the priority list for me so ultimately there hasn't been much to mention about them in years gone by! I'm hoping that once we've stepped our squad up even further in the coming years, we will start to compete on all fronts.

Europa League - 2025/26

Our starting eleven was exactly the same throughout the whole competition and particular credit must be given to Malacia, Broja and Felix who were unplayable throughout the entirety of the campaign. It was a sweet symphony that those three had a hand in the goals that won us the Europa League on our first entry into the competition. We conceded our first goal in the Quarter Final which was gutting as I was hoping to win it without conceding a goal!

Although Ait-Nouri is so good as well, Malacia shone with a 7.89 average rating in the competition and was consistently reliable over the course of the season, even when Ait-Nouri picked up a couple of injuries.

Broja was another key man but as a slight spoiler, he has departed for pastures new with Dortmund for £38m. I paid a mere £3.5m for him so for a club of our stature to generate such a massive profit, I thought it was astute business. Considering he was close to his full potential, I thought this move was right as I have set my eyes on another striker to lead us in the Champions League.

I can reveal that a striker has been purchased to replace Broja. My main target was still not convinced by our club stature but I do hope to possibly convince him before the summer window shuts. I've also found hit a stumbling block where some of the younger players are over 21 now so need to be registered for competitions, so I am tinkering with ways of getting them involved properly in the squad registration. I have had to spend big on one English talent who isn't necessarily an obvious buy so I'm looking forward to sharing that with you and showing you how he does over the course of the next season.

Edited April 23, 2022 by ShaunG95

[Woolly]

Rochdale in Uncharted Territory Second Season in the Championship

After last season's 11th place in their first ever season in the Championship I feared it was going to be a season when the club was found out at this level. It looked like my fears were going to be realised after losing 3 of the first 5 league games, thankfully (for now at least) things seem to be picking up and after 9 league games the squad finds themselves in 6th place just 4 points behind the leaders Fulham. Whether this squad can maintain this form is open to debate but the last two games against Millwall and Hull gained the team 13 goals for with only one against not bad for a squad made up mainly of free transfers and youth team players. My biggest outlay so far since the start of the game was £300K with another £125k in potential add-ons) for a young S African Striker called Max McMillian who has proven to be a good buy having scored 21 goals in 46 league outings. However, my two best signings were both free transfers. First to sign was the central defender Will Fish who joined at the end of the first season when his contract with Manchester United ran out he was an instant hit when placed alongside another former United youngster in the form of Max Taylor. The other signing has been Joe Powell who I picked up from Burton at the end of the 2021/22 season. Both are still young enough to improve still the problem may come when bigger clubs come sniffing around especially when both have release clauses (both of which are for around £4M). I can but hope that they stay long enough for me to groom replacements. 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Woolly

[warlock]

9 hours ago, ShaunG95 said:

I was very pleased with this season

I should hope so - heady days in Shrewsbury 

2 hours ago, Woolly said:

Rochdale in Uncharted Territory

Watch out for dizzy spells at that rarified altitude . Some good signings there and looks like they're performing well. Hope you can keep it up!

[Woolly]

20 hours ago, warlock said:

 

Watch out for dizzy spells at that rarified altitude . Some good signings there and looks like they're performing well. Hope you can keep it up!

It's scary how good these players are performing mind you I've got a top keeper and a few half decent midfielders, the biggest problem however is a lack of money and the size of the ground. I'm currently maxing out all my home games but still losing money. Fair enough there is an expansion build going on but even so that will only take the ground to a 12k capacity.

 

[smplfc123]

Well our pre-season is almost over and unless anything dramatic happens now, i'm confident all of our dealings in the transfer market are done.

We finished the season very strongly and I thought the best way to keep that momentum going in to next season was to keep as much of the squad together as possible. I managed to do that in the main, with Maynard being the only player from the squad being released. However, League 1 teams Portsmouth and Charlton came sniffing, with left-footed winger Kieron Morris joining Pompy for £125k and left back Callum Macdonald joining Charlton for £87k. Thankfully, I managed to convince Kane Hemmings that the bids for him from Ipswich weren't worth it.

Calum Jones, Paul Glatzel and Keenan Appiah-Forson were all re-signed on loan from their respective clubs. All 3 were vital in that run-in and should be too good for this league. Kamari Simon-Swyer, Isaac Olaofe and Elijah Dixon-Bonner were signed on free transfers after being released from West Ham, Millwall and Liverpool respectively. 

Jevani Brown joins us from Exeter for £35k to replace K Morris, youngster Killian Phillips signed from Crystal Palace for £97k to bolster the back line and our final signing was Ryan Clampin from Colchester for £120k, replacing Macdonald at LB.

Pre-season has gone well, with us about to play Carlisle in our first competitive game of the season in the Carabao Cup first round. Really looking forward to this season!

[CityAndColour]

Have just hit January of our first season as a Conference South club and it's been smooth sailing so far...

Our last two promotions were built on having the best defensive record in the league and we have once again made ourselves difficult to score against - necessary as we've only had three players score 4+ goals in league play.

As predicted, there wasn't exactly a queue of talent willing to join us for our first season at this level, but we were able to add young 'keeper Harvey Wiles-Richards, experienced midfielder James Ball, ex-Wolves, Birmingham and Shrewsbury playmaker Amarie Brown  and physical winger Jack Storer. The first two have been excellent and the last two have shown glimpses of quality, albeit inconsistently.

Club stalwarts Finn Tapp, Adam Sharif, Panashe Makokowe and Bradley Keetch have continued to excel, even at the higher level. The first three have made up 75% of the back four in all three divisions now.

It's a tight league but I'd be shocked if we got anywhere close to promotion with the likes of Billericay, St Albans, Dover and Dulwich Hamlet all boasting powerful squads - we really need a prolific striker and quality on the wings which most likely won't be possible until the summer. The end of the third season is always my favourite time in non-league, as clubs higher up start releasing the first batch of newgen youths.

[Parmie]

On 20/04/2022 at 16:19, nickcabo said:

Hi Parmie,

I'm reading your post as they look very interesting to me. I've Bradford City in EPL now too.

Though we use different tactics (mine is a 4-4-2), I'm curious about squad rotation: how many players do you use?

So I tend towards being under full squad strength due to the wage budget limitations, which slowly expands as the seasons go on and my wage budget is increased.

GK - 1 1st choice, and recently I've got a very good Prospect who plays in the early cup rounds.

FBs - 1 1st choice in each side, one prospect on the right side. The 1st choice right full back can play on either, so switches for fitness with the left back when needed

DCs - 2 1st choice, 1 good prospect (21 years old) and 1 young prospect (19 years old)

MCs - my playmaker is a constant other than when he gets jaded. on either side of him I have 2 important players and 2 rotations, most of them can also play in the AMC role for game time.

AMC - 1 important player and a prospect as rotation

STRs - Up until recently I had 4 good strikers, 1 in each position slightly ahead of the other, the secondarys accepted being squad players so it worked well, and injuries tended to give someone game time regularly.

I do find myself accepting loans for the prospect players, which leaves me short when injuries and suspensions kick in, so I was trying to reverse that trend recently and keep them around more.

[Parmie]

Unfortunately my save has come to an abrupt end. I got a bit bored with Bradford, and tried something else, not remembering that previously my main save file had corrupted and I was saving to a backup, I never changed the backup file name so the new save on automatic backup overwrote my historic Bradford save. 

I'll have a think about what I want to do next on FM. 

[kopfan1977]

21 minutes ago, Parmie said:

Unfortunately my save has come to an abrupt end. I got a bit bored with Bradford, and tried something else, not remembering that previously my main save file had corrupted and I was saving to a backup, I never changed the backup file name so the new save on automatic backup overwrote my historic Bradford save. 

I'll have a think about what I want to do next on FM. 

Salford city - try to become the best team in Manchester

Tranmere rovers - like above, try to become the best in Liverpool

Charlton athletic - try and restore them back to the premier league. Did this on FM21 was one of my most enjoyable saves for the past 5 years (do still go back to it now and again)

Sunderland - Try to compete with the massive financial backing that their north east rivals now have.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Have a guess what EFL club I am going to be managing from my avatar @Jogo Bonito lol

I will give you a hint. The club has a player that we both rate and have managed in our saves before.

 

[warlock]

1 hour ago, Parmie said:

Unfortunately my save has come to an abrupt end

Shame, but I'd say you were due a change of scenery. Good luck with the next one.

[Jogo Bonito]

5 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Have a guess what EFL club I am going to be managing from my avatar @Jogo Bonito lol

Welcome to Luton and good luck. A funny looking hair cut for David Pleat though 

6 hours ago, Parmie said:

Unfortunately my save has come to an abrupt end. I got a bit bored with Bradford, and tried something else, not remembering that previously my main save file had corrupted and I was saving to a backup, I never changed the backup file name so the new save on automatic backup overwrote my historic Bradford save. 

I'll have a think about what I want to do next on FM. 

Ah that's a shame to lose it like that, but you had a really long and successful time with Bradford. Good luck at your next club.

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by Jogo Bonito

[Jogo Bonito]

On 25/04/2022 at 11:11, smplfc123 said:

Calum Jones, Paul Glatzel and Keenan Appiah-Forson were all re-signed on loan from their respective clubs. All 3 were vital in that run-in and should be too good for this league. Kamari Simon Swyer, Isaac Olaofe and Elijah Dixon-Bonner were signed on free transfers after being released from West Ham, Millwall and Liverpool respectively. 

Pre-season has gone well, with us about to play Carlisle in our first competitive game of the season in the Carabao Cup first round. Really looking forward to this season!

How did Isaac do on loan at Sutton? How is he looking for you so far? I think he could be a good player for you at League 2 level, so will follow his progress with interest. A player I'd thought about myself should I wander back to the EFL at some point. Good luck in season 2.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

4 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Welcome to Luton and good luck. A funny looking hair cut for David Pleat though 

Ah that's a shame to lose it like that, but you had a really long and successful time with Bradford. Good luck at your next club.

 

Yeah it is David Pleat's grandson lol.

I am doing alright so far. Not made many signings. The most well known being Josh Vela. 

Adebayo has yet to play but he will get some game time soon.

 

[Jogo Bonito]

20 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Yeah it is David Pleat's grandson lol.

I am doing alright so far. Not made many signings. The most well known being Josh Vela. 

Adebayo has yet to play but he will get some game time soon.

 

Don't tell me, you named your manager Trouser Pleat or something? Just be sure to iron out the terms of the contract. And hopefully you can in-crease the club profile too.

More seriously, how come Adebayo hasn't been used? I'd have thought he would be your main striker.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Just now, Jogo Bonito said:

Don't tell me, you named your manager Trouser Pleat or something? Just be sure to iron out the terms of the contract. And hopefully you can in-crease the club profile too.

More seriously, how come Adebayo hasn't been used? I'd have thought he would be your main striker.

Yeah I always liked Cameron Jerome so he is my starting striker and he is doing well with 13 goals from 15 games played so far but I have recently started playing Adebayo who scored in his 1st game for the 1st team. 

Adebayo will get a few more games and then Jerome will be going in the summer and Adebayo will be my 1st choice. 

I have seen Adebayo go for £20 plus to teams like Newcastle in other FM saves I have had and £20m for example is a lot of money for a club like Luton.

[Sysiphus]

Haven't been posting much as I haven't been playing much. Not because I'm losing interest but because my laptop is basically dying on me. It is 7 years old so obviously it hasn't been very FM compatible for a few versions, but now the game is all but unplayable. Might try to squeeze through the 4th season (am in January), but I think I'd need a clear weekend to do that, which I haven't got on my calendar currently but we'll see.

Still, I have read every update that has come in here and am living vigorously through your saves, so keep posting please!

[nickcabo]

Il 26/4/2022 in 14:15 , Parmie ha scritto:

So I tend towards being under full squad strength due to the wage budget limitations, which slowly expands as the seasons go on and my wage budget is increased.

GK - 1 1st choice, and recently I've got a very good Prospect who plays in the early cup rounds.

FBs - 1 1st choice in each side, one prospect on the right side. The 1st choice right full back can play on either, so switches for fitness with the left back when needed

DCs - 2 1st choice, 1 good prospect (21 years old) and 1 young prospect (19 years old)

MCs - my playmaker is a constant other than when he gets jaded. on either side of him I have 2 important players and 2 rotations, most of them can also play in the AMC role for game time.

AMC - 1 important player and a prospect as rotation

STRs - Up until recently I had 4 good strikers, 1 in each position slightly ahead of the other, the secondarys accepted being squad players so it worked well, and injuries tended to give someone game time regularly.

I do find myself accepting loans for the prospect players, which leaves me short when injuries and suspensions kick in, so I was trying to reverse that trend recently and keep them around more.

Thank you

[warlock]

I'm sure it will surprise nobody that I've called time on my Fulham save. Just couldn't turnaround the bad form, morale was in the tank and the losses just kept on coming. Played through to early December and we were mired at the foot of the table... had plenty of money for the January window but no real targets to sign.

Still, the save achieved its purpose - I can now say I've successfully completed a promotion season in the PL. After a few days out of the game, I've taken over at Oxford United in League One. The club is financially strapped but the squad is more than good enough to achieve the board goal of a top-half finish. I'll try to post a proper update tomorrow.

[Parmie]

Oldham Athletic Season 1 (2021/2022)

With the demise of my Bradford save, I looked at all the divisions for some inspiration. With their real life relegation out of the league for the first time in their history, I decided to see if I could do better with Oldham.

Landing in the club to displace John Sheridan, there are several key staff positions empty which need to be filled and we're under a transfer embargo until January. This narrows down the work to be done. We're expected to avoid relegation.

Financially there is some money in the bank, but we have a £3.4m chairperson's loan with no transfer budget, not that we could spend it. With one of the club vision targets being to repair the financial damage to the club.

For some fun I also let a RNG decide which formation I'll use and it landed on this one, with the roles and instructions decided by myself. I've always wanted to see if I can get an unusual role like the Segundo Volante to work.

Season Review

As I expected with an unfamiliar formation and a number of players not used to their role, our early form isn't great, We have a decent August, win all our games in September but only 1 win from 6 in October. This steadies out and we finish quite strongly, only losing to champions Forest Green in April-May. It is strange playing against Bradford, when the first game against them started I found myself automatically pleased that the first highlight was theirs. Interestingly the AI plays a 442 with them.

Unusually for me, we don't have any cup heroics, going out early in the Carabao and the FA Cups, although we do get as far as the quarter final in Papa John's.

For the Segundo Volante, I put on loan Alex Hunt in that role, who has no experience as a defensive midfielder, however, he's young enough to adapt and ends the season on 6 goals and 12 assists.

Next Season Preview

I can't stop myself looking for the money ball technique I used previously, looking to sign relatively high potential youngsters as they are released by bigger clubs. But I will try to temper this with some experience and current ability if they're available (for nothing).

Edited April 29, 2022 by Parmie

[warlock]

7 minutes ago, Parmie said:

I decided to see if I could do better with Oldham

Good to see you back in the saddle, and not a bad first season at all.

I expect you'll be back in the Prem by Monday dinner time 

[Woolly]

Turn of the Year with the 'Dale Fans still Bouncing

With the midpoint reached in Rochdale's second season in the Championship the squad continues to defy the odds. Widely tipped to struggle in this division despite finishing mid-table last season the 'Dale still find themselves chasing a play-off position.  The defence continues to play their part and have chipped in with a few goals as well. Whilst the reason of the team have been proving that age is no barrier. Indeed other than 2 players the squad is made up of players of 25 years and younger and will soon be entering their prime years. As at the 31 December 2024 the club are still sat in the last play off place but at one point automatic promotion could even have been on the cards when they occupied 3rd position. The likes of Powell, McMillan and FIsh continue to do well all three are still averaging over 7.2 ratings however, one player who has  grown as the season has developed is a young forward called Kion Etete who is another of my free signings this time coming from Tottenham in the summer of 2023 last season he knocked in 10 goals in 32 appearances but this season he has already passed that point (11 goals currently) with plenty of games still to go. Another honourable mention must go to the 'granddad' of the team my keeper Coleman, yes another freebie (I've had to look to free transfers and loans as a club the size of Rochdale with the likes of Manchester United and City just down the road does not allow for much in the way of advertising revenue, coupled with a stadium which now holds 12,789(just under 11k of which are seated) means I am very much the poor neighbour. Who knows what the second half of the season will bring but at least I should now be safely seeing yet another year free from relegation. I must admit I'm really enjoying this save, I started out only with trying to get into the Championship with Rochdale before moving on but now I really want to see if there is room in Greater Manchester for a third successful team, it's going to get harder unless I can persuade the board to build a new stadium in the not to distant future (12k capacity is no where near enough I fear). 

 

[warlock]

24 minutes ago, Woolly said:

the 'Dale still find themselves chasing a play-off position

No mean feat, given the limitations the club faces. You're doing really well, finding some good signings and getting the best out of them. Tough competition, too - looks like Fulham and Brentford (among others) continue to bounce between the top two divisions.

KUTGW 

[Woolly]

56 minutes ago, warlock said:

No mean feat, given the limitations the club faces. You're doing really well, finding some good signings and getting the best out of them. Tough competition, too - looks like Fulham and Brentford (among others) continue to bounce between the top two divisions.

KUTGW 

Thank you, This division has some really tough teams in it, the majority of which have loads more resources than I do. I have got lucky with a 'golden' generation intake as well so fingers crossed. Unfortunately I've just lost McMillan to the ACON, but I managed in the close season to sign Garnacho also on a Free he didn't have a work permit to begin with so I sent him on loan to Logrones in the Spanish 2nd Division where he qualified thankfully so I've brought him back and put him in the team I have high hopes he will develop as well in the game as he seems to be in real life.

[warlock]

Oxford United, December 2021

On arrival at Oxford one thing seems clear: the transfer window is a non-event. There's no money for transfers and just £1k a week in the spare wage budget. Moreover, the squad already features four loans, so there's little room there. Happily, it looks as though no transfer business is required - the squad certainly isn't perfect, but there are decent starters and at least adequate cover everywhere. And apart from the loans, the club has been busy in the market before arrival, having signed the likes of Ryan Williams from Portsmouth, Marcus McGuane from Forest, Billy Bodin from Preston, Sam Baldock from Derby, Marcus Browne from 'Boro, and Steve Seddon from Birmingham. Although most were free signings, some fees were paid.

At first sight it seems there are too many wide AMs and not enough CMs, but it turns out that James Henry and Mark Sykes - natural AMRs - are more than capable of playing as B2B or mezzalas. There are several good DMs, but no natural AMs, so a 433dm system was an easy choice. In FM, however, things are rarely that simple. Somehow, before a ball has been kicked, AML Marcus Browne is out for 6-8 months with a ligament injury but has apparently been replaced by Nathan Holland on loan from West Ham. Then before pre-season had ended, new signing Billy Bodin suffered exactly the same injury and is expected to miss the entire season. So Henry moved back to his natural position at AMR and I signed CM Jaakko Oksanen on a season-long loan from Brentford.

Also on loan at AMR was Cardiff's Gavin Whyte who started really well for us. Until he suffered a groin strain that would sideline him for around 2 months. Paying £6k a week to have him occupying a treatment table didn't seem like good value, so I terminated his loan, moved Sykes back to AMR, and looked for a replacement in central midfield. Since Brentford asked for just £250 a week for Oksanen's services, I wondered if they'd be as generous with CM Paris Maghoma and they outdid themselves, allowing us a loan for absolutely zero contribution.

There were a couple of other squad issues. We had only 3 CBs, a problem resolved when I found the ageing John Musinho in the u23 squad. At 35 he's barely mobile but still looked capable of doing a job. We were also short of a backup LB, Again, a look in the u23s revealed 20-year-old Michael Elichi. Tall and fast, he looked decent.

My last concern was up front. We have 3 veteran strikers: Matty Taylor (31), Sam Baldock (32) and Sam Winnall (30). But they all look like they were stamped from a mould - slow, poor technical ability, not great in the air, but hard-working. I wasn't sure how reliable they'd be in front of goal.

Early form

Whatever my concerns, we got off to a great start:

Although the strikers were slow to find the net they picked up the pace by the end of the month, while the midfield were outstanding in creating and scoring (Oksanen's goal against Charlton came from his first touch of the ball in an Oxford shirt). And while we couldn't continue to rack up the wins in September, we made it through without defeat:

And in October we actually moved up a gear:

Hat-tricks from Baldock bookended the month, and Taylor bagged another couple, while we were very solid in defence. This was beyond my wildest hopes - 16 games played and undefeated. Inevitably, it couldn't last:

A visit to Portman Road gave us a reality check as we suffered our first setback. But, for now, it appears to be no more than that, as we put that result behind us and picked up another 7pts from our remaining 3 fixtures.

Not surprisingly, that good form sees us top of the table - just! - as we head into the difficult winter months:

What might be surprising is that Mark Sykes - playing as a supporting winger - leads the scoring charts, although just ahead of Taylor and Baldock who have 7 apiece. Brannagan is our main creative force with 13 goal contributions from 19 starts. The only disappointment has been the performance of Seddon at LB, not just the worst disciplinary record but match ratings that tend towards 6s more than 7s, and youngster Elichi is now my first choice in the role.

We've done as well as expected in the cups. In the Carabao we saw off Crawley before succumbing to a 0-1 loss to Premiership outfit Palace. In the FA Cup, we beat Bradford and will face MK Dons in the second round as our first match in December. And we're still alive in the Pizza Pot having topped a group featuring Spurs u23s.

Our financial position - precarious! - means there's unlikely to be much business in January, if any. Board expectations are for a top-half finish, which I'm confident we'll achieve. We could, of course, do much better but I'm trying to enjoy the ride and not worry about playoffs or promotions.

[Jogo Bonito]

Nice updates from Oldham, Rochdale and Oxford.

The first two are no easy gig so definitely doing well there.

As for Oxford, the poor financial situation is balanced by having a good squad. A very impressive start (no surprise there given your usual form). I really enjoyed managing them in a previous version, so will follow with interest 

[warlock]

46 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

A very impressive start

Cheers, mate! When you were managing them last year I remember saying I'd give them a go at some point but I never got round to it. So when I was looking for a likely candidate it seemed like the right choice.

It is a very good side by L1 standards - only the lack of pace up front bothers me. I've gone for a much more possession-oriented approach than usual... seems to be working .

Edit to add: I've already had a takeover, but the new board have invested nothing. We're losing about £200k a month so we'll be in the red by Jan/Feb - be interesting to see what happens after that.

Edited April 29, 2022 by warlock

[Jogo Bonito]

14 hours ago, warlock said:

Cheers, mate! When you were managing them last year I remember saying I'd give them a go at some point but I never got round to it. So when I was looking for a likely candidate it seemed like the right choice.

It is a very good side by L1 standards - only the lack of pace up front bothers me. I've gone for a much more possession-oriented approach than usual... seems to be working .

Edit to add: I've already had a takeover, but the new board have invested nothing. We're losing about £200k a month so we'll be in the red by Jan/Feb - be interesting to see what happens after that.

Good choice. Good memory too! Hopefully you can soon find a striker with pace in the U23 squad, or on a pre-contract (or on loan).

Don't worry about the finances too much, they'll usually sort themselves out in FM

[ShaunG95]

1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Don't worry about the finances too much, they'll usually sort themselves out in FM

This is my mantra too, hence why I'm such an installment monster on my saves. As long as my team is working within wage budget (so you retain all of transfer fees), I'm happy providing there is winning football being played on the pitch.

I'm currently mid-way through my next season as I've been busy with work of late but my new signings have worked out well. I'm very personality-driven with transfers, I like for them to either be professional, model professionals or model citizens ideally and that approach works well in impacting the younger players who aren't.

[Parmie]

Oldham Athletic Season 2 (2022/2023)

Following a decent first season, it's squad overhaul time. It's quicker to list the players I didn't release:

Benny Couto (young left back whose contract wasn't expiring)

Carl Piergianni (experienced, leader and good current ability for League Two)

Davis Keillor-Dunn (leading current ability for League Two)

To replace the numbers, we've been scouting last year of contact Premiership club U23s, there are too many to screenshot so a quick and dirty list:

Jose Capon (Rennes), Sam McClelland (Chelsea), Dermi Lusala (Spurs), Charlie Wellens (Man United), Elvis Bwomono (Sunderland), Khalon Haysman (Spurs), George McEachran (Chelsea), jake Eastwood (Sheff Utd), Jeremy Kyezu (Spurs), Colm Whelan ((U.C.D) January end of contract from Ireland).

Further strengthening the squad, we relied on some loans after we got Burnley as our senior affiliate: Max Thompson (Burnley), Lewis Thomas (Burnley), Anthony Gomez-Mancini (Burnley), Malachi Fagan-Walcott (Boro), Ben Cottrell (Preston).

It's noteworthy that Elvis had compensation attached which I noticed as I confirmed the deal, assuming with insufficient transfer budget, I would have to cancel it on the day of signing, however, no option appeared and somehow we found £135k. 

With so many changes, I'm not sure what to expect, but we've certainly improved the current ability of the squad overall, and packed it with hopefully Championship level potential.

Season Review

Our pre-season is not promising, and we are immediately dumped out of the Carabao by Huddersfield before we even play a league game. However, once the league campaign does start we pick up 6 wins and a draw from the first 10 games. We follow on from this with win after win, interspersed with another early FA Cup exit, and an unsuccessful Papa John's group stage.

17 games into this run we hit top spot, and we draw clear of initial rivals Carlisle, and leave everyone in our wake, achieving automatic promotion as early as 7th March, and confirmation of Champions in early April. Automatic promotion does seem to cause a slight dip, but after some arm thrashing and harsh words, the complacency disappears and we end on a record points total.

Looking at what I think is happening tactically, with an Advanced Forward, Shadow Striker and Attacking Midfielder on attack, they're overloading the opposition centre backs. The advanced playmaker helps to pass through defensive presses and the wing backs are wide outlets when needed. 

Club finances are ok, the board have injected about £500k through the season, the lack of cup run money doesn't help, although we should get a boost from promotion. There was a brief rumour of a board takeover but nothing came of it. We've reduced the chairperson loan of £3.4m by about £600k by this time.

Next Season Preview

We should be in good shape for the season ahead. Most of the squad look like they can play at League One level, although we'll keep an eye on released players again and see if we can pick up more potential bargains supplemented by loans again.

 

[warlock]

3 hours ago, Parmie said:

a decent first season

You're telling me you didn't win L2 in your first season? 

Second season is more like it! Just need to repeat in season 3 

[CityAndColour]

2023/24 - Willand Rovers - Conference South

Season:

A really positive season after back to back promotions, finishing in the top half pretty comfortably. (The update I am using didn't update the amount of teams after the first season, hence the 40-game season.)

We got as high as 4th early on, before settling into a spot just outside the playoffs that we maintained for the rest of the campaign - we didn't go above 7th or below 9th from match 10 onwards. A 9-match winless run through February and March scuppered any chance at the playoffs, however we finished strongly with four wins and a draw in our last five to finish 8th.

The second best defensive record in the league gave us a healthy goal difference, however we just couldn't find the back of the net enough to make the most of our stinginess. Overall however, given the strength of our squad compared to other teams at this level, it was an excellent campaign and something to build on.

Players:

Once more, plenty of green.

GIven the step-up in quality, Bradley Keetch's second season at the club was arguably better than his first. He continues to be the heartbeat of our midfield and was deservedly nominated for the division player of the season award. He was ably supported by experienced signing James Ball, who has committed for another year after a great debut season.

Up front, Ibby Akanbi battled his way to 19 goals in all competitions - he never seemed prolific but chipped away for a good return. Unfortunately, we just didn't get the return from the flanks that we have previously, with our four regular wide men combining for only 20 goals and eight assists in total.

The only addition to our starting defence was young 'keeper Harvey Wiles-Richards, and the former Bristol City stopper set a club record with 25 clean sheets. The back four in front of him was the same as last season and all performed admirably, with right back Panashe Makokowe providing seven assists and club icon Finn Tapp commanding in his first season as captain. 

Next season:

The financial situation remains poor, with the club temporarily stopping the payment of non-contract bonuses in January. Save for an unlikely cup run, that's not going to change any time soon, and our budget is one of the smallest in the league.

Club stalwart Adam Sharif leaves for Colwyn Bay after 131 appearances and will need to be replaced, while finding some more avenues to goal is also necessary. Where from I'm not too sure yet.

[warlock]

5 hours ago, CityAndColour said:

A 9-match winless run through February and March scuppered any chance at the playoffs

TS Eliot famously opined that April is the cruellest month. He obviously never managed in FM 

[hasdgfas]

On 29/04/2022 at 05:00, Parmie said:

For some fun I also let a RNG decide which formation I'll use and it landed on this one, with the roles and instructions decided by myself. I've always wanted to see if I can get an unusual role like the Segundo Volante to work.

Heck yeah! Love a Segundo Volante. One of my absolute favorite roles in FM.

[Jogo Bonito]

I'm long overdue a spell with an EFL club (alongside Valencia) but as usual the hardest thing is narrowing down the club.

I've somehow managed to find one reason or another against 67 of the 72 EFL clubs. Sutton United, Lincoln City and Blackpool were very close to the shortlist (and an honourable mention to Stockport County who also tempted me) but here are the final five candidates. I've made myself some kits for each club and some time soon I will decide who to go with.

CARDIFF CITY

The Welsh club is one I've not managed before. They have lots of players who will be out of contract in June 2022 and an overhaul is expected IRL. Keeping a few of the younger and better ones, and adding to the group of promising youthful first team players already tied down should make them an enjoyable option. I couldn't resist adding some red to the home kit for a bit of spice too, the fans will love that. I need to find a better fit for the blue home kits, I've not found that easy yet and it's hurting my eyes to look at the colour tab bar being different. 

DERBY COUNTY

A big challenge with their 21 deducted points, transfer embargo and administration. There will be no choice but to use the youngsters, some of whom look quite talented, and it would be a fairly unique opportunity to test myself. I've lined up local firm Rolls Royce as the new shirt sponsors, in some fairly neat, simple and traditional kit designs. I'm not bothered if they're relegated either, assuming I was to keep my job.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

Dropping down to League 1 is the club I'd intended to manage way back when FM22 launched. The squad needs little work at all in the first season, and I've made some tasty looking green-inspired kits with Devon's very own kings of custard as the new sponsors. Nothing against Ginsters, but they're from Cornwall and so Ambrosia is a very good replacement. The Green Army has the facilities to support a side challenging for League 1 promotion, and I think they can be competitive at Championship level too. 

BRADFORD CITY

For League 2, one of the choices is Bradford City. They're a massive club at this level and should not be here. But one look at the squad shows why they are. It's really awful and out of the five clubs on my radar, this is the team that needs the most surgery. However, they'll have a reputation that could attract players and a stadium and fanbase that could soon see them rising again. I'd like to focus on a Yorkshire theme with them, with an aim to recruit mainly from around Yorkshire (but maybe Ireland too).

HARTLEPOOL UNITED

I'm not really sure why they're on my list. Possibly because they are one of the few clubs I have never managed in any FM version. I also like that fact that not much is expected of them, and they're from the North East which is a region I've not really experienced in FM due to not liking much about Sunderland and rarely going to the Premier League (Newcastle may change that). I also like the fact they have a Finnish affiliate club, and that might make for some interesting transfer business on expiring contract players (if they can obtain work permits). I've gone for simple but different kits here, steering away from their traditional blue and white stripes. The choice of XG as sponsor is deliberately ironic as I really have zero interest in XG both in FM and reality. 

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Jogo Bonito

[Parmie]

35 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I'm long overdue a spell with an EFL club (alongside Valencia) but as usual the hardest thing is narrowing down the club.

I've somehow managed to find one reason or another against 67 of the 72 EFL clubs. Sutton United, Lincoln City and Blackpool were very close to the shortlist (and an honourable mention to Stockport County who also tempted me) but here are the final five candidates. I've made myself some kits for each club and some time soon I will decide who to go with.

CARDIFF CITY

DERBY COUNTY

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

BRADFORD CITY

HARTLEPOOL UNITED

 

Well, you know what you're in for with Bradford. Hartlepool have an interesting nickname. Plymouth have never been higher than the Championship and 'Argyle' is unique which is why I sometimes chose them. I've seen other people do Derby saves where apart from the points deduction, finances unrealistically sort themselves out via takeovers pretty quickly so not quite the challenge it may seem.

[Jogo Bonito]

19 minutes ago, Parmie said:

Well, you know what you're in for with Bradford. Hartlepool have an interesting nickname. Plymouth have never been higher than the Championship and 'Argyle' is unique which is why I sometimes chose them. I've seen other people do Derby saves where apart from the points deduction, finances unrealistically sort themselves out via takeovers pretty quickly so not quite the challenge it may seem.

Yes, each of them has an appeal for differing reasons. I'll decide before FM23 comes along 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I'm long overdue a spell with an EFL club (alongside Valencia) but as usual the hardest thing is narrowing down the club.

I've somehow managed to find one reason or another against 67 of the 72 EFL clubs. Sutton United, Lincoln City and Blackpool were very close to the shortlist (and an honourable mention to Stockport County who also tempted me) but here are the final five candidates. I've made myself some kits for each club and some time soon I will decide who to go with.

CARDIFF CITY

They have lots of players who will be out of contract in June 2022 and an overhaul is expected IRL. Keeping a few of the younger and better ones, and adding to the group of promising young players tied down already should make them an enjoyable option. I couldn't resist adding some red to the home kit for a bit of spice too, the fans will love that.

DERBY COUNTY

A big challenge with their 21 deducted points, transfer embargo and administration. There will be no choice but to use the youngsters, some of whom look quite talented, and it would be a fairly unique opportunity to test myself. I've lined up local firm Rolls Royce as the new shirt sponsors, in some fairly neat, simple and traditional kit designs.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

Dropping down to League 1 is the club I'd intended to manage way back when FM22 launched. The squad needs little work at all in the first season, and I've made some tasty looking green-inspired kits with Devon's very own kings of custard as the new sponsors. Nothing against Ginsters, but they're from Cornwall and so Ambrosia is a very good replacement. 

BRADFORD CITY

For League 2, one of the choices is Bradford City. They're a massive club at this level and should not be here. But one look at the squad shows why they are. It's really awful and out of the five clubs on my radar, this is the team that needs the most surgery. However, they'll have a reputation that could attract players and a stadium and fanbase that could soon see them rising again.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED

I'm not really sure why they're on my list. Possibly because they are one of the few clubs I have never managed in any FM version. I also like that fact that not much is expected of them, and they're from the North East which is a region I've not really experienced in FM due to not liking much about Sunderland and rarely going to the Premier League (Newcastle may change that). I also like the fact they have a Finnish affiliate club, and that might make for some interesting transfer business on expiring contract players (if they can obtain work permits).

 

Excellent choices and kits buddy.

Can I ask when you go through your process of picking a team what are the factors you look for and what do factors do you choose to go against picking that team?

If I had to choose I would choose Bradford or Plymouth as I have seen so many people take on the Derby challenge and even though I would be interested to see what you do with Derby I just prefer Plymouth and Bradford but whatever team you pick I know you will have an awesome save with and I look forward to seeing your progress with them.

[Jogo Bonito]

9 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Excellent choices and kits buddy.

Can I ask when you go through your process of picking a team what are the factors you look for and what do factors do you choose to go against picking that team?

If I had to choose I would choose Bradford or Plymouth as I have seen so many people take on the Derby challenge and even though I would be interested to see what you do with Derby I just prefer Plymouth and Bradford but whatever team you pick I know you will have an awesome save with and I look forward to seeing your progress with them.

Thanks, I don't find making the kits easy but I feel good when I complete some good ones.

My choices come down to many things really. Where the club is based and kit colours are a factor, but mainly I like clubs that have a decent size stadium and a reasonable (at least balanced) squad that just needs a little bit of tweaking. For example, I'd love to manage Sheffield Wednesday as I never have before, I like their history and stadium and kit colours - but the squad is just way too far from my own personal taste to do it. I don't like too many loan players either, so often want to terminate those already there. I don't like players over 30 so need them to be nearing the end of their contracts. Basically, it's more about players I don't like to waste my time managing, as I'm very confident in my ability to pick good replacements and make a nice squad. I usually have those lined up in my head before I start a career anywhere.

Thanks for your interest. It could well be one of those two (Bradford or Plymouth) as Cardiff may be good for FM23 or a transfer update later in the year. Derby appeals as it's fairly certain it wouldn't be a one-season save ending after promotion. Hartlepool, I don't know yet. But they're not often mentioned and I just feel I could do something different there. I'm far from finished with Valencia though, so forgive me if it takes time to get going.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

6 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Thanks, I don't find making the kits easy but I feel good when I complete some good ones.

My choices come down to many things really. Where the club is based and kit colours are a factor, but mainly I like clubs that have a decent size stadium and a reasonable (at least balanced) squad that just needs a little bit of tweaking. For example, I'd love to manage Sheffield Wednesday as I never have before, I like their history and stadium and kit colours - but the squad is just way too far from my own personal taste to do it. I don't like too many loan players either, so often want to terminate those already there. I don't like players over 30 so need them to be nearing the end of their contracts. Basically, it's more about players I don't like to waste my time managing, as I'm very confident in my ability to pick good replacements and make a nice squad. I usually have those lined up in my head before I start a career anywhere.

Thanks for your interest. It could well be one of those two (Bradford or Plymouth) as Cardiff may be good for FM23 or a transfer update later in the year. Derby appeals as it's fairly certain it wouldn't be a one-season save ending after promotion. Hartlepool, I don't know yet. But they're not often mentioned and I just feel I could do something different there. I'm far from finished with Valencia though, so forgive me if it takes time to get going.

Yeah don't rush your decision buddy.

Whoever you manage please try and sign Baba Toure from SC Toulon as he is awesome.

I have already got bored of my Luton save as I got them into the play offs in the first season and then got them promoted to the Prem after a 1st place position finish in the Championship.

I am thinking of having a break from FM as I get bored of my saves lately.

 

 

[warlock]

17 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Hartlepool, I don't know yet

Certainly not a common choice and would be interesting on that basis. As an expatriate of Darlington I couldn't possibly manage the monkey-hangers but would follow a save with great interest. Another north-eastern prospect might be Gateshead if you wanted to go as low as the VNN. Good squad and currently tearing it up in real life.

It goes without saying that your return to the thread would be most welcome 

[smplfc123]

I actually think Cardiff would be a good choice for you @Jogo Bonito, but i'll follow with interest whoever you decide.

[jackripper]

I started at Cardiff and 10 years later i have a 60000 seater stadium won 3 x prem titles and 1 x champs league. 

[kopfan1977]

15 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I'm long overdue a spell with an EFL club (alongside Valencia) but as usual the hardest thing is narrowing down the club.

I've somehow managed to find one reason or another against 67 of the 72 EFL clubs. Sutton United, Lincoln City and Blackpool were very close to the shortlist (and an honourable mention to Stockport County who also tempted me) but here are the final five candidates. I've made myself some kits for each club and some time soon I will decide who to go with.

CARDIFF CITY

The Welsh club is one I've not managed before. They have lots of players who will be out of contract in June 2022 and an overhaul is expected IRL. Keeping a few of the younger and better ones, and adding to the group of promising youthful first team players already tied down should make them an enjoyable option. I couldn't resist adding some red to the home kit for a bit of spice too, the fans will love that. I need to find a better fit for the blue home kits, I've not found that easy yet and it's hurting my eyes to look at the colour tab bar being different. 

DERBY COUNTY

A big challenge with their 21 deducted points, transfer embargo and administration. There will be no choice but to use the youngsters, some of whom look quite talented, and it would be a fairly unique opportunity to test myself. I've lined up local firm Rolls Royce as the new shirt sponsors, in some fairly neat, simple and traditional kit designs. I'm not bothered if they're relegated either, assuming I was to keep my job.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

Dropping down to League 1 is the club I'd intended to manage way back when FM22 launched. The squad needs little work at all in the first season, and I've made some tasty looking green-inspired kits with Devon's very own kings of custard as the new sponsors. Nothing against Ginsters, but they're from Cornwall and so Ambrosia is a very good replacement. The Green Army has the facilities to support a side challenging for League 1 promotion, and I think they can be competitive at Championship level too. 

BRADFORD CITY

For League 2, one of the choices is Bradford City. They're a massive club at this level and should not be here. But one look at the squad shows why they are. It's really awful and out of the five clubs on my radar, this is the team that needs the most surgery. However, they'll have a reputation that could attract players and a stadium and fanbase that could soon see them rising again. I'd like to focus on a Yorkshire theme with them, with an aim to recruit mainly from around Yorkshire (but maybe Ireland too).

HARTLEPOOL UNITED

I'm not really sure why they're on my list. Possibly because they are one of the few clubs I have never managed in any FM version. I also like that fact that not much is expected of them, and they're from the North East which is a region I've not really experienced in FM due to not liking much about Sunderland and rarely going to the Premier League (Newcastle may change that). I also like the fact they have a Finnish affiliate club, and that might make for some interesting transfer business on expiring contract players (if they can obtain work permits). I've gone for simple but different kits here, steering away from their traditional blue and white stripes. The choice of XG as sponsor is deliberately ironic as I really have zero interest in XG both in FM and reality. 

 

I love all those kits. Especially Cardiff and Derby ones. I am a Liverpool supporter through family, but live in Cardiff. 

Always choose Cardiff even way back to Champ Manager 01/02 when they were in what would now be league 1 I think.

 

That home Kit though, something not quite right about it though. Could be the added 'Spice' and that debacle with Vincent Tan and wanting to change to red 😒😂 

 

I am currently managing them myself.. 5 or 6 seasons in. Current Prem Champs and reigning Champions League champs. Tan has only recently left the club though and we are still at Cardiff City stadium but awaiting finalisation of our new 45,500 all seater stadium. Only battle I have on my hands is  with the board who want us to sign "Stars" when I have assembled a squad of U23 players who are all soon to be superstars. Despite all this they still want big name signings which I'm finding hard to do. I did sign Jamal Musiala for £82m but even he is struggling to impress me and is currently being kept out by a 19 year old regen 😁

[Parmie]

Oldham Athletic Season 3 (2023/2024)

This season planning on consolidation with a developing young team, I keep transfers in light, looking for those top end players for League One. A couple of lower league regulars pop up on scouting reports that I recognise and sign for free.

Spoiler

Otherwise we round out the squad with loans. Bobby Thomas, Michael Mellon, and Jimi Taurianen all from parent Burnley. Catalin Cirjan from Arsenal and Imari Samuels from Reading.

I also look to protect us from low release clauses by extending contracts for Khalon Haysman and George McEachran. 

Jeremy Kyezu leaves for Sunderland for £100k to recoup some money.

Season Review

We start the season in decent form, I find there's a mindset issue with coaching tactical recommendations that they always want to play cautiously, I always ignore this and stay with the positive approach. We do have a run of draws and losses in September but we're still in a solid mid-table position. 

We put together enough results over the next few months to creep into play-off contention, and get within 6 points of automatic promotion before falling away again. Coming into the business end of the season, that last game of the season has ourselves, Swansea, Wednesday and Oxford all vying for 3 spots. If we win we'll secure our spot, anything else will depend on everyone else's results.

We smash Fleetwood 4-1, and actually with other results, finish 4th. This puts us up against Wednesday in the semis. We have a great 2-1 away win in the first leg, but after largely dominating the 2nd leg, they score late and full time finishes 1-0 to them, There is no away goals rule so we head into extra time. Sub Davis Kellor-Dunn scores a long range effort in the 116th minute, making us 3-2 up on aggregate and we close out the game.

Our final is against Oxford. It's pretty end to end without any goals until the 71st minute, we get a penalty and Colm Whelan converts it for his 26th goal of the season. Oxford rattle the crossbar late on but we hang on.

We are promoted to the Championship.

We put together some cup results this season, putting out Norwich of the Championship in the Carabao, getting past Tranmere to then fall to Leeds 0-5. We get to the 3rd round of the FA Cup before meeting more Premiership opposition in the form of Brighton and lose 1-0.

In January, Sam McLelland was unhappy with his playing time despite being either jaded or injured, demanded to leave and Barnsley swooped in to release him for £450k. We got in Zach Awe from Arsenal on loan to provide centre back depth.

Next Season Preview

The board give me £1m to spend but with only £30k more weekly wage budget. Realistically these don't balance, so we'll be shopping in the bargain buckets again but looking for greater current ability to help us stay up. The extra Championship money should start to see us operating at a profit for the first time (hopefully).

[Jogo Bonito]

19 hours ago, warlock said:

Certainly not a common choice and would be interesting on that basis. As an expatriate of Darlington I couldn't possibly manage the monkey-hangers but would follow a save with great interest. Another north-eastern prospect might be Gateshead if you wanted to go as low as the VNN. Good squad and currently tearing it up in real life.

It goes without saying that your return to the thread would be most welcome 

I decided Stockport was too far down the pyramid (maybe next season) so League 2 would definitely have to be my lowest point. I'll leave Gateshead to you! The Monkey Hangers do have a 20% chance of being chosen though 

19 hours ago, smplfc123 said:

I actually think Cardiff would be a good choice for you @Jogo Bonito, but i'll follow with interest whoever you decide.

Thanks mate. They're definitely a contender! How are you getting on with Tranmere? How is Isaac doing and how did he do at Sutton in his first year?

@kopfan1977 Thanks for comments on the kits. I know it's wrong, I just thought it would be a way of getting the red of Wales and the 'lucky red' of the owners in to the Cardiff kits. I know it would be hated by the fans, but thought it could be virtual fun to create some passion amongst the supporters. FWIW, I was totally against the rebranding from blue to red and was very pleased it got reversed eventually. You've done a great job with Cardiff just like @jackripperalthough it's fair to say I'd only get one or two seasons out of them myself.

@ParmieAnother promotion. You'll need a bigger house to display all the trophies you have won already in FM22. That's probably why you only went up via the PO system this time, right?

@Ronaldo BeckhamWell a two year spell at Luton was a success, no harm at all in taking a break. I did for several months and was good for the time out. Best of luck buddy.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Jogo Bonito

[Ronaldo Beckham]

2 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I decided Stockport was too far down the pyramid (maybe next season) so League 2 would definitely have to be my lowest point. I'll leave Gateshead to you! The Monkey Hangers do have a 20% chance of being chosen though 

Thanks mate. They're definitely a contender! How are you getting on with Tranmere? How is Isaac doing and how did he do at Sutton in his first year?

@kopfan1977 Thanks for comments on the kits. I know it's wrong, I just thought it would be a way of getting the red of Wales and the 'lucky red' of the owners in to the Cardiff kits. I know it would be hated by the fans, but thought it could be virtual fun to create some passion amongst the supporters. FWIW, I was totally against the rebranding from blue to red and was very pleased it got reversed eventually. You've done a great job with Cardiff just like @jackripperalthough it's fair to say I'd only get one or two seasons out of them myself.

@ParmieAnother promotion. You'll need a bigger house to display all the trophies you have won already in FM22. That's probably why you only went up via the PO system this time, right?

@Ronaldo BeckhamWell a two year spell at Luton was a success, no harm at all in taking a break. I did for several months and was good for the time out. Best of luck buddy.

The break didn't last long as I am now doing the Defauge challenge with Enfield Town FC lol.

Have you figured out who you are going to manage yet or getting closer ?

 

[Jogo Bonito]

56 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

The break didn't last long as I am now doing the Defauge challenge with Enfield Town FC lol.

Have you figured out who you are going to manage yet or getting closer ?

 

Welcome back. Hope you enjoyed your time out 

I know you lucky guys have been enjoying a public holiday over in UK, but no such luxury here which means no real progress. 

Saying that, I've got 20% closer as Bradford have been ruled out. I just cannot work with that squad, despite all the obvious attractions of the club and potential. 

All I have achieved tonight is to adjust my Cardiff home kit. It's a bit more subtle than before, and now they have a 25% chance of being picked...

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Welcome back. Hope you enjoyed your time out 

I know you lucky guys have been enjoying a public holiday over in UK, but no such luxury here which means no real progress. 

Saying that, I've got 20% closer as Bradford have been ruled out. I just cannot work with that squad, despite all the obvious attractions of the club and potential. 

All I have achieved tonight is to adjust my Cardiff home kit. It's a bit more subtle than before, and now they have a 25% chance of being picked...

 At this point you should just go with Cardiff as that is where your heart seems to be set on. 

Very nice new kits.