KibworthBull

October 2022 I want to create a travelling band of staff that follow me around the globe, I didn't expect a big name to join in straight off the bat.. We had no chance to sign anybody before we went straight into the league action. Landry Djomo scoring the first goal of the save in an opening day draw. A pleasing start. Stade Renard are among the favourites for the title.

The Pre Amble.. As this is a custom database pack, the majority of the clubs in Cameroon don't have any managers, so there are 150 jobs available to me on Day 1 - all have been applied for. Part of the reason for having 2 nations loaded at all times, will hopefully remove this scenario again. I'll admit that clicking on Apply all was a mistake... but thankfully it didn't take too long to land on our feet. They are a top flight side, a professional side. Very much feels like I've landed on my feet. Where though, is another question. I think it's somewhere here.. It's a two group top tier in Cameroon. We are in Group B. I've got no staff and the first game is in two weeks...

There are a huge number of playable nations in FM23 (if you download the Timo Megapack and the Qwert Megapack and combine them) This idea was sparked by this thread by @TerminalPortugal and ideas have been stolen/twisted/adapted (whatever term you prefer) to create this challenge - the most randomised Journeyman save that I have ever considered.. I'll be using the below sources to dictate where in the world I will manage: FIFA World Rankings - a maximum of 211 nations - https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men?dateId=id13869 Random Number Generator - https://g.co/kgs/eBas8v At the start of the save I will run the random number generator twice - between 1 and 211. The 2 numbers that are returned will be the first nation that I need to find a club in and the second number will be the 2nd nation that I will manage in. At all times I will only have 2 countries loaded - the current and the next. I can only move on once I have achieved 100 points Points can be gained by: 100 points for winning the top domestic league (think of it as the golden snitch in Quidditch) 25 points for winning a domestic cup 25 points for a promotion 1 point for each player that plays for me at multiple clubs 1 point for each member of staff that works for me at multiple clubs 1 point for signing an American national for my club side (excluding if/when I am managing in the US, Mexico or Canada) So in theory I can start low down the leagues in a nation, gain 2 promotions and 2 cups over the course of a few seasons and move on, or I can go into a nation and win the top flight straight off the bat in Yr1. The manager will be randomised using this site - https://www.behindthename.com/ The first two nations within this challenge are: 33 - Cameroon Fauve Elite 100 points for winning the Cameroonian Elite One 25 points for winning the Cameroonian FA Cup Completed in 2023/24 26 - Ukraine Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni 25 points for winning promotion from Ukrainian First League Group A 1 point for hiring John Obi Mikel from Fauve Elite 1 point for signing Loïc Bebey from Fauve Elite Shakhtar Donetsk 25 points for winning the Ukrainian Super Cup 1 point for hiring John Obi Mikel and Vadim Nazarov from Hirnyk-Sport 1 point for signing Kristijan Cvetanovski from Hirnyk-Sport 55 - Venezuela (pending) Manager: Dawson Hasim - a 30 year old from San Diego, California. Dawson is a late convert to "soccer" as he calls it (he's wrong...) and only managed to play "some" Sunday League in his past. Where will the journey take me? I dont know. How long will the journey last? I dont know What dont I know? I dont know

Reached the point in the save where I need to take a break and do something a bit different for a small time. This journey will continue, it might be a day, might be a week, might be a month, but the story is not finished.

May 2032 Kozlovice are another side staring down the barrel of relegation, but they have at least a chance. It becomes tough as we smash 5 past them. Teplice B have jumped to the top of the table before their visit, in a very exciting three way at the top.. their victory takes it down to the final day. Sloven Liberec B on the last day, a draw was a good result We secured 8th position. Vansdorf won their game and won the game. Martin looking to step aside - only been in the job 12 months!

April 2032 5 games left, split over 2 months. Squad Rotation is the aim, I've got 25 players registered and need to work out who is not good enough. Which probably means we wont win many. Rostice were the first to take advantage, putting 3 past us with only a reply from Jerry Petitjean (6F). Trutnov are all but relegated, a 2-0 victory which all but secures a finish of 9th at the lowest for our first at this level. An exciting promotion race, which we have a small say in - Teplice B come to our place next month.

March 2032 Yeah Baby... it's March. Beautiful month. It's the intake month. The hope that you get someone or two that can walk into your side masks the realisation that you might get one who could, at some point, add something to the overall squad. In terms of on the pitch, Varnsdorf have a small lead at the top of the table.. We never stood a chance.. 0-2 after 10 minutes. They are a bit good. Similar story for the match against Mladá Boleslav B, we took the lead, but they over powered us as the game progressed. 9th feels about right As for the intake. Tadeáš Hampl (10A) looks to be a player that will be involved in the squad next season. Milan Onofrej (10B), i think Milan is better than 2 star current ability - decent finisher, good composure and determined. Just needs to work on the physicals a bit. Possibly a couple of additional nationalities in the future. Samuel Elias (10F) is an Ethiopian/Czech, Heading = 3 for someone 6'5 is a concern - he's got a deal for the possibility of switching to Ethiopia. There's also a Brazilian on the books but is unlikely to get a deal.

February 2032 2 league matches in February, both very much in the winnable category. Velvary are a side in worse form than us, and an end to end match was finally settled when Patrik Grygar (4G) bundled in a winner. Our Cypriot boy has decided that Cyprus is a better place to play football. Not a huge loss. Talgat Suleimenov (6B) was an attacking midfielder in a side that doesn't play that role, so has been learning how to play as an Advanced Forward, he's getting there nicely, a double to secure victory over Hradec Kravlove B gives us an 100% month. Will settle for anything that is Top 10

January 2032 Middle of the table clash against Jablonec B helps us see in 2032. It could have gone either way, just didn't go our way and our unbeaten start to the year falls before it's even started. Chrudim sit 2nd and are fighting for promotion, we have the least optimisic board and fans on the planet. The best we expect is a draw.. For once they were not wrong.. Not a good month.. For the season, we have done enough.

December 2031 I'm never quite sure which side of us will turn up this season - and that's how it should be when you get promoted. We turned up against Rakovnik 1903 and dominated the stats... and lost 5-1.. Radosław Banaszak bought up game no.100 against Zapy, who sit 3rd in the table and are on quite a roll. So naturally we won. Another month of winning the games we shouldn't, and losing the ones we should win. All of a sudden we only have 11 games left this season, between NOW and May.. The intake preview is as pointless as ever. Tells you nothing.

November 2031 Start with your toughest challenge and the rest will be easier? Slovan Liberec B at home. I feared the worst but Jan Štochl (4N) had other ideas, a hat-trick and the points came our way. Jaromír Vošahlík (6D) was in the opposition squad after his early season move. We win the one where I don't think we have a chance, so of course we lose the one I thought we could win. Pardubice B take revenge on our opening day win. Based on previous seasons, Jerry Petitjean (6F) has found things tough at this level, a double against Bohemians B has bought him to 9 in 15. That GPG ratio is not too shabby of course, it's just based on what he did last year, it looks poor. We are picking up enough points and the bottom two are starting to get adrift.

Are you able to select any senior players? Be fascinated to see how Youth Intake day works alongside Forest Green senior side.

October 2031 Huge match to start the month. Trutnov are 15th and in the relegation zone. Jan Štochl (4N) chose the perfect moment to score his 100th goal for the club, and another 3 goals to secure victory in that one. A fair 24 hours for Dimitris Nikolopoulos (6A), a return to the Greece U21 squad, and then the winner against Kozlovice. Another side that is below us in the table, so another game that feels like a must win. Teplice B are the reserves of a 1st tier side so it's not a fair contest.. shouldn't have conceded 6 though. Near enough the halfway point. We should be okay. There's enough points on the table for us to pick up enough.

September 2031 Traditional dictates that we will fall at the 2nd Round hurdle, to a 2nd tier side. We did ourselves no favours. 2 red cards in 4 second half minutes killed off any hopes we had. We faded. I think we had a hangover for the opening 30 minutes at Hradec Kralove B, 2 down and poor, but the usual two up front got us, not only back, but also ahead. Before they sneaked back into it with an injury time equalisier. Possibly a good point. Looks an outstanding point as Varnsdorf smash us in the next one. Mladá Boleslav B are one of the favourites for the league so losing their is no shame. We are in desperate need of a victory, just to release the pressure a little bit. The unlikliest goalscorer in the team - Tomáš Kotrba (4M), our non-scoring striker, pops up with a winner against Rosice. A big win. Any hopes of back to back promotions has probably faded.

I've only recently discovered this thread - but I enjoyed the journey.

I'm the same - you must have a hell of a processor on your computer.

August 2031 If a big club came in for Jan Štochl (4N) or Jerry Petitjean (6F) we could find ourselves in a spot of bother. Both of them on form and we beat Rakovnik. We beat Zapy in the FA Cup a couple of seasons ago, and they were quiet pleased with their afternoon until Stochl popped up with a winner in the 95th minute. Lower league oppo again in the Cup - Velka Bites. Bites by name, Bites by nature, a tough afternoon which was heading to extra time before Talgat Suleimenov (6B) popped up with a late winner. Lots of late goals and they are dropping our way at the moment. The only question will be, which 2nd tier side will knock us out in the next round? Answer next month.. Jablonek B make us look ordinary. The first time this season we've looked a bit out of our depths. Chrudim are 2nd and look very good. A tough day at the office, but we are still well placed. Back on the horse, and end the month with a victory, another very late goal from Talgat Suleimenov (6B). 5th. If that's where we end the season then I'll be happy.

How do you play so quick?

July 2031 We've played some 3rd tier sides in the FA Cup and so far have an unbeaten 100% record, so I am fairly confident we will be okay. All sides are similar financially and no-one appears to be paying wages for players, so it looks like everyone is in the same boat. The B sides look strong so that could be a blocker. Pardubice B is where this chapter begins in the 3rd tier. Start as you mean to go on Sylvanus Adekunle (9A), came on 56th minute, and by the 78th minute had picked up two bookings and was walking off in a very short debut. Good job we won! The traditional Stochl/Petitjean combination with the goals. We probably would have beaten Bohemians B last season - if that makes sense - neither side could find a goal, in the 4th tier we probably would have done, but an unbeaten month, albeit two games, is not to be sniffed at. Ah well.. The downside of not being able to give players contracts. That's our first player that has been poached by a top flight club. Safe passage in the FA Cup - a semi rotated side beat the 5th tier opposition. Vladyslav Kolesnyk (9C) made his debut to tick off the Ukraine as a nation produced. A nice league start:

2030/31 REVIEW The Story so far.. Highlights: 13 straight wins at the start of the season provided a gap that allowed us to win the league without any major alarm. It took us until week 26 to secure the title as there was a minor wobble (10 wins from 15..) A near full house of 722 helped push the average attendance to 351. Twitter followers continue to rise nicely The finances hit a record low of -£89k, although a loan with the new chairman and a 24k sponsorship deal have reset things for next season. Goalkeepers: Jan Beran was No.1 all year, I gave Vostarek two chances and we lost both of them. I suspect the 4th tier will prove to be his level. Vostarek has not been a happy bunny so he may well move on during the season. Defenders: Patrik Grygar has become our best defender, a goal scoring one at that - just the 10 for the season. Jaromir Vosahlik is a wanted man with some top flight sides casting an eye on him. Those two will start the new season as the Centre Back pairing as Selicha is injured for a few weeks. Martin Levcik has moved on. Zdenek Cibulka has the Right Back spot nailed down still, not only is he the best option by a distance, he is also performing well. The Left Back spot is still tricky, Martin Marek and Petr Zitny will battle it out for the starting spot. Midfielders: Dimi Niko has finally come to the party, he had two very poor seasons before smasing it last year, he hasn't yet broken into the Greek U21 squad but is a regular at U19/U20 level. Luka Arifovic broke into the Austrian U21s after a solid season on the left wing. In the middle it was Pavel Koubek when fit and Lukas Kindlmann. Jiri Smetana from the 8th intake has had a few chances and performed well. Strikers: On paper Tomas Kotrba is our best striker. The goalscoring record suggests otherwise. Jerry Petitjean (39) and Jan Stochl (18) were a big reason why we cantered to the title. Vaclav Killian got a double on debut so I am going to try and incorporate him into the squad next year. I can only register 25 players which means a lot of players are not going to get football this season. We have no U19s side - the game never puts fixtures in for them - so this could be a blocker for development. The Challenges: We had our 17th nationality come through the intake, with a Ukrainian defender who is yet to make their debut. Hopefully by the end of the next season we will have our first 100 goal player from the academy, and maybe have our first 200 appearance maker.

He's already turned down the idea of improving any facilities, but he has allowed me to take a coaching course. So that's something.

May 2031 Our first World Cup player - even though it's only the U20s Cizova (4th) - a tricky trip. Or not as the case turned out to be. Another fan day to try and entice the locals in Our first draw of the season, called a resounding success so lets hope we see more numbers through the door. The Chairman has had enough. We've never really warmed to each other. He keeps saying No to me.. Our final match in the 4th tier and debutant Václav Kilián (8G) gets a double. The final standings.

April 2031 5 points is all that stands between us and the third tier. Sokolov B is where we start this month. 2-0 down, we drag it back to 2-2 and then give away a late penalty. Not the best start. The run in's for both. Fairly even. A much better performance against Admira Prague, Jerry Petitjean (6F) does the business to move to 38 goals for the season. We now need 2 points from the 3 games in May.

The ones that are scoring should keep the shirts. They are non contracts so not costing anything sitting in the stands.

I love the amount of languages the manager can speak!