My Greatest Challenge: Knocking Fergie Right Off His ****ing Perch. And You Can Print That

[AK22]

”My greatest challenge is not what’s happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their ****ing perch. And you can print that.” Sir Alex Ferguson 2002.

Now it’s time for revenge, and to knock Fergie off his ‘****ing perch’.

Thoroughly respected across the game, he will go down as one of the greatest, if not the very best. His record of success is second to none, as proudly sits at the top of the FM Hall of Fame, having won countless trophies over the course of his career.

Can he be toppled? He doesn't think so…

[AK22]

The Plan

This will be a journeyman career, with only the one goal; to knock Fergie off his ****ing perch. As with my previous saves, it will be quite a fluid career without any self-imposed rules or targets, and will be played as realistically as possible.

That said, I have come to a couple of early decisions on how the save will go:

- I will not manage a club and country simultaneously; if I'm offered a national team job, I will quit club football to fully focus on my national team duties. In previous saves, I've been with a European club whilst managing a nation such as Chile- no-one in their right mind would commute across the Atlantic that much!

- I'm going to start my club career outside of the UK. The past two years I've begun in the lower tiers of English football, and as much as I love it down there, I would like to experience some of the world's other league basements; hopefully, this will be a refreshing change.

Asides from the above points, I will move from club to club, climbing my way up the footballing ladder, with the hope of winning several trophies to match the haul that Fergie has secured over the course of his career.

Game Set-Up

All divisions from the following 15 nations:

Czech Republic

England

Germany

Italy

Norway

Scotland

Serbia

Spain

Turkey

Ukraine

China

Mexico

USA

Argentina

Brazil

70000 players from 41 leagues (Large Database)

As always, I will be starting as an unemployed manager with 'Sunday League' experience. Let's see where I begin...

[abulezz]

Nice! Looking forward to reading more

[nastymiller]

Good luck, my guess will be that you start off in...................the depths of China.

[B.W.G]

Best of luck in toppling Ferguson.Will be interesting to see where you start out.

[SRL88]

Good luck fella. I will be delighted when you do just that

[rancer890]

Good luck AK22. I'm sure TFC will come begging for your services when they start with 9 straight losses again...

Failing that, maybe China?

[Nobby_McDonald]

Good luck AK.

[withnail316]

Good luck, fella.

[noikeee]

Good luck, will try to follow this closer this time. I'm guessing you'll start at Norway for the several levels, and totally **** quality of football.

[AK22]

Thanks for all the well-wishes, should get my first update up tonight after I've been to the fireworks. Planning on catching up on all the new threads too, later

Rancer- I played a season with Toronto in the Beta. Did alright actually, managed to get to the MLS Final, but lost to NYRB. Obviously, this was one of the major bugs in the Beta

[deltablue]

Watch out Fergie

[Hypanimz]

I cant wait for you to knock him off his ****ing perch. Best of luck!

[Dejay]

Good luck with this, knock him of his ****ing perch!

[AK22]

Sorry, fireworks went on later than anticipated! First update coming now...

[AK22]

FK Vidar

So as noikeee has predicted, I start my quest in Norway, with FK Vidar in the Oddsenligaen Avdeling Division 3. That's the third tier, to you and me, where it splits into four separate regional divisions, with the top team from each of the four leagues gaining promotion to the Adeccoligaen (second tier). The club was formed in 1906, so they've been around a bit, and have won the their respective third tier division six times previously. However, that's where their history peaks, as in their 106 years of playing football, the club has never managed to find it's way to Norway's top table (although they did come extremely close in 1984 and 1986).

And where is FK Vidar, I hear you ask. Well, the club is based in Stavanger, Norway fourth largest city, and is on the country's south-west coast. The 'other' Stavanger-based club is the more reputable Viking FK, a club that competes regularly at the top of the Norwegian leagues, having been crowned champions on eight occasions.

So this will be home for the foreseeable future. I was offered a job with Brechin, in the Scottish Second Division, on a slightly higher wage, but as I had decided to start outside of the UK, Vidar was the first offer that I was happy to accept. I've only got a one year contract (£400 pw), so if it quickly goes belly-up, I'm sure the board won't hesitate in showing me the way to the port and on to the first boat back to the UK.

Club Overview | General Club Information | Facilities | Club Background | Finance

Being a part-time club, I had expected to barely have a pitch to play on, let alone any decent kind of training facility or youth set-up, but in reality, the infrastructure isn't too bad at all. The stadium, Lassa Gras, has a capacity of 3750, quite big for this level, and we have the off-pitch set-up of a side that could quite easily operate as a full-time professional club.

That said, it's not fantastic financially, as we're projected to make a considerable loss this season. Of course, I've no transfer money to spend, and will have to make do with the £2.8k pw wage budget that was offered at the start of the season. Factoring that the club is already spending £2.66k pw, I haven't got a lot of room to manoeuvre and will need to work a bit of magic in the transfer market if there are to be significant improvement to the club's playing staff. The board only want me to avoid relegation, surely that won't be too difficult...

[Dejay]

Good luck with FK Vidar

[AK22]

FK Vidar - Pre-Season 2013

With a media prediction of 11th, and title odds of 40-1, nobody really fancies us to do anything spectacular this year, and realistically, we should be gearing ourselves up for long, hard season. To be honest, I've no idea how difficult it's going to be; I've never managed in Norway before, so don't have any previous experience to draw upon. That said, I'm going to treat this year just like I would if I was setting up for my first season in the UK's Blue Square leagues; a solid, rigid formation, little creative freedom, and with the instructions to hoof the ball forward.

With Norway having such a lengthy off-season, I arranged as many pre-season friendlies that I could possible squeeze in before our first competitive game in April. This has really helped me to get a grip of the Norwegian way, as well as allowing the team to settle on a formation that I feel would be suitable going forward. Ultimately, it looks like a standard 4-4-2 is the way to go; nothing too complicated, a flat back four, a defensive-minded central midfielder, two wingers, a target man and a poacher. Historically, this isn't my favourite of formations, and I don't tend to have a lot of success with it either, but I really think that 'basic' should be the order of the day.

Transfer wise, it's been a very quiet opening months for the club. I've released a couple of players in order to free up some of the wage budget, but have only been able to track down and sign two players who are an improvement on what we've got already. This does still leave me with some flexibility to bring in a new face or two as the season progresses, but all-in-all, I think we will need to manage with the squad we have now.

I've added a lot of new faces in the backroom team, though, with a couple of scouts, a physio and two coaches joining the club. However, most notably is the signing of my new assistant-manager, former Newcastle legend, Rob Lee, who makes his first steps in coaching following the end of his playing career. His stats aren't amazing, but at least he looks determined to give it his all!

Key Players

Andreas Birkeland - The only notable signing of the window, who should slot well in to left side of my four man midfield.

Lennox Kanu - My highest rated player. Not sure how someone from Sierra Leone found themselves in Norway, but should have enough about him to be a regular goal threat.

Maurice Ross - A former Scottish international who's travelled north across the North Sea. On a high wage, but definitely a quality player.

Aleksander Idland - Luckily for him, he can play in midfield too, as he would be second choice behind Ross at right-back.

Jakop Storhaug - Although he will probably regularly play in the centre of the park, he's got the versatility to make a solid number 10 if/when required.

So, is Fergie worried yet? Probably not...

[AK22]

Good luck with FK Vidar

Cheers Dejay! Bit of a mixed bag so far though

[deadfncat]

good setup mate. good luck with the league

The dates of the league always shitted me there, but its a fun place to play

[B.W.G]

Best of luck with FK Vidar,hopefully you can get a solid starting point and build from there.

[SRL88]

I'd like to slap Fergie in that picture.

[Dejay]

I'd like to slap Fergie in that picture.

I second this.

[Champfan10]

Good luck, this is going to take some time!

When you do knock him off his perch, make sure you rob his wrigley's to!

[AK22]

FK Vidar - April 2013

Hardly the start I was after... Actually many of the team look like they've never kicked a ball in their life, let alone capable of following some kind of tactical instruction. The main problem is that we're struggling to maintain possession, and keep giving the ball away; the two goals we have scored have come from mistakes from the opposition rather than any creativity that we've been able to muster.

But at least we're not bottom, and have a couple of points on the board, so things could be worse. Asane have made a flying start, so it's not really a surprise that we were convincingly beaten by them, but drawing with Egersund is a poor result especially considering they're a team expecting to be fighting alongside us to avoid relegation.

Next Time...

* A home cup tie against Tippeligaen side Brann. Should be good for a laugh, if nothing else!

* Our plight to secure our first win of the season continues, with four league fixtures to be played (three of which are at home)

[AK22]

good setup mate. good luck with the league

The dates of the league always shitted me there, but its a fun place to play

Yeah, it's going to be weird only playing 26 games a season. A lot less than I'm used to!

Best of luck with FK Vidar,hopefully you can get a solid starting point and build from there.

Thanks B.W.G. It's a good as starting place as any, I suppose.

I'd like to slap Fergie in that picture.

I second this.

Thirded

Good luck, this is going to take some time!

When you do knock him off his perch, make sure you rob his wrigley's to!

Haha!

Yes, it will take some time. In my FM12, I only reached second in the hall of fame, but I reckon it's still achievable in about 30 seasons, which is roughly how many I tend to get through per save.

[Dejay]

At least there are points on the board.

[deltablue]

Should get a home win somewhere.

[AK22]

FK Vidar - May 2013

The cup match against Brann went pretty much how I expected, but at least we only conceded the four. The gate receipts helped too, as we managed to fill up the stadium to near capacity. Elsewhere, results were following on pretty much from where we left off in April; again struggling for goals, and unable to pick to pick up a win. Then we played Floy... All of a sudden, everything clunked into gear, as we managed to find the net five times on the way to our first victory of the season. Including all the draws, we're now four games unbeaten, and one of the 'form' teams in the league!

This vital win has moved us clear of danger, and into a much safer mid-table position. With the season only being 26 games long, it was crucial to get off the mark and (hopefully) start to build a bit of momentum, especially considering a quarter of the season has already been and gone. Noticeably, the table has bunched up at the top, with only two points separating the top five, so it looks like we're in a very competitive league.

Next Time...

* Five more league games where I hope to build on our first league victory and string a run of results together.

[deltablue]

Well after that first win, things often improve.

[AK22]

Well after that first win, things often improve.

That's not a bad prediction DB!!

[AK22]

FK Vidar - June 2013

I've always said June is my favourite month; long days, sunny spells, barbecues, and twelve points out of fifteen! It finally looks as if we've started to find our stride in this division, with the team looking confident and full of attacking intent. Defensively, it's also looking rosy too, with four clean sheets out of five, and having only conceded against the league leaders, Algård.

Following our improved performances, we've shot up the league to 3rd place, and are just two points behind the leaders. But boy, is it close?! Only five points separate the top nine, so it's quite conceivable that any of these teams could put a decent run together and establish themselves as genuine promotion contenders. I'm just delighted to be well away from the drop zone!

Next Time...

* A boring July where we're only scheduled to play twice.

* Will our run of clean sheets continue? We haven't conceded for over 270 minutes, currently.

[hrbfcrule]

Good Luck in Norway. A fantastic set of results last month, hope you can keep it up.

[SRL88]

Solid start to the season.

[Dejay]

Good start.

[AK22]

Thanks everyone, really enjoying it so far.

It's quite a voyage of discovery playing in a league that is completely new to me, although I'm not sure if I've discovered what Norway's 'footballing style' is yet. Humping the ball towards the goal seems to work quite well at the moment, though!

[AK22]

FK Vidar - July 2013

Not the most exciting of months, with only the two league games being played; I suppose this is the equivalent of a winter break, but right in the middle of the summer? Anyway, it's been another solid period for us, as we've picked maximum points from those available, although the brand of football is definitely more clinical than it is entertaining. We're still rock solid at the back too, making it five games in a row without conceding. Long may it continue!

This fine run of form has really consolidated us right in the middle of race for promotion, and at worst, will ensure we won't be battling for relegation come the end of the year. There's still 12 games left to go, so it's all very much still to play for. They'll be plenty of big six-pointers to come too, as we'll have to play all the teams around us before the curtain comes down on the season.

Next Time...

* We'll see how far we can take our run of clean sheets- will we improve on the five in a row run we're currently on?

* 4 league games, including a big six-pointer away to Vindbjart, a team just two points behind us in the table.

[deltablue]

Good luck in the chase.

[AK22]

Thanks, delta!

FK Vidar - August 2013

Quite a pivotal month this, and having drop points in three of the four games, we've lost a bit of ground on the leaders. Fair enough, it was an unbeaten month, but I'm disappointed to have drawn both the home games, especially against out of forms sides such as Asane and Randaberg. However, there are some positives, as we have broken a league and club record by winning six games on the bounce, culminating with the victory against Egersund, so that's another thing to be proud of. Just need to find that winning formula again now...

Due to the points dropped, we're now seven points behind leaders, Vard, but with a crucial game in hand. I know I shouldn't be righting anything off yet, but I fear failure to win our extra fixture (away to Odd 2) will result in us having too much to do to close the deficit. Remember, it's only the top team that goes up, no playoffs or anything else, **** or bust.

Next Time...

* We play our game in hand, which, with a victory, will see us close the gap to the top to four points.

* In four further fixtures, we play big games at home to Algård and away to Vard; the table could look a lot different in four weeks time!

[AK22]

FK Vidar - September 2013

It's been very much a case of mixed fortunes this month; we beat Odd 2, in our game in hand, to close the gap on the leaders to four points, but followed this with a sloppy defeat to Floy. However, we then did the unthinkable, and annihilated Vard on their own patch, giving us a glimmer of hope once again. Having thought this would give us some momentum for the closing fixtures, we then faced Algård, another promotion rival, and were comfortably beaten. It seems that at this time of the season, consistency is a virtue.

As predicted, this month's results has really shaken the table up, meaning that there is very much a four horse race for the one promotion place now. Obviously, we're the outsiders, being three points off the top, but I refuse to accept that we are completely out of it at this stage. Long time leaders, Vard, seem to have hit a bit of a sticky patch recently, having won only once in their last six games, so I would say Vindbjart or Algård are the favourites going into the run-in.

Next Time...

* The season finale- who will win the league?

Vindbjart Fixtures - Brann 2 (A), Asane (A), Egersund (H)

Algård Fixtures - Pors (A), Nest-Sotra (A), Jerv (H)

Vard Fixtures - Floy (A), Jerv (A), Pors (H)

Vidar Fixtures - Jerv (A), Mandalskameratene (A), Nest-Sotra (H)

[SnakeXe]

Good luck AK!

I do love me a bit of Fergie though, he's such a great WUM. Not to mention almost certainly the greatest manager ever. The likes of Cruyff and Sacchi may have made better teams short term, but no-one can match his sustained excellence.

[abulezz]

Tough home loss to Algard

[deadfncat]

Cmon Vidar!@

[Champfan10]

That's a tight league, lets hope results pan out in your favour. Jerv seem to be the key team to the title race.

[AK22]

Good luck AK!

I do love me a bit of Fergie though, he's such a great WUM. Not to mention almost certainly the greatest manager ever. The likes of Cruyff and Sacchi may have made better teams short term, but no-one can match his sustained excellence.

I totally agree, although he does have a face I'd love to slap! From my point of view, the Fergie-knocking in this thread will be very much tongue-in-cheek, as even as a Liverpool fan, I recognise the fact that he is (unfortunately) an exceptional manager with unrivalled success.

Tough home loss to Algard

Yeah, I know. That was our big chance, and we blew it!

Cmon Vidar!@

That's a tight league, lets hope results pan out in your favour. Jerv seem to be the key team to the title race.

Cheers! Jerv will have a big say, definitely. It's weird how we all have to play two away games first, then will all be at home for the final game.

[AK22]

FK Vidar - October 2013

Aaarrgghhh! We totally bottled it! Surely, it wasn't too much to ask for at least one win from our final three games, was it? I think the sense of occasion got to the players too much, as many were anxious and unable to keep their nerves under control. If so much hadn't been at stake, I've no doubt we would have won at least two of the games, putting in much more credible performances. This probably still wouldn't have been enough to clinch promotion, but at least we would have finished the season with our heads held high.

In the end, it was Vindbjart who continued their good form, picking up seven points from their three final fixtures, which was more than enough to earn promotion to the Adeccoligaen. In reflection, I suppose they deserve it, as over the course of the year, they've been the most consistent team, and have the best offensive and defensive records of everyone in the division.

End of Season Summary

Overall, the season's gone better than I had expected, but it's still very disappointing to get so close to promotion and put in such shambolic final performances. Still, if you had offered me fourth place at the start of the year, I would have bitten your hand off, as this gives us a good starting block to build on for next season.

Oddsenligaen Avdeling 3 - 4th Place

Norgesmesterskap Frisk Forsikring Cup - 1st Round (lost to Brann)

Finances | Transfer Summary

Eivind Austbø - 13 goals from our, and the league's, topscorer.

Lennox Kanu - Austbø's partner in crime.

Topscorer - 13 Eivind Austbø

Most Assists - 6 Lasse Ihle

Highest Average Rating - 7.08 Eivind Austbø (27 appearances)

Fans Player of the Year - Eivind Austbø

[AK22]

The board seem happy enough with our performance across the course of the season, and have decided to extend my contract by another season. There's no payrise, but I'm pleased to be given the opportunity of another season with Vidar.

And what does Fergie think of that...

... not a lot!

[minisav]

A good read that. Good luck with the rest of your career, I'll be keeping an eye on it

[AK22]

A good read that. Good luck with the rest of your career, I'll be keeping an eye on it

Thanks minisav! I hope we can do a bit better next season!

[B.W.G]

Solid first season,hopefully you don't need to do much to improve your squad.Can't wait to see Fergie's face late in your career