Your biggest FM challenges

I'm currently trying to get Cambridge United out of the Conference, and they have some terrible players on long contracts with high wages. Its tough!

What has been your biggest challenge on FM? How did you do?

I've never really faced up to a relegation battle or do-or-die promotion, I've normally taken average teams and made them good. For example, I've taken AFC Wimbledon from the Conference to the Champions League, that was fun. I've also won everything possible with Fulham and got Winchester City from the Wessex Premier to League Two.

I took Leyton Orient to UEFA Cup glory on 97/98. Bjorn Heidenstrom was a machine.

So many games over the years, but on the recent iteration having a go with Truro City has been a lot of fun. On taking charge (in the year 2045.... yes, that's how far into the 'career' I am now) they had never finished above 24th in the Conference South.... And had played at that level three times.

Now in my tenth season in charge they are in the Premier League having survived their first season the year before with a 14th place finish. The highlight of it though, getting out of League 1 with the smallest wage budget in the football league.

So many games over the years, but on the recent iteration having a go with Truro City has been a lot of fun. On taking charge (in the year 2045.... yes, that's how far into the 'career' I am now) they had never finished above 24th in the Conference South.... And had played at that level three times.

 

Now in my tenth season in charge they are in the Premier League having survived their first season the year before with a 14th place finish. The highlight of it though, getting out of League 1 with the smallest wage budget in the football league.

Swish. Any particular secret to this success?

Last week I got Barnet into the Championship with consecutive promotions. First season said I'd stay up and we won the division, second season I said I'd stay up, we reached the play-offs in January, suddenly in March we found ourselves top and then won it on the last day of the season. Key signings: Umberto Improta and Anthony Delplace. Essential for any League Two teams if you ask me.

I always try to get a swedish team from the regionals into the allsvenken but it never works, I got Albion Rovers into the SPL once and won it but for the life of me i cant work out how.

my latest is a Level10 game!! come on the mighty Whitchurch United!! 1 promotion and counting!!

I like playing with Scotland - decent players but seeded lowly so you always get put in very tough qualifying groups for competitions. Won the 2018 World Cup on FM10 with them, that was good.

I got Aldershot from the Conference to league 1 in 2 years.

I only spent 100k doing it. But then quit to take over at Hull who were below Aldershot. But offered my 5 million to spend.

I haven't played these for years, but I still remember 99/00 vividly. You could take charge of Peterborough in League 2 and they had no money, but a reasonable size stadium. Most importantly they had a team of players that would become world class in nearly all positions.

Still remember most of them, Simon davies, matthew Etherington, Anders Koogi, Gareth Jellyman and Warren kenna. Then you could get Amara Simba easily and he would score 30 a season before retiring.

Saints were hopeless with enormous wages and long contracts for hopeless players.

Getting the ruddy thing running this year has been my toughest thing.

I think I have a corrupted file somewhere, but ive done everything the SI forum suggest. XML passing error is all my game has seen on FM2011

It's January, I'm six points clear at the top with possibly the worst squad ever. The two biggest earners are also the two most injury prone players, their contracts are until 2012 and 2013 so I can't just release them and no one wants them on a free.

It's January, I'm six points clear at the top with possibly the worst squad ever. The two biggest earners are also the two most injury prone players, their contracts are until 2012 and 2013 so I can't just release them and no one wants them on a free.

Sounds like you're a pro at this game then

Sounds like you're a pro at this game then

Ha. Believe it or not it's all down to one simple thing, team talks.

http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/football-manager-2011-tactics-training/29092-woifsongs-teamtalk-guide.html

Just completed my biggest challenge.

I have just won the champions league with Truro City. The final was against Torino, the same Torino who earlier in the game I turned into the biggest club side in world football. And man of the match.... Striker Adam Hart, he scored one and set up the second, he was signed whilst we were in the Conference South. A fairytale.

Maybe now I can move onto FM 12.... or maybe not.

Just completed my biggest challenge.

 

I have just won the champions league with Truro City. The final was against Torino, the same Torino who earlier in the game I turned into the biggest club side in world football. And man of the match.... Striker Adam Hart, he scored one and set up the second, he was signed whilst we were in the Conference South. A fairytale.

 

Maybe now I can move onto FM 12.... or maybe not.

There must have been a serious amount of quitting without saving going on there, so er... well done...

Anyone having problems with STEAM this evening. Got boxed copy of FM2012 - working fine. Steam - sorry this game unavailible - please try later???

There must have been a serious amount of quitting without saving going on there, so er... well done...

Surprisingly little quit/saving actually, the scouting was the main part of 'rule bending.'

Winning the world cup from unemployed within 10 years must be sodding difficult to do. Might give it a go.

Winning the Champions League/Prem with Eastleigh is always the challenge I set myself, although might change it to Totton for FM2013 if they get promoted this season.

Managed it in FM2010 and 2011, missed out on the Prem title with FM2009 (but still managed somehow to win the Champs League)

Currently on FM 12: taking Plymouth to the championship with back to back promotions. £2million in the red, reduced the contracts of Larrieu, Fletcher and Walton. Brought in Wayne Jacobs as assistant and created a tie with Leicester City who loaned me Oakley, Moussa, Ball and Schlupp through out the season. Signed Bolasie back on loan from Brizzle City and Onar Koroma on a free.

Picked up the JPT in our first season, crushing Preston 3-0. FA Cup last 16 lost 5-2 away to Newcastle and out round three of LC to Brighton. Main objective of promotion was achieved ar Home Park, claiming the league title with a 1-0 over Rotherham. Raised £2.6m with summer friendlies and competition money.

Season two: After winning the league, I kept the majority of the squad together, re-signing Bolasie on a SLL. Stole Lee Novak for £20k and Arsenal's Daniel Boateng. We hosted 4 more mega bucks friendlies even beating decentish Spurs 4-1!!!

The bank was looking better with £3.8m and £8k spare on the WB. JPT defence finished early with a loss to Swindon. Battled through out with Sheffield Utd for top spot but eventually slipped away and ended up in play-offs. Beat Huddersfield 4-3 on agg. With a 93rd minute winner from Novak, to set up a return to Wembley in the final with Blackpool. Plymouth ran the game with ease and secured promotion with a 2-0 win!

Unfortunately, earlier on in the season I lost Curtis Nelson to Swansea for £600k and a 45% sell on fee! So brought in Peter Clarke from Huddersfield along with Brazilian regen Xuxhina.

Season three: Was given £1m to spend, so in came Yves Mala Kalambay, Michael Johnson, Fraizer Campbell, John Bostick and Ryan Taylor all on freebies and not one player on more than £16k. More importantly we have discovered 16 year old Alfie Shearer via our academy who will leave a season later for £3m to Wigan.

Managed to have Plymouth occupy the top six for the opening 10 games but for it to come crushing down on our heads and lingering 17th after 15 games. Some brilliant results like crushing Leeds 6-1 at Elland Road. Which forced 11th placed Blackburn to offer me the job with a £16m war chest and cracking squad in which I took.

I ended up taking Daniel Boateng with me for 500k and brought in Saints leader scorer James Vaughan. It was with out doubt my best achievement as I would go the rest of the season unbeaten with a win percentage of 88%, However loosing one game atvEdwood Park, 3-0 to, yep you guessed it, Saints who ran away with the league. We secured second place and promotion back to the PL. more surprisingly, we was handed an easy route to the FA semis to a game with PL Newcastle, which we pinched with 10 men 3-2 in ET. We lost the final to Liverpool 3-1 but I didn't care we got back!

I'm in my second season with Salisbury, shocking squad high wages so its been a right old slog. Managed to sneak them into the conference South playoffs with a great run in my last 10 or so games and that form carried me through to promotion quite comfortably in the end, beating Welling 3-0 in the final. This season has been very difficult, never really had to fight a relegation battle on FM before. After 14 games I'm 19th but I've got some tough games coming up and the bottom 4 are all within 2 points. At the end of this season I've got a load of contracts expiring so that will give me the chance to get rid of the deadwood and bring in some quality if I dont get sacked by then.