[[FM24] The Call of Paradise]

16 hours ago, SixPointer said:

You would like to think Kelly will sign but again if there is no clear path to the first team it’s a big stumbling block. 

I really hope so. Part of the problem seems to be contract offers coming too late. By leaving these things to the last minute it allows end of contract offers which is where their heads are being turned. 

[[FM24] The Call of Paradise]

13 minutes ago, SixPointer said:

Any Scottish save am on board with it. Even if it is Celtic 🤣 (hearts fan here).

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head about the academy, I think Celtic should be churning out a lot more home grown talents. But it’s also difficult when bigger clubs poach them from academies.

The champions league will be were your success is judged on, domestic stuff is bread and butter in a two horse race that forever will be. 

Thank you very much for your interest SixPointer! It's ok we'll keep it civil haha. Yeah it's frustrating, massively frustrating, We seem to have so many that get so far but then never push on and then the ones that get poached are even more infuriating. Doak would have been first choice RW this season easily, but of course you can understand him going and actually featuring for Liverpool. Maybe he was 'too good'! The situations surrounding Kelly and Vata are weird, these guys are getting a bit of a chance but for whatever reason don't seem keen on signing a contract. It's tough, but I'm sure that more could be done. 

[[FM24] The Call of Paradise]

 

Introduction | Why Celtic? 

 

Celtic are the club that I’ve supported all my life. Green and white runs through my veins. The club is going through a remarkable period of sustained success. Yes, there have been low points, but the divide can be easily measured through the sheer amount of trophies that are crammed into our trophy cabinet. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The usual complaint centres around the board ‘sleeping at the wheel’. This is in reference to Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell in particular not putting the boot on Rangers’ throat and ramming home our superiority. Instead we amble by, sailing towards no port in particular, with Rangers not too far behind. So even though the wins keep coming, we still look like a bit of a shambles. Recent failings are numerous, but the main ones in my opinion are the continued lack of development from the academy, a scattergun approach to transfer windows and no clear plan on how to compete at Champions League level. 

 

Summer 2023 | Game Start

 

In a semi-alternate reality, Celtic appoint Dumfries’ Kian MacLeod instead of welcoming back Brendan Rodgers. However, everything else has happened. I’m playing in ‘real world’ mode to deal with the upheaval, and sheer chaos, that happened over the summer. Rodgers had to deal with key players leaving over the season such as Starfelt, Turnbull and Abada (not forgetting the done deal for Jota) and then see his new squad be populated in dribs and drabs. Over pre-season, and in the opening stages of the league, I’ll have a decision to make on how much gametime I give to players who I know will be departing. I’m also using Dave’s realism mod and Sebastian’s star attributes skin for added challenge.

 

Pre-Season 2023 | The Task List

 

The first day/ week/ month of any FM save is the most important. It’s where everyone from the chairman to the kit man align as one to steer the ship into calmer seas. Whilst there’s a lot to be thankful of, there’s a few wrongs to be righted.

 

• Staffing

We have a good coaching team both for the first team and our academy that I won’t be ripping up. For the time being I will use up a few slots to add to who we have and wait for contracts to expire. Pleasingly, a lot of tactical preferences align. Over the course of pre-season the following faces were added: Gary Penrice, Lee Fairly and Scott Sellars. Our B-Team doesn’t fill me with hope but I intended to do away with this entirely at the end of the first season anyway. As a note, these arrivals came from job adverts as I don’t use manual searches.

In real life Mark Lawwell and Joe Dudgeon have left us, so I terminated their contracts. Jay Lefevre makes the step up to chief scout and I supplement the team with Ian Butterworth and Johnny Peeters. Once they are all settled I’ll run you through my new recruitment policy.

We also have a plethora of medical staff and analysts who I will aim to streamline as the season progresses.

 

 

• Tactics and Development

 

As much as I enjoy our current 4-3-3, especially Ange’s variant, it leaves us vulnerable against better European sides. What I want to create is a similar style that works both domestically and also continentally. Not so much a plug and play, but systems that clearly resemble each other. I hope these 4-2-3-1 formations offer that balance.

 

 

With a tactical plan in place, my next job was to scour the squads with a fine tooth comb. This gave me a headache. Players coming in, players going out. Until the window closes I earmarked a few youth players (currently at club) who I see as genuine first team material and made sure they were being trained in suitable roles like my first team squad is. Some basic mentoring groups were also set up. The development pathway is something that needs to be scrutinised. 

 

Pre-Season | In Bonny Scotland

 

Last season we jetted off to Japan. This year there were no such shenanigans. Match sharpness and tactical familiarity are going as well as can be hoped for and we look to start the season in good shape.

 

 

Coming soon: Celts on Tour - Competing at the top table. Our strategic plan to reach the knockout rounds of European football for the first time in 20 years.