[FM18] The Ultimate Jacob's Ladder

I just want to stop by and say thank you.

 

I bought FM17 4-5 years ago now, and I’m sad to say that I was too overwhelmed to really pick it up and play (Outside of a few 1-2 season saves that I gave up on).

 

This thread has inspired me to pick FM17 back up and to relax and have some fun on it.

 

Just started a save in the 10th tier of English football with Newcastle University, and I’m having a lot of fun!

 

Thank you for this thread, for your humor, and your superior story telling. Keep it up!

By Gavin Williams 13 October 2022 - 17:56 PM UTC

I just want to stop by and say thank you.

 

I bought FM17 4-5 years ago now, and I’m sad to say that I was too overwhelmed to really pick it up and play (Outside of a few 1-2 season saves that I gave up on).

 

This thread has inspired me to pick FM17 back up and to relax and have some fun on it.

 

Just started a save in the 10th tier of English football with Newcastle University, and I’m having a lot of fun!

 

Thank you for this thread, for your humor, and your superior story telling. Keep it up!

Haha, I'm honoured that I've made an impact in your FM enjoyment.

And to be honest, the way FM can be played nowadays you can really go years without buying a new one - hopefully your save also goes just as long!

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Preseason 2046

Transfers

Welp, that's yet another dismantling of an already settled 1st team.
Let's see...
-Richardson-Guishard and Cleo Francis were 2 of 3 left wingers at the entire club, and both were proper speedsters - instead we now only have Matthew Connor as our only LM.
-Kelsick was a very good GK himself and started most matches last season, but Hughes-Hamm's emergence means he'll find himself an almost certain 2nd choice this season. Not overly fussed about losing him, as it turns out replacing GKs is much easier than other positions.
-Smith-Scipio was the jewel in the crown of my system as a poacher playing RM, so him leaving put a massive spanner in the works - changing formations mid-preseason, all the works.
-Markman was one of 2 targetmen around, and well he sure was a marked man eh, leaving as well.
-Cordell Francis was a starting left back, still annoyed to lose another starter but with Low Determination I suppose there might be an improvement out there.
-Edwards-Thompson was a so-so midfielder who could've found a niche as our all-playing centreback (good jumper, strong, a playmaker's Preferred Moves) buuuut yeah even he left.

So yes, a few signings had to be made, that goes without saying:




-Herbert-Battice and Burris are for the U20s and might only make a few appearances (hopefully).
-I'd signed Ricardo Hughes for his ambipedality and fullback positions, but had completely missed his tendency to Avoid the use of His Weak Foot.
That and his actual lack of ability would've counted him out of 1st team football this season, but the Hip injury really nailed that point home.
-Calan Hughes is technically adept, needs a bit of work in his mentals but will be in and around the 1st XI.
-I mentioned that replacing backup GKs is much easier than other positions here, and Hodge-Kelsick was what I was referring to - another capable deputy to our wonderkid.
-I signed Richardson to be my 1st choice(!) leftback, and he's making me not want to play fullbacks at all - a yikes on my part.
-Brooks is probably the most convoluted signing this window - transfer-listed by Ballers, joined us on trial only to have the listing rescinded, rejected our contract offer so he went back to Ballers only to agree to a termination, and from there we pounced once again.
A very capable LCB/LB, will definitely start games.
-Richardson-Guishard did well in preseason while on trial, so the call was made for him to be our last addition to the team.
Not sure about the Low Determination, but an OK work rate should do him some good for the graft up top.



Preseason was... odd.
We had that streak of straight wins, but a loss and stalemate at the end does put a severe dampener on things.
Didn't help that I decided to push a 4-1-2-1-2 into our formation rotation - no instructions set, guys had barely any game time with it, no surprises that we fumbled for our final 2 matches.



Will probably go with this 3-5-2, massive amounts of shoehorning needed but hey, it got us that winning run after all.



Slated to finish just above the top half, a dangerous position to be in when considering that's the minimum target set by the board and with our significant player/tactical turnover.

Midseason 2046/47

Another departure on deadline day - Theon Anthony was a backup CB filling in in midfield, and even he left.



So we signed a replacement, and (spoiler alert - midseason window transfer) another off the recommendation of our scout:



I really should've gone for Hughes-Johnson anyway, but either by choice or circumstance he's in our midfield now.
Really dodgy 1st Touch which is exacerbated by his Composure, but he seems to have adjusted well enough.



You know how Anguillans automatically have dual English nationality due to the Commonwealth, and suddenly have knowledge of non-league England? Yep, explains this.
Johnson's not too bad, not nearly enough to justify paying him $35p/w, but I still think it was worth the punt.
At worst he's a good option in our midfield rotation.



Quite a decent 1st half to the season, 6 wins in 8 is quite good going and Id've snapped your hand off for it.
It's how it ended though, my days:

https://i.imgur.com/Uqt8KeT.mp4

Imagine conceding this winner and not having it recorded as a goalkeeper error, so I couldn't even put him on blast.




Then we have this - leg-breaker and not even a card, horrible stuff.



We've done enough to keep ourselves within touching distance of Attackers, but with our best striker in Brooks out (Richardsion-Guishard's form notwithstanding - he also got injured against Uprising anyway) I think our season in effectively over at this point.
Fingers crossed we can get a replacement, but my days this has just completely ruined my mood regardless.