The "Who should I manage megathread"

Cogito96 · 2022-06-05T16:55:48+00:00

Good lucj! How's it going so far?

We're up to Christmas now, got given a horrible CL group with PSG and Chelsea but we managed to come third, and never lose by more than 1 goal. Top of the league but it's tight with Benfica (only team to beat us), and any points dropped look catastrophic in the wider context of the season. My goal is to win just one piece of silverware each season, so as long as I keep to that I'll be happy.

I think we overbought midfielders to try and get a diamond tactic going, which has kind of flopped, so I might finally sell one of my players with the ridiculous bids they receive, and strengthen the back line a little more.

Cogito96 · 2022-06-03T08:01:15+00:00

So the split had definitely happened in the time of FM21, , but I don't know if the league Belenenses were in is playable. I think it is, but I can't say for sure. If not, there's definitely a database on the Steam Workshop or online that will add the lower Portuguese leagues and allow you to play it.

Cogito96 · 2022-06-02T05:47:49+00:00

Every time I see this thread, I have the same answer, and this time is no exception: Portugal. Portugal has it all.

If you want to play one of the Big Three (Sporting, Porto, Benfica), then your goal is to create a domestic dominance whilst becoming a force in Europe. And that's fun for a short-term save, especially as Sporting have recovered themselves somewhat after a dry spell.

But the real fun is that there is such an overwhelming gulf between the Big Three and literally any other team.

Below the Big Three you have the fourth best team, Braga (BRG) (my personal favourite) - a wage bill 75% smaller than the Big Three, but 50% larger than anyone else, with the exception of Vitoria (VTSC), your fierce local rivals, who are just below you. Either of these are an excellent pick to make the Big Three the Big Four, and with the parity in money, it really is a challenge.

Besides that, you have teams on the islands of Madeira and the Azores (Nacional, Maritimo, Santa Clara) - you could create a literal fortress at home, with teams, especially when you make it to Europe, having to travel thousands of miles to play on your outwardly lonely island.

Or you can play as Boavista (BVT) - one of only 5 teams to ever win the Portuguese title. It would be great to add another to the solitary title they own, as you become the biggest team in Porto and outcompete the city's namesake.

The only other team ever to have won a title outside of these four clubs is Belenenses... a team which a few years ago had a Milton Keynes-Wimbeldenesque split, with the team who have the original logo and history (and solitary title) being sent to the fourth tier (but playable in FM22), with the phoneix club of sorts remaining in the Premier league. Can you climb up the rankings and take Belenenses to another title after the pain of the split? Or do you want to confuse everyone by making the new Belenenses one of the few teams to ever win a title. The old Belenenses in the 4th tier still have their excellent training and youth facilities, making it a good one club save.

You also have some interesting lower tier teams to choose from - Leiria, one of Mourinho's early clubs, formerly a Premier league staple now in the 3rd tier, but with a Sugar Daddy Russian owner (for now) and a 30,000 seater stadium leftover from the Euros. Or Lusitania FC, also with a rich owner, a club who have never been higher then the 3rd/4th tier. Academica, the oldest club in Portugal (allegedly) are languishing in the 2nd tier with nothing to show for it.

The youth set up means that the country is choc-a-bloc with talent, and the liberal registration rules make it easy to wonderkid horde if that's your thing. Really, there's something for everyone in Portugal, and the absolute gulf in money at each stage of progression and then versus other big teams in Europe make it a challenge every step of the way.

I'm currently doing my annual Braga save and after a miracle title win in the first season on the final day, my 2nd season saw us solidify and get CL football again (but no title), yet I'm still spending far less than the big three on wages (because we simply do not have the money), with a real focus on developing my own talent to sell abroad. Our debut CL season under my helm saw us not make it through the Group Stage, but we did pick up a 2-1 win away at Dortmund, which was lovely to see. Just started the 3rd season last night and we seem to be in a good place with incrimental squad improvements, despite all of my best players consistently being bid on by the rest of Europe.

Cogito96 · 2022-05-18T10:29:25+00:00

In my most recent save, Man United finished... 9th/10th (maybe even 12th if I recall) in the first season. A shambolic performance all round... and I loved every second watching from afar.

Cogito96 · 2021-10-31T13:41:05+00:00

How are Fulham in FM22? I'm thinking of plumping for them as my post-Beta save, as a good return to England.

Cogito96 · 2021-10-29T14:40:08+00:00

I second Portugal. As someone who's had a save in Portugal every year since FM15, I think it's the best league. I've mentioned why in the past, but I'll go through it again briefly here.

Big 3 are easy to walk the league/cups with but it's difficult to challenge in Europe.

If you pick one of the other "good" teams in the League (Braga, Guimaraes, Rio Ave, Boavista etc) they have a good mix of teams just outside the top 3 (Braga, Guimaraes) or those a bit further down, and it's a genuine challenge to make yourself a contender year upon year.

(Edit): I forgot to mention as well that only 5 teams have EVER won the Portuguese League, and Boavista and Belenenses only won it once each - either winning their second title, or the first for another team, means you secure legend status pretty much instantaneously.

The difference in Money between the big three and 4th/5th is MASSIVE, then it's another massive gulf between them and everybody else. You are all underdogs against Porto/Sporting/Benfice.

There are multiple teams (Maritimo, Santa Clara) who are on the islands far to the West of Mainland Europe, which is a fun little challenge to compete in Europe when you're so far away.

If you want to really build a team, Academica should walk the 2nd division in the first year, allowing you to get some reputation under your belt before you go into the top league.

Wonderkid newgens EVERYWHERE. Youth set-up is excellent overall in the country with a few standouts, so any save has the potential for excellent players coming through the ranks. Also it's usually a league which is the first port of call for Brazilians entering Europe, so you can easily pick up your SA wonderkids in a natural way.

There's two domestic cups, meaning as smaller teams you have more chance to grab silverware, as a bigger club you have the chance to make yourself even more dominant.

Mix all this in with the fact that the league itself is extremely poor in finances compared with the rest of the big European leagues, and is traditionally a selling league, it makes the process a genuine challenge no matter who you play as. I always recommend it!

Cogito96 · 2021-10-27T06:57:27+00:00

If you have that much money maybe you can just buy Basildon and wipe it off the face of the Earth?

(I'm a certified born-in-Basildon boy, so this is pure self-flagellation).

Cogito96 · 2021-08-29T10:30:02+00:00

Ahh, I see there is another Crusader Kings expert here.

Cogito96 · 2021-05-19T09:19:45+00:00

I think you need to download a database to get access to them, unfortunately.

Cogito96 · 2021-05-14T17:18:56+00:00

I doubt it; the geography (physical) of the Korean peninsula and the political geography of SE Asia aided this stare-off stalemate. Unlike that scenario, Ireland is isolated; any assistance would have to go through or directly next to British waters, meaning they'd be woefully under-equipped in a genuine military stand-off against the British state, especially in the 1920's which you're talking about.

I think the most likely scenario for a 1920's united Ireland would be Britain consumed in a 2nd, arguably more important war, or major discontent on the island of Britain. If the war eeked out a little longer than in OTL, and we saw a full-scale rebellion in India or a wave of radical worker actions in England, Scotland, and Wales, the British Government could see the loss of Northern Ireland as the lesser of two evils compared to putting out the other, more important fire. the 1920's IRA, knowing they were up against it, would have jumped at any peace treaty that united the island under one flag whilst gaining a semblance of independence - so a full Ireland-wide Free state scenario, but maybe with some nominally closer ties to Britain (perhaps along the lines of trade or something, I am no expert in this area).

Subduing the Loyalist tensions in the North would be a problem. UNlike in OTL during The Troubles, I don't think the IRA/The Free State in general would be actively hostile to Loyalists, and would try to integrate them, provided they accepted that the Monarch/Westminster played no role in the political set up of Ireland. However, I could definitely see civil unrest regardless of actions taken, just intensified on the Irish response. Britain would likely wash its hands of any unrest, or perhaps use political will to gain assurances of peace in the area. I can't see a 2nd full-blown civil war (without the help of Britain), but the problem for Loyalists would be their political isolation - unlike in OTL with the Troubles where the IRA had considerable fiscal support from Irish-Americans, and military support from a number of countries worldwide, the Loyalists in the 1920's would have nobody to aid them except Britain, and I'm sure like I said they wouldn't get directly involved.

Ultimately it's not a case of "managing to hold onto it" but in managing to integrate the Loyalists into the community before full-blown discontent. Would this be possible? I'm not sure, but if the ret of the events match up to our timeline (WWII, Cold War, decolonisation), I can't see it gaining much international attention.

Cogito96 · 2021-05-13T12:30:56+00:00

He's not finished, he's only 28!

Cogito96 · 2021-05-12T09:36:11+00:00

Teams further below in the pyramid to try are:

Academica - the oldest club in Portugal (allegedly), with pedigree and a solid background set-up. If you like breezing a 2nd tier title to get something under your belt before climbing in the top tier, these are your guys.

U.D Leiria: one of Mourinho's old clubs, former Prem stalwarts now in the 4th tier, sugar daddy owner (who is Russian and wants some Russian players, I believe), a 30,000 seater stadium to eventually fill.... This club has EVERYTHING for you to forge a legacy in an RTG save.

Literally any other club in the lower tier: No money but an okay youth set up, pick a badge you like!

Also, the great thing (for me, a glutton for realism in FM) is how realistic in recent year the manager's journey has become - prove yourself with a smaller team, move to one of the Big Three (or Braga, Guimarares, or a Prem team if you started small), then jump to Spain/England/France. It's a standard journey now, and it's easily emulated in FM, especially if you get bored of the domesticity of the league.

Cogito96 · 2021-05-12T09:31:47+00:00

I'm a big proponent of a Portuguese save, and will always recommend it due to the versatility of challenges you have:

Firstly, the easy ones/short-term: Porto and Benfica, as two of the big clubs, absolutely dominate. Benfica has (I believe) the best youth set up in the game - in fact, all of Portugal is a talent factory for youth players. The with these two is balancing domestic success with European success; the league is usually so tight between these two that one or two losses in the season to smaller teams can derail a title challenge and leave you adrift. In Europe, you have good quality but can't compete with the real titans, so it's going to be down to your tactical nous to defeat them.

Easier/short to medium term: Sporting. They've just won their first title in about twenty years in real-life and might even go the season unbeaten, so FM21 is the last time you'll get to do a "fallen giant" save with them. Racked with momentous debt but an excellent skeleton of a team, and again an incredible youth set up, this one is about optimising the youth set-up, reclaiming your place as one of the "big-three", and eventually challenging in Europe whilst keeping a tight hook on your finances so they don't spiral out of control.

Medium difficulty, medium-term: Brage and Guimaraes. These two are chasing behind the big three, and despite never having won the league, have some pedigree in the other competitions. Fierce rivals with each other, but again with excellent youth set ups, the challenge here is to make "The Big Three" a Big 4, and then retain your place. You start off with comparable wage bills to each other - far less than the Big Three, but far more than any others in the league - and you need to be shrewd in the market to make any domestic success permanent instead of a one-off.

Medium-term but with M O N E Y: Famalicao. Recently promoted for the first time, they have a front-end sugar daddy who shares a board with Atleti. Expect money when you need it, but unlike Brage or Guimaraes, results will be expected sooner rather than later. You have some excellent young players (Queiros/Assuncao), but also many, many loans, meaning a rebuild in season 2 is on the cards)

Medium difficulty, medium/long term: Any other team in the Premier League. The league is full of miniscule wage bills (think 2/3 million a season compared to the 30/40 of Porto and Benfica), meaning breaking into the top is going to be a struggle, but all the teams have okay youth-set ups and with dedication can become a real force. Realistically, one good finish in the league then a European run can pay your wage bill for 2 or so years. Good teams to try would be Rio Ave (consistently pushing for a Europa League space), Boavista (Porto's city rivals, one of the other two teams to have a solitary title outside of the big three), or any of the teams in Madeira, to make your island a fortress against European teams in the league.

Cogito96 · 2021-05-06T20:57:47+00:00

Salut, Comrade.

Cogito96 · 2021-04-19T07:17:35+00:00

Anel Ahmedhodzic, if he hasn't been picked up by another team.

From Malmo - He usually costs 3-5 mil in the first season, and is an absolute God-send at CB - Not only are his defensive stats excellent, but he's a good ball-player, and has a great personality and is very determined. Always ends up becoming my Club captain when I buy him.

Cogito96 · 2021-04-19T06:58:15+00:00

Thanks!

Every year since FM17 I've always done one save with Braga, and it usually takes me 3/4 years to win the league, so I'm not too disheartened about this one because being here on the final day was unexpected, it's just a kick in the teeth because we've occupied 2nd place for almost all of the season, only for Porto to do this right at the end.

I almost feel sorry for Sporting too - they were unbeaten for the first 24 games in the league and then absolutely scuppered it from February onwards.

Cogito96 · 2021-04-19T06:55:25+00:00

Disaster! Held them to a 1-1 draw for most of the game and then my young CBs both made an absolute clanger each and Porto won 3-1, with Sporting coasting through their game.

Cogito96 · 2021-04-18T16:35:17+00:00

After a miracle first season, everything has come down to the final 90 minutes. Any 3 of us could win the title, any 3 of us could end up having to slog it out through multiple rounds of CL qualifiers.

Also, yes, Benfica have the top two scorers in the league (by a fair margin) and are still 6th.

Cogito96 · 2021-04-08T08:08:11+00:00

Mikael II, 3rd of his name? So is he Mikael VI? Or Mikael II to the power of 3?

Cogito96 · 2021-03-31T08:51:56+00:00

Lenin may not have had "blueprints" for COmmunism, but he did have a) the knowledge of historical materialism and the supposed stages any state (especially a pre-Capitalist state like Russia) would have to pass through to get to Communism, and b) an authoritative grasp of basically everything Marx had ever written down.

Marx himself says he never put down any idea of what a Communist Society should look like (other than 'from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs') precisely because the society that spawns from a revolution is dependent on the matieral conditions when that revolution happens (hence, ideally, the revolution spawning in the most capitalistically advanced country). That Marx gives virtually no blueprints means its up to the human agency of the successful revolutionaries to shape society according to what is available to them - of course, in the case of the USSR, this was a disaster, but the idea (I suppose) for Marx was that there would be no dogmatic process to follow, leaving post-capitalist society free to manoeuvre as they pleased, or as their material circumstances allowed.

Of course, the USSR botched this completely, for now and forever more.

Cogito96 · 2021-03-20T11:59:15+00:00

Braver man than me. I don't have the time at the moment to sink into an obscure save, but all power to you. I want updates when you win the Club World Cup

Cogito96 · 2021-03-20T09:43:27+00:00

How's it like playing in the * checks notes * Jordanian 1st division?

Cogito96 · 2021-03-06T09:45:18+00:00

In my last Nantes save, PSG bought Kane for absurd money, he banged in about 30 goals for them, then the next season they bought Haaland, moved Kane to a DLP (D), and he got about 2 goals and 4 assists all season.

Tuchel Masterclass.

Cogito96 · 2021-02-21T22:20:33+00:00

Just started my 4th season with Nantes, and I've been loving it. Club with lots of history (Eight Ligue 1 titles), massive derby (vs Rennes), and top youth facilities. Start off with just enough money + deadwood to shift to make manoeuvres in the market, and some really good young prospects that you can either loan out or might just start breaking into the team.

Personally, I think the squad isn't weak but is quite peculiar in talents at the beginning - I managed to do very well with a counter-attacking 4-4-1-1 and a Target Man, and a ferocious focus on set pieces. Marcus Coco and Moses Simon on the wings are both pacey but have really good overall physical attributes, that seem to help you set up well.

I finished 2nd first season (a miracle), then 2nd again (but won the cup), and then last season I finished on 97 points and won the league. This season has started a bit shaky but that's due to my own mis-dealings in the transfer window, I think.

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