My Winter of Discontent

[Hjarr]

I'm feeling so disheartened. This is really just a rant. Man... I'm used to being destroyed on FM but this hurts. For the first time ever in my history of playing FM I became optimistic. With a lot of games behind of me utter failure and being sacked this was something else.

 

So I'm playing Swindon Town. An English League 1 team.

1st Season

I scrape by the season and get 12th on the league. My striker Delfouneso scores 25 goals and wins the goal charts. I keep conceding from crosses all through the season but that's due to having terrible Full Backs. Nothing else noteworthy.

2nd Season

What an amazing season!

It starts off badly with me having to sell my really good CB but fortunately I manage to find a good player to replace him. I find a new good RB which was my weakest link. My strikers are amazing this season. Both are top 2 of the score charts. Obika wins with 26 league goals. With both Obika and Delfouneso they have a combined 53 goals for the season  (counting cup goals as well).

I place 7th on the league which is far above expectations and most of my wins coming at the end of the season I'm excited going forward! My team gets selected for 3 best players in the league. Both Forwards, and a DMF. Looking good.

I'm still conceding a huge amount of crosses especially from the left and I make it my first objective to get a better Left Back for the next season since my FB's are pretty good for the league and I have good depth there.

3rd Season

I'm excited. I manage to snatch an amazing LB for this league. He's almost a championship side player! I strengthen my substitutes. I have great quality depth for everything except keepers and I'm quite sure that I have a more talented squad than any team on League 1. I don't have to sell anyone from previous season and I can build on the great run we've had.

Even the pre-season news are anticipating me having the best chance of winning the league!

So the season starts off.

 

3rd Season starts

1st match. 0-0 tie with Leyton Orient, not bad not good.

2nd match EFL Cup against a very weak side Stevenage. 1-1 and I lose on penalties after overtime. Three players get slightly injured in the match but no key players fortunately. Cup doesn't matter much to me so it's allright.

3rd Match 0-0 against Charlton. Getting slightly worried here since my previous season goal wonders haven't scored once yet.

4rd Match 1-2 Bradford City lose. I have no idea what is going on.

5th Match 0-0 Rotherham. I can't create goals for some reason.

Here we go

So after a depressing start something else is up. I have one of my backup strikers already recovering for 4 months from an injury. Now Obika the last year's goal chart winner gets injured in training for 4 months.  Annd, my second backup striker also gets injured in reserve games for a long time. Luckily I still have Delfouneso who scored a combined 50 goals in the previous 2 seasons.

I have to switch to a 1 striker formation for now though.

6th match Portsmouth 2-1 win. Finally a win! Still not a convincing one since I score the winner in extra time.

7th match Cup game against a much lesser side. Ends 0-0 and I win at penalties. Very worrying.

8th match Peterborough 3-0 lose. Wow. Every single goal was a cross. I have to widen my formation.

9th match Scunthorpe 1-0 win. Win from a penalty. Worrying times but at least I got some points.

10th match Doncaster 2-0 lose. This was really painful. They were on bad form with 5 losses last matches and they are terrible in comparison to my team. But they crushed me. I didn't even create chances until the 70th minute.

Time to do something

My 1 striker can't play from game to game like this. He gets too tired. And the 1 striker tactic is definitely not working. I have very little money. I snatch a "decent" striker Sam Oliver, a Vanarama ability player but showing huge potential. I hope I am here for a few more seasons to see that potential...

Rest of the season

Oliver manages to score a few times in the coming games and is just about as decent as you would hope. Still not a wonder boy, playing on 6.1 rating many games but at least I'm scoring goals.

I'm still conceding crosses almost every game despite trying every possible formation and tactics change.

The current situation

With 21 games played I'm 16th on the league. Players are getting agitated saying they have lost faith in me and players are handing in transfer requests. I honestly don't know if I want to continue to the season to the end. All my efforts have failed. My backup striker is at least back soon so that might turn this season to an upper mid table finish and I wouldn't necessarily lose all my good players.

Life is hard, Football Manager is harder.