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Some may recall my mediocre efforts with Grange Harlequins in the Welsh League in FM06. Following some more mediocre seasons I managed to construct a team capable of challenging for honours some time around season 2016/17. Winning all league and other useless trophies but never in the hunt for the FAW Cup. Anyway, the key aim was to try and qualify for the group stages of the Champions Cup. Which I failed miserably. It truly is impossible! I did manage to make the third round qualifying for the Euro Cup before being dispatched by Hadjuk Split. But my from then on I was unable to get out of first. So out in first round qualifying in the Champions Cup. I ended up going to Ireland for a season but it just wasn’t the same so I abandoned the game.
Having splurged on a legitimate non-Thai version of FM07, I was tempted to try again with managerless Bangor City at some stage.
The main point of this thread is to provide an update on my new adventure. After a ‘test’ run with rubbish Montrose I realised I needed to try new pastures. So I decided on a Continental adventure.
Leagues loaded: Central Europe all playable leagues (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland)
I bypassed Frank and chose Sansovino because it seemed a pleasant little name for a pleasant little team.
The squad was decent, but lacked a left-sided midfielder and only one decent striker. The chairman allowed me to splash all £5k on new players, which I promptly did on big old striker for £3k and old slow left winger for £2k.
The lowlight of the season was the protracted takeover of the club in October and the subsequent transfer embargo, which lasted to about March. So my time and effort identifying possible mid-season targets went to complete waste. Not to mention constant speculation about getting the sack.
Serie C2/B: 16th P34 W9 D9 L16 F45 A58 GD-13 Pts36
Italian Cup 1st Qual. Rnd: Sansovino 1 Messina 5
Serie C Cup Qual.1 both legs: Sansovino 1 Perugia 2, Perugia 1 Sansovino 0
Fans Player of the Year: Big Old Striker with 20 goals
While never close to the relegation spot, lack of quality saw us stuck in the playout positions for most of the season after jumping to the dizzy heights of seventh early on.
In the playout I didn’t know there was a second leg until after losing the first leg. Meaning that I conceded a third chasing the game from 1-2.
Having discovered the second leg, my team made the most of this lifeline by promptly scoring in the wrong goal before firing three more in the right one to end the first half. We subsequently concede a goal in the second and that was that.
Highlight of the season was the end of the first half of the second leg when for a moment I thought we had a chance.
First leg Sansovino 1 Rovigo 3
Second leg Rovigo 2 Sansovino 3
Relegated. After a week of deliberations I fell on my sword before being pushed.
Madrid offered El Chanto from last season and another El Reno AM LC just in case one wasn’t enough. I also signed a talented young El Maro AMR/ST I had loaned last season and an excellent experienced El Tequila AMR. Released the overpaid driftwood left in the squad including the “I’m too good for this club” GK.
After a solid first season the core of the squad was left intact and the lovey dovey feeling was shared all around. The team were beginning to understand my unique tactics and we were off to a flyer, competing in the promotion places for the first half of the season. With El Club Legend banging in the goals with the Madrid kids showing excellent form.
I managed to bring in a quality GK I during the season to replace my overperforming backup. Hoping he’s ability to stop one less goal per game would see me promoted I put him straight into the squad. The opposite happened and we slowly climbed down the ladder to 11th. To top it off I forgot to re-sign my own El Tillo AM LC who was performing well until Alaves offered him a contract and it was all too late.
The promotion push early in the season got the crowds in and managed to reduce the debt. So the board decided to go part time. I imagine that the full time administration staff were made redundant and offered part time AWAs contracts.
11th P38 W15 D9 L14 F60 A48 GD12 Pts54
Spanish Cup: not invited
Fans Player of the Year: Club legend with 20 goals
Players in: 3
Players out: 11
Managed to get a job at Palencia with a significant raise to boot.
Clearly a club with problems. The current wage bill was double the budget and the talented half of the first team squad was coming off contract in a month. Now most of players were willing to take pay cuts, which would have brought me close to the budget, but the board were restricting my wage structure until I offloaded players. So I was stuck releasing a quarter of my squad and signing the rest to end up under budget.
With a lack of numbers for the forthcoming season I asked the board for a parent club to look after me. They suggested Real Madrid with a £76k annual donation to boot, which I reluctantly accepted. Then they offered me talented young El Chanto AM LC, El PenO DM/MC and El Villa GK. I filled the rest of the gaps with some signings and other loans.
The season was rather mediocre and we never challenged for promotion or relegation. Comfortably placed in the middle. The goals were banged in by El Club Legend star striker with 23 in total. He’s worth all 20% of my wage budget!
I sent some youngster to two local feeder clubs who kindly set about destroying their meagre talents. So cancelled the arrangements but have continued to organise some friendlies to give my older reserves a run. And the money’s always welcome. I managed to halve the wage bill but the club was struggling to make ends meet. The board injected £750k in funds but we still managed to make a loss.
Second Division B2: 10th P38 W14 D13 L11 F52 A47 GD5 Pts55
Spanish Cup: not invited
Fans Player of the Year: Club legend with 23 goals
Players in: 3
Players out: 9
Language update: English, Korean, Italian, Spanish
Madrid forgot to send some much needed talent, but they did remember to send the cheque. So I made a few phone calls asking for players. They accepted, but the players didn’t. I managed to bring in a new El Bilbo MC, El Parento AMC and a Swedish El Razor AM LC to cover the gaps left by Madrid’s youngsters and my forgetfulness to renew contracts. Unhappy with my quality GK I decided to bring in quality GK II.
The loss of Madrid talent was hurting my team’s performances and we flirted with the relegation places before clawing back to mid table safety. On a brighter note El Razor managed 19 assists to set up most of the 24 goals scored by Club Legend and land best signing of the season.
11th P38 W14 D9 L15 F64 A59 GD5 Pts51
Spanish Cup: not invited
Fans Player of the Year: Club legend with 24 goals
Players in: 6
Players out: 12
The part time status and dwindling wage structure was hurting my chances of signing anyone with any quality so I settled for one backup El Nu Nu DC and El Reno from Madrid for a second season. Fortunately, I’ve managed to bring in one or two youngsters each season into the first team squad.
My team showed patches of good form throughout the season, but managed to shoot ourselves in the foot just in time to never really challenge for honours. Age had clearly caught the legend and Club legend was consigned to the bench and treatment table for most of the season, with El Maro taking over the leading role with all 13 goals. Clearly the team is better than the sum of its parts with the scooping of overachievers of the season.
El Razor grumbled about leaving for most of the season and struggled to reach the highs of last season. But at least I have one more season to find a replacement. El Bilbo was not ready to renew until it was too late and ended up signing for another team from next season.
7th P38 W18 D9 L11 F62 A56 GD6 Pts63
Spanish Cup: not invited
Fans Player of the Year: Swedish AM LC
Players in: 1
Players out: 7
The part time status and a restriction on the wage budget have seen a remarkable turn around in the finances and we managed to get into the black during the season. If the present position continues I foresee us in mid table indefinitely and continuing to make large profits.
But I wanted a promotion! So I applied for the vacant position at Ciudad Murcia in the LIGA BBVA and was promptly rejected, caused a media commotion and was no longer a favoured personnel at Palencia. So I unpacked my bags and got on with the job of promotion the hard way. Sigh.
Apply Within: Mediocrity Wanted 
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