FM23 | A Compilation of Saves

[Fudal]

After some inspiration from @vivu, I have decided to go to a nation that I haven't managed in for a couple FM's. That nation is Germany.

The club that I'm starting with is VFB Oldenburg, and more information about the club can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VfB_Oldenburg

This save has no goals, no objectives, just me playing FM and updating, hence the title. I needed something a save that I could just play and not have to worry about objectives, or spreadsheets, or anything like that.

So let us get started!

Edited November 16, 2022 by Fudal

[Fudal]

We started with no badges or experience, and therefore the squad hates me .

Speaking of the squad here they are:

Lots of injuries and no real quality up top. We're lacking CB depth, and we have way too many wingers, 6!?! AML players is absurd.

Here's the insane tactic I'm using for this save.

[Fudal]

July + August 2022

A decent start to life in Germany, Starke has been very good to start for us.

[vivu]

All the best for the save. I never realized German Lower Divisions was so much fun

[Fudal]

September + October 2022

We're extremely inconsistent.

We don't look like we're in danger of relegation at least.

[Fudal]

November 2022

Really poor performances so far.

Now we're only 1 point clear.

[Fudal]

Yikes... Some poor form with 3 draws in our first 3 days of January and I have been relieved of my duties as VFB Oldenburg manager.

Onto the next job I guess 

[Fudal]

Okay, I've decided to start a new save, while keeping the same thread. The next save will be a journeyman, and I will be starting with no badges and no experience.

Here are the leagues I have loaded:

Plus both Ukrainian leagues

And the manager profile:

Edited November 15, 2022 by Fudal

[Fudal]

Finally we have a job on October 27, 2022.

Here is their very outdated Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Sozopol

The basics:

Formed in 2008

Only 2 trophies ever

Play in the beach town of Sozopol

In the FM universe, we're in 16th place out of 18 teams, 14 games into the season.

And here is our squad for this season:

Key players include:

So let's get started!

[Fudal]

Game one went pretty well, as I start to earn the trust and belief of my players and board, as a 20 year old inexperienced manager.

Crazy formation makes its return. This time it works 

[Fudal]

Not a bad month.

Still in the relegation zone but we're moving up slightly.

[Fudal]

Instead of making a thread for every new save I make, I decided I would just keep the one thread for the whole year, updating on whatever save I'm playing at the time.

For now, this will be a new save, where I'm doing a UK + Ireland Journeyman, starting at Buxton FC. The club are a newly promoted team, but already have bookies favor, where they predict us to finish 4th.

I've been trucking through the save so far, and I'm already in October, and the team is firing on all cylinders. We're top of the table, have a +18 goal difference, and we are scoring goals for fun.

[Fudal]

We're playing great, and we're into the 5th round of the FA Trophy against Southend.

Sitting top.

[Fudal]

Now for a change, after we finished 8th in the VNLN after being top at the halfway point, I realized I wanted to go youth only. We're doing this with Salisbury, a club recently promoted to the Vanarama National League South.

We have only 22 players at the entire club and no staff whatsoever, so I have to kind of guess how good my players are for the first few friendlies.

After getting some staff in, here's what they think of the team:

[Fudal]

Here's a snapshot of the 3 coaches + HOYD

Professional personality will go a long way for us at this level.

[Fudal]

Okay I don't know if this is a bug or not but why have I lost 7 players to lower division clubs? I know they aren't on any money but I've offered all of them 300+ pounds per week to stay and none of them do. Half of them are on 150 or so pounds at their new clubs.  I now have a squad of 15 players, and no striker at the club. This feels game breaking.

[phnompenhandy]

24 minutes ago, Fudal said:

Okay I don't know if this is a bug or not but why have I lost 7 players to lower division clubs? I know they aren't on any money but I've offered all of them 300+ pounds per week to stay and none of them do. Half of them are on 150 or so pounds at their new clubs.  I now have a squad of 15 players, and no striker at the club. This feels game breaking.

'Game-breaking', or 'a challenge'? 

I've lost half my squad in the first winter transfer window, now with 20 players (inc a 43 year old backup keeper) to drag me through until the academy intake arrive. Actually, it was 11 who walked out on me, mostly got lower-level clubs who could offer them more game-time. You don't mention your credentials - for me with no qualifications when I started and minimal experience, the players just don't respect me and that's fair enough. I'd be very interested if you do stick it out in this Salisbury campaign.

[Fudal]

Just now, phnompenhandy said:

'Game-breaking', or 'a challenge'? 

I've lost half my squad in the first winter transfer window, now with 20 players (inc a 43 year old backup keeper) to drag me through until the academy intake arrive. Actually, it was 11 who walked out on me, mostly got lower-level clubs who could offer them more game-time. You don't mention your credentials - for me with no qualifications when I started and minimal experience, the players just don't respect me and that's fair enough. I'd be very interested if you do stick it out in this Salisbury campaign.

I'm planning on sticking it out, but I hadn't considered their lack of respect for me as a manager. I started with no badges or experience and put all 7 points into WWY.

[phnompenhandy]

2 minutes ago, Fudal said:

I'm planning on sticking it out, but I hadn't considered their lack of respect for me as a manager. I started with no badges or experience and put all 7 points into WWY.

Yeah, my squad is really old - they're mostly old warhorses who've been captains at previous clubs, some even player/coaches and one is an ex-player/manager. They all know the scene better than I do. Which is not a good thing! I get completely ignored in teamtalks, and they're quick to spread negativity around the camp. I don't think the board will keep any on in the summer due to our financial situation, so I'm going to have to rely almost wholly on a cheap-as-chip academy intake next season. Love it!

[Fudal]

We finally get our Youth intake at a time when we could not use it more.

We're 20th in the league with 5 games to go, and 5 points clear of relegation.

Here's our youth intake:

Two 5* wingers with a total of 25 pace + accel between them. Not good.

We win our next game at home vs Wealdstone, and survival is still in our hands, still 5 points clear.

The youth players finally arrive on their new contracts, but we still lose to Ebbsfleet away, not a surprise.

Still 5 points clear + Lejeune scores on his debut.

Next up is Hornchurch at home, 15th in the league.

Lejeune salvages a point in stoppage time, meaning we're still 6 points clear with two games to go. Now we just need a point in our final two games, or any points dropped from Chelmsford.

We lose. But we're still safe. Now the final match means nothing, and will be skipped.

 

 

[Fudal]

Okay, I got sacked 21 games in after accumulating 4 points. Is that the worst return in FMCU history?

Nearly men time. A save I've never attempted ever, and one that many others, notably @ManUtd1and @TheLutterworthFoxhave done in the past and present. The save is simple, win the champions league with every team that has finished second, but never won it. Now I'm not skilled enough, nor crazy enough to try this with International management, so it'll just be the 19 clubs.

These clubs are:

So who will I be starting with? I won't start with Malmo out of respect for @ManUtd1's longest save, and won't manage Panathanaikos until @TheLutterworthFox leaves the club, so I'll start with Club Brugge.

[Fudal]

One signing in so far.

[Fudal]

Decent start to life, and we're through in the CL!

[Fudal]

We sign the legendary Pepe, for 1.4m from Porto.

As well as Rosas for 5m.

And we drew Leverkusen in the Round of 16 in the CL.

[Fudal]

Demolition.

[Fudal]

And our next opponent, our run ends here.

[Fudal]

10-1 yikes

[Fudal]

We've made a ton of signings of talented 15 and 16 year olds by scouring youth intakes.

First up the senior squad players. Arda looks like he could be an immense AP(A) on the left hand side,

Fifa 13 legend Stephan El Shaarawy.

A substitute striker for the season.

A potential star for our midfield.

A starter for this season + will be a huge mentor around the club.

An incredible GK for our level.

Now for the prospects.

Looks like he could hold down our left back position for a decade or two.

My scouts were much higher on him than my coaches are, but he could become something.

This lad is on another level, he looks like he could be incredible.

Was really excited until I saw his potential.

Ditto.

And ditto again.

[Fudal]

Plus these three lads who join in the next 2 windows.

[Fudal]

Our last signing of the window.

[Fudal]

We didn't need another LB, but he's too good to pass up on. 21m.

[Fudal]

In our CL group consisting of Aston Villa, Real Madrid, and RB Leipzig, we managed to finish 3rd and we have drawn Fiorentina in the UEL first knockout round, and I think this is a competition we can win.

In last year's CL Final, it was Liverpool and City, and Liverpool won, to make it 7.

Our newest signing.

And in the league we're top as of this moment, and we're into the SF of the cup.

[Fudal]

Fiorentina was dispatched 4-2 very stressfully.

Up next is OGC Nice.

We're lucky we didn't draw Chelsea, the only team I see us losing to in this tournament.

In the semis of the cup, we demolished Lommel 12-0 on aggregate.

[Fudal]

Nice were beaten 5-3 on aggregate following 2 late goals in the away match.

Sporting are our next opponents, and the winner of this tie faces the winner of Napoli and Betis.

Here's how the league is shaping up.

[Fudal]

We're through. Betis managed to defeat Napoli, so we face them in the Semi Final.

[Fudal]

A 1-0 cup final win over Oostende comes in between our Betis ties.

A 3-1 victory in the home leg and a 1-0 win in the away leg sees us through to the final against...

Tottenham! Another nearly men side, but this time will be facing a Europa League final against us.

[Fudal]

We also secured the title with a match to play. Safe to say we threw it-ahem- played the youngsters.

Tottenham in the final then.

Their 11 and substitues.

And our 11.

24 minutes in and Mariano has put us 1-0 up! That's his 40th goal this season!!!

And we keep the lead until HT.

Son scores a long ranged effort as we're making subs. 1-1.

Kane scores a penalty that was very very harsh. Son didn't even go down ffs!

Richarlison scores on the counter as we went very attacking. 3-1 and it would end that way.

Nearly men again.

[Fudal]

Our newest midfield general signing for 16m.

Liverpool makes it 8 after they beat 4 (FOUR) time nearly men Atletico Madrid 3-0.

The Illia Zabarnyi sweepstakes have started and four clubs have triggered his 44m release clause. We'll see who he picks, because he has no interest staying.

Just a year after he was signed we make a profit on VK.

We've also sold Roman to hopefully conjure the funds for a true out and out goalscorer for the future of this club.

Our hopeful new number 9 for the forseeable future.

Way to kick us while we're down Tottenham.

Not quite the same tier of player, but he's good enough.

[Fudal]

So for this save I downloaded a data pack that kept the old CL format for the whole save, I just prefer it that way.

Our group for this year is Benfica, Dortmund and Basel.

Skov Olsen was sold for 15m to Zenit, and we've signed Sander Berge and Gaston Avila for a total of 37m.

[Fudal]

Late November update, we sacrificed the cup for an away match at Benfica two days later, and a 2-2 draw secures our spot in the round of 16 with a match to play vs Dortmund.

Now to wait for our draw after the match with Dortmund. We also didn't have our 2 newest signings registered, so I'm very hopeful for our chances in the knockout rounds.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Fudal

[Fudal]

We somehow manage to destroy Dortmund 3-0 at home, and now we're seeded for the draw!

We get Napoli in our first draw, which is better than pretty much any other unseeded team.

[Fudal]

Napoli is dispatched 6-3 on aggregate and we draw Arsenal in the QF.

The winner of this tie will play the winner of Real Madrid and Tottenham.

[Fudal]

17m for the next great striker.

[Fudal]

A 2-1 loss in London sets us up for another midweek tie in Bruges.

Insanity. We dominated them. And Real Madrid beat Tottenham 3-0 on aggregate so we'll be facing them in the semis.

 

[Fudal]

Cama could end up being a heartbreaker here.

We manage to FM them!

Onto Bayern in Germany for the final 

[Fudal]

We secured the title with 5 games to go, and Ferran Jutgla, our star striker, gets injured for the rest of the season.

The lineups and managers. 23 year old Josh Bright versus Julian Nagelsmann.

37 minutes in and a goal line scramble off of a corner sees Mariano slot it away!!! I had a feeling he could be a difference maker for us, so I chose him over Pejcinovic!

1-0 Brugge heading into HT.

Gagliardini off for Vanaken, as he has a yellow.

58 minutes in Mariano is played through by Vlasic and his close range effort is saved by Neuer!!

77 minutes in Ahmed's ball over the top finds Vlasic and he shoots over!

4 minutes of stoppage time pass and Club Brugge are champions of Europe!!!

A game with very few highlights, but it doesn't matter to us!

INSANITY!

[Fudal]

Not much time for success, as we are now out of a job.

The job hunt begins!

[Fudal]

We have our next job in France!

We're not a very talented bunch of players.

Second from bottom, and we're using the same tactic as our last season at Brugge.

And the best 11 so far.

[Fudal]

And the academy is pretty stacked, all three of these players will be first team regulars.

This kid could be special. Training him as a IF on the left.

Training him as a false nine.

He's going to be a right inside forward.

And then players who will be thrust into the first team for mentoring reasons, but still could be great.

I really like the look of this lad, he could be top quality.

Never going to be a ball player, but he's a great prospect nonetheless.

[Fudal]

Just the three signings to start January, two free transfers from Sparta Prague, and a freebie from Montreal.