BML

Playing in Wales this year I found great success in offering trials to all the Scottish Prem players released (end of May, not June, which means if you get them in young enough they will turn into HG players) and then again all the Prem (and bigger Champ teams) in June - bugger scouting, you only need them in for a day or two to get an idea. Early on (you may be past this point now) taking all the unattached/amateur players in the Gibraltarian (and other overseas territory countries) squads on trial was also very fruitful and got around work permit rules.

Nice to see you're still building a squad for next season even though you'll no longer be in charge (presumably). Whomever is taking over should be able to continue your fine work. What is your plan for Norway, formation-wise? Stick with the 424 that's worked with Viking and (maybe) shoe-horn your best players into the formation (à la England's Golden Generation) or will you scout out the best Norwegian players first, and work the formation from what you find? When I've dipped into international management previously, I've always stuck to my favoured formation, primarily as I know what type of players I want/need for each position, and if a couple of players miss out or have to play in a not-ideal role, so be it.

Guess this decision is coming quicker than anticipated. If you sign an extension I think the chances of you being offered Norway reduce. Even though it shouldn't affect international management, I feel like the AI may take this under consideration (not to mention any applications for other jobs may annoy your board after signing a new contract). Considering everything, if I was in your shoes, I would reject the contract talks and take the Norway job. As it looks like you're already on course to retain the title, I'd be tempted to stay on and use the 'resign at end of season' option and leave on a high (halfway through the Champions League, of course). Downside of this though would obviously be juggling both jobs and any of the 'better' nations would not entertain their manager running a club at the same time as the country.

Both your 'keepers in the Norway squad mean a little bit of a baptism of fire for your new third-choice in the re-arranged game.

Yep, either slightly change your team each game where needed to keep people fit or run two teams (most people run a 'weekend' and 'weekday' team) to keep everyone in good shape. I tend to operate the latter (as does @Hootieleece I believe, @Jimbokav1971 certainly does) with the 'first XI' playing at weekends and the 'second XI' doing weekdays (typically reserved for cups and Europe). Later in a save when domestically you are dominant you can switch on European weeks to allow the better players to play in Continental comps. This method also has the benefit of developing relationships between players (orange/green lines on the tactics page) as the same pairings are always playing together. Depending on what stage of a save I'm in, I'll either promote players to cover injuries (2nds into 1sts, or U19s/prospects into 2nds) or just replace missing players with a youngster. I've even seen some people set a friendly for the day after a game to play everyone that didn't get on the pitch, although this obviously comes with a lot of extra work (to arrange) and time (to play, unless your AssMan takes friendlies). Of course, this may not suit how you play the game and you prefer to give players an hour here and there to keep them sharp, there's no 'right' answer, but having a squad of players ready to step in when needed (rather than taking a game or two to get up to speed) makes a huge difference.

Still no Scouting Range Stuni? RE: Gonstad, he's only on 2k p/w so I can't imagine he's asking the world when he's negotiating with other clubs, I'd expect he simply sees his 'level' as higher than what's on offer. If he's listed and unregistered for your squads for long enough, he should get the reality check he needs. If not, his contract is up next Christmas and I'd be tempted to let him walk.

Did you amend the league rep or prize money before starting? I'm surprised the 'big two' aren't losing tonnes of players every season to bigger leagues/wages etc.

In fairness, nearly the entire team were red and orange match-sharpness which does make a huge difference! Like @Hootieleece I run two XI's and rotate regularly (typically a weekend and mid-week team) which means that everyone stays fit and the effect of that many players lacking sharpness never really happens (they all get plenty of time pre-season). What's the plan for next season, obviously the Norway job will be coming up in the summer and I would infer that's your next stop - will you leave Viking at the end of the season and sit unemployed for six months, play out half the season then resign with the Norway job or dual-role for six months after the Euros? (All assuming you get it of course). It's a shame the game doesn't include a Euro 96 style setup England had where Hoddle was already appointed to take over after the tournament as Venebles was leaving.

As we discussed before your commitment to the league is commendable, I'd be resting everyone either side of Champions League games at this point (probably sooner based on your lead) to give me the best chance of getting something from those games and the money/rep that comes with it. RE: What to do with the save - if you're enjoying it at Viking, why leave? As you've said before you're not the dominant club in the country (yet) and the Champions League is obviously another level of competition, so you have room to grow and heights yet to reach. However, with no international management in FM25, if the opportunity arises you really should take the Norway job. Once you have had your fill, you could stroll into Odd without the pressure of playing 'your' Viking side and the added benefit of the league being more 'level' due to no human involvement for 4/8/12 seasons.

That's 87178291200 points! How did you not win the league? /mathsjoke Seriously though, decent progress. I'm shocked Notec didn't win the league last season though after being so dominant for so long, I'd have assumed even the AI couldn't mess that up.

Just catching up after a week away, great job on reaching the Europa Final - such a horrible way to lose it, but you gave a great account of yourselves. I'd agree that playing a calender league is almost certainly a hindrance when it comes to continental competitions and is a large part of why I avoid such leagues at all costs. RE: The 'struggling to meet pace of match' thing, I think somebody else already answered, but I typically see this for players with low match fitness coming into a game when you are playing a high-tempo. I tend to ignore this completely, along with the similar status 'would rather have stayed on the bench'. RE: The head-to-head thing, I don't think you can see this - only by club. Although, that said, I've never really gone looking for it. I'd offer to have a look for you, but my save has wound down now and I've stopped FM24, working through my backlog until FM25 (whenever that may appear).

PSG's Dwight McNeil is a sentence I'd never thought I'd have to deal with.

How is the B Team/Viking2 getting along? I remember in previous updates they were pretty comfortable in the division they were in. As they will be locked at the level they are at (presumably) is it still a good place for your promising players, or are the kids you are producing now too good for that level?

FYI, nothing wrong with Wales' calendar - it runs on the 'normal' football calendar of August to April/May. RE: Oscar Bobb: Is 5k p/w a lot in the grand scheme of things for you? If it's not an insignificant amount then I'd be tempted to sell him, especially as you had no room for him last year, he only has a year left and (presumably) you plan to improve further this season. If he's not been playing, his value as a mentor will be falling as he falls down the hierarchy so if he's just taking a squad place from somebody else he should hit the bricks.

Not sure if it was rhetorical or if you actually wanted suggestions, but in cases like this I would always chuck one of the kids in goal, even if their ceiling isn't actually that high (according to your coaches anyway). Assuming you have the players, and there's no U19 match clash, I'd be filling the empty spots with kids also, covering positions where I can but always prioritising PA. In fact, with 9 subs, I'd always have a couple of kids on the bench. I'm forced to in Wales (with fewer bench slots) and it's a great way of getting kids gametime.