[FM24 - Athletic Club (Bilbao) - Loyalty and Long Term Saves!]

Firstly, what a fantastic thread. I don’t tend to update on saves but I’ve enjoyed reading this so much that I thought I’d contribute. Thanks to @bowieinspace for setting it up and @southside_hitmen for the heroic work on the filters.

I’m now into my ninth season managing Athletic Club and we’re finally in a position to challenge Barcelona and Real Madrid on a regular basis. The problem with both of them, though - especially Eddie Howe’s Read Madrid - is that they tend to only lose 2-3 league games per season. 

 

Season review: League and cup double 🏆

La Liga: 1st (102 points)

Copa Del Rey: Winners (beat Real Madrid 4-3 on penalties) 

Super Cup: Runners-up (lost to Real Madrid)

Champions League: Round of 16 (lost to Arsenal 4-2 on aggregate) 

 

 

A historic season for the club as we lifted our first double since 83/84 and managed to beat Real Madrid in a final for the first time. My record against Barcelona and Real Madrid is dire so I was delighted to take them to extra time in the Copa Del Rey final and then win 4-3 on penalties.

 

In the league we were imperious all season and had to be. Despite finishing on 102 points and scoring a record 123 goals - we only finished four points ahead of Real Madrid. This is our second La Liga in four seasons with Real taking the two titles in between. Hopefully the start of a period of dominance.

 

The Super Cup is proving an incredibly frustrating mini-tournament to enter each year. Across nine seasons we’ve been to three finals and lost them all. I’m beginning to wonder whether it’s even worth it.

 

Our Champions League record doesn’t make for much better reading. Despatched by Arsenal this season in the Round of 16 despite a superb group stage where we finished second and beat eventual champions PSG. Our best performance so far was in the 30/31 season where we were knocked out by Man City in the Quarter Final despite an impressive 0-0 draw away from home in the first leg. 

 

Squad Performance

 

After being my undisputed first choice, we started to see some signs of decline in Unai Simon towards the end of the 30/31 season. So to start this one I went with Julen Agirrezabala and it proved to be a masterstroke as we only conceded 18 goals in the league, by a distance our best performance.

 

In front of Agirrezabala at the back were Ander Lasarte and Mikel Delgado. I recently moved Lasarte back from DM to CB and partnered him with Delgado who was fresh from a loan with Cadiz. Along with Agirrezabala they provided a solid foundation for the rest of the team.

 

At full back we have the rampaging brilliance of Ricardo Llorente and Aritz Guerrero who after a couple of seasons as rotation options are now firmly first picks in my XI. Both were signed from Eibar who have been the best academy to source youth from so far, better even that Real Sociedad. 

 

 

 

Shielding the backline is Asier Iriarte along with one of three other DM options on rotation. Iriarte was a marquee signing from Real Sociedad and someone I hope will become a stalwart of the club for years to come… once the fans have forgiven his past with La Real. 

 

 

Up top, this is the first season that Nico Williams has faced a real challenge for his place in the team. He’s been a standout performer since the start for me as an Advanced Forward but Pedro San Martin’s development has seen him take on a reduced role. San Martin wasn’t cheap (he cost £48.5 million from Real Sociedad) but what a player he’s turning into. Already an elite striker at 21. 

 

With Williams' contract up for renewal and his agent demanding £400k per week it might be time to move him on to the Saudi Pro League and promote someone from our B team to act as an understudy.

 

 

Behind Williams or San Martin are Julen Jon Guerrero, an absolute revelation of a signing since joining from Real Madrid. On the right of the front three is Peio Huestamedia (re-signed from Almeria for £17 million after I released him on a free) and to the left is Javi - a regen from Lezema who I let down with his development early- on but who still performs incredibly well as a shadow striker on the left. 

 

 

Squad

 

GK: Julen Agirrezabala, Unai Simon

CB: Ander Lasarte, Mikel Delgado, Kike Guerrero, Dani Vivian

RB: Aritz Guerrero, Benat Etxebarria

LB: Ricardo Llorente, Iker Martin

CM: Asier Iriarte, Igor Zubeldia, Hugo Guilliamon, Oihan Sancet

AM: Julen Jon Guerrero, Javi, Peio Huestamedia, Jon Diaz, Nico Serrano, Jon Velez

ST: Nico Williams, Pedro San Martin

 

Youth Development

 

Lezema hasn’t disappointed so far and with a few players likely to leave or retire soon, we have a stockpile of young players ready to step up. I’ve picked out the four best who with either another season on loan or some exposure to the first XI should be ready to replace the likes of Vivian, Guilliamon and Sancet as they ready for their post-playing careers as TV pundits or podcast hosts. 

 

Franck Prevot - his lack of pace and acceleration is a worry but his technical and mental stats should make up for that as he develops. He’s currently on loan in Ligue 2 to build up experience. 

 

 

Eneko Agirre - our best attacking prospect for a while. Amazingly nobody came in for him on loan so he's now moving between the first team and B team.

 

 

Edorta Blanco - off the back of a promising loan spell with Malaga in La Liga 2 he's currently on loan with Deportivo in La Liga. He'll be ready to replace Vivian in the first team next season.

 

 

Josu De La Fuente - already dubbed a wonderkid by the media. De La Fuenta is on the cusp of the first team. His crossing makes him a great option for RB but I see him more as a Ball Playing Defender in the long-term. 

 

 

 

[Backroom Staff - Coaching Badges / Exams]

Does anyone know if it's possible to send backroom staff on courses in FM23 Touch?

I've looked everywhere but can't find the option.

Currently stuck with a very average backroom team but have state of the art training facilities and superb youth facilities.

Staff are all maxed out on 3.5 stars.