So I decided to start a save with Nottingham Forrest with the aim of getting them up to the Premier League and challenging in Europe within 5 seasons and then hopefully winning some silverware long-term. I always like the idea of taking over a sleeping giant in the lower leagues and making them successful again. This is the first time I've ever posted about a save of my own even though I've been playing FM since 00/01 but I've been enjoying this save that much and I've finally got my tactic right and got the team playing exactly how I want so I thought id share.
So I'm just going into my 4th season so ill share the season by season results and transfers and then my tactic/squad as it is currently.
First season I finished 5th in the championship
Not a great season but a few positive signs. Mighten and Johnson on both wings where brilliant scoring 33 between them. we struggled defensively because I like to play a high line but we didn't have the pace at the back to play the way i wanted so i had to drop the line a little bit deeper half way through the season. I didn't make any signings first season because I couldn't get any of the signings I wanted.
Second season transfers
This is misleading as I've got it in order of the highest fee and signings like Brenner, Magno, Raya, Lowe and Nianzou where all signed the following summer but I got them early so it shows as previous season. So my top priority was to add pace at the back for a high line so I brought in Lyanco on loan from Southampton and also Tymon from stoke and Nyambe from Blackburn. I also was desperate to improve the midfield so I signed Sorensen and Jean Lucas for very low fees and managed to get Tommy Doyle on loan who was brilliant for us. Dewsbury Hall was placed on the transfer list in January so I got him for a bargain 5.25 mil with next to nothing upfront.
We had an amazing season winning the league and smashing the record for most points at 117. Lyle Taylor came back from his loan and scored 31 goals in 33 games and Tommy Doyle broke the record for assists with 22. Lyanco was unbelievable adding that much needed pace at the back and we also negotiated an optional fee of 1,2 million! so that was activated as soon as the season finished.
Third Season
Again Ward-Prowse and Solet where signed at the end of the 3rd season.
After that unbelievable season I made the tough decision not to renew Lyle Taylors contract. He wanted 40k+ for 2 years and as he was 32 it would of been bad business so I signed Brenner from Man U as a replacement,
So our early signings were Magno (WINGER) , Raya (GK), Lowe (LB) and Nianzou (CB) on loan. Also Lyanco on a permanent. We then got a bid of 27 million upfront for Johnson which i couldn't turn down considering Eze was on the market and I managed to spread the 20 million fee. we also got Esteves on a permanent after a loan and Garner/ Bazunu as squad players. Then I managed to get Harvey Elliot on loan who was a great signing
unbelievable season. I was aiming for mid table but never ever thought we could get top 4 the first season promoted! Brenner was second top scorer in the league behind Salah with 28 goals in 33 games. We got Doyle back on loan who got 12 assists and 6 goals. Eze took a while to settle as did Magno but they both chipped in with 10 goals and 12 assists between them. Elliot and Mighten both bagged 11 goals each and Elliot got 10 assists.
4th Season
I was gutted I couldn't get H Elliot back on loan for this season as he was a star for us last season but LFC wanted 1.2 million a month fee for a loan! so instead we signed transfer listed Fabio Viera from Arsenal for 10m. But we did manage to get Tommy Doyle back on loan for the 3rd consecutive season.
I also had the option of signing Nianzou for 18m after his loan but when I seen I could get Ahmedhozic and Solet for a combined upfront fee of close to 18m I decided that was better business as I had to stretch the budget to get my top target.
I also managed to get 7.75m for Esteves and Signed Neco Williams for 7,5m as a replacement.
I received a bid of 10.5m for Raya which was too good to turn down considering I got him for 625k the season before. I then signed Bursik as his replacement
I then spent the rest of my budget on my top Target Ricci from Empoli for 25m. The DLP is one of the most important roles in my system and makes us tick so I needed a top quality player there.
the last piece of the jigsaw for this season was transfer listed Malen on loan from Dortmund. I needed a quality backup for Brenner now we are playing in Europe.
so this is my up to date team and tactics
I always keep the same style short passing quick tempo football. I mostly play the 4-3-3 as the build up play is brilliant and it allows a lot of movement in the front 3 but I sometimes switch to 4-3-2-1 if I want to press higher and be more aggressive. there is also a lot of individual instructions to get them playing how I like. the main one is I like my wingers man marking the opposition full backs. It makes us more solid defensively but also I feel it creates a lot of counter attacks as the wingers anticipate the switch of play and regain possession. I also like the wingers to play narrower and sit in the half spaces with the wingbacks providing the width. When it comes together we get some great goals were we knock it round for ages and then when it gets to the final 3rd we play one touch football and just blow teams away.
We are currently top of the league after 3 games with a good win against Man city at home 3-2 (Brenner first half hattrick)
