Adzke

It sounds like a really interesting league. I remember all the hype around Fredy Adu back in the day. But players like him don't come through the draft these days, then? I see a bunch of youngsters in my academy, but I can't get an evaluation on their potential. Are those my Generation Adidas players?

So MLS clubs still get youth intakes like other clubs?

I'm seeking suggestions to either a Eastern European club with some nice youth prospects and perhaps some history, or an MLS club. I haven't tried the MLS before on FM. Is the draft at all manageable if you haven't tried it before?

So, after literally days of contemplation, I've decided to accept the job offer from Lazio. I simply felt that Juventus would be too easy, and at the same time a bit empty without any of the current senators in the squad. On the other hand, Lazio would give me an exciting 20 year-old Italian in Daniele Cianci. Besides, Lazio still only have their two Scudetti, and I would rather like to build on that - just like I did with Reggina, whom I simply felt I could take no further after two consecutive Scudetti. Furthermore, who could say no to a squad as talented as this? Cianci and the squad So instead of joining Juventus and signing a promising Lazio youngster in Cianci, I joined Lazio and signed Juventus' most promising prospect (I think...) in Jeremy Mallia from Malta. I've broken the clubs transfer record to bring him in, though. That doesn't sit too well with me, but I had grown tired of having no money at Reggina, so I splashed out €86M on him, and I hope he'll be worth it. I've also brought in Rodrygo from Real Madrid, another young Brazilian newgen called Juninho, and good old Gonzalo Higuain. Mallia / Rodrygo / Juninho I've moved away from my trustworthy 3-5-2 towards a more modern 4-3-3, and I hope to unleash Milinkovic-Savic from his place in midfield. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks. I will have to give it a more organised go, I figure.

Are you guys having any succes with mentoring? I am really having a hard time with it, and it seems to me there is no reason in regards to who gets what traits as senior players are just as likely to pick up stuff from youngsters as the other way around. I am however hardly ever seeing any development in young players' personality, even if I put youngsters with no influence in the team along highly influential players.

Recapturing the title I have once again captured the Scudetto, and even though it looks like quite a comfortable lead, Inter wasn't out of the running until after the 38th matchday, as they stumbled against Udinese as I beat Cagliari. Obviously very satisfying, even more so as Dany Mota - now mostly a part-time player - scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory for my Amaranto side. A fitting end to his - and perhaps my - career at the Oreste Granillo. Champions League and Coppa Italia failure I was knocked out in the 1st knockout round in the Champions League and in the semifinals of the Coppa Italia against Lazio (more on them later). Big clubs sniffing around Bigger clubs have been starting to sniff around Fausto Vera (Juventus triggered his release clause in January, but he rejected them to stay). Bruno Varano has been on loan at Spezia in Serie B, and was voted Serie B Player of the Year, which seems very promising. However... Both Lazio and Juventus have offered me the job. They both fired their respective managers after disappointing seasons (6th for Lazio, 5th for Juventus), and I am sorely tempted to accept one of them. On one side, I really want to go to Juventus, as they are a huge club. Both Bonucci and Ronaldo have retired after this season, and while they do have great players (Dembele, Martial, De Ligt), they are missing those really great ones. So a miniature rebuild on the hands with the chance to go far in the Champions League (the year after the next year, as they finished in 5th place). Lazio have been doing so well. They have finished second for two years straight before this season, and they have several exciting prospects, and they have a budding superstar in Daniele Cianci, but he is unhappy as he wants to move to a bigger club. SO do I join the upstart contender and accept that I still won't be able to keep my best players, or do I join the well-oiled machine that is Juventus, which needs to be brought back on track. I'm leaning towards going to Juventus, but I really don't know.

Me too. But I do like the idea of having a DoF "above" me. Especially in Italy where is seems DoFs grow on trees. I am disappointed in his signings, though.

Have any of you had succes with your DoF buying players (either for the first team, or the U squads) for you? Massimo Taibi buys some (quite expensive) players for my U squads, but they never had a really good star rating at all. But the AI teams are always buying some really exciting players. Juventus especially, it seems.

Yes, he's been really good. I've used him as my advanced forward in a two-striker partnership with a DLF. He is however on the bench now, and it seems like his goals are being shared amongst several players, as no one has really been able to take over his role. Still, a very nice run for a free striker from Luxembourg

I've signed him as an U18 GK coach, but he isn't really improving beyond being really bad on my save. Did you do anything to further his development?

I got him for free at the end of the 20/21 season, and I was really in doubt whether to sign him, as I had Fernando Foristieri on a high wage. But he was an outright disaster, and luckily I stuck to my guns and signed Mota.

@Sysiphus Dany Mota has been really prolific for me. In two years in Serie A, he's scored 37 league goals (41 total) - a lot of them really great ones. He has a wicked long shot, and he's been a good free-kick taker for me, even though he didn't have the best attributes for it. He never could get a call-up for Portugal, so he is a Luxembourger now on my save

I've just finished my most memorable FM 20 season to date, having won the Serie A in front of Lazio, Inter, and Juventus. With four games to go, I was in second place, but Juventus slipped against Parma, and eventually crashed all the way to fourth place. Quite extraordinary, and obviously very nice for the people of Reggio Calabria to stick it to all the northerners. League table / Team of the year As I expected, Fausto Vera is starting to draw serious interest from bigger clubs, and Benfica have bid €44M, which I have rejected after some consideration. I just can't get a deep-lying playmaker at that level. He will however no longer be anywhere near the only Argentine player at the club, as I've brought in both Mateo Palavicini, whom I bought last year, but had to leave with Newell's Old Boys due to the non-EU rules. Two days before the new season, I found out my DoF had brought in two foreigners for my U20 team, and as I gave them both the sack, it opened up space for yet another Argentinian on top of Palavicini. Thus I have also brought in Pablo García from River Plate. Palavicini / García I have sold some players, chief amongst them Pietro Beruatto for €10M and Chumi (whom I brought in last year for free) for €14.75M I have also brought in Mika Mármol from Barcelona for a record €22M. I had to give him a salary of €333k p/m, and as Fausto Vera had a clause matching the highest earner, he is at that pay grade now as well. I've never given such a clause to anyone before. I have also brought in Milan Puzovic, a young left wingback from Lazio, for €7M. Mármol / Puzovic Lastly, this happened. I'm quite excited, and I now have two years to become a legend at the club

Thanks a lot. That's a great work-aorund.