Anyone else like planning your own "Europa Cup" as a pre-season build-up?

[LetsNotScoreGoals]

I've gotten pretty far in the game and was getting bored, so I cancelled all our pre-season training, took control of friendlies planning, and sent my squad trooping across Europe (and on one occasion, to China). Surprisingly no one was injured and we got full match fitness by the time season started. Here's my fixture list:

Anyone else enjoy friendlies? This late in the game I find it one of the more exciting parts of the game. Love smashing random Icelandic and Kazakhstani teams.

[zyfon5]

1 hour ago, LetsNotScoreGoals said:

I've gotten pretty far in the game and was getting bored, so I cancelled all our pre-season training, took control of friendlies planning, and sent my squad trooping across Europe (and on one occasion, to China). Surprisingly no one was injured and we got full match fitness by the time season started. Here's my fixture list:

Anyone else enjoy friendlies? This late in the game I find it one of the more exciting parts of the game. Love smashing random Icelandic and Kazakhstani teams.

I always try to avoid too many pre season games as I feel it's giving me a higher chance of injury. Last time in fm18 I used to do this all the time playing pre season games against random Belgium Netherlands teams with my affiliates included.

[LetsNotScoreGoals]

1 hour ago, zyfon5 said:

I always try to avoid too many pre season games as I feel it's giving me a higher chance of injury. Last time in fm18 I used to do this all the time playing pre season games against random Belgium Netherlands teams with my affiliates included.

I understand that haha but I send up my U19s and reserve squad to go have fun too... I do need to lessen the amount, maybe once or twice a week is fine though.

[Grifty]

I always have a friendly against a local nearby team and smash them 14-0. Boosts my morale anyway.

[WhoAreYa?]

Pre-season is very important for me and like you I want variety in the teams that I face. For scheduling I try and have five weeks of two games per week after a one or two week block of pure training. So ideally I like a long pre-season of seven weeks which isn't always possible I know but I'd be unhappy with anything under five weeks - one week of training followed by four weeks of two games per week.

 

The first three or four games should be in a training camp or tour (USA/ China/ Dubai etc). (I think training camps are still only arranged by the board?) A nice block of warm weather football to prime your squad for the ardours ahead. This is followed by some games on your own hallowed turf, around another four. These are against teams of a decent but not amazing standard, think Club Brugge or Sparta Prague or Braga etc. Games that should be tough but winnable. Similar stature to your own team so scale those up or down. Maybe a glamour tie in there too for some money. May even play the Prague game away from home with another game away at Ajax for example, give your fans a nice trip. Finish it all off with morale boosting ties visiting your local clubs and done. 

 

Tactical familiarity, £££ and an interesting nation hop around Europe.