[retired_holden]

I'm talking about 01/02 here btw...

I'm always amused by how slowly some club boards change their expectations to match your own ambitions as you move up the divisions.

When I was in Brazil, it only took 1-2 seasons in the top division (after starting in ND3) before I was expected to attain a respectable league position.

But my current save in Belgium saw me take Kortrijk from D3 up through the standings. We qualified for Europe in our first D1 season, finished 3rd last campaign to qualify for the Champions League, where we made the first Group Stage. 3rd season we scraped over the line to complete a league and cup double (a tense final day of the league season and a cup final replay would you believe!!). So we're becoming quite successful...

The board has already frustrated me by refusing twice to expand our 11760 capacity stadium which is filled to capacity every week.

And now for the new season the defending League and Cup champions are expected to stay clear of relegation.

Is this a case where the Board will never match my ambition?

[bodymassindicator]

You are awesome. Will you bear my children? Pretty please?

[This message was edited by The Amazing Dale Watkins on 18 May 2003 at 06:34.]

[retired_holden]

Dale, there is an important difference between explaining what you've done and bragging. It might have been hard to explain my point without stating our achievements.

Of course if that was a compliment, it is gratefully accepted... I think... *runs hurriedly from the room*

[retired_claudiaynava]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jraldous:
Dale, there is an important difference between explaining what you've done and bragging. It might have been hard to explain my point without stating our achievements.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes. I agree there was no bragging whatsoever. On with the topic...

[retired_claudiaynava]

Jraldous:

I would guess that your board is not very ambitious. Considering the club's stadium capacity, and probably finances also, they might think that you cannot retain the squad's current form.

11000 stadium capacity is not big at all, and money-making ability is limited. As for them not wanting to extend, I can't say much since I have no idea of what your finances look like.

[bodymassindicator]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Is this a case where the Board will never match my ambition?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well, if it wasn't bragging then all that's left is a rhetorical question. But maybe I'm just being an arse because it's late, and I'm cranky because my Kettering team lost the last 5 games.

[retired_holden]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Comrade Raspberry:
Jraldous:
11000 stadium capacity is not big at all, and money-making ability is limited. As for them not wanting to extend, I can't say much since I have no idea of what your finances look like.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We have enough cash to expand I think, given it wouldn't be a huge expansion, but I think it's a general lack of ambition as they don't feel the expansion is necessary, rather than there is no cash to do it.

I will hit them with an ultimatum this season if the cash is there and they still refuse.

[retired_sandra]

Going by my Billericay experience, it costs about £1000 for each seat.
So that may indicate to you how much spare cash for how many seats.
Then of course, there are the aforementioned board traits.

[KingsbayYHPE]

It's my belief that we sometimes exceed the expectations of the game programmers, perhaps they're more realistic than us?

If you play a Team in the Conference and take several seasons to get out, the expectations rise every year, until you get up. Then they fall back to the "avoid relegation" stuff in Division 3.

What I'm trying to say is our performance races ahead of the game's natural progression with regard to promotion and rise in reputation. i.e. we may be in Division 1 with a Club whose CM Maturity/Reputation is only hovering about Conference/Division 3 standard.

As a result, the AI of the Board is still hanging about this Conference/Division 3 level and their ambition is about the same.

This would naturally only affect Lower League Managers as the guys who start in the EPL have a Team with EPL reputation to start with.

Does that make sense?

[retired_holden]

Yeah, but I've seen other boards Ian where expectations rise much faster than my current one!

I was hoping others could compare how demanding/undemanding their boards can be sometimes, especially given the stories of some hard-nosed boards in CM4 :eek: