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BigJack
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The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
FC United Season 7 - 2029/30 Season Preview Preview Predicted Finish = 24th Competitions Overview VNL - 18th League Table FA Cup - Lost in the first round to Stockport County. FA Trophy - Lost in the fourth round to Stourbridge. We started the season really well and were in the top half up until the turn of the year, and then we just fell off and struggled to pick up consistent results. We drew with bottom team Gosport before spanking 2nd placed York 5-2 as one example. By April we were in the relegation battle without ever really looking like going down and we never sat in the bottom 4 at any point this season. We were better defensively this season so I am hopeful we can kick on next season and try finish higher than 18th, with this being the 3rd year in a row we have finished there. Playing Squad Best 11 Transfers Squad Another season of development with some doing really well. The defence has been a lot better this season as we conceded 31 goals less than last season, another improvement like that and we should start to climb the table. Howarth 28b hasn't developed at all really and I am going to need to find another option at RB where as the rest are all doing ok and looking like they can keep getting better. Gaye 27a Howarth 28b Hendon 28a Turnbull 28c Schorah 27c Jones 28c Scanlon 29c Mcdermott 24c Youth Development Preview Intake Another decent intake and one I think could be our best one yet. A few decent personalities and a couple players who can improve our first team. We have needed a winger or 2 and Brook 30b and Ibrahim 30c have come in and covered us on both sides. Jabra 30a instantly becomes 3rd choice CB with Marsh adding to the middle of the park. Jabra 30a Brook 30b Ibrahim 30c Steele 30d Williams 30e Marsh 30f Symington 30g Finances and Facilities Finances Facilities Another decent year financially turning a £225k profit. We also got the upgrade to our youth level from 4 to 3 that the board promised a year ago. Other Club Records All Time Best 11 We missed out on £1m by selling the 50% clause for Fallon 24a last season. We got £1.4m to sell but he moved to Burnley for £4.8m which is a bit gutting but what can you do. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
FC United Season 6 - 2028/29 Season Preview Preview Predicted Finish: 24th Competitions Overview VNL - League Table FA Cup - Lost in 4th Qualifying round to Basford United. FA Trophy - Lost in Third round to Warrington Town. Finishing in 18th almost makes it look comfortable but it was anything but that. With 2 games to go we sat 3 points clear of safety but the team behind us had a game in hand. Our 2nd to last game was against League winners Notts County who thumped us and this meant we sat 22nd going into the final match. Our last game was against Walsall who sat 18th and just 2 points clear of us. Any 2 of 6 sides could go down and in true last day drama we sealed a dramatic late 4-3 win to book another season at this level. We was awful for most of the season as we went with a very young defence as you'll see below, this with losing a few legacy players in the summer meant we was always in for a tough season. Playing Squad Squad Transfers Best 11 A tough year for what is a very young side. We moved on numerous legacy players in the summer and this left us with a GK and back 4 aged 17, 16, 16, 16 and 17. And to start with we really struggled, in our first 15 games we won just 2, drawing 4 and losing 9. I stuck with them and Gaye 27a, Hendon 28a and Turnbull 28d have progressed really well. Howarth 28b and Schorah 27b not so much but I hope another season of 1st team football should help them. Lawton 26c and Mcdermott 24c both had good years again and we now only have 2 or 3 legacy players in most starting elevens. Arthur 25b and Jones 28c are making good progress and getting a decent amount of games whilst Onyeka is still our main man and scoring goals. Youth Development Preview Intake Another promising preview was followed up by another promising intake. 3 players at 2.5 star current ability is promising straight away and Koral, N'Goran, Scalon and Samson have already made a few appearances. Koral notched on his debut and ended the season with 4 goals in 3 starts and 4 sub appearances. Koral 29a N'Goran 29b Scalon 29c Griffiths 29d Samson 29e Finances and Facilities Finances Facilities I was going to hold back on upgrades but I couldn't resist and managed to get upgrades to both the Training Facilities and Youth Facilities this season, so the Fallon 24a money has been spent and we are back to our usual balance of £400k/500k. After securing survival the board asked my opinion on whether we should look to upgrade our Youth Level from category 4 to 3, which I Agreed to. I have had 2 decent intakes in a row so hopefully this helps make them even better. Other. Club Records Overall Best 11 We hit 300 games this season and hopefully will clock up many more. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
FC United Season 5 - 2027/28 Season Preview Preview Predicted Finish = 24th. Competitions Overview VNL - League Table FA Cup - Knocked out in the 1st round by Chorley. FA Trophy - Knocked out in the third round by Gateshead. At the end of last season we did lose both Hollis 24d and Fallon 24a on free transfers but with a 50% sell on clause, one of which I sold early for £1.4m which may have been a mistake with Premier League sides Burnley and Southampton sniffing around him now. This meant we went into our first season at this level shy of our 2 best defenders in a defence that was notorious for leaking goals. I did not expect us to get off to such a strong start as we won 8 of our first 14 games and sat firmly in the play off places. The fact we only won 6 of our remaining 32 games tells its own story of how frustrating this season was and we flirted with the relegation places and only saw a slight upturn in form when the youth intake rolled in and we had some more defenders to choose from. We conceded a league high 102 goals and scored the 2nd most with 87. Playing Squad Best 11 Transfers Squad You will see in the squad tab that 3 of this years intake made up the majority of our back line for the last 7 games as we seriously lack in this department after losing our 2 star men. A few of the legacy players are asking for silly money to renew their wages so they will be released this summer as I start really focusing on developing what I have as the next few seasons are going to be a real struggle. This seasons star men are: Al-Taib 24b - He is off this summer. Going to try to get 50% sell on and a friendly but most teams are saying they are put off by his wage demands. Has been good for us with 57 goals in 148 games. Lawton 26c - A good second season in the first team and improved on his assist tally from last season to grab 15 this year. Schorah 27b - Chucked in earlier than I would have liked but did well and I am hopeful he can develop into a good LB. Mcdermott 24c - A real standout in our midfield and is getting better and better. Onyeka - Another solid season from mr reliable. He is one legacy player I am in no rush to move on. Youth Development Preview Intake At the start of the season I replaced my HOYD with a New HOYD just based on his personality, and his first intake is not a disappointment. I am not sure how much impact he would have had on this one as I have seen a few people mention it takes a while for that. But its come with some players I really needed as we were so light beforehand. 3 basically went straight into the first 11. 8 elite talents in total and with 2 cbs and a rb, he came through when I really needed it. Hendon 28a - CB who is instantly the best cb at the club and also became ours and the National leagues Youngest scorer. Howarth 28b - A rb which we have been screaming out for. I think he can develop into a really good option for us and with not much competition he will get plenty of games. Jones 28c - Looks like he can be a good midfield option and similar to Howarth will get plenty of games. Turnbull 28d - Another option at CB is exactly what we needed and alongside Hendon 28a will be my starting pairing next season. Parkins 28e - We have a few talented keepers and he isn't the best one so will be left in the u18s for a season or 2. Finances and Facilities Finances Facilities After the windfall from Fallon 24a we upgraded our Youth Recruitment again and its now excellent. A healthy bank balance but the board are not interested in any upgrades yet so I will wait a while and see how we get on. 4 or 5 legacy players are moving on this season and that will save us a bit in wages over next season. Other/Next Season Pro License All Time Best 11 Club Records Its going to be a struggle but another fight to stay up is pretty obvious. I have almost completed the Pro license badge. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
I have taken the money now. Got another youth recruitment upgrade and trying for another junior coaching. Im tempted to ask for some facilities upgrades but I dont want to fall into the same trap as FM22 where we was losing £100k+ a month so may hold off on them. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Yeah i am leaning towards taking it. We have good junior coaching and good youth recruitment already and are still making at least 20k a month profit. It would take us to £2m in the bank. Is there a threshold to turning pro money wise? I remember seeing something around that number a while back. Macfarlane looks some player, fingers crossed that 50% sell on turns out lucrative for you. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
So I'm in a bit of a predicament and wondered what others would do in this situation. We did lose star CB Fallon 24a in the summer to Watford. He refused to sign a new contract and I held out until a month before hoping he may change his mind but it didn't work, so I offered him out for free +50% of his next transfer fee and a few clubs took the bait. Watford signed him and are now offering to buy the 50% clause for £1.4m. I don't really need the money at the moment but fell foul on fm22 to numerous players moving on then being released by their new clubs and so missing out on any future income. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Cheers. Im happy to have done it 3 seasons quicker than on fm22, but if we lose Fallon and Hollis we are going to be in for a struggle. So it could be a good thing to not go up too soon. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
FC United Season 4 - 2026/27 Season Preview Preview Predicted Finish : 18th Competitions Overview VNLN - League Table FA Cup - Got through qualifying for the first time this season before losing in the 2nd round to Swindon. FA Trophy - Lost in the 3rd round to Nuneaton Borough. We have made steady progress each season so far and this was the year it all came together as flew out of the blocks and led the league with just 4 games to play. We managed to hold our nerve and ended up as Champions with a game to play. This was the third season in a row that we finished with a league high goals scored and although we still conceded more than I would have liked, we managed to get the job done. We also managed to get to the 2nd round of the cup before losing to League 1 side Swindon, another sign of our progress. Playing Squad Squad Transfers Best 11 It is developing very nicely but we look set to take a hit as both Fallon 24a and Hollis 24d look to be leaving on free transfers after refusing to sign new deals. I have held out on selling them as the offers are dismal and I am holding out hope our promotion and league title sways their minds. The below players deserve a mention as Al-Taib 24b is developing really well and has signed on for another season. Onyeka had another brilliant season. The bottom 3 players are starting to break into the first team and the added depth and competition is really starting to help. Fallon 24a Al-Taib 24b Hollis 24d Onyeka McDermott 24c Arthur 25b Lawton 26c Youth Development Intake Preview Intake 5 elite talents and I am excited about Gaye 27a and Schorah 27b. Gaye 27a Schorah 27b Shuker 27c Ingham 27d Bushell 27e Finances and Facilities Finances Facilities Another decent year and we still make a profit each month and the added cup run money helped even if it wasn't significant. We upgraded our Training Facilities and Youth Recruitment Network this season. I didn't expect the training ground to cost £750k already but we had the money so it wasn't that big a deal. We now have Good Junior coaching and youth recruitment so I am hoping some really good intakes are on the horizon. Other All Time Best 11 Club Records We clocked up 200 Games in charge this season. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
FC United Season 3 - 2025/26 Season Preview Preview Predicted finish : 20th Competitions Overview VNLN - League Table FA Cup - Lost in the 4th qualifying round to Solihull Moors FA Trophy - Lost in the 5th round to Hartlepool United. Records Our best league performance yet as we finished in 10th. We was actually in the top 2 for a while and only dropped out of the play offs with 6 games to go, we had a chance of making them going into the last day but couldn't grab the win. It has still been a very good season but defence is the area that is costing us, as going forward we are so dangerous. We scored 5 goals or more on no less than 10 occasions in all competitions. With some improvement in the back line we should be looking to make the play offs next season. Playing Squad Squad Best 11 Transfers Another season of improvement means the squad is looking stronger. We seriously need a decent RB though. There has been some real development from a few of our youth products alongside some of our legacy players performing really well, and the players deserving of a mention are: Fallon 24a Al-Taib 24b Hollis 24d Griffiths Thompson Onyeka Youth Development Preview Intake Collins 26a Reed 26b Lawton 26c Mccluskie 26d Murray 26e Tembe 26f 6 elite talents and Collins and Lawton have made their debuts already. Finances and Facilities Finances Facilities Another decent year in profit alongside getting upgrades to our youth facilities, junior coaching and youth recruitment networks. Other Club Records We have also started the Continental A License. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
FC United Season 2 - 2024/25 Season Preview Forgot to take a screenshot but we was predicted to finish 18th. Competitions Overview VNLN - League Table FA Cup - Lost in the 4th qualifying round to AFC Flyde. FA Trophy - Lost in 3rd round to Chesterfield. Overall a very solid 2nd season. We started well and looked as if we could compete for a play off spot being only 6 points adrift with 6 games to play. But then we had a downturn in form and ended up finishing 14th which is still an improvement on last season. Hopefully we can kick on a bit more this year and aim for a top half finish. Playing Squad Squad Best 11 Transfers Starting to look a little more balanced with 2 intakes worth of players but we are still lacking quality in a few areas. Star men this season were Onyeka again who hit 32 goals in all comps. He sadly looks like he is leaving us at the end of the season on a free but I have hope I can convince him to stay. Griffiths and Thompson also played a good part in our season. Onyeka Griffiths Thompson Last years intake has helped massively and the below 4 players have all played their part this season. Fallon 24a being the pick of the bunch and he is developing really well. Fallon 24a Al-Taib 24b Mcdermott 24c Hollis 24d Youth Development Preview Intake The preview got me excited but the actual intake wasnt as special. It has given us some more depth which we needed and the below 5 are the pick of the bunch. Brammer 25a Arthur 25b White 25c Estevez 25d Durakovic 25e Finances and Facilities Finances Facilities Another decent year in profit and we also managed to get an upgrade to our youth recruitment network. I upgraded these too quickly last fm and it meant we ran at a small loss so I am going to try and judge it better this time around. Other Club Records We managed to start the Continental C license this season so the badges are progressing nicely. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Cheers! Yeah its tough going but luckily some of my midfielders filled in and did a decent enough job there. Yeah im happy with it for a first season. We performed quite well against the bigger clubs but really struggled with fitness having so few options. Expecting more of the same for the next couple seasons at least until we can get some depth. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
FC United Season 1 2023/24 Season Preview Competitions Overview VNLN - League Table FA Cup - Lost in the 4th Qualifying Round to Wrexham. FA Trophy - Lost in the 2nd Round to Kings Lynn. A decent first season ended with a 17th placed finish which I am happy with. We started the season with only 1 natural CB so I expected a struggle and at one point we sat 21st and on the brink of the sack. A decent ending to the season which included a win over champions Notts County on the last day meant we survived pretty comfortably Playing Squad Best 11 Transfers Squad Onyeka Griffiths The squad is very unbalanced with not many options defensively. But going forward we have a few decent players and Onyeka had an excellent season hitting 27 goals this season. Youth Development Preview Its a decent intake to start with. Fallon 24a was really needed and he made 4 starts this season and will start next season as a first choice cb alongside Curtis. Fallon 24a Al-Taib 24b Mcdermot 24c Finances And Facilities Finances Facilities junior coaching budget and youth recruitment network A good year financially as we make a profit most months and managed to get the above upgrades. Other Club Records -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Here we go. Set Up Manager Profile Appointment Squad - We are very light at the back so will have to try utilise some other players when needed but have a couple of decent players for this level. Facilities Finances Let the fun begin. -
The FM23 Youth Academy Challenge
BigJack replied to darren1983's topic in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Enjoyed this challenge massively on FM22 but started the challenge way too late in the year to realistically come close to finishing it. Looking to get started straight away and am going to try again with FC United. Good luck all.