What club would you start a "Moneyball" type challenge with?

[teoememy]

I've seen several versions of this challenge and would like to follow these principles:

- Focus on players who are transfer listed, loan listed, free or running out their contract.
- Disregard factors such as age, nationality, reputation etc.
- Scout nations without inflated prices, instead focus on leagues with cheap players, like Scandinavia, Serbia etc.
- Make smart deals with the ambition of improving results and winning games, not to make a profit.

I think it would make sense if the club was:

- Predicted to be in the relegation battle.
- Have a small budget compared to mid-table and top clubs in the league.
- Not be in the EPL, even the bottom teams are financial powerhouses.
- Be in a league that has a decent enough reputation to attract foreign players.

 

Any suggestions?

[Watson156]

I suppose considering Billy Beane is involved with the ownership group of Barnsley, maybe try them?

[Bigshow1]

Preston North End in the Championship?

[Mr_Demus]

Some team in the Netherlands would be my guess. AFAIK they have pretty relaxed foreigner rules and is of a high enough rep to attract players from all over the world. Teams like Sparta, Venlo, Fortuna Sittard og RKC Waalwijk would be my best bet.

[Gross_Ballon]

Hearts or Hibernian in Scotland 

[enigmatic]

You could make a good argument for Brentford since that's their real life approach to the transfer market. But could be a bit dull for actual gameplay since in an FM world you'll get promoted and have Premier League money to spend pretty quickly anyway...

Realistically most sub-top teams in most European top divisions fall into that category, where the local giant clubs have all the money from European football, but a European top division is still attractive to up-and-coming young foreigners from outside Europe and smaller European leagues.

[Deeks]

I support Hibs and do a save with them every year. A great team to do a save like this with. After the first big money sale you should have enough coin to buy a larger crop of younger players to sell on. 

[BigFatSam]

On 02/01/2020 at 14:44, Deeks said:

I support Hibs and do a save with them every year. A great team to do a save like this with. After the first big money sale you should have enough coin to buy a larger crop of younger players to sell on. 

That's not how moneyball work but ok 

[XuluBak]

On 02/01/2020 at 07:44, Deeks said:

I support Hibs and do a save with them every year. A great team to do a save like this with. After the first big money sale you should have enough coin to buy a larger crop of younger players to sell on. 

 

On 05/01/2020 at 13:57, BigFatSam said:

That's not how moneyball work but ok 

Right, that's basically the opposite of moneyball. That's what every other non-big market team was doing to "rebuild" (over and over again). Moneyball was about analytics and finding players that were undervalued in the market. An oversimplified example:

You want to upgrade your striker for next season. You look through guys that are transfer listed or available on a free. Instead of 'ratings' you're focusing on analytic reports. Instead of goals, you're looking at G/90 and/or conversion rates. Your best option might not even be a striker. Since you're getting them on the cheap, maybe you bring in two or three guys to fill that one spot and see who works out best. Maybe the best option is a 35-year-old that's played their entire career at a higher level, but not ready to retire, so you can get them for a year or two to win promotion. 

As for the original question, I think it depends on the aim of your save. Are you wanting to start in the top tier or work your way up? Are you planning to continue the moneyball strategy indefinitely, or are you trying to build a small club into a juggernaut? Domestic vs continental? Etc. The core premise behind moneyball is you have less resources than your competition, so you have to maximize what you have. But with club football success begets greater resources in a way that doesn't really happen in MLB. That being said...

I'd rule out England from the start. There's way too much money, even in the championship. Sure, you could start at the bottom, but then you don't have the analytics available (unless you use the editor to upgrade your facilities). You could probably make the other top leagues/countries work, but for me, the best options are probably France and Portugal. The resource disparity between the top and even mid-table (let alone second tier) clubs is absolutely massive, and it'd take you a pretty long time to close that gap by winning domestically. You have to "win" the transfer market, develop and sell prospects, and win money, if not trophies, in Europe. Grind it out. Then win with tactics, not just player talent. 

Edited January 7, 2020 by XuluBak

[Tomor29]

Great discussion here. I am also thinking about starting new career game with a moneyball challenge and its principles.

The teams I think would make sense are:

1) Munich 1860 and 1.FCK in Germany - both in the third league, both with nice history and good facilities. Munich in big depts, so there would be logical if they implement moneyball principles. But I have some doubts about Germany as there could be too much money once we get promoted to the top league.

2) Bolton in England - not too much to say here as this would be definitelly an ultimate moneyball challenge with no money and 12 points deficit at the start of the game. But I agree that England isn´t the best country for such a challenge because of the prize money there.

3) Several teams in Ligue 2 in France such as Auxerre, Le Havre or Sochaux - all with some nice history, decent affilities, solid squads and representing good challenge for next years.

4) Belgium or Holland - Eupen with money from Qatar, Mouscron with orientation on players from Balcan, Vitesse, Twente... all could be good choices in my eyes.

 

Munich 1860 or Bolton would be my choices, but I really fear the fact that there is too much money in top leagues in these countries and that could easily ruin the moneyball approach, so will go to France most probably.

[KrKAlex]

You also have FC. Midtjylland who is running the Moneyball project, they are under sor tof the same board with Brentford FC.

I agree withb @XuluBak, starting in France could be a great challenge. The jump from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1 is pretty huge, and the the low table density is quite high.