withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 EDIT: As is often the case in my careers, the destination has changed mid-way during the journey. Domestic football is the bread-and-butter, and I grew a little bored of life in Sweden. Morning all After a bit of a time away, I'm back with another attempt at following up on the best career I've ever had. I've had a couple of false dawns in the past, including a five year spell in Scotland, but I eventually decided my best chance of getting back into the game was to try and do something similar to last time. Therefore I'll set out with the same intention for the career as before: withnail316 said: Just for the record, I'm no Liverpool fan (Notts County are my team) but of all the "great" managers of the past Shankly is perhaps the one I most admire and so he's the one I'd like to emulate if at all possible. For those who don't know, when Shankly arrived at Anfield in 1959, Liverpool had been floating around in the Second Division for five years, yet in his time there he transformed them from top to bottom. Although he only won three league titles it was his work building the foundations of the club that enabled them to go on and dominate English and European football. So why am I not starting in England, I hear some of you ask. Well, truth be told, I can often get bored of England on FM. With so much money about simply by being in the Premier League it can take the challenge out of the game, and while I quite like starting in the BSS/N, I don't fancy that kind of save right now. I've spent a lot of time playing FM13 in Eastern Europe, so I'm looking for somewhere a little different, which is where the idea of playing in Scandinavia has come from. My plan is to take a club from either Sweden, Finland, or Norway and turn them into the biggest club in the world, preferably with a lower-league side. Ambitious? Absolutely, but if JackJCFC can do it from Wales, Scandinavia should be a doddle! Like I said though, if I can't manage to do so at my first club, I'm not setting myself any specific rules, so I'll be happy to move on if necessary. In the last career I was mainly based in Norway, but seeing as I also had a spell in Denmark, Sweden was the logical starting point for this save. My plan is to remain at one club unless I get sacked or my position becomes untenable, but I may move on in later years. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, though. Right, all clear? Good. Here are the details then: FM13.3 (still on the same old laptop, so still unable to move on despite having bought but never been able to play 15) Leagues loaded: Belarus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden Medium database, 27,000 players. Start date: January 2013. The manager 32 year old Johann Andersson is the man in the hotseat. The Swede spent most of his playing career in the lower leagues of Norway and Sweden, but is hoping to make more of a splash from the dug-out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Örebro SK (From Wiki) Örebro Sportklubb, also known simply as Örebro SK, Örebro or ÖSK, are a Swedish professional football club based in Örebro. The club are affiliated to Örebro Läns Fotbollförbund and the club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are black and white. The club were formed on 28 October 1908, and played their first year in the top flight in 1946–47. Despite their long history, the football club have never won a major trophy, although they have finished as runners up in the top flight (Allsvenskan) twice. The club play their football at the 14,400 capcity Behrn Arena, which is rented from the city. (From FM) The club had been relegated from the top flight in 2012, so when I arrived they were one of the favourites to get promoted. The club had 2,000 season ticket holders, and offered a generous wage budget, although no money was available to buy players. The club enjoys a fierce rivalry with Degerfors, while both Västerås as Forward are also considered rivals. The club has average training and basic youth facilities. I've already played my first season, so I'll try and write an update later on this afternoon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbokav1971 Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Good to see you getting into another save. What was your thinking behind loading Belarus? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Good to see you getting into another save. What was your thinking behind loading Belarus? Cheers, Jimbo. I load Belarus simply because it runs on the same calendar as Sweden and Norway, tbh. I also had a feeder club there in my original attempt at this though, which helped with the development of some of my best young players, so perhaps a little superstition too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Great to see this. Good luck with your adventures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Örebro SK - 2013 season summary League (Superettan) Media prediction: 2nd (of 16) Finished: Champions, promoted to Allsvenskan (top flight) Cups Svenska Cupen: n/a (the cup is weird in the first season, we played a single tie in June to qualify for the group stage, but the group stage doesn't start until the beginning of the next season.)Transfers Top scorers Edward Ofere - 17 goals in 27 appearances, all in the league. Daniel Bamberg - 11 goals in 29 appearances, 9 in the league.Positives On the pitch, pretty much everything went to plan. We had a great season, as you can see from the league table. Getting promoted was always the priority, but going up as champions made things that little bit more special. It also means we have the club's first ever trophy to show off in our trophy cabinet. Happy days.Concerns My concerns were generally based on events off the pitch. Despite the board offering a substantial wage budget on my arrival, they were also confident we'd finish the season in the black financially, but instead we were financially insecure with debts of more than €2m when the season finished. This is worrying for a number of reasons, but as the Swedish leagues have some substantial limits on overseas players (every match-day squad must include 9 players who are homegrown in Sweden) upgrading our facilities and youth coaching is going to be crucial if we are going to be successful. Speaking of player restrictions, another issue is the make-up of our squad. While I have signed a couple of overseas players aged 18 and under in the knowledge they will eventually become homegrown, I do need to make a few changes to ensure the squad doesn't become lop-sided.Ambitions Next year is about consolidating our place in the top flight, but I'm always the optimist so I'll be having a cheeky look at the top 6. However, I don't expect a lot of work in the transfer market with new arrivals, so to do that I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that the promoted side can make the step up.Player of the season Manager's choice - Edward Ofere Fans' choice - Daniel BambergAttendances Lowest attendance: 4,978 v Örgryte Highest attendance: 6,364 v Degerfors Average attendance: 5,188.Finances I can't remember exactly, but more than €2,000,000 in debt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Great to see this. Good luck with your adventures. Cheers fella, it's good to be back! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbokav1971 Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Not that I want to focus on the negative at all but... who beat you in the league and what happened? ps congrats on the promotion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Excellent start! Will be following along withnail316! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Örebro SK Season preview - 2014 Media expectation: 13th (of 16) Board expectation: mid-table Transfer budget (remaining): €0 Wage budget: €50,300p/w (€3,900p/w under budget) And so now the first season is written up, you join me where I actually am in the career. This winter has been interesting - as I mentioned earlier, we were in big financial trouble at the end of last season, and on the final day the chairman announced he wanted to stand down. The club was taken over by a fellow board member, and with a combination of two new sponsorship deals, a bit of TV money and a small loan (€1.2m), the club was able to get back into the black. The board gave me a small increase in wages for the new season, but I knew things would be pretty tight upon signing my new contract back in November. I've had to do a bit of work to get the squad right ahead of the new season, especially with the homegrown requirements. Three players left us on permanent deals, with veteran defender Magnus Witkstrom released as his contract had expired, while midfielder Boris Lumbana went to Sundsvall for a record €50,000. That record was broken days later though, as Eidur Sigurbjornsson joined Trelleborgs for €60,000. We also allowed 7 players to leave on loan deals just to free up a bit of room in the budget.Players in My weakest area upon promotion was at left back, but I'm hoping that has been solved by the arrival of Rueben Lima. The Portuguese was available on a free after his release from Hajduk, and replaces the ageing Liberian Samuel Wowoah in challenging Norwegian youngster Thomas Grogaard. The only other arrival who will feature in the first team this year is Sandeep Mankoo, who will challenge for a centre back role. We did bring in striker Par Ericsson from Goteborg on loan, and youngster Oliver Sigurjonsson arrived from AGF on a free to immediately be loaned to Boden. Time for some friendlies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Not that I want to focus on the negative at all but... who beat you in the league and what happened? ps congrats on the promotion. Excellent start! Will be following along withnail316! Cheers lads Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler16 Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Your old thread was one of my favorites, will definitely be following this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyfriars Bobby Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 It will be fun to be on board from the beginning. I, too, enjoyed reading your previous Scandinavian Shankly tale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Your old thread was one of my favorites, will definitely be following this. It will be fun to be on board from the beginning. I, too, enjoyed reading your previous Scandinavian Shankly tale. Cheers both, good to have you on board. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashton321 Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Good to see you back on board. Good luck in Sweden pal, looks like you have made a tremendous start Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 So pre-season is done, and we're just about ready for the group stage of the Svenska Cupen, which are the first competitive games of the season. Nothing too stressful in pre-season, and I'll probably be using the cup as mere warm-up games too. Good to see you back on board. Good luck in Sweden pal, looks like you have made a tremendous start Cheers, man. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 11, 2016 Author Share Posted July 11, 2016 March A decent first month in the top flight, although it was a little disappointing to be knocked out of the group stage of the Cup by one measly goal. Still, two good performances in the league gets us off to a solid start on that front. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Sweet. Bookmarked this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Tough luck in the cup, although the group stage can be a real pain from my experience. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share Posted July 12, 2016 April A challenging month with two tough defeats, albeit away from home against sides who'd expect to beat us. The Goteborg loss looks bad on paper, but we played well for an hour before they tore us apart, but annoyingly the biggest loss from that game was Edward Ofere, who picked up a knock that rules him out until June. We played well at Elfsborg and I couldn't grumble too much about our performance, but I was grateful we finished the month with a win. All in all, happy enough with our start back in the big time, although our bank balance is looking suspect once again. I sense a theme is emerging... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share Posted July 12, 2016 Sweet. Bookmarked this. Good to have you on board, fella. Tough luck in the cup, although the group stage can be a real pain from my experience. My first experience of it. Not a big fan of the format, I must admit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 I actually kind of like the Cup format, personally. It's quirky, but once you get into the European knockout rounds it will mean your early Spring is chock-full of games for your 2nd XI, to keep them happy. But that's just me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share Posted July 12, 2016 I actually kind of like the Cup format, personally. It's quirky, but once you get into the European knockout rounds it will mean your early Spring is chock-full of games for your 2nd XI, to keep them happy. But that's just me! I like cups to be cups, tbh. In a group stage where only one side goes through, I don't think there will be too many upsets, certainly not when compared to what can happen in one-off 90 minute games. The great thing about cup ties normally is they should be unpredictable, and having a group rather spoils that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 That is actually a fair point, I'll grant you! There were very few surprises in my last long-term Sweden save, that's for sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share Posted July 12, 2016 Over in Norway, the mighty Rosenborg got relegated from the top flight last season, and are in the relegation zone early on this season, too. Incredible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 Over in Norway, the mighty Rosenborg got relegated from the top flight last season, and are in the relegation zone early on this season, too. Incredible. Woah. That is a shock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share Posted July 12, 2016 Woah. That is a shock. If they went down again (a huge if, granted) I might have to reassess my plans for the career if the job came up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 If they went down again (a huge if, granted) I might have to reassess my plans for the career if the job came up. Absolutely! You can't pass that up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 May A pretty decent month for us, with three good wins and our only loss coming at the hands of one of the title challengers. Now we have all of June off so a bit of time for a few players to recover from injury. I do still have half an eye on 4th and European football next year, although that is perhaps a step too far for us. Pretty pleased with how things are going on the pitch then, but off it is another story. Our financial problems have reared their head again and we're now around €1m in debt, despite the board predicting we'd finish the season in credit. Worrying, especially as I can see that doubling by the end of the campaign. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davehibb Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Great to see this back! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Very middling season so far, but a good run should see you up there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 Very middling season so far, but a good run should see you up there. I'd have taken 6th at the start of the year tbh. As a newly promoted side who haven't spent a penny on transfers, getting in to the top half was the top-end of my expectations - but now I'm there I have one eye on 4th and the EL... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 Great to see this back! Cheers Dave. Great to be back! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 You should have a great chance to sneak up the table once the teams competing in Europe begin their continental campaigns. I've always found that Swedish clubs struggle to maintain their Allsvenskan form when in Europe, but maybe on 13 that isn't as pronounced as I'm remembering. Either way, you're setting yourself up nicely (as you note...). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 15, 2016 Author Share Posted July 15, 2016 No games in June, but I've been very busy off the pitch. With our bank balance concerning me more with each passing month, I decided we needed to do something about it. I'd initially planned to sell our captain Daniel Bamberg, but I couldn't get anywhere close to the €500,000 I wanted for him. Instead, we sold two central defenders, an area where we have plenty of cover. Unfortunately, one of the players to leave was our best defender, Slovenian international Nejc Potokar, who'd arrived on a free last summer. He joined Lokeren in Belgium for a then-record €325,000 with an additional 50% sell on from any future fee. That record was soon broken, as next to leave was Albanian international Ilir Berisha, who joined Al-Rayyan of Qatar for a cool €500,000 plus 50% sell on. That's helped our bank balance, but it has also freed up a bit of cash for me to use in wages, although the board didn't make anything available for me to use on transfer fees. No matter. I've signed five players on Bosman deals for next season, and depending on whether I can sell Bamberg in the coming weeks, I may yet add two more. Really pleased with this deal, some much needed steel in midfield, and I'm hopeful he will improve over time, too.The only non homegrown player in this intake, he offers decent competition at right back, and is pretty handy on the left too.I was a little short in the AM role, and will be even more so if Bamberg does leave the club. Cakic gives us something different and improves us overallEricsson has done well at the club in his loan deal, and so it made sense to make it permanent, especially on a freeThis is one for the future, but on a free it was a deal that had to be done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 15, 2016 Share Posted July 15, 2016 Excellent so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 15, 2016 Author Share Posted July 15, 2016 Excellent so far. Cheers DB. It's just nice to be enjoying a save again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 Cheers DB. It's just nice to be enjoying a save again. That says it all right there. Looks like the squad is building up nicely! Good luck in the summer/fall push! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 That says it all right there. Looks like the squad is building up nicely! Good luck in the summer/fall push! Cheers, man. The squad is definitely getting there, and I have a couple of youngsters I hope we can integrate to the first team next year, which is always good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 July A congested July, but it's been a near-perfect month on the pitch with 5 victories. I'm not going to get ahead of myself though, the squad is pretty thin on bodies, so two or three injuries can really knock us out of our stride in the next few weeks. Still, it's nice to be up there. I've also used this time to give debuts to Johan Hammar (who is unhappy after I denied him a loan move a few months ago) and Sondre Tronstad, and the Norwegian midfielder has been a revelation since coming in. I'm hoping we can find a more expansive style in the coming weeks too, as we've only scored 23 league goals so far this season. My usual preference is to attack, but this defensive mindset is working for us so far! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 Fantastic month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 Great month! What do the European places look like for you? 1 or 2 for the CL? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 Fantastic month. Cheers, man. Great month! What do the European places look like for you? 1 or 2 for the CL? Not even looked, fella. I think just one, though (not that I think the CL is a realistic expectation for a while, anyway.) Goteborg, AIK and Malmo all have deeper squads than us, but I'm becoming more hopeful we can take 4th. EDIT: Just one CL place. 2nd, 3rd and 4th into the EL (depending on the cup winners.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 A lovely offer from a bigger, financially secure club... but there was never any chance of me accepting it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 Nah, no need to take that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 After selling two central defenders last month, I was in the market for a bit of cover back there... but this is a great deal. He arrives on a free (I know, a pattern is emerging, right?) and with him being U19, he can become home-grown in a few years. Very pleased with this deal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 Nah, no need to take that That's what I thought. I've no plans on going anywhere in the foreseeable future, but going to a ready-made big club is not my style at all... especially in the same nation as me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius1998 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Your thread makes me want to start my own one club save in the Nordic countries. I think I might have a go with FC Honka in Finland on FM15. By the way, it's great to see you are keeping up with the big teams in the division and giving them a real challenge. Keep up the good work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Your thread makes me want to start my own one club save in the Nordic countries. I think I might have a go with FC Honka in Finland on FM15. By the way, it's great to see you are keeping up with the big teams in the division and giving them a real challenge. Keep up the good work! Cheers, fella. I do enjoy the Nordic countries, I must admit. Before I got settled in Sweden, I'd thought about taking the Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS) job in Finland as I love being clubs from the north, and you don't get much further north than Lapland! They were in the 2nd tier in 2012 too, which made them a really good shout for my kind of career. I was slightly put off by the lack of player restrictions in Finnish football, but that's just a personal preference. It'll be a great challenge, nevertheless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 August If I look at the big picture, I've got to be really happy with the way the season is going so far...and yet I can't help but feel disappointed this month. Four points dropped against sides struggling to avoid the drop, and a home defeat against champions Elfsborg have really stung, especially after we went top after the victory against Goteborg. Still, we're well placed in the fight for Europe, but I need my strikers to start finding some form. I may have to adjust my system a little, or simply hope that scoring one goal will set Ofere or Ericsson on a goal-scoring run. Fingers crossed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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