Volksrepublik Fußball
Latest Posts
Top Dogs of Tijuana: Season Two | Part I
Volksrepublik Fußball
As the dust settled on the many successes of season one, our manager, Agustin Madoery, was already planning for the task of rebuilding and repeating. The squad had a lot of strengths, but was also relatively old in its age profile. The task at hand was to remove some of the dead weight, rebuild with […]
Top Dogs of Tijuana: Season One | Part II
Volksrepublik Fußball
With the first trophy of his managerial career in the bags, Agustin Madoery headed into the Clausara with optimism. Xolos Tijuana had been incredible in the Apertura, defying all expectations, playing dynamic, attacking football and making the board happy. A small winter break allowed a time for reflection on what had worked well, and what […]
Top Dogs of Tijuana: Season One | Part I
Volksrepublik Fußball
So here we are then. The first season (of hopefully many) for Agustin Madoery, the Argentinian Manager of Xolos Tijuana. The board wish for a midtable finish, and Madoery would like to exceed those expectations. It’s not going to be easy however. A small transfer budget of £1.5m is switched over largely into the wage […]
Top Dogs of Tijuana: Part One
Volksrepublik Fußball
According to WordPress, it has been 6 years since an article was published on this site. I don’t even recall what made me stop writing in the first place, but a nostalgic reading of old pieces this weekend brought back the hype, and with Football Manager 2025 delayed until the new year, it feels like […]
The FM Financial Planner by VR Fussball
Volksrepublik Fußball
I’ll be totally honest; when I thought about coming back and writing an FM related blog, I didn’t think the first one in a number of months would be to tell you all about a spreadsheet I’ve made. Hardly punk rock is it? But, having spent an hour or so thinking of a practical way […]
Barnsley: Season 4 – Help! How do I match up to that last season?
Volksrepublik Fußball
Season 3 at Barnsley went well, perhaps a little too well? That was my fear anyway. We’d overachieved to high heaven, reaching a European Final (granted, we were beaten…well), and a top half Premier League finish. Yet expectations at the club, amongst the players, and the fans, were not overblown, thank god. Despite the media […]
Bielsista Backlash! A Trip to Marseille
Volksrepublik Fußball
A little bit of a back-story here. I’m a confirmed Bielsista. It’s just who I am. If you’ve read my previous work with AFC Ajax on this site then you’ll know all about my obsessions with 3 at the back – and my struggles to implement it without any wide defenders – but this has […]
Viva la Revolución part 2: Goalless Draws and Cup Dreams
Volksrepublik Fußball
A common topic for conversation during a pre-match pint is how low would you accept Stoke finishing if it meant we won a cup, this attitude reflects the difficulty of the Premier League and how silverware will always top mid table mediocrity for the fans. My Stoke side, who were developing into one of the […]
Design Contest: Week Three- AFCON 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
Entries After another fantastic week of designs, I’m ridiculously exited for week three. Africa is renowned for it’s bright football kits, and the Africa Cup of Nations 2017 is the perfect time to showcase them. This week sees you take on the entire tournament. There are 16 teams to choose from, so feel […]
Barnsley: Season 3 – Help! I’ve accidentally got into Europe
Volksrepublik Fußball
Hello you. It’s been a while hasn’t it? Truth be told, I’ve neglected my duties of writing up the Barnsley adventure. This isn’t to say I have neglected the save, and a lot has occurred since we last visited South Yorkshire…a whole third season with the Tykes in fact. Sorry! We left Barnsley in a […]
Viva La Revolucion: A false nine Journey
Volksrepublik Fußball
Part 1 Finding our feet The month of December 2015 was a special time to be a Stoke fan. Mark Hughes looked to finally have reached the end of his revolution, the vanguard had dissolved and Stoke were left with the ‘false nine’. City, United and Everton were the victims of the beautiful fluid […]
Design Contest: Week Two- Al Wahda FC
Volksrepublik Fußball
Congratulations to Dave Azzopardi and Henry from BlueHorizonKits for winning the overall and judges contest respectively on week two’s contest!
VR Fussball Design Contest: Week One Entries
Volksrepublik Fußball
Congratulations to this week’s winner of the popular vote; Metcalfe_designs! Mr Metcalfe won the popular vote, but Mr Tom Allery took home the “Judges Choice” Award for this week with this classic (our judge said he was a sucker for the presentation!) A big thank you to all who entered. Some absolutely stunning work this […]
VRFussball Design Contest: Week One
Volksrepublik Fußball
Calling all football designers! We want you… The VRFussball design contest has begun! Each week, a topic of choice will be selected, with a corresponding brief! The objective, to create the most stunning work, which will in turn be voted on by the FM Community! There’s some absolutely stunning graphics work out in the football […]
Sunshine on Leith | Part One
Volksrepublik Fußball
At the side of Easter Road stadium is a giant photo of David Gray lifting the Scottish Cup with the word ‘Persevered’ underneath. This is a club that has to toil away for success, but I have to deliver it, soon. Hibernian, cup holders, are in the Scottish Championship. For years a top-flight mainstay, a […]
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted! The Business end of the season!
Volksrepublik Fußball
A change to the format First and foremost, thank you everyone for your support on the Barnsley journey so far! I’ve had some brilliant interaction with FM bloggers, followers, and Barnsley fans, who have all seemingly enjoyed the exploits of our journey to the top thus far! Now though, it’s time for something a bit […]
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted! February 2018
Volksrepublik Fußball
Wembley…Wembley We’re off to a cup final guys! That’s a bit special isn’t it for our first campaign in the top flight in 20 odd years. Truth be told, we are getting quite used to the place, Barnsley having been there now 3 seasons on the trot (The Johnstone Paint Trophy and playoffs before I […]
Auxerre: Aloé, Aloé
Volksrepublik Fußball
Originally posted on FMPressure: Last year was a big step for us, we made huge progress in the league, winning 26 games and finishing only 9 points behind eventual champions PSG. There were some frustrations as well, being knocked out of Europe in the group stages and obviously going out of the domestic cups early…
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted! January 2018
Volksrepublik Fußball
New Year’s Resolution HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! For my New Year’s Resolution, I am planning to not get relegated, and maybe win a match or something. We can dream can’t we? Truth be told, having not won a game since November, I was a bit down about our chances. Something had to give, and I […]
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted! December 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
Winter is coming We’d beaten Huddersfield, and were in a League Cup Semi Final. That’s alright isn’t it? Yeah that’s what I thought, and then winter came. 7 games in December meant a busy schedule, with Barnsley playing some of the big wigs of the league. City, Spurs, Liverpool, West Ham, we’d play them all. As […]
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted! November 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
Permanent Revolution Away to Stoke we’d go. Let’s just not talk about it yeah? An awful day, where Stoke were at their full Stoke-alona, dominating every aspect of the game. 3-0 flattered them. Perez, Sobhi and Wollscheid on the score sheet, 2 of which came from Michael Antonia long throws. Stoke clearly were feeling retro […]
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted! October 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
It’s unfair… The international break was once again upon us, so I took the time to arrange a little friendly between our local affiliate and ourselves. The game itself was a non event, with Barnsley running out 4-1 winners over Frickley Athletic, Bradshaw with 2, Maddison and Pizarro with 1! But that wasn’t the headline […]
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted! September 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
The going gets tough After a pretty decent start to the season, we sat gloriously mid table. I was under no illusions however that things would get tough, and my over riding concern was still that we lacked a pacey winger. Adam Hammill and Marcus Maddison were good last season, but they would be really […]
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted! August 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
Here we…here we go Preseason has been and gone, the money has run dry, and our first season back in the Premier League is about to begin. This season was going to be tough as owt. But with the acquisitions made, I felt we could try and hobble through! This feeling lasted for about 5 […]
Help! I’ve accidentally been promoted: Preseason 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
So…yeah. I’ll be totally honest, I’m not overly happy about promotion to the Premier League. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the amazement of what we achieved, its the rebuilding job I’d have to do to the team that seemed daunting. Our first XI were great, but barely top players for the championship, and built […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: The Playoffs
Volksrepublik Fußball
How did this happen? How on earth did we get here? We had been predicted to go down, and fight bravely against relegation, not be in contention to be promoted to the richest league in the world! Derby County, that old foe, was all that stood in our way of a return to Wembley. Now […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: April/May 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
Business end of the season. We’ve already done something special and kept Barnsley up, but now we were flirting with the playoff positions. I didn’t believe we’d do anything, there were a lot of bigger teams around me, but I liked the idea of causing mayhem to the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham. We […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: March 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
50 points They say that 50 points are needed in the Championship in order to stay up. Well, we’d done that. Our unexpected season had seen us completely avoid the relegation dog fight, and instead, put in a bid for a playoff position, not that I was pushing for it. We stood an outside chance, […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: February 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
Where do we go from here? Just about anywhere We sat comfortably in 10th place. Not bad for a team predicted to finish in the bottom 3. This isn’t complacency, but I was more than confident that my team would collect the 50 points predicted to almost guarantee mathematically that we wouldn’t go down. January’s […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: January 2017
Volksrepublik Fußball
It’s going to be our year… January usually brings forth the January sales right? Yeah not for us. Whilst we are making a healthy profit this year, it certainly isn’t in the wage department, as our Director of Football, Jez George, is intent on giving our players whatever they want when it comes to contract […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: December 2016
Volksrepublik Fußball
It’s the most wonderful time of the year 2017 was fast approaching, but there 5 games remained before the reverse fixtures, and 1 reverse fixture to be played on New Years Eve. For Barnsley, the hectic holiday time schedule would see us face some of the toughest teams in the division, but with us currently sitting […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: November 2016
Volksrepublik Fußball
Remember remember the 5th of November November would be rather light in schedule, as the international break meant only 4 games would be played; Burton (away) Wigan (home) Nottingham Forest (home) Burnley (home- League Cup Quarter Final) The match at Burton would take place on bonfire night, in what I had identified as a must win […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: October 2016
Volksrepublik Fußball
1/10/16, Elland Road, Leeds Off the back of 2 defeats, and with our captain injured, you’d forgive my apprehension towards a Yorkshire derby with the biggest (and everyone’s) enemy in the county. Leeds United may not be the power house they once were, but those feelings of local hatred do not go away, and much […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: Season One, September
Volksrepublik Fußball
M is for Momentum The win over Rotherham gave us our first precious league win of the season, and crucially shifted our players moods from “Okay” to the lovely green of “Good”. We were unbeaten in 4 (if you count the League Cup), and were starting to get a good rhythm. The switch in midfield […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: Season One, August
Volksrepublik Fußball
Here we, here we go… A great preseason under our belts meant a great deal of confidence going into the opening fixture of the season against Ipswich. Yeah we’d played some minnows (no offense Dumbarton and Scunthorpe) but the dominant display against Club Brugge was my crowing moment so far. They’re by no means a […]
Welcome t’ Tarn: Introducing Barnsley FC
Volksrepublik Fußball
“It’s grim up north” “Oh, you’re doing a Barnsley career? That’s an interesting pick…” or something to that affect seems to be the general response when I tell people that my team of choice for Football Manager 2017 is the Tykes. For me, there is no better choice. I’ve always said that when picking a team […]
Totaalvoetbal Herboren: The Run In Season 1
Volksrepublik Fußball
So when we left the game in December Oswald Hatfelt had Ajax just two points off of PSV in the top spot and a lot of goal difference. Adam Maher from PSV and would arrive on the 1st of January to provide immediate reinforcements and more to follow was the aim. First up though Davy Klassen, […]
Back in the USSR: Part Five
Volksrepublik Fußball
Part Five: The Title Run In… At the end of our last piece, our Dnipro side had come away from Anfield with a crushing 5-1 defeat, but restored some glory by beating league rivals Dynamo Kyiv 2-1. Now, with the team going into the second half of the season, we had to improve our squad, […]
A Soviet Story in an Alternative Football Manager Universe – Futbolgrad
Volksrepublik Fußball
What would have happened to world football if the Soviet Union had never collapsed? Find out in our Football Manager alternative history storyline. Source: A Soviet Story in an Alternative Football Manager Universe – Futbolgrad I’m really privileged to work with the folks at Futbolgrad, a site I have long followed for information on Eastern […]
Totaalvoetbal Herboren: Winterstop Season 1
Volksrepublik Fußball
It’s been an up and down half season trip to the point of the winter break. It’s much needed for my team to regroup and really focus ourselves on the challenges ahead. Much of the season has been spent tweaking and refining the Cruyffiest system of them all. Tactics Tactics Tactics While Chris’s Dnipro system relies […]
Back in the USSR: Part Four
Volksrepublik Fußball
Part Four: Forward Comrades! Part Three saw our Dnipro team sit in 1st place in the Soviet Top League, after going on a brilliant unbeaten streak after an opening day defeat to Dynamo Kyiv. Our Total Football tactic was paying dividends, with Dnipro topping the goals scored tally, and with Euegene Seleznyov being the leagues top scorer. […]
Totaalvoetbal Herboren: AFC Ajax Introduction
Volksrepublik Fußball
It sounds arsey to say, but I’ve gotten pretty good at Football Manager over the years. In FM12 I lead numerous teams to glory perfecting a narrow 4231 formation. Which produced some spectacular goals, lead by my midfield maestro Marco Verratti. In FM13 I went for over 250 league games unbeaten with Stoke, losing only […]
Our Partners
Volksrepublik Fußball
There are some brilliant Football Manager blogs, YouTube channels, and Podcasts available out there! These are a few I enjoy reading, watching, and listening to…and one or… Read more “Our Partners”
League Building: How to Compete in the Unequal World of Football Manager
Volksrepublik Fußball
Football Manager is a tough game. We all have dreams of taking those minnows from the Bulgarian First Division to Champions League glory, but it’s a proper slog isn’t it? At least, this is one of the first issues I have been brought up against whenever I have suggested smaller clubs to players looking out […]
Back in the USSR: Part Three
Volksrepublik Fußball
Part Three: The Season Begins It’s taken 2 articles and 1 introductory piece, but finally the season has begun in the USSR. In Part Two we had settled on our Cruyff-esque philosophy, and had begun to build the foundations of a footballing academy. We had taken on Olimpic D, SK Sturm Graz and Hannover 96 in preaseason […]
Wonderkids Workshop: Sign Up
Volksrepublik Fußball
Thomas Allery of FMScout, kit making genius and friend of the site has a challenge for you, which we’d like to facilitate. Hello, and Welcome to WONDERKIDS WORKSHOP. I’ve been thinking about running this for a while; and you may have seen similar things before. Basically, fellow FMScout members and hopefully my Twitter following will join forces […]
Back in the USSR: Part Two
Volksrepublik Fußball
Before we begin, a huge thank you to Martin Morpain for his incredible work on the Dnipro and CSKA Moscow fictional kits. They are stunning pieces of work, and will feature in my game! Please check Martin’s work out, he’s a very talented designer, and deserves plaudits. Part Two: An Academy of Football As eluded to […]
Back in the USSR: Part One
Volksrepublik Fußball
Before we begin, I must say a huge thanks to the community for the huge levels of support this Soviet save has received since I posted the introduction a few days ago. I have honestly been blown away by the level of interaction. Thank you guys, you’ve made me really look forward to writing this next […]
Back in the USSR: The Introduction
Volksrepublik Fußball
Introduction Imagine a world where the Cold War never ended. A world where the late 80’s didn’t see the decline in the Soviet Bloc, but rather, the resurgence of the Socialist Economy, and the continuation of East v West. For many a football fan, the secret gems of the former Socialist Camp are intriguing. Stories […]
BVB Kits: Season 4 (by Tom Allery)
Volksrepublik Fußball
One of the great things about posting on twitter is the different people you get to meet. Tom Allery, of FM Scout fame is one such person. A tremendously gifted graphics maker, Tom took our victory in the Champions League as inspiration for these masterful kit designs. They are incredible! I could talk for hours about […]