[FM23] Double Trouble - Youth Academy/dafuge - Weston-super-Mare A.F.C.

[MadCatPT]

That I can recall, I have never made more than 5 season in these challenges, let's see if I can get it further this time. I like to choose clubs that are away from the big cities, this time I choose Weston-super-Mare, maybe I felt that the hyphen key in my keyboard needed a workout, maybe for the possible use of seagull pictures and gifs, either way a small intro about the club and how I setup a season playing with Youth Only.

Weston-super-Mare

A lovely seaside town, with not one, but two piers. Weston comes from the Anglo-Saxon for the west tun or settlement; super mare is Latin for "above sea" and was added to distinguish it from the many other settlements named Weston in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.

Prior to 1348 it was known as Weston-juxta-Mare ("beside the sea"). The name was changed by Ralph of Shrewsbury, who was the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Between the 14th and 17th centuries the "super Mare" part of the name disappeared and it was just known as Weston, although in 1610 it was recorded as Weston on the More; môr being the Welsh word for sea.

Weston-super-Mare A.F.C.

Weston-super-Mare Association Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. Nicknamed "The Seagulls", the club is affiliated to the Somerset County Football Association and currently competes in the Southern Premier South, the seventh tier of English football.

The club was founded in 1887 but disbanded twice (for the two World Wars); the current club was established in 1948. Their claim to fame was that they have had never been relegated in their history, although after their promotion to the sixth tier in 2004 they had been reprieved from relegation three times (in 2007, 2008 and 2010), they were eventually relegated for the first time in 132 years in the 2018/19 season. The team's best performance in the FA Cup came in 2003–04 when they reached the second round of the competition.

Weston-super-Mare has a modest fan base and a fierce rivalry with fellow Somerset club Clevedon Town. However, the two clubs have not played in the same league or cup (excluding pre season) since Weston-super-Mare gained promotion to the Southern League Premier Division in 2003.

Edited November 17, 2022 by MadCatPT

[MadCatPT]

How do I start on the insanity that is relying on random intakes of players, that can bring you two more AM R when you already have five, you best player on the intake having Determination 1 and being Unambitious. The good part is not having to deal with the market, at least in a way to get players, the market will be sure to get your best player at the worst possible time, and just hope that your chairman doesn't get involved by selling your best player by so low a price you have to look at it three times to be able to believe it. After reading what I wrote either see a psychiatrist or accept that I am a masochist.

Check the Squad

The squad will contain what will be the basis of your team for your first couple of years, less if your are unlucky, more if your are. First thing I do is create a planning view that will show the age, contract situation, wages, current ability, potential ability, determination and personality.

I check if any of the players are retiring, transferring away, if any of the players without a contract can be resigned to see who I can count on for the season. After this I see who are the good players, the useful ones and the dear God this guy will have to play some games.

Since the good player are the ones that will win you games I try to already see what my tactic will be, in this case I have good quality in midfield, in the wings, have a decent striker with a youth that can spell him. I don't have a left-back, I have an old CB and 3 young CB that don't inspired much trust, the young GK has some potential.

The squad will be small, 15 players, with two GK. Laird and Whaler will most likely the club. I also see that most of the players are already with high wages, that will mean that most will be hard or impossible to renew, so the second season will probably be a very hard relegation battle that will make or break the save. I will be looking to play youth players if in a safe place to make sure I get them experience and tactic familiarity for next season instead of departing players.

Define your first Tactic

I used a preset recommended by the Assistant Manager, the 4-3-3 DM tactic and assigned the players to theirs position and changed roles to a better suited to the player. The plan is to get the players completely familiar with a tactic before developing another. I will also use the preseason to tweak the tactic if needed.

Set up Training

I then go to each player and make sure he is training for his role and that there is a coach for any of the training skills.

Set up Preseason

With a small squad I will just play a game per week to get my players in Match Sharpness for the beginning of the season.

Get your Staff

Now that I know my tactic I will try to get a HOYD with the best possible personality and a Tactic compatible with mine. I will fill out the rest of the squad according to the vacancies I have also, since you will never get quality coaches at this level, I try to get good personalities that have high determination, with no courses, they will most likely start to take courses and improve.

After I get a full staff I adjust the training workload of the coaches.

Season

The plan will be to rotate when the games are thick, this will entail the use of gray players, these games will also be used to test tweaks for the current tactic, we will look to have a the stronger team to play teams that are in the worst form or have key players injured, while resting against the stronger and more in form teams.

Will also try to find the best way to protect leads, time wasting, etc..

Also if possible try to go as further as possible in the FA Cup for money to balance the Finances and to try and get upgrades.

[phnompenhandy]

I love me an academy challenge. I've got one here - I'm only not doing it dafuge-style because I've used a lower league mod to go further than the 'out of the box' experience, which allows me to pick my chosen hapless victim. By the end of my first season, my finances were so critical, I had to get rid of most of my senior players and keep on all my academy intake. All 16 kids cost me the equivalent in wages of ONE of my highest earners!

[Punch]

WSM we’re on the shortlist for my FM21 youth save (which is still going), but I ended up picking The Ravens over the Seagulls.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with this save. Good luck 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Punch

[MadCatPT]

11 hours ago, phnompenhandy said:

I love me an academy challenge. I've got one here - I'm only not doing it dafuge-style because I've used a lower league mod to go further than the 'out of the box' experience, which allows me to pick my chosen hapless victim. By the end of my first season, my finances were so critical, I had to get rid of most of my senior players and keep on all my academy intake. All 16 kids cost me the equivalent in wages of ONE of my highest earners!

Nice little thread you got going there, love the shirts and Kerr's picture.

I was a bit lucky with the matches in the FA Cup to keep winning and unlucky when I was away to WBA with the possibility to play a Premiership side.

8 hours ago, Punch said:

WSM we’re on the shortlist for my FM21 youth save (which is still going), but I ended up picking The Ravens over the Seagulls.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with this save. Good luck 

Thanks, I'll need it, because most of the team wants more money than I can give. In previous versions if I waited until the contract was near expiring they sometimes wanted less, could also be because of the youth intake makes the team stronger and lowers the wage requests, will put that to the test.

[MadCatPT]

News

Got my National C License, and got my National B License on the way. Was able to get some money on the FA Cup, that allowed me to haggle with the Board to get, Youth Recruitment raised and improvements on both the Training and Youth facilities.

This will mean I will struggle mightily next season and get relegated, but so far the best start I had doing the challenge. Currently in the Promotion places, but things have start to unravel.

Well Dave, you see I am in this challenge we're I will never buy anyone, so until the youth intake comes we will only have 14 players.

So when games are near each other you have to rotate gray players in and also get suspended players suspended things start to turn south.

Well Dave I prioritize home games because of my trained seagulls that try and starve the opposing players, Have your ever played on a empty stomach?

Edited November 18, 2022 by MadCatPT

[Jimbokav1971]

9 hours ago, MadCatPT said:

News

Well Dave, you see I am in this challenge we're I will never buy anyone, so until the youth intake comes we will only have 14 players.

 I like this a LOT.  You are displaying 100% the correct attitude for a Youth Only dafuge challenge. 

[MadCatPT]

How does a season start to unravel?

Grubb is the player that makes my team go, he takes corner with precision, scores goals from free kicks, dribbles and scores, makes the final pass and once our bus broke down and he fix it. We can't wait for our young player to come on.

 

[Punch]

1 hour ago, MadCatPT said:

We can't wait for our young player to come on

Ouch! You really need the youth intake, if nothing else, just to give you some numbers.

[MadCatPT]

Youth has arrived! I will go into more detail on the intake, but having a HOYD mainly because he is a Model Citizen netted me a Model Citizen!!!

Ordered in the Squad he is the 6th, but already good enough to play:

My head is tied in a knot figuring where to play him, I want this guy to succeed so much. Due to the team being so tired I put him in at DLF (s), he got a goal and a assist, I was thinking of maybe playing him at AM, now I'm torn.

[MadCatPT]

Here is the Youth Intake:

I normally don't sign everybody, but I needed bodies desperately and before the youths signed I was having trouble anyone to renew their contracts, now with a stronger squad they have lowered their demands and it seems I can resign all the team. I haven't mentor anyone, I will try it now and see how much if at all to help improve their personality and determination.

There is a clear lack of speed, most of the guys are slow, Dembo has 15 in both Acceleration and Pace but really bad everywhere else.

Doe and Harrison are my big hopes to become important players for us, very good personalities and determination, have decent enough attributes and room to improve, Harrison can play in both wings but is more suited for my AM R - Winger(s) role. Doe is a different story, played a couple of games at DLF (s), first game scored a goal and made an assist in a side that had 7 players from the new Youth Intake, to give a much needed rest for may players, then he was invisible the next game. I was already working on a tactic with a guy in AM C, where to me he would fit best, but either as a DLF (s) or AM (s or a) he will get games.

Taylor and Dover are much needed Fullbacks, they don't have speed, which is an issue team wise, I had to adapt my tactics at the beginning of the season to help with that after my Assistant recommended Wing Play with the Pass into Space option, I think he was looking to get me fired, will keep an eye on him.

Hart will most likely play in the center of defense and can cover on the left when needed, let's see if his aerial weakness doesn't harm us too much. The rest of the guys will need a little bit of though, but they will get to play cover for the first team but mostly in the U18's and develop (hopefully).

[MadCatPT]

Also instead of playing, spent the weekend cleaning up and improving a tool I created for FM22 to try and see where to fit the Youths:

I will probably add a DNA part, the possibility to filter what Positions I want to be show and some color gradient.

[MadCatPT]

Back to playing and finishing the season, time to blood some youngsters and even with the inconsistency secured a playoff spot. Renewed with the whole team, 3 of them are old but still best than my young guys, so they earned another year.

Funny how this game works, never been promoted, but afraid of getting promoted too soon and being fired. 

[MadCatPT]

It was secured with 3 games to go, in a game where 3 of the 4 goals were scored by new youngsters, Doe my Model Citizen and Harrison my Driven. The stuff Youth Only saves dreams is made off.

[MadCatPT]

Lost after extra time, they scored and my team was not playing well, suddenly after a free kick, my DM outside of the area shoots and scores a goal! The play after their right back loses the ball and my left back goes alone to the goal but misses. Extra time they score and I couldn't do anything.

It was a good season, played well over my expectations.

[MadCatPT]

Starting the season with 15 players, 2 of those GK's was scary, can't remember a time that I started with so few players. No left back, players with high wages and age. The backup GK wanted a move and was let go to be a backup to another team. At the start used one of the recommend options and formations from the Assistant Manager, Wing Play from a 4-3-3 DM. The start was not the best, but like Seagulls stealing food we stole a couple of wins with two late penalties. I quickly adjusted, checking the lack of pace of my team turned off the pass into space, and reduced the directness, the team blossomed after that. My front five had a10+ Vision and good Passing attributes and Off the Ball so they started scoring regularly, to help the defense I changed to a more possession based approached that also helped close out games.
Still struggled to deal with 2 striker partnerships, my central defense lacks quality players, luckily most of the league played with just 1 up front. With just 13 outfield players I had to use gray players to try and keep my players rested, had to change training to Team Bonding/Recovery on weeks with 2 games to do it also, when I rested the team I experimented on my tactics. When my tactic was familiar I started developing a second one in those games.
Was lucky in the FA Cup, always playing Non League, same level and two Vanarama National League teams in bad form, then when I got have got a Premier League team I faced WBA, still some nice money. After literally begging I was able to improve my Youth Recruitment and both training and youth facilities.
The Youth Intake brought instant relief to a team that was getting tired, and we went on a nice run, after that we started into bad form right into the Playoffs were we lost after extra time. Next season I don't expect such lofty highs, I was able to resign all the team back after the Intake, before they were asking for a lot of money, but the engine of my Team was a Vanarama National League rated player that did everything as a AP(a) in the midfield, he is now old and rated for the division below, I also resigned two old players that I normally let go but I don't have anyone at their level so even if they just give me half of what I got last season it should be enough to avoid relegation. Several of the other players I want to be able to let go next year, they are also getting old and Youngster should be able to replace them.
Next year wish list for the Youth Intake are a couple of central defenders and a right wing back.

[MadCatPT]

Change at the top, will we get any surprise?

[MadCatPT]

Things are heating up!

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by MadCatPT

[MadCatPT]

Could my job be at risk? Thinking I dodged the promotion and possible relegation and dismissal, I could still be at risk?

[MadCatPT]

Last Season the focus was on finding a tactic and tune it up, play with the options. This year Mentoring will be the focus, I have set up four Groups, and I will save the Personalities and Determination at the beginning of the Season and then at the end and then compare them.

[WhiteCat33]

On 21/11/2022 at 04:31, MadCatPT said:

Youth has arrived! I will go into more detail on the intake, but having a HOYD mainly because he is a Model Citizen netted me a Model Citizen!!!

Ordered in the Squad he is the 6th, but already good enough to play:

My head is tied in a knot figuring where to play him, I want this guy to succeed so much. Due to the team being so tired I put him in at DLF (s), he got a goal and a assist, I was thinking of maybe playing him at AM, now I'm torn.

Well done on hitting the intake jackpot! Hope you can hang onto him for a few seasons before the inevitable push to move up the pyramid.

[MadCatPT]

Disaster struck, Ramos did not want to sign a new contract because he had signed a new one. Then his contract became a non-contract, tried to sign him to a contract but he refused because he had just signed a new one. Of course along comes Millwall U18.

I was able to offer a contract.

But he decided to go to Millwall... 

The season was going so well, luckily I have another Goalkeeper but the difference in quality is abysmal. 

Let's see if I can keep up the good results after losing my quality GK.

[MadCatPT]

5 hours ago, WhiteCat33 said:

Well done on hitting the intake jackpot! Hope you can hang onto him for a few seasons before the inevitable push to move up the pyramid.

He is currently with 3 goals in 5 games. 

[MadCatPT]

When it rains, it pours. 

[willemvandoorn15]

Sorry to see this isnt updated anymore, it started off well and it promised a lot.