retired_mekeesha

But I didn’t. The reason is that, with a relatively young and solid squad, there was nowhere to go. Every season began with humiliation in the first qualifying round of a European competition followed by a whole domestic season with little to get excited about. I’d go a whole season putting my hopes in drawing the champions of Andorra the next pre-season; in my last season I drew Shelbourne, whom we’d beaten in the last two All-Ireland Cup competitions. They thrashed us 0-5 on aggregate (The Republic of Ireland altered the timing of the football season for that very purpose – to give their best sides a chance in Europe).

After a few seasons at the top I slid to mid-table. I plugged away for a while but the knowledge that even if I did make my way back to the top there would be no real satisfaction caused me to quit in the end.

retired_mekeesha

The problem is this: the first European qualifier comes a week after returning from holiday. I barely have time to get over-weight, sunburnt players into the weights room, and arrange a single friendly against my equally unfit reserves before we have a competitive game against superior opponents half-way through their season. After four such attempts, the realisation that there was nothing I could do to move forward got to me and I successfully applied for a job with Fisher in the English Conference South (I quite fancied having a go in Brazil but they appeared to have overlooked my availability, possibly because I hadn’t loaded that league) where I’m surely never going to experience that kind of frustration.

In eight years of playing CM/FM, other than managing in single-division India (which also became rapidly tedious), I’d never won a championship so quickly (seven seasons in this N. Irish campaign; never in England or Scotland), or entered the Hall of Fame before. What should have been a deeply satisfying experience quickly became disappointing once it became apparent that there was nothing to look forward to. In that, Football Manager eerily emulates Real Life. At least I know what emptiness to expect were I ever to manage Manyoo or Chelski.

THE END

retired_mekeesha

Sorry, left these out:

) '


THE VERY END :p

retired_cin4me9

Now you know how the wee ginger bloke in charge of the hoops must feel, easy at home, hard in europe.

I think your save is the reason that poeple are drawn to LLM, to avoid that kind of tedious experience, although congrats on a successful career in N.I.

retired_jsimley34

Serves you right for being successful :p


Although I didn't reach the heights that you got to, I sypmathise with a lot of what you are saying. In the end, it was my trashing in Europe that convinced me to resign as I realised that all I was ever going to be able to do was to improve slowly until I am able to beat Glentoran (hardly an acheivement) and I would have no chance of ever building a squad that could get beyond the first stage of whatever European competition I ended up in on average crowds of 350 unless I got really lucky with the draw and ended up with a team from somewhere like Poofland/Spain/Italy and therefore lots of gate money from the away leg.

Brings me nicely on to my second gripe, money. My ground had a capacity of 750 and even if I sold that out every single week, I would still make big losses. With my actual attendances, I would make a loss even if I didn't pay my players any wages. There is no way of ever being profitable down there other than being lucky and getting some big money sales.

Also the scouting annoys me. It seemed that no matter how well you do, you can only scout Norn Iron and once you build a good Premier Division strength squad (not hard even without any money) there is nowhere to go because Norn Iron is such a poor quality league. On the other hand, all the other Premier League teams seem to be able to scout the whole of the British Isles. In fact just weeks after my resignation, my entire Oxford United Stars team that I had built over 10 of signing the very best players my scouts could find had been replaced by a bunch of Pooflanders brought in on free transfers.

I had a good time there while it lasted though. Despite being a Dagenham & Redbridge fan (currently in competition with the proper Oxford United for the Conference title) I grew an affinity to Oxford United Stars to the point where I have already looked up the official Northern Irish Football League website to check how they are doing IRL. Also, Wales has all of those weaknesses too if anything slightly magnified by the fact that there is only one league and some people seem to enjoy playing there.

retired_clement

So you guys are moaning because it's too hard? Are you sure you're cut out for llm?

retired_jsimley34

Yes and no.

Being successful in Northern Ireland is easy to the point where it is unstaisfying. Succeding in Europe as a Northern Irish team is difficult to the point where it is almost impossible (as it should be) and if you fail, you have to wait a whole season before you can try again. I enjoyed Northern Ireland until I reached the Premier League.

I would rather be stuck in the bottom half of the Conference National than be top of the Northern Irish Premier

retired_lauriekeith

Agreed. I'm playing in Wales and its those very reasons you stated that while making it a challenge, also make it, at times, quite unenjoyable. Frustrating because of losing streaks or whatever is one thing and all part of being a LLaMa, but feeling that there is nowhere to go is the tough part.

retired_mekeesha

Gratifying to know that I'm not alone!

Bubble-blowing Man, I don't recall off the top of my head, but I don't think winning the sucky cup brought in much income, and as McC points out, income with a stadium capacity of 1000 is never going to amount to much.

Regarding scouting, I was eventually able to scout the region, and brought in some Eiresoles and Jocks, but I think that even if I'd got the entire Chelski reserve squad on loan, we'd still have been too unfit to compete in the Euro qualifier

So, like I said, I've re-started my managerial career Fishing around in the Poofy ConfSouth, where I'll never find myself bothered that "I reached the top, then I had to stop; that's what's a-botherin' me"

retired_mekeesha

To be fair, he was cheated out of a cast-iron penalty which prevented him making the Quarter-finals. Not quite the same as having no chance getting past the first qualifying round.