2020 - The Decade of the Ram(ble)

[fmramble]

2020 – The Decade of the Ram(ble)

Addiction

The new decade is upon us and I’m welcoming it with open arms. A time for reflection; a time for change. FM has not always been a friend to me and the past couple of years has seen me slowly slide down the rabbit hole. What was once a healthy and prosperous relationship with the game has morphed into what can only be called an addiction to the series. What gave this away for me was just how little enjoyment the game has been bringing me recently. I’ve bought the last three or so titles out of habit and brand loyalty, not fun. I’ve never been a 10-season player even back in the good days. However, in recent times I have been lucky to pass pre-season. If I passed January first-season I was shocked. My playing time had degenerated into start a new game, play with tactics, fire all the staff and hire new ones, play a few friendlies and then get bored. Then I’d switch teams and do the same again. Then again. Then again. My only saving grace was that work and family life came first, so my total hours on record for the newer games is at an all-time low. If anything, that just persuaded me that I didn’t have a problem, but I definitely do.

“No more” is my cry. I’ve always turned up my nose at people who say things like ‘new year, new me’. This time it’s me saying those things. The proof will be in the pudding, I suppose. I intend for this blog to be a place where I can jot down a few thoughts, to keep more of a journal than an FM blog. It will still be very FM focused but there are a few more areas of my life that I want to improve such as fitness and better time-management as I juggle work, fitness and the hectic life that comes with a girlfriend and her daughter. I’ve already had a big clear out of cupboards and wardrobes and I feel 10x better. Now I turn my attention to the game.

It is vitally important that I take my time and actually think about what I want from the game and not just dive in. What do I enjoy? What will give me the most sense of satisfaction? I jotted down a few points:

• To develop youth players
• Mid-Table and Mid-Reputation so I can A) play the youth and B) develop my style without fearing the sack
• Short seasons so I can progress quicker
• Some connection to the club/ interesting point, be it an ex-favourite player, or fanbase, fallen giant etc
• Somewhere I haven’t managed for a long time – which is hard when you save hop like I do

Hopefully this will be a long and satisfying career and during this time I’ll learn a lot about myself. I hope you can join me for the journey and share your stories – be that addiction, health and fitness drives or the balancing of FM and life etc. Up next will be my choice of team and how the first few days of January have been treating me! Until next time!

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First of all, apologies for the wait. As I mentioned in the first post, I’ve a lot going on at the minute which is further cutting into FM time. There’s lots of exercise, healthy eating and of course that’s on top of general life. I’m definitely not complaining as it is keeping the game fresh and I’m really enjoying playing the game in snippets and not spending hours smashing continue.

We’re two weeks into the new year now and I think the best news is that I haven’t played the game for more than an hour or two at a time. No more than bursts of 3-5 games, plus the game being on a little in the background while I was fact checking to write this or to read another blog (Although I’m trying to separate playing and reading sessions). Playing less but my time being more concentrated, has allowed me to take a step back and think about the rest of the game rather than just going continue, continue, continue.

I’ve played the game for 11 hours since I created the game on 30th December. 7 hours of those came last week while I was still off work and then the remaining 4 in the last 10 days. This equals a much healthier work, life balance. The beauty is that this seems like no time at all on the game but I’m halfway through the season. There was a time before Christmas as I’d just quit yet another game that I never thought I’d see even the first game of the season again. Now, as I say I’m halfway through a season and eager to get back on it.


So without further ado, I left you looking for a suitable club with the following checklist:

• To develop youth players
• Mid-Table and Mid-Reputation so I can A) play the youth and B) develop my style without fearing the sack
• Short seasons so I can progress quicker
• Some connection to the club/ interesting point, be it an ex-favourite player, or fanbase, fallen giant etc
• Somewhere I haven’t managed for a long time – which is hard when you save hop like I do

I wanted something fresh, quick and relatively pressure free. I’ve decided that I will be playing the game as a YDWAWK so a club with a few gems already and good facilities will ensure it doesn’t take too long to build the club up and compete.

A few editions back I had a cracking game in the frozen wilds of Sweden. That was lower league and only had 22 games per season. I don’t want to go so far down this time but even the top flight has one cup and 30 league games. The cup is unusual, the first rounds are played the season before and the exciting bit kicks off in pre-season. There’s a 3-game seeded group stage followed by quarters, semi and a final – hardly a gruelling Championship, League Cup and FA Cup campaign. The league is also brilliant for me. It’s obviously quick, but crucially it has a low reputation and the quality isn’t the best but they still have two legs. This will allow me to play my youngsters and let them develop with game time. Hopefully this won’t affect results too much. This brings me on to the team choice (finally!).

My real-life team has always had a few Swedish icons which was another lure to Sweden. The most famous of these was Henrik Larsson and it is his boyhood club that I’m taking over as an in-game representation of him. He is in the game as a manager after previously managing Helsingborg but left under acrimonious circumstances where his son Jordan was attacked on the pitch by Helsingborg ultras. For the sake of realism, I’ll try and bring Henrik back as a coach so he’s not managing elsewhere.

Helsingborgs IF

The recent hostile circumstances of Larsson’s departure came as they were relegated to the Swedish second tier. It’s unrealistic that he would be reappointed one season later where the gained promotion back into the top tier, the Allsvenskan, but I will be taking over from another familiar name – Olof Mellberg, who can consider himself very unlucky to be sacked. I’ll have to watch out for him appearing elsewhere and taking his revenge on the club.

Surprisingly full! The club is 7 times champions of Sweden, with 5 of those league titles coming in the 20’s to 40’s. However, one came in ’99 and another in 2011 which shows the ups and downs. Perhaps it also shows a competitive Swedish league? 5 Swedish cups are a good haul too.

I didn’t take over Helsingborg for their history though. Their facilities tipped the scales because they’re really, really good. They have great training facilities, good youth facilities, good junior coaching and excellent youth recruitment. There are not many players currently in my squads to get massively excited about, but I think those facilities will soon unearth some rough diamonds.

Again, perfectly, the board expect mid-table and our media prediction is to be lost in the boring no man’s land of halfway down the league. If I lose a game here and there because I’ve given game-time to players with potential then that’s absolutely fine. I’ll be starting the game in January 2019 which gives me the current year of Swedish football to use as a benchmark as FM is usually pretty good at roughly replicating real life points and positions. This year (last?) Helsingborg finished down in 10th place on 30 points. A very modest finish and points total, exactly 1 point per game, with a horrendous -20 goal difference. My goal is to beat those statistics which would more than keep the board happy. I want to play the kids but I don’t want to get sacked!

I’ve queued up some easy pre-season games, set a punishing training schedule and I look forwards to the cup group stage which I’m using as a glorified pre-season.

Thanks for reading.

[fmramble]

Helsingborgs IF

Transfer Saga

Something that you never want in a YDWAWK game is a transfer saga, especially when the player in question has the potential to be a star. But that’s what I’ve got and there isn’t much that I can do about it.

Max Svensson is a transfer target for Brighton and Hove Albion. Valued at £775k I was able to reject a few low bids for him for £2-3m with relative ease. No moaning on his part and no second thoughts on mine. The trouble started when Brighton offered £3.5m and the board accepted over my head. However, I convinced them that he was going to be a star and shouldn’t be sold. Fantastic. Then Brighton went and offered £3.9m up front and £1.6m over 12 months in 3 instalments (£5.5m) leading to the board accepting again with no option to convince them otherwise.

It’s a lot of money but losing good players without the option to go out and spend money on a replacement is difficult. I’ll miss him for sure but now I need to look at the positives. I’ve played half a season (15 games plus 3 cup games) and he has made 2 starts and 7 sub appearances. This makes the fee very good, especially as he hasn’t looked amazing in those games. Still he was one for the future.

He has been kept out of the team by this man:

Tobias Mikkelsen, who is more experienced and slightly more of an all-round inside forward type even though I do play him as a winger. I have shown loyalty to the older players in my team and been rewarded by good performances – 6 assists from 10 games shows why Svensson was on the bench.

I also have this guy: Filip Sjoberg, who will be promoted to the first team. I don’t have many gems in the reserves and youth teams but this lad looks like he could be very good in time.

He’s quick with decent crossing and mentals. More than capable I think of stepping up either next year or maybe the season after and replacing Mikkelsen who will be too old then.

There’s one more reason that I’m not absolutely gutted to be losing Svensson – money. £5.5m (ok it’s not all upfront with no more clauses) is a lot of money in Sweden. Just look at our finances screen before the sale went through:

Not a disaster, but starting to look quite bleak. Sometimes big sales are needed and to be honest it’s perfect that the sale comes in an area that I do have a ready made replacement. If it was my left winger, or my left back, that left I would be really struggling which would derail what’s turning out to be a great first season. More on that coming up next after a half-season update.


What would be your thoughts on losing Svensson?