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Post by scott on Nov 28, 2021 11:03:52 GMT
"I'll be there, I'll be there. With my little pick and shovel, I'll be there."
Fans of Cardiff City sing the above to signal their loyalty to their club through thick and thin. For fans in the Welsh capital, that mantra has been put to the test in the last two years.
For those who don't know/remember me, I'm Scott. I was an avid member of the Dugout (under the username Forest Gump, later FG) and FMNow when it first kicked off many moons ago. I'm back enjoying an FM save and wanted to rejoin this community to share my save story.
If you're unaware of Cardiff's story in recent years, let me share a few key events.
The tides seem to be turning as new manager Steve Morison is looking to put a better philosophy in place, including controlled possession and a pathway for academy players into the first team.
That's something I want to replicate on FM22. I've just finished season two - so let me update you on what's gone on.
Season One - 2021/22
We started the save with transfers disabled in the first window, meaning we had to stick with the squad we had until January. I was fine with that as it adds realism, but also gave me a chance to use some of our promising young talent such as Rubin Colwill, Joel Bagan, Kieron Evans and Sam Bowen.
We reached January with 12 wins, 4 draws and 9 losses, putting us in mid-table. We were doing okay, but admittedly I was tinkering with formations and systems all the time trying to find the right formula.
Transfers
January gave me the opportunity to clear out some dead wood. We had too many players earning more than they were with, and a number whose contracts expired in the summer. That meant I had to sell them in January to get any money in.
Will Vaulks, Marlon Pack and Aden Flint were three big earners that left the club. I didn't get much money in, but it did save me £39k per week in wages.
To strengthen the squad, I made some loan signings, as well as the odd free agent signing. Former Bilbao man Ibai Gomez joined on a free, as did Mohamed Bahlouli. The latter couldn't get a work permit so left on loan for the rest of the season. Joining on loan were Wolves' Fabio Silva and young German centre-halve Armel Bella-Kotchap.
The only money I spent was on Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe, a young midfielder from PSG. He joined for £650k and I have high hopes for him.
Second Half of the Season
After our January business, I settled on two systems. I switched between a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 depending on who we played. Both were balanced and looked to retain possession where possible.
We finished the season well, winning 13 games after Christmas. It was enough to finish 4th and secure us a play-off spot.
We faced Barnsley first, drawing 1-1 at Oakwell, before dispatching them 2-0 at home at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Fulham awaited in the play-off final, having beaten Birmingham in their own semi-final. They were a talented team and we hadn't beaten them once this season, losing 3-0 in October and drawing 2-2 in February.
The game itself was a tight affair and ended goalless after 90 minutes. When Aleksandar Mitrović scored a penalty in the first three minutes of extra time, I feared we'd been beaten. But then Rubin Colwill equalised in the 102 minute. We were going to penalties.
It went to the eight round of penalties. Joel Bagan, our young left-back, stepped up and saw his penalty saved. They had a chance to win it. And they did. Former Swansea man Alfie Mawson scoring his spot kick.
Fans of Cardiff City sing the above to signal their loyalty to their club through thick and thin. For fans in the Welsh capital, that mantra has been put to the test in the last two years.
For those who don't know/remember me, I'm Scott. I was an avid member of the Dugout (under the username Forest Gump, later FG) and FMNow when it first kicked off many moons ago. I'm back enjoying an FM save and wanted to rejoin this community to share my save story.
If you're unaware of Cardiff's story in recent years, let me share a few key events.
- Our owner changed our club colours from blue to red because red was a lucky colour in Malaysia
- Despite mass protests, he only changed it back some years later because his mum told him to
- Our popular manager Malky Mackay was sacked for ultimately being racist
- Our record signing, Emiliano Sala, tragically died in a plane on his way to Cardiff before every kicking a ball in the Blue shirt
- We've been pretty shit the last two years. The football we play is diabolical and before Mick McCarthy was sacked, we'd lost eight games in a row
The tides seem to be turning as new manager Steve Morison is looking to put a better philosophy in place, including controlled possession and a pathway for academy players into the first team.
That's something I want to replicate on FM22. I've just finished season two - so let me update you on what's gone on.
Season One - 2021/22
We started the save with transfers disabled in the first window, meaning we had to stick with the squad we had until January. I was fine with that as it adds realism, but also gave me a chance to use some of our promising young talent such as Rubin Colwill, Joel Bagan, Kieron Evans and Sam Bowen.
We reached January with 12 wins, 4 draws and 9 losses, putting us in mid-table. We were doing okay, but admittedly I was tinkering with formations and systems all the time trying to find the right formula.
Transfers
January gave me the opportunity to clear out some dead wood. We had too many players earning more than they were with, and a number whose contracts expired in the summer. That meant I had to sell them in January to get any money in.
Will Vaulks, Marlon Pack and Aden Flint were three big earners that left the club. I didn't get much money in, but it did save me £39k per week in wages.
To strengthen the squad, I made some loan signings, as well as the odd free agent signing. Former Bilbao man Ibai Gomez joined on a free, as did Mohamed Bahlouli. The latter couldn't get a work permit so left on loan for the rest of the season. Joining on loan were Wolves' Fabio Silva and young German centre-halve Armel Bella-Kotchap.
The only money I spent was on Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe, a young midfielder from PSG. He joined for £650k and I have high hopes for him.
Second Half of the Season
After our January business, I settled on two systems. I switched between a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 depending on who we played. Both were balanced and looked to retain possession where possible.
We finished the season well, winning 13 games after Christmas. It was enough to finish 4th and secure us a play-off spot.
We faced Barnsley first, drawing 1-1 at Oakwell, before dispatching them 2-0 at home at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Fulham awaited in the play-off final, having beaten Birmingham in their own semi-final. They were a talented team and we hadn't beaten them once this season, losing 3-0 in October and drawing 2-2 in February.
The game itself was a tight affair and ended goalless after 90 minutes. When Aleksandar Mitrović scored a penalty in the first three minutes of extra time, I feared we'd been beaten. But then Rubin Colwill equalised in the 102 minute. We were going to penalties.
It went to the eight round of penalties. Joel Bagan, our young left-back, stepped up and saw his penalty saved. They had a chance to win it. And they did. Former Swansea man Alfie Mawson scoring his spot kick.
