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OldManGravz

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  1. I keep forgetting to post updates but this feels like a milestone so I will try to post a bit more often. We will start with the club side of things. When I left off at the end of the 27/28 season, I had just guided Royal AM to tenth in the league. Another few years of adding some real quality to the squad and clearing out dross led me to 5th in the league the following year, and 6th in the 29/30 season. I the 29/30 season we were also beaten finalists in the Super 8 Cup, which is a great achievement for a team our size. The board began letting me study for my coaching badges again, and I achieved the National A Licence during the 28/29 season before completing my course for the Continental C coaching badge during the 29/30 season. I was offered an interview for the Boro job in March 2030 out of the blue, when I never even applied, but they went in another direction and it worked for them as they were promoted at the end of the 30/31 season. Unfortunately, I was unable to complete my Continental B badge before an opportunity came up that I couldn't pass up. The rich, fallen Kaiser Chiefs had an opening and I jumped at the chance to spend big and finally succeed in Africa. I moved into my new digs and set about correcting the wrongs of previous managers, putting together not just a starting XI, but a backroom team which would ensure the Chiefs would get back to being the best team in Africa, with or without me at the helm. To be honest, when I took the job I expected it to last a few months as KC had finished 5th in the league, so I thought they weren't in Europe. However, they had just won the African Champions League so had automatically re-qualified that way. After beating Orlando Pirates in the Be The Coach opener, I drew my first 3 league games, although I did play some of the hardest teams in the League in a baptism of fire for my new role. Supersport Utd proved to be a worthy opponent and pushed me throughout the league, finishing with 73 points, which was the record points haul for a team who did not win the league. I finished with a record of 25 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss (Curse you, Sundowns!) as I won the league by 6 points from our nearest rival. It was the first time the Kaiser Chiefs had won the title since 2015, although they had finished second a few times. Towards the end of the season, I completed my Continental B badge began coaching for my Continental A Licence. I played Supersport Utd 8 times in all competitions, which is probably the most I have ever played one team in a season in all my years of playing FM. They were one of the 3 draws at the start of my league campaign (I beat them in the reverse fixture later in the season). We also played them over two legs in the semi finals of both the Super 8 and the African Champions League, but more about that later. I beat them in the African Super Cup too, to claim another trophy. However, I was knocked out of the South African Knockout Cup in the first round by them, which was a great disappointment to both the fans and the board. They were beaten by Cape Town Spurs in the next round, who themselves ended up as beaten finalists. In the Nedbank cup, we had a fairly easy run, Beating Golden Arrows, Sekhukhune Utd, Stellenbosch and Casric Stars on the way to the final, where I played my old team the Black Leopards. The Black Leopards have haunted me throughout this game following my unceremonious dismissal a few years in which set me back. I've played them as every domestic team I have managed since and, before taking the Kaiser chiefs role, they have had my number at every turn. Black Leopards were having a good season themselves, finishing 8th, and had just beaten Sundowns in the last round, so I went into the final with a bit of worry. Thankfully, we came out on top to add the first domestic trophy to the challenge board. In the Super 8, we overcame Cape Town Spurs in the quarter final before demolishing Supersport Utd over 2 legs in the semis to reach Sundowns. A routine victory in the final meant we added another cup to our collection. But the big one, the reason I had moved team again, was the Champions league. After demolishing Mogadishu club 16-2 over 2 legs in the preliminary rounds, we sailed through the first round against Ethiopian Coffee over 2 legs. The group stage drew us against CS Sfax from Tunisia, wonderkid factory ASEC Mimosas from the Ivory Coast, and TP Mazembe from DR Congo. Mazembe and Mimosas were both past winners of this competition so this was definitely not going to be an easy group. Thankfully, we came through unbeaten (with the help of a last minute goal or two). We made light work of Morocco's Wydad Casablanca in the quarter finals before coming up against the villain of this season, Supersport Utd, in the semis. A 1-0 loss in the first leg was a real kick in the teeth, and when the second leg arrived I was missing around half of my first team due to international callups. Thankfully, I think Supersport must have also been missing a lot of players as we were able to overcome them quite easy. In the final we played Chabab Riadhi de Bélouizdad over two legs. This was probably one of the easiest ties of the competition considering it was the final and we demolished them to retain the Champions league and to help me leave Africa. For a while, I planned for the next season as it looked like there weren't many good jobs available, but then a role came up which I couldn't ignore. Former Premier League champions who had spent most of their recent years in the second tier. They had just been relegated from the Prem again, were in debt and had an aging squad, but I am hoping I can make a decent fist of it in the Championship to gain promotion again at the first try (the board are happy for this goal to be completed in two years). Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the new manager of.......... International Management: At the timing of my last post, I had just been invited to the Copa America with the Reggae Boyz, but had felt that my time had run it's course. I was in charge when the Copa America happened - We were drawn in a group against Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. Though we didn't make it out of the group, we only lost in our first game against Chile, earning a credible draw against Colombia and even beating Argentina, who have been a shadow of their former selves. We actually had a chance to qualify going into the last game against Argentina but we needed the result in the other game to also go in our favour, which it did not. At the end of the tournament, as expected, jobs opened up, and one which caught my eye in particular. Uruguay were ranked 16th in the world but still boasted players like Araujo, Ugarte, Bentacur and Nunez. Although some of the squad was aging, I took over the reigns and hired a few scouts to identify younger players coming through. I've been at Uruguay three years now and during that time we have changed shape from a defensive 4-3-3, through an attacking 4-3-3 with 3 centre forwards, to our current incarnation which is a 3-4-3 with defensive wingers and three strikers. We made it to the semi finals of the world cup in 2030, being beaten by USA (losing finalists to Italy) before we were also beaten in the 3rd place playoff by Ecuador - At this point, I was still running the 4-3-3 formation and had some older legs in which ran out of steam and were too fatigued by the end. We currently have a great batch of youngsters coming through (one or two of which I am aiming to steal a march on and get them into my Blackburn team) and I am hopeful for the Copa America tournament. We've been testing the 3-4-3 in friendlies and adjusting it slightly and I feel now that we could give anyone a run for their money, which we can hopefully showcase in the world cup qualifiers which begin later this year. Season by Season: Season Team Position Notes and Achievements 23/24 Black Leopards 1st Promotion to the DStv Premiership. National C Licence achieved 24/25 Black Leopards 14th National B Licence achieved. Became manager of Fiji. Fired after season ended 25/26 Jamaica Left Fiji for Jamaica. Did not get a club job. World Cup second round with Jamaica. 26/27 JDR Stars 9th Left JDR Stars in April, with the team in 9th in Motsepe Foundation Championship and 5 games to go (JDR Stars finished 8th) 26/27 Royal AM 15th Joined when 16th in DStv Premiership with 5 games left. Avoided relegation through the playoff league. Won North American Gold Cup with Jamaica 27/28 Royal AM 10th Third in N/A Nations League with Jamaica 28/29 Royal AM 5th Left Jamaica in July 2028. Became manager of Uruguay. National A Licence achieved 29/30 Royal AM 6th Beaten Super 8 finalists. World Cup Semi finals with Uruguay. Continental C licence achieved. Left Royal AM in the Summer for Kaiser Chiefs 30/31 Kaiser Chiefs 1st Won African Super Cup. Won Super 8. Won Champions League. Won League. Won Nedbank Cup. Left to join Blakcburn in Summer Challenge Progress: Club 1/10 top domestic leagues (Kaiser Chiefs - DStv Premiership 2030/31) 1/10 domestic cups (Kaiser Chiefs - Nedbank Cup 2030/31) 1/5 club continental championships (Kaiser Chiefs - African Champions League 2030/31) 0/1 club world championship International 1/5 continental tournaments (Jamaica - Gold Cup 2027) 0/1 world tournaments ()
  2. Usually they switch between a couple of styles - Pacey counter-attacking, slower possession based control and a wide, pacey wing attacking formation depending on where the team is in the league. I'll then work the shape, roles and player instructions around the available squad
  3. I like to change depending on the players at the club and enjoy the challenge of creating multiple tactics, although I will reuse a tactic if the players fit and I am in a pinch
  4. Been a while since I posted on here but a lot has gone on! On the club side of things: I managed to avoid relegation in the Black Leopards first season in the DStv Premiership, but I was unceremoniously fired at the end of the 24/25 season for not giving youngsters enough opportunities (I'm calling b**locks on that one). I watched with glee as my turncoat AssMan took over my position before being sacked for poor performance in November. Unfortunately, his replacement kept them up - Hope I don't sound too bitter. After a season out of the domestic game, I got a job at JDR Stars, back in the National First Division, at the beginning of the 26/27 season. I had the team up in 9th place with 5 games to go when an opportunity came up. Royal AM were struggling to survive in the DStv Premiership but had a decent squad and with 5 games to go were only a point below the playoff place and 3 points below survival. I figured worst case, I would go down and have a chance at immediate promotion with a stronger squad and more money to play with. Following a swift interview process I moved across South Africa to my new home and, though I only made the relegation playoff, I managed to keep the club up in the end. Due to the playoffs I only had a week before pre-season began again and, with a short break, my players tired easy in my second season. However, with a full season at the helm and a few moves in the transfer window, I was able to improve the first team and guide the team into tenth position at the end of the 27/28 season (present day). Unfortunately, the board still won't allow me to take my coaching badges at risk of losing me, which is halting my progress on that front as I still only have a National B Licence despite being 5 seasons into the challenge. On the international side: My time with Fiji was going well but I knew I had no real chance at any sort of trophy while I was with them. During the 25/26 season when I was unable to get a domestic role, a job with the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica came available which I threw my hat into the ring for. Jamaica sat 48th in the world rankings when I took over despite a plethora of championship and premiership level talents. After some tinkering with the tactics, I was able to settle on a positive 4231 formation with attacking wingbacks which proved successful. After qualifying from a group which contained Portugal, Paraguay and Iran at the 2026 World Cup, I lost 4-3 in the second round to a star studded Moroccan team in a real humdinger of a game. My performances were able to raise Jamaica's ranking into the mid 20's, where it remains. A fourth place finish in the NA Nations league in March 2027 was followed by a Gold Cup victory later that year, earning me my first trophy which qualifies towards this challenge. We broke the record for goals in the tournament finals as we walked the competition, even beating Curacao 8-0 in the final. Weirdly, the USA, Canada and Mexico all failed to qualify for the Gold Cup, but I won't let that diminish our victory. 2028 has so far been eventful. We managed to improve in the Nations League, narrowly losing to Mexico in the semi finals on penalties after beating them in almost every important metric during the game but finishing 3rd in the tournament after beating Suriname 6-2 in the playoff. World cup qualifiers are about to begin and we sit in the same qualification group as the USA, although thankfully two teams go through. We have also been invited into the Copa America this summer, which is about to start, drawn in a group with Chile, Colombia and Argentina. I'm not holding out much hope. Next steps are to hopefully improve again with Royal AM or move to one of the big teams in this division. As I don't think I will be able to improve the Reggae Boyz much further I'll be on the lookout for a new international team this year also. With the Copa America, European Championship and Oceania Nations Cup all taking place this summer I am hoping for a couple of job openings. #Season by Season: Season Team Position Notes and Achievements 23/24 Black Leopards 1st Promotion to the DStv Premiership. National C Licence achieved 24/25 Black Leopards 14th National B Licence achieved. Became manager of Fiji. Fired after season ended 25/26 Jamaica Left Fiji. Took job as manager of Jamaica. Did not get a club job. Jamaica's highest ever ranking (26th) after second round exit in WC 26/27 JDR Stars 9th Left JDR Stars in April with the team in 9th and 5 games to go (JDR Stars finished 8th) 26/27 Royal AM 15th Joined when 16th in DStv Premiership with 5 games left. Avoided relegation through the playoff league. Won Gold Cup with Jamaica Challenge Progress: Club 0/10 top domestic leagues (Insert nations) 0/10 domestic cups () 0/5 club continental championships () 0/1 club world championship International 1/5 continental tournaments (Jamaica - Gold Cup - 2027) 0/1 world tournaments ()
  5. Also taking my first steps into the international scene with Fiji! The Fijian FA aren't expecting much so hoping to mainly use it to build a bit of reputation and experiment with a few different tactics:
  6. A great run of form in the second half of the season ended with me lifting my first trophy in my initial season. Although it doesn't count towards the challenge as it is not a top league, winning the First National Championship has landed me in the DStv Premiership with the plucky Black Leopards. I was also able to secure my National C coaching licence within the first season and began my course for the National B Licence in the off season. Due to 90% of the team's contracts expiring at the end of the season, I've had my pick of who to keep and who to lose, and I've been able to balance the squad better for next season. A stellar youth intake in my first season means I have a few decent prospects I can use as cover in this second season also. In other news, my chairman resigned after giving me a new contract. His replacement has stated there will be no money invested in the club, and has now taken the rather rash decision of reducing the ticket price from £16 a ticket to £1 - vastly reducing my income despite the upward trajectory the club is on. I feel this may end in disaster as the club was already struggling in the First National Championship. I'm hoping this guy is much smarter than I am giving him credit for, but I doubt it. Season by Season: Season Team Position Notes and Achievements 23/24 Black Leopards 1st Promotion to the DStv Premiership, National C Licence achieved 24/25 Black Leopards National B Licence achieved Challenge Progress: Club 0/10 top domestic leagues (Insert nations) 0/10 domestic cups () 0/5 club continental championships () 0/1 club world championship International 0/5 continental tournaments () 0/1 world tournaments ()
  7. The Beginning..... Forgot to post my profile at the very start, but thankfully no badges or anything have been attained yet so I should still be ok: I'm six months in and currently manager of the Black Leopards! Plying their trade in the National First Division in South Africa, the team were predicted 12th in the season preview. At the international break, we are currently sat in 8th, 7 points off the playoffs. Will provide an update when the season ends! Season by Season: Season Team Position Notes and Achievements 23/24 Black Leopards Challenge Progress: Club 0/10 top domestic leagues (Insert nations) 0/10 domestic cups () 0/5 club continental championships () 0/1 club world championship International 0/5 continental tournaments () 0/1 world tournaments ()
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