Dans Journey Around The World [FM15]

Its been a long time coming, in fact, I last spoke to you in October of 2057 when I resigned from my previous job due to the team being awful and the board requesting a meeting which I rejected, hence the resignation. However we've moved on a bit now, 11th March 2058 is the date and I'm going to be remaining in Italy with a new job...


Sampdoria is the new choice of club and its going to be a tough one! They have been trophyless throughout this career and find themselves struggling late into the league season as you'll soon see. Financially the club aren't too bad bud definitely need to be staying up this season.


Strong in areas, weak in others but hopefully they can do the job for us this season. Some big earners amongst the squad, I won't be going on a quickfire sale thats for sure, I'll wait till the summer and see what we can muster up then.


Small bank balance, small transfer budget available as well which we can make the most of come the summer hopefully. Wages are being heavily over spent on and will require some player sales in the summer without a doubt!


And heres why the previous manager got sacked, it was a tough choice whether to pick up this vacancy or leave it, I'm hoping we can do enough in the final few games of the Italian season and mount a come back, climbing out this relegation zone. We are currently three points from safety with nine league games remaining.

Next Post: Sampdoria March - 2058

Amazing that this is still going. Takes real commitment to play a FM save for so long, long may it continue.

Sampdoria \o/ Good luck!

Good luck at Samp mate.

Thanks Fola, its not been too bad lately, there have been seasons where I've struggled for motivation but things are good right about now!

Thanks Johno

Cheers Shedender

I took charge in March and it was fair to say I had a long list of hard teams to battle against and it would be tough to save Sampdoria now I was thinking. However with a bit of hard work there was definitely still a chance. As I took charge we have just nine games remaining this season, and this is the first six of them as we battled through two games in March and four in April, could I turn this ship around..


A tough start initially to my reign here but then again, look at the teams we faced! I kicked off my career at Sampdoria with home games against Roma and Milan as well as a trip to Juventus! We lost at home to Roma three two, battled hard and we did against away at Juventus where we lost two one. Returning home it began to click, a one all draw against Milan before we drew away at Udinese. We ended the month on a high note though as we battered Palermo five one and then beat Parma two nil, two very close relegation battles won!


We are out the relegation zone..for now! Three massive league games left which will decide our season and I suppose it could well decide my fate this early into my Sampdoria career! We are only a point clear of Lazio who occupy the third and final relegation spot but with no one confirmed down yet, its anyones game!


And so here is the final run in we face. We will welcome bottom side Cesena in the first game into May before travelling away to European football chasing Chievo who sit up in seventh place. The season will end in front our own crowd as we welcome Bologna, a side who have nothing to play for in tenth place, fate is on our own hands...

Next Post: Sampdoria May - 2058

Interesting to see that the big teams in Italy have stayed relatively the same. good look with Sampdoria, in my saves they have become quite a beast once they get going

A massive shame your last job got cut short but completely understandable why you would resign.Good luck on your next appointment.

Well with any luck I can save them then KEZ_7!

It was SBR but I had to get out!

Three games was all I had left to turn this team around and survive the drop, we were out the relegation zone heading into May but not by much, in fact, it was a single point. We now face our own fate, three games to survive or drop out the top tier! It was decision time...


Just two points from a possible nine in our final three games, it'd be tough to beat the drop with that but who knows, anything could still be possible! Welcoming bottom side Cesena we only managed a one all draw, a game we should be winning. European chasing Chievo then beat us two one away from home before we ended the season with another one all draw, this time at home against Bologna, had we done enough...


Nope! We were down, I had failed the team and failed the board from their expectations of keeping the team up! In the end we headed down and I'm not quite sure how as we had a better goal difference than Lazio who finished in seventeenth. My only thought is it was sorted either on head to head results or games won.


Well, the board requested another meeting and expected me to explain what had happened and why I didn't meet their expectations of keeping the squad up. I told them it was probably best I resigned and that I did on the 10th June. My record poorly speaks for itself.

I know I said I was looking for a long job and the last two have been nothing like that. I've abandoned the idea of raising them up from the bottom now, taking our all European leagues and going South Africa to have some fun there! I'll be back soon!

Next Post: South Africa Awaits - 2058

So, a blunt run in Italy, with two teams both asking for reasons why we done rubbish, maybe due to the team performances on the pitch saw me resign and now I need to try and hook my career back on track as I leave Europe and head to Africa, the South of Africa to be precise. The game was loaded it and it had two vacancies at the time, FC A.K. or Royal Eagles, a side me, Shedender and George looked at doing a succession on at the start of the year...


It was to be FC A.K. where my future lay. I didn't even apply for the Royal Eagles vacancy as I had no intention of taking them on. A small transfer budget of fifty thousand pounds as well as a small wage budget as the board expect direct, attacking football this year, lets hope I can manage that. We play in the second tier of South Africa, the National First Division and are predicted to finish twelfth out of sixteen, the board expecting a respectable league position.


I think this is everything you need to know about the club and its situation. It lacks everything, money and trophies and I aim to change both. I want a long stint here in South Africa and build the team up from the bottom. There are six trophies to win here in South Africa, I'd like to win the majority here with FC A.K. but we shall see. We have half a million in the balance so far and a spare two thousand pounds in the wages. With no staff in the club I need to bring them in myself too!

Next Post: FC A.K. - Pre Season Round Up 2058

Good to see you've decided to manage a club with next to no history, you can make your own mark on the club...

...or you'll be sacked, which I hope you aren't.

Good luck.

Yeah I hope it'll be a lengthy long stint in South Africa like I tried last year if you remember Shedender

Its been a tough summer, I joined with only a few players in the squad and then on top of that I have struggled big time bringing staff members in, I've managed to bring in a couple coaches and scouts as well as an Assistant Manager, but as the club grows I hope I can bring more staff members in. Here is a quick


We had a bit of money to spend and I didn't take full advantage of that, I had to transfer some into wages to ensure we could build the squad and in the end settled for a lot of loan deals in which I hope will only strengthen the team for the upcoming tough season that lays ahead. We've brought in no less than eight new faces, ranging across positions with six of them joining on loan deals.


This now leaves my squad looking like this, I understand this is the first time you've seen it so if you'd like a screenshot of anyone in particular just ask and I'll try and arrange it in my reply to you on the following post. Honestly think we have a strong team to go this year around and hopefully we can help the younger players build into the squad, I'm hoping a lengthy project here!


A slow starting pre season but one we built on and finished rather strongly in come the end. Not perfect by any means but hopefully its a growing form that we can take into the season.

Next Post: FC A.K. - August 2058

Did you only chose A.K. because of their badge?

Yes! Yes I did Shedender! can you blame me!?

So we went into the first three competitive games of the season and moments before we went into our first game, I realised I didn't have an all an all out striker, so I'll show you what I have done before the season started. Then a quick round up on how we've started the league season as well as the league standings after the opening month.


Two new strikers join the squad, as I said, I accidently missed out signing a striker and when I realised I made the jump to bring in Ivan Maseko first, he joins on loan from Amazulu whilst I then found Fungai Tsodzo who looks a promising striker, costing me just three thousand pounds from Highlanders.


We started the season well, two wins from three in our opening three league games and that has definitely pleased myself! The team seem to be working hard and its nice to win some games once again. We didn't have the easiest of starts but we've battled hard.

We beat Baroka FC on the opening day as we welcomed them to our home stadium. An own goal sent us on our way before it was level at the break. There was a double for stand in striker Meyiwa as he struck late on to send us to an opening day win.

One for the neutral here, a trip to Vasco CT saw us claim a fantastic seven four victory. Maseko made his debut here and what a debut it was! Four goals for him whilst Kgoadi struck twice and Khambule struck late on securing the big win.

A tough one nil defeat at home ended the month as we lost against Cape Town All Stars.


So we are predicted to finish twelfth iirc and we are currently up flying in sixth place and performing well, however being just three games in we can't take too much from this thats for sure!

Next Post: FC A.K. - September 2058

Nope, it's a kick ass badge to be fair. Time to get back on target, it's been a decent start to the season.

Good luck in South Africa Dan. Will be interesting to see how you get on!!

Awesome badge Good luck.

It sure is! Hopefully we can perform well this season Shedender

Thanks The Ice Man! It sure will!

It is Johno, thanks!

A decent start had been made to the league season, not perfect but far better than where we were expecting to be thats for sure, its going to be a job about building over seasons. We go into October with a further four league games on the schedule as we try and continue performing above expectations early on.


Four more league games played and a 50% win rate through them was very good indeed. One clean sheet, shame we couldn't pick up more than six points but its remembering we are predicted to finish in twelfth and currently picking up fifty percent wins will definitely see us sit at the top half of the table.

We welcomed Santos F.C. to kick off October and narrowly lost out to the early league leaders two one. We were behind before a Boseeka penalty eleven minutes before the break sent us level Second half we conceded again and couldn't quite get back into it.

A trip to Thanda Royal Zulu saw us come trumps up late late late on! Infact it was four minutes into injury time when Maseko struck to secure a one nil win.

We played poorly away at Maluti FET where a topsy turvy game saw us lost five three. We twice led as Tsodzo and Maseko netted, Maseko went on to get a second but we lost out here.

The month ended with a very pleasing late come back win against Golden Arrows. We trailed at half time but it didn't stop our fight! Boseeka levelled fifteen minutes from time before Tsodzo sent us ahead three minutes before the final whistle. There was even a third for us as Phakathi netted in injury time.


Predicted to finish twelfth and after seven league games we are sitting up in fifth place and only one point outside the playoff spot, not that we are targetting that this season, we just need to continue battling away and picking up the points. Four wins and three defeats from our opening seven games.

Next Post: FC A.K. - October 2058

Good luck in south Africa.Loving the badge.Hit and miss start to the season but I am sure it will pick up.Shame what happened at samp.Was always one of my favourite Italian teams from when I watched serie a in the 90s on channel 4 on a sunday morning.

Dan's predicted to finish twelfth mate, he's had a pretty damn good start to the season.

Thanks SBR, we are predicted to finish in the bottom half though!

Thanks for clearing that up Shedender.

Our form had been very good to date and as we went into October I was just hoping we would be able to maintain our mid table position and then look to crack on next season. Going into the month just a point outside the playoffs was much more than I had imagined this season. But as we go into our next four games, could our morale and motivation push us on that little bit further...[b]

What a month that proved to be! October was superb for us, Celebrating my birthday, i think I'm 67 or so now! Getting on a bit thats for sure, but an unbeaten month came as we battled away to three wins and a draw to really climb the table and force ourselves as title contenders...

We welcomed [b]FC Capte Town to start the month where we recorded a narrow one nil win. Vaz netting the only goal of the game just four minutes after the restart.

Another goal thriller, this time a trip to Black Leopards where we struck a six four victory. Our goals came from Maseko as he struck a hatrick whilst Tsodzo struck twice and Oscarine also found the target, just pipping the Black Leopards at their own home.

A one all draw at struggling Milano United saw us fail to produce the perfect month, a game perhaps we should be winning we had to settle for a point. And that came late. We went behind fifteen minutes from time before Mogale netted in injury time sparing our blushes.

The month ended back on winning ways as a Meyiwa goal was enough to beat Witbank Spurs. The goal coming fifty six minutes in.


Well, I'm not complaing with what I'm seeing so far on the pitch this morning. Tipped to finish twelfth and we are up flying high in the playoffs as we occupy third spot currently. Its tight though as second and fourth are both on our points. Santos FC lead the way four points clear.

Next Post: FC A.K. - November 2058

Just noticed that.My bad.Great start to the campaign then mate.

Thats more like it SBR! Its been great so far!

Here we went into November and very surprising how high we are so far this season as we went into the month all the way up in third place and level on points with second. We were never tipped to be in a playoff spot this season but so far so good it would seem! Could this form continue over November and hopefully December too.[b]

Four more league games were played throughout November and it wasn't al that bad. We started well with two more wins, extending our unbeaten run, however that soon came to an end as we saw back to back defeats on the road to end November on a slight sour note.

We travelled to [b]Highlands Park and won one nil with an eighty seventh minute goal from Tsodzo.

Welcoming African Warriors we were a little bit, racing into a two goal lead at the break with Tsodzo and Phakathi both netting. We conceded in the second half yet held on to the points.

A trip to Jomo Cosmos saw our unbeaten run end as we fell to a five four defeat, our goals came from Phakathi netting a spot kick, Maseko netting twice and Tsodzo netting late on but our defence disappeared in this game.

Then a head to head clash with another side I could of managed this season, Royal Eagles, but a one nil defeat saw us miss out on bragging rights.


Despite the couple defeats ending the month we still occupy that third place and the playoff spot which is surprising which can hopefully carry on. Santos FC are having a great first half of the season, running away with the title to date. Fifteen league games left!

Next Post: FC A.K. - December 2058

Things are looking good. Just stay in the top 3 and then find top form in the last 2 months and you will have the league sorted.

Sounds so easy!!

Sounds easy but be all but that the ice man

Into the winter month, in Africa, South Africa, thats right, a poor ending to November saw us head into December with two defeats on the bounce riding on our shoulders and with just three competitive games to see out the calender year I was hoping we could bounce back and press back up on the leaders of the pack, we also began our cup adventure.


Can't complain with that return to form! We had an easyish run in throughout December anyway but two league wins followed by progression to the First Round of the Nedbank Cup we can't complain at, a great way to end the calender year thats for sure.

We welcomed struggling Vasco CT to kick December off and smashed them with my most comfortable scoreline since taking charge. A superb five nil win here. Tsodzo struck twice whilst there were single goals for Maseko, Manyama and Masilela in this five nil victory.

A trip to Baroka FC saw us win two one. Early goals from Phakathi, who netted a spot kick and then Tsodzo sent us two nil up at half time, we conceded one but held on.

We end the calender year with a Nedbank Cup game, the Preliminary round which we eased through after beating Witbank Spurs three goals to two. We trailed inside ten minutes before Tsodzo and Kgoadi pulled us out, putting us two one up at the break. We conceded in the second half as the scores were tied before Khambule struck the winner to send us into the First Round.


And so we head into the New Year here in South Africa up in second place and easily over achieving for the season so far! I never saw this coming as I've mentioned plenty of times, I had to bring in more than seven players and a whole back room staffing set up, but we are here up in second and just three points off league leaders Santos FC.

Next Post: FC A.K. - January + February 2059

Doing great dan.Keep it up.I hope you do and even if you don't win this seasons league you will have something good to build on next season.

Thanks SBR, I feel it'll be very hard to win the league this season, but we've been storming so far!

Due to the AFCON we only ended up having one game in January and that was at the start of the month, as I didn't realise I've now put January and Februarys update into one and that still only covers four games over the two months, I probably should of set up some friendlies in between the big gaps but forgot to.


Well, the goals have continued to flow in as we head into the New Year, in the four games we've played throughout January and February we've already netted thirteen times! However our defence has also been a little leaky! Conceding eight times. We have won three of four this month though.

We welcomed Thanda Royal Zulu at the start of the New Year and won four two. Phakathi netted twice, one in either half with the second one from the spot. Second half goals for Oscarine and Tsodzo sent us to the easy victory.

After more than a month without action we then travelled to league leaders Santos F.C., despite taking the lead through Khambule in the twenty seventh minute, it turned on its head and we lost out three one.

We travelled to Jomo Cosmos in the Nedbank Cup First Round and this time narrowly beat them. Tsodzo was superb once again, netting a twenty five minute hatrick for us before Phakathi done the damage, his spot kick eight minutes from time secured the qualification into the next round.

I then accidently started March, played the first game where we beat Golden Arrows away from home four two. One goal each as Boseeka, Tsodzo and Phakathi netted before the break. Masilela netted in the second half.


Well we maintain our title challenge status, surprising as it is, however I think any chance of losing the title has gone as we lost out to them earlier this month and now trail them by eight points. We also have a two point gap over third place whilst a comfortable five point gap before we fall outside the playoffs.

Next Post: FC A.K. - March 2059

Good month again mate.Unlucky that the one game you lost was against santos.

Thanks again SBR, Santos are just too good this season it seems uncatchable now
now

Here we go, into March to see if we could continue this form and really press on into the last few months of the season. With one win already under our belts in March, that win over Golden Arrows shown in the previous update, we faced four more games throughout the month, trying to continue our title hunt and the cup run we were in...


We had four more league games as I had mentioned, our form wasn't brilliant despite all four games being at home, one win, one draw and one defeat in the league however we also extend our Nedbank Cup run after passing through the Second Round tie.


A massive milestone, by far the biggest one I've ever reached! I've now managed one thousand six hundred games as of the tie with Maluti FET to kick off this update. And the players gave me all three points on the milestone, Maseko netting in the twenty third minute to seal the win.

We welcomed Black Leopards and unfortunately fail to a two one defeat against our fellow title challengers. Our goal came in injury time as Dladla netted.

Welcoming Golden Arrows for a second time this month we battled through the cup as we won the Nedbank Cup Second round three two. Our goals all came in the first half, Maseko struck a brace whilst Kgoadi also netted. We conceded twice in the second half but held on.

The month ended with us welcoming Milano United and a two all draw concluded the month. We trailed originally before Isaacs put the ball in his own net levelling things up. Boseeka put us ahead just after the break before we conceded late on in injury time and ended with a single point.


The month of just one league win hasn't cost us too much thankfully. We still still sit up in second place in the league however Black Leopards are now right on our tail, exactly the same points and goal difference whilst league leaders Santos move ten points clear with the title now theirs to lose.


Admittedly not a bad youth in take, however I'm not sure how much to look into it, our coaches and assistant manager are both rubbish so their ratings are very....varied, but the players may be good for the future in this league at least.

Next Post: FC A.K. - April + May 2059

Not the worst of months mate.Hopefully you can stay in the top 3 but this season on a whole has ben a big success.

Yeah its still been a great season SBR, but we will go till the end!

The final full month and a half is here and it was time to really push our title hopes, or at least playoff hopes. No one had tipped us to be here at the start of the league season and I'm happy we are, but there is still work to do before we are across the line and into the playoffs. We also looked to continue our cup run...


Five games throughout April and then our final two league games in May have now passed, Our form seemed to completely disappear here and it could well of cost us a spot in the playoffs come the final league table. We also crashed out the Nedbank Cup here in the Quarter Finals.

We beat FC Cape Town to kick off April in a nine goal thriller, glad we won and scored five but our defence let us down big time. Goals came from Maseko, Khambule, Tsodzo, Sithole and Maseko in injury time, poor defence showing though.

We then travelled to Witbank Spurs and our poor defensive showing continued as we lost out three two here. We were three down at the break, two second half goals from the Maseko's couldn't quite bring us back on level terms.

The Nedbank Cup Quarter Final saw us drawn against mid tabled top tier side Supersport United and their quality shone through here as they recorded a three nil win to knock us out.

Our confidence was knocked and it showed as we then lost two nil at home against Highlanders Park.

We came back to beat Jomo Cosmos four two at home. Behind early on before Khambule levelled. We trailed again by the break. Words ringing in their ears the team turned the game around. Phakathi and Maseko adding goals as Khambule also struck his second of the game.

A second defeat of the season against Royal Eagles, this time losing two one, Maseko netting for us.

We ended the month with a trip to African Warriors where we won two one. Phakathi netting a penalty to put us ahead before Tsodzo doubled our lead with half an hour remaining. We conceded late on, was this up and down form enough to win promotion...


Not sure how we've done it, but we are in the playoffs and have finished the season nine place above our predicted finish. The team have been superb and we are now just four games away from a potential promotion. Santos won the league easily, fourteen point over second place Black Leopards who finished three points ahead of us. Baroka and Milano Unite go down.


Here comes the playoffs. Here in South Africa the playoffs are split into a 'mini league' with the two teams looking for promotion from the National First Division (us and Black Leopards) in with the team finishing in the relegation playoff spot of the Premier Division (Chippa United). We play both teams twice, the team with the most points after four teams, gets promoted or stays up in Chippa Uniteds potential case.

Next Post: FC A.K. - The Playoffs 2059