Scorcho Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Author's note: After a couple failed runs in the MLS (due to having no reputation and just not getting any sort of chemistry with the Red Bulls) I decided to start the game as unemployed and see where it takes me. I thought it would be fun to document this in a journal-style story telling the tale of a young American trying to have a football manager's career. I hope you enjoy... This play through was done on a full updated version of FM2012. 2/3/2011 Have you ever had an insatiable desire to be called "crazy" over, and over, and over again? If so, I have a suggestion for you; quit your mundane 9 to 5 job, pack every single thing you own into a box, and declare to all of your friends and loved ones that you want to become a head coach for team in a sport that you've never, ever, played. Then, send out resumes to every crap club in every corner of the world you can think of just to live out your pipe dream. For me, this course of action has led me to lovely Sao Paulo, Brazil, to be the new head coach of E.C Santo Andre. To be completely honest, I have no idea how I got this job. The interview went about as well as a train wreck. I know next to nothing about Brazilian football. I know Santos, I know Flamengo, and that's about it. Maybe it helped that I slipped my translator a few hundred bucks to jazz what I was saying up a bit, or maybe they're just doing this as some sort of weird publicity stunt, but nonetheless, I got the job. After settling in to my new office and going over my roster, I started to get depressed. Not because of the quality of my players, I actually had some good guys on my crew, but because this third division team in Brazil had talent similar to the level of the higher-end US teams in the states. I have a paltry transfer budget to work with, which I think I'm going to keep tucked aside for now, and my staff is a little lop-sided (5 phyios and 6 youth team coaches but only one scout?) But I've decided that I'm going to see how things go at the club before making any big changes to the roster, or the staff. They seem to like their tight formations in Brazil, the team favors a 4-2-2-2, and there's nary a winger to be seen for miles. Not exactly what I'm used to, but then again, what part of this whole situation is? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
unitedforever Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Third division Brazil??? Interesting starting point. I am looking forward to seeing this story unfold. Great start. Keep it up Good luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
copperhorse21 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I've tried playing in South America...whew...just crazy with the tactics...best wishes! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorcho Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 2/4/2011 Well, if they hired me as a publicity stunt, that failed miserably. My first press conference had exactly one person there. A local reporter who apparently had nothing better to do that day. He went through your usual litany of questions. The first one he asked, somehow with a straight face, was "Is this your dream job"? I'm still not sure how I didn't break up laughing at this one. Yeah, it was the American kid's dream to coach some backwater Brazilian team... I tried to put the most positive spin on it I could. The guy tried pushing me on what my transfer policy was going to be, but I honestly don't have any idea at this point. The youth facilities are pretty lackluster, but there's some good players there, and some of the deals for older talent in the transfer market are incredible. I can't walk down the street without bumping into ten or twenty footballers. Despite having their club taken over by someone they should see as a complete hack, my roster has been positive and friendly about the whole situation. Maybe they think that they need something crazy to turn them around. I made some minor adjustments to their current training schedules, and set 4-1-2-1-2 and a 4-2-3-1 formations as backup strategies for the team, on top of the 4-2-2-2 formation they normally use. I also took a look at the player roles for the formations. I tailored the roles in the positions to what the players were most comfortable with, and decided to use wing backs for the defensive line, figuring they can fill in the width that would normally be filled in by wide midfielders. Our first game is coming up in a couple days, and it's not looking really good: Sao Paulo FC. See, down in Brazil, they have what are called "State Championships", which are basically state-wide versions of an FA cup, or a Copa Del Ray, which means that a monster team like SPFC can get matched up with my band of misfits. We're a 10-1 underdog going into this match, maybe the last manager they had jumped ship so he wouldn't be humiliated by this match, who knows? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorcho Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 2/6/2011 A DRAW! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I'll take it! Man, I feel sorry for the spectators, I really do. If that game was one you were watching on television you would have turned on the XBox 20 minutes in, but for me, it was one of the most exciting ones I've ever seen. Someway, somehow, we managed to keep them to six shots the entire game, and only one of them was inside the box! It was probably due to all the congestion in midfield, they were playing a very tight 4-1-2-1-2 and the middle of the park was absolutely gridlocked. Okay, so they held us to only three shots, and completely ate our lunch in possession, but they couldn't put in a goal! Even more surprising is that we were down to ten men for the last 30 minutes when Luisinho Paulista decided he was going to do his best Dean Malenko impression (look it up) on Juan and dropkicked his legs out from under him. I guess he really wanted that ball! I tip my hat to the squad for keeping a good attitude throughout the whole thing. They came in to the game relaxed, kept their focus at halftime, and did what needed to be done. Not bad for a team who doesn't even have numbers on their kits! Am I happy to get a draw in my debut match, Mr. Media Man? You freakin' bet I am. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Lots of Brazilian clubs love them some 4-2-2-2. I played it during my Brazil save in FM09. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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