It’s mid February in Almelo, Netherlands. It’s still very much winter, temperatures rarely get above 6 degrees. The lake running through the city is frozen over, but the cold shiver running down the spines of Heracles fans isn’t from the weather. Their team is bottom of the league with 5 points, winless after 22 games, 15 points off safety.
Their last point came more than 2 months ago. Striker Thomas Verheydt did his cruciate ligaments in the last game, the first game after the transfer window closed, no time for a replacement and he doesn’t stand a chance of returning in time to add to his tally of 1 goal for the season.
What hope would you give Heracles of survival now? 30 points is often enough for survival in the Eredivisie, but with only 12 games to go they’ll need to win at least 2/3 of their remaining games. Fortunately there’s no cup games to worry about, that's one less game for this knackered squad and one less chance of humiliation for these beleaguered fans.
Your charge is to take charge of Heracles Almelo and guide them to safety over the remainder of the season.
If you do you'll be added to our FM24 Challenges Leaderboard with a chance to win a copy of FM25.
How it works
Every week we will release a new FM24 Challenge.
Each challenge is designed to be quick to play. Usually half a season or less.
Complete the challenge to score points and be in with a chance to win prizes.
You do not have to complete the challenge that week. Each challenge will remain open until FM25 BETA is released.
All you have to do is play FM for a few hours and then submit a few screenshots of how you got on. Easy right?
Point Scoring
The scoring system works the same as the Olympics. You have the chance to win Gold, Silver or Bronze. Fail to make it to Europe? You won't get a medal and will score 0 points.
Gold 🥇 - 5 points - Survive relegation with positive goal difference
Silver🥈 - 3 points - Survive relegation whilst avoiding the relegation play offs
Bronze 🥉 - 2 points - Survive relegation
These points will take you on to the Overall Leaderboard. Each week we will release a new FM24 Challenge giving you more chances to win Gold, Silver and Bronze and total up your overall points.
Each Challenge has its own leaderboard. Since lots of people will inevitably win gold there are a series of tie breakers to decide your position.
Tie Breakers
- Total Points won (including FA Cup 3 for win, 1 draw, 0 for loss)
- Distance in FA Cup
- Total Games Won
- Total Goal Difference
- Total Goals Scored
- Total Chances Created
- Total Average Possession
God help me if we actually get to Total Average Possession as a tie breaker, i'll make something else up at the time.
Prizes
Overall Winner = A copy of Football Manager 2025
Weekly Challenge Winner = Premium Membership
The winner will be chosen before the FM25 BETA is released so the winner can play FM25 straight away. We do not know the date for this yet. If the date is given as something vague like “Roughly 2 weeks before full release date” we will conservatively announce the winner the Saturday before 2 weeks. I know this is vague but we will get given an official announcement by SI soon and this text will be updated and made clearer.
Rules
- You must use the manager already in the save file. You cannot create a new manager. This so that all managers have the same attributes and experience.
- You cannot use the in game editor.
- You cannot create any new managers.
- You cannot save before a match and then reload.
- You cannot use Genie Scout or FMRTE.
How to install
The download is a .fm file which is an FM Save Game.
Option 1) When you open FM and click “Load Game” and click “browse” in the top right hand corner. Then find where you saved the file, probably your downloads folder.
Option 2) Move the file to your default saved game folder, it should then appear when clicking “Load Game”. The location is:
Windows: Documents/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2022/editor data
Mac: /Users/<yourname>/Library/Application Support/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2024/games
On mac you may find it easier to Open Finder > Click Go in the toolbar > Go to folder > Paste this “~/Library/Application Support/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2024/games”
Youtube / Twitch Creators
If you run a YouTube or a Twitch feel free to drop a comment letting us know what time you're streaming or linking to your video. We'll give a shout out on Twitter as well. Also feel free to send me a PM on here or DM on here with any other queries.
Changing Your Manager Name
The manager is called “Sort It Out SI Challenge”. You cannot retire and create a new manager.
However if you find being called “Mr Challenge” annoying then you can set a nickname to give yourself a new name.
- Click “Club Info” in the sidebar
- Right click on “Sort It Out SI Challenge”
- Navigate to Misc > Set Nickname
How to submit results
You must submit the following information. Where screenshots are required you must upload an image.
Do not take a photo on your phone. You can take screenshots in FM by clicking FM > Print Screen or by following instructions for Windows or Mac.
League Table
The Full League Table including Goals For/Against (Premier League > Overview > Stages)
Game Status
The Game Status Screen (FM Logo > Game Status)
Manager Attributes
Manager Attributes (Home > Profile > Attributes tab)
Manager Overview
Manager History Overview (Home > My History > Overview)
Fixture Schedule
The full fixture schedule including the play off
| # | Manager | Medal | Points | GD | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 | 41 | 9 |
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| 2 | 🥇 | 41 | 7 |
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| 3 | 🥇 | 39 | 4 |
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| 4 | 🥇 | 39 | 1 |
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| 5 | 🥇 | 38 | 1 |
|
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| 6 | 🥇 | 37 | 1 |
|
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| 7 | 🥇 | 37 | 0 |
|
|
| 8 | 🥇 | 31 | 8 |
|
|
| 9 | 🥈 | 41 | -3 |
|
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| 10 | 🥈 | 39 | -4 |
|
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| 11 | 🥈 | 39 | -7 |
|
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| 12 | 🥈 | 38 | -6 |
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| 13 | 🥈 | 38 | -7 |
|
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| 14 | 🥈 | 38 | -9 |
|
|
| 15 | 🥈 | 37 | -5 |
|
|
| 16 | 🥈 | 36 | -6 |
|
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| 17 | 🥈 | 36 | -9 |
|
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| 18 | 🥈 | 36 | -15 |
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| 19 | 🥈 | 35 | -12 |
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| 20 | 🥈 | 35 | -15 |
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| 21 | 🥈 | 34 | -7 |
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| 22 | 🥈 | 33 | -9 |
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| 23 | 🥈 | 33 | -12 |
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| 24 | 🥈 | 32 | -10 |
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| 25 | 🥈 | 32 | -11 |
|
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| 26 | 🥈 | 32 | -18 |
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| 27 | 🥈 | 31 | -11 |
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| 28 | 🥈 | 31 | -11 |
|
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| 29 | 🥈 | 31 | -14 |
|
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| 30 | 🥈 | 31 | -17 |
|
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| 31 | 🥈 | 31 | -18 |
|
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| 32 | 🥈 | 30 | -12 |
|
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| 33 | 🥈 | 30 | -13 |
|
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| 34 | 🥈 | 30 | -14 |
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| 35 | 🥈 | 30 | -15 |
|
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| 36 | 🥈 | 30 | -16 |
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| 37 | 🥈 | 29 | -6 |
|
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| 38 | 🥈 | 29 | -14 |
|
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| 39 | 🥈 | 29 | -17 |
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| 40 | 🥈 | 29 | -18 |
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| 41 | 🥈 | 29 | -22 |
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| 42 | 🥈 | 28 | 11 |
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| 43 | 🥈 | 28 | -14 |
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| 44 | 🥈 | 28 | -20 |
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| 45 | 🥈 | 28 | -21 |
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| 46 | 🥈 | 27 | -4 |
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| 47 | 🥈 | 27 | -22 |
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| 48 | 🥈 | 27 | -27 |
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| 49 | 🥈 | 26 | -29 |
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| 50 | 🥉 | 36 | -9 |
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| 51 | 🥉 | 36 | -14 |
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| 52 | 🥉 | 29 | -17 |
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| 53 | 🥉 | 29 | -19 |
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| 54 | 🥉 | 28 | -11 |
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| 55 | 🥉 | 28 | -20 |
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| 56 | 🥉 | 27 | -17 |
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| 57 | 🥉 | 26 | -21 |
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| 58 | 🥉 | 25 | -17 |
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| 59 | 🥉 | 25 | -24 |
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| 60 | 🥉 | 24 | -21 |
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| 61 | 23 | -20 |
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||
| 62 | 17 | -30 |
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| 63 | 16 | -32 |
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| 64 | 11 | -35 |
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| 65 | 11 | -37 |
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| 66 | 🥇 | 41 | 7 |
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| 67 | 28 | -20 |
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||
| 68 | 🥇 | 41 | 14 |
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| 69 |
charliebleghhh
2nd entry
|
🥇 | 41 | 13 |
|
| 70 | 🥇 | 28 | 12 |
|
- Date Created
- 28 Sep 2024 08:21:18
- Date Updated
- 11 Oct 2024 13:21:47
- Last Comment
- 29 Oct 2024 22:14:16
Comments
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pep
Only holiday between matches
Kalle Kutt
Totally agreeing with you - but when you give the opportunity to win a free copy of fm25, there will be people trying to cheese the system. The only thing that someone could do is just have like a forced save after every game (which is possible with some skins). Also adding like a screenshot of the tactic/dynamic would also show proof if someone was using like external stuff like FMRTE.
J D Davis
@Footygamer Ive now got a silver medal, but only submitted a bronze. I only survived by the relegation playoffs. Probably should have included a screenshot of that.
FMStrawzy
Personally I'm fine with the amount you save, but the problem is there's only like 12 odd games in this challenge, so if you save before every game then it only adds 12 saves and you can keep reloading it every time you lose, so it makes it really hard to tell. I wish SI added a log file or something for every time someone loaded a game so you could see how often it occured in a save. Ruins the fun of the challenge completely
FMStrawzy
My fault mate I changed that, cheers for the honesty. Happened a lot so I'm assuming everyone who finishes in 16th won the playoffs to stay up? If that's the case I'll change them all
J D Davis
No worries, yeah pretty sure 16th is playoffs, defo was for me anyways. Cheers geez.
MeGaMaN-
Instant result every game
FMStrawzy
@Jhh9 @jmann0201 sorry guys, seen you finished 16th, did you win the relegation playoffs or did you finish there without any playoffs? Cheers
jmann0201
@FMStrawzy I won the play offs,
FMStrawzy
Perfect, thanks
lordaldid
Got sacked in April
Holgadovic1991
I won in the relegation playoffs against Vitesse and FC Eindhoven.
I attached the results, cheers man 🙂
FMStrawzy
Thanks 🙂
Rock´n Rolla#4902
Is there really no possibility in FM to see the amount of saves or disable the save opportunity for a amount of games?
BTW: A great idea. I really enjoy this kind of saves.
FMStrawzy
you can see the number of times saved on the status screen
Glenn Holmes
Added the play offs results so the Data above, hopefully that was correct.
achmadasyrafani
So struggle to raise up the locker room and to maintain best performance and picking up the best tactic, several match i got luck on big match, i need to save at different time cause i play inside i work
azwarnurc.id
thank you for the challenges
achmadasyrafani
You need to make unavailable your squad to play in reserves, under 18, etc cause player can't play in 2 different team (reserves and first team) in same gameweek
achmadasyrafani
Yes I agree on your PS, i think the rules have a limit for saving file, and not approved that someone have more than the limit, and clarify the unlogic result like the first leaderboard that can win all the game
FingFangFoom
“Heraclieden's inability to meet their pre-season expectations saw them become involved in an unlikely relegation scrap, with only their late-season form between April and May under new manager Sort It Out SI Challenge earning back a shred of respectability.” - Job Schilder, Nederlands Dagblad
Verdict: We were lucky. Our best player was 36-year-old veteran full-back Jeffry Fortes! Our leaky defence would make even the mighty Hercules cringe. Needless to say, we were lucky.
fadzrr
These is the tough challenge actually. Thank you.
March
I have attached the fixture schedule of the played matches where I was in control.
If you need the whole complete fixtures of the whole season, then I don't know how to do it, since the screen can't fit.
swivelingshark
this was a very difficult challenge with a striker injured and not a lot of cover and with the transfer window shut so difficult
to replace. But i scouted some free transfers and made my choice to sign jay rodriguez on a free. But when offering him a contract his demands were too much so i had to go back to other options. And made the decision to sign andre ayew on a free who was happy with the wages offered to him with that said. I managed to guide heracles almelo out of relegation with the only losses to psv eindhoven and sparta rotterdam and a draw to az alkmaar andre ayew helped massively to survival im not sure it would of turned out the way it did without him.
slavoury
Save file here
RKJ
Brought in a couple high profile signings….. they were terrible in general….. Andre Ayew 12 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 6.53 average rating, Mario Balotelli(mainly for laughs) 7 games, 3 goals, 1 assist, 6.79 average rating.
Pedro Henrique Carneiro
How would one get a positive goal difference, since the challenge starts with the team have only scored seven goals, and with the team starting with negative 26 goal difference?
Ravenstuff
kitcub
However else this challenge goes from here, I can't not share what'll be the high point of my time with Heracles, surely! 😀
Anton Tan
Here We Go