Administrator Stan Posted November 14, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 14, 2021 Bit of an update. The squad was very thin. Had to bulk it out a bit on a very tight budget. Working on a shoestring would be an understatement! Current Season Objectives Avoid relegation from Vanarama National League South Reach FA Cup 4th Round Qualifying Reach FA Trophy First Round Avoid Relegation: This is going well. Started the season well going on a 7-game unbeaten run. Drawing a few too many but I'm very happy with how it's going so far, as are the board. Was livid with the 4-4 draw with Chelmsford as they were 19th and I was 4-3 up going in to the final seconds. With how the start has gone, I think play-offs are genuinely reachable. Fingers crossed I don't suffer any bad injuries to the squad as it's been quite settled. Difficult to give any players new contracts as the funds just aren't there. Took a massive windfall against Bolton though in the FA Cup so that has helped somewhat. Tactics: Sticking with this since the start of the season and it's working okay. Pacy wingers and a target man/poacher in the box, with support of 2 midfielders is working well. Don't really have a problem scoring goals. A bigger squad thanks to some free signings and loans in summer means I'm able to rotate quite regularly. Board currently giving me a rating of B. Happy with that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Tommy Posted November 14, 2021 Moderator Share Posted November 14, 2021 sigh It's a big difference if you're coasting through the 2. Bundesliga, get promoted, and then get absolutely taking apart in the Bundesliga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Tommy Posted November 14, 2021 Moderator Share Posted November 14, 2021 Nevermind, we good! Wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Pyfish+ Posted November 15, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted November 15, 2021 Going well at Grimsby so far! Top of the league after 13 games and still unbeaten. We play Notts County next so expecting that one to be the one where we could end the streak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted November 15, 2021 Share Posted November 15, 2021 @Stan @Dan Khanya Leshabela is a good free agent to pick up from Leicester City after the first season for a League One / Championship club. I wanted a central midfielder that could drive with the ball from midfield at Championship level but he's had the dual advantage of being a direct and creative winger too. Only 2k per week too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted November 15, 2021 Share Posted November 15, 2021 This forum would explode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted November 15, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 15, 2021 I don't know how it's happening but it is... Top of the league... 28 games gone and reached the summit for now. Praying for no collapse! Dressing room atmosphere is top level, finances are average and morale across the squad is great. Think my old tactic was getting found out so switched up to a 4-2-3-1. Seems to be a bit more resolute and less passive. Has influenced 6 wins on the bounce. My main worry is that Akinola is due to leave in the summer after accepting a contract from IF Brommapojkarna - sounds like a team @RandoEFC would guide to the top level Akinola has 14 goals and 9 assists. By far my main creator of goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted November 16, 2021 Share Posted November 16, 2021 12 hours ago, Stan said: I don't know how it's happening but it is... Top of the league... 28 games gone and reached the summit for now. Praying for no collapse! Dressing room atmosphere is top level, finances are average and morale across the squad is great. Think my old tactic was getting found out so switched up to a 4-2-3-1. Seems to be a bit more resolute and less passive. Has influenced 6 wins on the bounce. My main worry is that Akinola is due to leave in the summer after accepting a contract from IF Brommapojkarna - sounds like a team @RandoEFC would guide to the top level Akinola has 14 goals and 9 assists. By far my main creator of goals. I've found Gegenpress more difficult to implement on this game. It felt like on FM19 you could do it with just half decent players, on FM21 you needed at least one CB with good distribution, this save the algorithm seems to have thrown more spanners in to the works. One thing that I've noticed which may help you for next season if you get promoted is having your quickest player on the edge of your penalty area when defending corners. It sounds simple but I've lost count how many key chances I've had that started as me defending a corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted November 16, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 16, 2021 59 minutes ago, The Palace Fan said: I've found Gegenpress more difficult to implement on this game. It felt like on FM19 you could do it with just half decent players, on FM21 you needed at least one CB with good distribution, this save the algorithm seems to have thrown more spanners in to the works. One thing that I've noticed which may help you for next season if you get promoted is having your quickest player on the edge of your penalty area when defending corners. It sounds simple but I've lost count how many key chances I've had that started as me defending a corner. To be honest I just thought that a lot of teams are direct in this league so let's switch it up. Using the wingers primarily when on the ball as there's always lots of space to run in to. Adebiyi is too good for my squad to be honest - he can play various roles and confidently play it out from the back or distribute to the wingers. Something to bear in mind for next season . I might try and do it now anyway and see what happens. Generally though chance creation hasn't been a problem (yet). I'm not on the save at the moment but I think the only games I haven't conceded in are the Bolton and Southport cup games... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted November 16, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted November 16, 2021 21 hours ago, The Palace Fan said: @Stan @Dan Khanya Leshabela is a good free agent to pick up from Leicester City after the first season for a League One / Championship club. I wanted a central midfielder that could drive with the ball from midfield at Championship level but he's had the dual advantage of being a direct and creative winger too. Only 2k per week too! He's a quite steady prospect I think. Don't see him ever making an impact on our side but fully expect him to probably get a career at that sort of level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted November 17, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted November 17, 2021 First season done, and it's a success. Was a weird season and not as convincing as it looks. We didn't actually lead the table until the 34th matchday as Badajoz, and to an extent Extremadura had been ridiculously good, but we seemed to find a second wind and sealed it with a very strong final third of the season. They've rehashed the Spanish (and Portuguese) league systems this year for anybody who has managed at that level before and was understandably put off. It's now two leagues of 20 teams with the league winners and then 2 play-off winners getting promoted. The leagues are split into east and west and 5th in west will play 2nd in east etc... as it turns out the top two in both leagues ended up promoted anyway, you have to feel a bit for Badajoz who were top for a good 80% of the season. Was constantly torn on how I felt about our own performance. Was very miffed that we were sat 2nd, and then 3rd for ages given we were fancied to win the league but I really felt we were a bit unlucky as well and we weren't doing a lot wrong, we just happened to not be doing quite as well as those two. The big concern, is that both of them beat us home and away, and in the home game with Badajoz, and both games with Extremadura, we were leading with 10 minutes left. This demonstrates a frailty to me, but one that I aim to put right upon a bit more experience of how 22 works and a transfer window where we can attract better players. Our squad was good, and the best in that league, but it wasn't exceptional. There were a fair few players who in my eyes were 2nd tier level but it wasn't like it was miles clear of the others. I think we achieved probably par with the squad I had which for a first effort on a brand new game I'm happy with really. I feel like I may struggle to recruit as effectively as on 21 for some reason though. This below was the formation I settled on but I feel I'll need a bit of tweaking upon promotion as we won't be favourites in 90% of games like this year. Chances are I'll have a 4-3-3 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Posted November 17, 2021 Share Posted November 17, 2021 On 14/11/2021 at 22:22, Tommy said: sigh It's a big difference if you're coasting through the 2. Bundesliga, get promoted, and then get absolutely taking apart in the Bundesliga. This could be me, promoted Wrexham via the playoffs in my first season so expecting to get hammered most weeks in League Two . On another note, does anyone have a link (or can send) some decent logopacks? I'm using the one since about FM17 so needing a new one. @Dan @The Palace Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted November 17, 2021 Share Posted November 17, 2021 1 hour ago, Whiskey said: This could be me, promoted Wrexham via the playoffs in my first season so expecting to get hammered most weeks in League Two . On another note, does anyone have a link (or can send) some decent logopacks? I'm using the one since about FM17 so needing a new one. @Dan @The Palace Fan https://sortitoutsi.net/graphics/style/19/fmv-logos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted November 18, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted November 18, 2021 8 hours ago, Whiskey said: This could be me, promoted Wrexham via the playoffs in my first season so expecting to get hammered most weeks in League Two . On another note, does anyone have a link (or can send) some decent logopacks? I'm using the one since about FM17 so needing a new one. @Dan @The Palace Fan https://www.tcmlogos.com/tcm22-logos-fm22/ This is probably the best one I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted November 19, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 19, 2021 It's the run-in. The business end of the season...!! Tonbridge, in last, play all of us barring Havant & Waterlooville. The soon to be departed Romeo Akinola is banging them in for fun. 21 goals and 10 assists in 36 games! Not bad for a right winger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted November 19, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 19, 2021 While I lost to Dartford, Ebbsfleet won to go top, Havant drew and Bath won... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted November 19, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 19, 2021 Drew. Ebbsfleet thrashed Chippenham. Havant won, Bath lost... It's a little collapse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted November 19, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 19, 2021 Lost against Oxford City. Shameful. Automatic promotion hopes over. Play-offs it is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted November 19, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 19, 2021 YESSSS!!!! Promoted via a penalty-shootout final win against Havant & Waterlooville! 0-0 at full-time. 1-0 down in the 95th minute. 2-1 up by the 117th minute. Thinking this has to be it, surely?! NOPE! 2-2 from their restart . 7-6 penalty win. Top scorer for the season being Shaun Jeffers. 24 goals in 37 games. 'Avoid relegation' objective at the start of the season. Promoted to the Vanarama National League by the end of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Pyfish+ Posted November 19, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted November 19, 2021 Still pretty healthy at the top of the league. Lost 3 games since my last update so no longer unbeaten but we reached the FA Cup 3rd Round so happy times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted November 20, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted November 20, 2021 They've definitely made it a bit harder upon getting promoted on this one, which is leading to infuriation during a lot of games but it's a bit more realistic at least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Pyfish+ Posted November 20, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted November 20, 2021 Having a bit of a blip at the wrong time. Lead at the top reduced to just 2 points and we've got a tough run of fixtures. Into the semis of the FA Trophy but it's against Notts County over two legs and we've not beat them this season yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 On 20/11/2021 at 02:24, Dan said: They've definitely made it a bit harder upon getting promoted on this one, which is leading to infuriation during a lot of games but it's a bit more realistic at least I've set up with a really defensive 4-3-2-1, which has led to me grinding out results 1-0 each week. I've been asked to avoid relegation by the board, but sit 4th and two points off top with 10 games played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan Posted November 25, 2021 Administrator Share Posted November 25, 2021 It's very hard to sign players in National League! Trying to utilise the loan market and my affiliate club (Wycombe). But a £10k budget and a tiny wage bill proves difficult to work with... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted November 25, 2021 Subscriber Share Posted November 25, 2021 20 hours ago, Whiskey said: I've set up with a really defensive 4-3-2-1, which has led to me grinding out results 1-0 each week. I've been asked to avoid relegation by the board, but sit 4th and two points off top with 10 games played. I made a terrible start and think it was largely down to a system problem. As like FM21 - going for more physical, 7/10 duller all rounder midfielders feels like the key to rising up the leagues. I'm not going to go up this year due to such an abject start and the fact we're still having the odd silly game but I fancy us next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.