New Beginnings
By: Tom B |
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Hello all, welcome back.
I’m not going to be able to post for a couple of days as I’m going into hospital for a knee reconstruction. If you guys (and ladies?) like I’ll keep you posted on how the rehab is going as well as the progress of Hyeres.
So, with an ostensible sense of deja vu, after receiving a phone call from Gérard Daziano, saying that there had been a falling out at Hyeres FC with their promotion winning manager Patrick Bruzzichessi.
In his absence, they’d (somehow) heard that I’d stopped playing football due to my knee injury, and that they were willing to take a punt on an unkown Australian manager, with 1 pre-season semi-professional football match under his belt.
So, at the drop of a hat, I hopped on a plane from Perth International Airport, waved goodbye to my folks (brought my francophone girlfriend), prayed that the 3 terms of French classes I’ve sat this year pay off and that I could steer Hyères FC clear of Relegation, and plot our path to glory. Upon arriving at the Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur, I then hopped on a train, through the beautiful countryside of Provence, to the historic down of Hyeres.
So, after meeting Monsieur Daziano, who said that I should probably keep us clear of relegation, or else there would be trouble, and for my trouble I’d be duly compensated with €850 per week. I was then ushered into a small room under the grandstand, where I met with my assistant, Monsieur Patrick Deguis. He decided it would be best to send me scouting after a couple of strikers, apparently we have a shortage there, before letting me know the strengths and weaknesses of the side. He then suggested 4-5-1, 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 as the best formation available.
I was then asked how I thought I’d do – to which I nervously and conservatively blurted out that I’d keep us out of the relegation zone come next May.
I then dipped my toe into board negotiations, politely writing out a document which asked “Je veux mieux établissements pour les jeunes, svp?” – to which they said – “of course, and next time, please ask in English”. I was somewhat embarrassed, and very happy that I
a) could have better youth facilities, and
b) conduct negotiations in English from now on.
Category: FM09
Apologies
By: Tom B | Add Comments
Hi All,
My game crashed last night, something wrong with the file.
No problems. I’ll start again. Lucky I hadn’t got very far in.
Category: FM09Details, Details, Pre-season report.
By: Tom B | 2 Comments
For all those who care, this is how I’m running the game
Then my Ass-man (now sacked) came along and suggested that we had depth in the team,
and that, all in all, we werent very good.
So, I had a look at my squad, and realised we lacked any real cover (or any at all) at left back, right back, up front, and were pretty weak in the centre of midfield. So basically I have OK centre halves and
Therefore targets for signings are a left back, right back, central midfielders and another target man.
I then sacked my assistant, sacked my physio (rating 4/20) and signed 2 players, Christophe Ettori, an experienced holding midfielder.
Stupidly, I made him my captain, and faced a mini mutiny. But the mini munity that followed was completely unjustified, as the captain I replaced was the 8th best centre midfielder at the club. In order to stoke the flames I sent him to the reserves and transfer listed him. Way to assert myself on the club.
The other signing is a little more exciting, Yamoudou Camara. A young centre back who can cover as a holding or central midfielder. I scouted him after the French Trialists’ game, and he wanted rather high wages, but that’s OK as he’ll definitely come up to at least Ligue 2 with me as well (should we be so lucky).
Given my squad’s weaknesses, I settled on a 4 2 3 1 with a central midfielder instead of an attacking central midfielder. This is still a work in progress, but with a target man centre forward, I’m looking to be tight in the middle and look for my creativity to come from the attacking 3.
Pre-season results were as follows, but I didn’t play my strongest squad for full games, often starting with a weak squad, due to fitness concerns (I’m not a fan of starting players who have condition in the 50s).
So – onwards to the season proper, the odds are as follows
Category: FM09Bienvenue
By: Tom B | 2 Comments
Welcome to the South of France
I have, in a somewhat controversial decision, been appointed manager of Hyères FC, a small club playing in the 3rd tier of the French game.
Hyères is a small team with not much history (except that it pre-dates stainless steel, the US Soccer Federation, the zipper and Silvio Piola) with bright future, at least it does while I am still in charge. They were involved in the first season of professional football in France, and won the CFA – 2 division last season.
Here is a little bit of data about our little team.
Our home, as mentioned, is the Stade Perruc, a tiny, tiny ground.
Having rocked up, bright eyed, bushy tailed, speaking no French (not entirely true, but let’s not split hairs), I was welcomed to the club by the chairman,
and told him that I would avoid relegation back into the obscurity of the CFA leagues, in exchange for which I was given a wage budget of 10 000 per week.
Category: FM09Fact or Fiction
By: Tom B | 4 Comments
To continue this experiment in Webmocracy – Do you guys want me to play with real players or computer generated players (like last time).
I like computer generated players, as they’ll all have a face, and it is more like a parrallel universe where I get to manage in Scotland, France, Ukraine etc.
However, I started a trial game with Perth Glory, and was very excited to find players who I train with every week exist in the game, for a semi-pro team I’ve played 1 game with (as keeper). Thus I’m willing to give either a go.
PS – apologies for using the word Webmocracy.
Should I use Real World or Computer Generated players for my game?(polls)
Let me know what you think.
Category: FM09Who To Manage, part II
By: Tom B | 7 Comments
I’ve narrowed it down to 6 teams. Chronomenets and the French teams have been discarded on grounds that they are too big.
Scafatese – tiny Italian low division club.
Hyeres – just look how small their stadium is. They operate in Provence, in the south of France
Chengdu Blades – Chinese team, where I would try to win 2 leagues in 1 season.
Queens Park – tiny team in Scotland, massive stadium
LE Vladivostok – I’d like to try to bring Champions League Football to the far East (of Russia).
Prykarpattya – The worst team in all of (FM Playable) Ukraine.
Please let me know, and let me know if the poll isn’t working.
Who should I manage?(survey software)
Category: FM09Who To Manage?
By: Tom B | 14 Comments
Hi, sorry for the delay.
There has been a lot going on in my life (away from Santa Eulalia), including 2 deaths in the family, an epic semester of law, my football team (the one I play for) won a league & cup double including a penalty shootout in the quarter final (of which I saved 3). However, I was MIA for my team in from the cup semis onwards as, unfortunately I’ve ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament. I’m having a knee reconstruction on the 16th.
Also, my final exam for the time being is on Monday. As such, I’ll be immobile, on holiday and rehabilitating for the next few months. Thus (& that no-one volunteered to take over) I feel this blog needs a renaissance.
I have a couple ideas as to where I’d like to manage this season, and would love your feedback as to which destiny you desire me to fulfil.
1) Chengdu Blades – Chinese team famous for
a) being owned by Sheffield United (according to Wiki),
b) having two Australians playing for them (the Griffiths Brothers)
c) Having a reserve team in the professional Hong Kong League.
Thus, I hope to take control of my reserves and win 2 leagues in one season at the one club.
2) I’d like to try a team from a lowest playable league in France. I’ve developed quite a taste for French football and its low tempo technical style and knock Lyon/Bordeaux/l’OM off their collective perch (or one day take over the chaos which reigns at l’OM).
3) Take control of the Uruguay national team, try and take them to the World Cup, whilst trying to get a job in a Uruguayan division 2 club and win the Libetadores with them.
4) Do the same in Colombia, Peru or take over from Mr Maradonna in Argentina.
5) Head eastwards into Europe and take over a small team from Russia (I’m thinking Vladivostok at GMT+8), Hungary, Poland, the Ukraine or Romania
4) Any other LLM club you suggest.
Also – Santa Eulalia recap will appear before I start the new blog proper.
Category: FM09Resignation
By: Tom B | 1 Comment
I resign. Or at least I will. Uni/work/life commitments have meant that I no longer have the time/energy to put give this blog the attention it deserves.
I have played out the season, and will give you an epic season summary over a few posts over the coming couple of weeks. After that, please email me or Daryl and I’ll hand over the keys.
I’m not going to purchase FM10 for the above reasons, so perhaps this blog can lay dormant until then when someone new picks up the keys (in both a car and keyboard metaphor) and drive a new and unknown team from obscurity to some level of obscure internet notoriety.
Thankyou all for your attention, and soon class will be dismissed.
Category: FM09Valencia Mestalla
By: Tom B | 1 Comment
First of all thanks for the kind words, and if detail is what you’d like, then details is what you’ll get.
My next match was against Valencia Mastalla (Valencia’s 2nd team), who are top of the league, have players earning 14 grand a week (my highest paid players get 150 euros), and their parent team are currently 3rd in La Liga. I was outgunned. I knew I was outgunned. I dropped my mentalities and hoped for the best.
I set up again with a defensive 5-3-1-1, Valdes playmaker, the perenially disappointing Alfonso up front. With Garcia Martinez out injured, David Gonzalez slotted into left wing back, switching Borja Vila out of position at right wing back. As Gonzalez is more naturally attacking than Vila, I switched their instructions so that Gonzalez would attack with some consideration, and Vila would be more of a stopper.
It ended up a 4-1 loss, but I was not disgraced.
I learnt from this game that I am vulnerable to crosses (I kind of knew that from my last couple of games, but this is where, away from the tight confines of Municipal, I thought I should make a change). Their first goal came from a corner where Vasquez Garcia (little champ that he is) lost his man, who powered home from 5 yards, their second from general play, another cross swung in from the left, with Merino, their left back overlapping in about 100 hectares on his own, whose cross evaded Manuel (I) and Juan Pablo headed home again. So I was 2-0 down after 40 minutes. To make things worse, rather than put his hand up, Manuel (I) whinged to the ref that the goal was offside (see screenshot below), which it wasn’t. This screenshot also gives you an idea how much time Merino “The Ram” had to pick his cross.
I was controlling posession, so at 1/2 time I revved my charges up, and switched to a more attacking, wider 3-4-1-2. I also brought on Lozano again, trying to build up some match fitness, playing him in the defensive, Nieto role. This never really worked, and he never had an impact. I also brought on the bean pole Adolfo to allow me to play 2 up top.
This was silly as in the 50th minute, sheer numbers overwhelmed my defensive back 3, and so I was 3-0 down and staring down the barrel of an absolute towelling, with my away fans who “must be wishing they stayed home”. Then in the 54th minute I suffered the indignation of going 4-0 down as Daniel nipped in front of Antonio, controlled the ball and smashed it home from 5 yards. Things were looking bleak, and I was facing the longest 37 minutes of my managerial career.
I thus switched to a shut up shop 4-3-1-2 formation, which paid dividends straight away. Their goal kick was won by Manuel (I), who nodded it down to Valdez, who found target man Adolfo with his back to goal in some space. Adolfo squared for Alfonso, who released Valdez with a through ball who hammered home from 15 yards.
This is how it stayed, and I liked this 4-3-1-2 shut up shop formation. However key lessons from this game:
1) Wide pitches do not suit my narrow formation, this has to change.
2) My defense is vulnerable to crosses, I have to cut off the supply.
3) Lozano (My New Star Signing) should really be released in an attacking role, with hard tackling, to win the ball further up the pitch.
4) I need a new formation away from home.
5) Low tempo = possession, this is a good, good thing.
Player Profile: Daniel Vazquez Garcia (CM)
I think it’s time to revisit my squad a little, and we’ll start with unsung midfield hero Vazquez Garcia. He’s one who hits a lot of passes (column 1 below) which find their man (column 2), wins and makes most of his challenges (column 4 and 5), and makes lots of runs and a few interceptions to boot (column 14 and 13). He’s a solid, conservative, reliable player, and at only 26, enjoying his time at the club, he’ll be here for a while.
And here’s how he’s gone.
Category: FM09I need some advice
By: Tom B | 6 Comments
Hi All…
Now I need your feedback as to how you want this blog to run.
2 things, I’ve started uni again and don’t have much free time for the next little bit. I have played 6 or 7 games ahead of time in the game world. Now I won’t have time to post all that often, so I can either drip feed you information from these games every couple of days, or give you a mega couple of posts documenting my progress and then post into the future far more infrequently.
You Be The Judge (and let me know in the comments section).
Category: FM09
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