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I'll admit it, I've grown bored of CM. Bored of winning. Bored of cheating. Bored of using an editor to check the potential abilities of players before buying them. Bored of marching unopposed through the divisions to glory. So I'm going back to basics. I'm going to play properly. I may lose, be fired or be relegated, but I will do it with a smile on my face as I will be doing it "cleanly".
No more Champions League finals with Darlington in 2009 for me, no sir. No more snapping up stars of the future on the cheap that I could never have heard of without cheating, no thanks.
I've been meaning to do this for ages now, I guess the thing that finally swung it for me was that I needed to start a new game to occupy me through to the release of FM05.
The first thing I had to decide on was the leagues I was going to play with. England was out, as I've cheated my way to success with every small club around so I felt I had too much prior knowledge. However it had to be somewhere with more than 1 league, and I couldn't quite bring myself to manage in Japan or Korea, it had to be somewhere reasonably close.
In the end I picked 3 active countries - Greece, Portugal and Belgium, as I'd never managed in those countries before. I selected all leagues in those countries, and decided to start in Belgium as I figured it would represent the hardest challenge, especially having 3 divisions. I elected to start in the bottom one, and chose a random team. I ended up at Racing Mechelen, who have a 11,900 capacity stadium (1900 seated), about £360k in the bank of which I was told I could spend £60k. The board wanted me to achieve a respectable league position. I must admit I was slightly disappointed by all of this - My new found streak of masochism had made me hope for a 1500 seater stadium, no money and a demand for immediate promotion. Spending money and an unambitious board seemded too cushy. However we must play the hand that fate deals us.
Only time, and the updates below, will tell if I play this hand well or not.
Sorry there's been a delay in me getting a second post on here but my HD drive died and it's taken 2 days to get my save game file off it intact and switch to the smaller one I keep spare. Lost loads of stuff from the last 10 years so I'm a bit gutted but such is life.
Most things were salvageable and as I say I got the save file for my game off intact so we're back and running, admittedly with only 20Gb now.
First thing to do was sign some scouts, send them out and see what I could find. My paper-thin squad would be torn apart by a couple of injuries, so it was important to try and recruit before the transfer deadline since I had funds to spend.
Signing some scouts was painless, I got 3 half-decent ones with mid range abilities and sent them off to look round the country at clubs in the same league who were playing friendly matches. A few reports began to trickle in.
I managed to bring in a tricky forward who could dribble but not shoot, and a winger who could dribble but not cross. I was very concerned about the lack of height and pace we had at the back so I also brought in 3 DCs who were tall and fast but couldn't tackle and an ageing DR who would give us 2 good years at best. Beggars, choosers, etc.
And that was my money gone. Time to see what we could do.
The start to the season was uninspiring to say the least. My team seemed unable to put together flowing moves and frequently wasted good opportunities in front of goal. I began to despair. 8 games in and we sit 15th from 18, the january transfer window loomed large but my overspending in the summer meant it had little signifigance for Mechelen.
My goalkeeper is the main cause for concern. He reminds me of the fat kid at school who gets put in goal not because he had a natural aptitude for it but because it is deemed he could do least damage there. This may work in a kickaround at the park, but in the depths of the Belgian 3rd division you need someone who'll try and keep the ball out your net rather than stand their looking cold and miserable all day.
Mechelen Men 
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