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@toshimitzou1The friendlies suggestion - have you noticed improvement with this? My Belgian club are part time and a friendly for me makes the training calendar a bit bare I think, with more of the greyed out "unavailable" slots in place of regular training, so I wasn't sure if more matches at expense of coaching was always a good thing? Good luck in Europe! Your right back looks great, and at 17 he's still got maybe ten years to peak! Hopefully with you!

What do you think about this folks? I kinda feel sit on it is the sensible play - he could go for silly money in a few years and i could end up with double/treble this amount? But it'd wipe my debt out and some. Dunno if it'd be enough to turn us professional again - or that i'd even want that just now. But it may fund some facilities/extra coaches etc? Not sure what to do, Im 2nd bottom of league and board aint happy, I kinda feel like i need the money to improve infrastructure stuff....

@SuperRedditchwhat a team you have there!! Riordan is a world superstar in the making holy crap! The new CB looks quality he could start for you right now, especially domestically. The Scotland national job on your to do list? With this squad you've put together I think it'd be a cool extra thing for your save? If only Cesnauskis was Scottish!!

Thanks bud, Yeh I had same thought as I was typing up the season review, I could have swor#n I was maybe 2032 or something, feel like the saves been going 10 years, but this was just my 6th season, 4th in 2nd tier. I'm doing ok, I just had a good first 2 seasons and I think I was expecting to just carry on winning and get promoted to premier league, but it ain't that simple! but with the youngsters I've got I'm hoping if i can hang in there another 2-3 years I might have a team worthy of competing at top of the league...You do get attached to the squad, and I'm a fan of the shorter seasons in this league, plus scouting/signing players is so time consuming normally I spend ages on it so the fact I've not had to do it means im getting through it quicker.

Ok I know I said I was quitting Belgium, which I probably still will, cos this save is awful. However, I am at least going to roll into next season and see how it goes. We were dreadful this year, have been for a few years...and I've lost my best 2 players! But I like the shorter seasons (28 games) and I can;t be doing with reloading somewhere else and abandoning my boys! We shall overcome! So....(apologies for the mix of screenshots and imgur, I apparently over stepped the mark for how many pictures in a post!) Season Review 2027/28 Poor season, as has been the case every year since I got promoted, started well, but each year I've for some reason had a nightmare after winter break, a truly miserable few months after winter. Overall shape of the club worsening by the year, finances not good despite moving to part time, facility downgrades but absolutely no chance of getting them upgraded with the finances like this. Transfers - not a lot here, but going through in the summer is the loss of my 2 best players, both regens - Ward De Vos on a bosman to Cercle Brugge, and Maximilien Leroy to Anderlecht, for a ridiculous £50k, but with a 50% future fee. I have to hope he makes it big there and makes me a few quid in a few years! In terms of our team, best player on paper is still Eugene Diereckx, although I still don't think I'm getting the best out him, where would u guys play him? This season he was mainly left wing, but i want him involved more so I tried him DLP with his "comes deep to get ball" but he did nothing. I'm toying with the idea of trying him up front maybe as a DLF. Still have him under contract for another 3 years, few clubs sniffing about, had one of the meetings with him where I agreed asking price he was happy with of £625k, but then he immediately wanted a meeting as I had set it too high, despite him agreeing to it. I hate these wee snags in the game. And although they're nothing to look at, I'll show the only 2 players so far who have been capped at full international level that we've produced, for the footballing giants of Luxembourg! Also a player I like De Paepe, who also hasn't really delivered what I'd hoped but his attributes look decent? Di Matteo started season well as inverted winger on the right, but obviously something going on under the hood as he's got the status "anxious" a lot in games and disappeared 2nd half of the season. But he's been capped by Italy at youth levels. Youth intake - usual bugged out "excellent intake" that doesnt really deliver! I think I'll use these 2 players (Kamago & De Wilde) and and we'll see what happens with the rest! Also despite my finances, i got board to agree to increasing youth recruitment from adequate to good. Next season, board just want survival again, which hopefully i can do, maybe put another 3-4 seasons in this league and try get basis of a team together, very young team I'm left with now maybe only 4-5 legacy starters.

@SuperRedditchwhat a save so far my friend i’d struggle to do in 20 seasons with being allowed to sign players what you’ve done in 12! riordan! Ooft! My first obvious thought is he looks an incredible DLF but you’ve already said you don’t play this, what do you play? He’s 6’3, strong with good jumping reach- target forward?

I'm ditching my Belgian save, going nowhere for years now and just losing the quality players i do have for a pittance, getting pumped every week now, no fun, life too short for this! Will start anew somewhere else! Time for attempt number 5 or somethin!!

I have tried and failed this challenge like 3-4 times in various countries in FM22 so far...Kartwijk were my dutch failure! But yes Botermans was about the only bright spot playing through the middle.

My first sale of the save of note - the money is a joke, but getting them to agree to end of season and a 50% sell on fee is a risk worth taking I think. Was gna lose him on a free in a year. THe money is a joke though he's worth so much more than that...

nicely done sir, nicely done

ah, the old 3 year contract with 3 year optional extension!?

Yeh I think I remember seeing your save, you did well if I recall correctly. The finances are just torture, every so often the board injects £600k to help with running costs, so the debt never goes much above £2m. But yes selling players is probably the way im gna have to go, but the most valuable assets we have i'll gert like £200k for, it just doesn't seem worth it i'd rather hold onto them and try fluke my way to promotion a year! which aint happening soon!

Season Review 2026/27 Bit of a nothing season, never threatened the top of the table, never in danger of going down. Can't decide on a system, can't get any consistency out of players at all, can't see any way this teams in any shape to compete for promotion any time soon! Just couldn't get anything consistent going all year. Would have little flashes of promise, followed up by games where I just don't have a kick. Anyways enough moaning. I actually in a way enjoyed the season as the whole point of the save is youth development, and seeing some of the young guys really take the lead with the team now is really nice to see. My squad view now lists my best 4 players as home grown players... Also of note this year we had our first player capped - fair enough it's only Luxembourg, but still a significant milestone. May try use this guy more next year he looks ok. Got plenty of u21 internationals but this is first senior cap that I'm aware of! Transfers Nothing major, have a few premier league clubs sniffing about Ward De Vos, and Eugene Dereckx, losing them would be a disaster. Youth intake Decent enough intake, disappointed my model professional HOYD is still producing largely crap personalities! But the keeper will be my number 1 soon despite his poor personality. Also had my first poaching of the save. Let's hope he's sold for £100m in a few years! Next year board just want to avoid relegation again. I can't much more than a 5th place finish maybe. Which in a 8 team league is a little uninspiring. Please tell me it gets easier! I have no money, have not had any youth/training/coaching upgrades and during course of save, despite winning promotion, I got dropped to semi pro!

Incredible progress @SuperRedditchsome fantastic talents there!

@Winskiwhat a shame man i was enjoying your updates, you must be gutted. @Daddyyeh 3rd is definitely possible there probably 2nd too, i cant see Rennes being that much better than you? Give us a look at the American's boys attributes whenever you get a chance?! You've done well for strikers in this save haven't you? @glennukthat is soul destroying man, that seems like a bit of a cheeky loophole, what's the point in sell on clauses if this stuff going on with the part exchange. I used to part exchange all the time in Championship manager but I havent done it honestly in about 20 years never even click the option to explore it...

Season Review 2025/26 (Season 4 in charge) Lokeren - Belgian 2nd Tier Another frustrating season, where I was top of the league going into the winter break, but somehow conspired to turn all those green win icons, into a ton of orange and red draws and losses, Ended up 5th. Complete collapse. Same thing happened last year, top of the league and then bottled 2nd half of season. Was a difficult year as we flipped back to part time at start of it so I guess 5th was a good result. In terms of squad, a few of the youngsters really stepped up, and by star rating/assistant manager opinion (and mine too probably) our best 3 players are now youth products. Intake was ok, i like the look of this attacking mid and striker. Finances - I'm skint! Hence the move to semi pro. Still losing money hand over fist. Can't get on a coaching course, facilities are going to ruin, it's a little frustrating! Transfers Next season - board want to avoid relegation battle. I just don't know what to do with this, I feel I'm stuck in this loop of not getting anywhere, but I've come this far, 4 season it's worth trying a bit more, seeing someone up the thread doing like 7 years in Iceland before getting youth academy! And I'm moaning about this! Gna stick with it, but I dont see anything other than midtable obscurity for few seasons. I need to settle on a tactic. On Fm22 thus far my best formation by far has been 4-1-2-1-2 narrow diamond, I cannot get a tune out of a wide player at all in this. And this save is much the same. But when I play narrow I get completely obliterated out wide cos my full backs are dross!

Well this save is going well I'm in a league with 8 teams, 3 of us are now semi-pro. This could take a while...

Excellent @Muggert, it's a shame to lose a star man but early in the CL days, £40m can be reinvested really well and be good for you in the longterm. Tough group in CL, hopefully you can scrape 3rd?

Season Review 2024/25 (Season 3) League Table | Fixtures 1 & 2 | Manager Profile | Club Vision | Finances | Transfers Well on paper a decent season, as it's our first up and we look to have comfortably avoided relegation, after media predicted us to finish 7th out of 8 teams. However, the full story is we started very well, so much so I made a post on here saying I thought we'd win the league. Then we completed folded, and my last game that I won...was in December....DECEMBER! But the league is so bad I survived despite looking clearly not good enough for the level. I couldn't find a tactic to work, changed my mind too often, and absolutely wrecked morale by smashing I don't know how many drinks bottles off the wall in my team talks! I need to work on my approach haha!! But I was lucky to muster half a dozen attempts in a game, with an Xg rarely over 1, just not good enough. Going to go hyper aggressive with tactic next year I think, being crap and sitting in trying to counter just doesn't cut it for me, I'm like Jurgen Klopp, it's beneath me to coach that way! Team Nobody really had a good season, we started well but from about October onwards we were awful! Youth products who featured in first team... Ngombo is a youth product, not much to look at, but got international recognition with the u21s for Congo. Ward De Vos is also a youth prospect, think he'll be a decent player, negotiated a £230k release clause into his latest contract, so if I lose him it'll be for not a lot. But he's been good when he's been used for someone so young. Also had some u19 international football with Belgium, as has Louis De Neve. I used Mattis De Paepe a lot, who I like look of but hasn't done anything yet. Doesn't help he's playing in a poor team and I keep changing his position and role to be fair! Legacy players who feature regularly. Main ones to show here, Jansen, Schills, Symons, Ekangamene, Van Moerzeke, Ramazani. All were big parts of my promotion and good start, but I don't think any of them will ever be a part of the team that makes it to Premier League (if I ever get there!) Youth Intake Preview | Intake |Squad View Strange one with the apparently excellent intake, but with only a winger and CB to mention! But when intake arrived, it was decent enough, including Maximilian Leroy, who according to my coaches, at 15, becomes the best player at the club, which is a bit worrying! He does look great though, going to use him at CB to begin with as I'm pretty short there! Diereckx looks a good left winger, wanted his very first contract negotiation as a youth product to be as a regular starter, so i think shows you what the AI thinks of my team if schoolboys are coming in demanding a game! I can see Tchamba being a serviceable if unspectacular right back in the future. Good mix of nationalities too which is maybe something to do with my new Indian HOYD who is well travelled, loved that i got a Brazilian in the intake! If you squint at his attributes u can see him possibly being decent enough! Next season Board just want avoid relegation, and with way this season went I think I'm in for a struggle, just need to hang around this league for while until some of the prospects develop. I am losing money all the time, every 6 months or so the board injects like £600k to get the debt down to about a million, but it's frustrating, had constant facilities downgrades, cant get on a coaching course, everything gets rejected due to the poor finances.

What a season @SuperRedditchthose forwards are great esp the Lithuanian boy, and I agree with your comment regarding Cormack and I think you'll be proven right soon, holding on to him is going to be difficult, but he is future Scotland/Premiership midfielder, if he came up on my scout reports at an elite club he'd be snapped up right away. What formation do you play? He looks to me to be perfect for a CM on defend which I've used a lot of tactically in this FM and i think it works well in this FM.

Well this post aged well, rest of season went as expected.... Awful. Can't muster an xG of above 1 all season. Can't score, cant keep a clean sheet. Happened to me on my German road to glory earlier in fm22 had a terrible season out the blue after promising start, keep changing tactics, nothing working, I think i just need to pick a formation and ride or die with it in this league for a few years and wait for the youth to develop! 8 teams in league and you're safe if you finish 7th, shouldn't be too hard haha!!

@jmarchandfantastic, knew you would get there soon the way the past few seasons have looked and the squad you had assembled. Now for the question, who's the better player...Antonio, or Matas!?

@SuperRedditchgreat season although heartbreaking end. SOme of those youngsters are incredible, the 3 featured ones from your intake are all starters at that level. I think Premier league clubs will be looking at them all I think within a few years as well as McLelland, get them all signed up with optional 3 yr extensions!!

Fully expect this to go tits up now I've dared to post about it, but my first season in Belgian 2nd tier going well so far after nearly a quarter of the season. Played 5 out the 7 teams, been better team in them all, the 2 games I've drawn were to late equalisers, As I said it'll all go pear shaped, but I'm sitting thinking after 5 games if I can keep everyone fit I could win this league.... There we go, I've said it...I'm doomed!

Great update Glenn and some good progress there especially from the eqrlier players. I feel your pain with the tons of wingers in your intake, ive been the same with the 2 intakes ive had, both about about 3 otential starting quality wingers where i was already strong and tens to favour a narrow formation! in desperate need of cb’s but none coming through of note. your manager has great attributes too i cannot get board to agree to coaching course as weare over a million in debt!