Play with less leagues then. The leagues that I posted is maximum IMO, doesn't hurt to play with less, you're only inhibiting your own prospects, but playing with more gives you more player options and more clubs to move on to.

ffs.

threw away back to back promotions, ended up fourth in League One, then lost in the play-off final to Milwall.

Which update are we starting with for the Twente challenge?

So I'm in the same boat as Imno, FM10. I'll get the squad update if you guys are kool with me tagging along.

tbh I feel as though I'll be the shit kicker in this group, not the best at FM :p but I'll see how I go.

Is there a timeframe to this? i.e. is it the most successful manager after 15 years, or is it more like "go forth and conquor"

Okay. Starting the Twente Challenge.

I've loaded:
Argentina - View Only
Australia - View Only
Belgium - View Only
Brazil - View Only
England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Scotland and Spain, all playable, all to the max depth the rules allowed me.

21 Leagues, 12 Nations. Large DB. Game Start: Holland 2010

:lol: I could have chosen to start in 2009 by picking the Brazil 2009 option, but I'm guessing that isn't allowed).

Started in Holland 2009. Beat Ajax 3-0 in the Dutch Super cup. Beat Celtic 4-1 on aggregate in the UCL qual match. Drew Werder in the last playoff, will probably lose.

Signed Dentinho (loan), Rensing, Anthony Annan, as well as a few other loans. Absolutely stoked with how the team is going. Playing out of their skins.

I'm running 11.2, 11.3 should be ok as long as you don't use the database edit.

Go forth and conquor.

Finding staff is a fucking pita.

And I can't sack my horrible assistant.

I remember when you could sack your assistant through mutual termination and they'd leave for free...

Lol. No, they don't here. The Twente Board block even a mutual termination because of the cost required.

The amount of shit youth coaches pissed me off as well, caused problems trying to sign guys for the first team.

i started a new game as my old one got too old and boring now.

started off international with ireland. i often like to go international and then hopefully get a club job a few seasons in, it means i get a squad that has had some changes to it and all and makes it a bit more challenging in that sense.

This could be problematic bringing in the assistant I want :(

I'm going to take a look at it in a bit and see how things stack up.

What's the transfer budget like?

I've finally sorted out my staff, and it's only taken 2 hours :lol:

Probably 2 to 4 million depending on what level of staff cutting and singing you make, and how much wage budget you want to play with.

Not the best budget, but not entirely awful either. I dunno where to look to bolster the side yet though. Marco Verrati will be an early port of call I think. Possibly Valeri and McGowan too.

I had 2.4 million budget when I started (in fm10) Mutually terminatred almost every single member of staff. Got a good ass man.

5 straight wins in the league \:d/ Bernard Parker has really stepped up. Terminated Wellingtons loan. Lost 3-0 to Werder. Dropped into the Europa league. Got a group with Liverpool, Braga and Hapoel. I reckon I can make it.

Realised just how much of a problem I've walked into at Bristol. I have 4 CB's, only one of whom is a Senior player, the rest are all youth. The Senior CB has been out for 5 weeks. 2 other of my defenders are youth players too. I'm already 1k over wage budget and so can't sign any frees, and no loans either. My best Centre Back at the moment has Heading/Marking/Tackling of 9/7/9 :lol:

Might start that Twente challenge, wasn't going to cos I'm going away soon and I'd only had a week on it, anyway I started one of those saves where you holiday 15 years or so but some how I've lost it :x So anyway might start the Twente challenge instead.

Got to the January transfer in the Twente Challenge.
I sold Douglas for 8 million to Bayern Munich hoping for space to improve the middle. I brought in De Fauw, but he was only good enough for some depth on the bench defensively, and Leckie, who is equal top goalscorer with Ruiz. Up until November it was a disaster although I only lost twice in the league I had only won once and was one point above the relegation playoff spots. I then was undefeated in the league through to January and am equal 3rd but still a fair way behind Ajax and AZ at the top.
I got annihilated in the Champions League in a group with Panathinaikos (3-0, 3-0), Shaktar(3-3, 1-0) and Inter Milan (2-0,6-0). In the end I was proud of finishing with the point I got away against Shaktar after being 3-0 down after 20 minutes.

For this challenge, I've decided to pretend to be Fabio Cesar, the Qatari/Brazilian, who must have been duplicated in a star-trek style transporter accident. One half continues to play football, the other has become a manager.

And since we're playing in Holland.. naturally the formation is 4-3-3.

Naturally the passing is short.

The tempo fast.

Transfers:
Out: Ola John to Arsenal for 3.6 million.
Pretty much all the crappy reserves.

In:
4 players on free transfers.
An uncapped French Striker.
An uncapped Dutch Right Winger
A capped Brazilian defensive midfielder.
A capped Serbian striker.

Completely cleared out the staff.
All physios, scouts and all but two coaches and the assistant were sacked and replaced.

de Jong has got stroppy because he wants to move to Barcelona. I've rejected the request and he'll be staying.

I'm having trouble off-loading the deadwood in the Twente squad. Looks like I'm about to seal deals for Onyewu, Ogbonna and Monterrubio for nominal fees.

Considering letting Ruiz go so I can bring in a couple of strikers on the cheap but I don't know who to go for to replace him.

Onyewu? He's on loan for me lol.

Who the hell is Ogbonna?

Monterrubio is playing for OM in my game :S

Ogbonna is a22yo Livorno CB. Milan wanted me to pay 100% of Onyewu's wages :( no dice.

I need a better keeper. Suggestions?

I thought you meant you were selling them.

I fucked up with de Jong, I hadn't cleared his "reject all offers" transfer status, and Porto offered me 9 million for him and it auto-rejected.

They never came back in for him. Nor did anyone else.

He kinda hates me now.

Drew Tottenham, Lyon and AC Milan for Champions Cup. Struggling to score goals :lol: Only 4 goals in 5 matches thus far and 3 of these were in 1 game :lol: .

Tottenham away in the first ECL. Didn't even get a single damned shot off. Don't know how we managed to only lose 1-0.

First friendly and I've lost De Jong and Janssen injured and it's just 40 mins gone. This is going to be a long season.

5-2 loss against Bayern. :lol:

Pre-season has been solid if unspectacular. I've signed Angelo Ogbonna (DLC) for 1m, Oliver Monterrubio (AML/ST) for 170k and I've just offered Vincent Enyeama a contract for 250k which should fix my keeper problems and allow me to move along Boschker. I've got Jonatas (MC) in on trial and hopefully I can make the move permanent. He's been excellent in training and friendlies.

Alright. Just entered November. 8 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in the league. Top by 1 pt with one game in hand. Been dogged with injuries, but still managing. 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss in Europa so far puts me in good stead. Into R4 of Dutch cup, drew a team bottom of JL.

Ins:
Lassad Nouioui
Michael Rensing
Anthony Annan
Vurnon Anita (loan)
Ibrahim Kargbo
Ramon (loan)
Dentinho (loan)
Rick Verbeek (loan)

Out:
Boschker
Buysse
Bengtsson
Rosales
Janssen
Javadov

Pretty happy so far.

idk if I can cbf continuing with them. fucking constant injuries are pissing me off.