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Looks to me we need to give this experiment another go. Last time, it petered out prematurely, but we've had a fair share of anecdotes which cannot be called stories (even short stories) as such, but technically tell the story of at least a game or off-the-field event, and therefore shouldn't neccessarily be referred to GQ.
Anything that looks like this, can go in here for the time being. Should keep the forum tidier and solve the question on whether or not something belongs in FMS.
Once, after a particularly poor training session, I just thought "sod this lot of useless gits" and went home. Pouring myself a large scotch, I settled down with my laptop to lose myself in the wonders of the internet, and forget about my woeful football management career.
Imagine my surprise that the moderators on my favourite message board had decided to pander to the needs of those people incapable of following the rules
Don't have any amusing anecdotes to share off-hand, but it seems like a good idea to keep this thread near the top, so people have no excuse for failing to use it.
Hang on. In one of my Marseille games (can't remember the version, but it was quite a while ago), I signed a young Argentinian midfielder called Daniel Montenegro, and just weeks later Rolland Courbis -then manager of l'OM- signed him in real life after he had been voted best player of the Toulon international under-21 tournament.
Sadly, Montenegro never really made the grade, and he left for Spain a couple of years later, having spent most of his time with Marseille on loan.
I was young and foolish. I had been incomprehensibly handed my first managerial gig at Leeds Utd and wanted to strengthen the squad.
Leeds were a strong team but I felt I needed to strengthen the attack. One name was at the top of my list. I remember being impressed by his strength and eye for goal. He wasn't a regular at Tottenham and I thought he'd do the trick. My one and only signing that season was....
Ronny Rosenthal.
He certainly did have an eye for goal, shame that he couldn't actually hit it. He'd have at least 2 clear chances a game, always missed.
I was very stubborn and would always play him, barring injuries.
In 46 games he managed 3 goals.
We finished 16th, I was sacked.
Moral of the Story, don't rely on your memories, look at the players stats!
Ok, I first posted this in the completely wrong place and got rightly told off and directed here, so I'll give it another shot and re-post it here, hoping nobody will shoot me...
Team talks that backfire and not-so-ingenious decisions, from my latest Wolves game.
1. European Super Cup, facing Everton. Half time, I'm one goal behind.
Me: "Psst, Freddy, come over here. That Everton striker, Van Leeuven - I've had enough of him. He's scored twice against us, and he's constantly out-running our defense. How about, say, you mark him tightly, shake him around a little, perhaps injure him just a wee bit in some subtle way?"
Freddy Guarin: "But Boss, I've already got a yellow card and the ref told me to watch myself."
Me: "Yeah, I know, but it'll be alright. Just make sure to not be too obvious and take him down when the ref is looking in the other direction."
Sigh... yeah, two minutes into to second half, and Guarin is heading for the shower, with everyone either laughing and pointing at him or standing in horror over Van Leeuven's mangled body on the pitch. I still won the match, though.
2. Champions League quarter final 1st leg, vs. Juventus. Closing up on the end of the second half. I'm to goals ahead. A moment's time-out for some injury situation.
Me: "Everybody, listen! Great match! Now, we've got this one in the bag, now let's just cruise in, pull down our back line... oh, and this'll be a good time to pull off our star players and put on those snot-faced teenagers from the junior squad, to give them a taste of the big time."
Everybody: "But Boss! I don't think those Italians have given up yet! They're really fired up, and that Zlatan dude is over there farting brimstone, looking at us with fire in his eyes and smoke coming out of his nose!"
Me: "Nah, don't worry, there's fifteen minutes left. Just relax."
Yeah. Me: 2. Juve: 3.
3. In the office, monday morning, around Christmas.
Me: "Ass Man, as you know, Kerlon, our star striker, is out for several months with a badly mangled calf muscle that looks like it hit a landmine. We need a replacement for the second half of the season if we're to keep our title bid alive. Now, I've been checking with the scouts, and had a look at this Colombian guy, Cordoba..."
Ass Man: "Interesting idea, Boss. He's got brilliant technique and bad-ass finishing. However, as it happens, I've heard him referred to on more than one occasion as "Lazy-Ass Lardbutt Cordoba", and he's never actually been reported to last longer than half time..."
Me: "Oh, it'll be alright. Desperate times, desperate measures. We'll just put him on heavy physical training for a while, that'll knock some pounds of him. Now, just to make sure we get him, let's fark over 20 million €, and get his butt over here ASAP..."
Ass Man: "We'll, if you're sure, but he is known to smoke twenty a day, spend most of his training sessions asleep down by the goalpost, and have the worst work rate and stamina in all of South America..."
I want ppl to share their tales of unfair dismissal - here's mine:
In FM2005, I start off as Juventus manager, and having assessed their squad, I realised that they pretty much had all they needed. First season I managed to remain undefeated for 37 league games (after winning title arithmetically, I fielded weakened sides). I managed a league and cup double, and a CL semi final.
Season 2: I added players to squad from mainly Bosman transfers incl. Cassano + Gilardino (selling Del Piero for a fair amount) - and again I complete a league & cup double, (CL quarter final)
Season 3: My attributes are looking fantastic except for one: loyalty=1 Frown
Most notably after having a fantastic season before, Cassano is moody after being dropped for one match and stays that way, despite starting 25+ games in the season and the team wins everything worth winning in club football (that elusive treble)
Season 4: Cassano is still unhappy and by January he's joined by Chiellini and a couple others. And despite being undefeated and in all cup competitions, I get the sack! I could not believe it!
First of all you critcise him for posting his 'tale of unfair dismissal' in the wrong forum, and then when he does repost it, you call it a crap tale. Way to build up community spirit...!