(FM11) What you Torquay-ing about Willis?

[nickdc]

My story of Torquay Utd.

I play 3-3-2-2. That's 3 CDs, LM-CM-RM, 2 AMC, 2 CF.

2010/ 2011 – League 2

The board want me to learn from the experience of competing in League 2. Excellent. A board with no standards is something we can all appreciate.

After conceding on average three per game, my patented 3322 wholly unfamiliar to the team, second bottom in the league, morale decimated - things had to change.

An experimental line up, a new formation and the morale boosting purchase of an aged club legend attacker, and we had new inspiration. Form went from bad to indifferent.

Second to last game and safety not secured the team goes out and pulls off a 6-1 win. What a way to stay safe. Two clean sheets all season, but having 5-6 CCCs per game the conversion rate was a joke.

2011/2012 – League 2

Not only do I keep my job, I’m offered a new contract. Nice. I clear the squad of highly paid pensioner chaff, and bolster the attack with a couple Premiership loanees and numerous youngsters for free, mainly CBs for the future.

Come January and its hello to the play-offs with 10 wins on the bounce before a 3rd round FA Cup tie against Chelsea. We make them look our equals, cause all kinds of problems for them, yet I make the wrong call on subs and go down unfairly 5-2.

Results dive so I revert to last season’s saviour formation and blood my young DCs dismissing the solid but slow three at the back, and place a young goalkeeper between the sticks for the first time. It works. We push back up into the play-offs.

Eventually the inspiration suffers, draw are common as the team runs out of pep. No play-offs this year. Top goals scorers in the league but the leakiest defence.

2012/ 2013 – League 2

I lose all confidence in my AssMan feeling him uninspiring and employ a defence minded coach instead. An early run of defeats again means a swapping of formation and the introduction of youth to reinvigorate the team.

Eventually, all the Brazilianess of my team ebbs away so I fire my AssMan and bring in a former player with skills in adventurous passing. We start to do OK.

Atletico step up their chase of my Spanish Starlet but I decline the £220,000 offered on more than one occasion.

Unbeaten for months at a time assures a comfortable end to the season in the lower reaches. A backward step of a season, though if one thing I’ve learnt, its love your AssMan. Average age of the squad? 20.

2013/2014 – League 2

Wage reductions and attacking problems. The board agree Atletico can take my Spanish Starlet for £325,000. I shed a tear, the female fans weep.

Another poor start means a look towards youth. Main Man Striker can’t hit a barn door for 15 hours but his return to form drags up the team’s performance.

Morale high, we topple first place Port Vale 4-0 giving hope to the play-offs. Christmas arrives and under the tree a Manager of the Month for December award is found. 6 wins, a draw, we’re second in the table.

But it’s a curse. Play the bottom placed team and rest five players. The concrete parachutes are deployed. Loss after loss, and play off hopes are dashed.

I give up with five games to go and play the reserve team who at least have desire. They pick up the form, yet a point per game since Christmas means we miss the play-offs by seven. Infuriating.

Despite the selling of Mr Spain, the request for upgrading training facilities is rebuked for the fourth season in a row. What does a guy need to do?

2014/ 2015 – League 2

The usual patchiness of the early season is in stark contrast to the consistent sound of knocking on the physio’s door, however my youth policy pays dividends as former young guns make their mark on the first team. But without a consistent forward line or knowing the best formation the team is haunted by my decision making.

I picked up some free young talent through the season, each of whom took their turn in the first team well but the post Christmas inconsistency returns with draw after draw after draw. No one seemed too bothered in picking up the points as we hovered just outside the play-offs leaving us a paltry five points from extending the season. Infuriating again. Taking them as far as I could comes to mind, but I’m a one-club manager.

2015/ 2016 – League 2

Sign an AMC after a blind trial having been released from Chelsea. Didn’t run the rule over him too much, with a host of Premiership clubs sniffing round him I move in quick deciding the pay packet is worth the risk. It turned out to be good business. The season started well and it was he who would really take the game to the opposition. Running at defences with a passion, though I play him more than I should, not that he seems to complain or tire. Up in the play offs we push on into automatic positions.

For the first time in my management career we have scored more goals than conceded and won more than we have lost. Heady times! Still, the board wont give me the training facilities as asked each season from the off.

We surpass our best ever points total, challenging for first with 8 games to go. Happy days. But the players capitulate to the pressure. They can’t pass or score a goal.

1 win, 4 draws and 3 losses later and the chase for 1st is off and we finish 5th. What we craved at the start of the season was now a kick to the stomach. The play-offs loomed and it wasn’t going to be pretty. The players were tired, limited in both spirit and choice.

Shrewsbury would take a lead in the first leg but an instant reply and steady determination took us back to Plainmoor, minus my Dutch Assist Merchant AMC out with twisted knee ligaments. Again, steady determination and a goal from my Chelsea AMC and we’re on the way to Wembley with little more morale than with which we started.

The big match loomed and so does a war of words with the Luton manager. I say he can’t control his players, he says I’m too strict. Pah! I gush the players with positive re-enforcement and head out into the Wembley sunshine.

It is not the place of the LLM to boast. I’ll just tell you the score. 8-0.

It’s not supposed to be this beautiful. The fans will remember this starting XI for all-time. The young hopefuls have now become young men. Bloody hell. 8-0.

2016/2017 – League 1

When you operate solely on a youth system eventually you get a log jam of dead wood where potential gives way to reality. Their replacements come in on similar numbers.

The season started, as expected, with a general inconsistency. I did though pick up a German AMC at the ripe old age of 28, only my second signing over 20.

Just after the ten-game mark the team pick up form and for a large part of the season remain five or six points from the play offs. Main Man Striker was the only one scoring but when injured my young strikers, with a threat of the transfer list, picked up the baton.

It became clear that my MC Captain, dictating the play since my appointment, was losing his legs and the replacements so often caught in possession, dithering on a pass, unable to make this key position, on which my 3-3-2-2 is so reliant, workable.

Main Man Striker breaks a leg sending the club into shock. The fans have no pity and his favoured personnel status is rebuked. We see what the future holds for us with a young Speed Portuguese striker from Benfica running in on goal with every opportunity.

With ten games to go it was 6 points from the play-offs. We won all the easy home games but lost to Wednesday 3-0. Still, play-offs were made.

We were though drawn with Wednesday. A nervy home leg finished with a cruel thirty yarder over the keeper’s head. One nil. The Hillsborough match was a looking like a disaster. The team had five changes, more out of despair.

Wednesday scored first, we scored second. Celebrations happened on 80minutes as we converted a penalty. 2-2. Decide to go for it against a tiring Wednesday, only for my attacking formation having no answer to a cross-field ball on the counter attack. 87 minutes gone and they score. Shoulda, woulda coulda played it safe into extra time.

2017/ 2018 – League 1

A fine preseason and some interesting free signings, including an AMC loan from Arsenal, a Premier League potential striker from Denmark, plus reinforcements for the wing and CB. German AMC was surplus to requirements so he took his wages with him to La Liga Adelente.

The season got off to a flyer finding the club top of the league, but injuries to my wide men had a poor run of form culminating with my only first round FA Cup exit to date against Western-super-Mare. Fortunately Main Man Striker was turning back the years after his leg break and after our semi-final first leg win in the JPS it put us on a run fighting for the top spot.

Decide to splash the cash for the first time and bid £350,000 for a Spanish U18 striker, but some blabber-mouth put Man Utd on alert and despite contract talks there was only to be one winner. To make matters worse, my Dutch Assist Merchant does his cruciate ligaments and is out for 8 months.

A JPS final was assured allowing a Wembley return but without an option to retain an Arsenal loanee the decision to let the German go was hasty in hindsight. Form suffered once more. We dropped out of the promotion places and somehow lost the final to MK Dons.

Results picked up with a few games to go reviving our play-off hopes but absolute failure in their pursuit threatened when three down to Northampton. It looked to be another season of almosts. Then the miracle happened – Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal! Beautiful. Back in the running.

We just had to do no worse than Plymouth on the final day to guarantee a play-off. A tense 0-0 was on the cards, but all eyes were on Plymouth with the same score. 89 minutes on the clock and we take the lead through Speedy Portuguese, exactly the same time Plymouth do. Job done.

2-1 down on aggregate late in the second leg to Notts County my CB receives a straight red and we’re looking lost, only a last minute header taking us into extra time and we make a go of it. My Speedy Portuguese striker breaks free with minutes to go, runs in on goal and sends the ball past the ‘keeper. We’re going to Wembley twice.

We took an early lead against a supreme Norwich but annoyingly 30 yard goals were common place and we succumbed to a brace before half time. Two play off failures in two years. Carp.

2018/ 2019 – League 1

A good pre-season culminated with the annual foreign jolly to take on Barcelona’s second team and we banged three past them. The team looked in form and I predicted Torquay would take the title.

My scouts found a stunning 19yo CM from Denmark and despite competition from West Ham and Napoli he took the contract from Holland’s RBC for few hundred less than I offered. He’s the one who got away. If only I wasn’t so prudent on wage budgets I would have had a real replacement for my MC Captain, who as it turns out was enjoying a renaissance season.

Speedy Portuguese with 17 goals was now a fixture in the side and AMC Chelsea ripping up defences all season managed to bag the club’s first goal of the month by skinning two defenders before smashing a shot into the top corner.

My team play the ball into the box but the vast majority of Goals of the Month seem to be from a distance so it was a little disappointed to see no sign of Strutting Wide Man’s 30 yard screaming banana.

Promotion was guaranteed as Bradford fell away leaving us to duke it out with Southampton for the title. This was secured on the last day with a draw. Annoyingly the late equaliser saw us fail to reach two points per game and fail to concede less goals than games. Soon forgotten, the title was ours, and AMC Chelsea bagging the League 1 player of the season. Another hefty bonus paid out.

With the average age of the squad being 23 I fear no team in the Championship. Annoyingly, agents are snapping-up my players.

2019/ 2020 - Championship

My tenth season, and first in the Championship. Developing youth means most of my first XI had been playing back in the days of L2 and had progressed as individuals as the club had done as a whole.

A couple of young midfielders were brought in as well as my first cash capture, £300,000 for a 17 year old striker co-owned by Parma and Juve.

I decided to bring back my Fan’s Favourite DC who left for Leicester two years ago. His agent still hated me and again wanted crazy cash. Stuff your bananas, I’ll bring him in on a season’s loan.

Preseason was a joyous rout of goals including a spectacular 4-4 with Chelsea, and we took apart Swindon 5-0 on the opening day. Two goals and three assists from the young Italian, AMC Chelsea now had competition on who was to be the big fish in this small pond of ours.

The board finally granted improved training facilities for both youth and first team. Everything was going beautifully.

Of course 12 games in and it was won 2, lost 7, conceded 17 without reply. The Young Italian’s form had dried up, my star AMC broke his ankle, Main Man Striker is now way out of his depth, and the back three just short of the quality needed. It is evident that without a dominant MC to ping the ball around the park this season’s target was survival.

The chairman sold Italian Striker from under me to Benfica for £1.2m. The fans didn’t like him, but for me Benfica could have kept their money.

Retail therapy helped, I splashed out £400,000 rising to £700,000 on a 16 year old Spanish AMC who had scored 21 in 10 games in his U19 matches.

The half way mark and its 3 wins and five draws, 6 points from safety.

On a second attempt I finally get a Brazilian MC on a conditional work permit, but he doesn’t arrive until the summer.

Enduring a five game losing streak, we’re cast adrift three points from Colchester with two to play. We secure a win against Swansea but fete takes its hand, Colchester win in 90+2 and we literally need a miracle. AMC Chelsea rallies the troops, yet talk is cheap as beating Derby 20-0 is a little beyond us. We are over taken by Swindon and finish second to last.

MC Captain is calling a day on his loyal career. His Brazilian replacement will hopefully not back out.

AMC Chelsea wants a transfer. Rejected. For all your agent fleeced out of the club you have him to blame for the massive £5m relegation release clause. League 1 is going to be a riot of attacking play and you will be my captain.

2020/ 2021 – League 1

Looking forward to my shiny new training facilities, I received a bumper surprise with the expansion of the stadium; but by only 373 seats, for a baffling and alarming £500,000. But we have money in the bank so no problems. Or so I thought. Next day a cancellation to all training facility renovations came about due to lack of funds. I’m not one for conspiracy theories but maybe the chairman holds a percentage in the club’s choice of builders and knows a good con.

Bids were coming in for my players and thought it was adios to my Spanish AMC, the chairman accepted a £1.2m bid but my man didn’t like the wage offered at Newcastle. He stays! I bring in a bunch of CBs, including a monster from the Czech Republic and say goodbye to a number of the last bunch of hopefuls. Close but no cigar.

My Brazilian MC arrives and shows what we had been missing. The squad regard him as vital to our success.

I had expected a riot of attacking play. And it was. Two games lost in the first half of our season, we’re hitting 2.5 goals per game and conceding few. Speedy Portuguese shocks us all with more than a goal a game, and a Reserve Striker who has filled a gap when needed comes into the team and hits just as good a ratio.

The chairman leaves the club (Presumably to sunnier climbs out of reach from the law) and is replaced by a director. He does me proud and the 25% owed in future transfer fees for the Young Italian at Benfica is renegotiated and I cash-in for £5.2m. Now that’s in place the upgrade to the training facilities can restart. Funny thing is, the builders start from scratch as opposed to their near finished state. Suspicion goes back to my previous chairman.

The second half of the season was as successful as the first. Lots of green on the results page, Speedy Portuguese keeping up his goal a game ratio and Mr Reserve’s form continues forcing Premiership Dane out of the side.

Leicester are able to keep the gap to four or five points right through to the end of the season so promotion is all we have. Still, 117 goals. For the first time ever we conceded less goals than games.

Main Man Striker, a couple of goals to his name, was chosen for the last game of the season at home. His career with us has come to an end and the most experienced of Torquay sides take to the field along side him. All League 2 boys of old. Having scored for 22 games running, an uninspired 2-0 loss is a sorry way for him to finish an illustrious career with a club record 470 league appearances, 174 league goals. No one cares, no one wants him.

Speedy Portuguese hits 37 goals in 34 league and cup appearances, and Mr Chelsea hits 26 assists!

2021/ 2022 - Championship

Play Man Utd in a pre-seasoner and thrash them 5-2. We’re top after 6 games, even beating Premiership opposition in the league cup.

The Chairman accepts a £2.9m bid from Santos for Mr Brazil and this time its goodbye. Belgian Understudy seems to have the hang of this Championship thingy this time round and does brilliantly.

The league cup is a surprise as we overturn Premiership Villa, and then a red card at kick-off we come from a goal down to beat Peterborough, and win from two down against Premiership Sunderland in the quarter-finals. The semi draw does us plenty of favours and head to struggling Premiership Reading.

A 1-0 first leg victory was followed up with a stroll in the park in the return. For the final we meet Champions Man City.

The press expected a demolition at the hands of Man City, 2nd in the league, heading to a Europa Cup final.

The squad arrived at Wembley in high spirits. Promising to take the game to the Blues we went 1-0 down to a weak goal after seven minutes and were outplayed though not out fort for the next half hour. Our cross bar rattled a number of times and it was relief to take the pressure off our goal when awarded a free kick outside of their box. AMC Chelsea aiming to plant the ball on the head of the Monster Czech found the keeper. Spilling the ball, Monster Czech poked the ball into the net. 1-1! We were back in the game and playing as good as City. My half-time team talk gave them full confidence as they return to the pitch and Speedy Portuguese scores straight from kick off! Deciding attack is the best form of defence we concede soon after but control the next 20 minutes before City realise they may get embarrassed and turn up the pressure. We resort to the counter attack. Time passed by and Wembley reverberated with passion. Man City had us under the cosh for the last ten, and Premiership Dane striker was down and out with exhaustion. The clock was running down and when deciding who was to be his replacement Man City piled on the pressure. With seconds to go a long ball over the back line was then flicked onto the head of an on rushing forward. Goal? No. Straight into the ‘keeper’s hands. A quick throw to Speedy Portuguese on the half way line and he cuts inside one and continues his run. Steaming through in support is no other than Premiership Dane. Receives the pass, spies gap between ‘keeper and post. Goal! Get in! Goal! We’ve beaten the Billionaires! At Wembley! A major trophy and the mouth-watering prospect of Europe! An absolutely stunning effort. Being seen as the architect of this mammoth accomplishment the press and board can’t give me enough credit. I knew wearing my suit jacket would bring me luck.

A post final play-off cushion of 11 points with 12 to play was whittled down with post-cup malaise and its 2 points to the good with one game to go.

Mass ineptitude from Torquay and Swansea and my most nerve racking match ever awards us our 8th point in 12 games. We reach the Play-offs on goal difference. The most important result of the season and yet morale remains poor. Not wanting to look at their faces I give them the full week off.

Cardiff for the play offs. It was going to be a close run thing. What followed was 207 minutes of turgid, uninspired football by two teams unwilling to bother to find a pass, make a run, and fulfil their Premiership ambitions. The most outrageous display of carp from the two teams.

Three minutes to go to pens, a 25yard rocket hits the top corner of my net. Over and out. How dare he lift the skill level to such a degree.

It was not disappointing. My team had simply not deserved to go up, sorry bunch of wasters. Plus, there’s something very sexy about challenging in Europe as a Championship side. Very sexy indeed.

2022/ 2023 - Championship

Wins all the way in preseason dispatching Santos and Rangers en rout as all eyes were on the 3rd qualifying draw in the Europa Cup. We did well to draw Sterm Graz.

Sterm Graz came to Plainmore with the tag of favourites and though we play nice we’re a goal down at half time. A rollicking ensued and remembering where the goal was - 5-1. Plaimore is a European fortress I tell ya!

Make a £2.6m bid for an Argentinean striker before eight changes for our 2nd leg in Austria. Too easy. 3-0…

…this is where my running diary halted as the game took over too much of my life. I completed this season, navigating my way with ease through the Europa League stages only to fall in the quarter-finals against FC Porto.

With 46 league games plus three cup competitions, only four times did we not play midweek before the last month of the campaign. This allowed the great privilege of an entirely different XI each game. Which was the better? Couldn’t tell. There was so much young talent at the club it was so nice to see everyone playing. Hardly lost a game in the league and was promoted to the Premiership as runners up. A new stadium was on its way, and 25 players of U18 talent from around Europe were brought in to fill our new academy. Best thing about this save? Heading into the Premier League with seven free signings from my League 2 days in my preferred XI.

But once pre-season started I lost all motivation. A 68 game season burnt me out as a manager/ real life person and I deleted the save. A chance to breathe. I always wanted to take Torquay to glory as European champions. And I could have too. But I just wanted a return to real life more than this addiction. Two months on I miss my team!

[Raware]

A great journey with Torquay. Hells-Bells Chamberlain would be proud! Shame you deleted it though. I've been in a similar situation in which FM seemed to overtake everything and I felt that I needed a break. So, I took the break...however, I still kept the save as I knew that at some point, like you, I'd miss the save. So, when I was ready for FM again, I could go back to the save.

No consolation for you but maybe a lesson in keeping a back up in future?

[nickdc]

I was hooked Raware. Sunk into the carpet, babies overhead. Maybe if I knew uninstalling didn't delete the save I would have kept it, but I'd probably be back in for another hit already. Now, I miss the team, not the game.

Coming on these pages is like a hit of methedrone.