FM21

[Sarto Mutiny]

Has anybody played in the new world club championship format on FM?
I am playing it for the first time and I can’t stand it. My players are starting games on 50-60% fitness and it’s just a total joke. It’s at the point I want to get knocked out.

I did in FM20. It was a horrible format. Got knocked out by Boca in the semis iirc, because my players were knackered.

[djchapsticks]

On 30/01/2021 at 00:36, djchapsticks said:

Resigned as manager of Rakhine Utd after winning the Myanmar league and Cup double. 

I also made the Regional semi final of the Asian confederations Cup and went out on away goals to North Korea's April 25.

Now waiting for the right job to rear its head. Hopefully along the lines of New Zealand, Korea or perhaps the one of the lesser Middle East leagues for a spell. I want to conquer Asia and Oceania before I move onto Africa and South America but I mean I'll happily double back. 

Slim pickings on the jobs front after resigning but I've jumped right back in.

North Korea (best Korea) is my destination. Pyongyang City Sports Group are not one of the country's leading lights but they have recently turned semi-pro and so have a relatively healthy wage budget. I've taken advantage of this by releasing several non-contract players who aren't good enough, putting those who are good enough on deals for very low wages and picking up a few current internationals and several young freebies from elsewhere.

DPRK has a very, very young league of players, almost all aged 17-20 regens - I guess this is as a result of there being very few North Korean players in the database - certainly not enough to fill out a full league system.

Either way, I'm going to give myself a season to try and get continental football and in the second season, going for the confederations cup. Missing out on it with Rakhine at such a late stage has pissed me off but their squad was never good enough. I'd say I have a chance with this club as North Korea is a fair bit stronger than Myanmar.

 

[PB1994]

37 minutes ago, Sarto Mutiny said:

13 hours ago, PB1994 said:

Has anybody played in the new world club championship format on FM?
I am playing it for the first time and I can’t stand it. My players are starting games on 50-60% fitness and it’s just a total joke. It’s at the point I want to get knocked out.

I did in FM20. It was a horrible format. Got knocked out by Boca in the semis iirc, because my players were knackered.

Turns out the players hadn’t been training at all. Suddenly when pre-season started before the semi finals they all came back with a reasonable amount of fitness.

[CrossgatesCynic]

I got cold feet at the thought of continuing with my Queen's Park one-club save, so I've stuck it on ice for the time being.

Started a save unemployed. No coaching badges and no past experience (beyond the seemingly statutory Sunday league, anyway). My goal is straightforward enough; see how long it takes me to win the European Cup.

Jobs were few and far between for the first few months of the save. I got a few interviews (surprisingly) at National League sides but they always seemed to lump for someone else, despite 'accepting my vision for the club'. Was offered a job with Maidstone in National League South but wasn't sure if I had given up hope of a bigger job. Delayed it for a few weeks and this paid off, as National League Boreham Wood offered me a six month deal to steer them clear of relegation.

In reality, their squad is good enough to be well clear of that fight. Their media expectation is a 10th place finish, so that's my aim. After a compromise, the board have also agreed to send me on my C Licence course, so I'm hoping it'll be straight onto the B Licence following that. I reckon 18 months here, a couple of coaching badges and I can land a Scottish League 1/English League 2 job.

[The Moonster]

On 30/01/2021 at 20:56, PB1994 said:

I’m currently spending £3.4 million a week on my FM20 save. No idea if that’s the biggest I’ve ever had but it must be close. Also not sure if that is a big budget as I normally start at a small club to build them up so I imagine the wage bills of Barca, Real Madrid etc would be much higher.

I've been at Barca once and I had around £6.5 million in wages to spend.

[CrossgatesCynic]

On 01/02/2021 at 10:18, CrossgatesCynic said:

I got cold feet at the thought of continuing with my Queen's Park one-club save, so I've stuck it on ice for the time being.

Started a save unemployed. No coaching badges and no past experience (beyond the seemingly statutory Sunday league, anyway). My goal is straightforward enough; see how long it takes me to win the European Cup.

Jobs were few and far between for the first few months of the save. I got a few interviews (surprisingly) at National League sides but they always seemed to lump for someone else, despite 'accepting my vision for the club'. Was offered a job with Maidstone in National League South but wasn't sure if I had given up hope of a bigger job. Delayed it for a few weeks and this paid off, as National League Boreham Wood offered me a six month deal to steer them clear of relegation.

In reality, their squad is good enough to be well clear of that fight. Their media expectation is a 10th place finish, so that's my aim. After a compromise, the board have also agreed to send me on my C Licence course, so I'm hoping it'll be straight onto the B Licence following that. I reckon 18 months here, a couple of coaching badges and I can land a Scottish League 1/English League 2 job.

Managed to not only steer Boreham Wood away from relegation but landed the playoffs on the last day of the season. Doesn't matter that I was then horsed by Chesterfield in the first round, I made the playoffs. Club were 20th when I took over and we finished 6th. I've got to be happy with that.

Board happily agreed to sign off on my B Licence, so I'm hoping that'll be my ticket to a better job elsewhere in the not too distant future.

A whole raft of players left at the end of their contract in the summer. I was happy with the majority of those going (either because they were earning silly money for this level, or they were completely shite; or both). I've brought in a squad I'm now actually quite chuffed with and, eight games into the new season, I'm joint top after eight games. Hoping I can ride this wave until the bigger jobs do start to pop up.

Had a look at the Scottish Lower leagues (as a possible likely next destination). Disappointingly, there aren't any of your typical 'big' clubs in League 1. Both Falkirk and Partick got promoted last season and it was Alloa and Arbroath who went down. Queen's Park would be an attractive prospect, with their money at that level, but they're flying and look to be going up again this season. Morton and Queen of the South are the early strugglers in the Championship and I'm not sure halving my current budgets to manage either of those jobbers would be a wise career move.

[pandarilla]

I've managed to get ayr into the Premier league, and in my first season squeezed into the top 6.

Quite chuffed, but I'm getting my arse handed to me by the old firm almost every time.

Any tips for managing against them with wee teams? Should i be staying with my positive style and formation or change it up and try to be solid?

Most of the time i stay consistent unless i go on a real shite run of form.

[Widge]

1 hour ago, pandarilla said:

I've managed to get ayr into the Premier league, and in my first season squeezed into the top 6.

Quite chuffed, but I'm getting my arse handed to me by the old firm almost every time.

Any tips for managing against them with wee teams? Should i be staying with my positive style and formation or change it up and try to be solid?

Most of the time i stay consistent unless i go on a real shite run of form.

Nope, I've tried everything against Rangers and still get my ass handed to me numerous times a season. I think if you keep your formation, but be more cautious and brave on the ball you'll maybe stand a chance. Issue is they just break so quickly and totally dominate the ball against me.

[The Moonster]

2 hours ago, pandarilla said:

I've managed to get ayr into the Premier league, and in my first season squeezed into the top 6.

Quite chuffed, but I'm getting my arse handed to me by the old firm almost every time.

Any tips for managing against them with wee teams? Should i be staying with my positive style and formation or change it up and try to be solid?

Most of the time i stay consistent unless i go on a real shite run of form.

I drop my line of engagement to "lower" and keep the defensive line at "standard" then defend narrowly. I put the "press" up to the highest level too, means the team doesn't sit too deep defensively and invite pressure but at the same time it's compact and doesn't allow a lot of space in and around the area. I play Counter and Counter Press too with standard width (so the team spreads out as we transition from defence to attack). I tend to start the game with a cautious mindset and move to positive as the game goes on, just try and judge it based on the flow of play i.e. if they've had most of the ball but aren't creating too much you can afford to be more positive, if they're peppering your goal with efforts it might not be a good idea.

I still get the odd pumping playing that way because if either of the Old Firm are on top form they'll pump anyone in Scotland but it does seem to make the games a bit closer for me and I've stolen a few wins. I will caveat all of that with the opinion that if you don't have the players that suit a counter attacking style this probably won't work.

[CrossgatesCynic]

I'll tell you what I'm absolutely sick to the back teeth of - individual errors happening unrealistically all too often.

I'm talking the 'keeper rolling it straight out to an opposition striker, a defender passing it to a striker, a defender leathering it off a teammate where the deflection lands conveniently for an opposition player, midfielders passing it to their opposite number and wide players literally running into an opposition player and then continuing to run away without the ball.

It's not even like this is happening a couple of times a season etc. I'd go so far as to say that the lion's share of goals I concede come from these very examples. I get that I'm managing in the National League but the players have decent stats for the level we're playing at. Not to mention, the team tactics and instructions are set up in such a way that a lot of these mistakes should be avoided anyway.

I noticed this sort of thing in last year's game but, for me at least, it's an awful lot worse this time round.

[Steve_Wilkos]

I signed up to a free trial of Google Stadia assuming this would be on - it isn't and neither is 2020. Bit shit 

[Stellaboz]

I just checked and 2020 is under Stadia Pro if that helps? 

[Steve_Wilkos]

27 minutes ago, Stellaboz said:

I just checked and 2020 is under Stadia Pro if that helps? 

Cheers, that's what my subscription is - but 2020 has been removed from Stadia for users who didn't purchase it before Dec 31st. Bit sneaky that they're still showing it there.

[Meatwad]

The January 2022 edition of my blog detailing my career as Thistle manager can be viewed here.

[Am Featha Taigh Nan Clach]

I'd have normally patched a game by now but my Everton team are now 99 PL games unbeaten. I expect a defeat in the next game.

 

[ChrisMFCfan1886]

On 04/02/2021 at 20:10, CrossgatesCynic said:

I'll tell you what I'm absolutely sick to the back teeth of - individual errors happening unrealistically all too often.

I'm talking the 'keeper rolling it straight out to an opposition striker, a defender passing it to a striker, a defender leathering it off a teammate where the deflection lands conveniently for an opposition player, midfielders passing it to their opposite number and wide players literally running into an opposition player and then continuing to run away without the ball.

It's not even like this is happening a couple of times a season etc. I'd go so far as to say that the lion's share of goals I concede come from these very examples. I get that I'm managing in the National League but the players have decent stats for the level we're playing at. Not to mention, the team tactics and instructions are set up in such a way that a lot of these mistakes should be avoided anyway.

I noticed this sort of thing in last year's game but, for me at least, it's an awful lot worse this time round.

Worst one for me is my players taking a throw in straight to an opposition player who has absolutely nobody around them. Happens far too frequently. 

[Sarto Mutiny]

1 hour ago, ChrisMFCfan1886 said:

Worst one for me is my players taking a throw in straight to an opposition player who has absolutely nobody around them. Happens far too frequently. 

Around 50% of the match highlights in my game is a player of mine taking a throw in from a promising attacking position and throwing the ball to an opponent. It's infuriating.

[ChrisMFCfan1886]

Speaking of errors, when this is the oppositions winning goal you just have to accept it isn't your day. 

[RandomGuy.]

Finally made it through season 1 with Saints.

Killie being relegated is great fun, managed to snag Stuart Findlay on a free, and about to get Brophy for £100k.

Also managed to get Alfie Doughty from Charlton ahead of Championship sides, but with a release clause.

Love rebuilding squads tbh.

[CrossgatesCynic]

2 hours ago, ChrisMFCfan1886 said:

Speaking of errors, when this is the oppositions winning goal you just have to accept it isn't your day. 

I'd still be greeting yet if that happened to me.