LLM

[Poison]

Hello, just started an LLM (lower league management for those who don't know) save, more specifically with Darlington at Vanarama North and honestly I have no idea what to do, the save is completely fresh, any tips? Is there a thread which can help me? Share your wisdom please!

[Cloud9]

23 minutes ago, Poison said:

Hello, just started an LLM (lower league management for those who don't know) save, more specifically with Darlington at Vanarama North and honestly I have no idea what to do, the save is completely fresh, any tips? Is there a thread which can help me? Share your wisdom please!

Yea take a look at your best players and build a tactic around them. Usually a good starting point is figuring out how you're going to score goals and going from there. 

A 4-4-2 is a great formation, particularly when you have more limited players as it allows partnerships between role pairings that can cover up for deficiencies.

It's worth remembering that consistency doesn't have an impact on physical attributes, usually I'd avoid inconsistent players but at lower level management you have to work with what's available.

 

Also, the biggest thing you can do is day 1 is try to sign free transfers. You can offer trials which is free scouting, but act as quick as possible. I'd keep an eye out for the date in Spring when Premier League clubs release player's from their youth team squads. I did a Bath save some years back and those released players I took all the way up through the leagues with me. Basically the biggest thing you've got going for you in the lower leagues is time and space to develop players, if you bring in a young crop they can grow with you.

Edited April 13 by Cloud9

[squirrel_plays_fm]

Get expensive (= high wage) players off your wage bill as soon as you can. Keep your squad small so you can be on the lookout for needle-mover signings all the time in-season as per the point below

Free transfers and loans only.

Free transfers: Have a look on 1 July after all the contracts end on 30 June...but recognise the real needle-moving players won't be willing to sign with you until their other options are exhausted so you will likely sign them at various points during the season. Transfer window doesn't apply at that level.

Find players by going to World > Nations > England > Transfers > Released players. Move all of those into a shortlist (you can do 500 at a time) and offer trials / look at the attributes yourself.

Loans: Try to do on deadline day as more likely to be free. Find players by putting all the players (senior + youth) from each of the clubs in the two divisions above your division into a shortlist and using the 'slightly interested' filter in the player search screen

Simple tactics

*Big* emphasis on physicals (esp pace and accel) - see this from Ian Graham when he went on the Freakonomics podcast - I think FM tried to simulate this:

Edited April 13 by squirrel_plays_fm

[warlock]

5 hours ago, Poison said:

just started an LLM... with Darlington

I usually do a Darlington save in every FM (haven't done it yet for FM24, although I have looked at the squad). 

442 is never a bad option at that level, but Darlington certainly have the players for a 433. I think LLM teams can play any kind of football, but you should probably keep it simple in terms of roles - you won't find many (any!) registas or raumdeuters down there. DMs can also be hard to find, I think.

When it comes to recruitment, the advice to focus on trials is right and you have a good base for recruitment from the north-eastern league sides, both for released players and potential loans. I usually focus on Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesboro, Hull, Leeds and the Sheffield clubs. And don't spend any money on transfers until you're at least at L1 level.

A couple of years ago I took Darlington to three promotions in four years (got stuck for a year in the National League), so there's plenty of potential there.

Good luck 

PS: Liddle can be an absolute star for you!

[squirrel_plays_fm]

That's a really good point I had forgotten - to focus on the clubs that are local to you. Particularly for u21 releases from clubs far higher up the pyramid

[HanziZoloman]

All of the above mentioned is relevant especially the notes from @Cloud9 about the 442 and partnerships. 
Also try and upgrade the facilities as soon as possible, you‘ll need an income and there is no better income as selling prospects and reinvesting that money into stones.

The stadium will take time and that means low income.

[Poison]

11 hours ago, warlock said:

I usually do a Darlington save in every FM (haven't done it yet for FM24, although I have looked at the squad). 

442 is never a bad option at that level, but Darlington certainly have the players for a 433. I think LLM teams can play any kind of football, but you should probably keep it simple in terms of roles - you won't find many (any!) registas or raumdeuters down there. DMs can also be hard to find, I think.

When it comes to recruitment, the advice to focus on trials is right and you have a good base for recruitment from the north-eastern league sides, both for released players and potential loans. I usually focus on Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesboro, Hull, Leeds and the Sheffield clubs. And don't spend any money on transfers until you're at least at L1 level.

A couple of years ago I took Darlington to three promotions in four years (got stuck for a year in the National League), so there's plenty of potential there.

Good luck 

PS: Liddle can be an absolute star for you!

Thanks, i've noticed all of your points, they do seem to fit to a 4-3-3 and Liddle seems good. Will check the local teams for sure!