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Nordic Nights and Dutch Days (Part V) | Chapter 18: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Welcome back to the Black Country. You join me in my first full season in charge at Wolves, after we finished 11th last year with an excellent run of results following my transfer from Hibs in January. If you've missed any of the previous updates, you can read a quick summary on how it's gone so fa
Nordic Nights and Dutch Days (Part V) | Chapter 17: On the Road Again
Welcome back to Edinburgh where the sun is shining on Leith and fans are still basking in last term's success. The Journey So Far... If you've missed any of the previous updates, you can read a quick summary on how it's gone so far here . Chapter 16 saw Hibernian crowned as league champions af
Nordic Nights and Dutch Days (Part IV) | Chapter 16: Across the North Sea
Welcome to Easter Road in the Scottish capital where i'm excited to have taken on the role as Hibernian manager, my biggest job yet with what i hope will be plenty of success ahead. The Journey So Far... If you've missed any of the previous updates, you can read a quick summary on how it's gone
Random Ramble | How to Employ Rugby Tactics for FM19
Last month the GrassNGear Podcast released their 29th episode called Tactical Annals where DGear86 and FMGrasshopper assessed the tactics of fellow FMers and offered advice on how they could be improved. To say the episode was a success would be an understatement and if you've not heard it y
Nordic Nights and Dutch Days | Chapter 15: An Unexpected Journey
Welcome back to the Netherlands as FC Emmen prepare for the 2027/28 campaign in the Eredivisie as we look to build on two 12th place finishes, with a twist to the season mid-way through. The Journey So Far... If you've missed any of the previous updates, you can read a quick summary on how it's g
Football Manager Tactics: Coudet's 4-1-3-2 (Racing Club) #FM19
Hello, this post allows me to break away from my usual Football Manager writing and explore tactical concepts around the World in the attempt to translate them into Football Manager. The aim would be to write about teams that are not at the forefront for most European readers, so there’s l
Nordic Nights and Dutch Days | Chapter 14: Emmen Wasn't Built in a Day
After a short recess, I welcome you back to Holland where FC Emmen are eagerly awaiting the start of their second season in the Eredvisie as we look to build on last year's 12th placed finish. The Journey So Far... If you've missed any of the previous updates, you can read a quick summary on how
Nordic Nights and Dutch Days | Chapter 13: A Marathon, Not A Sprint
Welcome back to De Oude Meerdijk in the North East corner of the Netherlands, home to newly promoted FC Emmen. The Journey So Far... If you've missed any of the previous updates, you can read a quick summary on how it's gone so far here . The upcoming campaign sees us return to the Eredivisie fo
The Mezzala on FM - Mez Que Un Role
Football Manager 2018 saw the Mezzala role introduced to the game. It had gained some traction in the non-FM world due to the performances of Ángel di María for Real Madrid in what was dubbed as the central winger role but when researching I found that it's been part of the Italian football vernacul
Five *NEW* Challenges in Football Manager 2019. Please Retweet #FM19 #WeAreTheCommunity
I have experienced a love-and-hate relationship with Football Manager 2019. I don't think I am the only one either, as I have seen a lot of people fall out of love for the game, take extended breaks or mention burnout - and it genuinely kills me seeing people switch off and head to Other Games. So
Nordic Nights and Dutch Days | Chapter 12: Heading South for the Winter
Since the Netherlands is not a Nordic country (fun fact for you!), I've opted to change the series name so it still makes sense for where I'm managing. For the purists among you, fear not, this is still very much the same save - i just didn't think it through! In the last update I revealed that I'
Nordic Nights | Chapter 11: The End of an Era
Thanks for joining us again in the city of Kuopio, Finland where the average annual temperature is just 3.4° C. We're entering my 4th year with the club and my 3rd full season in charge as we strive to build on two 3rd placed finishes in the league, a cup win and a record best of reaching the group
Random Ramble | How to Ignore the Signs That You Don't Know What You Are Doing
If you read my last random ramble , you'll have noted my admission to not being very good with tactics. I hate to write another blog about tactics creation (not least because I just admitted to knowing nothing on the subject) but i can't help but share my recent experience, in the vain hope that so
Nordic Nights | Chapter 10: Comfort is the Enemy of Progress
You join us back in south central Finland, 390km NNE of Helsinki in the city of Kuopio where I'm with KuPS, preparing for my second full season in charge. The journey so far... 2018 - started unemployed (Sunday League experience, no badges) before getting the job at Nosaby IF in the Swedi
Nordic Nights | Chapter 9: Making KuPS Great Again - Part II
Hello again, and welcome to part II of this season's update. We left off with KuPS having qualified for the group stages of the Europa League which will accompany our fierce battle for the top spot in the league. The journey so far... 2018 - started unemployed (Sunday League experience, no ba
Nordic Nights | Chapter 8: Making KuPS Great Again - Part I
Welcome back to the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. It's Finland, where i'm currently in the role as Manager of Kuopion Palloseura, or KuPS for short. I've freshened up the layout of this blog to hopefully make it easier to read, and have opted to split this update into two
Random Ramble | My (Unnecessary) Opinion on a Few Hot Topics
If you saw the latest issue of Latte Quarterly , you'll know that FM Adventure partook in an exciting new fitness I'll continue my update on KuPS progress next time, but for now I'd like to share some thoughts and key learnings that I've experienced in FM over the past few weeks. Consider this an
Nordic Nights | Chapter 7: Cause for Optimism
We left off with KuPS floundering in 10th place out of a total of 12 teams, and in desperate need of getting some points on the board. The media had predicted us to finish 5th so we were some way off the pace in the league. On the positive side, as mentioned previously, they had already emerged as L
Nordic Nights | Chapter 6: Over and Out
For the first time since taking over at Nosaby, I've failed in having my squad assembled by the end of the year. I'm still missing a key piece to the puzzle: a Ball Winning Midfielder. I'm keen to find the right player for this role, someone with good strength and stamina, who has the ability to dis
Nordic Nights | Chapter 5: No Time for Losers
Pre-season review Keeping with tradition, I holidayed through January, (somewhere hot I think!) and got back in time for pre-season. My Assistant Manager's contract expired and I took the chance to hire someone new with better coaching credentials. I also brought in another new coach, a new scout a
My FM19 Training Approach
FM19 being released was accompanied by massive changes to training. It had been often suggested, hugely debated and highly anticipated. Gone was the handful of options available for us to pick that we'd have to have on for at least three months for them to make an impact on player development but th
Nordic Nights | Chapter 4: Taking the Scenic Route
Back from a nice break and straight into pre-season. The team reported back in top condition, most likely a result of having 4 months to do nothing but relax, or maybe work out at the gym. I had hoped the Board would show some willing and increase my wage budget but they opted to keep it the same w
Nordic Nights | Chapter 3: Upwards and Onwards
Uh oh! The transfer deadline is in 1 week! Worse still is the fact that I don’t have a scout in place to help identify some transfer targets and it will likely take me all week to find one anyway. My Assistant Manager (with a score of 1 for JCA and 1 for JPA) does his best to help and suggests half
GrassNGear: a Football Manager Podcast - 1 Year Anniversary #FM19
Hello Readers, I've got something different on the blog today, which coincides with this month’s 1-year anniversary of the GrassNGear podcast . A podcast that I never thought could exist and certainly not something I ever thought of being a part of when I first started blogging FM back in Augus
Nordic Nights | Chapter 2: First Day of School
Day one of a new club is always an exciting prospect, but much like the first day at school, you usually don't know anyone and there's a lot to take in as you get into the role. It can be overwhelming but i always focus on the mountain of admin that needs doing before I can cycle to the next day. Fi
Nordic Nights | Chapter 1: Interview Practice
Despite it usually taking several months before jobs start becoming available, I had an interview offer within a day of going on holiday. I quickly realised that the Nordic leagues start much earlier in the calendar year and play through the Summer months to make the most of the daylight hours, and
Nordic Nights | Prologue
This blog will centre around my journey from an unknown English manager to the fame and fortune of continental success on Football Manager 2019. Creating an alternate reality In previous versions of the game I’ve successfully been hired for my first job by clubs in National League and National
My FM19 Tactic: 4-1-2-3
The start to competitive football in season two hasn't been positive. We've struggled for consistency and really struggled to create meaningful goalscoring chances. At the time of starting to write this post, at the end of October 2019 in-game, we're languishing in the bottom half of the league on n
Introducing Ruslan Chepiga - My #FM19 Manager
An introduction to my Football Manager 19 manager, Ruslan Chepiga.
My FM19 Tactic: 3-5-2
My time as Vitória manager on Football Manager 2019 has begun. It's my first day in the job. Before I even click continue I'm going to go through a series of steps to evaluate the essential aspects of the club. This post will go through how I'm aiming to set us up on the pitch and how I arrived at t
Rensie Custom Skin for FM19
The custom skin for the Football Manager 2019 created by FM Rensie.
Sempre Vitória
I'm heading to Portugal to join Vitória Sport Clube, or as I'll be referring to them throughout the save, Vitória. The club is based in the northern city of Guimarães and competes in the Primeira Liga, the top tier of Portuguese football. Similarly to the majority of Por
My #FM19 Exposé
My Football Manager 19 save reveal. I will be managing Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia.
Why FC Lorient in #FM19? - Orange Is The New Black
Orange is the new Black Blogging FM means you can look back retrospectively over your save, savouring the highs and lows of football management and recording the minute details held within. Everything before FM16 (the FM on which I started blogging) is therefore a bit hazy. I can’t look back and
Creating a Hybrid Tactical Style in Football Manager 2019 - feat. @MerryGuido #FM19 #WeAreTheCommunity
Intro This is a collaborative piece between good friend Guido Merry (of Strikerless.com fame) during the FM19 Content Capture Event , held in London (October 2018). Several FM Content Creators were given a chance to try out an Alpha build of Football Manager 2019 and come together and produce
FM18 Epilogue | BFC Siófok 2017 - 2045
The summary of the Football Manager 2018 save in Hungary with BFC Siófok.
Epilogue:
Previously in Return to La Plata, Ángel Bastardo looked back on 8 incredible years with Estudiantes .
Samo's Stirling - Season Fourteen - Game Over
With the treble treble secured last season (that's three consecutive seasons of the SPL, Scottish Cup and Scottish Supercup being won, all three available domestic trophies), it's safe to say we're dominating domestic football. Going in to each new season I'm confident we would consistently be able
Morale Manager
Over the last couple of editions of Football Manager there's been talk across the FM Twittersphere of the game becoming more like Morale Manager. In my opinion, SI have got this pretty spot on. FM reflects the IRL football world with players not getting on with you or each other, complaining about t
A Strategy for Stirling
In my saves on previous editions of Football Manager I've tended to set out quite structured aims and targets at the beginning of the save. This time round with Stirling we started out in the third tier and I knew I eventually wanted to grow the club and take it to the next level but one of the main
Samo's Stirling - Opening the Samo Stadium
Having successfully established Stirling as one of the best clubs in Scotland on the pitch, it was time to do this off the pitch too. We'd quickly outgrown our 3,808 capacity Forthbank home, we were unable to play our home European matches there (because home European matches are a thing now for the
My FM18 Tactic: 4-4-2
I grew up watching football at a time when 4-4-2 was the standard across Scottish and English football. Beckham and Giggs on the flanks, Keane and Scholes centrally and Yorke and Cole up top are my most vivid memories of the formation. Even now, on terraces across Scottish football you'll still hear
Why the Medical Centre Isn't Needed on FM
The addition of the medical centre for FM18 was called out as one of SI's crowning new features. It's a feature that I hadn't seen many people requesting, it's one we've managed to live without so far up to this point and personally, it's one I think can still be lived without. Have a read of how I'
FM18 | Watch and learn
Football Manager 2018 and the tactical post about the changes I made after watching the game.
Rensie Custom Skin for FM18
The custom skin for the Football Manager 2018 created by FM Rensie.
Samo's Stirling
I've introduced you to the new structure of Scottish football, briefly touched on who I'll be taking over and even more briefly touched on why I would be. Now it's time to dig a bit deeper into the why and what exactly I'll be aiming for whilst in charge of Stirling Albion on FM18. Let me just quic
My FM18 Plans
If you know me, you'll know I'm Scottish and that I love Scottish football. I'm also a big believer in focusing on your strengths, and that's why I'm heading back to Scotland on FM18. I want to establish myself as the go-to when it comes to anything Football Manager and Scotland. If you've got a bur
Argentina: The Football Manager 2018 Survival Guide feat. @HEGS_com & @VincentGuzman_ #FM18 #WeAreTheCommunity
Background
Why Estudiantes in #FM18? - Return to La Plata #WeAreTheCommunity
Previously in Return to La Plata: Ángel Bastardo woke up .
Prologue:
Previously at Grasshopper HQ: Ángel Bastardo was left for dead after the mutiny in Milan .