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Andorra the explorer-an FM22 story.


D Angelo Barksdale

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2022

FC Andorra

Now that we're into the Segunda, with the finances stabilised, the plan is to consolidate, improve the facilities and aim for the play offs in 2-3 years time. We're by far the smallest outfit here and expected to finish bottom. I reckon there's a core of 7-8 players who are good enough for this level, the aim is to get some promising La Liga youngsters in on loan to bolster the core and give game time to my own youth players. 

That was the dream anyway, but it never went to plan. I was knocked back by every single player I tried to get in on loan, meaning that the transfer window closed with not a single soul added to the squad, but, it gets worse...

My own fault for not paying attention tbf, but the Segunda has a rule that any player over the age of 19 can only be registered if they are on a minimum of £1400 per week. This meant I couldn't register 8 squad players as the window closed, because they weren't on enough money. (we appear to be a bunch of Tories who don't pay the living wage). I've now given are brave boys footballer's wages, but they can't be registered till January.

I've managed to get 3 free transfers in now from the slim pickings left over, but my bench has been full of 15 year old laddies for a month.

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Yeray Cabanzon

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Dani Gonzalez

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Javier Vargas is the pick of the bunch

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2022

FC Andorra

As a result, we are toiling.

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We somehow won a game 7-1 against the league leaders, football, bloody hell eh. It feels like we used up all our luck in that one game.

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Around 45 points will be needed to survive, just over a point per game. It's just a matter of hoping we get a bit of a break and stay in touch with 18th place until January.

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2022

National Team

Bottom of our Nations League group predictably. Not embarrassed by any means though and should have won at least one of those home draws.

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A couple of friendlies to finish the year off. Israel are much better than us, but a decent result away to Estonia, 6 without a win now, but it's not doom and gloom. We've blooded almost a full team over the year and we're scoring goals.

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One of my Spanish FC Andorra players decided to declare for the Andorran National Team, which was nice. He's slotted straight in beside my boy Hector, who is still only 17 and is now considered to be capable of playing at La Liga level in the near future.

Diego Gonzalez

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Hector Larrubia

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We've been handed a tough Euros draw, which could have been worse, as Malta were one of the worst pot 5 sides. Aiming for 6 points against Malta and an unlikely draw against one of the others.

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2022

At. America

Turns out the Andorran 2nd tier isn't of a great quality (pretends to be shocked). The top tier is rated below League 2 of the cinch tbf. An organised side, doing all the basics right and every footballing cliche known to man, 2nd balls, wanting it more, a no nonsense centre half, pace on the wings, a big man up front etc. will go far.

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We started like well, but the rather tight disciplinary rules caught up with us eventually. You receive a one match ban for every 2 yellows here, at one point I had every single member of my starting line up 1 card away from a ban.

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We're putting together a strong finish though.

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We've got a wee chance of going up here with 6 games to go, but the other 2 have 3 games in hand and I still have to visit both. I have no idea what is up with the scheduling, my 6 games left include 2 in December, 2 in January, 1 in February and 1 in March.

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2022/23

FC Andorra

There was much bedwetting earlier about the possibility of going back down to the third tier after a difficult start, turns out there was nothing to worry about. There doesn't seem to be a huge step up between the top of tier 3 and the middle of tier 2.

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We started putting together a decent run and moved into the next round of the cup.

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And continued our great form into 2023, pumped out the cup by Las Palmas, which was a bit of a sickener considering we battered them in the league.

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Cadiz took revenge for us pumping them 7-1 and ended an 11 match unbeaten streak.

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Delighted with this, we've an excellent chance of making the play offs, I think it would be too soon for promotion to La Liga though. We're the smallest club in tier 2 with a 1300 capacity stadium and regularly take single figure crowds to away games.

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2023

FC Andorra

Off the park, we upgraded our youth recruitment and training facilities, blew a bit of a hole in the finances, but they're ok, still in the black. the difference in tv income and prize money from tier 3 to tier 2 is massive, so we'll be fine.

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Hoping to see better youth intakes over the next few years, this year looks ok. Delighted if the keeper turns out decent, the national team No.1 plays for a mid table side in the Spanish 3rd tier, so we need a new one coming through at some point.

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Two signings in January, Yago Santiago comes in on loan from Spurs and is a baller. He was out of contract in the summer, but Spurs have extended it and want a decent wedge for him now, I'll be trying to get him back on loan next year. Toni Fuidas becomes the first player I've paid money for this save. £2.5k from Real Madrid B, he's roughly the same level as my current keeper, but is considerably younger and should be looking to establish himself as my no.1 for the next year or two.

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I think golden generation is pushing it a bit here, but it's decent, it's also nothing like the earlier preview, the GK isn't anything special.

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Victor Gallardo is good though, at 15 he's almost at the level of my 1st choice striker for the national side, the other striker here Munoz is decent too, slightly annoying as the 2 best players from last years intake were also strikers, so a couple will have to be retrained to play AMC or on the wing.

Spoiler

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2023

FC Andorra

We're almost guaranteed a play off place and remarkably, still have a chance of going up automatically. We have the easiest run in by far here.

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Pumped by relegation jobbers Alcorcon at home. If we had won that we would have went up automatically. Play off bound.

 

 

 

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2023

FC Andorra

Huesca in the 2 legged play off semi. Both games during the season were narrow home wins.

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They battered us here, then we went down to 10 and conceded another penalty. Fully expected to go into the 2nd leg 2 down, spot kick was saved and we went up the park and scored. Absolute limbs in the away end.

The other semi looks done already.

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Some amount of character these lads have. 88 minutes with 10 men. 

Valladolid await in the final. Prefer them to Espanyol tbh. We were narrowly beaten 2-1 away early in the season before swording them 4-0 about a month ago.

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2023

At. America

So, the 2nd division Andorran diddies I have taken over are still refusing to have any sort of youth recruitment or coaching. Bit of an obstacle for doing a youth challenge tbqfhwy.

In terms of the league, we had played 3 games more, but were 6 points ahead of the mob in 3rd place and with a superior goal difference, a win on our final day would see us go up.

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Bottled it. They now needed 7 points from their last 3.

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A 93rd minute winner means they go up if they win on their last day.

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A gallant effort away to the champions, but they come up short. We're going up.

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Youth recruitment plz.

I'm going to give it another season and then jump ship if they're not going to give me any newgens.

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2023

National Team

We're still an absolute gang tbh and are now 12 games without a win. There's been a few glimmers of hope, but I reckon it's going to be at least another 2 or 3 years until the overall standard of the squad is high enough to start giving other teams a fright.

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Mauled in Sweden, but scoring 2 at home v Serbia is promising.

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6 going on 10 in Lisbon, but we were 7 minutes away from holding on for a draw against the Greeks.

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The Malta defeat is all on me. Went with an attacking formation trying to blow them away like I did San Marino, they caught me twice on the break then won an 80th minute penalty. Sweden were all over me, but it took a scrappy 74th minute goal.

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It's looking highly likely that the story is going to end here due to my faithful old laptop falling to bits. Tried a couple of things, but the charging port is completely fucked and the device now has 0% battery. I don't think my gamed is saved to the cloud.

Devastated is an understatement, leaving tiny FC Andorra sitting 14th in La Liga after 8 games with around £20 million in the bank after 2 successive promotions. One of my favourite FM teams for years and Hector Larrubia one of my favourite players. RIP lads.

New laptop arrives at the weekend, it wouldn't feel right doing Andorra again though, but I'm going to do a similar 3 level save somewhere (not San Marino as Asim is there)as there's loads of clubs that produce foreign newgens in different countries. Stay tuned.

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It's looking highly likely that the story is going to end here due to my faithful old laptop falling to bits. Tried a couple of things, but the charging port is completely fucked and the device now has 0% battery. I don't think my gamed is saved to the cloud.
Devastated is an understatement, leaving tiny FC Andorra sitting 14th in La Liga after 8 games with around £20 million in the bank after 2 successive promotions. One of my favourite FM teams for years and Hector Larrubia one of my favourite players. RIP lads.
New laptop arrives at the weekend, it wouldn't feel right doing Andorra again though, but I'm going to do a similar 3 level save somewhere (not San Marino as Asim is there)as there's loads of clubs that produce foreign newgens in different countries. Stay tuned.

Long shot here (I had a similar problem with my old laptop), but if you have a detachable battery, have you tried plugging it in and removing the battery pack? Extended the life of my HP device until I foolishly dropped the thing and f’cked the HDD.
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9 hours ago, codfish said:


Long shot here (I had a similar problem with my old laptop), but if you have a detachable battery, have you tried plugging it in and removing the battery pack? Extended the life of my HP device until I foolishly dropped the thing and f’cked the HDD.

Aye, it's not a detachable battery. I've lifted up the keyboard panel and the charging port just wiggles around, so it probably needs taken apart and soldered back in, or a completely new one.

It's not going to be worth the cost versus getting a new laptop.

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Aye, it's not a detachable battery. I've lifted up the keyboard panel and the charging port just wiggles around, so it probably needs taken apart and soldered back in, or a completely new one.
It's not going to be worth the cost versus getting a new laptop.

Ouch. Worth suggesting, but agree on cost v benefit.

Dropping my laptop cost me a FM21 game I was properly invested in, so I feel your pain.
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