marc-h

... been this far away from home update.
Ok it's only Aldershot but I am usually a strictly Yorkshire guy.

If this update is in completely the wrong format feel free to attack me in the traditional LLM fashion.

I think I may win an award for most disjointed update ever though!

Oh and Hi BTW I'm new to this board.

Seasons 2006/2007 - 2022/2023 In Summary
Started off unemployed, is that allowed? It is my first proper LLM game. Anyway ended up at Braintree, lasted 2 seasons. Got promoted to Conference National and jumped ship on way down. Aldershot were the lucky ones to take up the offer of a manager with huge Sunday League experience and a lucky promotion with Braintree.

So in the conference with Aldershot I sent me scout off to unearth some gems, he did well, I signed a lot of really young Welsh and Irish players. This first bunch kept the club afloat financially for years, some ended up in the Premiership but the fees were very much appreciated. One welsh striker lead the front line for 12 years, you vary rarely see loyalty like that these days.

First season at Aldershot, mediocre, mid-table - board expected as much so it was fine. Next season, up through the playoffs and an FA Trophy too, excellent. Although that was the last cup I ever saw past the first few rounds. I hate cups, cups hate me we agree to disagree.

Then started something unbelievable, back to back promotions right up to the Championship. Even more remarkably every promotion was through the play-offs. I was overjoyed, the fans loved me the chairman loved me. We had expanded the ground so money was less tight now, I could splash out on some big names, I did and they were rubbish, so I bought a load more young Welsh and Irish players. Over the years I had expanded my scouting staff to 4 they are all brilliant. I could now scout Europe too. This lead to an influx of Danes and Swedes. I had the least English team in the Championship. Pretty much all non-English apart from my 6 foot 7 striker who was pivotal in my success.

Remarkably a few players had stuck with me from the first year in the conference. Some of the greedy ones had demanded transfers so I had sent them on their way and wished them well. The loyal ones I rewarded with long contracts they rewarded me with promotion at the third attempt. Yes that's right Aldershot in the premiership. We were running away with the league up until the last couple of months, I like to think the players couldn't resist the challenge of the playoffs so eased off a bit. We hit a patch of good form at the right time and waltzed through the playoffs.

The Premiership scared me, I had an extra long post-season break after the playoff success. I knew we would come straight back down. My now not so young loyal welsh striker was up for the challenge, having just finished the season with the Championship golden boot. The first season was a nail biter, but, with a game to go we were safe. The squad had been bolstered by a few experienced heads, as the promotion winning squad was very young. The Welsh striker was about the oldest.

A pattern had emerged in the previous seasons, I sign an unknown they have a good season or two and then sign for Leeds. Leeds are almost entirely made up of Aldershot deserters. If it wasn't for my scouts doing an unbelievable job we would have never made any progress. They have an uncanny knack of finding free replacements for the ones that leave.

The second season in the Premiership was the lowest point of my career so far. We were predicted to go down and the board expected a battle, but nothing could have prepared us for what happened next. After 7 games we still had a zero in the wins column. I couldn't believe it after the unexpected survival last season I expected to push on. The pressure took it's toll and I was given a few weeks leave to pull myself together (yes I went on Holiday!! I think that may have strayed away from the LLM principles but it was a desperate time). My Ass Man who was a bit of an Aldershot legend, (he loved commenting on us in the press so I had snapped him up), took charge. He saved us. We turned the corner, I came back and took all the credit. I should of realised sooner my 6 foot 7 striker wouldn't cut in the Premiership, he had struggled the previous season. The Ass Man changed the tactics and I took his advice and kept up the new style of play. After the Ass Man got us our first win things picked up and we finished nicely outside the relegation zone.

The following few seasons were the definition of mediocre. No steady improvement, just lots of comfortably avoiding relegation but finishing in about 16th place. During this time though the chairman took it upon himself to improve the facilities and stadium, we were now a proper Premiership team. The stadium was a 25000 all seater, we had never moved home just gradually extended from the original 6000. We did have a holiday for a while for one particularly big expansion. The bigger stadium and Premiership TV money meant the chairman could give me quite a war chest for our assault on the 2021/2022 season. I spent it wisely on a new DM and a couple of quality DCs. These were wise investments and allowed us to push on. The spine of the team was strong and teams found us hard to break down. This led us to a remarkable 9th place finish. Just missing out on the Intertoto cup. The step-up to the Premiership had seen my player rocket in value so even the under performers could be sold for millions. I could finally splash the cash, the scouts continued to find some real gems. They spotted 3 bargain Brazilians, a DC, ST and DCRL, I snapped them up 3 months later they were all full internationals, it was a proud moment.

The 2022/2023 season started well, the Brazilians and the new Greek striker fitted in perfectly. The Welsh striker had left last season for Pastures new. He wanted to go and I let him leave on the cheap as he had been disappointing in the Premiership. He now plies his trade in the SPL. At the half way point we were 3rd and playing well. We maintained the position until the now customary mid-late season slump were we dropped to 8th. Finally finishing 6th and securing a place in the UEFA cup. We will obviously fall at the first hurdle as cups still hate me. I have never got more than 2 rounds further than my starting point in any competition.

2023/2024 is going to be a big season. I am hoping for a Champions League place and maybe even an FA or League cup run. If I get knocked out by another League 2 club someone is getting hurt!


There is not a prize for correctly identifying the number of LLM rules broken in the post style and the content!

iajafer

I'm not at all easy with the "Holiday" aspect of your game, it happens in real life, but hey...I'm willing to see how it goes due to your 17 season update in one post.

marc-h

Thanks for the leniency. :cool: I didn't want to do it at the time, but I got a bid fed-up with the game and it was either that or resign! I had invested too much time at one club to do that.

It was only for about 4 games. My reasoning was that it does happen in real life. Sometimes. I did create my own new tactic when I returned. The assistant just game me some new ideas. Which is his job really.

iajafer

That's a good shout I'd say, holidaying instead of resigning...although Rowan Alexander would probably disagree

marc-h

I'm glad FM can't do that! I would have been slightly miffed if, after returning from holiday I couldn't see the game.

iajafer

Heh! All he saw was the door...he was shown it, poor bugger

scottn72

All souned a bit like he's mad to me. Turning up and claiming to be there to manage the team.

rourke

I don't know - it works for Steve McLaren at England sessions...

Nobby_McDonald

Are you trying to be Lily Allen or The Killers?

Korpse

Not a lot of difference between those two really - they both suck equally