I've decided to post an AAR showcasing the rise (hopefully) of Mookham FC.
Mookham is a fictional town on the south coast of England. It's inhabitants have always wanted their own club to support. Hans Gessner, the Mookham born son of an English mother and German father, has decided to return to Football. Gessner was a local sensation in his youth. He moved up through Southampton's Youth Academy but was signed by Frankfurt Eintracht when he turned 18. In Frankfurt he had a solid but unremarkable career. Gessner was then bought by Southampton and was able to finish out his playing career on the pitch at St. Mary's. He stuck around the Saints as a Youth Coach but grew tired of the "win at all costs" mentality and left the team and football...until now.
As anyone who has ever coached will tell you, you'll miss it when you're gone. So Gessner decided to bring Semi-Professional Football to his beloved town of Mookham. Gessner convinced some of his old teammates to invest in his new club...Mookham FC.
Hans had one stipulation though, he didn't want to be the Head Coach or be part of the Board even. He wanted to hide in the shadows as the Assistant Coach and have fun again. Let everyone else worry about the business side.
The first person he needed to hire had to be someone he knew he could trust. Someone he could manipulate when he needed to and would listen to him when he offered advice. That someone was me, Max Saturn. Hans and I spent our first 18 years as the best of friends. Hans moved on in his soccer career and I joined the Army. When Hans decided to restart his coaching career he asked me to be the Head Coach of his new FC.
"Seriously Hans? I, um, don't know the first thing about coaching. I can stack cones and occasionally kick a ball in the direction I want it to go. I wouldn't say those are qualifications for a Cub Scout Badge let alone a coaching badge".
"That's exactly why you'd be perfect" said Hans. "You don't really need to know much. I'll guide you along until you get the hang of it and no one will be the wiser" he explained. "We'll hire some scouts to find players and some real coaches who know what they're doing. Come on, it'll be like old times."
"Ok, I'm in" I told him "but you better not throw me under the bus when this thing goes pear shaped"
"What could go wrong?" said Hans as he turned his back and walked away. What could go wrong indeed.
Day One at Mookham FC
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Here is what I'm doing:
I've created an empty, fictional team and placed them in the Skrill South. The team is completely empty except for the Assistant Coach, Hans.
I have 4 days before our first friendly to get some players in on trial. We'll have to fill the coaching staff positions, Scout positions, get a Physio, and try to arrange a few friendlies to help our money situation.
I will only use the known player list until the first Scout is hired. I'll then only use the scout reports to find players.
I'll delegate many of the more tedious duties to Hans such as Press Conferences and coaching the friendlies. I'll handle all the team signings.
Due to my work schedule this may go slow at times but I'll stay with it until I either reach the Premiership or get relegated out of the Conference South. Wish me luck.
Good luck!
Day 10 at Mookham
"Have you seen all these guys, Hans?" I asked while looking out onto the training ground. There had to be no less than 30 guys of all shapes, sizes, ages, and nationalities.
"Yep. What do you think?" Hans replied.
" I think we're screwed. I'd say there are about 2 guys out there that can play."
"Nah, you watch." said Hans confidently "We'll turn some of these guys into a team. We're not keeping everyone. We just have to be patient."
"What about our Keeper? The guy has to be about 50."
Hans looked truly confused. "No. All the Keepers we're looking at are in their early 20's"
"Nope" I said "He introduced himself as Gus, said he was our Keeper. He seems to take this stuff pretty serious too. He started asking me about pitch width and length."
Grinning and slowly shaking his head Hans replied. "Gus is our Groundskeeper."
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The players listed in green are players on trail with the team. The ones in white are who we've signed so far. Since we signed our 2 Scouts already, I'm limiting myself to only the players that they find. Unfortunately, at this level, your scouts aren't all that good and you only get 2 of them.
We did win our first friendly 4-1. So far we're undefeated! I should just get out while I'm on top.
"God I'm glad that's over!" I said. I was completely relieved that the pre-season had come to a close.
"The fun is just beginning. We did good but the competition was weak. We performed up to expectations. You can't ask for much more than that." said Hans confidently.
"So do you think we have a chance?" I blurted out just like a child would ask his dad if their favorite sports team could achieve the impossible.
"Of course we have a chance." said Hans with his annoying little grin. "We have a chance to get promoted, a chance to be relegated, and a chance to be doing this all over again next season. What we have to do is make sure we take advantage of EVERY chance we get". Hans' demeanor had suddenly become very businesslike. It was almost reassuring to know that he possessed a serious side. I think we'll need this side Hans if we intend to get anything out of the season.
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We managed to win all but our last friendly. The competition was nothing to get excited about but we did better than I thought we would. I had tried to arrange some home friendlies with every team in both the Premier and Championship leagues to no avail. Our reputation is just too low non existent. It used to be that if you could get some of the big clubs to play friendlies (exhibition games) against you at your venue you'd pick up a good chunk of cash through gate receipts. It seems as if they've addressed that and now you can only pick up about 25% of what you received before. At this point though, it would still help.
I'm keeping an eye on this. I want to see more about how this game plays.
@ Bison- Thanks, I think we'll need it.
@Banzai- This is my first AAR so hopefully I can keep informative, educational, and entertaining.
"Where the heck have you been Hans? Everybody is already out on the pitch. This is it, the last practice before the season starts."
Hans grinned in his usual, cocky sort of way. "I went to secure next season's payroll...and a little something extra for me." His grin returned the instant his mouth stopped moving.
"Putting the cart a little in front of the horse aren't you?" I said. "Don't you think it's a bit early to think about next season considering we haven't even played a game this season?"
"You didn't see Sky Bet's Season Preview Show this morning did you?" said Hans with a touch of seriousness. "2000-1! The Bookies couldn't take my money fast enough. I just hope they pay up with as much gusto." It was almost as if Hans was already counting the money in his head.
"Do I dare ask how much you bet?" I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.
"10,000 quid(pounds?)! That should cover our payroll for next year AND give me a nice little vacation before we start preparing for the Skrill Premier."
All I could do is stare, mouth open, and slowly shake my head. "There's probably a reason they have us at 2000-1." But Hans never heard my comment as he was already half way to the pitch.
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Clearly the Odds Makers don't give us any chance to achieve promotion. They don't even give us a chance to stay in the league. I'm hoping we assembled a reasonably decent team. I have to admit though, only using scouting reports to find players is making this very difficult. There's a diminished pool to choose from and, frankly, my scouts suck.
Next up: The start of the season.
Before we kick off our, hopefully, successful campaign, let me introduce the two most important non-players in our organization:
Hans Gessner.
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Hans' attributes are clearly better than we deserve at this level. I used the editor to lock him into the club for awhile. I think the narrative part of the story gives
one of the only explanations as to why Hans would even be seen at a club of our low stature.
Johnny McCrystal.
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McCrystal is our crusty Head of Scouting. At this level it puts him in charge of exactly ONE other scout. Not much of a resume builder. McCrystal's attributes put him
more as a keepers coach than a scout but he was the best I could find. He was also the best scout willing accept a job at our club. If we can get out of the Skrill South
he will probably be one of the first casualties.
"How can you just sit there, feet on the desk, shoveling that salad into your mouth like a cow with thumbs? Aren't you the least bit nervous?" I had just exited the Staff Restroom for the third time. There was no way there could be anything left for a fourth trip.
"Just relax Max. I'll take care of the first game. Just watch, listen, and every once in awhile repeat something I say. We'll be fine. The boys are ready." Mouth full of greens and all, I got Hans' point. He was taking care of our opener. I just had to make sure I didn't get in the way.
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I wasn't going to do anything crazy. I had Hans select the Starting Eleven for this match. I'd take over the following games and not use Hans for that again...I hope.
You may have noticed that we are deep at both Strikers and Defense but sparse in the middle. That was not by design and will have to be addressed quickly. Oh, and being deep at a position doesn't necessarily mean you have anyone good in that position just that you have a lot of players. :-\
We need to set the tone for the season here. We are playing in front of our fans(supporters). If we put on a good show we may be able to fill the stands, and in turn our coffer.
Here we go!
Good luck! Premier League or bust! 8)
"That was awesome!!!" I couldn't contain my excitement. I'm sure my post match speech could only be understood by Red Bull fueled teens.
"That was a good win, no doubt but we can't get complacent just yet." Hans seemed no less happy but far less excited.
"I wish I would've went to the Bookie with you. Surely we're the team to beat." It may have been my most confident statement in the last month.
"That was just one win. We need a bunch more if we are going to get out of the South and into the Premiership...any Premiership." Hans had suddenly went all businesslike again.
"Are you ready to take the reigns now?" Hans asked as he stared straight through me. "I'm going to be in the press box next match.
Everyone needs to see you on the sidelines by yourself. Everyone needs to know you're the Man down there. Are you ready for that?" Hans waited patiently for my reply. He didn't have to wait long.
"Are you kidding? I say we play the match tomorrow! I'm ready, the boys are ready. I just hope the Pub next door is ready. Come on Hans, I'm buying."
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A good result considering we selected our players by using the spaghetti against the wall method. We played a clean game and made the most of
our chances. Our Polish Keeper was just a few seconds from recording a clean sheet(shutout). I'm sure we're going to be long time fixtures at the top
of the table. What could go wrong...
Awesome.... well done and long may it continue
Quote from: undercovergeek on January 05, 2014, 02:30:17 PM
Awesome.... well done and long may it continue
Thanks UCG!
Since this is my first AAR I'm open to suggestions and criticism. Thanks to everyone for reading this.
"I don't get it Hans. You made it look so easy. I'm seriously considering turning this over to you. I've suffered enough embarrassment for the month." I really didn't know what to say or do. We would have lost 5-0 to Concord if Hans hadn't come out of the press box to take control of the game. It wasn't as close as the 3-2 score would indicate.
"You'll get this Max. I don't want control of the team. I enjoy being the man behind the curtain." Hans didn't look like someone who was enjoying much of anything right now.
"That was only one month of a NINE month season." Hans continued, "We got a win under our belts and more will come. Lets not panic just yet." Surprisingly panic wasn't one of the emotions I was feeling right now. Embarrassment, check, despair, check, that feeling where you find something revolting but you can't help but stare at it, check, but not panic.
"Hans, we just lost 6-1. Our Stirkers couldn't hit the side of a barn from the inside and the defense was playing dodgeball or something but certainly not soccer." I honestly didn't know what to do from here.
"I'll give you two more games to see if you can right the ship on your own. If things don't go better I'll step in for a bit. How does that sound?" Hans sounded as if he already had something up his sleeve but wasn't going to let me in on it just yet. I really hope he has something up his sleeve.
"Well it's not like I have much of a choice." I'm sure the resignation in my voice betrayed any confidence I was trying to show.
"Good. Let's go next door and grab a pint." Hans had returned to his normal, confident self.
"Um, we can't. They won't serve us again until win. Sorry."
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The Concord game looked like a potential blowout. It was 3-0 at half before Striker Steven Bourne tapped in a pair of goals. We only managed 3 shots on goal the entire game.
The Bishop's Strotford game should have been a draw at least. We dominated and they even went down to 10 men at 61 minutes. A long distance shot from one of their defenders ended our chances at getting any points.
The Bromley game was just a forgettable debacle. I've never seen a defense play so poorly. It was plain brutal.
Time to make some adjustments and regroup.
Just in case you're curious, here's how the English Premier League is shaping up:
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A big surprise with Liverpool in the relegation zone.
i dont think sunderland have won 3 games yet this season
Quote from: undercovergeek on January 05, 2014, 04:28:38 PM
i dont think sunderland have won 3 games yet this season
I had to look it up but your right, 3 wins and dead last in the league.
what the series has always been famous for is predicting transfers - i hope that you find at the end of the january transfer window some real transfers have happened to match your game - its very spooky when it happens
Quote from: undercovergeek on January 05, 2014, 05:37:52 PM
what the series has always been famous for is predicting transfers - i hope that you find at the end of the january transfer window some real transfers have happened to match your game - its very spooky when it happens
That's what gets me so angry with the people who unjustly criticize this franchise. There is so much going on, not just on the surface, but under the hood as well...and they get sooo much right. But there are always those little snivelers, the ones who got a trophy for putting their shoes on over their socks, that will complain no matter what. For whatever reason this save hasn't been as accurate with the Premiership but my save before this was eerily close to real. I wish more American sports fans would give this game a try. I honestly don't know the first thing about soccer but I can't express enough how good of a sports management sim this is.
forgive the small AAR digression - this was my exclusive PC game from 1996-2001, hours and hours lost (not in a bad way) to this game, me and my best friend would meet up on Friday nights with a crate of beer and play til Sunday evening, non stop, no sleep and just play the game
The 2 things that always amazed us were the transfer similarities as mentioned, and the other, which we actually banned when we were together - it became regularly lethal to say whilst watching a match (this was long before a match engine, it was just a highlights bar that would flash in the middle of the screen over the top of the ground you were playing at - similar to XXXXX passes down the wing to XXXXX, he shoots, XXXXX parries the ball, XXXXXX jumps first and scores!!!!! and the bar would flash on and off..... anyway) 'does errrrrrr XXXXX still play for your opponent?'
and almost as soon as you said the question, the bar would start flashing with the player you just mentioned scoring against you
or 'hey, we havent seen XXXXX do anything for a while' flash flash flash flash 'oh........... hes there'
man, sounds mundane to mention it now - good times, fond memories of this game - i hope you love it
Quote from: undercovergeek on January 05, 2014, 06:11:42 PM
forgive the small AAR digression - this was my exclusive PC game from 1996-2001, hours and hours lost (not in a bad way) to this game, me and my best friend would meet up on Friday nights with a crate of beer and play til Sunday evening, non stop, no sleep and just play the game
The 2 things that always amazed us were the transfer similarities as mentioned, and the other, which we actually banned when we were together - it became regularly lethal to say whilst watching a match (this was long before a match engine, it was just a highlights bar that would flash in the middle of the screen over the top of the ground you were playing at - similar to XXXXX passes down the wing to XXXXX, he shoots, XXXXX parries the ball, XXXXXX jumps first and scores!!!!! and the bar would flash on and off..... anyway) 'does errrrrrr XXXXX still play for your opponent?'
and almost as soon as you said the question, the bar would start flashing with the player you just mentioned scoring against you
or 'hey, we havent seen XXXXX do anything for a while' flash flash flash flash 'oh........... hes there'
man, sounds mundane to mention it now - good times, fond memories of this game - i hope you love it
Not at all. I've owned almost all of these since 2000. I remember being so superstitious that I had leave the pointer over my substitution bar or else my team wouldn't score. This is one of the only franchises I'll buy without question.
lmfao, i used to leave it on the colon between minutes and seconds on the timer- ha brilliant :D
"Now what Hans? That's 2 more losses. The fans want my head and the Board wants my ass. I'm done! Thanks for the opportunity and all but I'll be in the Men's Room until I grow a beard and then I'm out of here." I was done!
"I told you if you dropped the next two games I'd step in and help and I will." Hans said sporting his trademark grin.
"This team is beyond help Hans" For starters our Keeper doesn't speak English, our Forwards run like Ronald McDonald with a rock in his shoe, and do you know what the supporters call our Defenders Hans? Do you? They call them The Turnstyle. It was fun, we tried, sorry you lost your money but we're done." I had surrendered. I would've emptied my desk right then and there but Hans had his feet up on it.
"Shake it off and get the team ready, I have a phone call to make." I'm really beginning to hate you Hans.
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One of the things that I've overlooked is the importance of your Keeper being able to communicate with his defenders. Our Keeper happens to be Polish. We are getting pummeled in front of the net. We also aren't getting any production from the forwards. Things are looking bleak so it's time to shake things up.
"Come on in Max."
"Thanks Hans, it is my office and all. Although you wouldn't know it since both of you have your feet on my desk."
"Max this is Rob Haworth. He's the help I promised." Rob and I shook hands. There must be a cocky grin school that I don't know about and the two guys in my office were obviously in the top of their class.
"Hans, you know your friends on the board won't let us have another coach. Hell, we're barely above the red as it is. Have you seen Gus the Groundskeeper lately? He carries around a bottle of asprin and a box of Band-Aids and tells everyone he's our Physio. Christ, he might as well be because the Board won't let us have one of those either."
"Relax Max. Rob isn't here to coach, he's here to play. We go way back to when I was a kid at Southampton and he was at Fulham. He can help, trust me."
"Don't worry" said Rob, "Hans filled me in on everything. I'll get these guys winning and, more importantly, believing in themselves AND you."
"This isn't one of those reality shows is it. The ones with the hidden camera. You guys can't be serious. No offense Rob, or should I call you Mr. Haworth, but you're as old as we are." I was sure I had finally figured out what this little experiment really was.
"Don't worry Mr. Saturn I got you covered. See you tomorrow...sir." Rob flashed that damn grin again as he exited the room.
"I have a couple more guys coming in tomorrow. I hope you won't complain about their age." Hans followed Rob out of the room. At least he didn't grin this time.
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At this level experience is often more important than youth or speed. An older, slower guy can have "Football Speed".
It's knowing where to be and not wasting energy and effort chasing a ball around the field. Lets hope Rob Haworth has that kind of speed.
Fantastic, KyzBP! I have exacty zero interest in soccer, but I will be following along as you go. Thanks for writing this up :)
Quote from: MetalDog on January 05, 2014, 10:49:29 PM
Fantastic, KyzBP! I have exacty zero interest in soccer, but I will be following along as you go. Thanks for writing this up :)
Thanks MetalDog. I hope to keep this going for awhile. I'm not a big soccer fan either but I'm a big fan of well done games. Hats off to Sports Interactive for this.
"Good morning mate. Can I come in?" This was completely out of character for Hans. Not only was he not already in my office, sitting on my chair but there was no trace of his grin.
"What's going on Hansy? You look especially somber this morning."
"I just talked to the Board. They want you out." Hans paused long enough to give me a chance to react.
"So that's it then? We're done?" I felt better when I was going to leave under my terms but being sacked impresses that overwhelming feeling of failure on you.
"Not quite yet. I got them to give you one more game. If we win or at least draw(tie) then we might buy ourselves some time." Hans was still serious, no smirk or anything. This was obviously his game face.
"I'll just pack my stuff up now. There's no chance we win tomorrow. We're playing Tonbridge, who just happen to be at the top of the table(first place). Oh, AND we're playing away! The last away game we won was a Friendly(exhibition). Do you remember when I stressed out during Friendlies, Hans? Can you imagine how I'm feeling right now?" The tone of my voice was more angry than resignation but it was really a coin flip.
"I've already got something in the works. Rob and I are going to work with the guys on a new formation today. We still have 24 hours. It's plenty of time." And there it was. Hans' confidence was starting to emerge and it's so damn contagious.
"Twenty four hours is a lot of time between meals not to turn around a Football Club." Contagious, yes but I seemed to have built up an immunity over the years.
"See you on the pitch Max. Bring a lunch. We're going to be here awhile."
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And with just two changes we saved our jobs. The board had given me the ultimatum: win or your out. I thought we were goners. Signing Haworth seemed to energize the whole team.
Changing formations seemed to help as well. I had the Assistant Coach (Hans) pick the lineup for this game and he brought on Ellis Remy as Haworth's Striker Partner and the two bonded immediately.
The pressure's still on though. We're going to need some good results over the next few weeks or this will be a short AAR.
The New Formation
The new formation is called a 4-4-2 Diamond.
For the uninitiated, the first number (4) tells you how many Defenders your formation will have. The last number (2) tells you how many forwards or Strikers you'll have.
The middle number (4) represents your Midfielders. There can be more than one middle number based on the formation i.e.: 4-2-3-1 as Dorchester have gone with here.
Personally, I grew up watching, playing, and coaching American Football and can rattle of formations and their purposes almost instinctively. Yet even though I've been
playing this franchise for 13 years now I still have yet to really grasp the functions of each formation (and there are a ton of them) or the roles assigned to the players.
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For anyone interested or sitting on the fence even, there is a demo available through Steam. You get full access for 6 in-game months. I can't recommend it enough...obviously.
Thanks for making that one screenshot larger, KyzBP. Much easier to see. 8)
Also, I think I might give the demo a try. I found the manual online also (http://www.footballmanager.com/manual/) so I'll be reading through it. While I'm interested in this game, as you've said there seems to be a butt-ton of minutiae that can each make or break an organization, and wrapping my head around all that will be the biggest challenge.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 06, 2014, 08:23:17 AM
Thanks for making that one screenshot larger, KyzBP. Much easier to see. 8)
Also, I think I might give the demo a try. I found the manual online also (http://www.footballmanager.com/manual/) so I'll be reading through it. While I'm interested in this game, as you've said there seems to be a butt-ton of minutiae that can each make or break an organization, and wrapping my head around all that will be the biggest challenge.
I'll try to increase the screen size from here on out. Sometimes there's just a lot of pertinent info though.
Don't let the minutiae scare you off. You can delegate the stuff you don't understand, much like Distant Worlds. There are a bunch of fan based websites for this game. Some provide guides and explanations on how to play. Here are a few:
http://www.fmscout.com/c-guides.html
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/forum.php
http://sortitoutsi.net/articles/category/151/football-manager-2014-guides
If you explore the websites you can get an idea of how customizable this game is. You can't go wrong with checking out the demo.
Most of all, thanks for following along.
"Look at that Max, we survived September." Hans was back to his jovial self. It was comforting to see.
"WE? More like I. When the wheels finally finish coming off this wobbly wagon it's ME they're going to sack. They'll probably give you a new track suit and a Half-Off One Pint coupon for the pub next door. Heck, the pub will probably start letting you in again." I just couldn't see the glass being half full or containing any liquid at all.
"Nope it's we. Do you remember the 10k I took to the bookie at the start of the season? That was our transfer money for this season. The Board just found out. It's definitely we.
I don't know why but I felt a little grin of my own starting to creep across my face.
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This how the month ended. We managed to pick up another point against a team that was supposed to clobber us.
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Here is where we sit at the end of September. We are in the relegation zone but the team seems to be coming around.
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Unfortunately, the Board is not amused by our management style.
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And here's where the EPL sits at the end of September.
Sorry I can't make all the screen shots bigger but some of them just don't want to adjust.
"Alright Hans we have to do something quick, something drastic." I had finally pushed the panic button.
"What do you have in mind?" Hans actually seemed interested in what I had to say concerning football. It was a first.
"I think we need to bench Zylski. The players have no confidence in him and I can't understand a thing he says."
"Ok, Max. Lets do it. Go tell him." I could suddenly see that I just jumped feet first into my biggest fear...having to bench someone,
and not just anyone but the non-English speaking Keeper. Does the fun of management ever end?
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After narrowly surviving the months of August and September, we started October off in the entirely wrong direction.
I have to make a change and right now this one makes the most sense. I've realized also that since changing formations
I'm missing both an AMC (Attacking Midfield Center) and a DM (Defensive Midfielder). I need to do some signing...and fast.
"Another month down Hansy." It looks like we have turned the corner.
"Well done. Sacking Goalski, or whatever his name is, was a good piece of business." Look at that, a compliment from Hans.
"You deserve as much credit for signing our Midfielders. Having two sixteen year olds in the Starting Eleven will surely increase their value. We do plan on selling them, right?"
"Let's wait and see how they develop. They may keep us moving up the ladder." Hans was no less optimistic than on the first day of the preseason.
"I think a pint is in order and I know just the place".
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We redeemed ourselves after benching the Polish keeper. After accessing our limited choices to fill our midfielder positions, I narrowed it down to two teenagers with a lot of promise.
They didn't disappoint. Everything seems to be gelling.
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We're beginning our climb out of the cellar. If we can continue to put together some good results we may be able to reach the playoffs.
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And, of course, the Premier League. Sunderland have fallen having not posted a win in nearly 2 months. Liverpool is finally headed in the right direction.
"Good morning Mr. Head Coach. Are you ready to continue our run?" Hans seemed immune to the effects of an all nighter hosted by the previously discriminating pub next door.
"I may have to tele-commute this match Hans. I know some coaches sleep in their offices but this can't be why." I was putting the team on auto pilot for this match. I know I made little difference in the outcome of a score line anyway.
"Did you see the League stats this morning?" Seriously Hans?
"Unless it was posted in the bottom of my waste basket I probably missed it." I wonder if Gus will empty that.
"Take a look at what Rob's been doing." I had to admit the 37 year old Striker had been quietly making a big impact on the team and the league.
I pray he can keep the pace.
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I really just wanted to show the pre match screen. I thought they added some nice touches to it.
Rob Haworth has made quite an impact in the 6 weeks he's been with the club. Remy has also been crucial in feeding Haworth. I like where these two are headed.
"We have to win some games Hans. These draws aren't helping much." I was getting concerned once again.
"As long as we avoid any losing streaks, Max, we'll be fine. Don't worry. Look how we're doing in the Trophy. We've already exceeded expectations. We're as safe as houses."
"A house of cards or a straw house or an out house." Despite our Trophy run, we still were barely moving in the League. Things like that don't go unnoticed.
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We seem to be losing momentum. Our FA Trophy win against Farnborough netted us a cool $4k which was desperately needed. Then we took on Welling, a mid-table Skrill Premier club.
We surrendered to an away draw with them after leading until the 89th minute. The good news is we now get them at home. The bad news is our team will be exhausted when we
return to league play and we can't afford anything holding us back right now.
And a quick look at the Premiership as of 11/30.
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Liverpool's climb from the cellar seems to have stalled but Sunderland may be on the road to recovery.
What bothers me is Arsenal's sudden downward spiral.
As long as Newcastle are ahead of Sunderland, yer alright by me, kid! ;)
Quote from: bayonetbrant on January 06, 2014, 04:59:00 PM
As long as Newcastle are ahead of Sunderland, yer alright by me, kid! ;)
Without giving anything away, I think you'll be pleased with Newcastle's position as of April, which is where I'm at now. The AAR is a few months behind.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on January 06, 2014, 04:59:00 PM
As long as Newcastle are ahead of Sunderland, yer alright by me, kid! ;)
Whey, aye bonny lad. Awa' th' toon.
"Dammit Hans, tell me you and Rob had something to do with this!" I was furious beyond words except the four letter kind.
"I don't know what happened Max. Something's fishy though." I wasn't sure I fully believed Hans.
"Either the team just gave up on us or the bookies got to them. I can't explain it any other way."
"I'll look into it but I really haven't heard a thing." Hans was becoming less and less convincing.
"It wasn't the whole team, it was your buddy Rob and his new life partner Ellis. The didn't so much as look at the other Keeper."
"I'm telling you Max I'll look into it." And with that Hans headed down the hall.
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I honestly thought we were going to win this match. The defense was playing lights out and the keeper was standing on his head. However, the guys up front
were completely disinterested in taking a shot. Our ONLY shot came at around the 110 minute mark. Absolutely brutal.
what formation did they play to shut you out?
Quote from: undercovergeek on January 06, 2014, 05:47:33 PM
what formation did they play to shut you out?
Just a 4-4-2. I honestly don't know what happened.
A quick look at our uniforms:
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River Birch Brewing was what I named my little home brewery. ;D
"I just got done talking to the Board, Max. What the hell did you do?" Finally Hans was showing some emotion.
"I accused them of fixing that Trophy match. It's the only thing that makes sense." It made sense to me at least.
"ARE YOU NUTS??? They'll sack you for sure. What did they say?" Maybe Hans didn't have anything to do with the fix.
"Before or after I accused them of rigging the game?" Hans, again, seemed genuinely interested.
"Listen Hans, everyone knew we were going to win that game even though they were a league above us. I accused the Board of wanting their 10k back and
shutting down our strikers to get their money. I saw Matlock do it, or something close to that."
"Max, the Board told me to reign you in or you're gone. This is NOT what I had in mind when I started this team. It was supposed to be fun." Hans said while avoiding eye contact.
"The Board told me I had to pick up 3 wins in the next 5 games or it was back to goat milking or whatever I was doing before I donned this track suit." I really didn't want to go back to goat milking.
"We can do this Max. It's a matter of principle now. The Board are my friends but I won't let them treat you like this. We'll fix this" Like a Trophy game I'll bet.
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After the Trophy loss the Board put me on a short leash. The next 5 games...or less :-\ are going to be nail biters.
Quote from: bob48 on January 06, 2014, 05:22:36 PM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on January 06, 2014, 04:59:00 PM
As long as Newcastle are ahead of Sunderland, yer alright by me, kid! ;)
Whey, aye bonny lad. Awa' th' toon.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 06, 2014, 07:48:13 PM
Quote from: bob48 on January 06, 2014, 05:22:36 PM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on January 06, 2014, 04:59:00 PM
As long as Newcastle are ahead of Sunderland, yer alright by me, kid! ;)
Whey, aye bonny lad. Awa' th' toon.
That's kind of what I feel like writing this. Sacked, Pitch, Keeper, Kits etc...
I'm trying to write it using the terms associated with the game. I have to keep in mind that this is a sports game on a war gaming site and some of the people reading this are Americans who don't know or care much about soccer.
In World Cup 2014 News:
GROUP A
England
Brazil
Mexico
Ukraine
GROUP G
USA
Peru
France
Spain
I would say that England will move out of the Group stage while the US will be heading home.
"They're just kids Hans and we're expecting them to perform a miracle." I was almost pleading with Hans to produce said miracle.
"They're good kids. They understand the importance of this game. Injuries happen all the time in all sports. We just have to adapt and go play." Hans seemed to be trying to convince us both.
"We're down to 3 games. We still need 6 points and I have to rely on guys whose moms dropped them off today. I think we're sunk Hans."
"Just focus and we'll do just fine" Nope, Hans didn't convince me.
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We lost our first game but won the next one. In the process we managed to lose two of our key defenders and our keeper.
The funny thing is I didn't notice our keeper was out until I was setting up this match so I had to grab the keeper out of
our U18 team. Where's the Polish guy you ask? Well I got kind of tired of his complaining about not starting so I sent him away on loan.
I could probably use him right now.
We still need 6 points (2 wins) in 3 games. That may be out of our reach. Cross your fingers, here we go.
Good luck! :)
Quote from: KyzBP on January 07, 2014, 03:27:21 AM
In World Cup 2014 News:
GROUP A
England
Brazil
Mexico
Ukraine
GROUP G
USA
Peru
France
Spain
I would say that England will move out of the Group stage while the US will be heading home.
That depends on which version of Ukraine shows up. If you're playing 5-6 years ago, and Schevchenko and Timoschenko are still running about, they're very dangerous.
Similarly, if the "players mutiny of 2010" version of France show up - or the 2002-we-lost-to-Senegal-to-open-our-title-defense - then the US is in pretty good shape. Remember that they knocked off Spain in 2009 at the Confederations Cup in one of the most stunning international upsets in a decade (or more). That Spain team was worth probably a half billion dollars on the open market (yes, "billion" with a "b") and any one of them would likely command a larger transfer fee than the entire US lineup combined, and the US beat 'em. It wasn't a fluke; they flat out
beat Spain with a better game plan, solid discipline, and a great counterattack.
KyzBP, you said the keeper was complaining about not being played? Is that really an in-game function? Do the players' abilities get affected by being pissy little nancy boys complaining about not having enough pitch time?
yeah players will complain theyre not getting played regularly - its contract dependent - if you signed them with the line 'important first team player', theyll expect to be playing regularly, if you said 'back up for the first team' they wont whinge as much but then probably wont sign because they want some action
But if you're starting way at the bottom, I assume the expectations are a lot lower? I mean if you're recruiting some beer-gut dudes out of the local pub, they're not going to think they're going straight to the Premier League and expect to be played regularly? If you're running a PL team, I would expect much more prima-donnaship out of players than at the lower levels. Or is that not right?
"The Board will see you now Mr. Saturn." If I didn't know better I'd swear the Receptionist is also the Waitress at the Pub.
"Max, come on in. There's no need to sit down." I think I know where this is headed. "I'm sure you know why you're here."
"I'm hoping you're giving me my Christmas bonus in person." It was worth a shot.
"Max, we're replacing you. For now we're bringing up Mr. Moss from the U18s until we can find a proper Head Coach."
"Why not, half his team is already up here." That was not just me being a smart ass. It was true.
"We'll give you the rest of the day to pack up and say your good byes." The Board is so generous.
And with that I ended my brief career as a Head Coach.
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That was the most difficult game of FM I've played to date. I've been playing this game for 13 years and have never gotten myself fired before Christmas.
The house rules I used definitely handcuffed me early. Only using the recommendations of sub par scouts when looking for players was a big challenge.
When creating the team I made a mistake in setting the minimum attendance level. I was only averaging about 200 fans a game at $14 a ticket. Given the
product on the field though, I'd say 200 fans was probably about right.
That unexplainable loss in the Trophy competition really did seem to throw the team through a loop. Morale absolutely crashed. Then the following game, 2 days later,
was played with guys at 80% condition and some youth players. The final dose of salt in the wound was the injuries. We were decimated. There was really very
little hope.
All of that being said, I still enjoyed the heck out of it and am starting a new game.
Where Are They Now you ask?
I let the game play out for another year to see what would happen. Here's the results:
Hans Gessner (Assistant Coach) stuck around until the end of the season. Mookham attempted to resign him but he refused and went back into retirement.
Rob Haworth was injured near the end of the season and was released.
The Polish Goalie re-signed with the team and is still in net.
Moss, the U18 Coach was quickly sent back down when the Board hired the guy underlined above.
Mike Davies, the Guy Underlined Above, is still at the helm of Mookham. I find that kind of funny because:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1207.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fbb464%2FKyzBP%2Frele.png&hash=2e2675369a1a0d6abeaa12d2d3abeeacc8e25623)
We had the same amount of time and he performed far worse. Mookham are barely afloat at the bottom level.
When the team dropped they sold or released nearly every player we signed except the keeper.
As for me, I tried to get hired by any team with an opening. I was laughed at by each and every one of them.
I've decided to give goat milking a try. I've never done it before but I'd never managed a football club either.
I hope you enjoyed the story but more importantly, I hope it makes some of you guys want to try the game.
Thanks,
Erick
IIRC its not where you are on the league ladder - premiership or amateur, but the fact that there are players who will expect to be playing week in, week out whether against Manchester United or Abdullah the Mullah's Indian Takeaway First XI, and will complain if they dont, left unattended theyll ask to be transferred
Ah, okay, makes sense. Thanks, 'geek.
Quote from: KyzBP on January 07, 2014, 08:22:37 AM
"The Board will see you now Mr. Saturn." If I didn't know better I'd swear the Receptionist is also the Waitress at the Pub.
"Max, come on in. There's no need to sit down." I think I know where this is headed. "I'm sure you know why you're here."
"I'm hoping you're giving me my Christmas bonus in person." It was worth a shot.
"Max, we're replacing you. For now we're bringing up Mr. Moss from the U18s until we can find a proper Head Coach."
"Why not, half his team is already up here." That was not just me being a smart ass. It was true.
"We'll give you the rest of the day to pack up and say your good byes." The Board is so generous.
And with that I ended my brief career as a Head Coach.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1207.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fbb464%2FKyzBP%2Fsacked.png&hash=8e1ab9e82e3aeda87e861b5ac9c2ea81147921de)
That was the most difficult game of FM I've played to date. I've been playing this game for 13 years and have never gotten myself fired before Christmas.
The house rules I used definitely handcuffed me early. Only using the recommendations of sub par scouts when looking for players was a big challenge.
When creating the team I made a mistake in setting the minimum attendance level. I was only averaging about 200 fans a game at $14 a ticket. Given the
product on the field though, I'd say 200 fans was probably about right.
That unexplainable loss in the Trophy competition really did seem to throw the team through a loop. Morale absolutely crashed. Then the following game, 2 days later,
was played with guys at 80% condition and some youth players. The final dose of salt in the wound was the injuries. We were decimated. There was really very
little hope.
All of that being said, I still enjoyed the heck out of it and am starting a new game.
Where Are They Now you ask?
I let the game play out for another year to see what would happen. Here's the results:
Hans Gessner (Assistant Coach) stuck around until the end of the season. Mookham attempted to resign him but he refused and went back into retirement.
Rob Haworth was injured near the end of the season and was released.
The Polish Goalie re-signed with the team and is still in net.
Moss, the U18 Coach was quickly sent back down when the Board hired the guy underlined above.
Mike Davies, the Guy Underlined Above, is still at the helm of Mookham. I find that kind of funny because:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1207.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fbb464%2FKyzBP%2Frele.png&hash=2e2675369a1a0d6abeaa12d2d3abeeacc8e25623)
We had the same amount of time and he performed far worse. Mookham are barely afloat at the bottom level.
When the team dropped they sold or released nearly every player we signed except the keeper.
As for me, I tried to get hired by any team with an opening. I was laughed at by each and every one of them.
I've decided to give goat milking a try. I've never done it before but I'd never managed a football club either.
I hope you enjoyed the story but more importantly, I hope it makes some of you guys want to try the game.
Thanks,
Erick
oh man, youve got to start another one, that was great!
KyzBP (or 'geek), so once you're canned from your team (which makes me raise an eyebrow - that's really interesting considering you, as the player of the game, created the team...I like that there's no safety net), you can shop yourself around and hope to take over ANOTHER team, and end up possibly playing against the team you created?
I like Geek's idea of "Abdullah the Mullah's Indian Takeaway First XI" - what a riot that would be to take THAT team all the way to the Premier League...
Seconding what 'geek said - do another one if you're so inclined.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 07, 2014, 08:10:51 AM
KyzBP, you said the keeper was complaining about not being played? Is that really an in-game function? Do the players' abilities get affected by being pissy little nancy boys complaining about not having enough pitch time?
Absolutely! If you promise them that they'll be a key player and then bench them they start bugging you about it, even demanding to move on if you're not using them. If they are a popular player at the club then their poor morale becomes contagious. I usually try not to set anyone as a Key Player but some guys won't sign without it. They are a bunch of little divas.
Quote from: KyzBP on January 07, 2014, 08:29:27 AM
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 07, 2014, 08:10:51 AM
KyzBP, you said the keeper was complaining about not being played? Is that really an in-game function? Do the players' abilities get affected by being pissy little nancy boys complaining about not having enough pitch time?
Absolutely! If you promise them that they'll be a key player and then bench them they start bugging you about it, even demanding to move on if you're not using them. If they are a popular player at the club then their poor morale becomes contagious. I usually try not to set anyone as a Key Player but some guys won't sign without it. They are a bunch of little divas.
That's interesting, because I would think at the low levels they'd just be happy to be associated with a club, even if as a back-up. I would think if you cut Randy "Pint" Watson who's more apt at guarding a beer stein than a goal, he'd have nowhere to go. Then again if this was the Premier League, ol' Randy would have to be top-notch to compete at that level and therefore the whining would be louder - because Randy knows if he leaves some other team will scoop him up in a heartbeat. Not so much at the Abdullah Takeout IX level. ;)
Quote from: bayonetbrant on January 07, 2014, 07:31:14 AM
Quote from: KyzBP on January 07, 2014, 03:27:21 AM
In World Cup 2014 News:
GROUP A
England
Brazil
Mexico
Ukraine
GROUP G
USA
Peru
France
Spain
I would say that England will move out of the Group stage while the US will be heading home.
That depends on which version of Ukraine shows up. If you're playing 5-6 years ago, and Schevchenko and Timoschenko are still running about, they're very dangerous.
Similarly, if the "players mutiny of 2010" version of France show up - or the 2002-we-lost-to-Senegal-to-open-our-title-defense - then the US is in pretty good shape. Remember that they knocked off Spain in 2009 at the Confederations Cup in one of the most stunning international upsets in a decade (or more). That Spain team was worth probably a half billion dollars on the open market (yes, "billion" with a "b") and any one of them would likely command a larger transfer fee than the entire US lineup combined, and the US beat 'em. It wasn't a fluke; they flat out beat Spain with a better game plan, solid discipline, and a great counterattack.
That's all very true. Anything can happen. I'll pull up the save and see how it ended up. Once I got canned I kind of forgot to check the World Cup.
again, again!!!!
Quote from: KyzBP on January 07, 2014, 08:33:29 AM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on January 07, 2014, 07:31:14 AM
Quote from: KyzBP on January 07, 2014, 03:27:21 AM
In World Cup 2014 News:
GROUP A
England
Brazil
Mexico
Ukraine
GROUP G
USA
Peru
France
Spain
I would say that England will move out of the Group stage while the US will be heading home.
That depends on which version of Ukraine shows up. If you're playing 5-6 years ago, and Schevchenko and Timoschenko are still running about, they're very dangerous.
Similarly, if the "players mutiny of 2010" version of France show up - or the 2002-we-lost-to-Senegal-to-open-our-title-defense - then the US is in pretty good shape. Remember that they knocked off Spain in 2009 at the Confederations Cup in one of the most stunning international upsets in a decade (or more). That Spain team was worth probably a half billion dollars on the open market (yes, "billion" with a "b") and any one of them would likely command a larger transfer fee than the entire US lineup combined, and the US beat 'em. It wasn't a fluke; they flat out beat Spain with a better game plan, solid discipline, and a great counterattack.
That's all very true. Anything can happen. I'll pull up the save and see how it ended up. Once I got canned I kind of forgot to check the World Cup.
Spain beat Argentina 2-0 to win the Cup.
Seriously fellas, Thanks for reading and commenting on this. I'd never done one before and was a bit intimidated. I also learned that I need to pay more attention to my kid's grammar lessons because mine is atrocious.
As for doing another, it may be awhile. These things are way harder to do than it looks. I sincerely commend anyone who does these things on a regular basis.
Thanks again to everyone and feel free to ask questions about the game.
Quote from: KyzBP on January 07, 2014, 08:46:45 AM
As for doing another, it may be awhile. These things are way harder to do than it looks. I sincerely commend anyone who does these things on a regular basis.
Ain't that the truth...I have two out there I haven't continued in a while... :-[
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 07, 2014, 08:57:33 AM
Quote from: KyzBP on January 07, 2014, 08:46:45 AM
As for doing another, it may be awhile. These things are way harder to do than it looks. I sincerely commend anyone who does these things on a regular basis.
Ain't that the truth...I have two out there I haven't continued in a while... :-[
I'm hoping you'll redo the Covert Action one. I loved that game.
Thanks! I'll try to get to it by this weekend.
FYI I bought FM 2014 for my iPad. I have no idea what I'm doing so I just jumped in and created a team in the lower end Skrill South - Cheesefaire FC.
Managed to get through two friendlies (those are basically scrimmages/warm ups/preseason games right?) and won both, then went on to tie 3-3 in my first 'real' game. That puts them at 6th in Skrill South.
I'm just kind of screwing around to see what's up..I don't even fully understand the positions nor the signing/trade system (nobody in Skrill South will let me sign anyone, I don't understand as I thought there were free agents floating around).
Does the PC version do the status board during games that changes time of possession and such then switch over to a top down view of the pitch when a shot on goal is about to be taken?
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on January 07, 2014, 09:44:43 PM
Thanks! I'll try to get to it by this weekend.
FYI I bought FM 2014 for my iPad. I have no idea what I'm doing so I just jumped in and created a team in the lower end Skrill South - Cheesefaire FC.
Managed to get through two friendlies (those are basically scrimmages/warm ups/preseason games right?) and won both, then went on to tie 3-3 in my first 'real' game. That puts them at 6th in Skrill South.
I'm just kind of screwing around to see what's up..I don't even fully understand the positions nor the signing/trade system (nobody in Skrill South will let me sign anyone, I don't understand as I thought there were free agents floating around).
Does the PC version do the status board during games that changes time of possession and such then switch over to a top down view of the pitch when a shot on goal is about to be taken?
Congrats on taking the plunge! I don't know how much the Ipad version differs from the PC but you should be able to sign players. If you can navigate your way to the Player List, try using the filter to only show players who's contracts are Expired or Are available for Free Transfer. Next, look for a box that says "Have Assistant Coach remove unrealistic targets" or something like that and check that box. What remains are the players who will most likely sign with you. If you have Transfer Funds available you can change the filter to include "Transfer Listed Players". Those are players that belong to a team but the team either a. Doesn't want/need them anymore or b. The team is looking to make money from the sale of the player. Those moves are a little trickier because first the club has to agree on the purchase price and then the player has to agree to your contract offer. At the lower levels I sign most of my players by free transfer.
You can also bring players in on Loan from other teams. Use the filter again and reconfigure it to display "Available For Loan" or, again, something like that. Those will be players other clubs still want be don't have a place for at the moment. They'll usually send them down to a lower level club to gain experience and then bring them back to the club after a few months or longer.
The game screen on the PC is fully customizable. You can set it anywhere from just showing highlights to showing full matches. You can set it up to watch the game from multiple angles and show replays. Usually if your just watching highlights, you'll get that screen that pops up in between highlights. You can adjust the game speed so the games go as quickly as you want.
Good luck to Cheesefaire!
I look forward to the Covert Action.
Thanks for doing this KyzBP! I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed the AAR, and the narrative elements you worked into it. Great read, amigo!
Brant...I don't think I can sit through a soccer game without wanting to hang myself, but this game I can get into. I guess that's a start, right?
Sure.
Just don't expect me to reciprocate with golf ;)
LOL.
Well, we can agree to golf. I can play that (Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2012), but as for actually going outside to play it, or heaven forbid watch it on TV...shudder.
Thanks MetalDog and Bryant! I appreciate you guys reading it and the feedback.