The FM21 Youth Academy Challenge

[libbyshuss]

29 minutes ago, toshimitzou1 said:

The more I reflect, the more I am enjoying the gameplay consequences of this challenge:

totally agree with all your points there. This challenge has totally re-invigorated my relationship with the game. I can't see mysefl playing any other way in the near future 

[libbyshuss]

my scouts just sent me this:-

 

Potential premier league player!!!! Sunderland got a bargain and a half there......

[libbyshuss]

1 hour ago, XaW said:

I managed to get both academy coaching and youth recruited two times, so both are now exceptional and maxed out

that's gonna help so much, you'll be flying up the leagues. 

I've tried to get my board to improve my youth intake for seasons now but even with 1.5m in the bank they just won't budge. it's driving me nuts!

[XaW]

1 minute ago, libbyshuss said:

that's gonna help so much, you'll be flying up the leagues. 

I've tried to get my board to improve my youth intake for seasons now but even with 1.5m in the bank they just won't budge. it's driving me nuts!

Yeah, it really gives my team an edge in all future intakes. Now, I only could manage to get out of the lowest tier....

[libbyshuss]

1 minute ago, XaW said:

Now, I only could manage to get out of the lowest tier....

Whenever I've done this challenge in England I've always found those lowest two tiers by far the hardest to get out of. 

[XaW]

Just now, libbyshuss said:

Whenever I've done this challenge in England I've always found those lowest two tiers by far the hardest to get out of. 

Yeah, at least the VNL to L2 are the one I think is usually the hardest. At the very least I'm building a solid foundation now that I'm entering another season down here in the VNS.

We just had another takeover though, this time a Local Businessman, and unsurprisingly no investments.

[The7Striker]

12 minutes ago, XaW said:

Yeah, at least the VNL to L2 are the one I think is usually the hardest. At the very least I'm building a solid foundation now that I'm entering another season down here in the VNS.

We just had another takeover though, this time a Local Businessman, and unsurprisingly no investments.

They spend everything on the takeover and they hope you make some cash in 

[The7Striker]

How about an adventure in a club where the logo is a horse/rat playing ball?

 

 

Just a quick question.  Are the transfers that AI makes before taking on the contract valid?
I'm on the Rest Date  and I already have two ins.

Edited July 31, 2021 by The7Striker

[XaW]

Just now, The7Striker said:

Are the transfers that AI makes before taking on the contract valid?

Yeah, those are fine. The rule is to cancel if possible, but since the red (x) is not highlighted then they should not be possible to cancel. So they are to be considered part of the original squad and can be used as any other player you start with.

[The7Striker]

Just now, XaW said:

Yeah, those are fine. The rule is to cancel if possible, but since the red (x) is not highlighted then they should not be possible to cancel. So they are to be considered part of the original squad and can be used as any other player you start with.

Thanks. 

I really want this club. The logo is awesome

[XaW]

1 minute ago, The7Striker said:

Thanks. 

I really want this club. The logo is awesome

Yeah, what kind of animal is it? A fox?

 

[The7Striker]

I search but i didnt found anything about the logo. Yeah looks like a fox or a strange horse/rat.

They dont have a nickname in game to help me out.

 

[XaW]

Our Faroese midfielder Teitur Jakobsen 25e became the first of our youth players to get capped!

[Muttley84]

34 minutes ago, The7Striker said:

I search but i didnt found anything about the logo. Yeah looks like a fox or a strange horse/rat.

They dont have a nickname in game to help me out.

 

Official websites confirms its a rat:

Supporters club  Ratten van Harelbeke  (in short:  RvH ) was created by some members of the UltRATS  atmosphere group, which has been providing atmosphere at both KRC Harelbeke's home and away games  for the past 4 seasons. Supportersclub RVH wants, in collaboration with sponsors, players and board of KRC, to try to take initiatives and actions every home and away match, each time with 1 common goal: to shout our Rats forward towards victory!  

[JAwtunes]

Season 1 (2020-21) Review

On the pitch

Starting 11

League (II. futbalová liga) and cup

Spoiler

Fortuna Liga (nice to see Slovan Bratislava finish second)

Off the pitch

Youth intake (described by HoYD in preview as "excellent group of players")

Spoiler

Players

Spoiler

Top Players

Spoiler

Top Youth Players

SUMMARY

 

Around the world

Spoiler

UEFA Champions League

CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores (Brazilian only in QF!)

Ballon d'Or

 

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by JAwtunes

[JAwtunes]

So, I'm about half way through my second season and three of my best players (CA) are youth players that generated <12 months ago.  Its crazy considering out youth facilities etc. aren't really that impressive.  Unfortunately the best one (Mraz) is demanding a non-negotiable release clause at the mo.  Still ~2.5 years on his contract so hopefully I gat get him to sack his agent in that time and try again.

[JAwtunes]

Final thing from me for now - sorry for the spam!.

I couldn't find any Inter Bratislava kits for FM so I had a go at creating some. Well, altering some that I had downloaded in kit packs for other nations.  I managed to cobble these together using some free noob-friendly adobe software.  I am rubbish with these things so am well chuffed with what I managed to do.

I cant find a pick of the away kit so just picked one that used the same colours.

Image from the Inter Bratislava website

Spoiler

 

 

[The7Striker]

1 hour ago, XaW said:

Our Faroese midfielder Teitur Jakobsen 25e became the first of our youth players to get capped!

Excuse me sir, that beast would be perfect for my club 

1 hour ago, Muttley84 said:

Official websites confirms its a rat:

Supporters club  Ratten van Harelbeke  (in short:  RvH ) was created by some members of the UltRATS  atmosphere group, which has been providing atmosphere at both KRC Harelbeke's home and away games  for the past 4 seasons. Supportersclub RVH wants, in collaboration with sponsors, players and board of KRC, to try to take initiatives and actions every home and away match, each time with 1 common goal: to shout our Rats forward towards victory!  

Thanks for the help. 

I guess i have a new fav club in Belgium.

2 minutes ago, JAwtunes said:

Final thing from me for now - sorry for the spam!.

I couldn't find any Inter Bratislava kits for FM so I had a go at creating some. Well, altering some that I had downloaded in kit packs for other nations.  I managed to cobble these together using some free noob-friendly adobe software.  I am rubbish with these things so am well chuffed with what I managed to do.

I cant find a pick of the away kit so just picked one that used the same colours.

Image from the Inter Bratislava website

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Well nice league and cup games.YI looks good too, with some potencial.

Kits are great, done better than me 

 

[ATW]

Sadly, despite trying 4 times I have been unable to get the board to give me youth recruitment, so I have turned that game into a normal save and have gone to the old faithful for a challenge - England.  

The Beginning - Season 2021/22

The Manager

The Club

[toshimitzou1]

What a result against Relegation rivals OFI! A result like this can define a season. Fourth from bottom, but look at those next three league games. Eminently winnable; time to push on!

Followed up by this:

Come on the boys! The Greek Superleague splits into two groups after all 26 games have been played. The the bottom half contests a relegation, single fixture set round robin (bottom team relegated/second bottom enters playoff versus lower league opponent) and the top half a championship equivalent. The key point is that points are carried over. On my last promotion three seasons ago I was 6 points adrift at the bottom entering the round robin and only missed out on survival by two points at the end of the season. With theses kind of results in the bag, I can almost smell Top - Flight survival,

Edited July 31, 2021 by toshimitzou1
Adding Results

[XaW]

 

Folkestone Invicta - Season 2026/27 (Season 6) Review - Vanarama National League South (6th tier)

Table | Squad | Transfers | Finances

Well, there we go, promotion at last! With last season in mind, the goal was set, and we delivered. Even if we didn't play that much better than last season, the other teams around did noticeably worse. For the most part the team was just about the same, but we had a breakout season for your young Ivorian striker Franck Koné 24e. I've held him back due to his low finishing, but gave him some games at the end of last season, and he did well enough so I decided to give him more time. 46 goals over the season is very much a reply I wanted from him. Partnering him up with Ryan Doyle 23f (who had a cracker of a season!) up front gives us two very different strikers and seems to cause a lot of problems for most teams. In midfield we have our only international player in Teitur Jakobsen 25e, who is the playmaker in the side. From those players, I'm starting to get a core of a good offensive base to work around going forward.

In the FA Cup we beat Clevedon, Poole Town, Chelmsford City, and Yeovil Town before losing to Rochdale in the 2nd round.

In the FA Trophy we lost to Kingstonian in the 2nd round.

We are slowly losing money now, with the maxing out on the academy coaching and youth recruitment, so not much in improvements to speak of. I have managed to get a new licence started, though, but not completed yet.

Youth

Two really good players coming through, and lots of talent.

Kristian Mackerness 27c is a really good right back that I have high hopes for.

I usually only highlight one player, but Aled Watkins 27d also need to be shown, those mental attributes for a 15 year old!

U18 team:

They didn't play in any league system.

In the FA Youth Cup they beat Maidstone, Leamington, and Newport County before losing to Cambridge United in the 1st round.

Statistics:

Spoiler

A few more countries this time, as we slowly fill the map out more and more. Still no one from Asia or South America though. Poland, the Netherlands, and Morocco added this season.

Trophy cabinet:

Vanarama National League South - 2026/27

[toshimitzou1]

1 minute ago, XaW said:

Kristian Mackerness 27c is a really good right back that I have high hopes for.

 

Like the look of him. A full back with high crossing AND technique! He could be a real gem. With that high anticipation stat and low off-the-ball I'd be tempted to teach him to cross early, especially if you have numbers in the box.

[XaW]

7 minutes ago, toshimitzou1 said:

Like the look of him. A full back with high crossing AND technique! He could be a real gem. With that high anticipation stat and low off-the-ball I'd be tempted to teach him to cross early, especially if you have numbers in the box.

Yeah, no big weaknesses at such a young age makes me hopeful. And the good thing is that I can let him develop a bit slower than I usually do, because of my other great right back:

Looking at the comparison, I'd say Donte is a bit better going forward, while Kristian is a bit better at defending. Both can develop nicely though, so it's a nice problem to have!

[hyrule_king]

Season 4 Review

I am in for the long run here. 

A very frustrating season, still finishing 6th but the amount of injuries was just silly. 

We started off being 6 points ahead in the league after 7 games then it fell apart. 

A few of the youth intake from season 1 and 2 are coming good though as you will see below.

1st Team

Youth Squad ( I am tending to only bring them into the 1st team when they hit 2 stars)

Season Overview

Youth Recruitment Update

Highest Overall Progression

High Hopes for from the S4 Youth Intake

Transfers

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by hyrule_king

[Cheez3y]

GSS Panionios - Youth Intake 2026

We got the keeper I wanted and 2 great wingers.

Still mostly Greek players.

We got our first player from Sykia, Central Macedonia.

 

Intake Map - 2026

Spoiler

 

Intake Map - All

Spoiler

  

  

 

[vikeologist]

Vikeologist's 2054/55 Folkestone Season Report

After missing out on the playoffs on the last day of the season the last 2 seasons, we once again had to win our final match to be sure of a  playoff spot. However we were in 5^th place, one point ahead of the team in 7^th, and it was possible that we could make it even if we drew or lost.

For much of the match we were 2 goals up but we lost 4-3, and a really unlikely set of results meant that we would have failed to make the playoffs with anything less than a win. This is definitely the cruellest of our 3 successive final day face palmings, but I’m kind of getting used to it.

It’s not the end of the world though. My aim isn’t a team that can get us to the Premier League. I’m trying to create a team that can win the Premier League and Champions League, and with a bit of wrangling, we’re close to having maxxed out facilities. I think everything is maxxed out now except for Youth Recruitment which is ‘only’ Exceptional. The improvements we’ve put in place over the last 4 or 5 years should pay off eventually. I just need to be a bit luckier with my intakes. 4 of my best players are aged between 27 and 29, so the time is ticking a bit, but the other 5 of my 9 best are 21 or under (although 2 of them are right wingers which is not optimal).

Top Goalscorer – Dave Jackson 21b – 28

Dave had his best season for a few years. I do miss the days though when I had 2 strikers go over 30 goals each season and thought it would always be that way.

Highest Average Rating (minimum 10 matches played) –Abdulrahman Zayed 31b – 7.17

My 19 year old goalkeeper, The first time a goalie has ever topped this ranking for me; not just in this challenge. Ever, I think. Maybe not my best goalie. Maybe not one of my three best goalies, but the one with the potential. (To be fair, there’s not much between my top 4 goalies. Once Zayed was close I put him straight in). We haven’t had a good enough goalie for a few years since I sold Steven 'Shamrock' Larkin 21d and thought someone would be able to fill his boots. Nearly 5 seasons later, none of my goalies has ever reached his level, but Zayed should exceed it. I don’t know how much his impressive rating means that he is actually a good goalie, but it can hardly be a bad thing.

Man of The Match – Dave Jackson 21b – 6

Didn’t have to even revise this section from last season.

Most Valuable Player– Dave Jackson 21b

Has equalled the record of MVPs at 6, but it wouldn’t be a shock if my 16 year-old left winger Mohamed Kargbo 33a wins this for the next 7 or more seasons. Kargbo turns 17 over the off-season and he can expect to be shown the money once that happens. Hopefully he bites.

Most Appearances (Regens) – Jason ‘Nepotism’ Ramsay 1a – 719

32 year-old central defender Pete Larkin 18d is now on 585, and is still my best player in that position, which frankly is probably why we’re still in the Championship. He surely can’t retain his place for another 3  seasons and beat this record, but then again, I’m not sure who might even potentially unseat him unless he declines.

Most Goals (Regens) – Michael Morgan 9a – 463

Dave Jackson at 29 is on 328. It depressing that he (a striker) stands a good chance of breaking the record for appearances without even coming close to the goals record.

Barry Ramsay 29k (Son) Update

Spent the first half of the season on loan with Halifax in the Vauxhall National again, but was only coming on as a sub occasionally so I recalled him. Actually made a sub appearance for us this season, but only because of a massive confluence of injuries, suspensions, a clash with an U18 match and of course a bit of nepotism. He actually did ok, but none of this negates the fact that he’s not even close to good enough. I’ve bemoaned the state of my central defence. Barry is still only my 12^th best option.

Season	Division		Position	Notes							MVP										
21/22	VNL South		18th		Steered clear of relegaton thanks to good start.	Callum Davies
22/23	VNL South		16th		Only 2 places better, but a lot more points.		Henry Newcombe
23/24	VNL South		18th		Big step backwards in points.				David Smith
24/25	VNL South		15th		Consistently mediocre.					David Smith
25/26	VNL South		14th		Just outside playoffs for most of the season.		David Smith
26/27	VNL South		16th		Otherwise known as the year 1AD (After Discipline)	Ellis Andrews 2c
27/28	VNL South		19th		Narrowly avoided relegation places all season		David Smith
28/29	VNL South		15th		Tried different tactics. Didn't find a magic bean.	David Smith
29/30	VNL South		7th		Lost playoff semifinal, but a great improvement.	Ellis Andrews 2c
30/31	VNL South		12th		Second half slump into mid-table disappointment		David Smith
31/32	VNL South		7th		Lost in S/F of playoff					Ellis Andrews 2c
32/33	VNL South		9th		Didn't threaten playoffs				Ellis Drake 10a
33/34	VNL South		2nd		Lost last 2 matches of season and 1st playoff game.	Michael Morgan 9a
34/35	VNL South		4th		Knocked out Playoffs 1st round on penalties		Michael Morgan 9a
35/36	VNL South		6th		Knocked out in Playoff semifinal			Michael Morgan 9a
36/37	VNL South		5th		Knocked out in Playoff semifinal			Giorgos Kragiopoulos 11a
37/38	VNL South		1st		Won the league by a mile. 17th time lucky.		Michael Morgan 9a 
38/39	VNL National		1st		Back to back comfortable promotions			Jack Collett 13a 
39/40	League 2		2nd		Won last 5 matches securing automatic promotion.	Jack Collett 13a 
40/41	League 1		11th		Pushing for promotion most of the season		Jack Collett 13a 
41/42	League 1		5th		Lost in playoffs semifinal				Michael Morgan 9a 
42/43	League 1		8th		Losing streak, winning streak and then injuries		Kevin Spencer 17d
43/44	League 1		7th		One place outside playoffs.				Kevin Spencer 17d
44/45	League 1		12th		Outside playoffs all season. New stadium.		Pete Larkin 18d
45/46	League 1		2nd		Promoted last day of the season. 			Dave Jackson 21b 
46/47	Championship		20th		Plummetted near to relegation zone			Dave Jackson 21b 
47/48	Championship		15th		Terrible start but mid table safety after that.		Steven 'Shamrock' Larkin 21d 
48/49	Championship		14th		Good start but dropped away from playoffs.		Liam Carter 25d 
49/50	Championship		15th		Boring & disappointing season				Dave Jackson 21b 
50/51	Championship		4th		Promoted through playoffs.				Ross Gethins 22c
51/52	Premier League		20th		Won once in 2nd half of season and relegated.		Dave Jackson 21b
52/53	Championship		8th		Typical second half of the season collapse.		Dave Jackson 21b 
53/54	Championship		7th		Missed out on playoffs in final match injury time	Dan Jones 27e
54/55	Championship		7th		Missed playoffs on final day for 3rd season in a row.	Dave Jackson 21b

 

[The7Striker]

 

Not a bad little player from the AI YI 2021. I guess for an AP role should be a gem.

 

 

 

Meanwhile

Edited August 1, 2021 by The7Striker

[Cheez3y]

GSS Panionios - Season 2025/26

 Media Prediction   // Transfers + Released

Predictions as expected.

Cleared out the youth team again and we sold our best player (to this date).

 

Upgrades/Downgrades/Misc

Coaching Badge: Cont A -> Cont Pro

Youth Recruitment: Good -> Excellent

Job Interview: Galatasaray (TUR1)

Finished our badges.

Upgraded the Recruitment to the big E.

And we a job interview from a pretty big team.

 

Kypello Ellados

Games

We are slowly gettin better in the cup.

But with slight injury problems, we couldnt get passed AEK.

 

Super League - Regular Season

Games I + Games II

Pretty happy with our first season in the Super League.

Never in relegation trouble and on the last day, we drew Panathinaikos and cost them the Championship group.

 

Super League - Relegation Group

Games

Really happy with the end result.

Pretty happy with the numbers.

 

We need a takeover or Euro football.

I cant really stop it.

After the loss of Etoras, the teams didnt really care.

They all stepped up and scored some goals.

 

Top 5 Regens

 

Notable Ex-Regens

Spoiler

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by Cheez3y

[toshimitzou1]

Things are looking promising for the future! Furthermore, this is a good indicator of the effectiveness of my current tactical framework as this is what the U19s have deployed throughout the season.

[libbyshuss]

2035/36 - Season 15

National League - 1st

Season Summary

Champions!! An unbelievable season that I wasn't quite expecting to be honest

League - We made another good start and after winning away at Torquay in the first week of october we went top. But I wasn't happy - our chances and xG were way lower than the results we were getting and it was only a matter of time before we reverted to the mean and started slipping down the table. Also, Craig Mckenzie 35A was really struggling up front on his own. He'd gone 6 games without scoring and was in really poor form. Similarly, our AMC was making no impact and our DLP was getting really exposed. All our goals and wins had come via my two wingers, who were playing out their skin. So, top of the table, i made the crazy decision to change tactics. I brought the two wingers in to play alongside Mckenzie in a 3 man attack and brought the AMC back to help out in a 3 man midfield. It was the best decision I ever made! Suddenly our xG flew up and we were scoring for fun.

    I changed it for the Port Vale game. Even when I lost I was still scoring lots, so I stuck with it.

We went unbeaten through January and February, which is where the title was won. We were magnificent! In the end, we did it with three games left to play! 

    

Cup - Lost to Aldershot in the first round. Fun game though, it was 4-2

Players

So I was pinning my hopes on Craig McKenxie 35A but he was disappoining really. He was a lot better when he was the middle of a front three but I still see his future as a DLP I think. 26 goals and 9 assists in 42 games is not bad but he was overshadowed by his strike partners. He's also refusing to sign a new contract with only one year remaining, which kinda sucks. Hopefully one he's a league 2 player he'll change his mind. Here he is now:-

The rest of the team was interesting. I eased a few of the under-performing older players out and their replacements did really well. Ortega had just spent a season with Halesowen in the NLN and did well so I lobbed him in but the real relevation was Reece Andrews 31G. A fantastic season on loan at Chelmsford meant he earnt a chance, and he really took it. I love it when a F,G,H player makes it! Dion Batty as well, who saw that coming? Not me!

 

Youth

Such a weird preview! A golden generation, but no full backs centre backs, midfielders or wingers! So i was expecting one striker and about 5 keepers to be any good!

In the end I forgot to screenshot the intake! It wasn't brilliant, a 4 start striker and a 4 star DC/MC and a 3 star keeper. But the 4 star striker? he looks nice! i think he was the reason i forgot to screenshot the intake!

First striker I think I've ever got with finishing that high at intake. I gave him a chance once the title was wrapped up and

I'm very excited about him!

 

Finances and Upgrades

A few things to report this year. The most exciting thing is I finally finished all my coaching badges!

 

I was able to use winning the title as leverage with the board to finally improve my youth intake as well

 

But money is gonna be a bit tight after promotion meant that we need to upgrade our stadium. Having been to Hitchin's ground in real lif, I can totally understand why. It's a typical non-league rope around the pitch sort of ground at the minute!

 

Career

Prioriy for next season is just staying up and establishing ourselves as a league club. Then reaping the rewards of our youth recruitment status!

 

Edit: Oh, and I completely missed it but apparently we are professional status now! I think I missed that memo in all the excitement of winning the league.

Edited August 2, 2021 by libbyshuss

[lewis999]

Clube Operário Desportivo - Season 3 - 2023/24 Review

Another good progressive season with a play-off place as the reward this time!

As you can see from the table above we qualified for the play-offs for the first time in Season 3.

HEARTBREAK! We lost in the play-off final to the team that finished 7 points below us in the regular season. In the first leg, everything they hit went in and I think Manuel Neuer was in their goals.

WHAT AN INTAKE! Everyone down to Richard the GK was signed and things are looking rosy on the island of Azores for the upcoming years!

[lewis999]

Clube Operário Desportivo - Season 4 - 2024/25 Review

Top of the pile for the first time and into the play-offs AGAIN!

HEARTBREAK AGAIN! We navigated the semi-final again but fell short at the final hurdle, losing so narrowly to Sporting B who are clearly the best team in the 4th tier.

The preview looked promising with some prospective attacking options to be welcomed!

Wingers galore! The top 3 players - Speninho | Chapenté | Zézé

With no guaranteed promotion and only playoffs in the 4th tier of Portugal our only goal is to get out of here as soon as possible, we are good enough to.

[hyrule_king]

3 hours ago, lewis999 said:

Clube Operário Desportivo - Season 4 - 2024/25 Review

Top of the pile for the first time and into the play-offs AGAIN!

HEARTBREAK AGAIN! We navigated the semi-final again but fell short at the final hurdle, losing so narrowly to Sporting B who are clearly the best team in the 4th tier.

The preview looked promising with some prospective attacking options to be welcomed!

Wingers galore! The top 3 players - Speninho | Chapenté | Zézé

With no guaranteed promotion and only playoffs in the 4th tier of Portugal our only goal is to get out of here as soon as possible, we are good enough to.

I am in my 5th season and only now starting to get some consistency in the league. I tend to just stick out my youth team in the cup games. It is quite difficult too get out of the 4th tier , also I feel If i go up too early I will just come back down again.

[hyrule_king]

2nd in the league after 10 games

In the 5th round of the Cup. All is going nicely, for now.

[The7Striker]

RKC Harelbeke 2021-2022

Finances  Squad  Transfers  Media Pred

 

Two AI Ins, but I sold N'For. With 35 years old and around 700k per week to renew, it was time to let him go.
Finances are quit a trouble but in this league i only get around 50k so its going to be a challenge.
Same old with media pred, around dead last in the table.

 

 

Games I Games II

 

We did it, we survived. A quiet 8 place with a good difference to the relegation zone. Francs after the playoffs are the champions

 

Croky Cup

 

A good run, shame we got Liège but they were the best team in the early season.

 

Youth Intake 2021/2022

 

 About the YI, pretty much everyone goes to A team, with only 15 players in senior squad, they have to.

Milo and Yvo are the hight hopes for this year.

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by The7Striker

[toshimitzou1]

Solid Season. Mid table glory for a team with an average age of 19.8.

Job done to -date. Now, I predict 4 years until we can push for domestic honours!

[OlivierL]

Rot-Weiss Essen - Germany - Intro

Here I am again, can't resist. After youth only's with Berchem and Aalst in Belgium, Encamp in Andorra, Njardvik in Iceland and recently an unofficial youth only with St Josephs in Gibraltar, it's time for something new. This time I choose a youth only in a top country. Thanks to @Winski I have discovered that the U17 rule has been dropped in Germany . That in combination with some very interesting teams and a lot of financial possibilities made me decide to start in Germany. Since we are not that far away from FM22 I will try to limit the details in the updates and also exclude my numerous excel sheets. This is my last save on FM21 and it is a save with a mission !

Rot-Weiss Essen

RWE is a team with a huge fan base and history. They have recently built a new stadium and have very passionate fans. I believe I can progress to the Bundesliga with them. For me, this is a sleeping giant from the second-largest city of the Ruhr. RWE haven't played in the Bundesliga since 1977. They haven't played in the second division since 2007, when an away defeat at Duisburg on the last day of the season sent them down. They haven't even graced the third level since 2008, when a stunning home defeat at the hands of Lubeck on the last day saw Essen drop to 12th place.

Spoiler

Rot-Weiss Essen is a German association football club based in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club currently plays in the fourth-tier Regionalliga West, at the Stadion Essen.

The team won the DFB-Pokal in 1953, and the German championship in 1955. The latter success qualified them to the first season of the European Cup.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rot-Weiss_Essen

Stadium

Until 2012 Rot-Weiss used to play in the Georg-Melches-Stadion (capacity 15,000), named in honour of a former club president. In 1956, the team's home field became the first stadium in West Germany to have floodlights.[3]

Since August 2012 RWE has played in the new Stadion Essen (capacity 20,000). The naming rights to the stadium include RWE AG.

Building their new stadium in 2012 and demolishing their old stadium. 

Stadium finished and the only thing that is left of the old stadium is one floodlight at the parking area.

Great facilities for this challenge

Squad

A good balanced squad with some very good players to start with. i hope i can keep a lot of them in the first four/five years.

First Eleven ( 4-3-3 )

   
 

  

  

 

Key talents( Newgens without first team apps)

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by OlivierL

[XaW]

Folkestone Invicta - Season 2027/28 (Season 7) Review - Vanarama National League (5th tier)

Table | Squad | Transfers | Finances

So at least we are no longer in the lowest tier. The step up to the Vanarama National League was not as big as I had feared, and we coped quite well. We did concede a lot more goals as the opposition strikers are far more prolific than last season. However, things are slowly going forward, and at least I've managed to keep everyone I wanted to keep. The suitors are hanging around Aled Watkins 27d all the time, but so far he haven't made any fuss about staying, and had quite a good season for us, even if he was away rather often with the Wales U19s. Up front Ryan Doyle 23f had another cracking season scoring in just about every game, and assisting a bit as well. That made him stand out to a few teams in the leagues above, but so far at least, he is staying. I think there's is about time for a change in the team though, as our long serving goalkeeper from the original squad, Henry Newcombe, are just about not cut out for this level, so I think one of the younger guys will become the first choice between the posts next season.

In the FA Cup we beat Poole Town and Bromley before we lost to Coventry in the 2nd round.

In the FA Trophy we lost to Eastleigh in the 3rd round.

The only improvement this season was to my licence, as I finished the Continental B. Trying to get approved for an A, but the money is tight.

Youth

A nice intake, with some good talents.

Andrea Zanichelli 28a is quite the physical monster for his age. He will become useful for us in the coming season.

U18 team:

They didn't play in any league system.

In the FA Youth Cup they beat Hythe and Hampton & Richmond before losing to Stevenage in the 1st round.

Statistics:

Spoiler

More local lads this time, but at least we added an Italian to the list.

Trophy cabinet:

Vanarama National League South - 2026/27

[dkouv]

Cultural Durango – Season 8 (2028/29)

La Liga 2 After the successes of last season I was hoping for another playoff push, but we definitely had a bit of a second season syndrome and for much of the year I was much more concerned with relegation rather than promotion. We started well but then hit a terrible run which saw us slide down the table to hover just above relegation places. Our defence was not great as usual but what was really killing us is the lack of scoring - not many chances, and the ever reliable Diomande kept on hitting blanks.

What saved us in the end was a 3-month injury to Diomande 02a which saw me push last years intake star David Rodriguez 07a into the starting line-up, and his pace - alongside some minor tactical tweaks - made a lot of difference with the youngster scoring 10 and assisting 7 in 20(9) apps, while also getting better with every game. We stabilised our poor run with a few draws and then won 5 in a row which saw us steer clear of relegation with 4 games left, and allowed me to play the youngsters in those final games, which resulted in 4 straight defeats but still saw us finish a respectable 13th.

Players: Our keeper Goikoetxea was the most consistent as usual, but a breakthrough season from Rodriguez 07a and some great attacking midfield performances from Pascual 01d was what made sure we stayed up this season. Bibao 04c probably remains our most indispensable player, as he is still our only good defender.

Youth watch: Apart from Rodriguez 07a, Mikel Franco 07c managed to break into the first team towards the end of the season and has developed well, but the other young defenders are all stagnating.

 

Facilities / Finances: I maxed out recruitment, and now we are at a level where we’re just about breaking even so no more upgrades for now.

Youth intake: The preview promised plenty of talent, and plenty of fullbacks - a position where I am desperately lacking - and the intake actually delivered! I think Mateo 08a (DRL) and Seguin 08b (DR) could be our starting fullback pair for some time to come if they stay at the club, and there’s plenty of other talents too - though unfortunately the £1.4k p/w minimum wage limit meant that I couldn’t sign too many.

   

Intake 04 review The top two full-back prospects didn’t quite live up to the hype, but Alejandro Bilbao 04c was a very important addition, being our best defender by far, and the one player who seems to be consistently wanted by other clubs.

Transfers: not much, just tried to sell off some players who were on the high minimum wage and not developing

Season    |  League             | Pos. |     Europe     |   Best player                 |  Notes
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021/22   | Segunda B Grupo II  |  9   |     n/a        |  Juanma Iparragirre (MC)      |
2022/23   | Segunda B Grupo II  |  14  |     n/a        |  Lander Goikoetxea (GK)       |
2023/24   | Segunda B Grupo II  |  3   |     n/a        |  Lander Goikoetxea (GK)       | Lost in playoff semi final
2024/25   | Segunda B Grupo II  |  5   |     n/a        |  Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | 
2025/26   | Segunda B Grupo II  |  1   |     n/a        |  Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | Promoted through the playoffs!
2026/27   | Primera RFEF Gupo I |  1   |     n/a        |  Alejandro Bilbao 04c (DC)    | Promoted
2027/28   | La Liga 2           |  8   |     n/a        |  Lander Goikoetxea (GK)       |
2028/29   | La Liga 2           |  13  |     n/a        |  Lander Goikoetxea (GK)       |


Facilities
----------
Season    |  Coaching     |  Recruitment      | Training Fac.  | Youth Fac.    |  Stadium
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021/22   |  Average      |  Fairly basic     | Adequate       |  Adequate     |  3000
2022/23   |  Average      |  Fairly basic     | Adequate       |  Adequate     |  3000
2023/24   |  Average      |  Fairly basic     | Adequate       |  Adequate     |  3000
2024/25   |  Average      |  Fairly basic     | Below average  |  Adequate     |  3000
2025/26   |  Average      |  Fairly basic     | Below average  |  Adequate     |  3000
2026/27   |  Average      |  Fairly basic     | Below average  |  Adequate     |  3000
2027/28   |  Excellent    |  Good             | Below average  |  Adequate     |  3000
2028/29   |  Excellent    |  Exceptional      | Adequate       |  Average      |  3000

 

[XaW]

[The7Striker]

30 minutes ago, XaW said:

 

They are PSG but a poor version 

 

Meanwhile

 

Can anyone tell them it's against the rules to switch clubs? 

Edited August 2, 2021 by The7Striker

[XaW]

Oh, and that guy I didn't get to sign a contract? He is a Wonderkid now....

[libbyshuss]

47 minutes ago, XaW said:

Oh, and that guy I didn't get to sign a contract? He is a Wonderkid now....

don't think i've ever seen one come through a team so low! not in my saves anyway. 

and also really annoying for you!

[Zeldster]

 

Shaoxing Keqiao

Squad | Transfers | Finances

League: Another 4th place finish in the First Division, missing out on promotion by 5 points. We was in for a shot at it with 5 games to go but we just couldn't keep up with the leading pack. A bore draw and 2 defeats ensured we would be spending another season outside of the Super League.  Though we where scoring for fun in the league as we topped the scoring charts, albeit our defense is still leaking goals as we placed 6th worst for goals conceded.

Cup: In the Chinese FA cup we managed to reach the 5th round (we start from the 3rd) beating Super League team CZ Mighty Lions in the 4th round on penalties after they scored a late equalizer. Shenzen put our cup adventure to an end with a 2-1 defeat in a game where we looked the better team.

NewGens:

Huang Tingfeng01b led the line for us and had a dominant season as he picked up the top goal scorer for club and division. He was clear of 2nd place by 6 goals. Teams have been sniffing around him since the July transfer window but we managed to keep him settled. Could be another summer of struggle trying to keep him grounded.

Wang Ji 01f didn't start the season for us, but had a great season of development and ended up finishing the season as the number 1.

Li Chenlong 01d also played most of the season as a CB, mainly due to our poor choices in the position.

Takeover!

We also had a takeover go through where the new owner pumped a whopping 80k into the finances. Sadly, it was quickly gone as we are losing just around 200k a month.

 

Youth Intake 2023:

We had a pretty good intake once again with probably 1 player making the starting 11 and a handful entering the first team squad right of the bat.

Li Dongsheng 02j will slide right into my LM, sadly his personality came through as unambitious.

Dong Yu 02c will be my 2nd choice left back and will be rotated in against weaker teams.

Yu Ye 02f is already my 3rd best CM.

 

 

Also, I've never touched training since playing football manager always leaving it to my assistant manager/coaches. Do you guys feel it would be best for me to get my hands stuck into all of it? I do some positional training and some attribute focus but never touched the whole scheduling stuff.

[lewis999]

15 hours ago, hyrule_king said:

I am in my 5th season and only now starting to get some consistency in the league. I tend to just stick out my youth team in the cup games. It is quite difficult too get out of the 4th tier , also I feel If i go up too early I will just come back down again.

Yeah the no automatic promotion makes it somewhat of a Russian roulette at the end.

Edited August 3, 2021 by lewis999

[libbyshuss]

5 hours ago, Zeldster said:

I do some positional training and some attribute focus but never touched the whole scheduling stuff.

that's exactly what I do. The scheduling stuff goes over my head, i always leave it to the assman

[hyrule_king]

[Padders]

10 hours ago, XaW said:

Oh, and that guy I didn't get to sign a contract? He is a Wonderkid now....

Oh wow!

agree with @libbyshuss don’t think seen one come through at that level 

did you have a sell on clause? Has he moved on already? Sorry if it missed it 

[XaW]

9 hours ago, libbyshuss said:

don't think i've ever seen one come through a team so low! not in my saves anyway. 

and also really annoying for you!

8 minutes ago, Padders said:

Oh wow!

agree with @libbyshuss don’t think seen one come through at that level 

did you have a sell on clause? Has he moved on already? Sorry if it missed it 

I only got him to sign a youth contract, so Birmingham sniped him on a compensation. I automatically got a 15% sell-on clause, so I hope he goes for massive money. Still annoying though, because I'd gotten a 50% clause if I had to sell him my self.

And I've never had one that good on this level either. When I've gotten big potential stars, it's usually in the Championship or similar.

[hyrule_king]