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#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.55 | Where do we go from here?
The day after Hapoel Ashkelon arithmetically avoided relegation, my wife and I spent the afternoon by the waterfront. We like being by the Med, watching the ships come in as they’ve been doing here since Ashkelon was ruled by the Ancient Egyptians. In the evening we went to one of our favourite restaurants nearby. The […]
#FM17 | The Islanders XV
OSU! I am running through this season as quickly as Wolves went past Liverpool on the break yesterday and, incredibly, it’s much fun to watch. FC Ryukyu, in their new home, might not have a better opportunity to hit the J2 playoffs. I love it when a season starts like this, when you can feel […]
#FM17 | The Alphabet Challenge | B | Jorge Wilstermann | Day 571
Siddharth Iyer is driving to his house in a taxi, where the driver, Jorge, turns out to be a Jorge Wilstermann fan. Iyer: So, you support Jorge Wilstermann, do you? Jorge: Yes sir, I do. I’ve supported them ever since I was 7. I even have a season ticket at the club Iyer: That’s good […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.54 | Top of the world
I woke the morning after to find myself out of kilter with the world. The question the local media, and Twitter, is debating is whether Hapole Ashkelon FC can qualify for continental football. In Israel, the top three qualify automatically. If one of those three also wins the cup, then the fourth team qualifies too. […]
#FM17 | Back in the USSR | Part Seven
It can sometimes be difficult to think, stuck in the training shed; there’s a lot going on. Trying to address our staggering lack of consistency is an almost impossible job. I decide to escape the intermittent sounds of power tools and screaming from the physio’s room and the love-struck cooing of my head scout, as […]
#FM17 | Liverpool #10 | Champions?
The stage is set. We have three fixtures left in a rollercoaster Premier League season, and the title is still up for grabs. Liverpool have favourable fixtures compared to Arsenal, but we are still reliant on the Gunners dropping points to be crowned champions. Follow me on Twitter – @MarcusBanks7 – Visit my blog The […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.53 | Building Capacity
Avoidance of relegation provides an opportunity to approach Hapoel Ashkelon FC’s board for more resources. I ask them for permission to appoint an additional physio. When they agree I appoint, with a minimum of fuss, Avi Bakhar. If my sources are to be believed, he brings with him skill in physiotherapy backed by great discipline […]
#FM17 | The Ultimate Journey | Squad Overhaul
Transfers,transfers and transfers.. What is a save without them TRANSFERS? Transfers On the transfers front there was quite a bit of activity as one can make out from the title of the post. After a bit of thinking of what formation I wanted to use in at Cape Town, I found that we were missing […]
#FM17 | The Celtic Way | 2016/17 Part 2
First to join in January was Lewis Moult. I needed a 3rd choice forward as I wanted to loan Jack Atchison to get him more games. Moult came in and done a job. He didn’t set the league alight but will do as a cheap back-up option. The great news is that his value has […]
#FM17 | The Islanders XIV
OSU! I am properly excited about this season. I really, really am. After the ups and downs of last time out, I am confident that we have put the foundations down over the winter and we are going to have a very good campaign. What does that even mean? The play offs and a […]
#FM17 | FM Sessions | The Road Begins
Hello and welcome to the first official post for Football Manager Sessions. I’m going to kick this off by straight away asking for your help – I need a club to manage, and I need you to help choose it. In the last few weeks, I’ve been putting in hours of preparation for this series […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.52 | Relegation Avoided
As soon as it’s confirmed that Hapoel Ashkelon FC have avoided relegation from the Israeli Premier League I offer my assistant manager, Seb Rozental, a new contract. The negotiations across the desk in my office aren’t difficult. He agrees to restrict his already-modest wage demands in return for healthy bonuses (a) staying up and (b) […]
Sheffield United | Blades of Glory #14 | Opening Day Season 2 | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017
Welcome to Episode 14 of my Sheffield United FM17 Save, today we take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the opening game of season 2 and our first game back in the Sky Bet Championship. Join me as we continue our adventure on Football Manager 2017 Hit the LIKE button for more Football Manager 2017 content! ✔ […]
#FM17 | Liverpool #9 | The Run In
Liverpool are on a high after a superb episode eight and are chasing Arsenal in the race for the Premier League. We battled to victory over Bournemouth before inflicting heavy defeats on Watford, and our Merseyside rivals Everton. The Gunners are still in fine form and will be tough to catch with some tricky fixtures […]
#FM17 | Back in the USSR | Part Six
These days, they reckon you spend more time with you colleagues than you do with your own family. It’s a bizarre idea isn’t it? To be forced, every day, to interact, compromise and co-operate with complete strangers. It is inevitable then that you might, from time to time, not see eye to eye on certain […]
#FM17 | The Islanders XIII
OSU! I must apologise for the lack of recent updates – I just haven’t had a chance to pen my thoughts on the 2019 season for FC Ryukyu until now. I’ve had a quick read back over where we got up to and I reckon the best thing to do is to walk you through […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.51 | Squad Building
Over the last few months at Hapoel Ashkelon FC I’ve been mulling over the kinds of players we’ll need to bring in and developing a shortlist for the purpose. At this time of year, I have two such lists: a general one and a shorter list of preferred targets for the window. The latter is […]
#FM17 | Player Profiles | Afonso Sousa
Welcome to the player review of Afonso Sousa. Afonso is a 16 year old central midfielder who, even at this age, has some incredible stats. Could we see him become the next Pirlo or Carrick in the future? In this review we track his progress through the years and we see if he can reach the […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.50 | Shipping players out
Once you’ve lost faith in a player, there are few pleasures greater than getting them out the door. Unfortunately, the most annoying have the habit of turning down offers from other clubs, on the basis that they were put on earth merely to plague you. Hadad, the playmaker who felt entitled to a first-team place […]
#FM17 | The Alphabet Challenge | B | A new country, a new job | Day 423
It is the end of the season. UE Santa Coloma have managed to win the league after an incredible season in which they were predicted to finish 4th. However, one person seems to be distinctly absent in the celebrations. Manager Siddharth Iyer is at Barcelona – El Prat airport, still deciding on what flight he […]
#FM17 | Taste The Feeling Episode 16 | Part 2 | Coca Cola Leiria
Transfers: Aboubacar Doumbia: The reliable left-back had a good debut season with Coca Cola Antwerp last season, however due to the options we now have at Coca Cola Antwerp, he won’t be getting much game-time this season, so it’s a much better idea if he moves to Coca Cola Leiria on loan for the season […]
Sheffield United – Blades of Glory #13 | Ins and Outs | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017
Sheffield United – Blades of Glory #13 | Ins and Outs | Let’s Play Football Manager 2017 Welcome to Episode 13 of my Sheffield United FM17 Save, today we take a look at the end of season awards and stats and whos left the club and arrived so far this summer. Join me as we […]
#FM17 | The Ultimate Journey | Cape Town City F.C.
Signed! Why Cape Town City F.C.? So I was going through the South African Premier League and I wanted a team which was not going to walk the title or be in for a relegation battle. Cape Town City F.C. seemed like the perfect platform I could build upon as the aim with each nation […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.49 | Clean Sheets
As I’ve written before, they do things differently in Israel. The range of bonuses that Hapole Ashkelon permits me to offer a player is currently very limited. I can, for example, offer a bonus for scoring a certain number of goals per season, but not a bonus for each goal. The one I miss most […]
#FM17 | Liverpool #8 | Derby Day v2
After a shaky start as Liverpool boss, I have stamped my managerial credentials on the Premier League as we are now hot on the heels of league leaders Arsenal. A top four finish should be a formality as we have gained a nice lead over Chelsea in fifth. We lost to Tottenham last episode but […]
#FM17 | The Last King of Scotland 3:2
The Last King of Scotland A Hibernian Tale: Part 3:2 Extract from the Managers diary: ‘Knock knock.’ Garry sighs. ‘Who’s there?’ ‘Yo momma.’ ‘Yo momma who?’ ‘No, Garry. That was the joke. Your mother came to my house. Because she wanted to shag me.’ Garry shakes his head before silently leaving the office. Part 2 […]
#FM17 | The Alphabet Challenge | UE Santa Coloma | Day 191
It is Christmas Day. The UE Santa Coloma side have met up for a team meeting at the lounge of the Holiday Inn where manager Sid Iyer is currently residing. Iyer: So lads, what can I say other than I am so proud of you lot. I’m sure I’m not as good a manager as […]
#FM17 | Back in the USSR | Part Five
The day to day job as a manager can be a thankless task. You have to oversee training – which at this club means running the session, telling the coaches what the round white thing people are kicking is and keeping the players focused on doing drills rather than simply hiding behind the changing rooms, […]
#FM17 | Hartlepool United | The Triumph of the Pass | Part 1: Chapter One
Chapter One. The first Chapter. It implies something, doesn’t it? The first part. The beginning. The start of something. Something good, you hope – but until you reach Chapter 3, or 4, you really can’t be sure. This is, in essence, my “Judge me after a year” bit. The speech given by all managers worried […]
#FM17 | The Alphabet Challenge | Day 86 | End of Pre-season
A female journalist from Andorra Telecom interviews UE Santa Coloma manager Sid Iyer, who has just come off a Super-Cup win against local rivals FC Santa Coloma. Interviewer: Firstly Mr. Iyer- Me: Sid, please, I insist (he says with a wink) Interviewer: Ok, Sid. First of all, congratulations on winning the Supercopa Andorrana in your first competitive match […]
#FM17 | The Ultimate Journey | Introduction
First of all I would like to introduce myself, I am Ishan Agarwal or as some call me SpiritedKlopp. I am a big Football Manager and Liverpool addict. I’m not one of those who as been there since ChampMan I’m relatively new to the scene. Though I have had my highs and lows with the […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.48.2 | Which contracts to renew?
(Editor: Yeah, we screwed the numbering up) 4 JAN 2017: The window opens tomorrow. Over the month or two the questions, what will the squad look like (a) in the second half of the season and (b) next season, have gradually become clearer as I’ve gone about the business of renewing contracts with Hapoel Ashkelon […]
#FM17 | The Alphabet Challenge | UE Santa Coloma Day 1
The first thing that struck me as being strange about Andorra wasn’t how inept the footballers were as I drove past them in the chairman’s car. It wasn’t how the ‘training grounds’ seem devoid of any greenery, almost as if it was done on purpose. It was how cold it was. I went on holiday […]
#FM17 | Liverpool #7 | Injuries
The transfer window has closed, and after an early exit in the FA Cup, we focus all our efforts on catching Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title. We picked up a vital win over the Gunners in January which made up for our embarrassing defeat to Brighton. Marco Asensio arrived from Real […]
#FM17 | Player Profiles | Marco Asensio
Welcome to the review of Marco Asensio. Marco is a highly rated CAM from Real Madrid who has emerged in recent years. But can he reach the level of players like Isco and James Rodriguez? Could he do even better? In this video we take a look on how he develops at Madrid and see […]
#FM17 | Inside the Lab | An Experiment on Positional Suitability
It is something which has been bugging me for the last few editions of Football Manager, a player’s positional suitability. Are stats enough to get a good performance from them, or does their knowledge of the position count for something. I mean Messi could do a job anywhere on the pitch right? What if your […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.48 | All good
I’m glad I wrote that previous blog post. After writing there that it would be realistic to expect Hapoel Ashkelon FC’s board to agree to an increase in the number of coaches, I thought ‘Why not now?’ They agreed to an extra coach to ‘allow for greater specialisation’. Which in fact is exactly what we […]
#FM17 | The Alphabet Challenge | Job-seeking
Job-hunting is hard. Job hunting for a job as a football manager is even harder. Job hunting for a job as a football manager without any coaching badges and only having played football at a Sunday League level (although I’ll have you know that I was voted Player of the Season for Corinthian Casuals on 2 […]
#FM17 | Liverpool #6 | Transfer Time
Despite our unbeaten streak being ended in December, Liverpool still enjoyed a strong month heading into the January transfer window. We picked up wins over both Manchester clubs but suffered disappointing losses to both West Ham and Sunderland. January could be an important month in the title race as we face league leaders, Arsenal, at […]
Sheffield United | Blades Of Glory #12 | Winner Takes All | Lets Play #FM17
Welcome to Episode 12 of my Sheffield United FM17 save, today it’s the big one can we secure promotion to the Sky Bet Championship join me as we continue our adventure on Football Manager 2017 Hit the LIKE button for more Football Manager 2017 content! ✔ Remember to like & subscribe! And thank you for […]
#FM17 | The Celtic Way | 2016/17 Part 1
Squad At first glance the squad I took over was bloated, particularly in midfield. But let us start at the back in goals we had a solid shot-stopper in Craig Gordon and reasonably good back-ups. Injuries to the centre backs meant calling both Eoghan O’Connell and Jamie McCart up to the first team – both […]
#FM17 | Back in the USSR | Part Four
You don’t get a great deal of free time managing in the Ukranian First Division, there are two games a week to get through, training sessions to endure and a chairman who keeps dropping in forcing to you try his latest batch of home-brewed vodka. Still, during a rare spare moment, I find myself wandering […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.46 | Offer I can’t refuse?
On New Year’s Day, the board make me an offer: I can have a higher budget for wages and transfer if I agree to raise the ambition for the season above the current level of fighting bravely against relegation. We’re fourth. Though survival isn’t in the bag, it looks achievable. So it’s tempting to accept. […]
#FM17 | Creating a Recruitment Model | Part Two | FMAnalysis
Hello, welcome back to the second part of this series looking at creating a recruitment model within your club on Football Manager. If you haven’t already then I would advise that you take a minute (or eight) to go and read the first part of this series where we looked through the initial steps that […]
#FM17 | Plugged into the Mainz | A Spark
Welcome all. When Harold Strulz president of Mainz announced that he would shortly be celebrating the appointment of a new manager, there was much talk and excitement in the German city of Mainz. Situated on the River Rhine. It’s known for its old town, with half-timbered houses and medieval market squares. In the centre, the Marktbrunnen is […]
#FM17 | The Islanders XII
OSU! I had one job in pre-season. One job. And that job, my friends, was to lock Ren in a cupboard and make sure he didn’t leave the club. Was I successful? Well, he is still here. He is not under contract, he is on one of those month-to-month rolling ones. Does that feel insecure? […]
#FM17 | Player Profiles | Facundo Colidio
Welcome to the review of Facundo Colidio, a young striker who plays for Boca Jrs in Argentina. He is just 16 with bags of potential, and in this video we will take a look at Colidio at various stages and see if he can reach the potential he promises. We will look at how he performs over […]
#FM17 | Blades of Glory Episode 11
Here it is folks, a brand new episode of Blades of Glory! In Episode 11 we play a double, yes that means two, live com against Port Vale and Bradford City. Exciting, huh?
#FM17 | Back in the USSR | Part Three
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to greatness. Let me show you the Messiah, the liberator of Okhtyrka football: Yuriy Chonka. There’s magic behind those beautiful blues, less than a month at the club and he’s already a fan favourite. He’s charmed his way to the Vice Captaincy and if I’m completely honest with […]
#FM17 | Hapoel Hope 1.45 | Success Factors
The end of the calendar year finds Hapoel Ashkelon FC in fourth out of fourteen in Israel’s Premier League. After 17 games, we’re 16 points ahead of Hapoel Tel-Aviv, the higher of the two teams in the relegation slots. After 26 games the league divides into two. The best way for us to avoid relegation […]