My Trials, Tribulations and Enjoyment as a football manager
A Football Manager Career by NCJesster
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NCJesster
I am excited to get started and I hope that you enjoy the ride as much as I do.
NCJesster
NCJesster
As far as updating the save here, I am going to update once a month, except for the first month. There is only 1 match left in February so I will not post an update until the end of March.
A couple of observations. As of right now, the side does not have the skill to play anything except a 4-4-2. I looked at the squad before I officially took over and I saw they had 5 in the back. I don't like that formation to be honest. I think that since we are 11th in the table that we need to change something and I am going to start with the formation.
Please feel free to comment and I really hope that you enjoy this as much as I hope to. I am using Mazza Gamings custom database for the Scotland leagues. I think him for his hard work in outing this together.
TinakoFM
NCJesster
Thanks, I appreciate it! How would be the best way for me to post the images? I just added the file from my pc under "add attachment". Should I just copy and paste the image or imbed the url for the image?
I appreciate the help very much!
TinakoFM
Personally I upload the images to Imgur.com, then use the 'picture' icon (see below) for them to show up in a post. Hope this helps!
NCJesster
Not a bad start for the career, even though I say so myself. I am really pleased with how well they are playing. I used a 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1.
I am concerned about our depth for defenders. But I have had a really tough time finding any to try and bring in. I have brought in every unsigned player that I could find to try to some new blood.
NCJesster
We have made huge strides in the league table, jumping from 11th to 3rd. But that is as far as we can go since there are only 2 matches left in the season. The board wanted mid-table and at least we are going to give them that. But sadly, I think I am not going to get a new contract here. When I took over they were "Insecure" financially and I have been trying to really watch that. I only brought in an Assistant Coach and was going to let the Reserves Manager go at the end of the season to keep things under control. But I was so wrapped up in trying to bring in new talent that I didn't pay attention during the Youth Intake. I had just left the option to sign any of the youth players up to the president and he signed them to monthly contracts instead of appearance ones. So I am now committed to a monthly payroll I cant meet. I tried to release them, but I don't have any money to pay to void the contracts.
I have to admit that even though I have played FM before there seems to be a lot different this time. I am really enjoying this.
Hopefully with my next update I can report that I am still here, but I am not holding my breath, hell, I would fire me for mis-management of the finances...
jameo_94
Excellent start though, can't ask for a lot more than that, 11th to 3rd! The board would be mad to get rid of you even with the slight financial mishap, who knows where you'd end up with a whole season managing the side!
NCJesster
Thanks for following along. I hope the board agrees with you!
NCJesster
The League table didn't change much, we had locked up 3rd no matter what happened in the final match, maybe that is why we played so poorly. I have to be pleased with the move up from 11th though.
NCJesster
James Macdonald is definitely the fan favorite, but his future is not secure. I have brought a couple of guys in that are much better than him, tough decision to make.
The season was not good because of the failure in all of the cups, however the jump from 11th to 3rd was awesome!
Lastly, the board confidence update on my work. As expected, they are "devastated" by the failure to control the budget. I have figured out that one way to get guys off of monthly contracts is to sign them to appearance contracts as soon as I can.
The question is, will they look past my financial mis-management and keep me, or is the hole I have us in too deep to get out of?
NCJesster
YES!! They were more impressed with the results than the financial issues. I will admit that I took a pay cut since I had put us in such a mess. I did go in and remove the permissions for anyone to approve contracts other than me. I would have thought that the president, since he knows our debt load would not have signed these guys. Shows what I know!
So lets get the off-season started! I don't think I have to upgrade any of the players. But I would like to hire a scout to help with the search. I need to see what happens though
Yea, the fans even like it! One thing I saw that was nice, we were averaging 37 in the stands per match before I took over and jumped to 81 at our last home match. I hope that continues
TinakoFM
NCJesster
Season Expectations
No pressure huh? I think this is actually doable though. I am really hoping that if we win these things we can get some prize money!
Squad for the season
This is what we are starting with. I like the 4-2-3-1 for the team, if I can find an upgrade for AML. Benzie is there now, but he is better suited for AMR. However, I cant seem to find a better AML so I will keep Macdonald at AMR, he did have a good season last season and Benzie at AML. But I am looking for an upgrade AML to allow me to move Benzie to the right side. I am currently training Benzie for the left side so hopefully that pays off. Also, I want to upgrade my GK. I did find some guys that were rated higher, but I want to try to make sure that it is just more than a "star" upgrade. I want to make sure that decisions is good as well as handling and one on ones. The guys I am finding are not really improvements in those areas so I am sticking with Jack now.
NCJesster
I have settled on this squad. After the pre-season I think they give us the best chance to get the results we want.
I am really pleased with this squad and these tactics. We seem to be crating a fair number of chances. I am pleased they are starting to get some positive interactions as well.
I was really pleased with the results of the pre-season matches. I scheduled 3 of them. The others were scheduled by the assistant manager. I will admit that the draws frustrated me. We should have won all of them, but after I ripped them apart after the last one they responded with an impressive performance.
The one I cant figure out. He, on paper, shouldn't be that good. But he is very impressive on the pitch, plus he is my captain.
I guess this is the proof, he did great in the pre-season. As long as it aint broke, don't fix it ...
Lastly, the odds for us to win the league, I think we can do this, but no pressure huh
Sorry for the long post, but it has taken me a few days to make it through the pre-season. I am still really concerned about the finances. I hope that if we can win some cups we can get some prize money. I also have gotten the board looking for a senior affiliate to hopefully give us some money as well. I hate that it is in this shape, but with the club already insecure my thought is if we win, that will fix the situation, hey maybe we can hit the jackpot, who knows?
Thanks for following along, let's rock and roll and have some fun with this!
NCJesster
I am really pleased with the results. Our second match was delayed because of a water logged pitch so I had 2 of them close together. But I am glad because we had some personnel issues. One things I really don't like about managing at this level is the constant raiding of the successful sides. After the first match, when Lee Fraser scored a hat-trick, he was immediately signed away. So I had time to find Daniel Park. Ironically, he is only a trailist at this point, but I am hoping to get him on contract soon. He has proven a great partner for Grant McKay.
League Table
This is the start we wanted. I am very pleased and hope it continues.
Random Thoughts
I am really pleased with the results we have had. The Harthill match was kind of frustrating. We were dominating then had a major let off and let them score 2 in 3 minutes during the last 15. Bathgate Thistle was very frustrating. It seemed like all we wanted to do was kick it at the keeper's feet. Park broke away for a long ball that got behind the back defenders and chipped it past the keeper for the win. Roysth was another one where we lost our focus in the 2nd half. The team played possessed in the first half, taking a 5-0 lead into the dressing room. Then just went through the motions the second half and let them get 2 back. Our next match sees us take on Newburgh who are currently second on the table, looks to be a good match. But the bookies have us favored in this match as well. I think it will be like that the rest of the league season.
One thing I realized with this team, the interaction between the right mix of 2 up top. I have played FM for 5 years now but never really paid that much attention to the "roles" of the different positions. I looked at what was the best role for a player and assigned that to them .It must be the new tactics setup that has allowed me to look at this in more detail. Now before y'all think I am clueless, let me tell you that I am. I am a Yank and have watched English football for quite a few years, but I never studied the positions or the interactions before. I just know what I like. I will freely admit that what I know about the game could fill a thimble, but I do enjoy the game of Football Manager. So please excuse my ignorance, it is something I am trying to rectify.
So with that being said, I will share my epiphany. I decided to go with a 4-4-2 because of MacDonald's suspension for the first match. It went so well, I kept it. But McKay is a Target Man and I noticed that he seemed to have a drop off late in the end of last season. So I decided to pair him up with Fraser, who was a Poacher, and well the proof was in the pudding. After he left, I wanted to bring in another Poacher and see if the first match was a fluke. It wasn't since we were still able to score with ease. It may just be this squad, but it seems to me that having a Target Man supporting a Poacher is a great 1-2 punch. I sill have the 4-2-3-1 in my back pocket, but the 4-4-2 seems to be going very well at this point, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Anyway, thanks for reading along, I will be adding my thoughts about certain players as we continue through the season. I will say that I am glad I brought the scout in to keep up with the anticipated revolving door of players. Oh, on a side note, the board couldn't seem to find a senior affiliate, I bet they didn't look to damn hard!
As I tell my students...let's rock n roll!
jameo_94
bigmattb28
NCJesster
I am pleased that we are still winning, but I am not pleased with the results. We even had to come from behind to win the Craigmark match. All of the sudden we have stopped taking shots on goal, well legitimate ones. The crosses have gotten weak and all of the sudden we are stopping with the ball to give the defenders a chance to catch up and get in front of any shots. I put us on "very attacking" to try to get back into the Craigmark match and nothing really changed. I am getting really frustrated with the lack of desire on the team.
In October we go from 3 matches per month to four. However November is going to be really interesting as we have 7 matches scheduled. I hope we can keep the injuries down to a bare minimum
League Table
We have increased our lead at the top of the table. I am happy with that since we are expected to win the league. I can't complain about the table, at all.
Player Insight
Here is one of our most important players in the mid-field. Sadly, he had to step up because at the start of September I lost my playmaker in the middle, signed away. I figure he will be the next one to go, but for now he is pulling the strings for me.
Random Thoughts
I have to say that I am pleased that we are winning, but I am concerned what has happened to our chances. After signing Daniel Park he has decided to stop taking any shots on goal. I want to light a fire under his backside! I cannot figure out why they have gotten so disinterested. I am trying to figure out why they have lost all of their aggression. I am wondering if it is the lost of the midfielder. He was doing a lot of setup work for us. The team dynamics seem to play a huge part in the way the side plays, or at least to me. We need to get out of this shooting slump or we are going to pay for it with a loss. I am also starting to deal with the complaining players. I will probably just start cutting the worst complainers, I don't have the luxury of dealing with prima donnas.
I have also brought in quite a few keepers. That is one of our big weaknesses. I had one play the last match. I may end up signing 1 or 2 to improve us in front of goal.
Anyway, next month is going to be interesting! Thanks for reading along....Let's Rock n Roll!!
Dan
bigmattb28
NCJesster
NCJesster
This was a month for a gut check. The Lochgelly match was a well played match. I was very pleased with them. I was also glad for the win in the Stoneyburn match. That actually could have been worse. We seemed to play flat and took great pleasure in just kicking it right into the feet of the defenders in the box. I lost count of the corners in this match. I think the GK for them had springs on his feet, was bouncing all over the place to block shots from one corner of the goal to the other. I don't even know what to say about the first Girvan match. I was so frustrated at the end of it. I did listen to my assistant didn't chew them out for the crappy play. I guess it worked out though because the Replay went well for us. I have to figure out how to keep them motivated and focused though. The second half of that match was a major letdown when we let them get 2 back to make the match look closer than it actually was. I know this unbeaten streak is going to end soon. We have gotten really lucky with some of our matches. November is going to be tough, 7 matches. The worst is going to be in the middle of the month, matches on 13th, 16th, and 20th. I think that is when it is going to hit us. I try to keep training levels low so I am hoping they don't get too tired during that time.
League Table
The great start continues. I am hoping we can build a big enough lead that when we do stumble, we don't lost that lead we have. We have also gotten into the start of the cup ties for the season. No pressure there, want me to win 3 of them and reach the quarter finals on the other. Let's just enjoy this run while it lasts!
Player Insight
Kris Benzie plays Attacking left Winger for me. Ironically he is playing out of position. MacDonald is playing on the right and seems to be the Mystery Man because of how well he plays, in spite of his ratings. But anyway, back to Benzie. He is a great compliment to MacDonald. I can move him to the right, where he is a natural so his versatility is huge for us. He also does a great job setting up whoever I have playing as a striker. He is one of the guys I signed as we started our run last season and he has proven to be a great find for us.
His match ratings speak for themselves. I am hoping he stays around to help us with the expectations we have for the season. So far I haven't seen anyone expressing any interest in him. But I am sure that will change.
Random Thoughts
Before I get started with my thoughts got the update on Brexit, doesn't look too bad for us. This is starting to get even more stressful. Ironically because we are winning. But I need to get some more funds into the club. We are losing about 1,000 per month. The winning streaks are keeping me in the good graces of the board. As of Nov 1, their approval of my handing of the finances is only 8%. I may try to get a senior affiliate again as soon as they give me the option again. I have been checking the prize monies for the cups and if we can meet expectations then we will get 22K in prize money. That will make a dent in the 48K negative balance we have. If we can win the Macron Scottish Junior Cup, and that is a big if, we would get 20K for just that cup. The loser of the final gets 10K so that would be massive for us. There is a part of me that wants to lose so we can get that monkey off of our back. I think I need to try to win all of these cups to help with the money though. I guess this is sort of rambling and disjointed, but I am checking the finances every week and also trying to watch the team morale.
Anyway, thanks for reading along! I am spending way too much time at school thinking about this save, my students are even curious about it! It has been a great run so far and I cant wait to see how November goes. Thanks again...Lets Rock and Roll!
NCJesster
What a month! We started the month from hell with a nice solid win. The Sectional Cup Group Stage was a great win for us. The team played very solid and even though we did give up a goal, it was more of a freebie after we had a 0-3 lead. Pumpherston was another match that we lost our focus on and gave up 2 goals after we had a nice 4-0 lead. The Lochore Welfare match was awful! The pundits said we were going to win that one easily. We played like we were already in the locker room while the match was being played. I ripped into them after the match and we held a practice the next day. I know we were going to have anther match in 3 days, but that was totally unacceptable We then faced East Cragie in a home match in the Region Sectional Cup and that match didn't start to well as Gregor Murdoch was sent off in the 20th minute for his second yellow card. I was just getting ready to tell him to take it easy and he made a stupid challenge. I moved us to a 4-3-2 and hoped for the best. They delivered and then some as we garnered the 5-0 win. Four days later we faced Whitburn who was sitting third in the table. The side rose to the occasion and strolled to a 1-3 victory. I did start to see a pattern that was concerning to me as we started to commit quite a few fouls. I tried to tweak the tactic to get them to back off a little, but that didn't seem to do the trick. That pattern continued the rest of the month as we ended up with double digit fouls. The East End match was full of fouls, we ended up with 15 and 5 yellow cards. I am glad we won, but I am really starting to get concerned about that issue. We finished the month with another match against East Craigie. My assistant manager told me we needed to go "defensive" for some reason. I listened to him and we were not taking any shots on goal, at all. So I changed to "positive" at about 15 minutes in the match and things turned around very quickly. That was a full month. We did suffer a couple of minor injuries but overall we fared pretty well on that front, except for one big loss for us. Midfielder Gerry Maguire suffered a torn back muscle and is out for 2-4 months. I realized that I didn't have any backup depth in midfield so I am trying to sign someone to fill in. I am also going to probably stop a signing I made. I signed a keeper that is 16 to take affect in the January transfer window, but I may cancel it since I seem to have been able to bring a guy in that is doing pretty well. December is going to be another rough one, we have 6 matches in 17 days, OUCH!
League Table and Competitions
We are still doing great. I cannot really complain. We had the 1 draw. I think we are up to 14 games unbeaten in the league since last season. Kirkcaldy YMCA is keeping close, but we do have a game in hand so I need to make sure I keep the gap in case we stumble anywhere.
Player Insight
Paul Sludden isn't one of my best players when you look at his attributes, but when you see what he has done on the pitch, he has become a very important part of the success in November. I have been playing him up top in a 4-4-2 as a Pressing Forward. Ironically, I have Connor Scully playing in the same role, just one as support and the other as attack. They have been working great together. The long ball from the back has been awesome for us. I am pleased with him and hope he continues to play this way.
Yea, he is doing great for us. Even though my scout is awful, by using long term trials, I have been able to find players like him that are doing great for us, even though we are losing guys to other teams.
Random Thoughts
I really don't have a lot to add to this. I will say that the massive increase in fouls has become an issue for concern, so I will continue to monitor that. The financial issues are still a concern and I really need to win every thing I can to try to fix that situation. The board are very happy with everything except that issue. I am hovering around 8% approval on the financial front. If I can get that under control, I am hoping to have a long career here.
A couple of questions, anyone have any suggestions on how to decrease the number of fouls? I have guys that are getting close to suspensions from too many bookings. Also, these posts seem kind of long to me. Should I break them into shorter ones? Am I including too much information? Suggestions, ideas, thoughts?
Thanks for reading and following along, I am enjoying this ride!
Dan
bigmattb28
KEZ_7
With the posts - post how works best for you! I've found that posting too often can distract me from the save!
NCJesster
Thanks again for following along!
NCJesster
I guess one of the advantages of playing at this level is how matches are cancelled due to a water logged pitch. I had that happen twice this month so we only had to play 4 matches. The Broughty Athletic match was pretty easy as the guys played well and we controlled every aspect of the match. One MAJOR problem was we suffered our first major injury. Gerry Maguire, the 17 year old who really controlled the midfield for us got injured. He tore a back muscle and is going to be out for 3-4 months. We really missed him the rest of the month and I have been trying to find someone to take over for him. I had a bad feeling about the East Craigie match, especially after the pundits said they were no match for us and they were expecting a basketball score. We played the whole match in a fog. Thank goodness to a mental mistake by them in stoppage time or we would have ended up with a draw. Too make it worse, they went down to 10 men in the 29th minute due a player being sent off. I tore into them after the match and they responded well as we earned an easy win against Fauldhouse. The one bad spot of that match was Gregor Murdoch being sent off in the 60th minute. He had gotten a yellow card in the 59th minute and I was getting ready to sub him off when he made the bonehead tackle which sent him to the showers early. The Rosyth was one where we decided it would be more fun to take meaningless shots on goal instead of actually trying to win the match. Scully did give us the winner, but we had 17 shots on goal. This is something we will need to keep an eye on moving forward. Overall, I am very happy, hell, why wouldn't I be since we have not lost a match all season. January is going to be interesting as we have 7 matches scheduled, unless our pitch gets waterlogged again!
League Table and Competitions
Everything is looking great. We are technically in second, but we are only back by 1 point and we have 2 matches in hand so I think we will be able to re-take the top spot. The competitions are also going as planned. I really need to win those though so I can make a dent in the negative bank balance.
Player Insight
Jonny Jamesion, my starting GK. I was really concerned about this position. Every report I had said I needed to upgrade here. I have a youngster that is supposed to join on 1 Jan, but I am really considering cancelling that transfer. I am really pleased with Jameison. He is also cheaper than the youngster and the youngster demanded that I promise him "Frist Team". I don't need someone else in the squad demanding to start.
As you can see, he has done a great job for us. I know my initial thought was to keep bringing players in on loan, but he was willing to sign for a low wage and I wanted to latch onto someone that I need to make an immediate impact.
Random Thoughts
I really don't have any thing to be concerned about except for the basic stuff of getting some more money into the club. I really need to win all of those cups to be honest, if we can do that I am pretty sure that my current 4% approval of financial control will improve. That is the only area I am below 50% on. Yea, when they are "devastated" over money that is not a good thing! Thanks for the advice on the tactic adjustments on the yellow cards. I have seen a massive decrease and ironically, the opposition has had a dramatic increase. We actually played 2 matches against 10 men. The issue I had with that is we didn't seem to be able to take advantage of it. So overall, we press forward and hope to continue this awesome run we have going.
Thanks for reading along, this is more fun than I thought it would be. Lets rock and roll some more!