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309. I had been to the 40 000 all-seater Campéon del Siglo before. At the time I was hopeful of managing the then 40-year old legend who scored the first goal at this new stadium in 2016: Diego Forlan. He’d returned from a stint in India to play for Fénix, a struggling side that had just been promoted against all odds. After finishing his career there, in hindsight he should have retired after he came back over to Montevideo for the first time. Returning to his boyhood club after a four-year post-Europe tour in Brazil and Japan, he scored the goals to sign them off in their old stadium and get them going in their new one. It was a fairy tale 12 months, winning the Campeonato Uruguayo halfway through the new transition back to the calendar year league format. If I could find out where he was, maybe he could be tempted to work as an assistant at the third most successful finalists in Copa Libertadores history: Club Atlético Peñarol. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics’ South American Club of the Century had won more than 50 domestic titles and kept pace with Argentinean monsters River Plate and Boca Juniors in continental competition, although Independiente were a modern-day colossus with three Copa Libertadores wins in a row. Their rivalry with Nacional was immense; if one didn’t win the title the other would. This was a huge job. Ecuadorean side Liga de Quito are in town, the only side to have dropped points against Peñarol, and were going home with nothing more than participation money. Since that opening fixture Manyas had lost every game in the competition, and back to back defeats against River hardly helped their heavyweight claims. Paraguayan side Libertad currently topped the group by two points and only needed to avoid a loss in Argentina – this was not a campaign that should have been thrown away. The Uruguayan side had only scored two goals and remarkably both came in the first minute in Ecuador and Paraguay before throwing the game away. A cool shower descended over the city. At least 35 000 people had turned up to see this game and if anyone was stupid enough to not take their seats before kick-off they would be rushing in after that roar from the crowd. From the off the ball was worked wide left of the 4-2-3-1 DM Wide formation and Saracchi beat his man on the wing and whipped in a deep cross which was headed up in the air by the Liga de Quito defence. Right winger Sirino didn’t let two thoughts enter his head and hit the sweetest volley into the near post to make it 1-0 inside 15 seconds! Lightning had struck a third time in the first minute for Peñarol. The defensive box employed by the Ecuadoreans had a long night on. The visitors did well to control the ball thereafter but an incisive move in and around the box got the hosts 2-0 to the good, Sirino again providing the finish. Number ten Elizari had played a lovely square ball with his back to goal to assist the strike. After quarter of an hour the game is surely settled now. A knee injury to Saracchi saw play subdued and he didn’t reappear for the second half. Sirino took a knock soon after and the visitors made two quick changes to try and get back in the game. The home side’s defence had little to do and it looked like complacency was setting in. Liga de Quito were very frustrated but the manager showed no tactical guile is trying to alter the game, just throwing on his third substitute to freshen up the central column once more. Peñarol were quick to win the ball with possession lost and that tenacity saw left wing substitute Rodríguez drive at the opposition and cross into the middle. Again the ‘keeper punched clear but not far enough. Sirino… hat-trick! A crashing hit across the goalkeeper for a marvellous trio of goals, Elizari again the master of the one-touch assist. He was taken off for a well-deserved ovation soon after. Rodríguez still wanted his name in lights, if only as a subheading, and came inside to strike low and hard into the bottom corner with a quarter of an hour left. It had been a terrific performance from the attacking midfielders but caretaker Jorge Gonçalves, a Peñarol veteran of 20 years as player and staff, had recognised the lack of mobility with the striker and replaced him five minutes previous. The game petered out. The defensive players had been so tough all night long and rightly celebrated together while the attackers congratulated each other. The tactic created these divisions but it was fantastic to see these men turn a corner as one. The Valencia Football Review called to clarify a few things about my departure, completely unaware of where I was, and it felt good to talk away from home. I wouldn’t have to look anyone in the eye in response to what they read in the newspapers. Peñarol would keep me waiting until the Intermedio was a fortnight away before offering an interview. It had been an expensive five days at short notice in the hotel. New president Carlos Ádrian Noble had formally invited me by letter but on the day the director Ricardo Peluffo was the only one at the interview. There was a managing director who could not make it as well as another, less senior director who was now away on holiday. It seemed like this was at least plausible, despite the yarns I have been spun by suits in the past. He wasn’t a man to get on the wrong side of; immediately he spoke of his ‘considerable reservations’ about the time I spent at my previous clubs. I rode the storm and stuck my neck out, asking about the data analysis facilities and if the training ground was at the level required to dominate Uruguayan football. I had to impress this guy after all. He eventually let the business mask slip and looked to be warming to me, or maybe he had just forgotten that conversations with the manager didn’t have to be a terse post-defeat war. I begged him to take a chance on me. I explained how my ground-breaking approach last season had led to a win ratio of 67% and it would never be bettered at Mestalla. I cheekily told him I’d also won every cup I’ve ever entered, and we shared a laugh. Have I convinced him?

252. The next morning, we were back at Cuidad Deportiva de Paterna. Ortiz is now a trusted assistant and his playing experience would be a massive asset to these starlets. He knew what it meant to be some young kid trying to find his way at a big club’s B team, having come through the ranks at Atlético. He broke through into the first team La Liga squad but soon left on a two-year loan to Osasuna to add to his game time. When that diminished, he dropped down to the Segunda Division for a year before an eventful four years at Almeria. Upon relegation he was sold to Scottish titans Rangers for € 1M. That didn’t work out and this was where his hindsight could help our players. He was loaned back for that second half of the season before being brought back to La Liga. After battling relegation at Granada, he saw out his final year on loan in the Valencian community at Hércules in the Segunda Division, yet he was to suffer another relegation. The bravery to go abroad again at 32 was commendable, and he was rewarded with a three year stay at AEK Larnakas in Cyprus, finishing league runners up behind a five-time league winning giant in APOEL. He had been all around Spain and across the water twice. It was certainly something for these players to learn from every day in training. He would earn respect. Director General Mateu Alemany met us at the door, introduced himself and fellow director Juanma Lora, and beckoned to follow him into the meeting room. Owner Peter Lim wasn’t there, and neither was club president Anil Murthy. Were they coming later? No, came the curt reply. They will contact you when they see fit – they have a La Liga club to run. Alemany ran operations and was our boss. If we couldn’t get hold of him then speak to Lora. The size of this club! They needed departments just to delineate the workload. It was mesmerising. Under-19s Manager Miguel Grau was already in the room, as was ex-Barcelona stalwart José Ramón Alexanko who was the Basque Director of Football. Gentlemen, you must decide your responsibilities between yourselves. The Director General was in no mood for pleasantries. We are here to mediate but ultimately you all share the remit to develop players for the first team. The minimum expectation is that Mestalla avoid relegation from Segunda División. We have been waiting for nearly 50 years to get the team to this level and we are not going to let any of you derail that. Someone will carry the can if we fail. Vílchez and Camacho did not want that level of heat so they are gone. Imposta, Ortiz… you two are last in the door and will be first out. With that, Alemany and Lora were gone. Grau, a friendly face in all of this, broke the silence and said we just need to sort out which players are playing for which team. We can work on it later in the day but right now I think you new boys need to speak to this man, pointing to Alexanko. The Under-19s Manager took his bosses’ idea and got up to leave. I shared a look with Ortiz. It seemed as if it was a case of every man for himself! Alexanko opened up. I’m in charge of continuity here. Staff contracts, player contracts – everyone has to impress me to stay. Everything else is up to you. If you want I can bring bodies in or get rid of people but I’ll level with you: I don’t have time for that. I can talk to the media and maybe even manage your pre-season games while you get your feet under the table but believe me when I say that my job is the senior team, not all the teams. If you were wondering if you can meet with the manager Vitor Pereira or the assistant Luís Miguel then the answer is no. You just work Mestalla.

Hi, hoping someone can help. I purchased a steam code advertised as the full version of the game but giving access to the Beta. I made my purchase a day or two before release but never got to play it until after release date. My laptop was left on so it I thought that FM had updated to full version. However I’ve grown more suspicious that I still only have Beta? Today I see an update has come out but my FM seemed to still be running the first database. I tried forcing steam to update but its stated client list is up to date. So I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled the game and now I notice it’s only 3.1gb which seems low for a full version?? When I go onto the FM19 steam store page it says I have the game?? Am I just being paranoid? Is there something else I can check to confirm?

Hello guys, i thought I would share my YT series with Roma on here. I have put a fair amount of effort into animations for line-up introductions as well as highlight screens. I really hope you guys enjoy it, any feedback at this stage would be brilliant!

Have noticed over last couple of days since 19.2 beta update far too many bad offside calls, I realise there will always be some but now there are several every match, I include a pkm showing some bad examples, far too many to list but specifically around the 31/32 minute mark it is impossible for this offside to be called no matter how blind we think officials are, Gomes to Richarlison. The ball is played across the box behind a line of defenders and when my player receives ball offside is called, with a full defensive line playing him onside, as I say too many in this match to list, but this is a recurring theme over last couple of days, not all against me but I probably notice the ones against me more. Have tried clipping some highlights but presuming uploading/saving highlights still not working. OffsidehowEverton v Tottenham Hotspur.pkm

Amsterdamned with Ajax Yes, here we go. 'Tis the time, and while I had very different plans just a few days ago, I am starting this Football Manager with AFC Ajax. It's the club I support, but I haven't managed them since FM14 or 15 or so. They appealed to me a lot because of the transfer business that has been done recently and because I want to get going really. Can't be waiting for some inspiration to hit me! Now, just a few things. while Ajax have spent quite a bit of money, I am super excited about the players at the club at the start of the game so won't be spending much. Probably just a loan here or there. Also, these are my tactics for now. I might be going into more detail later, but let's just say I was inspired by some other FMCU regulars for that last one. Generally that should be the main home-tactic, while the wing play one might be used more for away games. The Wingback one is mostly just there to get a third tactic in there if the first two don't work!

Hi, I hope not to post a silly question, but I'm using a beta version save (created before 2nd Nov): does it allow me the right patching of the game? I'm worried about the extremely high number of injuries I'm still having in my games, and I'm start wondering if it could be caused by the incorrect application of the first patch, wich should have resolved (or at least minimized) the problem. Anyway, do you think it is a better Idea to stop using the Beta saves and to start a new career after 2nd november, or it is exactely the same thing? thanks in advance F.

For the Salernitana team, the shirt number 4 is not retired. From 2011 the number's shirt is available. In this competition the number 4 is Bernardini

CLUB DETAILS HISTORY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON (born 8 August 1951) is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was formerly manager of Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich, the Netherlands and Manchester United. Van Gaal is one of the most decorated managers in world football, having won 20 major honours in his managerial career. Before his career as a coach, Van Gaal played as a midfielder for Royal Antwerp, Telstar, Sparta Rotterdam, Ajax and AZ. He is also a fully qualified physical education teacher and has worked as such at high schools during various stages of his career as a semi-professional footballer. "Louis van Gaal, who as a defensive midfielder for Sparta Rotterdam in the late 1970s was said to resemble “a slug on sandpaper”, or a medieval knight clunking around in a full suit of armour. Tall, bolt upright, he ran, in the words of one spectator, “as if he’d swallowed an umbrella” and would direct games from the centre circle, recycling possession, barking instructions at his team-mates and rolling his eyes at their technical shortcomings regardless of their seniority. He was not only a control freak but a battler, too, his flattened nose testimony to his fearlessness in attacking aerial balls with his “Minotaur noggin”." TACTICS + PHILOSOPHY I have picked two shapes well used by Louis van Gaal. In his prior spell at AZ, bringing them the league title, Louis used a more direct 4-4-2 shape. But with the current selection of players, the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 look like the best fit. The variation in the midfield diamond allow for more flexibility depending on the opponent players and the players available. Louis' obsession is with the reality of being sucker-punched by faster opponents who exploit the space in behind a high pressing 'Total Football' unit to break out. As such, this later phase Louis Van Gaal football starts from a negative premise that his teams must be super secure against turnovers in possession through a very deliberate, orchestrated style of secure, possession obsession build-up play. He wants to move the opponents defenders around through passing in front of them until they break their discipline and leave a gap to exploit. It is a war of attrition, death by 1,000 cuts. To Louis, the collective and the team is more important than the individual. So a cautious mentality is taken along with instructions that ensure patient build up play. Another priority is to keep good shape with and without the ball, so the team is organized and ready in a structurally sound shape incase of losing possession. Risks are kept to a minimum, the priority is to keep the ball and more direct counter attacking play is only used when necessary. Play is stretched when in possession by use of the 'Wider' instruction, so we can look to switch play and use the whole of the pitch in order to help dominate possession. The defensive shape is preferred to be more narrow, so the team is compact and structurally sound. The philosophy remains to play out of the back and keep the ball, but certain things can change depending on the scenario. For example, if an opponent decides to park the bus and look to counter attack, then we will lower our defensive line and line of engagement whilst increasing our urgency to press, so the opponent is forced to take risks and is lured into a trap. There are may also be a case, if we are behind, we will remain patient but we will place less emphasis on holding a shape when in possession in order to allow for more opportunity to counter attack more directly if needed by removing 'Hold shape' to default 'Both'. Ideally the players need to be tactically intelligent and technically capable across all positions. This type of football requires the core attributes of good intelligence and decision making as well as first touch and passing ability, as we look to keep the ball and force the opponent into an error. Stamina is important for the urgency within our press, but other physical traits are not so important as the basic technical and tactical. Preseason training will focus heavily on bringing the players up to speed with the tactical philosophy and ensure the players know the system well. Fitness will be improved by match practice and friendly matches. AZ FIRST TEAM JONG AZ EXPECTATIONS This season I am not aiming to challenge for the title. But still, our aim is to win every game. In any case, this year is about introducing the philosophy and developing a squad which is very young, but full of promise. The adjustment to the philosophy may take some time. I am lucky to have many great youngsters at my diposal, many who have been with the club since youth level. I will give many opportunities to these youngsters even if that comes with a risk. AZ have also qualified for a Europa League spot, but will have to play three two-leg ties in order to qualify. My short-term goal is to qualify for this tournament as it will allow more opportunity for the young players. There are even some players in Jong AZ who I will look to give time too, so squad depth will not be a problem.

Sankt Pauli: It Doesn't Matter If You're A Prinz or a Prinzess So here I am with my first FM19 save; of course I couldn't wait for full release so Beta it is . I've decided to do something a little different and changed sex! For me there was only one club that I could see pioneering a female manager (and taking it seriously, Clermont). St. Pauli enjoys a certain fame for the left-leaning character of its supporters: most of the team's fans regard themselves as anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-homophobic and anti-sexist. The organisation has adopted an outspoken stance against racism, fascism, sexism, and homophobia and has embodied this position in its constitution. St. Pauli were the first club in Germany to integrate a set of Fundamental Principles to dictate how the club is run. The Fundamental Principles were passed by an overwhelming majority at the St. Pauli Congress in 2009 and they go beyond solely football. The first five Principles states that: – "In its totality, consisting of members, staff, fans and honorary officers, St. Pauli FC is a part of the society by which it is surrounded and so is affected both directly and indirectly by social changes in the political, cultural and social spheres." – "St. Pauli FC is conscious of the social responsibility this implies, and represents the interests of its members, staff, fans and honorary officers in matters not just restricted to the sphere of sport." – "St. Pauli FC is the club of a particular city district, and it is to this that it owes its identity. This gives it a social and political responsibility in relation to the district and the people who live there." – "St. Pauli FC aims to put across a certain feeling for life and symbolises sporting authenticity. This makes it possible for people to identify with the club independently of any sporting successes it may achieve. Essential features of the club that encourage this sense of identification are to be honoured, promoted and preserved." – "Tolerance and respect in mutual human relations are important pillars of the St. Pauli philosophy. My aim is to bring success to St Pauli under the guidance of Birgit Prinz, but in such a way that supports the principles above. We will be giving young local talent a chance whilst also embracing internationals from around the world and going forward as a sustainable, financially viable club. FM19, bring it on!

Dave Smith is a guy. He did a thing in a different timeline and that is here. He is now in this timeline full of reverse twins and Tinglers but he is ready to go again. The first few posts in that previous post are the same here... the only divergence is... Meet the new manager of Messina he divint even na how he got here... Game on...

Hello everyone, I just bought the 2019 version of FM but i can't find the downloadbutton anywhere on Steam.. Is this stil possible? Thanks

175. Llagostera played their games over in Palamós, which was on the coast and about half an hour drive. Their dizzying ascent through the leagues meant that they had outgrown their hosts. However, with such a growing fanbase, Llagostera was now the de facto premier Costa Brava side and stuck around. It took me an hour to drive to the city of their birth, where the B team were based, and it was here I met with Isobel Tarragó again. She made it clear that I would have to split my time between the two locations - one on the south-eastern edge of the greater Girona urban sprawl, and the other beyond a wonderful drive through the hills and golf courses, opening up into the middle of the coastal route. The reason I would have to split my time was because I had to hire an entire staff that would not just relocate to Palamós because the team played there on a Sunday. The travel did not end there either, as in two weeks’ time the squad would spend ten days in Barcelona. The famous Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys was ours to use. We could foster our team cohesion on Montjuïc, away from prying eyes. We had two players with coaching licences – experienced attacking midfielder Diego with a B licence and experienced midfielder Álex Vaquero with a C licence. The former was interested in becoming a manager and the latter a coach. Tarragó was also keen to point out that others wanted to stay in the game after they retired, such as centre-back Miguel Fuiza and attacking midfielder Nacho who would both have an interest in scouting. Winger Sergio Alonso was also rumoured to be thinking about this. 22 of our 35 players were in the door this summer. It was to be another difficult window getting the players to work together. There was scope to move players down to the B team, though. We had 22 that were too old for under-19s football this season but only 11 over the age of 23, so space for five. The culture of the place was familial and welcoming. There were players from distant countries, such as centre-back Javi Enríquez of Paraguay and Australian-Argentinean midfielder Gian Mendez. There were also players of African background like young attacking midfielder Amadou N’Diaye and young centre-back Monday Ogbonna who were of Senegalese and Nigerian heritage respectively. A young midfielder from the Basque Country was with us, too! Xabier Martínez had been unable to break out from his under-19s performances into the La Liga first team of Eibar and decided to start anew with this inclusive project under the chairwoman’s tutelage. Full-back Jaime Serrano was said to be able to speak fluent Italian after three years over there a decade ago. As a teenager at Inter then Varese he did not make a single appearance but the culture would have left a lasting impression on the guy. All of these men, players and future staff, were new into the club this summer bar Gian Mendez who hailed from the southern hemisphere. There were sixteen remaining from the previous season and I would make sure that they would all get involved during pre-season. The five youngsters would not be included in my initial 30-man training camp. Three goalkeepers, including Álvaro Merino on loan from Basque club Barakaldo, would stay at home with two midfielders also being paid the minimum. Tarragó informed me that none of my staff expressed an interest in joining me on the Costa Brava. It was galling to hear. I decided there and then that there would not be a return visit. I would wait until I went to the Catalan capital with my new squad. She had also warned me off speaking with the two agents involved with the club. All three of our remaining first team players from the previous season were contracted to Nico Martínez. He didn’t like his players to move around but was very impatient when it came to negotiating new deals. Goalkeeper José Antonio Manzanares, full back Pablo Agudo, and winger Álex Gracia were the spine of the team and, naturally, were among the top earners. The other agent, Alberto Huerto, was similar in character but was said to hawk his players about. It is bad news for experienced winger Sergio Alonso’s scout prospects here, but it also meant that I would not get too attached to Gian Mendez’s southern accent, nor young goalkeeper Pepe Lozano’s big wages. After being given a healthy dossier of players and staff that either had been on the books here in the past or were people I really should know about, I set about drafting job vacancies for the entire club. Financially, the club was in pretty good shape. It was up to me to stay long enough to take advantage of that. A new five-year sponsorship deal had just been signed following promotion, and if we didn’t add any more to the wage bill there was a quarter of a million euros to spend! There was a couple of million in the bank and it would probably last between one or two years based on current spending. Tarragó had heard very good things about Pedro Peso at Ebro in Zaragoza and implored me to bring him on board as Head of Youth Development. He had done it at his home town Granada for the first five of their first six years in La Liga – it may have been no coincidence that they were relegated the year after he left – and spent the last two and a half years in B3 with the same middling results. Yet Tarragó was convinced that the man who worked under many different managers in the south had become bored working under the same man for two and a half years since he left. Her partner Alsina had sounded him out when he signed a youth player from them earlier in the summer. With a year left on his contract I would be spending a tenth of my transfer budget on one man. But I was buying La Liga quality organisation and appraisal abilities. His professionalism would safeguard our futures. It was time to start thinking about friendly matches. Sants were the obvious local choice while at the Olympic park but when we got back from our ten days there I wanted a real test. I wanted us to play Palamós. It was not only a gesture to our stadium-sharing friends but it would also serve as a step up against Tercera opposition. I wondered about our level.

107. As I pulled into the carpark on Thursday, my heart was racing. What a beautifully designed stadium. A man was waiting for me outside and he introduced himself as Noel Mata. He was press officer for the club and, after shaking my hand and welcoming me, he showed the back page of the newspaper. Imposta takes charge at Badalona. I quickly scanned it, smiling in disbelief, about the mention of my famous cup success at Olot and how I will no doubt be hoping to bring similar success in stepping up to a bigger club. Noel had certainly done his job so I shook his hand again. He motioned to the door. The pitch was breath-taking. Perfect geometry of a pitch not quite twice long as it is wide. This was a pitch for tight passing moves in the opposition half with the option of releasing the ball to the wings. The sea of blue seats was mesmerising, my eye immediately drawn to my left. The main side of the ground had a roof and had seating double the depth of the rest of the ground. Glass-walled offices were sandwiched in between, and Noel led me into the belly of the beast so I could take in the view. I had been here once before, of course, but never beyond the changing rooms or the dugout. There was something special about seeing an empty stadium on a hot summer’s day. The excitement of a new season was infectious. With the financial crisis at Santa Eulalia and Olot’s relegation, I could pick off the cream of the crop, if they wanted to join me. First I had to look at who would be reporting for duty on Monday week and spending ten days bedding in was the best possible start I could ask for. Miguel Ángel Sánchez was ineffable. In welcoming me to the stadium, he explained that it has to be a treat to come here. He conducted all interviews and transfer business in his new downtown office. I was really looking forward to working with this club and achieving big things. I blushed and told him that I appreciated him taking time out of his busy schedule to welcome me in person. He said it was no problem. It was his club for the last six years and gleefully told me that this coincided with a run where fierce rivals Atlética Gramanet were always in a lower division. I must not forget about them. The chairman explained that the club was the other side of their peak during his time here, but the infrastructure meant that they bounced back at the first attempt following their fourteen-year spell in the Segunda B3. The club spent the previous twenty or so years yo-yoing in quality in the Tercera and even dropping out on a few occasions. The last time, in the early 2000s, they followed relegation from the Tercera with relegation from the Primera Catalana. Due to economic problems the club had nearly folded but this saw the club merge with another in order to consolidate in the league system. Back to back Tercera wins saw them return to the Segunda B3 but not before winning the cup that I had won with Olot - an incredible feat for a non-league team. So, there was a winsome history here. The regional sway of this club was a far cry from local outfits I had managed and I hoped that I was up to the task. I was already more pragmatic than when I started out, and in four months I would be a qualified manager. I might even get another course in before the end of the season if it goes well. Albert Cámara was a bit of a legend in these parts too, the chairman said. He had made nearly 300 appearances and scored over 50 goals but it should have stayed that way. Miguel Ángel Sánchez said he promoted him from assistant to take control of the team in his inaugural year but a disappointing finish in the league saw him leave. He would never make a sentimental decision again. It was an ice-cold warning for me and no mistake. I asked where Cámara is now. Tercera Catalunya. I see. You do. He then handed me a list of transfer targets. He’d signed them all for me. What? Yes, they will report to training a week on Monday. A present for you. Did this come out of the budget we agreed? Well, yes Diego, in the interview you did say you could work with a smaller budget, so I’ve made it smaller. That maniacal grin. This was starting to feel very, very odd. But just look at the empire he had built! Trying to change the subject I asked when I can meet the staff. He blinked. You’ve met them. He was perplexed. I am the club, Diego. Sure, I have a doctor – I’m not a medical professional – and I have a press officer, because the press are dogs. I was nodding yes but I was thinking this guy’s a sociopath. Am I allowed to bring my own staff in? It was crazy that I had to ask but I did anyway. Of course! I’m not a megalomaniac by any means Diego. If you can halve the wage bill then you can bring in anyone you like. Halve?! He sat up straight. Relax. I have delivered the return to B3 on my own. I sacked the men who brought us to the Tercera and I delivered the return to B3 on my own. I have given you all the things you will need to keep us here so you can then focus on the coaching that you do so well. Wait, what about the last manager? The reason the job was freshly available? What had happened to him? He left for Burgos, Diego. That was a year ago. I didn’t need a manager to get my team out of the Tercera Catalunya. I bought my way out. Before I could question whether he was paying off the referees and other chairman he said he paid better wages than anyone else could afford. All of a sudden I felt like a mercenary just like the rest of them. On the face of it, all was still rosy. I need air. I got up and pushed the glass door open. I surveyed the land that was my new home. It was a bowl dug in to the ground. Out in the devil’s heat, I resolved to embrace the chairman’s calculated façade.

71. The club was essentially run by two men: Raúl Casañ and Gerard Gracés. Both men were in their very early forties and they’d lived there for a very long time, at eight and ten years respectively. I got an impression that, despite being assistant manager, the latter did not get the caretaker gig due to the former’s ties with the previous boss Dani Mori. He had been there for three and a half years and got them promoted from the Tercera in his middle season. This was the second time he’d achieved such a feat with Santa Eulalia, after a single season at the helm seven years previous. Mori strangely took his newfound reputation not to División B3 but to Mallorca under 19s. Success never came and, after a season of disillusionment, he quit the professional game for six years. Only to come back to Ibiza. I think the reason they say never go back is because they will chew you up and spit you out. Mori had become a victim of his own success, starting well but unable to stop the rot when it set in. It sounds a little too close for comfort but here I was, ready to try and match last year’s dramatic playoff push. An unchanged side was selected by under 19s manager Casañ, who certainly looked like he fancied himself as a coach, and we would be up against a different tactical challenge in Ebro’s 4-2-3-1 Wide. Andrés, who had toiled up front against Olot, was still clearly struggling with an injury as he moved about lethargically. If I was being cynical I’d say he looked complacent but there was definitely some mobility issue or other. Santa Eulalia controlled the opening ten minutes and looked good value too. The match quickly settled into something stale and Andrés looked out on his feet latterly in the first half. It took until half an hour for Ebro to register a shot, and that was testament to the two lines of four that Casañ had set up. Mori had favoured a narrow 4-3-3 but with the players he had, he was always going to use 4-4-1-1 as often as he could. The home side met the break on the front foot and were generally peppering the Ebro goal without conviction. The away side did not have any answers. I felt that Casañ was waiting too long to bring on Luna. I had read in the local paper that he hadn’t a goal in over sixteen hours of football. Surely the excitement of a new manager watching would put an end to that? With twenty minutes left, Ebro had accepted a draw and dug in. With the onus on a knackered lone forward to score, Santa Eulalia not taking three points was starting to look negligent. Oller was having to try free kicks from increasingly far out as no man seemed to be able to get on the end of his corners or through balls. Fifteen minutes to go and still no changes. He was running them into the ground! Oller found Gallardo on the left with a wonderful ball and his cross was met by, you guessed it, Andrés who volleyed home. With Núñez’s trickery down the right, here was a great core. Ebro found some fight with five minutes remaining and with my players out to impress it would take something special to score here. It never came, thanks to a fantastic last-minute block from Núñez. I could not believe how well these eleven men played, restricting Ebro to one shot on target and even that was blocked. I would officially take over a top-ten team. I made a note to credit to Casañ for his record of two wins and a draw from his three league games as a manager. The second leg cup loss to Mérida 0-3 the only blot on his copy book, he would make a fine coach. Let’s hope he’s interested in the promotion. I signed the contract on Christmas day. It’s Exile on Main Street.

1. The jobs available at the beginning of my management career were not the sort an unqualified Sunday league footballer applies for: a Liga Santander stalwart, a Liga NOS upstart, and two mid-table Argentinean clubs from the top and bottom divisions respectively. International management opportunities swelled the selection but, as the old cliché goes, “I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to take my first steps into club football”. What did catch my eye was a manager’s precarious position at Rentistas (an Uruguayan team rooted to the bottom of the Segunda División) and the insecure tenure of the Las Palmas B boss (before a ball’s even been kicked in the Segunda División B Grupo 4). I am a rock. I am an island. I am a not sure about that Uruguayan one now. Satisfied that I had fully assessed the situation, I immediately procrastinated from the job hunt and a few weeks later joined 85 000 people for a first look at my beloved Barcelona. An admittedly under-strength FC Bayern made a big mistake in scoring first and early. They were duly thrashed 5-1 with a goal and two assists from Messi, two goals and an assist from Suárez, and a goal and assist from big money debutant Dembélé. Neymar who-nior? Unfortunately for Iniesta’s testimonial the next week the power trio had blown their beans too early, with sloppy seconds reserved for an away game in the Netherlands later in midweek. Back at the Camp Nou, Barça succumbed 0-1 to Lyon in a dismal game, fittingly punctured by a 20-yarder, 20 minutes from time by a 20-year old. 10 000 fewer people joined me for that one. In hindsight I wished I’d been fortunate enough to have missed out too. A month had gone by and still no mug had jumped in at Rentistas. Undeterred that the caretaker had been caretaking longer than his predecessor had been predecessing, I threw my hat into the ring. What could possibly go wrong? Purgatory, that’s what. I was immediately informed that the club was in the process of a board takeover and they were giving the incumbent “every opportunity to prove he deserves the job before making any decision”. ¡Dios mío! With their next two fixtures being in Montevideo (where else?) and neatly book-ending a pre-planned decision to watch the Superclásico de las Américas, ever the opportunist I booked a return trip to South America. An opportunity to see some old friends (wines) in Buenos Aires – the capital of my second nationality. Top of the table were in town and up first for Rentista. A shoe-in for me, surely. They bored the hell out of them. 0-0. A great start from the caretaker; I was worried. A brilliant game in Brazil took my mind off it with both teams scoring in the first five minutes and Argentina sealing it in the 88th. The team selections were made up of players currently playing in each country and that made it a real contest. As was the hangover. Which was to become a theme of my time in the southern hemisphere. A televised relegation six-pointer had me wondering if my suit still fitted… Rentista’s opponent laid siege all morning (no, really - a 10:15 kick-off) and finally breached the defence by forcing an own goal with 20 minutes to go. Game over. Until an 89th minute equaliser out of nowhere. Disaster. Distraught, I went home immediately after the ensuing three-or-four-day (or was it five-day?) hard-drinking bender. I had to ease the pain of all the money I’d spent getting to the motherland and back. I wouldn’t hear from the club again for two months – and even then it was just to say that they’d given the job to someone else. But by now, I’d moved on. Not literally, but still. Las Palmas B were to court my attention closely for a couple of months. Their poor boss was under real pressure even after winning all three friendlies and the opening day fixture, too. A journalist asked me for my opinion and, of course, I backed the man who won promotion with them the previous year. I knew full well that this was the kiss of death - constantly winning wasn’t enough for the Las Palmas B chairman so this must have been personal. He lost the next five and was gone. Where’s that suit? The club advertised two philosophies: possession football and attacking football. A match made in Catalan heaven. I was sold and three days later I was on the volcanic island to watch a much better level of football than I saw in Uruguay. It was 0-0 but the defence were rock solid. The interim manager had got them their first points in six weeks. However, I was buoyed by the complete lack of possession and attacking: the board would still be left wanting. I followed them to a midweek trip to Seville (another city I knew well) where they were crushed 0-2 by Real Betis B. The lack of attack or counter attack invited the opposition to take control and by now I knew the temp was out of ideas. Top of the league at home on the weekend should get me my interview. It was dreadful. Another game with one shot on target. The 0-1 flattered the home side. At one point I thought a volcanic shaft had opened up into the Las Palmas B striker’s boots, cooled, and turned him to stone. He was that inactive. This team will benefit immensely from giving him a strike partner. I already had so many ideas for the club, like giving the maligned wingers a prominent role. Two days later I got the chance to express these opinions to the board. Time to suit up. I said all the right things. I even offered to withdraw from the running at Rentista (which by now I’d forgotten I was still in). I came out smiling. Then it hit me – I was still in my tracksuit. In all the island-hopping I’d forgotten to change, to let them know how serious I was. Maybe I was over-thinking it. They wouldn’t care. It’s football. Right? Anyway, I had little time to stew it over when I got a call from another journalist. I was beginning to think that the press had a big part to play in the life of a manager in the Canaries. I said the usual vanilla things that any desperate out-of-work manager says and booked another two weeks at the hotel. A few days later a puff piece mentioned how the fans think I am a leading candidate. Good. Staying was the correct decision. Then the Rentistas news is fed back to me – they’d chosen a Segunda División winner with a wealth of experience. I never had a chance. I was now getting serious with my travel: Huelva away. Recreativo destroyed us 1-4. Again, just one shot on target. It would be unfair to say it was no more than a consolation as after coming in at the break 0-3 down, the manager changed the formation and did finally get a foothold on the game. The board gave him the benefit of the doubt and made me wait another week. An unlikely master class from the number 10 followed but his two goals were not enough to keep out an injury time winner from the visitors. The first half finished 2-2 but the rot soon set in and he was out of ideas again. Hello, Goodbye. Or, in my case, so long and thanks for all the fish. The Las Palmas B chairman had decided I wasn’t “the right person to take on the job”. I missed Barcelona v Sevilla for that last game. Taking the theme of islands and running with it, I jumped at the chance to apply for the freshly cut Madeira job. Porto B at home would be a nice little birthday weekend treat and I did not regret it. A superb 2-0 victory meant I was immediately out of the running but what a performance. Two weeks later I was politely informed that I wasn’t being shortlisted, but I had a taste of mid-level Portuguese football now and I liked it. One for the future. The Algarve, naturally. Not too far from Seville either. Vacancies came and went over the next month or so. Sacking season was in full swing. I was still being very selective about where I was looking as I didn’t want to end up just anywhere. I wanted to lay down roots and work somewhere I would be noticed. We all want to get to the top after all. My preference was to stay in Catalunya and soon Llagostera, just up the road from Barcelona, was available. A Saturday night home game on TV was up next against a similar promotion rival. A technical master class from the Catalans, adorned in hooped Barcelona colours, played out in front of 2 000 people with the goal coming in first half injury time. A backheel there, a half-volley there, and the game, as a contest, was finished. I was in love. For one day. I didn’t make the shortlist - something about other candidates. I was too gutted to remember what they said. But wait! Another island job was available! Formentera in the Balearics. How did I miss that? I have no idea but it cost me dear – I didn’t even get a look-in as the interview process was already over. Ouch. On reflection, I don’t think a hedonistic locale is the sort of place to grow your Sunday afternoon attendances. Later that evening, two Catalan teams binned their managers. I couldn’t believe my luck. Nàstic were far too big to take on a no-mark like me but my policy is to apply for each and every Catalan job while I remain unemployed. Barça are always watching. It was my fire-and-forget option as Olot, curiously another area with prominent volcanoes, were deep in trouble at the bottom of Segunda División B3. If I didn’t get this one I’d have to apply for every job going in 2018. It was nearing the winter break in most leagues and the finish of the Uruguayan season – a nice watermark for the year. There was also the small matter of money and I was running out of it. Fast. The fixture computer had sprung three home games in a row to see out the first half of the season for Olot and I was determined to watch all of them. The first was a freebie for the assistant manager – a second leg against a non-league B team who’d already been dispatched 2-0 at their place. What followed was anything but a dead-rubber. The away team took the lead midway through the second half against the run of play, conceded a late set-piece header from versatile defender Blázquez, and then set about picking up six bookings as they looked to disrupt the home side. Olot had the lion’s share of chances but it was hardly convincing. Plenty of food for thought. Up next was Llagostera. Of course it was. Already this game meant something to me and I was willing Olot to win, despite what that would do to my chances of taking over. My Girona province rivals opened the scoring in the second half with a really cheap goal that, on balance, they probably deserved after all of the first half chances they missed. That man Blázquez popped up again, reacting first to a second ball in the Llagostera box to make it 1-1 with 15 minutes to go. The agricultural football continued with a wide freekick in the 90th minute, Blázquez volleying it home. I went wild! A week-long celebration ensued. I wasn’t even worried. Then the call came. They wanted to interview me. I felt relaxed; no need for a suit. No boring responses - I could be myself in Catalunya. My answers were confident. I didn’t care about previous managers. Talking to other clubs wasn’t a problem to me, why should it be? I even asked for a feeder club, hoping my contact with the Nàstic secretary would bear fruit one way or another. Another Catalan game was up next with Lleida representing their province. The quirks of the fixture computer meant I’d be opening 2018 with a two-legged cup tie against them so this would be good research. I was convinced the job was mine. To their credit, Lleida operated like the biggest team in their region. We were held at arm’s length all day and had a late wonder goal that just knocked the stuffing out of us. Maybe the players were guilty of already being on holiday, maybe the assistant was out of his depth. I’d know for sure soon. Olot approach Imposta. The headline made my year. The club finances dictated their offer. I’d be the lowest paid professional manager in the division but I didn’t care. I had six months to prove myself (I daren’t ask for longer) and no money with which to do it. Then I had a moment to myself: You’ll like this … not Olot, but you’ll like it.

World Upside Down 0.2 Beta Hello, my friends and fellow FM makers I present to you a little project I have been working on for last two weeks. I created a database that turns 90% of the world leagues upside down with all the clubs from 1st 2nd and 3rd division being replaced by the teams in that country's unplayable leagues. And to make it more competitive and fun I personally lowered Prize money in all very rich country like England, Germany, Spain, Italy, China etc. Reputation of all the clubs and divisions has also been lowered to next to nothing making you and AI forced to try and rebuild the entire footballing world. This database also includes an edited version of brilliant UEFA Revival database from Carlito85 with all UEFA competitions giving you less money than usual but are still the main way of income for the clubs. However, there are few issues with the database that I need help fixing for some reason when you load Argentina and Brazil the game will crash even if on view only. Some other small issues include EFL Cup not working and awards like Balon Dor and World Player of the year not being given. Any kind of assistance and feedback would be greatly appreciated as I am still fairly new to editing. Known issues Brazil and Argentina not working Ballon D'or and World Player of the Year award not being given EFL Cup not working Credits: Carlito85 for his UEFA Revival database. Download: https://www.mediafire.com/file/5480i5zor38xh34/WorldUpsideDownPack.rar Screenshots of some countries England: Germany: More Leagues in posts below.

After release I posted the following feedback: "I know that Beta works with .tac and "final" uses .fmf I'm suprised that FM duplicated all my tactics, I have .tac and .fmf version of all my tactics. But these .fmf versions are fake! I can't load them them and as you can see their size is too small. (I loaded a beta save and saved 'Diana1' tactic and as you can see its size is much bigger than any other. And also Diana1.tac vanished, which is not a big deal, I'd delete it anyway)"

Hi I am back and this time i will be having a better go with FM this year. I felt like i couldn't get into FM17 for some reason but this time I will try my best to update often but this is my beta save and again Lyon is a calling. Why Lyon? I have always had a soft spot for Lyon since their 7 Ligue 1 titles from 2001-2002 to 2007-2008 and ever since then i have always had an admiration of them. I think they have absolutely talented youngsters and i think since the weakening of Monaco and the money mad PSG throwing hundreds of millions around; I feel like a change is a brewing and I believe Lyon can do so. How will I cope without Lacazette; the talismanic star of Lyon and the versatility of Corentin Tolisso and how will the likes of Memphis Depay and Bertrand Traore fit in? Are they the perfect replacements or will they flop. And will Nabil Fekir step out of the shadow of Lacazette and perform better than he did? Find out as we delve into Ligue 1 and see if we can stand up to PSG and Monaco. Next Update:- Meet the team and thoughts on how to improve the squad.

FM18 is here so hopefully this will be a save to ease me into the game, surely there can't be any bugs with the World Cup, European Championships, Confederations Cup or the Nations League? If I get sacked as England manager then I'll try and get a job with a different national team, until a few of the added leagues have been released anyway. Leagues loaded: England to Vanarama North/South, more will be loaded when I get sacked. We have a database of 59,000 players with all internationals from every continent and every player with a national reputation. And why England? Well, hopefully I can't be any worse or more boring than how we are in real life.

In Touch I can't set free-kicks. There is no option to select the new direct-indirect aspects, only 1 (it looks like the direct) but in that you can't set any kicker instruction (only mixed is available)

Hey guys, I am embarking on a new adventure, taking on the youtube world ! Started a new Save with Tottenham ! They have an ideal foundation to build something special with the Players they have at their disposal ! Please give the Video a watch and any feedback or ideas are welcome to make my save better ! looking to the fm community to help out episode 1 link below -

I'm not sure of this is going to be a long-term save at the moment, but I thought I would keep a record of it regardless. There seem to be lots of new features and it might help others dipping their toe into FM18 for the first time. Barnet are my club and other than a 1 season holiday career in FM16, I don't think I have managed them for about...... well I can't remember actually. (So that's a long time). I don't think I have EVER played a proper save with them since CM turned into FM. Originally they weren't in the game because they were in the Conference and CM only went down as far as League 2, and then by the time the Conference was included, I think Barnet were back in League 2 then and in any case I wanted to manage as low as possible and that was no longer Barnet. I'm going to document different things in this thread and at first glance, here are a few things that I will be covering. Dynamics - Social Groups. My initial thoughts are that this is actually a brilliant introduction, just so long as it works as expected and isn't significantly flawed. Scouting. This seems to have had a much needed overhaul, with "packages" of different type and cost being available at different levels/Nations. Medical Centre - Risk Assessment. Again, this seems like improvement, just so long as it actually works and isn't superficial. Data Analysts. This was introduced last year, but in name only. It will be interesting to see how they have been fleshed out. The potential in this area is immense. New player roles. I know that there are 3 new midfield player roles, (don't know what they are called), and I don't know if there are any new defending/attacking options, but I will be having a look at this at some point. Player Style. This is a new addition that seem to try to group players together by style of play in a similar way to the way personality works, but it relates to all of their attributes rather than just their mental one's, (or so it would seem at first glance). Let's see how this goes.

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place or has already been said before, but this bug is only in the Touch version. You can't apply for job at Everton (see pictures) and they only hire a manager when you take over after creating a manager and resign/retire after. If they fire your successor, they won't hire a new replacement either. If you let the AI take over from the beginning, Unsworth will stay caretaker manager, probably forever.

Before i get into this career update thread i just want to give a little background on myself, played football manager on and off for about 8 years but never really had a long career .... which i'm hoping to change with this save. I have been reading a lot of career updates on this thread and have thoroughly enjoyed them which has inspired me to start my own, any feedback on my writing style/ improvements please do leave them below as i am way off the quality most people have on these forums. Anyway let's jump right into it. After failing miserable at being an Elvis tribute act Elvis Piely has decided to have a stab at a career in football management, 'If Roy Hodgson can do it i bloody can' is his motto. Elvis Piely He had a very brief and uninspiring player career in his earlier years but having played for the same amateur team as Joe Hart (Saha Football Club) he always uses that to make himself sound a whole lot better than he was, and maybe he can use the same BS to talk his way into some bigger clubs. As such Piely's past playing experience has been set accordingly to Sunday League Footballer (which is definitely still a stretch with him failing to make contact with the ball more often than not), and using some of his tribute act money has bagged himself the National C license on the 12th time of asking. A whole array of leagues have been selected to increase his chances of some clueless chairman taking him in and as such many jobs are already available! I will re-join you once Piely has got off his ass and decided which positions he is optimistically going to apply for, if by some miracle he gets an interview in his words not mine 'I will wow them with my Charisma and will be offered the job on the spot' .... of course you will Piely of course you will.