[FM11] Bromley (and the Rest of the World!)

[abulezz]

So I am in the 2023-2024 season with Bromley, having led them out of their Blue Square abode and filled their trophy cabinet with Premier League and Champions League titles. I was looking over my save and thought to myself, why not document this save in all its glory? I have a bunch of leagues playable, and its been an immense save in general, so I decided to finally share it with you all! I'll be starting off with a general outlook of the 2010-2020 decade, reporting on the teams and players that made it what it was, but first we take a look at:

Premier League (2010-2017)

The decade was highlighted by Manchester United and their record breaking 4 titles in a row between the 2011-12 and 2014-15 seasons, led by the their talisman Wayne Rooney, easily the best player of the decade in the Premier League. In fact, he won 3 straight Footballer of the Year awards from 2011-12 to 2013-14, twice scoring 28 goals in a single season. After Arsenal surprised many by taking the 2010-11 title, led by their captain Cesc Fabregas, Manchester United won win those 4 titles, but would end up finished 2nd behind their rivals Manchester City in the 2015-16 season. That would be the highest position Manchester United would reach since, while the rise of their rivals would see the power struggle shift to the blue side of town during the latter part of the decade.

Manchester United’s run was heavily reliant on Wayne Rooney, but Javier Hernandez and defender Johnny Evans played a big part in their titles runs as well. The latter developed to be one of the best defenders in Europe throughout the decade, and his strength in the back was an important fixture of the team. Other important players in the team’s streak were Nemanja Vidic, Gareth Bale (acquired in 2012 for 15.25 million), defender Darijo Srna, and Nani. The most significant change, however, came in the backroom, when Sir Alex Ferguson retired after Arsenal’s triumph under Arsene Wenger in 2011, and it was Mike Phelan who was handed the challenge of being the team’s man in charge. The appointment came as a shock to many, and there were a lot of initial doubt as to whether Phelan, who had never managed a professional team before, would succeed at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Not only did he succeed, winning 3 successive Premier League titles in his first 3 years in charge (he would leave to Inter Milan in December of 2014, and Carlo Ancelotti was hired to replace him, winning the last of the 4 titles), he would also capture the team’s 4th Champions League trophy in 2013. He quickly became the hottest manager in the world, leading to many high profile contract offers, with Inter finally winning the race of the man.

Alex Ferguson was not the only manager to leave his club at the end of 2011 – Arsene Wenger also left, joining up with Bayern Munich, just a few weeks after capturing his 4th Premier League title with Arsenal. His departure was not seen as a surprise, but his retirement at the end of the 2012 season (having led Bayern Munich to a disappointing campaign where they finished 4th after finished 12th the previous year) did come as one. His successor at Arsenal was Javier Aguirre, but his tenure was a brief one, with chairman Peter Hill-Wood sacking the Mexican in March 2012, barely 9 months into the job. Arsenal would end up finishing 4th that year under Stuart Pearce, who held the post until he resigned to be manager of England in July of 2022.

Manchester United’s run, including their Champions League title, from 2012 to 2015, was highlighted by their intense rivalry with Chelsea, who finished Runners-Up to them 3 years in a row, starting with 2011-12 and ending in 2013-14. What they failed to achieve in the Premier League, however, was achieved in Europe, with the team capturing the 2011 and 2012 Champions League trophies under their manager Carlo Ancelotti (who would later leave the club for Manchester United in a twist of irony.) Although the team failed to capture the Premier League title throughout the decade, and in fact, slowly drifted in and out of the top four during the latter part of the decade, they still contained great players, including 2011 Premier League Footballer of the Year, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Moussa Sissoko (bought in 2010 for 14.5 million), and Alexis Sanchez (bought in 2011 for 8.25 million, went on to be the team’s Player of the Year on 6 occasions, including 5 during the decade.) Overall, Chelsea would capture 4 Champions League titles throughout the decade, with the other 2 also coming in back to back victories in 2015 and 2016, coming under the leadership of Josep Guardiola, who had left Barcelona in December of 2014 for Chelsea.

The year of 2015 turned out to be a turbulent one for the defending champions Manchester United, with Mike Phelan leaving in the middle of the season to seek out a new challenge in Italy and former chairman David Gill calling it a day at the end of the season. It was Martin Edwards who would replace Gill, but there would be no more titles, with Ancelotti finally getting the boot in November of 2018 after failing to bring a home a single trophy. Wayne Rooney would score 30 goals in the 2016-17 season, but the team would still finish 3rd, behind Arsenal and Manchester City. After that, his career began to enter its twilight phase, with his appearances, and contributions, reducing with every season.

Manchester City, before winning their first Premier League title in 48 years in 2016, had hired 5 managers, all of which were sacked, except for Jose Mourinho, who left 15 months after taking the post in February of 2013. It was the 6th one that was the charm, with Domenico Di Carlo leading the team to the title in his first season in charge. Eden Hazard the left winger from Belgium, would lead the charge, and it would also be Carlos Tevez’s (30 apps, 23 gls, 7 asts, 7 motm, 7.45) last meaningful contribution the team. He would move to Seattle in 2021, but the 2016 season would be the last as starter for the Argentine. The 2015-2016 season would also be the one that they would sign Omar Mora, a young Spanish sensation from Athletico Madrid, and although his contributions were nothing spectacular during the title run, he would wind up being crucial to the team in years to come. Overall, Manchester City invested 86 million in players during the 2015-2016 season, which included Spanish central defender Ruben (17.5 million, 36 apps, 7.46) and French right back Maputo Mbiwa (17.25 million, 31 apps, 7.18.) Nicolas Otamendi (38 apps, 7.33) would combine with them to form an absolute rock in the back four, in front and GK Joe Hart, and the team would only concede 21 goals. Runners-Up Manchester United, with their first full season under Carlo Ancelotti, relinquished their title despite signing Wesley Sneijder (33 apps, 9 gls, 10 asts, 7.21) for 22.5 million, and 3rd Place Arsenal would be boosted by a great season from Mouraone Chamakh, who netted in 27 goals in the Premier League.

When Arsenal recaptured the Premier League title in 2017, it was led by Stuart Pearce and was perhaps the most impressive season any one club could ever dream of. 33 wins, 5 draws, and 0 defeats while amassing 96 goals and only 15 goals conceded was the stuff of legends, and the team’s second title during the decade (and its first under Pearce) has gone down in history as the finest to be recorded. It was a signing called Hulk (38 apps, 37 gls, 8 asts, 11 motm, 7.81), who had arrived at the beginning of the season from Real Madrid for 12.75 million, who was the catalyst in their sensational run. Although he had been underwhelming for the Primera Liga giants during the 4 years he was there, he shocked the world and lead Arsenal to their 2nd unlikely title. He would remain at the club for an additional 5 years, but it was his first 4 years, and specifically his very first, that were special. Gael Clichy (35 apps, 7.32), who was arguably the best left back of his generation, and Scotsman Danny Wilson (37 apps, 5 gls, 7.52), infront of Uruguayan GK Fernando Muslera, formed the wall at the back which conceded only 15 goals, a record that has yet to be broken. The middle of the pitch featured Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshire, Samir Nasri, and Aaron Ramsey, all which were top players world renowned for their abilities and work rate. Featuring world class players and giants at the bank, as well as a record breaking striker, Arsenal rolled over the rest of the league and gave the Premier League a season it would never forget. In a distant Runners-Up place were the former champions, Manchester City, led by their Spanish star Omar Mora (33 apps, 24 gls, 7.44), and in 3rd Place were the story of the century, perhaps, Bromley FC (we’ll get into them later.) Bromley, who had been taken from the Blue Square South Division all the way to the Premier League in 5 years (promotion in each of those years), were headed by a Brazilian teenage sensation called Rodriguinho, who eclipsed even Hulk’s 37 goals by smashing in 40 goals and breaking the Premier League record.

[small Mac]

Interesting read so far - perhaps you could add in a few screen shots? I'm looking forward to reading about your time at Bromley given a did a very similar save with them way back on FM07.