Looking to stay out of the TOP 5 (Need ) advice on new leagues & Teams to explore.

[Gross_Ballon]

Hey guys after playing FM since 2007 I am beyond board always staying in the top 5.

I have done MLS so we can scrap that one. 

I am currently setting up a Brazil save. 

How ever I would love some advice 

for say Austria-Belgium-Poland-Denmark etc etc. 

I have also never ever managed lower league as I am  used to looking for wingers with good crossing etc. But lower lower leagues most of them do not get over 10 for those. 

I love seeing everyone's post saying take a team like Ayr United in Scotland and making them a consistent premier league team. 

Or say making a team like Rosenberg or Sparta Prague into the champions league. 

I also love the idea of the random teams like Andora FC or Altinordu or a Bundesliga 3 type of team. (The bilbao of Turkey) 

or a team with amazing youth. 

 

I never post about needing help but after all these years Im kinda stuck in FM limbo! 

Any help would be just wonderful! 

any suggestions 

 

[hrolfur23]

You could always try Iceland, short seasons and at least in my saves there are quite a few gems coming from there.

Edit: Stay away from FH, KR, Valur, Stjarnan and ÍBV as they are what I would call the top dogs.

Edited September 27, 2019 by hrolfur23

[Deisler26]

Come to the Netherlands. Trying to get someone like Almere City (sorry @Minuy600) or FC Dordrecht up and beating Ajax/PSV/Feyenoord is challenging at best.

[Paddy9596]

2 hours ago, Deisler26 said:

Come to the Netherlands. Trying to get someone like Almere City (sorry @Minuy600) or FC Dordrecht up and beating Ajax/PSV/Feyenoord is challenging at best.

Holland is the best league outside the top 5 imo, fortuna sittard was a great save on fm18, could take them over and try to keep them up?

[Minuy600]

Did someone summon me?

Yeah I can confirm Holland is great, if you don't mind a lengthy season. Scandinavian countries are always favorites too, as are Serbia and Austria. Or if you'd like to go the obscure route, you've got Slovenia/Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary just to name a few.

[noikeee]

Belgium. Been many years since I managed there (FM12 I think?!) but it's easily one of the most fun leagues. Free rules on hiring foreigners means you can poach all the South American and African regens you want - provided you have the money -, the league has a slightly convoluted but very fun system of various playoffs and groups that always gives you a goal to fight for, and if you don't manage Anderlecht/Standard/Club Brugges, there's the added small club to big club challenge, and that's even before you go to Europe as even after you reach Anderlecht level you'll still be small fish in Europe (but crucially, not completely useless, which is a problem in less competitive leagues). 

[Jibby123]

Hajduk Split in Croatia is a good one. Croatia is rich for regens and youth coming through and Hajduk enjoy relatively large crowds. Trying to knock Dinamo Zagreb off their perch is a good start (Dinamo have won the league every year bar once since 2005/6).

Rijeka in the same league have potential.

[dmacgreg37]

I took on a 4th division Swedish save in 19, and am loving it.  Sweden has pretty short season, only one cup.  The $$$ is low, but it's been fun.

[toysattic]

Have enjoyed some saves in Russia in recent years.

[DominicForza]

Turkey! 

 

Bursaspor, one of only 5 clubs to win Super Lig since it's founding in 1959 (Galatasaray 22, Fenerbahce 19, Besiktas 15, Tranzonspor 6, Bursaspor 1) were relegated last season.  Getting them back to top flight (not too much of a stretch) and making them competitive with the Istanbul powers (a much bigger challenge) already is tempting me. 

 

Super Lig allows 14 foreign players, so plenty of flexibility signing players, but the bulk of your squad has to be Turkish.  If you are not familiar with Turkish Leagues it's almost like using regens and the joy of discovering quality players.

 

The Big Three Istanbul clubs - Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besitkas have been joined by a 4th Istanbul side - Basaksehir, making a Big 4 of Istanbul sides.  

 

Trabzonspor if a good side too, but a ways behind the Istanbul 4.  

 

Kasimpasa, the 5th biggest club in Istanbul, is a fun challenge too, with Derbies with 4 bigger clubs.  

[Sheriff7]

Panathinaikos in Greece could be a good challenge.They are a sleeping giant(second in titles behind Olympiakos,with some amazing years in European competitions in past).Too many financial problems (they can't play in Europe for this reason) and with low budget and a young squad.It will be difficult (in the start) to challenge Olympiakos,Paok and Aek.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Sheriff7

[Haiku]

[RyanBrown]

I think this question has so many different answers. However, it depends what you’re looking specifically for - a short term fix, a fallen giant, rags to riches, youth development etc. 

 

I love managing in Scotland because of the varying quality in the leagues and mix of pro and semi pro teams. 

Wales could be a good shout if you want to focus on building the nation and improving them on and off the pitch. As well as rivalling TNS.

Norway is always a great place to go. Gibraltar with a custom DB. 

Hopefully you find the right save for you, I always try and go unemployed and letting fate see my future rather than putting a plan in place. 

[Nobby_McDonald]

Deportivo Wanka.

[styluz05]

I have really enjoyed playing some long and short careers in what would be considered minor nations in Europe. I had a really long 20 seasons save with Shahkter Soligorsk in Belarus, managed to win the Euro cup 4 times and then the CL once, managed to bring big money to the league, with 3 other clubs being taken over by Tycoons. Bringing the Belarus league into top 4 reputation in Europe. 

I have always enjoyed playing in Sweden, Norway and Denmark as its very competitive, and the quality of players is of a good standard to work with. Long and short saves. 

[Mr_Demus]

Being a dane, I can tell a bit about the Danish leagues. The league system is kind of confusing at first, but you'll get used to it.

 

Clubwise, it is kind of interesting. FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland are the two big players right now. Behind them, it's pretty open. Traditionally, Brøndby has been the main contender of FCK, but they have been mismanaged for some years now. 

FC Nordsjælland has a great academy, with a feeder club in Right to Dream academy in Ghana. They have, IIRC, the youngest starting 11 of any club in European top flight football.

My club, AGF, was a powerhouse many years ago, but have been an elevator team for some years now.

In general, a lot of interesting clubs.

 

If you drop down a bit, you find AB in the third tier. They have been champions 10 times, but not once since 1967. It is the former official club of the University of Copenhagen, and Danish physicist Niels Bohr played in goal for them.

Frem is the traditional workers club of Copenhagen, and they have the slogan "Real Copenhagen". They have been through bankruptcies, but they deserve better than what they are currently enduring.

In the second tier, you find FC Roskilde. Roskilde is the 10th largest town in Denmark, but have never really had a good football team.

[Grifty]

On 29/09/2019 at 13:52, dmacgreg37 said:

I took on a 4th division Swedish save in 19, and am loving it.  Sweden has pretty short season, only one cup.  The $$$ is low, but it's been fun.

I have to agree. I always manage in England, but started my own sort of journeyman career and went to Sweden, and really enjoyed the 3 seasons I spent there with Malmo. Theres a chance to dominate and be the only 'good' team but also your players will always get poached meaning you have a high turnover of players. It's good to help your scouting ability.

[Sheriff7]

6 hours ago, Mr_Demus said:

Being a dane, I can tell a bit about the Danish leagues. The league system is kind of confusing at first, but you'll get used to it.

 

Clubwise, it is kind of interesting. FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland are the two big players right now. Behind them, it's pretty open. Traditionally, Brøndby has been the main contender of FCK, but they have been mismanaged for some years now. 

FC Nordsjælland has a great academy, with a feeder club in Right to Dream academy in Ghana. They have, IIRC, the youngest starting 11 of any club in European top flight football.

My club, AGF, was a powerhouse many years ago, but have been an elevator team for some years now.

In general, a lot of interesting clubs.

 

If you drop down a bit, you find AB in the third tier. They have been champions 10 times, but not once since 1967. It is the former official club of the University of Copenhagen, and Danish physicist Niels Bohr played in goal for them.

Frem is the traditional workers club of Copenhagen, and they have the slogan "Real Copenhagen". They have been through bankruptcies, but they deserve better than what they are currently enduring.

In the second tier, you find FC Roskilde. Roskilde is the 10th largest town in Denmark, but have never really had a good football team.

I'll try to manage to neighborhood Faroe Islands who have "special" connection with Denmark so i think these informations could be helpful many Faroese play or played in some of these clubs..

Edited October 16, 2019 by Sheriff7

[bigmattb28]

On 27/09/2019 at 18:38, Gross_Ballon said:

for say Austria-Belgium-Poland-Denmark

Answered your own question here dude. Definitely give Poland a go, I've had a great time on a journeyman with Wisla Plock and always have a soft spot for Slask Wroclaw after going to Wroclaw in real life and the stadium is beautiful.

[bigmattb28]

On 16/10/2019 at 16:40, Grifty said:

I have to agree. I always manage in England, but started my own sort of journeyman career and went to Sweden, and really enjoyed the 3 seasons I spent there with Malmo. Theres a chance to dominate and be the only 'good' team but also your players will always get poached meaning you have a high turnover of players. It's good to help your scouting ability.

Only problem I have with Sweden is there is a huge gap between the end of the season, November if I remember rightly, and the first game of the season in march.

[ralala]

I'll follow this thread too for inspiration to what I should do for FM2020.

Since some posts are leaning towards Scandinavian leagues here, I would like to suggest the "Nordic Pentagon" that I just did on Fm19 : win the league and main domestic cup in Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. That was also the order I did it in, which is a good progression if you start unemployed with no badges and sunday league background.