When the stars align

[djstreaky]

through my many years of playing the game it never ceases to amaze me when things happen in the game that just seem right, they just seem to happen as if it were written in the stars.

I still recall and look back fondly on a save from many years ago (2009 or 2010 I think) where I'd decided a couple of seasons beforehand that if I broke Madrid's record of 5 Champions League titles in a row that I'd leave my team (QPR) and try my hand abroad. It just so happened that the CL Final in that 6th year was to be held at my newly built larger home ground and it just felt nice to go into, and subsequently win the match and then disappear off into the sunset (I subsequently ended up winning league titles and more Champions League's at both Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid before returning to QPR to sort out the mess my replacement had made of such a dominant team).

There have been many more, I'm sure we've all had them, but this current save (again with QPR) I've just had this:

 

You can see from the inbox who my next game just happens to be against....it did make me smile and thank the FM gods again for another of these nice little moments that would no doubt have the media salivating if it were IRL

 

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by djstreaky

[KillYourIdols]

Extremly dominant, just 3 years into the game

[djstreaky]

tactics are key. I've found one (not originally mine) that I've tweaked that has worked wonders....lost some games in Europe so certainly not perfect. Utilising this board for player suggestions is also invaluable, I've done it this way since the forums started

[Brother Ben]

I had a similar thing where a guy who scored a playoff winner against me then managed a team that also beat me in a playoff final 30 seasons later.  Definitively a wry smile from the FM Gods there.

Out of interest if they made the game harder/more realistic and you were fighting it out down the bottom of the Championship more often than not would you still play the game?

I impose my own restrictions and I'm 37 seasons in and all i've won is 3 promotions 2 relegations and a Papa Johns Tophy and I'm loving every minute!  Just curious as to how more successful managers feel.

 

[djstreaky]

2 minutes ago, Brother Ben said:

I had a similar thing where a guy who scored a playoff winner against me then managed a team that also beat me in a playoff final 30 seasons later.  Definitively a wry smile from the FM Gods there.

Out of interest if they made the game harder/more realistic and you were fighting it out down the bottom of the Championship more often than not would you still play the game?

I impose my own restrictions and I'm 37 seasons in and all i've won is 3 promotions 2 relegations and a Papa Johns Tophy and I'm loving every minute!  Just curious as to how more successful managers feel.

 

Hard to say, I've had saves on versions before where I've struggled at first but I usually end up being successful eventually. When I'm in a rut it certainly doesn't impact my enjoyment of the game. Unfortunately now having 3 young children, as opposed to none when I went on my earlier mentioned trot around Europe, means that I don't get the time to plough through saves with 15-20 seasons like I used to hence why FM24 is almost upon us and I am only 3 and a bit seasons in....maybe the time I have between games gives me more time to think and plan and therefore deliver better results

If I was forced to make my own tactics from scratch then I'd probably stop playing as I don't have the patience for that, find it a rather dull aspect of the game (although I appreciate a very necessary one) and would probably lose all the time.

[Brother Ben]

13 minutes ago, djstreaky said:

Hard to say, I've had saves on versions before where I've struggled at first but I usually end up being successful eventually. When I'm in a rut it certainly doesn't impact my enjoyment of the game. Unfortunately now having 3 young children, as opposed to none when I went on my earlier mentioned trot around Europe, means that I don't get the time to plough through saves with 15-20 seasons like I used to hence why FM24 is almost upon us and I am only 3 and a bit seasons in....maybe the time I have between games gives me more time to think and plan and therefore deliver better results

If I was forced to make my own tactics from scratch then I'd probably stop playing as I don't have the patience for that, find it a rather dull aspect of the game (although I appreciate a very necessary one) and would probably lose all the time.

Yeah I completely get what you're saying.  I only use my own tactics and only sign players scouted in-game.  It's just the way I enjoy it. 

Have to be honest I don't have a clue how to use the data hub or any of the analytics though.  I tend to be pretty old fashioned, if I see a player have a cracking game against me i'll scout and sign him.  

[KillYourIdols]

35 minutes ago, Brother Ben said:

I had a similar thing where a guy who scored a playoff winner against me then managed a team that also beat me in a playoff final 30 seasons later.  Definitively a wry smile from the FM Gods there.

Out of interest if they made the game harder/more realistic and you were fighting it out down the bottom of the Championship more often than not would you still play the game?

I impose my own restrictions and I'm 37 seasons in and all i've won is 3 promotions 2 relegations and a Papa Johns Tophy and I'm loving every minute!  Just curious as to how more successful managers feel.

 

I'm the same. Own Tactics and only Scouted players and, although nowhere near as sucessful as most, I have got Wrexham into the Premier League by 2029, and I can say the challenge is fun, but I can see how some people get frustrated and give up on a save. Getting into the Championshp was easy enough, Getting into the Premier League wasn't too bad, but getting to the point where I am consistantly giving teams a decent game, seems a mile away. I got 7 points from my opening 3 games this season against Leeds (H), Chelsea (H) and City (A), since then I have lost back to Back to Newcastle and Middlesborough with a few poor draws here and there and it brings me back down to Earth just how tough this final jump up could be with inconsistant form.

I can see why people give up, but I can also see why people have 20-30+ season long saves.

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by KillYourIdols

[Brother Ben]

17 minutes ago, KillYourIdols said:

I'm the same. Own Tactics and only Scouted players and, although nowhere near as sucessful as most, I have got Wrexham into the Premier League by 2029, and I can say the challenge is fun, but I can see how some people get frustrated and give up on a save. Getting into the Championshp was easy enough, Getting into the Premier League wasn't too bad, but getting to the point where I am consistantly giving teams a decent game, seems a mile away. I got 7 points from my opening 3 games this season against Leeds (H), Chelsea (H) and City (A), since then I have lost back to Back to Newcastle and Middlesborough with a few poor draws here and there and it brings me back down to Earth just how tough this final jump up could be with inconsistant form.

I can see why people give up, but I can also see why people have 20-30+ season long saves.

 

That's the beauty and longevity of FM I guess.  You can play it in so many different ways.

Mind you.......

If I had my way everyone would be forced to start at the bottom, every player would hate you when you first start because you're a nobody and you'd have to win them round.  I'd make the learning curve so steep that just getting through the first season without getting sacked would be monumental  

 

[KillYourIdols]

46 minutes ago, Brother Ben said:

That's the beauty and longevity of FM I guess.  You can play it in so many different ways.

Mind you.......

If I had my way everyone would be forced to start at the bottom, every player would hate you when you first start because you're a nobody and you'd have to win them round.  I'd make the learning curve so steep that just getting through the first season without getting sacked would be monumental  

 

I keep threatning to, but I think I'd be so monumentally P***ed off by the first training session, I'd be be outta there