Football Manager 2020 Discussion Thread

[Mpache]

Glad to see this topic back to life. I'm currently doing a youth only in Cambodia with Build Bright United. Just like I tried in Lesotho, I'm attempting to win everything with a team from Cambodia with only players from my youth academy. Here are my 3 top players.

[Mpache]

Fuck this game

[Mpache]

FUCK THIS GAME!

[Mpache]

I have to play my fucking keeper in outfield 

[Mpache]

And the result.

Fuck this fucking shit game piece of cunt cup Asian Cup

[Bluebird Hewitt]

4 hours ago, Inti Brian said:

I have to play my fucking keeper in outfield 

Did that years ago with Shaka Hislop up front. Do keep up. 

[Smiley Culture]

Dagenham & Redbridge

Vanarama National League - 2019/20

Having looked at it, we had some good wingers at the club, two big target men and a couple of decent strikers, so it was decided that we'd play 442 with a target man. All a bit lower league but you play to your strengths. Only one signing was made in the summer, ex-Yeovil left back Daniel Ojo (18) come in as cover for Will Wood.

 

August 2019

Halifax Town (a) D 1-1...Reid 90+3

Barrow (h) L 3-5...House 2, Luque 7, 15.

Dover Athletic (a) W 2-1...Reid 39, Brundle 49.

Ebbsfleet United (h) L 0-1

Boreham Wood (h) D 0-0

Crap on the whole. We were better in every measurable aspect against Halifax but had to settle for one point, which felt like three after staring defeat in the face. With better finishing, we win that game. From what I thought was frustrating to possibly the shittiest collapse I've seen on this game for a long time. 3-0 up vs Barrow inside 15 minutes, its all over, isn't it? No, we collapsed and conceded five unanswered goals. Apoplectic with rage probably summed my feelings up. We reacted well against Dover and deservedly won but the next two frustrated the life out of me. We should have got two wins on the board, we couldn't finish a dinner let in either game and got what we deserved from our inability in front of goal.

September 2019

Eastleigh (a) D 1-1...Odametey 63.

Chesterfield (h) L 1-2...Onariase 60.

Aldershot Town (a) D 1-1...Grant 69.

Woking (a) W 2-0...House 42, Grant 90.

Torquay United (h) W 1-0...Kandi 63.

Sutton United (a) L 0-2.

A seminal month in our season. We drew with ten man Eastleigh who were rooted to the foot of the table and then had to face an unbeaten Chesterfield. We battled admirably but an 80th minute goal left us a bit deflated. Now for the pivotal game, Aldershot away. Already, I was feeling a bit of pressure and Aldershot were flying high but this was the game I tweaked the formation and went from 442 to a 424 with my two wingers pushed higher up the pitch and a couple of tweaks to the tactical side. We come out of Aldershot with a positive result and I decided to stick with 424 for Woking. This was televised and would have been a pleasure to watch back, it was as comfortable as you can get, despite waiting for the 90th minute for a second. Torquay was a relative easy win, though the last ten or so was a bit nervy. Sutton though, we never got going, was two down inside twenty minutes and left me wondering if this was all a false dawn.

October 2019

Solihull Moors (h) W 1-0...Kandi 12.

Bromley (a) W 3-1...Brundle 9, 16, Quigley 74.

Notts County (h) L 5-6...Grant 14, 27, 45+1 pen, Luque 76, 87.

Hereford - FA Cup 4th Qual. Round (a) W 3-2...Luque 10, Kandi 45, Grant 61. 

Chorley (h) W 3-1...Grant 33, 54, Dobson 42.

Wrexham (a) W 3-1...Croll 34, Luque 45+3, Quigely 77.

What a month. The move to 424 paid off and wins arrived in plenty. Solihull and Bromley were relatively comfortable with only a Bromley goal to pull it back to 2-1 to worry about. Then the most ridiculous game I've been involved with. Again, like the Barrow game in August, we threw a lead away, though unlike Barrow, we threw a lead away four times. Bonkers but thoroughly enjoyable game, sadly we lost. We progressed to the First Round of the FA Cup thanks to a win at Edgar Street against Hereford, we never looked in danger but did give away two penalties once we were three-up. Chorley, well they were rooted to the bottom having won once and we took them apart with relative ease. Seventy Daggers' travelled to watch the side in a midweek game in North Wales and were treated to a comfortable win against a Wrexham side that reacted by sacking Dean Keates. 

November 2019

AFC Fylde (h) W 1-0...Reid 90+4.

Scunthorpe United - FA Cup First Round (a) L 0-2.

Hartlepool United (a) L 1-2...Phipps 62.

Barnet (a) W 5-1...Reid  9, 72, Quigley 19, Dobson 45, House (pen) 70.

Harrogate Town (a) D 1-1...Odametey 64.

After becoming rejuvenated by a tweak to tactics and formation, we were heading into the month as one of the form teams with Reece Grant, the Player of the Month, in the side (despite a barren month to follow). Fylde threatened to be one of those frustrating games that you want to smash your laptop to pieces but Alex Reid stepped from the bench with "get me a goal" ringing in his ears from me and he duly delivered. After beating Hereford in the previous round, our reward was Scunthorpe. Hardly a money spinner but a tie I felt we could win. I debated changing things around tactically but I thought "why?" an felt we had an attack that could be a threat. Ultimately, we lost but looking across all the key measurables, we matched Scunny though they were clinical when it mattered. Its where we need to be if we want to be at the top end of this league. I like to follow a defeat with a win because a couple of defeats can see form drop quite a bit, unfortunately, Hartlepool were far better than us on the day. From an off day to a near perfect day at The Hive,. We took Barnet apart, to the point where Darren Currie was sacked after. Harrogate were 4th when we headed there and I was delighted to take a point from an even game. 

[Bluebird Hewitt]

Wtf happened in the Notts County game? 

[Mpache]

Best guy from my last intake. He's alright I suppose.

[Mpache]

I got this guy in my intake  

[Mpache]

Get in! Won the AFC Cup. Next up, the Champions League 

[Dan+]

Well Gladbach's started pretty terribly

It's so frustrating because I think we're about 2/3 players off being a very good side but if I'm not careful I'm never going to get the chance to add those players.

[Dave]

3 hours ago, Dan said:

Well Gladbach's started pretty terribly

It's so frustrating because I think we're about 2/3 players off being a very good side but if I'm not careful I'm never going to get the chance to add those players.

I'll be surprised if you dont lose performing players before adding the needed quality to be honest.

I've ended up compiling a list of three players I can get under ten million for each position just because boards seem more willing to sell players in Germany. Lost Duda and Selke in January 

[Mpache]

I took the Cambodia role. I decided that my team is good enough for me to warrant managing.

Normally I wouldn't play with bad national teams if the squad isn't good at all. My first games are in the Asian Cup. Decided to sacrifice the Asian Champions League to try and go far in this.

[Mpache]

Not the best Asian Cup campaign. In a realistic sense I think we should be happy to get a point and not roll over against South Korea, but I was hoping to do better anyways

I also lost in the CL second preliminary round vs some Indonesian side, but I had most to all of my team away so I'm not too gutted. I sacrificed the CL for the Asian Cup.

[Dan+]

7 hours ago, The Palace Fan said:

I'll be surprised if you dont lose performing players before adding the needed quality to be honest.

I've ended up compiling a list of three players I can get under ten million for each position just because boards seem more willing to sell players in Germany. Lost Duda and Selke in January 

I've already lost a very big player in Zakaria, and then made a huge error in selling Almamy Toure for £17mil (which is good) but someone fucking up getting his replacement in.

The good thing is though I hardly ever make a bad signing. I've signed some quality players for these. I just worry that the expectations are going to be too high for me to see this through before I can fix us further, because frankly we've been pretty shit.

[Mpache]

This is my group for World Cup qualifiers

Iran makes things difficult, but UAE are also difficult. Those will be the big games as long as I beat the others.

Also I discovered a midfielder who generated in Cambodia. Where did this guy come from!?

[Dave]

6 hours ago, Dan said:

I've already lost a very big player in Zakaria, and then made a huge error in selling Almamy Toure for £17mil (which is good) but someone fucking up getting his replacement in.

The good thing is though I hardly ever make a bad signing. I've signed some quality players for these. I just worry that the expectations are going to be too high for me to see this through before I can fix us further, because frankly we've been pretty shit.

Seventeen million for a right back is very good going!

[Mpache]

WCQ didn't go so well

[Dan+]

So we're finally underway. Four years at Bochum completed in my first ever FM20 save and I have to say, for a first save it's been pretty successful. Promotion, relegation, promotion and then midtable - that's as well as anyone could've asked for, especially with that board. It's given me the chance at a bigger, more ambitious club.

Gladbach finished 7th last season. This qualifies them for the UEFA Europa League II - the second tier Europa League which is now in its third season.

My aims were the following, according to the board:
- Finish in a Europa League place in the league, in other words, 6th or better.
- Reach the quarter final of the DFP Pokal.
- Reach the semi final of Europa League II.

 

I was handed a budget of around £17mil which I thought was a little disappointing, although sales immediately made it quite a lot bigger.

Zakaria was an inevitable departure and there was little I could do to keep him around. He had an offer from the champions and he wasn't turning it down - and we got a pretty good price for him on the whole. I moved for relegated Wolfsburg midfielder Xaver Schlager and landed him.

Uduokhai is an upgrade at centre half, again for a reasonable price. Galeno is a very impressive buy and it amazed me how Braga held onto him for that long - a real star in the making. Reinier joined the club for a second time as it turns out, Trincao and Barreiro were largely bought in to help us play a wing-play system, so largely system players, and Muresan was in for the outgoing Almamy Toure who Schalke bidded way more than I thought I'd get. Ultimately though there's no doubt that's a downgrade, and my director of football bodged getting the replacement signed up.

My plan was to try and play a wing-play system like at Bochum, albeit with better players.

August was a fucking disaster. Literally the worst possible start which comprised of an abject opening day loss, a loss from behind at Leipzig and exiting Europe before we'd even gotten started - one of my three objectives gone in no time. Fiorentina was a tricky opposition, very unlucky with the draw, but there was no excuse for the abject collapse at their place. The pressure was on immediately. The warning signs were there at Union Berlin, we were awful and lucky to beat them.

September was slightly better, but still not good enough for me, though the introduction of Galeno following an early injury showed that he was the key to us scoring goals. Saying that, we seemed like flat-track bullies. We can thump a side when its going our way but we draw far too many blanks, and the decimation at Leverkusen left me in a precarious position just six league games into the job. This was fast becoming a nightmare.

October was a lot better as we thrashed Dortmund and Zakaria (weirdly Dortmund have failed to beat Gladbach in their last 8 meetings). We made harder work of a dreadful Dresden side than we should've gone, but Freiburg was barely believable - we missed SEVEN clear cut chances. To not score in those circumstances, frankly, I can't take the blame. You can deal with the odd result like it, but not when you're under this much pressure.

To top it off, we were pathetically binned out of the DFP Pokal by second tier Holstein Kiel, a team who've given me plenty of issues at Bochum over the years. That's two objectives down already, and the third is looking like quite a stretch as well as we sit around midtable in the league. With a trip to Bayern up next, frankly, things look terrifying.

The Bayern loss was expected but still painful, and it made the next game against Hertha Berlin, a side Gladbach apparently struggle against very precarious. I'd also yet to taste victory over them on this game. It was a terrible game and we were absolutely awful, but right at the death Embolo scored a magnificent solo goal to steal the win. The relief was something else.

Reality kicked in in the next game though as we faced a highly out of form Hamburg side, going behind early doors and spending so long chasing the game. We got the two goals and looked right on course for our first away win of the season, but right at the death we blew it. This is just one of those saves. It's never going to quite click is it?

Mainz away. This was madness. They're 3rd in the league, massively over-performing in the league and looked well set to turn us over. The game followed a board meeting where I convinced them to give me a bit more time. We have a better squad than Mainz but we are clearly a worse team. We were awful. I like shithouse wins but this type of win was unsustainable, we were battered and quite how we've won is anyone's guess, it's a brilliant result though.

Then the funny one, Bochum at home, I was again under pressure - to which Bochum's manager (who is ex Gladbach) joined in the public bashing saying I deserved the sack. When my old winger Batista Meier put them ahead in the 5th minute with a wonder free kick I really did think this was going to end in the cruellest possible way, but we pulled it out the bag and frankly slaughtered them. You've got to be fair though here now - our form has actually improved, 5 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in 8 games and even the loss was at Bayern.

So the pressure eases. What's the last thing you could possibly need? Our rivals Koln away. Absolute nightmare. I knew we'd lose. We were awful. We just have far too many off days for me to rate us. High flying Schalke added to our misery, ending a good run of home wins.

So there's the table. To be honest, I think I'm out of a job by the end of the season. I've got to land a 6th placed finish this year otherwise it's curtains for sure as I've already blown the other objectives. It's not impossible but I think it's unlikely. We just have far too many poor performances to ever look like we're going to be able to do it. I need a real rethink for the second half of the season. It's not been all bad, but the negatives outweigh the positives and I forever feel like I'm close to the chop.

We have the players, but I feel like they're not all that well suited to each other.

We're the leagues top scorers bar Leipzig, and I still feel like there's something missing from us going forward. I think it's largely propped up by three games where we stat padded.

 

 

[Dan+]

Best things I've done:

- Signing Xaver Schlager. He was the obvious target from that Wolfsburg side and we got him snapped up, and he's even better than I thought he'd be. A class player.

- Signing Galeno. He's had a few off games of late but he's the type who can win you a game and turn it on its head. Quality player and for me a bargain at £13mil.

- Hammering Dortmund. That was a huge pressure game where I felt a loss could've seen me booted, but we changed the system slightly and smashed them.

- Giving Daniel Jaeckel a run. 18 years old and scoring nearly a goal a game - admittedly helped with 4 in one game against Bochum.

 

Mistakes I've made:

- Not replacing Sommer. He's past it. Juventus bid for him and I nearly fell out with him over rejecting it but in truth I should've cashed in, although the offer was pretty shoddy. I have hopefully rectified this situation a bit though with a new goalkeeper now signed and hopefully this fixes our appalling defensive record.

- Over-rating Bariello. He's average. An OK squad filler but I probably should've played Kramer a bit more.

- Attempting to immitate Bochum. The first few games were an embarrassment to be honest. The reason I liked wing-play is because we had not much of the ball, but still created as many chances as our opposition and usually the bette ones. I would frequently at Bochum have a game where I'd have about 7 shots, the opposition 20, yet we'd have 3 clear cut chances to their 0 - we absorbed shots and blocked them well but actually still had enough threat of our own. At Gladbach I don't think I can get away with playing like that and I think it's cost me. I've got a new approach for the second half of the season, same kind of formation as I've bought around it but we can't be surrendering 60% of the ball at home to toss like Augsburg and even worse, losing.

- Selling Almamy Toure. I fleeced Schalke, so I thought, but I've had no luck replacing him and I feel like Muresan is largely outperforming his actual ability. I've just sold my other right back too (Lang) who was pretty shit but we need another in sharpish really and it's proving harder to do than I hoped. I could sign Mainz' right back for about £9mil and I may bite the bullet and do it, but he's pretty average, an upgrade but I'm not comfortable with paying that much for mediocrity, although hurting Mainz may be a key to me keeping my job so I'm probably going to do it.

 

I do think I've been let down by some quite good players at times though. I'm looking at you, Matthias Ginter and Aaron Martin.

[Mpache]

Sorry if I missed it @Dan. Let's see some of the best regens.

[Mpache]

Finally made it to the Interzone playoffs for the first time since winning the AFC Cup about 4 years ago.

Sadly I doubt I'll win it again. Japan lost a few qualification spots so I have to deal with Kashima Antlers and Urawa Red Diamonds.

Semi's draw.

[Mpache]

Beat Punjab in Interzone semi's.

Now the big one...

[Dave]

@Dan Felix Uduokhai is my first choice signing in case I lose a CB. You've done well to get him for that price!

The next month looks crucial given you're the similar points away from relegation battle to European places.